Does the longevity of one or both parents influence the health status of their offspring?

According to the findings of some recent studies, the centenarians' offspring appear to represent a promising model for research on longevity and healthy aging. This study compares the health status and the functional status of three groups of subjects: 1. individuals with two long-lived parents (one of whom centenarian), 2. individuals with only one long-lived (centenarian) parent, and 3. individuals with no long-lived parents. The goal is to verify whether the centenarians' offspring display any advantage over the offspring of both non-long-lived parents and to evaluate whether the longevity of the non-centenarian parent provides a further advantage. A total of 374 subjects (mean age approximately 70 years) was examined. A threshold for longevity was established for non-centenarian parents through demographic data available for Italy (males surviving to at least 81 years of age and females to 87 years). The participants were assessed for their health and functional status by means of a standardized questionnaire and tests of physical performance. Data were analyzed using multivariate regression models adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors for age-related pathologies. The results of the study show that centenarians' offspring have a better functional status, a reduced risk for several age-related pathologies and reduced drug consumption than the offspring of non-long-lived parents. In addition, the health status of centenarians' offspring does not appear to be influenced by the longevity of the second parent. It therefore seems possible to conclude that at ages around 70 years the genetic contribution to health status deriving from having one centenarian parent is not substantially improved if the other parent is also long-lived.

Isolation and marriage patterns in four South Tyrolean villages (Italy) during the nineteenth century.

No information is currently available on the marriage patterns of German-speaking communities of the South Tyrol area. The aim of this study is to investigate the reproductive isolation of four South Tyrolean mountain villages during the 19th century. Data about 3953 marriages were drawn from existing pedigrees and completed with data from the parish registers of the studied villages to calculate the following indicators: age at marriage, endogamy, inbreeding from dispensations and from isonymy and repeated pairs of surnames among couples. The results show high levels of endogamy (78-87%) and an elevated age at marriage in all the studied villages. The percentages of consanguineous marriages (10-33%) vary considerably but result overall in relatively low inbreeding values (alpha 0.0015-0.0036; Ft 0.0098-0.0138). Levels of endogamy are consistent with the geographic characteristics of the area, while inbreeding values are lower than those observed in previous studies on Alpine communities. This is due to a low frequency of marriages between close relatives, probably related to the peculiar demographic and cultural characteristics of the studied populations that differentiate them from neighbouring Italian-speaking villages.

Marriage behaviour in the Alpine Non Valley from 1825 to 1923.

BACKGROUND: The study is part of a research project on the marital structure of mountain populations from the Eastern Italian Alps. Little is known about marriage patterns in this Alpine area. AIM: The aim of the study is to evaluate the extent of reproductive isolation in some communities of the Non Valley (Trentino, Italy) and to investigate its microgeographic and temporal changes over the period 1825-1923. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 4518 microfilmed marriage records from registers of seven parishes of the Non Valley were used to analyse the following: endogamy rate, inbreeding calculated both from dispensations and from isonymy, repeating pairs of surnames in marriages, isonymic relationships. RESULTS: The results show notable variability among parishes in the levels of endogamy (40-73%), inbreeding (alpha: 1.9-4.57; Ft: 0.0073-0.019) and subdivision (RPr/RP: 0.5-1.3). The values are relatively stable over the course of a century, apart from a rise in inbreeding indicated by dispensations and a slight decrease of endogamy at the beginning of the 20th century. Isonymic relationships reflect geographic proximity between populations, with minimum changes through time. CONCLUSIONS: Variations in the level of reproductive isolation within the Non Valley are consistent with the different geographic characteristics and population sizes of the settlements. Comparison with data obtained from previous studies in the Eastern Italian Alps shows that the values of the investigated biodemographic indicators are in line with the geography and altitude of the area. The slight differences in temporal trend of endogamy and inbreeding can be correlated with different migration patterns.

Do men and women follow different trajectories to reach extreme longevity? Italian Multicenter Study on Centenarians (IMUSCE).

Gender accounts for important differences in the incidence and prevalence of a variety of age-related diseases. Considering people of far advanced age, demographic data document a clear-cut prevalence of females compared to males, suggesting that sex-specific mortality rates follow different trajectories during aging. In the present investigation, we report data from a nationwide study on Italian centenarians (a total of 1162 subjects), and from two studies on centenarians living in two distinct zones of Italy, i.e., the island of Sardinia (a total of 222 subjects) and the Mantova province (Northern Italy) (a total of 43 subjects). The female/male ratio was about 2:1 in Sardinia, 4:1 in the whole of Italy, and about 7:1 in the Mantova province. Thus, a complex interaction of environmental, historical and genetic factors, differently characterizing the various parts of Italy, likely plays an important role in determining the gender-specific probability of achieving longevity. Gender differences in the health status of centenarians are also reported, and an innovative score method to classify long-lived people in different health categories, according to clinical and functional parameters, is proposed. Our data indicate that not only is this selected group of people, as a whole, highly heterogeneous, but also that a marked gender difference exists, since male centenarians are less heterogeneous and more healthy than female centenarians. Immunological factors regarding the age-related increase in pro-inflammatory status, and the frequency of HLA ancestral haplotypes also show gender differences that likely contribute to the different strategies that men and women seem to follow to achieve longevity. Concerning the different impact of genetic factors on the probability of reaching the extreme limits of the human life-span, emerging evidence (regarding mtDNA haplogroups, Thyrosine Hydroxilase, and IL-6 genes) suggests that female longevity is less dependent on genetics than male longevity, and that female centenarians likely exploited a healthier life-style and more favorable environmental conditions, owing to gender-specific cultural and anthropological characteristics of the Italian society in the last 100 years.

