Longevity Genes, Blood Biomarkers of Aging, & Targeting Aging with Metformin with Dr. Nir Barzilai

Aging is inevitable, but can we influence how we age? In this episode of Longevity by Design, hosts Dr. Gil Blander and Ashley Reaver, MS, RD, CSSD, interview Dr. Nir Barzilai-the Director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Human Aging Research and of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging-during which he discusses groundbreaking research on aging.
This is an enlightening discussion with Dr. Barzilai on factors influencing healthspan and lifespan, and the paradigm-shifting idea of targeting aging to extend healthspan and lifespan. He shares fascinating insights from his research on the influence of genetics and lifestyle on healthspan and lifespan, and blood biomarkers of aging. The conversation sheds light on the emerging evidence for medical interventions (gerotherapeutics) to extend healthspan and lifespan by targeting aging processes.
The episode wraps up with actionable insights for listeners interested in enhancing their healthspan and longevity. Dr. Barzilai discusses the importance of personalized health strategies, integrating cutting-edge research with everyday health practices while emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach. As a listener, you will leave equipped with knowledge and science-backed ways to navigate your personal health journey and help you live healthier longer.
Introduction: 00:00-04:13
Why Dr. Barzilai’s studies centenarians and their children: 04:14-10:07
Do centenarians live longer with poor health or live healthier longer? 10:08-13:07
Does becoming a centenarian have a strong genetic influence?: 13:08-15:41
How do growth hormone and IGF-1 affect healthspan and lifespan?: 15:42-23:39
What other genes affect healthspan and lifespan?: 23:40- 26:51
Does low IGF-1 negatively impact muscle and physical function?: 26:52-28:40
What are the effects of ethnicity and socioeconomic status on longevity?: 28:41-30:57
What is the effect of lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise on the longevity of centenarians?: 30:58-34:07
Do women or men live longer?: 34:08-37:55
Why do women live longer than men?: 37:56-41:38
Biomarkers of aging and biomarkers of organ aging: 41:39-47:07
What is metformin, and what is the purpose of the TAME trial?: 47:08-51:37
Do you think metformin will improve healthspan and lifespan?: 51:38-54:20
Does metformin only improve blood glucose control, or does it benefit health and aging in other ways? 54:21-56:50
Is metformin good for older adults but not young adults?: 56:51-57:45
How does the combination of metformin and exercise impact muscle size (hypertrophy) and strength?: 57:46-01:00:45
Should everyone take metformin?: 01:00:46-01:03:13
Dr. Gil Blander’s and Dr. Nir Barzilai’s personal humorous anecdotes on exercise: 01:03:14-01:04:32
Is there a reason and explanation for why metformin did not show an effect on lifespan in mice in the Interventions Testing Program (ITP)?: 01:04:33-01:07:01
Are GLP-1 agonists beneficial for healthspan and lifespan?: 01:07:02-01:10:55
Are there tradeoffs with using GLP-1 agonists?: 01:10:56-01:11:43
What are the top 5 gerotherapeutic candidates for improving healthspan and lifespan?: 01:11:44-01:15:10
Dr. Nir Barzilai’s top tip for improving health: 01:15:11-01:19:29
Longevity by Design is produced by InsideTracker, your data-driven wellness guide for optimizing your healthspan. For a limited time, visit hubl.li/Q02nhx3-0 for 20% off any InsideTracker plan.
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[@mariarakowska853]

Brilliant interview! Thank you for sharing this knowledge, and thank you Dr. Barzilai for your insight!

[@user-fe7lf8ei3u]

Much appreciated i started taking Metformin as ive been told im prediabetic

[@leandrobecker123]

Excelent interview!!! Dr. Nir Barzilai is great and always in a good mood! He will live longer😂

Thanks, I with 60 kilos weight can I take only 250 mg and obtein results?

[@mirellamatotek4294]

I am 65 yro female diabetic and struggling on Metformin. I can't walk let alone exercise. Just walking is a struggle. I would rather be active in my old age than become invalid My dr is frustrated with me because she thinks I am difficult. Off Metformin I can walk and exercise. So very difficult to appreciate the tradeoffs when you feel weak. and invalid. On Metformin the fear is ending up in age care. Don't even talk to me about GLP-1. I would rather exercise and diet but can't do this on these meds. I find it difficult to believe that I am the only one experiencing these problems.I think I will take up smoking since I did all the right things all my life.

[@larsnystrom6698]

I wonder if Berberine would work better for you than metformin. It has much of the same effect in large as metformin,,Not as researched though. So, maybe we just hasn't noticed it's side effects yet. Metformin uses up B12, and maybe more things like that. Very few doctors check for those things. If I notice any such detrimental effect of metformin as you describe, I would stop taking it. To be able to exercise has to be more valuable than the small effect metformin has.

