Search results for "LONGEVITY"

Role of TLR4 Receptor Polymorphisms in Boutonneuse Fever

2005

The genetics of the interaction between host and microbes plays an essential role in the survival of the individual and attainment of longevity. The activation of toll-like receptor (TLR)4 plays a key role in natural and clonotypic immune responses. We evaluated whether TLR4 genotype is a component of genetic background protective versus rickettsiosis and whether this background influences longevity. We genotyped for +896A/G TLR4 polymorphism 78 patients affected by Boutonneuse fever, 78 age-matched controls and 78 advanced age individuals from Sicily. The +869G allele, that attenuates receptor signalling, was significantly overrepresented in patients in comparison with age-matched control…

Do Epigenetic Clocks Provide Explanations for Sex Differences in Life Span? A Cross-Sectional Twin Study

2022

Abstract Background The sex gap in life expectancy has been narrowing in Finland over the past 4–5 decades; however, on average, women still live longer than men. Epigenetic clocks are markers for biological aging which predict life span. In this study, we examined the mediating role of lifestyle factors on the association between sex and biological aging in younger and older adults. Methods Our sample consists of younger and older twins (21‒42 years, n = 1 477; 50‒76 years, n = 763) including 151 complete younger opposite-sex twin pairs (21‒30 years). Blood-based DNA methylation was used to compute epigenetic age acceleration by 4 epigenetic clocks as a measure of biological aging. Path mo…

Association between the MHC class I gene HFE polymorphisms and longevity: a study in Sicilian population.

2001

Classes I and II human leukocyte antigens (HLA) genes encode highly polymorphic heterodimeric glycoproteins involved in the control of immune responses. The HLA class I gene HFE seemingly no longer participates in immunity because it has lost its ability to bind peptides and it has acquired the ability to form complex with the receptor for iron-binding transferrin by regulating iron uptake by intestinal cells. Thus, it indirectly regulates immune responses too, because iron availability plays a role in specific and non-specific immune responses. The distribution of HFE polymorphisms in Sicilian centenarians and nonagenarians was studied to evaluate if HFE alleles might be represented differ…

Role of proinflammatory alleles in longevity and atherosclerosis: results of studies performed on -1562C/T MMP-9 in centenarians and myocardial infar…

2007

Centenarians are characterized by marked delay or escape from age-associated diseases that cause mortality at earlier ages. Jointly, atherosclerosis and its complications, such as myocardial infarction (AMI), significantly contribute to mortality in the elderly. Inflammation is a key component of atherosclerosis and inflammatory genes are good candidates for the risk of the development of atherosclerosis. Genetic traits contribute to the risk of AMI and allelic variations in inflammatory genes should boost the risk of disease. If proinflammatory genotypes significantly contribute to the risk of AMI, alleles associated with disease susceptibility should not be included in the genetic backgro…

God, Faith, and Death: The Impact of Biological and Religious Correlates on Mortality

2004

Marked denominational mortality differentials have been documented for various time periods and geographic locations. From a historical perspective, death rates among Catholics are often found to be higher than those among Protestants or Jews. Using a conceptual model based on the life history approach, biomedical and sociocultural factors of causation are extrapolated. In total, 5513 historical entries from family reconstitution were available. Selection of data was guided by the inclusion of information about religious affiliation. Only married couples with children as well as single mothers were considered. Of these, 1855 entries were of Roman Catholic (C), 1143 of Lutheran/Protestant (L…

Measurement invariance, validation and normative data of the Jenkins Sleep Scale-4 (JSS-4) in the German general population across the life span.

2019

Abstract Objective As sleep disorders have become a major concern in public health, there is strong need for a brief and sound measure for sleep problems. The purposes of the study were to 1) evaluate factor structure and measurement invariance, 2) validate the scale based on sociodemographic data and distress, and 3) provide norm values for the general population. Methods In a representative survey of the German population N = 2515 participants (14 to 95 years) filled in the 4-item Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS-4), sociodemographic questions and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (anxiety, depression, somatic symptom load). The JSS-4 was analyzed by principal component analysis, confirmatory and mu…

Serum irisin levels, precocious myocardial infarction, and healthy exceptional longevity.

2014

Abstract Background Skeletal muscles produce irisin. Growing controversy exists on the association between this myokine and chronic disease risk. On the basis of the potential protective effects that irisin could exert on both vascular function and skeletal muscle mass, we hypothesized that an elevated level of this molecule may contribute to successful aging. Methods Serum irisin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in disease-free centenarians, young healthy controls, and patients with precocious acute myocardial infarction. Results We found the highest levels of serum irisin in disease-free centenarians (35.3 ± 5.5 ng/mL) compared with young healthy controls (20.7…

Role of Toll-like receptor 4 in acute myocardial infarction and longevity.

2004

Inflammation, genetics, and longevity: further studies on the protective effects in men of IL-10 -1082 promoter SNP and its interaction with TNF-alph…

2003

Ageing is associated with chronic, low grade inflammatory activity leading to long term tissue damage, and systemic chronic inflammation has been found to be related to mortality risk from all causes in older persons.1 Also, the genetic constitution of the organism interacting with systemic inflammation may cause defined organ specific illnesses. Thus, age related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis, are initiated or worsened by systemic inflammation, suggesting the critical importance of unregulated systemic inflammation in the shortening of survival in humans.1–3 Accordingly, proinflammatory cytokin…

Vitamin D, precocious acute myocardial infarction, and exceptional longevity

2015

Recent studies have reported low circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the biologically active form of vitamin D, in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1], hypertension [2], carotid atherosclerosis [3], atrial fibrillation [4], and heart failure [5]. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with all-cause mortality [6,7] and predicts adverse cardiac events in patients with established CVD [8] or after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) [9]. In turn, vitamin D supplementation improves the modulation of autonomic tone [10]. 4.638 JCR (2015) Q1, 24/124 Cardiac and cardiovascular systems UEM