Seong Lim, PhD

A woman lived to 117 without cancer, cardiovascular disease, or neurodegenerative disease. What does her biology look like? Her telomeres were exceptionally short, and her blood and immune cells showed clear signs of aging. Yet her epigenetic age was approximately 23 years younger than her chronological age. She also had very low inflammation, protective genetic variants, and a diverse gut microbiome. She followed a Mediterranean diet, ate plenty of yogurt, walked, gardened, read, played piano, slept well, and remained socially active too. We can’t derive a longevity formula from one exceptional person, but I think her biology offers a fascinating glimpse of how aging and disease may become uncoupled.