superagers
SOO-per-ay-jers
Definition
Individuals who maintain exceptional physical or cognitive health and functionality well into very old age, far exceeding the typical health span of their peers.
Etymology
This is a compound word formed by the prefix 'super-', derived from Latin meaning 'above' or 'beyond,' and 'ager,' referring to a person who is aging. It emerged in modern gerontology to distinguish high-functioning elderly individuals from those experiencing typical age-related decline.
In the news
The term is used to describe centenarians and supercentenarians who manage to avoid typical age-related declines and illnesses. It highlights the focus of the study on how these individuals' immune systems adapt to sustain health at extreme ages.
People Who Live Past 100 Have a Surprising Abundance of Cancer-Killing Immune Cells
Read the full article ↗ScienceAlert