Does plasma exchange (plasmapheresis) work against ageing?
There are initial, cautiously positive indications from one small study, but it is too small and too influenced by commercial interests to draw any conclusions at this stage. Wait for larger, independent studies before considering this treatment.
Blood plasma contains substances that appear to promote ageing as well as substances that protect against it. Animal experiments involving blood exchange show that this can affect the brain, blood vessels and immune system. A large study of more than 4,000 people identified 38 proteins in the blood that predict the risk of dementia; 16 of them did so almost twenty years in advance. That makes the biological rationale behind plasma exchange understandable, but it does not yet prove that removing those substances actually works.
The only randomised study in humans was very small: 42 healthy adults aged 50 and over. Participants who received plasma exchange every two weeks, combined with an infusion of antibodies, scored better on fifteen different measures of biological age than the placebo group. That sounds promising, but a study this small provides preliminary indications, not proof. In addition, several of the lead authors are co-founders of a commercial company that has a financial interest in this treatment. That makes independent replication all the more necessary.
On safety: in that same small study, two participants had to withdraw due to side effects, one of which was attributable to the antibody infusion. No serious safety problems were reported, but with so few participants, rare side effects cannot be reliably ruled out. Plasma exchange is also an invasive medical procedure that is normally used for serious diseases.
In a study of 378 patients with liver failure, plasma exchange helped the 120 who received it to stabilise blood pressure, but they did not survive more often than those who received only standard treatment. In a serious blood disorder, the procedure turned out to be replaceable by medication alone. This shows that positive effects on blood values or biomarkers do not automatically translate into real health gains, even for diseases in which TPE has already been used for some time.
One small RCT (n=42) in healthy older adults with commercial interests among the authors; one review study on animal experiments; one large proteomics study (n=4,110) on plasma proteins and dementia risk; two clinical studies in acute liver failure and a blood disorder (not on ageing). Animal model study not relevant to clinical effectiveness.
How does ageing work and how can you slow it down?
Ageing is well described biologically, but there are no proven means of genuinely slowing it in humans yet. For now, focus on what works: sufficient exercise, a protein-rich diet and avoiding overeating.
Do some people age primarily through their heart and others through their metabolism?
Yes, people age through different organ pathways. The science needed to map this precisely for each individual is promising, but still at an early stage.
Does your body age faster after a prolonged period of stress?
Prolonged stress is associated with signs of faster cellular ageing, but whether this is truly causal and applies to everyone has not yet been proven. If you want to limit the biological consequences of stress, it pays to pay attention to how you personally experience and process stressful situations.
Is it true that women age more slowly biologically than men?
Multiple studies confirm that women are biologically younger than men of the same age, but women also spend their extra years more often in poorer health. The difference is therefore real, but more complex than the simple conclusion that 'women age more slowly'.
Can an epigenetic age test really tell you how old your body is?
An epigenetic age test provides a meaningful indication of biological ageing, but is not yet a definitive verdict on your health. Use the result as a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not as a fixed judgement.
Can you really lower your biological age, and does the research support this?
There are promising indications that biological age is measurable and perhaps controllable, but clinical evidence that you can truly and lastingly lower that age is still lacking. Wait for larger studies before basing major decisions on this.