title: Genealogy of centenarians and their relatives: a study of 12 families.
abstract: The longevity is a complex phenomenon in which specific genetic properties seem to play a role. The present study intended to reconstruct the genealogical tree of 12 subjects, being residents of one Northern and one Southern province of Italy, in order to establish the longevity of the ancestors. Detailed studies have been performed in the registry offices and the historic archives. The research method started from the identification of the centenarians on the basis of the documentation of the relevant birth document, it was continued by identifying the documents of birth, marriages and death of the parents of the centenarians. This way we proceeded systematically backwards in time. In addition, we verified the medium life span of the Italian population in the given periods of time, when the centenarians and their ascending lines had lived. These results offer clear historic-statistical evidences for the genetic basis of longevity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Senescence Sciences, University of Catania, Cannizzaro Hospital, Via Messina, 829, I-95126 Catania, Italy. mmotta@unict.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malaguarnera
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: V Nicita
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Mauro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrucci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rapisarda
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Tomasello
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferlito
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Passamonte
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bennati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D012042:Registries