An international study has brought attention to Bolotana, a small town of roughly 2,000 residents in the province of Nuoro, Sardinia, where women show extraordinary longevity.
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The research, published in the scientific journal “Frontiers in Aging,” shows that female residents of this community are far more likely to reach 100 years of age than women in the rest of Italy. Among others, researchers from the University of Sassari and the University of Illinois Chicago contributed to the study.
Sardinia has been the subject of longevity studies for decades, but the data from Bolotana highlights particularly favorable conditions for women. In 2024, six people over the age of 100 were living in the town, prompting researchers to examine the area’s demographic past more closely.
13.8% odds of living to 100
Women from Bolotana who turn 70 are expected to live on average another 21 years, about two years longer than their peers in the rest of the country.
Even more pronounced is the difference in the probability of reaching a century of life. For a 70-year-old woman from Bolotana, the likelihood is 13.8%; in the rest of Italy, the figure is approximately 3.5%.
More than 100 years of data examined
To reconstruct the community’s demographic history, the team analyzed civil registry documents and church records, covering a period spanning more than a century.
According to the results, the women of Bolotana can rank among the longest-lived female groups in the world. On some indicators, they even surpass female residents of other well-known “Blue Zone” municipalities in Sardinia.
Factors that may influence longevity
Researchers have not identified a single cause, but they point to several possible elements: genetics, an active lifestyle, and daily walking. Traditional nutrition, based mainly on plant-based products and local foods, may also play a role.
Social cohesion may also be an important part of the explanation. In this small community, residents have close ties with one another, and social isolation appears to be less widespread.
Researchers believe that the combination of these factors could help understand how other communities might promote a longer and healthier life.
