Gavrilova
N., Gavrilov
L., Evdokushkina G., Semyonova V.
Are long-lived women more prone
to infertility?:
Testing the prediction of evolutionary theories of aging.
[Meeting Abstract].
Gerontologist, 2003,
43 (Sp. issue): 9-9.
Gavrilov L., Gavrilova
N., Semyonova V., Evdokushkina G.
Early-life seasonal programming of
human longevity. [Meeting Abstract].
Gerontologist,
2003, 43 (Sp. issue): 582-582.
2002
Natalia S.
Gavrilova, Leonid A. Gavrilov, Galina N. Evdokushkina, and Victoria G.
Semyonova. Abstract published in: Population Association of
America. 2002 Annual Meeting. Final Program and Abstracts, p.288.
Gavrilova N.S., Gavrilov L.A.
Consanguinity And Human Longevity:
Findings From The
International
Centenarian Study
Gerontologist, 2001, 41: 87-87,
Sp.issue
Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S.
The Effects Of
Early-Life
Events On Adult Lifespan Are Sex-Specific
Gerontologist, 2001, 41: 163-163,
Sp.issue
In this study we explored
the
effects of early-life conditions on adult lifespan of 12,000 persons
using
methodology of follow-up study of extinct birth cohorts and the
multivariate
regression with nominal variables. We found that sex differences
in adult life span are modulated by early-life events and
conditions.
Specifically, we found that such variables as (1) father's age at
person's conception, (2) maternal lifespan, (3) month of
birth,
(4) birth order (first-born status) have a profound effects on adult
lifespan
(life expectancy at age 30) in females, but not in males.
Daughters
born to young fathers (below 30 years) or old fathers (above 50 years)
live significantly shorter lives, while sons are less affected by
paternal
age at conception. The dependence of progeny lifespan on parental
lifespan is non-linear with particularly steep slope for long-lived
parents
(above 90 years) and female sex of the progeny. Women born in May
or December live longer compared to those born in February or August,
while
male lifespan is less affected by the season of birth. Supported
in part by NIA grants.
17th
Congress of
the International Association of Gerontology
Parental
Age Effects on Human Longevity
L. A.
Gavrilov, N. S. Gavrilova, (Center on
Aging, NORC/University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA), G. N.
Evdokushkina, V. G.
Semyonova (Institute of Public Health,
Moscow, Russia). Gerontology, 2001, 47(Suppl.1): 611-611.
This study is focused on the following
scientific
problem: does the parental age at
child conception affect progeny lifespan? Our
previous studies found that daughters
conceived to older fathers (above age 45) live shorter lives (Gavrilov,
Gavrilova, 1997, Science, 277: 17), and more research is required for
understanding the
mechanisms of parental age effects.
These studies are also of practical importance, because persons
conceived to older fathers are at higher risk of prostate cancer (Zhang
et al.,
1999) and Alzheimer's disease (Bertram et al., 1998).
In this
study we used high-quality genealogical data for European aristocratic
families
where the exact lifespan and parental ages at conception are known for
each
person. The methodology of historical
prospective study of extinct birth cohorts (born in 1800-80) was
applied to
individual lifespan (more than 6,000 cases per each sex) as a dependent
variable in multivariate regression analysis with nominal variables. The following additional predictor variables
are also taken into consideration: parental and spousal lifespan, year
and
month of person's birth, ethnicity and birth order.
We found
that daughters conceived to older fathers live shorter lives, while
sons are
not affected. Maternal age effects on lifespan of adult progeny are
negligible
compared to effects of paternal age.
Conception to old father is not dangerous when father lives more
than 80
years. Surprisingly, children conceived
to particularly young fathers also live shorter lives, especially in
the case
of long-lived fathers. This study was supported in part by
grants from the National Institute on Aging.
Study of
the Inheritance of Human Longevity
N. S.
Gavrilova, L. A. Gavrilov (Center on
Aging, NORC/University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA),
V. G. Semyonova, G. N. Evdokushkina
(Institute of Public
Health, Moscow, Russia). Gerontology, 2001, 47(Suppl.1): 611-611.
