Prevention, Optimal Health, and Longevity: Part 3

In our previous newsletters, we reviewed the important role of prevention and a healthy lifestyle to reach optimal health. This month we will address the ultimate goal in life: longevity. 

We remember that REALISM and PERSEVERANCE were essential words in our search for optimal health. 

When it comes to longevity, two new words should come to our mind:  

HUMILITY and HOPE

We all know that the song from Irene Cara in Fame, “I am going to live forever,” referred to the posthumous life that fame can confer. However, a movement has since then started in that sense for the search of longevity. Motivated by the idea, the technology industry and scientific community began investing and looking at what could help reach the maximum lifespan for human beings. The results were published in May 2021 in the Journal Nature Communications and suggest that the upper limit of lifespan would be between 120 and 150 years. So far, the French Jeanne Calment is still the oldest person worldwide on record: she lived until 122. 

This is where the word HUMILITY takes all its sense. Given the current state of medicine and science, few of us can expect to reach these exceptional numbers. If we can live a healthy life and reach an age close to 100 with a good quality of life, this will already be a great achievement! 

When it comes to longevity, the example of the Blue Zones with the highest numbers of centenarians obviously comes to mind. We will not be developing the findings of the project and the importance of a good lifestyle to live longer as they have largely been exposed elsewhere. Some of the characteristics of these populations were part of the recommendations for optimal health in our previous posts: healthy diet, physical activity, stress reduction, and sense of purpose in life. 

We might want to add the need for social connection. Loneliness is a health risk equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day, according to a study recently published in the journal PLOS Medicine. It increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, cognitive decline, and early death.

We mention the notion of HOPE when talking about longevity and we believe that all of you are curious to hear more about what is coming on the horizon that could help prolong life even further.

One comment before going into more science: just staying optimistic and hopeful increases longevity by itself! Two new recent studies provide important insights into how optimism and hope can improve our health and prolong life:

1. https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/optimism-linked-longevity-and-well-being-two-recent-studies

2. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_keys_to_wellbeing_that_may_help_you_live_longer

   What Research Shows

Let’s now dive into the recent research about longevity and review some “interventions” that bring some evidence of increased lifespan.

Caloric Restriction

Previous studies on animal models or humans have largely demonstrated the positive impact on the pace of aging and health span if we can sustain a diet with less calories. The question was: from how much should we reduce our diet on a daily basis? The first randomized control trial was published in February 2023 in the journal Nature Aging. The results showed that cutting daily calories by 10 to 15% was sufficient to provide health benefits and to slow down the process of aging by 2 to 3%. This translated by a reduction of 10 to 15 % chance of dying early. 

The medical community, however, warns about the harmful risk of malnutrition caused by extensive caloric restriction for long periods of time and the consequent risk of frailty in the older age. 

Natural Supplements

NMN/ VitaResveratrol/ VitaSenolytic: the VitaLifeMD Anti-Aging Cocktail 

NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is an essential co-factor implicated in numerous biological processes in the body. Its level decreases with age; its deterioration is associated with the slowing down of metabolic functions and the onset of age-related chronic conditions. It has become clear that NAD plays an important role in aging and longevity. Large studies on humans are still needed; however, our current knowledge confirms that upregulation of NAD cellular level, including supplementation with NAD precursors such as NMN and/or MNA, has a positive impact on health and lifespan of various organisms.        

Resveratrol is a natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory compound found in abundance in grapes and seeds. It has been explored as a potential preventive agent for many chronic diseases; recent data has emerged to confirm the benefits of supplementation on the aging process. A limiting factor is its poor bioavailability when taken as an oral supplement. Dr. Dominique Fradin-Read collaborated with our manufacturer to add some Pterostilbene, an analog derivative of resveratrol, to the VitaResveratrol formula. Pterostilbene is rapidly absorbed due to its high liposolubility, it is a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor agent. It can easily pass the blood-brain barrier thus enhancing the benefits of resveratrol for neuroprotection.    

Senolytics (from the Greek seno: aging, and lysis: destruction) are agents that have the ability to eliminate senescent cells in the body and, in animal models, have shown a potential to improve healthspan and prolong lifespan with very low side effects. These compounds appear among the most promising approaches to antiaging and were largely discussed at the UK-Spine conference on antiaging in London last year. Novel senolytics drugs are currently in development. Currently, some natural supplements are available with good data supporting their health benefits. One of them is Fisetin, abundantly found in strawberries; it has shown potent senolytics activity in aging mice and in human tissues. Turmeric at the correct dosage also presents with anti-senescent properties. Our VitaSenolytic product combines an ideal combination of both natural supplements Fisetin and Turmeric and appears to be a good support agent with no reported side effects so far. 

Other natural supplements are under investigation

Lithium is a natural trace element and is used at high doses for the treatment of bipolar disorders. There is growing evidence that lithium could be repurposed as an antiaging agent. A new study from King’s College in London demonstrates its benefits on aging cells, especially neurons as it acts as a neuroprotector against a variety of neurotoxins. Recent research shows that lithium supplementation can extend health and lifespan in different animal models. Nutritional lithium uptake from drinking water was repeatedly found to be positively correlated with human longevity.

