Is There A Link Between DNA And A Long Life?
New research is leading scientists to believe that there’s a direct link between DNA and an individual’s expected lifespan.
For many people, the dream is to add years to their life, and some go to great lengths to do so.
Emerging research indicates that we're closer than ever to understanding what specific genetic components cause humans to age and why.
The Study
A study conducted by the University of Edinburgh is bringing new insights into the connection between lifespan predictability and genetics.
The study focused on more than 500,000 people. It analyzed the ages in which the participants’ parents died.
From there, the researchers then analyzed the DNA. What they discovered was surprising.
Through the study, researchers identified twelve separate parts of the human genome that directly impact the human lifespan.
Some of these parts were already well known and had associations with diseases like Alzheimer’s. However, five of the twelve numbers were previously unknown.
The researchers then took these twelve different components and compiled a lifespan score system.
With this system, the researchers believe it’s possible to better understand how long a person might live, simply by examining the individual’s DNA.
The team then took their original 500,000 participants and divided them into different groups based on their lifespan score. They predict that the top group of participants will live on average five years longer than the lower portions of the group.
The Findings
The twelve parts of the human genome that helped the researchers to compile their scoring system are genes that have been linked to other serious diseases.
These diseases include cancer and heart disease. This information tells researchers that an individual’s risk of death from these illnesses or cancers is largely due to rarer genetic differences.
However, social and environmental factors can play a role as well.
The researchers’ primary goal was to discover genes that influence how quickly a person ages. This kind of information can help with medical treatments. Additionally, it helps with understanding how to slow the effects of aging.
Unfortunately, the research was inconclusive in regards to genes that influence how rapidly people age. The researchers don’t deny that their effects exist and that there may be isolated genes at work, but their effects were too small to draw any conclusive reports for this study.
What researchers did find is still vitally important. The discovery of genes that have the power to affect the brain and the heart carries most of the responsibility in determining an individual’s lifespan.
With these twelve parts of the human genome now identified, researchers can begin focusing on their effects more specifically.
Epigenetic Testing
The study conducted by The University of Edinburgh begs the question, is it possible to know how quickly you’ll age from a simple DNA test? Many people are desperately searching for the secret to a long life. They’ll go to great lengths to make that happen.
Epigenetic markers, or the pattern of chemical chains linked to the DNA in your cells, may just be the key to gaining insight into your lifespan and how quickly you are expected to age. Unlike DNA, epigenetic patterns can change based on environmental factors or on how much you eat and exercise.
By studying these patterns, researchers can assign a “clock” to a person based on the epigenetic markers, which may be older or younger than the age they actually are.
Steve Horvath, a biostatistician at the University of California Los Angeles, developed a method that can test a person’s epigenetic markers with ease. The test focuses specifically on the methylation and demethylation processes in the body that play a role in controlling the actions of genes.
By creating a “clock,” Horvath can successfully predict the biological ages of participants.
Before you rush out to get Horvath’s test, called the GrimAge, it should be noted that it’s not necessarily accurate for all racial and ethnic groups.
That said, this technology and the research being conducted on the aging process shed light on the age-old human dream of successfully extending life.
