This is a masterful summary of research findings regarding aging and a road map for how to age as well as possible. While some things are certainly not under our control as we age, many things are, and Dr. Topol tells us what those things are. This book is very dense due to it being based on research findings, but it is information certainly worth knowing. When I was younger, I believed, just as the general public did, that I had little control over how I aged. Now we know that our choices regarding lifestyle and environment are truly significant in influencing gene expressions and how our bodies age. Not only can we live longer, but more importantly, we can extend the length of time we remain healthy into old age. I hope to remain independent as long as possible, and I am interested in how to increase my chances for making this so. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is willing to read the research and explanations of how our daily choices help us age more slowly and allow us to maximize our healthspan. My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read an ARC of this book, and thanks to Dr. Topol for his work.

At 464 pages, this book is clearly the result of deep research. While it offers valuable advice on extending longevity, the information is often buried in dense, academic writing. It’s not very accessible to the general reader. A summary of key takeaways at the end would have been helpful. I’d recommend this one to academics or professionals in the field rather than the average reader.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eric Topol’s Super Agers is a masterful fusion of rigorous research and practical guidance, revealing that our daily choices—rather than fate—shape how well we age. Drawing on extensive genome analyses and the latest medical breakthroughs—from AI-driven risk assessments to innovative therapies—Topol lays out a clear, actionable roadmap: resistance training, balance work, personalized blood tests, and bio-age tracking that anyone can start using right away. Written with both scientific authority and genuine warmth, Super Agers cuts through the hype to deliver a science-backed blueprint for thriving well into our later years.

Eric Topol’s new book ‘Super-Agers’ provides an excellent overview and detailed compilation of the latest medical and scientific factors influencing human aging and health. Dr. Topol’s approach to presenting such a vast amount of information is to deep-dive into the actual data and numerous study results, thereby providing the reader with a real sense of the probabilities involved in making actual dietary and medical recommendations, which are not always the black-and-white simple propositions that more popular and less science-based health books/internet blogs present. Topal’s even-keeled and clear-eyed summations and recommendations are this book's standout feature, giving the reader confidence in making individual life choices and health decisions and pointing out where choices and influences are less clear but likely. Thus, Topol’s careful analysis of the data and subsequent recommendations based on current knowledge are invaluable resources for anyone desiring to take active charge of maximizing their health odds during aging. This includes information on AI, medications, mental health, and diet. Crucially and importantly, Topol’s careful weighing of current scientific probabilities allows for tempering possible health decisions without the wild claims often seen in advertising or popular book materials. This book is a sound and solid presentation of current state-of-the-art aging knowledge, even if the scientific data is not always clear-cut and definitive. Kudos to Dr. Topol!

Super Agers has been written for the general public but remains highly technical and scientific. Dr. Topol hooks his readers with a description of two very different patients. Presumably, one is a “super aged” and the other is the benefactor of advances in science.

Through the book, Dr. Topol explains the importance of nutrition, exercise, sleep and lifestyle—including environmental factors. He presents information and studies on how these factors impact every cell in our body.

Super Agers is an interesting and informative read.

Discover how revolutionary new treatments are transforming the fight against chronic diseases and extending healthy lifespans. This informative, evidence-based guide explores breakthroughs in diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and neurodegeneration, offering hope for a healthier future for you and your loved ones. The book is easy to understand and founded on the latest medical discoveries.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Eric Topol, one of the most prominent physician-scientists in the world and the founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, has authored his fourth non-fiction book for lay readers, Super Agers. Super Agers examines current trends in longevity research, specifically focusing on approaches that can extend the healthy periods of people's lives, healthspan, rather than a narrow focus on just extending life itself, lifespan.

Topol introduces a five dimensional approach to medically approaching healthy aging: Lifestyle+ (diet, exercise, sleep, environmental exposures), Cells (especially cells of the immune system), Omics (the molecular information of the whole organism), artificial intelligence (AI), and drugs/vaccines (aka therapeutics). These dimensions are interrelated and interdepending, and Topol has seemingly ranked them according to how he views their importance, Alternatively, these dimensions could be described as prevention, diagnosis and prognosis, and treatment. Despite the early attention to these dimensions, Topol's overall focus throughout is only modestly organized by them. After two early chapters that myopically undersell the importance of genetics and oversell the impact of lifestyle choices and environmental exposures (neither of which are independent of genetic influences), the book adopts a somewhat ad hoc structure, feeding readers a series of loosely connected literature reviews made more understandable to non-experts. This meat of this concerns the four major chronic killers: metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegeneration. Only the final two chapter directly address themselves to tackling aging in a proactive way, providing little in the way of actionable insights and highlighting few exciting innovation on the longevity front.

