Published on: May 28, 2025
A person’s blood can collect potentially harmful particles that might be removed through a process called plasma exchange. Some anti-aging advocates, along with a small group of scientists, believe that swapping out a person’s plasma could help slow biological aging.
Plasma exchange is an established medical treatment for certain blood disorders, autoimmune diseases, and neurological conditions, and it’s usually covered by insurance when medically necessary. However, it is not approved or covered for anti-aging purposes.
One of the first human trials exploring plasma exchange for anti-aging was recently published in the journal Aging Cell. According to The New York Times, the study provides preliminary evidence that the therapy may slow biological aging even in healthy individuals.
This small study involved 42 participants, averaging 65 years old, and found that those who underwent plasma exchange over a few months showed reduced levels of age-related biological compounds in their blood compared to a control group. The trial was sponsored by Circulate Health, a startup focused on plasma exchange.
Despite this, many scientists remain skeptical. The anti-aging benefits of plasma exchange in healthy people have yet to be confirmed by large clinical trials. Moreover, the procedure—drawing blood, removing plasma, and replacing it with fluids—carries potential risks and medical complications without a guaranteed benefit.
During plasma exchange therapy, blood is drawn from the patient and passed through a machine that removes the plasma. The removed plasma is replaced with donor plasma or a substitute fluid (usually a saline and protein mixture), and the blood is then returned to the patient. Sometimes antibodies or medications are added to enhance the immune response or treat disease. Each session generally lasts a couple of hours.
Hospitals commonly use plasma exchange to remove harmful particles that accelerate disease progression—such as antibodies attacking the nervous system in multiple sclerosis. Advocates argue that the procedure might also clear inflammatory antibodies and proteins thought to drive biological aging.
Most anti-aging research on plasma exchange has been conducted in animals, so the results may not directly apply to humans, explained Dr. Caroline Alquist, interim co-director of the Hoxworth Blood Center at the University of Cincinnati. Additionally, human studies so far have primarily focused on patients with existing age-related diseases.
Source: https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2025/05/could-plasma-exchange-therapy-help-you-live-longer.html
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