Health status characteristics and aging determinants of centenarians in Colombia: a real-life expanded cohort profile description

BACKGROUND: The study of centenarians from a biopsychosocial perspective would allow for understanding the complex interactions among biological, psychological, and social factors, and their impact on defining a healthy aging phenotype in settings with specific conditions. The aim of this study was to describe the baseline characteristics of a centenarian cohort across demographics, clinical, functional, cognitive, and biological measures. METHODS: This report outlines the Colombian Centenarian Project and the variables used to assess their overall clinical status (including prior chronic diseases) and specific conditions (such as cognitive status and quality of life), as well as the biological variables assessed. RESULTS: A total of 160 centenarians were included, with a median age of 101 years; 72% were women. Most participants (77%) were from low or very low socioeconomic backgrounds, and only 5% had completed at least secondary education. Neurological disorder was the most prevalent chronic disease (24%), followed by arterial hypertension (22%) and cardiovascular disease (17%). A total of 56 centenarians (35%) were free of any age-related chronic disease. Frailty/pre-frailty and sarcopenia were highly prevalent, affecting 98% and 75% of participants, respectively. A favorable self-perceived health status was reported by 62%, and 86% exhibited positive satisfaction with life. 47% had no dementia/questionable dementia, whereas 45% of centenarians were independent or mildly dependent. CONCLUSIONS: We present a real-life baseline study on centenarians. Our findings contribute to understanding extreme longevity and may facilitate future studies, progress in healthcare, lifestyle decisions, and societal policies that benefit long-lived people.