Is longevity inherited?
Today the New York Times reported on a recent study in the science journal Human Genetics that sought to answer the age–old question, “Am I likely to live as long as my parents?” Is there a longevity gene?
The researchers looked at the life spans of over 20,000 Danish twins, and they found that before the age of 60, a person’s genes have almost no influence on their life span. But as people get older, past their eighties, the odds increase slightly that if a twin lived that long, his brother (or her sister) will do so also. The odds of reaching the age of 92 are about 1.8 percent, compared to 4.8 percent if your twin is a nanogenerian.
“While the estimated overall strength of genetic influence is compatible with previous studies, we find that genetic influences on life span are minimal prior to age 60 but increase thereafter,” the authors write. “These findings provide a support for the search for genes affecting longevity in humans, especially at advanced ages.”
I have twin cousins, older than me, and it’s been amazing to me how different they’ve looked as their lives have gone on, with one taking care of himself and looking very fit and the other abusing his body and looking much older.
Oh-oh! My mother and my grandmothers lived into their late 90s. I may be only half way through and retirement savings have been absorbed. Someone please give me a job!