NBHC Population Health
October 13, 2017
A study of the genes that underpin longevity has found that people who are overweight reduce their life expectancy by two months for every extra kilogram of weight they carry. Other key findings are that people who give up smoking, study longer and are open to new experiences might expect to live longer. Lifestyle choices are influenced to a certain extent by DNA and researchers were able to work out which have the greatest influence on lifespan. The study identified two DNA differences that affect lifespan. The first - in a gene that affects blood cholesterol levels - reduces lifespan by around eight months. The second - in a gene linked to the immune system - adds around half a year to life expectancy.
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