Longevity medicine expert Dr Peter Attia wants more people to make sure that they will have the best last decade of their lives.
The Stanford-trained physician is introducing a radical change in the way Americans perceive their health care through his prevention-centered patient-driven concept called 'Medicine 3.0.'
He designed this medical concept so people can live at their healthiest during the last ten years of their lives. This period is crucial because it is when people often encounter sickness and immobility.
'The marginal decade's not going anywhere. We will all have a final decade of life,' Dr Attia told 60 Minutes contributing correspondent Norah O'Donnell, as reported by CBS News. 'My goal is to make the marginal decade as enjoyable as possible.'
This concept by the health author and podcast host has become popular among the health-conscious and appeals to any one who could benefit from the lifestyle change that he wants to advocate.
The Importance of Preparing for the Marginal Decade
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that over 90% of senior citizens in the US have at least one chronic ailment, such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer.
Meanwhile, the NHS is concerned about common frailty conditions like falls, delirium, immobility, and incontinence among people in their advanced age.
Dr Attia believes that the decline in a person's health will start becoming more severe when they reach the age of 75. According to the doctor, 'both men and women fall off a cliff' when it comes to their muscle mass and physical activities.
'At the population level, it's unmistakable what happens at the age of 75. That's what we're up against,' Attia stated. 'That's what I'm thinking about in the practice is, how do I create an escape velocity that gets somebody another 15 years there?'
The 52-year-old doctor, who initially trained to become a cancer surgeon at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, often warns his patients that if they do not do anything to lessen their body's decline rate, they will only operate at 50% of their capacity in both physical and cognitive skills during their final years.
How to Prepare for Advanced Age
Dr Attia has less than 75 patients, but it has several billionaires among them. They pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to know more about his practice. While he did not specify in the 60 Minutes interview, he mentioned that the amount is 'much closer to $100,000 than $500,000.'
The treatment begins in Austin, TX, where the doctor lives. Patients will have two days of intense physical evaluation at the start of the program.
''I think this is the neglected part of medical testing, is how fit are you, how strong are you, how well do you move? And in many ways, these tests are even more predictive of how long you're going to live than what I might get out of your bloodwork,' Attia stated..
Attia also mentioned that he is planning to launch his very own digital health app, which he will call 'Outlive'.
He also said that he wants to live long enough to have a lasting and meaningful relationship with his grandchildren.
