The Daily Circuit

David Agus on 'The End of Illness'

10:20 AM, July 18, 2012

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Is illness part of life or something we're unnecessarily suffering from? Is a disease something you get or something the body does? In David Agus' book "The End of Illness," the oncologist and researcher looks at illness from a preventative standpoint.

"As a cancer doctor on the front lines, one of the first things you realize is the best way to treat cancer is actually to prevent it," he told MarketWatch.

Agus joins The Daily Circuit Wednesday to talk about his book and explain some of his theories about staying healthy.

From The Washington Post review:

He wants us to understand the potential importance of the body's inflammatory response, which, he argues, is at the root of much pathology: "Take charge of hidden, sneaky sources of chronic inflammation that can trigger illness and disease by wearing comfortable shoes daily, getting an annual flu vaccine, and asking your doctor why you're not on a statin and baby aspirin if you're over the age of forty." And he wants readers to assist their bodies' homeostatic and anti-inflammatory systems by avoiding stress and shocks to the system: "Keep a strict, predictable schedule 365 days a year that has you eating, sleeping, and exercising at about the same times day in and day out."

VIDEO: Agus on The Daily Show

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