Welcome to longer,

Your weekly longevity insights are here.

VO2 max, the fitness stat once reserved for marathon runners, is now the surprising frontrunner in predicting your health span—apparently, your oxygen game says more about you than your coffee order.

The good news is that improving it doesn’t require a lab coat—just some sneakers and cardio courage.

Don’t keep longer. a secret—share it with your friends!

This week in longevity:

• 🧊 Cryopreservation aims to extend lives with AI and freezing

• 🌟 124-year-old shares her recipe for long life

• 🧬 Gene-editing boosts mouse lifespan by 50%

• ⏰ Early dinners linked to better sleep and longevity

• 👩‍⚕️ AI identifies cognitive risks in menopausal women

• Plus, more longevity breakthroughs.

Read time: 5 minutes

THIS WEEK IN LONGEVITY

FEATURED

🏃‍♂️ VO2 Max: The Fitness Metric That Could Predict Your Health Span

VO2 max, once the go-to metric for hardcore endurance athletes, is now gaining attention as a key indicator of overall health and longevity. Experts argue it’s not just about sports performance—this number might hold clues to how well your body handles everyday life and even how long you’ll live.

What to know:

• What is VO2 max? It measures the maximum rate your body uses oxygen during exercise, showcasing how efficiently your lungs, heart, and muscles work together.

• How is it tested? Accurate measurements are done in a lab with a treadmill or bike test, using a mask to track oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. While some fitness trackers estimate VO2 max, lab results are far more precise.

• Why it matters: A higher VO2 max means your body handles physical tasks more efficiently. Everyday activities like climbing stairs become easier and less taxing.

• Long-term benefits: Studies link a higher VO2 max to lower risks of death from all causes. A single study showed a 21% lower risk of death over 45 years with improved levels.

• How to boost it: Experts recommend at least 120 minutes of cardio weekly, combining steady, low-intensity efforts with 1–2 intense sessions to improve fitness.

Why it’s important: Tracking your VO2 max isn’t just for marathoners. It’s like a health report card for your heart, lungs, and muscles. Boosting it can help you feel better now—think more energy for chasing your kids—and set you up for a longer, healthier life. Isn’t that worth a couple of jogs a week?

FEATURED

⏰ Time-Restricted Eating + Exercise = Small Tweaks, Big Health Gains

Pairing time-restricted eating (TRE) with regular exercise could be the next big thing for fat loss and overall health. A new review of 15 studies shows this dynamic duo helps reduce body fat while preserving muscle.

What to know:

• What’s TRE? TRE is a type of intermittent fasting where you eat within a limited window (4–12 hours daily) and fast the rest of the time, often aligning meals with daylight hours for better metabolic outcomes.

• Biggest benefit: When combined with exercise, TRE showed a modest but significant reduction in fat mass (about 1.3 kg) and body fat percentage (1.3%).

• Muscle stays intact: Unlike many diets, this combo didn’t cause any loss in fat-free mass (like muscle), even during fat loss.

• Exercise types studied: The research covered aerobic training (like running), resistance training (like weightlifting), and combined approaches, all paired with TRE.

• Who it helps: Healthy adults, including those with obesity or overweight, saw benefits in as little as four weeks of TRE and exercise.

Why it works: Combining TRE and exercise boosts fat-burning mechanisms like lipid oxidation (using fat for energy) and aligns with the body’s natural rhythms. It’s a sustainable, science-backed way to improve body composition without extreme dieting or intense workouts.

💡Pro Tip: Want to dive deeper? Use tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to simplify complex studies. Copy, paste, and get a clear summary—it’s like having a personal research assistant.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

1. Combining FDA-Approved Drugs Extends Lifespan by Over 30% in Mice
A groundbreaking study has shown that combining the drugs Trametinib and Rapamycin extended the median lifespan of mice by up to 35% for females and 27% for males. This combination proved more effective than either drug alone and also improved healthspan by reducing inflammation, tumors, and age-related decline in heart function. However, some adverse effects, including fatty liver disease and testicular degeneration, highlight the need for further investigation before human trials can begin.

2. Red Light Linked to Lower Risk of Blood Clots
According to research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, exposure to red light significantly reduced blood clot formation in both mice and human studies. Mice exposed to red light had five times fewer clots than those exposed to blue or white light, and cataract surgery patients with blue light-filtering lenses showed lower clotting risks. Researchers suggest that red light reduces inflammation and platelet activation, paving the way for new, non-invasive therapies to prevent life-threatening clots.

3. Urolithin A May Fight Aging by Reducing Inflammation
Urolithin A (UA), a compound found in foods like pomegranates and nuts, shows promise in reducing harmful inflammation caused by aging cells. Researchers discovered that UA can calm overactive immune signals from aging cells, which are linked to diseases like arthritis and dementia. This natural compound could help slow aging-related damage and improve overall health in a simple and safe way.

LONGEVITY SNAPSHOTS

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

🧊 Frozen Future: TimeShift, the world’s first cryopreservation facility, aims to preserve terminally ill patients for future cures and longer lives. Combining AI and advanced freezing tech, it ensures cell integrity and even creates avatars to connect with loved ones across decades.

🌟 Century Secrets: Qiu Chaishi, 124, credits her longevity to a simple lifestyle of regular meals, walking after eating, and unwavering optimism. Her diet features porridge with pumpkin, winter melon, crushed corn, and a touch of lard.

🧬 Lifespan Breakthrough: Broad Institute researchers used gene-editing to extend lifespan by 50% in mice with prion disease, a fatal brain condition. The innovative “base editing” reduced disease-causing protein levels in the brain by 60%, offering hope for human treatments.

⏰ Dinner Timing: Dr. Joseph Antoun emphasizes eating dinner early—ideally leaving a 12-hour gap before breakfast—for better sleep and longevity. Centenarians often follow this “front-end fasting,” consuming most calories earlier in the day and avoiding late-night meals.

👩‍⚕️ Women’s Brain Health: Machine learning now helps identify women at high risk of severe cognitive decline during menopause. The affordable model enables early interventions to protect cognitive health and improve quality of life.

PROMPT OF THE WEEK

Morning Light

Use this prompt to explore longevity insights with AI tools like ChatGPT.

WHAT WE’RE BOOKMARKING

📱 Social

🎧 Podcasts

• The Genius Life with Max Lugavere: “454: How Clean Is Your Water? The Truth About Fluoride, PFAS, and Everyday Toxins | Aly Cohen, MD”: Discover how hidden toxins in water impact your health and actionable tips to stay protected (Apple link).

• Ben Greenfield Life: “How What’s Hidden In Your Toothpaste Is NUKING Your Oral Microbiome (& What You Can Do About It!)” with Katherine Dahl & Cass Nelson-Dooley: Discover how oral care habits impact overall health and tips for healthier oral microbiome (Apple link).

📚 Books

• “The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time” by Cameron Diaz and Sandra Bark: A New York Times bestseller blending science and personal insight to redefine aging with actionable advice for women seeking resilience and vitality (Amazon link).

⚙️ Tools to Try

• NOVOS Age: Discover personalized insights into your biological aging with cutting-edge epigenetic testing and actionable lifestyle recommendations to help you slow the clock (Product website).

Thanks for reading.

See you in the next issue.

Anna

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.