[ExI] Ashkenazi Longevity was Re: The Catholic Impact (was Re: Origin of ethics and morals)

[PJ Manney]

On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 3:59 PM, The Avantguardian
<avantguardian2020 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I didn't know you were Ashkenazi. Lucky you. One thing that *is* an Ashkenazi genetic trait is long life expectancies. The Ashkenazi weigh in with one of the highest rates of survival into the centenarian age category. I once met a researcher who claims that one of the reasons for this is that the lipid-micelles i.e. HDL and LDL cholelesterol particles in the blood of Ashkenazi patients are of larger diameter on average than in the overall population, and therefore more resistant to oxidation by free-radicals. He has found a genetic linkage to the I405V allele variant of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene. Here is a link to what I think is his work:
>
> http://www.cenegenicsfoundation.org/library/library_files/Unique_lipoprotein_phenotype_and_genotype_associated_with_exceptional_longevity.pdf

Sadly, not all Ashkenazim have two copies of the variant necessary.
According to 23 and Me, I only carry one copy, which they imply does
not confer the same extreme longevity, but perhaps moderate increases.
 I'll just have to take extra good care of myself...  ;-)

> Almost makes up for Tay-Sachs disease in the gene pool no? But more relevant to your previous discussion is the question can you think of any historical selective pressures for this trait to have evolved? For example do Ashkenazi women typically wait longer before having their first child relative to other ethnic groups?

I'm happy I'm not a Tay-Sachs carrier.  To be fair, historically the
odds are low: 1 in 30 are carriers.  Millions have been screened
through genetic testing since the 1970s.  All women of specific
religious/cultural/national descents are strongly urged by their
Ob-Gyns in the State of California to have a Tay-Sachs test.  In
Orthodox communities, everyone is checked in high school and some
potential marriages have been canceled based on the partners' carrier
status!  While I could check 'yes' to all the ethnic and national
high-risk groups (except French-Canadian, who carry a different
mutation), I do not carry the gene.  So my children will not have it
either and won't have to be worried.  Because of the all the screening
in the Jewish community, Tay-Sachs has been virtually eradicated --
there hasn't been a new case since 2003.  The only Tay-Sachs cases
that still pop up come from the French Canadian and Cajun communities.

However, the pressure on our gene pool to produce diseases like
Tay-Sachs and other lipid storage mutations seems to be from a founder
effect: random genetic drift from a larger population exacerbated by
inbreeding in a smaller population.  When you're always marrying your
local cousins, mutations are bound to happen.  But even with the
inbreeding, it's amazing how few diseases have really come about in
that population.  We just think Ashkenazim have more diseases, because
they're the most studied founder group in medical history and we're
looking for them.

PJ