Study finds intelligence related to a longer lifespan

A longer lifespan is related to intelligence contributed by the genetic makeup, according to new research. Analyzing three twin studies, a research team found that the link between intelligence and a person's life expectancy is about 95 percent because of genetics, according to The Daily Mail. The study itself is the first to determine the relationship and was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - For the study, Rosalind Arden and her colleagues at the London School of Economics and Political Science observed and analyzed data from same-sex twins in three separate studies: 377 pairs of male WWII-veteran twins from the U.S., 246 pairs of twins from Sweden and 784 pairs of twins from Denmark, according to Metro UK.

Arden explained there has been intriguing questions as to why intelligent people tend to live longer than those relatively less intelligent, however, there were no studies completed prior to her team's research.

"Our research shows that the link between intelligence and longer life is mostly genetic. So, to the extent that being smarter plays a role in doing a top job, the association between top jobs and longer lifespans is more a result of genes than having a big desk," said Arden. The team recorded both the intelligence and age of death from each participant, considering that at least one from each pair passed away.

They found that the more intelligent twin lived longer, true for both fraternal and identical twins. However, they saw larger differences in the ages of deaths between the fraternal pairs, suggesting that the link was from the genetic makeup. However, Arden warns that the association between IQ and longevity of life is small.

"You can't, for example, deduce your child's likely lifespan from how he or she does in their exams this summer."

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