<p><a href="https://peterattiamd.com/ama76/?utm_source=podcast-feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=251027-pod-ama76&utm_content=251027-pod-ama76-podfeed"> View the Show Notes Page for This Episode</a></p> <p><a href="https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/?utm_source=podcast-feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=251027-pod-ama76&utm_content=251027-pod-ama76-podfeed"> Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content</a></p> <p><a href="https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/?utm_source=podcast-feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=251027-pod-ama76&utm_content=251027-pod-ama76-podfeed"> Sign Up to Receive Peter's Weekly Newsletter</a></p> <p>In this "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) episode, Peter revisits the "proven, promising, fuzzy, noise, nonsense" scale and applies it to a variety of popular topics. He begins with a refresher on what each category represents before classifying a range of interventions based on the strength of their supporting evidence. The conversation spans three main areas: drugs for geroprotection (including GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, methylene blue, and telomere-lengthening supplements), the use of low-dose aspirin for cardiovascular disease prevention, and strategies to improve muscle mass through optimal protein intake and follistatin gene therapy. This episode provides a clear, evidence-based overview for listeners seeking to understand where these popular health and longevity interventions stand on the spectrum of scientific credibility.</p> <p>If you're not a subscriber and are 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 <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/members/private-podcast-feed/?utm_source=podcast-feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=251027-pod-ama76&utm_content=251027-pod-ama76-podfeed">private RSS feed </a>or our website at the <a href="http://peterattiamd.com/ama75/?utm_source=podcast-feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=251027-pod-ama76&utm_content=251027-pod-ama76-podfeed">AMA #76 show notes page</a>. If you are not a subscriber, you can learn more about the subscriber benefits <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/?utm_source=podcast-feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=251027-pod-ama75&utm_content=251027-pod-ama75-podfeed">here</a>.</p> <p><strong>We discuss:</strong></p> <ul type="disc"> <li>A scale for evaluating scientific claims: proven, promising, fuzzy, noise, or nonsense [1:30];</li> <li>Strong convictions, loosely held: the mindset that separates great scientists from the rest [7:30];</li> <li>GLP-1 receptor agonists: are there benefits beyond improving metabolic health and promoting weight loss? [12:45];</li> <li>GLP-1 drugs and the brain: exploring the potential cognitive benefits [18:45];</li> <li>GLP-1 drugs and lifespan: examining the evidence for potential geroprotective effects [23:00];</li> <li>Rapamycin and geroprotection: why it remains in the "promising" category [25:45];</li> <li>SGLT2 inhibitors and their potential geroprotective effect [27:30];</li> <li>Methylene blue: examining the evidence of an anti-aging effect [34:45];</li> <li>Methylene blue's potential neuroprotective effects: limited and inconsistent evidence in humans, and the challenges of dosing and safety [41:15];</li> <li>Telomeres: what they are, how they relate to aging, and why telomere-lengthening supplements lack credible scientific evidence [43:45];</li> <li>Does the idea of targeting telomere length to extend lifespan have scientific merit? [50:15];</li> <li>Low-dose aspirin for cardiovascular disease prevention: weighing its clot-prevention benefits against bleeding risks across different populations [55:00];</li> <li>Rethinking the protein RDA: why most people need twice the recommended amount for muscle health [1:00:45];</li> <li>Debunking the protein–cancer myth: why higher protein intake doesn't promote tumor growth [1:06:15];</li> <li>The biology of follistatin and myostatin, and why follistatin gene therapy has become an emerging topic of interest for muscle growth [1:13:15];</li> <li>Follistatin gene therapy for muscle growth: state of the evidence in animals and humans, and the technical challenges and regulatory barriers [1:17:00];</li> <li>Why injectable follistatin is theoretically possible but impractical for real-world use [1:23:15]; and</li> <li>More.</li> </ul> <p>Connect With Peter on <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterAttiaMD">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/peterattiamd/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/peterattiamd/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8kGsMa0LygSX9nkBcBH1Sg">YouTube</a></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Embrace Strong Convictions, Loosely Held
Form strong beliefs based on available data, but be prepared to change them readily when new information or data emerges, rather than doubling down on old positions. This approach is crucial for both scientific integrity and successful investing, as it prioritizes knowing what is right over being right.
2. Prioritize Truth Over Being Right
Cultivate the mindset of a great scientist or investor by being married to knowing what is right, not to being right. This means following the data wherever it leads, even if it contradicts your existing hypotheses or beliefs.
3. Abandon Ideas When Facts Contradict
Be willing to ‘kill your babies’—your most beautiful hypotheses or cherished ideas—if they are categorically disproven by ‘ugly facts’ or new data. Clinging to incorrect beliefs can lead to ridicule in science or financial ruin in investing.
4. Evaluate Claims with P-P-F-N-N Scale
Apply the ‘proven, promising, fuzzy, noise, nonsense’ framework to assess claims. This allows for an apples-to-apples comparison of what is known about various topics and helps in understanding how to think about them.
5. Identify “Proven” Claims
Recognize ‘proven’ claims as those with lots of high-quality, consistent data, representing the closest to a well-established truth in biology, though nothing is technically ‘proven’ like in mathematics.
6. Assess “Promising” Claims
Classify claims as ‘promising’ when they have good supporting data, but may still require replication or more consistent results across all studies.
7. Treat “Fuzzy” Claims with Caution
Approach ‘fuzzy’ claims with skepticism, as they are based on inconsistent and incomplete data, even if there might be a weak signal present.
8. Avoid Distraction by “Noise”
Do not be distracted by ’noise’ claims, which lack meaningful results; instead, wait for more substantial data to emerge that might elevate them to a ‘fuzzy’ or higher category.
9. Discard “Nonsense” Claims
Dismiss ’nonsense’ claims, as these are actively refuted by existing data, making them as close to disproven as possible.
10. Recognize Fluidity of Understanding
Understand that the categories of ‘proven, promising, fuzzy, noise, nonsense’ are fluid, and claims can move up or down this scale as new information and data become available.