From Memios
The Longevity Letter
Practical writing and video on living strong and active into your 90s. No hype, no supplements to sell. Just what the evidence supports and what it looks like on an ordinary Tuesday.
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MedicationsDiltiazem
In a large trial in high blood pressure, diltiazem prevented heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths about as well as diuretics and beta-blockers, with fewer strokes.
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
MedicationsNaproxen
The trial evidence shows naproxen relieves short-term pain well: in reviews of dental and surgical pain, about half of people got useful relief versus 15% on placebo.
2026-09-30 · 17 min read
MedicationsPrednisolone
The evidence depends on the condition. Steroids like it cut hospital admissions for acute asthma and treatment failure in COPD flare-ups.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
MedicationsSumatriptan
Well established. Large Cochrane reviews show it works for acute migraine.
2026-09-30 · 15 min read
MedicationsThyroid
Limited evidence. It replaces thyroid hormone in people with an underactive thyroid.
2026-09-30 · 12 min read
MedicationsAcetaminophen; Hydrocodone
Limited evidence. In a single-dose dental-surgery trial it relieved pain better than placebo.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
MedicationsAcetaminophen
The evidence is use-specific and does not uniformly support 'it works for pain.' For single-dose acute pain (e.g. after surgery), Cochrane review data give a number needed to treat (NNT) of about 3.6 for a 1000 mg dose.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
MedicationsAlbuterol
Albuterol relaxes airway muscle within minutes and reliably protects against exercise-induced narrowing of the airways when taken as a single dose.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
MedicationsAmitriptyline
For depression, a Cochrane review of 39 trials found amitriptyline clearly beat placebo on response, but the trials were old and poorly reported.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsAmlodipine
In large outcome trials amlodipine-based treatment lowered blood pressure and cardiovascular events about as well as a thiazide diuretic (ALLHAT) and better than an atenolol-based regimen (ASCOT-BPLA).
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
MedicationsAmoxicillin; Clavulanate
Where placebo-controlled evidence exists, the benefit is real but modest and the harms are quantified.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
MedicationsAmoxicillin
Well established. Amoxicillin kills susceptible bacteria.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsAspirin
The strongest evidence is in people who have already had a heart attack or stroke, where pooled individual-patient data from randomised trials show a clear absolute reduction in serious vascular events.
2026-09-29 · 22 min read
MedicationsAtenolol
Disputed. Atenolol slows the heart and lowers blood pressure.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
MedicationsAtorvastatin
The trial evidence that atorvastatin and other statins cut heart attacks and strokes is strong.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
MedicationsAzithromycin
For the infections it is approved for, azithromycin works by stopping bacteria making proteins.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
MedicationsBupropion
Reviews find bupropion works better than placebo for depression and about as well as other antidepressants in head-to-head trials.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsBuspirone
A Cochrane review of 36 trials in 5,908 people found azapirones including buspirone better than placebo for generalised anxiety disorder, with a number needed to treat of 4.4 on the Clinical Global Impression scale.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
MedicationsCarvedilol
Well established. It slows the heart and relaxes blood vessels by blocking adrenaline's effects.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
MedicationsCelecoxib
Celecoxib relieves pain and inflammation, and the size of that relief is modest and measurable.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
MedicationsCephalexin
For the infections it is licensed for, the trial evidence is reasonably good but narrower than the label suggests.
2026-09-29 · 23 min read
MedicationsCetirizine hydrochloride
For allergic rhinitis, network meta-analysis of randomised trials shows oral antihistamines as a class beat placebo on symptom scores, with cetirizine among the more effective agents but not the top-ranked one.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsCholecalciferol
Correcting deficiency is where the evidence is solid: vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
2026-09-29 · 29 min read
MedicationsClonazepam
Limited evidence. The evidence is uneven and mostly short-term.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read