Longevity by Design

In this episode of Longevity by Design, hosts Ashley Reaver and Dr. Gil Blander welcome Dr. Julie Andersen, a distinguished neuroscientist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, who discusses her groundbreaking work on neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. She explains how the field of geroscience is transforming our understanding of aging, revealing that common underlying processes in various diseases could lead to universal therapeutic approaches.

Dr. Andersen dives into the gut-brain connection, highlighting how gut health significantly impacts brain aging and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. She also emphasizes the importance of cellular senescence, a process where aging cells stop dividing, contributing to diseases like Alzheimer's. Her research explores innovative ways to slow or prevent these processes, paving the way for new treatments.

The episode concludes with Dr. Andersen advocating for lifestyle interventions, particularly exercise, as powerful tools in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. She underscores the potential of personalized medicine in tailoring treatments to individual aging patterns, offering hope for more effective and targeted therapies.

Episode highlights:

• Introduction: 00:00:00
• Dementia as a side effect of aging: 00:06:00
• Dementia prevalence in the population: 00:10:00
• The environment and Alzheimer's disease: 00:15:00
• Biological sex effect on Dementia 00:17:00
• Ethnicity effect on Dementia 00:18:00
• What to expect when you are diagnosed with Dementia 00:19:00
• Biomarkers for Dementia 00:26:00
• The connection between the hallmarks of aging and Dementia: 00:30:00
• Exercise and Dementia: 00:34:00
• disruption of REM sleep as an early sign of Parkinson's: 00:37:00
• What is the current treatment for Parkinson's: 00:38:00
• Cellular senescence and neurodegenerative diseases: 00:42:00
• Beta amyloid plaques and Alzheimer's disease: 00:50:00
• Autophagy and dementia: 01:00:00
• What would you recommend to a person who like to live better and longer: 01:08:00

On this episode of Longevity by Design, Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Evelyne Bischof, President of the Healthy Longevity Medicine Society. Evelyne discusses her background in internal medicine and oncology and how her work puzzling together patient diagnoses led her to the field of longevity medicine. She highlights the importance of optimizing health span, not just lifespan, and how healthy longevity medicine benefits not only individuals, but population health and the world economy as well.

Gil and Evelyne explore the difference between longevity medicine and traditional healthcare. Evelyne explains that longevity medicine uses a broader range of diagnostics, including advanced biomarkers, imaging, and cognitive tests. This approach aims to build a personalized health trajectory for each patient. They also discuss the role of AI in healthcare, with Evelyne expressing hope for faster, AI-driven diagnostics and drug discovery in the future.

Finally, they touch upon the Healthy Longevity Medicine Society, its mission to establish longevity medicine as a recognized medical discipline, and the exciting developments in the field, such as the SHARP study at the Sheba Longevity Center. Evelyne emphasizes the importance of being data-driven and encourages listeners to collect and track their own health data. She believes this empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their health and longevity.

Guest-at-a-Glance

💡 Name: Dr. Evelyne Bischof

💡What they do: President

💡Company: Healthy Longevity Medicine Society (HLMS)

💡Noteworthy: Physician-scientist specializing in longevity and precision medicine.

💡 Where to find her:LinkedIn

Episode highlights:

[00:01:24] Meet Dr. Evelyne Bischof
[00:05:12] The Concept of Longevity Medicine
[00:08:42] Health Span vs. Lifespan
[00:11:39] The Role of Diagnostics in Longevity Medicine
[00:22:54] Global Landscape of Longevity Medicine
[00:29:50] Collaborations and Growth Initiatives
[00:30:30] Monthly Case Studies and Activities
[00:31:27] Membership and Target Audience
[00:34:42] Organizational Structure and Leadership
[00:39:52] Shiba Longevity Center Overview
[00:45:22] Future of Longevity Medicine
[00:50:27] Top Healthspan Tips and Final Thoughts

