Regions with exceptional longevity and the lifestyle factors behind them
Long-living individuals (LLIs) possess remarkable genetic resilience, characterized by protective variants that confer immune robustness and resistance to age-related diseases. The longevity-associated variant of BPIFB4 (LAV-BPIFB4), enriched in centenarians, demonstrated pleiotropic benefits including reduced inflammation, …
Researchers found that genetic variations in taste receptors (particularly TAS1R3, TAS2R38, and CD36) were distributed differently in near-centenarians versus younger urban controls, and these variants associated with body weight in a population-specific way. The study …
In a study of 1,545 Chinese people aged 80+, researchers found that maintaining healthy lifestyle factors reduced death risk by 41% and added nearly 7 years of life—even more than genetic advantages. Importantly, good genes …
This review paper synthesizes what we know about why people in five Blue Zone regions (Okinawa, Sardinia, Nicoya Peninsula, Ikaria, Loma Linda) live exceptionally long lives with low heart disease rates. The authors propose that …
A study of over 11,000 healthy older Australians found that following four lifestyle behaviors—Mediterranean diet, regular exercise, not smoking, and moderate drinking—was associated with living about 10% longer without disability or dementia. The benefits were …
Ageing is an inevitable, yet highly heterogeneous process shaped by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental influences. While most individuals experience progressive functional decline, a minority exhibits accelerated degeneration due to rare pathogenic mutations, whereas others achieve …
Human longevity is a complex trait shaped by genetic background and population-specific factors. Calabria, a region in Southern Italy with a high prevalence of centenarians and relative genetic isolation, is a valuable model for investigating …
While Life's Essential 8 (LE8) provides a comprehensive measure of cardiovascular health (CVH), its association with mortality among the oldest-old, including centenarians, remains unclear. This study evaluated the relationship between LE8-defined CVH and all-cause mortality …
Researchers compared gut bacteria in people aged 45–59, 60–89, and 90+ and found that centenarians have distinctly different microbial communities—richer in beneficial bacteria like Akkermansia and enriched in pathways that produce fatty acids and other …
Epigenetic clocks estimate biological age from DNA methylation patterns at CpG sites, providing robust predictions of mortality and morbidity risk. "Blue zones"--regions of exceptional longevity--offer a unique opportunity to investigate how biological aging diverges from …
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Centenarians represent a growing demographic that remains under-theorized in gerontology. Subsumed within the broader category of the oldest old, they are often examined through a biomedical lens, which tends to frame extreme …
Researchers analyzed blood chemistry in 213 people over 100 years old and found they have distinctly different metabolic profiles—especially higher bile acids and lower inflammatory markers—compared to younger controls. By identifying these metabolic signatures, they …
This review shows that people who live to 100 don't simply preserve youthful immune systems—instead, they develop a *different* kind of immune balance that protects them from age-related diseases. The key isn't stopping aging, but …
This scoping review examined 144 studies on supercentenarians (people 110+) to identify what researchers currently know about extreme longevity and propose a unified international framework for studying them. The authors found that existing research is …
Researchers reviewed how people who live to 100+ maintain surprisingly youthful immune function despite extreme age, resisting the chronic inflammation and immune decline that typically accompany aging. They identified several biological mechanisms—including controlled inflammatory pathways, …
Researchers tracked 247 cognitively healthy centenarians and found that GrimAge—a DNA methylation-based "biological clock"—strongly predicted who would die sooner, independent of cognitive decline or brain biomarkers. This suggests aging in the blood may be a …
A study of over 100,000 UK adults found that five well-known healthy eating patterns—from Mediterranean to plant-based diets—were each associated with 1.5–3 extra years of life by age 45, with benefits holding true regardless of …
A 35-year Swedish cohort study identified blood biomarker patterns in middle age that distinguish people who lived to 100 from those who didn't, including higher cholesterol and iron but lower glucose, creatinine, and liver enzyme …
This philosophical essay argues that later life should be understood as a valuable life stage defined by agency, meaning, and relationships—not reduced to health risks or frailty. The authors draw on Cicero's ancient treatise to …
Researchers analyzed blood proteins from Swiss centenarians and discovered 37 proteins associated with a 'younger' profile that may explain why some people live to 100 and stay healthy. By comparing centenarian patterns across two independent …