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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >> Ashkenazi Jews, who are of Eastern European descent, are remarkably similar in their genetic makeup. This makes them ideal for studies such as this one which seek to find single genetic mutations.
As it turned out, the Ashkenazi elders and their offspring were three times more likely than the control groups to have a DNA alteration in the cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) gene, which helps regulate blood levels of, and size of, HDL and LDL molecules. The mutation resulted in lower levels of CETP in the blood, increased levels of HDL and larger HDL and LDL molecules.
Why would larger particle size protect against heart disease, stroke and metabolic syndrome? No one knows the exact reason. It's possible larger LDL particles can't penetrate artery walls and contribute to atherosclerosis.
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It's also not entirely proven that this is a cause-and-effect relationship. On the other hand, Barzilai says, he can look at the health of the subjects in his study and predict accurately who has large lipoprotein size and who does not. "It's a strong association," he says.
The study participants also seem to be proof of the contention that genes can override the environment. One 103-year-old woman just celebrated 95 years of two-pack-a-day smoking. "We know that we should exercise and diet and not be overweight, but the important thing with those guys was something downstream," Barzilai says. "They could do whatever they wanted."
Of 300 elders that Barzilai has interviewed (some after this study was completed), 30 percent were overweight and he can not find a single lifestyle factor that would explain their longevity. The main thing they had in common was parents who had lived a long time.
Now that the gene mutation has been discovered, the next logical step would be for a pharmaceutical company to find a drug that replicates the effect of that "downstream" gene.
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