Many of us know people who live into their 90s, but hardly anyone makes it to 100. Studies are now revealing that factors that really make a difference
My parents are both in their 80s and are fit and well for people of their age. I would like them to be around for many years longer. So, what is the secret to getting from your 80s to 100 and beyond?
Good fortune plays a big part: avoiding fatal accidents or deadly infectious diseases and living in a peaceful country with clean water and a good healthcare system. It also helps if you win the genetic lottery. Women are much more likely than men to notch up a century: more than three-quarters of centenarians are female, and the list of the oldest-ever humans is utterly dominated by women.
Longevity also runs in families, and geneticists have identified hundreds of gene variants associated with living to a ripe old age. Research on twins and family trees suggests that the biological traits associated with extreme longevity are about 30 per cent heritable. Most of these genes appear to confer unusual levels of protection against the diseases of old age, such as cardiovascular disease, according to Nir Barzilai, who studies “superagers” at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.
Read the full story: What’s the secret to living well beyond the average life expectancy? (NewScientist)
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Read: The exercises you need to do to reach 100 in great shape