An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity
By Eric Topol, MD
Reviewed by Victoria Starr Marshall
Dr. Eric Topol is one of the Top 10 most cited medical researchers in the world. He’s published more than 1,000 peer-review papers and is an executive vice president and professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, the largest nonprofit biomedical institute in the U.S. He is also a practicing cardiologist.
Dr. Topol is an expert’s expert and I trust what he has to say about extending our health-span—the number of years we live free from disability and disease. He starts the book with the stories of two people, both 98, who are active, engaged, and live vibrant lives—yet, who are a study in contrasts. Of the first patient, Dr. Topol writes, “[she]has escaped all the common age-related diseases, a resilience that defies what most of us expect from the human aging process,” and that it does not appear to be related to genetic makeup. He implies that lifestyle choices may play a significant role. The second is a patient who has had multiple heart issues, bypass grafts, and even a heart attack. “At 96,” Topol writes, “he was hospitalized with COVID pneumonia and, despite a prolonged hospitalization, did not develop respiratory failure and fully recovered.” He goes on to say that this individual “embodies the medical progress we’ve made with age-related diseases.”
Dr. Topol is the bearer of good news. There is much we have control over when it comes to extending our health span and rigorous breakthroughs in medicine and technology are rapidly filling the gaps when our health fails. He cites five dimensions where “phenomenal advances” are being made that will extend our health span: 1) Lifestyle+ 2) Cells 3) Omics 4) Artificial Intelligence and 5) Drugs/Vaccines. The book is an in-depth dive into each of these areas.
This is all evidence-based science and research and it’s dense. This is not a quick read, it’s a deep study. Yet, there is so much here worth knowing—so many tools available for us to use. This is our health and quality of life we are talking about. And it reminds me how valuable these experts are to us.
Dr. Topol is optimistic over what the future could hold, but he’s also circumspect.
“Unfortunately, we are our own worst enemy. During the pandemic, anti-science and anti-vaccine movements were organized and funded: This has led to far fewer people deriving the net benefit of COVID shots. On the one hand, we’re making phenomenal advances in the science; on the other hand, these are being aggressively countered. It will be vital,” he continues, “to develop effective strategies to prebunk and debunk anti-science efforts. That social challenge to our political culture may prove to be our greatest challenge in continuing to add to life expectancy.”
I challenge you to pick up this book and do the work to learn and apply all science has to teach us about how to extend our health span and have a tremendous quality of life all the way to its end.