Beyond Longevity

Daphna Stern
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Medicine

Beyond Longevity is a deep-dive podcast exploring the cutting edge of longevity science. Through conversations with leading researchers, clinicians, and innovators who are redefining health and longevity, the show unpacks the evidence behind living longer and healthier. Each episode translates complex research into clear, thoughtful discussions, decoding the future of ageing one conversation at a time.

  1. 6d ago

    The Sugar Language of Ageing - Glycans, Inflammation, and Your Immune Age

    In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Daphna speaks with Nikolina Lauc, CEO and co-founder of GlycanAge, about glycobiology, immune ageing, and the role of chronic inflammation in ageing. Nikolina explains why glycans, the complex sugar structures attached to our antibodies, may offer one of the clearest windows into the state of the immune system. The conversation explores “inflammaging”, the idea that chronic, low-grade inflammation may not simply be a consequence of ageing, but one of the forces actively driving it. They discuss why antibody glycans may capture biological risk earlier than routine markers such as CRP, including research suggesting that glycan-based changes can appear years before standard blood tests show anything is wrong. Nikolina also explains how glycan testing may help predict disease risk and mortality and why repeat testing can reveal whether lifestyle changes are having a measurable biological effect. Daphna and Nikolina also explore biological-age clocks, stress, high-performance lifestyles, exercise, pregnancy, menopause, and the strong influence of sex hormones, including HRT. The episode looks at why glycan testing is not yet part of routine clinical practice, the technical barriers involved, and the bigger question at the heart of preventive health: what should we do when we can see risk before disease appears? GlycanAge showed very high reproducibility both in the blinded sample experiment run by Jamie Haywood at Alden Scientific, and independently in collaboration with Mike Snyder’s group at Stanford [Stanford paper reference]. Epigenetic clocks showed significant day-to-day oscillations in epigenetic age measurements [daily oscillation paper reference], which becomes important when trying to measure relatively small intervention effects over time. We recently completed a UK Biobank study showing that the glycan markers we measure were more predictive of all-cause mortality than routine blood biochemistry alone; combining both further improved prediction performance (sharing the pre-print here). We also published a large study across 42 cohorts and ~20,000 individuals showing that GlycanAge predicts all-cause mortality independently of traditional risk factors including BMI, CRP, hypertension, smoking, LDL, diabetes, cardiovascular disease history, and kidney markers. Across cohorts, every additional GlycanAge year was associated with roughly a 5-10% increase in all-cause mortality risk (sharing the pre-print here). Another recent preprint evaluating epigenetic age clocks showed they do not substantially improve prediction of morbidity and mortality beyond information already captured through routine clinical blood biomarkers and standard risk factors [epigenetic clock preprint reference]. Background and key references are below: GlycanAge intro GlycanAge is a clinically validated biomarker platform originating from the work of Professor Gordan Lauc. Over the past five years, we've translated his research into a scalable clinical biomarker. Today, GlycanAge is used in more than 2,000 private clinics worldwide and collaborates with leading academic and clinical partners including Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, Northwestern Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Clinique La Prairie and many others, supporting both immune age tracking and disease-focused applications, particularly in cardiovascular and metabolic health. Key references below: Scientific Founder & Origins Professor Gordan Lauc is one of the pioneers of human glycomics and co-founded the Human Glycome Project (with Harvard’s Richard Cummings). He discovered GlycanAge as one of the first systemic measures of biological aging based on immune glycosylation. Founder, Genos Research Institute Professor of Biochemistry, University of ZagrebHonorary Professor, King’s College LondonJohns Hopkins Scholar800+ publications • 20,000+ citations • H-index 77 A New Class of Biological Clock GlycanAge is the first inflammaging clock, measuring chronic low-grade inflammation through IgG glycosylation, independent of acute events. First published in The Journal of Gerontology 2013Validated in 350+ peer-reviewed papers across >300,000 human samplesHighest precision in the field: 1% analytical variationIndependently confirmed by Stanford (GeroScience 2024) Prediction of Morbidity & Mortality Glycan signatures predict multiple future clinical outcomes; I'm sharing a review (Biotechnology Advances 2023) linking IgG glycans to 72+ disease indications, where we see specific glycan shifts up to 10 years before symptoms onset or clinical diagnosis. Cardiovascular disease Harvard-led studies showed up to 2× increased ASCVD risk, independent of LDL, CRP, BMI (Circulation Research 2024, Journal of Clinical Lipidology 2025)In a Middle Eastern replication cohort, IgG N-glycans predicted a ~2× higher risk of premature myocardial infarction, independent of traditional risk factors (European Heart Journal 2025).First biomarker demonstrating female-specific cardiovascular risk patterns (Diabetes Care 2022) Diabetes Glycan changes predict transition from normoglycemia → pre-diabetes → T2D years in advance with AUC 0.895 (Cardiovascular Diabetology 2025)In children with new-onset Type 1 diabetes, distinct IgG and plasma N-glycan changes enabled strong discrimination between cases and controls AUC ≈ 0.915 (Diabetologia 2022). Cross-Population Validation Beyond European cohorts: in a study of 27 populations across 14 countries, IgG glycosylation patterns tracked with age/sex and correlated with life expectancy and national health indices (HDI, SDG, MDG), demonstrating validity across genetically and environmentally diverse populations (Aging 2020). Interventions GlycanAge Responds To: Caloric restriction & fasting (Nature Aging 2025, Frontiers 2022 + pre-publication on fasting)Exercise (Glycoconjugate journal 2024)Menopausal HRT & testosterone therapy (Aging 2020, GeroScience 2025, JCI Insight 2017)Weight loss & GLP-1 therapy (Journal of Obesity 2021 + pre-publication on GLP-1 )Therapeutic plasma exchange (Aging Cell 2025) 00:00 Welcome to Beyond Longevity 00:41 Meet Nicolina Loud 02:33 Glycans Explained Simply 05:02 Glycans Everywhere in Biology 06:46 Inflammaging and Ageing Theory 08:37 Why Glycans Beat Standard Markers 12:10 From Lab Discovery to Company 15:51 What...

