#54 What Are We To Believe? (With Dr. Adam Cifu) Live Long And Well With Dr. Bobby podcast

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#54 What are we to believe? (With Dr. Adam Cifu)

6d ago 40:52

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Summary: I unpack why medicine sometimes reverses course—and how you can tell sound evidence from shiny anecdotes—with physician-author Dr. Adam Cifu of the University of Chicago and co-author of Ending Medical Reversal
.

Key topics & takeaways

Why medicine “flips”: Plausible theories + observational data → premature guidelines; true answers require randomized trials. Classic examples: menopausal hormone therapy, early peanut avoidance, and stents for stable angina (LEAP trial
, COURAGE
Open-minded skepticism: Ask, “What’s the human outcomes evidence?” Cool mechanisms and moving testimonials aren’t proof.
Hype outside the clinic: Mitochondria “rechargers,” microbiome panaceas, and biological age tests are intriguing—but not ready for prime time.
Nutrition sanity: For supplement evidence summaries, I like Examine
.
When AI helps (and when it doesn’t): Tools can orient you to established topics; they’re weaker on breaking studies. Look for linked primary sources.
N-of-1 experiments: When evidence is uncertain and the outcome is measurable (sleep, blood pressure, pain), test on yourself—track a baseline, try the change, measure again, and, if possible, stop-start to confirm. Use symptom diaries, validated scales, or wearables.
Humility is a signal: Trust sources that sometimes conclude “we don’t know.” I often check Cochrane Reviews
for balanced syntheses.

About my guest
Adam Cifu, MD is a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, author of 140+ peer-reviewed papers, and co-author of Ending Medical Reversal. He writes at Sensible Medicine.

Call to action
If this episode helped you think more clearly about health claims, share it with a friend and leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. For my newsletter on practical, evidence-supported longevity, visit DrBobbyLiveLongAndWell.com
.

Chapters

1. Why Medicine Keeps Reversing (00:00:00)

2. Meet Dr. Adam Cifu (00:02:15)

3. Classic Reversals: HRT, Peanuts, Stents (00:05:30)

4. How Weak Evidence Misleads (00:12:00)

5. Media, Experts, And Incentives (00:16:30)

6. Longevity Hype: Mitochondria, Microbiome, Clocks (00:19:30)

7. Where To Find Trustworthy Information (00:24:00)

8. Big Sites, Bias, And Brand Polish (00:28:00)

9. Using AI Tools Wisely (00:31:00)

10. Cochrane, Uncertainty, And “We Don’t Know” (00:36:30)

11. N-of-1 Trials You Can Run (00:39:30)

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