Longevity is a big business, and that means establishments that call themselves longevity clinics are spreading rapidly around the world, promising to improve your health as they slow your aging. Of course, without a single defined industry standard for what constitutes a longevity clinic, you probably want to know what’s going on in these places and how to figure out if you can trust them (https://longevity.technology/news/dont-say-you-are-a-longevity-clinic-if-you-arent/).
If you look into the backgrounds of many of the current longevity clinics, you might find that just a few years ago, they were operating under a different brand. They may have had a cosmetic or aesthetic purpose, or used the anti-aging or wellness labels. The focus tends to be narrower, both in terms of services offered and populations targeted (middle-aged women are a popular base), and the scientific underpinnings may be somewhat shaky, without clinical support.
A good longevity clinic needs to offer a comprehensive, personalized approach toward longevity and healthspan, and it needs to have the evidence to back it. In fact, it should be actively participating in clinical trials itself. Staff should have expertise across different disciplines, with proper medical and scientific backgrounds, including recognized qualifications, good theoretical grounding and demonstrable, long-term experience in their fields. They should understand the complex intersection of factors influencing longevity.
Sometimes, longevity clinics can be prone to magical thinking, exaggerating the potential of particular drugs or equipment or continuing to cling to old ideas even as the science moves past them. Good clinics will be open and responsive to the newest developments, good or bad. They will put safety and effectiveness ahead of dogma or soundbites.
Interventions offered by these types of clinics shouldn’t be wishy-washy. They should be concrete, medical procedures and therapies with defined parameters and goals. Unfortunately, this does mean they’ll often be expensive. If a clinic seems cheap, it might mean it’s not offering the most comprehensive or effective services. You should also be skeptical if you’re promised quick and easy fixes. Longevity is about long-term planning, acknowledging the complexity of human biology and society and how there is no immediate or one-size-fits-all approach.
It’s not easy to identify longevity clinics that meet all these criteria, so do your research and listen to the experts. For something this important, it’s worth taking your time to get it right.
