Comparing DNA samples from 305 Ashkenazi Jews more than 95 years old and a control group of 408 unrelated Ashkenazi Jews participating in Albert Einstein College of Medicine's Longevity Genes Project, researchers determined the prevalence of 66 genetic markers present in 36 genes associated with aging.The researchers were able to construct a network of gene interactions that contributes to the understanding of longevity. In particular, they found that the favorable variant of a gene called CETP acts to buffer the harmful effects of a particular disease-causing gene called Lp(a).
The researchers are expanding their genetic survey, from the 66 genetic markers examined in this study to one million genetic markers throughout the human genome. If future research indicates that a single longevity gene buffers against several disease-causing genes, then drugs that mimic the action of the longevity gene could help protect against cardiovascular disease and other age-related diseases.

Source: AECOM