The Longevity Show with Dr. Hillary Lin

Hillary Lin, MD
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Daily

The Longevity Show with Dr. Hillary Lin breaks down complex medical concepts into easy-to-understand, actionable advice. We explore cutting-edge topics in preventative medicine, nutrition, metabolic health, exercise, and mental wellness - all aimed at helping you live a longer, healthier life.

  1. 5d ago

    My LDL Was 192. Then I Found the First PCSK9 Pill.

    My LDL was 192 even though I felt healthy. That result sent me into the story of PCSK9—a protein discovered outside cholesterol research that became the target of injections, RNA silencing, the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, and now one-time gene-editing experiments. This episode follows the human genetics, LDL-receptor biology, and three engineering problems behind Lipfendra/enlicitide. The pill has proven potent LDL and ApoB lowering; its dedicated cardiovascular-outcomes trial is still ongoing. 𝘋𝘐𝘚𝘊𝘓𝘈𝘐𝘔𝘌𝘙: 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴. Chapters: 00:00 The Inherited Risk: My LDL Was 192 and the First Oral PCSK9 Is Here 02:36 Nature’s Human Experiment: The Dallas Heart Study & The 88% Risk Drop 05:40 The Zero-PCSK9 Human: What Living with an LDL of 14 Proves 07:10 The Disposal Tag: How PCSK9 Destroys Your Artery Clearance 08:42 The Evolution of PCSK9 Inhibitors: From Antibodies to RNA 12:02 Evolution in a Test Tube: Engineering the First Oral PCSK9 Pill 16:04 The Practical Inversion: Why a Daily Pill Can Be Harder Than an Injection 18:04 One Injection for Life: The Promise and Risk of Permanent Gene Editing 21:12 What This Means for You: Managing Family History, Risk, and Daily Reality

  2. Aug 4

    What Human Longevity Found After Screening 10,000 “Healthy” People

    A corrected version of this episode is here: https://youtu.be/SG1aq_6vkFI What happens when you run deep, whole-body imaging and genetic sequencing on 10,000 people who feel completely healthy? Dr. Wei-Wu He, Chairman and CEO of Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI), joins Dr. Hillary Lin to break down the realities of precision medicine and the hidden risks lurking in asymptomatic patients. They discuss why standard population medicine might miss your individual risk, how polygenic risk scores are changing cardiovascular prevention, and his vision for democratizing these life-saving screenings for everyone. About the Guest:  Dr. Wei-Wu He is the Chairman and CEO of Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI), bringing over 40 years of experience in molecular biology and biotechnology to the forefront of proactive healthcare. A seasoned biotech entrepreneur and investor, his career has been dedicated to advancing genomics and precision medicine. Under his leadership, HLI is combining whole-genome sequencing, advanced imaging, and artificial intelligence to democratize data-driven, preventative medicine and extend the human healthspan. Disclaimer: The patient outcomes and case studies discussed in this episode are company-reported observational findings by Human Longevity, Inc., not independently verified clinical trials. Screening data should always be interpreted by a qualified clinician. A test earns its place when it changes a medical decision and includes a responsible follow-up plan. Chapters: 00:00 What Happens When Healthy People Get Screened? 00:21 The Silent Risks: Aneurysms, Tumors, and Arterial Plaque 03:04 The Compound Effect of "Rare" Diseases 05:09 Lifespan Heritability: Is 50% of Your Life Predetermined? 05:48 Monogenic vs. Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) 06:49 Predicting Heart Attack Risk 12 Years in Advance 10:52 Family History vs. Your Actual Genome 12:46 Inside HLI: The CEO's Vision for Data Collection 14:13 Case Study: Stool-DNA, Colonoscopy, and Appendiceal Cancer 17:04 Population Medicine vs. Individual Risk Dr. Lin's Longevity Tips & Newsletter: hillarylinmd.com/go/ytLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hillarylinmdAbout Dr. Hillary Lin: hillarylinmd.comExplore CareCore: carecore.ioHuman Longevity, Inc (HLI): https://www.humanlongevity.com/

  3. Jul 20

    The Fitness Decline You Won’t See Coming (Even With “Good” Labs)

