The organ of mortality

Happy National Without a Scalpel Day!

Despite the name, it’s not a celebration of resourcefulness in an understocked operating room 🥼, but of the minimally invasive technology replacing surgery. 

Less-invasive procedures can mean fewer complications and better outcomes, which could mean a longer lifespan on a global scale. Shortly, we’ll explore the world’s first minimally invasive heart bypass ❤…

This week: The brain as a longevity bottleneck, the Blue Zones debate, heart surgery's next era, and cancer breakthroughs.

A new review argues that the brain is our longevity bottleneck.

We feel the effects of aging, in part, because of our organs. A slower pancreas precedes insulin resistance. A weaker heart struggles under stress. 

🗝 For years, each organ has been framed as the key to a longer life. But compelling new research suggests longevity is actually limited by how long the brain remains functional. 

Longevity strategies that don’t prioritize brain integrity are doomed to fail, authors warn. “When brain function deteriorates, lifespan may persist, but meaningful health span collapses,” the authors write in Cureus.

A rate-limiting organ is a ‘biological bottleneck’ on health span, quality of life, and independence. The authors argue that declining brain function fits this role because it’s effects on the central nervous system:

As a result, factors linked to cardiovascular risk, dementia, and death—such as heart rate variability and blood pressure—can worsen.

The Livelong Women’s Health Summit is for women who want to age with strength, clarity, and independence. We do not sell hype or fear. We are creating an opportunity for those of you who are ready to think seriously about what’s next! Your health is your power. Use promo code ERIN for a discount on your ticket.

For years, Blue Zones–geographic regions with unusually high numbers of people living past 100 in great health–were the gold standard for longevity in lifestyle.

ℹ In 2025, that idea came under fire when researcher Saul Newman of University College London published a popular paper dismissing the Blue Zones as based on “junk data,” which he told The Telegraph.

That controversial study sparked some skepticism and mistrust in the Blue Zones, but a new study in The Gerontologist offers some legitimacy to the research–with a warning.

The Blue Zones, first discovered 20 years ago, don’t look the same today. Several are shrinking, and two—Okinawa and Nicoya—lost Blue Zone status altogether. Lifestyle changes, like westernization, can explain a lot of it.

🔵 Current Blue Zones

🔴 Former Blue Zones

What’s ahead: Emerging geographical candidates in the Netherlands, Singapore, and Spain show that, under the right conditions, environments can be built for longevity. 🛠 🌏

A 67-year-old man became the recipient of a ground-breaking minimally invasive heart bypass for coronary blockage, according to US News & World Report. 

🧑‍⚕ The VECTOR procedure: Ventriculo-coronary transcatheter outward navigation and re-entry (VECTOR) is a method used by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, that involves threading catheters (thin tubes) through blood vessels in the leg to safely reroute blood flow to the heart.

💫 Big picture: This treatment is not widely available yet, but it may be able to treat coronary diseases in patients who fail stents, and may serve as a safer alternative to open-heart surgery.

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A ‘stunning victory’ is happening in cancer care. According to the newly-released annual report from the American Cancer Society (ACS), cancer survival rates are at their highest ever recorded. 🙌 🥳

Between 2015 and 2021, 70% of diagnosed patients reached five-year relative survival.

💊 The hard pill: Recent cuts to federal funding threaten cancer research, funding that’s linked to roughly 34% fewer cancer death rates over the past three decades.

Still, the momentum is strong. Cancer is turning from “death sentence” to “chronic disease,” says Rebecca Siegel, ACS’s senior scientific director for surveillance research. 

Progress works. Hopefully, we will one day get that number to 10 out of 10 patients. 💯

🛍️ Vendors have the opportunity to connect with your audience at the Livelong Women’s Health Summit, April 17–18 in San Francisco. See the media kit for more information.

💫 If you’re passionate about women’s health and longevity and want to help spread the word about the event, you can join us as an Ambassador! Check out the details and reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

We asked: From a longevity perspective, do you think mock meats are healthy?

Overly processed and unnatural (49%). It was unanimous. Although higher in fiber and lower in cholesterol than certain animal sources, mock meats tend to have higher saturated fat, sodium, and processing, which means they can be enjoyed, but best in moderation. One reader writes “eat as cleanly and close to nature as possible.” Well said.