My only surviving grandmother is currently 94-years-old. Before she had a minor stroke two summers back, she lived in an apartment complex for the elderly and was one of the most active people in the building. In fact, just five years ago, she was still driving regularly and taking care of an elderly couple in their late 60s.

Yes… you read that right. My 88-year-old grandmother provided companionship care to a married elderly couple more than twenty-years younger than her, and they were incredibly dependent on her.

I have a feeling she’s going to live well beyond 100, which might be good news for my own lifespan, according to recent research conducted by a Boston University team on centenarian genetics.

It’s been discovered in the past that even those who lead relatively healthy lifestyles, i.e., eating right, exercising regularly, meditating and getting plenty of sleep, still run the risk of heart disease or cancer, especially if they have a family history of such diseases.

The study, which included 800 centenarians, scientists discovered over 150 genetic markers (called gene signatures) which set them apart from other people. In fact, these unique gene signatures appeared in 77% of the centenarians who participated in the study.

Lifestyle choices do play an important role in longetivity for both the percentage of centenarians with unique signatures and those without them, but the interesting thing they discovered was that the majority of those with unique gene signatures did not begin to develop symptoms of age-factoring debilitation and disease until they were in the 90s. Remember my 94-year-old grandma? She didn’t have that first stroke until she was 92…hmmm.

In fact, these same centenarians have the exact same potential and risk for disease as mortals who don’t live to be their age, which seems to confirm their genetic makeup is designed for longevity.

With this new knowledge, scientists may be one step closer to discovering the fountain of youth… through genetic code sequencing anyway.

Now you and I both know I’m no scientist, but my mind starts wandering over explanations and possibilities beyond my own realm of scientific understanding. For example, are these unique genetic markers part of Mother Nature’s plan? Were the ancestors of these individuals once subject to an environment that required their body to toughen its genetic makeup to endure? Maybe now that they’ve moved beyond that environment, the result is incredibly long life?

And does this mean that because every single one of my grandparents has lived to be at least 94, my own chances of living to 100 are increased? If that’s the case, I’ll gladly welcome those hand-me-down genes with open arms.