Some people reach 100 despite smoking, skipping workouts, and never following a trendy diet. Scientists wanted to know why.
We all know the supposed formula for living longer.
Eat your vegetables. Exercise regularly. Get enough sleep. Don’t smoke. And maybe stop treating your body like it’s still 22.
Simple enough, right?
But here’s a plot twist.
Some people live well into their 90s and beyond without following many of those rules.
They’ve smoked. They’ve skipped workouts. They’ve never counted a calorie in their lives.
And somehow, they’re still around to celebrate their 100th birthday.
So what’s their secret?
A fascinating study of nearly 500 exceptionally long-lived individuals suggests that genetics may play a particularly important role in helping certain people survive well beyond the average lifespan.
Let’s unpack what scientists discovered — and why it doesn’t mean you should cancel your gym membership.
First, Meet the People Who Seem to Have Won the Genetic Lottery
Researchers examined 477 Ashkenazi Jewish adults aged 95 to 109, with an average age of approximately 97.
These weren’t just people who had reached retirement.
They were people who had outlived most of their generation.
Scientists wanted to answer a surprisingly simple question:
Did these exceptionally long-lived individuals actually live healthier lives than everyone else?
To find out, researchers examined several lifestyle factors, including:
- Smoking history
- Alcohol consumption
- Physical activity
- Body weight and obesity
- Dietary habits
They then compared their findings with historical data from thousands of Americans born around the same period.
The expectation?
Perhaps these exceptionally long-lived individuals had spent decades making healthier choices.
The reality?
Their lifestyles weren’t dramatically different from those of the general population.
And that’s where things got interesting.
Surprise #1: Plenty of Long-Lived People Had Smoked
Smoking is one of the most established preventable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and premature death.
But among the exceptionally long-lived men in this study, nearly 60% reported having smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetime.
Some had smoked for decades.
In fact, male smokers in the longevity group reported an average of approximately 34 years of smoking.
For comparison, about 75% of men in the historical general-population group reported having smoked.
So yes, smoking was less common among the exceptionally long-lived men.
But it certainly wasn’t absent.
Important distinction: This doesn’t mean smoking is harmless or that smokers are likely to live to 100.
It means some individuals managed to reach exceptional ages despite having a history of smoking.
Researchers suspect that certain genetic characteristics may help protect some people against age-related diseases, potentially reducing the consequences of particular risk factors.
Think of it this way:
Two people might encounter similar health risks, but their bodies may not respond in exactly the same way.
Genetics could help explain part of that difference.
Surprise #2: They Weren’t All Fitness Fanatics
You might imagine that someone who lives to 100 spent their younger years walking five miles every morning, practicing yoga, and refusing to take the elevator.
Not necessarily.
Among the exceptionally long-lived participants:
- 43% of men reported regular moderate physical activity.
- 47% of women reported regular moderate physical activity.
Those numbers were not statistically significantly different from the historical comparison group.
In other words, these long-lived individuals weren’t consistently exercising more than everyone else.
But before you trade your running shoes for a recliner, there’s an important catch.
The study didn’t establish that exercise was unnecessary.
It simply found that regular physical activity wasn’t substantially more common among the people who had reached exceptional ages.
Exercise still has substantial evidence supporting its benefits for cardiovascular health, metabolic function, mobility, and overall well-being.
Living longer and living healthier aren’t always the same thing.
And for most of us, physical activity remains one of the most valuable investments in both.
Surprise #3: They Weren’t Following Some Magical Longevity Diet
If social media has taught us anything, it’s that apparently every food is either extending your life or secretly destroying it.
One week it’s intermittent fasting.
The next it’s a Mediterranean diet.
Then someone on the internet announces that eating dinner after 6 p.m. is basically a crime against your mitochondria.
But here’s what researchers found.
The exceptionally long-lived participants weren’t significantly more likely than their peers to report following special diets, including:
- Low-calorie diets
- Low-fat diets
- Low-salt diets
That doesn’t mean nutrition didn’t matter.
The study didn’t comprehensively measure what everyone ate throughout their lives.
Instead, it relied on participants recalling whether they had followed certain dietary patterns.
Still, the findings raise an interesting possibility.
Exceptional longevity may depend on more than simply following the healthiest lifestyle.
For some individuals, inherited biological advantages might make a meaningful difference.
The Genetics Question: Are Some People Born With a Longevity Advantage?
Here’s where the science gets especially interesting.
Researchers have long debated how much of human lifespan is determined by genetics versus lifestyle.
Twin studies have suggested that inherited factors may account for roughly a quarter to a third of variation in lifespan, depending on the population and methods used.
But that estimate may not tell the whole story.
For people who reach exceptionally old ages, genetics may become increasingly important.
Previous research cited in the study found that:
Brothers of centenarians were approximately 17 times more likely to reach 100, while sisters were approximately eight times more likely, compared with their respective controls.
That’s a striking family connection.
Scientists have also identified genetic variations associated with longevity, including genes involved in:
- Cholesterol and lipid metabolism
- Cardiovascular regulation
- Cellular stress responses
- Metabolic health
- Age-related disease susceptibility
One example is FOXO3, a gene involved in cellular stress responses and other processes associated with aging.
