This combination of photos released by Guinness World Records shows sisters Umeno Sumiyama, left, and Koume Kodama at separate nursing homes in Japan. The two Japanese twin sisters have been certified by Guinness as the world's oldest living identical twins, aged 107 years and 300 days as of Sept. 1.
TOKYO (AP) — Guinness World Records has certified two Japanese sisters as the world's oldest living identical twins at 107, in an announcement Monday coinciding with Respect for the Aged Day, a national holiday in Japan.
Umeno Sumiyama and Koume Kodama were born the third and fourth of 11 siblings on Shodoshima island in western Japan on Nov. 5, 1913.
They were separated after elementary school, when Kodama was sent to work as a maid in Oita on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu. She later married there, while Sumiyama remained on the island where they grew up and had her own family.
The sisters later recalled their difficult younger days. Growing up, they said they were bullied because of prejudice against children of multiple births in Japan.
Busy with their own lives for decades, the sisters rarely met until they turned 70, when they started making pilgrimages together to some of the 88 Shikoku temples and enjoyed being reconnected.
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Sumiyama and Kodama were 107 years and 300 days old as of Sept 1, breaking the previous record set by famous Japanese sisters Kin Narita and Gin Kanie at 107 years and 175 days, Guinness World Records Ltd. said in a statement.
Their families told Guinness that the sisters often joked about outliving the earlier record holders, affectionately known as "Kin-san, Gin-san," who attained idol-like status in the late 1990s for both their age and humor.
About 29% of the population of 125 million in Japan, the world's fastest aging nation, are 65 years or older, according to the health and welfare ministry. About 86,510 of them are centenarians — half of whom turned 100 this year.
Due to anti-coronavirus measures, the certificates for their record were mailed to the separate nursing homes where they now live, and Sumiyama accepted hers with tears of happiness, according to Guinness.
5 tips for improving your quality of life as you age
The secret to a long life
Interviews with people celebrating their 100th birthday always include one question: What’s the secret to your long life?
The answers aren’t always in line with science. For example, in 2020 a Chinese centenarian responded with some dubious advice: “Smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol and eat junk food.”
From this we can probably surmise that living a long life is sometimes just a matter of luck and good genes. The rest of us might need to work a little harder to live well into our older years. Are there certain things that can help?
To find out we reached out to Dr. Suzanne Salamon, associate chief for clinical geriatrics at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. We asked her for some advice on how to live longer — and more importantly, how to live well. Here are five of her tips.
Protect your brain
One of the conditions people fear the most as they get older is dementia. While your risk of Alzheimer’s disease is largely out of your control, other types of dementia are preventable, says Dr. Salamon. The health of your brain, like your heart, is largely the product of your lifestyle habits.
“There are a whole lot of things we can do to prevent vascular dementia, which has the same risk factors as heart disease,” she says. Preventive steps include, among others, eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, not smoking, maintaining a healthy body weight, and keeping cholesterol and blood pressure within the recommended range.
“It’s important to start these practices early in your life, but it’s never too late,” says Dr. Salamon.
Walk more
An easy way to stay active is by walking. You don’t need to hit 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy — as many as 7,500 can do the trick, says Dr. Salamon.
A 2019 JAMA Internal Medicine study found that walking just 5,000 steps was associated with better health. Even women taking as few as 4,400 steps per day had a 41% lower risk of dying compared with women who walked 2,500 steps a day or fewer. And they didn’t need to be power walking — just moving around the house was enough.
Put technology to use
Many older adults who didn’t grow up with computers and other gadgets might be hesitant to embrace electronic tools. But learning to use them can bring health benefits, says Dr. Salamon. During the pandemic, telemedicine has become a valuable way for people to connect with their doctors and keep tabs on their health. Computers can also help people stay connected with friends and family.
“For many older people, especially people in their 80s and 90s, the computer opens up the world for them,” she says. They can use it to rapidly access information, read about anything and everything, communicate by email and videoconference with their friends and family. Today, many senior centers offer assistance to people who want to learn more about how to use technology, which can give you an easy place to learn the ropes. Don’t be afraid to give it a try.
Keep tabs on medications
As people get older, their pillbox often gets larger. Many people take multiple pills each day, some of them prescribed many years ago. This raises the risk of not only harmful drug interactions but also dangerous side effects. Prescriptions need to be updated regularly, because your body may react differently to drugs if your weight or your metabolism changes.
It’s good practice to review each of your medications with your doctor or pharmacist every six months to ensure that you still need to be taking them, that the dose is accurate and that your medications aren’t interacting with one another, says Dr. Salamon. Making needed adjustments can help you avoid side effects, such as dizziness, which may lead to a fall.
Use mobility tools
Developing good habits and knowing when to accept some help can keep you healthy and independent longer.
A lot of people are reluctant to use a cane or a walker, even if they feel unstable when they walk. This may lead to a fall and a serious injury that affects their quality of life.
“A walker can really help keep you from falling and also gets you moving more. You won’t be so afraid of moving and walking longer distances,” says Dr. Salamon.
