I love The RosenReport on Substack. Since I’ve been writing The Latest Longevity Science News You Can Use for several years now, and the readership has built by word of mouth/ or email to your friends (and I appreciate that as my purpose is to let people know how much their daily choices matter to foster a slowing and maybe a reversal of aging by 2033 we’ll know as the 14 approaches that have reversed aging in animals will move to human trials—now 6 are as of today), I decided to mimic the title of my idol on Substack. The great RosenReport –he deals with financial news and political aspects in the world—try it if you don’t already, it is a great twice a week read.

1. Stress is the Greatest Ager—It even changes the bacteria in your gut. Here is a quick way to beat it—but remember posse, purpose and play RoizenRule for A Younger You® Story #1

2. Take Half a Multi Twice a Day for a Better Brain, and Better Sight RoizenRule for A Younger You® Story #2

3. Social media is influencing men’s health decisions, even when they don’t trust what it says. Survey reveals gap between disbelief and paying for what influencers recommend.

4. The New mRNA flu Vaccine—A Difficult Choice -or Stay Away Till We Have More Data Roizen Rule for a Younger You Story #3

5. More joy with coffee—a better body build. Roizen Rule for a Younger You Story #3

6. The gene-protein that causes ALS and at least half of Frontal Temporal Dementia is uncovered… TDP--why this matters: the continuing saga to wipe out all neurodegenerative diseases –true winning Longevity is the Next Disruptor® story #2

7. Around 2.5 Hours Or More Of Scrolling Per Day Is Linked To Self-Reported Depression, wellness4Play® story #1

The Rest of the Story:

1. Stress is the Greatest Ager—It even changes the bacteria in your gut. Here is a quick way to beat it—but remember posse, purpose and play RoizenRule for A Younger You® Story #1

With kids’ schedules changing as they go back to school, that causes them and you (siblings, parents, grandparents, even yellow bus avoiders) some extra stress—so here is a quick way to reduce the effects on your body and brain. Some of the greatest thinkers—from ecologist Barry Commoner to jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes and artist Leonard DaVinci—have proposed that “everything is connected to everything else.” And it turns out nothing provides a more vivid example of that interconnection than the human body.

A lab study identified how chronic stress sets off a powerful biological chain reaction that travels from the brain to the gut and then impacts the whole body (https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(26)00204-3?_).

Chronic stress slows activity in brain areas concerned with executive decision making, emotional regulation and response to threats. That then changes the back-and-forth conversation along your gut-brain axis and causes what the researchers call “a massive crash” in healthy gut bacterium called Lactobacillus reuteri.

When that natural bacteria decreases in quantity or disappears, your body can’t produce an anti-aging compound called spermidine. Without that compound your bone marrow loses its ability to help flush out damaged cellular trash throughout your body and your stem cells age prematurely.

Talk about interconnection!

That reinforces my frequent warning that stress is the #1 cause of premature aging. And, as I also often say, when stress is compounded by a lousy diet, lack of physical activity, loneliness, and lack of a sense of purpose, well, you’ve got enough tributaries to create a Niagara Falls of premature aging. Your ActualAge becomes much older than your chronological age.

And while you want stress to go away! But you can’t seem to find the time to do whatever it is that would make you feel calmer and more relaxed. Tai chi? Mindful meditation? Weight lifting? Hanging out with friends. Doing some project that has deep meaning to you. That’s a lot of pressure!

Well guess what the American College of Emergency Physicians suggests? (And managing stress is an emergency in this country with almost half of folks feeling overwrought every day.) One minute stress-busters.

There’s a lot of evidence that 60 seconds (or less) of various breathing exercises, conscious muscle relaxation and fanciful imagining dispels anxiety and makes significant changes to your body chemistry—tamping down cortisol levels, lowering blood pressure, slowing your heart rate and relaxing muscle tension (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/practical-mindfulness/202502/the-best-1-minute-mindfulness-practice-for-reducing-stress).

So, in the middle of a busy day, find a minute—or a moment—to stop, breathe in for a count of four , take a second deep breath on tp of that with your hand on your belly button making sure it goes out with that second deep breath, and then exhale for a count of four. Repeat 10 times. Or you can take a one minute mini-vacation. Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful, peaceful scene. Feel sun and gentle breezes on your skin. Smell the air. Hear the rustle of leaves. Then return to the present, refreshed. And there are many other stressless stress-busting techniques you can try.

2. Take Half a Multi Twice a Day for a Better Brain, and Better Sight RoizenRule for A Younger You® Story #1

In this blog in the past I reported on the data that half a multi-multi (multivitamin multimineral) twice a day made your brain about 6 years younger. Now comes new data on one component of multi’s.

Two new studies highlight C’s benefits. The first found that older adults with lower blood levels of vitamin C had symptoms of reduced cognitive function and measurable loss of brain volume and structural integrity of the gray matter, impacting memory and decision-making (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371 /journal.pone.0348504).

The second study, published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology, used mathematic modelling to reveal that taking a vitamin C supplement could reduce partially the presence of a cancer-risky chemical that forms in the body after consuming nitrates and nitrates in red processed meats. (It’s even better to never eat them!)

So, see your way to getting a daily dose of C from berries, leafy greens and citrus fruits (a medium navel orange has 83mg) and a multivitamin multimineral supplement. The RDA is 90mg for men and 75mg for women 19+. However, ½ cup of red acerola cherries contains 1,650mg! That’s okay; the tolerable upper intake level is more than 2,000mg for folks 19+.

3. Social media is influencing men’s health decisions, even when they don’t trust what it says. Survey reveals gap between disbelief and paying for what influencers recommend.

Bad enough food companies use cartoon characters to corrupt kids into eating food that is bad for them. Now we learn from the the MentionIt survey that us adult men are just as gullable. This year’s survey of more than 1,000 U.S. men explored the impact of social media trends and influencers on men’s health decisions. Among the findings: 74% of men say they rarely or never trust health information shared by influencers. Despite that skepticism, 39% have tried a diet or wellness trend after seeing it on social media.

4. The New mRNA flu Vaccine—A Difficult Choice -or Stay Away Till We Have More Data Roizen Rule for a Younger You Story #3

I’d stay away for a least one season till we know more about the complication rates of this mRNA vaccine—but of course we need enough people to use it so we get that data on complication rates –We found out that something in the COVID19 mRNA vaccine can cause widespread attack of connective tissue leading to myocarditis, lung pleuritis, arthritis etc. in many more that the FDA and CDC thought was the risk. It took millions getting that vaccine to determine that.

Since we do not know the cause of those subsequent to mRNA vaccine inflammatory issues, I’d leave the mRNA vaccine successes to cancer treatment as of now, and wait at least one year before I chose that as my preferred flu shot. I just do not know the risks, and the current classic vaccine flu shot has very few risks, But see what you and your doc agree on—there are clearly unknown risks with the new mRNA flu shot, but some clear benefits.

5. More joy with coffee—a better body build. Roizen Rule for a Younger You Story #3

Do I write about GLP-1’s, Statins, aspirin, Colchicine, Cialis and Coffee too often. They deserve the press as they help you and me stay younger. Here is another coffee benefit I hope you enjoy: less fat, especially around key organs and more muscle.

You know I’m a great fan of coffee. That’s because having 3 to 5 cups a day has been shown to help keep you from getting Parkinson’s and other dementias (reduces the risk by over 40%), as well as lower the risk of heart failure, heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Now an observational study published in the European Journal of Nutrition has found that folks who drink more coffee have less total body fat and inflammation-causing visceral belly fat, healthier blood glucose levels and more muscle mass than folks who drink less coffee (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-026-04038-z).

In men, robust coffee drinking is also associated with higher levels of total and bioavailable testosterone and greater concentrations of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). And it improves their glucose-insulin levels more than it does for women.

But—and there is always a but—you can’t put sugar, creamers, diary or syrupy flavorings into your cuppa Joe and get such far-reaching boosts to your health.

Also…are you wondering if decaf helps reduce fat, increases muscle mass and boosts your metabolic markers such as blood glucose and insulin? Studies have found it does reduce fasting blood glucose levels (bravo!) and protects against dementia, but it doesn’t seem to reduce visceral fat or promote muscle mass.

6. The gene-protein that causes ALS and at least half of Frontal Temporal Dementia is uncovered… TDP--why this matters: the continuing saga to wipe out all neurodegenerative diseases –true winning Longevity is the Next Disruptor® story #2

A protein new to pathology--Transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43)—is associated with a range of clinically defined neurodegenerative disorders including limbic predominant age-related encephalopathy (LATE), most cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and approximately half the cases of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2026.2812). Cumulatively, more than 2.9 million persons in the US alone have a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by TDP-43 pathology, underscoring the public health importance of developing biomarkers and therapeutics for affected and at-risk individuals.

Despite this shared biology—they are associated with TDP-43 aggregates, naming for these neurodegenerative disorders is based on their distinct clinical and inherently late-stage phenotypes. ALS is regarded as a clinical entity characterized by progressive muscle weakness with accompanying degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. IBM is a progressive inflammatory myopathy manifesting with early and prominent weakness of the finger flexors and quadriceps muscles. FTD denotes the broad array of clinical phenotypes caused by degeneration of frontal and/or temporal lobes dominated by socioemotional and/or language dysfunction, with the term frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) specifically reserved for the underlying brain pathology, Conversely, LATE neuropathological change (LATE-NC) refers to the postmortem pathological observation of TDP-43 deposition in individuals with amnestic cognitive impairment or dementia similar to that observed in Alzheimer disease (AD).

LATE (in the absence of NC) describes a slowly progressive, predominantly amnestic syndrome predictive of TDP-43 pathology at autopsy. Nevertheless, the existing divisions between these entities largely fall along clinical lines.

. Despite a classification as very different neurodegenerative diseases all are underpinned by compelling data supporting the central role of TDP-43 pathology in disease pathogenesis., Pathogenic variants in over 20 separate genes result in neurodegeneration with TDP-43 pathology, including the gene encoding TDP-43 itself (TARDBP). Approximately 30 errors in genes have been found in ALS and 15 in FTD—so getting rid of the proteins for these, especially one that takes time to develop like FTD would be my first target. ^-Thus, it should be possible, like it is for Alzheimer’s to reverse the cognitive dysfunction in these diseases with Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (see prior blogs and AMBAR studies). I hope someone will study that—maybe at the company I am associated with—it has had some dramatic results for people who have partaken especially with early Alzheimer’s and COVID vaccine injury. But its ability to get rid of mis-signalling proteins may open up a much better prognosis for those with LATE or LEWY body or FTD.

The Take Homes:

1. To obliterate stress in the short term, try double deep breathing

2. Take Half a Multi Twice a Day for a Better Brain, and Better Sight

3. Avoid the choices recommended by non-trusted social medial sources.

4. The New mRNA flu Vaccine—A Difficult Choice -or Stay Away Till We Have More Data --I’d stay away for a least one season till we know more about the complication rates of this mRNA vaccine

5. If you like black coffee and it likes you, have it help you build a better body as well as avoid type2 diabetes, 9 cancers, and dementia

6. After your life insurance and long term care insurance is in place, consider having your doc order with you and a plan your biomarkers for cognitive dysfunction.

Thanks for reading, Your in Atlanta this weekend at Preserve.life for a longevity conferenceand reporter to you of the latest Longevity Latest Science YOU can Use

Mike Roizen, MD, FACP

This week I joined Mary Furlong and Fred Fishkin on their widely seen podcast —it was incredible:

https://www.maryfurlong.com/2026/08/13/whats-next-living-longer-better-smarter-a-boost-for-your-body-your-spiritepisode-100/

Should most people be taking GLP-1 drugs? Should we all be spending more time in nature? A Boost for Your Body and Your Spirit. That’s the title of episode 100 of What’s Next Living Longer Better Smarter! Mary and Fred welcome two best selling authors. Dr. Michael Roizen’s latest is the upcoming You Getting Older- The Owner’s Manual For Your Golden Years. He keeps his followers up to date on cutting edge research and medicine. And then they are joined by Richard Louv, the award winning, best selling author of Noticing - Intimate Encounters With the Natural World. His insights are inspiring.

1. Longevity is next disruptor #2 story Genomic Benchmarks: Scientists unveiled a near-perfect human genome sequence benchmark

2. You Can Find Out (and Then Modify) Your Genetic Risk for 8 Cardiovascular Conditions (see item above for maybe more on getting rid of these when Prime gene editing occurs at a reasonable price for each of us (by 2033 IMHO)

3. A new Knee Arthritis Rx? What are the side effects?

4. Slash Your Dementia Risk, As Easy as 1-2-3

5. Risks of Using Tadalafil (Cialis) to Ease Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

6. Should More Women Use HRT to combat waking after onset of sleep issues?

7. A switch to FMD for 5 days a month is what I do—but judge when to do it for your schedule, of course after talking with your doc.

The Rest of the Story:

1. Longevity is next disruptor #2 story Genomic Benchmarks: Scientists unveiled a near-perfect human genome sequence benchmark capturing both parental DNA copies with unprecedented accuracy.

It took over 5 years but I think it is as close to enabling a disease free template as possible By capturing both inherited chromosome sets and reaching genomic regions missed by conventional benchmarks, this shift genomics from reference-based variant calling toward complete personalized genomes.

