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- 𧬠The Future of Aging Is Bigger Than You Think
𧬠The Future of Aging Is Bigger Than You Think
PLUS: Why memory-boosting supplements, moonshot biotech, and entropy theory are reshaping the longevity frontier
Welcome to ThriveWire!
Most people donāt die of old age, they die of preventable conditions that accelerate aging. The goal isnāt just to live longer. Itās to delay decline. To push back disease, frailty, and cognitive loss as far as humanly possible.
This week, weāre covering:
š Why We Need More Than Just āBetter Drugsā for radical longevity
š§ The supplement boosting memory in older adults
š§Ŗ Inside Retro Biosciences, a longevity startup on a mission to add 10 healthy years to the human lifespan
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š Radical Longevity: Why We Need More Than Just āBetter Drugsā
The big idea: If we want to truly extend human lifespan, beyond 120 years, we need to stop thinking like doctors and start thinking like physicists.
Peter Fedichev, physicist-turned-longevity researcher and founder of Gero, argues that most current longevity efforts (think metformin, rapamycin, and senolytics) are like strapping wings on a bicycle: useful, but they wonāt get us to the moon.
Hereās the framework:
Fedichev proposes a three-level model for anti-aging interventions:
š¬ Level 1: Todayās standard approaches - CR mimetics, senolytics, reprogramming. These target the symptoms of aging or individual diseases. They might help us live a few more healthy years, but they donāt touch the root cause.
š Level 2: The next leap - therapies that reduce physiological noise, the random biological fluctuations that destabilize health over time. By calming this noise, we could potentially square the curve and extend healthspan up to ~120-150 years (the estimated upper limit of human resilience).
ā¾ļø Level 3: The moonshot - interventions that actually halt or reverse the entropic damage that drives aging itself. This is the kind of breakthrough that could enable negligible senescence in humans, aging thatās so slow itās almost imperceptible.
Why this matters:
We already know what slows aging in mice (CR and rapamycin), but these donāt scale well in humans.
Physiological resilience begins to collapse after age 120. Without addressing this, weāre just prolonging frailty.
Level-2 and Level-3 therapies could finally push us beyond the current lifespan ceiling, but theyāll require new biomarkers, new models, and new thinking.
Thrive Tip: Donāt get distracted by flashy headlines. Most current longevity āmiraclesā are still Level-1. While the science pushes forward, your best bet is still building resilience: move your body, sleep deeply, and reduce stress.
š§ Creatine: A Simple Supplement That Boosts Memory in Older Adults
A 2022 meta-analysis published in Nutrition Reviews found that creatine supplementation significantly improves memory performance, particularly in older adults aged 66ā76.
The details:
Researchers reviewed 10 randomized controlled trials involving healthy participants.
While younger adults saw little change, older adults experienced a large improvement in memory scores (SMD = 0.88).
Benefits were observed regardless of dose (ranging from ~2 to 20 grams per day) or duration (from 5 days to 24 weeks).
Why it works:
Your brain is a metabolic powerhouse, and creatine helps it meet energy demands by enhancing ATP production. This energy boost may support memory formation, especially in aging brains where mitochondrial efficiency declines.
Thrive Tip: If you're over 60 and looking for a safe, evidence-backed cognitive edge, consider supplementing with 3ā5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily. Itās well-tolerated and may help you stay sharper for longer. As always, check with your doctor first.
š§Ŗ Inside Retro Biosciences: Can Lab Mice Help Us Live Longer?
Whatās happening: Retro Biosciences, a longevity startup backed by $180 million from OpenAIās Sam Altman, is on a mission to add 10 healthy years to the human lifespan, and theyāre moving fast. Their work blends cutting-edge cellular reprogramming with Silicon Valley speed and startup grit.
What theyāre doing:
𧬠Cellular recycling drug: They're developing an oral drug that restores the bodyās natural ability to clear out damaged proteins, a process that declines with age.
š§« Cell replacement therapies: Using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), they aim to generate fresh, young cells to replace aging or malfunctioning ones. Think ārejuvenatingā your bone marrow from a skin biopsy.
š§Ŗ Mouse models show promise: Early results in mice are encouraging. In one test, older mice on treatment regained youthful coordination on a rotating balance beam (yes, thatās a thing).
Why it matters:
This isnāt sci-fi anymore. Reprogramming old cells, reversing biological age, and regenerating tissue could shift healthcare from treating disease to preventing aging itself.
šŗ Watch the full video
Thanks for reading this weekās ThriveWire! š”
Most people age faster than they should, not because theyāre genetically doomed, but because theyāre unaware of the daily levers they control. You donāt need perfect genes or futuristic tech to thrive. You need consistency with the fundamentals.
š¢ Get sunlight
š¢ Eat whole foods
š¢ Move your body
š¢ Sleep 7ā8 hours
š¢ Stay socially connected
š¢ Keep learning and stay curious
The tech is coming, but your habits are already here.
Stay healthy,
Andrew Courtney
Founder, ThriveWire
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Disclaimer: The information provided in ThriveWire is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or health regimen.