What is it about?
This research explores why people with higher IQs tend to live longer. While some think it's due to better lifestyle from higher social status, studies in identical twins suggest genes may play a key role. Research in fruit flies shows that intelligence and lifespan may both be linked to genes that keep DNA stable.
Featured Image
Photo by Kellen Barnes on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This research is important because it helps us understand a long-standing mystery: why people with higher intelligence tend to live longer. Many believed this was mainly due to social advantages, like better jobs or healthier lifestyles. But this study shows that genes—especially those that protect the stability of our DNA—may be a key reason. If we can uncover how these genes influence both brain function and aging, it could lead to breakthroughs in medicine. For example, we might develop new treatments that protect the brain or slow down aging. It also changes how we think about health, showing that intelligence and lifespan might be more biologically linked than we thought.
Perspectives
This study offers a new way of thinking about the link between intelligence and lifespan. Instead of seeing it only as a result of lifestyle or social factors, it suggests that our genes—especially those that keep our DNA stable—may play a big role. This shifts the focus toward biology and genetics when studying brain health and aging.
Seong-Tshool Hong
Jeonbuk National University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Genetic association of intelligence with longevity in Drosophila melanogaster, PLOS One, July 2025, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325154.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
