Scientists have revealed the secret of longevity for the first time

People who live to be 100 years and older may owe their longevity not only to lifestyle, but also to the heritage of ancient ancestors. This is the conclusion reached by researchers who studied the genomes of Italian centenarians. The work is published in the journal GeroScience.

Scientists analyzed the DNA of 333 Italians aged 100 years and older and compared them with genetic data from 690 healthy adults around 50 years old. These data were then compared with 103 ancient genomes representing the four main groups that formed the modern Italian gene pool: Western Hunter-Gatherers, Neolithic farmers from Anatolia, Bronze Age nomads, and ancient populations from Iran and the Caucasus.

The analysis showed that centenarians have a significantly higher proportion of genetic heritage from Western Hunter-Gatherers (WHG) - the oldest inhabitants of Europe after the last ice age. The contribution of other ancient populations was not associated with the probability of reaching extreme age.

According to the researchers' estimates, even a small increase in the proportion of hunter-gatherer DNA increased the chances of living to 100 years by approximately 38%. This effect was particularly pronounced in women: with a high content of such a genetic component, the probability of becoming a long-lived woman increased more than twofold.

The authors emphasized that longevity is determined by a combination of factors - genetics, environment, and lifestyle. However, the data obtained indicate that the contribution of ancient evolutionary heritage to life expectancy may be significantly greater than previously thought.