Weizmann Study Finds Genes Explain 55% of Lifespan Variation
Study published Jan. 29, 2026, in Science finds genetic factors account for about 55% of intrinsic human lifespan after separating extrinsic mortality.
Overview
Uri Alon and Ben Shenhar published a study Jan. 29, 2026, in Science finding that genetic differences account for about 55% of intrinsic human lifespan after separating extrinsic mortality, according to the paper.
The result contrasts with prior heritability estimates of 6% to 33% and the commonly cited 25%, and matters because it reframes longevity as closer to other traits with roughly 50% heritability, the authors said.
Ben Shenhar, co-author and researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science, said the finding should spur searches for protective longevity genes, while Eric Verdin, president and CEO of the Buck Institute, cautioned the classification of infection-related deaths is debatable.
The team calibrated a mathematical model using historical twin records from Denmark and Sweden and a U.S. sibling-of-centenarian cohort to produce the 55% intrinsic heritability estimate, the study reports.
The authors urged larger genomic searches of centenarians and efforts to identify interacting gene variants that could reveal druggable mechanisms, but they cautioned translational therapies remain years to decades away, Uri Alon said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the study as a major recalibration toward genetic determinism by foregrounding the 55% figure and novel methodology. Editorial choices—lead phrases like “strikingly higher” and “intriguing — and perhaps disappoint,” prioritizing the lead researcher and supportive experts, and placing lifestyle caveats later—collectively amplify genetic significance.
Sources (4)
FAQ
The study finds that genetic factors account for about 55% of intrinsic human lifespan variation after adjusting for extrinsic mortality.
It contrasts with prior estimates of 6% to 33% and the commonly cited 25%, doubling the typical uncorrected heritability by separating extrinsic mortality.
The model was calibrated using historical twin records from Denmark and Sweden, and a U.S. sibling-of-centenarian cohort.
They urge larger genomic searches of centenarians and efforts to identify interacting gene variants to reveal druggable mechanisms for longevity.
Eric Verdin, president of the Buck Institute, cautioned that the classification of infection-related deaths as extrinsic mortality is debatable.
History
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