Biodemographic Study of Familial Determinants of Human Longevity

Bibliographic Data

ID2860679
AuthorsNatalia S Gavrilova (0000-0003-3572-0879), Leonid A Gavrilov (0000-0002-4462-3803)
Year2001
Volume56
IssueHS1
Pages197-221
Publication date2001-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePopulation (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0032-4663 • E-ISSN: 1957-7966
PublisherCAIRN (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.3917/popu.p2001.13n1.0221
OpenAlexW2306524667
LanguageEN
Citations received19
References cited17

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S.-Biodemographic Study of Familial Determinants of Human Longevity On the basis of genealogical data for European aristocratic families, this article investigates whether parental age at child conception affects progeny life span, and the possible mechanisms of familial transmission of human longevity from parents to children. The method of extinct generations was applied to individual life span (several thousand cases) as a dependent variable in multivariate statistical analysis. We found that parental age effects on progeny life span are sex-specific and particularly strong in the 'father-to-daughter' sex combination. Daughters born to older fathers have shorter adult life spans, while sons are not affected. These findings are consistent with genetic explanations (paternal origin of deleterious mutations and critical role of paternal X chromosome transmitted to daughters only). We also found an unusual non-linear (accelerating) pattern of familial resemblance in life span between parents and their children, indicating increased life span heritability for the progeny of longer-lived parents. This finding is consistent with the evolutionary theory of aging and the mutation accumulation theory in particular. Finally, we found a paradoxical mode of life span inheritance where human life span is preferentially inherited on the paternal, rather than the maternal, side. Further large-scale studies are required to validate thispreliminary finding

Biology · Longevity · Sociology · Birth, Development, and Health · Demography · Genetics · Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms · Insurance, Mortality, Demography, Risk Management · Medicine · Gerontology

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