[Is Galicia a potential blue zone?].
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional ecological demographic study using population registry data (analogy).
PubMed 41027360 · doi:10.1016/j.regg.2025.101726
What was done
Demographic data from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics and the Galician Institute of Statistics were used to calculate centenarian rates per 100,000 inhabitants across Galicia. Geographic distribution was analyzed and mapped at provincial and county levels to identify longevity hotspots.
What was found
Galicia ranks as the autonomous community with the second-highest centenarian rate in Spain. An East-West gradient was observed: Atlantic coastal provinces had lower rates (A Coruña: 57.72 per 100,000; Pontevedra: 73.49 per 100,000) than inland provinces (Lugo: 96.61 per 100,000; Ourense: 127.19 per 100,000). The highest concentrations occurred in rural areas of eastern Pontevedra, southern Lugo, and Ourense. Female centenarians outnumbered male centenarians threefold.
Why it matters
This study identifies regional longevity clusters in northwestern Spain with centenarian densities comparable to recognized blue zones, establishing target areas for future genetic, lifestyle, and environmental investigation.
Limits
The abstract reports aggregate rates without total sample counts or absolute population figures. The ecological design cannot control for youth out-migration (which inflates centenarian prevalence) nor does it provide individual-level age validation or clinical and behavioral data.
Cited by
- supports In Blue Zones, the proportion of centenarians is approximately 6 per 10,000 compared to 3 per 10,000 in the United States.