Category

Preventing Chronic Disease

One of the foundational lessons we can take away from studying centenarians — those who have lived to the age of 100+ — is that if you want to live longer, you have to live longer without chronic disease, not live longer with chronic disease. Unfortunately, our current healthcare system is primarily geared toward helping you live longer once you develop chronic disease. This, of course, is the opposite of the approach I take with my patients. 

Over 80% of deaths in people over 50 who do not smoke can be grouped into 4 main categories, what I like to call the four horsemen of chronic disease. These are: (1) atherosclerotic disease (comprised of cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease), (2) cancer, (3) neurodegenerative disease (Alzheimer’s disease being the most common), and (4) metabolic disease (a spectrum of everything from hyperinsulinemia to insulin resistance to fatty liver disease to type 2 diabetes).

We have five main longevity tactics at our disposal to affect our longevity: (1) exercise, (2) sleep, (3) nutrition, (4) medications & supplements, and (5) distress tolerance. Below is a collection of podcasts and articles discussing how we can use these tactics to mitigate, prevent, and reverse chronic disease.

#37 – Zubin Damania, M.D.: Revolutionizing healthcare one hilariously inspiring video at a time

“The idea that you can optimize a particular regiment to the goals of that unique patient is the foundation of what we call Health 3.0.” —Zubin Damania

#35 – Nir Barzilai, M.D.: How to tame aging

“I think the prevention of aging is really a good place to be. . .and I think life is going to be very different in the next decade with our advances.” —Nir Barzilai

Another name for madness

Alzheimer’s disease often doesn’t just strike one person. Alzheimer’s caregiving is something that might hit us at any time.

#33 – Rudy Leibel, M.D.: Finding the obesity gene and discovering leptin

“I’ve always felt that it was really somehow an enormous opportunity and a gift to be able to pursue this down to the level that I’ve been able to do in the past 30 years.” —Rudy Leibel

#32 – Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., Ph.D.: new frontiers in cancer therapy, medicine, and the writing process

“The fundamental rule that works for me is just to throw something at the world. The first line, the first experiment, the first idea, and then, keep at it.” —Siddhartha Mukherjee

#31 – Navdeep Chandel, Ph.D.: metabolism, mitochondria, and metformin in health and disease

“I pay more attention today to stress than anything else.” —Nav Chandel

#30 – Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D.: Controversial discussion—cancer as a mitochondrial metabolic disease?

“The standard of care should never have been written in granite. It should be flexible. If you have something else that comes along that might be better, you’d think there would be enthusiasm.” —Tom Seyfried

#24 – Tom Dayspring, M.D., FACP, FNLA – Part V of V: Lp(a), inflammation, oxLDL, remnants, and more

“Use the correct terminology with everything.” –Tom Dayspring

#23 – Tom Dayspring, M.D., FACP, FNLA – Part IV of V: statins, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors, niacin, cholesterol and the brain

“This is what it ultimately comes down to – and it’s the way you practice – you’ve got to individualize everything.” –Tom Dayspring

#22 – Tom Dayspring, M.D., FACP, FNLA – Part III of V: HDL, reverse cholesterol transport, CETP inhibitors, and apolipoproteins

“Here’s something that’s going to shock you: in an average person, anywhere from 30 to 60 percent of the cholesterol in that LDL particle arrived via an HDL particle.” –Tom Dayspring

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