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. 2010 Oct 19;107(42):18046-9.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1003540107. Epub 2010 Oct 4.

Genome-wide association study (GWAS)-identified disease risk alleles do not compromise human longevity

Marian Beekman  1 , 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
Affiliations

Genome-wide association study (GWAS)-identified disease risk alleles do not compromise human longevity

Marian Beekman et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

A set of currently known alleles increasing the risk for coronary artery disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes as identified by genome-wide association studies was tested for compatibility with human longevity. Here, we show that nonagenarian siblings from long-lived families and singletons older than 85 y of age from the general population carry the same number of disease risk alleles as young controls. Longevity in this study population is not compromised by the cumulative effect of this set of risk alleles for common disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
GWAS-identified disease risk alleles in nonagenarians from long-lived families and sporadic long-lived individuals. (A) Average number of risk alleles among nonagenarian siblings and controls of the LLS. (B) Average number of risk alleles among sporadic long-lived individuals of the Leiden 85 Plus Study and NTR controls. (C) Distribution of the number of disease risk alleles among nonagenarian siblings and controls of the LLS. (D) Distribution of the number of disease risk alleles among sporadic long-lived participants of the Leiden 85 Plus Study and NTR controls.
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