Reader's Digest Story

Greetings,

Recently we have found out that the Reader's Digest Asia Magazine (located in Singapore) has published the following story in the "Medical Update" section about our research studies and findings:



Long Life to Those Born to Young Mums

March 2007

First-born children of young mothers are more likely to make it to the age of 100.

After studying the data of 198 centenarians born between 1890 and 1893, University of Chicago researchers Natalia Gavrilova and Leonid Gavrilov found that first-borns were 1.7 times more likely than their siblings to reach the mighty milestone.

Birth order itself appears to be insignificant; the main predictor was if the mother was younger than 25 when she gave birth. "The protective effect of being first-born is mostly driven by young maternal age," says Gavrilov.

Among theories they offer to explain the findings are that a woman's best eggs are fertilised first and younger mothers are likely to be healthier.

Read More Here



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Key words:
Long Life, Young Mums, First-born children, Young mothers, Birth order, Centenarian, Centenarians, Leonid Gavrilov, Maternal Effects, maternal age, mother's age, Natalia Gavrilova, Reader's Digest Asia


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Clues to Longevity

Greetings,

Here is a new media coverage of our longevity studies presented recently at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada:

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Published: 2007-05-04

Longevity researcher offers clues to living to century mark

By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE, Staff Reporter

Why many people live to a ripe old age and perhaps celebrate their 100th birthday, and why most of us don’t, has long been one of the mysteries of life.

But some revealing U.S. statistics have been able to shed some light on the determinants of extreme longevity, a visiting researcher told a Halifax audience Thursday.

Leonid Gavrilov said his study of genealogical records shows such factors as birth order, the age of a person’s mother and where in the United States a centenarian was raised probably play roles in determining lifespan.

First-born children tend to have improved chances of being on this earth for 10 decades, he said. Mr. Gavrilov said "what’s really important" in determining who reaches age 100 is to be born to a woman under age 25. He also said people from less densely populated farming communities have a better chance of a long life than their city cousins.

"Those who are born on the farm are more insulated from infections" than urban dwellers living in close quarters in densely populated centres, Mr. Gavrilov said.

He said first-born children can have an advantage in terms of health status.

Family genetics and body shape — overweight people aren’t likely to make it to age 100 — are important predictors, too, said Mr. Gavrilov, a Russian expatriate.

According to the New York Times, fewer than two in every 10,000 Americans live to see 100 candles on their birthday cake. However, demographers are expecting the number of centenarians to increase significantly. There could be as many as 800,000 in the U.S. by the middle of this century, the newspaper reported in 2005.

Mr. Gavrilov and his wife, Natalia Gavrilova, are researchers at the University of Chicago who have analyzed scores of computerized records related to Americans who lived in the 19th century.

Mr. Gavrilov told a small group of health-care workers and others at the Camp Hill Veterans’ Memorial Building that when it comes to old age, not everyone wants to shave off a few years if they lie about their age.

He said many people, especially those who have survived into their 90s, like to add years so they can claim to be 100 years old.

"It’s a well-known phenomenon," Mr. Gavrilov said of the practice.

Published by The Chronicle Herald, volume 59, Number 106, on Friday, May 4, 2007, at page B3
MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE, Staff Reporter ( mlightstone@herald.ca)
2007 The Halifax Herald Limited, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/833177.html


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Longevity Lecture in Halifax

Mark your calendar for May 3rd lecture on human longevity at the Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada!


Greetings,

We are pleased to announce our upcoming invited lecture on Human Longevity Studies to be held on Thursday, May 3, at the Division of Geriatric Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada (5:00pm – 6:00pm, Room 1613A at Veterans’ Memorial Building - VMB Building, 5955 Veterans’ Memorial Lane):

Determinants of Exceptional Longevity

by Leonid Gavrilov, Ph.D. and Natalia Gavrilova, Ph.D.
Center on Aging, NORC/University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

This lecture will present new findings from the ongoing study of American centenarians, a study supported by the US National Institute on Aging, NIH, and by the Society of Actuaries.

The presentation will describe where to get the data on long-lived individuals, how to validate these data, and how to use them in order to find out the determinants of exceptional human longevity.

The lecture will also discuss new findings on the effects of birth order, maternal-age at person's birth, and young-adult-age obesity on chances of exceptional survival.

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Relevant Publications and Additional Reading:

Gavrilova N.S., Gavrilov L.A. Search for Predictors of Exceptional Human Longevity: Using Computerized Genealogies and Internet Resources for Human Longevity Studies. North American Actuarial Journal, 2007, 11(1): 49-67.

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S. Childhood Conditions and Exceptional Longevity. Full paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America, Los Angeles, CA, April 1, 2006, 35 pages. Published online at: http://paa2006.princeton.edu/download.aspx?submissionId=61675

Gavrilova, N.S., Gavrilov, L.A. Living to 100 and Beyond: Search for Predictors of Exceptional Human Longevity. Final report published online by the Society of Actuaries, Schaumburg, Illinois, USA, 2005, 81 pages.

Gavrilova, N.S., Gavrilov, L.A. Search for Predictors of Exceptional Human Longevity. In: “ Living to 100 and Beyond” Monograph. The Society of Actuaries, Schaumburg, Illinois, USA, 2005, pp. 1-49.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Mortality of centenarians: A study based on the Social Security Administration Death Master File. Full Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America (Philadelphia, March 31 - April 2, 2005, oral presentation), 31 pages.Abstract published in: Population Association of America 2005 Annual Meeting. Final Program and Abstracts. p. 183.

