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Zhou WL, Zhang S, Yang HL, Gu YW, Yao YD, Wu YY, Zhang SQ. Impact of fertility on the longevity of older rural Chinese women: an analysis of a longitudinal survey. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:682. [PMID: 35392851 PMCID: PMC8991657 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13039-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study evaluates the impact of fertility during the childbearing period on the longevity of older rural Chinese women and verifies whether any trade-off exists between women’s longevity and their number of children to provide empirical evidence for improving health intervention policies and formulating active fertility policies in low-fertility countries. Methods Based on the data of the deaths of 1623 older adults aged 65 and above during 2014–2018 in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, this study explores the relationship between the number of children born and older rural women’s longevity using the ordinary least squares method. Furthermore, the impact of fertility on the longevity of men and women in rural and urban areas, along with other reproductive behaviours on older rural women’s longevity, were analysed. Results There was a significant negative correlation between the number of children born and women’s longevity (β = − 0.555, p < 0.05). Additionally, their longevity exhibited a decreasing trend with having birthed more sons and an increasing trend with more daughters. Age at first and last births had a significant positive relationship with rural women’s longevity; however, the effect of fertility on the longevity of older rural and urban men and older urban women was not significant. Conclusions It is confirmed that there is a trade-off between fertility and longevity for rural women in China. Future research should focus on compensating for the decline in female longevity caused by the number of children born and promote the concept of a healthy pregnancy, scientific nurture, and gender equality in fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Li Zhou
- School of Finance and Public Administration, Hubei University of Economics, 8 Yangqiaohu Avenue, Canglong Island Development Zone, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- School of Public Administration, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, 182 Nanhu Avenue, Donghu New Technology Development Zone, Wuhan, China
| | - Hua-Lei Yang
- School of Public Administration, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, 182 Nanhu Avenue, Donghu New Technology Development Zone, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying-Wen Gu
- School of Public Administration, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, 182 Nanhu Avenue, Donghu New Technology Development Zone, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yi-Dan Yao
- School of Public Administration, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, 182 Nanhu Avenue, Donghu New Technology Development Zone, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan-Yang Wu
- School of Public Administration, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, 182 Nanhu Avenue, Donghu New Technology Development Zone, Wuhan, China
| | - Si-Qing Zhang
- School of Public Administration, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, 182 Nanhu Avenue, Donghu New Technology Development Zone, Wuhan, China
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2
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Hsu CH, Posegga O, Fischbach K, Engelhardt H. Examining the trade-offs between human fertility and longevity over three centuries using crowdsourced genealogy data. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255528. [PMID: 34351988 PMCID: PMC8341544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution theory of ageing predicts that reproduction comes with long-term costs of survival. However, empirical studies in human species report mixed findings of the relationship between fertility and longevity, which varies by populations, time periods, and individual characteristics. One explanation underscores that changes in survival conditions over historical periods can moderate the negative effect of human fertility on longevity. This study investigates the fertility-longevity relationship in Europe during a period of rapid modernisation (seventeenth to twentieth centuries) and emphasises the dynamics across generations. Using a crowdsourced genealogy dataset from the FamiLinx project, our sample consists of 81,924 women and 103,642 men born between 1601 and 1910 across 16 European countries. Results from multilevel analyses show that higher fertility has a significantly negative effect on longevity. For both women and men, the negative effects are stronger among the older cohorts and have reduced over time. Moreover, we find similar trends in the dynamic associations between fertility and longevity across four geographical regions in Europe. Findings and limitations of this study call for further investigations into the historical dynamics of multiple mechanisms behind the human evolution of ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Hao Hsu
- Department of Sociology, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Oliver Posegga
- Department of Information Systems and Social Networks, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
| | - Kai Fischbach
- Department of Information Systems and Social Networks, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
| | - Henriette Engelhardt
- Department of Sociology, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
- The State Institute for Family Research (ifb), Bamberg, Germany
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3
