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This paper describes an epidemiological study performed in all centenarians living in Sardinia, a large island located in the Mediterranean sea, 120 Km from the Italian coast. Due to its longstanding isolation, low immigration rate, high endogamy and rather uniform life-style, Sardinia offers an ideal setting in which to study the genetic traits associated with extreme longevity and successful aging. A total of 233 potentially eligible centenarians were traced in the entire territory. Of these, 66 died prior to being interviewed, 11 were not found and unknown, and 15 refused to be interviewed. A multidi-mensional home interview was administered to 141 centenarians, and an equivalent number of 60-year-old controls matched for gender and area of residence. Furthermore, 41 living siblings of the centenarians, and 41 age- and sex-matched controls for these siblings were also studied. The prevalence of …