The study found that Indians aged over 85 carry gene variants linked to slower heart rates and lower risks of osteoporosis, schizophrenia and anxiety. Credit: Subhra Priyadarshini
Indians aged over 85 carry gene variants linked to slower heart rates and lower risks of osteoporosis, schizophrenia and anxiety — key single nucleotide polymorphisms more common in long-lived than younger adults1.
To find the genes that confer long life, Sandhya Kiran Pemmasani and colleagues at Mapmygenome India Ltd, Hyderabad, and Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions, Ahmedabad, examined the cases of 133 people aged 85 and above from GenomegaDB, the largest genetic database of Indians.
They considered 1,134 genome samples in the 18-49 age range as a control group.
Using a custom genetic chip, the team identified nine variants associated with longevity by analyzing health conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and autoimmune disorders. By mapping these variants to genes and pathways, supported by a literature search, the researchers revealed the factors that influence extended lifespans.
Certain protective genetic traits were more common — alleles associated with slower heart rate (rs365990, MYH6), decreased risk of osteoporosis and short body height (rs2982570, ESR1), decreased risk of schizophrenia (rs1339227, RIMS1-KCNQ5) and decreased risk of anxiety and neuroticism (rs391957, HSPA5).
Alleles tied to increased risk of atrial fibrillation (rs3903239, GORAB-PRRX1) were less common pointing to a genetic advantage in maintaining heart rhythm. Older Indians also had a lower frequency of alleles linked to liver-related disorders (rs2002042, ABCC2). The study confirmed the FOXO3A gene (rs2802292), a global marker of longevity, in these samples.
