The "Healthy Living" channel on MSN.com in the U.S. has summarized seven surprising signs of longevity.
1. Multiple long-lived relatives. The New England Centenarian Study by Boston University School of Medicine found that half of centenarians had parents, siblings, or grandparents who lived past 90. The study indicates that direct blood relatives have the strongest influence on lifespan—siblings and parents impact your longevity more than cousins.
2. Walking fast and far.Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh studied 35,000 individuals over 65 and found that for every 0.1-meter-per-second increase in walking speed, the risk of death decreased by 12%. A 2006 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that among those aged 70 to 79, individuals unable to walk 400 meters had a remaining life expectancy of less than six years and a higher likelihood of disability.
3. Maintain an active social life. Leslie Martin, a psychology professor in the United States, noted that women with religious beliefs tend to live longer because religion fosters their social connections. He added that individuals with close social ties to family, friends, and colleagues also enjoy greater longevity.
4. Women outlive men. In 2010, women accounted for 85% of the 80,000 centenarians in the United States.Scientists speculate that women's lower risk of heart disease, combined with men's higher smoking rates and accident rates, may explain this phenomenon. However, the good news is that male centenarians are typically healthier than female centenarians and less prone to disability.
5. Having children after age 35. The New England Centenarian Study found that women who gave birth after age 40 were four times more likely to reach 100 than other women. Those who had natural births after age 35 also lived longer. Scientists believe late childbearing may indicate slower aging of the reproductive system, with similar effects on the rest of the body.
6. Birth year impacts lifespan. A 2011 UK government report stated that boys and girls born in 2011 had a 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 chance of reaching 100, respectively. For those turning 20 in 2011, the odds were 19.5% for men and 26.6% for women. Among 50-year-olds, the probabilities were 14.6% for men and 10% for women.
7. Moderate anxiety. Leslie Martin notes that pessimistic individuals prone to self-blame tend to have shorter lifespans. Conversely, moderate anxiety reduces mortality risk by 50% across all age groups. Moderately anxious individuals avoid impulsivity and risk-taking, maintaining structured lives—all factors conducive to longevity.