Giulia Accardi, Stefano Aprile, Giuseppina Candore, Calogero Caruso*, Rosanna Cusimano, Laura Cristaldi, Danilo Di Bona, Giovanni Duro, Damiano Galimberti, Caterina Maria Gambino, Mattia Emanuela Ligotti, Walter Mazzucco, Sonya Vasto and Anna Aiello Pages 228 - 235 ( 8 )
Background: It is well known that long living individuals are a model of successful ageing and that the identification of both genetic variants and environmental factors that predispose to a long and healthy life is of tremendous interest for translational medicine.
Methods: We present the preliminary findings obtained from an ongoing study on longevity conducted on a sample of Sicilian long-lived individuals.
Results: We review the characteristics of longevity in Sicily, taking into account lifestyle, environment, genetics, hematochemical values, body composition and immunophenotype. In addition, we discuss the possible implications of our data for the prevention and/or treatment of age-related diseases.
Conclusion: As widely discussed in this review, the explanation of the role of genetics and lifestyle in longevity can provide important information on how to develop drugs and/or behaviours that can slow down or delay ageing. Thus, it will be possible to understand, through a “positive biology” approach, how to prevent and/or reduce elderly frailty and disability.
Age-related diseases, body composition, genetics, immunosenescence, longevity, Sicily.
Section of General Pathology, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Technologies, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, Palermo 90134, Section of General Pathology, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Technologies, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, Palermo 90134, Section of General Pathology, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Technologies, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, Palermo 90134, Section of General Pathology, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Technologies, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, Palermo 90134, Local Health Unit 6, via Giacomo Cusmano, 24, 90141 Palermo, Section of General Pathology, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Technologies, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, Palermo 90134, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology , Italian Association of Anti-Ageing Physicians, Via Monte Cristallo, 1, 20159 Milano, Section of General Pathology, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Technologies, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, Palermo 90134, Section of General Pathology, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Technologies, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, Palermo 90134, Department of Science for Health Promotion and Mother to Child Care , Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology , Section of General Pathology, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Technologies, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, Palermo 90134