Study Finds Gene Mutation Linked to Long Life
(Chicago, Reuters Health, 10/14/03)

Nir Barzilai and fellow researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NY, examined the genetic profiles of 213 long-lived Ashkenazi Jewish adults with an average age of 98. These Jews of Eastern European descent tend to be socially isolated and, therefore, share a unique gene pool that lends itself to genetic study. The investigators found that the centenarians in the group were 300% likelier than the general population to carry a specific gene that is related to an enzyme that affects the size of cholesterol molecules in the blood, making them larger. The scientists also studied 216 of the subjects' adult children and found that they were more than twice as likely to inherit this mutation. The researchers speculate that the larger lipoproteins and increased levels of HDL ("the good cholesterol") associated with this gene may extend life because the greater particle size may prevent the lipoproteins from penetrating artery walls and building up plaque.

click here for Cardiovascular News Overview