How to Maximize Your Odds of a Good Cryopreservation By Max More, Ph.D.*
Y
ou completed the paperwork and financing arrangements. You are signed up for cryonics. Congratulations! Give yourself a pat on the back. You are ahead of most people. You are one in a million! Actually, more like one in 2.5 million. You learned about cryonics, you investigated, you acted. You are no longer stuck in the dreaded cryocrastination swamp. Now you can sit back, relax, secure in the knowledge that you’ve put on the safety belt for your continued existence. Right? Alas, no. Suppose you were planning on going out for the evening and you were being picked up by a friend. You get in her car and put on your safety belt. Would you then be satisfied with your safety, even if you could strongly smell alcohol on her breath and struggled to understand her slurred words? Of course not. There are other steps you can and should take to improve your chances of being cryopreserved under good conditions. You already know that. So why don’t I go away and stop annoying you? Because you are not doing many of the things you could do! Many members leave undone many of the practical measures they could take. You may be the exception. But you probably haven’t recognized and acted on every reasonable step. I’m no exception. Writing this article reminds me of several things I should do to ward off problems and smooth the way to a clean and effective cryopreservation. I compiled the list of measures based on my experience as a member since 1986, my active involvement in dozens of cryopreservations, and on input from other experienced members. This article provides you with a checklist of actions to take to reduce your physical, medical, financial, and legal risks. Health and medical Avoid dying early and without warning. I sense your thoughts. Maybe “Well, duh!” or “Yeah, sure, I’ll get right on that.” But there are things you can do in this area, and some pro-health measures may be more important than others in a cryonics context. A sudden death will make it impossible for your cryonics organization to start the process as early as possible. If a sudden death is not immediately discovered, the ischemic time may result in a poor perfusion or inability to perfuse you at all. (By the way, I will use “death” as shorthand throughout for “clinical and legal death”.)
22
When a death is both sudden and unexpected, especially when you’re young, the coroner or Medical Examiner may insist on an autopsy. Unfortunately, a “religious objection” won’t stop them. They have all the power in that situation. We may be able to talk nicely to them, politely asking for a minimal autopsy. In some cases, we might file an injunction. Even if we can get one quickly, the autopsy may already be over. It’s not unknown for coroners to move cryonics cases to the front of the line if they know an injunction is coming. Autopsy is unlikely in most places if you die of a critical condition that everyone knows about, especially if you’re in a hospital or hospice. Although accidents can cause sudden death, by far the most common cause is cardiovascular disease leading to a heart attack, stroke, or aneurysm. The good news is that a relatively low proportion of Alcor members die from cardiovascular conditions. You don’t want to be one of the minority. I’m not going to give specific health advice here, but get regular aerobic exercise, eat healthily, don’t smoke**, and stay lean. If you keep your vascular system healthy even as other parts of your body break down, you are less likely to die suddenly and unexpectedly and more likely to get a good perfusion. It will also help prevent you from dying early. The longer you can hold out, the more advanced the cryonics procedures will be and the more secure the organization. Some cancer treatments can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems. If you find yourself in that situation, you have a difficult choice to make. It may also be the case that some diets intended to reduce cardiovascular disease may increase cancer risk. An older and less controversial example is the government’s recommendation to switch from saturated fats to polysaturated fats. Some common polyunsaturated fats are inflammatory and may damage the endothelial lining. Investigate the dietary literature for yourself and decide what is likely to minimize your risks. If you must choose, consider preventing heart disease over preventing cancer. (Of course, a tiny bit of heart disease is preferable to a large amount of metastasizing cancer.) Older members should get regular blood panels and imaging to detect early signs of vessel narrowing. Don’t be obese. Yes, it may be true that a modestly obese person who gets a lot of exercise is healthier in important ways that a lean person who never gets off their skinny butt. But a slim person who exercises beats both. The more obese you are, the greater the risk of an unexpected and sudden death. Your immune
Cryonics / 1st Quarter 2022
www.alcor.org
