Puzzling role of genetic risk factors in human longevity: "risk alleles" as pro-longevity variants.

ABSTRACT: Complex diseases are major contributors to human mortality in old age. Paradoxically, many genetic variants that have been associated with increased risks of such diseases are found in genomes of long-lived people, and do not seem to compromise longevity. Here we argue that trade-off-like and conditional effects of genes can play central role in this phenomenon and in determining longevity. Such effects may occur as result of: (i) antagonistic influence of gene on the development of different health disorders; (ii) change in the effect of gene on vulnerability to death with age (especially, from "bad" to "good"); (iii) gene-gene interaction; and (iv) gene-environment interaction, among other factors. A review of current knowledge provides many examples of genetic factors that may increase

SUBMITTER: Ukraintseva S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4724477 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature