New England Centenarian Study

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The New England Centenarian Study is a study of persons aged 100 and over (centenarians) in the Boston area. It's is one of the oldest, largest and most prestigious studies in the USA and the world.^[1] The study began in 1994 and was originally focused on research into Alzheimer's. However, it soon became apparent that most centenarians did not have Alzheimer's even though other forms of dementia were common. So it transitioned into finding out why some people can live to 100 and others don't. Some findings included that centenarians had natural advantages, including large blood-platelet size. Studies for genes managed to identify only one major gene associated with longevity. Researchers are now investigating more detailed genetic analysis including epigenetics. Formerly located at Harvard University, it is now located at Boston University. The study is led by Dr. Tom Perls.