279 The Aging Immune System: Vaccines, Healthy Longevity and What We Can Learn from Covid with Michael T. Myers JR MD
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Release Date: 08/03/2026
285 Hearing Loss and Brain Health - Why Better Hearing May Aid in Supporting Healthy Longevity with Robert C Keefer PhD
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Could difficulty hearing conversations today affect your brain health, independence and quality of life in the years ahead? Hearing loss is often treated as a minor inconvenience of growing older, yet it can affect communication, relationships, social connection, confidence and independence. In this episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with hearing-health advocate and author Robert “Bob” Keefer, MD, about the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline, why so many people delay seeking help for hearing deficits and what questions to ask before choosing a hearing-care provider....
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284 Light, Sleep and Movement: Upstream Signals That Shape Healthy Aging with Dr. Sean Fletch
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Health care professionals emphasize optimizing cholesterol, blood sugar and hormone levels and from that assessing biological age. These measurements can provide useful information, but do they tell us whether the body is still resilient, adaptable and capable of recovering from illness, injury or stress? In this episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch and Dr. Sean Fletch explore the difference between moving a laboratory number into the desired range, and addressing the upstream conditions that caused it to change. Dr. Fletch reframes healthspan as more than the number of years lived...
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283 Seven Pillars for Healthy Longevity. How I Built my Healthspan Routine and How You can Build Your Own
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What does a physician-scientist actually do each day to support her own healthy aging? This is a question Dr. Gillian Lockitch hears often. Her answer is not a prescription, a shopping list or a collection of fashionable biohacks. Healthy longevity is personal: our genetics, health histories, medications, priorities and goals differ, so the most useful routine is one designed for the individual. In this solo episode, Dr. Gillian organizes her approach around the seven pillars of healthy longevity described in her book, Growing Older, Living Younger. She explains how epigenetics offers a more...
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282 From Employee to First-time Entrepreneur at 70: Challenging Life After Retirement with Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Could retirement actually become the beginning of your most meaningful work? In this personal solo episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch shares how spinal surgery, ballroom dancing, entrepreneurship and podcasting transformed her understanding of healthy longevity. You’ll discover why curiosity, consistency and a renewed sense of purpose can help you remain mentally sharp, physically engaged and excited about the future at any age. For most of her professional life, Dr. Gillian Lockitch was a physician, medical biochemist, researcher, university professor and department head. She expected...
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281 Healthy Longevity Starts Now. Fitness, Nutrition, and Aging Well with Carl Daikeler
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What helps people stay active, strong, and independent as they age—luck, genetics, or habits built years earlier? In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with Carl Daikeler, co-founder and CEO of BODi, about why healthy longevity is rooted in consistency: regular movement, supportive nutrition, and the discipline to care for your body before a health crisis forces the issue. Carl shares his personal story of discovering a congenital heart block at age 59, receiving a pacemaker, and using that experience to deepen his commitment to healthspan...
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280 What Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Teach Us About Healthspan Extension and Aging Youthfully with Dr. Mao Shing Ni DACM, LAc, PhD
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What if the path to healthy longevity lies not in choosing between ancient healing traditions and modern science, but in learning how to integrate both? In this episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with Dr. Mao Shing Ni—38th-generation doctor of Chinese medicine, co-founder of Tao of Wellness, and author of Secrets of Longevity—about how Traditional Chinese Medicine can complement modern approaches to healthspan optimization. Dr. Mao explains the foundational principles of Chinese medicine, including balance, the five elemental systems, and the links between organ function,...
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279 The Aging Immune System: Vaccines, Healthy Longevity and What We Can Learn from Covid with Michael T. Myers JR MD
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
How does our immune system change as we age, and what role can vaccines play in supporting healthy longevity? In this informative episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch welcomes physician, healthcare executive, and medical writer Dr. Michael Myers for a thoughtful, evidence-based discussion about immunosenescence—the age-related decline of immune function—and its implications for healthy aging. Together they explore how vaccines work, why vaccine recommendations evolve throughout life, and the importance of understanding both the science and the uncertainties...
