María Branyas Morera’s Longevity X Factor: Community

The greatest longevity role models are the people who live longest: supercentenarians. Therefore, we at LongeviQuest have been delighted to see widespread interest in a recent study by the University of Barcelona School of Medicine, led by Dr. Manel Esteller, examining the biological factors which powered the 117-year lifespan of María Branyas Morera. We offer an overlooked factor behind her longevity: the people around her.

Two months prior to Dr. Esteller visiting María, my colleagues and I drove to her hometown in the Pyrenees foothills to attend her 116^th birthday party. She had only recently become the world’s oldest person after the death of Lucile Randon, and we had the World’s Oldest Person trophy in hand to present. On our way, we discussed an anomaly that stood out almost as much as her age: María had lived in her nursing home for nearly 30 years. People tend to enter these facilities only when their condition has deteriorated to the point where their families can no longer provide care themselves. It is exceptionally rare for a person to live for decades after entering a nursing home. We were eager to see what made it different for María.

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María Branyas Morera with her daughter Rosa and son-in-law at her 116th birthday party, posing with the World’s Oldest Person trophy. Photo by Thomas Williams (thomwillphoto.com) and Simon Mora (@lacreapro) © LongeviQuest

As we arrived and were led to the party room, we noticed how the halls were decorated with art produced by residents. As we passed rooms, we noticed how each was heavily decorated to the residents’ tastes. This was not a senior center for active adults; this was a nursing home whose residents needed assistance with daily tasks. Given the intensive care the residents required, we were pleasantly surprised to see the staff devote so much time and effort to enriching their lives. It conveyed a sense of permanence rarely seen in these facilities.

Supercentenarians – like all of us – have good days and bad days. When María’s nurse brought her into the room, we could tell we had come on a good day. Her eyes were bright, her voice was strong, and she had a smile across her face throughout our visit. Her daughter Rosa was present, carrying a small microphone linked to earbuds worn by María. Whoever addressed her spoke into the microphone so she could hear more easily.

Hearing loss is one of the most demoralizing aspects of aging. It leaves people physically present but mentally absent, a stranger in a room full of others effortlessly interacting with each other. That was not the case for María. By her family, friends, and caregivers taking a few extra seconds to use her audio device, they kept María in the conversation. She could hear every word, follow every topic. Rather than the bewildered look of a person who can’t hear, we saw tears stream down her cheek as she heard every word of every birthday toast on her behalf.

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Having lived in her nursing home for 30 years, María was the dean of all residents. We watched as one by one, her neighbors recalled memories they shared together and anecdotes about her life. Most of her neighbors were in their 80s or early 90s – a generation younger than María. Is it possible that mingling every day with 85-year-olds kept María young? The friendships she formed were clearly deep and meaningful, a direct product of the staff’s efforts to enrich the lives of their residents with frequent social activities.

At LongeviQuest, across thousands of validated supercentenarians, we have found that there is nearly always a caregiving team who not only keeps them healthy; they help provide them with the will to live. Good genes and healthy diets are necessary but not sufficient. It is also necessary for older people to keep interpersonal connections, to have activities they look forward to every day, and to feel that their continued presence is still valued. Between her family, her fellow residents, and her caregiving team, María Branyas Morera was rich in all three factors.

The Biological Effects of Community

Dr. Esteller’s team noted numerous biological signatures consistent with extreme longevity, including robust mitochondrial function, low inflammation, and high microbiome diversity. They offered some lifestyle explanations for these factors, including her diet. We propose that when studying extreme longevity, researchers must also consider the biological benefits produced by long-term social embeddedness.

Consider her low levels of inflammation. Recent research has linked inflammation to social isolation, adding to a growing body of evidence of the health hazards associated with loneliness. Or consider her diet. While she spent 87 years living outside her care home, the biomarkers were measured after nearly three decades of consistent meals and routines after moving in – enough time for environment to leave a biological imprint. In other words, two of the major biological factors behind her longevity could be directly linked to her living situation.

Longevity is not just about cellular preservation – it’s about the continuity of relationships and life purpose. Beyond her genes and her diet, María Branyas Morera had her family and her community. Her care home didn’t just house her: it sustained her social identity. For extreme longevity, that may be as biologically relevant as nutrition or genetics. To truly understand supercentenarians, we must look not only inside their cells, but also the communities which sustain them biologically and emotionally.