Browsing by keyword "*Longevity"
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A family longevity selection score: ranking sibships by their longevity, size, and availability for studyFamily studies of exceptional longevity can potentially identify genetic and other factors contributing to long life and healthy aging. Although such studies seek families that are exceptionally long lived, they also need living members who can provide DNA and phenotype information. On the basis of these considerations, the authors developed a metric to rank families for selection into a family study of longevity. Their measure, the family longevity selection score (FLoSS), is the sum of 2 components: 1) an estimated family longevity score built from birth-, gender-, and nation-specific cohort survival probabilities and 2) a bonus for older living siblings. The authors examined properties of FLoSS-based family rankings by using data from 3 ongoing studies: the New England Centenarian Study, the Framingham Heart Study, and screenees for the Long Life Family Study. FLoSS-based selection yields families with exceptional longevity, satisfactory sibship sizes and numbers of living siblings, and high ages. Parameters in the FLoSS formula can be tailored for studies of specific populations or age ranges or with different conditions. The first component of the FLoSS also provides a conceptually sound survival measure to characterize exceptional longevity in individuals or families in various types of studies and correlates well with later-observed longevity.
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Factors associated with survival to 75 years of age in middle-aged men and women. The Framingham StudyBACKGROUND: Whereas a variety of epidemiological studies have examined factors associated with overall and cause-specific morbidity and mortality, limited data exist about factors associated with longevity, particularly in middle-aged men and women. The present study examined factors associated with survival to 75 years of age in middle-aged men and women from the community-based Framingham Study. METHODS: After excluding persons with cancer, cardio-vascular disease, or diabetes, 747 men and 973 women from the Framingham Study, who were 50 years of age at the time of a routine clinical examination and who could potentially reach 75 years of age during follow-up, were studied. Logistic regression modeling was used to examine factors associated with survival to 75 years of age. RESULTS: Fewer cigarettes smoked per day, lower systolic blood pressure, and higher forced vital capacity were associated with longevity in both sexes. Lower heart rate in men and parental survival to 75 years of age in women were additionally associated with survival to 75 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this long-term prospective study suggest a number of lifestyle characteristics and one familial factor associated with increased life expectancy. These data lend further support to the positive impact on life expectancy of health promotional efforts directed at smoking cessation and control of hypertension in middle-aged men and women.
