The real promise of life extension isn’t taking a bunch of questionable supplements so you can live well past 100 but the ability to extend how long you live free of disease — a concept longevity scientists refer to as health span. Eric Topol, a cardiologist, argues in a guest essay that advances in aging science, combined with powerful artificial intelligence tools, are pushing the bounds of what doctors once thought possible. Age-related conditions like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s remain among the biggest threats to health. Making progress against just those three would have a substantial impact. In his essay, drawn from his forthcoming book, “Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity,” Topol describes an emerging model of personalized, predictive care. Recent discoveries are making it possible to compare people’s biological age with their chronological one, and using a wealth of data — for example, from genetic sequencing and organ aging tests — doctors may one day be able to detect diseases earlier and intervene sooner. Personalized medicine has been a long promised goal. Topol argues that it may finally be within reach. Read the guest essay: Correction: Yesterday’s edition of this newsletter incorrectly identified the host of an episode of “The Opinions” about Pope Francis. It was David French, not Ross Douthat. Here’s what we’re focusing on today:
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