    1h 6m

  2. Jun 7

    Beyond Supplements with Alan Graves on Funding Clinical Trials and Longevity Research

    Daphna sat down with Alan Graves, founder of DoNotAge, for an in-depth conversation about what it takes to make longevity science more credible, more collaborative and more accessible. After a serious health decline in his late twenties, Alan entered the longevity field after learning that ageing may be more malleable than he had once thought. He went on to build DoNotAge as a self-funded health research organisation, using consumer supplements to help fund ageing research, support external labs and emerging researchers, provide high-purity ingredients for independent studies, and translate complex science into language people can actually understand. The conversation covers why longevity science is still difficult to access, why the supplement industry has a credibility problem, and how marketing, underdosing and weak “science-backed” claims have made it hard for consumers to know what to trust. Alan also discusses the realities of clinical trials, why they are slow and expensive, and the studies DoNotAge is currently supporting or planning, including work around spermidine, NAD, Crohn’s disease, berberine and biological age clocks. In striving to make longevity easier and more practical, Alan has also introduced a one-a-day sachet designed to simplify adherence. They also explore his focus on sirtuin 6 activation, DoNotAge’s free London conference, and the wider aim of making longevity more affordable, practical and collaborative. DoNotAge.org is a health research organisation. You can learn more at https://routine.donotage.org 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:52 Alan’s Unlikely Origin Story 04:34 From Self-Experiment to Do Not Age 06:45 Funding Gap and New Model 08:12 Democratising Longevity Science 09:48 Research Company Not Supplements 11:09 Why Clinical Trials Take Years 12:50 How Do Not Age Is Structured 15:09 Supporting Labs Worldwide 18:01 Supplement Industry Credibility Crisis 21:01 How Consumers Verify Claims 22:42 Stepping Down as CEO 25:11 Choosing Which Research to Fund 26:45 Upcoming Trials and What’s Next 28:10 Basics Before Supplements 31:43 Testing and Biological Age 33:24 The One-a-Day Sachet Idea 36:03 Clinical Trials Pipeline 36:55 Making Longevity Affordable 39:58 Pricing Ethics and Dosage 41:33 Hype vs Evidence in Longevity 44:51 Who Needs Supplements When 46:55 Free Unbiased Science Conference 53:02 What Excites Him Next 54:08 SIRT6 Activator Deep Dive 58:30 Why Healthcare Won’t Adopt It 01:01:44 Boxing, Balance, and Ageing Goals 01:04:41 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up 01:07:15 Host Takeaways and Conclusion

    1h 9m

  3. May 31

    How Nutrition Can Impact Longevity and Healthspan. The Age Code with Dr David Cox

