Sardinian village shows high rates of women living to 100

Researchers studying Bolotana, a mountain community in Sardinia, Italy, found women there have a remarkably high chance of living to 100.

An international team investigated the village after noticing a high number of centenarians, six residents were at least 100 years old in 2024, and verified ages using historical records dating back centuries. They estimated women reaching age 70 have a 13.8% chance of living to 100, compared to 3.5% in Italy and 3.6% in the United States.

The study, published in Frontiers in Aging, revealed Bolotana’s pattern differs from Sardinia’s original “blue zone” where men previously showed exceptional longevity. In Bolotana, women demonstrated a stronger survival advantage, with an estimated 21 years of remaining life expectancy after age 70. The researchers ranked Bolotana second only to Hong Kong in both remaining life expectancy and the likelihood of reaching 100 for women.

While Bolotana’s records are reliable, the researchers caution that more observation is needed to confirm its status as a blue zone. They also noted the longevity advantage varied across different time periods analyzed. The team plans further investigation into factors that may contribute to the village’s long lifespans, including physical activity, diet, strong family ties, and genetics.