As a pioneer in longevity science, Dr. Peter Attia has drawn a great deal of attention to the innovative approach to healthcare with Medicine 3.0 — a visionary concept centering on living longer and free of disease in his latest release, “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity.” Discover what Dr. Peter has to say about Medicine 3.0 and how focusing on eating healthy and elevating fitness levels may benefit health in the long term.
Peter Attia Discusses Potential of Medicine 3.0 in Extending Human Lifespan
Who Is Dr. Peter Attia?
Peter Attia is a Canadian-American physician and co-founder of Early Medicine. After earning a medical degree from Stanford Medicine, Dr. Peter was a trainee surgeon at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. While at John Hopkins, Dr. Peter returned home exhausted after a 24-hour shift and had a recurring dream: catching eggs falling from the air.
Such a bizarre dream had got him thinking so much about life and death. As his job was saving people suffering from deadly illnesses, which sometimes failed, Dr. Peter became interested in improving the way we live and shifted his focus to preventative medicine instead of getting treatment when the disease has advanced too far. In other words, he advocates for making much-needed lifestyle changes to discover the body’s full potential in self-healing and avoiding illnesses naturally, rather than relying on mainstream medications and treatment, which can only prolong the lifespan, not patients’ health and wellness.
Ever since, he’s been focusing on the science of longevity and searching for viable, universal solutions to help people live longer, healthier, and happier before seeking professional help. In 2023, Peter Attia published “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity.” In the book, he sheds light on the significance of illness prevention in prolonging lifespan, shares his takes on the novel concept of prolonging aliveness, and provides the audience with innovative nutritional interventions and techniques to optimize health and performance.
Besides being an accomplished physician with an extensive medical background, Dr. Peter has gained tremendous success in several business endeavors. He is the co-founder of the fasting app Zero. He is an advisor and investor in many companies, such as Virta Health, Oura Health Oy, Inevitable Venture, Salutoceuticals, Dexcom, Hu Kitchen, and Supercast.
Understanding Medicine 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0
Through “Outlive,” Dr. Peter Attia dissects the scene of medicine into three stages: Medicine 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0. Before diving into the concept of Medicine 3.0, it is essential to equip yourself with the basics of Medicine 1.0 and 2.0 and how they have changed our lives until this day.
According to Dr. Peter, Medicine 1.0 describes a period from when humans existed to the late 19th century. During this time, there was no science or anything, meaning then-available medicine was pretty much made up. People got treated and hoped for the best. It is superstitious rather than based on science.
The term Medicine 2.0 refers to the time starting from the late 19th century onwards. In the era of Medicine 2.0, people were introduced to sanitation, vaccines, antibiotics, and other treatments that resolved many health problems. In other words, the goal of Medicine 2.0 is curing and prolonging lifespan. It can be said that Medicine 2.0 has successfully decreased the mortality rate from 1900 to this day by focusing on treating the disease.
However, the only downside of Medicine 2.0 is that it doesn’t cultivate the power to prevent and cure chronic diseases, which cause millions of deaths per year. Chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and metabolic disease, has been an ongoing public health concern in many corners of the world. Not many people survive the strike of cancer, and people with Alzheimer’s are still suffering because there’s no cure. The cases of diabetes have increased throughout the years. In the United States, the metabolic disease has overshadowed the lives of 37.3 million Americans.
What is Medicine 3.0? Medicine 3.0 is a new concept coined by Dr. Peter. According to his book Outlive, Medicine 3.0 is the visionary approach to healthcare. It aims to improve life quality and supports people in preventing illnesses, minimizing their need for inevitable treatment. “Medicine 2.0 focuses on lengthening the time you live with the disease, whereas Medicine 3.0 means living longer without disease, not with disease,” Dr. Peter explains. In other words, he believes that applying innovative techniques and interventions early on may empower people to control their overall health and wellness and suppress disease development.
The approach means making small, steady steps and using a combination of wellness techniques — all to change how you live and manage diseases before they start, hence a longer health span. Instead of fixating your mind on “how to treat it?” when your illness is already too far gone, focus on “how can I elevate my wellness and well-being to stay healthy and strong.” In Outlive, his core philosophy is condensed into prevention, and prevention is better than treatment.
Medicine 3.0: Hack Your Way To Supercharge Health
Sharing his takes on the recurring dream, Dr. Peter metaphorized the situation could be controlled if he stops the one who drops these eggs, not him frantically running around to catch eggs falling in the air. In Outlive, he expresses the goal is “not to patch people up and get them out the door, removing their tumors and hoping for the best, but rather to prevent the tumors from appearing and spreading in the first place.” Dr. Peter also sheds light on the concept of health span and lifespan. While lifespan goes in a linear direction from birth to death, healthspan focuses on enhancing aspects of life, from physical and mental to emotional and cognitive.
In the concept of Medicine 3.0, prevention is the key. According to Dr. Peter, engaging in regular physical activity and getting enough nutrition are vital for longevity and illness prevention. As a fitness nut himself, Dr. Peter emphasizes the importance of staying fit over everything on the journey of hacking your health. In other words, keeping the body moving is very much needed for optimal growth. A balanced fitness routine should include strength training, aerobic fitness, core exercises, stretching, and balance training that work for each group of muscles throughout the week. Overall, it is acceptable to sweat yourself out and gently stretch the other day instead of jamming all intense training sessions daily.
As nutrition sets the foundation for optimal performance and robust energy levels, getting adequate nutrition is the second most vital must-do to achieve a longer health span. Dr. Peter doesn’t suggest any specific diet plan because no diet is created equal. Each person may have different health status and fitness goals. It is essential to test and figure out which diet may perform the best instead of following trends. Starting to think about what you eat and making necessary changes to your diet is vital. Dr. Peter has been on Ketosis for three years. He also eats fewer calories and refined carbs and practices fasting hand in hand with the Keto diet. He also said that restricting calories is the best intervention to prolong healthspan, following studies conducted on mice. A balanced, healthy diet following the principle of Medicine 3.0 would be eating protein and good fats, gathering vitamins and minerals needed for the body, limiting alcohol intake (or quitting), and prioritizing sleep and resting.
In addition to diet and exercise, regenerative medicine is a dynamic therapy that has the potential to redefine medical treatment. The focal target of regenerative medicine is rejuvenating cells. As body cells are building blocks of organs and tissues, repairing damaged cells plays a massive role in restoring normal function. In recent years, regenerative medicine has diversified into several forms of treatment depending on each person’s needs, requirements, health status, andå health goal. Before requiring therapy, undergoing a comprehensive assessment by certified regenerative medicine doctors and physicians is advisable.