14 Comments

Women outnumber the men! I didn’t know that. In Sardinia I believe the male centenarians outnumber the women and it’s unusual. Is that right?

Expand full comment

Interesting. I wonder if other countries have more centenarians? I read this in the NYT this weekend: despite spending the highest percentage of its G.D.P. on health care among O.E.C.D. nations, the United States has a life expectancy years lower than comparable nations—the U.K. and Canada— and a rate of preventable death far higher.

Grandma Kay is a sterling example of living well.

Expand full comment

Yes! Dan Buettner has written a book on this, and has a Web site called the "Blue Zones," which highlights the 7 (or 9, perhaps its been expanded) regions of the world that have the highest concentration of centenarians. They include: Barbagia region of Sardinia, Ikaria, Greece, the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, Calif.; Okinawa, Japan, among others.

Expand full comment

Thanks! I appreciate it. Glad you found it useful. 😊

Expand full comment

Thanks, Phil. That means a lot!

Expand full comment

Thanks Cherie! About two years. 😊

Expand full comment

Interesting point that good habits as well as good genetics run in families. Thanks for writing this useful piece I just subscribed.

Expand full comment

My Grandmother lived to be 100 and Grandfather 99. Both had a Mediterranean diet for the most part. My other grandparents 97 and 89 still old. My parents only 63 and 74. So there is no guarantee in life

Expand full comment

Always a wonderful item to read. Very well written and looking forward to the book

Phil

Expand full comment

I enjoy reading Dr Perls advice. I have done the test on his site and currently I am aiming for is 103. I also believe in inherited genes as well as habits. I wrote about my inherited habits last week: https://robyneveringham.substack.com/p/a-legacy-of-habits

Expand full comment

That's great! I'm looking forward to reading it Robyn!

Expand full comment

Very interesting, Kevin. How long has Grandma Kay been part of the study?

Expand full comment

I've wondered about these statistics, but I just hope we aren't outliving our welcome! Nice summary here of the varied reasons we seem to last!

Thanks! Liz

Expand full comment

That's an interesting question about "outliving our welcome." I would imagine signs of depression would be visible, but I don't think that would be so much associated with the champions of longevity, but more with people who have chronic diseases that lead to slow deaths. I have some experience with that, but not with Grandma Kay.

Expand full comment