How long can humans live? Lower bound for biological limit of human longevity calculated from Danish twin data using correlated frailty model

How long can people live? Opinions of the researchers diverge and debates continue. Is there any systematic way to address this question? In this paper, we suggest an approach to the estimation of the biological limit of human longevity using survival data for twins from different zygocity groups. T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mechanisms of ageing and development 1995-06, Vol.80 (3), p.147-169
Main Authors: Yashin, Anatoli I., Iachine, Ivan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Anthropology. Demography
Biological and medical sciences
Bivariate model
Denmark
Female
Frail Elderly
Heritability
Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology
Humans
Life expectancy
Longevity
Male
Medical sciences
Models, Genetic
Models, Statistical
Mortality models
Phenotype
Quantitative genetics
Survival Analysis
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Summary:How long can people live? Opinions of the researchers diverge and debates continue. Is there any systematic way to address this question? In this paper, we suggest an approach to the estimation of the biological limit of human longevity using survival data for twins from different zygocity groups. The approach is based on the genetic model of individual frailty. It combines ideas used in demography and survival analysis with methods of quantitative genetics and genetic epidemiology. The association between the life-spans of related individuals is described by the correlated frailty model of bivariate survival. A version of this model is used in order to estimate heritability of the individual frailty and to calculate the lower bound of human longevity. The limitations of this approach and directions of further research are discussed.
ISSN:0047-6374
1872-6216
DOI:10.1016/0047-6374(94)01567-6