Ecuadorian dwarfs have super hearts, live longer and don't get cancer

There are a few hundred worldwide, no more than 400-500. Carriers of a rare genetic mutation which causes a disease associated with a form of dwarfism (Laron syndrome or Ghrd, growth hormone receptor deficiency), but also confers advantages: first of all super longevity (mice with the same mutation live 40% longer) and then a very low risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes, despite a higher rate of obesity, as well as healthier brains and better performance in cognitive and memory tests. Well, the latest discovery is that this mutation – first identified in a group of Ecuadorians whose ancestors had fled Spain during the Inquisition over 3 centuries ago – also appears to protect the heart. The study is published in 'Med' and bears the signature of the father of the fasting-mimicking diet Valter Longo, an Italian scientist who teaches gerontology in the USA at the University of Southern California, and of the endocrinologist Jaime Guevara-Aguirre of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito , Ecuador.

I study

For 2 decades Longo, Guevara-Aguirre and their teams have investigated health conditions and Aging processes of people with Ghrd. Discovering that the mutation that characterizes them reduces the body's ability to use growth hormone, but represents a kind of 'shield' against various age-related pathologies. Until now, however, the risk of cardiovascular disease in Laron syndrome remained unclear. Indeed, the idea was that in humans this mutation of longevity could increase the dangers for the heart and vessels. But no.

The researchers examined cardiovascular function, organ damage and risk factors in GHRD patients and their relatives. The evaluations took place in two phases in Los Angeles and Ecuador, involving a total of 51 people of which 24 with diagnosed Laron syndrome and 27 family members without syndrome (controls). It turned out that “the Ghrd subjects – the authors report – had lower blood sugar levels, insulin resistance and blood pressure compared to the control group. They also had smaller hearts and less thick carotid arteries”. Furthermore, “despite high levels of 'bad' LDL cholesterol, they showed a lower tendency to develop atherosclerotic plaques of the carotid artery (7% vs 36%)”.

“These findings suggest that individuals with Ghrd have normal or improved levels of risk factors for cardiovascular disease compared to their family members” without Laron syndrome, says Longo, senior author of the new work.

“Although the population tested is small – specifies the scientist – together with studies on mice and other organisms, these human data provide valuable information on the effects of growth hormone receptor deficiency on health, and suggest that drugs or interventions dietary measures that produce similar effects could reduce the incidence of disease and potentially prolong longevity.”