NASHVILLE, TN (WGNS News) - If you’re 80 or older and still sharp enough to out‑think people decades younger, you might just qualify as a “super ager.” It’s a term researchers use for older adults whose memory and cognitive performance look more like someone in their 50s or early 60s. And now, a major new study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center is helping explain why.

The research, published Jan. 16, 2026 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, looked closely at two variants of a gene called APOE. One version, APOE‑ε4, is known as the biggest genetic risk factor for late‑onset Alzheimer’s disease. Another version, APOE‑ε2, appears to offer some protection. Vanderbilt scientists wanted to know how often these variants show up in super agers compared to typical older adults and those with Alzheimer’s dementia.

What they found was striking. Super agers were 68 percent less likely to carry the high‑risk APOE‑ε4 variant than people with Alzheimer’s in the same 80‑plus age group. Even more surprising, they were 19 percent less likely to carry APOE‑ε4 than cognitively normal adults their own age. In other words, even among healthy older adults, super agers stand out genetically.

Lead author Leslie Gaynor, PhD, said the findings highlight just how exceptional this group is. She noted that anyone who reaches 80 without dementia is already aging well, but super agers appear to represent an even more resilient subset. Their genetic profile may help explain why.

The study also uncovered something new: super agers were significantly more likely to carry the protective APOE‑ε2 variant. They were 28 percent more likely to have it than cognitively normal adults 80 and older, and more than twice as likely to carry it compared to participants with Alzheimer’s dementia.

This work draws from the largest sample of super agers ever studied—18,080 participants from eight national aging cohorts. The project was part of the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project Phenotype Harmonization Consortium and included a diverse group of older adults across multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds.

With interest in super agers growing, researchers say these insights could help guide future studies into what protects the brain deep into old age. And for anyone proudly embracing their 80s, it’s one more reason to celebrate exceptional aging.