But longevity isn’t controlled by one magical gene.
It’s more like a complicated biological orchestra, with numerous genes interacting with environmental exposures, lifestyle choices, and one another.
And some people may have inherited a particularly favorable arrangement.
The Most Interesting Theory: Some Genes Might Buffer Against Health Risks
Imagine two people.
Both have a history of smoking.
Both have similar diets.
Both exercise about the same amount.
Yet one develops cardiovascular disease in their 60s, while the other remains relatively healthy into their 90s.
Why?
One possible explanation is what scientists call a genetic buffering effect.
The idea is that certain protective genetic variations may help offset the harmful effects of other disease-associated genes or environmental exposures.
For example, researchers hypothesize that some longevity-related genes might reduce susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, even when a person has risk factors.
This doesn’t mean those genes eliminate damage.
And the study didn’t demonstrate a specific protective mechanism against smoking or any other unhealthy behavior.
Instead, it supports the possibility that some exceptionally long-lived individuals possess biological advantages that influence how their bodies respond to risk.
Think of it as having an unusually resilient biological defense system.
Not invincible.
Just potentially better equipped to handle certain challenges.
So, What Did the People Who Lived Past 95 Think Their Secret Was?
Researchers asked 293 participants what they believed had contributed to their long lives.
Their answers were surprisingly relatable.
Some credited healthy habits.
Others pointed to their families.
And a few essentially shrugged and credited luck.
Here’s what stood out:
| Possible explanation | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Good genes | 34.6% | 25.3% |
| Diet | 28.0% | 35.4% |
| Physical activity | 15.9% | 31.6% |
| Positive attitude | 16.8% | 24.1% |
| Social or family support | 14.0% | 24.1% |
| Staying busy or active | 8.4% | 20.3% |
| Luck | 7.9% | 8.9% |
Participants could select more than one explanation.
One of the most common answers?
Good genes.
Apparently, some people really do believe they inherited a lifetime membership to the longevity club.
Of course, these were personal beliefs, not scientifically verified explanations for their individual lifespans.
But the answers highlight something important.
People who live exceptionally long lives don’t necessarily attribute their longevity to one specific habit.
Here’s the Catch: This Study Doesn’t Prove Healthy Habits Don’t Matter
Before anyone starts using their 98-year-old, cigarette-smoking grandfather as evidence that health advice is a scam, we need to talk about the study’s limitations.
First, researchers studied people who had already survived to at least 95.
That creates an important issue known as survivorship bias.
The study tells us about people who survived despite various exposures, but not about everyone with similar lifestyles who died much earlier.
Second, much of the lifestyle information depended on participants remembering their habits decades earlier.
And let’s be fair.
Remembering exactly how often you exercised at 70 when you’re now 99 isn’t necessarily easy.
Third, the study focused on a specific population of Ashkenazi Jewish individuals.
Its findings may not apply equally to every population.
Finally, researchers didn’t comprehensively measure every aspect of lifestyle, environment, nutrition, or biological aging.
So while the results are intriguing, they don’t establish that genetics outweigh lifestyle for everyone.
The study suggests that genetics may be especially important among people who achieve exceptional longevity — not that lifestyle is irrelevant.
That’s a very different conclusion.
What Does This Mean for Your Own Longevity?
Here’s the practical takeaway.
You can’t choose the genes you inherited.
But you can influence many of the environmental and lifestyle factors your body encounters.
And while certain individuals may possess genetic advantages that help them live exceptionally long lives, most people shouldn’t assume they’re among them.
Research continues to support several fundamental habits for healthy aging:
1. Stay physically active. Regular movement supports cardiovascular health, muscle strength, mobility, and metabolic function.
2. Eat a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. Dietary patterns emphasizing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and other minimally processed foods are associated with better long-term health outcomes.
3. Avoid smoking. The existence of exceptionally long-lived smokers doesn’t erase the substantial evidence linking smoking to premature death and chronic disease.
4. Prioritize sleep. Adequate sleep helps support numerous processes involved in physical and cognitive health.
5. Manage established health risks. Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, and other modifiable risk factors remain important regardless of family history.
And perhaps most importantly, remember that the goal isn’t simply to collect as many birthdays as possible.
It’s to maintain your ability to enjoy them.
The Bottom Line: Genetics May Deal the Cards, but Lifestyle Still Matters
Some people seem to reach 100 despite making lifestyle choices that would put others at considerable risk.
And research suggests genetics may help explain why.
In this study, exceptionally long-lived individuals didn’t consistently report healthier habits than their peers.
That raises the possibility that some people inherit protective biological characteristics that help them withstand certain age-related health risks.
But exceptional survivors are exactly that.
Exceptional.
For everyone else, healthy habits remain among the most practical tools available for improving the odds of a longer, healthier life.
Because even if you can’t control how many years your genes might give you, you can still make choices that support the quality of those years.
And that’s a longevity strategy worth investing in.
Rajpathak SN, Liu Y, Ben-David O, Reddy S, Atzmon G, Crandall J, Barzilai N. Lifestyle factors of people with exceptional longevity. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011 Aug;59(8):1509-12. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03498.x. Epub 2011 Aug 3. PMID: 21812767; PMCID: PMC6034120.
