Opening April 1, RoseBar — a “longevity club” at the swank Six Senses Ibiza — offers services that may sound like they’re derived from science fiction.
Guests can take DNA methylation tests to measure their epigenomes, analyzing which of their aging-associated genes are activated.
There’s a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, Normatec compression boots, Roxiva light therapy and a Cellgym machine that uses a specialized breathing mask to boost energy.
In the near future, RoseBar will add plasmapheresis, or blood filtration.
They’re all techniques that claim to stretch our life spans.
“What we see as ‘normal’ aging — decrepitude, frailty, disability and degeneration — is truly abnormal aging,” insists Dr. Mark Hyman, RoseBar’s medical director and head of strategy and innovation at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. “Aging is a disease that can be treated.”
Indeed, recent research on biomarkers (indicators in the body’s fluids and tissues that can predict various diseases and conditions) brings the welcome news that we may have significantly more control over our long-term health than previously thought.
And that research is spawning a boom in supplements, machines and devices: According to the firm Allied Market Research, longevity is expected to be a $44 billion market by 2030.
For those who can’t spend the $4,556 (not including room or board) for RoseBar’s seven-day program in Spain, Hyman — author of the just-released book “Young Forever” — says easy lifestyle changes can also lead to vastly improved health.
“Eighty percent of aging well, maybe more, is simple things that don’t cost much: being attentive to what you eat, exercising, stress management, sleep and getting enough nutrients. Vitamin D, omega-3s and a multivitamin can make a huge impact.”
Innovations in the study of genomics and the microbiome, artificial intelligence and the ability to process enormous quantities of data “are all going to transform everything we know about health and disease,” Hyman says.
But for now, traditional American medicine and insurance companies don’t often recommend or cover testing for biomarkers, so an industry has sprung up for health enthusiasts looking to gauge their health.
Hyman offers a $500 blood test through his company Function, which analyzes more than 100 different biomarkers, offering clients detailed views of their metabolic health and inflammation levels.
“We think we can add millions of years of healthy life expectancy to the world by helping people really understand and be more proactive about what’s going on as they age.”
Melissa Eamer, founder of Modern Age, a longevity clinic
It’s the kind of information many consumers are craving, says Melissa Eamer, who founded Modern Age, a longevity clinic that launched two locations in Manhattan last year. “A lot of people think that aging doesn’t start until you’re in your 50s,” says Eamer, a former Amazon executive. “Aging really starts in your 30s, which is when your bonemass peaks, so it’s important to get to people early. There’s so much we can control.”
Modern Age charges $500 for an Aging Wellness Assessment, overseen by its Harvard-trained chief medical officer, Dr. Anant Vinjamoori.
The fee covers an initial physician consultation, a blood test measuring 55 biomarkers (associated with metabolism, energy and inflammation), a cognitive test and a noninvasive bone scan. That’s followed by another doctor consultation to review results and recommendations.
Modern Age’s services include IV drips targeting inflammation and boosting immunity ($200), hormone therapy (administered by a gynecologist and priced following a consultation), NAD+ (a coenzyme said to stimulate cellular regeneration) injections for brain health ($125) and even Botox shots (from $300).
Like Hyman, Eamer is hoping her holistic model sticks.
“There are a lot of places you can go for a single part of our treatment, but I don’t know that there’s anyone really connecting the dots,” she says. “The private practices that do this tend to be extremely expensive and not accessible to most people.”
Accessibility is driving the fast growth of IV-drip bars, a phenomenon Hyman calls “the Wild West” and one that Dr. Anna Barbieri, a Manhattan board-certified gynecologist and integrative medicine specialist, says should be approached with caution.
“I am a proponent of innovation in the way we help ourselves heal, but I think that the deployment of IV drips to the public by these centers, under the guise of medical treatments for specific conditions, is premature at best, and possibly ineffective with unknown harms,” she says. “Claims of efficacy are often not supported by the available data and are ‘stretched’ for marketing purposes.”
Eamer is quick to acknowledge the “overpromising and snake oil” in the anti-aging industry, making her determined to scale her concept nationally, and possibly internationally.
“We think we can add millions of years of healthy life expectancy to the world by helping people really understand and be more proactive about what’s going on as they age,” Eamer says.
Time will tell.