In a recent study published in the journal Cell, researchers developed a near-perfect, complete diploid human genome benchmark for personalized genomics. Including autosomal and sex chromosome sequences, this genome benchmarking framework addresses limitations of conventional reference-based variant benchmarking.

While conventional approaches typically rely on an existing genome sequence for variant identification, this new strategy provides a telomere-to-telomere (T2T) benchmark that helps distinguish sequencing and assembly errors from genuine genetic variation while avoiding biases caused by errors, gaps, and structural differences in external reference genomes. This advancement helps researchers analyze previously inaccessible genomic regions and ultimately support more comprehensive interpretation of disease-associated genetic variation.

Conventional resequencing approaches often struggle to detect structural changes and highly variable regions of the genome linked to human genetic diseases.

Researchers also developed GQC software to evaluate assemblies against the benchmark and compared multiple HG002 assemblies generated using different sequencing technologies over five years.

Why it matters: The resulting v1.1 version contained 38,037 small fixes and 14.18 million base pairs of patched consensus regions. The GQC tool analyzes the genome by distinguishing between the two parental copies, enabling a more accurate assessment of complex genomic regions.

Thus if in the future as is now anticipated we can edit out chronic disease causing proteins production sites –genes that have a mistake (99 can contribute to or can cause dilated cardiomyopathy in the Million Veterans Program study) we need know where the unusual letters are in every part of your genome. This highly characterized genome can enable a disease free template against which Prime editing—editing many abnormal letters into correct letters—can occur.

2. You Can Find Out (and Then Modify) Your Genetic Risk for 8 Cardiovascular Conditions (see item above for maybe more on getting rid of these when Prime gene editing occurs at a reasonable price for each of us (by 2033 IMHO)

Do you have a family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD)? 28 million in the USA with heart disease have those genes that predispose them to early onset of heart woes . (https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.012364 ) . But many don’t know of these genetic risks, thus not being motivated enough to retool their lifestyle and receive medical treatments to control or reverse the dangers.

Now a study examined the genetic risk factors in over 53,000 people found there are more than 50 gene changes –or since genes are protein factories—50 missignalling proteins possibly produced ( https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.03.035 )

Researchers found that combining info on your genetic risk factors with clinical, environmental, and family history—creating what is called an Integrated Polygenetic Risk Score or PRS—can let your doctor, and you, in on just how much at risk you are for coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, AFib, deep vein blood clots (VTE), thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA), hypertension, and elevated cholesterol and lipoprotein (a).

The good news? Modifying your poor lifestyle choices can tamp down your genetic risks! A 2016 study(https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1605086) found even a moderate effort to upgrade your lifestyle reduces a genetic risk for coronary artery disease by 50%.

So, if you have a family history of heart disease, get a genetic screen and have your doctor combine that data with info on your lifestyle habits, environmental conditions, and other medical problems. Then you two can make a plan to upgrade nutrition, physical activity, stress management, sleep habits and more. And getting rid of the proteins produced by each of the 50 genes with Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (see Lifespan-Edge.com/research) may further and substantially make you physiologically younger…meaning more energy and much less heart risk. Take it to heart!

3. A new Knee Arthritis Rx? What are the side effects?

If you are 60 or older, you have at least a 10% chance (for men) and a 13% chance (for women) of developing painful knee osteoarthritis. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2920533/) Fortunately, knee replacement surgery can give you back pain-free mobility. But it requires a very demanding recovery and many folks want or need to avoid the surgery or at least find meaningful pain relief before they get a whole new knee.

German orthopedists and radiologists (https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.253312) developed a process that takes away much pain without changing the joint distruction: a minimally invasive procedure called genicular artery embolization that delivers tiny micro-particles into inflamed blood vessels around the knee. . That provides pain relief (again, and unfortunately, without changing the joint distruction) for at least 12 months—far longer than hyaluronic acid or steroid injections usually offer relief. It also appears to slow progression of OA.

While it is too new to know the side effects and even how it effects knee replacements if one is needed in the future, it does giveyou time to strengthen your thigh and calf muscles—helping take pressure off your knee joint—and to achieve a healthy weight, which makes both knee replacement surgery and recovery easier and more effective.

And it may let you avoid knee replacement altogether.

Much of arthritis is caused by genes --have I talked to much about genes today—but remember you largely control them with your choices. Such genes in the case of arthritis unfortuantely are turned on by inflammatory foods we eat; those genes thus turned on then produce inflammatory proteins/cytokines that then cause the arthritis—so for an -innovative solution to joint pain, explore therapeutic plasma exchange, which removes inflammatory cytokines from your blood.( https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10221344/)

But to be clear, I believe in starting early (I wish I had known of it’s benefits earlier) an anti-inflammatory diet (https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/anti-inflammatory/the-ultimate-arthritis-diet ), free of red and red processed meats, excess saturated fat, added sugars, especially free of added fructose and high fructose corn syrup and corn sugar, and all syrups, and loaded with fresh veggies, fruits, 100% whole grains and fatty fish like salmon can prevent and can help reduce OA pain. Stress reduction and good sleep habits also help build resilience and reduce inflammation.

4. Slash Your Dementia Risk, As Easy as 1-2-3

Quick, answer me this: When you are 55 would you rather live dementia-free for 30 more years, or have to settle for only around 17 years until you begin losing your cognitive powers?

Well the choice is yours, according to a new study in Neurology Open Access(https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WN9.0000000000000152). Researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine and colleagues in China looked at the impact of blood pressure, smoking and diabetes on 12,000 middle-aged people in the US.

They found that avoiding diabetes, not smoking and maintaining a normal blood pressure (I call it below 130/ and below 85; in the study it was below 140/90) provided 13 more years of dementia-free living compared to folks who were burdened with all three dementia risk factors.

I have dedicated my career to helping you find out about all the ways your can maximize your brain power, longevity and happiness. For weight control—it lowers diabetes, high blood pressure and dementia risks—check out You: On a Diet and What to Eat When. For help breaking the smoking habit there’s smokefree.gov and This Is Your Do-Over: The 7 Secrets to Losing Weight, Living Longer, and Getting a Second Chance at the Life You Want. It will help you go step-by-step toward a healthier and psychologically more stable life.

For more tips of the 40 choices that have been shown in humans to decrease dementia risk, keep reading these blogs or (shameless plugs continuing) preorder my upcoming title YOU: Getting Older, The Owner’s Manual for Your Golden Years.

The Owner’s Manual for Your Golden Years

5. Risks of Using Tadalafil (Cialis) to Ease Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms—small but get checked yearly

More than a billion dollars a year are spent in the US on PDE5-inhibitors like tadalafil (Cialis)—and not all of them are to remedy erectile dysfunction. Tadalafil also helps ease lower urinary tract symptoms (leaking, dribbling, trouble urinating) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia, AKA enlarged prostate.

You see, PDE5is a an enzyme found in the walls of blood vessels that when inhibited, your blood vessels relax, blood flow increases, thus easing erectile dysfuntion. And PDE5 is also found in the wall of the tube where urine flows, your urethra –thus an inhibitor like Tidalafil relaxes—enlarges—your urethra, enabling urine (sperm too) to flow out more easily.

And in prior blogs (July 9^th and August 2^nd, 2026) I’ve reported on the long term benefits in making both men and women’s RealAge® or ActualAges® younger –less cancer and less CV disease disabilities and deaths with 5 mg of tadalafil daily. However, a study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology (https://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2026/07/28/bjo-2026-329957) reported on almost 37,000 men and found that it’s associated with an 12 to 32% increased risk (from 3.16% for non-takers to 3.96% for takers) for glaucoma, or ocular hypertension, and/or open-angle glaucoma.

So before you take a PDE5-inhibitor get assessed for your risk for these serious eye problems. And if you do start the medication, make sure to have regular follow-ups with your ophthalmologist.

Also, ask your doctor about other remedies for prostate-related lower urinary tract symptoms, such as reducing or eliminating intake of alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods. Making sure other meds you take don’t increase symptoms. Practicing double voiding (pee twice when you go). There are also other meds, like alpha-blockers and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors.(https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/enlarged-prostate/)

Don’t forget however, for most (96%) this increase is not a concern, and Tidalafil is associated with a decrease in all-cause mortality and in dementia. Thus, there is a real balance to consider—that’s why I recommend you always discuss benefits and risks with your docs. If your eye check so no high pressure in your eye, then benefits may well greatly exceed the risks for you.

6. Should More Women Use HT (hormone therapy) to combat waking after onset of sleep issues?

Wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO) rises sharply in women during midlife, with the increase notably steeper than the one seen in men of the same age (https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsag197). Investigators found WASO increased by an average of 5.4 minutes at ages 50 to 54, 8.8 minutes at ages 55 to 59, and 11.2 minutes at ages 60 to 65.

The data indicated that the steepest jump in women overlaps with the typical menopause transition. If this is you, a lack of progesterone—get only the micronized form and use it with a baby aspirin and a half glass of water before and after the baby aspirin as the main risk of HT is increased clotting tendency—may be remedied with HT –talk to your doc about it---I’ll review this in a later blog with our Ai program on menopause if I haven’t done so in a prior blog.

7. A switch to Longo’s FMD for 5 days a month is what I do—but judge when to do it for your schedule, of course after talking with your doc.

Switching To Vegan Diet For Even A Short Time Can Reduce Inflammation, Slow Aging, according to work from UC San Diego (https://doi.org/10.1002/ mco2.70899 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)). Investigators found that “people who adopted a vegan diet for just one month experienced changes in genetic expression that promoted lower inflammation and slower aging compared to those eating a meat-rich diet.”This butreses what I have done for 11 years now for 5 days every month—Longo showed that is all it takes-- and is in our Ai coaching program:

a special form of limiting food for 5 consecutive days a month called a Do a Fasting Mimicking Diet or FMD for 5 consecutive days once every month? It will help you lose weight as well as live younger longer according to Dr Mike Roizen’s team and their analysis of the data. Have you heard of this FMD?

Ans________________.

[Q-P 24,036] Some research indicates that intermittent calorie restriction as in the FMD can help. When people were put on a specific low-protein, low-simple-carb diet of about 1,000 calories on day one and 750 calories for the next four days, then went back to a Mediterranean-style diet, Valter Longo and his team at the University of Southern California found substantial growth in some components of stem cells, and made most gauges of aging show as if younger.

[Q-P 24,037] Interesting note: This was an accidental discovery; workers in the lab fed calorie- restricted animals by mistake. Instead of throwing the data out, Longo wanted to see what would happen with restriction and refeeding. It had never been done before, as

[I 536] it was thought that calorie restriction had to be forever. But calorie restriction and refeeding generated more stem cells, able to rejuvenate any area of the body that needs repair.

[Q-P 24,038] Even finding that calorie restriction alone extended life was an accidental discovery. In 1933, during the Great Depression, scientist Clive McCay at Cornell University wanted to keep his lab going but didn’t have enough money for food for all the animals. So he made half of them go on a 35 percent calorie restriction diet. The mice that were forced on calorie restriction lived 30 percent longer than the fully fed group.

[Q-P 24,039] Well, we’ve recommended that if your practitioner gives you the ok, once a month you should try a fast-mimicking diet (FMD) for five consecutive days.

[Q-P 24,040] On day one, you eat pretty much normally, but limit yourself to a thousand calories, then for the other 4 days, it’s 750 calories or less per day. This really resets your epigens and genes, and can make you so much younger.

[Q-P 24,041] I recommend making this soup for your 750 calorie days. I really enjoy eating it, and I hope you will too.

The recipe goes like this: throw one 36 ounce can of diced tomatoes into a pot, followed by 36 ounces of water. You can just fill the can with water and throw it right in (not the can, the water).

[Q-P 24,042] Then add one 12 ounce can of corn niblets and another 12 ounces of water. Finally add in finely chopped onions and spices to taste.

[Q-P 24,043] You can have 17 or 18 portions of that and stay under the 750 calorie limit . To be sure, take a look at the cans to see how many servings you can have to total 750 calories.

[Q-P 24,044] Keep in mind, you want to plan your workouts around your five fasting days. So your harder workouts should be on days one or two, and your low intensity workouts on the other days at least that ‘s the only way Dr Mike says he can do em .

The Take Homes:

1. A new process and analysis tool of the genome can enable a disease free template against which Prime editing—editing many abnormal letters into correct letters—can occur. Thus, in the future each of us may be able to edit out all the genes that cause errors in protein production that lead to chronic diseases.

2. Learn your family/genetic risks for cardiovascular disease and eliminate those risks with lifestyle choices.

3. For knee osteoarthritis pain, talk to your doc about genicular artery embolization , and to prevent it and help ameliorate it, go for an anti-inflammatory diet, free of red and red processed meats, added sugars, especially free of added fructose and high fructose corn syrup and corn sugar, all syrups, and fried foods. Stress reduction and good sleep habits also help build resilience and reduce inflammation.

4.To avoid dementia for at least an extra 13 years, get your blood pressure under 125 systolic and under 85 diastolic, your Hemoglobin A1C under 5.6%, and quit vaping and/or smoking.

5. If you take Cialis (Tidalafil) or Viagra, get your eyes checked yearly, especially for their pressure.

6. Women bothered by waking up after falling asleep and after reproductive years might consider HT with their doc.

7. Switch To Vegan Diet For Short Time Reduces Inflammation & Slows Aging—try Longo’s FMD for 5 days a month—see my recipe above—of course after talking with your doc.

