Mike Kessel: The CEO’s Blueprint for Personalized Longevity
Fri Feb 06 2026
Mike Kessel, the CEO of Cleveland Clinic Canada, reveals that we aren't just passengers in our own health journey since 90% of our health after age 60 is determined by lifestyle, not DNA. He advocates for a "50/50" ownership model where individuals use handheld diagnostic technology to monitor their own heart, lungs, and throat to bypass the E.R. and stay ahead of a field where medical knowledge doubles every 73 days. Because chronic stress can subtract 42 years from your life, Mike focuses on closing the 10-year "quality gap" by choosing "fun" over boring routines—a philosophy that took him from a childhood table tennis champion and founder of the Cardiac Smash tournament to a qualifier for the 2026 US Open Pickleball championships.
00:00 - Intro
08:45 - The 90% Rule: Lifestyle vs. Genetics after 60
11:30 - The 10-Year Gap: Healthspan vs. Lifespan
15:40 - Medical Knowledge is Doubling Every 73 Days
18:20 - Fixing High Cholesterol: Data-Driven Life Changes
21:15 - Distributed Healthcare: Moving Beyond Bricks & Mortar
26:00 - Why the Canadian Healthcare System is Aging
31:30 - Public vs. Private: Accessing Cardiology & Sports Med via OHIP
35:00 - Live Demo: The $400 Handheld Diagnostic Device
45:00 - Fun as a Health Metric: Finding Your "Strain"
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Mike Kessel, the CEO of Cleveland Clinic Canada, reveals that we aren't just passengers in our own health journey since 90% of our health after age 60 is determined by lifestyle, not DNA. He advocates for a "50/50" ownership model where individuals use handheld diagnostic technology to monitor their own heart, lungs, and throat to bypass the E.R. and stay ahead of a field where medical knowledge doubles every 73 days. Because chronic stress can subtract 42 years from your life, Mike focuses on closing the 10-year "quality gap" by choosing "fun" over boring routines—a philosophy that took him from a childhood table tennis champion and founder of the Cardiac Smash tournament to a qualifier for the 2026 US Open Pickleball championships. 00:00 - Intro 08:45 - The 90% Rule: Lifestyle vs. Genetics after 60 11:30 - The 10-Year Gap: Healthspan vs. Lifespan 15:40 - Medical Knowledge is Doubling Every 73 Days 18:20 - Fixing High Cholesterol: Data-Driven Life Changes 21:15 - Distributed Healthcare: Moving Beyond Bricks & Mortar 26:00 - Why the Canadian Healthcare System is Aging 31:30 - Public vs. Private: Accessing Cardiology & Sports Med via OHIP 35:00 - Live Demo: The $400 Handheld Diagnostic Device 45:00 - Fun as a Health Metric: Finding Your "Strain"