In a stunning breakthrough, researchers have identified 10 specific blood “markers” that separate centenarians from those who die earlier, allowing them to predict who’s more likely to reach 100 years.
Once considered medical marvels, centenarians are no longer as rare as they once were. In fact, the venerable population – people 100+ years – now represents the fastest-growing age group globally, with their numbers roughly doubling every decade since the 1970s.
This remarkable trend not only reflects advances in healthcare and quality of life – it’s also driving scientists to explore what’s happening inside the bodies of those who live the longest, especially at the microscopic level of blood and biology.
And a groundbreaking long-term study from Sweden may have the answers.
Tracked longevity for decades
Researchers analyzed 44,637 people from Stockholm County using data from a massive population-based resource of clinical lab results. These participants, all born between 1893 and 1920 (ages 64 to 99), had routine blood tests performed between 1985 and 1996. Then came the long wait: participants were tracked for up to 35 years, using national registers that recorded disease, death, and residency status.
Of these people, 1,224 reached the age of 100, with 84.6% being women – consistent with known gender differences in longevity.
But the researchers weren’t just interested in outcomes. They wanted to know if blood markers, taken decades earlier, reveal who would eventually live the longest.
Turns out, yes – at least to some degree.
Extreme values
The scientists looked at 12 routine blood markers. These included:
- Glucose and total cholesterol for metabolic health
- Creatinine for kidney function
- Liver enzymes such as gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LD)
- Iron markers and uric acid, often associated with inflammation
- Albumin, which signals nutritional status
Their conclusions were precise: extreme values – either too high or too low – reduced the odds of reaching 100.
Key findings
“We found that, on the whole, those who made it to their hundredth birthday tended to have lower levels of glucose, creatinine and uric acid from their 60s onwards,” researcher Karin Modig writes in a Live Science article. “For example, very few of the centenarians had a glucose level above 6.5 earlier in life, or a creatinine level above 125.”
The findings revealed that lower levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid, ASAT, GGT, ALP, TIBC (total iron building capacity), and LD were associated with a greater likelihood of becoming a centenarian.
And those with very low levels of total cholesterol or iron “had a lower chance of reaching 100 years as compared to those with higher levels.”
Balanced take on cholesterol and iron
One of the most intriguing elements was the nuance around cholesterol.
“We found that a higher total cholesterol level was associated with a higher chance of becoming centenarian, which stands in contrast to clinical guidelines regarding cholesterol levels but is in line with previous studies showing that high cholesterol is generally favorable for mortality in very old age,” the study reports.
Similarly, very low iron levels were associated with lower odds of reaching 100 – pointing to the importance of maintaining balanced, not extreme lab values.
Genes and lifestyle
According to Modig, the results “suggest a potential link between metabolic health, nutrition and exceptional longevity.”
“The study, however, does not allow any conclusions about which lifestyle factors or genes are responsible for the biomarker values. However, it is reasonable to think that factors such as nutrition and alcohol intake play a role. Keeping track of your kidney and liver values, as well as glucose and uric acid as you get older, is probably not a bad idea,” she explained.
“That said, chance probably plays a role at some point in reaching an exceptional age. But the fact that differences in biomarkers could be observed a long time before death suggests that genes and lifestyle may also play a role,” Modig added.
What this means for you
This isn’t a call to chase perfection in your lab results. It’s a reminder that staying within healthy mid-range values may be more beneficial for long-term health than trying to push certain numbers to their lowest possible levels.
Maintaining normal blood sugar, supporting kidney and liver function, and avoiding both nutrient deficiency and overload may help tip the odds in your favor. Talk with your doctor, track your trends, and focus on sustainable lifestyle changes like improved diet, physical activity, and sleep.
Are you planning on changing your lifestyle so you can try reach 100? Please let us know what you think and then share this story so we can hear from others!
