Sydney Centenarian Study

The Sydney Centenarian Study (SCS) was launched in 2007, with 445 Sydney residents aged 95 and above recruited, until the study went on hiatus at the end of 2020. Centenarians and near-centenarians are seen as exemplars of successful ageing.

The overall aim of SCS is to identify factors that are important to longevity and maintenance of cognitive, physical and mental health. The study now has had at least 197 participants who have reached 100 years or older (including one super-centenarian of 110 years of age); and some of our recent participants completed six research assessments over the course of three and a half years.

A wealth of data was collected, which will allow insights into Australia’s oldest individuals, including cognition, physical health, psychological health, medical history, medications, functional independence, health behaviours, and falls. Participants also complete a brief physical exam. A knowledgeable person who knows the participant well was interviewed after each assessment to supplement the information provided by the participant as well as comment on their degree of functional independence from an observer’s perspective. In addition, optional components of the study provide invaluable information on the biology of centenarians. In total, 64% of participants have provided a blood sample for genetics and proteomics analysis; 12% of participants have undergone structural brain imaging (MRI).

There are currently a number of students and postdoctoral fellows who are using SCS data as part of their research projects, and we anticipate a number of publications to be published in the near future, giving novel insight into longevity, thanks to this unique cohort.

A project to examine the gut microbiome of centenarians is continuing and we are seeking volunteers for this unique study. As a novel project, we are planning to develop a web-based platform to collect data from centenarians around the country as a large national study, and are seeking funds to launch this project.

Fleur Harrison Study Coordinator

Happiness of Centenarians a Severely Neglected Area of Research

In 2021, CHeBA researchers led a world first systematic review on the subjective wellbeing of centenarians, and highlighted the need for clearer definitions of ‘happiness’, ‘life satisfaction’ and ‘positive affect’.

Near centenarians and centenarians remain an underrepresented group in ageing research, despite these populations increasing rapidly – with an expected global rise from 441,000 in 2013 to about 20 million in 2100. Professor Brodaty said that although interest in subjective wellbeing and its relationship with exceptional longevity is increasing, the happiness of centenarians remains a severely neglected area of research which needs to be addressed.

Lead author Adrian Cheng said research into the happiness of centenarians is important because examination of subjective wellbeing in this unique group can reveal factors associated with good psychological health.

The review, published in Aging & Mental Health, identified 18 studies that followed patients from several weeks to 18 years. “Having a positive view about our own health, or possibly simply having better health, as we age is important as part of the ageing process.”

Adrian Cheng

“Future research should be directed towards interventions that promote subjective wellbeing in the oldest old.”