From https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/articles/clym06ej50jo
Title : ... the 'secret of longevity' , July 2025 - free translation
By Margarita Rodríguez
Poster's Note : Below is only part of the interview with Eric Topol (a scientist and writer , founder and director of Scripps Research, a respected health research institute in the USA) to BBC World News about healthy old people .
.....
BBC - You mentioned the study (released in 2007) you conducted with your colleagues. You spent more than 6 years sequencing the genomes of about 1,400 octogenarians without serious health problems. What did you discover?
Topol - ... I think the main explanation (for their good health) is the immune system, which is intact in these people — and that's how they protect themselves against cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.
They have the right kind of immune response to protect them, and not overreact. This is the most likely explanation.
And, of course, we can all achieve this with our immune system through a healthy lifestyle: avoiding a diet that promotes inflammation, and exercising, because it reduces [inflammation], as well as getting enough sleep...
BBC - Although you mentioned the importance of diet, getting enough sleep, and social relationships in the aging process, you say that "exercise can be considered the most effective medical intervention we know." Why?
Topol - ... The fascinating thing is that physical exercises help keep the immune system very healthy.
We know that exercise helps prevent Alzheimer's, but it also helps prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease.
And it doesn't have to be extreme exercise; any sustained physical activity is good ...
BBC - And you emphasize that it's never too late to start ...
Topol - ... You can develop new strength, new cardiovascular capacity at any age, and even after 90, you can revitalize yourself physically.
*In his book, the doctor mentions 93-year-old Richard Morgan, who, in his seventies, began exercising regularly for the first time in his life using a rowing machine. "He won four world indoor rowing championships."
BBC - I'll quote an excerpt from your book: "The brains of 'super-elderly' people are intriguing; at 80, they have the memory of people 20 years old, or 20 years younger." What are the brains of "super-elderly" people like?
Topol - Their brain is incredibly healthy ...
This is something that stands out: how can someone maintain such well-preserved executive cognitive function at an advanced age?
They defy expectations. Most people say, "When you're 90, you'll lose your (mental) faculties," but that's not true.
We have many ways (to prevent cognitive decline), and one of the most important is sleep.
Every night, we have these waste products in our brain—metabolites that are truly toxic and promote inflammation—that we need to eliminate through the so-called glymphatic channel, which has been discovered in recent years.
And it turns out that if we don't get adequate deep sleep, the kind of slow-wave sleep that usually occurs early in the night, we don't eliminate these waste products and essentially give them the opportunity to inflame our brain.
Therefore, we need to improve deep sleep to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
BBC - You just mentioned an essential factor: sleeping well. What else can we do to keep our brain healthy?
Topol - Exercises, get deep sleep, and adopt a diet that doesn't promote inflammation.
Have a diet based largely on plant-based foods, such as the Mediterranean diet. This has been demonstrated in study after study; This type of diet helps suppress inflammation in the body, unlike a diet that includes ultra-processed foods, red meat, and other foods that are clearly pro-inflammatory.
A healthier diet makes a huge difference, as do exercise, sleep, and the social relationships we have as we age. It's truly surprising how much of an impact these factors have.
And let's not forget being outdoors, in nature, in green spaces. It's truly interesting to see how this not only reduces stress, anxiety, and depression but also has a significant effect on preventing age-related diseases ...
Title : ... the 'secret of longevity' , July 2025 - free translation
By Margarita Rodríguez
Poster's Note : Below is only part of the interview with Eric Topol (a scientist and writer , founder and director of Scripps Research, a respected health research institute in the USA) to BBC World News about healthy old people .
.....
BBC - You mentioned the study (released in 2007) you conducted with your colleagues. You spent more than 6 years sequencing the genomes of about 1,400 octogenarians without serious health problems. What did you discover?
Topol - ... I think the main explanation (for their good health) is the immune system, which is intact in these people — and that's how they protect themselves against cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.
They have the right kind of immune response to protect them, and not overreact. This is the most likely explanation.
And, of course, we can all achieve this with our immune system through a healthy lifestyle: avoiding a diet that promotes inflammation, and exercising, because it reduces [inflammation], as well as getting enough sleep...
BBC - Although you mentioned the importance of diet, getting enough sleep, and social relationships in the aging process, you say that "exercise can be considered the most effective medical intervention we know." Why?
Topol - ... The fascinating thing is that physical exercises help keep the immune system very healthy.
We know that exercise helps prevent Alzheimer's, but it also helps prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease.
And it doesn't have to be extreme exercise; any sustained physical activity is good ...
BBC - And you emphasize that it's never too late to start ...
Topol - ... You can develop new strength, new cardiovascular capacity at any age, and even after 90, you can revitalize yourself physically.
*In his book, the doctor mentions 93-year-old Richard Morgan, who, in his seventies, began exercising regularly for the first time in his life using a rowing machine. "He won four world indoor rowing championships."
BBC - I'll quote an excerpt from your book: "The brains of 'super-elderly' people are intriguing; at 80, they have the memory of people 20 years old, or 20 years younger." What are the brains of "super-elderly" people like?
Topol - Their brain is incredibly healthy ...
This is something that stands out: how can someone maintain such well-preserved executive cognitive function at an advanced age?
They defy expectations. Most people say, "When you're 90, you'll lose your (mental) faculties," but that's not true.
We have many ways (to prevent cognitive decline), and one of the most important is sleep.
Every night, we have these waste products in our brain—metabolites that are truly toxic and promote inflammation—that we need to eliminate through the so-called glymphatic channel, which has been discovered in recent years.
And it turns out that if we don't get adequate deep sleep, the kind of slow-wave sleep that usually occurs early in the night, we don't eliminate these waste products and essentially give them the opportunity to inflame our brain.
Therefore, we need to improve deep sleep to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
BBC - You just mentioned an essential factor: sleeping well. What else can we do to keep our brain healthy?
Topol - Exercises, get deep sleep, and adopt a diet that doesn't promote inflammation.
Have a diet based largely on plant-based foods, such as the Mediterranean diet. This has been demonstrated in study after study; This type of diet helps suppress inflammation in the body, unlike a diet that includes ultra-processed foods, red meat, and other foods that are clearly pro-inflammatory.
A healthier diet makes a huge difference, as do exercise, sleep, and the social relationships we have as we age. It's truly surprising how much of an impact these factors have.
And let's not forget being outdoors, in nature, in green spaces. It's truly interesting to see how this not only reduces stress, anxiety, and depression but also has a significant effect on preventing age-related diseases ...
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