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A study published in Frontiers in Aging estimates that 13.8% of women in Bolotana, Sardinia, who reach age 70 will live to 100, compared with about 3.5% in Italy and 3.6% in the United States. Researchers verified ages using civil and church records, but the study does not explain the survival pattern or establish what causes it.
The team estimated that 13.8% of Bolotana women who reach 70 live to 100. The comparable estimates were about 3.5% for women in Italy and 3.6% for women in the United States. Women in Bolotana who reached 70 had an estimated nearly 21 additional years of life expectancy.
Researchers reconstructed residents’ life histories using civil records and church archives, matching birth, death and baptismal documents to check ages. They documented 38 centenarians among 3,060 people born in the village between 1900 and 1925. The team also estimated that six residents aged 100 or older were living there in 2024, a prevalence about 11 times the U.S. rate, according to the researchers.
The study was co-authored by S. Jay Olshansky, professor emeritus of epidemiology at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health. It assessed life expectancy at age 70 and the chance that a person reaching that age would survive to 100. The authors’ comparisons place Bolotana women second only to Hong Kong on both measures among international longevity benchmarks discussed in the report.
A New Lead in Female Longevity
The findings draw attention to a population that could help researchers investigate why some women survive to very advanced ages. Bolotana is notable within Sardinia, an island already studied for longevity: its previously identified blue zone has been associated with unusually high male longevity, while the new study’s standout pattern is among women.
The data may also contribute to debate about whether exceptionally old ages reported in some communities are accurate. In this case, the researchers say they checked ages against multiple independent historical records. That verification strengthens confidence in the reported ages, although it does not by itself establish what factors produced the survival rates.
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How Bolotana Entered the Study
Blue zones are communities identified by researchers for unusually long lives compared with surrounding populations. The concept has been applied to places including Okinawa, Japan, and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. Sardinia’s original blue zone was identified more than two decades ago and became known for high male longevity.
Bolotana drew researchers’ attention after its concentration of centenarians stood out. They then analyzed records covering more than a century, including municipal documents and church archives. The study, by Giovanni Mario Pes and colleagues, was published in Frontiers in Aging in 2026.
““What makes Bolotana extraordinary is that it has an incredible historical record that allows us to definitively evaluate ages at birth and death.””
— S. Jay Olshansky, study co-author
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Causes Remain Unanswered
The study identifies an unusual pattern of late-life survival, but it does not determine why Bolotana women live so long. Olshansky pointed to local food, walking, close family ties, social connection and genetics as factors that may contribute. The research does not establish the effect of any one factor or show that the village’s habits caused the survival differences.
The estimates describe populations and historical records; they do not predict an individual’s lifespan. The report also does not provide enough detail to assess how the findings may vary across generations or how the village compares with every population worldwide.
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Research Into Local Factors
Further research would need to test possible explanations, including diet, activity, family support, social ties and genetics, and examine how those factors relate to survival over time. The researchers’ next task is to identify which features, if any, help account for Bolotana’s pattern.
For now, the study offers a carefully checked demographic finding and a potential site for further investigation. Whether Bolotana meets broader criteria for a blue zone, and whether its characteristics can inform health or community choices elsewhere, remains to be established.
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Key Questions
What did the study find about women in Bolotana?
Researchers estimated that 13.8% of women who reach age 70 in Bolotana live to 100. They estimated the corresponding shares at about 3.5% in Italy and 3.6% in the United States.
Is Bolotana confirmed as a blue zone?
No. The study suggests the village may be a new blue zone, a term for communities with unusually long lives. Further work is needed to establish how it fits that description.
How did researchers verify residents’ ages?
They matched civil, birth, death and baptismal records with church archives to check ages, including those of people who reached 100.
What explains the longevity pattern?
The study does not identify a cause. Researchers have proposed that diet, walking, social connection, family support and genetics may play roles, but those possibilities need further investigation.
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