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Demographics, phenotypic health characteristics and genetic analysis of centenarians in China.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Zeng, Y; Feng, Q; Gu, D; Vaupel, JW
Published in: Mech Ageing Dev
July 2017

After a brief introduction to the background, significance and unique features of the centenarian population in China, we describe the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study (CLHLS), which is the world's largest study of centenarians, nonagenarians, octogenarians, and compatible young-old aged 65-79. Based on the CLHLS data and other relevant studies, we summarize demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well as self-reported and objectively-tested health indicators of centenarians in China, with an emphasis on gender differences and rural/urban disparities. We then compare five-year-age-specific trajectories of physical and cognitive functions, self-reported health, and life satisfactions from ages 65-69 to 100+, concluding that good psychological resilience and optimism are keys to the exceptional longevity enjoyed by centenarians. We discuss recent findings of novel loci and pathways that are significantly associated with longevity based on the genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the CLHLS centenarian sample, which is 2.7 times as large as prior GWAS of longevity. We also highlight colleagues' and our own studies on longevity candidate genes and gene-environment interaction analyses. Finally, we discuss limitations inherent in our studies of centenarians in China and further research perspectives.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Mech Ageing Dev

DOI

EISSN

1872-6216

Publication Date

July 2017

Volume

165

Issue

Pt B

Start / End Page

86 / 97

Location

Ireland

Related Subject Headings

  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Self Report
  • Population Dynamics
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Longevity
  • Humans
  • Health Status
  • Gerontology
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Zeng, Y., Feng, Q., Gu, D., & Vaupel, J. W. (2017). Demographics, phenotypic health characteristics and genetic analysis of centenarians in China. Mech Ageing Dev, 165(Pt B), 86–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mad.2016.12.010
Zeng, Yi, Qiushi Feng, Danan Gu, and James W. Vaupel. “Demographics, phenotypic health characteristics and genetic analysis of centenarians in China.Mech Ageing Dev 165, no. Pt B (July 2017): 86–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mad.2016.12.010.
Zeng Y, Feng Q, Gu D, Vaupel JW. Demographics, phenotypic health characteristics and genetic analysis of centenarians in China. Mech Ageing Dev. 2017 Jul;165(Pt B):86–97.
Zeng, Yi, et al. “Demographics, phenotypic health characteristics and genetic analysis of centenarians in China.Mech Ageing Dev, vol. 165, no. Pt B, July 2017, pp. 86–97. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.mad.2016.12.010.
Zeng Y, Feng Q, Gu D, Vaupel JW. Demographics, phenotypic health characteristics and genetic analysis of centenarians in China. Mech Ageing Dev. 2017 Jul;165(Pt B):86–97.
Journal cover image

Published In

Mech Ageing Dev

DOI

EISSN

1872-6216

Publication Date

July 2017

Volume

165

Issue

Pt B

Start / End Page

86 / 97

Location

Ireland

Related Subject Headings

  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Self Report
  • Population Dynamics
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Longevity
  • Humans
  • Health Status
  • Gerontology
  • Genome-Wide Association Study