When it comes to longevity, there’s no miracle cure. However, adopting the right habits can give you the type of endurance that doesn’t waver with the shifting sands. Here’s how longevity Doc Dr. Mias van der Westhuyzen turns back time.
Understanding Longevity
To understand longevity, you first have to get to grips with your “healthspan”. That’s vastly different from your lifespan because it represents the number of years you’ve existed in good health minus disease rather than just how long you’ve been (or will be) on the planet. Dr. Mias van der Westhuyzen takes a proactive approach to maximise the “healthspan” of his patients, which means tackling those important questions of longevity early rather than waiting until that final “marginal decade” where the rate of cognitive, physical and psychological decline starts to pick up the pace.
“What we often don’t realise is that this decline begins at a much slower rate in our thirties and forties,” he says. What his practice does is aim to understand their patients’ goals for that marginal decade. “What do they envision for themselves? Do they imagine themselves still being able to pick up their grandchildren, take an international flight or enjoy having sex?” says Van der Westhuyzen. Once he understands their goals, he can tap into his wealth of knowledge to create a blueprint outlining exactly where they need to be at their current age.
Age-Old Truths
When you look at factors that will drastically stunt your expected health- and lifespan, you’ll usually encounter four chronic conditions: “Atherosclerosis leading to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease and metabolic disease” says Van der Westhuyzen.
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“The proactive approach to longevity should focus on reducing the risk factors driving us towards these diseases at as young an age as possible.” Thankfully, there are a myriad of strategies aimed at mitigating these risk factors. But, it’s a double-edged sword, start delving into some of these tactics and you can quickly get lost in the weeds.
Guys like venture capitalist Bryan Johnson are putting big money behind optimising every “tiny metric known to modern medicine” to try and live longer and healthier lives, says Van der Westhuyzen. “I ensure that my patients are picking at the lowest hanging fruit before getting too caught up in the finer, more controversial details,” he says. The focus? Nutrition, sleep, medication or supplements, exercise and mental health. His interventions can range from basic sleep hygiene principles, and intake to home-based continuous glucose monitoring or DEXA body composition scans.
Importance of Fitness and Planning
The latter measures bone density and body composition giving you insight into your risks of osteoporosis, fractures, lipodystrophy or sarcopenia But there’s no need to tap into this full range of interventions immediately, although you can certainly benefit from what cutting-edge longevity docs like Van der Westhuyzen and his ilk are offering. “Doing the basics right provides the best value when it comes to longevity,” he says. Think regular physical activity, a healthy diet and plenty of quality sleep. Fitness, especially, plays a vital role in having staying power. Not only does it ramp up cardiovascular health, but it also helps you maintain muscle mass, reduce stress and improve mobility—the list goes on.
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But having a plan, and a goal to work towards, is fundamental to the success of what Van der Westhuyzen can give his patients. Those who have a roadmap of actionable interventions and metrics laying out a clear path to being in the best shape possible by the time they hit those Golden Years are far more likely to stick to the fundamental principles, he adds. “Longevity is important because it gives us more time to live fulfilling lives, pursue our passions, spend time with loved ones and contribute to society,” says the doc. “But it’s not just about extending life, it’s about extending a healthy, functional and fulfilling one.”
Meet Dr. Mias van der Westhuyzen
Mias van der Westhuyzen is a medical doctor and longevity practitioner dedicated to the field of preventative medicine. In a challenging environment with constrained resources, Mias strives to deliver tailored healthcare solutions to each patient, prioritising long-term health optimisation over mere symptom management. Passionate about proactive care, Mias is committed to empowering individuals to achieve and sustain optimal well-being.
