05-17-2025, 05:32 AM
A Doctor’s Science-Backed Formula for Aging Better
Dr. Eric Topol’s longevity work revealed simple and practical steps to stay healthy. He shares the tips that he follows.
By--Amy Dockser Marcus
Dr. Eric Topol wanted to know if genes were the reason some people live to very old ages without major health problems.
Topol, a prominent cardiologist, decided to test the idea. He and his colleagues at the La Jolla, Calif.-based Scripps Research Translational Institute, which Topol helped found, enrolled people 85 years old and above—and healthy—in a research project. The researchers sequenced and scrutinized the participants’ DNA.
The results led Topol to a different conclusion.
It turned out there wasn’t much in the genes of these “super agers” that set them apart. But as a group, they were different from many Americans of similar ages. They were thinner. They exercised more. They were better-educated. Even at advanced ages, they continued to volunteer, dance, see friends and pursue activities that gave them purpose and enjoyment.
In the coming years, more people can become super agers, Topol writes in his new book of the same name. Cancer, heart trouble and neurodegeneration can take decades to develop—leaving time to slow, delay or even prevent them, Topol argues.
A longtime champion of the idea that mobile devices and other digital tech can help people track and improve their health, Topol is a self-described “techno optimist.” He has done tests on himself that measure the biological age of different organs, had his genes sequenced and participated in a research study that assesses people’s immune systems to try to predict their risks to different diseases.
In the future, these strategies, along with improvements in artificial intelligence, may allow for dramatic changes to the way people age. For now, there are some simple and practical things people can do to improve longevity. Topol, who is 70, says, “I am taking my own advice.”
He shared some of his own plan with The Wall Street Journal.
Exercise
I’ve always been an exercise enthusiast. As a cardiologist, I always used to think, do aerobic exercise. But all the studies show resistance or strength training is really important too. I do lots of resistance training and make that part of the routine. You can do resistance training with some very cheap bands.
Dr. Eric Topol standing on a beach. Topol, here in La Jolla, Calif., says he spends time outdoors to improve mental health.
Sleep
I started tracking and learning what helps me get more deep sleep [a stage that involves slow brain waves, slowed heart rate and non-rapid eye movement sleep]. I was sleep-deficient for decades. The importance of sleep, especially deep sleep, is to clear waste products from the brain. People should aspire to get a maximal amount of deep sleep.
Many people think they need eight hours of sleep. Studies show seven hours is optimum. I’ve learned how important it is to have a set and early bed time. I’ve been able to increase my average deep sleep substantially by having my data and learning how what I eat and when I exercise affect it. I use both an Oura ring and an Apple smartwatch because the results are often not concordant.
Diet
I am religious about reading labels and getting rid of ultra-processed food. Many things I used to eat, I won’t go near. Each of us has the potential to read labels and shift our priorities as to what we eat. Ultra-processed foods should be reduced to the lowest amount possible. When I read labels for things like whipped cream cheese or different brands of ice cream, they are chock-full of ultra-processed ingredients.
I am very regimented now. I mostly eat salad with oil-and-vinegar dressing and some kind of protein like salmon or chicken. I don’t eat red meat. I eat plain yogurt and add berries and granola. I eat nothing in between meals.
Protein
I have increased my protein in my diet, though not at the [very high] levels that are advocated by some people. I’ve had marked improvement in muscle mass. The recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of a person’s weight for all adults. There are data that support an increase for people aged 60-plus to about 1.2 grams per kilogram a day. For me, at 80 kilograms, I shoot for 90-100 grams a day. If you overdo it with protein intake, that might not be a good idea. Many studies now show that very high protein diets can promote atherosclerosis.
Testing
I am trying to assemble a full stack of data we all need. I have had my genome sequenced, my gut microbiome tested, I have used organ clocks [tests that measure the aging of different organs].
It’s inexpensive to get a polygenic risk-score test [the tests analyze DNA] to tell us about someone’s risk for common diseases, different types of cancers, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases. There are about eight companies that offer them through their websites or you can get the kits through Amazon.
There are anywhere between 6,000 and 11,000 proteins in your blood that can tell about the aging of organs. Two companies offer tests in the $100 range.
The results can be discussed with a doctor. If you know your risk, it’s much more likely you will do something. I believe the potential benefit of having the results outweighs remote concerns about privacy.
Antiaging supplements and drugs
I don’t think any antiaging supplements have been proven. Taurine is a possible candidate. As we age, we see lower levels of taurine in the blood, and that is correlated with more inflammation. But we need trials.
I think the rapamycin story is really checkered. [Rapamycin, an FDA-approved drug used to help prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, is sometimes used off-label as part of longevity regimens.] Rapamycin suppresses the immune system. The last thing you want to do as you get older is to suppress the immune system.
The drugs are out there dangling. They may have a role. We just don’t have the data to help us guide their use right now.
Improving mental health
I tell my patients to spend more time outdoors. I have started spending more time in nature. I take that seriously.
Interview has been edited and condensed.
