Ron Lecours, ex-CFP

Brother, husband, father, grandpa. Survivor. Now an #Aging baby-boomer, obsessed with ⬆️#Healthspan for both me & my 💰#portfolio

[Health Almanac @Health_Almanac]

Dr. Rhonda Patrick reveals why the Norwegian 4x4 protocol is superior to steady-state cardio for reversing heart ageing

"It’s best if you’re doing a cardiovascular type of exercise like the assault bike, a rowing machine, or stationary cycling. You are going as hard as you can for four minutes, but it's not an all-out effort. You're not really having a conversation while you're doing it"

"Then, for the four minutes of recovery, you're just going very slow, letting your heart rate come down and your cardiorespiratory fitness system recover somewhat. After that, you go back to the four minutes of intense exercise again. You’re doing that four times"

"People can start out not going super hard, but you're still going harder than you're used to pushing yourself. You don't just start doing it right out the gate; you want to work your way up over one or two months until you reach that point where you're not able to have that conversation"

"Physiologically, when I get to that 85-90% effort range and stay there for a couple of minutes, there are so many different things happening"

[James Clear @JamesClear]

Life rarely changes in a positive way without an increase in responsibility.

That can mean taking ownership of your health or committing to a relationship or starting a business.

Whatever it is, if you want the trajectory to change, the amount of responsibility usually has to change.

[Avi Roy @agingroy]

Nobody went looking for a dementia drug in the shingles vaccine, but the results just keep adding up.

The shot was meant to stop shingles, the painful nerve rash caused by the chickenpox virus reactivating in older age. But when researchers tracked who got dementia years later, the vaccinated kept coming out lower. A review of 104 million people showed it. So did Wales, where a birthday cutoff randomly set who was eligible, and Australia after that, using the same method.

The newest study tested Shingrix, the version people get today, in half a million older adults. The vaccinated had 24% less dementia over four years.

One study can fool you. Four, run on different populations with different methods, usually don’t.

The vaccine already spares you a miserable illness. It now looks like it may protect the brain too, which is reason enough to ask your doctor after 50.

[Avi Roy @agingroy]

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic & Mounjaro just cut how often lung cancer spreads. By half.

This didn’t come from nowhere. Two years ago, GLP-1 users were found to have fewer cancers. Last year, a study of 86,000 people with obesity put the risk 17% lower. Now the question sharpened from whether you get cancer to whether the one you have spreads.

Cleveland Clinic tracked 12,112 patients who started a diabetes drug after a cancer diagnosis. Lung cancer reached stage 4 in 10% on a GLP-1. On a drug that controls sugar but not weight, 22%. Breast, liver and colon fell too.

Both groups matched on weight and blood sugar, so this isn’t just the weight coming off.

Observational, no prescribing yet. But the signal keeps pointing one way.

[FoundMyFitness Clips @fmfclips]

10 minutes of daily vigorous activity may do more for your longevity than walking 10,000 easy steps

In a large accelerometer study, 1 hard minute matched ~53–94 minutes of light activity for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular outcomes, and type 2 diabetes

For cancer mortality, 1 vigorous minute was equivalent to about 2.5 hours of light activity

Any movement is certainly better than none, but if you want the most bang for your buck...

Add intensity

[Drew Baye High Intensity Training @BayeDrew]

Limited time is not an excuse. Go to the gym.

[Dr Alo, DO, FACC @MohammedAlo]

🚨 Ozempic is not a diabetes drug that happens to help your heart. It is a cardiovascular drug that also controls blood sugar.
The medical community had this backwards for years.
But the data says otherwise.

🫀 SELECT (semaglutide) enrolled 17,604 patients with established cardiovascular disease and no diabetes. These were not diabetic patients getting a bonus heart benefit. These were heart patients. And semaglutide cut major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% compared to placebo.

That matters because the reduction in heart attacks and strokes happened independently of weight loss and independently of glucose control. The drug was doing something else. Something direct.

🔬 Here is what the science actually says about the mechanism:

✅ Semaglutide reduces systemic inflammation. CRP dropped significantly in SELECT.

✅ It lowers blood pressure, triglycerides, and visceral fat simultaneously.

✅ GLP-1 receptors sit on cardiac tissue, vascular endothelium, and the kidneys. This is not a gut drug. It is a whole-system drug.

