Who wants to live forever? Focus Longevity

The dream of eternal life is at least as old as the dream of flying. Currently, one multi-billion-dollar industry after another is emerging, focusing on supplying people with the latest vitamins, the trendiest fitness equipment, and the relevant information we need to extend our life expectancy, which is already very high in the context of world history (currently 78.3 years for men and 83.2 years for women in Germany). Our //next author, Markus Sekulla, has delved into the promises and possibilities in detail.

While enjoying a decaf coffee at a trendy café in Düsseldorf and reading my favorite magazine, Die Reportagen, I came across a promising headline: "If you manage to live until 2045, you have a good chance of never having to die." If you had seen me reading this headline, you would have thought of the surprised emoji. My first thought was: Hopefully, I won't die before then from some trivial matter or a poorly thought-out action like swimming in the Seine. I want to live as long as possible in good health, if only to see whether Hanover 96 will become German football champions again.

Regardless of the perspective, aging, or better yet, avoiding it, is a topic of increasing relevance. And it's discussed everywhere: Even in "Apotheken Umschau," the topic is becoming more frequent. Recently, the magazine reported on Brian Johnson, one of the longevity gurus from the USA. The topic fits well there, as honestly, longevity should interest the magazine's target audience as much as Taylor Swift concert tickets interest people in their twenties.

After consuming many books and numerous podcasts on the topic – recommendations below – there is no serious way to prevent dying as of August 2024. If one wants to halt aging, science identifies several more controllable factors. The biggest challenge with this topic is filtering information. There are countless influencers trying to share their hacks on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and increasingly on LinkedIn. What is true or not is not easy to determine, as we humans are all quite different. Although we all have the same DNA, we have different genes. Much of it is just a huge business involving products and attention. Delving deeper is worthwhile.

So how should I approach the project of a "Healthy Second Half of Life," as a friend of mine always puts it? A good starting point is the classic distinction between sick or healthy. As modern medicine currently sees it, there are these two poles. Either you are healthy –> no action needed, or you are sick –> wait, medication, or surgery.

In literature, including works by Peter Attia, M.D., a perspective of a spectrum between 1 and 10 is well established, with 10 representing optimal health. Meaning, just because one is not clinically sick does not mean one is in good health. A goal could thus be to maintain optimal health for as long as possible. Put simply, one should not change their lifestyle only after the proverbial wake-up call. Those who do not spend time on their wellness will end up spending time on their illness; this seems clear as day.

Life is like the voyage of the Titanic

Attia describes the situation in his book "Outlive" with a nice metaphor: Life is like the voyage of the Titanic. Once you are in poor health, you are already in the ice field and will inevitably hit an iceberg, i.e., a serious illness, sooner or later. However, if you were to alter the Titanic's course and your health by just 3% a few days (years/decades) before the disaster, you would not enter the ice field – although this would not completely rule out hitting an iceberg.

The massive icebergs are primarily the often-titled "Four Horsemen of Death," the four major chronic diseases responsible for most deaths in the industrialized world. These are heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes.

Know your own preconditions

One can do more to avoid colliding with some of these icebergs and unfortunately less with others. For example, science, medicine, and pharmaceuticals have found quite effective ways to prevent heart disease, while the situation with Alzheimer’s still looks very bleak. In any case, it helps to engage with the topic and understand your own conditions. This includes – to name a few – biomarkers in the blood (glucose or PSA levels) and markers in the DNA (Alzheimer’s) to evaluate individual risk factors. Simply looking at family history of diseases is no longer sufficient today. David Sinclair – a decorated scientist – cites a study in his book "Lifespan," which found that genetics play only a 10-15% role in longevity, something I personally would have estimated much higher. So there must be other levers to pull.

As with any topic that interests humanity, a lot of money is currently flowing into longevity research. Various approaches are being considered, which sometimes seem trivial, sometimes bizarre. Not only which fruit is best for our breakfast muesli to ensure an optimal vitamin composition for the day, but also which viruses we should inject in the future to make our aged cells young again, potentially enabling eternal life (Lifespan, Sinclair).

Healthspan vs. Lifespan

At the Biohacker Summit in Helsinki, I attended an engaging lecture by Dr. Olli Sovijärvi, who described his Top 10 Longevity Habits. Here is a brief summary:

A) Optimize Sleep and Respect Circadian Rhythms

7-8 hours of quality sleep per night is the beginning of any longevity discussion. Daily activities should be aligned with natural circadian rhythms to improve cognitive function, reduce inflammation, and support metabolic processes.

B) Daily Physical Activity and Time in Nature

Daily movement is essential. One should keep an eye on their VO2 Max and engage in strengthening exercises. Additionally, spending time in nature is a good booster to improve cardiovascular health, uplift mood, and strengthen the immune system.

C) Personalized Nutrition and Targeted Supplementation

The Mediterranean diet is considered the gold standard, ideally within an 8-hour eating window and a 16-hour fasting period. This works best when complemented with personalized dietary supplements.

D) Meditation, Heat Adaptation, and Moderate Sun Exposure

Meditation, sauna, and regular sun exposure (a few minutes in the morning with closed eyes and later a maximum of 20 minutes) help reduce stress, promote mental health, and support cellular repair.

Please note that these are not general medical advice and for personalized recommendations, it's best to consult your own doctor.

Further reading and listening

Two books to read: "Outlive" by Peter Attia M.D and "Lifespan" by David A. Sinclair PhD. I also recommend reading the books in this order, as "Outlive" is more anecdotal and provides the necessary background for understanding "Lifespan."

Additionally, here are some podcast episodes:

• DOAC with Gary Brecka https://open.spotify.com/episode/7g9JFZ3vUIgUzQ6uKsJY59
• What Now with Bryan Johnson https://open.spotify.com/episode/1CT74C37OYKFC7GZpHMhjh

Read more

The ERGO Walking Challenge 2024 runs until 29 September. It invites you to bring more exercise into everyday life in order to strengthen health and well-being.

ERGO Walking Challenge 2024

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How much time do you spend in green?

Biohacking is one of the major trends in the health industry. This year too, the avant-garde of self-optimisation gathered at the annual Biohacker Summit in Helsinki. //next columnist Markus Sekulla immersed himself among the diverse crowd to expand his knowledge in longevity.  

Biohacker Summit 2024 in Helsinki