Have you ever wondered how long you might live? New research suggests that an important indicator of your probable life span may be your genes. Scientists have identified unique genetic signatures strongly associated with a long and healthy life, findings that could help to further the understanding of how certain genes may offer protection from common age-related diseases like cancer, dementia and cardiovascular disease. And one day the data might lead to the development of genetic tests to predict whether a person can expect to live into old age as well as guide intervention efforts to prevent age-related illness.

The study, led by Paola Sebastiani, professor of biostatistics at Boston University (B.U.) School of Pubic Health, and Thomas Perls, professor of medicine and geriatrics at the B.U. School of Medicine, was published online July 1 in Science.

A person's life span is thought to be largely determined by the combined effects of genetics and environmental factors. Twin studies, however, suggest genetics only account for approximately 20 to 30 percent of an individual's chance of surviving to age 85.

Lifestyle choices, particularly diet, exercise and smoking habits, play an undisputed role in determining not only how long one will live, but also how well one ages. Studies show that Seventh-Day Adventists, whose church encourages behaviors that promote healthy aging, have a well-documented average life span of 88 years, approximately eight years longer than the average U.S. citizen. For the most part, Adventists exercise regularly, are vegetarian, and don't smoke or drink alcohol.

Nevertheless, a glance at your family tree may indicate whether you have a familial tendency toward longevity. Research suggests that exceptional longevity (EL)—living one to three decades beyond the average U.S. life span of approximately 80 years—runs strongly in families. "That…has always made us believe that genetics is playing a very important role in this wonderful trait," Perls said Wednesday in a press conference.

Genetic factors can contribute to the degree of longevity in at least two important ways: An individual may inherit certain genetic variations that predispose him or her to disease that decreases longevity; other gene variants may confer disease resistance, thereby increasing it.

To better understand the genetic components of longevity, the researchers analyzed the DNA of more than 800 subjects between the ages of 95 to 119 and compared it with DNA from random controls. The genome-wide survey identified specific genetic variations, or SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms), that were associated with the longevity group.

Next, the researchers developed a genetic model comprising 150 SNPs in order to compute the predisposition of an individual toward EL. Their model successfully predicted exceptional longevity in a different sample of centenarians (individuals that live to age 100) with 77 percent accuracy. This demonstrates that EL is strongly associated with complex combinations of genetic variants.

The researchers found that, based on subjects' genetic profiles, the centenarians could be further divided into 19 subgroups, some of which were associated with delayed onset of age-related diseases such as dementia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. These signatures represent different genetic paths to age 100 and beyond, Sebastiani said in the press conference.

"Centenarians are indeed a model of aging well," Perls said. Previous work has shown that 90 percent of centenarians are disability-free at the age of 93. In industrialized nations approximately one out of every 6,000 people lives beyond the age of 100. Supercentenarians, or individuals that are older than 110, are even rarer—only one in seven million fall into this category.

10 Comments

1. 1. darrellnew1 12:14 PM 7/2/10

   Very interesting but I wish we could figure out how to live much longer.

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2. 2. jgrosay 06:50 PM 7/2/10

   Who wants to live forever? (Queen)

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3. 3. oiacub 02:47 PM 7/4/10

   good note

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4. 4. luigigen 08:31 PM 7/5/10

   Genes buenos y longevidad son una unión necesaria casi imprescindible.-Lo vemos en sociedades cerradas o pueblos pequeños donde existen muchos casos de mayores por ejemplo de 100 años.-Esto revela creo cierta perfección en el ADN que los hace inmunes a muchas enfermedades.-Si pudiéramos conocer
   a fondo estos genomas particulares tendríamos herramientas muy importantes para la lucha, por ejemplo contra el cáncer.-Interesante nota.-Conocer cosmoglobal.-

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5. 5. Wayne Williamson 07:31 PM 7/6/10

   i'm thinking more and more that the setting of the genes is as important as the instructions(actual codes)...

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6. 6. tiger0004 08:31 AM 7/7/10

   Being young longer is the thing matters, not living longer.

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7. 7. sunnystrobe 01:45 PM 7/7/10

   "Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind. It is the freshness of the deep springs of life." (Samuel Ullman)
   - for an easy way to stay young on the cellular level on a natural colour-coded diet, please visit:
   youthevity.com

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8. 8. katesisco 02:48 PM 7/14/10

   Medicine & Health-page 23
   Orexines-- brain peptides--keep us awake. A decade of research has lead to many avenues of uses. One insight of importance from the Wash U School of Med, St Louis MO:
   "Orexin or compounds it interacts with may become new drug targets for treatment of Alzheimer's disease," says senior author David M. Holtzman, M.D., the Andrew and Gretchen Jones Professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the School of Medicine and neurologist-in-chief at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "The results also suggest that we may need to prioritize treating sleep disorders not only for their many acute effects but also for potential long-term impacts on brain health."

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9. 9. luigigen 09:16 PM 10/19/10

   No se si te refieres a las formas de "apagado o encendido de genes".-Muchas veces sabemos estos permanecen inactivos durante muchos años y "sorpresivamente" despiertan.-Si no es esto disculpa.-saludos.-luigigen.-

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10. 10. sjs497 in reply to darrellnew1 05:18 PM 11/29/12

    Well a recent study showed that if you could wipe your body of senescent cells, you could increase your life span
    

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