Longevity Of Population Research Articles

Using DNA metabarcoding to decipher the diet plant component of mammals from the Eastern Mediterranean region

Longevity of species populations depends largely on interactions among animals and plants in an ecosystem. Predation and seed dispersal are among the most important interactions necessary for species conservation and persistence, and diet analysis is a prerequisite tool to evaluate these interactions. Understanding these processes is crucial for identifying conservation targets and for executing efficient reforestation and ecological restoration. In this study, we applied a scat DNA metabarcoding technique using the P6-loop of thetrnL(UAA) chloroplastic marker to describe the seasonal plant diet composition of 15 mammal species from a highly biodiverse Lebanese forest in the Eastern Mediterranean. We also recovered plant seeds, when present, from the scats for identification. The mammal species belong to 10 families from 5 different orders. More than 133 plant species from 54 plant families were detected and identified. Species from the Rosaceae, Poaceae, Apiaceae, Fabaceae, Fagaceae and Berberidaceae families were consumed by the majority of the mammals and should be taken into consideration in future reforestation and conservation projects. Our results showed that the DNA metabarcoding approach provides a promising method for tracking the dietary plant components of a wide diversity of mammals, yielding key insights into plant-animal interactions inside Lebanon’s forests.

Association of rs3027178 polymorphism in the circadian clock gene PER1 with susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease and longevity in an Italian population

Many physiological processes in the human body follow a 24-h circadian rhythm controlled by the circadian clock system. Light, sensed by retina, is the predominant “zeitgeber” able to synchronize the circadian rhythms to the light-dark cycles. Circadian rhythm dysfunction and sleep disorders have been associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the present study, we aimed at investigating the genetic variability of clock genes in AD patients compared to healthy controls from Italy. We also included a group of Italian centenarians, considered as super-controls in association studies given their extreme phenotype of successful aging. We analyzed the exon sequences of eighty-four genes related to circadian rhythms, and the most significant variants identified in this first discovery phase were further assessed in a larger independent cohort of AD patients by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. The results identified a significant association between the rs3027178 polymorphism in the PER1 circadian gene with AD, the G allele being protective for AD. Interestingly, rs3027178 showed similar genotypic frequencies among AD patients and centenarians. These results collectively underline the relevance of circadian dysfunction in the predisposition to AD and contribute to the discussion on the role of the relationship between the genetics of age-related diseases and of longevity.

Size Matters: Body Size is Correlated with Longevity in Speckled Cockroaches (Nauphoeta cineria).

A relationship between body size and longevity has long been appreciated within eukaryotes, especially vertebrates. In general, the large size is associated with increased longevity among species of mammals and birds but is associated with decreased longevity within individual species such as dogs and mice. In this study, we examined the relationship between measures of individual body size and longevity in a captive population of speckled cockroaches (Nauphoeta cineria). Newly molted adults of both sexes were removed from a mass colony housed in multiple terraria and housed individually with food and water provided ad libitum for the duration of their lifespan. Thrice weekly, the status (i.e., live/dead) of individual cockroaches was noted for the duration of the study. Individuals found dead were weighed and measured to obtain body mass and morphometric measures, and the age at the time of death was recorded. The relationship between body size and lifespan was assessed. Contrary to what is commonly seen within vertebrates, large cockroaches were longerlived than their smaller counterparts. Specifically, body mass, body length, and pronotum width were all significantly correlated with the age at death in a mixed population of males and females (n = 94). In addition, we found that the longevity of a historically larger population in terms of both body mass and body length was significantly longer-lived than the population used in this study. These data indicate there is a significant interaction between body size and aging in this species and that increased size results in a survival advantage. There is evidence in the literature indicating that a positive relationship between size and longevity may be common in insects.

