What Matters More for Longevity: Genes or Lifestyle? (NYT article)

One key benefit of these types of longevity genes might be counteracting unhealthy behaviors. A study that Dr. Milman and Dr. Barzilai conducted comparing the offspring of centenarians with a control population found that, across the two groups, those with healthy lifestyles had a similarly low prevalence of cardiovascular disease. But among those with unhealthy lifestyles, the centenarian offspring still had low rates of disease, while the control group did not.

The experts emphasized that many of these genes are very rare, likely occurring in less than one percent of the population. (Probably not coincidentally, a similarly small percentage of people make it to age 100.) There’s also not one single gene that offers protection against all of aging and age-related diseases; it’s more likely that there are hundreds that combine to make a difference.

Having the right set of genes to impact longevity is “like winning the lottery,” Dr. Perls said. So even if your mother made it to 100, you should still practice behaviors you know are good for you, just in case you didn’t hit the genetic jackpot.

And whatever you do, don’t take health advice from a centenarian. For them, lifestyle probably didn’t matter much, Dr. Barzilai said. For the rest of us, it really does.