New industry pillar deemed the "fastest-growing, newest genre in wellness," encouraging booming new businesses fusing medical and wellness applications.
The Global Wellness Summit has named Longevity Has Longevity as a top 2024 trend in the 2024 Global Wellness Trends Report: The Future of Wellness. The trend was written by Kenneth R. Pelletier MD, PhD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Family and Community Medicine, and Psychiatry in the Departments of Medicine and in Psychiatry at the University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco (UCSF), recent recipient of the 2024 Visionary Award at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium.
Dr. Pelletier identified eight major trends in the practical applications of longevity research in longevity clinics and centers that. From high-tech interventions to slow cellular aging and reduce the onset of age-related disease, to low tech interventions not obtained by pharmacology or technological advances, but rather lifestyle and environment, the trends will impact the future of our healthspan and lifespan.
Here is a summary of the trends:
1) Personalized Longevity Plans. Longevity clinics or “centers” (not spas) are likely to increasingly focus on personalized health plans tailored to an individual's genetic makeup, lifestyle and specific health risks. This will involve ongoing, comprehensive genetic testing, epigenetic analysis and advanced biomarker assessments to create customized longevity strategies. There are literally hundreds of longevity centers around the globe. Advances in medical imaging technologies, biomarker identification and noninvasive diagnostic tools will enable early detection and intervention for age related diseases.
2) Senolytics. Pharmacology is increasingly moving towards personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to an individual’s genetic makeup and health profile. As research into senescence and senolytics (drugs that target and remove senescent cells) advances, longevity clinics will offer more therapies aimed at slowing down the aging process. These treatments could include senolytic and nootropic drugs as well as Indigenous herbals/mushrooms, regenerative therapies, and CRISPR gene editing interventions to address age-related diseases. Senolytic pharmacologies include Metformin, Rapamycin, Resveratrol and NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, to name a few.
3) Nutrigenomics and Dietary Interventions. Longevity centers will increasingly incorporate nutrigenomics, the study of how diet interacts with genetics, to develop personalized nutrition plans. Individuals will receive specific recommendations based on their genetic predispositions to optimize their diets for longevity and disease prevention. Dietary recommendations move from “one size fits all” to tailored choices according to genetic profiles.
4) Telomere Regeneration. Research on telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes implicated in aging, continues to be a prominent area in longevity research. interventions to maintain or lengthen telomeres, and potentially slowing the cellular aging process include telomerase activation, cell-based therapies that involve the introduction of new, younger cells with longer telomeres into the body; still experimental telomere lengthening drugs that aim to influence the pathways involved in telomere maintenance and elongation.
5) Digital Health and AI/GPT driven Healthcare. Longevity centers are likely to leverage digital health technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) for early disease detection, continuous health monitoring and treatment optimization. Wearable devices, health apps and AI driven analytics can provide real-time data and insights for proactive health management. Wearable technology allows for continuous monitoring of vital signs, physical activity and sleep patterns enabling individuals to proactively manage their health.
6) Genetics and Genomics. Genetic insights have generated advances in genetics, and genomics have provided valuable understanding of the genetic factors that influence longevity. Researchers are studying centenarians and their genetic makeup to identify longevity associated genes. Gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 offer the potential to edit genes associated with aging and age-related diseases, although ethical and safety concerns need to be addressed. There are a growing number of reliable, accurately predictive, evidence-based epigenetic assays.
7) Social, Lifestyle and Environmental. Factors Strong social networks and community engagement are associated with increased longevity and the promotion of healthy behaviors. Environmental factors are vital in reducing exposure to environmental toxins. Promoting clean air and water can contribute to better health and longevity. Diets, Nutritional supplements and regular physical activity, stress management and meditation have a significant impact on longevity.
8) Biohacking. There are many forms of biohacking, a term minted by author Dave Asprey in 2004. Among the more common hacks are: the Mediterranean diet; Alzheimer's halting/reversing clinical interventions, intermittent fasting; "young blood" transfusions, hyperbaric oxygen, cryogenic freezing and Wim Hof cold water immersion.
Purchase the 2024 Global Wellness Trends Report: The Future of Wellness here.