Listen On
Dr. Sajad Zalzala, widely known as Dr. Z, brings a rare combination of IT systems thinking and medical expertise to the future of longevity. A family physician, telehealth pioneer, and creator of the Optional Aging Academy, Dr. Z is redefining how we approach aging—not as an inevitability, but as a process we can actively manage.
In this episode, Seth Narayanan and Dr. Z explore the shift from reactive “sick care” to proactive longevity frameworks, including the Seven Drivers of Aging. They discuss how telemedicine expanded access to care, how AI is emerging as a powerful health companion, and why personalized prevention is the missing link in modern healthcare.
Listeners will walk away with a new perspective on aging—understanding how small, consistent optimizations across sleep, metabolism, and lifestyle can significantly extend healthspan. The conversation also challenges conventional thinking around longevity, emphasizing that the goal isn’t just to live longer, but to live better.
“I was always interested in how systems work together… in medicine, that became about helping people.”
Dr. Z’s journey from network engineering to medicine shaped his systems-based approach to health.
“It’s a reactionary system—you’re waiting for people to get sick.”
Traditional healthcare excels at acute care but falls short in prevention.
“If you optimize all seven drivers, you should be free from disease and dysfunction.”
A practical model to identify and optimize key areas impacting longevity.
“You can help people well beyond the four walls of a clinic.”
Telehealth expands access and enables scalable preventive care.
“AI can pick up patterns the human mind just can’t comprehend.”
AI’s role in filtering data, identifying patterns, and driving engagement.
Dr. Sajad Zalzala (Dr. Z) is a family physician, telehealth pioneer, and longevity expert focused on healthspan optimization and preventive medicine. He is the Founder of Optional Aging™, a systems-based framework that identifies key drivers of aging such as sleep, metabolism, and immune function to improve long-term health outcomes. As Founder and Medical Director of Root Causes Medical Consultants and Co-Founder of AgelessRx, he has helped scale innovative telemedicine platforms and longevity programs nationwide. Dr. Z combines clinical expertise with data-driven insights to advance personalized healthcare, AI-enabled wellness, and proactive aging strategies.