Older dads linked to grandkid health, study hints

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_OLDER_DADS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-06-11-15-01-21

NEW YORK (AP) -- Finally, some good news for older dads. A new study hints that their children and even their grandchildren may get a health benefit because of their older age.

It's based on research into something called telomeres - tips on the ends of chromosomes.

Some previous studies have associated having longer telomeres (TEE-loh-meers) with better health and longer lives. Telomeres haven't been proven to cause those benefits in the general population, but a number of researchers think they may hold secrets for things like longevity and cancer.

As you age, telomeres shorten. However, previous studies have shown that the older a man is when he becomes a father, the longer the telomeres his children tend to have. The new research confirms that and finds it's extended to the grandchildren.

[HuckleB]

1. Interesting line of research.

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