Genes That Can Make People Live Shorter Lives
Rare genetic associations with human lifespan in UK Biobank are enriched for oncogenic genes
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
A rare variant in SRSF2 increases early mortality risk by 5.8 times — higher than BRCA1 or even TP53.
SRSF2 isn’t widely known outside hematology, yet it has a bigger impact on lifespan than some of the most famous cancer genes.
Practical Takeaways
Consider genetic testing if you have a strong family history of early cancer or dementia.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
A rare variant in SRSF2 increases early mortality risk by 5.8 times — higher than BRCA1 or even TP53.
SRSF2 isn’t widely known outside hematology, yet it has a bigger impact on lifespan than some of the most famous cancer genes.
Practical Takeaways
Consider genetic testing if you have a strong family history of early cancer or dementia.
Publication
Journal
Nature Communications
Year
2025
Authors
Junyoung Park, A. Peña-Tauber, Lia Talozzi, M. Greicius, Y. Le Guen
Related Content
Claims (6)
Your genes might play a role in when you die — not just from diseases, but in how long you naturally live.
People with rare harmful changes in the TP53 gene tend to live shorter lives, mostly because they’re much more likely to get certain cancers like breast or blood cancer.
Having a certain version of a gene called APOE — especially the ε4 type — might mean people of European background don’t live as long, mainly because it raises the risk of heart problems and Alzheimer’s.
If you're of European descent and carry a rare broken version of the TET2 gene, you might not live as long — studies suggest these people are more than twice as likely to die earlier than those without it, possibly because of a blood-related aging process linked to cancer.
People with rare harmful changes in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes tend to live shorter lives, mostly because they’re more likely to get cancers like breast and ovarian cancer.