SLEEP & LONGEVITY
Sleep: a key factor in longevity
Guénolé Addor is a specialist in anti-ageing medicine who practices in the field of longevity, in which sleep is one of the key ingredients. We spoke to Dr Addor and asked him for some practical tips on how to enjoy a longer, better life.
Y ou may have specialised in longevity, but isn’t ageing in our genes? Of course, we’re all programmed to age. That said, our lifestyle choices give us some control over how we use our DNA; we can prevent our bodies from self-destructing. Some diseases such as Alzheimer’s and certain cancers are in fact not genetic but metabolic. Having a healthy body, following a balanced diet and getting restorative sleep are all ways of improving our chances of enjoying life for longer. My aim isn’t to force my patients to do anything, but rather to make them the CEOs of their own health. You were formerly an anaesthetist specialising in intensive care; how did you end up going into anti-ageing and longevity? It was actually my experiences in a hospital position that encouraged me to do so. Working nights plus a very heavy workload puts people in a permanent state of jetlag. Experiencing this spurred me to excel in managing my own sleep. At the same time, I noticed that some of my colleagues under similar stress would start to lose weight and become
depressed; I was also struck by how many of my patients’ chronic diseases had emerged due to unhealthy lifestyles. As someone who also plays sport, all this bolstered my conviction that people need to be supported and educated if they are to live and age healthily. How has sport influenced you? I’ve always been interested in human performance, in particular in sports like tennis, cycling, skiing and mountaineering, as well as endurance sports. When I was younger I was quite adventurous; I’ve sailed across the Atlantic and scaled a 7000-metre summit in Nepal. That has helped me more aware that what we do has an effect on our bodies; very early on, I understood the extent to which training, a good diet and sleep are vital – and how unaware many people are of that. As a result, they often suffer from easily preventable chronic diseases. In a day and age when many people think they can learn all they need to know from the likes of Instagram, professional advice and care are more invaluable than ever.
With a background as an anaesthesiologist and intensive care physician, Guénolé Addor (45) arrived in Vaud from Brittany. He served as head of clinic at Vaud University Hospital before taking an interest in longevity.
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