This feature has been observed in top athletes (who live longer) and “super-centenarians” and reinforces the idea that the increase in life expectancy is limited.
Researchers from the Institute for Biomedical Research and Sport Epidemiology (Irmes) analyzed the medical data of 1,205 global “super-centenarians” (125 men and 1,080 women) born from 1899 and died in 2013.
To complete their research, the scientists also analyzed the medical data of 19,012 athletes who had participated in the Olympic Games since 1896 (date of the first Olympic Games) and died in 2013. Indeed, these athletes have a life expectancy longer than their fellow citizens.
There is a cap on life expectancy
“There is a kind of plateau among Olympic athletes from 80 to 85 years old, while among super-centenarians the ceiling is established around 115 years old” explains Juliana Antero-Jacquemin, the co-author researcher study.
“The results of this study suggest that there is a physiological barrier in the process of being reached, at the crossroads of the interactions between a constant genetic heritage and a deteriorating environment” underlines Juliana Antero-Jacquemin. “This strengthens the case for a limited lifespan.”
“As the number of people studied is relatively small and the observation period limited, the observed trend could therefore only be transitory” conclude the researchers.
Europeans live on average to be 76 years old. Although there are significant disparities, nine of the ten countries with the highest life expectancy in the world are in Europe, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).
This report also reveals that Europeans have gained no less than five years oflife expectancy in 30 years, going from 71 years in 1980 to 76 years in 2010.
However, the WHO remains less optimistic for the years to come: the economic crisis and its consequences could put the progress made to the test. “A possible scenario that would consist of economic or social crises being coupled with cuts in health spending,” she concludes.
