The age-old fixation.
Hitting 100 rotations around the sun is no small feat, with just an estimated 101,000 centenarians, representing 0.03% of the US population.
New research, though, may have cracked the code for why some live to triple digits, and others don’t.
Lifestyle habits are often the primary drivers of longevity, such as regular exercise and healthy eating, as well as genetics playing a role.
Researchers from the University of Geneva and the University of Lausanne in Switzerland wanted to answer why some reach centenarian status — and discovered the answers are in our blood.
The team analyzed blood samples of centenarians, octogenarians and adults aged 30 to 60. Measuring 724 proteins in the blood serum, they discovered that centenarians age differently at the molecular level.
Those who reached 100 had 37 proteins that closely resemble those found in younger individuals, including ones linked to inflammation and cardiovascular health.
The proteins all play different yet important roles in the body.
Five of the proteins were linked to oxidative stress, an imbalance between rogue free radicals and protective antioxidants in the body, which speeds up aging and fuels chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
“The answer is very clear: centenarians have significantly lower levels of antioxidant proteins than the standard geriatric population,” said Karl-Heinz Krause, professor emeritus at UNIGE’s Faculty of Medicine and co-author of the study.
“At first glance this seems counterintuitive, but it shows that because oxidative stress is so much lower, they simply need fewer antioxidant proteins to keep it in check,” he added.
The researchers also found that regulatory proteins in the extracellular matrix, which help keep tissues strong, stayed at the same youthful levels seen in much younger participants.
Proteins tied to fat metabolism, which normally spike with age, also rose far less in the centenarian group.
Even DPP-4, a protein that breaks down GLP-1 — a hormone that boosts insulin and is the target of new diabetes and obesity drugs — stayed intact, helping centenarians’ metabolism run more smoothly.
“By breaking down GLP-1, DPP-4 helps keep insulin levels relatively low, which could protect against hyperinsulinism and metabolic syndrome,” Delhaes explained.
The researchers said the study highlights the importance of a healthy lifestyle for aging, as our lifestyle choices affect the majority of how long we live.
“Physical activity helps maintain the extracellular matrix in a more ‘youthful’ state,” the study authors noted. “And avoiding excess weight also helps preserve a healthy metabolism, similar to that observed in centenarians.”