Overall take home: YOU ARE A GENETIC ENGINEER FOR YOU—your choices largely control which genes are on and producing proteins or off—so your choices today matter.

Thanks for reading;

your about to try to motivate two days of patients to make healthier choices, and then enjoy two days including playing a round of golf and visiting some features at Niagara on the Lake with his high school classmates—that builds posse and is one of my choices to reduce stress and turn off inflammation producing genes-- correspondent for the latest in longevity science news that you can act on after talking with your doc,

Mike Roizen, MD, FACP

2. Older Grand Children—Just a delight; Longevity data by 2033

3. Well Beyond Wellness Story #1 How to Increase Your Child’s Motivation, Reduce Impulsiveness and Protect Them From Cognitive Problems

4. Odd Omegas® Story #2 Become a Palm Reader—On Labels

5. The Odd Omegas’® Story #1 You Don’t Have to Drink Coffee to Get A Good Shot of Its Anti-Aging Benefits

6. Odd Omegas® story #3 The downside of “prebiotic sodas,”

7. “Roizen Rule for a Younger You”®#1 Viagra and Cialis may decrease cancer

The Rest of the Story:

1. New Grand Child— from a daughter of age 40+

The miracles of science keep coming—just learned of the success at Gladstone of harvesting stem cells from blood, editing in dopaminergic production, growing them in culture, and curing Parkinson’s in animal models

I wrote about this stem cell-gene editing-surgical treatment for Parkinson’s with stem cells from bone marrow harvest in a blog last year—that treatment has been so successful in reversing (some would say curing but it’s too soon to call it a cure) Parkinson’s that it has been approved in Japan and is about to start widespread Phase 3 trails in the USA. But just starting with a blood sample—wow.

And another development that deserves a wow is the development of a cancer vaccine not yet (but soon) in situ (in your body) that simulates your immune cells against proteins unique to your cancer, so why should I be surprised at my daughters birthing two wonderful and healthy daughters (grand-daughters to me) at 42 and 44- unreal; yes am proud of my daughter—a PhD in organic chemistry at Cal Tech after a major in Chemistry with the same doc who taught me at Williams and then a post doc at Stanford and great work since and still (but she won’t let me talk about that or the grandchildren), but that’s not the best part—she’s just wonderful---great work Nancy in raising our daughter.

It just happened that I did discuss the advances in fertility on my podcast this week (#1292 B—the A sections are my take on the latest medical news of the week and the B’s are interviewing great guests –usually- who have something important in health to reveal to us--yes over 24 years of podcasts for YOU The Owner’s Manual Podcast on PodcastHealth.com or wherever you get your podcasts). There are so many other great medical stories with implications for all of us that I just can’t write that much here—such as this week--New Cholesterol management Pill:. This offers patients a powerful new tool to prevent heart attacks, Pancreatic Cancer Prevention: with An investigational vaccine. New Diet for Longevity: and AI for Early Cancer Detection:

But I can discuss quickly on the A side of the weekly podcasts

The B side this week was with reproductive specialist Oluyemisi Famuyiya of George Wash U school of Medicine and Rockville Fertility clinic (her book is the Quest for Fertility). Appropriate by accident –my producer didn’t know in advance about my daughter’s pregnancy). Great advances in science of fertility and we need ‘em as there has been a 50% decrease in sperm quality and a decrease in successful natural pregnancies –so much so that without longevity we as a world are in trouble supporting our social structures. But Dr Famuyiwa did a great job making the complex field of fertility treatment advances understandable.

2. Older Grand Child—Just a delight

I did get to spend 3 days with my son’s daughter—my granddaughter-- in July and several with the other 3 (2 boys and a girl) in June—that what makes me want to live longer and share joy, knowledge, and curiosity with all of them and their parents.. Longevity data and results can’t come soon enough, but my original prediction we’d know whether just average life expectancy can be increased to 90+ or whether true life expectancy can be increased to 120+ years as if age 60 now by 2033 seems on target –so do whatever you can to stay as healthy as possible and we’ll likely know within 7 years….

The joy is enormous, and face time makes spending time daily even thou they are not close by possible Thank you Steve Jobs

3. Well Beyond Wellness Story #1 How to Increase Your Child’s Motivation, Reduce Impulsiveness and Protect Them From Cognitive Problems With 5 grandchildren I worry about these kids emotional health in an era of social media—something Nancy (and I—she really raised the kids—thank you Nancy) didn’t have to fight when raising kids in the 1980’s and 90’s.

New research offers you an easy way to help your children or grand-children avoid some problems of this era—that is avoid problems of impulse control, attention and working memory: Stop feeding them ultra-processed foods! (https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(26)00159-0/fulltext).

According to that study, when infants and kids up to age six eat a lot of ultra-processed foods it damages their brain’s neurodevelopment, setting them up for behavior and learning issues later on.

And if your child or grand-child is older than 6 and has such problems, it’s not too late to help their mental focus and abilities. A 2025 study in Frontiers in Public Health (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12235085/)found that ultra-processed foods cause neurocognitive harm in folks of all ages (that’s me and too) by increasing chronic inflammation and creating proteins from gut bacteria that affect the brain. This causes problems with decision making, upsets the reward-circuit (makes it hard not to overeat bad-for-you foods) and increases the risk of mood problems and dementia.

So stop shopping for sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meats, packaged sweets, packaged snack foods, frozen entrees or microwavable meals, and fast food—the six worst ultra-processed foods according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/the-worst-ultra-processed-foods-for-metabolic-health/) See the topic below on being a palm reader.

4. Odd Omegas® Story #2 Become a Palm Reader—On Labels

You may think of palm trees as a symbol of a tropical paradise, but palm oil is far from a thing of beauty. A new study in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism (https://www.cell.com/trends/endocrinology-metabolism/abstract/S1043-2760(26)00003-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2 Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1043276026000032%3Fshowall%3Dtrue)

reports that saturated-fat laden palm oil, very common in packaged foods, fuels insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes by triggering inflammation, toxic fat buildup, and cellular stress.

This dastardly oil shows up on ingredient labels as palm oil or palmic acid—of course—and as sodium lauryl sulfate, palmitate, glyceryl stearate, and cetyl alcohol, and sometimes simply as “vegetable oil.”

The good news? The study also looked at the impact olive oil has on your risk for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. It appears that this monounsaturated fat, containing oleic acid, is not only heart-healthy, it protects insulin signaling in metabolic tissue in your liver, muscles and adipose tissue and helps counter the harmful effects of that villain, palmic acid.

So avoid packaged and prepared foods with palm oil (, ask and read the labels), make salad dressing with EVOO, cook asparagus with lemon and olive oil, coat your popcorn in it and use it in preparing everything from appetizers to tomato sauce.

5. The Odd Omegas’ Story #1 You Don’t Have to Drink Coffee to Get A Good Shot of Its Anti-Aging Benefits

Around a quarter of Americans say they never drink coffee and about 10% drink decaf every day. That means 35% of folks in the USA may think they’re missing coffee’s amazing anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits. Those include protecting individual cells (especially liver cells), boosting heart health, even fighting some cancers and type 2 diabetes—reducing its onset by 29%, and preventing dementia—coffee is great at Preventing the event. But they may not be missing the benefits.

According to a new study published in Nutrients, the most beneficial components of coffee, caffeic acid,( https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/6/877) activates a receptor (NR4A1) that helps protect cells—and your health. And the researchers suggest that it is caffeic acid (and related phenols), not caffeine, that is the main source of coffee’s beneficial health effects. The good news is that it shows up in lots of tasty vegetables, fruits, seeds and oils and seems to be far more active when ingested from those sources than from coffee.

The best sources of caffeic acid include apples, pears, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, and prunes. Artichokes are also packed with it and it’s in good supply in spinach, cabbage, broccoli, thyme, sage, sunflower seeds and EVOO. And these plant-based foods also deliver two important nutrients to drinkers: magnesium and potassium. Sounds like a great dinner! But remember this may be only one of coffee’s effects—so until confirmed keep enjoying coffee 4 to 6 cups of coffee daily for their health benefits as well building posse around the table.

6. Odd Omegas® story #2 The downside of “prebiotic sodas,”

Nutrition analyses studies find they often contain as much sugar as fiber, challenging their marketed gut-health benefits.

The group from North Carolina analyzed “Prebiotic sodas”. This group represent one of the fastest-growing USA segments, with estimated sales of $777 million in 2025. Using data from the Mintel Global New Products Database, the researchers analyzed 108 prebiotic sodas launched in the U.S. between 2021–2025. These were defined as carbonated beverages that contain fiber and use the term “prebiotic” in the product name, package claims or ingredient lists. They compared prebiotic sodas’ nutritional content.

On average, prebiotic sodas contained about 35 calories, 5 grams of sugar and 5 grams of fiber per 12-ounce (355 mL) can. In terms of free sugar, they ranked lower than regular sodas and fruit drinks but higher than diet sodas. In addition, nearly two-thirds of prebiotic sodas contained nonnutritive sweeteners such as aspartame or sugar alcohols like erythritol—that in studies are as bad or worse for your body than free sugar—stevia is the only one that doesn’t seem to cause metabolic problems in humans.

Now fiber is good for you—it makes you live younger longer—from our 4YOUngevity.com Ai coaching program:

“Total Fiber Intake and Mortality

• Every 10 grams/day of additional dietary fiber is associated with:

  • 10% reduction in all-cause mortality (RR: 0.90)

  • 19% reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence (RR: 0.81)

  • 8% reduction in colorectal cancer risk (RR: 0.92)

• Optimal intake range:

  • 25–29 grams/day confers the most consistent benefit

  • Intakes above 30 grams/day may offer additional protection, with no clear upper limit observed

🔹 Insoluble Fiber

• Highest intake group showed:

  • 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.77)

  • 26% lower risk of CVD mortality (HR: 0.74)

  • 20% lower risk of cancer mortality (HR: 0.80)

Fiber can make your bowels move more regularly and even make you feel more full.

So,have we given you enough reasons to add fiber to your diet?? Here’s a short list to help you choose foods high in insoluble fiber include whole grains like wheat bran, nuts, seeds, and many fruits and vegetables. Specifically, good sources of insoluble fiber are wheat bran, whole-wheat flour, nuts, beans, legumes and vegetables such as cauliflower, green beans, and sweet potatoes. Insoluble fiber is found in the skins and seeds of many fruits and vegetables. “

Your body can handle about 4 grams of free or added sugar per hour at most and 20 grams in a day. Yet despite the labels claim of ‘no added sugar,’ many products in this prebiotic soda class have 2.5 hours worth of free sugars from juice; that means you likely have to portion it over 2.5 hours or longer to avoid metabolic dysfunction in your cells. Avoid the event: get your prebiotic from the foods with insoluble fiber described in the paragraph above.

.

7. “Roizen Rule for a Younger You”®#1 Viagra and Cialis may decrease cancer

Men (and women) look askance at me when I say there are 18 supplements or small molecules that have been shown in at leas two studies in humans by two different groups (not manufacturer or distributor sponsored) that have more benefit than risk—that is they help make your RealAge® or ActualAge® younger—we’ve reviewed that list in prior blogs.

They even look more askance when I indicate one to review with your doc of the 5 small molecules is a PDE5 inhibitor –probably Cialis 5 mg a day (the data indicate about 2.6 years younger for the average 55 year old man or woman—assuming you do the average of all other lifestyle choices, but not including their erectile dysfunction treating and increased sexual activity benefits) but also in that class in Viagra. And now more data from the lab (with some human epidemiologic) supporting why it may decrease cancer risks.

A decade ago, a highly publicized study suggested that men taking Viagra had an 84% higher relative risk of developing melanoma. However, subsequent large-scale research debunked the panic as the higher rates were likely due to lifestyle factors, such as healthier men being more active outdoors and getting more sun exposure. Further study indicated men taking ED medication did not show more aggressive or advanced skin cancers. And now we know that this class of drugs in both men and women (women have taken these for pulmonary hypertension) decrease all cause mortality and disability time (Make your RealAge® or ActualAge® younger).

Laboratory studies now suggest this class of meds—PDE5 inhibitors prevent cancer from spreading. (Yarden Ariav et al, PDE5a Inhibition Restricts Cancer Metastasis by Disrupting NPC1-Mediated Cholesterol Trafficking Through a Non-canonical cGMP-Dependent Pathway, Cancer Research (2026). DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-26-1818)

• Spread stopping in laboratory studies: Sildenafil and Tidalafil (Viagra and Cialis) inhibit the PDE5 enzyme, raising levels of a signaling molecule called cGMP. This molecule interferes with how cells transport cholesterol in the cell. Cancer cells rely heavily on cholesterol to alter their membranes, break away from a tumor, and migrate. By trapping cholesterol, these drugs interfere with their ability to metastasize.

• Another statin benefit explained: Epidemiologic data indicate that two of the small molecules I recommend you discuss with your doc—daily Cialis and a daily statin like rosuvastatin decrease cancer risk in humans. This research shows that combining Viagra with cholesterol-lowering statins creates a “two-small molecule inhibition,” significantly slowing tumor growth and improving survival rates in data models, giving rationale for the epidemiologic data in humans---another reason to enjoy the side effects of statins even if you do not need it for LDL (apoB) cholesterol lowering.

