Should we expect to live as long as our parents?
A major study from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine suggests that having a centenarian parent is linked to a longer lifespan and delayed onset of age-related diseases. The findings highlight the genetic component of longevity regardless of lifestyle choices.
Why it matters
Understanding the genetic markers of longevity could shift how we approach preventative medicine and the growing 'longevity' industry.
Three cohorts of people with a centenarian parent were studied in one of the largest pieces of research into longevity to date.
Sunday Morning 13 September 2026 4 min read Caption: Around 0.01 percent of the world's population lives to the age of 100. However, little is known about the connection between centurions and their offspring. Photo credit: Unsplash People with a parent who lived to 100 are likely to live longer, no matter what their lifestyle is like, a study has found.
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