An extensive study of genes relating to human lifespan and longevity has uncovered a wealth of both genes and behaviors that affect longevity. A study involving over 600,000 individuals with records of their parents’ lifespan was conducted by University of Edinburgh scientists. Both behavior and genes were implicated in this study because lifestyle choices are influenced by our DNA. Certain DNA variants have already been linked to increased alcohol consumption and addictive tendencies. Through this study, scientists have now been able to link them to general life expectancy as well.
Scientists found that two regions were associated with longevity: HLA-DQA1/DRB1 (rheumatoid arthritis, negatively) and LPA (cardio-metabolism, negatively). Furthermore, studies done previously that implicated APOE, CHRNA3/5, CDKN2A/B and SH2B3 and FOXO3A were validated.
Some behaviors found to influence lifespan include smoking (negative correlation), educational attainment (positive correlation), HDL cholesterol levels (positive correlation), and body fat (negative correlation).
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