The world today is oversaturated with trends, tips, and treatments for how to live long and be healthy while doing it. But it can be hard to know who to listen to – and what actually works. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Eric Topol, renowned cardiologist and author of the book Super Agers: An Evidenced-Based Approach to Longevity, to clear up some of the myths around healthy aging and shine light on what actually works. We cover everything from how much sleep you need and how much movement to get, to dietary advice and the benefits of social engagement — and much more.
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33:05
Why Women Live Longer Than Men
Women tend to live longer than men, even under the most difficult conditions like famines and epidemics. While it’s true that women tend to go to the doctor more and engage in less risk-prone activities, behavior alone doesn’t explain this phenomenon. In this episode, demographer Virginia Zarulli tells us about the implications of the startling fact that, in times of extreme hardship, it is often infant girls outliving infant boys that contributes most to the gap in longevity. Neurologist Dena Dubal, who has spent years studying the influence of the second X chromosome that females carry, explains how research into how women age will benefit men, too. And neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi talks about the impact of sex hormones on aging and why women are disproportionately susceptible to certain age-related diseases.
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34:07
Why Haven’t We Solved Alzheimer’s?
We’ve known about Alzheimer’s and its devastating effects for more than 100 years, and have been predicting an imminent cure for at least the last 25. So why is it that after so many years of research and unrelenting loss, we’re not further along in our progress towards a cure? In this episode we consult three experts who have dedicated much of their lives to understanding this question. Neurobiologist Karl Herrup is the author of “How Not To Study a Disease: The Story of Alzheimer’s.” Charles Piller is a journalist who spent years researching the scandals that recently rocked the Alzheimer’s community. Donna Wilcock is a neurologist who has been studying Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia for decades, and is also the editor-in-chief of the official journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. Together they help explain where we went wrong, and suggest where we might look next in our search for a cure.
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36:11
We’re Underestimating Older Brains
A forgotten name, misplaced keys, feeling overwhelmed by some new technology. Classic signs of a brain beginning its long, inexorable descent into old age? Not necessarily. In fact, new research shows that we can preserve and even enhance our cognitive skills as we get older. In this episode, we explore the science behind the aging brain with psychologist and lifelong learner Dr. Rachel Wu, who has made remarkable breakthroughs in understanding how older brains acquire new skills and knowledge. We also speak to Dr. Cindy Lustig, a neuroscientist, about the chemical changes that take place in our brains as we get older, and how they affect the ways we think and behave. Finally, we look at wisdom. Older people are wiser than younger ones (at least in the United States). We speak to social psychologist Dr. Richard Nisbett whose studies show that the idea of getting older and wiser is no myth.
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31:25
The Truth About Biohacking
Blood transfusions, cryotherapy, experimental drugs and intermittent fasting are just a few of the measures so-called biohackers are taking in hopes of radically extending their lifespans. But what started as a faddish subculture has boomed into a multi-billion dollar industry – encompassing both shady claims and reputable scientific research. In this episode, we unpack the science and the hype behind some of the most prominent biohacking tools being used today, including caloric restriction, Rapamycin, and Metformin with Dr. Venki Ramakrishnan, the Nobel Prize-winning biochemist. We also speak with Dr. Daniel Belsky, the inventor of a blood test that can reveal how fast your body is aging, which could expedite testing on potentially life-extending treatment.
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About The World as You’ll Know It: The Future Of Aging
Human beings are living longer than ever. Thanks to advances like vaccines, antibiotics, pasteurized milk and clean water, we’ve added more than 30 years to the average lifespan over the last 120 years. That’s more than was added in the previous 10,000 years combined. More recently, enormous progress has been made in our treatment of deadly conditions like heart disease and cancer, with mortality rates for each dropping by double digits. Now science is tackling a new challenge: Can we cure aging itself? In pursuit of this holy grail, longevity research has gone from a sleepy backwater to a multi billion dollar field, populated — yes — by plenty of hucksters, but also by Nobel laureates. The goal is to find out what causes us to age and what we can do to slow it down, or maybe even reverse it altogether. Could tweaking the right molecule buy us 20 more years, or are we maxed out? Can older brains be re-wired to function like younger brains? Do any so-called biohacks actually work?
These are some of the questions we are tackling in this season of The World as You’ll Know It: The Future of Aging. With leading scientists in the fields of biology, neuroscience and medicine, we’ll look at the cutting-edge of aging research and what living longer could mean for all of us.
USA