The Longevity Clinics panel session at this year’s Roundtable of Longevity Clinics event brought together some of the most influential figures in the field of longevity medicine.
The discussion, entitled “The Future of Longevity Clinics: Navigating Challenges, Embracing Opportunities,” provided valuable insights into the current state and future prospects of longevity clinics.
Unique Strengths of Longevity Clinics
The panelists highlighted the diverse strengths of their respective clinics:
- Data-Driven Approaches: David Karow of Human Longevity Inc. emphasized their focus on data and AI, stating, ‘At scale, HLI is a data and AI healthcare company. We use longitudinal data to train algorithms and identify elevated risks.’
- Holistic Care: Andrea Maier from Chi Longevity stressed the importance of a comprehensive approach: ‘We avoid à la carte services. We have a dedicated team and standardized operating procedures that everyone adapts to.’
- Lifestyle Focus: Dean Ornish of Ornish Lifestyle Medicine highlighted their emphasis on lifestyle changes and their impact on health outcomes and shared one of the most memorable pieces of guidance: ‘Spend more time with your friends and family.’
- Government Support: Nicole Sirotin from IHLAD noted, ‘Our major strength is the support we have from the UAE government. They want to take care of their citizens and residents, and our organizational goals align with the government’s vision.’
- Team: Joanna Bensz of Longevity Center emphasized the importance of her team, commenting, ‘We have a wonderful team and they motivate each other to continuously improve our models for client care and positive outcomes.’
Challenges in Delivering Longevity Medicine
Leaders in the field face several challenges:
- Complex Management Challenges: Nicole Sirotin pointed out the difficulty of ‘bringing in new models while taking care of the humans in our charge.’
- Unlearning Outdated Practices: Jordan Shlain of Private Medical emphasized the need to ‘un-learn and de-program doctors to create different ways of thinking.’
- Public Motivation: Michael Roizen from Cleveland Clinic highlighted the challenge of ‘motivating the public and breaking down barriers on hypertension and cognitive health.’
- Healthcare System Resistance: William Kapp of Fountain Life noted, ‘The sclerosis of the health system that doesn’t want anything that will de-monetize it is a major challenge.’
Democratizing Longevity Medicine
The panel addressed concerns about longevity medicine being perceived as exclusive to the wealthy:
- Value-Based Care: David Karow stressed the importance of ‘scaling and democratizing healthcare through value-based care.’
- Public-Private Collaboration: Andrea Maier advocated for ‘more public/private research which will lead us to democratize the field.’
- Tiered Products: William Kapp mentioned, ‘We do have a mid-tier product. A 20-minute MRI and AI will determine a uniform approach, making it more accessible.’
- Lifestyle Changes: Dean Ornish emphasized the power of simple lifestyle changes: ‘A 3rd world diet, walking, and a yoga mat can make such a powerful difference. We’ve shown it’s possible even with 10,000 homeless people going through our program.’
- Data-Driven Policy Changes: Kate Woolhouse of Hooke stated, ‘We’re collecting the data that will show evidence to public systems to change things at a population level.’
The panel concluded on an optimistic note, with Eric Verdin observing, ‘We are on the verge of a health movement. It’s becoming cool and hip to be healthy. Finally, people are paying attention.’
This discussion highlighted the innovative approaches being taken by longevity clinics, the challenges they face, and their collective vision for a future where longevity medicine is accessible to all. As the field continues to evolve, these insights will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of health and wellness practices worldwide.
Panellists:
Chairperson: Eric Verdin, The Buck Institute
David Karow, Human Longevity
Joanna Bensz, Longevity Center
Andrea Maier, Chi Longevity
Dean Ornish, Ornish Lifestyle Medicine
William Kapp, Fountain Life
Michael Roizen, Cleveland Clinic
Kate Woolhouse, Hooke
Jordan Shlain, Private Medical
Nicole Sirotin, IHLAD
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