Show Notes
We've all heard of the super agers — centenarians living well into their hundreds in the villages of Sardinia, the islands of Okinawa, regions of the world where reaching 100 in great health is almost the norm. Increasingly, longevity scientists believe that kind of lifespan could be within reach for many more of us — if we can fend off the age-related diseases that currently cut lives short. Nearly half of all UK adults already have at least one longstanding health condition. So the question is — how much of that is inevitable, and how much is actually within our control?
In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Dr Alka Patel — GP, longevity doctor, TEDx speaker and founder of the Million Hour Club, whose mission is to help one million people live a one million hour life. With over 25 years of clinical experience and a quarter of a million patients, Dr Alka works at the fascinating intersection of cutting-edge biohacking and lifestyle medicine — and she brings a perspective on longevity that is both rigorously evidence-based and deeply personal.
The conversation that stayed with me most was a patient she described — a 29-year-old whose biological age tested at 78. Not because of genetics or illness, but because of stress. The grind, the hustle, the pressure of doing it all. And the fact that nobody had told them what it was doing to their body.
We cover:
Why Dr Alka went from being a GP in conventional medicine to pioneering longevity care
Her own health crisis — the birthday that ended with multiple organ failure and the question it forced her to ask
Health is a verb not a noun — what that TEDx talk with over half a million views actually means in practice
How much of our health is really down to genetics — and why the answer is more hopeful than most people think
The hierarchy of health — why mastering the basics has to come before peptides, IV drips and biological age testing
What biological age testing actually measures and why it's one of the most motivating tests Dr Alka does
The 29-year-old with a biological age of 78 — and what stress is really doing to the body over time
The cortisol curve — why most of her high-performing patients don't have one, and what that means for sleep, energy and burnout
Biohacking for women — why we are not little men and what a female-specific approach to optimisation actually looks like
Biosynchrony — aligning your lifestyle with your biology, your hormones and your circadian rhythm
Perimenopause, cycle tracking and why variety might matter more than routine for women at this life stage
The Blue Zones debate — what the research actually shows even if the specific data is being questioned
Why beauty begins in your biology — and the coffin line that stopped me in my tracks
Cautious curiosity — how to approach peptides, rapamycin and novel longevity interventions safely
What longevity medicine will look like in ten years
This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.
Topics: longevity medicine | biological age testing | biohacking for women | Dr Alka Patel | million hour club | female biohacking | perimenopause health | cortisol testing | stress and ageing | epigenetics | Blue Zones | health is a verb | continuous glucose monitor | Oura Ring | HRV | biosynchrony | circadian rhythm | longevity supplements | peptides | rapamycin | NAD longevity | lifestyle medicine | functional medicine UK | how to live longer | healthy ageing women | burnout and ageing | superagers | centenarians | biological clock
Dr Alka's website: https://www.dralkapatel.com/
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