✅ The atherosclerotic plaque burden itself appears to respond to GLP-1 receptor agonism. The biology runs deeper than appetite suppression.

💓 The numbers from SELECT are not subtle:

20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events.

17,604 patients followed over a median of 40 months.

The benefit appeared regardless of starting body weight, meaning a patient who lost 5% of body weight got similar cardiovascular protection to one who lost 15%.

The question is no longer whether semaglutide helps the heart. The question is why we are still treating it like a weight loss drug with a side benefit.

⚠️ Here is what concerns me as a cardiologist:

Patients are being denied this medication because their insurance classifies it as an obesity drug.

Physicians are prescribing it primarily for aesthetics and not anchoring the conversation in cardiovascular risk reduction.

The patients who need SELECT-level protection most are the ones least likely to get the prescription written correctly.

🩺 I am a cardiologist. I have patients with prior heart attacks, preserved ejection fraction, and zero diabetes diagnosis who are now on semaglutide because SELECT gave me the data to justify it. That conversation used to be harder. It is not hard anymore.

A patient who starts semaglutide after a first heart attack can reduce their risk of a second major cardiac event by 20% over 3 years. That is the difference between a second hospitalization and a decade of stable cardiovascular health.

❤️ Bottom line:
Ozempic is not a diabetes drug. It is a cardiovascular drug with the trial data to prove it.
SELECT tested 17,604 non-diabetic heart patients and delivered a 20% reduction in major cardiac events.
Get your cardiovascular risk assessed. Ask your cardiologist about GLP-1 receptor agonists by name. Do not wait for your endocrinologist to bring it up first.
The tools with the strongest data are sometimes the ones still being mislabeled. Semaglutide is one of them.
When did you last have a conversation with your doctor about your actual cardiovascular event risk, not just your cholesterol number?

#Cardiology #HeartDisease #HeartHealth #CardiovascularHealth #Ozempic #Semaglutide #GLP1 #HeartAttackPrevention #PreventiveCardiology #MetabolicHealth

[Eric Topol @EricTopol]

If you want to know a lot about a person's brain health, it's embedded in a retina photo, deciphered by AI
https://t.co/3xN8k8R6CX @LancetDigitalH

[Dr. Rhonda Patrick @foundmyfitness]

Higher meat intake was associated with less cognitive decline and lower dementia risk in APOE e4 carriers, a group at higher risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Those who ate ~2 servings of meat per day had a better 10-year cognitive trajectory and a 55% lower dementia risk compared to people eating less than a half a serving per day.

That pattern wasn't seen in the non-APOE e4 carriers and was NOT observed for processed meat. Unprocessed red meat alone was also linked to lower dementia risk in APOE e4 carriers.

My take is not “everyone should eat more meat.”

But a few servings per day of unprocessed meat (as observed in this study) is perfectly healthy for most people.

[Ron Lecours, ex-CFP @RonLecours]

@Mangan150 I love this whole, especially this quote: "Getting older doesn't require decline. Decline is a lifestyle problem dressed up as a birthday problem."

[Charlie Bilello @charliebilello]

May: The Federal Government took in $336 billion and spent $628 billion. Don't try this at home.

[Eric Topol @EricTopol]

Discovery of a 14-protein biomarker that predicts lung cancer 5.6 years before it is diagnosed, even in non-smokers, and an anti-inflammatory medicine that prevents its progression. And, challenging dogma, the proteins are not coming from cancerous cells!

[James Clear @JamesClear]

Be forgiving with your past self. What's done is done. No sense in beating yourself up about it.

Be strict with your present self. Win the moment in front of you right now.

Be flexible with your future self. There are many paths to success. You don't need life to be a certain way to live well.

[Ted Ryce @ted_ryce]

Do you sit for more than 6 hours a day?

Then you're destroying your body & health.

Here are 7 simple mobility exercises that will protect you from back pain, posture issues, and low energy (bookmark this):👇

[Howard Luks MD @hjluks]

From a population health perspective... What’s the single most important variable when it comes to exercise for healthspan?

I write a lot about specific workouts... HIIT vs zone 2, power vs strength, how long, how often, or how hard. And to be fair, once you’re in the game, those variables matter.
But…
The single biggest factor in whether exercise improves your health is the decision to do something rather than nothing.
At the population level, the data is so strong it’s almost silly. Going from nothing to something is where the biggest bang for your buck comes from.