    Your annual blood work looks perfect—but what happens when you hit a physical stressor, catch a virus, or simply start aging? Most standard labs are designed to detect disease, but they completely miss your physiologic reserve. In this episode, Dr. Hillary Lin sits down with Brooks Leitner to discuss why VO₂ max should be treated as a clinical vital sign. Using VO Health’s early-stage blood-based proteomics as a fascinating case study, we dive into how the body actually delivers oxygen under stress, why wearable estimates aren't the whole truth, and how you can actually build a "bad-day buffer" for your long-term health. 🔍 What We’ll Cover The "Normal Labs" Trap: Why perfect blood work can hide dangerously low physical reserve.Your "Bad-Day Buffer": How to build resilience for unexpected physical stress like illness or surgery.The Missing Vital Sign: Why fitness should be checked right alongside your blood pressure.Oxygen Under Stress: What VO₂ max actually measures across your entire cellular engine.The Mortality Signal: The data linking higher fitness to a longer life, and what the studies really mean.VO₂ Max Blind Spots: Why cardio alone isn't enough to build true physical resilience.Data vs. Reality: Why mismatches between your smartwatch and your actual performance are valuable signals.Where to Start: A practical, zero-equipment method to start building your reserve today. Chapters 00:00 Why Normal Labs Miss The Mark 00:47 What Routine Blood Work Gets Wrong About Health 02:03 Defining True Resilience And Hormesis 04:34 The Shocking Decline In Population Fitness 06:32 Cardiorespiratory Fitness: The Missing Vital Sign 10:29 The Oxygen Cascade: How VO2 Max Actually Works 12:55 The Surprising Data Linking VO2 Max To Mortality 15:50 Improving VO2 Max: Is It Possible? 17:55 Weight Loss, Muscle Mass, And Gaming Your VO2 Max 23:54 Heart Rate Training Zones And The Problem With METs 29:21 Why Endurance Training Won't Maximize Your VO2 Max 32:00 What VO2 Max Completely Misses (Strength And Grip) 35:20 Sauna, Altitude, And Drugs For VO2 Max 42:08 Proteomics: Estimating Your VO2 Max From A Blood Test 49:00 Wearables and Their Accuracy in Measuring Fitness 51:53 The Ultimate Zero-Equipment Hack To Build VO2 Max Get Dr. Hillary Lin’s free longevity tips and newsletter: https://hillarylinmd.com/go/yt Learn more about the podcast: https://hillarylinmd.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillarylinmd/ Learn more about Dr. Hillary Lin: https://www.hillarylinmd.com/ Explore CareCore: https://carecore.io VO Health: https://vohealth.co/

  4. Jul 13

    High ApoB, CAC Zero: What Your Heart Tests Are Really Saying

    High ApoB but clean metabolic labs. CAC zero but inherited Lp(a). A normal stress test but plaque on CCTA. This is where heart-disease prevention gets noisy. In this advanced episode, I walk through how I read conflicting heart-risk signals without letting one lab, scan, or internet camp hijack the whole conversation. The map is simple: particle traffic, the artery wall, blood pressure and metabolic terrain, visible plaque, and the clot we are trying to prevent. We cover ApoB, LDL-C, LDL-P, particle size, Lp(a), APOE4, CAC, CCTA, CIMT, stress testing, inflammation, plaque reversal, statin concerns, supplements, and what actually changes the next decision. Use this as education and a framework for better clinician conversations, not a personal treatment plan. Chapters 00:00 Why Heart Tests Seem To Disagree 01:43 The Map: Particles, Wall, Terrain, Plaque, Event 06:22 Where Plaque Actually Begins 10:07 Why Evolution Left Us Vulnerable 13:22 ApoB, LDL-C, LDL-P, Particle Size, Remnants, Lp(a) 25:54 High ApoB With Clean Metabolic Markers 30:51 Blood Pressure, Inflammation, And “Terrain” 35:37 APOE4, Family History, And Inherited Clues 40:38 CAC, CCTA, CIMT, Stress Tests, And AI Plaque Analysis 48:26 How To Read Conflicting Signals In Real Life 50:26 Plaque Reversal, Stabilization, And What Counts As Proof 54:18 Statins, Side Effects, Red Yeast Rice, And Supplement Claims 01:09:45 The Takeaway: Do Not Let One Marker Become The Whole Story

