The Peter Attia Drive - podcast cover

The Peter Attia Drive

Peter Attia, MDwww.peterattiamd.com
Expert insight on health, performance, longevity, critical thinking, and pursuing excellence. Dr. Peter Attia (Stanford/Hopkins/NIH-trained MD) talks with leaders in their fields.

Episodes

Qualy #46 - Rapamycin’s effects on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #09 – David Sabatini, M.D., Ph.D.: rapamycin and the discovery of mTOR — the nexus of aging and longevity? . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys...

Oct 23, 20198 min

#76 - Kyle Kingsbury: Finding meaning, depression, and psychedelics

In this episode, Kyle Kingsbury, retired UFC fighter and director of human optimization at Onnit, discusses the purpose and meaning that football and MMA gave him but which also acted as a distraction from his inner demons. Kyle opens up about his use of PEDs (steroids, testosterone, HGH) in college and talks about some of the misconceptions around them. Next, Kyle talks about his battle with depression and a close call with suicide that lead to life-changing experiences with psilocybin and ayah...

Oct 21, 20192 hr 42 minEp. 76

Qualy #43 - What are Peter’s thoughts on fasting and ketosis for females?

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #26 – AMA #3: supplements, women’s health, patient care, and more . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e., “fast”), typically less...

Oct 17, 20198 min

#75 - David Light: Zantac recall due to cancer concerns – what you need to know

In this episode, David Light, CEO of Valisure (the company which alerted the FDA to the Zantac cancer concerns), explains the story behind the recent recalls by manufacturers of ranitidine, a common heartburn medication, sold under the trade name Zantac, due to a potential link to increased cancer risk. David breaks down all the evidence, the role of his unique pharmacy company which tests all its drugs before being dispensed to consumers, and the reason behind the FDA’s tempered reaction to the...

Oct 14, 20192 hr 38 minEp. 75

Qualy #38 - Finding meaning in struggle and why we are less happy than ever (David Foster Wallace)

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #15 – Paul Conti, M.D.: trauma, suicide, community, and self-compassion . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e., “fast”), typicall...

Oct 09, 20197 min

#74 – Jason Fried: Optimizing efficiency and work-life balance

In this episode, Jason Fried, co-founder of Basecamp, shares his beliefs around achieving business success in a modern world which tends to disproportionately focus on the massive success stories (the outliers). Jason gives his honest take on companies like WeWork, Uber, and Lyft that may give off the appearance of wild success but may instead provide an example of the dangers of perverse incentives. We get into Jason’s backstory, and how his affinity for optimizing efficiency and production in ...

Oct 07, 20192 hr 25 minEp. 74

Qualy #33 - How silent bravado and incessant striving can lead to a functional (and actual) death, and why Paul is critical of the current state of psychiatry

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #15 – Paul Conti, M.D.: trauma, suicide, community, and self-compassion . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e., “fast”), typicall...

Oct 01, 20199 min

#73 - AMA #9: NAD & metformin, fat-burning zone, creatine, estrogenization of men, emergency kit for cold & flu, and more

In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter answers a wide range of questions from subscribers. Bob Kaplan, Peter’s head of research, asks the questions. If you’re not a subscriber and listening on a podcast player, you’ll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you’re a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your private RSS feed . You can also watch (or listen) to this full episode on our website at the AMA #9 show notes page . Questions continue to be pulled from the ...

Sep 30, 201916 minEp. 73

#72 - Dan Harris: 10% happier – meditation, kindness, and compassion

In this episode, Dan Harris, correspondent for ABC News and co-founder of the Ten Percent Happier meditation app, speaks openly about his struggles with self-centeredness, addiction, depression, emotional volatility, and the deep-rooted insecurities that drove him to career success. He tells the story of how a panic attack on live TV lead him down a path of self-discovery culminating in a meditation practice which has since transformed his life—in terms of his own personal suffering, his relatio...

Sep 23, 20192 hr 25 minEp. 72

Qualy #26 - What is Peter looking to achieve and monitor with his blood glucose monitor?

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #26 – AMA #3: supplements, women’s health, patient care, and more . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e., “fast”), typically less...

