Bryan Johnson now wants people to let dogs live forever because they’re ‘awesome’ | Today’s news
Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, who has spent years and millions of dollars trying to slow aging, now wants to do the same for dogs, simply because “dogs are awesome.”
The biohacker, known for his catchphrase “Don’t Die,” suddenly became interested in canine longevity after recently adopting a professionally trained Belgian Malinois named Katara.
In an interview with venture capitalist Sarah Guo, Johnson said that he receives death threats, so Katara is his watchdog to protect him from attackers.
“I get quite a few death threats, so he’s my watchdog,” Johnson said as the Belgian Malinois lay patiently at his feet. “We go everywhere together and we’ve bonded over the last month.
Katara, who will be two in October, was the highlight of a longevity event in San Francisco earlier this week.
Read also | Bryan Johnson wonders if his longevity experiment has gone too far
Will there be another dog health company?
Bryan Johnson told Business Insider that he has no plans to launch a dog health company just yet.
Instead, he clarified that his dog Katara will undergo a version of the rigorous data collection and longevity interventions he records for his followers.
“He will become the most measured dog in the world,” he said in an interview. “We’re going to do a lot of longevity therapy on her because dogs are amazing.
What does Johnson suggest for improving dog health?
According to Bryan Johnson, improving a dog’s health could be relatively simple if owners focus on diet. He noted that most commercial dog foods contain much higher concentrations of harmful compounds.
“These are the things that glue your organs together,” he told Business Insider. “We feed them things that are terrible for their bodies.
Biohacker said advances in dog health could also help humans
Because dogs and humans share so many similarities, according to Johnson, advances in canine health could eventually lead to medical breakthroughs for humans.
“It’s remarkable how much dogs and people have in common,” he said. “When you read the literature about dogs and you replace humans with dogs, there are so many similarities.
Read also | ‘Is sauna worth the hype?’: Bryan Johnson quotes ‘heart, metabolism’
“Approval of drugs for dogs significantly faster”
Bryan Johnson has often expressed frustration with the lengthy regulatory process for humane medical treatments — a hurdle that is significantly lower in veterinary medicine.
“The path to drug approval is significantly faster for dogs than for humans, so you can do a lot of scientific work in less time,” he told Business Insider.
The canine longevity space is already gaining momentum. Startups like Loyal are working on what could be the first FDA-approved life-extending drug for dogs.
Meanwhile, Rejuvenate Bio is exploring an experimental gene therapy route to combat age-related animal diseases such as cancer, heart disease and osteoarthritis.
Read also | Bryan Johnson finds love, shares romantic post for 28-year-old girlfriend Kate
“People take better care of their dogs…”
Bryan Johnson, a vocal proponent of strict human health regimens such as prioritizing sleep and cutting out alcohol, believes it will be easy to get dog owners involved in advanced dog care.
Johnson noted that people are usually much more willing to invest in their pets’ well-being than their own.
“People often take better care of their dogs than they take care of themselves,” he said.
