The maximum life span has exceeded 120 years. There are now about 125 million people over 80 in the world, and this figure continues to increase. Scientists are trying to understand what makes people long-lived. Is it possible to know in advance what the chances of this or that person to cross the century-old milestone are in the RIA Novosti article.
Geography factor
Frenchwoman Zhanna Kalman lived for 122 years (she died in 1997). In 2013, at the age of 116, the Japanese Jiroemon Kimura, who was considered the oldest person on the planet, died. However, Nana Shaova from Kabardino-Balkaria, who passed away on January 21, was 128 years old, according to unofficial data. Those who have crossed the 110-year mark are called super-longevity. They were first identified in the mid-1960s, in the next two decades, the maximum age of a person increased from 112 to 120 years. Since then, the number of super-centenarians has grown steadily. Now Japan is leading in life expectancy. Next - Germany, Italy, Greece, Finland, Sweden. In Asia, in addition to Japan and China, they live for a long time in Taiwan and South Korea. There are regions in the world where there are especially many centenarians. For example, Okinawa island in Japan, Bama Yao district in China, Ovodda commune in Sardinia,the city of Loma Linda in California (USA), the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, the Ikaria island in Greece. In 2015, there were 125 million 80 years and older on the planet. It is estimated that in 2050 there will be 434 million, including super-longevity - about 3.7 million. It is assumed that most of all - in China.
This is health
Centenarians are united by two characteristics: biological age is less than chronological (indicated in the passport) and they remain active longer. Approximately 43 percent of those who crossed the century to 80 did not know the diseases that usually accompany old age.
Fifteen percent of centenarians and 30 percent of men are not diagnosed with any age-related illness at all.
Dementia and neurodegenerative diseases are much less common in centenarians. Or, if you have Alzheimer's, you may not have dementia. And oncology almost never occurs.
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Significantly later than most, super-centenarians develop cardiovascular diseases, and even then not all of them. Many remain functional, can service themselves, or need minimal care.
What genetics says
Is it possible to determine a long-liver in advance? It turns out that there are such signs, or, as scientists call them, biomarkers. And in the first place - heredity. This is confirmed by observations of the relatives of supercentiles. So, in five generations of the family of Jeanne Kalman, especially on the father's side, there were centenarians. The longevity of men from the Ovodda commune in Sardinia is also explained by genetics. This is evidenced by the data on emigration: those who left there still young, nevertheless, live a long time. Perhaps the locals go back to a small group of settler ancestors with a special genotype. No genes for longevity have been found, but a range of mutations associated with longevity is known. For example, among carriers of a particular variant of the breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1), there are many long-livers. This gene is critical for the cellular response to DNA destruction. A mutation in the growth hormone gene correlates with longevity. The d3 / d3 genotype (deletion of exon 3 in this gene) adds ten years of life, according to American scientists who published these data in Science in 2017. Among the carriers of the APOE-ε4 gene variant, which determines the production of apolipoprotein in blood plasma, there are practically no centenarians. The association of this allele with Alzheimer's disease is noted.
List of habits common to most centenarians / Illustration by RIA Novosti. Source: Exceptional Human Longevity. Pignolo RJ. Mayo Clin Proc. 2019 Jan.
Fewer calories, more positive
In general, the body of super-long-livers staunchly resists deadly diseases and attacks of age-related ailments. Scientists do not undertake to derive a single formula, referring to a combination of different factors: genetics, lifestyle, ecology, culture, geography and, finally, luck. Nutrition is very important. For example, the centuries-old inhabitants of the island of Okinawa say, "Eat until you are 80 percent full." Their diet consists mainly of vegetables and fruits, soy protein. They consume far fewer calories than those around them, which is reflected in their body mass index. These are very thin people. Religiousness plays a role. Seventh-day Adventists, of whom there are many in Loma Linda, California, live five to ten years longer than other townspeople. They have low levels of the stress hormone. Their religion requires abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and recommends vegetarianism. There is datathat regular churchgoers, regardless of religion, have a higher life expectancy. Perhaps, the daily routine observed by active believers affects. The main debate in the scientific community is about the limits of the duration of human life. Some believe that it has already been achieved. Others fear that massive longevity will lead to the decrepitude of the human population. But gerontologist Stephen Ostad suggests that some of those born before 2001 will reach the age of 150. But gerontologist Stephen Ostad suggests that some of those born before 2001 will reach the age of 150. But gerontologist Stephen Ostad suggests that some of those born before 2001 will reach the age of 150.
Tatiana Pichugina
