Metals in plasma of nonagenarians and centenarians living in a key area of longevity

The concentration of calcium (Ca), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn) and selenium (Se) in plasma of 76 nonagenarians (mean age, 89.0±6.3years), 64 centenarians (mean age, 101±1years) and 24 middle-aged subjects as controls (mean age 61.2±1.1years), was determined by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. All the subjects lived in Sardinia, an Italian island, that has the higher prevalence of centenarians than in other European countries. A comparison among the three classes of age showed a significant depletion of Ca, Co, Fe, Mn and Se (all p