Genes influence human lifespan far more than thought, new study suggests

For researchers studying aging — and thinking about how to extend our lives — a key question has been how much our genes shape our lifespans.

Past studies have arrived at a range of answers. Many researchers had coalesced around an estimate that roughly 20% to 25% of our lifespan was heritable, though a 2018 paper from researchers at Alphabet’s longevity arm Calico Life Sciences put it below 10%.