Marker check · 5 questions
Family history
Twin studies put lifespan heritability around 20–25%, and having parents or grandparents who lived past 90 meaningfully raises your own odds. You can’t change this marker — it’s here to calibrate the estimate, and because a strong family history of specific diseases should sharpen your screening habits (see Preventive care).
The research
- Herskind et al., Hum Genet 1996 — lifespan heritability ~25% (Danish twins)
- van den Berg et al., Nat Commun 2019 — top-10% longest-lived ancestry effect
- Lloyd-Jones et al., JAMA 2004 — parental premature CVD doubles risk
1. Did your grandparents / older relatives live long lives?
Not answered2. Any strong family history of cancer or dementia?
Not answered3. Any parents or siblings with type 2 diabetes?
Not answered4. Any close family with a stroke before ~65?
Not answered5. Any close family with early heart disease (before ~60)?
Not answered