New Report: Latinos Age at Slower Rates

Share On Social!

A new study published in Genome Biology found that despite significant health disparities, Latinos age at a slower rate than individuals of other ethnicities. Researchers used 18 sets of data from DNA samples of nearly 6,000 people that representing seven different ethnicities, including two African groups, African-Americans, Caucasians, East Asians, Latinos and an indigenous people genetically related to Latinos called the Tsimane.

“Latinos live longer than Caucasians, despite experiencing higher rates of diabetes and other diseases,” Steve Horvath, lead author and professor of human genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, said in a news release. “Our study helps explain this by demonstrating that Latinos age more slowly at the molecular level.”

Researches noticed that the blood of Latinos and the indigenous group aged more slowly than the others. The study’s results offer an explanation for why Latinos in the U.S. live an average of three years longer than Caucasians.

In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect with others, and get involved.

“We suspect that Latinos’ slower aging rate helps neutralize their higher health risks, particularly those related to obesity and inflammation,” Horvath said. “Our findings strongly suggest that genetic or environmental factors linked to ethnicity may influence how quickly a person ages and how long they live.”

The study also revealed that the Tsimanes aged even more slowly than Latinos, which researchers said reflects the group’s minimal signs of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity or clogged arteries.

“Despite frequent infections, the Tsimane people show every little evidence of the chronic [diseases] that commonly afflict modern society,” Michael Gurven, study coauthor and a professor of anthropology at University of California, Santa Barbara, said in the news release. “Our findings provide an interesting molecular explanation for their robust health.”