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In this episode of Longevity By Design, co-hosts Ashley Reaver, MS, RD, CSSD, and Dr. Gil Blander welcome renowned professor Dr. Keith Baar. As the head of the Functional Molecular Biology Lab at UC Davis, Dr. Baar has made groundbreaking discoveries about how exercise and nutrition influence the adaptation of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. During this episode, he shares his expertise on the critical role of exercise and nutrition for musculoskeletal health, longevity, and improving quality of life.
Dr. Baar discusses the profound impact that both strength and endurance exercise have on healthspan and longevity, emphasizing the unique benefits of strength training. He delves into the molecular biology of muscles, explaining his discovery that resistance exercise activates the mTOR pathway, which is crucial for muscle protein synthesis and muscle growth. He also shares his knowledge on the effects of the drug rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, on muscle versus longevity, highlighting the nuances and complex balance needed for optimal health.
Dr. Baar also shares his expertise and addresses common misconceptions regarding tendons and ligaments. The conversation also covers the significance of nutritional timing, the benefits of integrating protein intake with exercise for muscle, and collagen and vitamin C for tendons and ligaments.
Listeners to this episode will be equipped with an understanding of the responses to different types of exercise and practical exercise and nutrition advice for optimizing muscle, tendon, and ligament health througout life.
Episode timestamps

• Introduction: 00:00-02:52
• What led Dr. Keith Baar to become a scientist interested in exercise physiology?: 02:52-05:19
• What is the musculoskeletal system, and can you explain why it is so vital for health, physical function and performance, and quality of life?: 05:20-12:13
• What is the role of mTOR in health and longevity? 12:14-16:44
• What is the role of rapamycin and metformin in health and longevity? 16:45-20:58
• Activation of mTOR by resistance exercise and protein: 20:59-23:03
• Is there a window of opportunity for consuming protein following exercise to increase muscle protein synthesis? Is the timing of protein consumption post-exercise important for muscle protein synthesis? 23:04-27:35
• Is the type of protein important for muscle protein synthesis? 27:36-28:32
• Is there a difference between young and older adults in how they respond to resistance exercise?28:33-33:49
• What are the differences in molecular responses and longevity between resistance and endurance exercise?: 33:50-38:31
• What are ligaments and tendons? Are there differences in ligaments and tendons between men and women? 38:32-43:26
• What is the best way to exercise for tendons and ligaments? 43:27-49:10
• Is there a difference between pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women in tendons and ligaments?: 49:11-51:17
• Why is collagen important for tendons and ligaments?: 51:18-53:22
• Why is vitamin C important for collagen synthesis and tendons and ligaments?: 53:23-55:19
• When should a collagen supplement be consumed?: 55:21-57:07
• What are some misconceptions about tendons and ligaments?: 57:08-58:42
• What happens to tendons and ligaments during a joint replacement?: 58:43-01:00:50
• What excites or interests Dr. Keith Baar the most that has the potential to extend healthspan in the next 5-10 years?: 01:00:51-01:03:36
• Dr. Keith Baar’s top tip for health: 01:03:37-01:05:59

Did you know that blood cholesterol levels are influenced by far more than just the foods we eat?

Are you eager to know how to assess healthspan using your own body's data?

This episode of Longevity by Design is an Ask Me Anything between Dr. Gil Blander and Ashley Reaver. We gathered frequently asked questions from the Longevity by Design audience and discussed topics fundamental to longevity.

Ashley Reaver begins the conversation with a deep dive into cholesterol—including the relationship between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol, the two most impactful nutrients on our blood cholesterol levels, how to navigate a family history of high cholesterol, and much more.

Dr. Blander then answers questions about health metrics, explaining why VO2max is one of the best markers to assess heart health. He also discusses other markers of healthspan, the value of quality sleep, and the latest science on NAD+ precursors, including NMR and NM.
Timestamps:

