For hundreds of years, man has tried to find the secret to longevity. Although modern medicine, hygiene and food have considerably increased the life expectancy of human societies, the secret to prolonging life is possessed, curiously, by some members of the Amish , those who live as something else was done. of a century.
But it has nothing to do with their lifestyle, but with a rare genetic mutation unique in the world.
The first genetic mutation that seems to protect against aging in humans has been discovered among members of an ancient order of Amish , who live near Bern, Indiana, (USA), as reported by scientists from the Northwestern Medicine center, and published in the prestigious Scientific Advances magazine.
The family in question, which has this rare mutation, lives ten percent longer than the rest of the Amish. Members of this family live an average of 85 years, much longer than their expected 71- year lifespan for the Amish in general, a forecast that hasn’t changed much in the last century.
According to observations, members of this Amish family have ten percent longer telomeres (structures that line the ends of chromosomes and protect genetic information).
Telomere length is the measure of longevity. The longer the telomeres, the longer life expectancy and the lower the incidence of disease. In fact, the Amish with this mutation also had a lower incidence of diabetes and lower levels of insulin.
Now, an experimental drug that recreates the effects of the mutation is being tested in humans, to verify its protection against some diseases related to aging : for example, dementias such as Alzheimer’s are; but also cancer.
What is this mutation?
These Amish individuals have very low levels of the PAI-1 gene , plasminogen activator inhibitor, a protein that comprises part of a “molecular fingerprint” related to aging or cell death.
Although PAI-1 was already known to be linked to aging in animals, it was not clear how it affected aging in humans. And this is the first time this is found in a family.
“We were amazed by the finding because of the consistency of anti-aging benefits we saw,” said Dr. Douglas Vaughan, lead author of the paper, who has been studying PAI-1 for nearly 30 years.
“For the first time we observed a molecular marker of aging (telomere length), a metabolic marker of aging (fasting insulin levels) and a cardiovascular marker of aging (blood pressure and blood vessel stiffness): all of them following the same direction in these people, protected from age-related changes, “explains Vaughan.
That is, they not only live longer, but they live healthier. The ideal form of human longevity.
Who owns ‘the longevity mutation’?
According to the researchers, the mutation was introduced into the Amish family by farmers from Switzerland, who moved to the area in the mid-19th century. Two of his descendants, who carried the mutation, married into the Amish community. In fact, the Amish community outside the Bern area does not have this mutation.
” This is the only family on the planet that has this mutation, ” says Vaughan. “It is a ‘private mutation'”.
