FLT1 and diabetes mellitus: The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the strongest of 3 adjacent longevity-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms – rs3794396 – of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 gene, FLT1, may confer greater lifespan by protecting against mortality risk from one or more adverse medical conditions of aging – namely, hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and diabetes.