The probability of living to a hundred years was calculated by genes
It is known that exceptional longevity is usually of a family nature, and the results of animal studies indicate the existence of a pronounced relationship between genetics and life expectancy. Therefore, scientists at Boston University, working under the guidance of Professors Paola Sebastiani and Thomas Perls, set out to find out exactly which genetic variants ensure a person's ability to survive the 100th anniversary.
To identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (snips, from the English single nucleotide polymorphism, SNP), a combination of which can be used to isolate centenarians from the general population solely on the basis of genetic data, they used a reliable method of Bayesian statistics. The prognostic sensitivity of the model developed by them, containing 281 snips, increased with the age of the analyzed individuals, which confirms the hypothesis that genes play an important role in the survival of very elderly people.
Scheme of the methodology for searching for "longevity snips" from an article in PLoS ONE
Depending on the average age of the analyzed replication sample, this model made it possible to identify centenarians with an accuracy of 60-85%. At the same time, according to Professor Sebastiani, according to the results obtained by other specialists, almost all 130 genes associated with the snips included in the model are involved in the development of age-related diseases and directly in the aging process of the body.
People who have survived the 100-year milestone are considered as a model of healthy aging, since age-related health problems, as a rule, begin to manifest themselves in them only after 95 years.
The results of the study showed that individuals with similar profiles of genetic marker variations are characterized by comparable levels of risk of developing certain symptoms or diseases. The authors believe that further study of these genetic characteristics can shed light on the genetic and biological mechanisms that could allow a person not only to increase life expectancy, but also to postpone the age of onset of age-related diseases or completely avoid their development.
Article by Paola Sebastiani et al. Genetic Signatures of Exceptional Longevity in Humans is published in the journal PLoS ONE.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Medical Xpress: Researchers identify genetic signatures of exceptional longevity in a re-published study.
23.01.2012