Prostate Cancer surgery recovery: Nerve damage from radical prostatectomies or radiation therapy frequently causes ED, and ED occasionally results from surgery for benign prostatic hypertrophy. Studies confirm that taking PDE5 inhibitors does not increase prostate cancer recurrence. These data further buttress the case to talk with your doc about for the routine use of daily Cialis and a statin as a longevity duo (along with the 16 others that have enough data, such as vitamin D2/3, half a multi twice a day, creatine and gelatin. (See prior blogs or get the Great Age Reboot book—most are mentioned there, or preorder the new book, YOU Getting Older, The Owner’s Manual for Your Golden Years—all are detailed there--most of my patients-men and women take ‘em as do I—the data are solid, and like Cialis, documented to make you younger in at least two studies in humans and backed by laboratory rationale for why they “Prevent the Event” and increase your chances of living younger longer—my definition of longevity ).

The Take Homes:

1. A new grandchild after age 40 for my daughter –WOW--Science is advancing fast—If I had Parkinson’s I’d invest in a trip to Japan after doing the research on the treatment –or enroll in a USA study

2. The original prediction we’d know whether just average life expectancy can be increased to 90+ or whether true life expectancy can be increased to 120+ years as if age 60 now, by 2033 seems on target –so do whatever you can to stay as healthy as possible and we’ll likely know within 7 years….

3. For healthy brains in children and grand-children (and you) , stop shopping for (and stop consuming) sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meats, packaged sweets, packaged snack foods, frozen entrees or microwavable meals, and fast food

4.Avoid packaged and prepared foods with palm oil (read the labels and ask), make salad dressing with EVOO, cook asparagus with lemon and olive oil, coat your popcorn in it and use it in preparing everything from appetizers to tomato sauce.

5. Enjoy caffeic acid thru apples, pears, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, prunes, artichokes, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, thyme, sage, sunflower seeds and EVOO. But remember this may be only one of coffee’s effects—so until confirmed keep enjoying coffee 4 to 6 cups of coffee daily for their health benefits as well building posse around the table.

6. . Fiber is important to “Prevent the Event”—my goal for my patients is never to have to treat an event-- get your prebiotic from the foods with insoluble fiber -- wheat bran, nuts, beans, legumes and vegetables such as cauliflower, green beans, and sweetpotatoes. Insoluble fiber is found in the skins and seeds of many fruits and vegetables.

7. Talk with your doc about for the routine use of daily Cialis and a statin as a longevity duo --they “Prevent the Event” and increase your chances of living younger longer—my definition of longevity ).

Thanks for reading,

Mike Roizen, MD, FACP

Summary:

1. Persistence In the face of risk—the study section said “biologically implausible” but Hauser and Zivin kept on—the damage of no foreign scholars and conservative NIH study sections Well Beyond Wellness story of the week

2. YOU got to stay young to get younger Longevity is the next disruptor story of the week

3. Some folks say it’s risky to overdo protein intake, some say that we aren’t getting enough. What’s your advice? Roizen Rule for a Younger You story of the week

4. Collagen/Gelatin confirmed Odd Omega story of the week

5.Where there’s fire, there’s smoke

6. When You Walk Changes the Impact on Your Health Wellness 4 Play Story of the week

The Rest of the Story:

1. Persistence In the face of risk—the study section said “biologically implausible” but Hauser and Zivin kept on—the damage of no foreign scholars and conservative NIH study sections

Embracing the Pursuit of Longevity: Lessons from Neurology and Beyond—let biologic implausibility and the brilliant foreign graduate students in and give ‘em a green card with their diplomas (can’t remember who said that).

During my recent visit to California, I had the privilege of attending an incredibly and inspiring talk by Dr. Stephen Hauser, the esteemed chairman of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco. His insights into the etiology and then subsequent treatment (I could use “cure” here if treatment is early enough now) of multiple sclerosis (MS) serve as testament to the power of integration of ideas from overseas and perseverance in scientific inquiry.

Dr. Hauser recounted the remarkable journey behind the development of a treatment that has effectively become THE game-changer for individuals with relapsing forms of MS—virtually curing it if treatment is started early enough and the primary progressive form of MS, reducing its disability by at least 80%, again if treatment is started early enough;

Despite initial skepticism from a study section of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-NINDS specifically, which deemed his work “biologically implausible”, NIH turned him down. But instead of yielding to their thoughts—do something else, Dr. Hauser persisted and in collaboration with a venture capitalist he inspired enough to fund him (Brook Byers, I think), two French graduate students that altered his approach to build a model for the cause of the disease, and luck/skill in motivating the risk taking at that time CEO of Genentech, he found that a different type of leucocytes—the B cells, not T cells--were the bad guys in destroying the myelin sheath that surrounds nerves that is destroyed in MS patients. Those darn immigrants that policy now blocks from easy access to our labs ($100 k for each now per year?) and their ideas paved the way for Hauser to make the breakthrough. This collaboration underscores a critical truth: sometimes, the path to groundbreaking discoveries is paved with persistence, and a willingness to defy conventional wisdom.

A similar narrative unfolds in the story of another neurologist Dr. Justin Zivin, whose relentless efforts to develop a stroke treatment faced numerous hurdles. Even when Genentech chose not to continue testing his drug and lobbied IMHO against his approach and the NIH withdrew funding (those stresses one can hypothesize killed him prematurely), Dr. Zivin’s unwavering determination, supported by benefactors, ultimately led to the now standard therapy that significantly reduces disability from ischemic stroke, provided it is administered soon after symptoms, and soon is expanding. But Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland has made this a real competitive sport for early Rx; in our mobile stroke units from the Clinic, call to administration time including mobile CT and reading time is under 18 minutes I am told. Talk about beating the 90 minute hoped for time.

These stories of health triumph—not quite preventing the event, but preventing the consequences and disabilities so you can then go on to prevent the event-- resonate deeply with the current state of longevity research—not preventing aging totally, but maybe reversing much of it significantly or as in this blog, an 80% chance of rebooting to 40 at age 90 (The Great Age Reboot).

Many initiatives in this field of aging mechanism research and longevity have been similarly dismissed as “biologically implausible” by NIH study sections—The National Institute on Aging is guilty as well in its study section reviews but it’s budget has been puny.

Yet, we stand on the cusp of transformative advances. Of the 14 research areas exploring mechanisms of human aging, six have progressed to human trials, showcasing promising potential to turn back the biological clock. Yes the Chinese have put two into human study, even after those graduate students returned back to China (did the 100K cost per year of staying cost the USA this advance and hopefully development of this pharmaceutical?) I could divert here and say a recent meeting with 8 CEO/founder’s of major Silicon Valley firms, seven were immigrants to the USA.

It looks like a multifaceted approach will be essential in the quest for longevity. This includes cutting-edge techniques such as

1. prime gene editing, which fine-tunes our genetic blueprint;

2. senolytic regeneration, capable of rejuvenating old cells;

3. stem cell elongation, which facilitates continuous self-repair beyond the age of 30; and

4. the elimination of mis-signaling proteins, as evidenced by the Million Veteran Program that identified 99 such proteins contributing to dilated cardiomyopathy.

Admittedly, my perspective was influenced by the data so much that I helped found a company (Lifespan-Edge.com) that offers therapeutic plasma exchange, an FDA-approved intervention that would for you, and does, get rid of all 99 of those mis-signalling proteins . However, my commitment to advancing longevity science extends beyond personal biases.

2. YOU got to stay young to get younger
In the rest of this “The Longevity Blog”, I will delve deeper into strategies for staying younger and healthier longer. Together, let’s explore the frontier of longevity and unlock the secrets to a more vibrant future.

Additionally, in those California travels a friend told me of his progressive kidney disease. His physicians have not addressed etiology or if so didn’t talk to him about what to do to slow that progression or even smore recently of the potential benefits of GLP-1s in slowing disease progression. AI suggests GLP-1s can be effective in this regard:

Clinical data and regulatory updates highlight how these medications protect kidney health: [1, 2, 3]

Clinical Evidence and Trial Data (from Gemi, and no halucinations here, just solid data—thank you Gemini

• The FLOW Milestone: The landmark FLOW clinical trial evaluated weekly semaglutide explicitly for kidney outcomes. The trial demonstrated a 24% reduction in the risk of CKD progression, including kidney failure, substantial loss of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and kidney-related or cardiovascular death. [1]

• Class-Wide Impact: A large-scale meta-analysis of over 60,000 patients revealed that GLP-1 medications reduce the overall risk of composite kidney endpoints by 21%. [1]

• FDA Approval: Based on this evidence, the FDA approved semaglutide (Ozempic) to directly lower the risk of CKD progression, end-stage kidney disease, and cardiovascular death in adults with both type 2 diabetes and CKD.

It is vital to seek a second opinion from specialists at academic institutions to ensure comprehensive care and maintain health, as reversing or preventing further damage is key to getting younger..

This blog aims to provide insights into staying youthful and preventing or effectively treating chronic diseases early to minimize unnecessary aging.

3. Some folks say it’s risky to overdo protein intake, some say that we aren’t getting enough. What’s your advice?
Peter I., Boston, MA

(Question from a reader of this “The Longevity Blog” you can always ask me questions for this blog at DrMikeRealAge@gmail.com)

A: Speaking of kidney disease, always talk to your doc before you do anything recommended or not in this blog—kidney disease has a reputation of being worsened by too much protein. But Nevertheless, I am strongly pro-protein (especially protein that has the amino acid leucine—see below) after age 50 if your doc agrees—it fuels strength and promotes healthy aging when done in conjunction with muscle-building aerobics and strength-training. But how much you depends on a number of factors(anyone with kidney disease should follow their doctor’s guidelines concerning protein intake) and the current protein intake recommendations were established to prevent deficiency not to make protein a contributor to healthy aging and joyful longevity.

At 4Youngevity.com our current Scientific Advisory Board review summary is:

On a basic level protein is comprised of amino acids, one of the basic organic molecules. Currently, USA federal recommendations are that the average man needs 56 grams of protein a day and the average woman 46 grams a day. Another version of this bottom limit of protein intake is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day (g/kg/day).

However, a great deal of research puts that USA federal recommendation far below the minimum for optimal health, prevention of sarcopenia (muscle loss), frailty, and all-cause mortality. It especially appears the data indicate almost double that amount is better for maintaining muscle mass and of plant protein for even decreasing chronic kidney disease and extending younger life expectancy—living without disability longer.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC5867436/

Key Takeaways from the Research Data:

1. In a systematic review entitled, “Dietary intake of total, animal, and plant proteins and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies” authors Naghshi et al analyzed 32 of the available prospective cohort studies looking at protein intake quantity and source in relation to all-cause, cancer and cardiovascular mortality.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32699048/ All together Naghshi et al. found that total protein intake was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality equivalent to a decrease in pooled risk ratio to 0.92 for all-cause mortality. For cardiovascular disease mortality, animal protein had no protective effect, while plant sourced protein resulted in a significantly decreased pooled risk ratio of 0.88. Finally, they noted that, “an additional 3% energy from plant proteins a day was associated with a 5% lower risk of death from all causes.”

2. Choline, Lecithin, and L-Carnitine, in the presence of saturated fat, are converted into these atherogenic trimethylamines. In mice and in humans and now in 13 clinical trials, a diet with more than 4 ounces of red meat or processed red meat a week has been demonstrated to produce more trimethylamines, which are converted to trimethylamine oxide, a highly inflammatory molecule in humans. In multiple studies higher TMAO levels have been associated with increased and accelerated atherosclerosis, and death from cardiovascular events, and all-cause mortality. “Intestinal microbiota metabolism of L-carnitine, a nutrient in red meat, promotes atherosclerosis” by Koeth et al. they make the link L-carnitine and atherosclerosis.https://www.nature.com/articles/nm.3145

3. Increased protein intake seems to assist the goal of losing weight and normalizing BMI; that effect of increased protein might be a mechanism associated with its effect in decreasing all-cause mortality. The mechanisms for this effect off protein are several: first potential effect is that protein is less calorically dense that carbs or fat and displacing dietary carbs or fat with protein will likely reduce total caloric intake. Secondly, eating more protein (especially in conjunction with exercise) will increase lean body mass, and muscle with its larger energy requirement will increase an individual’s basal metabolic rate. Third, protein intake seems to decrease hunger. Forth, because so much of the processed refined food that is overly abundant today is also extremely low in protein, people are driven to overcompensate by eating even more to satisfy the drive for protein-- The paper, “Macronutrient (im)balance drives energy intake in an obesogenic food environment: An ecological analysis” published in the journal Obesity looked to test the Protein Leverage Hypothesis using data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This survey included nutritional and physical activity data on 9,341 adults with an average age of 46.3 years. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oby.23578. This led to one of the more interesting discoveries: those individuals who eat less protein in the morning would go on to eat more throughout the day, regardless of how much was eaten in the morning. Conversely, those who ate more protein, would go on to eat much fewer total calories through the day.

4. Too much protein may be harmful for those with impaired ability to process it, such as with kidney disease, in certain gout and metabolic diseases and treatments, and maybe in those situations where MTOR activation (a receptor that stimulates and promotes growth) that is promoted by protein is not desired.

Recommendation:

1. Check with your practitioner to ensure that the recommendations (like all in the GAR Co Reboot 4YOUngevity app) are acceptable for you especially on this one in light of kidney functioning.

