Longevity genes are no shield: Nutritionist urges five health habits after 50

Having a centenarian parent may offer some health advantages, but it does not make people immune to disease, nutritionist Hsueh Hsiao-ching said while discussing a 2026 study in JAMA Network Open.

The analysis combined three long-term studies: the US LonGenity project, the New England Centenarian Study and the UK Biobank. Together, they compared 4,030 children of people who lived to 100 with people whose parents had shorter lives.

The children of centenarians had an overall death risk about 42% lower than the comparison group. Their risks of cardiovascular disease and hypertension were about 33% and 32% lower, respectively. Hypertension appeared an average of 5.2 years later, while death occurred about 3.1 years later.

Hsueh cautioned that the findings did not show that centenarians’ children experience fewer of every disease. She urged people to begin preparing for healthy aging in middle age, especially after 50. Her recommendations included regularly checking blood pressure, reducing salty processed foods and eating vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans.

She also advised preserving muscle through adequate protein and calories, adding strength exercises such as squats, resistance-band work or weight training, and assessing more than body weight after the ages of 50 and 60. Blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, waist size, muscle strength, walking speed, sleep and the ability to manage daily activities should all be considered. The aim, she said, is not simply to remain alive, but to keep walking, eating, thinking, traveling and caring for oneself.