Study Reveals Possible Explanation For Latinos’ Longevity.

has devised a measure of aging that reflects the activity level of the epigenome, the set of signals that prompts one’s genes to change their function across the life span as demands arise.” The Times says that a study from Horvath and his colleagues analyzed samples from 5,162 participants from a wide range of ethnic groups that had been gathered in a number of studies. The Times says that Horvath’s findings may explain why Latinos in the US have a longer average life spans than non-Latino whites “despite having higher rates of inflammation and such chronic diseases as obesity and diabetes.” Horvath found that, despite high rates of inflammation, the Native American groups from which many Latinos are descended “rarely show risk factors for heart disease or develop Type 2 diabetes as they age, and obesity, hypertension and unhealthy cholesterol are virtually nonexistent.” Horvath noted that Latinos’ slower aging rate cannot be explained by lifestyle factors such as diet, socioeconomic status, education or obesity, because researchers adjusted for such factors. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/latinos-tend-to-live-longer-than-non-latino-whites-why-is-that/2016/08/22/029545b8-6612-11e6-8b27-bb8ba39497a2_story.html