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Arab News
14-04-2025
- Health
- Arab News
How preventive healthcare is quietly driving sustainability in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: As global conversations about sustainability expand, one sector is emerging as an unlikely player in the environmental movement: healthcare. Experts say a growing shift toward prevention — rather than reaction — is not only improving personal health outcomes but reducing long-term resource strain on hospitals, supply chains, and the planet. 'Preventive care and longevity-focused medicine play a critical role in promoting environmental sustainability by reducing the overall burden on healthcare systems,' said Dr. Walid Zaher, a Saudi scientist and founder of Rewind. 'When individuals stay healthier for longer through early detection, lifestyle interventions, and personalized medicine, there is less need for resource-intensive treatments, hospitalizations, and pharmaceutical use — each of which carries a significant environmental footprint.' According to Zaher, every reduction in high-intensity care translates to real-world savings in emissions, energy, and medical waste. 'Fewer medical interventions mean reduced energy consumption, lower emissions from healthcare facilities, and less medical waste,' he said. 'By shifting focus from reactive to proactive care, we create a more efficient, sustainable healthcare model that benefits both people and the planet.' Saudi Arabia is taking bold steps to integrate health, wellness, and sustainability through a series of forward-looking initiatives aligned with Vision 2030. Dr. Walid Zaher, Rewind founder Dr. Ksenia Butova, founder of Detki Family Clinic and Molodost Clinic, agrees. She believes early diagnostics and family-centered wellness are not only medically superior — they are environmentally responsible. 'The costliest treatments — both financially and environmentally — come when disease is already in full swing,' she said. 'Hospital admissions, emergency interventions, aggressive medications. But most of it can be prevented.' She emphasized that check-ups today are no longer just routine, but predictive. 'Conducting in-depth check-ups designed to detect diseases at their earliest, pre-symptomatic stages — or rule them out entirely — helps alleviate the pressure on the healthcare system,' Butova said. Among the pillars of preventive medicine are targeted vaccination programs and ongoing wellness tracking — both of which lower overall consumption of antibiotics, emergency care, and overprescribed supplements. 'Nutrition science, mental health support, sleep optimization, hormone and micronutrient balancing — these are not 'luxuries,'' Butova said. 'They're the new foundation of long-term health.' The Kingdom is also investing in long-term well-being through national policy. 'Saudi Arabia is taking bold steps to integrate health, wellness, and sustainability through a series of forward-looking initiatives aligned with Vision 2030,' said Zaher. 'From national events like Saudi National Sports Day to wellness-centered urban planning, the aim is to embed health and wellness into the fabric of daily life.' On the technology front, digitization of care is helping clinics become more efficient and less wasteful. 'Clinics that operate paper-free are sustainable,' explained Butova. 'Everything from scheduling and medical records to treatment plans and follow-ups becomes digital. Patients have easy access to their data, and doctors spend less time on bureaucracy and more time on meaningful care.' She also noted that online consultations reduce traffic, emissions, and time lost to travel. 'One Zoom consultation means one less commute through city traffic, one less plastic coffee cup, one less parking hassle,' she said. 'It saves time, energy, and reduces our environmental footprint.' Both experts also pointed to a growing trend: longevity tourism — the merging of high-end medical care with eco-conscious lifestyle services. 'Longevity tourism is increasingly becoming a natural extension of the broader eco-wellness movement — one that merges sustainable living with proactive health optimization,' said Zaher. 'In regions like the Gulf, there's a unique opportunity to position longevity tourism at the intersection of luxury wellness and sustainability.' Butova confirmed the trend is already gaining traction. 'People are flying to us from Russia and Kazakhstan for access to rare vaccines … From Europe, the UK, and the US, we welcome patients seeking comprehensive check-ups, personalized recovery programs, and cutting-edge aesthetic treatments,' she said. Still, awareness remains a challenge. Both Zaher and Butova stressed the importance of education in shifting habits and norms. 'When we educate the public about the benefits of preventive health measures, sustainable diets, and active lifestyles, we can shift societal norms toward more eco-conscious behaviours,' Zaher said. Butova added: 'Public awareness is everything. Without awareness, even the most advanced medical system won't work.' Her clinics run webinars, host 'health school' events for families, and engage with communities through live Q&As. 'One of the most important missions of healthcare professionals is raising awareness about obesity and metabolic health … That shift alone changes lives and reduces wasteful, unconscious consumption,' she said. At a time when sustainability often means sacrifice, these experts argue that in medicine, it is quite the opposite: the more proactive the system, the less wasteful it becomes.
