A new study has seemingly found a link between lineage and one’s longevity as it indicates that one is expected to live longer if they come from a family who has lived long lives.
The study conducted by Oxford University showed that found that seven conditions were significantly less common for siblings in a long-lived family, than for similarly aged controls i.e. Alzheimer’s, hip fracture, diabetes, depression, prostate cancer, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease.
Evidence from the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) suggested that somewhat in contrast, the LLFS siblings were more likely to be receiving care for arthritis, cataract, osteoporosis, and glaucoma.
Spouses, offspring and offspring spouses of these long-lived sibships shared in the significantly lower risk for Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart failure.
According to the study, both genetic and environmental factors appear to be in play and since most of the offspring generation are not yet seventy-five, it will be fascinating to see whether this early evidence for a health advantage in both genetic and marital relatives of long-lived families strengthens as the cohort ages.
The Journals of Gerontology, Series A will be published in the article titled, “Are Members of Long-Lived Families Healthier than Their Equally Long-Lived Peers?”
