Lifestyle factors of people with exceptional longevity.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Retrospective cohort study comparing a longevity cohort against a historical birth-cohort sample
PubMed 21812767 · doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03498.x
What was done
Interviewer-administered questionnaires and anthropometric measurements assessed lifestyle factors (physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, dietary habits, and body mass index) in 477 independently living Ashkenazi Jewish individuals aged 95 and older (mean age 97.3 ± 2.8 years, range 95–109; 74.6% women). Findings were compared against 3,164 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) I representing the same birth cohort.
What was found
Individuals with exceptional longevity exhibited lifestyle characteristics comparable to the general birth-cohort comparison group: - Body mass index: Men averaged 25.4 ± 2.8 kg/m² vs 25.6 ± 4.0 kg/m² in NHANES I (P = .63); women averaged 25.0 ± 3.5 kg/m² vs 24.9 ± 5.4 kg/m² (P = .90). - Daily alcohol consumption: 23.9% vs 22.4% in men (P = .77); 12.1% vs 11.3% in women (P = .80). - Regular physical activity: 43.1% vs 57.2% in men (P = .07); 47.0% vs 44.1% in women (P = .76). - Low-calorie diet: 20.8% vs 21.1% in men (P = .32); 27.3% vs 27.1% in women (P = .14). Specific numbers for smoking were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
People who achieve extreme longevity without disability do not appear to have maintained healthier lifestyles than peers from their birth cohort, suggesting that genetic factors or distinct biological mechanisms may modulate their susceptibility to typical environmental risk factors.
Limits
The longevity sample was restricted to a single ethnic group (Ashkenazi Jewish individuals), limiting generalizability. Lifestyle metrics depended on retrospective self-report among nonagenarians and centenarians, introducing substantial recall bias, and survivorship bias is inherent to the study design.
Cited by
- supports Supercentenarians do not smoke less, eat better, or exercise more on average than the general public.