A terracotta-tiled village in the mountains of Sardinia may offer researchers a rare opportunity to uncover the secrets of exceptional longevity.
A new study co-authored by S. Jay Olshansky , professor emeritus of epidemiology at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health, found that women in the village of Bolotana, on the Italian island of Sardinia, are nearly three times as likely to reach age 100 once having reached the age of 70, as women in the United States. The findings suggest the community could represent a newly identified "blue zone," an area where people live unusually long lives.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined demographic records from the village of about 2,300 residents and found a favorable pattern of survival among older adults, particularly women. Researchers estimated that 13.8% of women in Bolotana who reach age 70 will live to 100, compared with approximately 3.5% of women in Italy and 3.6% of women in the United States.
"What makes Bolotana extraordinary is that it has an incredible historical record that allows us to definitively evaluate ages at birth and death," Olshansky said. "The municipal and baptismal records date back centuries and allowed us to independently verify ages."
The project was supported by National Geographic and involved an international team of researchers.
Exceptional lifespans and record-keeping
The concept of blue zones originated from studies of communities where residents routinely outlive people in surrounding regions. Other blue zones that have been singled out and confirmed by researchers include Okinawa, Japan, and the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica.
To evaluate whether Bolotana meets that standard, researchers assessed two key measures: life expectancy at age 70 and the likelihood that someone who reaches age 70 will survive to age 100. Bolotana first attracted attention because of its unusual concentration of centenarians. In 2024, six people aged 100 or older were living in the village, a prevalence roughly 11 times higher than that of the United States, according to the researchers' estimates.
The team then conducted a deeper analysis using civil records and church archives to reconstruct the life histories of residents across more than a century. The team's age-validation process involved matching birth, death and baptismal records to ensure the accuracy of centenarian ages.
"Every single person that has made it past 100, we can validate," Olshansky said. "There is no ambiguity."
The study documented 38 centenarians among 3,060 people born in Bolotana between 1900 and 1925.
A different kind of Sardinian longevity
Sardinia is already famous among researchers who study aging. The island's original blue zone, identified more than two decades ago, is known for unusually high male longevity. In Bolotana, women emerged as the standout group. Female residents who reached age 70 were estimated to have nearly 21 years of additional life expectancy. Among international longevity benchmarks, Bolotana women ranked second only to Hong Kong in both life expectancy at age 70 and the probability of surviving to age 100.
"Females almost always live longer than males anywhere in the world, but in Sardinia that wasn't the case. It's one of the things that made it so unusual," Olshansky said. "We think this is the longest-lived female population in the world, or close to it."
The findings are particularly notable because some critics have recently argued that reports of extreme longevity are driven by inaccurate records, Olshansky said. Bolotana's extensive municipal and church archives allowed researchers to validate ages through multiple independent sources.
Diet, activity and social bonds
While the study confirms that something unusual is happening in Bolotana, it doesn't explain why. However, the village offers several clues worth further investigation, Olshansky said. Residents live in a highly walkable community with steep streets and hills. Most food is grown locally, including olive oil rich in healthy fats. Families often live close together, and social isolation appears rare.
"You've got this close-knit community where people take care of each other," Olshansky said. "Movement is largely done by walking, not by driving."
Researchers believe factors such as diet, physical activity, family support, social connection and genetics likely all contribute.
For Olshansky, the broader significance extends beyond one Sardinian village.
"If we can identify the characteristics behind this longevity and help people adopt them, the rest of the world can benefit from understanding the values practiced by these communities."
Written by Tess Joosse