• Introduction: (0:00–2:22)
• The relationship between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol: (2:22–3:34)
• Eggs and cholesterol: (3:34–3:50)
• Absorbing dietary cholesterol: (3:50–4:10)
• About 20% of dietary cholesterol influences blood cholesterol: (4:10–5:40)
• Why you should test your cholesterol every 3 months: (5:40–7:54)
• Which cholesterol markers you should test: (7:54–9:20)
• Holding yourself accountable to your health: (9:20–12:03)
• Navigating a family history of high cholesterol: (12:03–14:08)
• The two most important nutrients that impact blood cholesterol: (14:08–15:03)
• Focusing on the aspects of your health that you can control: (15:03–17:40)
• Saturated fat contributes to elevated cholesterol: (17:40–20:37)
• Soluble fiber helps lower ApoB: (20:37–23:30)
• Insoluble fiber: (22:30–25:00)
• Fiber supplements: (25:00–27:00)
• Common myths about cholesterol: (27:00–31:54)
• VO2max is the best physiomarker of cardiovascular health: (31:54–36:00)
• VO2max declines with age: (36:00–37:40)
• Sex differences in VO2max: (37:40–39:10)
• VO2max correlates with other physiomarkers of health: (39:10–42:00)
• VO2max is correlated with biomarkers of metabolic health: (42:00–46:10)
• How to improve VO2max: (46:10–48:40)
• Sleep and VO2max: (48:40–50:00)
• The importance of adequate sleep for healthspan: (50:00–51:50)
• Grip strength is correlated with longevity: (51:50–58:10)
• Using your body's data to assess your health: (58:10–1:04:30)
• Weight loss strategies and GLP-1 agonists: (1:04:30–1:08:06)
• Intermittent fasting: (1:08:06–1:09:30)
• Ashley Reaver’s tips for weight maintenance: (1:09:30–1:15:10)
• NMN vs NR: which is the best NAD+ precursor: (1:15:10–1:18:17)
• The scientific rigor behind InsideTracker recommendations: (1:18:17–1:22:15)
• Top tip for healthspan: (1:22:15–end)

Listen to all episodes of Longevity by Design at https://info.insidetracker.com/longevitybydesign

In this episode of Longevity by Design, our host Dr. Gil Blander welcomes Dr. Renee Deehan and Nimisha Schneider from InsideTracker to discuss the role of personalized health and the advancements made through data science and artificial intelligence. Dr. Deehan elaborates on her background in molecular biology and how she transitioned to computational biology, emphasizing the importance of integrating large-scale biological data to develop high-resolution molecular models of diseases.
Nimisha Schneider shares her journey from basic immunology research to computational biology, highlighting the significance of building mathematical models to understand biological scenarios better. She explains how InsideTracker uses AI and machine learning to analyze users' blood biomarkers, genetic data, and fitness tracker information to provide personalized health recommendations. The discussion includes the integration of over 7,000 clinical studies into InsideTracker's AI engine, Segterra X, to offer tailored advice based on individual health data.
The conversation dives into the findings from a recently submitted study involving 20,000 users, showing significant improvements in key health markers like LDL cholesterol, A1c, and ApoB over several years. Dr. Deehan and Schneider stress the importance of lifestyle changes and sustained efforts to achieve long-term health benefits. They also discuss the challenges posed by genetic predispositions and how personalized recommendations can help mitigate these risks. The episode concludes with insights into future research directions and the continuous development of personalized health solutions at InsideTracker.

Key Insights

Personalized Health Interventions Show Sustained Improvements
A study involving 20,000 users of InsideTracker demonstrated that personalized health interventions correlate with significant and sustained improvements in key health markers. Users who followed personalized recommendations for nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes saw notable reductions in LDL cholesterol, A1c, ApoB, and many other biomarkers related to healthspan. These improvements were observed over several years, indicating the long-term efficacy of personalized health plans. The data suggests that consistent adherence to tailored health recommendations can help manage and even reverse risk factors associated with chronic diseases. This underscores the potential of digital health platforms to drive lasting positive health outcomes.
Genetic Risk Influences Health Outcomes
The study explored the relationship between genetic risk scores and health outcomes, particularly focusing on cholesterol levels and metabolic health. Users with higher genetic risk for high LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, or Ferritin levels found it more challenging to improve these markers compared to those with lower genetic risk. Despite the genetic predisposition, significant improvements were still achievable with persistent lifestyle changes. This highlights the importance of understanding one's genetic risk as a factor in personal health management and the potential benefits of personalized interventions in overcoming genetic disadvantages. It also emphasizes that genetics is not a definitive determinant, and lifestyle changes can substantially mitigate genetic risks.
Activity Levels Correlate with Health Improvements
Analysis of fitness tracker data revealed that increased physical activity, measured via step count, was a key differentiator between users who successfully improved their health markers and those who did not. On average, users who increased their daily step count to around 11,000 steps showed significant improvements in cholesterol levels. In contrast, those who maintained lower activity levels saw less progress. Additionally, higher quality sleep, particularly increased REM sleep, was associa