A scoping review of experiences and needs of older LGBTI adults in Asia

Despite the impressive number of global achievements in the improvement of population health and longevity, older LGBTI adults in Asia continue to suffer. There is a knowledge gap in empirical and comprehensive data on the experiences, unique challenges and needs of this growing yet underserved population. This knowledge is needed for developing strategies to address their needs, with the ultimate goal to improve older LGBTI adults’ health outcomes, promote positive healthcare experiences, reduce inequities in healthcare and subsequently unnecessary healthcare costs. This scoping study aims to review the published specific literature on the needs and experiences of LGBTI older people in Asia, to identify factors that contribute to LGBTI older people’s health and use of services and highlight gaps and areas for future studies. Our review indicates that future policy initiatives and research are needed, particularly intersectionality approach to examine how multiple influences affect older LGBTI lives.

Identification and replication of novel genetic variants of ABO gene to reduce the incidence of diseases and promote longevity by modulating lipid homeostasis.

Genes related to human longevity have not been studied so far, and need to be investigated thoroughly. This study aims to explore the relationship among ABO gene variants, lipid levels, and longevity phenotype in individuals (≥90yrs old) without adverse outcomes. A genotype-phenotype study was performed based on 5803 longevity subjects and 7026 younger controls from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Four ABO gene variants associated with healthy longevity (rs8176719 C, rs687621 G, rs643434 A, and rs505922 C) were identified and replicated in the CLHLS GWAS data analysis and found significantly higher in longevity individuals than controls. The Bonferroni adjusted p-value and OR range were 0.013-0.020 and 1.126-1.151, respectively. According to the results of linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis, the above four variants formed a block on the ABO gene (D’=1, r2range = 0.585-0.995). The carriers with genotypes rs687621 GG, rs643434 AX, or rs505922 CX (prange = 2.728 x 10-107-5.940 x 10-14; ORrange = 1.004-4.354) and haplotype CGAC/XGXX (p = 2.557 x 10-27; OR = 2.255) had a substantial connection with longevity, according to the results of genetic model analysis. Following the genotype and metabolic phenotype analysis, it has been shown that the longevity individuals with rs687621 GG, rs643434 AX, and rs505922 CX had a positive association with HDL-c, LDL-c, TC, TG (prange = 2.200 x 10-5-0.036, ORrange = 1.546-1.709), and BMI normal level (prange = 2.690 x 10-4-0.026, ORrange = 1.530-1.997). Finally, two pathways involving vWF/ADAMTS13 and the inflammatory markers (sE-selectin/ICAM1) that co-regulated lipid levels by glycosylation and effects on each other were speculated. In conclusion, the association between the identified longevity-associated ABO variants and better health lipid profile was elucidated, thus the findings can help in maintaining normal lipid metabolic phenotypes in the longevity population.

Service Learning is Action Learning: A Novel Way to Increase Classroom Learning Retention

Abstract Introduction/Objective As educators, how do we ignite students to become effective and engaging ambassadors for the medical laboratory profession while making learning difficult concepts fun? This case study explores the use of service learning as an effective tool in nurturing advocacy for issues affecting the health and longevity of minority populations within the community, while learning hematological and blood banking concepts. Methods/Case Report Four MLT student cohorts comprised of twelve to sixteen students each participated in a ten- week, service-learning assignment as part of their Medical Laboratory Technician Curriculum. Assignment objectives were to: (1) understand racial /cultural history that preclude individuals from participating in hematopoietic stem cell donation and transplant; and, (2) develop and implement a strategy to recruit donors for the screening event. Students actively recruited across their college campus and surrounding communities to enroll one hundred new stem cell donors, with over fifty percent of these donors identifying as people of color. This activity represented ten percent of their course grade. Examples of assignments students were required to complete included: creating and implementation a donor recruitment strategy; reflection journal entries; host an in-person /virtual stem cell donor drive; and submission of an outcome assessment summarizing goal achievement along with lessons learned. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) N/A Conclusion As a result, students enrolled over 300 new stem cell donors into Be The Match™ - National Marrow Donor Program® resulting in seven successful transplants. Students learned how to effectively inform their community of the importance of clinical laboratory scientists, raising awareness of the need for clinical laboratory professionals and the need of genetically diverse individuals to volunteer as donors to provide the life-saving therapies.

