Mixed
Centenarians and exceptionally long-lived individuals carry a similar burden of common complex disease risk alleles as the general population, suggesting that protective genetic factors buffer these risks rather than an absence of risk alleles.
You cannot change your inherited disease risk alleles, but longevity research suggests that having them does not preclude a long life. The key for the exceptionally long-lived is not the absence of risk, but the presence of protective genetic factors that 'buffer' or mitigate the impact of those risks. Focus on healthspan and managing modifiable factors, as genetic buffering appears to play a critical role in delaying disease onset.
The surprising and novel findings that centenarians do not appear to have a relative lack of common complex disease risk alleles, and that some genetic variants appear to ‘buffer’ or protect against specific risk alleles, are discussed in detail.
Why this rating
Based on multiple large-scale GWAS and case/control studies (LLS, NECS, Leiden 85+) cited in the review.
Source
Genetics of healthy aging and longevity
Angela Brooks‐Wilson · Human Genetics · 2013
DOI 10.1007/s00439-013-1342-z
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