In Bolotana, a mountain village in Sardinia with about 2,266 inhabitants, women over 70 have a 13.83% chance of reaching 100. This is according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, which analyzed data for the period 2021-2025.
The average remaining life expectancy of women over 70 is estimated at 20.85 years. For men, the figure is 16.02 years, and the probability of reaching a century is 4.92%.
The comparison places women from Bolotana in second place after Hong Kong in the indicators considered. The estimated proportion is more than three times the average for women in Italy over the same period.
Data collected from civil and church registers
The researchers used verified civil and church records to track the survival of the local population. The analysis included 149 deaths among residents aged 70 and over. Over the five-year period, 19 people reached the age of 100 to 105 – five men and 14 women.
The results show a clear advantage for women in late survival, but the authors also point out the limitations of the analysis. Some of the estimates are based on a relatively small number of residents, and the wide uncertainty ranges mean that further observations are needed.
Centenarian Giovanina: “I'm in no hurry“
The story of Bolotana was also featured in a report by BNT. Among the local centenarians is Giovanina, born in 1925, who worked as a seamstress for many years.
“I enjoy life day by day, I'm in no hurry“, Giovanina tells BNT.The town hall keeps portraits of residents who reached old age as early as the end of the 19th century. In the community, the elderly are part of the local history, and close relationships between generations remain characteristic of the settlement.
The researchers discuss several possible explanations for the unusual longevity - heredity, traditional nutrition, daily physical activity and social support. For now, however, the study establishes a demographic feature, and does not prove a specific combination of habits or conditions that causes it.
Therefore, Bolotana has been identified as a candidate for a new “blue zone“, but not as a definitively recognized one. According to the authors, a longer period of observation and additional verification of the data are needed.
Sources: flagman.bg, bntnews.bg