More favorable midlife cardiovascular risk factor levels in male twins and mortality after 25 years of follow-up is related to longevity of their parents.

Background: Genetic studies of life span in humans have used broad survival measures, most commonly longevity, which is moderately correlated between parents and offspring. We examined whether genetic cardiovascular disease risk factors in male twin offspring are related to longevity of their parents in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute twin study.

Methods: Cholesterol levels, body mass index, blood pressures, and pulmonary function measured over the first three examinations (average subject age 48, 58, and 63 years, respectively) were compared with the twins' paternal, maternal, and parental mean longevity divided into upper versus lower quintiles.