2. Consider eating a protein laden breakfast, without saturated fat and without carnitine, lecithin and choline; such a breakfast beneficial to longevity might include an egg white omelet, and/or salmon or quinoa or chia seeds or peanuts or whole food derivatives that are rich in protein.

3. If your practitioner agrees, do whatever you have to do to get

At a minimum of 1 gram of non-red meat non-egg yolk protein per kg of ideal body weight and preferably 2-2.5 gm of non-red meat non egg yolk protein per kg of actual body weight per day.

Our intake recommendations say adults should consume about 80-110 grams a day if you weigh 150 pounds, scaling higher if you’re highly active or looking to build muscle(https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13668-024-00548-6)

Here is a question and answer set from my Ai Longevity coaching program (4YOUngevity.com – a B to B program--Rachel is our Ai nurse –she speaks 44 languages and styles of coaching and of course escalation to a live nurse or doc as needed—and remember don’t do anything suggested by this summary of the latest literature on longevity and what it means for you without checking with your physician)

[Question Q 20,009]:I’m 73, 5 feet 8 inches and weigh 155 pounds. I’m trying to save or even increase my muscle mass and prevent frailty as the calendar turns. My doc says to increase the protein I get from about 40 grams a day to close to 150 grams. Despite an egg white omlet and salmon burgers you taught me about I’ll need some protein powder—are pea protein powders or rice protein powders okay? What Should I look for on the label of protein powders to choose what to use?

[Ans Q 20,009--Rachel]:

First, remember protein powders are also ultraprocessed foods-- They can contain added sugars like high fructose corn syrup; or they may be sweetened with artificial sweeteners or other sugar substitutes, like stevia or erythritol, which limited studies have linked to cardiovascular problems, Type 2 diabetes and microbiome changes. They may also contain emulsifiers, such as lecithin or xanthan gum, which some research suggests can increase gut inflammation.

So first, look at the label and do what you normally do—avoid the 5 food felons:

1. simple sugars and sugar substitutes like aspartame, and sugar alcohols such as erythritol;

2. added syrups;

3. processed foods with more than 4 ingredients, especially those with stripped carbs;

4. red and processed red meats; and

5. fried foods.

If one of these is in the product, and added sugars and sugar substitutes that are equally bad often are, put that protein powder back on the shelf. Next to that look for a powder that contains leucine---but before we get to those specifics, let me congratulate you and your doctor on knowing you need more protein daily to maintain muscle mass than you did when you were 18, or 25 or 45 years old.

US guidelines recommend that adults 19 and older consume 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. That comes out to 55 grams for a 155-pound adult, or 70 grams for a person weighing 195 pounds (Dr Roizen and his team believe these weights should be for a person with a waist half his/her height or less or a BMI in the 20 to 27.9 range, and calibrated for others as if their weight and/or waist were in those relatively healthy zones—that is if someone had a BMI of 35 and weight of 240 pounds but at a BMI of 26 would have a weight of 180 pounds, the correct amount of protein by the evidence is to eat the amount of protein indicated for that 180 pound person—about 66 grams if under age 50 and not breastfeeding, pregnant, building muscle, and with normal kidney function; or for the person over age 49.9, about a whopping 180 grams—see below).

To build muscle and other protein organs and tissues you want to get 4 grams of the amino acid leucine every 4 hours during your eating period. Leucine is what really turns on muscle and turns on pleasure and other healthful functional protein synthesis in you, but it’s muscle building and orgasmic effects seem to last for only 4 hours …so you want that leucine from your protein consumption. Am I getting too technical XXY?

XXY______________________

[Ans 20,004 B] Dr Roizen and his team’s Longevity Playbook Review and Recap on protein intake for longevity confirms the evidence that those over age 50 or who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to build muscle (and who have normal kidney function) should consume about a gram of protein per pound of body weight. There’s no question that protein is essential for making muscles, strengthening bones and maintaining your immune system, digestion and hormone levels.

Whole foods — like salmon, ocean trout, anchovies, sardines, canned albacore tuna, chicken, turkey, egg whites, nuts, beans (including peanuts, cashews, and peas) and lentils, unsweetened yogurt, and cottage cheese,— are excellent sources of protein, including the key amino acid leucine that turns muscle synthesis on, leucine.

Some really good leucine protein sources that you might love to anticipate eating and eat are salmon (200 gm of salmon—less than 2 trident salmon burgers (about 6 ounces) = 4 g of leucine), ocean trout, sardines(50 gm of sardines = 4 g of leucine), anchoves (100 gm of anchoves = 4 g of leucine), egg whites (67 gm of egg whites = 10 egg whites = 4 g of leucine), peas (50 gm of peas = 4 g of leucine), whey protein (40 gm of whey protein = 4 g of leucine); cottage cheese (1.5 cups = 300 g protein =4 g of leucine) peanuts(240 gm of peanuts = 4 g of leucine), cashews(250 gm of cashews = 4 g of leucine),walnuts (280 gm of walnuts = 4 g of leucine), lentils(600 gm -3 cups- of lentils = 4 g of leucine), beans (600 gm of beans = 4 g of leucine), chic peas(800 gm of chic peas = 4 g of leucine), , chia seeds(300 gm of chia seeds = 4 g of leucine), quinoa(50 gm of quinoa = 4 g of leucine), and skinless chicken (160 gm, about 5 ounces, of chicken breast = 4 g of leucine), and turkey(225 gm , about 7 ounces, of turkey breast = 4 g of leucine).

These whole foods offer a variety of other valuable nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, fiber, healthy fats and plant-based compounds. But you can see it is tough to get 180 grams of protein in a day. You can also see that pea and whey protein supplements offer a lot of leucine per 50 or 40 grams (respectively) of protein powder (if non-sweetened and with just the protein).

So how does Dr Mike (yes Rachel speaks about me in the third person) get his 135 grams of protein and 4 grams of leucine every 4 hours during his eating window every day—10 egg white omelet or 2 salmon burgers at 1130 am; 2 salmon burgers or coffee with 50 grams of pea protein at 330 pm; and 4 ounces of chicken breast, or walnut crusted salmon, or Ocean trout, or 5 ounces of turkey, and 50 grams of peas (in a salad with walnuts and peanuts), etc between 7 and 730 pm. (Dr Mike loves salmon burgers, egg whites (which he gets at United, Centurion, and Delta Airline clubs when he travels), egg white omlets, peas, and chicken breasts). But he often uses a pure pea or occasionally a pure whey protein supplement as, and at, the 330 pm muscle building snack.

Most protein powders contain about 20 grams of protein per serving so you need 2 servings to fit Mike’s goal of 4 gm leucine every 4 hours. That’s roughly the amount found in a cup of diced chicken breast; four cups of brown rice and beans; one and a half cups of nonfat Greek yogurt topped with one ounce of walnuts; and six tablespoons of peanut butter on two medium slices of whole wheat bread. So the powder is often easier especially with coffee, tea or water at 3:30pm.

And once you’ve met your body’s protein needs, more is not necessarily better since you can’t store extra leucine or even any protein. Instead, your liver will break it down to be used as calories or stored as fat. Because the kidneys have to eliminate the waste from that process, people with kidney disease should not consume too much protein.

Protein powder can be useful for those who need to get enough protein with smaller amounts of food — such as recovering from cancer chemotherapy (not during therapy as that may stimulate cancer cell growth) with limited appetites, or those recovering from major gastrointestinal surgeries who can only consume liquids or small portions of food.

Similarly, older adults, who need fewer calories and often have reduced appetites, may find that stirring protein powder into oatmeal or coffee or tea can help them get enough. About half of women and a third of men 71 and older in the United States aren’t meeting federal recommendations for protein, which as we point out above is way too low In our humble scientifically based opinion. That may increase their risk of muscle loss, which can lead to falls, bone fractures and hospitalization.

Just keep in mind, Dr. Roizen and his team remind you that eating protein with leucine does not mean you’re going to convert the protein to muscle. You need a strength training program. And your body can’t use more than 20 to 40 grams of protein per meal to make muscle. That’s no more than a serving or two of protein powder.

Here we should state avoid all red meat and processed meat (they are reported to cause chronic inflammation, dementia and heart and multi-system diseases https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/protein-is-important-but-were-eating-too-much-experts-say/). Also avoid specific protein powders (they’ve been found with lead contamination- https://www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein-powders-and-shakes-contain-high-levels-of-lead-a4206364640/) and protein drinks loaded with added sugar (one that will go unnamed contains 12 teaspoons of sugar according to Consumer Reports

https://www.consumerreports.org/

health/nutrition-healthy-eating/the-truth-about-protein-drinks-a4199144682/).

The recommendations should make it clear that you can get plenty of protein in a plant-based diet—if you rely on well washed edamame, lentils and beans, dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies like broccoli and 100% whole grains. https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/diet-nutrition/vegetables-high-in-protein

This blog is already too long, but I want to summarize three other reports in the news so we’ll discuss the specific amino-acids proteins creatine and collagen/gelatin next week

4. Collagen/Gelatin confirmed

Collagen—the most abundant protein in your body—is the building block for strength, elasticity and support of your skin, muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments. But levels begin to decline at age 20 and that’s accelerated by sun exposure, smoking, alcohol and high-sugar diets. Collagen which I advocated in another form, gelatin, 15 gm a day, for its tendon and joint benefits, and power to improve your skin’s appearance and your tissues’ health.

Now, the biggest collagen meta-review yet (https://academic.oup.com/asjopenforum/ article/doi/10.1093/asjof/ojag018/8446510) shows that my analysis of this is confirmed. When researchers looked at findings from 16 reviews, 113 randomized controlled studies and nearly 8,000 participants they found that collagen supplements, consistently taken over a long stretch of time, also help ease symptoms of osteoarthritis. And they offer some benefit for muscle and tendon health too.

To collar all collagen’s benefits—at any age—don’t smoke or overdo alcohol, ditch all added sugars and wear a 30 or higher SPF zinc oxide sunscreen. Also enjoy foods that supply highly absorbable collagen (something you can’t depend on all supplements providing, or better yet the more affordable gelatin). Good choices include bone broth, sardines and anchovies ( it’s the bones!), and chicken thighs https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10180699/. It’s build the elastin foundation for skin too https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/collagen-food-boost#does-collagen-actually-help )

^[1]And you need a good supply of vitamin C from fruits (kiwis are great) and veggies to help your body make collagen. But to be sure, I just get 15 grams of gelatin and mix it vigorously in my 1130 am cup of coffee.

5.Where there’s fire, there’s smoke

The Fire Season is a-blazing. With it come repeated warnings about the damage that toxic particles—micro-fine and larger—floating in the air increases the risk of acute problems (heart attacks, trouble breathing, fatigue, headaches, congestion) and development of long-term health issues such as stroke, heart failure, COPD and cancer. And now you can add one more serious risk to the list: Your brain health (https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/publications/health-matters/air-pollution-and-brain-health-what-you-need-to-know).

Researchers at the University of Rochester^[1]want you to understand that exposure to the particles in smoke can damage children’s learning abilities and cause or contribute to dementia and Parkinson’s in adults. So what can you do to protect yourself?

Any time the AQI (air quality index; discover yours at AirNow.gov) is above 100 it’s smart to limit exposure, especially if you have heart disease, asthma, COPD, are pregnant, or are a child. If it’s above 150, no one should exercise outdoors. If you are at high risk and have to go outside or you work outdoors, wear a KN95 or N95 face mask. And here’s an important tip: Be aware that air pollution affects your pet’s health too—limit outdoor walks.

Indoors, keep windows closed, use a HEPA air filter(s), and keep central air ducts clean.

6. When You Walk Changes the Impact on Your Health

Whether you walk around for five minutes every hour during a desk-bound workday or spend 90 minutes taking 10,000 steps, that will improve your heart health helping you avoid angina and A-fib. It also dispels stress, improves balance and prevents loss of muscle tone. But that’s not all:

Morning walks: Two studies show walking early promotes increased weight loss. One, in the International Journal of Obesity says it’s most effective if you don’t eat before you walk. And another suggests that if you’re obese, morning walks increase your consistency and that helps increase weight loss. An added bonus: Morning walks help get your circadian rhythm in step so you sleep better.( (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/07/260712011755.htm and https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-018-0215-x) and https://www.ovid.com/jnls/acsm-essr/abstract/10.1249/jes.0000000000000226~consistent-morning-exercise-may-be-beneficial-

Mid-Day walks: Afternoon walks—either in repeated short breaks or a longer excursion—help interrupt sedentary behavior that promotes cardiovascular disease, increases elevated insulin and glucose levels and raises blood pressure. Mid-day strolls also improve levels of lousy LDL. according to a UK study

Evening walks: Heading out for a 30 to 60 minute walk right after dinner also bestows a major positive effect on your blood glucose level and reduces your blood pressure.

The Take Homes (YOU Tips®)

1. Appreciate (and lobby for) foreign scholars and “biologically implausible” risks to be considered in longevity research by NIH study sections

2. YOU got to stay young to get younger—your daily choices matter learn to build posse, invigorate purpose and play regularly.

