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There appear to be many wealthy folks trying to live longer. Billionaires, including Jeff Bezos, are making large investments in the research of the aging process. I read about one tech entrepreneur who spends $2 million a year in an attempt to turn back the clock.
Equinox, an upscale gym, offers a $40,000 a year membership that helps you live “100 healthy years.” It includes biomarkers and fitness tests to measure your health. Then they use the data to create your own personalized health and fitness plan that includes coaches and trainers.
I don’t put a lot of stock in much of what I read about what the anti-aging movement is doing. I’m not convinced that those types of endeavors will amount to meaningful results. But I do believe advances in medication and other medical innovations can.
Leana Wen writes in The Washington Post about five medical innovations that can improve your health and well-being. Here are two of the medical breakthroughs I’d be willing to try, and they won’t cost a lot of money:
A blood test that can detect colon cancer.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Unfortunately, 1 in 3 people who should get screened for colorectal cancer have never been tested. One reason is they probably, like me, hate the idea of prepping for a colonoscopy.
There is a new blood test that can “detect more than 87% of early-stage cancers.” It has been approved by the FDA and it’s a test that can be done with your other routine blood tests that are prescribed by your doctor.
I had my last colonoscopy when I was 72, and was told to come back in 10 years. The American Cancer Society doesn’t recommend a colonoscopy after age 85, for people who have an average risk for colon cancer. I’d be willing to take this blood test in lieu of another colonoscopy at age 82. However, a colonoscopy is still the gold standard. It is 93% successful at early detection and removes non cancerous polyps that can one day turn into cancer.
AirPods that can operate as hearing aids.
A study from Keck Medicine of USC reported that hearing aids reduce the risk of death by 24%. Hearing aids can lower the risk of falls, depression and cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. But less than 30% of folks 70 and older have used hearing aids.
The FDA recently approved to allow Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 to also function as a hearing aid. After downloading a software update, you can use your AirPods to take a hearing test. If you have a mild to moderate hearing loss, the AirPods would function like a hearing aid and reduce background and noise and boost conversational sounds.
Hopefully, people who don’t want others to know that they have a hearing problem would be more willing to wear AirPods.
Would you be willing to try either of these two medical innovations?
I’m on my third pair of hearing aids, and the AirPods would not be sufficient for my hearing loss. My new ones have several great features: Phone calls go directly to my hearing aids (but I can switch it to the phones speakers if I am on hold — you don’t want hold music or ads cranking through your hearing aids). Also, I can play music from my phone to the hearing aids. The bass is not as strong as on a real stereo, but the sound is adjusted for my primarily high frequency hearing loss. One of the coolest features is a box that connects my TV to my hearing aids, allowing me to listen to ball games after my wife goes to bed or when she is trying to read and I am working out and watching one of the Star Treks. It is no good for enhancing the sound when the TVs volume is up, though.
The blood test for colon cancer sounds like a win, perhaps as an adjunct to colonoscopy.
I read the Washington Post every day but I must have missed that article. Thank you.
I delayed hearing aids as long as possible, mainly because of the cost. My Medicare Advantage plan finally added them as something I could buy at a greatly reduced rate, so I jumped. I truly appreciate them, but they aren’t always essential for me, and so there are stretches when I just don’t wear them. (Four obvious examples: when I mow my lawn and do yard work, when I am by myself for any extended time, when I exercise and when they are likely to get wet.) I chose batteries over rechargeables because I don’t ever want to be caught in a situation where the aids die and I can’t do anything about it for a long while. Plus batteries last 4-6 days for me. When I compare what aids do for hearing with what artificial lenses do for sight, the latter wins, hands down. That eye surgery is a miracle. But aids have their place. I have never been embarrassed about having hearing aids – I am open about them, talk freely about them, and often take them out to show people how they work. No big deal.
Separately, while I have learned to hate the taste of Jello (a dessert I used to really love), I will never forego (or even delay) my next colonoscopy. I’ll grit my teeth and live with it. A substitute will have to prove itself very clearly before I’ll change my view about that. The risks are too real.
I agree completely. I had cataract surgery on both eyes and have moderate to severe hearing loss. I’ve worn hearing aids for 8 years, intermittently at best since they’ve never been comfortable for me, and only marginally improve my hearing. Eye surgery has been so much better improving the quality of my life!
There is a good description of how to set up Airpods 2 as hearing aids by someone who also uses $3,000 Oticon hearing aids.
How Does This Compare to Actual Hearing Aids?
