Hi Reader,

I hope you're all with me in enjoying this summer lull before the madness of the fall, especially conference season in October. This time of the year has also brought yet another sauna business to my block (I live within a 2 block radius of at *least* 5, not counting hot yoga),

Meanwhile, the past week has been dominated by AI news, but we're still here to report on science in the world of longevity!

Fast Walking: The 15-Minute Daily Habit That Cuts Mortality Risk

Your walking speed is a powerful predictor of longevity. While biohackers debate optimal rapamycin dosing and track their biological age obsessively, new research from Vanderbilt University shows the most powerful intervention might be embarrassingly simple.

Tracking nearly 80,000 Americans for 16 years, researchers found that just 15 minutes of brisk walking daily reduced all-cause mortality by nearly 20%.

The study focused on predominantly low-income and Black populations—groups historically underrepresented in exercise research. While slow walking for over 3 hours daily showed a modest 4% mortality reduction, the dramatic benefits came from picking up the pace.

The Magic of 100 Steps

The magic threshold is ~100 steps per minute (roughly 3.0-3.5 mph)—a pace validated across multiple studies as achieving moderate-intensity exercise. This isn’t about breaking records; it’s about walking like you’re late for a meeting (anyone?).

(After reading this research, I immediately cranked my under-desk treadmill from my usual leisurely 1 MPH to 3 MPH. Wow - this is hard.)

Supporting evidence is robust:

• A 2025 Lancet meta-analysis of 160,000+ adults found 7,000 steps daily reduces mortality by 47% compared to 2,000 steps
• UK Biobank data shows self-rated “brisk” walkers have 24% lower cardiovascular mortality
• A 2019 study found brisk walkers had life expectancies of 87-88 years versus 72-74 years for slow walkers

Why Intensity Matters More Than Duration

Brisk walking triggers specific biological cascades:

• Cardiovascular remodeling: Improves heart efficiency and arterial compliance
• Metabolic activation: Activates AMPK (yes, the same pathway your $200/month metformin targets), improving insulin sensitivity and triggering autophagy
• Mitochondrial boost: Stimulates PGC-1α, increasing mitochondrial number and efficiency

This pace puts you squarely in Zone 1 or 2—that unsexy moderate intensity where elite athletes spend 80% of their training time. No HIIT required, no Zone 5 suffering (that's for later...). Just consistent moderate effort where the mitochondrial magic happens.

Recent research confirms that step quality trumps quantity. While any movement beats being sedentary, the mortality benefits increase dramatically when you pick up the pace.

The Bottom Line

You don’t need a $100,000 annual longevity clinic membership. No peptide protocols. No complex heart rate monitoring. Just 15 minutes of brisk walking delivers measurable longevity benefits. For those who can manage more, 7,000 steps at a good pace appears to be the sweet spot.

So while the wellness industry pushes costly solutions and Instagram influencers hawk their supplement stacks, the most powerful longevity tool might simply be walking like you mean it.

Quick Wins to Hit Your 15 Minutes

Get an under-desk treadmill: Game changer for remote workers. Set it to 3.0 MPH during calls or while reading emails. Just don’t attempt this during video meetings unless you enjoy looking like you’re perpetually fleeing your mortality.

Standing desk + movement breaks: Every 25 minutes, skip the IG scroll and do a fast 2-minute lap around your building or up/down stairs. These micro-bursts add up surprisingly fast.

Strategic parking: Park at the far end of lots and walk briskly to your destination. Turn errands into cardio by walking quickly between stops.

Post-meal power walks: Take a brisk 15-minute walk after dinner. Bonus: it also improves blood sugar control better than sitting on the couch scrolling your phone.

Walking meetings: Schedule phone calls while walking outside. Your brain works better when moving anyway, and colleagues can’t see you’re getting your steps in.

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Scientists Found the One Test That Predicts Death Better Than Anything Else

Spoiler: It’s not your cholesterol

Forget everything you think you know about aging biomarkers. While longevity enthusiasts obsess over grip strength and VO2 max, Stanford researchers just identified the ultimate mortality predictor hiding in your blood: your brain’s biological age.