Sleep and its effect on mental health among adolescent and adult population

Abstract The global prevalence of mental disorders is on the rise and sleep disorders have been recognized among one of the major contributors affecting well-being and longevity of both young and adult population. Sleep habits are multifaceted and arise from complex interactions between socio-environmental, behavioral, and psychological factors, and any disruptions in the balance of the previous may negatively alter sleep duration and sleep quality leading to sleep disorders, however this phenomenon may vary by age and sex. Emerging evidence suggest that adolescents entering pubertal development face many sleep changes due to biological factors like delay in circadian rhythm and decreased homeostatic sleep pressure as well as due to social factors which may lead to sleep disorders subsequently affecting adolescents' mental health. Sleep hygiene among young population is of primary importance especially as chronic sleep disruption may be a risk factor for mental disorders and multimorbidity along the lifespan, and importantly these association have been proved to be bi-directional. Thus, public health initiatives and guidelines to promote sleep hygiene should emerge in order increase the awareness of sleep disorders and their role in prevention and management of mental disorders.

Genome-wide selection signatures detection in Shanghai Holstein cattle population identified genes related to adaption, health and reproduction traits

BackgroundOver several decades, a wide range of natural and artificial selection events in response to subtropical environments, intensive pasture and intensive feedlot systems have greatly changed the customary behaviour, appearance, and important economic traits of Shanghai Holstein cattle. In particular, the longevity of the Shanghai Holstein cattle population is generally short, approximately the 2nd to 3rd lactation. In this study, two complementary approaches, integrated haplotype score (iHS) and runs of homozygosity (ROH), were applied for the detection of selection signatures within the genome using genotyping by genome-reduced sequence data from 1092 cows.ResultsIn total, 101 significant iHS genomic regions containing selection signatures encompassing a total of 256 candidate genes were detected. There were 27 significant |iHS| genomic regions with a mean |iHS| score > 2. The average number of ROH per individual was 42.15 ± 25.47, with an average size of 2.95 Mb. The length of 78 % of the detected ROH was within the range of 1–2 MB and 2–4 MB, and 99 % were shorter than 8 Mb. A total of 168 genes were detected in 18 ROH islands (top 1 %) across 16 autosomes, in which each SNP showed a percentage of occurrence > 30 %. There were 160 and 167 genes associated with the 52 candidate regions within health-related QTL intervals and 59 candidate regions within reproduction-related QTL intervals, respectively. Annotation of the regions harbouring clustered |iHS| signals and candidate regions for ROH revealed a panel of interesting candidate genes associated with adaptation and economic traits, such as IL22RA1, CALHM3, ITGA9, NDUFB3, RGS3, SOD2, SNRPA1, ST3GAL4, ALAD, EXOSC10, and MASP2. In a further step, a total of 1472 SNPs in 256 genes were matched with 352 cis-eQTLs in 21 tissues and 27 trans-eQTLs in 6 tissues. For SNPs located in candidate regions for ROH, a total of 108 cis-eQTLs in 13 tissues and 4 trans-eQTLs were found for 1092 SNPs. Eighty-one eGenes were significantly expressed in at least one tissue relevant to a trait (P value < 0.05) and matched the 256 genes detected by iHS. For the 168 significant genes detected by ROH, 47 gene-tissue pairs were significantly associated with at least one of the 37 traits.ConclusionsWe provide a comprehensive overview of selection signatures in Shanghai Holstein cattle genomes by combining iHS and ROH. Our study provides a list of genes associated with immunity, reproduction and adaptation. For functional annotation, the cGTEx resource was used to interpret SNP-trait associations. The results may facilitate the identification of genes relevant to important economic traits and can help us better understand the biological processes and mechanisms affected by strong ongoing natural or artificial selection in livestock populations.

State-of-the-art technology for cardiovascular research

Heart and vascular diseases are responsible for tens of millions of deaths annually, underscoring an urgent need to improve the existing clinical practice in order to benefit patients. Advancement of basic science and technology enables understanding of disease etiology and pathogenesis at a deeper level of complexity. This mini-review article provides a summary of recent methods of cell and molecular biology applicable for current cardiovascular research. Widespread application of these approaches in cardiovascular disease research will be a key factor in the prolonged longevity and life expectancy of the general population.

