Supplementary data to this article can be found online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2014.01.014.

Furthermore, an interesting association was observed with MMSE levels (p = 0.005) in the whole sample for MT1A variability, which was found to be protective for cognitive functioning at the SNP level. Given that overexpression of the metallothionein gene (MT), a member of a large family of proteins with an anti-apoptotic effect, was shown to increase mouse lifespan (Swindell, 2011) and protect against obesity and diet-induced oxidative damage, we may argue that these genes deserve future attention for their relation to longevity and related phenotypes. Borderline effects on cognitive performance were observed for NOS3 variability in both the male (p = 0.052 with MMSE) and female sample (p = 0.023 with CCS), consistent with previous evidence indicating an association between the gene and mild cognitive impairment (Sol-Padulls et al., 2004). Considering the recent evidence of association between the genetic variability of NOS1 and NOS3 genes with depressive symptoms and disability in a population from Southern Italy, influencing quality of aging and longevity (Montesanto et al., 2013), the present results suggest that...

The authors declare no conflicts of interests that could influence the work.

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2011) under grant agreement no. 259679, the VELUX Foundation, and the National Institute on Aging (P01 AG08761).

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