So-called ‘SuperAgers’ Live Much Longer Than Most of Us Thanks to This One Common Trait

As you age, experts say your health begins to decline along with your cognitive skills. Yet, there are rare cases of folks 80 years and up who have never lost a beat — and they even have a name!

“SuperAgers” are octogenarians and older with the same memory ability as a person in their 20s or 30s. Black people generally have a lower life expectancy than white folks, according to Every CRS Report, yet some Black folks live way past expectancy — like Susannah Mushatt Jones, who lived to be 116 years old, or Johanna Mazibuko, who died at 128.

Now, we’re spilling the tea on their key to a long, healthy life.

Research into this phenomenon has only been active since 2000, so there’s still plenty more to learn about super-agers. But while everyone seems to be asking “How do they live so long?” the answer isn’t as cut and dry as you might think.

There’s no secret formula. SuperAgers don’t all share the same diet nor do they take the same medicine, research shows. So far, experts have only linked one common trend: “how they view the importance of social relationships,” Sandra Weintraub, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, told the New York Times. “And personality wise, they tend to be on the extroverted side.”

With this in mind, practicing healthier lifestyles — especially those practiced by SuperAgers — could be beneficial. For the oldest people in society, human interaction is more vital than ever.

“It is difficult to convince people to go to the gym or commit to work out on a regular basis. But they may be willing to reach out to acquaintances, attend an organized group event, or talk to the barista who serves them at their favorite coffee shop,” said Karen Fingerman, a professor of human development and family sciences at UT Austin and the director of the university’s new Texas Aging & Longevity Center. “Socializing in these contexts also can increase physical activity and diverse behaviors in ways that benefit health without necessarily working up a sweat.”

The CDC reported social connection can help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases and illness, including heart disease, depression, stroke and dementia — all of which are issues plaguing the Black community. According to research, Black people are more prone to Alzheimer’s, the progressive brain disorder and that most common form of dementia.

Normally, aging adults lose 2.24 percent in brain volume each year, but in super-agers, the rate is much slower. Northwestern Medicine found SuperAgers lose about 1.06 percent every year. “Because SuperAgers lose brain volume more slowly than their peers, they may be better protected from dementia,” according to the school’s website.

Most 80-year-olds have signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains, the Times reported, but some SuperAgers reported having little to none. There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, and family history, lifestyle and environmental factors all play a role in its development. Still, suggestive methods to lower the risk of the disease are notably similar to the methods many Super-agers say they use.

Consistent social interaction has been linked to better quality of sleep, healthier diet and happier individuals. For Black elderly people, many of whom have already lived a long life shadowed by racism and other adversities, simply spending time with other humans can help curve further damage.