Longevity✦ Prevention✦ Data✦ Hamburg · Lisbon

Ideas to thrive
in health,
business, &
beyond.

Return on Health is a podcast about longevity, prevention and the future of health — built on one rule: listen to every side, pressure-test every claim, and keep science and common sense at the center.

▶ Watch the latest episode Listen on Spotify All episodes Read the journal
LongevityhealthspanPreventionMetabolic HealthfrailtyBiomarkersPeak SpanmenopauseVO₂ MaxZone 2Lp(a)primary carePsychologyData LongevityhealthspanPreventionMetabolic HealthfrailtyBiomarkersPeak SpanmenopauseVO₂ MaxZone 2Lp(a)primary carePsychologyData
Season 01 · 19 episodes

The archive.

Every episode pressure-tests one question. Researchers, founders, clinicians, skeptics — then the data. Filter by topic, or start from the top.

S01.E19
Why Success Is Destroying Your Health: Dr. Andre Heeg
Why success is destroying your health
● Executive healthDr. Andre Heeg · Doctor and consulting partnerNov 08, 2026
1h 01m
S01.E18
Why Investors Are Betting on Aging: Dr. Karl Pfleger
Why investors are betting on reversing aging
● Longevity biotechDr. Karl Pfleger · AgingBiotech.infoOct 18, 2026
1h 06m
S01.E17
Chronic Lyme, Mold and Alzheimer's: Dr. Richard Horowitz
Chronic Lyme, mold and Alzheimer's
● Chronic illnessDr. Richard Horowitz · MSIDSOct 04, 2026
1h 19m
S01.E16
Rapamycin, NAD and the Truth About Slowing Aging: Dr. Matt Kaeberlein
Rapamycin, NAD and the truth about slowing aging
● GeroscienceDr. Matt Kaeberlein · Dog Aging ProjectSep 20, 2026
1h 11m
S01.E15
Everything You Know About Calories Is Wrong: Dr. Robert Lustig
Everything you know about calories is wrong
● Metabolic healthDr. Robert Lustig · UCSFSep 06, 2026
1h 10m
S01.E14
The First Person to Live to 1,000 Is Already Alive? — Aubrey de Grey
The first person to live to 1,000 — Aubrey de Grey
● RejuvenationAubrey de Grey · LEV FoundationAug 23, 2026
1h 02m
S01.E13
What Actually Causes Cancer — Dr. Moritz Przybilla
What actually causes cancer — Dr. Moritz Przybilla
● Cancer genomicsDr. Moritz Przybilla · Wellcome Sanger InstituteAug 09, 2026
51 min
S01.E12
Aging Is Not a Disease — Prof. Suresh Rattan
Aging is not a disease — Prof. Suresh Rattan
● BiogerontologyProf. Suresh Rattan · Aarhus UniversityJul 26, 2026
1h 03m
S01.E11
Everything We've Been Told About Living Longer Is Wrong — Dr. Jack Kreindler
Everything about living longer is wrong — Dr. Jack Kreindler
● HealthspanDr. Jack Kreindler · WellFounded / CHHPJul 10, 2026
53 min
S01.E10
What Actually Works in Nutrition and Supplements — Bas Kast
What actually works in nutrition & supplements — Bas Kast
● NutritionBas Kast · The Diet CompassJun 29, 2026
58 min
S01.E09
Functional Medicine and Root-Cause Care — Dr. Peter Martin
Functional medicine & root-cause care — Dr. Peter Martin
● Functional medicineDr. Peter Martin · FunMedMay 31, 2026
58 min
S01.E08
The Truth About Peptides and Longevity Medicine — Dr. Anand Vinjamoori
The truth about peptides & longevity medicine — Dr. Anand Vinjamoori
● Longevity medicineDr. Anand Vinjamoori · HarvardMay 06, 2026
58 min
S01.E07
Geriatrician: Most Aging Is Preventable
Geriatrician: Most aging is preventable — we start too late
● LongevityDr. Roberta Vella AzzopardiApr 19, 2026
56 min
S01.E06
The Hidden Phase Before Disease
The hidden phase before disease — why prevention starts earlier
● PreventionKarolinska MD PhDApr 04, 2026
1h 01m
S01.E05
Primary Care Is Broken — Dr. Sukhjit Takhar
Primary care is broken — rebuilding medicine with Dr. Sukhjit Takhar
● Primary careDr. Sukhjit Takhar · UCLA & HarvardMar 23, 2026
52 min
S01.E04
Bridging the Gap in Longevity Care — Dr. Hilary Lin
Bridging the gap in longevity care — Dr. Hilary Lin
● LongevityDr. Hilary Lin · StanfordMar 07, 2026
56 min
S01.E03
Longevity, Medicine & Psychology — Dr. Rhea Kotecha
Longevity, medicine & metabolic flexibility — Dr. Rhea Kotecha
● MetabolicDr. Rhea Kotecha · Functional & longevity medicineFeb 20, 2026
56 min
S01.E02
Mastering Midlife — Dr. Ali Zaidi
Mastering midlife — essential strategies for health & longevity
● LongevityDr. Ali Zaidi · Stanford / UCSF / PennFeb 13, 2026
54 min
S01.E01
What is Return on Health?
What is Return on Health?
● ManifestoNiko Hems & Miguel Medina StanivukovicFeb 12, 2026
18 min
The Manifesto

