How Does Genetic Pattern Affect Longevity?

Aging was initially considered a normal process that every human being born on the earth undergoes. Today, it is no longer considered normal. Several scientific evidences suggest that aging or senescence is decided by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. People do not want senescence as it is associated with debility, frailty and disease. Age is a single largest risk factor for several diseases that we see in the population. Through genetic studies in identical twins and families, scientists could determine that the contribution of genes to longevity accounted to ~25%. Genes we inherit from our parents, can decide our longevity. Studies among centenarians, suggests that their offspring have relatively lower prevalence of chronic age associated
The approach is unbiased and helps to detect genes that are associated with aging and disease prevention. To understand the genetic influence on longevity, Sebastiani et al., undertook a genome wide association study in 801 centenarians and 914 genetically matched healthy controls. Through this study, the researchers identified that 90% of the centenarians carried specific single nucleotide polymorphism clusters that can be used as genetic signatures to predict longevity in the population (Sebastian, Solovieff, Dewan, Walsh, & Hartley, 2012). Studies in French centenarians identified that a certain 4 allele of apolipoprotein E was less frequent among centenarians. While, Apolipoprotein E offers protection against cardiovascular diseases; the 4 allele of this gene promotes premature atherosclerosis. Genetic studies among centenarians in Japan and Finland, identified 3 mitochondrial gene polymorphisms (150T, 489C, and 10398G) that promotes polymorphism. Italian centenarians, had a higher expression of anti-inflammatory gene IL-10, than the controls. IL-6 and IFN-gamma are also associated with longevity (Flurkey & Yuan,