Longevity 101: a foundational guide to Peter's frameworks for longevity, and understanding CVD, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and more (re-broadcast)

Peter Attia

Oct 27, 2025

Episode description

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In this special episode, Peter provides a comprehensive introduction to longevity, perfect for newcomers or those looking to refresh their knowledge. He lays out the foundational concepts of lifespan, healthspan, and the marginal decade. Additionally, Peter discusses the four main causes of death and their prevention, as well as detailing the five key strategies in his longevity toolkit to improve lifespan and healthspan. Detailed show notes provide links for deeper exploration of these topics, making it an ideal starting point for anyone interested in understanding and improving their longevity.

We discuss:

Key points about starting exercise as an older adult [2:45];
Overview of episode topics and structure [1:45];
How Peter defines longevity [3:45];
Why healthspan is a crucial component of longevity [11:15];
The evolution of medicine from medicine 1.0 to 2.0, and the emergence of medicine 3.0 [15:30];
Overview of atherosclerotic diseases: the 3 pathways of ASCVD, preventative measures, and the impact of metabolic health [26:00];
Cancer: genetic and environmental factors, treatment options, and the importance of early and aggressive screening [33:15];
Neurodegenerative diseases: causes, prevention, and the role of genetics and metabolic health [39:30];
The spectrum of metabolic diseases [43:15];
Why it's never too late to start thinking about longevity [44:15];
The 5 components of the longevity toolkit [46:30];
Peter's framework for exercise—The Centenarian Decathlon [47:45];
Peter's nutritional framework: energy balance, protein intake, and more [58:45];
Sleep: the vital role of sleep in longevity, and how to improve sleep habits [1:08:30];
Drugs and supplements: Peter's framework for thinking about drugs and supplements as tools for enhancing longevity [1:13:30];
Why emotional health is a key component of longevity [1:17:00];
Advice for newcomers on where to start on their longevity journey [1:19:30]; and
More.

Connect With Peter on Twitter, Instagram,

Episode description

View the Show Notes Page for This Episode

Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content

We discuss:

Key points about starting exercise as an older adult [2:45];
Overview of episode topics and structure [1:45];
How Peter defines longevity [3:45];
Why healthspan is a crucial component of longevity [11:15];
The evolution of medicine from medicine 1.0 to 2.0, and the emergence of medicine 3.0 [15:30];
Overview of atherosclerotic diseases: the 3 pathways of ASCVD, preventative measures, and the impact of metabolic health [26:00];
Cancer: genetic and environmental factors, treatment options, and the importance of early and aggressive screening [33:15];
Neurodegenerative diseases: causes, prevention, and the role of genetics and metabolic health [39:30];
The spectrum of metabolic diseases [43:15];
Why it's never too late to start thinking about longevity [44:15];
The 5 components of the longevity toolkit [46:30];
Peter's framework for exercise—The Centenarian Decathlon [47:45];
Peter's nutritional framework: energy balance, protein intake, and more [58:45];
Sleep: the vital role of sleep in longevity, and how to improve sleep habits [1:08:30];
Drugs and supplements: Peter's framework for thinking about drugs and supplements as tools for enhancing longevity [1:13:30];
Why emotional health is a key component of longevity [1:17:00];
Advice for newcomers on where to start on their longevity journey [1:19:30]; and
More.

Connect With Peter on Twitter, Instagram,

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Implement early screening to combat cancer's bad luck factor

A significant component of many cancers is simply 'bad luck' from random mutations, which is why a strategy of early and aggressive screening is critical in addition to prevention.

#cancer

#screening

Modify your emotional health for improvement

Your emotional health is not fixed; the 'software can be modified,' and you can actively work to improve it just like your physical health.

#emotion

#mental-health

Balance lifespan and healthspan for optimal longevity

Longevity is a function of two vectors: lifespan, which is how long you live, and healthspan, which is how well you live physically, cognitively, and emotionally.

#healthspan

#longevity

Prioritize energy balance and protein in nutrition

The two things we know with a high degree of certainty in nutrition are that total energy balance is the most important factor, and protein is the macronutrient we should be least flexible on.

#nutrition

#protein

Prepare for your final decade with centenarian decathlon training

The 'Centenarian Decathlon' is a framework for training today for the specific physical activities you want to be able to perform in the last decade of your life.

#exercise

#longevity

Prevent cardiovascular disease to save millions

It is a bizarre tragedy that 19 million people a year still die from cardiovascular disease, given how much we know about what causes it and the tools we have to prevent it.

#heart

#risk

Prioritize healthspan to enhance lifespan

If you focused relentlessly on improving your healthspan, you would likely capture three-quarters of the way towards optimizing your lifespan without ever specifically thinking about diseases.

#healthspan

#lifespan

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