Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of the aging cohort. Values are presented as mean (±SD) with the range in parentheses. P value is as follow: *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001.
| Centenarians | Elderly | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender, male/female Age, years |
22/76 100.7±2 |
85/111 70.4±6 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 24.0±3.8 (17.8-29.2) | 26.8±1.5 (16.1-49.7)** |
| HOMA index | 1.97±0.66 (0.3-2.1) | 3.0±2.8 (0.7-16.4)* |
| Cholesterol, mg/dl | 185.0±32.7 (112-264) | 201.0±37.2 (5-335)** |
| Triglycerides, mg/dl | 114.4±46.1 (60-283) | 129.9±65.7 (44-530)*** |
| HDL-cholesterol, mg/dl | 48.2±13.1 (25-99) | 55.2+20.4 (20-147)* |
| LDL- cholesterol, mg/dl | 105.6±35.1 (75-165 | 118.7±45.7 (23.8-199)* |
| CRP, mg/L | 5.41±4.9 (0.28-19.9) | 3.24±3.9 (0.11-19.1)* |
| A-SAA, μg/ml | 527±707 (15.5-3821) | 142.9±187 (0.01-1318)** |
| MMSE1 | 21.2±4.2 (15.2-23.2) | 27.16±1.53 (23-29.7)*** |
| Cardiovascular therapy, % | 33 | 67 |
| Irregular heart rhythm, % | 14 | 21 |
| Diabetes2, % | 5 | 11 |
Legend: BMI=body mass index, HOMA=Homeostatic Model Assessment index, HDL= high density lipoprotein, LDL= low density lipoprotein,CRP=C reactive protein, A-SAA= Serum amyloid A (SAA) proteins.
MMSE= Cognitive function measure using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The score used in the analysis was corrected by age and years of educations according to Magni et. al for old people. MMSE for elderly cognitive impairment was graded as severe (score 0–17), mild (score 18–23), or not present (score 24–30). MMSE for centenarians ≥ 20 absence of severe cognitive decline; <12 presence of severe cognitive decline according to Franceschi et al.2000a.
Diabetes mellitus: history of diabetes, fasting glucose plasma ≥126mg/dl