Human life expectancy is hereditary by at least 50%

United States, Feb 1 – Human life expectancy is hereditary by at least 50%—much more than previously believed.

Previous studies with twins had not exceeded 25%, and genealogical studies had not exceeded 6%.

This estimate has now been updated again by a study of twin pairs, which excluded factors unrelated to genetics, such as accidents or infections.

The result, published in the journal Science, is the product of research coordinated by the group of Ben Shenhar at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Such high heritability, the researchers write, is similar to that of most other complex human traits and to the heritability of life expectancy in other species.

This finding "has important implications for aging research," write Daniela Bakula and Morten Scheibye-Knudsen in a commentary published in the same issue of the journal.

The significant role of genetics in determining longevity, they add, "reinforces the rationale for large-scale efforts to identify variants associated with longevity, refine polygenic risk scores, and link genetic differences to specific biological pathways that regulate aging."

Research on the genetic component of longevity has a long history, which over decades has led to the identification of several genes linked to longevity, but precise estimates of the influence of genetics on aging have never been achieved.

To date, several results have been obtained in animals. In mice, for example, it is known that longevity is linked to a genetic component.

The new research on twin pairs was based on mathematical models, simulations, and numerous datasets related to twin pairs, which allowed distinguishing intrinsic causes of death from extrinsic ones.

It was found that human longevity heritability increases dramatically, to approximately 55%, suggesting that genetics is a central factor in human aging.

These revised estimates align human life expectancy heritability with that of most other complex physiological traits and with the heritability of life expectancy observed in other species. (Text and Photo: Cubasí)