Longevity medicine without the hype: what actually works today

Andrei Prikhodko — GP, cardiologist

What was discussed in Abu Dhabi

From October 20 to 22, 2026, at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit at ADNEC, the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi (IHLAD) ran a three-day scientific program on healthy longevity medicine. Speakers came from Yale, Harvard Medical School and the National University of Singapore. The program also covered guidelines for longevity medicine centers, prepared by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi with IHLAD and the Healthy Longevity Medicine Society.

One idea from the program is close to how I work: wearables and AI need clinical validation before anyone makes decisions based on them. Longevity clinics are opening across the UAE, and patients fairly ask what is worth paying for and putting effort into.

What is proven: a dull list that works

In a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study (Circulation, 2018), five habits — not smoking, a healthy weight, regular exercise, a healthy diet and moderate drinking — were linked to longer life expectancy at age 50: 14.0 more years for women and 12.2 for men, compared with people who had none of them. These are observational data, not a promise. But no drip and no peptide has shown numbers like these.

• Blood pressure. High blood pressure can go unnoticed for years. How to measure at home and which numbers are normal is in our article on blood pressure.
• LDL, ApoB and lipoprotein(a). LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, is the main target of prevention. The 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines advise measuring lipoprotein(a) at least once in a lifetime, since its level is mostly set by your genes. ApoB is useful with high triglycerides, diabetes and obesity. For newer drugs, see our article on cholesterol.
• Blood sugar. The DHA advises adults from age 18 to check fasting glucose or HbA1c every three years, and every year if they have risk factors.
• Smoking. In a 2013 NEJM study, people who quit at 25–34 gained about 10 years of life, at 35–44 about 9, and at 45–54 about 6. Quitting before 40 removed about 90% of the excess risk of death from continuing to smoke.
• Exercise. The WHO recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate activity a week plus muscle-strengthening exercise on two or more days. In a 2022 meta-analysis, the risk of death dropped the most, by about 10–20%, with 30–60 minutes of strength training a week.
• Sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises adults to sleep 7 hours or more on a regular basis.
• Weight. Here medicine has approved tools. In the SELECT trial of people 45 and older with a BMI of 27 or higher and heart or vascular disease but no diabetes, semaglutide cut the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death by 20%. A doctor prescribes these drugs when there is a clear reason.
• Vaccines. A yearly flu shot, a shingles vaccine (the CDC recommends it for adults from 50) and others by age. Why the shingles vaccine matters for your blood vessels too is in our article on stroke prevention. The vaccine list is on our vaccination page.
• Screening. In Dubai, the DHA recommends a FIT stool test every two years or a colonoscopy every 10 years for people 40 to 75, and a mammogram every two years for women from 40. The USPSTF advises a yearly low-dose lung CT from 50 to 80 for people with a smoking history of 20 pack-years or more who still smoke or quit within the past 15 years. The GMS medical concierge arranges colonoscopy, mammography and CT at partner hospitals.

Where the promises run ahead of the data

"Research-only" retatrutide. In 2026 retatrutide produced strong weight loss in phase 3 trials, and Lilly plans to file with the FDA in early 2027. For now it is not approved. The FDA says retatrutide has not been found safe and effective for any condition, and it has warned companies selling it labeled "for research purposes" or "not for human consumption" while including dosing instructions. The quality of these vials is unknown. The same goes for other "peptides" sold online.

NAD+ drips. A 2026 systematic review in Ageing Research Reviews found no trials that tested intravenous or intramuscular NAD+ for anti-aging against clinical outcomes. Oral precursors (NR, NMN) do raise NAD+ in the blood, but their effect on health measures has been inconsistent and often absent.

"Biological age" from a single test. Epigenetic clocks are an interesting research tool. But, as the authors of a 2024 review in Nature Medicine write, there is still no consensus on how to validate these markers before they are used in the clinic. "You are biologically 47" doesn't tell you what to do next.

