Many extreme claims of human longevity are likely due to errors or deliberate fraud

Super old people are sometimes not as old as claimed according to this scientist by Michael Broad

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The news media regularly report on the oldest woman or man. Many live in Japan. How do they achieve such long lifespans? Here is a theory:

Saul Justin Newman's theory on record-breaking longevity suggests that extreme claims of human longevity, particularly in areas without robust civil registration systems, might be inflated due to fraud or errors in age reporting. Newman argues that some of the longest-lived individuals, particularly supercentenarians (people over 110 years old), might not actually be as old as reported. Here's a breakdown of his argument:

1. Lack of Reliable Documentation

Newman points out that many of the regions reporting the longest-lived people, such as rural or economically underdeveloped areas, often lack reliable birth documentation like birth certificates. In these places, age records are frequently based on verbal reports or family accounts, which can be imprecise or exaggerated. Without a birth certificate, it becomes much harder to verify the actual age of an individual.

2. Error and Fraud in Age Reporting

• Errors: In some cases, age might be overestimated due to innocent mistakes. People might not remember or know their exact birth date and may rely on rough estimates. These errors can compound over time and lead to exaggerated ages, especially in regions where age verification is not a priority or where official documentation is scarce.
• Fraud: Newman also highlights the possibility of intentional fraud. In certain cases, people may intentionally exaggerate their age for various benefits, such as pensions, government support, or simply for social recognition and status. In areas where record-keeping is lax, it is easier for individuals to make such claims without being scrutinized.

3. Geographical Patterns in Longevity

Newman observes that many of the world's so-called longevity hotspots, like parts of the Caucasus, Okinawa, and Sardinia, report an unusually high number of centenarians and supercentenarians. However, these areas often have a history of poor birth registration systems or inaccurate civil records, which may inflate the actual number of extremely old individuals.

4. Statistical Models

Newman uses statistical models to suggest that extreme longevity claims are more likely to occur in populations with poor age reporting. According to his research, the distribution of reported supercentenarians is inconsistent with what would be expected if their ages were accurate. This statistical anomaly supports his hypothesis that errors or fraudulent claims are skewing the data.

5. Implications for Longevity Research

Newman's theory challenges the authenticity of the oldest age records, which has significant implications for the study of aging and human longevity. If these claims are unreliable, then the true limits of human lifespan might be lower than what is currently accepted. Moreover, it may also affect research into the biological factors contributing to extreme longevity, as studies based on inaccurate data might yield misleading conclusions.

In summary, Newman’s theory argues that many extreme claims of human longevity, especially in regions with poor documentation, are likely due to age-reporting errors or deliberate fraud rather than genuine biological outliers. This casts doubt on some of the most famous cases of extreme old age and calls for more rigorous verification of longevity records.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

New anti-ageing drug for dogs works on hormone IGF-1

An enterprising woman who dropped out of Oxford University started a bold and interesting company called Loyal in San Francisco five years ago with the intention of creating drugs which extend the lifespan of dogs and perhaps then leading to achieving the same result for cats and even humans which would be the Holy Grail of medicine.

New anti-ageing drug for dogs works on hormone IGF-1. Image: MikeB

She has successfully tweaked the attention of investors and raised US$120 million to grow her business and take it forward. Her name is Celine Halioua.

The science behind her project concerns a hormone called IGF-1; a hormone which drives cell growth and big dogs grow quickly because that high levels of it. The levels remain high into adulthood. In general big dogs have shorter lifespans.

Her theory is that the hormone also fuels accelerated ageing of large dogs after they achieve maturity. It is my understanding that her drug will curb the activity of this hormone and thereby extend life by up to 10% of the dog's life which for a dog with a lifespan of 10 years would be one year.

The cost of the owner would be around US$50 a month. This would equate to around six thousand dollars over the dog's life to extend it by 10%. There is a question mark over whether people would want to spend that kind of money bearing in mind the cost of living crisis today.

The US Food And Drug Administration have reasonable expectations that Loyal's therapy for large dogs will be effective and therefore she hopes to bring it to the market in 2026.

It is called LOY-001 at the moment.

It is the first attempt to do this. She has built on the work of Dr. Cynthia Kenyon, as I understand it, who showed that it is possible to double the life of nematode worms by altering only one gene in the 1990s.

And late last year I wrote about another scientist with the same objective but using different techniques which you can read about by clicking on the link below if you wish.

Anti-ageing drug rapamycin expected to extend the lives of dogs, humans (and cats!)

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Working out the age of South Korean kids isn't easy and the same goes for cats!

If you think that you can simply multiply the age of your cat by 7 to obtain the equivalent age in human terms, you are wrong. It is more complicated than that. The relationship between cat and human age is not linear to put it more scientifically. Anyway, this short article is not about cat age but about working out the age of South Korean children.

Working out the age of South Korean kids isn't easy and the same goes for cats! Image: MikeB

RELATED: Infographic cat age calculator.

Up until now South Koreans had a very peculiar (by Western standards) system which caused confusion. It goes like this. I will quote The Times verbatim just to make sure that I get it right!

By tradition, a Korean baby, however, is one year old at the moment of birth and gains another year every New Year's Day. [Using this system] in an extreme case, a baby born in the last minute of December 31 would turn two at the stroke of midnight, in the second minute of their life. The following New Year's Day they would be three, despite being only 366 days old.

The country has introduced a new system under a "legal revision". It comes into force today. South Korea is adopting the "international age". This means that children are born at age zero and you add a year on every birthday! That sounds logical. That sounds normal; the way it should be by Western and international standards.

Apparently, the president promised to make the change in order to "relieve social and administrative confusion and conflict". The country's minister for government legislation said:

"The unified age-counting system will greatly reduce social costs that were incurred due to using multiple age-counting systems."

Yes, it's being simplified. The old system, the traditional system, is based upon a belief that the months in the womb are also part of life. And The Times tells me that in South Korea forms of address between people change when speaking to an older person. This tradition is very strong apparently and older people are addressed more politely.

Now, some South Koreans are confused about how they should address someone who is a few months older because under the new (for South Korea) international system "they will be older in given age for part of the year and then become the same age after the younger person catches up on their birthday". It certainly is confusing in South Korea on something which shouldn't be confusing.