People are going to great lengths to try to live longer. One of the many trends attempting to reverse the aging process is biohacking, which uses science, technology, and experimentation to optimize the body’s performance. But do intermittent fasting, cold and heat therapy, and other trendy activities really help to increase your lifespan?
According to cardiologist Eric Topol, lifespan—the total number of years that a person lives—shouldn’t be the focus if aging is marked by a neurodegenerative disorder or a chronic illness. Topol contends that the focus should be on health span, the number of years we can live without age-related disease, such as dementia, cancer, or heart disease.
“The average American health span is 64,” Topol said in a speech heard on TED Radio Hour. “But lifespan is 79 on average. So you’ve got a big gap of about 15 years where your health span has ended and your lifespan continues.”
Topol, who also conducts research, led a project in which he studied the DNA of “Super Agers”—whom he described as exceptionally healthy people over 80 who had not developed age-related chronic illnesses.
Topol wanted to know if the genes of Super Agers played a role in their healthy aging.
So, Topol and his team compared the genomes (the complete set of genetic material in an organism) of Super Agers with the average population to identify potential genetic advantages. To their surprise, genetics did not fully explain the healthy aging of the Super Agers.
“The stunning result was while there were some small differences, otherwise there was not much to be able to say this was a genetic story at all,” Topol said.
The research, however, was not a waste of time. What Topol and his team found was that lifestyle choices played a larger role than genetics in Super Agers. What lifestyle factors mattered more included:
Physical activity, especially resistance and balance training exercises
Adequate sleep
Reducing inflammation in the body
Preventive factors, such as staying socially active and spending time in nature
Maintaining a healthy immune system was also a factor. Topol pointed out that new evidence suggests certain vaccines can enhance immune resilience.
“We’ve learned that the shingles vaccine reduces Alzheimer’s and dementia by at least 20 to 25 percent,” due to the way it protects the immune system, Topol said.
Since conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular disease often begin developing long before symptoms appear, Topol believes adopting healthy lifestyle habits and emerging medical advances may reduce the risk or prevent diseases and chronic illnesses.
What’s more, Topol sees artificial intelligence (AI) as transforming preventive medicine. Whether it’s retinal scans that can identify the risks for Parkinson’s or heart disease, or advanced AI models that can predict Alzheimer’s disease decades before any symptoms appear, Topol believes that AI will shift medicine from reacting to disease to getting ahead of it.
“In the years ahead, we will regard AI’s most important contribution as facilitating prevention,” Topol said.
Don’t Fall For the Grift
After finding that aging well is more about making healthy lifestyle choices than about genetics, Topol doubts the huge sums of money pouring into the anti-aging industry will have an impact on aging well.
For example, Topol is skeptical about treatments promoted by influencers and wellness companies, such as experimental peptides, cold-water immersion (ice baths) to reduce inflammation, and “protein maxxing,” which involves consuming high amounts of protein to boost metabolism and build muscle.
One of Topol’s strongest warnings is directed at the booming longevity marketplace. He argues that many supplements, scans, tests, and anti-aging products are heavily marketed despite lacking solid evidence that they improve health span or prevent disease.
Topol believes that the longevity market is growing much faster than scientific evidence can keep up with. He said that the specious claims about these unregulated products, many of which lack solid evidence or proof that they are effective, are “just completely out of control.”
To that end, Topol warns:
• Be wary of optimization fads
• Stick to evidence-based opinion, “not eminence-based” opinion
• Invest in habits, not miracles
According to Topol, getting older doesn’t mean waiting for your health to decline or believing that you will develop the same diseases as your family members. Evidence suggests that making healthy lifestyle changes, even in middle age, can possibly delay chronic illnesses and add more years to your life.
This site offers information designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on any information on this site as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or as a substitute for, professional counseling care, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.
