A day in the life: Cardiologist and author Eric Topol

The US doctor cracks on with research at 5.30am, always makes time for exercise and relies on an Oura ring for his deep sleep

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I wake up between 5.30 and 6am entirely naturally, no alarm clock needed. I dedicate the first one or two hours of the day to reading. This gives me time to start researching ahead of my day, either reading a bunch of articles from medical journals, going through different newspapers to find stories of interest, or looking at certain X or Bluesky accounts I follow. It's my daily ritual.

Breakfast happens somewhere at this point. It will usually consist of yoghurt, some berries and a little bit of granola, with a couple of cups of coffee, of course.

I don't take any supplements or nootropics. For people who are healthy on a balanced diet, I'm still waiting for some data to show any real value.

No matter what's going on at work, I will almost always try and find time to do at least an hour of exercise. It's usually in the afternoon at around 4 or 5pm. I'll make sure I do both aerobic (on a stationary bicycle) and some strength and balancing.