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Kuzawa CW, Adair L, Bechayda SA, Borja JRB, Carba DB, Duazo PL, Eisenberg DTA, Georgiev AV, Gettler LT, Lee NR, Quinn EA, Rosenbaum S, Rutherford JN, Ryan CP, McDade TW. Evolutionary life history theory as an organising framework for cohort studies: insights from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. Ann Hum Biol 2020; 47:94-105. [PMID: 32429766 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2020.1742787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
By tracking a group of individuals through time, cohort studies provide fundamental insights into the developmental time course and causes of health and disease. Evolutionary life history theory seeks to explain patterns of growth, development, reproduction and senescence, and inspires a range of hypotheses that are testable using the longitudinal data from cohort studies. Here we review two decades of life history theory-motivated work conducted in collaboration with the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS), a birth cohort study that enrolled more than 3000 pregnant women in the Philippines in 1983 and has since followed these women, their offspring and grandoffspring. This work has provided evidence that reproduction carries "costs" to cellular maintenance functions, potentially speeding senescence, and revealed an unusual form of genetic plasticity in which the length of telomeres inherited across generations is influenced by reproductive timing in paternal ancestors. Men in Cebu experience hormonal and behavioural changes in conjunction with changes in relationship and fatherhood status that are consistent with predictions based upon other species that practice bi-parental care. The theoretical expectation that early life cues of mortality or environmental unpredictability will motivate a "fast" life history strategy are confirmed for behavioural components of reproductive decision making, but not for maturational tempo, while our work points to a broader capacity for early life developmental calibration of systems like immunity, reproductive biology and metabolism. Our CLHNS findings illustrate the power of life history theory as an integrative, lifecourse framework to guide longitudinal studies of human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Linda Adair
- Department of Nutrition and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sonny A Bechayda
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines
| | | | - Delia B Carba
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines
| | - Paulita L Duazo
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines
| | - Dan T A Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology and Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Nanette R Lee
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines
| | - Elizabeth A Quinn
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University, in St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Julienne N Rutherford
- Department of Women, Children, and Family Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Calen P Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Thomas W McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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Abstract
Understanding the proximate and ultimate causes of ageing is one of the key challenges in current biology and medicine. These problems are so important that they are sometimes referred to as the Holy Grail of biology and the Great Conundrum in biogerontology. From an evolutionary perspective, ageing is due to a failure of selection that is caused either by declining strength of selection after the onset of sexual reproduction (Medawar’s theory and Charlesworth’s model) or pleiotropic constraints (Williams’ theory). According to the disposable soma theory, which was proposed by Kirkwood and Holliday, ageing is driven by the accumulation of damage during life and failures of defensive and repair mechanisms as the more an animal expends on sexual reproduction, the less it can expend on bodily maintenance, and vice versa. Although these standard models rule out the possibility that ageing is programmed, there is no consensus about the nature of ageing within the life history in current biogerontology. Interestingly, empirical studies show that there are molecular instructions for ageing and evolutionarily conserved mechanisms for ageing, which seems inconsistent with the idea that ageing is a matter of neglect or a consequence of a failure of selection due to pleiotropic constraints. Here, selected arguments for programmed (i.e. either determined and adaptive or prearranged but non-adaptive) and non-programmed ageing are discussed. Recent advances in biogerontology that cast new light on these problems are outlined here in the context of the idea that the pace of ageing can act as an adaptation in nature, even though ageing is non-programmed and non-adaptive.
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Infertility: a marker of future health risk in women? Fertil Steril 2019; 110:783-789. [PMID: 30316412 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.08.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2018] [Revised: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Infertility, may be a harbinger for future health risk in women, including early mortality. Fertility status itself could serve as an early biomarker, (present in a woman's reproductive years) for risk stratification later in life. The relationship between infertility and early mortality involves the impact of nulliparity on future adverse health events, potential sequelae from the underlying cause(s) of infertility, the risks of fertility treatments, as well as the potential for risk reduction from a healthy pregnancy. This complex interplay coupled with difficulties ascertaining infertility on a population level has presented unique challenges to assessing infertility and early mortality risk. With further study, a better understanding the role of fertility status in health at various stages of life may provide unique opportunities for surveillance and risk reduction.
