Older dads may pass along a longer lifespan to their child

[Motown_Johnny]

On a personal note: My father was born in 1916 and I was born in 1963 (do the math). I am not sure how old my father's father was when my father was born but I am betting he was over 30. I wonder if I should donate a blood sample.




http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57451495-10391704/older-dads-may-pass-along-a-longer-lifespan-to-their-child/


^snip^


(CBS News) Having a father and grandfather that waited until they were older before having a kid might boost the child's lifespan, a new study finds

The study looked at "telomere length" in blood samples collected from nearly 2,000 children in the Philippines and determined the ages of the children's fathers and paternal grandfathers. Telomeres are cap-like DNA structures on the tips of chromosomes that protect a person's genes from cell damage.

Scientists have linked telomeres to aging, finding shorter telomere lengths suggest a shorter lifespan. Telomere length shortens overtime in most tissues as a person's body ages - except in a man's sperm, where telomere length actually increases over time. That means the offspring of an older father will inherit longer telomeres from the outset.

When researchers looked at the children, they found offspring of older fathers - who gave birth after their late 30s - not only inherited longer telomeres, but the effect held true across multiple generations, such as child's paternal grandfather. So even if grandpa had a child at an older age, it might boost his eventual grandson's longevity.

[madokie]

1. Grand dad was born in 1840

fought in the civil war. Dad was born in 1897, I was born in 1948.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. Wow, you need to submit a blood sample

Your grandfather was 57 when your dad was born and your dad was 51 when you were born?!?!?


That is almost unbelievable. You need to be studied.

[madokie]

8. Who would study me?

who would want a blood sample?
My family has my Grand fathers discharge papers from the union army after the civil war. Grand dad was raised and lived in Georgia and my great Grand father owned slaves but Grand dad fought with the union to free the slaves. Two of his brothers did also, one made it home alive, my grand dad.

[Motown_Johnny]

9. The researchers doing the study

or maybe this guy


^snip from previous link^


Commenting on the study, Professor Thomas von Zglinicki, a cellular aging research at Newcastle University in the U.K., said more research is needed to back up the study's claims.

"Very few of the studies that linked telomere length to health in late life have studied the impact, if any, of paternal age," Zglinicki told BBC News. "It is still completely unclear whether telomere length at conception (or birth) or rate of telomere loss with age is more important for age-related morbidity and mortality risk in humans."

[Odin2005]

6. WOW!!!

[FirstLight]

2. cool

then that means I should outlive my sister, lol...not to mention the fact that my family already has "turtle genes" and lives to 90+...mwahaha! I will live FOREVER!!!

[Schema Thing]

4. Got you beat by 8 years... I was born in '63

...and my dad was born in 1908.

[Odin2005]

5. ...My great-grandfather was born in 1876. My grandfather was born in 1911...

...My great-grandfather was born in 1876. My dad was born in 1953. I was born in 1986.

So that bodes well for me.

[Angleae]

7. Dad born in 1918, me in 1967, have absolutly no idea about Grandpa.

He died when I was about 2 years old (of natural causes).