The life expectancy of people depends on the factors that are unbelievable

A new study analyzing genetic and lifestyle-related data shows that biological and lifestyle choices can affect our lifespan.

Two genetic variations affect life expectancy

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom have analyzed data from different population groups stretching across three continents: Europe, Australia and North America. They looked at data of 606,059 participants, as well as their parents' lifespans.

First, the researchers noted that the following two genetic regions could affect our lifespan. A variant of the genetic region HLA-DQA1 / DRB1 , associated with the function of the immune system, can give us about 6 months of life expectancy.

At the same time, a variant of the LPA gene - related to regulating cholesterol in the blood - can rob us of about 8 months of life. In their paper, the researchers say that this is the first time that the role of genetic variants in relation to human lifespan has been confirmed.

Genetics affects life expectancy.(Photo: Unsplash).

Other genetic characteristics, which make us addicted or suffer from various diseases, also cause reduced life expectancy.

But genetics is not everything

Of course, there's no denying the role of genetics in human life, but a data analysis study of more than 400 million people has demonstrated that the genetic effect on life is much lower than what we think. . Instead, research shows that there is one factor that needs to be considered - that is the choice .

By choosing 'partners' that look and act similarly to us, we are transmitting cultural and genetic factors that are related to longevity - like the way we pass on wealth. or socio-economic status for the next generation.

When understanding how some traits are passed down, scientists use a measurement tool called genetic ability. It estimates the degree of variation of a trait - such as a person's lifespan - by comparing the effect of genetic differences, as opposed to non-genetic differences such as lifestyles and literary factors. socialization and accident.

Previous studies have suggested that the ability to inherit human lifespan somewhere is about 15-30%. But after using the new online Ancestral Genealogy tree, this estimate is too high.

"Thanks to the Ancestral Genealogy scientists have gained insights by using a much larger dataset than any previous life-long study , " said Graham Ruby, researcher. Human aging at Calico Life Science, says.

In addition, the data of the new study also showed that another factor affecting life expectancy is called mating type. This is a phenomenon where people tend to choose partners to live with similar characteristics.

This does not mean that people have a sixth sense to tell them how long their partners will live. Instead, scientists say that people are very likely to choose partners with similar characteristics, both genetic and social-cultural - factors related to longevity.

People choose the same partner as themselves.(Photo: Zoosk).

By calculating mating preference, researchers found that genetic capacity within a generation was not more than 7%, maybe even lower. This is only half of the previous estimate and this means that a long life might be less genetically related than we thought.

Want to live long need attention: Smoking, weight, education

Scientists explain that one of the "most dangerous" genetic trends, depending on nicotine dependence - can lead to lung cancer and other lung diseases.

Researchers found that when someone had a difficult habit of quitting, smoking a pack of 20 cigarettes a day would reduce life expectancy by 6.8 years. However, they also said that quitting smoking could reverse this effect and allow former smokers to enjoy a longer life.

Being overweight is also an important factor to note, because every extra kilogram can make you lose 7 months of life.

"We found that, on average, a person who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day reduces 7 years of life, while reducing 1kg will increase your life expectancy by 2 months," said Dr. Peter Joshi - co-author of the study. rescue said.

Another interesting finding - and perhaps also surprisingly, of this study is tied to the impact of education, especially the pursuit of education after the completion of compulsory education. Every year you study for yourself after leaving school will help you get 11 more months of life.