By Dr Chatterjee, Consultant in Musculoskeletal & Sports Medicine
Last week I travelled to Chicago to visit Northwestern Medicine, an academic medical centre established in 1972. It now includes 11 hospitals across the Chicago area and northern Illinois and works in close collaboration with Northwestern University.
Since November 2024, Northwestern Medicine has entered into a formal collaboration with The London Clinic, where I practise. The purpose of this partnership is to bring modern, cutting edge medical services to London, grounded firmly in research and evidence generated through Northwestern University.
One of the most exciting developments within this collaboration is the launch of a longevity clinic at The London Clinic later this year, based on the established and highly structured programme in Chicago.
I attended the Chicago longevity programme as a patient to fully understand what it involves and what it could mean for patients here in the UK.
What is longevity medicine?
Longevity medicine focuses on health span rather than simply lifespan.
In practical terms, this means helping people stay healthy, active and independent for as long as possible. It is not about chasing extreme life extension. It is about maintaining physical, cognitive and cardiovascular function over time.
Chronological age versus biological age
Your chronological age is simply the number of years you have been alive.
Your biological age reflects how well your body is functioning internally.
For example, someone may be 45 years old chronologically but have cardiovascular markers more typical of someone significantly older. Equally, another individual may be in their 60s with the metabolic and cardiovascular profile of someone much younger.
Longevity medicine aims to measure this biological age and understand what is influencing it.
What does the Chicago longevity assessment involve?
The longevity screen in Chicago is comprehensive and multi layered. It combines advanced diagnostics, functional testing and genetic analysis to build a detailed risk profile.
Retinal scanning using AI
A specialised retinal scan analyses the small blood vessels at the back of the eye. Artificial intelligence is used to help estimate cardiovascular risk, including risk of heart attack and stroke.
DEXA body composition scan
A DEXA scan measures fat mass, muscle mass and bone density. This provides much more meaningful data than weight alone and gives insight into metabolic and musculoskeletal health.
Cardiovascular and fitness testing
AI analysis of ECG data can provide insight into cardiac ageing. VO2 max testing measures how effectively the heart and lungs work together during exercise and is one of the strongest predictors of long term health outcomes.
Genetic screening, epigenetics and DNA methylation
The programme includes genetic screening, including assessment of genes such as PAI 1, which has been associated with differing cardiovascular risk profiles in certain populations.
In addition, epigenetic testing and DNA methylation analysis are used to assess biological ageing at a cellular level. These tools aim to provide insight into how lifestyle and environmental factors may be influencing gene expression and ageing processes.
Functional strength and performance testing
Strength, balance and physical performance are assessed to evaluate overall resilience and risk of physical decline.
What will The London Clinic add?
The new longevity clinic at The London Clinic will be based on the Chicago model but will expand on it further.
In addition to the core longevity assessment, plans include:
Full body MRI scanning
Enhanced cancer screening pathways
Sleep studies
Gut microbiome screening
The aim is to create a highly comprehensive and structured preventative assessment, tailored to the UK healthcare setting.
How is this different from other longevity programmes?
Longevity medicine has become an increasingly popular concept. However, not all programmes are built on robust scientific evidence.
A key difference in this collaboration is that everything is grounded in evidence based medicine. The approach is research guided, academically supported and aligned with established medical standards.
This is not about unproven supplements, speculative testing or exaggerated claims. It is about gold standard diagnostics, validated risk markers and clinically meaningful interventions.
Why this matters for patients
Many chronic conditions develop gradually and without symptoms in the early stages.
By combining advanced imaging, cardiovascular testing, genetics, epigenetics and functional assessment, longevity medicine aims to identify risk earlier and create personalised prevention strategies.
It represents a shift from reactive care to proactive health management.
What this means for our patients
At Panacea, our focus remains evidence based, patient centred care.
Developments in longevity medicine are part of a broader movement towards prevention and personalised medicine. As this collaboration between Northwestern Medicine and The London Clinic develops, we will continue to guide patients on what it means, who may benefit, and how it fits into an overall health strategy.
If you would like to discuss preventative health, cardiovascular risk or performance optimisation, we are always happy to advise.