Extreme longevity variants at the FOXO3 locus may moderate FOXO3 isoform levels

The rs2802292, rs2764264 and rs13217795 variants of FOXO3 have been associated with extreme longevity in multiple human populations, but the mechanisms underpinning this remain unclear. We aimed to characterise potential effects of longevity-associated variation on the expression and mRNA processing of the FOXO3 gene. We performed a comprehensive assessment of FOXO3 isoform usage across a wide variety of human tissues and carried out a bioinformatic analysis of the potential for longevity-associated variants to disrupt regulatory regions involved in isoform choice. We then related the expression of full length and 5′ truncated FOXO3 isoforms to rs13217795 genotype in peripheral blood and skeletal muscle from individuals of different rs13217795 genotypes. FOXO3 isoforms displayed considerable tissue specificity. We determined that rs13231195 and its tightly aligned proxy variant rs9400239 may lie in regulatory regions involved in isoform choice. The longevity allele at rs13217795 was associated with increased levels of full length FOXO3 isoforms in peripheral blood and a decrease in truncated FOXO3 isoforms in skeletal muscle RNA. We suggest that the longevity effect of FOXO3 SNPs may in part derive from a shift in isoform usage in skeletal muscle away from the production of 5′ truncated FOXO3 isoforms lacking a complete forkhead DNA binding domain, which may have compromised functionality.

The impact of physical activity on cardiovascular mortality in the general population.

The beneficial effect of moderate physical activity (PA) on morbidity and mortality has been observed in the general population. However, the ideal intensity of PA for improving cardiovascular longevity in Japanese general population is uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the PA and cardiovascular mortality in the general population. This longitudinal cohort study included 1,826 apparently healthy subjects who participated in a community-based health checkup. There were 31 cardiovascular deaths during 10-year follow-up. Subjects were divided into 4 groups based on the quartiles of PA (low, mild, moderate and high). Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis demonstrated that the most favorable cardiovascular prognosis was observed in subjects with moderate PA followed by those with mild PA. High PA as well as low PA were associated with higher cardiovascular mortality compared with mild and moderate PA. Noteworthy, in subjects with high PA, Cox hazard analysis revealed that previous cardiovascular disease, smoking, brain natriuretic peptide levels, and Framingham risk score were associated with cardiovascular mortality. The results suggest a U-shaped association between cardiovascular mortality and PA. Mild to moderate PA was associated with favorable cardiovascular outcomes in the Japanese general population. High PA might be associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes in subjects with a history of heart disease and high coronary risk factors.

Investigation of the Reference Interval Values of Fasting Plasma Glucose, Blood Pressure, and Blood Lipids in the Longevity People Aged 90 Years Old and Above.

PurposeTo our knowledge, the normal fasting plasma glucose (FPG), blood pressure (BP), and blood lipids (BL) interval values have not been well-established in the longevity population. This study aims to provide a reference for the establishment of normal BP, FPG, and BL interval values in the longevity people in China.Patients and MethodsA total of 7417 people were selected from the natural longevity cohort in Guangxi, with an age range of 20–110 years old, including 7093 classified as the non-longevity (20–89 years old) (94.02%) and 324 classified as the longevity (≥90 years old) (5.98%); there were 4309 men (58.1%) and 3108 women (41.9%). FPG, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels were defined as desirable levels when they were below the 75th percentile (P75), borderline levels from the 75th to 90th percentile (P75–P90), and high levels above P90; triglyceride (TG) levels above P90 were defined as high; and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels below the 5th percentile (P5) were defined as low levels.ResultsThe reference interval values of FPG in the longevity were as follows: desirable levels <6.15 mmol/L, borderline levels 6.15–7.45 mmol/L, high levels ≥7.45 mmol/L. Reference interval values of systolic blood pressure (SBP) were as follows: desirable levels <160.00 mmHg, borderline levels 160.00–174.50 mmHg, high levels ≥175.00 mmHg. DBP reference interval values were as follows: desirable levels <88.00 mmHg, borderline levels 88.00–90.00 mmHg, high levels ≥90.00 mmHg. TC reference interval values were as follows: desirable levels <5.59 mmol/L, borderline levels 5.59–6.45 mmol/L, high levels ≥6.45 mmol/L. LDL-C reference interval values were as follows: desirable levels <3.30 mmol/L, borderline levels 3.30–3.85 mmol/L, high levels ≥3.85 mmol/L. TG reference interval values were as follows: desirable levels <2.82 mmol/L, high levels ≥2.82 mmol/L. HDL-C reference interval values were as follows: low levels <0.80 mmol/L, desirable levels ≥0.80 mmol/L.ConclusionThe reference interval values of BP, FPG, and BL are different between the longevity population and the non-longevity population, and the interval values change with increasing age.

