A photo from open sources
It turns out that smart people live much longer than those who do not lucky with gray matter. A new study revealed possible the causes of this phenomenon – perhaps the whole thing is in the genetic legacy.
Scientists said that about 95 percent of the relationship between intellectual abilities and longevity are explained genetic factors affecting both characteristics. The study they conducted was somewhat limited to that most participants passed the intellectual test development in adulthood, and not during his youth. In such Aged IQ test results may be slightly distorted by the reason for cognitive decline due to aging.
However, scientists have noticed that people with more pronounced mental abilities do not live longer because they choose healthy lifestyle or know how to make more money what allows them to pay more attention to their health. Cause, rather, in that their genetic heritage allows them to exhibit great intellectual abilities and live for many years.
There have been many studies that have found a connection between the probability of surviving into old age and having high mental opportunities. For example, a study of people born in Scotland, which was published in British Medical A magazine in 2001 found that the higher the IQ test result in age 11, the more likely that a person will live as at least 76 years old. In a 2007 article in the Journal of Economics Health published scientific study, according to which Nobel Prize winners live a little longer than their colleagues. Scientists have concluded that perhaps the cause of high winner’s life expectancy is not a cash prize, but raising the social status associated with obtaining this awards.
Researchers are studying the reasons why intelligent opportunities contribute to increased life expectancy. Perhaps smart people are more likely to prefer a healthy lifestyle. lives, choose a safer profession and are good family members. Or perhaps the reason for the longevity of smart people in the set genes in general – in the genetic heritage that affects and life expectancy as well as mental abilities.
The study of twins helped to answer this question. At identical twins DNA matches 100 percent; among raznoyatsevs – only half. If longevity is more affected human environment, it can be assumed that the more intelligent of the two identical twins will live longer than his brother or sister, by due to external factors (more successful solutions, employment and etc.).
If longevity is associated with genes, the more intelligent twin does not will have advantages over his brother or sister. They are live approximately the same number of years. In the same time, if longevity is inherited, the more gifted twin in the racial couple is likely to live much longer than his brother or sister. The thing is that the smarter twin, apparently, genes that contribute to both longevity and intellectual abilities.
After studying 377 pairs of male twins – veterans World War II, 246 twins from Sweden and 784 couples from Denmark, it was revealed that twins with higher intellectual abilities in each pair, lived longer, regardless of whether they were identical or opposite twins. Scientists were found that lifestyle and environment affect life expectancy is only 5 percent. All the rest accounted for by genetics.
Time Money DNA Life
