centenarian

Introduction

Individials >= 100 years of age

Epidemiology

• 1 per 5000 in developed countries
• female centenarians outnumber males 9 to 1
• men are more likely to be functionally independent than women
• male centenarians less likely to have chronic diseases than females
• male centenarians more likely to take fewer medications than females

Pathology

• processes that improve lifespan also improve healthspan
  • diseases occur later in life compressing time associated with morbidity

Genetics

(biochemistry)

• proteins increased in centenarians
  • MXRA5

Clinical manifestations

• centenarians maintain cognitive function in most domains for up to 4 years with slight risk of memory loss
• BMI < 27 among 8 WW II veteran centenarians
  • 6 of the 8 were demented (6 of 6 men, 0 of 2 women)

Laboratory

• higher plasma neurofilament light chain correlates with lower cognitive scores & higher mortality in centenarians

Management

• a healthy lifestyle increases the likelihood of becoming a centenarian

Notes

• scientists in Boston, Massachusetts have made reprogrammed stem cells from the blood of centenarians to study human longevity

Additional terms

• longevity
• supercentenarian