She Lived To 117. Researchers Have Now Found What Made Her Cells Age Differently

Key Points:

• Maria Branyas Morera, who lived to 117 years and 168 days, was studied in the most comprehensive biological analysis ever performed on a supercentenarian, revealing a unique combination of aging markers.
• Her biological samples showed both signs of advanced aging, such as short telomeres and pro-inflammatory immune features, and indicators of youth, like epigenetic clocks suggesting a biological age 23 years younger than her chronological age.
• The study found high levels of Bifidobacterium in her gut microbiome, a bacteria typically abundant in young people, potentially linked to her consumption of three yogurts daily, though causation remains unproven.
• Researchers emphasize that the coexistence of aging and youth markers suggests that longevity and disease-free living may be partly separable processes rather than a single continuum.
• The study's findings are limited by the fact that they are based on a single individual, and broader conclusions about longevity require more extensive family or population data.