3. Talk to your doc, and if she agrees, get an amount of protein that gets you 4 g of the amino acid leucine every 4 hours during your eating window (see Leucine contents of proteins and foods above) and do strength building exercises for at least 20 minutes 3 times a week

4. Try gelatin 15 gm a day

5. Any time the AQI (air quality index; discover yours at AirNow.gov) is above 100 limit exposure, especially if you have heart disease, asthma, COPD, are pregnant, or are a child. If it’s above 150, don’t exercise outdoors. If you are at high risk and have to go outside or you work outdoors, wear a KN95 or N95 face mask.

6. Get your 10K a day by taking Walks at three times a day: morning, noon, and night.

Thanks for reading,

Mike Roizen, MD, FACP

The LongevityBlog

MichaelFRoizenMD.substack.com

2. Wellness 4Play story of the week: Three times a week—both sex and strength training for keeping you young and your brain intact

3. Wellness 4Play story #2 this week: Don’t let your backside backslide

4.Roizen Rule for a Younger You story of the week: older adults consuming the highest amounts of Processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, and sliced ham ultra-processed foods faced a 58% higher risk of dementia and a 46% higher risk of overall cognitive impairment compared to those who ate the least.

The Full Stories and the Take Homes for YOU:

1. The Odd Omega story of the week: How Bad a decision can a judge make—she will increase diabetes, hypertension, cancer, osteoarthritis, dementia, disability and hardship, not to mention saddle the US with a Medicare and Medicaid budget busting costs.

Does anyone care about the health of kids and moms—apparently U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson couldn’t find a way to do so –she avoided logic and just went by the rules apparently…Hopefully congress or some emergency order can overrull her.

What did she do—she ruled that the federal government cannot block Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from being used to purchase sugary drinks and candy. Yah, Amy just allow the companies to keep addicting to sugar and killing our most vulnerable moms and kids—MAHA was on the right side of this one --- Amy don’t you have to weigh benefits and risks of your judgements—your decsion will probably be responsible for prematurely causing over 100,000 cases of cancer, 400,000 heart attacks, and 200,000 people developing dementia from the births and SNAP recipients harmed

Come on you’re a judge—you passed the Bar didn’t you? Did someone who appointed you think you weren’t clever enough to protect kids and moms?-- you’re supposed to be smart and clever —couldn’t you use judgement and smarts to find a way to protect the most vulnerable instead of the profits of those bad guys who purvey disability and death to minors?

Case Details from Gemini Ai:

• “The Ruling: Issued on June 22, 2026, the decision struck down Trump administration policy waivers that allowed individual states to restrict junk food purchases.

• The Legal Reason: Judge Jackson determined that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lacked the statutory authority to bypass the broad definition of “food” established by Congress under the Food and Nutrition Act. She noted that while encouraging healthy diets is a legitimate goal, the agency cannot violate federal law or rewrite regulations by administrative fiat to achieve it.

• Affected States: The initial lawsuit was filed on behalf of SNAP recipients in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia. However, the decision effectively disrupted similar planned or active bans across more than 20 states nationwide. [

Would you like to know more about the legal arguments used in the lawsuit, or how this decision impacts specific state policies?” I’m too disgusted to find out more. Kennedy and Trump, please executive order this decision –100,000,000 US citizens wth prediabetes is a budget emergency and 250,000,000 overweight and obese Americans is a health and a budget emergency!!!

2. Three times a week—Wellness4PlayStory #1 this week: both sex and strength training for keeping young and your brain intact

The data on sex frequency for me and quality for women is clear—see The Great Age Reboot book or The RealAge Makeover for the references—the data have been consistent for twenty plus years.. the more sex a man has a week, and the higher quality for women, the younger their RealAge or ActualAge is. Three times a week is the sweet spot for being 8 years younger, as long as it is of high quality. Now we find the same thing for resistance/muscle building strength training. You see it beefs up more than your muscles. It increases you brain power too.

A study(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26456233/) that followed healthy women age 65 to 75 for a year; one group did once-a-week upper and lower-body weight training; one group did it twice a week; and the third group did twice a week balance training and stretching. Before-and-after brain scans showed that the balance-stretching group and once-a-weekers had significant progression in the number and size of the lesions in their brain’s white matter (essential for smooth flow of information) and in the slowing of their gait. In contrast, two-times-a-week training significantly slowed development of lesions and gait problems. Another study by the same researcher ( https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-neuropsychological-society/article/longterm-effects-of-resistance-exercise-training-on-cognition-and-brain-volume-in-older-women-results-from-a-randomized-controlled-trial/EE3CD46849DB34FAFCC6E00D8FC3E8F7 ) also concluded that memory, balance and muscle-power all improve with the twice-a-week routine.

But if you want super-protection from cognitive decline, a large 2025 meta-study (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091302224000414) reveals that strength-training at least three times a week when you’re middle age or older provides even more protection. That’s what it takes to boost continually levels of a hormone called IGF-1 that’s linked to brain cell growth and repair and promotes better working memory, faster information processing, and a reduced risk of cognitive decline.

3. Wellness 4Play story #2 this week: Don’t let your backside backslide

Your backside muscles—the gluteus maximus (one of if not the largest in your body—I still think your diaphragm is bigger and certainly more important = #2 in importance in my mind right after your heart), medius and minimus, AKA glutes—are essential for balance, stabilizing your pelvis and hip joints and protecting you from falls, knee, low back ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31638962/) and hip pain, and other injuries.(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6670060/)

That means “dead butt syndrome” ( https://health.clevelandclinic.org/no-joke-your-desk-job-promotes-dead-butt-syndrom ) impacts your longevity .The shape the sagging muscles take indicates your increased risk for frailty, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes, (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.25.26347009v1)

Signs that you have weak glutes (besides sagging flesh) include having trouble rising from a chair, leaning forward while going up stairs, a sway or waddle as you walk, poor balance, and tight hamstrings or calf muscles. To tone up your glutes you want to change how you sit at your desk and do targeted exercises.

At your desk, sit up straight, feet flat on the floor, shift your weight frequently –and do glute squeezes. Tighten your glutes and hold for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat four times every 30 minutes. Also, get up and move around and do leg/hamstring stretches (hold for count of 30) every 30 minutes.

Exercises to do away from your desk include planks and bridges (on your back, legs bent, feet 6 inches from your butt). Lift hips and tighten butt and ab muscles. Hold. Repeat. Just make these two a part of your three time a week resistance training.

4.Roizen Rule for a Younger You story of the week: Older adults consuming the highest amounts of Processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, and sliced ham especially faced a 58% higher risk of dementia and a 46% higher risk of overall cognitive impairment compared to those who ate the least. All ultraprocessed foods contributed to dementia.

These data come from landmark study from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Am J Public Health. 2026;116(7):981–992. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308505). The researchers analyzed diet and health data from more than 5,300 adults over 50 who participated in the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study for an average of nine years. The study accounted for other factors besides diet that affect health, including education, income, smoking, physical activity, and alcohol use.

The major Culprits of Concern: Processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, and sliced ham, were the most strongly associated with cognitive decline. Even moderate consumption of ultra-processed foods appears to carry a risk for cognitive health. Conversely, substituting ultra-processed foods with minimally processed whole grains, fruits, and vegetables yielded a 41% reduction in dementia risk.

The Take Homes:

1. If you know U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, send her my comments above, or just tell her to be more clever in her decisions so the decision shouldn’t disable or kill a couple of or more millions of people in the USA and saddle the country with a large budget deficit.

2. Three times a week—both sex and strength training for keeping your brain intact. And yes, daily Cialis (5 mg) can facilitate both--early data indicate it decreases dementia for both men and women.

3, Make planks and bridges a part of your three time a week resistance training.

4. For your brain’s sake, set a date within a month to give up all (no excuses) processed red meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, and sliced ham—I know I know, but find proteins you love—salmon, chicken, chick-peas etc you love and that love you back. You may love processed red meat, but the data indicate IMHO that it is trying to cause you disability and a painful set of senior years.

Thanks for reading,

Mike Roizen, MD, FACP

Why do GLP-1’s do so good —sugar kills

*Verse 1:**
Three new pills in the medical world,
No more shots, it’s a promise unfurled.
But the weight loss ain’t quite full-fledged,
Side effects, still on the edge.
Bone health boost, a surprise in disguise,
Fifteen percent, fracture risk flies.
But mix it with statins, what do we see?
More than the sum or just duplicity?

**Chorus:**
Oh, sugar control, it’s a brand new game,
Could it be the secret to health and fame?
Cancer cells starved, immune’s in the light,
Stay thin, stay strong, keep sugar out of sight.

**Verse 2:**
Nineteen cancers tied to the weight,
1.5 million, they investigate.
Why do these findings captivate me?
GLP-1’s sugar magic, might just be the key.
Back in ‘62, in a lab I did stand,
Watching sugar weaken our white cell band.
More sugar, more sleep, less fight in the frame,
Keep it low, keep it right, dodge the health blame.

**Chorus:**
Oh, sugar control, it’s a brand new game,
Could it be the secret to health and fame?
Cancer cells starved, immune’s in the light,
Stay thin, stay strong, keep sugar out of sight.

**Bridge:**
Avoid those simple sugars, those carbs that entice,
Lower the risks, roll the health dice.
Kidneys, heart, brain, all in the fold,
Stay away from sweet, and watch the story unfold.

**Outro:**
Oh, stay thin, keep on the right track,
Avoid the sugar, don’t look back.
In this health journey, you’ve got the power,
Each choice you make, it’s your shining hour!

Alzheimer’s Prevention with a shot

(Verse 1)
They say there’s a secret to living right,
Exercise, stress-free days, and a diet tight,
It’s the magic trio that keeps you strong,
And keeps inflammation from tagging along.

(Pre-Chorus)
Oh, but there’s more to the story, don’t you see,
A little shot can set your mind free,
Herpes zoster vaccine, it’s got the key,
To a 24% lower risk of lost memory.

(Chorus)
Choices, choices, they’re yours to make,
Decreasing risks with every step you take,
Inflammation down, health gets real,
Dementia and disease, they lose their appeal.

(Verse 2)
Now let’s talk about diabetes type two,
Diet and exercise, it’s all on you,
Compared to pills, they’re the better bet,
20% lower risk, you won’t regret.

(Bridge)
So make your move, take control,
Your health’s in your hands, body and soul,
Decrease the flames of inflammation’s fire,
With every choice, you’re soaring higher.

(Chorus)
Choices, choices, they’re yours to make,
Decreasing risks with every step you take,
Inflammation down, health gets real,
Dementia and disease, they lose their appeal.

(Outro)
Yeah, your choices count, don’t you doubt,
Live your life, turn it all around,
With every move, with every choice,
You’re writing your health’s story, hear your voice.

Alzheimer’s Rx What works now: TPE

*Verse 1:**
We’re searching for a reason why,
Alzheimer’s, still a mystery that hides.
But there’s a spark of hope, a brand new find,
A molecule’s reprogramming the mind.

**Pre-Chorus:**
In the labs with animals, it’s true,
Now it’s time for human trials to break through.
Medicine’s moving at the speed of light,
Randomized trials show the fight’s in sight.

**Chorus:**
Oh, plasma exchange, you’re turning back time,
Restoring memories, making them shine.
In early stages, you’re the one,
Nine cognitive areas, the battle’s begun.

**Verse 2:**
Haven’t checked my tau-217 yet,
But others see a drop, you bet.
Over 95%, it’s falling fast,
Four treatments in, the hope will last.

**Bridge:**
If you’re at risk, don’t wait and see,
Family history, or genes, hear me.
Consider this exchange, hold tight,
Till a true cure is in sight.

**Chorus:**
Oh, plasma exchange, you’re turning back time,
Restoring memories, making them shine.
In early stages, you’re the one,
Nine cognitive areas, the battle’s begun.

**Outro:**
Hope is here, we’re breaking through,
With each step, we learn what to do.
Till the day we find the cure,
Plasma exchange, we’re holding on for more.

Pesticide and Parkinson’s

**Verse 1:**
Living on the green, where the grass is so pristine,
But there’s a shadow in the sun, that nobody’s seen.
Golfers swinging high, but there’s danger in the sky,
Pesticides we can’t deny, they’re creeping in our lives.

**Pre-Chorus:**
Chloro-chloro-chlorpyrifos, hear the warning chime,
Dopamine declines, it’s messing with our minds.
Parkinson’s on the rise, it’s not just a surprise,
We’ve gotta take a stand, before it claims more lives.

**Chorus:**
Oh, we’re singing out loud, let’s make a change,
Avoid unforced errors, stop the toxic rain.
Golf courses and crops, let’s break the chain,
For the health of our brains, let’s not be insane.

**Verse 2:**
In fields of soybeans and the nut trees’ shade,
Broccoli and cauliflower, it’s where the threat is laid.
Banned in 2001, but still it finds a way,
It’s time to take the power back, starting today.

**Pre-Chorus:**
Chloro-chloro-chlorpyrifos, hear the warning chime,
Dopamine declines, it’s messing with our minds.
Parkinson’s on the rise, it’s not just a surprise,
We’ve gotta take a stand, before it claims more lives.

**Chorus:**
Oh, we’re singing out loud, let’s make a change,
Avoid unforced errors, stop the toxic rain.
Golf courses and crops, let’s break the chain,
For the health of our brains, let’s not be insane.

**Bridge:**
Let’s celebrate, July 1st came through,
No more on our food, it’s a step we can pursue.
Wash the fruits with care, make the right choice,
Together we can rise, and lift a louder voice.

