The Study
Elevated lipoprotein(a) levels and small apo(a) isoforms are compatible with longevity: evidence from a large population of French centenarians.
This study is like taking a single photo of very old people and noticing they have certain blood traits. It can show what's in the picture but can't tell us why those traits are there or if they caused long life.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Some very old people in France had high levels of a blood fat called lipoprotein(a) and still lived to be over 100 years old.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 520 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Not specified
- 2Not specified
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Atherosclerosis
Year
1998
Authors
J. Thillet, C. Doucet, J. Chapman, B. Herbeth, D. Cohen, L. Faure-Delanef
Related Content
Claims (3)
Even though high levels of a certain blood fat called Lp(a) are linked to heart problems in younger people, this study found that very old French people (over 100 years old) can have high Lp(a) and still live long lives.
A certain genetic trait that usually raises heart disease risk doesn't seem to shorten life in very old French people, showing it might not always be bad for living a long life.
In people who live to be 100 or older, both inherited traits and lifestyle factors seem to affect their lipoprotein(a) levels, showing that more than just genetics plays a role in these levels for long-lived individuals.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.