In the new episode of the podcast “The Temple of Stories” the focus falls on the topic of longevity and the modern so-called longevity medicine or in other words - longevity.
Longevity medicine is developing rapidly, but the foundation remains the same - prevention, sleep, quality food and exercise. According to Dr. Raina Stoyanova, some of the peptides offered on the gray market pose serious risks, and retatrutide is not yet an approved drug.
Traditional medicine has never ceased to be interesting to Dr. Raina Stoyanova. The endocrinologist defines herself as a doctor who is interested in the development of medicine and the so-called “Medicine 3.0“, an approach also related to longevity.
Her interest in the topic is also related to her personal history. She is from Bansko, and her grandfather is 96 years old, and her grandmother Raina is 89.
“When I started dealing with longevity, studying longevity, I was skeptical myself. I myself wondered: was I wasting my time. There really is a lot of hype, a lot of fashion, a lot of trend in longevity“, she says.
However, according to her, the main goal should not be simply to prolong life, but to maintain health and independence.
“It is not so important to live to 100, but how will we feel at those 100 years? So even if we live to 80, as long as it is dignified, as long as we feel good in our own skin. This is the meaning of the so-called healthy longevity“, says Stoyanova.
According to Dr. Stoyanova, genetics is one of the factors that matter for longevity, but she emphasizes the importance of lifestyle.
Longevity medicine also considers organ-specific biological age, since different organs can age at different rates.
“If we are genetically predisposed to having arterial hypertension and yet we eat more salty food, smoke, eat unhealthy food and do not move, then genetics and risk collide and the heart begins to age faster“, she explains.
Stoyanova also points to social contacts as a factor that, in her opinion, is related to longevity.
„One of the main factors is not being lonely and not feeling alone. That is, social contact and, to a large extent, enjoyment of life. To enjoy life, to be happy. Happiness is very important“, she says.
According to her, there is already experimental data according to which it is possible to influence biological aging. However, it has not yet been proven by clinical studies by how much a person's life can be extended.
When asked what would remain if peptides, biohacking and expensive clinics were removed, Dr. Stoyanova points out the basic principles of prevention.
„The most important thing and the foundation remain. Screening examinations, preventive examinations. Again, good sleep, quality food, sports, movement, steps“, she says.
According to her, a significant business and marketing industry has already developed around longevity.
“There is a lot of business and a lot of marketing in longevity. More than science. Science moves at a slower pace“, Stoyanova points out.
And she adds: “The foundation is free and accessible.“
Dr. Stoyanova defines the sale of untested peptides outside the regulatory system as a serious risk.
She points out that a large part of the drug molecules that enter clinical trials do not reach patients. According to her, the problem arises when substances that have not passed the necessary stages of testing and control are offered online.
„These certificates do not guarantee that each of these units will prove this purity and that we can guarantee the same concentration and quality“, she says.
In her words, it is particularly worrying that such substances are sometimes prescribed by doctors.
„We have to be very critical, very analytical, we have to be very... I would even say frustrated by this type of prescribed drugs, because they can be literally dangerous for our lives“, Stoyanova says.
Among the molecules discussed is retatrutide. Dr. Stoyanova emphasizes that at the moment it is not yet an approved drug.
“This drug does not yet exist on the American, European, let alone Bulgarian market“, she says.
According to her, its eventual approval is expected to take place in 2027. She also points to the molecule's potential for reducing body mass, talking about a result of around 30%.
At the same time, Stoyanova draws attention to the problem with products that are sold online under the name of molecules that have not yet been approved.
„We don't know exactly what we can buy. We don't really know if we're buying retatrutide," she says.
According to Dr. Stoyanova, the development of new molecules continues, including those that can simultaneously affect body fat, appetite and muscle mass.
“This reality is not impossible, to be honest, precisely because such molecules are being developed“, she says.
Stoyanova also points to developments related to myostatin, a factor that affects muscle growth.
The topic of new therapies, according to her, shows how quickly longevity medicine is developing, but at the same time emphasizes the need for evidence and control before a given molecule reaches patients.