Church and family kept her centered, but a son s service in the war drove her to cigarettes. People who have lived past 100 are being studied for their secrets. Just one in 10,000 Americans have lived a century. They re the fastest growing age group, and by 2050 when the oldest baby boomers would reach 100 there could be nearly a million people that age or older, the Census Bureau says. An exact number is expected in June.
Scientists record what the centenarians eat, what they don t and how they ve handled stress.
Children, siblings and spouses are also part of the research, to see what makes their elders different from people who share their genes, or their environments. So far, centenarians have shattered myths, and raised more questions about extreme old age. They are avoiding or delaying these diseases. We ve got to find out how and why they do that. So far, genes that extend life have only been identified among insects.