Gavrilova, N.S., Gavrilov, L.A. 2005. Search for Predictors of Exceptional Human Longevity: Using Computerized Genealogies and Internet Resources for Human Longevity Studies. Published online at: http://ce.soa.org/living-to-100/3b_papers.pdf. Full Paper presented at the Living to 100 and Beyond International Symposium sponsored by the Society of Actuaries (Orlando, Florida on January 12-14, 2005, oral presentation).

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Media Coverage:

" How to live long and prosper"
New Scientist, issue 2579, November 25, 2006, page 19

"Secret of a long life revealed"
The Sun, UK - November 23, 2006

" First-born of young mums likely to live longer"
Daily Mail, UK - - November 22, 2006

" First-born of young mums likely to live longer"
This is London, UK - - November 22, 2006

" Thanks, mom! Want to live to 100? Having a young mother helps"
Chicago Sun-Times, United States - Wednesday, November 22, 2006

" Living to Be 100 May Depend on Mom"
Forbes -- Monday, November 20, 2006

" Living to Be 100 May Depend on Mom"
CBC News, Canada -- Monday, November 20, 2006

"Young moms, long life?"
Newsday, NY, USA -- Monday, November 20, 2006

" If your mother was under 25 when she had you, you may live to be 100"
Daily Telegraph, UK -- Saturday, November 18, 2006

" Babies of younger mothers have twice the chance of living to 100"
Daily Mail -- June 26, 2006

"Key to long life may be mom's age at birth"
ABC News -- June 23, 2006

"Key to long life may be mom's age at birth"
MSNBC -- June 23, 2006

"Key to long life may be mom's age at birth"
Reuters -- June 23, 2006

" New Research Suggests Children Born to Young Women Are More Likely to Live to 100"
Society of Actuaries Press Release -- 14 June 2006

" Living to 100 may depend on your mother"
Medill News Service, ­ Northwestern University -- May 31, 2006

" Children of younger moms see benefits"
Chicago Maroon, IL - May 26, 2006; pdf file

" Making a century. 60 Seconds"
New Scientist magazine -- 22 April, 2006, issue 2548, page 7.

" Mom's age mean longer life?"
Chicago Tribune -- April 25, 2006

"A Baby Boon"
Forbes, -- Monday, Apr 17, 2006

" Younger Moms' Kids Get Longevity Edge"
Medline Plus -- Monday, April 17, 2006.
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health

" Younger Moms' Kids Get Longevity Edge"
Health Finder -- Monday, April 17, 2006.
A Service of the National Health Information Center, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

" Younger Moms' Kids Get Longevity Edge"
WomensHealth.gov -- Monday, April 17 2006.
National Women's Health Information Center, U.S. Department of Human Health and Human Services

" Investigations: Fig. 1, Birthright"
The University of Chicago Magazine, -- February 2006, volume 98, issue 3, page 20

"SOA: Society of Actuaries: First-Born Daughters More Likely to Live to 100,
Suggests Society of Actuaries Research"
Webbolt Business News, Canada - Jan 5, 2006

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We could be reached in Halifax, Canada on May 2 - 6 at:

Residence Inn – Marriott
1599 Grafton Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2C3
Phone: 422-0493 Fax: 422-0413
http://marriott.com/hotels/travel/yhzri-residence-inn-halifax-downtown

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Centenarians

List of studies on exceptional human longevity
Corrections and additions are most welcome!


Study title: The Utah Study of Fertility, Longevity and Aging (FLAG)
Principal Investigator: Smith, K.R.
Sample description: Individuals with extreme longevity and their family members recorded in the Utah Population Database
Estimated number of centenarians: ~3,000 born before 1908; ~600 born in 1890-1899


Study title: The New England Centenarian Study
Principal Investigator: Perls, T.T.
Sample description: A population-based sample of individuals achieving exceptional longevity, and living in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Estimated number of centenarians: 1,500-2,500


Study title: Clinical and Pathological Studies in the Oldest Old
Principal Investigator: Kawas, C.H.
Sample description: Medical history and lifestyle information for 4,682 cohort members who reached age 90 (Leisure World Cohort Study)
Estimated number of centenarians: <500


Study title: Ashkenazi Jewish Centenarian Study
Principal Investigator: Barzilai, N. J.
Sample description: A group of Ashkenazi Jewish centenarians and their children.
Estimated number of centenarians: <500


Study title: Population Based Multidisciplinary Study of Centenarians
Principal Investigator: Poon, L. W.
Sample description: Centenarians of North Georgia
Estimated number of centenarians: <500


Study title: Longevity Genes in Founder Populations
Principal Investigator: Shuldiner, A.R.
Sample description: Old Order Amish and Ashkenazi probands (age greater than 95 years) and their family members
Estimated number of centenarians: ~300


Study title: Genetic Studies of Successful Aging in the Amish
Principal Investigator: Scott, W.K.
Sample description: Amish adults aged 80 and older and their relatives.
Estimated number of centenarians: <200


Study title: Multicenter Study on Exceptional Survival in Families
Principal Investigator: Mayeux, R.
Sample description: Family history study of approximately 600 elderly residents, aged 95 years or older, residing in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area.
Estimated number of centenarians: <200


Study title: Families of cohort survivors over 90
Principal Investigator: Newman, A.B.
Sample description: 400 individuals who have reached age 90 (participating in the Cardiovascular Health Study), their siblings and children
Estimated number of centenarians: <200


Corrections and additions are most welcome!