Lessons from the world’s oldest person
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A recent study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine examined the genome of Maria Branyas Morera, the US-born Spanish woman who died at age 117. Researchers found she likely reached such an advanced age through a combination of protective genetic variants and a generally healthy lifestyle. She did not smoke or drink alcohol, lived in the countryside, walked about an hour a day, and followed a Mediterranean-style diet that included olive oil and yogurt. Scientists concluded she lived so long because she both won the genetic lottery and practiced habits that helped her genes achieve their fullest longevity potential.
Source
Santos-Pujol, E., Noguera-Castells, A., Casado-Pelaez, M., García-Prieto, C. A., Vasallo, C., Campillo-Marcos, I., Quero-Dotor, C., Crespo-García, E., Bueno-Costa, A., Setién, F., Ferrer, G., Davalos, V., Mereu, E., Pluvinet, R., Arribas, C., Torre, C., Villavicencio, F., Sumoy, L., Granada, I., Coles, N. S., … Esteller, M. (2025). The multiomics blueprint of the individual with the most extreme lifespan. Cell reports. Medicine, 6(10), 102368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102368
Additional Reading
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/10/01/maria-branyas-morera/
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/26/health/maria-branyas-morera-study-genes-intl-scli-wellness
https://people.com/woman-lived-to-117-researchers-studied-her-reveal-clues-long-life-11819614