  5. Jun 10

    Why One Hormone Test Can Miss the Whole Story

    Hormones are not single data points. Cortisol, progesterone, testosterone, and other hormones change across the day, cycle, sleep, stress, training, and context.In this episode, Dr. Hillary Lin talks with Marina Pavlovic Rivas, cofounder and CEO of Eli Health, about why one annual lab snapshot can miss dynamic physiology — and why more data still needs humility.We cover: saliva testing and what it can/can’t showcortisol curves vs cortisol panicprogesterone/testosterone trackingwellness data vs diagnosticswhy validated at-home testing is hardhow AI in healthcare depends on better inputsEducational only, not medical advice.Chapters: 00:00 The Importance of Hormonal Health00:54 The Data Gap in Hormone Health02:43 The Science Behind At-Home Saliva Testing06:17 Understanding Cortisol and Its Impact12:14 Personalizing Cortisol Data vs. Wearable Tracking Limitations15:05 Identifying Overtraining and "Tired but Wired" States18:43 Expanding into Sex Hormones: Progesterone & Testosterone20:40 Tracking Protocols: Finding Trends vs. Creating Noise23:44 The "Anytime, Anywhere" Design Philosophy24:40 Understanding Cortisol and Performance28:31 Factors Influencing Testosterone Levels31:36 Regulatory Boundaries: Wellness vs. Clinical Diagnostics35:18 The Future of Data in Personalized Medicine37:39 The Realities of Deep-Tech Health R&D39:04 Closing Insights for Longevity and Health-Tech FoundersGet Dr. Hillary Lin’s free longevity tips and newsletter: https://www.hillarylinmd.com/subscribe Learn more about Dr. Hillary Lin: https://www.hillarylinmd.com/ Explore CareCore: https://carecore.io

    Why One Hormone Test Can Miss the Whole Story

  6. May 25

    Your Workout Might Be Making You Older

    What if your workout is making you older? In this episode of The Longevity Show, Dr. Hillary Lin sits down with performance coach Kyle Gonzalez to unpack why longevity training is not just “exercise more.” It is movement throughout the day, recovery, aerobic base, strength, balance, power, glucose control, and building a body that still gives you access to life decades from now.Kyle shares a practical framework for moving more without burning out: why the other 23 hours matter, how to use the 1% rule for exercise, when HIIT helps or backfires, why Zone 2 and walking still matter, how to recover like it is part of training, and what to make of sauna, cold plunge, rucking, barefoot training, HRV, peptides, and more.

    Your Workout Might Be Making You Older

  7. May 8

    The Modern Lipid Playbook Part 3: THE TREATMENT — Every Drug, Every Option, Ranked

    There is a drug in clinical trials right now that could permanently fix your cholesterol with a single infusion. Once. That's where we're headed. But there's also a $4 generic that's saved millions of lives — and a twice-a-year injection most patients have never heard of. I'm a Stanford-trained physician. My ApoB was 128. My grandfather died of a stroke. My grandmother died of cardiac arrest. My father is recovering from a heart transplant. In this video, I break down every lipid-lowering option available — without hedging, without liability speak — so you can have an intelligent conversation with your doctor. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Why there's no floor for ApoB — the cholesterol-years concept that changes when you start treatmentThe genetics checkpoint: Lp(a), FH, and ancestry factors that change your drug selection entirelyStatins: muscle pain reality, the nocebo effect (SAMSON trial), SLCO1B1 gene, CAC paradox, diabetes signalEzetimibe: the most underused $15/month drug in lipid medicine (IMPROVE-IT data)Bempedoic acid: why it structurally cannot cause muscle toxicity, and what CLEAR Outcomes provedPCSK9 inhibitors: FOURIER + ODYSSEY data, insurance battle, patient assistance programsInclisiran: twice a year, doctor administers — why adherence changes everythingLp(a) pipeline: pelacarsen, olpasiran, muvalaplin — what's coming for the 1 in 4Obicetrapib: oral pill hitting BOTH LDL and Lp(a)Gene therapy: CRISPR + base editing — one injection, once in your lifeLifestyle: honest ceiling assessment, no guiltA tiered protocol framework using ApoB as the treatment targetWhat to actually say to your doctor — 6 specific questions Chapters: 05:11 Genetics Checkpoint 07:51 Statins 16:16 Ezetimibe 18:45 Bempedoic Acid 25:46 PCSK9 Inhibitors 37:20 Inclisiran 39:46 Lp(a) 44:00 Emerging Therapies + Gene Therapy 52:32 Lifestyle 56:11 Protocol Framework 59:04 What to Say to Your Doctor LINKS: Part 1 — The Disease (Atherosclerosis): https://youtu.be/fX33g1zFZSo Part 2 — The Testing (Why Your Lipid Panel Isn't Enough): https://youtu.be/AtOTY0x3U3I Part 4 — The Genetics: [COMING SOON] Newsletter — The Longevity Letter: https://www.hillarylinmd.com/subscribe Follow me: Instagram: https://instagram.com/hillarylinmd Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/hillarylinmd CareCore (For Clinicians): https://carecore.io DISCLAIMER: This video is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication or treatment. Drug dosing, insurance coverage, and clinical guidelines referenced in this video may have changed since filming. I am a physician but I am not your physician. KEY STUDIES REFERENCED: CTT Meta-analysis: 170,000+ patients, 22% event reduction per 1 mmol/L LDL (Lancet 2012)IMPROVE-IT: ezetimibe outcomes, 18,000 patients (NEJM 2015)FOURIER: evolocumab, 27,500 patients, LDL median 30 mg/dL (NEJM 2017)FOURIER-OLE: 8.6-year follow-up, no safety signal at LDL 95% Lp(a) reduction (NEJM 2023)Lp(a)HORIZON: pelacarsen outcomes trial, 8,000+ patients, ongoingVERVE-101 heart-1: base editing PCSK9 (Lancet ~2024)NTLA-2001 Phase 1: CRISPR PCSK9 editing (2024)Ference et al.: Mendelian randomization, lifetime LDL (EHJ 2017) #cholesterol #ApoB #statins #PCSK9 #inclisiran #genetherapy #lipids #longevity #heartdisease #preventivemedicine #atherosclerosis #cardiovascular #LDL #lipidplaybook

