title: Familial mortality in the Utah population database: characterizing a human aging phenotype.
abstract: We examine the effects of familial longevity and familial mortality on mortality rates for 10 leading causes of death in a Utah Population Database (UPDB) cohort. Familial excess longevity (FEL) and familial standardized mortality ratios (FSMR) were estimated for 666,921 individuals born from 1830 through 1963, who survived to at least age 40. Cox regression analysis shows that familial death and familial longevity have independent effects on cause-specific mortality rates for 10 leading causes of death. A family history of disease increases one's risk of dying from the same cause, whereas a family history of longevity is protective, except in the case of cancer. Families with greater longevity do not die of causes distinct from other members of the cohort, but they die from the same causes at reduced rates. Individuals from longer lived families have lower mortality from most age-related diseases including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, but not cancer.
authors: University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute (Rm. 4136), Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. elizabeth.obrien@hci.utah.edu
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: O'Brien
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Kerber
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Smith
authors: Geraldine
authors: G
authors: Mineau
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Boucher
authors: Diana Lane
authors: DL
authors: Reed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000401:mortality*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D010641:Phenotype; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality*; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D014589:Utah / Q000453:epidemiology