Frailty and Survivability of Polish Caucasian Nonagenarians and Centenarians.

Frailty is a major geriatric problem leading to an increased risk of disability and death. Prevention, identification, and treatment of frailty are important challenges in gerontology and public health. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of the frailty phenotype (FP) among the oldest-old Polish Caucasians and investigate the relationship between the FP and mortality. Baseline data were collected from 289 long-lived individuals, including 87 centenarians and 202 subjects aged 94-99. Mortality was obtained from population registers over the following 5 years. Sixty percent of subjects were classified as frail, 33% as prefrail, and 7% as robust. Frailty was more common in women than men and among centenarians than nonagenarians. During the 5-year observation period, 92.6% of the frail women and all frail men died, while mortality rates were lower among prefrail, 78.8% and 66.7%, and robust individuals, 60% and 54.5%, respectively. In the survival analysis, frailty was the strongest negative risk factor: HR = 0.328 (95% CI: 0.200-0.539). The inability to perform handgrip strength measurement was an additional predictor of short survival. In conclusion, the FP is prevalent in nonagenarians and centenarians and correlates with lower survivability. Future studies should address differences between unavoidable age-associated frailty and reversible disability in long-lived individuals.

Insights Into Sibling Relationships and Longevity From Genetics of Healthy Ageing Nonagenarians: The Importance of Optimisation, Resilience and Social Networks.

Understanding how to "Age Longer and Age Well" is a priority for people personally, for populations and for government policy. Approximately ten percent of nonagenarians reach 90 years and beyond in good condition and seem to have a combination of both age-span and health-span. However, the factors which contribute to human longevity remain challenging. Culture is a shared system of learning ideas, feelings, and survival strategies. It has a strong influence on each person's psychological development, behavior, values and beliefs. Nonagenarians have rich life experiences that can teach us much about aging well; they are rich reservoirs of genetic, lifestyle and psychological information which can help understanding about how to live longer and better. Sibling or trio nonagenarians are important sources of family beliefs and behaviors upon which individual personalities may have been built. Their personal family histories and narratives are powerful tools that help to determine familial traits, beliefs and social behaviors which may help establish factors important in the siblings' longevity. Using purposefully selected subjects, recruited to the Genetics of Healthy Ageing (GeHA) project in four European countries, this research used the simple life story and qualitative research methods to analyze contrasting and distinctive questions about the interface between the psychological and social worlds as presented in the nonagenarian siblings' insights about their longevity. Their stories aimed to give better understanding about which psychological aspects of their common life journey and the degree of emotional support in their sibling relationships may have supported their paths to longevity. The most universal finding in each of the four European countries was that nonagenarians demonstrated high positivity, resilience and coping skills and were supported in social networks. Around this theme, nonagenarians reported "being happy," "always cheerful," "never melancholy" and having a contentment with a "rich life" and family relationships which fits with accumulating evidence that life satisfaction comes from a perceived self-efficacy and optimism. Most sibling relationships in this study, when analyzed according to the Gold classification, fit the "congenial" or "loyal" relationship type - demonstrating a healthy respect for the others' opinion without overt dependence, which may help individual coping and survival mechanisms.

Serum Uric Acid Is a Weak Independent Predictor of Overall Survival in Older Adults.

Hyperuricemia accompanies many pathologies that contribute to overall death rate. The population-based multifaceted study of older adults in Poland made it possible to assess the effect of serum uric acid (SUA) on overall mortality. The PolSenior study performed between 2007-2011 included 3926 participants aged 65 years or above (mean age 79 ± 9 years) not treated with xanthin oxidase inhibitors (XOI) who were stratified by sex and SUA concentration into six subgroups increasing by 1 mg/dL. In 2019, survival data were retrieved from the population register. The crude risk of death was significantly higher in men and women with SUA ≥ 7 mg/dL. After adjustment to statistically significant factors, SUA remained a risk factor of death in men with SUA ≥ 8 mg/dL only, potentially due to the limited number of women with high SUA levels. Furthermore, age, heart failure, diabetes, and activities of daily living ≤ 4 pts were identified as factors increasing mortality risk regardless of sex. The risk of death increased also with smoking, past stroke, COPD/asthma, and hs-CRP > 3 mg/dL for men; and eGFR < 45 mL/min/1.73 m2, mini nutritional assessment ≤ 7 pts, and loop diuretics use for women. Mild hyperuricemia is a significant health status marker and an independent risk factor for overall mortality in older Caucasians not receiving XOI. Increased mortality is mostly limited to subjects with SUA levels ≥ 8 mg/dL.