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Yao H, Fukuda K, Araki Y, Takashima Y, Uchino A, Yuzuriha T, Hashimoto M. Parity As a Protective Biomarker Against Silent Brain Infarction in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Sefuri Study. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2018; 28:702-709. [PMID: 30482484 DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although several studies have reported an association between parity and increased risk of stroke, this relationship remains controversial. AIMS The present study aimed to determine whether parity is associated with silent brain infarction (SBI), independent of other confounders. METHODS We analyzed the brain magnetic resonance imaging findings in 576 of community-dwelling older adults with a mean age of 72.1 years. All female participants were asked to provide information regarding the total number of live births, their age at the last parity, and their age at menopause. RESULTS The prevalence of SBI and the number of infarcts per participant were higher in men than in women. Although all women who had given birth (0, 1-2, 3-4, or 5+ times) exhibited lower age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for SBI than men, a significant difference was observed between women with ≧5 births and men after adjustment for common vascular risk factors (OR: .348, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: .123-.986). Among women who had given birth, the relationship between fertility and SBI was attenuated, but was enhanced after adjustment for age at the last parity (OR: .300, 95% CI: .102-.886). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that fertile women may be protected against SBI or cerebral small vessel disease via the biological effects associated with reproductive activity, and that high fertility may be a marker of protection against SBI. However, late childbearing may blunt protective effects of fertility against SBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Yao
- Center for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, National Hospital Organization Hizen Psychiatric Center, Saga, Japan.
| | - Kenji Fukuda
- Stroke Center, St. Mary's Hospital, Kurume, Japan
| | - Yuko Araki
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Yuki Takashima
- Center for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, National Hospital Organization Hizen Psychiatric Center, Saga, Japan
| | - Akira Uchino
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takefumi Yuzuriha
- Center for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, National Hospital Organization Hizen Psychiatric Center, Saga, Japan
| | - Manabu Hashimoto
- Center for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, National Hospital Organization Hizen Psychiatric Center, Saga, Japan
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8
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Mitteldorf J. An epigenetic clock controls aging. Biogerontology 2015; 17:257-65. [DOI: 10.1007/s10522-015-9617-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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9
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Natural fertility and longevity. Fertil Steril 2015; 103:1109-16. [PMID: 25934597 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Much empirical work suggests an association between fertility patterns and longevity. I review this association, focusing on natural fertility populations and emphasizing the role of both the timing and the intensity of fertility. Overall, it appears that although age at last reproduction routinely correlates with post-reproductive longevity, suggesting a slower rate of senescence among late fertile women, the same is not true for age at first reproduction and parity. I discuss some of the conceptual and methodologic issues, as well as the sources of the biases, that have been a persistent feature of this body of research. I conclude by suggesting avenues of research that could be initiated or pursued in the area.
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10
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Ehrlich S. Effect of fertility and infertility on longevity. Fertil Steril 2015; 103:1129-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2015] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Abstract
I present evidence that humans have evolved convergently to social insects with regard to a large suite of social, ecological, and reproductive phenotypes. Convergences between humans and social insects include: (1) groups with genetically and environmentally defined structures; (2) extensive divisions of labor; (3) specialization of a relatively restricted set of females for reproduction, with enhanced fertility; (4) extensive extramaternal care; (5) within-group food sharing; (6) generalized diets composed of high-nutrient-density food; (7) solicitous juveniles, but high rates of infanticide; (8) ecological dominance; (9) enhanced colonizing abilities; and (10) collective, cooperative decision-making. Most of these convergent phenotypic adaptations stem from reorganization of key life-history trade-offs due to behavioral, physiological, and life-historical specializations. Despite their extensive socioreproductive overlap with social insects, humans differ with regard to the central aspect of eusociality: reproductive division of labor. This difference may be underpinned by the high energetic costs of producing offspring with large brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, V5A 1S6,
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12
