Women who give birth to their last child after the age of 33 are more likely to live to 95, a study suggests.
Researchers from the University of Utah and Boston University analyzed longevity data from thousands of women. Their findings show a link between the age at which a woman gives birth to her last child and the likelihood of living a very long life.
The analysis found that women who had their last child after the age of 33 were about twice as likely to live to 95 or older, compared to women who had their last birth by the age of 29.
Scientists emphasize that this does not mean that giving birth at an older age causes a longer life. According to them, the ability to get pregnant at a later age may be an indicator that the body ages more slowly and that the woman enjoys better health overall.
Other studies have also linked later age at motherhood to longer telomeres, a cellular indicator of the aging process, thus supporting the idea that the timing of reproduction may be linked to longevity.
