The Lucky Years
Buy the Book: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound, Google Play, Audible, iTunesTitle: The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: January 5, 2016
Pages: 288
ISBN13: 978-1476712109
Overview
Bestselling author David Agus unveils the brave new world of medicine, one in which we can take control of our health like never before and doctors can fine-tune strategies and weapons to prevent illness.
In his first bestseller, The End of Illness, David Agus revealed how to add vibrant years to your life by knowing the real facts of health. In this book, he builds on that theme by showing why this is the luckiest time yet to be alive, giving you the keys to the new kingdom of wellness.
Medicine is undergoing rapid change. In the old world, you followed general principles and doctors treated you based on broad, one-size-fits all solutions. In this new golden age, you’ll be able to take full advantage of the latest scientific findings and leverage the power of technology to customize your care. Only those who know how to access and adapt to these breakthroughs—without being distracted by hyped ideas and bad medicine—will benefit. Imagine being able to get fit and lose weight without dieting, train your immune system to fight cancer, edit your DNA to avoid a certain fate, erase the risk of a heart attack, reverse aging, and know exactly which drugs to take to optimize health with zero side effects.
That’s the picture of the future that you can enter starting today. Welcome to The Lucky Years.
Listen to the audio book excerpt:
Other books by Dr. David Agus, MD
Praise
"If you buy just one health book this year, then get The Lucky Years. In this important book, David Agus—one of the most inspiring, practical, and knowledgeable people I know—shows us how to participate in the world of personalized medicine. It’s easier than you think, if you have this book to guide you."
—Howard Stern, host of The Howard Stern Show
"Dr. Agus has done it again. The Lucky Years gives us a smart, informed, and sensible look at the latest medical breakthroughs and new technologies. Important and courageous, it tackles tough questions while showing us how to prolong the quality and length of our lives."
—Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs and The Innovators
“We all have a vague sense that there is a revolution underway in the world of biology and medicine. We hear about major innovations like the sequencing of the genome, targeted drugs, and big data. But what to make of them? How will they improve our health and change our lives? We could not have a better guide to make sense of it all than David Agus. In this fascinating and illuminating book, David brings together a deep knowledge of science, good writing, and common sense. We are lucky to have him around.”
—Fareed Zakaria, host of Fareed Zakaria GPS
“The Lucky Years is an important and courageous book, raising big questions about health, longevity and what it means to live a meaningful life. With a reverence for data and the latest science, Dr. Agus gives us his vision for a bright future of health, helping everybody understand how to navigate their options in the way that’s best for them—and their loved ones.”
—Arianna Huffington, Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post and author of Thrive
“Dr. Agus offers an optimistic exploration of the new opportunities becoming available to us as exciting new technologies disrupt and revolutionize our understanding and practice of health care. Encouraging, but also clear-eyed and cautionary, The Lucky Years inspires us to take hold of the future of our own health—and, in turn, that of the planet.”
—Al Gore, 45th Vice President of the United States, Nobel Laureate in Peace, 2007
“Dr. David Agus describes how a series of scientific breakthroughs enables everyone to lengthen and improve their lives—a future in which our body's natural mechanisms can be enlisted to fight disease and our genes can be edited to eliminate inherited disease. It is an inspiring vision that we can embrace today.”
—Larry Ellison, Cofounder and Executive Chairman, Oracle Corporation
“The Lucky Years is a steady dose of actionable knowledge about the one thing relatable to everyone: life. It's the doctor-patient relationship we all want and deserve. Dr. Agus is a trusted voice in a field of uncertainty.”
—Ashton Kutcher
"It sometimes takes a genius to know the difference between what’s good and bad for us amid all the noise in health circles. Thanks, David Agus, for being that genius and writing The Lucky Years to guide us."
—Michael Dell, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Dell, Inc.
“Everyone living today should read The Lucky Years to receive the enduring gift of Dr. David Agus’s wisdom. It will inspire you on a journey towards a life that is both more healthful and meaningful, and provide practical guidance for the path ahead. Dr. David Agus will show you what it truly means to live a healthy life in the lucky years.”
—Dov Seidman, author of How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything
"In The Lucky Years, David Agus, one of the most interesting medical writers of our age, presents a provocative, highly informative way of understanding revolutions in health and healthcare today that will change the quality of our lives."
—Murray Gell-Mann, PhD, Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1969, and Distinguished Fellow and Cofounder of The Santa Fe Institute
"In The Lucky Years, David Agus once again gives us a clear path to better health. We are lucky to have such an incredible guide to such a critical subject."
—Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO, salesforce.com
"In previous volumes, Agus offered useful, accessible health tips for attaining prime physical health. Here, he expands on that platform by addressing readers from a futuristic vantage point and insightfully discusses how recent technological trends have the ability to boost both the medical industry's ability to effectively treat patients and its public perception, something that has incrementally declined through the last decade. . . . Readers interested in breakthrough clinical developments will find Agus' explorations of gene therapy, immunotherapy, and revolutionary stem cell research highly informative. . . . Practical health information fortified with exciting news from the forefront of modern medical technology."
—Kirkus Reviews
Additional Notes:
Introduction
1. Page 3, description of the lab rat study, from: https://www.jax.org/research-and-faculty/aging
2. Page 4 regarding stem cells:
“Stem cells are mother cells that have the potential to become any type of cell in the body” quoted from Seasteading: How Floating Nations Will Restore the Environment, Enrich the Poor, Cure the Sick, and Liberate Humanity From Politicians, by Joe Quirk and Patri Friedman
3. Page 4 regarding fractured shin bones:
“…fractured shin bones of old mice healed faster and better when [they] were joined to young mice [rather] than to mice their own age” quoted from: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27562-young-blood-helps-repair-fractured-bones-of-ageing-mice/
4. Page 5 regarding fears:
“…fears are not unfounded. Health [is] one of the most lucrative sectors for con artists and criminals.” quoted from https://punctumbooks.com/titles/liquid-life-on-non-linear-materiality/
5. Page 12, definition of PKU, adapted from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/phenylketonuria/symptoms-causes/syc-20376302#:~:text=Phenylketonuria%20(fen%2Dul%2Dkey,needed%20to%20break%20down%20phenylalanine.
Chapter 1
1. Pages 28 & 29- information about William Coley adapted from: http://kidney-renal-cancer.blogspot.com/2011/02/history-william-coley-helen-coley-nauts.html and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1888599/
2. Page 29- definition of median survival adapted from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/1913-Evidence-Review.pdf
3. Page 34- information about Elie Metchnikoff quoted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bifidobacterium
Chapter 2
1. Paged 38-39: Quoidbach, Gilbert, and Wilson study quoted and adapted from: https://web.archive.org/web/20130113214951if_/http:/www.wjh.harvard.edu/~dtg/Quoidbach%20et%20al%202013.pdf
2. Pages 42-43: information about Hydra magnipapillata quoted and adapted from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131208133634.htm?utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner
3. Page 46- results quoted from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/07/07/study-of-1000-38-year-olds-shows-biological-age-ranges-from-30-to-60/
4. Page 47- results quoted from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/07/07/study-of-1000-38-year-olds-shows-biological-age-ranges-from-30-to-60/
5. Pages 47-48: heart age results and explanations quoted from: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-americans-have-a-heart-older-than-they-are/
6. Page 53- April 1998 Breast Cancer study information adapted from the National Cancer Institute: https://www.cancer.gov/about-nci/legislative/hearings/1998-breast-cancer-prevention-trial.pdf
7. Page 55- Gleevec and Herceptin information adapted and quoted from: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/research/car-t-cells
8. Pages 55-57: Third Pillar of Medicine information adapted and quoted from: https://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/538441/biotechs-coming-cancer-cure/
9. Page 58: information from Li-Fraumeni syndrome adapted and quoted from Abegglen, Caulin, Chan, et. al: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2456041
10. Page 58: information about Joan Massague adapted and quoted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Massagué
11. Pages 59-60: information about growth factors adapted and quoted from: https://www.hhmi.org/sites/default/files/Bulletin/2008/August/aug2008_fulltext.pdf
12. Pages 61-62: information about cells and metastases adapted and quoted from: https://www.hhmi.org/sites/default/files/Bulletin/2008/August/aug2008_fulltext.pdf
13. Page 65: optimism information adapted and quoted from: www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/07/07/study-of-1000-38-year-olds-shows-biological-age-ranges-from-30-to-60/?itid=lk_inline_manual_22
14. Page 67: information on drug-resistance bacteria adapted and quoted from: http://time.com/3630463/drug-resistant-infections-antibiotics/
15. Pages 68-69: bacteria in dirt information adapted and quoted from: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/health/from-a-pile-of-dirt-hope-for-a-powerful-new-antibiotic.html
Chapter 3
1. Page 75- information about Aequanimitas adapted and quoted from: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/medicine/education/hstrainingprogram/overview/index.html
2. Page 77- information about malaria adapted and quoted from: https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/faqs.html