[@mirellamatotek4294]

@@larsnystrom6698 I was in tears trying to explain to my Dr how active I was. I live in the mountains and had no issues walking prior to Metformin. If the priority is to lose weight, then I don't know how that happens if I feel I can barely make it off the couch. Metformin devastated my B12 after having healthy levels, all my b-vitamins are critically low. But Endo did not want to listen to my concerns. She said that was not her area of expertise and to see some else 😔 My TSH shot up to over 22 after starting GLP-1. You don't think this devastated me. How much worse can it get? I have stopped both and am focusing on optimizing all my deficiencies which were ravaged listening to medical advise. She castigated me for not trying hard enough. 😭 I am now doing my Pilates again. So upset because I have lost my muscle strength but I am now mentally strong to work out. I am walking on the treadmill and hopefully be sprinting longer the current 60 second intervals. I can't do this level of activity on the medications. I have read the research on berberine and once my b-vitamins are optimised, I will trial the berberine and see whether I have issues with it. I put on 20kg on the medications. Endo was stunned that no weight came off. I asked how on earth can I be putting on weight when I have no appetite and can barely eat a few bites of my food? She said I wasn't following instructions and upped thyroid meds. Told me if I was not prepared to go on insulin not to come back. How much fatter will I get? Well off the meds I can eat again, poop again, build muscles and decrease my %fat. So it appears my body is not derelict when it is not interfered with. I don't eat junk food, never have. Muscle is the biggest glucose sink and I feel needs to be priority before the meds but Drs do not prioritize this factor. They tell you to exercise but once on the meds, it becomes a huge hurdle. Well this is my experience and I find it difficult to think that I am Robinson Crusoe with this.

[@elizabethk3238]

Do your research. I'm 76 and in perfect health, because I work at it. It's hard work, but very doable. My doctor told me that I teach her so much. I sent her videos which help with her other patients. She says that 99 percent of people just come in and expect her to ',fix' their problems. Begin by educating your self.

[@mirellamatotek4294]

@@elizabethk3238 I do my own research. You are fortunate you have managed to find a doctor who listens. I asked my Dr to test whether the Metformin was building to high levels and poisoning my mitochondria. She said I would need to be admitted to hospital to do such a test. I said let's do it. She said no hospital would do that. So I spent the money which was not cheap and my results do show metabolic acidosis due to inhibition in complex 1 and 2. Now I am just waiting for my body to clear the meds out of my system and will test again and see if mitochondria efficiency improves. If diabetes is due to fat build up in liver and pancreas and if the reduction in fat accumulation has proven to reverse the condition, then it gives me a roadmap to follow. Gosh, I am even prepared to do a medically supervised water fast. If thiamine and B12 and other b-vitamins are required to metabolise glucose, fats and proteins then I have another roadmap to follow. If exercise and muscles strength is a big factor in glucose disposal then another roadmap. If HbA1c is from glycated proteins, then I can keep proteins and sugar in check. All these strategies to implement but my health carers chose the pathway to making my health situation worse, leaving me in a state of helplessness, then blaming me that it was my fault because I was not trying hard enough. My Dr created a health plan which included all these practitioners to manage my condition and yet none of them were able to offer any strategies on how to improve my situation. Only solution was to keep adding more meds. I am now documenting every test I do every change in my diet and exercise program. I will send the results to the Endo however, she does not have the expertise to interrupt. Just like my GP had no idea about homocysteine and it's relevance to B12. She told me that my B12 was ok because it was in range, She had no concern that it was diminishing fairly rapidly over time and that I had numbness in my feet. She just referred to a podiatrist who told me there was no nerve damage. When you are poisoned, low energy, brain fogged and in a state of helplessness, it becomes a huge challenge trying to research and advocate in such a state. Off the meds, I am back to my kick arse self. People don't realize how insidious it is. It is not the diabetes which places one in this state, it is the medication. I am only asking with millions of people on Metformin and now GLP-1, surely I can't be the only one to have experienced this. Italian researchers have suggested giving succinate to overcome the problem, so it is noted in the literature but I am not hearing enough discussion on this. However, much on its promise of longevity. It is going to be hard sell to someone like me. I still think I would be better off taking up smoking. It may help me calm down from how angry I feel. 😡

[@mirellamatotek4294]

@@larsnystrom6698 After I wash out these meds, I will test my mitochondrial markers and then try berberine to see if it produces the same results as Metformin. I will be closely following the longevity research. My mother is 90 and works harder than anyone I know planting and harvesting her garden. She was climbing trees in her 80s to prune them. So it is not like I come from fragile stock 😔