Brazil emerged as an unexpected scenario for studying extreme longevity.
Currently, the South American country hosts a surprising number of people who have surpassed 110 years, despite not appearing in the classic life expectancy rankings.
A recent study published in Genomic Psychiatry placed Brazil in a unique position within research on extreme longevity.
The work, led by geneticist Mayana Zatz from the Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center at the University of São Paulo, gathered data from more than 160 centenarians.
Among them stood out sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, recognized as the oldest person in the world until her death in April 2025 at 116 years.
The cohort also included two of the oldest men on the planet.
The genetic diversity of Brazil, a key factor in extreme longevity
The exceptional genetic diversity of Brazil proved fundamental to explaining this phenomenon.
The Brazilian population is the result of a complex demographic history that began with Portuguese colonization in 1500.
It continued with the forced arrival of nearly four million enslaved Africans.
Then, it expanded with subsequent waves of European and Japanese immigration, leading to an extraordinarily mixed population.
A genomic study of more than 1000 Brazilians over 60 years old revealed 2 million new genetic variants.
More recently, over 8 million genomic variants not described in the Brazilian population were identified.
“This gap is especially limiting in research on extreme longevity, where mixed supercentenarians may harbor unique protective variants invisible in more genetically homogeneous populations,” explained Mateus Vidigal de Castro, first author of the article.
The key: exceptional biological characteristics
The Brazilian supercentenarians exhibited notable biological differences compared to the rest of the population. Their cellular mechanisms showed surprising preservation capabilities:
- Lymphocytes with proteasomal activity comparable to much younger people
- Active autophagy mechanisms that effectively eliminate damaged proteins
- Unusual expansion of CD4+ T cells with cytotoxic functions
- Rare variants in key immune system genes
In a supercentenarian of 116 years, rare variants were identified in genes such as HLA-DQB1, HLA-DRB5, and IL7R.
Variants were also found in genes involved in proteostasis and genomic stability.
The pandemic offered a striking example of this resilience. Three Brazilian supercentenarians survived COVID-19 in 2020, before the arrival of vaccines.
They developed high levels of neutralizing antibodies and markers of an effective innate immune response.
Many came from disadvantaged regions with limited access to modern healthcare.
Extreme male longevity
The statistics are particularly notable in men. Three of the ten longest-lived male supercentenarians in the world are Brazilian, including the oldest man in the world born on October 5, 1912.
Among women, the Brazilian supercentenarians are among the 15 longest-lived in the world. They outnumber those from more populous and developed countries like the United States.
A particular family case stands out: a woman around 110 years old has nieces aged 100, 104, and 106. The eldest, currently 106, was a swimming champion at 100.
Brazilian researchers issued a clear call to international consortia of longevity and genomics.
In particular, they requested to expand recruitment to include ancestrally diverse and mixed populations.
“They embody resilience, adaptability, and resilience, precisely the qualities that biomedical research must unravel if the goal is not only to prolong life expectancy but to improve the quality of life of aging populations,” summarized geneticist Mayana Zatz.