3. Pages 80-83: information about the future of doctor appointments excerpted to: https://fortune.com/longform/the-lucky-years-david-agus/
4. Page 86: information about proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and cardiovascular disease adapted and quoted from: www.medicaldaily.com/common-otc-antacids-increase-risk-heart-attack-21-337594 and
5. Page 89: information about accessing medical information quickly adapted and quoted my article: www.marketwatch.com/story/10-prescriptions-for-president-obama-to-fix-obamacare-2014-01-08
6. Page 92: information about the airport study adapted and quoted from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2013/10/08/people-who-live-near-airports-at-increased-risk-for-cardiovascular-disease/
7. Page 100: Information about the science of demography and John Graunt adapted and quoted from: www.encyclopedia.com/people/medicine/medicine-biographies/john-graunt
8. Page 101: information about the plague quoted and adapted from: https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/medicine/medicine-biographies/john-graunt
Chapter 4
1. Page 102: Description of changes to the human genome adapted from: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/20/science/biologists-call-for-halt-to-gene-editing-technique-in-humans.html?_r=0
2. Page 103: Parasitic brain-eating amoeba reference adapted from 2014 Dr. Agus article: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-prescriptions-for-president-obama-to-fix-obamacare-2014-01-08
3. Page 104: Sharon Bernardi story - Lactic acidosis text adapted from: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19648992
4. Page 105: Sharon Bernardi story – elements adapted from: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19648992
5. Page 107: Carl Benda mitochondria identification adapted from https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP281833
6. Page 107: “inherited solely from the female lineage. During reproduction, while the nuclear DNA of the sperm joins with that of the egg, the male’s mitochondria are excluded.” adapted from David Perlmutter Grain Brain, Little, Brown, revised edition 2018
7. Page 113: Text at end of personalized medicine story similar to anecdote here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2203797
8. Page 114: Human Genome Project text adapted from: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/23andme
9. Page 114-115: Eric Topol quote should be in quotes: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2203797
10. Page 115: Pharmacogenomic information text adapted from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2203797
11. Page 115-116: Kalydeco drug text adapted from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2203797
12. Page 116: Drugabacus.org text adapted from: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-much-should-cancer-drugs-cost-1434640914
13. Page 116-17: Various text adapted from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2203797
14. Page 121-122: Paragraphs on emulsifiers and inflammatory bowel disease adapted from: https://civileats.com/2015/02/25/how-emulsifiers-are-messing-with-our-guts-and-making-us-fat/
Chapter 5
1. Pages 127-128: FDA Accelerated Approval Provisions text adapted and quoted from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC534924/
2. Pages 132-133: Obesity fact text adapted and quoted from: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/07/23/334091461/many-kids-who-are-obese-and-overweight-dont-know-it
3. Page 133: Children’s weight text adapted and quoted from: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/07/23/334091461/many-kids-who-are-obese-and-overweight-dont-know-it
4. Page 134: Sugar study text adapted and quoted from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2996955/Obese-people-denial-sugar-eat-Huge-gap-exists-fat-people-think-eat-reality-landmark-study-warns.html
5. Page 142: Dental plaque text adapted and quoted from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3128818/amp/400-000-year-old-teeth-reveal-evidence-man-pollution-shows-caveman-diet-really-balanced.html
6. Page 142: Red meat study text adapted and quoted from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/whats-the-beef-with-red-meat
7. Page 143: Red meat study text adapted and quoted from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/whats-the-beef-with-red-meat
8. Page 144: Death statistics related to red meat text adapted and quoted from: https://scitechdaily.com/study-shows-increased-mortality-risk-from-red-meat-consumption/
Chapter 6
1. Page 154: Journal of American Osteopathic Association study text adapted and quoted from: http://optometrytimes.modernmedicine.com/optometrytimes/content/tags/health-information/study-90-percent-health-related-wikipedia-articles-co
2. Pages 157-158: Flu vaccine study text quoted and adapted from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X14015424
3. Page 159: Dan Kahan experiment explanation text quoted and adapted from: https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/what-is-motivated-reasoning-how-does-it-work-dan-kahan-answers
4. Page 160: Flu vaccine study text quoted and adapted from: https://academic.oup.com/clinchem/article/65/1/135/5607909
5. Page 164: GI triggers list quoted and adapted from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rosspomeroy/2014/05/15/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity-may-not-exist/
