Who doesn’t want quality of life? Or isn’t afraid of where their health is heading? If you’re confused about the best way to live longer and healthier, we found what we feel is the definitive guide to help you do so by breaking it down to the basics and helping with compelling insights.
Long in the making and anticipated by his fans, noted podcaster, medical doctor and llongevity expert Peter Attia's book, 'Outlive: The Art & Science Of Longevity', hit bookshelves in 2023. It quickly became a runaway best-seller. It’s a ground-breaking tome advocating for increased longevity by focusing on how to maximize both lifespan and healthspan. (‘What’s that’ you say? Well, read the book). It’s a fascinating topic, given the global public obsession with nutrition and exercise and so-called experts spewing innumerable social media posts. Attia argues that modern medicine, while effective in treating acute illnesses, often fails to address the root causes of chronic diseases that plague aging populations and that the healthcare system is mostly geared towards helping you live longer once you’re afflicted with a disease.
To set the tone, he explains his ‘four horsemen’ analogy of diseases: artherosclerosis (heart disease), cancer-causing, neuro-degenerative (primarily dementia) and foundational (ranging from hyperinsulinemia to insulin-resistance to non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases and Type 2 diabetes). For the most part, he reveals how heart disease is almost too late to stop once it announces its arrival (usually via a heart-attack or stroke) or how we have no drugs that can reverse dementia or even slow its progression once it sets in. With cancer, we’ve made very little progress in 50 years in regards to the long-term survival rate.
He advocates for a shift towards ‘Medicine 3.0’, which prioritises proactive prevention and early intervention over reactive treatment (the current ‘Medicine 2.0’).
He then breaks them down in several key strategies. These include optimising metabolic health, nutrition, prioritising the right kind of exercise, maintaining healthy sleep patterns and just as importantly, managing one’s emotional health.
He argues that having a ten-year or even a 30-year time frame for taking precautionary measures can save many more lives than by being reactive. He goes into tremendous detail, pinpointing the lowering of ApoB lipoprotein as a one of many examples. For those that don’t know, ApoB is the particle that is associated with LDL cholesterol and is the main causal agent for heart disease. It can be measured. In the case of heart disease, it would be the particle ApoB. The best time to do that? Now, he says.
Put another way, we know today that smoking is dangerous. Should we wait till their ten-year risk for developing cancer reaches a certain threshold (like over 65 years) or should we start immediately. Of course we should start early. So, why are we doing the same for heart disease?
These would seem like revelations to most people and his book is full of these. On the topic of nutrition, Attia is equally damning on the misinformation about dieting and the obsession for specific diets, arguing that Medicine 3.0 is about catering to what’s relevant to each individual.
On the debate of exercise and the benefits of cardio versus weights, Attia cautions against taking sides, citing how science is sacrificed at the altar of advocacy. Citing that we view these from a narrow lens. Equally, he reminds how reams of data simply show that any exercise extends and improves physical as well as cognitive decline, but also shares some of the metrics that he - and many others - believe contributes to healthspan.
Attia does a great job of breaking down complex medical issues into layman terms, although we felt that he could have done a better job of including more illustrations. His real power is to infuse a lot of his autobiographical experiences into ‘Outlive’, using much of his own experiences (both personal and professional) as back-drops to explain the four horsemen he is so passionate about.
By combining scientific insights with practical advice, ‘Outlive’ empowers readers to take control of their health and embark on a journey towards a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life. At the end of the day, Attia makes us wish our personal doctors are as good as him. That may be a tough wish but we think more doctors reading his book may agree and advocate Medicine 3.0 in their practices too.
For our readers out there, we hope you’ll put this book by your bedside as mandatory reading and think about your health in a more scientific and programmable manner. We find 'Outlive' to be the most consequential book ever written about human health and something which every male executive should be aware of. It's not just about longevity and health span, it's about keeping at your peak as early as possible to delay debilitating illnesses and maintain your cognitive edge. Although, if you think beyond the scope of executive fitness, it just makes sense if you want to prevent your future misery and the misery of those around you.
Summary
Readability: 9/10
Relevance: 10/10
Applicability: 10/10