Spermidine is a natural polyamine that is found in every cell, tissue, and organ. It is involved in many biological processes in the body and declines with age. It has a protective effect at the DNA level and multiple other potential benefits. What still needs to be elucidated is its safety and bioavailability, A recent study conducted in April 2023 showed that it had very poor absorption when taken orally as a supplement. For this reason, Dr. Dominique Fradin-Read does not recommend its use at present and will wait for further research confirming the benefit of supplementation in mammals.  

Repositioning Current Existing Drugs

Metformin

Our April newsletter previously summarized the current knowledge on the health benefits of metformin and its potential role as an anti-aging agent. The ongoing TAME clinical trial (Targeting Aging with Metformin) should give us a final answer. 

Rapamycin

This interesting drug has been used for years to reduce the risk of graft rejection in organ transplants and to treat certain cancers. It has now been largely studied as an antiaging agent and its off-label use is considered as one of the most promising healthspan promoting interventions.

The drug has been studied in several animal models and human clinical trials. It is able to enhance the median life expectancy of middle-aged mice from 60%. Older animals equivalent to 60-year-old humans still had some benefits with an increase in longevity of 9% for males and 14 % for females. Translated in equivalent human numbers this would correspond to more than 7 more years of life.  

Several human trials on Rapamycin are under way. One recent study showed the benefit of the molecule in elderly adults 65 years and older with the strengthening of their immune system measured as an enhanced response to influenza vaccine of 20%.

The mechanism of action of Rapamycin explains its benefits on health and longevity. It inhibits a gene called the m-TOR gene and activates the process of autophagy. 

The m-TOR gene is present in every cell in the body and is responsible for the activation of cell growth and proliferation. It supports cellular metabolism and tells the cells to use calories from the diet to build various cellular components and store fat. Overactivation of this gene is at the origin of many age-related conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. 

Autophagy on the other hand is beneficial for our health. It can simply be compared to a process of “trash removal” from our body. This is the mechanism that allows the cells to eliminate or recycle damaged proteins and toxic cell components that can increase the risk of disease and activate the speed of cellular aging. 

Rapamycin not only targets senescence at the m-TOR gene and promotes autophagy at the cellular level but it also acts as anti-inflammatory agent and boosts the immune system in older adults.

Favorable findings in pilot studies seem to show that it could help improve cardiac function and reduce visceral adiposity.   

Several protocols have been suggested and we recommend that you talk to our providers to check what would be appropriate for you.   

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 drugs (GLP1) 

Semaglutide and Tirzepatide have largely demonstrated their benefit on insulin resistance, diabetes control, and weight management. 

It was fascinating for Dr. Fradin-Read to discover the studies showing the broader benefits of this class of drugs as potent anti-inflammatory and “disease prevention” agents and their potential addition to the list of anti-aging drugs. 

Several advanced clinical trials are under way with positive preliminary results on cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer, and kidney or liver metabolic disease prevention. 

Other drugs in the pipeline

As the field of disease prevention is growing, other molecules are now showing some positive action to slow down the process of aging. 

Talk to your providers to see if you could be a candidate to add them to your treatment.  

Empagliflozin

Empagliflozin is a drug FDA-approved to treat diabetic people.  

A trial conducted on more than 7000 estimated an increase of life expectancy between 1 to 4.5 years depending on age in the group treated compared to the placebo group.  

Bisphosphonates 

Biphosphonates are widely used for the treatment of osteoporosis. 

A recent interesting meta analysis showed their beneficial action to prevent several conditions such as heart attacks, colon cancer, pneumonia in elderly patients. It reduced overall mortality in severely ill patients admitted to intensive care units. These drugs could be repositioned as anti-aging agents if studies confirmed the data.    

Peptides and Exosomes

Read through previous VitaLifeMD blogs to learn more about the benefits of various peptides. 

Stay tuned for more information about Exosomes in upcoming blog posts.

When talking about longevity, we started with the words HUMILITY and HOPE.

Let’s finish with a DREAM and the word AMAR, the Sanskrit word for IMMORTALITY! 

This is also the acronym for a clinical trial conducted at the university of Virginia: “Alcohol and aldehyde-dehydrogenase Mediated Anti-aging Response.”

This interesting research confirmed the importance of autophagy and the need to detoxify the body from the accumulation of glycerol and glyceraldehyde, two toxic by-products of fat generated over time in our adipose tissue. By means of gene therapy, there would be a way to enhance the efficacy of an enzyme naturally produced in our cells–the alcohol dehydrogenase–that prevents toxicity and cellular aging caused by these by-products.  

Dr. Dominique Fradin-Read and her team will be happy to give you more information about the way to enroll in the anti-aging program and start on a partial or full protocol as needed.