Bryan Johnson, 45, is dedicated to living longer. And by longer, I mean beyond all of us by reversing the natural aging process. He was biologically at least five years younger than his age, according to a team of doctors.
The mega-rich California CEO follows a strict diet, sleep rituals, an exercise regimen, takes daily supplements, and undergoes countless medical tests as he pursues his biological age of 18. Johnson is estimated to have spent more than $2 million this year on tests medical and various procedures to help him achieve his goals, according to his business profile in Bloomberg.
Johnson’s intrigue about the science of longevity has us all thinking: will it be all this indeed so worth it?
Dr. Andrew Steele, a long-time scientist and author of Staying Young: The New Science of Getting Old Without Aging, said it’s an exciting time to research aging and longevity medicine so people can live longer, and more importantly, live healthier lives. But in Johnson’s case, he said the science has yet to confirm all of his rigorous approaches.
“The real challenge is that we haven’t got anything that I would recommend with any confidence that slows down the aging process beyond the obvious diet and exercise,” he said. fortune. “It’s possible that a fraction of any effect they saw was just because they had a very strict exercise regime. They ate more nuts and vegetables and most of the foods in their diet were improvements.
So with Johnson’s strict regimen, how long can he survive?
Steele said putting a number on it is impossible. First, since Johnson has devoted his life to pursuing multiple approaches simultaneously, it would be difficult to know which modality, if any, really made a difference.
“It is difficult to separate, what is the right combination of supplements taken? Or what is 90% of the effective things that can be done without $ 2 million per year? he said.
Second, because, unfortunately for some, we cannot control everything. While many are living longer and avoiding chronic diseases due to lifestyle changes, another factor is genetics, and the rest is just luck.
Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, an internal physician in San Francisco and founder of End Well, a non-profit focused on reframing the end of life, said that monitoring lifestyle factors is key to aging well, and lowering the risk of developing chronic diseases. which is now more frequent with aging, genetics still play a role.
“Even if we want to be able to control our destiny, we just can’t. Many of us carry genes that can cancel all our best goals,” Ungerleider said.
Furthermore, the human body is not meant to live past 100, and even research on centenarians suggests there is a strong genetic factor to their long fate, Steele said.
“You just can’t work out how to live to 100, let alone break the world record of 122 or something like that,” he said. “No diet or exercise will bring you a magic combination of genes.”
Unerleider also urges people to focus on quality over quantity.
“Our time is the only thing we can’t get back or buy more,” he said. “From my experience of caring for many patients at the end of life, it’s not about the number of years of life, but about the quality of life… Significantly exceeds life expectancy. Because of how strictly they have to adhere to nutrition, exercise, medical tests, etc., I’m worried if their quality of life is compromised.
Although they don’t think of it as reversing aging, there are steps people can take to slow aging and help prevent disease. These include limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding processed foods, exercising regularly, maintaining social connections, and prioritizing stress management, he said.
The gold standard to beat is 118 – the age of a nun who lives in the south of France and became the world’s oldest person last year, according to a statement from Guinness World Records. He died in January.
Sister André regularly indulges in chocolate and a glass of wine a day, her nursing home confirmed to CNN in April.
If Johnson really reaches André’s age – spending $ 2 million per year until the end – the reverse aging will cost almost $ 150 million. Steele and Ungerleider hope that people can see that there are accessible ways to control some potential health outcomes without having to pay a check.
“This lifestyle is unaffordable for the average person, which means these interventions are not feasible at scale,” Ungerleider said. “These measures are expensive financially, physically and psychologically. Moreover, despite the proven benefits, the majority of people cannot (or are interested in) devoting every waking hour to preventing aging.
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