Jul 20, 2020 15:00:00

Research results that 'iron concentration in blood' affects human life span

There are many studies on factors that affect the lifespan of people, and it is known that things such as '

differences in sleep time depending on personality ' and ' whether or not you have the purpose of life ' affect the lifespan of people. .. A new study conducted by a research team such as the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom revealed that 'iron concentration in blood' may affect human lifespan.

Multivariate genomic scan implicates novel loci and haem metabolism in human ageing | Nature Communications
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17312-3

Blood iron levels could be key to slowing ageing | The University of Edinburgh
https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2020/blood-iron-levels-could-be-key-to-slowing-ageing

Study of Over 1 Million People Finds Intriguing Link Between Iron Levels And Lifespan
https://www.sciencealert.com/a-study-of-1m-people-finds-a-strange-link-between-iron-levels-and-long-life

To investigate the relationship between genetic information and longevity, the research team spent three years on the genetic information of more than 1 million people and the 'lifespan' associated with biological aging and 'sickness free'. The analysis focused on 'healthy lifespan' and 'tendencies of very long-lived people'.

As a result of the analysis, the research team found that 10 genomic regions were associated with longevity. In addition, it was also found that these areas were involved in 'metabolism of iron in the body', the research team pointed out that 'too high iron concentration in blood increases the risk of premature death'. I am.

Paul Timmers , the lead author of the paper, said, 'This finding shows that high levels of iron in the blood reduce our healthy lifespan and reduce blood iron levels to prevent age-related damage. We are very excited because it strongly suggests that we can: Our findings on iron metabolism suggest that eating red meat with high levels of iron is associated with aging, such as heart disease. I'm guessing it might explain the reason for being'related to the condition.''

Although the correlation does not necessarily mean a causal relationship, the research team is also trying to infer the causal relationship from the observed correlation by using a statistical method called ' Mendel randomization '. As a result, it was suggested that there was a causal relationship that 'iron concentration in blood affects lifespan'.

This time, five of the ten genomic regions that the team identified as associated with longevity were not previously highlighted as important at the genome-wide level. On the other hand, some genes such as apolipoprotein E (APOE) and FOXO3 have long been pointed out to be important for the human aging process and health.

In addition, blood iron levels are associated with age-related diseases such as Parkinson's disease and liver disease and changes in immune function, and the results of this study are consistent with previous findings. 'It's clear that we have some understanding of the human aging process in the context of age-related diseases and the well-known aging loci, APOE and FOXO3,' said the research team.

This study suggests that excessive iron accumulation in blood and inadequate iron control may be associated with human and healthy life expectancy. Research on the relationship between iron metabolism and longevity is still in its early stages, but it is said that the development of 'drugs that lower the iron concentration in the blood and prolong the potential longevity' is in the future.

'Our ultimate goal is to discover how aging is controlled and find ways to improve health during aging. Lifespan, healthy lifespan, and longevity,' said Joris Deelen , a research team member. All 10 genomic regions that were found to be associated with are promising candidates for further research.'