6. Pages 166-167: Prostate cancer study quoted and adapted from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16094059/
7. Page 169: SELECT study text adapted and quoted from: https://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/research/select-trial-results-qa and http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140221184525.htm
8. Pages 169-170: Tomasetti and Vogelstein study text adapted and quoted from: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/01/bad-luck-and-cancer-science-reporter-s-reflections-controversial-story
9. Page 171: Small intestine cancer text quoted and adapted from: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/347/6217/78.full
10. Page 172: Variation in cancer rates text quoted and adapted from: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/01/bad-luck-and-cancer-science-reporter-s-reflections-controversial-story
11. Page 176: Cells repairing DNA text adapted and quoted from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17940622
12. Page 177: Cards dealt text adapted and quoted from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/02/why-the-causes-of-cancer-are-more-than-just-bad-luck/
13. Page 178: Research on foods and Boston Cooking-School Cook Book text adapted and quoted from: https://www.vox.com/2015/3/23/8264355/research-study-hype
14. Page 180: Vitamin D deficiencies text quoted and adapted from: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/UpdateSummaryFinal/
15. Pages 180-181: Vitamin D text quoted and adapted from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2014/01/13/the-top-six-vitamins-you-shouldnt-take/
Chapter 7
1. Page 189: Physical activity study text quoted and adapted from: www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001335
2. Pages 189-190: Physical activity data text adapted and quoted from: https://www.science.gov/topicpages/a/active+life+gained
3. Page 190: Fitness level and cancer data text adapted and quoted from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150326122052.htm
4. Page 193: Workout time data text adapted and quoted from: https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a20796415/sitting-is-the-new-smoking-even-for-runners/
5. Page 193: LEED standards text adapted and quoted in my article: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-prescriptions-for-president-obama-to-fix-obamacare-2014-01-08
6. Page 199: Exercise text adapted and quoted from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2652492/Forget-faddy-diets-CAN-fat-fit-Thats-claim-two-series-shatters-stigma-overweight-You-just-need-follow-six-simple-steps.html
Chapter 8
1. Page 203: MCI text adapted and quoted from: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/sleep-apnea-linked-earlier-memory-loss-study-n342931
2. Page 206: National Sleep Foundation recommendations adapted and quoted from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27707447/ and https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2937728/How-sleep-REALLY-need-Experts-compile-definitive-snooze-chart-revealing-shut-eye-need-stage-life.html?ico=amp-comments-viewall
3. Page 211: Research on benefits of sex for health adapted and quoted from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704569404576298953365120630.html?KEYWORDS=melinda+beck+benefits+of+sex
4. Page 212: Nicolae Ceausecu research findings text adapted and quoted from: https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/power-touch (used several times on pages 212- 215)
5. Page 214: Touch being a magic wand texted adapted and quoted from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3376727/For-healthier-New-Year-hug-day-quirky-effective-resolutions-doctor.html
6. Page 218: Flawed online cholesterol calculator text adapted and quoted from: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/health/flawed-gauge-for-cholesterol-risk-poses-a-new-challenge-for-cardiologists.html
7. Page 218-219: Danish study text adapted and quoted from: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1201735
8. Page 219: Statins & prostate cancer text adapted and quoted from: medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-statins-prostate-cancer-survival.html?deviceType=mobile
9. Page 220: Colorectal cancer study text adapted and quoted from: https://www.surgjournal.com/article/S0039-6060(21)00769-8/fulltext
10. Page 220: Breast cancer study text adapted and quoted from: https://www.mdedge.com/hematology-oncology/article/58515/oncology/study-suggests-statin-use-decreases-breast-cancer
11. Page 220: Prevention from statins text adapted and quoted from: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/666888
Chapter 9
1. Page 225: Kouroi artwork background quoted and adapted from: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/04/arts/art-absolutely-real-absolutely-fake.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
2. Page 226: Background on J. Paul Getty Museum artwork story quoted and adapted from: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcom Gladwell, Back Bay Books, 2007
3. Page 227: Snap conclusions and thin slicing text quoted and adapted from: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcom Gladwell, Back Bay Books, 2007
4. Page 232: Yunus self-sustaining companies text quoted and adapted from: https://hbr.org/2010/05/the-bold-vision-of-grameen-banks-muhammad-yunus