Thelma Sutcliffe, the oldest living person in the USA, died at the age of 115. According to the Gerontology Research Group, Sutcliffe was born in 1906, in Nebraska and her nephew told CNN that she died at an assisted living facility located in Omaha. 

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She came into the spotlight in April 2021, when Sutcliffe was recognized as the oldest living woman in the US. During her lifetime, she witnessed the election of 20 different presidents, two world wars, women winning the right the vote in the US, the depression of the 1930s, as well as Charles Lindbergh’s first solo flight across the Atlantic, which took place in 1927. Apart from that, Sutcliffe has also been privy to several historical moments. 

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Luella Mason, Sutcliffe’s longtime friend, previously spoke to a local Omaha news outlet, saying Sutcliffe didn’t like discussing her age, and though her hearing and sight were fading, her mind continued to remain sharp. Mason had then said that Sutcliffe didn’t believe in worrying. According to Mason, Sutcliffe partially credited her long life to never smoking, and not having children. 

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A study was conducted in 2006, which examined the life of 32 age-validated supercentenarians, that is people who live beyond 110. It was seen that they mostly delay or avoid vascular disease towards the end of their lives. Moreover, a large portion of these people requires minimal assistance in their old age. 

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Researchers involved in studying longevity have previously credited it to heredity, saying that these individuals win some kind of genetic lottery. However, some experts believe that lifestyle is also an important factor. A Boston University professor of geriatrics and medicine commented that most of what we assume are age-related problems, aren’t due to age at all. Rather, they’re the result of what we do to our bodies like drinking excessively, smoking, or being overweight.