Additional Coverage:
World’s Oldest Person’s Dying Wish Leads to Insights on Longevity
Maria Branyas Morera, who held the title of the world’s oldest living person, passed away in August 2024 at the remarkable age of 117. Her final days were marked by a fervent wish: to contribute to scientific understanding for the benefit of future generations.
“Señora Branyas told us: ‘Please study me so I can help others,'” Dr. Manel Esteller, chair of genetics at the University of Barcelona School of Medicine, shared in a recent news release. “And she has!”
Researchers, whose findings were published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, delved into the factors behind Branyas Morera’s extraordinary lifespan. They discovered a unique combination of a healthy lifestyle, a robust gut microbiome rich in beneficial bacteria, and specific genetic predispositions linked to longevity.
“Though we found that healthy aging is a highly individualized process without any one major feature involved — rather, it is many small factors working together — we think that being able to show so clearly the characteristics that lead to healthy, as opposed to unhealthy, aging will be advantageous in the future for all, both young and old,” Dr. Esteller explained.
Born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907, Branyas Morera moved to Spain at the age of eight. Her life spanned monumental historical events, including two world wars, the Spanish Civil War, and two global pandemics — the Spanish flu and, notably, COVID-19, which she contracted and fully recovered from at the age of 113.
Her exceptional health and longevity, researchers concluded, were partly attributable to her daily habits. She adhered to a Mediterranean diet, consciously avoiding excessive fats and processed sugars. She also maintained regular physical activity through walking until her advanced age made it too difficult, and abstained from both tobacco and alcohol.
A key dietary component for Branyas Morera was yogurt, which contributed to a gut microbiome teeming with Bifidobacterium. This beneficial bacteria is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, which can play a crucial role in slowing the aging process.
Furthermore, genetic analysis revealed that Branyas Morera carried specific genetic variants that mitigated her risk for common age-related ailments such as high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer, and dementia.
“Our results have helped us identify factors that may help many older people live longer, healthier lives,” Dr. Esteller stated, pointing to the identification of genes associated with healthy longevity as potential new targets for drug development.
However, other experts caution against drawing definitive conclusions from a single individual’s experience. Immaculata De Vivo, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, emphasized the importance of distinguishing between individual cases and large-scale population studies.
While genetics and lifestyle undeniably influence health, De Vivo noted that “disease causation is generally a matter of probabilities rather than absolutes.” This suggests that alongside meticulous lifestyle choices and beneficial genetics, an element of good fortune likely played a role in Branyas Morera’s remarkable journey through 117 years of life.