An in-depth health study that looked at Costa Rican’s over-100 population – in particular the notable cluster of centenarians on Guanacaste’s Nicoya Peninsula – has found some remarkable results.

Specialists from the Costa Rican Social Security Agency’s (CCSS) National Geriatrics and Gerontology Hospital visited the elderly in their homes and for the first time gathered data to gauge their physical health, as well as other contributors to their well-being.

“The health conditions of the centenarians are surprising. Despite their longevity, most are independent, get around on their own, and hear and see well,” said Fernando Morales Martínez, director of the gerontology hospital.

The Costa Rican Nicoya Peninsula in the northern province of Guanacaste is considered one of the world’s five “blue zones” along with Sardinia in Italy, Ikaria in Greece, Okinawa Island in Japan and Loma Linda in California – places with disproportionately high numbers of over-100 residents.

On field visits in July to Guanacaste, researchers discovered the outstanding case of María Norberta Marchena Diaz, a 102-year-old woman who attended her own 12 births. She discussed with the doctors how prior to the births she sterilized water, then after the births removed the placenta, cut off the umbilical cord, and then took care of herself and each of her newborns.

The researchers hope to better understand the factors that aid in this population’s health and longevity, and possibly find ways to include these aspects in the rest of Costa Rica’s territory, said the CCSS.

Some of the most notable aspects of centenarian’s lives include, “Their spirituality, the network of family support, and the simplicity of their lives. The majority of this population has dedicated their lives to working in the fields, and the great majority live on a barebones state retirement plan,” said the researchers.

So far, 42 people over the age of 100 have been identified to form part of the study. One participant, Doña Crescencia Pérez Carrillo, 106, told doctors, “I’m fine – all I have is old age.”

Participants are examined in their homes by geriatric doctors, one who does individual biometric evaluations, and the other who collects data on people’s environment and social surroundings.

 

The study received support from the Costa Rican Foundation for Teaching and Research in Geriatrics and Gerontology (FUNDOGEN), Harvard University, Boston University and a university in Denmark. Researchers were also supported by the Teaching Center for Research and Teaching in Health and Social Security (CENDEISSS), the health clinics of Nicoya, Hojancha, Santa Cruz, and Nandayure, and the La Anexión Hospital.