-Move daily
-Occasionally walk fast
-Lift heavy things a few times a week.

That's where the massive health gains lie. Not in the optimization, or in the perfect program.
It’s all about showing up.

Everything I write about after that is fine-tuning. Don’t get me wrong… It’s important fine-tuning— but fine-tuning nonetheless.

The gap between doing nothing and doing something is a canyon. The gap between a good program and a perfect one is a crack in the sidewalk.

Sweating the details keeps too many on the couch… let’s focus on getting off the couch first.

[Dr Alo, DO, FACC @MohammedAlo]

🚨 A single IV injection permanently lowered LDL cholesterol by 62%. No daily pills. No biweekly injections. No adherence problem.
One shot. Done.
But this is not science fiction. This is published data in the New England Journal of Medicine.

I am a cardiologist who has watched patients fail cholesterol therapy not because the drugs don't work, but because life gets in the way. Missed doses. Insurance gaps. Injection fatigue. That is the adherence problem medicine has never solved. Until now.

💓 Here is what the science actually says.

The HEART-2 Trial (VERVE-102) published Phase 1 results on May 25, 2026. A single intravenous infusion of VERVE-102 used base-editing technology to permanently inactivate the PCSK9 gene inside liver cells.

✅ HEART-2 (VERVE-102): LDL cholesterol reduced 62% from a single dose.

That is not a typo. One treatment. Permanent gene-level change.

🔬 Here is the mechanism and why it matters.

PCSK9 is the protein that destroys LDL receptors in your liver. When PCSK9 is active, your liver cannot clear LDL from your blood efficiently. Base editing rewrites a single letter in the PCSK9 gene at the DNA level. The liver cells stop producing PCSK9. LDL receptors stay active. LDL drops.

This mimics what nature already proved works. Humans born with natural PCSK9 loss-of-function mutations carry lifetime LDL levels that run dramatically lower than average, and they show 88% reduction in coronary artery disease risk over a lifetime.

VERVE-102 engineers that same protection into adults who were not born with it.

⚠️ This is still Phase 1 data.

Phase 1 trials establish safety and dosing. The 62% LDL reduction is real and it is remarkable. Long-term cardiovascular outcomes data is not yet available. Off-target editing effects require continued surveillance. This therapy is not approved and is not in clinical use today. But the signal is strong enough that every cardiologist needs to pay attention right now.

🩺 Why PCSK9 Is The Right Target.

PCSK9 inhibitors already have the cardiovascular outcome data. FOURIER (evolocumab) showed 15% reduction in major cardiovascular events. ODYSSEY OUTCOMES (alirocumab) showed 15% reduction in cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke. The biology is validated. The target is proven. VERVE-102 goes one step further and eliminates the target permanently at the genetic level.

A patient who takes VERVE-102 once does not need to remember a pill tomorrow. They do not need a refill. They do not need a prior authorization renewal. They do not need a nurse to administer a monthly injection. That is the difference between 62% LDL reduction maintained for a lifetime and 30% LDL reduction that disappears when adherence breaks down.

❤️ Bottom line:

This is not a supplement. It is not a biohack. It is peer-reviewed, gene-level cardiovascular medicine published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Natural PCSK9 loss-of-function mutations reduce lifetime coronary artery disease risk by 88%. VERVE-102 engineers that same biological state with a single IV dose and produced 62% LDL reduction in Phase 1.

The question is no longer whether gene editing can lower LDL. The question is how fast we can get outcome data and get this therapy to the patients who need it most.

Watch HEART-2 closely. This trial could redefine preventive cardiology for the next generation.

#Cardiology #HeartDisease #HeartHealth #CardiovascularHealth #CRISPR #GeneEditing #PCSK9 #LDLCholesterol #PreventiveCardiology #CardiovascularMedicine

[IntegralAnswers @IntegralAnswers]

AvivRoy continues out out informative, clear and concise posts.

I urge you to follow.

[Dr Alo, DO, FACC @MohammedAlo]

🚨 The 2026 ADA and NICE guidelines now agree on something that would have been unthinkable five years ago.

GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors belong at the front of type 2 diabetes care.

Not as add-ons. As the foundation.

And no, this is not just about lowering blood sugar anymore.

I am a cardiologist. I treat the complications that happen when diabetes goes uncontrolled or undertreated for years. I have seen what late-stage cardiovascular disease looks like in a diabetic patient who spent a decade on metformin alone while their arteries silently failed.

