Exploring the genetics of longevity in the Old Order Amish

John Sorkin; Wendy Post; Toni I. Pollin; Jeffrey R. O'Connell; Braxton D. Mitchell; Alan R. Shuldiner

doi:10.1016/j.mad.2004.08.027

Exploring the genetics of longevity in the Old Order Amish

John Sorkin, Wendy Post, Toni I. Pollin, Jeffrey R. O'Connell, Braxton D. Mitchell, Alan R. Shuldiner

School of Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lifespan is a complex phenotype determined by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. This makes the identification of variants in genes that influence longevity challenging. We believe that the Old Order Amish (OOA) of Lancaster, Pennsylvania is an excellent population for studying the genetics of longevity. They are a closed population derived from a limited number of founders. They have large families and maintain extensive genealogic records dating to the 1700 s. They eschew modern technology; their lifestyle is little changed over the last 250 years. Homogeneity of environment and lifestyle factors across time and across the OOA population minimizes the influence that environmental factors have in determining the differences in lifespan between individuals. We hypothesize that this reduction in environmental variability will make it easier to identify the genetic factors that influence lifespan. In this article, we describe our strategy for identifying variants in genes that influence longevity in the Amish and present the results of our studies to date.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	347-350
Number of pages	4
Journal	Mechanisms of Ageing and Development
Volume	126
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mad.2004.08.027
State	Published - Feb 2005

Keywords

Amish
Genes
Lifestyle
Longevity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Aging
Developmental Biology

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10.1016/j.mad.2004.08.027

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title = "Exploring the genetics of longevity in the Old Order Amish",

abstract = "Lifespan is a complex phenotype determined by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. This makes the identification of variants in genes that influence longevity challenging. We believe that the Old Order Amish (OOA) of Lancaster, Pennsylvania is an excellent population for studying the genetics of longevity. They are a closed population derived from a limited number of founders. They have large families and maintain extensive genealogic records dating to the 1700 s. They eschew modern technology; their lifestyle is little changed over the last 250 years. Homogeneity of environment and lifestyle factors across time and across the OOA population minimizes the influence that environmental factors have in determining the differences in lifespan between individuals. We hypothesize that this reduction in environmental variability will make it easier to identify the genetic factors that influence lifespan. In this article, we describe our strategy for identifying variants in genes that influence longevity in the Amish and present the results of our studies to date.",

keywords = "Amish, Genes, Lifestyle, Longevity",

author = "John Sorkin and Wendy Post and Pollin, {Toni I.} and O'Connell, {Jeffrey R.} and Mitchell, {Braxton D.} and Shuldiner, {Alan R.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by research grants R01-AG18728, K24-DK02673, K01 AG0 1054, the University of Maryland, General Clinical Research Center, Grant M01 RR 16500, and the Johns Hopkins University, General Clinical Research Center, Grant M01 RR 00052, General Clinical Research Centers Program, National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), NIH, the Ellison Medical Foundation, the Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholars in Aging Research Program, the Johns Hopkins University Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Research Center, and the Baltimore Veterans Administration Geriatric Research and Education Clinical Center (GRECC). We gratefully acknowledge our Amish liaisons and field workers and the extraordinary cooperation and support of the Amish community, without which these studies would not have been possible.",

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Exploring the genetics of longevity in the Old Order Amish

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