Longevity Genes Project

The main purpose of the Longevity Genes Project (LGP) is to identify and characterize factors, biological markers and mechanisms leading to exceptionally long life span in healthy Ashkenazi Jews.
The LPG study is divided into two phases: phase 1 intends to explain the longevity phenotype of this specific population (how Ashkenazi Jews escape or delay many age-related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, dementia and infections); whereas phase 2 (LonGenity) serves as a prospective validation cohort to confirm the findings from LGP.

Overview

Acronym
LGP
Investigators
Dr. Nir Barzilai
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Dr. Gil Atzmon
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Dr. Jill Crandall
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Dr. Yousin Suh
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Dr. Joe Verghese
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Dr. Sofiya Milman
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Contacts
Dr. Nir Barzilai
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Wanda Guzman
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

General Design

Study design
Case-control
Start - End Year
1998 -
General Information on Follow Up (profile, frequency)
Phase 1 participants were visited once by a member of the Einstein Institute for aging research and were not followed-up. Phase 2 participants were followed annually.
Recruitment Target
  • Families
Number of Participants
2,680
Supplementary information about number of participants
Most super agers were recruited as family units.

Access

Availability of data and biosamples

Possible Access to Data
Possible Access to Biosamples
Other

Marker Papers

Barzilai N, Atzmon G, Schechter C, Schaefer EJ, Cupples AL, Lipton R, Cheng S, Shuldiner AR. 2014. Unique lipoprotein phenotype and genotype associated with exceptional longevity. JAMA; 290(15):2030-40.

PUBMED 14559957

Timeline

Populations

LGP - Offspring of super agers
Members of the offspring group were of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and had at least one parent who lived to be 95 years or older.

Selection Criteria

Countries
  • United States of America
Ethnic Origin
  • Ashkenazi Jews
Other Criteria
Participants were excluded if they had a diagnosis of dementia, severe visual or hearing impairments.

Sources of Recruitment

Specific Population
  • Other specific population : Offspring of the super agers enrolled in the study.
Supplementary Information
LGP offspring of super agers were recruited between 1998-2007.

Sample Size

Number of Participants
700

Data Collection Events

# Name Data sources Data sources - Biosamples Start End
0 LGP - Offspring of Super Agers - 2006
  • Questionnaires
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
1998 2007
LGP - Offspring of those with typical survival
This control group is composed of the Ashkenazi spouses of the super agers' offspring and age-matched Ashkenazi Jews recruited from the Einstein Aging Study, neither of which are known to have a family history of exceptional longevity or to carry longevity genes or phenotypes.

Selection Criteria

Countries
  • United States of America
Territory
New York
Ethnic Origin
  • Ashkenazi Jews
Supplementary Information about selection criteria
Participants were excluded if they had a diagnosis of dementia, severe visual or hearing impairments as well as having a sibling already enrolled in the study.

Sources of Recruitment

Specific Population
  • Other specific population : Spouses of the Super Agers offspring already enrolled in the study.
Participants from Existing Studies
  • Einstein Aging Study
Supplementary Information
The spouses were recruited via the super agers' offspring. The other participants were recruited from the Einstein Aging Study.

Sample Size

Number of Participants
280

Data Collection Events

# Name Data sources Data sources - Biosamples Start End
0 LGP - Offspring of those with typical survival - 2006
  • Questionnaires
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
1998 2007
LGP - Super agers
The participants selected were Ashkenazi Jews, aged 95 years or older at the time of recruitment and who lived independently.

Selection Criteria

Minimum age
95
Countries
  • United States of America
Territory
New York area
Ethnic Origin
  • Ashkenazi Jews
Other Criteria
To be eligible, participants were required to be living independently at age 95, as a reflection of good health, although at the time of recruitment they could be at any level of dependency.

Sources of Recruitment

General Population
  • Volunteer enrolment
Participants from Existing Studies
  • Some participants were from LonGenity study when they turned 95.
Supplementary Information
Subjects were recruited by word of mouth and through advertisements in Jewish aging centers and homes. They were recruited from 1998 and are still being recruited.

