Summary
Maria Branyas Morera, who died at 117, had genes that kept her cells biologically 17 years younger, a study led by University of Barcelona geneticist Manel Esteller found.
Her gut microbiota resembled that of an infant, which may have contributed to her longevity. Researchers noted her Mediterranean diet, active lifestyle, and social connections as additional factors.
The study challenges the link between aging and illness and may aid future treatments for age-related diseases.
Branyas, recognized as the world’s oldest person in 2023, died in Spain in August 2024.
Did she also have genes that made her true date of birth reliably ascertainable?
Pardon my cynicism, I learned the other day that blue zones are probably nothing more than regions where disproportionately large numbers of deceased were used to illicitly collect (retirement) payments
