What are hospital longevity programs, and what can they tell you about your health?

For patients willing to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket, prestigious hospitals across the country are offering a new speciality: longevity. Cash-pay longevity clinics promise to monitor all sorts of health indicators and provide guidance on how to live a longer, healthier life. A couple of weeks ago, I tagged along with STAT commercial determinants of health reporter Sarah Todd as she tested out one of these new clinics at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. At Weill, Sarah underwent a battery of physical, written, and blood tests, performed frog jumps, ran down a hallway, and wore a VO2 Max mask that made her feel “like an elephant.” In this new STATus Report, I chat with Sarah about why hospitals are joining in on the longevity scene, why these programs have been facing some criticism, what she learned about her own health, and more.