What if aging is not only driven by what happens inside our cells, but also by factors circulating in our blood? In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch talks with Brad Younggren to explore the emerging science behind therapeutic plasma exchange and its potential to influence inflammation, biological aging, and chronic disease. Drawing on human clinical trial data, including the Circulate Trial, he explains how removing pro-aging factors from plasma may impact biomarkers, biological age, and overall healthspan. This conversation offers a fascinating glimpse into the future of Longevity medicine while reinforcing the importance of foundational Lifestyle strategies for aging youthfully. Dr. Brad Younggren is the CEO and co-founder of Circulate Health, a company focused on advancing human healthspan through innovative therapies. He is a board-certified emergency physician and former U.S. Army combat physician, where he was awarded the Bronze Star and Combat Medical Badge. Dr. Younggren has held multiple leadership roles at the forefront of healthcare Innovation, including President and Chief Medical Officer at 98.6, where he helped develop AI-powered primary care solutions. His career spans digital health, medical devices, and global healthcare delivery. Today, he leads research into therapeutic plasma exchange and its potential role in longevity science and chronic disease.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 – Welcome and introduction

02:30 – Aging beyond the cell: circulating factors in the bloodstream and their role in inflammation and disease

05:00 – Dr. Younggren’s journey from emergency medicine to healthcare innovation and longevity science

09:00 – The evolution of digital health and smartphone-based diagnostics

12:00 – What is therapeutic plasma exchange and how it has been used in medicine for decades

15:45 – The Circulate Trial explained: study design, treatment groups, and control methodology

18:30 – Measuring outcomes: biomarkers, cognitive testing, grip strength, and biological clocks

21:00 – Key findings: biological age reduction and changes in proteomic markers

24:30 – Translating complex science into practical biomarkers patients can track

26:30 – Applications beyond longevity: chronic disease, Alzheimer’s research, and long COVID

30:30 – Microplastics and plasma exchange: emerging research and early findings

33:00 – Evaluating longevity therapies: why human data matters

35:30 – Foundational health habits versus advanced interventions

36:50 – Wrap-up and key takeaways

Connect with Dr. Brad Younggren

Circulate Health: https://www.circulate.health

Circulate Trial publication (Aging Cell journal)

Information on plasma exchange and ongoing research initiatives

Call to Action:

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Dr. Gillian Lockitch Dr. Gillian Lockitch

Dr. Gillian Lockitch is an international speaker, author of Growing Older, Living Younger: The Science of Aging Gracefully and The Art of Retiring Comfortably, and host of the Growing Older, Living Younger Podcast. As a dual-certified Specialist in Paediatrics and Medical Biochemistry and Professor at the University of British Columbia, her professional career was rooted in science. During her rehabilitation from life-saving emergency spinal surgery, her passion to be able to dance again led her to explore the intersection of medical and epigenetic science with non-Western healing traditions, to understand how to change aging at the cellular level. Within the Growing Older, Living Younger Project, the Change Your Aging Masterplan cycle is a year-long 3 part coaching program to preserve mind and brain, build your best body, and to survive and thrive in your environment. At 70 Dr. Lockitch became a first time entrepreneur, building a global online business with the premiere wellness and beauty company, to help others extend their healthspan, stay vibrant, active, and independent as they age. Now retired from medical practice, Dr. Lockitch is an empathetic coach and mentor but does not diagnose, treat or prescribe for medical diseases.