Researchers Find Genes Explain About 55% Of Human Lifespan
Study in Science finds genetics explain about 55% of intrinsic lifespan after separating extrinsic deaths.
Overview
Ben Shenhar and Uri Alon published a study in the journal Science on Thursday finding genetic factors account for about 55% of intrinsic human lifespan after separating extrinsic mortality, according to the paper.
The researchers analyzed twin correlations from historical Danish and Swedish datasets and recalibrated heritability by removing deaths from accidents, homicides and infections, which they say raised estimates from about 25% to roughly 50–55%.
Ben Shenhar, a researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science, said the results "underscore the importance" of searching for longevity genes, while Eric Verdin, president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, cautioned the method may conflate infection susceptibility with intrinsic aging.
The analysis tested findings using a U.S. sibling-of-centenarian dataset and showed heritability increased as extrinsic mortality declined over the 20th century, with the study relying on thousands of twin pairs, according to the authors.
The authors said sequencing centenarian genomes to identify protective gene combinations and developing therapies to mimic those effects are next steps, even as they note lifestyle and environment still explain roughly 45% of lifespan variation.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the study as a corrective that elevates genetic influence over lifespan, using emphatic language ("strikingly higher") and comparisons to other heritable traits, privileging study authors' methodology while including expert caveats; structural choices foreground the 55% figure early, shaping a narrative of genetic determinism tempered by lifestyle disclaimers.
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FAQ
The study finds that genetic factors account for about 50-55% of intrinsic human lifespan after correcting for extrinsic mortality like accidents and infections, doubling previous estimates of 20-25%.
They analyzed twin correlations from historical Danish and Swedish twin datasets, including twins raised apart, and validated with a U.S. sibling-of-centenarian dataset.
They developed mathematical models like Makeham-Gamma-Gompertz (MGG) and saturating-removal (SR) to simulate and separate extrinsic deaths (e.g., accidents, infections) from intrinsic aging-related deaths.
High heritability incentivizes sequencing centenarian genomes to find protective gene variants and developing therapies to mimic them for longevity.
Eric Verdin cautioned that the method may conflate infection susceptibility with intrinsic aging.
History
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