Exceptional Longevity: Lessons from Centenarians, Supercentenarians, and Blue Zones

Reaching 100 years of age was once considered a rare biological anomaly. Today, centenarians represent the fastest growing demographic worldwide, and the study of those who live not just long but well into exceptional old age, supercentenarians aged 110 and beyond, has emerged as one of the most compelling frontiers in aging research. These individuals are not merely survivors; they are living models of compressed morbidity, sustained cognitive function, and remarkable resilience against the chronic diseases that burden most aging populations.Complementing this individual level lens, the concept of Blue Zones, geographic regions where exceptional longevity clusters at population scale including Sardinia, Okinawa, Nicoya, Ikaria, and Loma Linda, offers a powerful framework for understanding how lifestyle, environment, social structure, and culture converge to support long and healthy lives. Together, centenarian biology and Blue Zone epidemiology provide a uniquely dual perspective: one grounded in genetics and molecular resilience, the other in the modifiable determinants of population level healthspan.This Research Topic invites contributions that explore the biological, genetic, environmental, and psychosocial foundations of exceptional longevity, including: genomic and epigenomic signatures associated with extreme old age; immune resilience and inflammaging in centenarians and supercentenarians; gut microbiome composition as a mediator of longevity; metabolic and hormonal profiles distinguishing exceptional survivors; cognitive preservation and brain resilience across extreme lifespans; dietary patterns, physical activity, and lifestyle factors common to Blue Zone populations; social connectedness, purpose, and psychological well being as determinants of longevity; demographic and epidemiological analyses of centenarian populations globally; and the role of gene environment interactions in shaping exceptional lifespan.The lessons encoded in those who live longest are among the most powerful we have. As global life expectancy rises and healthspan increasingly lags behind lifespan, understanding what allows some individuals, and some communities, to defy this trajectory is both a scientific imperative and a public health priority. This Research Topic aims to bring the full breadth of longevity science into focus, translating insights from exceptional survivors into strategies that can benefit populations worldwide.We invite submissions of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Perspective, Systematic Review, and Meta-Analysis articles from researchers across geroscience, epidemiology, genetics, nutrition, psychology, and related disciplines. Topic editors: Jay Olshansky, Steven N. Austad, Zhaoli Dai, Jean-Marie Robine, Anne Herm, MICHEL POULAIN Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82268/exceptional-longevity-lessons-from-centenarians-supercentenarians-and-blue-zones