How to Protect Your Heart, Your Brain, and Your Future

How to Protect Your Heart, Your Brain, and Your Future. Insights from Harvard, IPM 2025, and Why Prevention Starts Now

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What if we told you that up to 63% of sudden cardiac arrests could be prevented? That’s the powerful message emerging from new research shared by Dr. JoAnn Manson, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, whom I had the privilege of interviewing for my podcast The Science of Turning Back Time.

The study she referenced, published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, analysed over 500,000 participants from the UK Biobank and found that behavioural and lifestyle factors – not just genetics or cholesterol – play a massive role in sudden cardiac arrest. This is particularly shocking considering that sudden cardiac arrest is fatal in about 90% of cases.

Here’s what the study found:

• Sedentary lifestyle, high waist circumference, poor diet, low fruit and vegetable intake, short sleep duration, depression, social isolation, and air pollution all increased risk.
• Using Mendelian randomisation (a genetic analysis tool), researchers confirmed that adiposity, low fruit intake, poor education, and mood disorders have causal links to sudden cardiac arrest.
• And perhaps most importantly: 40–63% of cases could be prevented by addressing these modifiable risk factors.

This isn’t just about avoiding a tragic event — it’s about staying well for longer. And that’s where healthspan comes in.

What IPM 2025 Taught Us: It’s Not About Living Forever — It’s About Living Well

At this year’s International Congress of Integrative & Preventive Medicine (IPM 2025), the resounding theme was healthspan: extending the number of years we spend in great health, not just in survival.

And the UK statistics are grim. On average, people here spend the final 19 years of their lives in poor health, burdened by chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

From IPM, we learned that:

• 88% of cardiovascular disease is preventable
• 80% of dementia cases are preventable
• Even many cancers are driven by modifiable risk factors

Yes, lifestyle is still the most powerful medicine. And the earlier you start, the better the outcome.

If you're in your 40s or 50s, this is your pension pot moment. If you leave it too late, you simply won’t reap the full benefits. If you start now – with targeted prevention – the trajectory of your life changes.

What Can You Do Right Now?

Start with a strong foundation:

Move more

Eat smarter

Get consistent, restorative sleep

Manage your stress and mood

Track your key health markers annually

Annual testing is not a luxury – it’s your early warning system. We use advanced cardiometabolic testing to assess your cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory markers so we can intervene long before symptoms appear.

This is why I’m so excited to announce that our Cardiometabolic Programme launches this October — a comprehensive, evidence-based programme to help you reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and metabolic dysfunction, and support energy, cognition, and longevity.

Curious about what preventive lifestyle medicine involves, or know someone who is? Join our free masterclass Lifestyle Medicine Masterclass: Prevent Disease, Transform Your Health, on July 18th to learn more.

What's Coming Next?

We’re also running the following transformational workshops:

Brain Vitality Programme – Support healthy cognitive ageing

Cardiometabolic Programme – Starts October

4-Week Hormone Workshop – Balance your hormones naturally

Perimenopause & Menopause Workshop (2 Hours) – Practical relief strategies

Anxiety Workshop (3 Hours) – Understand and rebalance your nervous system

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Don’t put prevention off.

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The sooner you start, the longer you thrive.

Tune into the podcast episode with Dr. JoAnn Manson for more on the VITAL trial, vitamin D, and how daily habits can radically alter your future health.

Listen here!

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