HoldsUp

Derya Unutmaz

Derya Unutmaz is a biomedical researcher working in immunology and computational biology. His published research focuses on CAR T-cell therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer, single-cell mapping of the human immune system across the lifespan, and artificial intelligence-driven multi-omics modeling of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). He has also investigated gut microbiome-host interactions, metabolomics, and immune responses in conditions such as long COVID.

35 claims checked on air: 4 context 2 contradicted 3 overstated 23 supported 3 unverified

What they said on air - overstated

0:05:15overstatedmoderateWhy the Next 10 Years May Add 50 to Your Lifespan | Dr. Dery

GLP-1 receptor agonists add approximately 5 to 10 years to the lifespan of people who are obese or have chronic conditions.

"Or we're already starting to see that with the GLP-1 drugs, receptor agonists, which are adding about 5 to 10 years to the lifespan of people who are obese or who have chronic conditions." (said at 0:05:15)

GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as semaglutide and liraglutide) have been shown in large randomized clinical trials to significantly reduce all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with obesity, diabetes, and established cardiovascular disease. However, the claim that they add 5 to 10 years to lifespan is substantially overstated. Actuarial modeling applying trial data (such as from the SELECT trial) to real-world populations projects average life expectancy gains of approximately 1.9 years (and ~2.0 cardiovascular event-free years), rather than 5 to 10 years.

0:16:26overstatedlowWhy the Next 10 Years May Add 50 to Your Lifespan | Dr. Dery

Self-driving cars are currently about 10 times safer than human drivers.

"And right now, self-driving cars are probably about 10 times safer, they will be maybe 100 times safer" (said at 0:16:26)

The speaker claims that self-driving cars are currently "about 10 times safer" than human drivers. Real-world safety assessments of fully autonomous vehicles (such as Waymo's Rider-Only operations) show statistically significant reductions in crash and injury rates compared to human benchmarks, but not by a factor of 10. For example, analysis of 7.14 million miles of Waymo autonomous driving reported an 80% reduction in any-injury-reported crash rates (a human crash rate 5 times higher, or ADS 5 times safer) and a 55% reduction in police-reported crash rates (2.2 times higher human rate). Analysis across 56.7 million miles demonstrated significant reductions across crash types (such as a 91% to 96% reduction in specific vehicle-to-vehicle intersection crashes), but overall safety across all conditions and operations is not 10 times safer than human drivers. Thus, the claim overstates the current safety advantage.

2:06:33overstatedhighWhy the Next 10 Years May Add 50 to Your Lifespan | Dr. Dery

Partial epigenetic reprogramming clinical trials are being conducted in patients with glaucoma.

"Like this partial reprogramming trial they're doing, it's it's done for glaucoma patients, I I guess, uh, because that happens in old age, right?" (said at 2:06:33)

The claim that partial epigenetic reprogramming clinical trials are currently being conducted in human patients with glaucoma overstates the clinical progress of this research. Partial epigenetic reprogramming (using Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4, or OSK gene therapy) has shown success in restoring vision in animal models (mice and non-human primates) of glaucoma and optic nerve injury. However, as of recent reviews, these therapies remain in preclinical development, and human clinical trials in glaucoma patients have not yet been conducted.

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