**Outro:**
So ask your local golf club, to take a stand,
And every nursery, let them understand.
For future generations, let’s pave the way,
To a cleaner, safer world, starting today.

**Chorus:**
Oh, we’re singing out loud, let’s make a change,
Avoid unforced errors, stop the toxic rain.
Golf courses and crops, let’s break the chain,
For the health of our brains, let’s not be insane.

HIIT

(Verse 1)
In the heart of Brisbane town, they found a secret key,
Older souls pushing through, living wild and free.
Three times a week, they’d hit the gym,
72 years young, feeling strong, feeling trim.

(Pre-Chorus)
High-intensity, the name of the game,
Short bursts of power, never the same.
Heavy breathing, talking’s tough,
But they kept on moving, never enough.

(Chorus)
Go for HIIT, take it to the top,
Burn that fat, make it drop, drop, drop.
Muscle stays strong, feel the thrill,
HIIT it hard, get your fill.

(Verse 2)
Changing up my ways, adding spice to my routine,
Resistance, jumping, walking, now I’m feeling keen.
Last five minutes, I’m bringing the heat,
With every heartbeat, I’m on my feet.

(Bridge)
I’ve done it before, but now it’s clear,
HIIT’s the rhythm I want to hear.
Reinforcing the power, it’s the way to go,
Feel the energy, let it flow.

(Chorus)
Go for HIIT, take it to the top,
Burn that fat, make it drop, drop, drop.
Muscle stays strong, feel the thrill,
Iit hard, get your fill.

(Outro)
So go for HIIT, feel the fire,
Push through the limits, take it higher.
Brisbane’s secret, let it be told,
In every heartbeat, feel the gold.

I ran out of space today so my take on “Alcohol and the missed posse” will be the feature on next week’s (July 2^nd’s) blog:

1. What’s Your Gut Speed and getting rid of those missignalling proteins and peptides with therapeutic plasma exchange

2. How Gutsy Are You

3. Sitting Pretty—and Healthy

4. Tall and dangerous

5. New GLP-1 Pill Shows Major Promise

6. New Ozempic Benefits: Real- unexpected protection against bone fractures, even with significant weight loss. [1]

7. Obesity & Cancer: A massive analysis of 1.5 million cases revealed that excess body weight raises the risk for 19 different types of cancer

8. Older Adults At Higher Risk For Dementia Were Less Likely To Have A Dementia Diagnosis If They Received Herpes Zoster Vaccine,

9. Diet And Exercise More Powerful Than Metformin In Preventing Chronic Diseases, Long-Term Study Finds

10. Longevity Article of the week: What’s Your Walking Speed and why it matters

11. Prompting Patients To Keep Tabs On Their Blood Pressure At Home Reduces Their Risk Of Heart Attack, Stroke, And Heart Disease

12. Best of my BLOGs again: Like Oprah, You Get a car and you get a car etc see YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1, AND YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1!! Published Jan 3 2026 on substack now YOU Get a GLP-1 and a statin and a PDE5-I and baby aspirin too

YOU Get a car and YOU get a CAR –and YOU Get a CAR-- I started my column in October 2025 with this classic Oprah closing line. The conclusion of that column was you GET A STATIN and A GLP-1, And YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1, AND YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1!!

That column from 2025 featured a discussion on why almost everyone over age 50 whether obese or not should consider getting a GLP-1. The Jan 3^rd 2026 discussed the benefits and risks of the statin component, and why its benefits greatly outweighed its risk. Now we add a PDE5-inhibitor and baby aspirin to the topics to discuss with your doc if you are over age 50.

1. What’s Your Gut Speed and getting rid of those missignalling proteins and peptides with therapeutic plasma exchange

2. How Gutsy Are You

I frequently receive inquiries about gut-poop- transit time, and triggered by two recent articles (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-019-0704-8 and https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/weakened-gut-brain-connection-may-contribute-memory-loss), here’ssome straight insights on the topic.

When you consume food, it journies through your digestive system, typically taking between 12 to 73 hours to complete. The average duration is around 24 hours. However, deviations from this range can lead to discomfort and nutritional deficiencies. Slow digestion often results in bacteria deriving nutrients from proteins instead of fiber, producing toxic compounds like TMAO that cause inflammation and constipation, including potential leaky gut syndrome. Conversely, if digestion is too rapid, there may be insufficient time for nutrient and water absorption.

Several factors, including stress management, physical activity, and sleep, influence gut function. These elements affect your energy levels, cravings, weight management, cognitive function, mood, and even skin health.

To assess your gut transit time, avoid consuming corn for 10 days, then eat corn niblets and note when you observe corn in your stool. Transit times under 12 hours indicate fast digestion, while over 48 hours suggest slow digestion.

For fast digestion, talk to your doc about some of the BRAT diet—bananas, applesauce, and whole-grain toast. For slow digestion, consider increasing your intake of CRAP-cranberries, raisins, apricots and prunes plus fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, water, and even caffeine. Enhancing physical activity and considering fiber supplements can also help. In both scenarios, it is advisable to avoid processed foods.

We hope this information assists you in achieving optimal gut transit time and overall well-being.

3. Sitting Pretty—and Healthy

Do you have trouble finding time to get your step and step equivalents in? You might as if your typical, you’re sitting 11 to 12 hours a day, in your car, at work and home, and that doesn’t count the 6.5 to 8 hours you’re sleeping. That means the typical American adult’s notion of motion comes in at best around 5 hours a day and most don’t do much motion in that time. But a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (https://bjsm.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bjsports-2025-111221 ) found that taking a short –2 minute- break from sitting every 30 minutes measurably improved folks’ mood, relieved fatigue and significantly lowered[1] blood pressure and blood sugar.

So stand up every 30 min and walk around for your wellbeing by letting frequent 2 minute short breaks contribute to and motivate you to aim for the life-changing benefits of 60 to 75 minutes of activity daily.

4. Tall and dangerous: Everyday Trucks

In a recent thought-provoking piece by the New York Times, a pressing issue was brought to light that affects more than half of American households: the dominance of large trucks on our roads and the hidden dangers they pose. These aren’t the massive 16 or 18-wheelers we typically envision when thinking of “big trucks,” but rather the everyday giants like the Toyota Tundra, Ford F-250, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500.

Since 2002, the number of these behemoth vehicles has increased fivefold, transforming our highways and suburban streets into landscapes dominated by towering hoods and robust frames. This shift is not without its consequences, particularly when it comes to the alarming proliferation of blind spots. Consider this: while my trusty Impala boasts a manageable 31-inch hood, many of these trucks feature hoods reaching up to 50 inches off the ground. This significant difference creates a perilous zone where children, pedestrians, and smaller vehicles can easily vanish from sight, according to the article.

The implications are profound: these vehicles not only obscure vision when turning but, due to their design, also pose a greater risk of fatality in collisions. Instead of merely rolling over an obstacle, the height and structure of these trucks can lead to tragic outcomes where pedestrians and cyclists are pushed underneath, and end up dead.

This topic is particularly poignant for me, as two of my friends have suffered severe injuries due to these blind spots. They were unsuspecting victims caught in the path of trucks making left turns—an action that proved to be perilous simply because they were invisible to the driver.

Therefore, I ask all drivers of these modern-day leviathans: exercise extreme caution, particularly when executing left turns. Be acutely aware of the blind spots that surround your vehicle, not only to the sides but also in front. Consider routes without left turns. Your vigilance can make the difference between life and death

5. New GLP-1 Pill Shows Major Promise

6. New Ozempic Benefits: Real- unexpected protection against bone fractures, even with significant weight loss.

7. Obesity & Cancer: A massive analysis of 1.5 million cases revealed that excess body weight raises the risk for 19 different types of cancer

Here are some insights from three recent articles in the medical literature regarding GLP-1 drugs.

1. **GLP-1 Pills**: New GLP-1 pills have shown promise in weight management, though they deliver only one-third to one-half of the weight loss benefits compared to injections. Additionally, their long-term side effects are yet to be fully understood.

2. **Bone Fracture Reduction**: An unexpected benefit of these pills is a 15% reduction in bone fractures, independent of significant weight loss. This is comparable to the 18% reduction provided by statins. It raises the question of whether combining these treatments could result in an additive or synergistic effect, though this remains unknown.

3. **Cancer Association**: A review of 1.5 million cases identified 19 cancers associated with excess body weight. This finding is intriguing due to the potential impact of GLP-1 drugs on sugar metabolism, potentially affecting cancer cell nourishment and enhancing T-cell function.

Why do these articles collectively capture my interest? They hint at a potential underlying mechanism: the modulation of sugar metabolism by GLP-1 drugs. By altering how sugar is processed in the body, these medications might starve cancer cells of their energy source, while simultaneously enhancing the efficacy of our immune defense—our T-cells. This concept resonates deeply with an experiment I partook in during my high school years in 1962. Tasked with examining how glucose affects the bacterial-fighting capacity of white blood cells, I observed that an excess of sugar rendered these cells lethargic, diminishing their ability to combat pathogens. These were likely T-killer cells, whose vitality was sapped by a glucose-rich environment.

The overarching message is clear: maintaining a healthy weight and minimizing the intake of simple sugars, syrups, and refined carbohydrates can significantly reduce the risk of cancer and a host of metabolic diseases, including kidney and heart diseases, stroke, and even memory loss and arthritis. For additional insights, please refer to the blog below.

8. Older Adults At Higher Risk For Dementia Were Less Likely To Have A Dementia Diagnosis If They Received Herpes Zoster Vaccine,

9. Diet And Exercise More Powerful Than Metformin In Preventing Chronic Diseases, Long-Term Study Finds

Recent data indicate that exercise, stress management, and diet play a significant role in reducing inflammation. Additionally, the herpes zoster vaccine has shown a 24% reduction in dementia risk over four years in skilled nursing facility residents who received the vaccine, compared to those who did not.
Similarly, individuals managing type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise experienced a 20% lower risk of chronic disease compared to those using metformin.

The common denominator in these findings is that reducing inflammation can decrease the risk of chronic diseases and dementia. Thus, personal health choices are crucial.

10. Longevity Article of the week: What’s Your Walking Speed and why it matters

In my quest for the longevity story of the week we often focus on the 14 areas of research into aging mechanisms and detail how 6 have now moved into human trials so that in 3 to 7 years we will know if 90 can be the new 40. But this week the key story focuses on maintaining vibrant health in your brain, maybe by turning on a gene that repairs your neurons.

Yes we’ve emphasized how stress management with posse, purpose and play, dietary choices, mental exercises, and resistance training are key for maintaining cognitive and brain function as you age However, a recent study on walking speed introduces a fascinating dimension to our understanding of maintaining brain function as we get older (sounds like a plug for you to preorder my upcoming book, YOU Getting Older, The Owner’s Manual for Your Golden Years—it wasn’t intended that way, but I do hope you’ll preorder more than just the one for yourself as your friends will probably appreciate as well)..

That study (Jayakody O, et al “Cognitive aging and brain health: A comparison of super movers vs nonsuper movers” Neurology 2026; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000214776.) reveals that the pace at which we walk in our later years could be a powerful indicator of cognitive health, potentially revealing the key to preventing dementia—injuring the brain just enough to turn on a gene that repairs it.

As we age, our walking speed tends to slow down. This deceleration is not just a physical phenomenon but also reflects the intricate interplay between our muscles and brain. Yet, compelling research suggests that by consciously training ourselves to maintain or increase our walking speed, we might significantly mitigate the risk of cognitive decline.

That study highlights that octogenarians who walked at a brisk pace of 3.2 miles per hour experienced a 50% lower risk of dementia compared to their slower-walking peers. To put this into perspective, this speed is 1.5 standard deviations above the average pace for individuals in their 80s and aligns with the average speed of people 30 years younger.

The practical implications of this study are profound. Testing your walking speed can be as simple as hopping on a treadmill, setting it to a flat level, and gradually working up to that target pace. It’s crucial to approach this goal progressively, warming up first and incrementally increasing speed over time.

There is an intriguing parallel between this finding and another well-documented strategy for neuroprotection: cycling at high revolutions per minute (RPM). Research indicates that cycling at 90 RPM for 30 minutes, three times weekly, can help prevent or even reverse symptoms and even for 30% the disease process of Parkinson’s disease. Both studies underscore a remarkable principle: the speed of physical activity may play a pivotal role in enhancing brain function.

This concept extends beyond physical exercise into cognitive exercises as well. Engaging in speed of processing brain games (see BrainHQ.com) is shown to stimulate the brain in ways that promote neuronal repair and enhance the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter crucial for memory and learning. By challenging the brain to work faster, we may activate genes that strengthen brain cell function, fostering cognitive resilience.

In essence, this research invites us to reconsider the importance of our daily pace. By striving to walk at the speed of someone decades younger, you can actively contribute to your cognitive well-being.

The take hime: , in your journey toward longevity, do notunderestimate the power of a 3.2 mph brisk walk. It’s a simple yet profound way to invigorate both body and mind.

11. Prompting Patients To Keep Tabs On Their Blood Pressure At Home Reduces Their Risk Of Heart Attack, Stroke, And Heart Disease

A new study (https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjdh/ztag069) confirms what all suspect –like soccer/football, if you didn’t know where the goal was, or how to detect a score, you’d be less likely to be a Messi.

