I have to wonder about the potentially confounding effect of oleocanthal (one of the phenolic compounds in EVOO). It's a known anti-inflammatory, and I've seen at least one report that it's involved with lysosomal membrane permeabilization leading to apoptosis in senescent cells. On top of that, the content of oleocanthal is quite variable across EVOOs - and hardly present at all in non 'virgin' oils. Any idea if that's been controlled for?
I've thought for some while that oleocanthal is one of the 'keys' to longevity seen with the Mediterranean Diet. There's been a recent study of the Mediterranean Diet indicating that the type of olive oil matters (in the sense of EVOO vs other grades), which fits that hypothesis.
Just my $0.02