Scientists study the world’s oldest person
- After being bewildered by the “super grandmother’s” great health at 116 years old,
- scientists are studying Maria Branyas, the world’s oldest person, in an attempt to unearth the
- secret to a long life. Mr. Branyas was born __ San Francisco __ 1907, and __ the age of eight,
- she moved __ Catalonia, Spain, where her family was originally from. Ms. Branyas, known to her
- X followers as the “Super Catalan Grandma”, has lived in the region ever since and has resided
- in the same nursing home, Residència Santa María del Tura, for the last 22 years.
- She has agreed to undergo scientific testing, which researchers hope will further their
- understanding of certain illnesses associated with old age, such as neurodegenerative or
- cardiovascular diseases. Despite her age, Ms. Branyas has no health complications other than
- mobility issues and hearing (she suffered permanent hearing loss when she was a child). She also
- still has a great memory: “She has a completely lucid head,” scientist Manel Esteller told ABC, a
- Spanish outlet. “She remembers with impressive clarity episodes of her when she was only four
- years old, and she does not present any cardiovascular disease, common in elderly people.”
- Esteller, who studies genetics and how it applies to health conditions, became curious about how
- Ms. Branyas’ genetic makeup might affect her aging. After a long talk with Ms. Branyas, Mr.
- Esteller believes there must be more to her longevity than meets the eye.
- The remarkable woman has not had an easy life; she survived an earthquake while she
- was in the US, a major fire, both world wars, the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Flu pandemic,
- and more recently, COVID-19 in 2020. Despite the various pandemics, wars, and family losses
- she has endured, her longevity has made scientists question what her secret could be. “We know
- Maria’s chronological age, 116 years, but we must determine her biological age,” Esteller said to
- ABC, believing that “she is much younger” physically. The scientist has taken biological samples
- of saliva, blood, and urine from Ms. Branyas, which are thought to be the “longest-lived” biological
- samples and have great scientific value, Josep Carreras, the head of a leukemia research institute,
- said to ABC. The samples will be compared with the 116-year-old’s middle daughter, who is 79
- years old.
- Ms. Branyas often has been asked what her secret is to her long life, and she uses her X
- account to post her advice for others. She attributed her longevity to “order, tranquillity, good
- connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no
- regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people”. However, she also credits a great
- amount of luck. “It is clear that there is a genetic component because there are several members
- of her family who are over 90 years old,” said Esteller. The rare biological samples will assess her
- genes, which will hopefully advance the research of drugs that could help diseases associated
- with age and cancer. As for Ms. Branyas, she said on her X account that she is “very happy she
- can be useful for research and progress”.
(Available in: https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/lifestyle/maria-branyas-oldest-person-alive-spain-b2436228.html – text especially adapted for this test).
Choose the alternative that correctly completes the gaps in lines 03-04.