Khaleej Times
02-04-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Longevity clinics worth the hype? Dubai survey finds 90% worldwide rely on marketing over science
Nearly 90 per cent of longevity clinics worldwide provide treatments influenced more by marketing than by scientific evidence. This finding comes from a recent survey conducted by Dubai-based Detki Family Clinic and Molodost Clinic, which shed light on the 'hype' surrounding these clinics. Dr Ksenia Butova, Founder of Detki Family Clinic and Molodost Clinic said, 'The findings paint a stark picture of an industry where credible interventions struggle to gain prominence amid commercially driven hype.' The study classified clinics to assess the legitimacy of their longevity interventions, with clinics divided into four categories: Evidence-based treatments These include lifestyle interventions such as diet, exercise, and metabolic monitoring, alongside FDA-approved medications targeting age-related diseases. Strong clinical evidence supports their impact on health span. Experimental but promising treatments Rapamycin, metformin, and senolytics, among others, have shown potential in preclinical and early human trials. The data remain inconclusive but warrant further study. Dubious or unproven treatments Stem cell injections, NAD+ infusions, telomerase activation, exosome therapy, and ozone treatments lack robust clinical validation but are frequently marketed as longevity enhancers. Outright pseudoscience Claims of age reversal unsupported by biological mechanisms or clinical trials fall into this category. A proportional sample of 288 clinics was examined — 225 from the United States, 37 from Russia, 20 from the UK, and 6 from the UAE. Each was assessed based on its advertised treatments, references to peer-reviewed research, transparency regarding clinical evidence, and regulatory compliance. The findings Only 10 per cent of clinics focused primarily on evidence-based interventions, integrating scientifically validated approaches such as metabolic health optimisation and geroprotective pharmaceuticals. Another 25 per cent provided experimental but plausible treatments, acknowledging their investigational status while maintaining some degree of scientific integrity. However, as per the report, 40 per cent primarily offered dubious interventions, with little more than anecdotal support. Stem cell therapies, marketed as a regenerative panacea, appeared frequently despite a lack of controlled trials demonstrating efficacy in longevity. NAD+ infusions, popularised in biohacking circles, were promoted aggressively, yet clinical evidence supporting their long-term benefits remains tenuous. The study also revealed another 25 per cent operated almost entirely in the realm of pseudoscience, making extravagant promises of age reversal with no grounding in biological reality. Why demand is rising for unproven longevity treatments The financial incentives for clinics favour marketing over medicine. Many interventions categorised as dubious or pseudoscientific are high-margin services, requiring minimal regulation and offering repeat business. Unlike FDA-approved drugs, which undergo rigorous clinical testing, many longevity treatments enter the market under wellness or regenerative medicine classifications, circumventing the need for large-scale trials. 'Consumer psychology further accelerates demand. The promise of extended youth appeals to deep-seated fears of aging, and the complexity of longevity science creates an environment where persuasive narratives hold more sway than clinical rigor. The placebo effect, combined with selective anecdotal success stories, reinforces the illusion of efficacy,' Butova added. Where longevity science stands today Despite the proliferation of questionable clinics, the longevity field is not devoid of progress. Research into the mechanisms of aging continues to uncover promising pathways. Cellular senescence, epigenetic reprogramming, and mitochondrial function represent frontier areas where intervention could yield meaningful life extension. Yet translating such findings into legitimate treatments requires rigorous testing. Metformin, a diabetes drug with potential anti-aging properties, remains under investigation in the TAME trial. Rapamycin has extended lifespan in mice, but its long-term effects in humans remain unclear. Senolytic drugs, which target senescent cells, hold theoretical promise but require more robust clinical validation. 'In contrast, interventions already supported by strong evidence—caloric restriction, resistance training, and metabolic optimization—receive comparatively little commercial attention. Unlike high-priced infusions or proprietary stem cell procedures, these require behavioural commitment rather than costly interventions,' noted Butova. She stressed investment in large-scale clinical trials for longevity therapies must also increase. 'While some biotech firms are pioneering this effort, many treatments remain trapped in the gap between theoretical promise and demonstrated efficacy. Without rigorous human trials, the industry risks repeating the mistakes of past medical fads—where enthusiasm outpaced evidence.' Only 10-20% of medical interventions add extra years, say medics Other medics in the country also concurred with the revelations. Dr Hina Salam Siddiqui, Specialist Family Medicine at Zulekha Medical Centre Al Khan said, 'Stick to proven methods like exercise, Mediterranean diet, sleep, stress control. Be cautious of clinics selling unproven 'anti-aging' treatments. For cutting-edge interventions, follow clinical trials rather than marketing claims. 80 to 90 per cent is dependent on lifestyle which have the strongest evidence for longevity. Only 10-20 per cent of medical interventions add extra years but work best alongside lifestyle.' Healthcare professionals emphasised people must check for peer-reviewed studies by looking for treatments backed by rigorous clinical trials published in reputable medical journals. 'Seek guidance from physicians or researchers specialising in gerontology and longevity. Be cautious of treatments that promise drastic life extension without substantial evidence. Additionally, treatments approved by agencies like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or The European Medicines Agency (EMA) generally have more scientific validation,' added Dr Javeed Ashfaque, Specialist Internal Medicine Prime Medical Centre Al Barari Branch.
