A Vodka Brand Started A Health Club
And some other (longevity) things that caught my eye this week
AI Doctors Are Having a Moment (And Not the Good Kind)
Newsweek dropped some sobering numbers this week: 1 in 5 AI diagnoses followed by humans completely backfired. The issue isn't what you think.
Anant Vinajmoori MD nailed it when he said the real problem isn't that AI sucks at medicine. It's that we're using general-purpose AI for something that demands serious nuance. People are turning to AI because traditional medicine feels about as personal as a DMV transaction, but we're essentially asking ChatGPT to play doctor when what we need is something that actually understands you.
The gap between "here's what WebMD says" and "here's what your body specifically needs" is where the next wave of innovation lives.
The Longevity Clinic Death Spiral
Remember when I said most longevity clinics are heading for a spectacular crash? Well, that post went…. more viral than I anticipated - 50K+ impressions, 356 DMs, and enough LinkedIn comments to fill my weekend.
The consensus? Most agreed these businesses are heading for trouble, but the real value came from discovering dozens of clinics I'd missed entirely - ones that seem to be thriving? Thanks to everyone who reached out. Next up: updated analysis with all your insights.
When Vodka Brands Start Wellness Clubs
Nick Tran (former CMO of Farfetch) took over Cîroc and created the "CÎROC Athletic Club." Yes, you read that right - a vodka brand is now in the wellness space.
Is this ridiculous? Absolutely. Is it also kind of genius? Also absolutely.
Let’s be real, a huge chunk of us spend hours in gyms and red light therapies, then goes out and orders martini. Tran is just acknowledging what the rest of the industry pretends doesn't exist: wellness isn't about moral purity, it's about balance and enjoying your life.
The GLP-1 Green Light
The FDA just launched a "green list" for GLP-1 drug ingredient importers, basically cleaning up the wild west of compounded Ozempic that emerged during the shortage. This is actually smart policy - during the shortage, sketchy compounding pharmacies were making their own versions with untested ingredients, leading to hospitalizations and dosing disasters.
Now that semaglutide is back in supply (as of February 2025), these knock-off products need to wind down. It's a rare example of regulation that actually makes sense and protects people.
The Obesity Charts That'll Ruin Your Day
Rex Woodbury shared some charts that made me want to crawl under a rock. In 1990, zero states had obesity rates above 20%. By 2018, zero states had obesity rates below 20%. Nineteen states now clock in over 35%.
When you compare the U.S. to Europe, it's even more depressing. This is why GLP-1s feel like such a necessary band-aid: we need something to stop the bleeding while we figure out how to fix the completely broken food supply and healthcare system. Hopefully the band-aid is just that, a band-aid and not a distraction.
Speaking of broken: RFK Jr.'s team claims almost 80% of Americans have at least one chronic condition. If that's real (and I have no idea where they got that number), it means the majority of the country is walking around in some form of pain or imbalance! For context, that number was supposedly half that just two years ago according to one of my favorite books The Age of Scientific Wellness. To read more, Food Is Health did a great job summerizing the recent testimony.
Big Brother Wants Your Oura Data
Oh this is a fun one: The FDA is convening a Digital Health Advisory Committee in November to talk AI, wearables, and digital therapeutics. This comes right after Oura's PR disaster on TikTok and my recent post on governments potentially using health data for surveillance. The timing is... interesting.
As these devices get smarter and more invasive, someone needs to figure out the rules before your OURA ring becomes a snitch to your insurance company.
Longevity vs. Healthspan (Stop Mixing Them Up)
The Wall Street Journal reported on major longevity funding from backers like Thiel, Altman, and Bancel, who are investing billions in companies researching lifespan extension.
But here's where it gets murky: the word "longevity" keeps expanding in meaning, much like "wellness" did. It's not always clear where the money actually goes. Investing $5B to extend human lifespan from 90 to 150+ years? That's true longevity research. Helping people maintain energy and avoid chronic disease? That's healthspan optimization.
Both matter enormously, but as this industry matures, we need more precise language. Most of us aren't trying to become immortal vampires - we're just trying to feel good during the years we have. The Greeks understood this: once basic needs are met, the natural next quest is extending and improving life (HBR wrote about it and so did I). It’s really fun to think that human nature doesn’t change. We just have better tools today.
The distinction matters because the research approaches, timelines, and expected outcomes are completely different.
(PS. I am 100% guilty of using the L word)
Your Bedroom Air Quality
A LinkedIn post by Karl Nislaw this week highlighted an overlooked health issue: "Everyone talks about outdoor air pollution, but your bedroom air is 2-5x more toxic than the street outside."
Nislow noted that brain aging can happen up to 17x faster than other organs, and while genetics play a major role, indoor air quality is one factor you can actually control. Given that you spend roughly 8 hours daily in your bedroom, the air quality there has a significant impact on long-term health. Please go invest in an air purifier - it’s worth it (here is one I recommend)
That's this week's roundup. As always, my DMs are open for thoughts and disagreements (find me here, linkedin or @klimjuls on IG)