The brainier you are the longer you are likely to live, human genetics researchers at the University of Calabria claimed on Wednesday.
According to the new study, a gene that has previously been linked to higher intellectual power also seems to be connected to longevity.
The so-called SSADH gene comes in two varieties: SSADH-C, which is often found in people with a higher IQ, and SSADH-T, often found in less intelligent people.
Both types of the gene produce an enzyme important for brain functionality that keeps it ''clean'' from toxic compounds, according to the report.
But the enzyme produced by SSADH-T works at only 82.5% the efficiency of the enzyme produced by SSADH-C, resulting in different intelligence levels.
Italian researchers examined the genetic make-up of 514 people from Southern Italy between the ages of 18 and 107 and tested the cognitive function of those between the ages of 65 and 85 during the study, which confirmed previous research on the SSADH gene.
However, during the course of the research the geneticists noted that the SSADH-C gene was more prevalent in the long-lived people in their sample.
The researchers concluded that people who have at least one copy of the SSADH-C gene can live to 100.
People with two copies of SSADH-T in their genetic make-up will have difficulty making it past their 85th birthday, according to the report.