    In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Daphna speaks with Dr David Cox, a health journalist (BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, NBC News and others), who holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Cambridge and is the author of The Age Code, about how diet, ultra-processed foods and the modern food environment shape biological ageing. Dr David argues that the longevity conversation often focuses too heavily on future drug breakthroughs, supplements and biohacking, while overlooking lower-hanging fruit that could already have a meaningful impact on long-term health. He explains why reducing ultra-processed foods, increasing fibre intake and paying closer attention to micronutrients such as vitamin K may matter far more than many people realise. The conversation explores gut ageing and its relationship with immune ageing, possible drivers behind the rise in early-onset cancers, and practical lifestyle strategies that may support healthier ageing. These include slow cooking, eating more protein and calories earlier in the day, lowering dietary acid load through fruits, vegetables and herbs, and the role omega-3s may play in long-term health. Daphna and Dr David also discuss biological ageing tests, visceral fat, kidney health markers, the limitations of CGMs for the average person, exercise mimetics, affordability within longevity medicine, and whether governments should take a far more active role in tackling the everyday drivers of chronic disease and accelerated ageing. The Age Code: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0008708878 https://www.instagram.com/drdavidcoxhealth https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-david-cox-6b219666 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:00 From PhD to Journalism 03:17 Science Scepticism and Nuance 05:22 Trust Crisis in Health 06:44 Protein Hype vs Fibre 07:40 Micronutrients Matter 09:07 Inside The Age Code 10:50 Early Onset Cancer Clues 12:38 Gut Ageing Explained 14:49 Ten Nutritional Stressors 17:55 Ultra Processed Food Reality 19:32 Personal Choice vs Policy 23:33 Longevity Focus Misplaced 25:00 Ageing Tests and Omega 3 27:39 Advice for Any Budget 29:48 Sauna Protocols 31:04 Metabolomics Health Snapshots 33:16 Testing Anxiety and Rule of Three 35:41 His Own Biomarker Wake Up 37:41 Best and Overrated Biomarkers 41:25 Exercise Mimetic Drugs Debate 48:05 Government and Ageing Strategy 50:23 Kitchen Takeaways and Seaweed 53:18 Rapid Fire Round 56:08 Final Reflections and Outro

    58 min

  4. May 24

    Supplements, Science and the Longevity Marketing Machine

    Supplements promise a lot: mitochondrial support, better brain health, healthier gut function, anti-ageing benefits and more. But how much of that is real science, and how much is simply clever wording on a label? In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Dr Luke Bucci, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Juvenon, brings both a scientist’s eye and decades of experience in the supplement industry to one of the most confusing areas of longevity. Dr Luke explains the difference between a product being described as “science-backed” and one that is supported by meaningful human clinical evidence. He also discusses why the dose, form and standardisation of an ingredient matter, and why “fairy-dusting” fashionable ingredients into a formula can make a product sound far more proven than it really is. We talk about bioavailability, absorption, the gut microbiome, and why feeling stimulated is not the same as supporting mitochondrial health. Dr Luke also explains why creatine has moved beyond the gym, why blood flow and nitric oxide matter as we age, and how nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin D3, omega-3s, polyphenols and CoQ10 fit into a more thoughtful approach to supplementation. This is a practical and refreshingly honest conversation about how to read beyond the label, ask better questions, and think more clearly about what supplements can, and cannot, do. Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juvenonwellness Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Juvenon/ Website: https://juvenon.com/ 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:53 Dr Bucci Origin Story 03:26 Science vs Marketing Today 04:44 Science Backed vs Clinical 09:14 Fairy Dusting Exposed 11:05 Bioavailability Reality Check 14:15 Standardisation and Sourcing 22:03 Gut Microbiome Benefits 24:30 Testing and Trial Periods 27:33 Longevity Trend Explained 30:35 Mitochondria 101 34:14 Stimulants vs Real Energy 40:47 Stimulant Band Aid Trap 41:51 Creatine Beyond The Gym 45:08 Creatine Dosing And Safety 47:11 Creatine For Brain Ageing 50:53 Why Blood Flow Declines 53:42 Nitric Oxide Basics 57:44 Arginine Silicate Explained 01:04:45 Polyphenols And Nitrates 01:06:53 My Essential Supplements 01:11:36 Rapid Fire Wisdom 01:13:49 Episode Takeaways

    1h 17m

  5. May 17

    Longevity Needs a Scientific Sanity Check: Dr Herna de Wit on Evidence, IP and South Africa’s Role in the Future of Healthspan

