Summary
People living in the isolated Greek villages of Zoniana and Anogia have a noted tendency to live well into old age. They have a lower than expected incidence of cardiovascular disease, including heart problems, heart attacks and stroke. It seems that a genetic variant shared by these villagers may help to protect their hearts by lowering the levels of “bad” fats and cholesterol.
“Despite a diet rich in animal fat, the people of Mylopotamos in northern Crete do not suffer from cardiovascular disease”.
Reference
Roxby, P. (2017). Why Greek mountain villagers have healthy hearts. London: BBC Health News, May 26th 2017.
See also:
Reference
Isolated Greek villages reveal genetic secrets that protect against heart disease. [Press release]. Cambridge: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, May 26th 2017.
This relates to:
Reference
Southam, L. Gilly, A. Süveges, D. [et al] (2017). Whole genome sequencing and imputation in isolated populations identify genetic associations with medically-relevant complex traits. Nature Communications. May 26th 2017; 8: 15606.
Genetics Versus Lifestyle Choices as Determinants of Longevity
Possibly of interest, including the source of the claim that each additional year in education may add 11 months to lifespan on average:
Reference
Gallagher, J. (2017). DNA study provides insight into how to live longer. London: BBC Health News, October 13th 2017.
This relates to:
Reference
Joshi, PK. Pirastu, N. [and] Kentistou, KA. [et al] (2017). Genome-wide meta-analysis associates HLA-DQA1/DRB1 and LPA and lifestyle factors with human longevity. Nature Communications, 8(1), 910.
“ …an increase of one body mass index unit reduces lifespan by 7 months while 1 year of education adds 11 months to expected lifespan”.