Prevalence of Hyperuricemia and the Use of Allopurinol in Older Poles-Results from a Population-Based PolSenior Study.

BACKGROUND: Our study analyzes the frequency and risk factors of hyperuricemia and the use of allopurinol in a representative cohort of the older Polish adult population. METHODS: The analysis was a part of a cross-sectional PolSenior study on aging in Poland. The complete medication data were available in 4873 out of 4979 community dwelling respondents aged 65 and over. Serum uric acid concentrations were evaluated in 4028 participants (80.9% of the cohort). RESULTS: Hyperuricemia was observed in 28.2% of women and 24.7% of men. Ten risk factors of hyperuricemia were selected based on multivariable LASSO logistic regression analysis. Nine factors showed significant odds ratios: eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (OR = 4.10), hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 1.88), obesity (OR = 1.75), heart failure (1.70), CRP > 3.0 mg/dL (OR = 1.64), coronary artery disease (OR = 1.30), use of loop-diuretics (OR = 4.20), hydrochlorothiazide (OR = 2.96), and thiazide-like diuretics (OR = 2.81). Allopurinol was used by 2.8% of men and 1.8% of women. The therapy was considered effective in 46.7% of men and 53.3% of women. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperuricemia was present in 23.1% (95% CI: 21.8-24.4) of the older Polish population. The frequency of hyperuricemia increases with age, reaching 30.5% in men and 33.7% in women aged 90 years or more. Chronic kidney disease, obesity, heart failure, hypertriglyceridemia, and the use of diuretics were the strongest risk factors for hyperuricemia in older adults. The treatment with allopurinol was ineffective in more than half of participants.

Age-related differences in vitamin D status in Polish centenarians compared with 65-year-olds.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D status is known to change with age. However, little is known about vitamin D status in centenarians. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess vitamin D status and correlations among the levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), 25­hydroxycholecalciferol (25[OH]D), 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25[OH]D), calcium, inorganic phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in centenarians. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study group included 97 participants: 81 women and 16 men (median [interquartile range [IQR]) age, 101.4 [100.5-102.16] years). Centenarians were visited at their homes where examinations were conducted and blood samples collected. The control group consisted of 57 elderly subjects: 35 women and 22 men (median [IQR] age, 65.9 [65.3-66.5] years). The concentrations of PTH, 25(OH)D, and 1,25(OH)D were measured in frozen plasma samples, and calcium, phosphorus, and ALP levels, in serum samples. RESULTS: The median calcium level was 8.88 mg/dl in centenarians versus 9.52 mg/dl in 65­year-old subjects (P <0.01); ALP, 223 IU versus 190 IU (P = 0.01); phosphorus, 3.01 mg/dl versus 3.23 mg/dl (P = 0.13); PTH, 45.59 pg/ml versus 29.27 pg/ml (P <0.01); 25(OH)D, 7.39 ng/ml versus 19.81 ng/ml (P <0.01); 1,25(OH)D, 57.5 pmol/l versus 78.6 pmol/l (P <0.01). Only centenarians demonstrated correlations among the measured laboratory parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Considering lower 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)D, and calcium concentrations in the majority of centenarians, as well as the negative correlation between vitamin D active metabolites and PTH, vitamin D and calcium should be systematically supplemented in the oldest of the elderly.

UWB/BLE Tracking System for Elderly People Monitoring.

Localization systems are the source of data that allows to evaluate elderly person's behaviour, to draw conclusions concerning his or her health status and wellbeing, and to detect emergency situations. The article contains a description of a system intended for elderly people tracking. Two novel solutions have been implemented in the system: a hybrid localization algorithm and a method for wireless anchor nodes synchronization. The algorithm fuses results of time difference of arrival and received signal strength measurements in ultrawideband (UWB) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio interfaces, respectively. The system allows to change the intensity of UWB packets transmission to adapt localization accuracy and energy usage to current needs and applications. In order to simplify the system installation, communication between elements of the system infrastructure instead of wire interfaces is performed over wireless ones. The new wireless synchronization method proposed in the article consists in retransmission of UWB synchronization packets by selected anchor nodes. It allows for extension of the system coverage, which is limited by the short range of UWB transmission. The proposed solution was experimentally verified. The synchronization method was tested in a laboratory, and the whole system's performance was investigated in a typical flat. Exemplary results of the tests performed with older adult participation in their own homes are also included.