    This week on Beyond Longevity, I am joined by Dr Herna de Wit, CEO and Founder of Omnisci Consulting, with a PhD in Biochemistry and an LLB in Law. Dr Herna brings a very unusual and valuable combination to the longevity conversation: deep scientific training, legal expertise and hands-on experience advising companies in the health, biotech and longevity space. Longevity is full of exciting science, but it is also a field where marketing can move faster than evidence. In this episode, we ask a simple but important question: how do we separate what is genuinely credible from what merely sounds convincing? Dr Herna shares her five-point “scientific sanity check” for evaluating longevity products, supplements and protocols. We discuss why human RCT data matters more than animal or cell studies, why dosage and bioavailability are often overlooked, what biological age clocks can and cannot tell us, and why safety, third-party testing, and regulatory discipline are essential in a fast-moving market. We also look at longevity from the perspective of investors and company builders. What are the red flags? What makes a claim scientifically weak? And why does defensible intellectual property matter far beyond simply having a patent? Dr Herna explains how companies can think more intelligently about protectability, including through delivery systems, synergistic formulations, data, know-how and clearer scientific positioning. The conversation then turns to South Africa, a market that many listeners may not immediately associate with longevity, but one that raises fascinating questions. We discuss medical tourism, scientific talent, regulatory realities, affordability and whether South Africa could carve out a distinctive role in the global healthspan conversation. Finally, we speak about one of the most important tensions in longevity: if the science advances, who actually gets access? Is longevity already becoming another layer of privilege, or can the field develop in a way that is more credible, more inclusive and more useful? This is a conversation about evidence, accountability and the future of a field that urgently needs both excitement and discipline. Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herna-de-wit-phd-llb/ https://linktr.ee/drherna.omnisci 00:00 Show Intro and Guest 02:41 Dr Herna’s Unusual Path 04:29 What She Does Today 06:13 Five Point Science Audit 11:17 Investor Red Flags 15:31 IP Beyond Patents 20:12 Open Science vs Profit 24:35 Founder IP Strategy 32:54 Global Longevity Hotspots 33:42 South Africa Opportunity 36:33 Access and Inequality 43:12 Regulation and Innovation 46:20 How to Work With Dr Herna 50:02 Rapid Fire Questions 52:20 Final Takeaways Outro

    54 min

  6. May 10

    Dr Filippo Ongaro: Space as an Accelerated Ageing Model, Health Span and the Behaviour Gap in Longevity

    On Beyond Longevity, Dr Filippo Ongaro, medical doctor, entrepreneur, and strategic advisor, shares how nearly eight years working with astronauts at the European Space Agency shaped the way he thinks about ageing. In space, the body can lose muscle, bone and resilience at a frightening speed. Stress, sleep disruption, nutrition, movement and circadian misalignment are not lifestyle details. They become central medical issues. For Dr Filippo, space became a kind of accelerated ageing model, showing in fast-forward what happens when the systems that keep us strong begin to break down, and why exercise and nutrition are such powerful countermeasures. After leaving ESA, Dr Filippo opened one of Italy’s early anti-ageing and functional medicine centres. But over time, he came to believe that the biggest obstacle in longevity is not simply knowledge, testing, or more biomarkers. It is the behaviour gap. People often know what they should be doing. The harder question is why they do not follow through. Together with his wife Sonya, he shifted from one-to-one clinical work into education, coaching, professional training and strategic advisory, with a focus on making longevity more accessible, affordable and practical, including through pharmacy-based pathways. In this conversation, he argues that longevity should focus on healthspan, avoid overpromising, build trust, start earlier with younger people, and move beyond fear of death towards purpose, identity and the joy of life links: www.metodo-ongaro.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-filippo-ongaro/ Dr. Filippo Ongaro 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:53 From ESA to Longevity 05:07 Space as Accelerated Ageing 07:40 Countermeasures and Behaviour Gap 09:53 Mindset Over Biohacking 14:24 Mission Drives Discipline 17:22 Delayed Gratification Science 20:37 Building Anti-Ageing Practice 22:11 Why People Don't Follow Through 24:31 Who Wanted Anti-Ageing Help 28:16 Pivot to Education at Scale 31:53 Training Health Professionals 32:24 Scaling Impact Through Partners 33:27 Broadening the Audience 34:36 Affordable Longevity Access 37:11 Institutions and Mass Market 40:14 Business Advice for Clinicians 43:26 Hype, Trust, and PR 45:07 Fear Versus Joy of Life 47:16 Identity Driven Change 53:24 Future of Longevity Market 56:00 Healthspan Over Lifespan 57:58 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up 01:00:18 Final Episode Takeaways

    1h 3m

  7. May 4

    Building a Longevity Nation. Reimagining the Second Half of Life with Michael Clinton

