lipoprotein concentrations in the three age groups are shown in Table 1. The median plasma levels of total and LDL-cholesterol were significantly higher in middle-aged adults than in young adults and nonagenarians. However, there was no significant difference in median plasma Lp(a) levels between the three age groups.

The allele frequencies of apo E and apo B polymorphisms in the three age groups are presented in Table 2 and Figure 2. The frequency of the ~4 allele of apo E was significantly lower in nonagenarians than in middle-aged and young adults. Similarly, the frequency of the EcoRI allele R- of apo B was lower in nonagenarians than in younger control groups. However, there was no significant difference in the frequency of the XbaI polymorphism of apo B and plasma Lp(a) concentrations between the nonagenarians and younger groups.

In conclusion, our findings suggest that the presence of potential genetic risk factors for CHD, namely the ~4 allele of apo E and the R- allele of apo B, decreases the probability of an individual reaching extreme old age. These results highlight the importance of genetic factors in determining an individual's susceptibility to CHD and longevity. However, further studies are needed to confirm these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.Levels of lipoproteins in different age groups are presented in Table 2. Total and LDL cholesterol levels were higher in the EcoRI genotype distribution and allele frequency in the various age groups. The EcoRI genotype R+/R+ was present in 69 individuals, R-k/R- in 27 individuals, and R-IR- in 6 individuals, with EcoRI allele frequency of 0.809 and 0.191, respectively, among young adults (n=102). Among middle-aged adults (n=86), R+/R+ was present in 43 individuals, R-k/R- in 37 individuals, and R-IR- in 6 individuals, with EcoRI allele frequency of 0.715 and 0.285, respectively. Among nonagenarians (n=89), R+/R+ was present in 67 individuals, R-k/R- in 18 individuals, and R-IR- in 4 individuals, with EcoRI allele frequency of 0.854 and 0.146*, respectively (*P<0.05 for the difference of the distribution from that of the younger age categories). Xbal genotype distribution and allele frequency did not differ between the nonagenarians and the control groups (Table 5). The prevalence of the ~4 allele of apo E was lower in nonagenarians than in both control groups (the middle-aged and young adult groups), especially among female nonagenarians compared to female subjects (n=104) of both control groups (x2=5.0, P<0.05). The genotype distribution and the allele frequencies for the X&I polymorphism did not differ between nonagenarians and control groups (Table 5). The distribution of the apo E phenotype categories was different between age groups; the E4 category had a higher prevalence among young adults (33.1%) and middle-aged adults (37.5%) compared to nonagenarians (19.0%). In contrast, the E2 category had a lower prevalence among young adults (8.9%), middle-aged adults (5.9%), and nonagenarians (11.6%). Nonagenarians had a low prevalence of the ~4 allele of apo E, which suggests that it increases the susceptibility to CHD death and prevents the attainment of an extremely old age. The presence of the e4 allele of apo E or the R allele of apo B decreases the probability of an individual reaching an extremely old age, although the reasons for increased mortality other than CHD cannot be excluded. The similarity in Lp(a) levels among various age groups suggests that high Lp(a) levels may not be a strong factor associated with longevity in Finland. There were no differences observed in the XbaI polymorphism of apo B gene between the various age groups, but the R- allele of the EcoRI polymorphism of apo B gene was less prevalent in nonagenarians than in younger age groups, suggesting that it may be a risk factor for CHD.BNA: Evidence for more than one gene per haploid genome, Atherosclerosis, (year not provided) Davignon, J., Bouthillier, D., Nestruck, A.C., and Sing, CF. Apolipoprotein E polymorphism and atherosclerosis: insights from a study in octogenarians. Trans. Am. Clin. Climatol. Assoc., (year not provided). 

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