Sample Size

Number of Participants
600

Data Collection Events

# Name Data sources Data sources - Biosamples Start End
0 LGP - Super Agers - 1998
  • Questionnaires
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
1998 2017
LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers
The participants were the offspring of parents with exceptional longevity (OPEL). Genetic findings from the super agers were validated with this cohort.

Selection Criteria

Minimum age
65
Countries
  • United States of America
Territory
New York
Ethnic Origin
  • Ashkenazi Jews
Supplementary Information about selection criteria
Exclusion criterion included diagnosis of dementia, severe visual or hearing impairments as well as having a sibling already enrolled in the study.

Sources of Recruitment

Specific Population
  • Other specific population : Ashkenazi Jews (your family was originally from Eastern Europe: Germany, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, etc.)
Participants from Existing Studies
  • Longevity Genes Project
  • Einstein Aging study
Supplementary Information
Participants were recruited from 2008 and are still being recruited. They were recruited using public records such as voter registration lists, contacts at synagogues, community organizations, and advertisements in Jewish newspapers. Some offspring from LGP are included, although this is a minority of subjects.

Sample Size

Number of Participants
530

Data Collection Events

# Name Data sources Data sources - Biosamples Start End
0 LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers - Assessment 1
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2008 2017
1 LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers - Assessment 2
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
2009 2017
2 LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers - Assessment 3
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2010 2017
3 LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers - Assessment 4
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
2011 2017
4 LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers - Assessment 5
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2012 2017
5 LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers - Assessment 6
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
2013 2017
6 LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers - Assessment 7
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2014 2017
7 LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers - Assessment 8
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
2015 2017
8 LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers - Assessment 9
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2016 2017
9 LGP - LonGenity offspring of super agers - Assessment 10
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
2017 2017
LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival
Participants were the offspring of parents with usual survival (OPUS). They were the control group in the LonGenity study.

Selection Criteria

Minimum age
65
Countries
  • United States of America
Territory
New York
Ethnic Origin
  • Ashkenazi Jews
Supplementary Information about selection criteria
Exclusion criterion included diagnosis of dementia, severe visual or hearing impairments as well as having a sibling already enrolled in the study.

Sources of Recruitment

Specific Population
  • Other specific population : Other specific population Ashkenazi Jews (your family was originally from Eastern Europe: Germany, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, etc.)
Participants from Existing Studies
  • Einstein Aging Study
Supplementary Information
Participants were recruited from 2008 and are still being recruited. They were recruited using public records such as voter registration lists, contacts at synagogues, community organizations, and advertisements in Jewish newspapers.Some offspring from LGP are included, although this is a minority of subjects.

Sample Size

Number of Participants
570

Data Collection Events

# Name Data sources Data sources - Biosamples Start End
0 LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival - Assessment 1
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2008 2017
1 LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival - Assessment 2
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
2009 2017
2 LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival - Assessment 3
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2010 2017
3 LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival - Assessment 4
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
2011 2017
4 LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival - Assessment 5
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2012 2017
5 LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival - Assessment 6
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
2013 2017
6 LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival - Assessment 7
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2014 2017
7 LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival - Assessment 8
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
2015 2017
8 LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival - Assessment 9
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2016 2017
9 LGP - LonGenity offspring of those with typical survival - Assessment 10
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
2017 2017

Participating Studies

Acronym Name Study design Countries

Harmonization Initiatives Included

Acronym Name

Datasets

Name Data Collection Events Variables

Areas of Information Collected

Socio-demographic and economic characteristics
Death
Lifestyle and behaviours
Physical measures and assessments
Birth, pregnancy and reproductive health history
Laboratory measures
Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations
Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments
Diseases
Life events, life plans, beliefs and values
Symptoms and signs
Preschool, school and work life
Medication and supplements
Social environment and relationships
Non-pharmacological interventions
Physical environment
Health and community care services utilization
Administrative information

Variables Content Summary

Areas of Information Collected
No Areas of Information Collected
No Scales Collected
Areas of Information Collected per per Population and Data Collection Event
No Areas of Information Collected
No Scales Collected

Networks

Acronym Name Harmonization Initiatives Individual Studies
Last Update: 2023-05-03T11:13:55.607