July 31, 2025

#220 5 Longevity Drivers That Actually Increase Lifespan by 500% | Dr. Zain Hakeem @ River Rock Medical

1 hour 13 minutes

Think more data means better health?

Dr. Zain Hakeem challenges the obsession with endless biomarkers & breaks longevity down to its core drivers. You’ll see how effect size, simplicity, consistency, beat the latest trends & how to bioharmonize your lifestyle around what truly works.

Meet our guest

Dr. Hakeem is a dual board-certified physician in Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, with a background in philosophy from LSU & a medical degree from Texas College of Osteopathy. He practices both primary & hospital medicine, blending acute care insight with preventative strategies.

He’s the creator of the Rx-Bayes app, which helps doctors interpret diagnostic accuracy through a statistical lens. On his YouTube channel, he breaks down health misinformation, explores true longevity optimization, & discusses why meaning is essential to living well.

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Key takeaways

Focus on five key drivers like VO2 max, strength, social connections, not smoking & blood pressure instead of chasing 100+ biomarkers

Prioritize interventions with the biggest impact on lifespan rather than spending energy on minor or unproven strategies

Avoid mistaking correlation for causation by digging deeper into the real reasons behind trends

Recognize that the number of social interactions directly influences mortality risk & shouldn’t be overlooked

Improve VO2 max & strength through exercise to dramatically cut mortality risk even with simple changes

Avoid Goodhart’s Law by targeting true overall strength instead of isolated metrics like grip strength

Choose practices with real effects backed by evidence rather than wasting time chasing small wins

Optimize both quantity & quality of life by aiming to enjoy more years not just add them

Understand that both too much & too little sleep carry risks while exercise may be more influential than sleep alone

Rely on interventions supported by strong human evidence like clinical trials & Bradford Hill criteria

Episode Highlights

3:36 5 Longevity Drivers That Matter Most

10:07 What the Research Gets Wrong

25:19 VO2 Max, Strength & Social Health Deep Dive

40:02 Exercise, Adaptation & Anti-Fragility

47:18 The Limits of Stacking & Testing

1:08:21 Redefining Longevity, Sleep & What Really Matters

Links

Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YhcdonAJm8M

Full episode show notes: outliyr.com/220

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By Nick Urban | Longevity, Biohacking, & Performance

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