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Mitteldorf J, Martins ACR. Programmed Life Span in the Context of Evolvability. Am Nat 2014; 184:289-302. [DOI: 10.1086/677387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Tarín JJ, Gómez-Piquer V, García-Palomares S, García-Pérez MA, Cano A. Absence of long-term effects of reproduction on longevity in the mouse model. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2014; 12:84. [PMID: 25159296 PMCID: PMC4156647 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-12-84] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most human demographic data, particularly those on natural fertility populations, find no relationship or even a positive association between fertility and longevity. The present study aims to ascertain whether there is a trade-off between fertility and longevity in the mouse model. METHODS The study was focused on the first litter produced by 10- to 14-wk-old hybrid (C57BL/6JIco female X CBA/JIco male) mice. A single female/male per litter was individually housed with a male/female at the age of 25 and 52 wk, respectively, until the end of reproductive life in females or natural death in males under controlled housing conditions. Post-reproductive females and virgin mice were reared until natural death. Cox regression models with forward stepwise variable selection were fitted to examine the effect of several fertility variables on expectation of survival times. RESULTS Virgin females displayed higher life expectancy than virgin males. The relative risk of dying for a virgin male at a particular age was 2.116 [99% confidence interval: 1.317, 3.398] times that of a virgin female. No significant differences on expectation of survival times between virgin and mated females, and between virgin and mated males were found. Furthermore, total number of pups at weaning and total number of litters produced by a dam/stud, time interval between mating and last litter, time interval between litters, and age at last litter were not significant predictors of expectation of survival times in both mated females and mated males. CONCLUSIONS Like in most human studies, the present study evidences no relationship between total number of offspring/litters produced by a dam/stud and expectation of survival times. Moreover, the present data are in agreement with the general phenomenon of a bias in life expectancy in favor of females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Tarín
- Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, 46100 Spain
| | - Vanessa Gómez-Piquer
- Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, 46100 Spain
| | - Silvia García-Palomares
- Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, 46100 Spain
| | - Miguel A García-Pérez
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, 46100 Spain
- Research Unit-INCLIVA, Hospital Clínico de Valencia, Valencia, 46010 Spain
| | - Antonio Cano
- Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, 46010 Spain
- Service of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Dr. Peset, Valencia, 46017 Spain
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Trindade LS, Aigaki T, Peixoto AA, Balduino A, Mânica da Cruz IB, Heddle JG. A novel classification system for evolutionary aging theories. Front Genet 2013; 4:25. [PMID: 23508239 PMCID: PMC3589719 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2013.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Theories of lifespan evolution are a source of confusion amongst aging researchers. After a century of aging research the dispute over whether the aging process is active or passive persists and a comprehensive and universally accepted theoretical model remains elusive. Evolutionary aging theories primarily dispute whether the aging process is exclusively adapted to favor the kin or exclusively non-adapted to favor the individual. Interestingly, contradictory data and theories supporting both exclusively programmed and exclusively non-programmed theories continue to grow. However, this is a false dichotomy; natural selection favors traits resulting in efficient reproduction whether they benefit the individual or the kin. Thus, to understand the evolution of aging, first we must understand the environment-dependent balance between the advantages and disadvantages of extended lifespan in the process of spreading genes. As described by distinct theories, different niches and environmental conditions confer on extended lifespan a range of fitness values varying from highly beneficial to highly detrimental. Here, we considered the range of fitness values for extended lifespan and develop a fitness-based framework for categorizing existing theories. We show that all theories can be classified into four basic types: secondary (beneficial), maladaptive (neutral), assisted death (detrimental), and senemorphic aging (varying between beneficial to detrimental). We anticipate that this classification system will assist with understanding and interpreting aging/death by providing a way of considering theories as members of one of these classes rather than consideration of their individual details.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas S Trindade
- Heddle Initiative Research Unit, Advanced Science Institute Wako, Saitama, Japan ; Department of Investigative Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University Nagasaki, Japan ; Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
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A prospective, case–control study on the lipid profile and the cardiovascular risk of menopausal women on oestrogen plus progestogen therapy in a northern Italy province. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2013; 288:91-7. [DOI: 10.1007/s00404-012-2702-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2012] [Accepted: 12/21/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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16
