LongevityFest 2025: Reflection of Recurrent Topics

This weekend I attended the LongevityFest for the first time! This particular medical conference brings together a diverse group of medical practitioners and professionals globally to talk about the latest research regarding how to help patients achieve optimal health outcomes to extend life - not just in duration but also in quality, or "healthspan."

I've been most fascinated by a couple of recurrent topics - the effects of high blood sugar and the gut microbiome.

We have known for a long time in medicine that having elevated blood sugar increases the risk of diabetes and being overweight. However, in order to age optimally, cognitive health is also relevant based on blood sugar levels. There’s growing evidence that having aberrant and/or high blood sugar - even if you’re not officially diagnosed with diabetes, can increase risks of developing dementia later in life. Based on gender comparisons, women will tend to suffer longer in this state since they often live longer. For this reason, it would be ideal to have more awareness of what your blood sugar levels are. Continuous glucose monitoring is a way to do this easily without the hassle, discomfort, or inconvenience of finger sticks and a litany of medical devices and tools to track levels. Consider getting a continuous glucose monitor to start the journey of keeping blood sugar levels in optimal ranges - i.e. about 30 mg/dL from your baseline in either directions.

The other topic was the gastrointestinal microbiome. I mentioned this topic in the book! Our gut microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria, which is around the same number of cells in our bodies. (Previous estimates were higher, but new research suggests lower amounts.) The microbiome performs very specific functions like synthesizing some vitamins, fermenting dietary fiber, immune system development, and protection against pathogen colonization.The types of gut bacteria that thrive can also be impacted by stress. Additionally, environmental factors like glyphosate, microplastics, and the types of foods we eat can alter which gut bugs thrive. Dysbiosis is linked to a myriad of health concerns and conditions. For this reason, it's really important to ensure our gut microbiome is healthy. If it’s not, there are options to fix it. One way to support this, is to regularly take high quality probiotics. Check out Dr. Alexander’s online supplement store for options.

Reference: Rosenberg, E. Diversity of bacteria within the human gut and its contribution to the functional unity of holobionts. npj Biofilms Microbiomes 10, 134 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-024-00580-y