    The Modern Lipid Playbook Part 3: THE TREATMENT — Every Drug, Every Option, Ranked

  8. Apr 17

    The Modern Lipid Playbook Part 2: THE TESTING — Why Your Lipid Panel Isn't Enough

    🚨 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guidelines just dropped — the first update in 8 years. Eleven specialty societies declared ApoB and Lp(a) standard of care. The standard lipid panel is officially not enough.My patient "David" did everything right for 25 years. His LDL was in the 40s — below even the NEW aggressive target. His stress test was normal. But his Lp(a), a genetic risk marker no one had ever checked, was nearly 3x the danger threshold. His CAC score: 1,522. His widowmaker artery: 75-99% blocked. Weeks later, he needed an emergent stent.His wife? Same household. CAC: zero. His brother? CAC: 2,700.In this episode, I break down every blood test and imaging test for heart disease — what each one measures, what it misses, and why CCTA (coronary CT angiography) with AI should be first-line imaging for anyone at risk.📋 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:• Why LDL-C is a calculated estimate from a 1972 equation — and why it misses 1 in 5 patients• ApoB — the $15 test now in the formal clinical risk algorithm• Lp(a) — the genetic marker every adult should know (universal screening recommended)• Why "passing a stress test" may be the most dangerous false reassurance in cardiology• CAC scores — useful but completely blind to the plaque most likely to kill you• CCTA + AI — how it cut heart attacks 41% in SCOT-HEART (sustained at 10 years)• CPT 75577 — AI plaque analysis is now covered by Medicare (effective Jan 2026)• A tiered testing playbook with real costs and insurance tips• How to talk to your doctor when they won't order the right testsChapters: 00:00 25 Years on a Statin — and Still Missed00:27 The 2026 Guidelines Changed the Standard01:56 The Standard Lipid Panel’s 1972 Flaw06:38 ApoB and Lp(a): The Two Tests That Change the Story13:24 The Truth About Advanced Panels, HDL, & Triglycerides16:30 The Metabolic Fire: Fasting Insulin & hs-CRP20:18 Why “Passing a Stress Test” Creates Dangerous False Reassurance27:19 The CAC Score: Useful, but Blind to Soft Plaque33:30 CCTA & AI: The New Gold Standard for Plaque Detection42:15 Insurance Coverage, Microvascular Disease, and Who Gets Missed46:29 The Tiered Testing Hierarchy & Your Personal Playbook

    The Modern Lipid Playbook Part 2: THE TESTING — Why Your Lipid Panel Isn't Enough
See All (103)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The Longevity Show with Dr. Hillary Lin breaks down complex medical concepts into easy-to-understand, actionable advice. We explore cutting-edge topics in preventative medicine, nutrition, metabolic health, exercise, and mental wellness - all aimed at helping you live a longer, healthier life.

Information