Eric Topol

MD, cardiologist · executive vice president and professor of molecular medicine, Scripps Research; founder and director, Scripps Research Translational Institute · author of Super Agers (2025)

Go-to expert for: evidence-based prevention of age-related disease

Who and why

Eric Topol is a practising cardiologist and medical researcher at Scripps Research in California, where he founded and directs the Scripps Research Translational Institute. His team's Wellderly study followed people who reached their 80s and beyond without major chronic disease, and his 2025 book Super Agers sets out what the evidence says about staying healthy into old age. He focuses on preventing the big diseases of ageing, such as heart disease, cancer and dementia, rather than on reversing ageing.

Why it matters after 50: Heart disease, cancer and dementia usually build up silently for decades before symptoms appear. Topol's message is that people in their 50s and beyond can still lower their risk a great deal with proven habits and earlier, more targeted testing.

What Topol recommends

Exercise is one of the most important things you can do. In his own routine he does about an hour of strength training three to four times a week, plus aerobic exercise, to protect muscle, bones and balance.Strong evidence
Follow a Mediterranean-style diet: mostly vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains and nuts, little red meat, and about 25 to 30 g of fibre a day. Cut back on ultra-processed foods, salt, sugar and alcohol.Strong evidence
Aim for 7 to 9 hours of good sleep, stay socially connected, and spend time outdoors in nature.Some evidence
He takes no supplements. They have not been shown to improve outcomes in people who eat well and have no deficiency; if you suspect a deficiency, see your doctor and get tested.Note
Know your personal risk. He supports extra tests such as Lp(a) and ApoB for heart disease, and genetic risk scores and new blood markers for some cancers and Alzheimer's, so prevention can start early.Doctor only

Signature: The Wellderly study

Started in 2007, it enrolled more than 1,400 people aged 80 to 105 who had never had major chronic diseases such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes or dementia. Sequencing their genomes found no single longevity gene, which led Topol to conclude that genes play only a small role and lifestyle matters much more.

In your plan

Choose him for eating or brain health: plans show only well-supported supplements (creatine; vitamin D if low) and step targets that match the evidence for your age.

Build my mix

Research and honest caveats

Genomes of healthy agers (the Wellderly)

Healthy people in their 80s and older had lower genetic risk for Alzheimer's and coronary heart disease, but no single gene explained their healthy ageing.

Erikson et al., Cell, 2016

Some of the tools he is enthusiastic about, such as polygenic risk scores, new Alzheimer's blood tests, AI and GLP-1 drugs for prevention, are still emerging and not yet standard care. The Wellderly findings show links, not proof of cause and effect.

Career highlights

2007Launched the Wellderly study of healthy people aged 80 and over
2016Published the Wellderly genome findings in Cell
2025Published Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity (Simon & Schuster, May 2025)