OBJECTIVES: To compare the risk of mortality of nonagenarian siblings with that of sporadic nonagenarians (not selected on having a nonagenarian sibling) and to compare the prevalence of morbidity in their offspring with that of the offsprings' partners. DESIGN: Longitudinal (mortality risk) and cross-sectional (disease prevalence). SETTING: Nationwide sample. PARTICIPANTS: The Leiden Longevity Study consists of 991 nonagenarian siblings derived from 420 Caucasian families, 1,365 of their offspring, and 621 of the offsprings' partners. In the Leiden 85-plus Study, 599 subjects aged 85 were included, of whom 275 attained the age of 90 (sporadic nonagenarians). MEASUREMENTS: All nonagenarian siblings and sporadic nonagenarians were followed for mortality (with a mean+/-standard deviation follow-up time of 2.7+/-1.4 years and 3.0+/-1.5 years, respectively). Information on medical history and medication use was collected for offspring and their partners. RESULTS: Nonagenarian siblings had a 41% lower risk of mortality (P<.001) than sporadic nonagenarians. The offspring of nonagenarian siblings had a lower prevalence of myocardial infarction (2.4% vs 4.1%, P=.03), hypertension (23.0% vs 27.5%, P=.01), diabetes mellitus (4.4% vs 7.6%, P=.004), and use of cardiovascular medication (23.0% vs 28.9%, P=.003) than their partners. CONCLUSION: The lower mortality rate of nonagenarian siblings and lower prevalence of morbidity in their middle-aged offspring reinforce the notion that resilience against disease and death have similar underlying biology that is determined by genetic or familial factors.
OBJECTIVES: To compare the risk of mortality of nonagenarian siblings with that of sporadic nonagenarians (not selected on having a nonagenarian sibling) and to compare the prevalence of morbidity in their offspring with that of the offsprings' partners. DESIGN: Longitudinal (mortality risk) and cross-sectional (disease prevalence). SETTING: Nationwide sample. PARTICIPANTS: The Leiden Longevity Study consists of 991 nonagenarian siblings derived from 420 Caucasian families, 1,365 of their offspring, and 621 of the offsprings' partners. In the Leiden 85-plus Study, 599 subjects aged 85 were included, of whom 275 attained the age of 90 (sporadic nonagenarians). MEASUREMENTS: All nonagenarian siblings and sporadic nonagenarians were followed for mortality (with a mean+/-standard deviation follow-up time of 2.7+/-1.4 years and 3.0+/-1.5 years, respectively). Information on medical history and medication use was collected for offspring and their partners. RESULTS: Nonagenarian siblings had a 41% lower risk of mortality (P<.001) than sporadic nonagenarians. The offspring of nonagenarian siblings had a lower prevalence of myocardial infarction (2.4% vs 4.1%, P=.03), hypertension (23.0% vs 27.5%, P=.01), diabetes mellitus (4.4% vs 7.6%, P=.004), and use of cardiovascular medication (23.0% vs 28.9%, P=.003) than their partners. CONCLUSION: The lower mortality rate of nonagenarian siblings and lower prevalence of morbidity in their middle-aged offspring reinforce the notion that resilience against disease and death have similar underlying biology that is determined by genetic or familial factors.
Authors: Anne B Newman; Stefan Walter; Kathryn L Lunetta; Melissa E Garcia; P Eline Slagboom; Kaare Christensen; Alice M Arnold; Thor Aspelund; Yurii S Aulchenko; Emelia J Benjamin; Lene Christiansen; Ralph B D'Agostino; Annette L Fitzpatrick; Nora Franceschini; Nicole L Glazer; Vilmundur Gudnason; Albert Hofman; Robert Kaplan; David Karasik; Margaret Kelly-Hayes; Douglas P Kiel; Lenore J Launer; Kristin D Marciante; Joseph M Massaro; Iva Miljkovic; Michael A Nalls; Dena Hernandez; Bruce M Psaty; Fernando Rivadeneira; Jerome Rotter; Sudha Seshadri; Albert V Smith; Kent D Taylor; Henning Tiemeier; Hae-Won Uh; André G Uitterlinden; James W Vaupel; Jeremy Walston; Rudi G J Westendorp; Tamara B Harris; Thomas Lumley; Cornelia M van Duijn; Joanne M Murabito Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2010-03-18 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Marian Beekman; Christa Nederstigt; H Eka D Suchiman; Dennis Kremer; Ruud van der Breggen; Nico Lakenberg; Wendimagegn Ghidey Alemayehu; Anton J M de Craen; Rudi G J Westendorp; Dorret I Boomsma; Eco J C de Geus; Jeanine J Houwing-Duistermaat; Bastiaan T Heijmans; P Eline Slagboom Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2010-10-04 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Nir Barzilai; Leonard Guarente; Thomas B L Kirkwood; Linda Partridge; Thomas A Rando; P Eline Slagboom Journal: Nat Rev Genet Date: 2012-07-10 Impact factor: 53.242
Authors: Joanne M Murabito; Alexa S Beiser; Charles Decarli; Sudha Seshadri; Philip A Wolf; Rhoda Au Journal: Age Ageing Date: 2013-11-07 Impact factor: 10.668
Authors: Maarten P Rozing; Rudi G J Westendorp; Marijke Frölich; Anton J M de Craen; Marian Beekman; Bastiaan T Heijmans; Simon P Mooijaart; Gerard-Jan Blauw; P Eline Slagboom; Diana van Heemst Journal: Aging (Albany NY) Date: 2009-07-24 Impact factor: 5.682