Offspring of Centenarians Exhibit Reduced Mortality and Risk of Age-Related Disease
This is far from the only study to indicate that the children of long-lived individuals tend also to be long-lived. The open question is the degree to which this is genetic versus cultural transmission. The construction of very large population databases over the past few decades has produced evidence for genetics to play only a small role in life expectancy for the vast majority of people. Similarly the weight of evidence for lifestyle choice, particularly physical fitness, to be the presently dominant influence on life expectancy is compelling. Against that background, the hypothesis that centenarians are centenarians because they have favorable gene variants that might form the basis for age-slowing therapies faces an uphill battle.
Centenarian lifespan extension is frequently accompanied by delayed onset of aging-associated diseases. Understanding the transgenerational patterns of this phenomenon is crucial for informing investigations of genetic and environmental factors that promote healthy aging. Three independent longitudinal cohorts were studied: LonGenity (2008-2024; New York City area), the New England Centenarian Study (NECS; 1995-2024; throughout the US), and the UK Biobank (2006-2022; throughout the UK). Participants were selected from the 3 studies based on their parental lifespan. Centenarians' offspring had at least 1 parent who reached age 100 years and were compared with control offspring of parents with shorter lifespans.
Differences in age at death and age at onset of 4 age-associated morbidities - cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, hypertension, and stroke - were evaluated within study cohorts using Cox proportional hazards regression modeling, estimating hazard ratios (HRs) and delays in expected age of incidence. Combined, centenarians' offspring and control participants numbered 480 in LonGenity (median enrollment age, 74 years [range, 65-94 years]; 262 women [55%]; 245 offspring of centenarians [51%]), 1566 in NECS (median enrollment age, 71 years [range, 39-100 years]; 923 women [59%]; 1082 offspring of centenarians [69%]), and 1984 in the UK Biobank (median enrollment age, 65 years [range, 42-71 years]; 1006 women [51%]; 992 offspring of centenarians [50%]).
Meta-analyses identified consistently reduced hazards in centenarian offspring for death, CVD, and hypertension, with aggregate HR estimates of 0.58 for death, 0.67 for CVD, and 0.68 for hypertension, and delays of 3.12 years for death and 5.21 years for hypertension. Stroke hazards were reduced only in LonGenity (HR, 0.27) and NECS (HR, 0.41). No significant associations with cancer were identified.
I definitely think there is a significant genetic component to making it to 100. Like those people have some stem cells that hang on longer for some reason. You also have some families where usual life shortening habits don't take them out at an earlier age like most people. Just from my observation reaching 100+ doesn't correlate that much with looking real young at advanced ages though. Quite a few look their age at 70 and 80 when you see younger photos of them.