IngentaConnect Clinical Phenotype of Families with Longevity

Authors: Atzmon, Gil¹; Schechter, Clyde²; Greiner, William¹; Davidson, Deborah¹; Rennert, Gad³; Barzilai, Nir¹

Source: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Volume 52, Number 2, February 2004 , pp. 274-277(4)

Abstract:

Objectives:

To determine whether offspring of centenarians acquired protection from age-related diseases. Design:

Case-control study. Setting:

The study was part of the Longevity Genes Project at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Participants:

Centenarians (n=145), offspring of centenarians (n=180), and spouses of the offspring of centenarians (n=75) as a control group. Two additional groups served as controls: age-matched Ashkenazi Jews, and an age-matched control group from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Measurements:

Self-reported family history of longevity; prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart attacks, and strokes; and objective measurements of body mass index and fat mass. Results:

Parents of centenarians (born in approximately 1870) had a markedly greater (∼sevenfold) “risk” for longevity (reaching ages 90-99), supporting the notion that genetics contributed to longevity in these families. The offspring of long-lived parents had significantly lower prevalence of hypertension (by 23%), diabetes mellitus (by 50%), heart attacks (by 60%), and strokes (no events reported) than several age-matched control groups. Conclusion:

Offspring of centenarians may inherit significantly better health. The authors suggest that a cohort of these subjects and their spouses is ideal to study the phenotype and genotype of longevity and its interaction with the environment.

Keywords: longevity; centenarians; cardiovascular risks

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2004.52068.x

Affiliations: 1: Institute for Aging Research, Diabetes Research and Training Center, Department of Medicine, and 2: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; and 3: Department of Community Medicine and Epidemiology, Carmel Medical Center and Technion Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, Israel.

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