The anticlimactic nature of Super Agers isn't surprising. Medical science has very little to offer in the way of significant advances in aging at this time. Lifestyle choices are the most accessible levers available to pull for everyday people, but the ability for people to pull those levers concerns forces that are largely out of their control, specifically genetic predispositions and their social niches and resources. This unfortunate constraint is hardly acknowledge by Topol. Even when lifestyle factors are maximized most of these gains will be marginal at best. This doesn't mean they're not worthwhile to some, but many people will simply not care enough to be overly invested in building healthy habits and this is a sensible tradeoff. Ultimately, it is mostly about avoiding the penalty of really damaging behavioral patterns or the dysfunctional physiological states they can induce and seeking proper medical care at the right moments.

There were a number of important bright spots in the book. Topol heartily embraces polygenic risk scores to guide care as well as a number of other emerging precision approaches. He also celebrates the advances observed in the GLP-1 agonist class of drugs. These were great albeit obvious inclusion in my view. The book would have also benefitted from a more urgent tone concerning the need for more rigorous research. I was a bit concerned how eagerly Topol championed findings from observational work or loosely controlled, underpowered clinical studies.

All in all, this is solid work covering some of the latest medical research on conditions that shorten lifespans and provides some insights into the future ways that medical science may tackle aging so as to extend healthspans.

Interesting but I don't think I was the right audience for this. It's filled with data and studies meant to support Topol's theories. This information will be appreciated by those who enjoy details, I found myself leafing (or rather clicking as I was reading on Kindle) through to the more accessible sections and advice. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

I’m a sucker for wanting to live a long and healthy life. So, this book is admittedly right up my alley! Dr. Topol summarizes and synthesizes the latest medical research on conditions that influence human health and longevity. The content is presented in a clear, actionable format, with compelling arguments that inspired me to make several life changes. I find myself quoting and referencing relevant passages almost daily.

Who is this book for?
1 The layperson seeking to live their healthiest life.
2 The advocate or caregiver searching for additional guidance.
3 The medical professional or researcher looking to stay informed about the latest data.

Your approach to the book may differ depending on your background. While it contains dense sections of supporting data—a minimum standard in scientific works—these can be skipped by lay readers and caregivers, whereas technical readers will appreciate diving deeper into the weeds.

Last, but most importantly: Can you trust Dr. Topol? My research shows that he is a highly experienced, respected, and ethical medical professional.

Thanks to Eric Topol, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy (ARC)!

The author of this book is a physician and, although marketed to the general public, this book would be more useful to those in the medical community. He discusses a number of ways to increase lifespan including lifestyle, supplements and drugs. There are numerous research studies summarized with a good number of charts included. The book is organized into chapters that discuss various aspects of the study of aging including genetics, lifestyle, cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegeneration and others. One concluding statement was hopeful: "We are going to see major progress in prevention of age-related diseases and preserving organ-specific health". As a nutritionist and one who believes in the powers of diet, exercise and other lifestyle habits, I agree with one of Topol's conclusions. "We need to maintain our healthy aging, predominately by focusing on lifestyle plus means, so that we can get to the next phase of digital biology deliverables".
If you are interested in a book that gives a rather comprehensive summary of the current research this book would be for you. I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a detailed account of the latest research into healthy aging. Some of it is very scientific, so a little difficult to understand. But, nonetheless, a fascinating look into what we might expect to come about in the not so distant future.

Super Agers is a very comprehensive, scientific approach to extending health span. It’s probably best for those who want very detailed medical discussions backed by the most recent scientific studies, not those looking for more of a quick overview.

This was an interesting book on how to age well. Very scientific, so may be difficult for the average reader to understand, but nonetheless would be a great library addition.

Super Agers is among a plethora of books published lately on aging and increasing healthspan and not just lifespan. The information is good and timely. If you enjoyed Outlive by Dr. Attia, you'll appreciate Super Agers although you might not learn anything new.