Which genes help people live longer?
Human longevity: 25 genetic loci associated in 389,166 UK biobank participants
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Genes tied to autoimmune conditions were linked to longer maternal lifespan.
Autoimmune diseases are usually seen as harmful, but some variants may offer hidden protective effects in aging, especially for women.
Practical Takeaways
Consider a DNA test that includes polygenic risk scores for heart disease and longevity-related genes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Genes tied to autoimmune conditions were linked to longer maternal lifespan.
Autoimmune diseases are usually seen as harmful, but some variants may offer hidden protective effects in aging, especially for women.
Practical Takeaways
Consider a DNA test that includes polygenic risk scores for heart disease and longevity-related genes.
Publication
Journal
Aging (Albany NY)
Year
2017
Authors
L. Pilling, Chia-Ling Kuo, K. Sicinski, Jone Tamosauskaite, G. Kuchel, L. Harries, P. Herd, R. Wallace, L. Ferrucci, D. Melzer
Related Content
Claims (5)
Scientists found 25 spots in the DNA of people with European roots that are linked to how long their parents lived — some of these spots are near genes we already know affect aging, and it looks like living a long life is shaped by lots of little genetic factors working together.
If someone has a higher genetic score based on 10 specific DNA variants, they're more likely to have a parent who lived to 100 or beyond — each step up in the score means about a 19% better chance of having a centenarian parent.
If your parents lived a long time, you might have inherited genes tied to aging-related processes like cell aging, inflammation, and heart health — and these could help explain why some people live longer.
Some genes linked to living longer depend on whether they come from your mom or dad — different sets of genes seem to help men and women live longer.
Some people have a specific gene variation that’s linked to parents who lived longer and had a lower chance of heart disease — it might be related to how our blood vessels age.