Question 375 of 433
What is being offered offshore, and why do people go?
The short answer
Stem cell infusions, experimental gene therapy, and other treatments not approved in the United States. People go because they are hopeful, wealthy, or desperate. The evidence is thin and the protection is thinner.
Stem cell clinics in Panama, Colombia, Mexico, and elsewhere charge roughly $16,000 to $30,000 for infusions of cells from umbilical cords. Their published evidence is mostly uncontrolled.
A gene therapy sold on an island off Honduras for about $25,000 delivers the gene for follistatin, a protein that promotes muscle growth. The only data are from the company’s own uncontrolled report on its paying customers.
In the United States, Montana now licenses centers that may sell drugs that have passed only the first phase of testing, and several states permit certain unapproved stem cell treatments.
If something goes wrong abroad, you will be treated at home by doctors who do not know what you were given. Doctors at home see the fevers that come back on the plane.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
EARLY / UNCONTROLLED DATA — Offshore or experimental wellness treatments: benefit and long-term safety are uncertain.Evidence grade (draft mapping)BLimited or small human studiesPart 25, Q375 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.