Biomarkers, Brain Health, & Longevity Truths

Frank: I feel as excited, if not more excited, about this whole longevity space. It's exciting for me to prep, and excited about practicing. Asking for the same function, it's just there. So it's exciting times on every level.

Brent: Welcome to Death Clock. I'm your host, Randall. Today we speak again with Doctor Frank Lipman. He is a physician who's been practicing for 40 years. He's been ahead of the curve on functional medicine and preventative health for his entire career. He's had 10,000 patients and seven bestselling books. He's an amazing resource and very candid. We basically fire a bunch of topics at him and get his thoughts.

Brent: We talk about biomarkers. We talk about supplements. We talk about all the scanning that's happening. We ask him about flu shots and the Covid vaccine. He's a really great guest. He's totally candid and honest. And he's awesome. I hope you enjoy.

Brent: Doctor Frank Lipman, welcome back to the show.

Frank: Thanks for having me.

Brent: Before we jump into it, will you just give us a quick sense of your potted bio as a reminder for the audience?

Frank: I've been a physician for 45 years. I got into functional medicine 30-odd years ago and was one of the pioneers in functional medicine. In the last four or five years, I've been focusing on longevity, which is an extension of functional medicine. As I've gotten older, I've gotten more interested in longevity medicine, and that's basically what I've been doing for the last number of years.

Brent: And quickly on longevity. My own view on the longevity space is that there are a couple of different approaches. If we want to group them, one would be the incremental decade approach. I think Peter Attia has been the most vocal proponent of this, focusing on sleep, diet, exercise, and disease prevention, where a lot of what he talks about are the basics.

Brent: Managing your health proactively from an early age to avoid getting disease so you live longer and have a longer health span.

Frank: Those are your basics. You can't get around your basics. I have a pyramid: at the bottom of the pyramid is how you eat, how you sleep, and how you move your body. Intermittent fasting, stress management, and social connections go in there too. Those are the basics. You can cold plunge every day, do saunas, and do plasmapheresis—

Frank: You can do what you want, but if you don't have the basics down, you're not going to be healthy as you get older. So yes, the basics are the basics, and you can't get around that.

Brent: Yeah, because for Longevity Camp one, it seems focused more on the basics, though it sounds like you're saying it's both. Then there seems to be this other camp of people in the longevity community who are more focused on the magic pill—the thing that you can take to reverse aging or stop aging altogether.

Brent: Bryan Johnson is perhaps some combination of these things. Do you see it in these two universes, and do you feel like one is more right than the other? How do you think about them?

Frank: I don't see them as two separate universes. To me, the basics are the basics, and you can't get around them. What Bryan Johnson does is a bit extreme, so let's not use him as the standard example, but what you're describing is just another layer on top. You can't do that without the basics. It's not an either/or.

Frank: It's both the basics and additional therapies. I do a lot of testing, which is important so you can personalize treatment. I love my red light bed, my Superhuman Chair, hyperbaric oxygen chamber, plasmapheresis, peptides, and hormones.

Frank: To me, that is another level. The basics are essential. Peter talks about that, but he doesn't talk as much about hormone optimization, which is fundamental to me. Targeted supplementation as you get older is almost basic to me, and peptides are incredibly helpful as you age. I don't think it's an either/or. What Bryan Johnson is doing is interesting—

Frank: We can learn from it on some level, but there are more essential things to do. I'm not against what he's doing, though it may be unnecessary for a lot of people.

Brent: That's helpful. My own perspective on Bryan is that he's pushing the envelope in a way that's helpful for science and for understanding possibilities. I am critical, however, of how he advertises the possibility of reversing death.

Frank: Yeah, I agree with that. What Bryan Johnson does is interesting and intriguing, but I wouldn't endorse it in full. Peter's work is solid basic stuff, but it's foundational and gets the word out.

Frank: He's solid. What Bryan is doing is different. They're both interesting figures in this space.

Brent: That's why I put them on two sides of the spectrum. You have Peter, where it's very practical and straightforward, and then Bryan, who is out there pushing the envelope with a different approach.

