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Longevity research in Sardinia

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2026-10-08 07:54 UTC → 2026-10-10 18:53 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Sardinia is recognized as one of the world’s five ‘Blue Zones,’ regions noted for the exceptional longevity of inhabitants, often attributed to plant-centered diets. Recent research has identified the village of Bolotana as a potential new ‘Blue Zone’ due to an exceptional concentration of centenarians. A study published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Aging’ by experts from the University of Sassari and the University of Illinois Chicago highlights that women in Bolotana who reach age 70 have a 13.83% probability of living to 100. This rate ranks second globally, trailing only Hong Kong, and is significantly higher than the Italian average of approximately 3.54%. This probability is more than triple that of women in the United States. Demographic analysis of records from 1900 to 1925 showed the village's extreme longevity index was roughly 57% higher than Italian comparison values for that period. More recent data from 2021 to 2025 indicates that a 70-year-old woman in Bolotana can expect to live an additional 20.85 years on average. Epidemiologist S. Jay Olshansky noted that the village’s female population may be among the longest-living in the world. While men in Bolotana also live longer than the Italian national average, the pattern is much less pronounced; men reaching 70 have a 4.92% chance of reaching 100. Researchers continue to investigate whether this longevity is driven by a combination of genetic predisposition, active lifestyles, local diets, and strong social cohesion, suggesting the existing Blue Zone in Sardinia may be expanding beyond its traditionally recognized areas. Further investigation into the Bolotana phenomenon suggests that historical endogamy may have stabilized genetic variants that protect against cardiovascular and tumor diseases.

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