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Exceptional Siblings: The Andrade Brothers

2020; Wiley; Volume: 68; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/jgs.16396

1532-5415

Óscar Ribeiro, Daniela Brandão, Lia Araújo, Laetitia Teixeira, Constança Paúl, Michel Poulain,

Migration, Aging, and Tourism Studies

Journal of the American Geriatrics SocietyVolume 68, Issue 5 p. 1112-1114 Letter to the EditorFree Access Exceptional Siblings: The Andrade Brothers Oscar Ribeiro PhD, oribeiro@ua.pt CINTESIS, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorDaniela Brandão PhD, CINTESIS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorLia Araújo PhD, CINTESIS, School of Education of Viseu, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Viseu, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorLaetitia Teixeira PhD, CINTESIS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorConstança Paúl PhD, CINTESIS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorMichel Poulain PhD, Institute for the Analysis of Change in Historical and Contemporary Societies (IACCHOS), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium Estonian Institute for Population Studies, Tallinn University, Taillin, EstoniaSearch for more papers by this author Oscar Ribeiro PhD, oribeiro@ua.pt CINTESIS, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorDaniela Brandão PhD, CINTESIS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorLia Araújo PhD, CINTESIS, School of Education of Viseu, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Viseu, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorLaetitia Teixeira PhD, CINTESIS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorConstança Paúl PhD, CINTESIS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorMichel Poulain PhD, Institute for the Analysis of Change in Historical and Contemporary Societies (IACCHOS), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium Estonian Institute for Population Studies, Tallinn University, Taillin, EstoniaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 09 March 2020 https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16396Citations: 1AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat To the Editor: Albano Andrade (born December 14, 1909) and Alberto Andrade (born December 2, 1911) recently set a record in the Guinness World Records: the highest combined age for two living siblings (now 218 years). We met the Andrade brothers in 2013 while conducting the PT100 Oporto Centenarian Study, the first Portuguese population-based study on centenarians.1 Since then, we have followed up with their case every 6 months to monitor their condition and check for physical, cognitive, or changes in health status. We recently visited them and their family (close to their 108th and 110th birthdays, respectively). The Andrade brothers are a case of interest not only because of the singularity of their age but also because both of them are men, a minority within the centenarian population in most countries including Portugal.2 Moreover, Albano is one of a few identified male supercentenarians and the only one currently alive. When asked what the secret was to their long lives, Albano said, "Do not eat excessively, don't get drunk … and behave well!" Alberto said the secret was "to try to live in a calm way, free from big issues, and do not eat too much food." Albano and Alberto were born in São Miguel de Souto, Santa Maria da Feira, a rural location in the north of Portugal. They have always lived together in the house where they were born and grew up. Birth and baptism certificates maintained by the local parish validate the date of their births. Their parents and other relatives were also, allegedly, extremely long lived. For example, their mother died at the age of 96 and their father at the age of 95. One of their nephews (the son of their oldest sister) died at 101 years old, and another one will turn 100 in 2020. The brothers have slightly differing life stories and personalities. Albano is an introvert; he is calm and a good friend to everyone. In contrast, Alberto is extroverted, has a strong personality, and is a playful person who possesses a great sense of humor. He is also a born storyteller. Albano has never been married, by choice. However, he has always lived with family, including nieces and nephews, so he has never been alone. Alberto married his niece, 20 years his junior, when he was 48. The niece had come to help him maintain his household, but it was a marriage of love. The couple had three daughters, one son, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. The two brothers studied until the fourth grade. After finishing his studies, Albano took an admission examination to become a teacher, but he gave up this career when he was placed at a school far from home. However, he has always appreciated reading and staying current with national politics. Alberto, in contrast, started working in agriculture with his parents and kept this occupation until his late 80s. Although the two brothers had different professions, they share some common interests, such as music. Alberto played the saxophone in a local philharmonic band, and Albano played the violin all his life, continuing even after he turned 100 years old. He was the maestro of the local philharmonic band for several years. Religion has also always played a major role in the brothers' life; they grew up in a Roman Catholic household and have remained strongly engaged in religious activities, possessing a strong faith in God. Additionally, family has always been important in these brothers' lives. All of Alberto's kids live nearby and visit them frequently (almost daily); they have lunch together at the brothers' house on Saturdays and Sundays. In assessment interviews in 2013 (when the brothers were ages 103 and 101), we verified that neither of them has cognitive impairment; both were also independent in the basic activities of daily living. Despite Albano's fragile appearance, he has never had any major health problems. He takes medication rarely, even when the doctor prescribes it, and he currently takes no medication at all. He has not had any chronic diseases. Likewise, Alberto has never had any major medical issues, except for a few accidents. One, which occurred in his childhood, gave him a limp and some permanent eyesight problems. He had pneumonia in 2018, and the doctors gave him only a few hours to live, but he surprised them all with an amazing recovery and left the hospital only a few days later. Although Albano and Alberto are still a few years short of being the oldest living men (a current record of 116 years), the singularity of their case justifies a continued follow-up because they can provide important information for better understanding the phenomenon of male advanced longevity from a psychosocial perspective. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to acknowledge Joana Oliveira, a family member of the siblings, for sharing valuable information throughout the study; we also thank her for providing a recent picture of the Andrade brothers (Figure 1) and consent to its publication in the journal. Figure 1Open in figure viewerPowerPoint The Andrade brothers. Source: Family picture provided to the authors. Financial Disclosure The PT100 Oporto Centenarian Study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; grants PEst-C/SAU/UI0688/2011 and C/SAU/UI0688/2014). Conflict of Interest The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this letter to the editor. Author Contributions Oscar Ribeiro is the principal investigator of the PT100 Oporto Centenarian Study. Daniela Brandão, Lia Araújo, Laetitia Teixeira, and Constança Paúl are senior team members of the project. Michel Poulain is an expert in age validation and longevity, and he helped collect the last follow-up data. Sponsor's Role There was no sponsor for this letter to the editor. REFERENCES 1Ribeiro O, Araújo L, Teixeira L, Brandão D, Duarte N, Paúl C. Oporto centenarian study. In: N Pachana, ed. Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Singapore: Springer Science+Business Media; 2015. CrossrefGoogle Scholar 2Ribeiro O, Teixeira L, Araújo L, Paúl C. Health profile of centenarians in Portugal: a census-based approach. Popul Health Metr. 2016; 14: 13. CrossrefPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar Citing Literature Volume68, Issue5May 2020Pages 1112-1114 FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation