The question of longevity has been studied by scientists and researchers for a long time. A recent article in The New York Times argues whether lifestyle choices or “good” genetics are what extend a person's life. Decades of lifestyle research show that ignoring conventional advice on exercise, lifestyle, and dieting negatively impacts a person's health and, therefore, longevity. The question is how much of a person's lifespan is attributable to lifestyle choices and how much is left to genetics. The study reveals that some families have special gene variants that are advantageous in living a longer life by helping these individuals avoid disease. Some genes prevent people from developing certain diseases, such as the APOE gene for Alzheimer's. It was found that some of these special gene variants counteract the unhealthy lifestyle choices some indicators make. Generally, scientists believe that 25% of life span is attributed to genes, and 75% is due to lifestyle choices. Another article in the National Library of Medicine explores this problem; the result is that both lifestyle and genetics play a role in longevity. However, those who live 100 and beyond have rare genetic factors that are important for longevity. The chances of having these genetics are like winning the “lottery”.
This research is important to both the medical community and society because it is important for people to understand how they can contribute to their overall well-being and life span. This research allows us to understand that lifestyle is important to overall longevity, while also factoring in the rare genetics that families may have.
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