LampHill Letter: July 2026

This month's reading splits between things that work reliably and things that were supposed to. Cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle mass both predict mortality better than most clinical tests; two popular interventions, the MIND diet and the probiotic industry, face harder questions when randomized trials get involved. The CAC score and GLP-1 agonists round out a month heavy on cardiovascular and metabolic ground.

This month's reading

Longevity. Cardiorespiratory fitness predicts mortality more reliably than almost any other measurable variable, and the relationship may have no ceiling. Exercise & longevity

Cardiovascular. The failing heart may be starving for energy in a specific biochemical sense, not pumping poorly. Heart failure

Brain. The MIND diet looked promising in observational data; randomized trial results tell a different story. MIND diet, observational benefit vs RCT null

Muscle. Muscle loss with age predicts how long you live more reliably than most lab tests your doctor orders. Sarcopenia and muscle aging

Nutrition. A $60-billion probiotic industry is built largely on two bacterial genera studied since the 1970s. Probiotics & prebiotics

Supplements. Semaglutide and tirzepatide work differently than most weight-loss drugs; here is the mechanism behind the headlines. GLP-1 receptor agonists

Biomarkers. A CT scan can quantify calcium in your coronary artery walls; what that number tells you is the harder question. CAC score

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