    Michael A. Clinton, former President of Hearst Magazines. Michael spent four decades at the top of the publishing world, including as President and Publishing Director of Hearst Magazines, before turning his attention to one of the biggest questions of our time. If many of us are likely to live longer than previous generations, how do we make the second half of life not just longer, but more intentional, productive and meaningful? In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Michael discusses the ideas behind his book ROAR and his framework for rethinking later life. ROAR stands for Reimagine, Own your numbers, Action plan and Relationships, and it became the foundation for Roar Forward, his B2B platform advising organisations on the fast-changing 50-plus consumer. The conversation explores why Michael believes we need to shift the language from “ageing” to “longevity”, how culture and business are slowly beginning to respond, and why institutions, employers and policymakers still have a long way to go. Michael also previews ideas from his new book, Longevity Nation, which looks at the people, companies and innovations reshaping what longer lives could mean. He raises important concerns about inequality, access and the growing number of products making claims that are not always backed by evidence. This is also a very personal conversation. Michael reflects on his working-class roots in Pittsburgh, the moment that changed how he thought about identity and reinvention, and why the longest chapter of life may be the one most people have planned for the least. The episode also touches on the economic power of the $8.3 trillion 50-plus consumer, why this market is still widely misunderstood, and the one longevity habit Michael believes anyone can begin with, regardless of income. Links: Longevity Nation ROAR forward LinkedIn 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:19 Early Life and First Memory 03:17 Ambition and Upbringing 05:12 Finding His Career Path 06:29 Hearst Lessons on Identity 09:22 ROAR Framework Explained 13:29 Longevity Economy for Business 16:19 Language and Pro Age Messaging 18:43 Brands and Countries Adapting 21:55 Fear and Reinvention Mindset 22:59 Purposeful Second Act 23:38 Reimagineer Stories 24:37 Why Longevity Nation 27:33 Inequality and Access 30:13 America and 100 Year Life 33:18 Policy Gaps to Fix 35:53 Hope Worries Takeaway 40:16 Rapid Fire Round 42:42 Longevity Habits and Myths 45:05 Closing Reflections

    47 min

  8. Apr 26

    The Promise and Problem of Longevity Testing; Prevention, Access and the Inequality in the field with Niko Hems

    What does good prevention actually look like, and is the longevity industry helping people live better, or simply making health feel more complicated? In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Daphna speaks with Niko Hems, Operations Lead at YEARS, a longevity clinic in Berlin, Germany. Niko brings a rare perspective to the conversation. He works inside the longevity field, but he is not afraid to challenge it. He believes deeply in prevention, yet he is sharply aware of where the industry can go wrong, from over-testing and over-promising to fringe science and the uncomfortable gap between those who can afford cutting-edge healthcare and those who are still struggling to access the basics. His own story makes this especially interesting. At 13, Niko became fascinated by nutrition and fitness while trying to gain weight and feel better in his body. Years later, after completing a Master’s in Longevity Sciences and working inside one of Germany’s leading longevity clinics, he put himself through the kinds of tests many people now associate with the future of health, including genome sequencing, microbiome analysis and more than 200 biomarkers. The result was not quite what he expected. Instead of clarity, much of it created anxiety. Instead of answers, it raised a harder question: when does prevention become too much? This is a refreshingly honest conversation about the promises and problems of modern longevity, the tests that help versus the ones that confuse, the basics that still matter most, and what a more credible, useful and accessible version of prevention could look like. Niko Hems Head of Growth at YEARS. Host of Return on Health podcast. Links: https://nikohems.de https://www.linkedin.com/in/niko-hems/ https://returnonhealth.de/ 00:00 Podcast intro and themes 01:52 Nico’s path into longevity 03:37 Defining longevity and healthspan 04:47 Peakspan explained 06:26 Basics that move the needle 08:32 When testing becomes anxiety 10:07 Inside the Years clinic model 14:26 Cost access and inequality 15:58 Who buys high-end programs 17:55 What 16K actually includes 20:43 Why behaviour change is hard 24:07 Are we really getting healthier 26:04 Lifespan hype vs healthspan focus 28:25 Prevention Over Testing 29:23 Affordable Core Diagnostics 30:50 Why Healthcare Lags 32:58 Fixing Incentives 37:37 Longevity Branding Problem 41:09 Basics That Move Needle 43:28 Free High Impact Habits 46:22 AI And Longevity Future 52:04 Rapid Fire Wrap Up 53:42 Final Takeaways

    55 min
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About

Beyond Longevity is a deep-dive podcast exploring the cutting edge of longevity science. Through conversations with leading researchers, clinicians, and innovators who are redefining health and longevity, the show unpacks the evidence behind living longer and healthier. Each episode translates complex research into clear, thoughtful discussions, decoding the future of ageing one conversation at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Daphna Stern
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Daphna Stern
  • Show Website
    Beyond Longevity

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