Heart health and aging: Do our blood vessels hold the secret to long life?

60,000 miles long. That’s the length of the tube system inside us that transports blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the cells in our body. 

If these tubes fail, the result can be fatal. In some cases, it’s a heart attack. In others, it’s a stroke, where the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, and brain cells are damaged or killed. 

Heart attacks and strokes are a major cause of death in developed countries - but we can take action to reduce the risks. 

In this episode, Jonathan speaks to a world-renowned physician, scientist, and speaker to gain insights into how looking after this magical pipework could slow down aging. 

• Dr. William Li is a world-leading specialist in blood vessels and preventative health and the author of countless papers on the topic, who possesses the gift for communicating this complex subject in terms we can all understand.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:09 - Topic introduction

01:34 - Quickfire questions

04:17- Why do blood vessels matter?

05:28 - How do blood vessels link to heart health?

09:15 - Elasticity of blood vessels

13:51 - Can we reverse the stiffening and blockage of blood vessels?

19:58 - Does food damage the blood vessels?

24:40 - Does high blood pressure affect blood vessels?

29:36 - How do aging and diet affect blood vessels?

34:16 - Data on reversing blood vessel damage

39:00 - How is aging linked to blood vessel health?

41:53 - Summary

43:05 - Goodbyes

43:21 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Follow William: https://twitter.com/drwilliamli

Get William’s book here.

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.