Research Reveals How Longevity Traits Are Inherited 16 June

Gothenburg, Sweden: Understanding why some people stay healthy without developing disease until late in life (have an increased healthspan*), whereas others become infirm at a much younger age has important implications for the health of today's ageing population. Life expectancy has significantly increased in the last two centuries, but healthspan has not kept pace. Survival into extremely old age (longevity) runs in families and is associated with a delayed onset of multiple chronic health conditions, yet its protective genetic basis remains largely unclear. Most studies to date have looked at the particular genetics of healthy long-lived individuals rather than those of families. However, new research to be presented today (Tuesday) at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics in Gothenburg has revealed that studying long-lived family members can help to identify some of the mechanisms that enable them to have a significantly longer healthspan.