Frailty and mortality are not influenced by mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in the very old

Inherited genetic variation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could account for the missing heritability of human longevity and healthy aging. Here, we show no robust association between common genetic variants of mtDNA and frailty (an “unhealthy aging” phenotype) or mortality in 700, more than 85-year-old, participants of the Newcastle 85+ study. Conflicting data from different populations underscore our conclusion that there is currently no compelling link between inherited mtDNA variants and aging.