Matt Kaeberlein

Presenting our first member of the Longevity Bracket Committee, Kayla Barnes! From Zone 2 to HRT to gut health optimization, Kayla's stack covers the full spectrum of what moves the needle in healthspan. Stay tuned for more Committee member reveals!

Our Clinic Director Dr. Nicki Byrne gives us her picks for the 2026 Longevity Medicine Region! If you want to vote, click the link in our bio to start your bracket!

The Longevity March Madness Bracket is LIVE. 64 interventions. One winner. You decide. Which longevity intervention reigns supreme? 🔗🔗Cast your vote in the thread below: For more information, here is our Guide and Cheat Sheat on all 64 interventions: drive.google.com/file/d/1HrM-5z… To submit an entire bracket, follow the link to our website: optispan.life/longevity-brac… 🔗We will start with the Lifestyle Region:

@MaxUnfried That was @siimland 's brainchild

@mkaeberlein Didn’t have becoming and transitioning into an Italian man with mustache on my bingo card for longevity. The Berlusconi intervention.

If you're still sitting on the sidelines, now you can choose your Longevity March Madness bracket based on your favorite mascot!!! Here are a few of my favorites. See if you can guess which interventions they belong to. Then check out our handy-dandy bracket cheat sheet with information on all 64 interventions and their mascots: drive.google.com/file/d/1gG5HDX… And don't forget to complete your bracket before the contest starts: optispan.life/longevity-brac…

Before his podcast episode with Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, Dr. Tommy Wood gave his insight on the Lifestyle Region of the 2026 Longevity Bracket. Make sure you head to the link in our bio and submit your bracket! Like his picks? Comment below what you would pick different!

One of the more interesting matchups in round 1 of Longevity March Madness: Sauna vs. @bryan_johnson's Blueprint. Can the million-dollar protocol upset the favorite, or will it be sent home early? Let the people decide: optispan.life/longevity-brac…

Longevity March Madness is live: optispan.life/longevity-brac… My Bracket: commoninja.site/57f22c67-7f29-…

@RealHaraldJezek @BKennedy_aging Bracket will be up Monday AM for people to download and make their picks. @Optispan_Inc

@mkaeberlein @BKennedy_aging not much to find on the Optispan site: "More information will be released soon" 🧐

The field of 64 is coming together 🧬 At the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City, @BKennedy_aging and Dr. Kevin White sat down to reveal their automatic bid picks for Longevity March Madness — and the list is stacked. At this point, one day out from Selection Sunday, 40 interventions are in (committee picks) and another 16 seem like solid bets. 8 will get in on the bubble. You can: 🧠 Learn more about the tournament here: youtube.com/watch?v=gLq4fl… 📊 Download and submit your bracket here: optispan.life/longevity-brac… Submit a full bracket, and you’ll be eligible for prizes awarded to the top finishers. Or vote in head-to-head matchups on X and Instagram. Automatic bids (from the committee - feel free to tell them why they are wrong): Abstinence from alcohol, Alpha ketoglutarate (sustained release), Astaxanthin, B complex optimization, Blood apheresis, Blood pressure optimization, Caloric restriction, Captopril, Cerebrolysin, Circadian optimization, Environmental toxin avoidance, Female Hormone Optimization, GLP-1 agonists, Healthy body composition / low visceral fat, Healthy processed food,  High quality multivitamin,  High quality nutrition, HRV optimization, Italian grandpa lifestyle, Male Hormone Optimization, Mediterranean-style diet, Metabolic health optimization, Moderate consumption of alcohol (ethanol), NAD (sublingual), Not smoking, Omega-3 optimization, PCSK9 inhibitors, PDE5 inhibitors, Plyometrics training, Proactive healthcare, Psilocybin, Rapamycin, Sauna, Sense of Purpose, Sglt2 inhibitors, Sleep optimization, Social connections, Strength Training, VO2 max opitimization, Zone 2 training Analyst picks to make the tournament: Bryan Johnson's Blueprint, Creatine, Dasatinib + Quercetin, Epigenetic Reprogramming, Human growth hormone, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, IL-11 inhibition, Intermittent fasting / time-restricted eating, Ketogenic diet, Klotho gene therapy, Lithium orotate, Metformin, NAD precursors (NR/NMN), Regular sexual activity, Spermidine, Therapeutic plasma exchange A lot of strong contenders are on the bubble, among them: Acarbose, Ashwaganda, Berberine, BPC-157, Cold plunge, Collagen Peptides, CoQ10, Exosomes, Fisetin, Follistatin Gene Therapy, Glycine, High protein diet, Low dose naltrexone, Low-dose aspirin, Magnesium, Microbiome transplantation, PEMF, Stem Cell Infusions, Red light therapy, Resveratrol, Sulforaphane, TA-65, Taurine, TRIIM (thymic regeneration, Fahy protocol), Urolithin A, Vaccination, Vitamin D. Who will make the cut and who will stay home? Comment below before Sunday evening on which interventions you want to see get in. Let the Longevity March Madness begin!

