# Centenarian

A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100 or more. Centenarians are a key research group in longevity research. Why? Because they tend to delay or escape the major age-related diseases. Studies look at what lets them do it: their genes, their lifestyle, and their environment. Two famous ones are the New England Centenarian Study and Japan's Okinawa Centenarian Study. This work probes what gives a rare few an exceptional lifespan and healthspan, the kind you might hope for.

## Sources

- Sebastiani P, Perls TT. (2012). The genetics of extreme longevity: lessons from the New England Centenarian Study. Frontiers in Genetics. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2012.00277
- Christensen K, Johnson TE, Vaupel JW. (2006). The quest for genetic determinants of human longevity: challenges and insights. Nature Reviews Genetics. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg1871

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_Canonical: https://longevity-switzerland.com/en/glossary/centenarian · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_