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278 The Muscle-Longevity Connection: Strength Training Supports Metabolism, Bones, and Healthy Longevity with Jeanne Phares
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What role does muscle strength play in healthy aging, longevity, and independence? In this episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with Jeanne Phares about why maintaining and building muscle becomes increasingly important for women during and after menopause. Drawing on her personal experience as a leukemia survivor and decades of strength training, Jeanne explains the connections between muscle mass, metabolism, bone health, resilience, and recovery. Listeners will learn practical strategies for strength training, nutrition, and lifestyle habits that support vitality...
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FB 109 Anne Mullens: Fueling with Fat: Demystifying the Ketogenic Lifestyle
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
THIS FLASHBACK FRIDAY EPISODE OF GROWING OLDER LIVING YOUNGER focuses on the impact of low carbohydrate and ketogenic nutrition on health and aging well. Today’s Featured Expert is Anne Mullens, an award winning Canadian journalist and author specializing in Health and Science Writing, At a time when the twin hazards of diabetes and obesity are so prevalent in our society that we say that there is a diabesity epidemic, we are bombarded with discordant messages about what, when, and how to eat, to stay healthy and age gracefully. A goal of this podcast is to cut through the noise and provide...
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277 Chronic Pain, Mobility and Healthy Aging: The Muscle-Longevity Connection with Stacey Roberts
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Is chronic pain really an inevitable part of aging—or could it be a warning sign that deeper imbalances are affecting your healthspan, mobility, and quality of life? In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with physical therapist, registered nurse, educator, and functional wellness expert,Stacey Roberts, about the root causes of chronic pain and why conventional treatments often focus on symptom relief instead of true healing. Stacey explains how chronic inflammation, food sensitivities, hormone imbalance, gut health issues, biomechanics, and lifestyle...
info_outlineHow does our immune system change as we age, and what role can vaccines play in supporting healthy longevity? In this informative episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch welcomes physician, healthcare executive, and medical writer Dr. Michael Myers for a thoughtful, evidence-based discussion about immunosenescence—the age-related decline of immune function—and its implications for healthy aging. Together they explore how vaccines work, why vaccine recommendations evolve throughout life, and the importance of understanding both the science and the uncertainties surrounding public health recommendations. Listeners will gain practical insights into immune health, healthspan optimization, brain health and aging, and informed healthcare decision-making.
Dr. Michael Myers is a physician, healthcare executive, medical writer, and educator with more than 35 years of experience in clinical medicine, healthcare leadership, and public health. He trained at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Medical School before pursuing a career in primary care medicine and physician leadership.He most recently served as Chief of Primary Care and Chief of Pediatrics for one of New Jersey's largest medical group practices. His work focuses on preventive medicine, vaccine education, public health communication, and helping patients understand complex medical science. He is the author of The Vaccine Bible: A Comprehensive, Commonsense Guide to What Keeps Us Safe from the Flu, Hepatitis Measles and More. In the Guide he explains how vaccines are developed, how they work, their safety, effectiveness, and the diseases they help prevent.
Episode Timeline
00:00 – Welcome and why vaccines matter to healthy longevity
04:15 – Dr. Michael Myers' medical career and what inspired The Vaccine Bible
09:45 – Understanding the immune system: innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and immune memory
17:45 – Immunosenescence: how the immune system changes with age
23:30 – Individualizing vaccine recommendations throughout adulthood
30:25 – Vaccines most relevant for older adults, including influenza, pneumococcal disease, RSV, COVID-19, and shingles
32:30 – Emerging research linking shingles vaccination with reduced dementia risk
34:00 – COVID-19, children, public health messaging, and lessons learned from the pandemic
42:55 – Vaccine confidence, public trust, and addressing misinformation
52:20 – Autism research, vaccine myths, and current scientific understanding
55:35 – Dr. Myers' key message on vaccines, prevention, and healthy aging
Connect with Dr. Michael Myers
The Vaccine Bible—Bookshop.org
Connect with your host, Dr, Gillian Lockitch
email: askdrgill@gmail.com For a personalized one on one conversation about health aging strategies
Website: www.askdrgill.com
https://www.facebook.com/gillian.lockitch/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillianlockitch/