Could taking a daily multivitamin actually increase mortality risk (i.e. risk of death)? This video blog takes a deep dive into the problematic research methodology of a 2024 research study on multivitamin use and mortality risk which caused a stir on popular media and news outlets.
Often, we only think of our immune system seasonally— as something we need to boost during winter months to bolster our ability to fight colds and flu. However, we should be thinking about our immune health daily as a system in our body that is susceptible to aging, just like our brains, muscles, and other critical organs. As we age, the immune system undergoes significant changes that contribute to increased vulnerability to infections and disease. Even our risk of cancer goes up with age due to a decline in immune system function. Exciting new research involving urolithin A shows a promising new way to target immune aging, offering potential strategies to maintain a more resilient immune system as we grow older.
Biological “clocks” based on epigenetic age have been around for just over a decade. Steve Horvath, a PhD scientist at UCLA launched the field with his original 2013 pan-tissue clock that predicted chronological age with head-turning accuracy. Other researchers subsequently crunched their own epigenetic (DNA methylation) data and applied advanced mathematical models to similarly predict age with their own “clocks”, resulting in a suite of available epigenetic age assessments – each with similarities but also notable differences. Some of these are more widely available for non-researchers to use than others.
When seeking health advice, we’ve all heard the recommendation, “start with the gut.” Whether we have high cholesterol or heavy periods, it always somehow comes back to the gut, right? Why is that? Well, it’s probably because the state of our gut affects the health of every organ system in our body, and because of this, a healthier gut tends to improve how we feel and function on a day-to-day basis. Many people only think to use a stool test to evaluate gut health, but the DUTCH Test may also yield valuable insights through its measurement of cortisol, hormone metabolites, and organic acids.
In this 15-minute video blog segment, Dr. Fitzgerald discusses a controversial study on fish oil and cardiovascular disease that was published in the British Medical Journal earlier this year titled Regular use of fish oil supplements and course of cardiovascular diseases: prospective cohort study with former clinic resident Tish Campbell PhD. Find the study full…
Is it time to add a custom dose of vitamin D to your Younger You protocols? A small Younger You study from the UK and the importance of D more broadly suggest YES. Don’t miss thoughts on dosing (and some new data showing inadequacy of many dosing recommendations) towards the end of this article.
From changing the way pregnancies are planned to helping women anticipate perimenopause – female hormone trackers are here, and they’re helping clinicians provide better care for patients. This blog will take a closer look at what hormone monitors can do, how to choose the right one for your patients, and how they can help you see improved outcomes in a range of clinical scenarios.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at how optimizing DNA methylation (through nutrition and lifestyle, as we do in Younger You), may positively impact various health conditions.
The science and medical community has known for years that one of the biggest causes of accelerated aging is the accumulation of senescent cells. It all started back in 2015 at two of America’s top medical institutions: Mayo Clinic, and Scripps Research.
Insulin resistance, excess weight, fatty liver, infertility, and elevated androgen levels – these are clinical features common to two conditions that we wouldn’t necessarily think to connect: polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hemochromatosis. Interestingly, excess iron is a common finding in BOTH conditions. A new patient of mine – we’ll call her Anne – recently presented with PCOS along with mildly elevated iron levels. In this blog, I tease out the relevance of this, especially in the context of emerging research on the connections, and explain how I put those considerations into the development of her treatment plan.