Brent: Let's focus on the basics. I'd love to get your perspective on biomarkers, starting with a standard blood test. If I walk into your office with a comprehensive metabolic panel from a traditional doctor—

Brent: What readings do you think are most important to pay attention to on that blood test?

Frank: Unfortunately, most traditional doctors do not run many of the important biomarkers that should be tested. For metabolic health, most measure fasting glucose, and sometimes they don't even measure hemoglobin A1C, which reflects blood sugar over the last three months. We measure insulin, homocysteine, and key inflammatory markers.

Frank: We do a deeper dive with lipid panels. Rather than stopping at total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and HDL, we measure apolipoprotein B (ApoB), which is probably the most important lipid marker. It provides a much more accurate assessment of risk than LDL alone.

Frank: In addition to traditional markers, I test ApoB, ApoA, Lp(a), oxidized LDL, and several inflammatory markers. That to me is part of a standard workup that is unfortunately often omitted.

Frank: The key categories that need deeper analysis are inflammatory markers, metabolic markers, extended cardiac panels, nutrient levels, and an extensive hormone panel. What is truly baseline for good health is much broader than what a standard doctor orders.

Brent: If someone is just starting out and knows nothing about their bloodwork, do you recommend starting with basic markers like glucose and A1C first, or are these advanced markers actually more critical?

Frank: They are all important because they allow you to personalize therapies. Another critical marker that is often ignored is body composition. Standard practice is to weigh patients and calculate BMI, but we measure body fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass, and visceral fat.

Frank: Recent research confirms that BMI is largely unhelpful. Body composition assessments using machines like an InBody provide far better data. As we age, preserving muscle mass is vital, and weight gain can sometimes simply reflect muscle gain.

Frank: It's also essential to know where fat is stored; visceral fat is dangerous. Standard medicine relies on outdated metrics when there are simple, effective assessments that every clinic should be doing.

Brent: Is there a good way to direct your doctor to order these tests? For instance, standard lipid panels are routine, but patients usually have to explicitly request ApoB and Lp(a).

Frank: Yes, patients need to be proactive and specifically ask their physician to add those markers.

Brent: For heart health, the main additions are ApoB and Lp(a)?

Frank: The primary ones are ApoB, ApoA-1 (to evaluate the ratio), and Lp(a), which is becoming more common. I also include inflammatory markers like oxidized LDL in a full cardiac panel.

Frank: Panels like the Cleveland HeartLab or Boston Heart Diagnostics provide these details. These tests come from major labs, but many physicians simply don't order them. Beyond ApoB and Lp(a), testing for oxidized LDL and Lp-PLA2 provides vital inflammatory data.

Frank: Tests can also assess ADMA to evaluate nitric oxide production. Specialized heart panels can determine whether high cholesterol is driven by production or absorption, which guides treatment.

Frank: Quest offers the Cleveland HeartLab tests, so a comprehensive panel can be ordered through standard laboratory networks.

Brent: This brings to mind Function Health, which offers a broad array of Quest tests for around $500. Do you recommend that level of testing?

Frank: I consider that a solid baseline panel. The main drawback is that patients may lack a practitioner to interpret the results in context, but as a starting point, platforms like Function Health are great.

Frank: Yes.

Brent: Moving to metabolic health and diabetes risk: fasting glucose gives a snapshot, while A1C provides a three-month average that is less sensitive to daily fluctuations.

Brent: What in addition to those two, do you think is important to know?

Frank: Fasting insulin is the single most critical marker. Insulin rises long before glucose or A1C levels indicate prediabetes, making insulin resistance detectable much earlier.

Brent: Just one question on insulin. I'm sorry, what is the what is the reading that you want?

Frank: I prefer fasting insulin to be under 6 µIU/mL. Standard reference ranges often list up to 12 or 15 as normal, but levels around 7 or 8 can signal early insulin resistance.

Frank: And that's when you want to pick it up. So that's probably early insulin resistance.

Brent: What targets do you set for A1C? Standard guidelines list anything below 5.7% as normal.

Frank: Ideally, A1C should be 5.4% or lower. Once it reaches 5.5% or above, metabolic health is suboptimal. While values creep up with age, keeping it below 5.5% is a prudent goal.

Frank: 5.4 is probably a better market to to look at. Yes.

Brent: What are your target recommendations for blood pressure?

Frank: Blood pressure targets vary. Many cardiologists aim for an average under 120/80 mmHg or 125/80 mmHg.

Frank: Generally, aiming for an average of 130/80 mmHg or lower is a solid target for most individuals.

Brent: Why is blood pressure monitoring often tricky?

Frank: Blood pressure fluctuates constantly, and "white coat hypertension" often elevates clinical readings. The best approach is using a home blood pressure cuff regularly to track the overall average rather than relying on a single clinical measurement.

Frank: It can change quite a lot throughout the day.

Brent: Home monitors are affordable and accessible. What is your view on full-body MRI scans like Prenuvo?

Frank: My stance has evolved. Full-body scans frequently reveal incidental, benign findings—like benign renal cysts—that cause unnecessary anxiety and lead patients down diagnostic rabbit holes.

Frank: In practice, these incidental findings rarely lead to meaningful interventions and often cause significant stress. Unless a patient is high-risk or specifically requests one after understanding the potential drawbacks, I generally don't order them.

Frank: So I'm a little bit more hesitant, especially for certain people to recommend that, I mean, I think it's interesting. And then the more often they get it be better. I like the idea of it, but just to be practical, it can be a problem for a lot of people.

Brent: Yeah. I heard a, a horror story of somebody who identified an inoperable brain tumor. You know, that's a trickier one to me, because that's a very hard question of you have a brain tumor, but it can't be operated on. Do you want to know or do you not want to know? That's all. That's a hard question to answer.

Brent: What about coronary calcium scans? They seem objectively valuable for measuring calcified arterial plaque.

Frank: For anyone with elevated cholesterol or ApoB, a Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) scan is an excellent, affordable screening tool with minimal radiation exposure. For a more comprehensive evaluation, a CCTA with AI analysis (such as Cleerly) detects both calcified and non-calcified soft plaque.

Frank: Non-calcified soft plaque presents the highest rupture risk, whereas calcified plaque represents stabilized tissue. While more expensive and requiring IV contrast, CCTA provides far superior risk assessment compared to standard CAC scans.

Frank: It's an essential tool for preventive cardiology and targeted longevity management.

Brent: Is the clearly test. I had heard another story recently about somebody who went and had done a full body scan, had done the, that was had gotten a calcium score, and then the doc still felt like something was off and ordered a CT to and the CT actually picked up that the Widowmaker was blocked and all of the different arteries were blocked, and he ended up having a quadruple bypass or something and saved his life.

Brent: I was a surprised to hear that those other tests didn't pick up so much blockage, and then b I just hadn't heard of the ccta.

Frank: CAC scans only pick up calcification. CCTA with AI analysis provides full visibility into soft plaque build-up. It's a game-changer for early intervention in high-risk patients.

Frank: It's a great test. But if someone has a lot of, you know, major family history or, you know, it depends, sometimes I'll just say to someone that said, look, this is important to get. It's much more expensive, but it's a much, much better test.

Brent: That's Cleerly—spelled C-L-E-E-R-L-Y?

Frank: Yes, Cleerly performs AI analysis on CCTA scans.

Brent: And are there side effects with that. Like is there a risk associated with it.

Frank: Because it requires IV contrast dye, there is a small risk of allergic reaction, which must be weighed against clinical need.

Brent: What is your view on multi-cancer early detection (MCED) liquid biopsies, like Galleri?

Frank: I used to order the Galleri test frequently, but oncology colleagues express reservations about its sensitivity and accuracy. While early cancer detection liquid biopsies are promising, current iterations may not be ready for prime time.

Frank: I need to look into it properly, but I love the idea of that. I don't think the gallery doesn't seem to be, you know what they've made it out to be. You know, all the gallery tests I've done, no one came back with the, any, you know, they measure cancer signals. But, I mean, it's these things, these tests, I think are interesting but may not be ready for prime time yet.

Frank: I think apparently, there's a new Kent early cancer screening test. You know, they're all not cheap either.

Brent: So, yeah. Gallery I think I did it. It was $800 or something.

Frank: New and I think it's even more expensive. But, apparently, you know, this is not my thing really, but apparently the gallery test is not such an accurate way of measuring these cancer biomarkers.

Brent: What is your approach to colon cancer screening?

Frank: Non-invasive options like Cologuard offer effective, low-friction screening.

Brent: Which is a stool sample.

Frank: Regular non-invasive screening for colon cancer is a sensible preventive measure.

Brent: But do you recommend it at a different age? I think the recommendation for first colonoscopy is 45, unless you've got a direct family member,

Frank: In functional medicine, dietary interventions and targeted supplements like butyrate help maintain gut integrity and reduce bowel cancer risk. Strict age guidelines are less important than individual risk profiles and lifestyle practices.

Frank: I take my supplements. You know, all depends once again. But I don't get crazy about that stuff.

Brent: Let's do a quick lightning round on supplements and longevity compounds. First off: rapamycin?

Frank: Rapamycin is compelling, though I remain cautious. Bryan Johnson took it, but he may be too young for it to show clear benefit. At 78, rapamycin is more relevant to my demographic, but I'm still evaluating it.

Frank: I think it's interesting. I'm not sure. I think, you know, I'm 78. My age is probably more relevant than Brian Johnson, who I would say 30. 40. I don't know.

Brent: He's 48.

Frank: Yeah. So, it didn't do anything for him. I'm not sure, but I find it very interesting. I ordered mine. I haven't studied it, in all honesty, but I do a lot of other stuff. How about.

Brent: Metformin?

Frank: I used metformin for years, but I've largely transitioned to micro-dosed GLP-1 receptor agonists like tirzepatide (Mounjaro) at very low doses (1.0 to 1.5 mg) for metabolic benefits rather than weight loss.

Frank: I, I don't want to lose more weight. I'm not doing it for weight loss. I'm doing it for for it's all it's other effects.

Brent: How about creatine?

Frank: I take creatine consistently and recommend it highly.

Brent: How much do you take?

Frank: Five grams.

Brent: Five grams. Once a day.

Frank: Five grams a day, around four to five times a week.

Brent: Resveratrol.

Frank: I stopped taking resveratrol; I'm unpersuaded by the human data given poor bioavailability. Regarding NAD precursors: I've moved away from NR and NMN to 1-MNA, which inhibits NAD breakdown rather than overloading pathways.

Frank: You know, we used to and I used to recommend in r in, in, in which are precursors to NAD. I've switched it. I don't recommend that anymore. I recommend one Na which is going to be a very hot supplement which inhibits the breakdown of NAD. So I think it's a safer way to increase your NAD. So I've played around with in men and injecting NAD, you know, masculine.

Frank: Combining 1-MNA with epigenome support is a cleaner method to maintain healthy NAD levels.

Brent: And then how about I'll give you a bucket and I'm assuming you're going to say take these things would be very interesting if you don't. So vitamin D, omega three, fish oil, magnesium.

Frank: Vitamin D, Omega-3s, and magnesium are essential foundation nutrients, all of which should be measured and optimized.

Brent: CoQ10 and berberine?

Frank: CoQ10 is crucial, especially for anyone taking a statin. I use MitoQ, an advanced form with superior mitochondrial absorption.

Frank: Yes, I do take it. What is the other one?

Brent: You think berberine would be would be common for people who've got high cholesterol?

Frank: I value berberine for metabolic and lipid support, though I cycle off it periodically.

Brent: And so what are the supplements that are you're most excited about that I haven't asked about.

Frank: Senolytics (like fisetin), spermidine, methylene blue, and peptides. I cycle most anti-aging interventions rather than taking them continuously.

Brent: And why are you cycling?

