Is this the end of statins?

Happy Friday,

🥒 After a hard workout, some people are replenishing with pickle lemonade. Pickle juice has more electrolytes from sodium, potassium, and magnesium than traditional energy drinks. This recipe, courtesy of Outside, also boosts gut health with fermented pickle juice, while low-glycemic agave adds a touch of sweet.

👁️‍🗨️SPOTLIGHT

Take a statin everyday — or a shot to protect you for life?

You know the drill: a statin a day keeps cholesterol at bay. But what if a single shot could do the same job – and last for years? 

🫳 A new gene-editing drug called VERVE-102 can lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol by up to 50%, and the effects may last for years–possibly life, says study author Dr. Riyaz Patel, academic cardiologist at University College London and doctor at Barts Health NHS Trust.

| “This is going to be revolutionary,” he told BBC Science Focus. “This is reality; it’s not science fiction.”

The shot uses gene-editing to turn off the PCSK9 gene in the liver (PCSK9 controls how much LDL is in the bloodstream). 🩸 LDL cholesterol is dangerous because it can form plaques on blood vessel walls that block blood flow, a major cause of heart attack and stroke.

In the recent clinical trial, 14 participants with a genetic risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke caused by high LDL received a low, middle, or high dose of VERVE-102. The results?

Why this matters

Statins effectively lower LDL cholesterol (30% to 50%) but need to be taken once-daily. VERVE-102 could offer a long-lasting treatment option, especially for folks with high genetic risk or poor adherence to meds. It also hints at an entirely new approach to treating cardiovascular disease.

Club Livelong members get exclusive weekly briefings, expert Ask-Me-Anythings, and behind-the-scenes insights you won’t find anywhere else.

WELLNESS WATCH

Sitting up, running, turning left—these are everyday things that require hip mobility. The ability to use your hips impacts what you can do when you get older, but better hip mobility doesn’t need to be hard.

The hips impact every physical ability important for longevity–stability, balance, and strength. 🏃 Hip immobility can cause:

Add at least one of these hip mobility drills (two or three sets) to a warmup before every workout, according to Men’s Health. Click the link for exercise descriptions.

REPLAY

Featuring Amy Larocca, award-winning journalist, author of “How to Be Well”
Watch the replay: https://livelongmedia.com/livelong-media-videos

🍾 TOP STORY

A new study out of France found that glass bottles leach up to 50x more microplastics into drinks than plastic or cans. It’s not the glass that is the problem, but the bottle caps that shed paint. Wine actually had some of the least contamination–possibly because it is sealed with cork. Manufacturers can start air-blowing and rinsing caps with alcohol to successfully reduce contamination.

SHORT READS

LONG-LEVITY

One woman, 3,000 miles, and successfully reversing cognitive decline caused by Alzheimer’s.

At 81, Judy Benjamin is walking 3,000 miles across the U.S. and rewriting the future of living with Alzheimer’s, according to a recent article in The Independent.

Diagnosed with the disease at age 67–shortly after her mother passed from the same disease–she did not want to endure the same fate.

After doing research, Benjamin eventually became the first patient to test Dr. Dale Bredesen’s precision medicine-based ReCODE protocol to reverse symptoms of cognitive decline with lifestyle, removing exposure triggers, and optimizing brain function.

Dr. Bredesen, author to The End of Alzheimer's and The Ageless Brain, tells The Independent that his approach addresses major drivers of disease progression. According to his website, this includes:

Today, Benjamin is achieving a feat most healthy people her age would not even attempt. ‘[She is] survivor of cognitive decline,” Bredesen remarks.

LIVELONG+

🎧 WATCH: Demi Moore on middle age being the most exciting time of life.

🍽️ TASTE: The only country that is self-sufficient in healthy food.

💬 SHARE: Share this newsletter to connect others with longevity tips.

🙂 REWIND: The unscreened crisis.

✏️ Poll response

❓ We asked, you confessed: What's a classic treat you just can’t quit?

With a record number of responses, the results were deliciously close! Chocolate won with 29% of the vote, followed closely by ice cream (28%). Cake and candy tied for third.

Chocolate is probably one of the healthiest treats to love, with dark chocolate being packed with polyphenols and antioxidants. But any sweet can be part of a healthy diet when enjoyed in moderation.

Until next time,

Look good, feel better, live longe