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.
568 items
Clear filters
SupplementsCordyceps
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited and inconsistent.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsDapagliflozin
This is one of the better-evidenced drugs in modern medicine for its cardiac and kidney uses, resting on large placebo-controlled outcome trials rather than surrogate markers.
2026-09-29 · 23 min read
MedicationsDextroamphetamine; Amphetamine
In short-term trials, amphetamines reduce clinician-rated ADHD symptoms more than placebo in both children and adults, with large effects on average.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsDHEA
Disputed. The evidence is mixed and mostly disappointing.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
MedicationsDiclofenac
Diclofenac is among the most effective oral anti-inflammatory painkillers and among the most cardiovascularly risky.
2026-09-29 · 24 min read
ResearchHow does dietary fibre affect the gut microbiome and health?
Across 64 trials, fibre supplements (especially fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides) raised stool Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus but did not change alpha-diversity.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsDigestive enzyme blends
For people whose pancreas does not make enough enzymes (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, for example in cystic fibrosis), prescription enzyme replacement is the standard treatment.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
SupplementsDPP IV protease and gluten-degrading enzyme supplements
Common DPP-IV-type digestive enzyme supplements do not protect people with coeliac disease: laboratory testing found they leave the immune-triggering parts of gluten largely intact.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
MedicationsDulaglutide
In the REWIND trial (9,901 people, median 5.4 years) it reduced the combined rate of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death from 13.4% to 12.0%, a hazard ratio of 0.88, while all-cause mortality did not differ.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
MedicationsDuloxetine
Well established. It blocks the reabsorption of the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
FastingEat-Stop-Eat
Limited evidence. Evidence for weekly 24-hour fasting is limited to one small RCT.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsEchinacea
Disputed. The evidence is disputed rather than settled.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsElderberry
The honest summary is that the evidence is thin and uncertain rather than settled either way.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsEleuthero
Not supported by the research. It is sold as an 'adaptogen' for stress, fatigue and stamina.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsErgocalciferol
The literature is clear on what ergocalciferol does to a blood test and much less flattering about what it does to outcomes.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsEscitalopram
Large reviews of the trials find escitalopram, like other antidepressants, beats placebo for depression, and it is among the better-tolerated ones in head-to-head trials.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
MedicationsEthinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone
The evidence supports it as effective contraception: in the pivotal study of one such product there were 5 on-treatment pregnancies in 3,565 cycles without backup contraception, a Pearl Index of 1.82.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsEvening primrose oil
Not supported by the research. For the two uses with the most trial data, the answer is that it does not work.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsExogenous ketones
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited and mixed.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
MedicationsEzetimibe
The evidence that ezetimibe lowers LDL cholesterol is solid and the size of that effect is modest; the evidence that it prevents heart attacks and strokes is real but small and contested.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
Fasting36-hour fast
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited to small, short trials, mostly in healthy adults under 60.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
FastingFasting-mimicking diet
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited and closely tied to the product's maker.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsFenofibrate
The literature supports fenofibrate as a triglyceride-lowering drug whose effect on hard cardiovascular outcomes is unsettled.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsFenugreek
Fenugreek seed is promoted mainly for blood sugar, for cholesterol and as a galactagogue to increase breast milk.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read