The genetics of exceptional longevity: Insights from centenarians

• This review updates our knowledge of genetic factors affecting the EL phenotype.
• The 20 most widely investigated SNPs identified in EL are provided in the present review.
• The study of the genetic basis of longevity and healthy aging in exceptionally long lived individuals is starting to provide important biological insights.

As the world population ages, so the prevalence increases of individuals aged 100 years or more, known as centenarians. Reaching this age has been described as exceptional longevity (EL) and is attributed to both genetic and environmental factors. Many genetic variations known to affect life expectancy exist in centenarians. This review of studies conducted on centenarians and supercentenarians (older than 110 years) updates knowledge of the impacts on longevity of the twenty most widely investigated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).