Genetic Variants Associated with Risk of Hypertension and Obesity also Correlate with Reduced Life Expectancy

Identification of genetic variants associated with specific conditions has been a going concern for some time, but the creation of large national databases of genetic and biometric data in a number of countries has greatly expanded this area of study. In today's research materials, scientists demonstrate one way in which this can be used, as a confirmation of the importance of hypertension and obesity in present variations in human life expectancy. People with genetic variants that increase the odds of suffering either of these conditions tend to live shorter lives, something that also shows up in standard epidemiological studies. Why is this the case? Hypertension, chronically increased blood pressure, results from the stiffening of blood vessels due to various low-level processes of cell and tissue damage. Cross-links that reduce elasticity in blood vessel walls, inflammation resulting from senescent cells, and so forth. The resulting increase in blood pressure leads to an acceleration of atherosclerosis, and pressure damage to delicate tissues in the kidneys, brain, and elsewhere. This is very harmful to organ function over the long term, as illustrated by the fact that even forcing a reduction in blood pressure, overriding regulatory mechanisms without addressing the underlying causes of the problem, can reduce mortality in old people. The excess visceral fat of obesity, on the other hand, can be argued to accelerate the aging process by generating excessive...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs