Brazilian researchers from the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) have found that the ethnic mixing of Brazil’s population may be a positive factor for longevity and quality of life, according to a study published on Tuesday (6) in the journal Genomic Psychiatry.
The research began during the pandemic, analyzing three people over the age of 110 who recovered from Covid-19. The study now examines 160 individuals aged 95 or older, including 20 supercentenarians (over 110 years old).
"We want to understand how someone lives past 100, often remaining active and lucid, while others of the same age are bedridden," said Mateus Vidigal, the study’s lead author. Participants undergo interviews, blood tests and annual genetic analyses.
Researchers sequenced the genomes of all participants and found that some longevity-related genes previously identified in European populations are also present among Brazilians, though with genetic specificities linked to ethnic mixing.
At present, the world’s oldest man is João Marinho Neto, a 113-year-old native of Brazil’s Ceará state.