New super pill that lets you 'live to 100'

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A new super-pill is being developed that may destroy diseases and keep you alive to 100.

While the chances of living for a century are usually about one in 10,000, scientists have found three genes which stop the common diseases in old age.

Two of the genes boost 'good' cholesterol in the body, which actually cuts heart disease and stroke. The other seems to be very important in preventing diabetes, and those who have this genotype are protected from Alzheimer's by about 80%.

Dr Nir Barzilai, a director of the Institute for Ageing Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, will tonight tell BBC2's Horizon they are creating a 'long-life super drug', which mimics the genes and could be ready for testing within three years.

He said: 'The biology we're trying to uncover is that if we can imitate that, then long life can be really terrific.' He also reveals that genetic inheritance also protects against the deadly impact of smoking, bad diet, obesity and lack of exercise.

Would you take a pill to live until you were over 100? Let us know your thoughts below...

Horizon: Don't Grow Old is on BBC2 at 9pm tonight

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Wednesday 3 February 2010

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