What's the secret to living to 100? Blood tests from centenarians could provide clues

What's the secret to living to 100? Blood tests from centenarians could provide clues

The answer to the question of why some people live to be 100 years old and others don't may lie in understanding the metabolic profiles of centenarians. New research shows that centenarians – or people who live to be 100 or older – may have lower (but not too low) levels of glucose, uric acid and creatinine in their blood. These differences in blood biomarkers were also observed as early as age 65, indicating an overall healthier lifestyle over a longer period of time.

What does it take to live to be 100 years old or older? New research suggests the answer may lie in a better understanding of the metabolic profiles of people who reached this centennial.

The study was published in the journal last monthGeroSciencewanted to investigate what is unique about people who live to be at least 100 years old, examining certain bodily functions before they reach old age.

Although exceptional longevity - which can be defined as surviving more than 85 years - is the result of a combination of factors such as genetics and lifestyle factors, researchers found that centenarians had lower levels of glucose, uric acid and creatinine in their blood compared to people who did not reach the 100-year mark.

What's more, these differences in blood biomarkers were observed as early as age 65 - 35 years before they would have turned 100.

“There is something to be said for pure chance in explaining why some people live to 100 and others don't,” said lead study author Shunsuke Murata, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Karolinska InstitutetHealthand added that it was "rather surprising" to observe that "differences in blood biomarkers can be visible between centenarians and non-centenarians" so long before their death.

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Analysis of blood biomarkers of centenarians

For the study, researchers used data from 44,636 people who were part of the AMORIS (Apolipoprotein-lated MOrtality RISk) cohort and received routine and outpatient clinical laboratory testing at the Central Automation Laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden, between 1985 and 1996.

Of this number, 1,224 people reached their 100th birthday, which is statistically equivalent to the total number of people who reached that age in Stockholm during the same period. The biomarker measurements of these individuals were followed up until the end of 2020.

Researchers examined 12 biomarkers associated with inflammation, liver, kidney and metabolic function, as well as potential anemia and malnutrition.

Biomarkers included uric acid for inflammation, total cholesterol and glucose for metabolic function and status, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, albumin, gamma-glutamyltransferase, alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase for liver function, creatinine for renal function, iron and iron-binding capacity for anemia, and albumin for nutrition.

It was shown that centenarians had lower - although not exceptionally lower - levels of glucose, uric acid and creatinine in their blood compared to people who did not live as long.

In fact, those who lived to 100 had relatively consistent biomarker profiles overall - meaning they rarely had levels at the low or high end of the healthy range.

Murata says this study is the first to examine which biomarkers are associated with longevity in such a large cohort - but much more research is needed to fully understand all the underlying factors in longevity.

"In this study, for example, we examined the biomarkers individually. A next step will be to consider combinations of them," Murata said. “In addition, we are not sure to what extent the biomarker values ​​are similar to just lifestyle or to what extent they are also similar to genetic factors.”

When put into context, outside experts say it only further enriches our growing understanding of what exactly contributes to our longevity. It is a field that is constantly evolving, and this comparison of the metabolic profiles of these centenarians could provide a key for us all to better understand what we can all do to live longer lives.

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How glucose, uric acid and creatinine can affect longevity

Lower levels of uric acid, creatinine and glucose in a person's blood indicate an overall healthier lifestyle, says Rekha B. Kumar, MD, MS, an endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, who is not involved in this study.

“I believe diet and lifestyle are factors,” Kumar said. “The identified biomarkers are all modifiable and not genetically set in stone.”

For example, lower levels of creatinine—a byproduct of the body's protein digestion and breakdown of muscle tissue—could indicate better kidney function, according to Luke D. Kim, MD, MEd, AGSF, a geriatrician at the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Geriatric Medicine. Meanwhile, lower glucose levels (the amount of sugar in your blood) could lead to better metabolic profiles in centenarians.

Lower uric acid levels also contribute to a healthier lifestyle: "Uric acid, a marker influenced by various factors including diet and alcohol consumption, showed differences between the two groups," Murata said. “These results suggest that dietary and lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption may play a role in exceptional longevity.”

Lower levels of these three biomarkers in centenarians suggest that healthy behaviors - such as an active lifestyle and reducing meat, sugar and alcohol consumption - could lead to longevity, Kumar said.

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Can you use this information to potentially live longer?

This study, like others before it, provides more information about what might contribute to longevity, but does not offer a definitive explanation for why someone lives to 100 and someone else dies decades earlier.

Instead, it reiterates that "although chance likely plays a role in reaching an exceptional age, it is not the sole factor," Murata said.

"While our study does not provide a definitive roadmap to living longer, it does highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and perhaps changing certain factors, such as alcohol consumption, to improve the chances of living a longer, healthier life," Murata added.

For those who want to know what they can do to help live longer, Kim said it is important to stay informed about preventive measures such as required health screenings to detect common diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and hyperlipidemia, among others.

“I want to encourage people to always keep moving,” Kumar added. “It doesn’t have to be extremely structured exercises, just activities of any kind to keep blood flowing, muscles active, glucose metabolism strong, and ligaments and joints flexible.” All of this improves metabolic health but also reduces the risk of injury.”

“There are a lot of outlandish studies, like trying to lower insulin secretion from the body,” Kim added. “But again, it is important for the general public to adhere to key health measures such as blood pressure checks and general screening to detect other common illnesses.”