Most people end up overwhelmed —
and unsure who to trust.

01 / Clarity

Signal over noise

Health content optimizes for clicks. We optimize for decisions you can actually make. Fewer claims, more context, honest uncertainty.

02 / Pressure

Test every claim

Researchers, founders, clinicians, skeptics, innovators — and we pressure-test their ideas. Some viewpoints align, some clash. That is the point.

03 / Prevention

Before, not after

Most systems wait until something breaks. Longevity, performance and prevention start decades earlier. We make that case, episode by episode.

04 / Humility

Science & common sense

When evidence is thin, we say so. When something works, we say so. Trends die fast; fundamentals compound. We stay with the fundamentals.

✦
Every side gets a seat.We talk to people we disagree with. Real conversations change minds — theirs and ours.
✦
Incentives over intentions.Good intentions fail when incentives are misaligned. We follow the money and the defaults.
✦
Healthspan over lifespan.Years are cheap. Functional, independent, clear-headed years are everything.
✦
Skeptical, not cynical.Hype is a tax on attention. Dismissing every new idea is its own kind of lazy.
The Journal · every friday

Hard questions,
cleaner answers.

Every Friday, one essay on longevity, prevention, incentives, or the health industry's latest claim. No affiliate fluff. Written by Niko & Miguel, read in ~6 minutes.

● 4,200+ readers ● No spam, unsubscribe anytime
Recent from the journal · read all →
№ 12
Aging is not a disease — Prof. Suresh Rattan
● Biogerontology · Ep. 12 notes · Jul 26, 2026
→
№ 11
Everything about living longer is wrong — Dr. Jack Kreindler
● Healthspan · Ep. 11 notes · Jul 10, 2026
→
№ 10
What works in nutrition & supplements — Bas Kast
● Nutrition · Ep. 10 notes · Jun 29, 2026
→
№ 09
Functional medicine & root-cause care — Dr. Peter Martin
● Functional medicine · Ep. 09 notes · May 31, 2026
→
The Hosts

Two different angles,
one shared obsession.

Niko and Miguel met during their Master's at NOVA SBE. Late-night debates about health, medicine and broken incentives turned into a shared frustration with the system. And, eventually, this podcast.

Niko Hems ● Host 01
Niko Hems
Operator & builder in aging research, public health and preventive care.
Based
Hamburg & Berlin, DE
Role
Head of Strategy & Medical Communications at YEARS
Focus
Aging research · public health · evidence · clinical translation
Online
nikohems.de · Project Peakspan · LinkedIn · Instagram
Miguel Medina Stanivukovic ● Host 02
Miguel Medina
Bridging science, strategy and clinical reality. Health economics & incentives.
Based
Lisbon, PT
Role
Head of Business Development at YEARS
Focus
Limits of evidence · healthcare economics · incentives
Online
LinkedIn
Watch or listen anywhere
YouTube ● Spotify ● Apple Podcasts ● RSS

TWEAKS