Abstract
Aim: Growing evidence suggests an association between parental longevity and lifespan of subsequent generations. We aimed to reproduce earlier findings, showing a positive association between parental longevity and offspring's longevity. Additionally, we investigated whether this is mainly driven by the maternal or paternal germline in male and female offspring.
Methods: For these analyses, data from the oldest birth cohort (1916-17) of the Netherlands Cohort Study was used. Participants filled in a baseline questionnaire in 1986 (at age 68-70 years). Follow up for vital status information until the age of 90 years (2006-07) was >99.9% complete. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression analyses with a fixed follow-up time were based on 2368 men and 2657 women with complete parental survival data and relevant confounders to calculate risk ratios (RR) of reaching longevity.
Results: In age-adjusted models, paternal and maternal age at death were significantly positively associated with reaching 90 years in both male and female offspring. In male offspring, paternal age at death (>= 90 years vs = 90 years vs
Discussion: After confounder adjustment, stronger and significant associations were observed between paternal lifespan and male offspring longevity, and maternal lifespan and female offspring longevity. Future research should investigate through which pathways a longer lifespan of parents is transmitted to their offspring.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 215-221 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Geriatrics & Gerontology International |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 26 Dec 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2021 |
Keywords
- aging
- cohort study
- longevity
- parental lifespan
- survival
- GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION
- LONGEVITY
- SURVIVAL