The Livelong Newsletter

Hi Livelongers,

💫 Longevity is shooting for the stars as Star Trek actor and futurist William Shatner joins a longevity project aiming to extend human life to 130 years old. Researchers with the project will analyze mitochondrial transplantation techniques in astronauts. If successful, the therapy may one day be used in general public to target age-related diseases.

The week is June 17. In today’s issue:

• Is it possible to escape death? This theory says ‘yes.’

• Where is the happiest city?

• Social media apps may get warning labels like tobacco products.

• Find the rhythm to prevent brain aging.

• 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

Escaping death with ‘longevity escape velocity’ 

What is it? Longevity escape velocity (LEV) is the idea that we can extend life indefinitely by extending current life at a rate faster than the rate of passing time.

What does this mean? Well, the goal is to stay one step ahead of biological aging, not chronological aging.

"I think the idea of escape velocity is more interesting than the slightly sci-fi name can sometimes make it sound,” said longevity expert Andrew Steele, who spoke at our recent Livelong Summit.

In fact, he says the theory is “less sci-fi” than you’d think, given our recent history of medical innovations.

Key points about LEV:

• In theory, each round of advancements in anti-aging therapies would give experts enough time to develop the next round of treatments to prolong life until the next round is created, and so the cycle continues, Steele explains.

• There is a minimum rate at which these therapies need to improve. That way the recipient will always have slower biological aging compared with chronological aging.

• A person can (theoretically) live indefinitely, as improving + repairing damaged DNA can prevent biological aging and age-related diseases which drive deaths today.

Critics: Longevity experts like Thomas Perls, a geroscientist and founder of the New England Centenarian Study, suggests it is not possible to live forever AND should not be the goal, given the prevalence of age-related diseases that are still not solved. It is also an incredibly expensive undertaking.

Big picture: Although most longevity experts have not adopted the theory on its own, most do encourage more funding for health span and longevity research in general.

Even so, continued research and innovation in anti-aging advancements mean that “people who are alive today can potentially look forward to significantly enhanced healthy lifespans,” Steele said.

Are you enjoying Livelong?

That’s great! Please forward this newsletter to others so that we can continue to curate fresh, actionable, and evidence-based information that keeps you in the know and supports your health and wellbeing.

MENTAL HEALTH + TECHNOLOGY

⚠️ Surgeon General gives urgent call to use warning labels on social media apps

What is the story: The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, wants social media platforms to have warning labels that alert parents and adolescents of the platforms’ risks on mental health in younger users. In recent history, tobacco and alcohol products were given similar labels.

Additional action: Dr. Murthy asked Congress for more regulations on social media algorithms to prevent young users from online exposure to extreme sexual content and violence, harassment, abuse, and exploitation. He also calls for social media companies to conduct independent safety audits and share health data with the public. 

Why this matters:

• Nearly 50% of adolescents report body image issues because of social media, according to a study cited by Dr. Murthy.

• Three or more hours of daily social media may double their risk of anxiety and depression, he said.

• The youth mental health crisis has reached a state of emergency, and social media is contributing to the crisis, Dr. Murthy wrote in an essay published in the New York Times.

• Mental health disorders significantly increase risk of premature death.

📸 Poll recap: food photography

Last week, we asked you to share your thoughts on taking pictures of food, which can be an accurate and easy way to track nutritional intake and inform healthier food choices.

So, do you enjoy taking pictures of your food?

• 🏅Yes, but only if I’ve worked really hard on the meal (33%)

• 🏅No, food is for eating. Period. (33%)

• 🥈Yes, but only if the meal is aesthetically pleasing (22%)

• 🥉Yes, of course. Food is life! (8%)

📰 In other news

Top story

• Rhythmic musical activities can boost the connectivity between aging brain regions and improve executive function, according to a recent study. Long-term participation in activities that improve executive function might actually change the structure of these brain regions and reduce the effects of aging on the brain, and we may one day see this being used in the therapeutic setting. Read more.

Noteworthy stories

• Johnson & Johnson will pay a $700 million settlement to 42 U.S. states and Washington D.C. after being charged for marketing that talc-based products were safe (many claim these products caused cancer). Read more.

• Wildfire smoke in California caused 50,000 premature deaths in 11 years, according to a new study. The smoke contains particulate matter (PM2.5) that has been linked to long-term disease, including dementia and heart disease. Read more.

• Short-term loneliness can cause a higher number of daily physical health symptoms that are more severe. Read more. 

WELL-BEING

What is the happiest city in the world?

The happiest city in the world is Aarhus, Denmark, which ranked GOLD on an index curated by the Institute for Quality of Life.

According to the Institute’s website, there are five general themes in urban environments that contribute to people’s happiness and quality of life. These include:

• Citizens

• Governance

• Environment

• Economy

• Mobility

For a city to contribute to the happiness of its people, “it is a matter of implemented investments, where the priority is focused on building interpersonal relations or social policies, including inclusive ones,” according to the site.

The country of Denmark consistently ranks high in quality of life, and its lifespan and healthspan may reflect this (average lifespan is 81.4 years [2021 data]).

I’d be curious if there are any specific studies of citywide policies or initiatives shown to contribute to lifespan, so if you’ve ever come across one, please reach out at [email protected].

Stay tuned →

We have a feature interview with acclaimed psychologist Dr. Stephen Sideroff, PhD, author of The 9 Pillars of Resilience. Get ready to transform your mental health and learn how to build resilience. Coming next week.

In the meantime…

Check out last week’s feature, where we explored how to analyze marketing, using a case study of one of the most famous wellness products, to know if they are “worth it.”

About Livelong

Longevity science can feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland at times—it is a rabbit hole of intrigue, but laden with misinformation: where one magic pill claims to make you bigger, another makes you smaller. Our goal at Livelong is to provide you with credible and actionable information about health and longevity so you can live a longer and healthier life and guide you toward making insightful decisions that support you during your health and longevity journey. 

Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care professional before starting any exercise, wellness, or health program. Nothing in our content, products or services should be considered, or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Livelong is a media company and not a medical provider. We try to give the most accurate possible, but sometimes information is subject to change.