DNA test costing £150 could reveal life expectancy by examining genes

♦ A DNA test could predict whether a person has the genes for a long life. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh were able to identify the 10per cent of the population who could expect to live five years longer than those scoring in the bottom 10per cent.

Researchers said tests could become available for as little as £150, for those who wanted to know their genetic life chances. The study looked at genetic data from more than half a million people alongside records of their parents’ lifespan.

A scoring system was used to analyse the combined effect of genetic variations that influence lifespan.

Some 12 areas of the human genome were pinpointed as having a significant impact on lifespan, including five sites that had not been reported before.

The DNA sites with the greatest impact on overall lifespan were those that had previously been linked to fatal illnesses, including heart disease and smoking-related conditions.

The impact of genes linked to other cancers was not shown by the study.

Experts said this could be because susceptibility to death is either a result of rarer genetic differences, or social environmental factors.

The research, published in elife, the online journal, was funded by the UK Medical Research Council and the AXA Research Fund.