People are living longer than ever, as life expectancy reaches a global average of 73.5 years.
However, living longer doesn't necessarily mean living healthier. Researchers are now trying to uncover the secret — not only to a longer life, but to one lived in a healthy way and with a good quality of life.
To do so, researchers at Cagliari University in Italy looked at the elders of the Sardinia blue zone, a region in the Mediterranean island where people tend to live longer than in other parts of the country and longer than in the rest of Europe, too.
Blue zones are geographically isolated areas ─ such as central-eastern Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Ikaria (Greece) and Nicoya (Costa Rica) ─ characterised by the exceptional longevity and elevated levels of well-being among their inhabitants.
To be designated a "blue zone," a place must have clearly defined boundaries, with an exceptionally high concentration of people living to at least 90 years old over the past 150 years, and records that can validate birth and death dates.
