Essay On Longevity

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Length – 1500 words Genes and Their Health Connection The chances of living to a grand old age of 100 years are 1 in 10000. So what is the deciding factor for longevity – genes, lifestyle, positive thinking, and access to adequate medical care or just sheer luck? A study of 500 centenarians was done by Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. They asked the subjects detailed questions about lifestyle and undertook physical and mental examinations. After the initial analysis it turned out that 30% of the subjects were obese or overweight. 30% - smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day for more than 40 years. There was not a single vegetarian and only 1 professional athlete. They did not follow any ONE particular lifestyle. Physical…show more content…
It would appear that there is but the secret is not tangible and there seems no way to bottle it for general consumption. But what causes such anomalies? Scientists discovered that centenarians have genes associated with longevity - “longevity” genes. But how do YOU know if you have “longevity “genes? Look at your parents, grandparents, etc. If any of them lived till 90yo then you are likely to have the genes as well. This is a very topical point at the moment and there are many studies underway to explore this longevity in genes factor. We all feel like we want to live longer but is this the full answer? Pharmaceutical corporations are developing some kind of a drug to package those “longevity” genes and make them available to the public. It is not a questions of whether it will be available or not it is when it will be available. The research has progressed so far already. Consider all the statistics regarding the general population - how long one lives is normally affected 80% by the environment/lifestyle and only 20% by genes. Centenarians – have it the other way around namely 20% by environment and lifestyle adn 80% by genes. If you do not have the longevity genes it is very important not to compare yourself to someone who has. Centenarians seem to break all known health

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