Specific features of the oldest old from the Longevity Blue Zones in Ikaria and Sardinia

Human longevity may be found in single individuals as well as in the population as a whole (“population longevity”). Longevity Blue Zones (LBZs), which are areas with an unusually high number of oldest old, have been identified in Sardinia and the Greek island of Ikaria. We compared the lifestyle, health status and some genetic markers of the LBZ populations with those of reference populations from Italy and Greece; the data were extracted from the GEHA database. In the LBZs, the proportion of individuals who never married or were married and still living with their spouse was significantly greater. Nonagenarians males and females with a high self‒perception of optimism and/or a high score for self-rated health were also found in larger proportions in LBZs. Among the variables with lower frequency were the proportion of the widowed, the percentage of subjects who had suffered a stroke and the frequency of Apoε4 and Apoε2 and the TT genotype of FOXO3A gene. Compared to behavioral and health indicators, the impact of genetic factors might be relatively less important in the LBZs. Nevertheless, further research is needed to identify potential epigenetic traits that might play a predominant role due to the interaction between genetics and the human and physical environments.

Shorter Lives with Poor Health: The Toll on Spain’s Less Educated Population

More than three years separate life expectancy at the age of 30 in more educated groups compared with those with low levels of education. Recent decades have seen considerable advances in the longevity of the Spanish population but these improvements mask the persistence of significant inequalities in health and mortality. Socioeconomic level is a discriminating factor in the health status of individuals throughout their lives and education is one of the most frequently used indicators in studies on social inequalities in health and mortality. In addition to being an indirect variable of the socioeconomic situation, educational level largely conditions the lifestyles and health preferences of individuals as well as their use of the resources of the social and healthcare system. In this issue of Perspectives Demogràfiques, we discuss the present-day differences in health and mortality in Spain according to educational level. These inequalities can be summarised as a threefold penalisation of less educated individuals in comparison with those with a high educational level: a) lower life expectancy; b) greater inequality in age at death; and c) a smaller proportion of years with quality of life.

Age matters: Demographic senescence in the moss Polytrichastrum formosum

Abstract It is known that many animal species senesce demographically, showing a decrease in survival and/or fertility with age. Although there is mounting evidence for and against senescence in various flowering plant species, the question of whether senescence also occurs in other plant taxa, such as mosses and other bryophytes, remains unanswered. We used GAMMs (generalised additive mixed models) and GLMMs to assess the effects of age on survival, size and the monocarpic female ramets' sexual reproduction in Polytrichastrum formosum using demographic, ramet‐level data collected over 25 years in Solhomfjell nature reserve, Norway. Survival was found to be negatively correlated with ramet age, with 1‐year survival decreasing from 83% in 1‐year‐old to 43% in 10‐year‐old plants. Stem growth was positively correlated with survival but accounting for it in our models did not change the relationship between age and survival qualitatively. Annual growth decreased during the first years of the ramets' life but then stabilised. Sexual reproduction in the monocarpic females peaked at ramet age 2–4 years but was observed at ages up to 13 years. The longest‐living (non‐reproducing) ramet died at age 14. Synthesis. Our findings indicate that Polytrichastrum formosum ramets experience constant actuarial senescence, at least in terms of survival. This finding improves our understanding of age‐dependent demography in mosses, as well as in plants in general. This new knowledge about moss demography may also aid in management decisions for threatened species, as it can improve the precision of predictions of population longevity.

