Longevity genes pave way to reaching 100

Monday, 05 July 2010

There's always been the age-old controversy as to whether it is genes or lifestyle that contribute the most to living to a ripe old age.

Today, published online in Science, there is news that a cluster of 150 variations in DNA sequence can predict with a 77 per cent accuracy whether a person is genetically equipped to live to a hundred years old.

These findings come from research conducted through the genomes of over 1000 centenarians. Scientists have studied about 300,000 sequence variations to help find possible links to extremely long life spans.

The genetics involved are highly complex, and the research team, headed by Thomas Perls, a professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts, has found a complex mix of genetic variants which can potentially affect every bodily function. Some of these variants are capable of staving off age-related diseases such as heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Thomas Kirkwood, director of the Institute for Ageing and Health at Newcastle University said: "The search for single genes with big effects on longevity has not proven fruitful. "We're not looking for genes that simply specify a clock. The story, when it emerges, will intrinsically be quite complicated."

Indeed, genetics contribute only 25 to 30 per cent of the variation of survival to 85 years with lifestyle factors always playing a far bigger role.

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