* Analysis of 215,000 people's DNA suggests variants that shorten life are being selected against.
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* tested more than 8 million common mutations, and found two that seemed to become less prevalent with age. A variant of the APOE gene, which is strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease, was rarely found in women over 70. And a mutation in the CHRNA3 gene associated with heavy smoking in men petered out in the population starting in middle age. People without these mutations have a survival edge and are more likely to live longer, the researchers suggest.
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* certain groups of genetic mutations, which individually would not have a measurable effect but together accounted for health threats, appeared less often in people who were expected to have long lifespans than in those who weren't. These included predispositions to asthma, high body mass index and high cholesterol.
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* Most surprising, however, was the finding that sets of mutations that delay puberty and childbearing are more prevalent in long-lived people.

Really highlights the importance of being willing to forgive people for occasional mistakes, without being a total walkover.