A New Record For Human Male Longevity

One of the expected signs of an upward trend in longevity is the setting of new records in maximum human life span, and an increase in the number of people getting closer to that record. The longest documented human life, that of Jeanne Calment, was an unusual statistical outlier, however, so despite progress that record will stand for a while at the current rate of increase in elder life expectancy. On the male side of the house there is no such unusually long-lived individual in the verified records, and the age of the oldest male supercentenarians is indeed inching upward:

[On December 28th] Jiroemon Kiruma has set a world record. At 115 years 253 days he has become the oldest living man in history. The record was previously held by Christian Mortensen who lived to 115 years 252 days.

Among supercentenarians being a male is particularly rare. The oldest living person in history was a woman named Jeanne Calment who lived to be 122. Currently there are 64 supercentenarians in the world (those 110 years and old) and only 4 of them are males. Kiruma is also the oldest living person in the world, a record he achieved when Dina Mafredini of Iowa passed away ten days ago.

Kiruma has a strong will to live per family members, though presently he is in a hospital suffering from an illness of 10 days duration. His condition is noted to be improving. "His condition has improved, and we're not worried, but the doctors said it would be best if he stayed in the hospital into the new year," said Yasuhiro Kawato a hospital spokesperson.

Kimura lives with his grandson's widow Eiko Kimura, and continues to eat three small meals per day, a strategy he has maintained for life. He is conversant and generally cheerful though now spends most of his time in bed. He has also escaped disease.

Link: http://extremelongevity.net/2012/12/28/japanese-man-becomes-oldest-living-man-in-history/

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