Frank: Cycling prevents receptor desensitization and supports physiological adaptation. Standard nutrients remain constant, but active therapeutics are cycled.

Frank: I just think the more I think about it, I think the. But it. We don't know for sure, but I think that probably when you're talking about these things, I'm guessing. But I think it's a good idea to cycle things.

Brent: What about baby aspirin?

Frank: Low-dose aspirin is acceptable, but I often prefer fibrinolytic enzymes like lumbrokinase or nattokinase for cardiovascular protection. Low-dose pharmaceutical protocols—such as rosuvastatin (Crestor) 5mg three times weekly—can offer benefit while avoiding side effects.

Frank: That's been, for many, many years. I should just tell people not to take it in a rather used net. A Kanazawa lumbar con is, You know, as I've got older, I'm less against low dose medication because, you know, when you use low doses, you tend not to get side effects, even a statin. When I use a statin on people, sometimes it's hard to get a Pcsk9 inhibitor.

Frank: We use rosuvastatin or Crestor five milligrams three times a week at night. So we use low doses of these drugs and tend not to get side effects.

Brent: Turning to brain health and cognitive screening: early detection is crucial for addressing conditions like Alzheimer's. How do you track and protect brain function over time?

Frank: Cognitive decline is strongly tied to mitochondrial dysfunction. I emphasize mitochondrial supplements, red light therapy, photobiomodulation, and exogenous ketones. I evaluate tools like WAVi EEG for objective tracking.

Frank: Carrying an ApoE4 allele myself, brain optimization is a personal priority. Combining methylene blue with near-infrared light boosts mitochondrial energy production in brain tissue.

Frank: So, all four optimize in brain function. I'm a big fan of ketones. I use external ketones in the morning, you know, fast. And I put my ketones in my coffee. So, become a little bit obsessed with brain function because I'm EPO three four as well. So I have to be a bit more careful. So I'm hoping the, the wavy machine seems more interesting than the Q EEG.

Frank: I didn't I mean, we had it for a while. We were renting one and the results were all over the place. And I think, you know, depend I didn't mind and people in my office a number of times, and if I hadn't slept well for two nights, my shag was completely different to after sleeping well. So I'm not sure how to read those.

Frank: Early-stage cognitive decline can be targeted effectively. Nootropics, neuroprotective peptides like Cerebrolysin, micro-dosed tadalafil (Cialis) for cerebral blood flow, and mitochondrial therapies show great promise.

Frank: So I think, you know, in my world, Alzheimer's, early Alzheimer's is treatable and Alzheimer's is definitely preventable. You know, I focus on mitochondrial function for the brain for the most part. You know, I have a red light helmet as well that I've bought to.

Brent: What is the benefit of red light? And is it literally just a red light or it's some kind of special red light?

Frank: You can change the frequencies. So that was why I got the message, so you can adjust it. You know, these are things I'm playing with. I'm not sure yet. I usually experiment on myself first, but, you know, the red light machine, you can use frequencies that calm your mind down. You can use frequencies that sort of increase. If you have low frequency, it can be helpful.

Frank: I'm fascinated by it. I'm just not sure about it. I like the idea of the red light on so I'm just not sure how to use them, responsibly yet. But I love the idea and, and and we use actually a lot of low dose to death of aggro silence, you know, because, you know, they dilate all your blood vessels.

Frank: And that's people think of it as an erectile dysfunction drug, but, you know, low doses tend to increase blood flow to, to the brain as well. So I take a low dose of 2.5mg that it is. Yeah. A side effect is your penis. But for my brain basically.

Brent: Could you define peptides and explain their benefits?

Frank: Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as precise signalers upstream in the body. As we age, production of key signaling peptides declines. Replacing them can stimulate growth hormone, support thymic immune function, and speed tissue recovery.

Frank: As you get older, it shrinks a bit, and you're not making enough of this thymus peptide. So you can actually inject it. If someone's getting sick all the time, you use some Thomason Alpha, these growth hormone stimulating peptides. As you get older, you don't make as much growth hormones. You may be more tired. You lose muscle mass.

