What makes us age biologically? We have always been intrigued by this question. Yet, it remains a fundamental research challenge. Now, the EU-funded project, EurHEALTHAgeing, aims to draw together studies of early development with those on longevity and ageing. By doing so, it hopes to decipher the molecular workings that lie behind how we age. But also explain why we get age-related diseases. Scientific coordinator Ana Valdes, a senior lecturer in statistical genetics at King’s College London and associate professor at the faculty of medicine and health sciences at the University of Nottingham, in the UK, talks to youris.com about the role of nature versus nurture in ageing.
To what extent do nature and nurture play a role in how we age and how long we live?
It is difficult to say for the ageing process. But if we look at something like longevity—that is at people who live over the age of 85—that tells us something about ageing. The phenomenon has a genetic contribution of between 20% and 25%. This means that 75% to 80% of what determines how long we live is not genetically determined. And therefore must be due to our lifestyle, environment, nutrition, among others.
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