Conference Presentation, Panel, Fireside Chat
Brain Health for Longevity: What Works? What Doesn't?
Milken InstituteNora Super, Alvaro Fernandez, Sarah Lock, David Perlmutter, Alfred Sandrock, Brian Van Buren, Jeff Wilkinson, Dr. Mark Hyman, Joe Maroon, Mark Fisher
- By 2030, one in five Americans is expected to exceed age 65, with the oldest demographic (over 85) projected as the fastest-growing segment, alongside a anticipated surge in dementia rates in low- and middle-income countries.
- The longevity revolution is forecast to generate approximately $716 trillion annually in global economic activity.
- Medical strategies are shifting toward early intervention, including clinical trials for therapies targeting mild cognitive impairment and preventing amyloid beta deposition, with expectations that delaying dementia symptoms by five years could halve prevalence in regions with robust public health systems like Europe and Asia.
- Emerging approaches include a "Manhattan project" at Washington University focused on autophagy, the development of preventative drug therapies with wide safety margins, and the eventual use of personalized medicine panels to address age-dependent degeneration.
- Future disease-modifying therapies are anticipated not to be cures but functional treatments that will likely drive high patient enrollment in clinical trials, potentially preventing dementia entirely through early risk-based intervention.
- Neurotechnology is expected to become pervasive in consumer devices for brain monitoring, with specific applications ranging from driver safety sensors to biofeedback tools for stress regulation in high-pressure environments.
- Novel concepts under exploration involve using smart device triggers to initiate brain cleaning processes and a future industry akin to fitness, encompassing mental fitness trainers, counselors, and tools for universal brain health management.