But on\u00a0CBS\u2019s\u00a0\u201c60 Minutes\u201d\u00a0this past Sunday, Dr. Peter Attia, a Stanford-trained physician and co-founder of Biograph<\/a>, who has become one of the most visible figures in longevity medicine, zoomed in on a piece of the longevity puzzle that isn\u2019t getting the same attention: the heart and lungs. Strength is essential in his eyes, but cardiorespiratory fitness is the metric he says best predicts how well (and how long) we live.<\/p>\n Dr. Attia<\/a> pointed to VO2 max (the measure of how efficiently the body uses oxygen during intense exercise) as a leading indicator of long-term health.<\/p>\n At around age 75, he said, both men and women \u201cfall off a cliff,\u201d referring to the sharp drop in physical and cognitive capacity that typically occurs later in life. His goal is to help people \u201ccreate an escape velocity\u201d that adds another decade-plus of capability, so those final years aren\u2019t defined by decline.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where VO2 max comes in. \u201cIt\u2019s a measurement of the size of someone\u2019s engine,\u201d Dr. Attia told\u00a0\u201c60 Minutes\u201d\u00a0correspondent Norah O\u2019Donnell.<\/p>\n The Ultimate Biomarker?<\/p>\n Assessing VO2 max is a key part of what his patients undergo when they arrive at his clinic for a two-day evaluation, along with measures of strength, movement and muscle mass. Dr. Attia called those factors a \u201cneglected\u201d part of standard medical testing. He currently sees fewer than 75 patients and maintains a waiting list.<\/p>\n \u201cIn many ways, these tests are even more predictive of how long you\u2019re going to live than what I might get out of your blood work,\u201d he said, adding that cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle mass and strength have a much higher association with longevity than markers like cholesterol and blood pressure.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an interesting stance in a moment when at-home biomarker testing is booming and consumers are mailing in blood samples to quantify their health. Dr. Attia\u2019s view suggests that, while those numbers have value, the body\u2019s performance under real-world stress may tell the fuller story about long-term health.<\/p>\n O\u2019Donnell experienced the approach firsthand. During her visit to Austin, Texas \u2014 where Dr. Attia is based \u2014 his team ran her through several assessments, including a VO2 max test. Essentially, a VO2 max test involves running on a treadmill while wearing a mask connected to equipment that analyzes your breathing, with the intensity gradually increasing until you reach your limit. When her score placed her in the 85th percentile for women her age, Dr. Attia offered a quick congratulations before noting there was still room for improvement.<\/p>\n When O\u2019Donnell asked whether anyone (whether they\u2019re 45 or 65) should be training like an athlete, not for the Olympics but for advanced age, Dr. Attia didn\u2019t hesitate: \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d he said. \u201cLife is a sport.\u201d<\/p>\n He practices what he preaches, aiming for about 10 hours a week of exercise, including cardio to burn fat, intense intervals to improve VO2 max, and weightlifting.<\/p>\n The Rapid Rise of Preventive Health<\/p>\n Dr. Peter Attia\u2019s professional path bears resemblance to that of another Stanford graduate pushing preventive care into the mainstream: Dr. Casey Means, co-founder of the health-tech startup Levels<\/a>, who has been nominated by President Trump to be U.S. surgeon general<\/a> and is scheduled for a confirmation hearing on Thursday. <\/p>\n See Also<\/p>\n
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