Why your legs may determine how long you live (and how well your brain ages)
Strength predicts mortality more powerfully than blood pressure in some large cohorts. The leg muscles are most of the strength most of us have.
9 min read
Family & lifestyle medicine
Clear thinking on heart, longevity, and living well.
I’m Dr Adrian Laurence. A family and lifestyle medicine doctor writing for people who want to understand their own health. One article a week, on the questions people most often ask about their bodies, and the research I spend my evenings reading.
Latest articles
View all →Why you keep waking up at 3am, and what the sleep research says about it
Waking around 3am is not random. Sleep cycles get lighter, cortisol rises, body temperature shifts, and several common evening habits sit on top of all of it.
8 min read
The 5-minute writing exercise that measurably increased optimism in a randomised trial
Five minutes a day, two weeks of guided imagery. Tested in randomised trials and meta-analyses for effects on optimism. Modest but consistent. Research, not treatment.
8 min read
What the squat-break research actually shows about blood sugar
A viral post claimed ten squats every 45 minutes beats a 30-minute walk for blood sugar. The real study is more useful than the headline.
8 min read
Eating after 9pm ages your heart and liver faster. Especially after 40
A 2026 NHANES analysis of 14,012 adults found finishing the last meal before 9pm was linked to slower biological ageing in heart, liver, and body. Strongest after 40.
8 min read
Why stress shows up in your gut (and what actually breaks the cycle)
Stress doesn't just make your stomach feel off. It physically changes your gut lining, shifts your microbiome, and primes the nerves to over-react. Here's what helps.
8 min read
Welcome
A short note on what this site is, who it's for, and how to follow along.
2 min read
About
“I write the articles I wish people had been handed twenty years ago — careful, honest, and grounded in the evidence.”
Dr Adrian Laurence
The Newsletter
Letters on health, evidence, and living well
One thoughtful article a week, written by Dr Adrian Laurence.
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