Supporting the sustainable development of Australia’s octopus industry: First assessment of an artisanal fishery

Octopus fisheries are expanding worldwide to meet demand and fill market gaps left by overexploited species, a trend that is increasingly apparent in Australia. However, a lack of biological and ecological data is impeding the sustainable development of octopus fisheries. This is the first study to characterise the catch demographics and region-specific abundance of commercially harvested octopus in a remote fishery in southern Australia. Through field surveys, octopus and egg presence was monitored across four seasons and five sampling locations. A sub-sample of octopus from summer and winter were retained and examined. Octopus and eggs were present all year, with peaks of abundance in autumn and low abundance in summer. The catch consisted of large-egged holobenthic species, which were predominantly Octopus berrima (94 %) and Octopus pallidus (6%). Octopus were more abundant in the small and relatively hypersaline bays, but smaller, compared to octopus collected from the more exposed Gulf regions. For O. berrima, females made up 73 % of the catch, were 38 % smaller than males and only 32 % were mature. In contrast, 70 % of the males were mature. Based on the biological and ecological data, recommendations are provided for the sustainability and development of the fishery. As underutilised invertebrate fisheries become increasingly important to global food security, fundamental monitoring studies, such as this, are critical to ensure longevity and conservation of wild populations and fishery resources.

Associations between the breeding values of Holstein-Friesian bulls and longevity and culling reasons of their daughters

Taking into account functional traits in the breeding practice should lead to a longer productive life of cows. However, despite the increased contribution of these traits in bull selection indices, their daughters are frequently culled as early as the 2nd or 3rd lactation. The problem is whether and to what extent the genetic potential of animals is realized in the production practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the associations between the breeding value (BV) of bulls and their daughters for cow longevity and culling reasons in the Holstein-Friesian cattle population in Poland. Data for 532 062 cows culled in 2012, 2015, and 2018 were analyzed. A majority of 5 045 cow sires originated from Poland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United States. The highest variation in the contribution of culling reasons was for the cows culled at the age of 2–4 years. The contribution of the culling reasons, analyzed in relation to the cow culling age, remained similar and the only exception was culling because of old age, for which a significant increase was observed only for the culling age of at least 9 years (13.8%), which was reached by only 7.3% of the cows. The sires were characterized by generally high BV for conformation and reproductive traits. However, they had, at most, the average genetic potential for functional longevity. There were a number of beneficial associations found between the BV of bulls and the distribution of culling reasons in their daughters. For example, it concerns relations between the somatic cell score in milk and culling due to udder diseases and low milk yield, between the interval from calving to first insemination and low milk yield, between the protein yield and old age, or between the BV for certain conformation traits (size, udder) and cow culling due to age. In these cases, as the BV increased for a given trait, the contribution of the corresponding cow culling reason tended to decrease. Our study showed that it seems reasonable to consider Holstein-Friesian cows aged at least 9 years at culling to be long-living animals. This is primarily evidenced by the rapid increase in the culling due to old age in relation to younger cows. Nowadays the above age limit can be suggested as a criterion of longevity for Holstein-Friesian cows but the criterion should be updated to the relation genotype-environment-economy that tends to change over time.

Elements in potable groundwater in Rugao longevity area, China: Hydrogeochemical characteristics, enrichment patterns and health assessments

