Exceptional survival in human populations: National Institute on Aging perspectives and programs

Identifying the factors that contribute to long and healthy life can lead to improved interventions that can help delay or prevent the onset of major aging-related diseases and disabilities and increase the time that older persons spend in good health. Studies on longevity and other exceptional survival outcomes can contribute to this knowledge. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) supports a considerable amount of basic, behavioral, demographic, epidemiologic, and clinical research on these topics, including a large research program on longevity assurance genes, primarily in laboratory animals, and in biodemographic aspects of longevity in humans and other species. This article describes NIA's activities regarding one important aspect of research on longevity and related phenotypes: exceptional survival phenotypes in humans, including exceptional longevity, health span, and active life expectancy.