Longevity Specialists Urge Focus on Access and Equity

Medscape

6 hours ago

AMSTERDAM — As the global wellness industry surpasses $6 trillion, longevity medicine is emerging as a rapidly evolving subfield, driven by a growing public interest in extending health span , not just lifespan.
"Nobody wants to be a patient," Alyssa Jaffee, a partner at 7wire Ventures, said at the HLTH Europe 2025 conference. "Patients are people that have things done to them. Everybody wants to be a consumer of health. They want to be an active steward of health."
Speakers at HLTH Europe 2025, Amsterdam
Elisabeth Roider, MD, PhD, co-founder of InnoMed Advisors, agreed that more people are trying to manage aging itself as a risk factor, not just treat disease. But she cautioned, "These are healthy individuals; if something goes wrong, we have a problem."
This shift is being driven in part by increased access to personal health data and diagnostic tools, allowing for a more proactive and individualized approach to care. But the panel warned that with that evolution comes a challenge: separating well-founded science from hype.
The Longevity Pyramid
While experimental therapies, such as CRISPR, stem cell injections, and extreme biohacking, continue to dominate headlines, panelists cautioned that these should not be mistaken for mainstream, scalable solutions.
"There is no silver bullet," said Roider, who described a five-tier 'longevity pyramid' for personalizing health span interventions:
Comprehensive health diagnostics form the base, she explained. These include biomarker analysis, imaging, and other assessments that establish an individual's baseline, which becomes critical for customizing therapies.
One step up is lifestyle interventions. This tier includes physical activity, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and social connection, which panelists agreed are pillars backed by decades of research. "Most of the time, people don't want to make those commitments because they want to jump ahead to the top," said Roider. "They want an expeditious path. And a lot of times, the most expeditious path is what lays at the base."
The next level includes off-label pharmaceuticals, performance-targeted supplements, and medical devices tailored to individual needs based on diagnostic results.
Emerging therapeutics, including drugs and interventions specifically designed to address aging-related diseases and processes, have a place once the base of the pyramid has been addressed, Roider explained.
At the pyramid's apex are highly specialized and often unregulated therapies, such as stem cell infusions, gene editing, and other advanced biological tools that are still in the early stages of testing.
"Longevity has become this very sexy topic, but the base of the pyramid solves most problems," Roider said.
The Gender Gap in Longevity Care
Although women tend to live longer than men, data suggest they spend significantly more of their lives in poor health. According to a recent report by the World Economic Forum, women may experience up to 25% more years with chronic conditions compared to men.
"Women often need to see four or more providers just to find the care they need," said Jaffee. "They are often not believed, or dismissed."
Menopause was cited as a particularly under-addressed issue, linked to higher risks of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's. Yet symptoms often go undertreated or dismissed, Roider said.
"You just have to spend a bit of time on Reddit and the menopause boards to realize how frightened and upset … many women are right now," said Terry Doyle, managing partner at TELUS Global Venture.
The problem is partly systemic. Historically, women have been underrepresented in clinical trials, and funding for female-specific health research remains disproportionately low. However, momentum is building. Venture investment in women's health has more than tripled over the past 5 years, and female-focused health tech startups are beginning to close critical innovation gaps. "There is a massive financial return," Jaffee said. "There is 50% of the population with an increasing buying power. So, I think there is a lot of interest in clinical health," agreed Roider.
The Inequity of Access
While elite clinics and boutique diagnostics promise personalized care, these often come at a steep price. Annual memberships to health clinics can run into the thousands, and advanced screening tools, such as full-body MRI scans, may cost $2500 or more and are typically not covered by insurance.
"The idea of longevity feels a little bit exclusive to those who have access to certain services," said Alexa Mikhail, a senior health and wellness reporter at Fortune Magazine. "Longevity should not be solely for the so-called tech bros of Silicon Valley, and democratizing access is really important."
However, as diagnostic technologies scale, prices are expected to decline. Hybrid payment models, employer-sponsored programs, and public health initiatives may also widen access. AI-powered health coaching tools and community-based education programs could further help democratize longevity care.
Jaffee is a partner at 7wireVentures, Roider is partner and co-founder of InnoMed Advisors, Doyle is managing partner at TELUS Global Venture, Mikhail declared no relevant financial relationships.