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How frailty models can be used for evaluating longevity limits: Taking advantage of an interdisciplinary approach

  • Limits on Lifetimes
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Demography

Abstract

In this paper we discuss an approach to the analysis of mortality and longevity limits when survival data on related individuals with and without observed covariates are available. The approach combines the ideas of demography and survival analysis with methods of quantitative genetics and genetic epidemiology. It allows us to analyze the genetic structure of frailty in the Cox-type hazard model with random effects. We demonstrate the implementation of this strategy to survival data on Danish twins. We then evaluate the resulting lower bounds for biological limits of human longevity. Finally, we discuss the limitations of this approach and directions of further research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Demographic Studies, Duke University, Durham, USA

    Anatoli I. Yashin

  2. Medical School, CHS, Winslowparken 17,1, DK 5000, Odense C, Denmark

    Anatoli I. Yashin & Ivan A. Iachine

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  1. Anatoli I. Yashin
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  2. Ivan A. Iachine
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Correspondence to Anatoli I. Yashin.

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This research was supported by NIH/NIA Grant PO1 AG08791-01. We thank James W. Vaupel and Niels Holm for useful discussions and anonymous reviewers for valuable comments.

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Yashin, A.I., Iachine, I.A. How frailty models can be used for evaluating longevity limits: Taking advantage of an interdisciplinary approach. Demography 34, 31–48 (1997). https://doi.org/10.2307/2061658

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