Open Evidence…

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They provide references. I also have access to Vera Health, a paid AI solution for doctors only. (I’m not a doctor, but I know the team. If you’re a doctor and want access, you can join the waitlist here)

Yes, for simple questions, they’re good. And they’re better than most doctors. Because most doctors don’t even know or follow the guidelines… And yes, for a second opinion or to challenge your PCP they’re also very good, I agree with you @desertshores and @MichGuy12.

But when you go into something more complex, out of the ordinary, or more prospective, without a clear and definite answer, they can say random things, sometimes totally wrong.

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Unfortunately for Open Evidence, after a few questions you’re blocked and told “Unlimited question-asking on OpenEvidence is free for verified health care professionals (HCPs) and medical students. If you are an HCP or a medical student please verify your registration for continued access to free unlimited questions on OpenEvidence.” There’s no way to pay to bypass the gatekeeping. I asked a few “open” questions such as “For someone with hypertension and at risk of cognitive decline (family history + genes), are some antihypertensive drugs better than other? What should they use?” and it’s doing OK! You need to guide it a bit but it eventually suggests telmisartan + amlodipine to reach BP <130/80 mmHg.

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Very interesting Eric Topol’s interview of Lotte Bjerre Knudsen: The Scientist Who Drove GLP-1 Drugs For Obesity and Alzheimer’s

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Davin8r, what are your thoughts on the various laser treatments for face, neck and possibly arms related the possibility of a permanent change in skin pigmentation (or shading) of the areas treated? Are some types of treatments such as Fraxel laser more or less likely than other types of laser treatments to cause any permanent skin pigmentation changes?

I have found https://www.perplexity.ai/ to be pretty good.

I may even pay for the Pro version.

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Jay, I don’t do cosmetic dermatology procedures so I’m definitely not an expert on lasers. From personal experience, I’ve had fraxel probably 6 or 7 times over the past 14 years and have never had issues with hyperpigmentation. I’m sure it’s more common in darker skin types and in people with an existing pigmentation disorder such as melasma.

There are a lot of GLP1 receptors in the brain… why? part of another poorly (until recently) understood feedback loop that is gaining traction.

Stimulating these central amygdalar neurons curtail hedonic feeding, whereas targeted deletion of the receptor in this cell population specifically diminishes the anorectic efficacy of GLP1RAs for reward-driven intake. These findings reveal a dedicated neural circuit through which small molecule GLP1RAs modulate reward processing, suggesting broad therapeutic potential in conditions of dysregulated dopamine signaling including substance use disorder and binge eating.

A Brain Reward Circuit Inhibited By Next-Generation Weight Loss Drugs

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Here is some feedback on my heart rate data after taking semaglutide 3.5mg twice weekly for 4 weeks then switching to tirzapatide 2 mg weekly and 3mg /week for the last week.

Each dot is the average nightly HR on 1 week from my Oura ring 4.
There was a steady rise from 55 to 65, with a dip week 4 when I switched the kind of GLP-1RA, but then it’s coming back to normal and is now only 57. That’s good news!

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Update after a few weeks on it. I freaking love tirzepatide. I started with the recommended dose of 2.5mg and my stomach is completely filled and bloats with just 40-50% of my regular calorie intake and I’ve become indifferent to fast food. All that matters is getting that protein, fiber and unsaturated fat in.

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Yup similar experience for me with Retatrutide. Significantly less bloat. I’ve been on 8 weeks now.

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I initially had bad bloat on tirzepatide 4.0 mg (love it also) for about 2-3 weeks but by week 3-4 the bloat disappeared and digestion was even smoother than before starting. My stomach was flat like a kid. Also I’ve become indifferent to food. I just eat what I plan (protein, veg, fiber and healthy cabs like potato) I’m trying Retatrutide 3.0 mg as a contrast now and also concur with my experience on minimal to no bloat. Reta seems to give me energy and makes workouts easier but on the negative it doesn’t reduce glucose nearly as much after 3 weeks. Reta also doesn’t lower BP as much for me. I did a lipid panel after 3 months on Triz and it was the best ever, I worry Reta also won’t perform as well with lipids but I need another 2 months to get that result. For longevity I’m thinking Triz will be better at this point but TBD after some more time.

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Not true. There are even studies showing that a group taking steroids and not training gained more muscle than the group that trained but took no steroids. They really change the game massively. Luke has obviously taken steroids (unless he happens to have some top 0.1% elite genes, which I doubt) but he has clearly put in a lot of work too.

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Yes, this. Menno Henselmans did a recent video on this topic, which I found extremely interesting. He says anabolic steroids are not synergistic with resistance training, but rather are merely additive. They’ll take you up a notch (which could be a VERY big notch depending on the molecule and dose), but the size of this upgrade is independent of resistance training.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around it because anabolics allow one to train at a higher frequency and volume due to enhanced recovery than would normally be possible. I can see how the above makes sense if training intensity and volume are constant, but they aren’t going to be constant as long as the “enhanced” individual is taking advantage of the faster recovery.

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Well said on all fronts, @Davin8r

This part makes a huge difference. I wouldn’t expect most people here to be heavily knowledge on all the compounds/dosages, since they’re antagonistic to a long healthy lifespan, the opposite of what people here are interested in.

The gym bros have been given a lot of credit by people like Dr. Peter Attia, since we have been lab rats long before the research comes out.

Menno Henselman’s is VERY good for workout research. For someone looking to learn or get started in resistance training, he is a phenominal source of information. He is natural too in case anyone was curious.

You are correct and I addressed it on another thread before.

I was a bit reckless, had a scare, then focused a lot on health, which led me to learning about the things we discuss on here. Appreciate you mentioning it the hard work part. Almost 21 years of consistent hard training now. It’s just a part of who I am.

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In my infinite wisdom I decided to increase my dose to 5mg per week and was prompty rewarded with diarrhea and nausea. Any food now looks disgusting to me and I have to force myself to get even some protein in. Regardless, deficit is deficit.
Make sure to follow the guidelines when it comes to increasing the dose as it could spare you some discomfort.

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Infinite wisdom :joy:. At least you learned something from it. I always do stupid things and push doses when I don’t need to, only to revert back to what was already working to begin with. I’m trying to remain at 3mg Retatrutide per week now. I really don’t need more.

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FWIW: My own experience with tirzepatide is that 2.5 mg./week is adequate to reap the benefits. The effect kept working for weeks after I stopped. The satiation response seems to be still in effect. I am now slightly below my target BMI of 22. I am struggling to maintain this weight because I have very little appetite, and I am easily satiated.

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My thought was, if it a lready works that well at 2.5mg/week, how well would it work at 5mg/week? :smiley:
If I can crush my appetite to the point where I can sustain myself on sufficient protein, some fat and fiber + supps that would be ideal.

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A friend of mine reached her weight target with tirzepatide 5 mg after a few months. She’s just stopped taking it. I told her she might regain weight. If she does, should she keep taking it at 5 mg? Or 2.5 mg? Could micro dosing be enough to maintain weight? (2.5 mg every other week? 1.25 mg per week?)