title: Centenarians' offspring as a model of healthy aging: a reappraisal of the data on Italian subjects and a comprehensive overview.
abstract: Within the scenario of an increasing life expectancy worldwide it is mandatory to identify determinants of healthy aging. Centenarian offspring (CO) is one of the most informative model to identify trajectories of healthy aging and their determinants (genetic and environmental), being representative of elderly in their 70th whose lifestyle can be still modified to attain a better health. This study is the first comprehensive investigation of the health status of 267 CO (mean age: 70.2 years) and adopts the innovative approach of comparing CO with 107 age-matched offspring of non-long-lived parents (hereafter indicated as NCO controls), recruited according to strict inclusion demographic criteria of Italian population. We adopted a multidimensional approach which integrates functional and cognitive assessment together with epidemiological and clinical data, including pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and adipokines, lipid profile, and insulin resistance. CO have a lower prevalence of stroke, cerebral thrombosis-hemorrhage, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and other minor diseases, lower BMI and waist circumference, a better functional and cognitive status and lower plasma level of FT4 compared to NCO controls. We conclude that a multidimensional approach is a reliable strategy to identify the health status of elderly at an age when interventions to modify their health trajectory are feasible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES) and Interdepartmental Centre "L. Galvani" (CIG), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES) and Interdepartmental Centre "L. Galvani" (CIG), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ostan
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES) and Interdepartmental Centre "L. Galvani" (CIG), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cevenini
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES) and Interdepartmental Centre "L. Galvani" (CIG), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pini
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES) and Interdepartmental Centre "L. Galvani" (CIG), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scurti
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health (DISCCO), University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy.|Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Research, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Cusano Milanino (MI) 20095, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health (DISCCO), University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy.|Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Research, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Cusano Milanino (MI) 20095, Italy.|Geriatric Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology and Medical and Forensic Biotechnologies, University of Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Calogero
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sansoni
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, and Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Center for Applied Biomedical Sciences, St Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Flaminia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fanelli
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, and Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Center for Applied Biomedical Sciences, St Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pasquali
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistical Sciences "Paolo Fortunati", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gueresi
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES) and Interdepartmental Centre "L. Galvani" (CIG), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical, Experimental and Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Monti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male
keywords: age-related diseases; aging/longevity; centenarians' offspring; health status; inflammaging