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- For you: Four drugs to extend lifespan
For you: Four drugs to extend lifespan
Plus the easy way to self-identify sleep deprivation, prescription poetry, and more.
Issue 32 | November 8, 2024
image credit: freepik
Hi everyone,
☀️ On Nov. 3, daylight savings officially ended (excluding our lucky friends in Arizona, Hawaii, and these U.S. territories). The extra hour of sleep is lovely, but I’d much prefer an extra hour of sunlight for another five months.
Make sure to go outside and get sunlight exposure during the day. Sunlight regulates your biological sleep clock and provides a healthy dose of heart-disease lowering vitamins.
In today’s issue:
Four drugs for longevity.
Sleep deprived?
Health conspiracies.
… and more.
We love to hear from you—our community. Please share your feedback, stories, questions, testimonials, ideas, and more with us at [email protected].
👁️🗨️SPOTLIGHT
It takes four to make an anti-aging routine
image credit: freepik
Four drugs that are already FDA-approved may be anti-aging too, says Dr. Nir Barzilai of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in Fortune.
GLP-1s (Ozempic)
SGLT2 inhibitors
Metformin
Bisphosphonates
Here’s what you need to know about them.
Three of the four anti-aging drugs are used for diabetes
GLP-1s, SGLT2 inhibitors, and metformin are currently used in treating diabetes (and obesity, as is the case with GLP-1s), and target mechanisms of aging by lowering inflammation, according to Fortune.
Metformin also slows aging because it protects DNA and improves insulin sensitivity.
SGLT2 inhibitors can reduce aging free radicals.
GLP-1s may lower the risk of “heart disease, kidney disease, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s,” Fortune writes.
Add in good bones: The only non-diabetes-related treatment is biphosphonates. This osteoporosis medication protects bones AND reduces the risk of death by 15%, according to a highlighted study.
None of the drugs are approved for anti-aging…yet
In the meantime, Barzilai reinforces that it’s not drugs which are the foundation of healthy aging.
“The things that are good for young and old are exercise, diet, sleep, and social connectivity,” he says.
We can’t wait for more studies about the anti-aging benefits of these medications. Stay tuned as we learn more.
LIVELONG BOOKSHELF • Fall ‘24 🍁
Top longevity books for fall 2024
The value of taking care of yourself now means being healthy for your entire life. That’s why we curated a list of the best books on longevity. Kickstart your path to health and vitality this fall.
☝️ Find your next transformative read here.
WELLNESS WATCH - Sleep
From sleep deprived to feeling revived
image credit: freepik
When people talk about a good night’s rest, I have to wrestle with the idea in my head – I always feel tired.
Turns out, this could be a classic case of sleep deprivation. Experts weighed in on how to identify sleep deprivation and get better z’s.
Sleep deprivation is caused by getting too little or low-quality sleep for a long time, says Dr. Charlene Gamaldo, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in The New York Times article.
🚨 It makes the need for sleep feel URGENT! Sleep deprivation also causes irritability, poor concentration, and you probably can’t fix it with one night of good rest.
Sleep revived
Swap blue light for a book at night, suggests Dr. Sarah Lou Clever of Johns Hopkins (how about a book on longevity? 👀)
Prescription sleeping pills can be used on an as-needed basis, says Mayo Clinic sleep specialist Dr. Eric Olson.
Meditation can reduce fatigue and insomnia symptoms (here’s my favorite).
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help overcome mental hurdles.
Tape your mouth shut? Talk to a doctor first, but anecdotal evidence looks promising.
CPAP machines can reduce sleep apnea symptoms.
On the horizon. Sleep hygiene is a hot market 🔥. How are wearables and new technologies optimizing sleep?
➕ LIVE MORE
These stories caught our attention.
Beyond evolution. We evolved to sleeping together, but do the benefits still hold? Read here.
Sleep divorce. Getting a ‘sleep divorce’ on vacation could improve the trip…and relationship.
Rest and recover. After a heart attack, the brain triggers deep sleep for recovery. Could sleep be a prescription for all injuries?
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
Hidden cures and health conspiracies
image credit: freepik
In a 2014 survey, more than a third of people believe that “Big Pharma” is preventing natural cures to cancer.
Conspiracy theories are treasures for creating sensational stories, but the lack of scientific evidence and merit can make them dangerous, says Steven Novella, an academic clinical neurologist at the Yale University School of Medicine, in a recent article in Science-Based Medicine.
What is it about a good conspiracy? It is emotionally compelling, justifies beliefs and cynicisms, and it is sensationalized—in short, it’s fun to read about.
But it’s not science. Rejecting science characterizes many conspiracies, according to the experts. Be wary of snake oil claims and cure-all messaging.
🚩 From detoxes and curing the incurable, these are the red flags to look out for.
Quick reads
Not snake oil. Intestinal regeneration in snakes could help scientists discover new therapies for human metabolic diseases.
Workouts and wars. The Strava fitness app–which allows runners and bikers to geotag trails and activity–was used to expose data on thousands of Israeli soldiers.
Rejection therapy. The trend of purposefully seeking rejection could give you a new lease on life.
LONG-LEVITY
Prescription poems and the power of prose
image credit: freepik
There are moments in life when words can heal better than medicine. The Poetry Pharmacy is the most concrete example of this.
This small chain, created by poetry enthusiast Deb Alma, opts to prescribe literary verses over pills… “bookshops with a difference.” Since taking over social media, she has introduced many to the healing power of prose.
Healing words. Poetry creates an avenue for expression and the processing of emotions. In a survey, poetry made at least 50% people feel less lonely or better able to cope with anxious feelings.
“I’m giving [people] a gift of some carefully chosen words,” Alma says.
🍂 November Leaves 🍂
written by: Erin
Light kisses leaves,
Of yellow, red, brown.
Cool air blows,
leaves fall to the ground.
Bare branches whistle,
and say their goodbyes.
To leaves of fall colors,
Never lost in our eyes.
🔄 ROUND-UP
Three podcast episodes we listened to in October
We feature podcasts with practical weight loss strategies and a peek behind the curtain into the healthy lifestyle of Spider Man’s Tom Holland.
The Jay Shetty Podcast—The Fastest Way To Lose Belly Fat | Dr. Mindy Pelz
Rich Roll—TOM HOLLAND: Launching A Second Career, Living Alcohol-Free, & Acting With Authenticity
The Diary of a CEO— The Healthy Aging Doctor: Doing This For 30s Will Burn More Fat Than A Long Run! Dr. Vonda Wright
Let us know what podcasts you are watching at [email protected].
🔛 What’s next?
📥 Subscribe to the community — If you haven’t subscribed, please do so. You’re joining a great community of life.
➡️ Share this newsletter — Share with a friend so they can get fresh, actionable, and evidence-based information to support their health journey, too.
🔔 Find us on YouTube — Livelong is excited for our new podcast highlighting conversations with the experts. Subscribe here.
🌱 Our most recent edition — Dr. Will Bulsiewicz on optimizing the gut microbiome for healthy aging.
🦉 WISDOM FOR LIFE
The most powerful way for us to take control of our immune system and to shape it is actually through the gut.
About Livelong
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