Researchers with the Kuakini Hawai’i Lifespan Study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and Kuakini Medical Center, have found that for those who have a certain gene (the FOXO3 “G” genotype) there is “extra protection” against the risk of death as you get older, compared to average persons. Using data from the Kuakini Hawai’i Lifespan Study, a substudy of the 50-year Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program (Kuakini HHP), and utilizing the National Institute on Aging’s Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) study as a replication cohort, researchers found that people with this FOXO3 gene have an impressive 10% reduced risk of dying and a 26% reduced risk for death from coronary heart disease over a 17 year period.
“We discovered in 2008 that FOXO3 was a human longevity-associated gene,” said Dr. Bradley Willcox, Principal Investigator of the Kuakini Hawai’i Lifespan Study and Professor and Director of Research of the Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai’i. “But until now, no one knew how much protection you receive against early death. Nor did we know what diseases are involved.”
What researchers learned is that the FOXO3 gene provides huge protection against early death and in particular, against death from heart attack deaths. The protection you receive from just one of these genes is equivalent to NOT having high blood pressure or NOT being a heavy smoker, two of the biggest risk factors for early death and heart attacks, Dr. Willcox said.
Dr. Bradley Willcox, Director of Research, JABSOM Geriatric Medicine. Courtesy of Kuakini Medical Center.
Dr. Bradley Willcox, Director of Research, JABSOM Geriatric Medicine. Courtesy of Kuakini Medical Center.[/caption]Dr. Bradley Willcox, Director of Research, JABSOM Geriatric Medicine. Courtesy of Kuakini Medical Center.[/caption]“It’s really quite amazing that a single gene can do this,” said Dr. Willcox. “If we can unlock the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved, we may be able to develop treatments to significantly extend human lifespan and healthspan.”
In previous studies, the Kuakini Hawai’i Lifespan Study identified a direct link between human longevity and the FOXO3 gene. This study quantifies how much risk reduction there is and what specific diseases are
responsible.
Findings from the Kuakini Hawai’i Lifespan Study and collaborators, including the Hawai’i State Department of Health (and others listed below) were published in the April 11, 2016 issue of Aging Cell.
Study background
Data are based on a 17-year prospective cohort study of 3,584 older American men of Japanese ancestry from the Kuakini HHP cohort study and a 17-year prospective replication study of 1,595 white and 1,056 African-American elderly individuals from the Health ABC cohort.
Funding
The work in Honolulu was funded by Kuakini Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). Collaborators included Hawai’i State Department of Health, University of Sydney, NIA Intramural Research Program, California Pacific Medical Center/UCSF, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, and Johns Hopkins University.
Pictured: Dr. Willcox in his research laboratory, courtesy of Kuakini Medical Center, 2013.
Click HERE to watch Dr. Wilcox speak about the “Longevity Gene” on Hawaiʻi News Now.
