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Medications, Supplements & Other Treatments

In our practice, we organize longevity tactics into five domains — one of which I call ‘exogenous molecules,’ a fancy way of talking about medications, supplements, hormones, or any other formulated molecule you put into your body. Although powerful, this tactic can be challenging to discuss as it is highly individual. So instead of telling you to “take X” or “never take Y,” I find it more beneficial to approach this tactic with a 3-part framework:

(1) What is the objective? The more clearly you can define your objective, the more clearly you can assess if this is the right tool for accomplishing that objective

(2) Is there a biomarker? How do you plan to customize, track, and adjust your treatment over time? If there is no biomarker to monitor as a measure of effectiveness, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the supplement or medication; it just means you may need to be more intentional around monitoring results in other ways.

(3) Does the risk outweigh the reward? Everyone has a different tolerance for risk. Some questions to consider when weighing risk vs. reward: What is the mechanism of action? How many patient years of use exist? What are the short-term and long-term risks of taking the medication? What are the risks of not taking the medication?

Below is a collection of past content discussing some common supplements, medications, and other treatments.

#204 – Centenarians, metformin, and longevity | Nir Barzilai, M.D.

“If you prevent aging and age-related disease, you’re going to compress morbidity, too.” — Nir Barzilai

Is cold exposure beneficial for metabolic health?

A look at whether activating brown fat through cold exposure therapy offers metabolic benefits.

Does regular sauna use provide health benefits?

This audio clip is from AMA #16: Exploring hot and cold therapy, originally released on October 12, 2020.  

Can a father’s metformin cause birth defects in his sons?

Several studies have examined the effects of both maternal diabetes and maternal metformin exposure on offspring, but prospective fathers have received comparatively little attention. A recent study sought to change that.

#198 – Eye health—everything you need to know | Steven Dell, M.D.

“Do eye surgeons need to go to medical school? Yes, because we diagnose brain tumors. We find things that are systemic diseases that have ocular manifestations.”  —Steven Dell

#193 – AMA #31: Heart rate variability (HRV), alcohol, sleep, and more

In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter and Bob first answer a variety of questions related to heart rate…

#184 – AMA #29: GLP-1 Agonists – The Future of Treating Obesity?

“Getting deeper into how this drug works has certainly made me appreciate its power.” —Peter Attia

Does fish oil cause cardiac arrhythmia in high-risk individuals?

Reports of increased risk of atrial fibrillation in high-risk patients taking fish oil

#182 – David Nutt: Psychedelics & Recreational Drugs

“It turns out that the drugs that have been most vilified and which we’ve been taught are the most dangerous, turned out to be the least dangerous.” —David Nutt

#181 – Robert Gatenby, M.D.: Viewing cancer through an evolutionary lens and why this offers a radically different approach to treatment

“For a century we’ve been looking for magic bullets, but maybe all we need is a series of pretty good bullets.” —Bob Gatenby

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