Nonagenarian siblings and their offspring display lower risk of mortality and morbidity than sporadic nonagenarians: The Leiden Longevity Study.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the risk of mortality of nonagenarian siblings with that of sporadic nonagenarians (not selected on having a nonagenarian sibling) and to compare the prevalence of morbidity in their offspring with that of the offsprings' partners.


METHODS
Longitudinal (mortality risk) and cross-sectional (disease prevalence).


METHODS
Nationwide sample.


METHODS
The Leiden Longevity Study consists of 991 nonagenarian siblings derived from 420 Caucasian families, 1,365 of their offspring, and 621 of the offsprings' partners. In the Leiden 85-plus Study, 599 subjects aged 85 were included, of whom 275 attained the age of 90 (sporadic nonagenarians).


METHODS
All nonagenarian siblings and sporadic nonagenarians were followed for mortality (with a mean+/-standard deviation follow-up time of 2.7+/-1.4 years and 3.0+/-1.5 years, respectively). Information on medical history and medication use was collected for offspring and their partners.


RESULTS
Nonagenarian siblings had a 41% lower risk of mortality (P<.001) than sporadic nonagenarians. The offspring of nonagenarian siblings had a lower prevalence of myocardial infarction (2.4% vs 4.1%, P=.03), hypertension (23.0% vs 27.5%, P=.01), diabetes mellitus (4.4% vs 7.6%, P=.004), and use of cardiovascular medication (23.0% vs 28.9%, P=.003) than their partners.


CONCLUSIONS
The lower mortality rate of nonagenarian siblings and lower prevalence of morbidity in their middle-aged offspring reinforce the notion that resilience against disease and death have similar underlying biology that is determined by genetic or familial factors.
Westendorp
Rudi G J
RG
Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. r.g.j.westendorp@lumc.nl
van Heemst
Diana
D
Rozing
Maarten P
MP
Frölich
Marijke
M
Mooijaart
Simon P
SP
Blauw
Gerard-Jan
GJ
Beekman
Marian
M
Heijmans
Bastiaan T
BT
de Craen
Anton J M
AJ
Slagboom
P Eline
PE
D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002423:Cause of Death; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000401:mortality; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D009026:Mortality; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality; D009426:Netherlands; D010641:Phenotype; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D035781:Siblings
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents