STAT+: Can you live longer for $5,500? Longevity clinics are the buzzy new trend at nonprofit hospitals — SkimNews
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- Longevity clinics at nonprofit hospitals like Northwestern University offer $5,500 annual packages featuring tests such as the VO2 Max to measure cardiorespiratory fitness and aging trajectories.
- Northwestern University affiliates with a longevity clinic where patients undergo extensive assessments not typically available in standard doctor visits, aiming to extend healthspan using a scientific approach.
- Critics question the alignment of high out-of-pocket costs for longevity services with the charitable missions of nonprofit hospitals, warning of potential mission drift.
- Longevity clinics market rigorous, data-driven health optimization but face scrutiny over whether the tests they offer have sufficient evidence to actually improve long-term health outcomes.
- The author underwent a VO2 Max test on a steep treadmill while listening to Prince, illustrating the intense physical demands and experiential nature of the clinic’s evaluation process.
Why it matters: Nonprofit hospitals stand to gain new revenue streams by catering to wealthy patients willing to pay $5,500 annually for longevity services, but this risks undermining their public health missions and could divert resources from broader patient care if unproven tests become normalized.
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