618: Methylation, Epigenetics & Longevity with Steve Horvath
May 1, 2024
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Steve Horvath, a expert in methylation, epigenetics, and longevity, discusses the overlooked role of epigenetics in health and lifespan, using methylation patterns to predict lifespan, and the significance of GrimAge for reducing early mortality. The podcast explores genetics, moderate lifestyle choices, and the Horvath aging clock's importance in longevity research and biohacking communities.
Genetics and moderate health practices play a crucial role in living exceptionally long lives.
Measuring biological age through methylation clocks is vital in longevity research and biohacking communities.
Deep dives
Factors Influencing Longevity
Longevity and aging are discussed in relation to recent supercentenarians, with a focus on genetics and health lifestyle contributing to their extended lives. Examples of individuals like Conne Tanaka and Giro Eman Kimura highlight the role of genetics and moderate health practices in living exceptionally long lives.
Biological Age Measurement Innovation
The podcast introduces a novel approach to measuring biological age compared to chronological age, mentioning the researcher Steve Horvath and his work on the methylation clock. This method plays a crucial role in longevity research and biohacking communities, offering insights into tissue age versus chronological age.
Epigenetics and Longevity Research
Steve Horvath shares his journey into studying epigenetics, longevity, and aging, emphasizing the continuation of development in aging. The discussion delves into the complexities of defining and understanding aging, linking it to epigenetic changes and developmental processes.
Lifestyle, Genetics, and Methylation Clocks
The podcast discusses the impact of lifestyle interventions, genetic factors, and methylation clocks in predicting mortality risk and biological age. Insights on interventions such as vegetable consumption, metabolic health, and exercise shed light on the complexity of factors influencing health and longevity.
Kane Tanaka of Japan died in 2022 at the age of 119. Lucile Randon of France died in 2023 at 118. Jiroemon Kimura of Japan died in 2023 at 116, the oldest male ever. What did these people have in common? Were they biohackers? Did they do CrossFit? Did they take NAD supplements or run marathons? Nope. Like almost all centenarians they lived exceptionally long lives most-likely due to genetics, combined with a moderately healthy or even average healthy lifestyle. Despite the overwhelming abundance of evidence that we’re all going die sooner rather than later, the quest for longevity never stops. My guest on this week’s podcast has developed a unique way to measure biological age and his work is playing a key role in longevity research and biohacker communities.
Listen and learn:
The overlooked role of epigenetics in your health and lifespan
Biohackers, science fiction, and the reality of living a long time
How methylation patterns can be predictive of lifespan
The significance of GrimAge for reducing early mortality
Steve Horvath is a German-American researcher, geneticist, and biostatistician. He is a professor at UCLA and the principal investigator at Altos Labs, specializing in epigenetic biomarkers of aging, genomics, and comparative biology.