Maria Branyas Morera, the world’s oldest person, died at 117. Yet her extraordinary legacy has inspired a fascination that has sparked the imaginations of scientists and researchers around the globe and throughout history. Born a working-class immigrant Chinese girl in 1907 San Francisco. In 1915 she settled in Catalonia and there lived through remarkable historical events such as two world wars, the Spanish Civil War and lately, the Covid pandemic. Her life holds lessons that can help us understand what contributes to living so long in good health.
Maria Branyas Morera’s extraordinary life was distinguished up until last year by her impressive health and vitality. During her life, we know that she had a relatively healthy diet and lifestyle. Importantly, she wasn’t overweight and she ate a lot of yogurt on a daily basis. She stayed away from tobacco and alcohol, decisions that undoubtedly helped her live so many years.
Dr. Manel Esteller, a prominent researcher studying Branyas Morera’s health, highlighted her genetic advantages, stating, “Maria’s parents gave her very good genes, but we cannot choose our parents.” This genetic foundation was a primary factor in her incredible longevity. Biologically, she was showing detailed signs of extreme old age. Specific cellular and molecular mechanisms spared her from diseases commonly related to senescence.
Branyas Morera’s health journey features a miraculous recovery from Covid-19 at the age of 113. Her strong spirit combined with the impact of her unexpected, acute illness and its ensuing challenges have captivated medical professionals. Esteller pointed out that “these are all critical because they’re linked to diseases that are typical in older people and they kill you at the end.” This revelation brings to light the crucial need to know why some people are able to flourish in spite of the threats that come with aging.
Esteller and his team performed an exhaustive search. In addition, they performed extensive testings of Branyas Morera’s blood, saliva, urine, and stool samples. These tests were designed to complement one another in order to create a holistic biological picture and draw conclusions about the mechanisms behind her exceptional longevity. Curiously, the study found that her telomeres were extremely short, and it turns out this unexpectedly shielded her from developing cancer herself.
According to Esteller, the findings suggest that Branyas Morera’s biological age was at least 10 to 15 years younger than her chronological age. “She was at least 10 to 15 years younger,” he noted. This gap between biological and chronological age provides an important new path for research into aging and longevity.
Now the research team hopes to use these insights to create drugs that can act like these good genes and head off damage before it starts. Esteller remarked on this potential: “We can develop drugs to reproduce the effects of good genes.” Such inventions have the potential to change how our society invests in aging and better health for older adults.
Maria Branyas Morera’s extraordinary life story serves as an inspiration for many, highlighting the blend of genetics, lifestyle choices, and resilience in overcoming life’s adversities. Her scientific knowledge and experience in underserved areas of aging will inform future studies in this realm. We expect this important line of research to directly improve health outcomes for older, diverse populations.