--- title: "“Superager” Genes Can Shave a Decade Off Heart Age, Scientists Say" description: "The genes of people who live past 100 may help those of us who age less gracefully stay heart-healthy for longer thanks to some exciting new research. " date: "2023-01-29" modified: "2023-01-29" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/superagers-genes-heart-age" categories: - "Genetics" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "Aging" - "genetic mutations" - "genetics" - "heart health" --- # “Superager” Genes Can Shave a Decade Off Heart Age, Scientists Say ![The genes of people who live past 100 may help those of us who age less gracefully stay heart-healthy for longer thanks to some exciting new research. ]() *\Image: Getty Images\* The genes of people who live to be over the age of 100 could one day help others stay heart-healthy for longer, according to some exciting new research. A team of British and Italian researchers [has]()[ found]() that a specific mutated gene in so-called "superagers" who make it into their centenarian years could be used to help those with heart failure turn back the clock by ten years, as detailed in [a groundbreaking study]() published in the journal *Cardiovascular Research*. Building on the [discovery of the longevity-associated gene variant]() known as BPIFB4 in 2018, the researchers conducted experiments on human cells in test tubes and later on mice to see if the genes were still able to turn back the biological clock when introduced in a lab instead of being inherited. Incredibly, they found that its introduction to damaged cells can both halt and even reverse heart aging. "The cells of the elderly patients, in particular those that support the construction of new blood vessels, called 'pericytes', were found to be less performing and more aged," said Monica Cattaneo, a researcher at the MultiMedica Group in Italy and co-author, in a [press release](). "By adding the longevity gene/protein to the test tube, we observed a process of cardiac rejuvenation: the cardiac cells of elderly heart failure patients have resumed functioning properly, proving to be more efficient in building new blood vessels," Cattaneo added. The researchers also found that those same cells seemed to have reduced expression of BPIFB4 as well. In other words, people who tend to develop heart problems may actually be *missing* this key longevity protein. As University of Bristol professor and co-author Paolo Madedu notes, these findings suggest that introducing a protein to the cells of patients with heart problems may be an alternative to gene therapy, which, in spite of being a [promising branch of medical treatment](), still carries a number of associated risks, including the [potential of developing cancer](). "Our findings confirm the healthy mutant gene can reverse the decline of heart performance in older people," Madedu said in the press release. "We are now interested in determining if giving the protein instead of the gene can also work." Obviously, this kind of potential treatment will take many years to perfect — but regardless, this could be a huge win in the war against heart disease. **More on genetics:** [*Scientists Think Gregor Mendel Would Be "Happy" That They Dug Up His Body to Study His Genetics*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()