Write to Amy Dockser Marcus at [email protected]
Dr. Eric Topol’s longevity work revealed simple and practical steps to stay healthy. He shares the tips that he follows.
By--Amy Dockser Marcus
Dr. Eric Topol wanted to know if genes were the reason some people live to very old ages without major health problems.
Topol, a prominent cardiologist, decided to test the idea. He and his colleagues at the La Jolla, Calif.-based Scripps Research Translational Institute, which Topol helped found, enrolled people 85 years old and above—and healthy—in a research project. The researchers sequenced and scrutinized the participants’ DNA.
The results led Topol to a different conclusion.
It turned out there wasn’t much in the genes of these “super agers” that set them apart. But as a group, they were different from many Americans of similar ages. They were thinner. They exercised more. They were better-educated. Even at advanced ages, they continued to volunteer, dance, see friends and pursue activities that gave them purpose and enjoyment.
In the coming years, more people can become super agers, Topol writes in his new book of the same name. Cancer, heart trouble and neurodegeneration can take decades to develop—leaving time to slow, delay or even prevent them, Topol argues.
A longtime champion of the idea that mobile devices and other digital tech can help people track and improve their health, Topol is a self-described “techno optimist.” He has done tests on himself that measure the biological age of different organs, had his genes sequenced and participated in a research study that assesses people’s immune systems to try to predict their risks to different diseases.
In the future, these strategies, along with improvements in artificial intelligence, may allow for dramatic changes to the way people age. For now, there are some simple and practical things people can do to improve longevity. Topol, who is 70, says, “I am taking my own advice.”
He shared some of his own plan with The Wall Street Journal.
Exercise
I’ve always been an exercise enthusiast. As a cardiologist, I always used to think, do aerobic exercise. But all the studies show resistance or strength training is really important too. I do lots of resistance training and make that part of the routine. You can do resistance training with some very cheap bands.
Dr. Eric Topol standing on a beach. Topol, here in La Jolla, Calif., says he spends time outdoors to improve mental health.
Sleep
I started tracking and learning what helps me get more deep sleep [a stage that involves slow brain waves, slowed heart rate and non-rapid eye movement sleep]. I was sleep-deficient for decades. The importance of sleep, especially deep sleep, is to clear waste products from the brain. People should aspire to get a maximal amount of deep sleep.
Many people think they need eight hours of sleep. Studies show seven hours is optimum. I’ve learned how important it is to have a set and early bed time. I’ve been able to increase my average deep sleep substantially by having my data and learning how what I eat and when I exercise affect it. I use both an Oura ring and an Apple smartwatch because the results are often not concordant.
Diet
I am religious about reading labels and getting rid of ultra-processed food. Many things I used to eat, I won’t go near. Each of us has the potential to read labels and shift our priorities as to what we eat. Ultra-processed foods should be reduced to the lowest amount possible. When I read labels for things like whipped cream cheese or different brands of ice cream, they are chock-full of ultra-processed ingredients.
I am very regimented now. I mostly eat salad with oil-and-vinegar dressing and some kind of protein like salmon or chicken. I don’t eat red meat. I eat plain yogurt and add berries and granola. I eat nothing in between meals.
Protein
I have increased my protein in my diet, though not at the [very high] levels that are advocated by some people. I’ve had marked improvement in muscle mass. The recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of a person’s weight for all adults. There are data that support an increase for people aged 60-plus to about 1.2 grams per kilogram a day. For me, at 80 kilograms, I shoot for 90-100 grams a day. If you overdo it with protein intake, that might not be a good idea. Many studies now show that very high protein diets can promote atherosclerosis.
Testing
I am trying to assemble a full stack of data we all need. I have had my genome sequenced, my gut microbiome tested, I have used organ clocks [tests that measure the aging of different organs].
It’s inexpensive to get a polygenic risk-score test [the tests analyze DNA] to tell us about someone’s risk for common diseases, different types of cancers, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases. There are about eight companies that offer them through their websites or you can get the kits through Amazon.
There are anywhere between 6,000 and 11,000 proteins in your blood that can tell about the aging of organs. Two companies offer tests in the $100 range.
The results can be discussed with a doctor. If you know your risk, it’s much more likely you will do something. I believe the potential benefit of having the results outweighs remote concerns about privacy.
Antiaging supplements and drugs
I don’t think any antiaging supplements have been proven. Taurine is a possible candidate. As we age, we see lower levels of taurine in the blood, and that is correlated with more inflammation. But we need trials.
I think the rapamycin story is really checkered. [Rapamycin, an FDA-approved drug used to help prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, is sometimes used off-label as part of longevity regimens.] Rapamycin suppresses the immune system. The last thing you want to do as you get older is to suppress the immune system.
The drugs are out there dangling. They may have a role. We just don’t have the data to help us guide their use right now.
Improving mental health
I tell my patients to spend more time outdoors. I have started spending more time in nature. I take that seriously.
Interview has been edited and condensed.
Write to Amy Dockser Marcus at [email protected]