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Wang X, Byars SG, Stearns SC. Genetic links between post-reproductive lifespan and family size in Framingham. Evol Med Public Health 2013; 2013:241-53. [PMID: 24481203 PMCID: PMC3868361 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eot013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Is there a trade-off between children ever born (CEB) and post-reproductive lifespan in humans? Here, we report a comprehensive analysis of reproductive trade-offs in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) dataset using phenotypic and genotypic correlations and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to look for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are related to the association between CEB and lifespan. METHODOLOGY We calculated the phenotypic and genetic correlations of lifespan with CEB for men and women in the Framingham dataset, and then performed a GWAS to search for SNPs that might affect the relationship between post-reproductive lifespan and CEB. RESULTS We found significant negative phenotypic correlations between CEB and lifespan in both women (rP = -0.133, P < 0.001) and men (rP = -0. 079, P = 0.036). The genetic correlation was large, highly significant and strongly negative in women (rG = -0.877, P = 0.009) in a model without covariates, but not in men (P = 0.777). The GWAS identified five SNPs associated with the relationship between CEB and post-reproductive lifespan in women; some are near genes that have been linked to cancer. None were identified in men. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS We identified several SNPs for which the relationship between CEB and post-reproductive lifespan differs by genotype in women in the FHS who were born between 1889 and 1958. That result was not robust to changes in the sample. Further studies on larger samples are needed to validate the antagonistic pleiotropy of these genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Wang
- Department of Statistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8102, USA, Department of Biology, Copenhagen University, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8102, USA
| | - Sean G. Byars
- Department of Statistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8102, USA, Department of Biology, Copenhagen University, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8102, USA
| | - Stephen C. Stearns
- Department of Statistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8102, USA, Department of Biology, Copenhagen University, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8102, USA
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17
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Mechanisms of reproductive aging in the females. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2012; 55:653-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s11427-012-4351-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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18
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Wu CY, Chen YF, Wang CH, Kao CH, Zhuang HW, Chen CC, Chen LK, Kirby R, Wei YH, Tsai SF, Tsai TF. A persistent level of Cisd2 extends healthy lifespan and delays aging in mice. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:3956-68. [PMID: 22661501 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The CISD2 gene, which is an evolutionarily conserved novel gene, encodes a transmembrane protein primarily associated with the mitochondrial outer membrane. Significantly, the CISD2 gene is located within the candidate region on chromosome 4q where a genetic component for human longevity has been mapped. Previously, we have shown that Cisd2 deficiency shortens lifespan resulting in premature aging in mice. Additionally, an age-dependent decrease in Cisd2 expression has been detected during normal aging. In this study, we demonstrate that a persistent level of Cisd2 achieved by transgenic expression in mice extends their median and maximum lifespan without any apparent deleterious side effects. Cisd2 also ameliorates age-associated degeneration of the skin, skeletal muscles and neurons. Moreover, Cisd2 protects mitochondria from age-associated damage and functional decline as well as attenuating the age-associated reduction in whole-body energy metabolism. These results suggest that Cisd2 is a fundamentally important regulator of lifespan and provide an experimental basis for exploring the candidacy of CISD2 in human longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Yu Wu
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
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19
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Iliadi KG, Knight D, Boulianne GL. Healthy aging - insights from Drosophila. Front Physiol 2012; 3:106. [PMID: 22529821 PMCID: PMC3328947 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2012] [Accepted: 04/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human life expectancy has nearly doubled in the past century due, in part, to social and economic development, and a wide range of new medical technologies and treatments. As the number of elderly increase it becomes of vital importance to understand what factors contribute to healthy aging. Human longevity is a complex process that is affected by both environmental and genetic factors and interactions between them. Unfortunately, it is currently difficult to identify the role of genetic components in human longevity. In contrast, model organisms such as C. elegans, Drosophila, and rodents have facilitated the search for specific genes that affect lifespan. Experimental evidence obtained from studies in model organisms suggests that mutations in a single gene may increase longevity and delay the onset of age-related symptoms including motor impairments, sexual and reproductive and immune dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline. Furthermore, the high degree of conservation between diverse species in the genes and pathways that regulate longevity suggests that work in model organisms can both expand our theoretical knowledge of aging and perhaps provide new therapeutic targets for the treatment of age-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin G Iliadi
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto, ON, Canada
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