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Genomic analysis of longevity offers the potential to illuminate the biology of human aging. Here, using genome-wide association meta-analysis of 606,059 parents' survival, we discover two regions associated with longevity (HLA-DQA1/DRB1 and LPA). We also validate previous suggestions that APOE, CHRNA3/5, CDKN2A/B, SH2B3 and FOXO3A influence longevity. Next we show that giving up smoking, educational attainment, openness to new experience and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are most positively genetically correlated with lifespan while susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD), cigarettes smoked per day, lung cancer, insulin resistance and body fat are most negatively correlated. We suggest that the effect of education on lifespan is principally mediated through smoking while the effect of obesity appears to act via CAD. Using instrumental variables, we suggest that an increase of one body mass index unit reduces lifespan by 7 months while 1 year of education adds 11 months to expected lifespan.Variability in human longevity is genetically influenced. Using genetic data of parental lifespan, the authors identify associations at HLA-DQA/DRB1 and LPA and find that genetic variants that increase educational attainment have a positive effect on lifespan whereas increasing BMI negatively affects lifespan.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/s41467-017-00934-5

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Commun

Publication Date

13/10/2017

Volume

8

Keywords

Alleles, Body Mass Index, Coronary Disease, Education, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, HLA-DQ alpha-Chains, HLA-DRB1 Chains, Humans, Insulin Resistance, Life Style, Lipoprotein(a), Lipoproteins, HDL, Longevity, Lung Neoplasms, Obesity, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Smoking, Socioeconomic Factors