We grapple with the question many people ask: how do we age well, live longer, live better? That is why many people go to the doctor, why they check their numbers and take medicines, why they buy that apple watch to monitor nearly everything! But as we discuss, none of that is the ticket to longevity. And is longevity the only barometer of aging success? We argue it is not.

We discuss that how long you live healthy and independent is, to most people, even more important than how long you live. Independence, mental acuity, the ability to engage in activities and be with people important to you is part of what we call quality of life, and how long you can maintain that is crucial. Our country does the worst in the world on that score. While we have among the lowest longevity of industrialized countries, we have even a lower health-gevity, how long you can remain healthy.

Taking a medical path to wellness when you are old is often a way to make things worse. We discuss why this is the case, and what's really important including your social interactions, your family, your diet, your mobility, and your happiness. Drugs don't fix any of that, lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure can make those worse without helping you live a day longer, but paving a path towards wellness through your own devices is always the best way to go. There is science behind this, and a lot of experience, and we'll lay it all out.