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Study Finds Genetics Account for 55% of Human Lifespan
Researchers separated intrinsic from extrinsic mortality using twin data and modeling, finding genetics explain 55% of lifespan variation, doubling previous estimates.
- Thursday, an international team of researchers published in Science that genetics explain about 50% of variation in human lifespan using human twin-study datasets.
- Researchers reanalyzed twin datasets by separating extrinsic mortality from intrinsic mortality, reducing non-genetic 'noise' that obscured genetic influence in prior studies using centuries-old data.
- Using historical twin and sibling records from Denmark, Sweden and the U.S., the mathematical model developed by the study authors estimated heritability could reach 55% after rerunning analyses for age-linked infection vulnerability.
- Study authors argue a substantial genetic contribution supports sequencing centenarians to identify longevity variants and refine polygenic risk scores, aiding drug discovery while IVF startups promise embryo-based lifespan inference.
- Researchers caution that roughly 50% of lifespan reflects environmental factors, while few longevity-associated genes like FOXO3, APOE and SIRT6 are identified, with Eric Verdin urging careful interpretation.
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62 Articles
62 Articles
Our genes play a much greater role in how long we live than previously thought.
·Stockholm, Sweden
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More than 50 percent of people live for a long time. So far, studies have "overestimated external causes of death," the research team argues.
·Vienna, Austria
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A new study published in Science shows that the inheritability of human life, excluding deaths caused by external factors such as accidents or infections, is just over 50 percent
·Italy
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The lifespan of a human could be more dependent on the genes than previously assumed, as shown by the results of a recent study.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources62
Leaning Left13Leaning Right7Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution41% Center
Bias Distribution
- 41% of the sources are Center
41% Center
L 38%
C 41%
R 21%
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