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Genes that let people live to 100 found |
LONDON: The fountain of youth could be
a reality someday, for scientists claim to have discovered the genes which can
let people live to 100 -- even if they are not health conscious.
A
team at Leiden University has found that the genes called "Methuselah" can
protect people against the effects of smoking and bad diet, and can also delay
onset of age-related illnesses like cancer and heart disease by upto three
decades.
According to the scientists, who have based their findings
on an analysis of new studies of centenarians and their families, the secret of
longevity lies in having the right "suite" of genes -- however, such
combinations are rare as only one person in 10,000 reaches the age of 100.
"Long-lived people do not have fewer disease genes or ageing genes.
Instead they have other genes that stop those disease genes from being switched
on. Longevity is strongly genetic and inherited," lead scientist Eline Slagboom
was quoted by 'The Sunday Times' as saying.
"People who live to a
great age metabolise fats and glucose differently, their skin ages more slowly
and they have lower prevalence of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension.
These factors are all under strong genetic control, so we see the same features
in children of very old people," she added.
The "Methuselah" genes
-- named after the biblical patriarch who lived to 969 -- are thought to include
ADIPOQ, which is found in about 10 per cent of young people but in 30 per cent
of people living past 100.
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