Sep 18, 201913 min

#71 - Katherine Eban: Widespread fraud in the generic drug industry

In this episode, Katherine Eban, investigative journalist and author of Bottle of Lies, illuminates the prevalence of fraud in generic drug manufacturing which brings into question the idea that generics are identical to brand-name drug as we are lead to believe. Katherine walks us through how this widespread corruption came to be, including the shocking story of one particularly egregious (and unfortunately not uncommon) example of an Indian drug company, Ranbaxy, whose business model was compl...

Sep 16, 20193 hr 42 minEp. 71

Qualy #24 - What are the “ABCs” of Alzheimer’s prevention?

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #18 – Richard Isaacson, M.D.: Alzheimer’s prevention . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e., “fast”), typically less than ten min...

Sep 13, 201911 min

#70 - David Sinclair, Ph.D.: How cellular reprogramming could slow our aging clock (and the latest research on NAD)

In this episode, David Sinclair, Ph.D., a Professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging, returns to the podcast to discuss the content of his new book, Lifespan: Why We Age - and Why We Don’t Have To. This conversation focuses on the biological mechanisms involved in what David terms the Information Theory of Aging which provides insights into the “clock” that determines our aging and to what d...

Sep 09, 20192 hr 10 minEp. 70

Qualy #19 - A unifying theory of aging

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #27 – David Sinclair, Ph.D.: Slowing aging – sirtuins, NAD, and the epigenetics of aging . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e., ...

Sep 05, 201911 min

#69 - Ronesh Sinha, M.D.: Insights into the manifestation of metabolic disease in a patient population predisposed to metabolic syndrome, and what it teaches us more broadly

In this episode, Dr. Ronesh Sinha, a physician, author, and educator based in Silicon Valley, shares his many insights into metabolic illness that he has gleaned from his South Asian patient population. In this conversation we focus on hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, metabolic dysregulation, inflammation, blood pressure, obesity, etc. and ways to address them with nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress management, and more. We also take a deep dive into insulin resistant phenotypes, evolutiona...

Sep 02, 20192 hr 59 minEp. 69

Qualy #16 - How much does cognitive activity ward off cognitive decline?

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #18 – Richard Isaacson, M.D.: Alzheimer’s prevention . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e., “fast”), typically less than ten min...

Aug 30, 20197 min

#68 - Marty Makary, M.D.: The US healthcare system—why it’s broken, steps to fix it, and how to protect yourself

In this episode, Marty Makary, Johns Hopkins surgeon and NYT bestselling author, discusses his ambitious attempt to fix the broken U.S. healthcare system through educating the public, changing the lexicon, encouraging radical transparency in pricing, and more. We go in detail into the main drivers of inflated health care costs, the money games being played making it hard to understand, and the unfortunate system structure that has resulted in one in five Americans finding themselves in medical d...

Aug 26, 20193 hr 50 minEp. 68

Qualy #9 - The importance of exercise for brain health

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #02 – Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.: the performance and longevity paradox of IGF-1, ketogenic diets and genetics, the health benefits of sauna, NAD+, and more . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting p...

Aug 20, 20199 min

#67 - AMA #8: DNA tests, longevity genes, metformin, fasting markers, salt, inflammation, and more

In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter answers a wide range of questions from subscribers. Bob Kaplan, Peter’s head of research, asks the questions. If you’re not a subscriber and listening on a podcast player, you’ll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you’re a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your private RSS feed . You can also watch (or listen) to this full episode on our website at the AMA #8 show notes page . Questions continue to be pulled from the ...

Aug 19, 201918 minEp. 67

Qualy #6 - What are the best lab tests to request specifically for longevity

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #04 – AMA #1: alcohol, best lab tests, wearables, finding the right doc, racing, and more . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e.,...

Aug 14, 201910 min

#66 - Vamsi Mootha, M.D.: Aging, type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease – do all roads lead to mitochondria?

In this episode, Dr. Vamsi Mootha, an expert in mitochondrial biology and investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, shares his breadth of knowledge on the mitochondrion organelle: its history, function, genome architecture, and his research of rare mitochondrial dysfunction. Vamsi is currently focused on finding clinical treatments for the 300-some identified rare disorders, but in this work there is a wealth of potential implications in the context of longevity and chronic disease. I...

Aug 12, 20192 hr 28 minEp. 66

Qualy #1 - What are Peter's thoughts on alcohol consumption and health?

