What if you could dial back your biological age – not through expensive treatments or extreme diets – but with surprisingly simple habits that longevity doctors actually use themselves? Dr Harpal Bains joins Liz on this episode of Age Better to reveal the practical strategies that could genuinely add years to your life.
“In clinic, I often see patients with ‘perfect’ cholesterol whose vascular age is five to 10 years older than their chronological age,” says Harpal. “That’s when you realise standard tests don’t tell the whole story.”
So what does she prioritise in her own life? Stream the episode below, or download the recording via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Expert longevity tips to live well for longer
Protect your heart – beyond basic cholesterol tests
Cardiovascular disease remains one of the UK’s biggest causes of mortality. But Harpal looks deeper than standard lipid panels.
“I’m less interested in whether your cholesterol is ‘normal’ and more interested in whether your arteries are stiffening,” she explains. “Arterial stiffness is an early marker of vascular ageing.”
That’s why she measures pulse wave velocity (this assesses how flexible your arteries are), alongside blood pressure, inflammation markers and lifestyle stress.
“Normal isn’t the same as optimal,” she says. “And optimal is what we should be aiming for if we want longevity.”
Treat stress as seriously as diet and exercise
One of the most unexpected patterns Harpal sees?
“High-achieving, health-conscious women who are doing everything right on paper — but their vascular age is accelerated,” she says.
Chronic stress hormones affect the lining of blood vessels and drive inflammation. Over time, that adds up.
“Stress is biochemical,” Harpal says. “You can’t out-supplement or out-exercise chronic stress.”
For Harpal, longevity means:
- Regulating the nervous system
- Prioritising restorative sleep
- Avoiding overtraining
- Building joy into everyday life
“Joy isn’t frivolous,” she adds. “It’s protective.”
Embrace the 70% rule
Perfectionism, Harpal believes, is ageing.
“If you’re aiming for 100% all the time, you’re activating stress pathways daily,” she says. “70% done consistently is far more powerful.”
For her, that looks like:
- Eating well — but not obsessively
- Exercising moderately — not excessively
- Being mindful of environmental toxins
- Using hormones strategically when appropriate
- And still going out dancing with friends
“Ageing well isn’t about chasing one biomarker,” Dr Bains says. “It’s about understanding the systems that keep you resilient over decades.”
In the full episode, Liz and Dr Bains explore:
- Why your heart, cells and organs could all be different ages
- The pulse wave velocity test revealing arterial stiffness before symptoms appear
- The impact of stress on heart health and longevity
- How much exercise is too much?
- The truth about LDL cholesterol and oxidative stress
- Microdosing GLP-1 medications for longevity (not just weight loss)
- HRT as a longevity strategy beyond symptom relief
- The 70% rule and why joy might be the most powerful pro-ageing tool
Links mentioned in the episode:
More from Liz:
- Preorder Liz’s new book – How to Age
- A Better Second Half
- Follow Liz on Instagram
- Follow Liz Earle Wellbeing on Instagram
More from Harpal:
Get in touch with a question for Liz:
- Email: [email protected]
- WhatsApp: 07518 471 846
