The number of Americans over the age of 100 is expected to quadruple over the coming decades – and scientists are only now starting to understand what allows these super-agers to outlive most of us. 

There are an estimated 101,000 centenarians in the U.S. as of January 2024 and predictions from the Pew Research Center indicate that figure will more than quadruple to 422,000 in 30 years.

And it’s not just as simple as a growing population with centenarians currently making up just 0.03 percent of the overall U.S. population, and they are expected to reach 0.1 percent in 2054.

This small proportion of the population highlights that being a centenarian is still rare, and scientists have been fascinated by centenarians for decades as they strive to understand how humans can live longer and can maintain better health.

A recent study looked at 12 blood-based biomarkers related to inflammation, metabolism, liver and kidney function, and potential anemia and malnutrition to understand what contributes to a longer life.

A team of researchers looked at 12 biomarkers that showed high cholesterol and low glucose and uric acid were indicative of a longer lifespan

A team of researchers looked at 12 biomarkers that showed high cholesterol and low glucose and uric acid were indicative of a longer lifespan

A team of researchers looked at 12 biomarkers that showed high cholesterol and low glucose and uric acid were indicative of a longer lifespan

A new report revealed the number of centenarians will increase by 70 percent in the next 30 years.

A new report revealed the number of centenarians will increase by 70 percent in the next 30 years.

A new report revealed the number of centenarians will increase by 70 percent in the next 30 years.

Scientists at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm looked at data from 44,000 Swedish participants who underwent regular health assessments from the age of 64 through 99 years were tracked for up to 35 years to determine the secret to a long life.

Those who lived to be a centenarian had lower glucose (sugar) in their bloodstream, as well as creatinine which is linked to how well the kidneys function, and uric acid (UA), which is a waste product caused by digesting certain foods.

Researchers found that participants with the lowest UA levels were four percent more likely to reach 100 years old while those with the highest UA levels only had a 1.5 percent chance.

The study said: ‘While chance likely plays a role for reaching age 100, the differences in biomarker values more than one decade prior death suggest that genetic and/or lifestyle factors, reflected in these biomarker levels may also play a role for exceptional longevity.’ 

The number of centenarians in the U.S. isn’t slowing, according to a Statista report that said the population of those over 100 will increase by 70 percent, jumping from 82,000 reported in 2016 to 589,000 in 2060.

Within the next three decades, the Pew Research Center report projects that the global centenarian population will increase to roughly four million. 

China is expected to account for the largest portion of centenarians at 767,000, followed by the U.S., India, Japan and Thailand.

The study, published in GeroScience reported that 1,224 people (2.8 percent) lived to be at least 100 years old, and the majority (85 percent) were female.

Researchers did not explain why females were more likely to reach their 100th year than males.

Researchers initially looked at individuals who had clinical lab tests at the Central Automation Laboratories between 1985 and 1996 and followed up with the participants through the end of 2020.

The study used the National Patient Register to track disease diagnoses, the Cause of Death Registry to identify the exact date a participant died, and the Total Population Registry to confirm the participant was still alive and living in Sweden.

The researchers used blood-based biomarkers to determine what leads to longevity by first identifying the values of biomarkers present in both centenarians and non-centenarians.

They then looked at the association of which biomarkers are linked to people who live to be centenarian by separating the biomarkers into five groups: very low, low-medium, medium, high-medium, and very high.

Data from the medium group was chosen as the reference model using 12 biomarkers including uric acid, total cholesterol, and glucose biomarkers.

Contrary to clinical guidelines, the researchers found that centenarians had higher total cholesterol levels but reported that this aligns with previous studies that show elderly people who have high cholesterol can live to an older age.

Several studies have found that high cholesterol in people over the age of 60 might protect against cancer, infection, and atherosclerosis – plaque build-up in the artery walls – and is therefore associated with lower death rates.

Researchers also looked at Alanine Aminotransferase (ALAT) which helps the liver convert food into energy and Aspartate Aminotransferase (ASAT), an enzyme found in the liver, heart, pancreas, and muscles.

If the ASAT is too high, it could indicate damage or inflammation to the liver, but researchers found that low ASAT levels reduce the chance of liver damage or fatty liver disease, thus contributing to the person’s longer lifespan.

Low levels of albumin were found to extend mortality by moving hormones, medicines, and vitamins throughout the body, low Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) levels help the liver break down drugs and toxins, and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) is an indicator of how well the liver is functioning.

High ALP could be caused by increased alcohol consumption, and researchers found that those with normal levels had a longer life.

Normal ALP levels range from 44 to 147 international units per liter (IU/L), according to the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Centenarians had lower levels of creatinine which determines if their kidneys are adequately filtering waste from their blood and had a lower Iron and Total Iron-Binding Capacity (TIBC) which circulates iron throughout the body, preventing anemia.

Finally, researchers looked at how albumin affected centenarians’ and non-centenarians’ nutrition levels and found higher levels of nutrients in the body affect the person’s physical state, extending long life.

The only biomarker that was the same for both centenarians and non-centenarians was Lactate Dehydrogenase (LD) which turns glucose into energy.

LD markers were outside the normal range for both groups, but researchers said it was likely due to aging and age-related health conditions.

Researchers suggested that as people age they should keep track of how their liver and kidneys are functioning, keep tabs on their glucose and uric acid levels, control their nutrition, and reduce their alcohol intake.

The researchers clarified that they can’t conclude about which lifestyle or genetic traits are responsible for the biomarker results.

‘That said, chance probably plays a role at some point in reaching an exceptional age,’ the researchers said, adding: ‘But the fact that differences in biomarkers could be observed a long time before death suggests that genes and lifestyle may also play a role.’

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

You May Also Like

Xbox fans are furious as console receives an eye-watering 50% price increase

XBOX surprised fans earlier this year by announcing a dramatic price increase…

Antitrust and Privacy Are on a Collision Course

Here’s something to puzzle over. In December, the Federal Trade Commission and…

The War Puts Ukraine’s Clinical Trials—and Patients—in Jeopardy

The biggest historical proponent of clinical trial quality conducted his first one…

I Finally Bought a ChatGPT Plus Subscription—and It’s Worth It

During my initial interactions with ChatGPT Plus, I was not fully convinced that…