From Live Science:
Maria Branyas Morera was 117 when she died in August 2024 — but aspects of her biology looked much younger, new research finds.
The study could help reveal key factors that help some individuals ward off disease and survive to extremely old ages, scientists say. Before her death in a nursing home in Catalonia, Spain, Branyas held the record for the world’s oldest living person for about a year and a half. Now, a study of urine, blood, stool and saliva samples collected from Branyas in the last year of her life reveals she had a number of factors that potentially protected her against disease. These include genes associated with immune function, fantastic cholesterol levels, and a high level of inflammation-fighting bacteria in her gut.