They examined the blood of centenarians. It was different from that of their peers who had died earlier
The number of people who have lived over 100 years is increasing, but not all of us have the chance to reach such an advanced age. It turns out, you need to have something special in your blood.
9:13 AM EDT, October 16, 2023
The number of people who have had the chance to celebrate their hundredth birthday is increasing, but it's still not the average human lifespan. They seem to be tangible evidence of the secret to longevity. Since they were able to live to such an advanced age, their bodies may help us understand what contributed to this.
Searching for the secret of longevity
A group of scientists set out to determine whether the blood of people who have lived past 100 years differs from those who have not. Their published analysis is the result of the largest comparison of biomarker profiles of long-lived people and their shorter-lived peers. It involved approximately 44 thousand Swedes over the age of 64.
Each study participant underwent regular health evaluations. The results were collected over 35 years and it turned out that 1224 individuals lived to a ripe old age. They lived to be 100 years old and scientists decided to search their bodies for the recipe for success.
The vast majority of centenarians were women. However, the basic data was not the most important. Scientists were able to say much more about longevity by studying blood over many years. They searched in it for biomarkers considered to be associated with aging and mortality.
In this study, levels of uric acid, cholesterol, glucose, keratin, and the nutrient responsible albumin were considered in the blood of the subjects. The levels of several biomarkers related to liver function were also significant.
What distinguishes long-lived individuals
People who lived to be a hundred usually had lower levels of glucose, creatinine, and uric acid. The difference was already present in their sixties. In addition, as many as 10 biomarkers could be associated with the likelihood of reaching 100 years old.
These differences appeared long before death and some of the subjects had a biologically higher chance of achieving old age. Gender and disease burden did not matter, nor the age at which the donor of the biological material was.
Unfortunately, many more secrets of longevity have not been revealed. Most likely, her body's metabolism and a healthy lifestyle contribute to it. However, the results do not allow to determine which genetic factors or lifestyle elements are the most important.
