Brazil is emerging as a critical frontier in the global quest to understand human longevity, according to leading scientists. Researchers now believe the country hosts a significant yet overlooked population of individuals with an extraordinary capacity to live exceptionally long, healthy lives.
Brazil: An Untapped Goldmine for Longevity Research
Dr. Mayana Zatz and her team at the University of São Paulo's Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center are spearheading this focus. They aim to study rare, long-lived Brazilians who demonstrate a remarkable ability to delay or completely avoid common age-related illnesses like heart disease, cancer, and dementia.
The scientists argue that Brazil's highly admixed population offers a unique advantage. This genetic diversity provides unparalleled opportunities to uncover protective biological mechanisms that might be missed when studying more homogeneous groups in other parts of the world. "Supercentenarians provide a rare human model of exceptional longevity, marked by unique immune, genetic, and metabolic profiles that support resilience against age-related decline," the researchers noted.
How Are Supercentenarians Biologically Different?
While a definitive answer is still evolving, multiple international studies paint a fascinating picture of what sets these individuals apart. Key findings include:
- Genetic Advantages: A study of people over 105 found specific variants in genes like STK17A and COA1, linked to more efficient DNA repair and fewer somatic mutations. This was later confirmed in a group of 333 centenarians.
- Favorable Biomarkers: Research following 1,224 future centenarians in Sweden revealed they had lower levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid, and certain liver enzymes from as early as age 65, suggesting lifelong genetic or lifestyle benefits.
- Delayed Disease: Studies on Okinawan supercentenarians showed they postponed major diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, cancer, and diabetes, along with physical disabilities, well past the age of 100.
- Unique Immune Systems: Perhaps most intriguing is their distinctive immune profile. Supercentenarians show increased levels of specific immune cells, including differentiated effector memory T cells and elevated natural killer cells. A key feature is the expansion of cytotoxic CD4⁺ T cells, indicating they "deploy unconventional yet effective immunological strategies to maintain surveillance and control over infections and potentially malignant cells late in life."
Brazil's Place on the Global Longevity Map
Data from international organizations like LongeviQuest and the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) solidifies Brazil's prominent status, especially for male longevity. Notably, three of the world's ten longest-lived male supercentenarians are Brazilian.
This includes the world's oldest living man, João Marinho Neto, born on 5 October 1912. His age, 112 years and 52 days, was verified in Apuiarés, Ceará, Brazil, on 26 November 2024 by LongeviQuest in cooperation with his family, a fact also recognized by Guinness World Records.
The phenomenon isn't limited to men. According to LongeviQuest, Brazil also ranks among the top 15 countries for the number of female supercentenarians, surpassing more populous and developed nations like the United States.
Is Longevity Inherited? Clues from Brazilian Families
Evidence from Brazil strongly supports a heritable component to extreme old age. Researchers point to one documented case of a 109-year-old woman whose nieces are aged 100, 104, and 106 years, representing one of the country's longest-lived families ever recorded.
These family clusters are invaluable to science. "These cases can illuminate key biomarkers or protective pathways associated with exceptional longevity," the scientists stated. This aligns with prior evidence showing that siblings of centenarians are 5 to 17 times more likely to reach 100 years themselves, reinforcing the genetic foundations of a long life.
The research underway in Brazil promises to reshape our understanding of aging, offering hope for unlocking biological secrets that could help more people live longer, healthier lives.
