A gene linked to IQ may also increase the chances of living to a ripe old age

Scientists found that people with the gene were not only brighter, but also more likely to live past the age of 85. The gene produces an enzyme, or biological catalyst, that "detoxifies" the brain by removing excess acid and destructive molecules called free-radicals. It also acts against a natural biochemical that dampens brain activity and causes drowsiness. The gene comes in two common forms - a "C" version and a "T" type that is 20% less efficient. Genes are normally in pairs. Previous research has shown that young people with two copies of the T gene perform less well in IQ tests than those with C genes. Because of what it does in the brain, scientists suspected that the gene might also affect aging.To investigate this, Italian researchers from the University of Calabria looked at the genes carried by 514 volunteers aged between 18 and 107. They also carried out a standard IQ test on 115 members of the group aged 65 to 85. As expected, those with two copies of the T gene performed significantly worse in the tests. The scientists then looked into the survival prospects of the participants. They found that people carrying two T genes were unlikely to live past the age of 85. Those with at least one C copy, on the other hand, had a chance of seeing their 100th birthday. Study leader Giuseppe Passarino stressed that even though having two T genes might make a person decline faster in old age, it was not an early death sentence.