I also wear Oticon hearing aids, which cost about $3000. These hearing aids have some nice features:
They are much smaller in the ear so are more comfortable to wear for hours at a time.The battery lasts for 12+ hours on a charge and the case recharges them three times.They are practically invisible. No one can tell I am wearing them.They can connect to the iPhone (and Mac) using Bluetooth LE so you can play audio and music through them, although the fidelity is not great. You can also take phone calls through them.The AirPods Pro 2 have their own advantages as well.
Sound quality is so much better, especially for music. The Oticon hearing aids sound OK, but because they do not seal the ear, there is little bass.Phone calls are much better. The noise cancelling actually helps the person you’re talking to more as they don’t get a bunch of background noise.They feel more durable and the case is much smaller.I find that the noise cancelling on the AirPods Pro 2 can be a big lifesaver in noisy environments where the AirPods with transparency make it easier for me to hear.
However, the AirPods protrude and are highly visible. Some people might think you are being rude by wearing them while talking to them.
The AirPods battery don’t last all-day so would not be a good solution for something that needs hearing aids all the time.
I also find the AirPods are more susceptible to wind than the Oticon are.
I used my AirPods in hearing aid mode for about a year before I got my real hearing aids. These days I carry both with me and use the one that is more appropriate for the situation.
https://bangyourhead.substack.com/p/heres-how-to-use-airpods-pro-2-as
AirPods as hearing aids, maybe. Many of the current ones I see are barely detectable, so I might prefer that look when the time comes (pretty soon considering my family history). Price, of course, will be a factor 😄
Blood test for colon cancer: Unlikely. Like you, Dennis, I’m good not to have a colonoscopy until my early’80s and have already decided against one. I’m at low risk. Also, living to “a healthy 100” isn’t a goal that I’m striving for. I’ll stick with the recommended amount of sleep, an okay diet and some exercise, while also trying to keep a positive mindset and will deal with the inevitable problems when they occur.
I have significant hearing loss in both ears such that even hearing aids can only do so much. My new pair (replaced a four year old pair) offers enhanced features and results but as mentioned elsewhere, being in noisy environments and trying to focus on hearing a conversation is still nearly impossible. It is extremely frustrating. I have been using the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for a couple of years, usually when my wife heads to bed before I do. Having the TV audio piped directly to my ears (with AppleTV) lets me hear the sound much better and keeps the house quiet for her. This Pro 2 model has always offered the ability to tune your AirPods to your hearing test results chart from your audiologist. I am looking forward to the enhanced features coming soon to see what it can do to help me.
I offer the following to those fortunate enough to hear well without the aid of a device:
I am a member/customer and shareholder of both Apple and Costco. I was ripped off badly by a private audiologist many years ago and gave up on hearing aids for several years due to ongoing frustration (bad idea). I have only the most positive of opinions of my local Costco hearing aid department and the people there. You will likely find that their pricing is 3-4X lower with much better warranties versus private entities (for the same models). They cannot address hearing loss that goes beyond their product offerings and expertise but I’d go back there in a heartbeat if I needed help to see what they might be able to do.
I hope you find this personal perspective helpful.
My current hearing aids also came from Costco, and I recommend them. This pair supports Bluetooth, meaning the sound from my phone and my iPad goes directly to my aids. I recently bought a new TV that also supports Bluetooth, but am waiting for an adapter to arrive at Costco before the TV will connect to my aids.
Yes, the Bluetooth support with my hearing aids is useful to me as well. They also link with Apple CarPlay and it helps to hear my map app directions. One thing to be aware of is that when a call comes in, I hear the ringer both thru my hearing aids and at the phone itself. Not an issue unless someone else happens to answer your phone for you, wondering why you’re not answering it. The reason you don’t answer might be because you’re in the loo and your phone isn’t. There has been a time or two that, once the phone itself was answered directly, my hearing aids went live with the call and became the priority communication line which I thankfully figured out very quickly.
My last job required a lot of telephone meetings. On speaker phone, I think I experienced the background noise issue you described with hearing aids. Basically, if there was any significant background noise on the other end of the telecon it was impossible to understand the remote speaker. I can really understand your desire to avoid venues that expose you to that irritating babble of noise. At least the telecon’s allowed us to put in place some rules to minimize that, which of course isn’t possible in various social settings.
I permanently lost my hearing in my right ear decades ago as part of a surgery. I quickly found out hearing with just one functioning ear that sound is very directional and learned that where I sit can impact my ability to hear those around me in close quarters or where I want to sit in a public forum. In wide open spaces I have trouble determining the direction the sound is coming from. Yep, Mom’s reminder of looking both ways before crossing has saved me more than once 70 years after she first uttered that caring wisdom.
