Looks like with severe atherosclerosis, running could be a bad choice. My mother, 94, has severe atherosclerosis combined with a pretty sedentary but still independent lifestyle and seems to be OK on all levels. Maybe “the slower you go, the farther you reach” is true?
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My mother was much the same way. She lived many years on a farm and ate everything, including a lot of bacon. Died at 93.
Genes trump everything.
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Looks like it. My mother smoked all her adult life, also ate a lot of bacon, never observed any diet, never went to a gym, never counted steps, but her CBC and metabolic panel is something we all could envy.
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Jim Fixx is the poster boy of “take extreme care” when……in his case running. He was formerly obese and led a sedentary lifestyle, he formerly smoked 2-packs of cigarettes a day, and maybe most concerning; his father had had a heart attack in his late 30’s and died of another in his 40’s! In the days before Jim’s last run he was complaining of weakness, fatigue and chest pains.
Oh Jim, go to the emergency room brother, not the track!
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While we’re on the topic of mothers and genes: my mother, now 99, deep in the throes of Alzheimers (or some form of neurodegeneration-- she was never formally diagnosed) – she ate no fruits or vegetables (she was perpetually constipated). She lived on coffee, pastries, sweets, and a prodigious amount of red meat. No exercise, no friends or remaining relatives, no interests or hobbies, but also no smoking or alcohol. She is still walking around in her apartment, even after hip fractures that healed astonishingly quickly and completely. I have come to believe that he neurodegeneration is the result of her having taken so much librium, valium, amytriptoline, as she was angry and depressed all the time. But she has quite an appetite and has bounced back from every physical problem. Her excellent caretaker says she is a “very strong lady.”
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My mother, 94, was and still is very social with a bunch of friends 20 years younger than she is. Her mind is pretty sharp and memory as well. She eats everything but all meals are home made with a lot of veggies.
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Hmmm. I think I’m seeing a pattern here. The essential dietary item for longevity is….BACON!
I think I’m going to tweak my diet a bit:
Eggs & bacon for breakfast,
Bacon sandwiches for lunch,
Pork chops for dinner!
Certain religious groups don’t know what they’re missing! LOL
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Yeah, that’s surprising about Craig Venter. Obviously a crazy intelligent guy, massive ego, wealthy. He’s the exact sort who you’d think would be vigilant in taking care of his health. But the cause of death seems to be something related to a side effect of cancer treatment. In other words, he died from cancer (IMO, doesn’t really make a difference if it was the tumour progression or the treatment which does it). That’s a real shame.
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Who knows what’s right? I’ve been on a plant diet since 18. In my childhood I was forced to eat bacon and remember how it disgusted me - still have shivers when thinking about it. IMO it’s important to listen to your own body when it comes to diet.
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Just curious, was it the taste/texture or the thought of where it came from?
It was the texture, taste and smell. I still cannot stand the smell of it.
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Back in the day when I ate meat, I never liked bacon… I felt there was something wrong with me because I had never heard of such a thing!
I am not a big fan of bacon and only eat it when I am eating breakfast in a restaurant. I do like the taste of crisp bacon, but I am not fond of the smell. I never cook it at home because the smell tends to permeate the whole house and lingers for quite some time. There are some who like this smell, just as I love the smell of fresh-brewed coffee
I asked AI about bacon vs. sausage:
"Even though bacon may win this specific comparison, it’s crucial to remember that this is like choosing a slightly less severe injury. Both bacon and breakfast sausage are classified as “processed meats,” a category the World Health Organization has labeled as a Group 1 carcinogen. Its classifications reflect how strong the scientific evidence is, not how large the risk is."
"The risk is mostly in chronic daily use. "This reflects daily, long-term intake, not a single meal
Eating these foods occasionally is very different from eating them most days of the week
Frequency over years (not one breakfast or cookout)."
““probable carcinogen”, but couldn’t conclude exactly how much it increased your cancer risk by – or say how much needed to be consumed to increase the risk. However, there did appear to be an association with increased cancer risk when more than 100g a day was consumed.”
As I am the first generation off the farm, I had a lot of contact with relatives and family friends who were farmers. Most, if not all, of those I knew were big bacon consumers. To my knowledge, none developed any cancers associated with regularly eating bacon or sausage.
More likely, overconsumption would lead to obesity and CVD. So enjoy the occasional rasher of bacon if you like it.
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Lewy Body Dementia. History of lithium use. All the money in the world. All the success in the world. Dead at 87. Genes, weakest link.
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History of lithium use… I thought lithium was supposed to be beneficial for brain health… not contribute to dementia?
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Pretty good, interesting interview.
J. Craig Venter’s Last Interview (via Scientific American)
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Every 2 years we who are over 50, (soon to be lowered to 45) and live in Ontario, get an envelope in the mail with our free FIT poop test. You either get an all clear letter about a month later or you get a notice to schedule a colo-rectal exam.
All at no charge 
And if…
If you have a family history
- If a close relative (parent, sibling, or child) had colorectal cancer before age 60, guidelines recommend starting colonoscopy at age 40 or 10 years earlier than the youngest diagnosis in the family, whichever comes first, with 5‑year intervals.
- If you have one first‑degree relative diagnosed at 60 or older, screening may start earlier than the general population (e.g., FIT from 45 rather than 50) rather than routine colonoscopy in some updated guidance.
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If this is Canada’s only screening, it is far less robust than the US. That being said, maybe on a population level it works better because of convenience.
But whenever I see a post like this. I worry it implies that fecal blood testing is adequate and it is not. At least in the US and Canada is likely too close in diet and genetics to have a different risk/benefit result.
In the US, free colonoscopy starting at age 45 is one of the few “wins” and the represents the best practice. I am no fan of cologuard but in a win for the pocket book, a relatively recent change made colonoscopy free after a positive test. I don’t like cologuard because even it were as good as colonoscopy for detecting cancer, it doesn’t do well detecting polyps and doesn’t do anything to remove polyps. The thinking is that the vast majority of cancers start in polyps.
In the US insurance is mandated to make screenings free without co-payment or deductibles. While not everyone has insurance, at least “free” is a word we can toss around especially since this was not the case before ACA.
Now I am probably about to be billed $200 total for a 5 year colonoscopy because that exceeds the 10 year guidance - done because had a small polyp earlier.
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I don’t disagree but when the entire population of Canada is able to get this test for free and additional test if there is family history, it’s better than nothing. Also anyone with concerns can opt to pay for any test they want.
The thing is that risk is not necessarily harm, understanding ones risk and taking action is what is recommended as noted in my post. Lots of people are at risk for many things they never get.
what does the fit test detect.pdf (256.2 KB)