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Intelligence in early adulthood and life span up to 65 years later in male elderly twins.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Holsinger, T; Helms, M; Plassman, B
Published in: Age Ageing
May 2007

BACKGROUND: Previous research has reported that greater intelligence in early life is associated with longer lifespan. Whether this relationship is mediated by genetic factors or environmental factors, some of which could be modified by an individual, is unclear. OBJECTIVE: We examined the association between intelligence test scores, obtained during the 1940s, and age at death in a group of 492 male twin pairs, members of the National Academy of Sciences--National Research Council Twins Registry of WWII veterans. DESIGN: Using self-report information collected in th 1960s, we examined whether modifiable risk factors for mortality, such as use of tobacco and alcohol, cardiovascular disease, and body mass index altered the association between intelligence and longevity. RESULTS: When each member of a twin pair was treated as an independent observation, higher intelligence test scores were associated with longer life span (P = 0.0002). Modifiable risk factors were associated with life span as expected. However, in co-twin control analyses in which one twin served as the control for the other twin, neither intelligence nor any modifiable risk factors showed a significant association with life span. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that genetics and early life environmental factors contribute heavily to lifespan and when one controls for these factors using twins, the effect of intelligence on longevity is diminished.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Age Ageing

DOI

ISSN

0002-0729

Publication Date

May 2007

Volume

36

Issue

3

Start / End Page

286 / 291

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • World War II
  • Veterans
  • United States
  • Twins
  • Registries
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Mortality
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Longevity
 

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Holsinger, T., Helms, M., & Plassman, B. (2007). Intelligence in early adulthood and life span up to 65 years later in male elderly twins. Age Ageing, 36(3), 286–291. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afm016
Holsinger, Tracey, Michael Helms, and Brenda Plassman. “Intelligence in early adulthood and life span up to 65 years later in male elderly twins.Age Ageing 36, no. 3 (May 2007): 286–91. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afm016.
Holsinger T, Helms M, Plassman B. Intelligence in early adulthood and life span up to 65 years later in male elderly twins. Age Ageing. 2007 May;36(3):286–91.
Holsinger, Tracey, et al. “Intelligence in early adulthood and life span up to 65 years later in male elderly twins.Age Ageing, vol. 36, no. 3, May 2007, pp. 286–91. Pubmed, doi:10.1093/ageing/afm016.
Holsinger T, Helms M, Plassman B. Intelligence in early adulthood and life span up to 65 years later in male elderly twins. Age Ageing. 2007 May;36(3):286–291.
Journal cover image

Published In

Age Ageing

DOI

ISSN

0002-0729

Publication Date

May 2007

Volume

36

Issue

3

Start / End Page

286 / 291

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • World War II
  • Veterans
  • United States
  • Twins
  • Registries
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Mortality
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Longevity