Health & Medicine
Fountain Of Youth: Hispanics Age Slower Than Other Ethnicities
Johnson D
First Posted: Aug 22, 2016 03:56 AM EDT
In a new study, scientists used a number of biomarkers to study changes related to aging in genes. They have found that Latinos age at a slower rate than other ethnicities.
"Latinos live longer than Caucasians, despite experiencing higher rates of diabetes and other diseases," Steve Horvath, lead author and professor of human genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, said in a news release. "Our study helps explain this by demonstrating that Latinos age more slowly at the molecular level."
According to Health Day, researchers of the study explained that a newly developed genetic "clock" has found that Hispanics or Latinos age much slower than other ethnicities because they are more immune to natural processes that get in the way with cell repair and development. They added saying that the biological clock measured Hispanic women's "genetic" age to be 2.4 years younger than non-Hispanic women of the same physical age after they undergo menopause.
For the study, researchers used 18 sets of data on DNA sample from almost 6,000 people of the seven different ethnicities such as two African groups, African-Americans, Caucasians, East Asians, Latinos and an indigenous people genetically related to Latinos called the Tsimane. After analyzing for difference in cell composition, researchers were able to discover that the blood of Latinos and the indigenous group aged slower than others. Horvath also said that the result of the study can explain why Latinos in the United States most live 3 years longer than whites, blacks, Asians and other ethnic groups.
Horvath also said that this unique phenomenon has puzzled a number of medical experts since they all know that there are more Hispanics diagnosed with diabetes and other diseases that would have shortened their life expectancy. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy for Hispanics is 82 and 79 for Caucasians.
"We suspect that Latinos' slower aging rate helps neutralize their higher health risks, particularly those related to obesity and inflammation," Horvath said. "Our findings strongly suggest that genetic or environmental factors linked to ethnicity may influence how quickly a person ages and how long they live," fox32chicago.com reported.
Meanwhile, Fox News reported that the same study also showed that the Tsimanes aged even much slower than Latinos which researchers said shows the group's minimal signs of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity or clogged arteries. Michael Gurven, study coauthor and a professor of anthropology at University of California, Santa Barbara explained in the news released that though Tsimane people suffer from different infections, they still exhibit little symptoms of chronic diseases that commonly affect the society. "Our findings provide an interesting molecular explanation for their robust health," Gurven added.
Researchers are already planning their next study which will include the aging rate of other human tissues and to identify the molecular mechanism that protects Latinos from aging.
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First Posted: Aug 22, 2016 03:56 AM EDT
In a new study, scientists used a number of biomarkers to study changes related to aging in genes. They have found that Latinos age at a slower rate than other ethnicities.
"Latinos live longer than Caucasians, despite experiencing higher rates of diabetes and other diseases," Steve Horvath, lead author and professor of human genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, said in a news release. "Our study helps explain this by demonstrating that Latinos age more slowly at the molecular level."
According to Health Day, researchers of the study explained that a newly developed genetic "clock" has found that Hispanics or Latinos age much slower than other ethnicities because they are more immune to natural processes that get in the way with cell repair and development. They added saying that the biological clock measured Hispanic women's "genetic" age to be 2.4 years younger than non-Hispanic women of the same physical age after they undergo menopause.
For the study, researchers used 18 sets of data on DNA sample from almost 6,000 people of the seven different ethnicities such as two African groups, African-Americans, Caucasians, East Asians, Latinos and an indigenous people genetically related to Latinos called the Tsimane. After analyzing for difference in cell composition, researchers were able to discover that the blood of Latinos and the indigenous group aged slower than others. Horvath also said that the result of the study can explain why Latinos in the United States most live 3 years longer than whites, blacks, Asians and other ethnic groups.
Horvath also said that this unique phenomenon has puzzled a number of medical experts since they all know that there are more Hispanics diagnosed with diabetes and other diseases that would have shortened their life expectancy. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy for Hispanics is 82 and 79 for Caucasians.
"We suspect that Latinos' slower aging rate helps neutralize their higher health risks, particularly those related to obesity and inflammation," Horvath said. "Our findings strongly suggest that genetic or environmental factors linked to ethnicity may influence how quickly a person ages and how long they live," fox32chicago.com reported.
Meanwhile, Fox News reported that the same study also showed that the Tsimanes aged even much slower than Latinos which researchers said shows the group's minimal signs of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity or clogged arteries. Michael Gurven, study coauthor and a professor of anthropology at University of California, Santa Barbara explained in the news released that though Tsimane people suffer from different infections, they still exhibit little symptoms of chronic diseases that commonly affect the society. "Our findings provide an interesting molecular explanation for their robust health," Gurven added.
Researchers are already planning their next study which will include the aging rate of other human tissues and to identify the molecular mechanism that protects Latinos from aging.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone