This week, I’m sharing another collection of oldies-but-goodies – pieces from our newsletter archive that address a variety of topics of continued interest to our audience. Some provide additional context for recent or upcoming content; some address frequently asked questions; and some are simply worth repeating for anyone who might have missed them.
The world of biomedical science is constantly evolving, but in evaluating what has changed, we like to pause now and then to acknowledge information and ideas that have remained relevant despite the passage of time – a celebration of “aging well,” if you will.
How to make better decisions: understanding bias vs. noise
Overall error in decision-making is a function of two variables: bias and noise. These terms come up frequently on the podcast and throughout our content, and understanding the logic behind many of our analyses and critiques of scientific literature requires an understanding of the difference between these two variables. In this piece from November 2021, I discuss key points from an essay explaining bias versus noise, as well as how to recognize and account for each in order to optimize decision-making and analysis.
Vitamin D(éjà vu): new study, same old problems
Vitamin D is a common topic of listener questions, particularly since our recent release of an “Ask Me Anything” episode on the health effects of sun exposure. Yet clinical trials on the effects of vitamin D supplementation are often plagued by confounds and flaws in study design. In discussing a trial on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on bone fracture risk, this newsletter from two years ago points out many such flaws that are widespread in vitamin D literature, explaining how they might undermine interpretation of results.
Muscle mass and cognitive function
The importance of skeletal muscle mass for avoiding frailty and maintaining metabolic health into old age is a frequently recurring message on The Drive and in these newsletters, but we must not forget that the benefits of muscle mass for health also extend beyond these domains. In this piece, we turn our attention to the link between muscle mass and cognitive health, summarizing a narrative review of potential mechanisms by which a loss of muscle mass might contribute to cognitive decline. While causality in the association between low muscle mass and cognitive decline has yet to be firmly established, mechanistic support for a causal relationship has continued to build since this piece was originally released in October 2022, underscoring the importance of maintaining muscle mass as we age.
To reduce appetite, skip late-night snacks
“Optimal” diet pattern – including meal timing – is a topic of perennial interest among listeners, but understanding the true effects of dietary changes often requires multiple research approaches in order to evaluate both efficacy (how the intervention performs in an ideal, strictly controlled setting) and effectiveness (how an intervention performs in a real-world environment). Thus, this newsletter discusses two complementary studies on the effects of late-night eating, which together reveal that this practice increases appetite and reduces energy expenditure. In addition to this message, this piece may also provide helpful context for anyone tuning in to my upcoming podcast interview with Dr. Eric Ravussin, an expert in the areas of calorie restriction, obesity, and metabolic health.
A case study on the importance of taking charge of one’s own health
Though I often point to statistics and clinical research to demonstrate the importance of being proactive about health assessments and aggressive in combating cardiovascular disease, I know that sometimes, the stories of specific individuals can be a far more effective way to convey this message. Thus, when a Drive listener reached out last year with an example from his own experience as to the life-saving power of taking initiative for cardiovascular health, I asked his permission to share it via this newsletter. I find the story as moving now as I did then, and my hope is that it might inspire readers to follow his lead in taking action for one’s health.
For a list of all previous weekly emails, click here.