Understanding the mechanisms of familial transmission of human longevity is an important, still unresolved scientific problem. Our preliminary studies found very unusual non-linear (accelerating) pattern for the dependence of offspring lifespan on parental lifespan in humans, suggesting increased genetic heterogeneity among longer-lived parents (Gavrilova et al., 1998, Human Biology, 70: 799). The purpose of this study is to validate these findings on a larger dataset (more than 12,000 cases) and to consider possible alternative explanations by controlling for the effects of other important predictors of human longevity.
In this
study we collected, computerized and analyzed particularly accurate and
reliable genealogical data for European aristocratic families (taken
from
professional data sources), where the destiny (lifespan) of each person
(born
in 1800-80) was traced in history. The
methodology of historical prospective study of extinct birth cohorts
was
applied to individual lifespan as a dependent variable in multivariate
regression
analysis with nominal variables. To
control for possible confounding effects of socio-cultural differences
between
families, the spousal lifespan was included into analysis as an
additional
predictor variable.
We found
strong non-linear, accelerating pattern for the dependence of progeny
lifespan
on parental lifespan, even after adjusting for the effects of other
predictor
variables: spousal lifespan, parental ages at person's conception, year
and
month of person's birth, ethnicity and birth order.
Daughters demonstrated particularly sharp,
non-linear pattern of lifespan inheritance.
Our findings support genetic
explanation for exceptional human longevity.
This study was supported in part by grants from the National
Institute
on Aging.
Population
Association of
GENDER
SPECIFIC
EFFECTS OF EARLY-LIFE
EVENTS ON ADULT
LIFESPAN
Leonid A.
Gavrilov, Natalia S. Gavrilova, Galina N. Evdokushkina, and
Victoria G.
Semyonova
Abstract published in: Population Association of America. 2001 Annual
Meeting. Final Program and Abstracts. p.233.
In this
study we found that sex differences in adult life span are modulated by
early-life events and conditions.
Specifically, we found that such variables as
(1) father's age at person's conception, (2)
parental lifespan (3) month of birth, (4) birth order
(first-born status) have a
profound effects on adult lifespan (life expectancy at age 30) in
females, but
not in males. Daughters born to
particularly young fathers (below 25 years) or old fathers (above 45
years)
live significantly shorter lives, while sons are less affected by
paternal age
at conception. The dependence of progeny
lifespan on parental lifespan is non-linear with particularly steep
slope for
long-lived parents (above 80 years) and female sex of the
progeny.
Women born in May or December live longer
compared to those born in February or August, while male lifespan is
less
affected by the season of birth. Supported
in part by NIA grants.
Leonid A. Gavrilov,
Natalia S. Gavrilova,
Galina N. Evdokushkina, Victoria
G. Semyonova
Abstract published in: Population
Association of America. 2000 Annual Meeting. Final Program and
Abstracts. p.187.
HERITABILITY OF HUMAN LIFESPAN
IS AFFECTED BY PARENTAL AGE AT
CHILDBIRTH
Natalia S. Gavrilova,
Leonid A. Gavrilov,
Victoria G. Semyonova,
Galina N. Evdokushkina. Abstract published in: Population
Association of America. 2000 Annual Meeting. Final Program and
Abstracts. p.220.
In this study we found that familial
resemblance in lifespan between mothers and their children is affected
by
maternal age at childbirth. Specifically, both daughters and sons born
to older
mothers (above age 35) do not demonstrate any inheritance of maternal
lifespan.
The regression slope (b) of SONS' lifespan on maternal lifespan is
highly
significant (b = 0.11 ± 0.05; n = 3,753 cases) when the mother
is young (15-34
years), but is negligible for older mothers (b = -0.01 ± 0.11, n
= 792). The
regression slope (b) of DAUGHTERS' lifespan on maternal lifespan is
also highly
significant (b = 0.21 ± 0.08, n = 1,784 cases) when
the mother is
young (15-34 years), but is negligible for older mothers (b = -0.01
± 0.15, n =
351). These estimates were calculated for the range for maternal
lifespan of
75-95 years. Supported by NIA grants AG12857, AG13698-01 and
AG16138-01A1.