Frank: GLP-1 medications are themselves peptides. They offer powerful, targeted downstream systemic effects with high safety profiles.

Brent: And they're typically it's like a pill form. You're swallowing a pill.

Frank: Most peptides require subcutaneous injection because digestive enzymes degrade them, though BPC-157 works orally for gut repair.

Frank: And you know, most people don't want to inject peptides. But most of them are injected. They're great. I love the pipette. I love my peptides.

Brent: Okay. Switching a little bit. Where are you on eggs.

Frank: Whole eggs, especially egg yolks, are fantastic nutrient sources packed with choline for brain health. Dietary cholesterol in eggs does not negatively impact serum cholesterol for most people.

Frank: They are people who are sensitive to eggs. If you're not sensitive, I highly recommend eggs. And the whole egg. Not just egg whites. The egg yolk has all the good stuff, especially that.

Brent: Where you're on red meat.

Frank: ApoE4 carriers should limit saturated fat intake. However, quality unprocessed, grass-fed red meat is a nutrient-dense protein source that fits into most healthy diets.

Brent: But. And you're referring to a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's. Yeah.

Frank: So I still eat. You know, I love my I you know, I think most of us don't get enough protein. I agree with Peter on this. It's hard to get at least 100g of protein a day without eating some red meat. You know, I'm not. I'm definitely not against red meat. You know, I have to acknowledge that I do see cholesterol numbers go down often when people start decreasing their red meat, but I'm not sure.

Frank: I'm not. Yeah, I'm a big fan of grass fed, red meat, grass fed. I don't like processed meats, but I think grass fed red meat is generally healthy for most people. Sauna I love my sauna. Yeah, I'm a big fan of so on. Is longevity or not? Yes.

Brent: Cold plunge.

Frank: Sauna and cold therapy offer solid hormetic benefits, though they complement—rather than replace—sleep, nutrition, and exercise.

Brent: And then strength versus cardio.

Frank: Both are necessary. Resistance training is especially critical as we age to preserve muscle tissue—a primary endocrine and metabolic organ—and prevent frailty.

Frank: Yeah. Not getting disabled as you get older, but muscle is a metabolic organ. It helps with sugar metabolism. And most of us lose muscle mass as we get older. And as especially if you're on the GLP one agonist, you got to be careful because you don't any lose fat to lose muscle. So I'm a little bit obsessed with, you know, I've got a Tonale, which I love.

Frank: Because, you know, I think strength training is probably underrated in certain parts of the exercise. Well, not with the jocks, but, so I do both. You know, I have a peloton, and I have a tunnel, and I alternate, but, I think strength training is really, really important. I don't think it's either or.

Brent: And I find there's a different benefit from strength training mentally than there is cardio. There's there's mental benefit, both. But it's just different.

Frank: It's interesting. You feel completely different after each hour. They almost two different things for me. I don't see them as they doing different things to the body. So you should do both. Yeah.

Brent: It's a different high basically solutely.

Frank: Yes.

Brent: Where are you on a flu shot annually.

Frank: I don't actively recommend annual flu shots for healthy adults, as efficacy is variable.

Brent: And is that is that a, recommendation across all age ranges or would you think differently about children?

Frank: No, I mean, children have to get it for school. I mean, we have this whole just had this argument with my daughter, not argument. My grandson has to get his flu shot, which I think is crazy. Yeah, I, I don't I don't think flu shots are necessary. Put it that way. Yeah.

Brent: Do you feel the same way about an annual Covid vaccine?

Frank: I no longer recommend ongoing COVID boosters for the general population. Spike protein persistence from repeated exposures is an area of growing clinical concern.

Brent: If you could go back and you could make the decision again, would you have gotten the first Covid vaccine?

Frank: No. If I have to go back, but I was gung ho then, yeah, I took it. And not that I had any problems. Yeah, I would and probably do it now. No what I know. No. Yes I would do it. Yeah.

Brent: And then how do you separate those from the the other vaccines? I've got these young kids. There's tons of vaccines and I think I've always been like, get the vaccines. Vaccines are great.

