117-Year-Old's Biological Age Was 23 Years Younger

Scientists in Spain have taken an in-depth look at what set Maria Branyas Morera apart, hoping her record-breaking longevity could help unlock the mysteries of healthy aging. Branyas, who was the world's oldest person when she died last year at 117, volunteered for an exhaustive round of tests before her death. These included blood, saliva, urine, and stool samples, which allowed researchers to analyze her genetics, the proteins coursing through her body, and the diversity of her gut microbes. Researchers published their findings Wednesday in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.

The findings, led by Dr. Manel Esteller at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, revealed that while Branyas' body bore all the marks of extreme old age, including an immune system showing signs of wear, she managed to avoid the typical diseases that often accompany advanced years, the Guardian reports. Her telomeres, the caps on the ends of her chromosomes, were extraordinarily short, another sign of old age, though it may have protected her from cancer by limiting cell division. Genetic analysis showed variants that helped shield her brain and heart from disease, and she exhibited low levels of inflammation—an important factor in staving off illnesses like cancer and diabetes.

"Her biological age was an average 23 years younger than her chronological age, one of the reasons that she was alive," Esteller says, per the New Scientist. Her gut microbiome was more like that of a child than a supercentenarian, likely thanks to regular consumption of yogurt, researchers said earlier this year. Lifestyle also played a role: Branyas maintained a healthy weight, avoided smoking and drinking, and kept close ties with friends and family. She was "dealt a great hand and has played her cards very well for 117 years," Esteller said months before her death.

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Esteller sees hope in the findings for developing future treatments that could mimic the benefits of good genes, even if we can't choose our own lineage. "The common rule is that as we age we become sicker, but she was an exception and we wanted to understand why," he says. "For the first time, we've been able to separate being old from being sick." Branyas was born in San Francisco in 1907 but her family moved back to Spain when she was a child. Her two daughters are 92 and 94, but her son died when he was 52, the New York Times reports. Esteller says that after Branyas became the world's oldest person, she had a request for him: "Please study me."