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Genetic and environmental influences on functional age: a twin study
D Finkel1, K Whitfield, M McGue
1Division of Social Sciences, Indiana University Southeast, USA.
Summary
Genetic and environmental factors influence functional aging differently across various components. These influences vary in their impact on physiological measures, cognitive abilities, and processing speed in adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Behavioral Genetics
- Psychology
Background:
- Understanding the interplay of genetic and environmental factors is crucial for comprehending functional aging.
- The Minnesota Twin Study of Adult Development and Aging (MTSADA) provides a unique dataset for examining these influences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to functional aging.
- To identify key predictors of functional aging and their underlying components.
Main Methods:
- Twin analyses utilizing data from 140 monozygotic and 97 dizygotic twin pairs (ages 27-88).
- Functional age was modeled using regression, with stepwise regression identifying predictive variables.
- Factor analysis was employed to group predictive variables into components: physiological, cognitive, and processing speed.
Main Results:
- Three factors (physiological measures, cognitive abilities, processing speed) explained 66% of the variance in chronological age.
- The influence of genetic and environmental factors on functional aging components varied significantly.
- Genetic and shared environmental influences were common across components, while non-shared environmental influences were component-specific.
Conclusions:
- Functional aging is influenced by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, with varying contributions across different domains.
- The study highlights the distinct roles of shared and non-shared environmental factors in shaping specific aspects of functional aging.