Utilization of medical rehabilitation services among older Poles: results of the PolSenior study.

BACKGROUND: Rehabilitation tailored to older adults' needs might improve their functional performance and quality of life, as well as increase social participation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of medical rehabilitation services among older Poles in relation to socio-economic and health-related determinants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data regarding medical rehabilitation were obtained from the nationwide, multidisciplinary PolSenior project (2007-2012) conducted on representative sample of 4813 respondents (48.3% women) aged 65+ years. Socio-economic status, physical functioning, falls, chronic pain, and formal disability occurrence, as well as self-rated health were accounted for. RESULTS: One in six respondents (18.9% women vs. 15.8% men, p < 0.005) underwent medical rehabilitation during 12 months prior to the survey. Respondents mostly received electrotherapy or light radiation therapy (61.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that women aged 80+ years and men aged 90+ years had a significantly lower chance of using rehabilitation services compared to the youngest study participants (65-69 y.o.). City dwellers used rehabilitation services nearly twice as frequently as rural dwellers. Respondents with university education level were most likely to take part in these services. Dependence in IADL decreased participation in medical rehabilitation, while formal disability and chronic pain promoted utilization of rehabilitation services. CONCLUSIONS: Younger age, city dwelling, higher education, functional independence, formal disability certificate, and chronic pain increased participation in medical rehabilitation. Such results of the study should be considered in planning actions towards reducing health inequalities at the national level and promoting health and well-being among older adults.

Clinical factors increasing discrepancies of renal function assessment with MDRD and Cockcroft-Gault equations in old individuals.

ABSTRACT: In a daily clinical practice, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is still estimated on the basis of short MDRD formula, whereas medications' Summaries of Product Characteristics suggest that GFR used for the dosage adjustment should be estimated based on the Cockcroft-Gault (C-G) equation. The aim of the study was to compare eGFR values calculated on the basis of short and full MDRD and C-G equations in PolSenior study participants with decreased eGFR. METHODS: We have assessed differences in the estimation of GFR between short and full MDRD, as well as C-G formula, all equations utilizing non-isotope-dilution mass spectrometry-calibrated measurements of serum creatinine, in the community-based population of 760 persons aged 65 years or above (mean age 82 ± 8 years) with estimated GFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (according to short MDRD). In addition, in our analysis, we have included the detailed characteristics of comorbidities and different aspects of mobility and functional performance. RESULTS: The better concordance, precision, and accuracy with MDRD short formula were found for MDRDfull than C-G equation. In logistic regression analysis, female gender, activities in daily living (ADL) ≤ 4, and age > 80 years diminished, while visceral obesity improved accuracy (P30) of eGFR calculated according to C-G equation as compared to MDRDshort. Similar analysis did not found factors influencing P30 for MDRDfull equation. CONCLUSIONS: In very old subjects, especially females, dependent patients and those with visceral obesity, estimation of GFR based on short MDRD formula should not be used interchangeably with Cockcroft-Gault equation for the medicines dose tailoring.

Self-rated health and its association with all-cause mortality of older adults in Poland: The PolSenior project.

