Top 3 Longevity Threats

If you plan on living a long, happy and healthy life, there are 3 main threats that can get in your way:

1. Heart Disease

2. Cancer

3. Cognitive Disease (like Alzheimer’s)

To protect yourself from them, you need to strengthen your defenses.

Type II diabetes and obesity are notable, but addressing the top three also protects against them.

Let’s start with the #1 killer…

Heart Disease

Every day, 2,300 Americans die from atherosclerosis, heart attacks, or strokes.

To prevent this, maintaining metabolic health is key. This includes managing blood sugar, cholesterol, and body composition.

Set up your detection methods with blood tests, blood pressure checks, DEXA scans, and CT angiograms.

For insights, check your blood for:

• Fat levels (lipids)

• Inflammation markers

• Blood vessel health

For a detailed list of essential blood tests, refer to my previous email.

Cancer

Unfortunately, blood tests for cancer offer us the least insight out of the three main threats.

For cancer prevention, the focus should be on managing inflammation and maintaining metabolic health, especially keeping insulin levels in check over time.

The most common blood test for cancer screening is the Galleri test, which can detect over 50 types of cancer and costs around $1,000. However, it requires a doctor’s order.

While promising, many doctors find the Galleri test insufficient due to validation issues, and there’s a risk of false positives or missing early-stage cancers.

Genetic tests, like BRCA and Lynch syndrome screenings, are also valuable in assessing your RISK (not detection) for cancers such as breast, ovarian, prostate, and colorectal, among others.

Looking at your family history is also a good way to assess what you may be at risk for.

As of 2024, blood tests alone remain insufficient for comprehensive early cancer detection.

The most effective cancer screening combines multiple modalities, including colonoscopy, MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, etc.

If you want to go all out, the Prenuvo scan offers a 60-minute, full-body MRI that screens for over 500 cancers and diseases at a cost of $2,499.

Cognitive Disease

The risk of Alzheimer's and other cognitive diseases is closely linked to cardiovascular health.

A good starting point is testing your ApoE genotype to determine your risk level (low, medium, or high). Everyone has two copies of this gene. Here are the variants:

• E2 Variant - seems to protect against dementia and helps with longevity

• E3 Variant - most common (60-80% of people), neutral risk

• E4 Variant - having 1 or 2 copies of gene multiplies risk by factor of 2 to 12

• E2 and no E4 is best combo.

To reduce risk, prioritize improving both cardiovascular and metabolic health, with a focus on optimizing glucose utilization.

Environmental toxins like heavy metals, pollutants, and pesticides may contribute to cognitive decline, but the data is still limited.

Advanced testing at specialized clinics, like Dr. Richard Isaacson’s at Cornell, can offer more insights for those at higher risk.

Tracking insulin levels offers deeper metabolic insights than fasting glucose, as elevated fasting glucose is often a sign of stress and increased cortisol levels.

Conclusion

This overview should provide you with a clearer understanding of the key health risks to monitor and what may be happening beneath the surface.

With advancements in AI over the next 5-10 years, I’m hoping we’ll detect these issues earlier and improve treatment options.

Until next time,

Darryl

P.S. We just hit 150 members in my online community on Skool! If you have questions and want more info on health and bloodwork, join here.