Selection Sunday is coming… and the Committee has been hard at work. 🧬 Brought to you by @Optispan_Inc and LongevityTexts, welcome to the first-ever Longevity March Madness. Just like the NCAA tournament, 64 longevity interventions will go head-to-head in a single elimination bracket to determine one ultimate champion. Here’s how it works: 🧠 The field of 64 is chosen by a selection committee of esteemed colleagues from across the longevity community. 📊 Seedings are determined by the strength of the scientific evidence. 📅 Selection Sunday: March 15 — the official bracket and seedings are revealed. 🏀 Tournament tips off March 16. YOU decide the winners. Vote in matchups through: • Community polls on X and Instagram • Or download and submit your full bracket prediction here: optispan.life/longevity-brac… Submit a complete bracket in advance and you’ll be eligible for prizes awarded to the Top 10 finishers. ⏱ Round 1 & 2 voting closes March 19 at 10am PST We’ll be posting updates, matchups, and results throughout the tournament here and on the Optispan YouTube channel. So start thinking… Will exercise dominate the bracket? Will rapamycin make a deep run? Or will there be a Cinderella longevity intervention no one saw coming? 📅 Selection Sunday — March 15 Let the Longevity March Madness begin. @siimland

I thought this was a well-done commentary that reflects a much larger problem in the space: people with big names and big followings using their platform to misleadingly market "longevity" products that don't work. Is your longevity doctor scamming you? open.substack.com/pub/agingwiths…

@RealHaraldJezek It's not primarily "biohackers" anymore. Or the definition of biohacker is expanding dramatically.

@mkaeberlein I think this peptide graze is a bad thing. The bio hackers, most of the time are totally clueless concerning the physiological risks, let alone the risk of impurities in the peptide or perhaps injecting something that is something totally different.

The peptide “gray zone” is a myth I’ve been doing a deeper dive into peptides for the last couple of weeks and am learning a lot. One thing that surprised me is the common misperception that there is a gray zone when it comes to prescribing and compounding certain unapproved peptides. Under U.S. federal law, drugs intended for human use must be FDA-approved or administered within an FDA-authorized clinical trial. Many peptides marketed in wellness and longevity settings do not meet those criteria and are considered unapproved new drugs. Distribution of unapproved drugs for human use outside those pathways is unlawful, and most of these peptides do not meet the statutory requirements for lawful compounding under Sections 503A or 503B of the FD&C Act. Peptides that fall into the unapproved category in the U.S. include: BPC-157, TB-500, thymosin beta-4, ipamorelin, CJC-1295, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, MOTS-c, humanin (and analogs), epitalon, FOXO4-DRI, klotho peptides, semax, selank, cerebrolysin, thymosin alpha-1, AOD-9604, and others. In these cases, prescription, compounding, or distribution is unlawful under federal law, regardless of whether patients sign consent forms or the products are labeled “research grade.” Those labels do not create a legal exception. What people experience as a gray zone is really uneven enforcement, not ambiguity in the law. Like traffic laws, some violations are rarely pursued while others trigger swift action. That difference reflects perceived risk, scale, and practical enforcement limits - not legal permission. I liken it to uneven enforcement of traffic laws. Driving a few miles per hour over the speed limit is common and often ignored. Driving drunk at high speed through a school zone is also illegal, but universally recognized as far more dangerous. With unapproved peptides, the challenge is that we don’t yet know which compounds represent relatively low risk and which may cause serious harm. Sourcing unapproved drugs presents an additional layer of risk, due to a lack of regulatory oversight and potential for impurities. If you choose to use unapproved peptides, here are some things I would recommend: - Understand whether the peptide is FDA-approved or an unapproved drug - Work with a licensed physician who understands the regulatory status and safety uncertainties - Monitor relevant biomarkers - Avoid untested or “stacked” peptide combinations - If compounding is involved, use a licensed pharmacy with sterile compounding standards and transparent quality controls - Never use ”research grade” - Closely monitor for infection or allergic reaction Stop use if new or concerning symptoms develop More broadly, I’m interested in whether people think the widespread prescription, compounding, and distribution of peptides is a good thing or a bad thing. Should we require rigorous data on safety and efficacy before allowing drugs to be sold or prescribed in the U.S? Would you prefer a medical doctor who follows the letter of the law or a doctor who is willing to break the rules from time to time?