OBJECTIVES: Predictive effect of self-rated health (SRH) on mortality in older adults has been observed. The purpose of the study was to analyze this association in Poles aged 65+. METHODS: Data were obtained from the nationwide, multidisciplinary PolSenior project, conducted in a representative sample of older population. The study group comprised 4049 respondents (48.0% women) without significant cognitive deficit. SRH was measured using Visual Analog Scale. The analysis included selected socio-economic, health status and life-style factors. Mortality data were retrieved from the state registry. RESULTS: During 5-year period, 414 women (21.4%) and 672 men (31.8%) have died, including 17.5% of women and 26.6% of men with good, 21.6% and 32.9% with fair, 36.2% and 55.3% with poor SRH, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival curves for SRH revealed significant differences for both genders. Univariate Cox regression analysis revealed significant hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality among women and men with poor compared to good SRH [2.48 (1.83-3.37); 2.62 (2.04-3.36), respectively] and those with fair compared to good SRH [1.29 (1.03-1.60); 1.29 (1.10-1.52), respectively]. Age-adjusted HRs for mortality were significant between groups with poor and good SRH [women: 1.98 (1.46-2.68), men: 2.06 (1.60-2.64)]. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model including revealed significant HRs for mortality between women with poor and good SRH [1.67 (1.06-2.64)]. CONCLUSIONS: SRH was associated with mortality in both genders. After adjustment for age, this relationship was maintained in respondents with poor compared to good SRH. Inclusion of potential confounders demonstrated that SRH was an independent predictor of mortality only in women.

Prevalence of chronic pain in the elderly Polish population - results of the PolSenior study.

INTRODUCTION: Pain is the most common complaint of elderly people. In Poland, no large studies on the prevalence of chronic pain in the elderly were conducted until recently. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was a part of the PolSenior project, a cross-sectional multidisciplinary study on ageing of the Polish population, and included a randomly selected group of 716 people aged 55-59 years, and 4979 people over 65 years. The survey was conducted through a standardized questionnaire. An evaluation of pain occurrence, location, intensity and coexistence of pains in relation to gender, age and use of health care was performed. RESULTS: Chronic pain affected 42.0% of respondents aged 65 years and over (48.6% of women and 35.8% of men) as compared to 35.2% of the pre-elderly. The most common pain locations were the lumbar region (51.6%) and knees (41.0%). The average number of pain sites was 3.1 ±2.3. Average intensity of pain was 6.2 points on the VAS scale in people over 65 years and 6.0 points in the pre-elderly (NS). Average pain intensity increased significantly from 5.7 points in patients reporting pain in one place to 7.2 points in those reporting six pain sites. Elderly respondents with pain compared to those without pain more frequently reported physician visits performed at least once a month (54.6% vs. 48.4%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Polish elderly most frequently complained of low back and lower limb pain. In respondents reporting many sites of pain, an increase in the intensity of pain was observed. Elderly patients with chronic pain often use medical care.

The role of gender and labour status in immunosenescence of 65+ Polish population.

Women are living longer than men and it seems that one of the reasons could be better immune system of females. In Poland, contrary to many European countries, women retire earlier than men, namely at 60 and 65, respectively. We asked the question how the gender and labour status were interconnected with some immunological parameters included in the so called immune risk profile (IRP), such as CD4+/CD8+ ratio, percentage of CD8+CD28-, and NK, and the level of circulating cytokines. A total of 92 men and 100 women past the retirement age, namely 65-74 years old, still working or not, were examined. We have found statistically significant lower percentage of CD8+CD28- cells and non-statistically significant higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio in women, whereas the percentage of NK was higher in men. Moreover, the percentage of CD8+CD28- cells was negatively correlated with the CD4+/CD8+ ratio and the concentration of IL8 was positively correlated with the concentration of IL10 both in men and women. In men, the level of IL10 was higher than in women. Altogether, we found that gender, but not labour status, influences immunosenescence of the examined population of 65-74 years old Polish people.

Temporal Information Processing and its Relation to Executive Functions in Elderly Individuals.

Normal aging triggers deterioration in cognitive functions. Evidence has shown that these age-related changes concern also executive functions (EF) as well as temporal information processing (TIP) in a millisecond range. A considerable amount of literature data has indicated that each of these two functions sets a frame for our mental activity and may be considered in terms of embodied cognition due to advanced age. The present study addresses the question whether in elderly subjects the efficiency of TIP is related to individual differences in EF. The study involved 53 normal healthy participants aged from 65 to 78. In these subjects TIP was assessed by sequencing abilities measured with temporal-order threshold (TOT). It is defined as the minimum time gap separating two auditory stimuli presented in rapid succession which is necessary for a subject to report correctly their temporal order, thus the relation 'before-after.' The EF were assessed with regard to the efficiency of the executive planning measured with the Tower of London-Drexel University (TOLDX) which has become a well-known EF task. Using Spearman's rank correlations we observed two main results. Firstly, the indices of the TOLDX indicated a coherent construct reflecting the effectiveness of executive planning in the elderly. Initiation time seemed dissociated from these coherent indices, which suggested a specific strategy of mental planning in the elderly based on on-line planning rather than on preplanning. Secondly, TOT was significantly correlated with the indices of TOLDX. Although some of these correlations were modified by subject's age, the correlation between TOT and the main index of TOLDX ('Total Move Score') was rather age resistant. These results suggest that normal aging may be characterized by an overlapping of deteriorated TIP and deteriorated EF.