That era is over. Here is what the science actually says.

💓 Why the guidelines changed

The cardiovascular outcomes trials forced this shift. The data became impossible to ignore.

✅ EMPA-REG OUTCOME (empagliflozin): cardiovascular death reduced 38%

✅ LEADER (liraglutide): major adverse cardiovascular events reduced 13%

✅ SUSTAIN-6 (semaglutide): cardiovascular death, nonfatal MI, and nonfatal stroke reduced 26%

✅ DAPA-HF (dapagliflozin): cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure reduced 26%

✅ CANVAS (canagliflozin): major adverse cardiovascular events reduced 14%

These trials enrolled more than 60,000 patients combined. That is not a signal. That is a verdict.

🔬 What these drugs actually do

. Reduce visceral adiposity

. Lower intraglomerular pressure and protect the kidneys

. Reduce systemic inflammation

. Decrease cardiac preload and afterload

. Promote natriuresis and reduce heart failure hospitalizations

. Lower HbA1c, body weight, and blood pressure simultaneously

That matters because no prior diabetes drug class did all of this at once.

⚠️ Where ADA and NICE still differ

The 2026 ADA guidelines recommend initiating GLP-1 receptor agonists or SGLT2 inhibitors based on cardiovascular and renal risk profile, independent of HbA1c thresholds.

NICE in 2026 still places stronger emphasis on cost-effectiveness thresholds and requires more documented comorbidity burden before first-line authorization in some patient groups.

The clinical intent is converging. The implementation pathways still diverge by geography and health system.

🔸 This creates a real problem for patients.

🔸 A diabetic patient in the United States with no documented cardiovascular disease may access semaglutide first-line today.

🔸 A diabetic patient in the United Kingdom with the same risk profile may wait longer due to formulary sequencing requirements.

🔸 Same evidence. Different access. Different outcomes.

🩺 What both guidelines now agree on

Both 2026 frameworks confirm the following.

Metformin is no longer the automatic first choice in patients with established cardiovascular disease, heart failure, or chronic kidney disease.

SGLT2 inhibitors are now recommended independently of glucose control in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

GLP-1 receptor agonists are preferred in patients with obesity-driven type 2 diabetes and high atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk.

Combination therapy initiated early produces better organ protection than sequential add-on therapy initiated late.

A patient who starts an SGLT2 inhibitor and a GLP-1 receptor agonist early in their diabetes course can reduce their 10-year risk of hospitalization for heart failure by a clinically meaningful margin while losing 10 to 15% of body weight and lowering HbA1c by 2 to 3 percentage points.

That is the difference between managing diabetes and actually reversing its trajectory.

❌ What will not save your heart

❌ Berberine will not save you.

❌ Chromium supplements will not save you.

❌ Cinnamon extract will not save you.

The tools with the strongest data are unsexy, free, and require your participation.

❤️ Bottom line:

Type 2 diabetes treatment is no longer just glycemic management. It is cardiovascular and renal protection delivered through glucose-lowering agents.

The EMPA-REG OUTCOME, LEADER, SUSTAIN-6, DAPA-HF, and CANVAS trials changed everything. More than 60,000 patients across five landmark trials confirmed this drug class saves lives and organs.

Ask your physician whether you qualify for a GLP-1 receptor agonist or SGLT2 inhibitor today. Do not wait for your next complication. Do not accept metformin monotherapy if you carry cardiovascular risk. Understand your HbA1c, your kidney function, and your 10-year ASCVD score.

The question is no longer whether these drugs work. The question is why millions of eligible patients still do not have access to them.

Are you or someone you know with type 2 diabetes on the right therapy in 2026?

#Cardiology #HeartDisease #HeartHealth #CardiovascularHealth #Diabetes #GLP1 #SGLT2 #MetabolicHealth #PreventiveCardiology #LifestyleMedicine

[Avi Roy @agingroy]

A weekly jab in the belly is generating more revenue than the entire AI industry.

Ozempic + Mounjaro: $71B in 2025.
OpenAI + Anthropic: $29B.

And they've barely started. ~2% of the 800 million eligible patients can currently access them.

h/t @DrSamuelBHume

[Anthony Pompliano 🌪 @APompliano]

They should plaster this chart throughout hallways of American schools.

Savers lose and investors win.