# Supercentenarian

A supercentenarian is a person verified to have reached the age of 110 or more. The 110-plus threshold and the term were popularized mainly by L. Stephen Coles, founder of the Gerontology Research Group. The demographer James Vaupel added complementary validation work, through MPIDR and the International Database on Longevity. At any one time, the group numbers only a few hundred people worldwide. They are studied for genetic resilience, for 'morbidity compression' late in life, and as a benchmark against unverified age claims, the kind you should treat with skepticism.

## Sources

- Young RD, Epstein L, Coles LS. (2010). Living and all-time world longevity record-holders over the age of 110. Rejuvenation Research. https://doi.org/10.1089/rej.2010.1145

---

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