Centenarians Have Fewer Diseases, Develop Them More Slowly

Follow Drugslib on

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com

via HealthDay

FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2025 -- Centenarians have lower overall disease burden, delayed onset of multiple conditions, and fewer cooccurring diseases over time, according to a study published online in the September issue of eClinicalMedicine.

Yuge Zhang, from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues conducted a nationwide historical prospective study including all 274,108 individuals born in Sweden between 1920 and 1922, tracking their age for up to 30 years starting from age 70 years. Using national health registers, disease trajectories of centenarians were compared to those of shorter-lived peers.

The researchers found that compared with noncentenarians, centenarians had fewer diagnosed conditions and accumulated diseases at a slower rate. In all age groups, cardiovascular diseases were the most common diagnoses but contributed less to the overall disease burden among centenarians. In contrast, a relatively larger share of their disease profile was accounted for by malignancies. Among centenarians, neuropsychiatric conditions were consistently less common, showing the largest relative difference across all ages. Fewer co-occurring diseases were seen among centenarians, and they were more likely to have conditions confined to a single disease group.

"Our results challenge the widespread belief that a longer life inevitably means more diseases," coauthor Karin Modig, Ph.D., also from the Karolinska Institutet, said in a statement. "We show that centenarians follow a distinct aging curve, with slower disease progression and greater resistance to common age-related diseases."

Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2025-08-16 12:00

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords