Do genetics or lifestyle choices have the greatest impact on people's health?
The Older Australian Twins Study (OATS) has involved 623 twins, triplets and siblings aged 65 and older, including 220 people from Victoria.
CHeBA researchers say since the study begin in 2007 they have used the data to make a number of important findings, which point to a combination of genetic and environmental causes of age-related disease. Chief investigator Professor Perminder Sachdev said they have found strong "genetic influences" on whether someone would develop small vessel disease in the brain, a condition which has been linked to dementia, depression and cognitive decline.
In many cases, it is not possible to separate the environmental and genetic causes of age-related disease as small genetic dispositions could be triggered by environmental factors such as smoking and obesity.
The study has also resulted in some unexpected personal findings, due to volunteers undergoing rigorous medical testing, including MRI scans, DNA extraction and psychiatric assessments.
