A study conducted by Research Group on Statistics, Econometrics, and Health (GRECS) at the University of Girona (UdG) and the Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute (IDIAPJGol) compares the most common blood biomarkers in centenarians and non-centenarians. The study also observes that, in addition to blood biomarkers, socioeconomic status must be taken into account to explain why some people live past 100.
People who live past 100 have low levels of glucose, creatinine, and uric acid in their blood. This is according to a study led by GRECS researchers (Manuel A. Moreno, Marc Saez, and Maria A. Barceló) and Josep Vidal Alaball, from the Central Catalonia Research Support Unit of IDIAPJGol and the Catalan Institute of Health of Central Catalonia. This study compared lifelong biomarkers between those who do not reach maturity and those who do. However, the authors of the study, published in the journal Biogerontology, observe that blood biomarkers only explain part of the phenomenon and that social factors, in addition to biological factors, must be considered.
The results show that certain intermediate levels of ferritin and cholesterol, as well as low levels of glucose, creatinine, and uric acid, are associated with a greater likelihood of living past 100. They also highlight the fundamental role of properly controlling blood glucose levels, measured fasting and using glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), as a key indicator for survival in very old age. However, the researchers emphasize that biological factors are not sufficient to explain longevity. The study shows that many centenarians came from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds: 24% of the centenarians analyzed were exempt from healthcare co-payments—an indicator of poverty—compared to only 3.8% of non-centenarians. Furthermore, a significant proportion of the centenarians studied resided in urban areas with high levels of inequality: almost 30% lived in areas with high Gini indices—a measure of inequality in income distribution. Despite these adverse conditions, these individuals achieved exceptional longevity thanks to factors such as biological resilience, their community environment, and a healthy lifestyle.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was observed that people who experienced an improvement in their biomarkers were more likely to live longer, reinforcing the hypothesis of a possible biological and social resilience.
This is the first study to analyze the relationship between changes in biomarkers and longevity during the pandemic and to simultaneously incorporate data at the individual and contextual levels to control for potential confounding factors.
Manuel A. Moreno, a researcher at GRECS (UdG) and IDIAPJGol, and the first author of the study, emphasizes that "longevity does not only depend on clinical values, but also on the environment where we live and how we adapt. It is a multifactorial process that combines biology, behavior, and social conditions."
Study reference
Moreno MA, Vidal-Alaball J, Saez M, Barceló MA. Blood-based biomarkers in centenarians and non-centenarians: a matched, population-based retrospective cohort study using primary care records in Catalonia, Spain. Biogerontology. 2025 May 26;26(3):115. doi: 10.1007/s10522-025-10258-3. PMID: 40418402; PMCID: PMC12106579.