Drive with Dr. Peter Attia: Qualy #19 - A unifying theory of aging

Podcast Notes Key Takeaways The Central Tenants of Aging (AKA what goes bonkers when you get older)Epigenetic changesChanges in cell communicationInflammationThe build-up of senescent cellsProtein misfoldingTelomere lossGenomic instabilityMetabolic changesAdverse responses to amino acids and other nutrient inputsThe Unifying Theory of AgingAlthough the above doesn’t seem all that related, David believes he’s discovered an underlying factor. He explains:The genome is digital information (it can easily be stored and read)As it turns out, the genome is very much intact within older people/animalsPeople inherent epigenetic information from their parents (AKA the pattern of gene expression AKA the pattern to which certain genes are turned on/off)This information acts in multiple dimensions: it adapts to what we eat/drink, if we exercise, and how much sleep we get (genes are being turned on/off ALL the time)David refers to the above as “analog information”“That’s the problem with aging: we don’t lose the digital information… the compact disc of our lives is still intact when we’re old, but it’s as if we have a scratched CD and cells don’t read the right genes at the right time.” In simple terms – Genes are being turned on/off when they shouldn’t beBecause of this, cells start losing their functionality and basically their identity (so you’d get a liver cell behaving as a neural cell)How confident is David that he’ll see a step function change in human longevity during his lifetime?“There really hasn’t been a step function change in human longevity since the introduction of sanitation” – PeterPerhaps there was also one with the introduction of antibiotics and vaccinations“I’m getting more and more confident” – David

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Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #27 – David Sinclair, Ph.D.: Slowing aging – sirtuins, NAD, and the epigenetics of aging.

The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car—done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. The Qualys are short (i.e., “fast”), typically less than ten minutes, and highlight the best questions, topics, and tactics discussed on The Drive.

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