It is linked to higher IQ and being 30% less likely to suffer major depression.
People who are intelligent are 30 percent more likely to be short-sighted, research finds.
Intelligent people are also 30 percent less likely to suffer from major depression.
The findings are part of a study looking at the genetic underpinnings of intelligence.
The results come from 300,486 people aged 16 to 102 who had their DNA analysed.
The researchers found 148 different genetic locations were linked to cognitive ability.
Smarter people are also likely to have better mental health, a lower risk of cancer and greater longevity.
In fact, intelligent people are 17 percent more likely to live longer.
Dr Gail Davies, the study’s first author, said:
“This study, the largest genetic study of cognitive function, has identified many genetic differences that contribute to the heritability of thinking skills.
The discovery of shared genetic effects on health outcomes and brain structure provides a foundation for exploring the mechanisms by which these differences influence thinking skills throughout a lifetime.”
The search for connections between genes and intelligence has proved difficult.
Professor Ian Deary, who led the study, explained:
“Less than a decade ago we were searching for genes related to intelligence with about 3,000 participants, and we found almost nothing.
Now with 100 times that number of participants, and with more than 200 scientists working together, we have discovered almost 150 genetic regions that are related to how clever people are.
[…]One thing we know from these results is that good thinking skills are a part of good health overall.”
The study was published in the journal Nature Communications (Davies et al., 2018).