So for important medical biomarkers like BP, fasting blood glucose level, LDL, waist size, pTau217, cotinine and inflation markers, if you monitor something when given clear goals, you tend to do better than if no monitoring or no clear goals.

So the take home: if you have a biomarker like BP, find out why it’s important, and then learn how to monitor at home, do so frequently, and do whatever is needed to hit the goal.

12. Best of my BLOGs again: Like Oprah, You Get a car and you get a car etc see YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1, AND YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1!! Published Jan 3 2026 on substack now YOU Get a GLP-1 and a statin and a PDE5-I and baby aspirin too

YOU Get a car and YOU get a CAR –and YOU Get a CAR-- I started my column in October 2025 with this classic Oprah closing line. The conclusion of that column was you GET A STATIN and A GLP-1, And YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1, AND YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1!!

That column from 2025 featured a discussion on why almost everyone over age 50 whether obese or not should consider getting a GLP-1. The Jan 3^rd 2026 discussed the benefits and risks of the statin component, and why its benefits greatly outweighed its risk. Now we add a PDE5-inhibitor and baby aspirin to the topics to discuss with your doc if you are over age 50.

YOU Get a car and YOU get a CAR –and YOU Get a CAR-- I started my column in October 2025 with this classic Oprah closing line. The conclusion of that column was you GET A STATIN and A GLP-1, And YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1, AND YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1!!

That column featured a discussion on why almost everyone over age 50 whether obese or not should consider getting a GLP-1. The Jan 3^rd discussed the benefits and risks of the statin component, and why its benefits greatly outweighed its risk.

And this is dear to my heart as I am often referred patients from other physicians who are hesitant to use statins or other cholesterol-lowering medications. Most of such are men (although more women lately) who are age 45 to 75, have ldl cholesterols over 140mg/dl, and many even with a family history of heart disease, stroke or dementia.

These patients, having read alarming tales on the internet or heard anecdotes from friends, are hesitant to embrace statins despite their physician’s recommendations—so they send em to me. My role is to navigate this complex landscape, offering clarity and insight into a topic that is often misunderstood. And to get em to emotionally embrace prevention so they can achieve their purpose in living.

To truly grasp the importance of statins, let’s first delve into cholesterol, a subject that has been at the forefront of cardiovascular research for decades.

While there are five classes of drugs designed to lower LDL cholesterol, it’s crucial to understand that LDL—or “bad” cholesterol—is the primary villain in the story of heart disease, stroke, and vascular dementia. HDL, or “good, Healthy” cholesterol, was once thought to counteract LDL. However, recent studies have shown that more than 90% of HDL cholesterol is inactive in this battle. Therefore, the metrics that matter most are LDL cholesterol and, even more critically, apolipoprotein B levels (size and concentration of LDL cholesterol are carried and monitored by this apolipoprotein B slevel). Achieving optimal LDL levels (less than 70 mg/dL unless you have a high LPa, then under 50mg/dL) remains challenging.

Many patients express concerns about potential side effects of statins, often fueled by misinformation found online. It is important to emphasize that LDL cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and dementia. Statins are the most effective and cost-efficient method for reducing LDL cholesterol levels. Insurance companies often require evidence of adverse reactions to statins before approving alternative treatments, such as bempedoic acid or injectable drugs like Repatha.

The benefits of reducing LDL cholesterol are significant. A 6% initial reduction in LDL can result in a doubling of benefits approximately every 12 years, according to the rule of 72 (an investment rule: divide 72 by interest rate equals the number of years to double your money). Starting statin therapy at age 50 can lead to 12% benefit by age 62, 24% by age 74, 48% by age 86, underscoring the importance of as early as possible intervention to reduce LDL (apoB) levels.

Common concerns about statin side effects, such as muscle pain, are real but often overstated. Studies show giving such sceptics a sugar spill but telling you it is a statin causes 8.5% to begin to have muscle pain , and the real statin only causes a 1% increase to 9.5% having muscle pain. Delirium is extremely rare, occurring in 1 in 15,000 cases, and reversible in every case so far. Just stop it with those symptoms, after checking with your doc immediately. Liver abnormalities are also closely monitored by us docs and reversible in almost all cases. People also worry regard their risk of causing diabetes—quite to the contrary, because anyone with type 2 diabetes, even if they are not yet at high-risk for cardiovascular complications, can significantly reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events and death by taking a statin, according to a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Beyond their primary purpose in reducing LDL levels, statins offer additional benefits, including reductions in inflammation decreasing risk of infections and their risks. Recent data also indicates that statins reduce dementia, osteoporosis, cancer. Let me expand on these data:

Lowering your lousy LDL cholesterol level—with diet, exercise, stress management and/or a statin—can also protect the brain. A relatively new study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2025/03/21/jnnp-2024-334708) found that folks with an LDL below 70mg/dL had a 26% lower risk of dementia and a 28% lower risk of Alzheimer’s than folks whose LDL level was above 130mg/dL. In addition, another study found that statins also lower the risk of dementia (when compared to nonusers) by 14% (PMID: 39822593).

A 13-year study found that among 16,146 participants, taking statins reduced the risk of new-onset bone thinning in the hip (osteoporosis) by a whopping 48% (PMID: 29723231).

For folks with moderate to severe inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) statins may cut the risk of hospital-based surgery almost in half, according to a new study in the journal IBD. (https://academic.oup.com/ibdjournal/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ibd/izaf227/8384427?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false\) How? By profoundly reducing body-wide inflammation and moderating immune responses in the gut. Even more strikingly a third study completed among 37,000 statin users found a 35% reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer (PMID: 22982096).

And that is a new major finding: Add to that the new indications of statins’ ability to prevent or slow down cancer growth, decrease local recurrence, and improve survival, and you’ve got a pretty amazing inexpensive (generic) little pill https://tlcr.amegroups.org/article/view/31532/html#:~:text=Statins%20have%20been%20shown%20to%20have%20anticancer,cancer**%20*%20**Lung%20cancer**%20*%20**Pancreatic%20cancer**

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10572000/#:~:text=Simple%20Summary,local%20recurrence%2C%20and%20improved%20survival)..

These positive non-heart effects like cancer and osteoporosis prevention are often overlooked in internet discussions. Now, don’t forget the heart health benefits of statins. Users experience a 6-9% lower risk of having a heart attack and 23% lower risk of a stroke in the first twelve years, and double those benefits in the next twelve years.

Personally, I have been taking statins since age 50 (despite not having high LDLcholesterol at that time) due to my and the SAB of 4YOUngevity.com’s analyses of strong data supporting their benefits. I take a statin along with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) because statins can decrease natural CoQ10 levels in the body, triggering muscle pain, lowering energy levels and causing inflammatory damage to cells throughout the body.

In conclusion, while statins have their detractors, taking statin therapy, along with diet, exercise, and stress management, can be highly beneficial. Ask your doc if it’s smart for you to take a statin and CoQ10 (then actually take ‘em!). So talk to your doc about: YOU Get a STATIN AND A GLP-1!!, and you’ll get even more benefit that those who received that Pontiac.

For more eliminating preventable disability in YOUrself smart info, check out 4YOUngevity.com

That’s where that Jan 3^rd, 2026 blog ended. So the take home from this updated summary of that blog: If over age 50, talk to your doc about adding a Satatin, a GLP-1, colchicine , a PDE5-inhibitor and a baby aspirin am and pm with a lot of water before and after to your lifestyle choices of stress management, food choices, portion size and timing, 4 physical activities, sleep, brain health’s 40, and avoiding unforced errors.

Thanks for reading,

Mike Roizen, MD,FACP

Last day for this benefit -- YOU can preorder our new book for 25% off Please do if you are consideringHere’s the link

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-michael-f-roizen-md/1150080813?ean=9781426224904

use code PreOder25

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-michael-f-roizen-md/1150080813?ean=9781426224904

It’s a surprise

If you preordered one of my books in the past, thank you. It made a real difference.

I have a new one coming out: YOU: Getting Older, The Owner’s Manual for the Golden Years, published by National Geographic, releasing February 2, 2027.

I wrote it (with a lawyer) because Nancy and I needed the information ourselves. Navigating retirement is genuinely hard. The medical decisions, the financial planning, the paperwork, the relationships. There’s no clear guide. I teamed up with retired contracts and estate lawyer Ted Gordon to build one. Practical, specific, and yes, full of cartoons, as all YOU books are.

Each chapter tackles something real: planning the transition to retirement, making sure the money goes the distance, understanding how the body ages and how to keep it strong, mastering the maze of healthcare paperwork, handling new relationships and living situations post-retirement.

Here’s what I’m asking:

Preorders matter more than most people realize. They drive PR attention, which drives sales, which gets the book in front of the people who actually need it. That’s the whole point.

So if you’re willing, please preorder, share on social media, and text or email a few friends to do the same. You can cancel close to the release date if anything changes.

Thank you for considering it. Means a lot.

Mike R

ps here’s the link again:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-michael-f-roizen-md/1150080813?ean=9781426224904

it is a really good book —we just finished final edits on the pregalleys and it is realy something I think all —whether over 50 or your parents are, — will find useful

Verse 1)
Number one, let’s talk about the fat inside,
BMI’s been the guide worldwide,
40% of us, they say, are obese,
But that number might be missing a piece.
Visceral fat, it’s the new scan,
Around your organs, it’s not part of the plan.
Waist sizes tell the real tale,
Over 35 or 40, and you’re on a different scale.

(Chorus)
Oh, marbling’s great for a steak’s taste,
But not in your muscles, no time to waste.
Inflammation rises, energy falls,
We’re measuring it all, at every Cleveland call.

(Verse 2)
26% with a normal BMI,
Still hiding fat where the organs lie.
Use a SICA scale or InBody today,
Check your muscle build, keep the fat at bay.
Supplements are next, hear what they say,
Collagen, creatine, could be your way.
After 50, ask your doc what’s best,
More benefits found in every test.

(Chorus)
Creatine boosts your T cells’ fight,
Collagen heals your joints just right.
Gelatin’s cheaper but still the key,
For healthy skin and joints, daily, routinely.

(Bridge)
Hair studies from Alabama’s labs,
Bosley Revive 1+, giving energy jabs.
Mitochondria reviving, hair color returns,
Polygonum from China, a secret that burns.

(Outro)
So mix your collagen in coffee, stir it fast,
Creatine follows your workout blast.
Stay healthy, stay strong, with every new day,
With science on your side, you’ll find your way.

(Verse 1 2^nd song)
In the lab, there’s a breakthrough, a game-changer, oh so true,
Longevity’s got a new sound, VIRV-102, it’s coming through.
One shot to change the game, LDL’s going down,
CRISPR’s got the magic touch, Eli Lilly’s in town.

(Chorus)
Edit the code, rewrite the script,
A single infusion, let it rip.
PCSK9, it’s time to go,
62% drop, let it show.
Forever changed, no more biweekly fight,
One and done, under the spotlight.

(Verse 2)
But in the world of tests, not all that glitters is gold,
Galleria and SHIELD, their stories unfold.
Cancer tests that miss the mark, influencers in the dark,
Selling dreams that science can’t back, leaving hope with a crack.

(Chorus)
Edit the code, rewrite the script,
A single infusion, let it rip.
PCSK9, it’s time to go,
62% drop, let it show.
Forever changed, no more biweekly fight,
One and done, under the spotlight.

(Bridge)
Screening trials with no gain,
Surgery bringing only pain.
Thousands cut with no payback,
In the end, science stays on track.

(Verse 3)
Don’t be fooled by what they sell,
GRAIL and blood tests, in a spell.
No benefit, no magic found,
Time to turn this hype around.

(Outro)
Edit the code, rewrite the script,
A single infusion, let it rip.
Longevity’s anthem, loud and clear,
One shot wonder, our new frontier.
Forever changed, the future’s bright,
One and done, under the spotlight.

(Verse 1 Song 3 )
Wake up in the morning, reach for my cup,
But I know I gotta stop before the clock hits one.
Dr. Trisha in the Post says sleep’s the prize,
But baby, I’m a fast one, no surprise.

(Pre-Chorus)
Genetic slow, but I’m on the fast track,
Coffee in my veins, I’m never looking back.
Four cups a day, keeping the reaper away,
Living long and strong, that’s what they say.

(Chorus)
Coffee dreams in the morning light,
Keep it early, sleep tight at night.
But if you’re like me, dancing with caffeine,
We’re living life in this coffee dream.

(Verse 2)
Longevity secrets, breaking news today,
Turn back time, let’s live the Yamanaka way.
Epigenes switch, reset the game,
Make 90 feel like 40, it’s not the same.

(Pre-Chorus)
Harvard and MIT, working on the cure,
Blindness, age, what’s next, who knows for sure?
Therapeutic plasma, feeling half my age,
Researching the future, turning the page.

(Chorus)
Coffee dreams in the morning light,
Keep it early, sleep tight at night.
But if you’re like me, dancing with caffeine,
We’re living life in this coffee dream.

(Bridge)
Old cells turning young, stem cells on the rise,
Misfolded proteins, no more disguise.
Switches on our genes, back to the start,
Living younger, longer, with a youthful heart.

(Outro)
Longevity’s here, we’re almost there,
Living life full, without a care.
So keep sipping, dreaming in the morning light,
Living young, living right, in this coffee dream tonight.