Gene changes may affect lifespan: study

Researchers have identified gene changes that can cut a person's lifespan by up to three years, according to a study published online Thursday in the journal Nature Communications.

A team led by researchers from the University of Edinburgh made the discovery by analyzing genetic information from more than 152,000 people who participated in the UK Biobank study - a long-term record of the health of thousands of volunteers.

They have discovered two separate areas of the human genome where differences in the DNA code may affect how long a person lives.

The two changes - known as variants - are relatively common in the population.

More than two thirds of us will inherit a single copy of one of them from either our mother or father, according to the study.

Having a copy of one variant may reduce expected lifetime by up to a year, and around three in 1000 people will inherit two copies of both variants and can expect to die an average of three years earlier, the team predicts.

One of the variants is linked to a gene associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and severe respiratory problems in people who smoke. The other is in a gene associated with Alzheimer's disease and high cholesterol.

The study also found that the variants had different effects on men and women's lifespans. The gene change linked to Alzheimer's disease had a greater effect on women while the variation associated with lung disease had greatest effect on men, according to the study.

Although the effect of these genetic variants on lifespan is surprisingly large, it is important to remember that this is only part of the story, and lifestyle has the greatest impact on how long we live and that is under our control, said the researchers. Endit