If Your Parent Lives To 100, It Might Spell Good News For Your Longevity

If one or both of your parents lives to 100 – or surpasses that mighty age – it might mean you’re likely to reap the rewards, too.

Not only do you get to spend more time with your parent(s), but a new study suggests children of centenarians are likely to also live longer – and they’re less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and hypertension, too.

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Boston University, and Tufts Medical Center analysed data from three long-running studies. A total of 2,319 centenarians’ offspring were compared with 2,703 controls (the offspring of people who lived to age 85 or younger).

Compared with people whose parents had shorter lifespans, centenarians’ offspring had a 42% lower risk of early death, the study found. They also had a 33% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 32% lower risk of high blood pressure.