A Sign Identified by Scientists to Indicate an Augmented Risk of Dementia

Jeanne Calment, 122 years old. The woman who met Vincent van Gogh and caught the invention of the Internet. The life of Jeanne Calment, amazing in duration and content, lasted 122 years – a record of all documented cases. The secret of her longevity is her passionate love for sports. Madame Kalman pedaled a bicycle for almost a century, leaving her favorite pastime only after her 100th birthday. But the will, perhaps, was not her strong feature: she managed to quit smoking only at the age of 117.

Kane Tanaka, 118 years old. The oldest person alive, Kane Tanaka, seems to still be with us to challenge stereotypes. The seventh of eight children, she was born prematurely. At 103, Kane defeated bowel cancer, recovering after a complex five-hour operation. She calls sound sleep, family support and the ability to always hope for the best the secrets of her longevity.

Sarah Knauss, 119 years old. American Sarah Knauss survived two world wars, the Great Depression, the first manned flight to the moon, and the administration of 23 presidents. For most of her life, the American centenarian has been a housewife. For 119 years, Sarah Knauss came up with a very simple recipe for a happy life – do not get upset over trifles. She probably taught this to her only daughter, who managed to live more than 100 years.

Maria Meyer, 117 years old. The Canadian centenarian has been married twice and managed to give birth to 10 children. She did not adhere to a strict regimen and a healthy lifestyle: she smoked until the age of 90 and sometimes could drink a little wine or beer. Maria Meyer called diligence her main secret of a long life. (She is not pictured.)

Jiroemon Kimura, 116 years old. The oldest man who ever lived, Kimura worked at the post office for 45 years and took up farming in retirement. A passionate fan of sumo competitions, he tried to live life to the fullest as long as possible. Until the last day, Kimura was surrounded by the care of relatives and never lived in a nursing home. Sharing the secrets of longevity, he talked about moderation in food and the importance of physical activity.

Christian Mortensen, 115 years old. It is believed that married men live longer, but Christian Mortensen refutes such statistics: he divorced at a young age and never married again. A Dane by birth, Mortensen immigrated to America at the age of 21 and tried all possible professions: from a tailor to an agricultural worker. He spent the last 25 years of his life in a nursing home, loved to listen to the radio and sing along to his favorite hits. Mortensen drank only pure water, but liked to smoke a cigar occasionally. Throughout his life, he maintained an excellent sense of humor: having learned that because of Maria Meyer he would not receive the title of the oldest inhabitant of the Earth, he joked that the organizers deliberately annoyed him on the eve of his birthday. (Drawing by him.)

Violet Brown, 117 years old. Violet Brown is the last of Queen Victoria’s subjects. Together with her husband, she worked on a sugar cane farm, and later as a cemetery caretaker. A parishioner of the Baptist church and mother of six children, she claimed that the main secret of her longevity was a righteous life and … coconut sauce!

Maria Esther de Capovilla, 116 years old. The long-liver from Ecuador came from an aristocratic family. Mary Esther’s life passed in prosperity and comfort. The woman married a military officer of Italian origin and bore him five children, only three of them survived their mother. Maria Esther de Capovilla spent her old age in the house of her eldest daughter Irma, she was actively interested in life around her: she looked through the headlines and watched TV. Until the last days, the long-liver ate at the common table with her family, deftly using a fork and knife. Maria Esther never smoked or drank strong drinks, Irma calls her calmness and poise the main secret of her mother’s long life.

Suzanne Mushat Jones, 116 years old. Miss Susie, as her relatives and friends affectionately called her, was the third of 11 children in a family of farmers, among the ancestors of the centenarian were Native American Indians. Suzanne Jones couldn’t afford the teacher education she dreamed of. Instead, she began working for wealthy families as a private nanny. She later used part of her salary to start the Calhoun Club, a scholarship fund for African-American students at her high school. It’s ironic, but the woman who raised 100 nieces and nephews and worked as a nanny for many years never had children of her own. Already in her old age, Miss Susie preferred to sleep 10 hours a day and never started the day without bacon and eggs.

Eva Morris, 114 years old. The fate of the British centenarian was not easy: she survived her husband by 70 years, and her only son by 25. All her life, Eva Morris worked as a housekeeper, lived in her own apartment until she was 107 years old. She spent only the last 7 years of her life in a nursing home. In an interview with reporters, she frankly talked about the fact that she worked hard throughout her life and was not against sometimes sipping a little whiskey. From physical exercises, she preferred cycling and long walks.