image: Figure 2. Genomic region within the significant linkage peak for ABI in All LLFS participants. Fully adjusted LOD-scores on chromosome 15 from all three bins of mIBD estimates for linkage analyses of ABI in all participants. Significance and suggestive evidence of linkage are indicated by the horizontal dashed lines at LOD = 3.0 and LOD = 2.5, respectively. The peak reached its maximum LOD score at 11cM, and had a range of 6–16cM. This region maps to 26,267kb-31,213 kb on chromosome 15 and the 26 genes are located within this genomic region. They include GABRB3, GABRA5, GABRG3, OCA2, HERC2, GOLGA6L24, GOLGA8F, GOLGA8G, GOLGA6L25, GOLGA8M, GOLGA6L7, APBA2, ENTREP2, NSMCE3, TJP1, GOLGA8J, GOLGA8T, CHRFAM7A, GOLGA8R, GOLGA8Q, GOLGA8H, ARHGAP11B, ENSG00000284906, FAN1, MTMR10, and TRPM1 (as generated from the UCSC genome browser; GRCh38/hg38 accessed on August 14, 2023).
Credit: Copyright: © 2025 Fricke et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
“Notably, the findings from this work may provide novel insight into the underlying mechanisms of PAD and, perhaps, have prevention or therapeutic impacts.”
BUFFALO, NY — March 12, 2025 — A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) on February 25, 2025, Volume 17, Issue 2, titled “Epidemiology and genetic determination of measures of peripheral vascular health in the Long Life Family Study.”
Researchers from multiple institutions, led by first author and corresponding author Deidra R. Fricke from the University of Pittsburgh, studied the genetic and lifestyle factors that influence peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition that restricts blood flow to the legs. Their findings suggest that people from families with exceptional longevity have a lower risk of PAD, possibly due to inherited genetic traits or healthier lifestyle habits.
Peripheral artery disease is a common but often undiagnosed condition that affects millions worldwide. It increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and mobility issues. This study conducted using data from the Long Life Family Study (LLFS), found that individuals from long-lived families have significantly better vascular health than the general population.
“Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a major contributor to morbidity in older adults.”
The researchers analyzed over 3,000 participants, including 1,090 long-lived individuals, their 1,554 children, and 362 spouses. Among the oldest participants (average age 89), about 18% had PAD. However, among their children (average age 60), only 1% had PAD—far lower than the expected 12% found in other studies. This finding suggests that certain protective factors, whether genetic or lifestyle-related, help maintain healthier arteries in these families.
In the study, key risk factors for PAD were identified, including aging, high blood pressure, smoking, and hypertension medication use. Interestingly, unlike in other studies, high cholesterol and diabetes were not major risk factors in this group. This data further supports the idea that long-lived families may have genetic protective factors that contribute to better vascular health.
In addition to lifestyle factors, the study found four genomic regions linked to PAD risk. Three of these were new discoveries, while the fourth was similar but not identical to previously published findings. These genetic markers may help scientists better understand why some individuals are more likely to develop PAD and how to prevent it.
“We identified four genomic sites that may harbor variants associated with protection from PAD.”
This research highlights the value of studying long-lived families to unlock the secrets of healthy aging and vascular health. Understanding what helps them maintain better artery function could lead to new strategies for preventing PAD, heart disease, and other age-related conditions.
Paper DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206204
Corresponding author: Deidra R. Fricke — der94@pitt.edu
Keywords: aging, ankle-brachial index, peripheral arterial disease, heritability, genomewide linkage analysis, genomewide association study
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About Aging:
The journal Aging aims to promote 1) treatment of age-related diseases by slowing down aging, 2) validation of anti-aging drugs by treating age-related diseases, and 3) prevention of cancer by inhibiting aging. (Cancer and COVID-19 are age-related diseases.)
Aging is indexed by PubMed/Medline (abbreviated as “Aging (Albany NY)”), PubMed Central, Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded (abbreviated as “Aging‐US” and listed in the Cell Biology and Geriatrics & Gerontology categories), Scopus (abbreviated as “Aging” and listed in the Cell Biology and Aging categories), Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, EMBASE, META (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) (2018-2022), and Dimensions (Digital Science).
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Journal
Aging-US
Method of Research
News article
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Epidemiology and genetic determination of measures of peripheral vascular health in the Long Life Family Study
Article Publication Date
25-Feb-2025
COI Statement
The authors declare there are no conflicts of interest related to this study.