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #04 – AMA #1: alcohol, best lab tests, wearables, finding the right doc, racing, and more . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e.,...

Aug 06, 201912 min

#65 - Rick Doblin, Ph.D.: MDMA— the creation, scheduling, toxicity, therapeutic use, and changing public opinion of what is possibly the single most important synthetic molecule ever created by our species

In this episode, Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of MAPS, discusses MDMA, a molecule that has (at a minimum) revolutionary therapeutic benefits for PTSD, but arguably could have, at the highest order, a lasting impact on humanity’s ability to peacefully coexist. Rick details the history of MDMA, what lead to its unfortunate criminalization, and his lifelong work trying to protect MDMA (and other psychedelics) from criminalization (and his subsequent attempt to decriminalize it). Thro...

Aug 05, 20193 hr 1 minEp. 65

#64 - Zol Kryger, M.D.: Navigating the sometimes shady world of plastic surgery—understanding potential complications of common procedures and how to reduce your risk by choosing the right doctor and asking the right questions

In this episode, board-certified plastic surgeon, Zol Kryger, enlightens us about the frighteningly loose laws regulating the industry of plastic surgery, paving the way for a majority of cosmetic procedures being performed by doctors that are not board-certified plastic surgeons. We talk about some of the very serious complications that can occur even in “minimally invasive” procedures, where the incidence rate is only increased by the flood of non-certified doctors who want to offer these proc...

Jul 29, 20192 hr 13 minEp. 64

#63 - AMA #7: Exercise framework, deadlifting, lower back pain, blood pressure, nootropics, CGM, and more

In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter answers a wide range of questions from subscribers. Bob Kaplan, Peter’s head of research, asks the questions. If you’re not a subscriber and listening on a podcast player, you’ll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you’re a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your private RSS feed . You can also watch (or listen) to this full episode on our website at the AMA #7 show notes page . Questions continue to be pulled from the ...

Jul 22, 201913 minEp. 63

#62 - Keith Flaherty, M.D.: Deep dive into cancer—History of oncology, novel approaches to treatment, and the exciting and hopeful future

In this episode, Keith Flaherty, director of clinical research and targeted cancer therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital, shares his vast wealth of knowledge in cancer starting with the history of treatment from chemotherapy to radiation to surgical therapy and where those methodologies seemed to have leveled off. He also walks us through the timeline of advancements (and lack there of) from when the War on Cancer was declared in the 1970s, through the sequencing of the entire human genome, ...

Jul 15, 20193 hr 57 minEp. 62

#61 - Rajpaul Attariwala, M.D., Ph.D.: Cancer screening with full-body MRI scans and a seminar on the field of radiology

In this episode, radiologist/engineer, Raj Attariwala, explains how he was able to apply his engineering background to create a unique MRI scanner that is capable of constructing whole-body images with a resolution that is unmatched in the industry. Peter and Raj discuss the implications of such a robust, radiation-free imaging tool on the early detection of cancer. They dive deep into cancer screening and define terms such as sensitivity and specificity that are necessary to really understand t...

Jul 08, 20192 hr 13 minEp. 61

#60 - Annie Duke, decision strategist: Poker as a model system for life—how to improve decision making, use frameworks for learning, and apply ‘backcasting’ to boost your odds for future success

In this episode, former World Series of Poker champion and author, Annie Duke, explains how poker is a pertinent model system for decision making in the real world, a system which blends imperfect information with some unknown percentage of both luck and skill. We go through the decision-making matrix, and how we spend most of our energy focusing on just one of the four quadrants at the expense of the learning opportunities that come from the other 75% of situations. Annie also shares how this e...

Jul 01, 20193 hr 36 minEp. 60

#59 - Jason Fung, M.D.: Fasting as a potent antidote to obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and the many symptoms of metabolic illness

In this episode, Jason Fung, nephrologist and best-selling author, shares his experiences utilizing an individualized approach to fasting to successfully treat thousands of overweight, metabolically ill, and diabetic patients, and why being a doctor who specializes in kidney disease gives him a unique insight into early indications of metabolic disease. We also have a great discussion on insulin resistance where Jason makes the case that we should actually think of hyperinsulinemia as the underl...

Jun 24, 20193 hr 42 minEp. 59