After my sudden hearing loss I became very protective of my remaining ability to hear. I quickly adopted wearing noise protecting headphones anytime I am cutting the grass or running a blower. I recommend using such protective devices.
I had heard of the study that you reference that found that regular hearing aid use is associated with a lower risk of early death from hazards in adults with hearing loss which seems reasonable to me. Here is a link to study –
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(23)00232-5/fulltext
William – I am the same. I have no hearing on the right side. I tell folks my right ear is there for visual symmetry. I agree that positioning oneself in relation to others is critically important. Also, even though friends may know you cannot hear on one side – they don’t always remember the correct side. My wife and one close friend are the only ones who always know where to sit or position themselves.
I’m also very protective of my hearing on the left side, and wear hearing protection when doing yardwork, attending concerts, or other loud gatherings.
I have decent hearing on the left side, but wear a hearing aid as an “assist”. I also wear a bi-cross hearing aid, so sounds captured on my right are transferred to the left. I find that it works only so-so. But it’s time to check out new technology and improvements. As others have mentioned, I do not wear my hearing aids all the time. After all these years I can usually figure out when to wear them.
I have one friend who underwent cochlear implant surgery. I’m not sure she’s really happy with the results.
When using loud equipment, I’m glad you’re wearing headphones to protect your hearing. My father, who was a machinist, had serious hearing problems after all those years working around those loud machines. Unfortunately, when he was working, we didn’t have all the protective devices that we have now.
Dennis, thanks for an interesting post. The information about the AirPods is intriguing. We have friends and family with hearing loss who rely on hearing aids. Traveling with them made me much more aware of the significant background noise in many public places. My wife and I have discussed how difficult it is to hear each other, or our dining companions, in many restaurants. It does make you feel a bit isolated when you are not part of the conversation. A good friend who uses hearing aids recently explained that he sometimes hears things so loudly that he tends to speak softly, thinking he is yelling. The ironic result is the people without hearing aids can’t hear the person with hearing aids.
Rick, My dad also spoke softly. I never thought it was because he was hearing things loudly with his hearing aids, that it made him think he was yelling. Thanks for the comments.
I have the same problem. My voice sounds normal to me, but is too quiet for others. Presumably it’s because the sound goes directly to my hearing aids.
Good to hear from you again Dennis.
You wrote “I read about one tech entrepreneur who spends $2 million a year in an attempt to turn back the clock.”
Here’s some suggestions that cost next to nothing, except mostly your time:
1) Eat a healthy diet
2) Get 180 minutes of moderate exercise a week
3) Perform strengthening exercises three times a week
4) Perform balance exercises daily
David, Good list. I would add one more item to your list: get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.
Good article. The blood test sounds good, but I doubt I’d stop the scheduled colonoscopies since they can remove pre-cancerous polyps and I’d rather not wait until they turn cancerous. But adding it to the annual blood test suite; for sure. Next visit I’ll ask my physician about it. As far as the AirPods, I have a set and will probably download the upgrade and give it a try. But I’m doubtful of their usefulness as their battery life is much shorter than hearing aids. But it might be useful in certain situations as I’m borderline needing hearing aids.
The AirPods Pro 2 has a battery life of 4 to 6 hours. I think they would be useful in situations where you’re watching television or talking on the phone.
Exactly.
I wear my current hearing aids from the time I get dressed in the morning until I go to bed at night, so AirPods wouldn’t be much use to me. I only wore the first set when I went out, but they didn’t work very well.
I use Cologuard instead of colonoscopy, but I’d be willing to try a blood test instead. This is the only country that uses colonoscopy as the first line of defense against colon cancer, probably because it’s so profitable.
I wear hearing aids. This is my second set, and neither have been much good at blocking background noise. I suspect AirPods will be no better. In any case, I have low as well as high frequency hearing loss and I need an audiologist to program my aids.
I use the Cologuard, too. Unless you have markers to indicate you are at-risk, it is the medical system that benefits more than the individual. I would hate to examine how one’s gut microbiome is affected by preop colonoscopy. Polyps are common and many are not cancerous or precancerous. The medical establishment would like all to believe polyp=cancer.
Kathy, You’re probably right about the AirPods not being better than your current hearing aids. They are recommended only for people who have a mild to moderate hearing problem.
Dennis, yes, I’d gladly try any of those you listed. I will need hearing aids at some point, my hearing is borderline at this time. I’m very interested in the AirPods as well as advancements in non-prescription hearing aid technology.