The assessment of cognitive impairment suspected of dementia in Polish elderly people: results of the population-based PolSenior Study.

The growing incidence of dementia in ageing societies is a major concern of health care organizations. Because of its detrimental influence on the mental and functional statuses of elderly people, it leads to increased economic burdens caused by the social and financial needs of patients with dementia and their caregivers. There has been no data concerning the prevalence of dementia in the elderly in the general Polish community so far. The main aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of cognitive impairment suspected of dementia among the Polish elderly and the relationships between cognitive performance and age, gender, place of residence and educational status. The presented data was the result of nationwide, multicentre PolSenior Study conducted from 2007 to 2011 in the Polish elderly population. Cognitive functions were evaluated using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) performed by pre-trained nurses. The result of MMSE lower than 24 points was classified as cognitive impairment suspected of dementia and divided according to its severity into three stages: mild, moderate and severe dementia. The results were analysed in two ways: raw MMSE and MMSE scores after Mungas adjustment (MMSEadj), that is, corrected for age and educational level, and these were compared. To verify the suspicion of dementia an assessment was complemented by an interview of carers for the occurrence and course of memory disorders, treatment of dementia and by functional status assessment. In order to assess the prevalence of suspicion of dementia in the general Polish population, statistical analyses based on weighting were done. The suspicion of dementia on the basis of raw MMSE was made in 20.4% of respondents aged 65years and more, and after Mungas adjustment in 12.1% of older subjects. The prevalence of cognitive impairment grew with increasing age, as well as depending on the educational status of elderly respondents in both types of analyses; raw MMSE and MMSEadj. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of cognitive impairment according to gender in the general population (raw MMSE); however in analyses including MMSEadj results, the suspicion of dementia was made more often among men. Suspicion of dementia based on raw MMSE and MMSEadj results was made significantly more often among men than women at the age of 65-69years, and significantly more often among the oldest women, aged 90years and more. Suspicion of dementia was diagnosed more often in respondents living in rural communities (based on raw MMSE, but not on MMSEadj), which might be related to the differences in their educational status.

Cognitive performance and functional status are the major factors predicting survival of centenarians in Poland.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and biochemical predictors of extreme longevity would be useful in geriatric practice but have still not been clearly defined. METHODS: To identify the best nongenetic predictors of survival in centenarians, we examined 340 individuals aged 100+ years. A detailed questionnaire was completed, and comprehensive geriatric assessment and blood analyses were performed. Survival of study participants was checked annually over the period of 10 years. RESULTS: In the univariate Cox proportional hazards model, a longer survival of centenarians was correlated with a higher adjusted Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE(adj)) score (p < .000001), higher Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and adjusted Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL(adj)) scores (p < .000001 and p = .00008, respectively), and younger age at the time of testing (p = .005). Blood pressure, lipid profile, and C-reactive protein and hemoglobin concentrations were not associated with survival. Multivariate analysis including age, sex, and the MMSE(adj) and ADL scores showed that both MMSE(adj) and ADL predicted survival (HR = 0.978 per each MMSE(adj) point, 95% CI: 0.964-0.993, p = .004; HR = 0.900 per each ADL point, 95% CI: 0.842-0.962, p = .002, respectively). In multivariate analysis with the ADL score substituted by the IADL(adj) score, the only predictor of survival was MMSE(adj) (HR = 0.973 per each MMSE(adj) point, 95% CI: 0.958-0.988, p = .0006). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive and functional performances are predictors of survival in centenarians.

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease and its relation to socioeconomic conditions in an elderly Polish population: results from the national population-based study PolSenior.