Yes. Undoubtedly, some unapproved peptides are beneficial for humans, although very unlikely any are beneficial for all humans. Unfortunately, in the absence of quality data, it's mostly a guessing game at this point. The people making money marketing these things (or marketing the "protocols" and "courses") are the ones claiming they know what works and what doesn't, which is problematic.

@mkaeberlein It's an interesting discussion, but what I really want your opinion on is: Do any of them likely have health benefits for humans?

It doesn't appear that FDA is actually keeping peptides from people, since they are easy to access. Further, why do you believe these peptides can "really help" people? I believe some can and others can't, but we don't actually have the data to demonstrate that. It's largely speculation fueled by people who make money off of making you believe this is true.

@mkaeberlein The gray market is a necessity for many people since the FDA is keeping from people peptides which can really help them. Working with a licensed doc usually isn’t feasible due to cost and limitations on what they can prescribe.

Interesting perspective. Your assumptions about mine are off base. A couple of thoughts. You may be able to evaluate all of the available data for yourself, but many aren't. Furthermore, the only way we obtain high-quality data is through rigorous research and clinical trials, which would likely not happen outside of a regulatory environment. I generally share the view that people should have the right to do whatever they want for their health as long as they aren't harming others. The manufacturing and distribution of harmful substances clearly fall under the definition of harming others.

I would prefer that you and others drop the paternalism and especially that physicians gtfo of my personal health. Frankly, you seem entirely focused on the wrong things and approaching all this the wrong way. People should learn how to drive their vehicle, what speeds/maneuvers feel safe, and how to handle different situations. Not have daddy tell them how fast they can drive. Moreover, and importantly, your traffic analogy breaks down bc you can harm others with your bad driving, but you’re only harming yourself with poor use of research chemicals.

I've been doing a deep dive into this recently. As far as I can tell, there is no credible data source for efficacy or safety in most cases. That's the problem. The people claiming they know safety and efficacy for unapproved peptides are usually making money from marketing the peptides or marketing protocols for how to use the peptides. It's a messy, weird, and in some cases dangerous space.

Looking for a scientist who studies peptides. Particularly novel peptides that many people are buying from compounded pharmacies and underground labs. If you know of a credible scientist in this space who can speak to efficacy and safety profiles please tag them below or direct message me thank you.

We've received over 80 photos! 😍 Keep sharing your entries for the #TheGreatestWish photo challenge. We'll announce our 2nd round of weekly winners on Monday, so stay tuned! 🐾 Join our Dog Aging Pack: dogagingproject.org 🎵 Curtis Salgado Music: lnk.to/TheGreatestWish

Today I completed my 55th trip around the sun. Here's how I celebrated: instagram.com/p/DUyqiHpkvXQ/ Every year is a gift. What we do with it is a choice. Grateful beyond words for all of you who have chosen to walk - and climb - this journey with me.