Angelina Jolie discovered she could die in a few years.

Jolie is one of the world’s biggest sex symbols. She’s married to Brad Pitt — one of the sexiest men alive, according to People magazine. And she is mother to six kids.

Most people love reading about Jolie and Pitt in the tabloids. They are one of the most sought-after couples by the paparazzi.

But this story has little to do with rumors or entertainment.

The fact of the matter is that she feared her life expectancy would wind down before her time.

Two years ago, that led to Jolie deciding to have a double mastectomy. That’s when both breasts are surgically removed.

This surgery is often recommended by doctors for a patient diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer.

Jolie also decided to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes surgically removed — another procedure advised by doctors when cancer is diagnosed in the ovaries.

What’s unique to Jolie’s story …

She had these surgical procedures even though she was never diagnosed with any forms of cancer.

This Test Could Lengthen Your Life

You see, Jolie’s family had a history of breast cancer. Her mother and grandmother died from the dreadful disease. More important, these family members carried the BRCA gene mutation.

BRCA genes help suppress tumors. However, when they have faulty mutations, these genes can lead to the development of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Instead of playing the “hope and wait” game, Jolie decided to take a special DNA test. For a few thousand dollars, she found (based on her DNA) her body was a carrier of the BRCA gene mutation.

In short, Jolie knew it was just a matter of time before she could follow in her mother and grandmother’s footsteps.

That’s because 65% of women who carry this gene mutation are at risk of breast cancer.

Jolie underwent the two surgeries to cut her cancer risk. As a result, she should now have a better chance of watching her kids grow up, get married and become parents themselves one day.

As I explained last week, the cost to take a similar DNA test was $100 million in 2001. About four years ago, the cost for this test dropped to $10,000.

Today, these DNA tests cost less than $1,000.

At this price, you will likely see millions more people get their DNA tested.

That’s why you are starting to see many stocks within this sector surge in value. This includes Illumina (ILMN) and Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) — two names I outlined in last week’s issue.

Think about it … these tests can predict how you could die.

And this information could cost you less $1,000 to find out.

I’m sure you’ll agree this is a small price to pay to spot deadly diseases early or maybe even prevent them.

Several companies even provide tests that can be taken from the comfort of your home.

These tests will scan your DNA for about 50 conditions including all types of cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s disease, kidney stones, baldness, obesity, arthritis and Type 1/Type 2 diabetes.

Based on your DNA, the test determines which of these conditions you are likely to contract over the course of your life. The results are usually sent back within a few weeks of taking the test.

Once you have this information, you can change your lifestyle ahead of time to lower your risk of catching such a condition. This includes eating better to avoid heart disease or wear sunscreen to avoid skin cancer.

In short, this game-changing technology (which only requires you to swab your cheek and send the results back in a sealed package) could be the reason why you live longer.

I’ve Seen the Possibilities Firsthand

Last week, I sent my Disruptors & Dominators members a 12-page report on DNA sequencing. In it, I covered the history of DNA testing, the new technologies in the space, and how this game-changing trend could save millions of lives.

In fact, I recently took one of these tests. My family has a history of cancer, and my results revealed a certain disease I am at high risk of contracting.

I truly believe this test might have saved my life.