Frank: Core childhood vaccinations are critical for public health, though schedule customization and thoughtful administration make sense.

Brent: And then will you tell us about the hyperbaric chamber. What does that look like. How much does something like that cost. How do you use it.

Frank: The hummingbird chambers have them uses because you got it. Well the older ones you go in this like so they can be claustrophobic. You've got to be in there for 45 minutes. You've got to do it three times a week. I mean, it's a dead damn nuisance. The newer ones, actually, you can be seated. They're more, you know, they're more expensive.

Frank: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is useful for traumatic brain injuries, systemic inflammation, and long COVID, though the time commitment can be a barrier.

Brent: And what is actually happening in the I don't even I'm not familiar with them at all.

Frank: Are you getting high dose oxygen? Which especially for the brain. But people are using it for energy for long Covid, for all sorts of things. Definitely not a hyperbaric expert. You're probably asking the wrong person, but I do like the idea of it.

Brent: And then maybe in closing, what are you most excited about that we didn't chat about? I mean, if you were to wave a magic wand and say, and we in 20 years, we were talking about the most exciting thing that happened in the last 20 years. That isn't just AI's impact broadly, is there something specific that you're really optimistic about?

Frank: I mean, things are happening so quickly. I think the ability to measure, a lot of these markers and then adapt, I mean, the ability now that you can measure someone's genetic predisposition, you can do blood biomarkers that will help you target treatments. So you can target medication, you can target lifestyle changes, you can target supplements, you can target peptides.

Frank: We have so many options now. Hormones I mean, I love most men and women probably, you know, hormone optimization off to 50 years old or whatever it is I think essential. It's probably should be in my basics. So I just think there's so many tools that we have at our disposal now that's very exciting. I mean, the supplements are becoming more sophisticated.

Frank: The ability to measure is more sophisticated. The AI is helping. Plasmapheresis seems very interesting. So things are coming onto the market quickly, and there's so much money in the longevity space that, you know, it's just going to it is exploding. But I think the more and more tools are becoming available and hopefully they become cheaper and more accessible to people.

Frank: I don't know if there's one specific thing I do think the idea of brain optimization is at the beginning and that, you know, heart. We've sort of got down to a large extent. The brain is, is is one of those next frontiers that I think we're going to tackle probably in the next few knows, five years. It's happening so quickly.

Frank: So maybe brain optimization would be if I had to give it one answer.

Brent: Yeah, it does feel the that like the brain is the X factor in so many things in terms of length of life, are dependent on figuring out how to manage the aging and the health of the brain. It's like we can stick in a pet. You lose a leg, that's fine. At some point you lose a heart, that's fine.

Brent: But you know, the brain is very tricky there.

Frank: But it's fascinating. I mean, it's, it's just an exciting time to to, as a physician, a 70 year old physician. I'm more excited now that I feel the same excitement as when I started getting into functional medicine. 35 years, you know, in the late 80s, whatever, when that was it for, you know, any a long time ago, I feel, you know, as excited, if not more excited about this whole longevity space.

Frank: You know, first of all, it's good for my head, too, to keep on top of it. That's exciting for me to prep. You know, I'm excited about practicing this again. You know, I was getting bored. You're doing the same functional medicine stuff, so it's, exciting times on every level. Yeah, well.

Brent: I love talking to you because you have been ahead of the curve for a long time. You remain ahead of the curve. You practice what you preach, you're experimenting on yourself. I think, I think you just fascinating. And, thank you so much for letting me just pepper you for for your knowledge and insight.

Frank: It's great. I love that you young guys are into it. I love that, yeah. The fact that ten, 20 years ago you had to explain basic stuff to people. Now people are because of you spreading the word. It's lovely. I mean, people come into the office now, they know exactly what the hell is going on. That's fantastic. So thank you too.

Brent: Well, we will hope to see you again. Thank you so much for the time.

Frank: You okay then. Good luck.

Brent: Death Clock with Brent Franson is produced by Patrick Andino with music by Patrick Reed.