Rugao city is a typical longevity area taking shallow groundwater as the primary drinking water source. To determine the relationship between longevity and groundwater conditions, the hydrogeochemical characteristics and related causes of potable groundwater were investigated. On this basis, the water quality index (WQI) and hazard index (HI) of groundwater were evaluated. Meanwhile, the nutrient indicators beneficial to human health, like Ca and Mg concentrations, were also considered to explore the relationship. The results were as following: (1) 91.3% of water samples fell under the Ca/Mg–HCO3 water type, which resulted from the dissolution of silicate rock. Na, Cl-, Br, B in groundwater emanated from seawater intrusion. The abnormal concentrations of NO3− and As also indicated that anthropogenic activities had exerted significant influences on groundwater quality. (2) The average WQI value was 30.19, which meant that the overall groundwater quality in Rugao city was pretty good. However, 8 water samples were found to have HI values above 1, which might be attributed to the high concentration of As (maximum value 0.0407 mg/L; mean value 0.0076 mg/L). In general, low WQI and HI values corresponded to towns with a high longevity population; what’s more, WQI and HI values of Rugao city were lower than those of non-longevity areas. (3) Comparing with adjacent non-longevity areas, the potable groundwater in Rugao city had the characteristics of high Ca (mean value 123.57 mg/L), high Mg (mean value 50.33 mg/L) and high SO42- (mean value 525.19 mg/L). The daily intake of Ca and Mg from drinking water could meet 12.4% and 22.4% of daily Ca and Mg requirements, respectively. Also, the areas where the Sr and B concentrations were higher usually had higher life expectancy. The high concentrations of Ca, Mg, SO42-, Sr and B in drinking water, as well as low WQI and HI values, probably contribute to physical health and longevity. This research helps provide an insight into the relationship between groundwater quality and health and can serve as a reference for drinking water quality management.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lifespan: A Mendelian randomization study.

It is unknown whether long-term low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) lowering increases lifespan and longevity in a general population not selected for elevated cardiovascular risk. The present study aimed to investigate the overall and gene-specific effect of circulating LDL-c levels on lifespan and longevity in a general population. Leveraging data from the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium (n =173 082), we identified genetic variants to proxy LDL-c levels generally, and also through perturbation of particular drug targets (HMGCR, NPC1L1 and PCSK9). We investigated their association with lifespan (n =1 012 240) using Mendelian randomization, and replicated results using the outcome of longevity to the 90th vs. 60th percentile age (11 262 cases/25 483 controls). A 1-standard deviation increase in genetically proxied LDL-c was associated with 1.2years lower lifespan (95% confidence interval [CI] -1.55, -0.87; P = 3.83 × 10-12 ). Findings were consistent in statistical sensitivity analyses, and when considering the outcome of longevity (odds ratio for survival to the 90th vs 60th percentile age 0.72, 95% CI 0.64, 0.81, P = 7.83 × 10-8 ). Gene-specific Mendelian randomization analyses showed a significant effect of LDL-c modification through PCSK9 on lifespan (-0.99 years, 95% CI -1.43, 0.55, P =6.80 × 10-6 ); however, estimates for HMGCR and NPC1L1 were underpowered. This genetic evidence supports that higher LDL-c levels reduce lifespan and longevity. In a general population that is not selected for increased cardiovascular risk, there is likely to be a net lifespan benefit of LDL-c lowering therapies, particularly for PCSK9 inhibitors, although randomized controlled trials are necessary before modification of clinical practice.

Female Fertility Has a Negative Relationship With Longevity in Chinese Oldest-Old Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundDespite research efforts in this field for more than a century, the relationship between female fertility and longevity is unclear. This study was designed to investigate this relationship in Chinese oldest-old population.MethodsThe China Hainan Centenarian Cohort Study was performed in 18 cities and counties of Hainan. A total of 1,226 females, including 758 centenarian women and 468 women aged 80–99 years, were enrolled in this study. Using a standardized protocol, in-person interviews and blood analyses were conducted by a well-trained research team through home visits.ResultsCentenarian women had significantly lower number of children (NOC) and higher initial childbearing age (ICA) and last childbearing age (LCA) than women aged 80–99 years (p < 0.05 for all). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NOC and testosterone (T) levels were positively associated with women aged 80–99 years, when centenarian women was considered as reference (p < 0.05 for all). ICA, LCA, and estradiol (E2) levels were negatively associated with women aged 80–99 years, when centenarian women was considered as reference (p < 0.05 for all).ConclusionsThe centenarians had crucial characteristics of less and delayed childbearing, indicating a negative relationship between female fertility and longevity in Chinese oldest-old population. Serum E2 levels were positively associated and serum T levels were negatively associated with longevity. The less and late childbearing might be a significant factor of longevity, and successful aging might be promoted by reducing and delaying female childbearing.