BACKGROUND: Rapidly progressing ageing of worldwide populations is likely to increase the occurrence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the next decades. However, until now little is known about the prevalence of CKD in the Polish elderly population. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of CKD and its relation to socioeconomic conditions in the Polish elderly population. METHODS: A glomerular filtration rate estimated (eGFR) according to the CKD-EPI formula and urine albumin/creatinine ratio were determined in 3797 out of 4979 randomly selected elderly subjects from the national survey study PolSenior. Additionally, some socioeconomic factors related to the prevalence of CKD were also analysed. RESULTS: The prevalence of CKD in the Polish elderly population was 29.4%. Only 3.2% of elderly subjects with CKD were aware of the disease. CKD was more frequent among urban dwellers, non-smokers, alcohol abstinents and those with low physical activity. Decreased eGFR was more frequent among less educated women, better educated men, blue collar female workers and white collar male workers. Increased albuminuria was associated with low physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: (i) CKD affects almost one-third of the elderly Polish population. (ii) In Poland elderly subjects with CKD are usually unaware of their kidney disease. (iii) In Polish elderly population, CKD is more frequently present among urban residents, non-smokers, abstainers and less physically active people. (iv) Only in women is higher educational status related to the lower risk of CKD.

Assessment of adiponectin and its isoforms in Polish centenarians.

BACKGROUND: The physiological mechanisms that promote longevity remain unclear. It has been suggested that insulin sensitivity is preserved in centenarians, whereas typical aging is accompanied by increasing insulin resistance. The oldest-old individuals display raised total adiponectin levels, despite the potential correlation between enhanced adiponectin and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. AIM: To evaluate the level of adiponectin and its isoforms in sera of centenarians and to assess associations between adiponectin and metabolic parameters. PARTICIPANTS: A group of 58 Polish centenarians (50 women and 8 men, mean age 101±1.34 years) and 68 elderly persons (55 women and 13 men, mean age 70±5.69 years) as controls. MEASUREMENTS: Serum samples were analyzed to evaluate the following parameters: adiponectin array (total adiponectin, HWM-, MMW- and LMW-adiponectin; all by ELISA methods), insulin (by IRMA methods), glucose and lipid profiles. HOMA-IR was calculated. Clinical data were collected. Statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: The concentrations of all adiponectin isoforms were significantly higher in the oldest-old participants. In the centenarian group, total adiponectin positively correlated with age and HDL-cholesterol, and HMW-adiponectin was negatively associated with insulin and triglycerides. The long-lived participants had a lower incidence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, with lower concentrations of serum glucose and insulin, and reduced HOMA-IR. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the thesis that centenarians possess a different adiponectin isoform pattern and have a favorable metabolic phenotype in comparison with elderly individuals. However, additional work is necessary to understand the relevance of these findings to longevity.

Polish Centenarians Programme. Multidisciplinary studies of successful ageing: aims, methods, and preliminary results.

Studies of centenarians as a model of successful ageing may help identify various environmental, social, psychological, and genetic factors supporting longevity. The scientific aims of the programme were to assess health status and environmental determinants of ageing of Polish centenarians, and to collect biological material for studying selected aspects of longevity, including genetic factors. The social aim of the project was to bring public attention to ageing of the population, as well as living conditions of elderly individuals. The intention of the authors of this paper is to present aims, scope, methods and preliminary results of the Polish Centenarians Programme, as well as to provide potential new partners for studying various aspects of longevity and ageing with the information about available materials collected during the programme. In this study, 346 subjects aged 100+ were visited, biological material was collected from 285 subjects, and 153 lymphocyte cell lines were immortalized.

The nutritional habits among centenarians living in Warsaw.

The aim of the study was to determine the preferences and nutritional habits of Warsaw centenarians during their "third period" of life. The study was conducted by a questionnaire method among 29 centenarians. Most of centenarians had general good health condition. Almost 60% of centenarians performed manual labor in the past. Then they drank small amounts of alcohol irregularly. Several percent of centenarians smoked in the past. Before the age of sixty less people then at present snacked between meals. Sweets both now and in the past were preferred products, however, in the past sweets were rarely eaten by centenarians. At the present time centenarians ate more often yogurt, skim curd, fish, lean meat products, plant oils and sweets. The changes in eating habits were probably caused by civilization changes.