Why do some people remain fit and healthy in their later years while others become increasingly frail?

Researchers from Kings College London have been following thousands of twins for 30 years in an effort to understand how each of us ages differently. And some of their findings will surprise you!

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks to Claire Steves to better understand what all this means, shedding light on how aging works and what we can do about it:

Dr. Claire Steves is a senior lecturer at King's College London, a medical doctor, and the clinical director at TwinsUK

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

00:10 - Topic introduction

01:39 - Quickfire questions

03:16 - Claire’s work during the pandemic

05:17 - What happens in our bodies when we age?

08:26 - Genes and aging

09:33 - What factors affect aging?

11:39 - Effects of physical activity

12:23 - Microbiome effects on aging

13:33 - Claire’s research

19:11 - What evidence is there that we can slow the effects of aging?

21:44 - What are some modifiable factors that can help reduce aging effects?

23:06 - Alzheimer's and dementia

28:21 - Stimulating your brain

29:45 - The importance of social interaction for the brain

31:02 - Diet. health and aging

35:27 - Menopause

37:30 - Actionable advice about maximizing health while aging

39:14 - The biggest myth about aging

42:20 - Summary

43:41 - Goodbyes

43:50 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here

Find Claire’s publications here

The UK’s largest adult twin registry - Twins UK

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