最新的研究认为，聪明的人活的更久，可能的原因是，与聪明相关的基因或许存在遗传上的“优越性”。相关研究发表在《International Journal of Epidemiology》上。作者们认为，更深层次的原因是可能是，社会经济地位可能会影响人的智商和健康。同时，聪明的人倾向于有着更好的生活习惯，这对健康也有着很大影响，或者说聪明和长寿之间存在着某些共性的遗传特性。

　　这个研究发现，从分析双胞胎的数据发现，聪明和长寿间存在着95%的相关性。他们搜集了三组双胞胎数据样本。这些双胞胎包括同卵双胞胎（基因完全相同），以及异卵双生（一半基因信息相同）。这三组数据分别来自美国国家科学院-国家研究委员会的第二次世界大战双胞胎登记数据库，瑞典双胞胎记录数据库，以及丹麦双胞胎记录数据库。这些数据库的数据包括与智商相关的指标以及寿命相关的信息。

　　在这项研究中，所有的数据都是同性别的双胞胎，而且双胞胎中一个已经死亡。针对这三个样本，他们使用了不同的遗传学分析方法，试图找到智商和寿命间存在的关联性。三个样本合成一整个数据的结果是，智商和寿命间存在95%的相关性，三个单独样本的分析结果分别是84%，86%和85%的相关性。这项研究认为，智商和寿命的正相关性主要是因为遗传或者说是基因。双胞胎中更聪明的那个在统计学上有更长的寿命，这个现象在异卵双胞胎中出现的概率比同卵双胞胎要高。

　　这项研究说明了，基因上存在的差别可能与智商和寿命存在正相关，而且这些关联性可能与每个人的遗传基因相关。然而，究竟是基因不同导致了智商高的人倾向于更长寿，还是说因为智商和长寿共同由一类的基因决定，还没有确切的证据。然而，必须要指出的是，更严谨的关于遗传特性影响着智商高导致长寿的研究，需要获得更加详细的双胞胎基因组数据，加上智商和寿命的数据，才可能会最终发现是哪些基因影响着寿命和智商的相关性，而且也有可能找出哪些突变影响了寿命或者智商本身。

　　doi: 10.1093/ije/dyv112

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　　The association betWeen intelligence and lifespan is mostly genetic

　　Background: Several studies in the new field of cognitive epidemiology have shown that higher intelligence predicts longer lifespan. This positive correlation might arise from socioeconomic status influencing both intelligence and health; intelligence leading to better health behaviours; and/or some shared genetic factors influencing both intelligence and health. Distinguishing among these hypotheses is crucial for medicine and public health, but can only be accomplished by studying a genetically informative sample.

　　Methods: We analysed data from three genetically informative samples containing information on intelligence and mortality: Sample 1, 377 pairs of male veterans from the NAS-NRC US World War II Twin Registry; Sample 2, 246 pairs of twins from the Swedish Twin Registry; and Sample 3, 784 pairs of twins from the Danish Twin Registry. The age at which intelligence was measured differed between the samples. We used three methods of genetic analysis to examine the relationship between intelligence and lifespan: we calculated the proportion of the more intelligent twins who outlived their co-twin; we regressed within-twin-pair lifespan differences on within-twin-pair intelligence differences; and we used the resulting regression coefficients to model the additive genetic covariance. We conducted a meta-analysis of the regression coefficients across the three samples.

　　Results: The combined (and all three individual samples) showed a small positive phenotypic correlation between intelligence and lifespan. In the combined sample observed r = .12 (95% confidence interval .06 to .18). The additive genetic covariance model supported a genetic relationship between intelligence and lifespan. In the combined sample the genetic contribution to the covariance was 95%; in the US study, 84%; in the Swedish study, 86%, and in the Danish study, 85%.

　　Conclusions: The finding of common genetic effects between lifespan and intelligence has important implications for public health, and for those interested in the genetics of intelligence, lifespan or inequalities in health outcomes including lifespan.