Opening the secrets to live to 100

Do you want to enjoy a long, healthy and happy life? Just live like centenary.

This is the advice of Stacy Andersen, the behavioral nerve scientist at Boston University and the co -manager to study New England, and the largest study on centenary and their families in the world.

The study, which has registered more than 3000 degrees Celsius throughout its history for 30 years, explores genetic factors, lifestyle options, and environmental effects that seem to play a role in the length of the age of people who live to 100 and beyond. Hope is that by studying centenary, researchers can find treatments, as well as identify customs and environmental factors, which can help everyone live more healthy.

“Our goal is not to urge everyone to live until the age of 100. What we are trying to understand is: How do you live to any age – the 1970s, the 1990s or 1990s – in very good health?” Andersen says.

It turns out that centenary, on average, do not smoke, eat a diverse diet, be social, and do not generalize in general from small things. They usually spend other years of good health, known as “Healthspan”. They also tend to feel the goal and can find joy every day, even in the twilight years, says Andersen.

As part of a series of interviews in the TIME series in the field of longevity, we talked to Andersen about its work with centenary and what we all can learn about aging well.

This interview has been intensified and edited for clarity.

You run the New England study. What is this?

Study began in 1995 by Dr. Thomas Berlus [a Boston University geriatrician]. When Dr. Pearls was a colleague who trained him in aging medicine, he was assigned a patients more than 100 people who lived in the retirement community. It has always been taught that the more they grow up, the more patients you get, so it was expected that the patients would be limited to their rooms and to be the patient’s most patient – but this was not. For his amazement, they were two healthier and most active patients. They were presenting piano parties to society. They were there to do things. He wondered whether the patients were just great calibers or if there was something different from people who reach these extremist ages – 100 and above. Therefore, the New England centenary study began. He has this name because he originally started in the eight cities surrounding Boston, but over the years we have registered people all over the United States, Canada and other countries as well.

Read more: Want to live longer? First, find how old you are really

To date, we have registered more than 3000 degrees Celsius, as well as many of their siblings and offspring. Our biggest participant died at the age of 119. Her daughter lived to 101.

What we have seen with our percentage doctors is that the greater we are, the healthiest you are, because, on average, the centenary delay or avoid many diseases associated with chronic age. So, in addition to the presence of additional years of life, they also have very long health. And I think this is what most of us want.

What types of data that the study participants collect?

The first thing we do is get a blood sample. We look at many different factors in the blood that can tell us about the age of people in a healthy way. We look at genetics, but then we go beyond genes and look at other data [which refers to the study of biological molecules like DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites]. We also collect a stool sample so that we can understand how bacteria in the intestine can contribute to healthy aging, and we send participants to touch screen pills through which we can manage a set of cognitive jobs tests. We also verify blood pressure and measure their grip.

Then we follow them every year. We want to see the medical conditions they develop after their interview. Are they still able to walk a certain distance? Are they still able to manage their drugs alone over time? We are really trying to understand the path of aging.

For one of our studies, we focus on what we call “cognitive extended” [those who maintain cognitive function similar to people who are 30 years younger]. For this study, we ask people to register in our brain donation program so that we can look at their brain tissue after their death and determine whether there is a protein accumulation associated with Alzheimer’s disease or anterior dementia. For some of our percentage specialists, we have seen a real separation. They have worked very well in their daily lives, but then we look at the brain tissue and have a great accumulation of amyloid and oo [proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease]. Of these cases, we can learn a lot about flexibility. We are still trying to understand how this separation occurs. How do they maintain this good cognitive function when they have evidence of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains?

What is the size of the role that genetics plays at the longevity?

For the vast majority of us, genetics represents only about 25 % [of longevity]The rest is related to the health behaviors that we follow. Do you maintain a healthy weight? Do you eat a nourishing diet? Do you get a moderate activity every day? These are things that can help everyone to live for 10 years.

For percentage, there is a much larger genetic component. Genetics represents about 75 %, which makes you reach extremist ages such as 105 and above. We have learned over the years that it is not in fact a gene or two genes who enter people into these extremist ages, but it looks like 200 genetic species.

Read more: Scientists say this daily routine can slow down the cognitive decrease

We have always assumed that our percentage specialists will not have genetic disease variables and that they should be enriched for protection factors, but it turned out to be with some exceptions, they have most of the disease genes themselves. This indicates more strongly to enrich protection factors, and this is what we are trying to learn more about, as this may help everyone. If we can understand these biological mechanisms, we can theory to reach treatments that help the population in general.

Like a longevity pills?

Well, we have seen the centenary have a healthier immune image. We have seen that they have a better repair of DNA, and their cells seem to interact differently for stress. We are trying to search in these mechanisms, and these can be translated into a pill that can repeat those same effects.

Are there environmental factors and lifestyle habits that seem to contribute to the longevity?

Yes, genetics is not everything. Environmental factors are a large piece that we are trying to dive now. We look at things such as sleep and entertainment activities, social networks, the duration of people’s work, why they retire, the duration that people lead and why they stop driving. We want to understand whether continuing to do rich activities throughout your life plays a role in reaching 100 years.

There are many centenary studies around the world, and each one takes a different lens over the age, but I say that through studies it seems that they have a very good psychological luxury. It tends to a low degree in nervousness. They are not worried about the bad things that happen. They are able to deal with them and move forward. It also records high in diastole. They are ready to try new things. They tend to be very confronted, and I think it helps them make new social links with the death of their peers. They take things out and meet new people, and this helps their social networks. It also helps to maintain strong brains.

Read more: Your mind reveals a lot about your age

Another large piece is that there seems to be a feeling of life – even waking up in the morning with things you want to do. I think this is a little surprising to hear people at the age of 100; You may think they are sitting around them, they do nothing, but this is not really the case. They still have things they want to accomplish. They may not plan for 10 years, but they still find joy in life.

In general, our doctors say that they did not follow any specific diet and did not go to the gym, but they were busy and were keen not to over -eat and eat a wide range of foods.

What about smoking and alcohol?

Smoking is very rare among our doctors. Once in the media you will see a 105 -year -old woman who smokes a bundle per day, but this is a needle in a straw pile.

In terms of alcohol, it differs. They often do not drink excessively wine, but some of our percentage specialists have a cup of wine daily or a snapshot of everything they like every day. There is a lot of contrast in the various health behaviors of our centenary doctors. They do not all do one thing.

Does sex play a role?

About 85 % of our women specialists. But the interesting thing is that men who live to 100 tend to be healthier. Women are better to survive for a long time with chronic diseases. Men, although there are much fewer of them who reach 100 years, generally have a very good physical and cognitive function. Men tend to be what we call “Escapers”, where they avoid the disease even after the age of 100.

I do not think that we do not yet know the reason for this difference, but it is an area that we continue, and this is why looking at sexual differences even between centennials is really important.

Is it changed with the centenary the way you think about aging?

He gave me a very positive vision of aging. Most of the people I know say they do not want age or that they are afraid of aging, and what we hear from our centenary doctors is that they were also afraid of aging, but they reached the age of 100 and found that they had already enjoyed it.

Read more: Here’s how much sleep you need according to your age

I think seeing people at the age of 100 who enjoy life and doing the things they want to do and still love learning is to really open the eye. Centennial also has a lot of wisdom, and talking actually with one is really a gift.

What is the following of the centenary study?

Our study showed that centenary reaches their maximum ages because, on average, the owners of their owners are on average. Now we are trying to go into the biological mechanisms behind it, as well as healthy behaviors and environmental factors that may help them age well.