1: Up until the late 1960s, doctors and scientists believed that “senile dementia” was not a disease, but just a normal consequence of aging.

Then, three British psychiatrists, Garry Blessed, Bernard Tomlinson, and Martin Roth, “examined the brains of seventy patients who had died with dementia,” Dr. Peter Attia writes in Outlive, “and found that many of them exhibited the same kinds of plaques and tangles” that Alois … continue reading

1: “Most people tend to go to the doctor when they are sick or think they might be,” Peter Attia writes in his powerful book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity.

He refers to this approach as Medicine 2.0, which treats disease once it occurs.

Peter practices Medicine 3.0, focusing on preventing or reducing the risk of disease. 

“Nearly all my patients first come to see me … continue reading

1: The wife of a close friend of Dr. Peter Attia was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Sandra (not her real name) had been diagnosed with breast cancer six years earlier,” Peter writes in his book Outlive.  “It had already spread to her lymph nodes and her bones.  Because of her poor prognosis, she qualified for a clinical trial of an experimental PI3K-inhibitor drug, in combination with standard therapies.”

What … continue reading

1: “Our first and most obvious wish is to avoid getting cancer at all,” Peter Attia writes in his powerful book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. 

“But cancer prevention is tricky,” Peter notes, “because we do not yet fully understand what drives the initiation and progression of the disease with the same resolution that we have for [heart disease].” 

Peter defines the four deadly diseases that will … continue reading

1: “One major reason why cancer is so deadly—and so scary—is that we still know relatively little about how it begins and why it spreads,” Dr. Peter Attia writes in his powerful book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity.

Cancer cells differ from normal cells in two critical ways.

First, “Contrary to popular belief,” Peter notes, “cancer cells don’t grow faster than their noncancerous counterparts; they just don’t … continue reading

1: The bad news?

The ten-year survival rate for someone with Stage IV cancer is essentially the same now as it was fifty years ago, Peter Attia writes in his book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. 

Stage IV or metastatic cancer occurs when the cancer cells break away from the primary tumor and travel to form new tumors in other parts of the body.

And what is … continue reading

1: For many years, the long-entrenched standard practice for postmenopausal women was hormone replacement therapy or HRT. 

Then, in 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative Study (WHI) published the results of a large clinical trial. The research involved thousands of older women and analyzed the health outcomes of women taking HRT versus those who did not. 

“The study reported a 24 percent relative increase in the risk of breast cancer among … continue reading

1: Dr. Peter Attia can still remember the magazine cover he read in the waiting room while his friend and colleague Michael underwent surgery.

Michael was in his early forties. He had been diagnosed with a very large colon tumor that required immediate surgery. 

“Michael is the kindest soul I think I’ve ever known,” Peter writes in his terrific book Outlive, “and his brilliance and with could make the … continue reading

1: Together, heart disease and cancer account for almost half of all American deaths. 

There is a difference, however, between these two killers. 

“We understand,” Peter Attia writes in his terrific book Outlive, “the genesis and progression of heart disease fairly well, and we have some effective tools with which to prevent and treat it.

“As a result, mortality rates from cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease have dropped by … continue reading

1: “Steve Rosenberg was still a young resident when he encountered the patient who would determine the course of his career—and, possibly, of cancer treatment in general,” Peter Attia writes in his powerful book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. 

The year was 1968. Steve was working on a rotation at a VA hospital in Massachusetts. A man in his sixties showed up at the hospital needing … continue reading