New Study: Twins Live Longer Than the Rest of the Population

If you've always dreamed of having a twin sibling, here's another excellent reason to envy twins: a new study from Washington University in the United States reveals that the life expectancy of twins, especially identical ones, is higher than the average in the population.

"We found that across nearly every age group, identical twins survive more than fraternal twins, and fraternal twins survive more than the rest of the population," says the lead researcher, David Sharrow. These results, the researchers say, are likely linked to the health benefits derived from a close social bond—one that almost all twin pairs share.

When it comes to men, the researchers found that the peak benefit of having a twin comes in the mid-forties. The difference is six percent: if among 100 children born without twins, 84 were still alive at age 45, then 90 of those born with a twin were still alive at 45. For women, the peak benefit comes in the early sixties, and the difference is ten percent.

The researchers believe these results reflect the crucial impact of social support on health and life expectancy. Similar results were found when differences between married and unmarried individuals were studied. However, in marriage studies, the question of whether marriage makes people healthier physically and mentally, or if healthier individuals are simply more likely to marry, always arises.

The study on twins, the researchers say, doesn't raise such questions. "People can't choose whether to be born with a twin or not," says Sharrow. "Therefore, there's no doubt that this is proof that relationships are very important for health."

In other words, even if you don't have a twin, don't despair. A good marriage and good friends can also provide a health advantage—twins were just born with this advantage.