For the first time, scientists at the University of Edinburgh have established a direct genetic link between intelligence in childhood and lifespan. An analysis of the DNA of 12,441 children and age-at-death data from nearly 400,000 participants made it possible to identify a statistically significant genetic correlation — a coefficient of 0.35. This means that some genes appear to influence both intelligence and the body's long-term health.
It is important to note that the researchers specifically excluded the influence of age-related diseases and "reverse causality" — when poor health in old age reduces cognitive abilities. The analysis was based exclusively on childhood data, before any possible onset of illness.
Although the exact genes responsible for this dual effect still have to be identified, the finding already broadens our understanding of how genes shape not only intellectual abilities but also the biological basis for a long life. We hope that in the future doctors and educators will be able to use this knowledge to plan a child's individual development — and health — more precisely over decades.
