Brad Younggren, MD: The Blood-Cleaning Therapy Tackling Microplastics and Aging

Imagine flushing your engine oil and coolant to make an old car run like new; now imagine doing that for your bloodstream. That's the idea behind therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), a treatment for autoimmune and blood disorders that's now being explored as a tool to slow biological aging and clear the body of inflammatory buildup. In this episode of Healthy Longevity, Brad Younggren, MD, CEO and co-founder of Circulate Health, joins the show to unpack groundbreaking new research co-conducted with the Comite Center showing that TPE can measurably reduce microplastic levels in human blood. Younggren, a former U.S. Army combat physician who served in Iraq and was awarded a Bronze Star, walks through how his path from the battlefield to health tech led him to Circulate, what actually happens during a plasma exchange session, and why he believes rigorous data (not hype) should drive the longevity field forward. You'll learn… Circulate's newly published trial found that patients with high microplastic burden saw a significant reduction in circulating plastics after therapeutic plasma exchange. Microplastics don't just enter the body through plastic bottles and food containers. Inhalation and even certain stretchy clothing fabrics may be significant sources. Regional water sources may meaningfully affect a person's baseline plastic exposure. The federal government recently issued a $144 million grant (STOMP) to accelerate research into the health effects of micro and nanoplastics. Why Younggren believes blood-based PFAS testing may better reflect the body's true "forever chemical" burden than standard urine tests. How Younggren's early career, including pioneering one of the first FDA-cleared mobile ultrasound devices and championing telemedicine before it was mainstream, shaped his approach to bringing new medical technology to patients responsibly.