Patterns of gene flow inferred from genetic distances in the Mediterranean region.

The analysis of population structure may lead to inferences about demographic phenomena. In particular, regions of sharp genetic differentiation suggest the existence of factors that impaired gene flow and increased the evolutionary role of genetic drift. Here, we present an analysis of a data set of 10 allele frequencies in 39 populations of the Mediterranean region. As a preliminary step, we describe spatial patterns of allele frequencies using spatial autocorrelation analysis. We then construct a network connecting localities and estimate genetic distances along the edges of the network. By applying specific algorithms, we locate on the map the areas of sharpest genetic differentiation, or genetic boundaries. The main boundaries separate the northern and the southern coasts, especially in their western portions; in addition, several localities appear genetically isolated. The comparatively high genetic differentiation across the western Mediterranean, where the sea distances between localities are shorter, strongly suggests that the sea distance by itself can hardly be regarded as a major isolating factor among these populations. On the contrary, the decrease in genetic resemblance between populations of the 2 coasts as one proceeds westward may reflect an increased genetic exchange in the eastern Mediterranean basin or independent human dispersal along the 2 coasts or both.

Monthly distribution of menarche in three provinces of north Italy.

Data on recalled month of menarche and month of birth have been collected in a sample of 1505 secondary-school students resident in three provinces of North Italy, to examine the monthly distribution of menarche and the relationship between season of birth, season of menarche and age at menarche. Menarche occurrence showed peaks of frequency in January and July-September, and troughs in October-November and February-May. This pattern was consistent with those reported in other Italian areas. Cases of coincidence between month of menarche and month of birth were significantly more frequent than expected at random. Mean age at menarche varied significantly according to the season at which menarche occurred, and a different pattern in the monthly distribution of menarche has been shown in early- and late-maturing girls. The distribution pattern of menarche occurrence observed in North Italy appears to be related to the rhythm of schoolwork activity. The possible influence of psychosocial stress on the trends in evidence is discussed.

[The method of repeated pairs of surnames in marriages in analyzing the extent of subdivisions in populations]. / Il metodo delle coppie ripetute nell'analisi del grado di suddivisione di popolazioni.

PIP: The authors describe a method whereby studying the frequency of repeated pairs of surnames in married couples can be used to measure the extent of genetic subgroups in a population. They illustrate the application of this method using data on geographically and/or ethnically isolated minority populations in Italy and San Marino from the eighteenth century to the 1990s.^ieng

Trend in menarcheal age and socioeconomic influence in Bologna (northern Italy).

Temporal variations in menarcheal age in the Bologna province (northern Italy) were investigated in a sample of 2930 women born between 1930 and 1973, examined by retrospective method. A decrease in mean menarcheal age between birth decades 1930-39 and 1950-59 was noticed. The trend was more intense in lower social classes living in extra-urban environments. This led to a disappearance in menarcheal age differences between city and province and between socioprofessional categories. From birth decade 1950-59 onwards an increase in menarcheal age is registered, and an influence of physical activity and family structure on the age of menstrual cycle onset is observed. Our results suggest that the secular trend towards earlier age at menarche has stopped in the Bologna area. We hypothesize that the recent delay in puberty could be a response to an increase in physical and psychosocial stress.

Skinfolds and body composition of sports participants.

Body composition of 1815 North-Italian young sports participants in relation to sex, age, sport and level of performance was investigated. About thickness and anatomical distribution of subcutaneous fat females showed skinfolds thicker than males. Significant differences were observed in skinfold thicknesses means of different sport-groups. Subscapular and forearm skinfolds were the best discriminant variables for males and females respectively. Body density was estimated according to Katch and McArdle (1973) and Durnin and Womersley (1974) equations. Males showed higher body density and lower fat percentage values than females. The lowest value of body density and the highest fat percentage were in male martial art competitors and in females practising skating and athletics. The highest values of body density and the lowest of fat percentage were in males practising athletics and rowing and in female martial art competitors. Highest and lowest values of fat-free mass were in games players and in soccer players and gymnasts respectively. "High aptitude" subjects showed higher fat-free mass values than "middle aptitude" group, besides a tendency towards higher body density values and lower fat percentage than "middle aptitude" group. With aging body density decreased whereas fat percentage and fat-free mass increased.

Biological age in Italian adults: influence of social and behavioural factors.

This study investigated changes with age in biological characters in a sample of 571 Italian males aged between 25 and 64 years. The influence of environmental factors on inter-individual variation in physical efficiency was examined by biological age determination. Data on somatometric, physiometric, haematological variables, personal background and lifestyle, were collected. Principal-component analysis was used to study the patterns of relationship in these characters. Over 45% of the total variance is explained by the ageing process, but the secular trend also affects the variation of height and of height-related characters. Changes with age were investigated clustering the sample in eight 5-year classes: results are in agreement with previous findings in Western populations. Ten selected variables were transformed into biological age scores reflecting a man's status relative to his chronological age peers (Borkan and Norris 1980a). Biological age scores of subsamples characterized by different social and behavioural situations were compared. Occupation, educational level and physical activity seem to have the greatest influence on biological age status. The intensity or duration of some habits can induce a clear trend in biological age scores. Results suggest that the environmental influence could be related to the interindividual differences in physical efficiency and to the increase in variability with age observed for some characters.