A massive study of 45,000 people published in Nature Medicine this year created “organ clocks” for 11 different body systems. Brain age didn’t just win—it crushed the competition. People with extremely aged brains faced a 182% increased risk of death over 15 years, while those with youthful brains enjoyed a 40% reduction in mortality risk.

As lead researcher Tony Wyss-Coray puts it: “The brain is the gatekeeper of longevity.” Translation? Your brain age matters more than whether you can deadlift your bodyweight or nail that perfect Zone 2 heart rate (see above).

The Blood Test That Changes Everything

This isn’t some far-off sci-fi fantasy. Stanford has already licensed their brain age technology to companies like Teal Omics, with tests expected to hit the market within 2-3 years for $300-500. Instead of guessing your biological age from how tired you feel after climbing stairs, a simple blood draw reveals exactly how your brain is aging by detecting specific neuronal damage proteins.

The best part? Unlike most longevity metrics that take years to show changes, brain age improvements are detectable within months. Finally, a biomarker that gives you faster feedback than your annual DEXA scan.

40Hz Therapy: The Brain Hack That Sounds Too Weird to Work

MIT researchers discovered that flashing lights and clicking sounds at exactly 40 beats per second can literally tune your brain back to a younger state.

I know—it sounds like something from a late-night infomercial.

But the science is intriguing. Your brain naturally produces 40Hz “gamma” waves during peak performance. Aging and Alzheimer’s kill these rhythms. MIT’s “GENUS” program uses precisely calibrated LED arrays and audio systems to restore these patterns, triggering cascading biological changes: 50% reduction in Alzheimer’s proteins in mice, enhanced brain waste clearance, and improved memory.

40Hz stimulation increases VIP peptide release, turbocharging your brain’s glymphatic “plumbing” system (how it self cleans while you sleep). Human trials show slower brain shrinkage and better cognitive scores. The FDA granted “breakthrough therapy” status, and a nationwide Phase III trial is underway.

Important reality check: This isn’t about those “40Hz tuning forks” or binaural beat apps flooding Instagram ads. The real research uses sophisticated, calibrated devices. MIT’s consumer products are still 3-5 years away, so don’t fall for the knockoffs.

Tiny Element -> Big Effects?

Als, you may have heard the news that a drug we've used for bipolar disorder is now under study for Alzheimer's Disease. The data is incredibly early, with a viral Nature study showing that mice with cognition impairments had significantly reduced levels of lithium in their brain.

Even more exciting, replacing the lithium appeared to reverse memory loss and Alzheimer's pathology! But we are *far* from being ready for human application. Lithium is cheap and prevalent, but tricky to titrate for clinical use as any doctor knows. So don't go shopping around for it quite yet, even if it is apparently available over-the-counter.

What Actually Keeps Your Brain Young

The UK Biobank data revealed the lifestyle factors that matter—and some results are surprising:

Exercise intensity beats duration: Vigorous activity showed the strongest brain protection. Moderate exercise for hours? Minimal impact. (Sorry, I know we were just saying walking was the best.)

Specific foods matter: Oily fish strongly correlated with younger brain age. Processed meat accelerated brain aging more than almost any other factor. Your salmon habit is literally keeping your brain young.

Sleep quality trumps quantity: Poor sleep and insomnia were among the strongest brain-aging accelerators. Those 3am doom-scrolling sessions? Your brain is keeping score.

Social isolation kills: Loneliness measurably aged the brain in ways visible through blood biomarkers. Video calls with friends aren’t just nice—they’re neuroprotective.

Your Move

Optimize the obvious: Focus on omega-3 rich fish, vigorous (not moderate) exercise, sleep quality, and social connection. These aren’t just “wellness tips”—they’re the factors most strongly associated with younger brain age.

Target the brain-immune axis: Since these systems age together in a feedback loop, interventions benefiting both—exercise, sleep, stress management—provide compounding returns. Think of it as a biological two-for-one deal.

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While everyone chases heart health metrics and muscle mass, which are also important, your brain age determines when you die more than any other factor. The tools to measure and reverse it are arriving faster than anyone expected.

Time to start treating your brain like the longevity MVP it actually is.

Hillary Lin, MD

Co-Founder & CEO

​Care Core​

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