cholesterol-fighting statins for their anti- inflammatory properties. He advises women to stay out of high heels, which he says promote inflammation that can lead to health problems down the road. And he believes a healthy diet, being physically active, getting proper rest and reducing stress levels are also keys to longevity. Agus challenges orthodoxy on many issues,
as well. He decries naps as being dangerous because they interrupt normal sleeping patterns. He believes nutrition should come from
primarily food and not from pills. He even suggests daily exercise isn’t enough to counteract a sedentary lifestyle, claiming long hours of sitting without physical activity are as bad for your health as smoking.
TARGETED CARE Beyond these attention-getting generalities,
what’s truly revolutionary about Agus’ worldview is his belief that no single piece of one-size-fits-all health advice works for everyone. He argues that “personalized medicine”
— tailoring healthcare to an individual’s particular genetic makeup, lifestyle, and risk factors — is the way forward. New developments in the field of pharmacogenomics, the study of how people’s
genetic makeup determines their response to a drug — now allow doctors to determine if a medication will work for a specific patient. Agus himself holds a financial stake in two firms in that field: Navigenics, a genomics company, and Applied Proteomics, which studies how proteins are expressed in the body. “I want people to collect data about their own health
THE LESSON OF STEVE JOBS Agus argues that most people can live a healthy disease-
free life right up until the day they die. Perhaps the best example of that approach was embodied by one of his most famous patients, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died of complications from pancreatic cancer years later than many specialists’ predicted he would live. “There were two aspects of Steve to note,” he tells
Newsmax. “First, he’s a hero. And second, he lived [in good health] until the day he died, and it’s an honor for me to take care of patients like that. He was a remarkable individual. “Some people are diagnosed
with cancer and as soon as they’re diagnosed they say, ‘Why me?’ and they stop living. They stop working. They don’t try to improve their relationships. But Steve didn’t do that. He worked as long as he could, and he kept working with his relationships.” Agus also notes that Jobs played a
key role in the book’s title, which was originally: What is Health? “He was the one who said, ‘Don’t
MINDING BODY Steve Jobs was a fighter and didn’t allow cancer to dampen his spirits, instead working to improve himself daily, says Agus.
use “health” in the title,’” Agus says. “He said, ‘To me, “health” sounds more like something I’m supposed to eat but tastes really bad.’ And he was right.” The End of Illness does not envision a world without
I want to go back to people dying without a cause, [such as] cancer or heart disease.” — Dr. David Agus
to be in charge of their healthcare,” he says. “You have to make the right decisions for you, based on your personal code of values and health circumstances, and in consultation with your own physician.”
Move more: A daily
workout — including cardio, strength training, and stretching —is vital, but it isn’t enough if you spend most of your day sitting. Get up and walk around every 30 minutes or so.
disease, of course. But Agus says he hopes most people will look past the debate the book has generated on supplements and conventional health perspectives, and use it as a handbook for healthier living, based on the best evidence available. “I want to go back to people
dying in their ninth or 10th decade of life from organ failure and living healthy lives right up until
then,” he says. “I want to go back to people dying without a cause, [such as] cancer or heart disease. And the truth is there’s no reason why we can’t.”
Editor’s Note: Get The End of Illness for just $4.95 with our Special Offer. Go to
www.newsmax.com/end
Keep regular daily
schedules: Eat, exercise, sleep, and wake up at roughly the same times every day. No napping. Try to sleep the same number of hours each night (seven to nine).
Reduce inflammation: Get an annual flu shot, take aspirin and cholesterol- lowering statins to reduce inflammation. Use ice, not heat, on post-exercise pain to reduce inflammation. Don’t wear high heels.
AUGUST 2012 | NEWSMAX MAXLIFE 83
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