"Test everything." A large test package with no clear reason turns up incidental findings and a chain of extra checks. More in our article on checking your heart.

For any "longevity" procedure, I suggest one question: in which study did it lower the risk of disease or death in people?

What this looks like in clinic

We start with a conversation: your age, family history, habits, medications and blood pressure. We calculate your cardiovascular risk. Then come only the tests that fit your age and sex and change decisions. Only what you need. Nothing extra.

• Cardiologist consultation — AED 750.
• Cardiac risk profile — AED 350; lipoprotein A — AED 125, and one measurement is usually enough.
• If you want a wider picture, there is a set of tests your doctor can use to start the prevention conversation, a profile for AED 850: complete blood count and metabolic panel, HbA1c and insulin, lipids, TSH and cortisol, sex hormones, ferritin, vitamins D and B12, magnesium and uric acid. It does not calculate a “biological age”: it is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor.
• Our checkup programs are built by sex and age: for example, the express checkup is AED 4,000, and the men's and women's checkups include a cardiologist consultation, an ECG and an echocardiogram.

Blood tests are taken at the clinic and ultrasound is done on site. A year later we compare the numbers and adjust the plan.

You can book with Andrei Prikhodko, GP, cardiologist, through the form on our website or on WhatsApp.

Sources

• Entrepreneur Middle East. IHLAD Convenes Global Experts on Healthy Longevity Medicine at Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026 (2026)
• Li Y et al. Impact of Healthy Lifestyle Factors on Life Expectancies in the US Population. Circulation (2018)
• ESC/EAS. 2019 Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias (2019)
• Dubai Health Authority. Dubai Periodic Health Screening Guideline (2024)
• Jha P et al. 21st-Century Hazards of Smoking and Benefits of Cessation in the United States. NEJM (2013)
• WHO. Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (2020)
• Momma H et al. Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases. Br J Sports Med (2022)
• AASM, SRS. Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult (2015)
• Lincoff AM et al. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (SELECT). NEJM (2023)
• CDC. Shingles Vaccination (2024)
• USPSTF. Lung Cancer: Screening (2021)
• FDA. FDA’s Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss (2026)
• Eli Lilly. Retatrutide successful in two additional phase 3 obesity trials, press release (2026)
• Gallagher C, Emmanuel OO. NAD⁺ supplementation for anti-aging and wellness: a PRISMA-guided systematic review. Ageing Research Reviews (2026)
• Moqri M et al. Validation of biomarkers of aging. Nature Medicine (2024)

FAQ

What in longevity medicine actually works?

The basics have the strongest support: controlling blood pressure, LDL cholesterol and blood sugar, not smoking, 150–300 minutes of moderate activity a week plus strength training on two days, 7 or more hours of sleep, vaccines and age-based screening. In a 2018 study, five healthy habits were linked to 14.0 extra years of life for women and 12.2 for men at age 50.

Is it safe to inject retatrutide for weight loss?

Retatrutide is not an approved drug yet. It did well in phase 3 trials in 2026, but the FDA says it has not been found safe and effective for any condition. The FDA considers selling vials labeled "for research purposes" illegal, and their quality is unknown.

Do NAD+ drips slow aging?

There is no proof. A 2026 systematic review found no trials that tested intravenous or intramuscular NAD+ for anti-aging against clinical outcomes. Oral NAD+ precursors raise blood levels, but their effect on health measures in studies has been inconsistent.

Should I take a biological age test?

Epigenetic clocks are interesting for research, but there is still no consensus on how to validate these markers before they are used in the clinic. A biological age number does not tell you what to do. Blood pressure, LDL, lipoprotein(a), blood sugar and a cardiovascular risk score are more useful.

Where do I start a longevity plan at GMS?

With a cardiologist consultation (AED 750): we go through your history, habits and medications and calculate your cardiovascular risk. Then come tests by age and sex: the cardiac risk profile (AED 350), lipoprotein A (AED 125) or a checkup program, for example the express checkup at AED 4,000.

This article is for information only and does not replace a consultation. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.

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