Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is just one of many treatments redefining longevity as we know it. We ask functional medicine specialist, Age Back Co’s Nathalie Helm, to share the latest in the field of treatments.
Helm is an MD, PhD, Associate professor in medical epidemiology, functional medicine specialist. The ambition for the Stockholm- and Istanbul-based premium longevity and wellness members club is to enable people to go beyond what traditional medicine offers.
– We create personalised health programs, designed by leading medical and scientific experts, that combine advanced regenerative treatments with continuous tracking. Our mission is to help each individual heal, recover, perform at their peak, and sustain long-term vitality. I wouldn’t call it wellness — rather biological strategy.
Among a roster of your treatments is hyperbaric oxygen therapy. What makes that so unique?
– Inside a hyperbaric chamber, the body absorbs oxygen at levels 10–15 times higher than normal. This creates a temporary, ‘hyper-oxygenated’ state that the body responds to with a cascade of regenerative processes. Studies from leading research groups show that HBOT can stimulate stem-cell release, promote angiogenesis, enhance mitochondrial efficiency, reduce inflammation and senescent cells, and influence epigenetic markers associated with aging.
– What sets HBOT apart from other interventions is its dual nature. It is both deeply physiological and entirely non-pharmacological. It only involves oxygen, pressure, and the body’s innate capacity to adapt. The repeated cycles of increased and then normalised oxygen levels create a form of ‘hormetic stress,’ training the body’s repair systems similarly to how strength training challenges muscles to grow stronger.
Age Back has developed custom-designed HBOT chambers that combine comfort with full medical capability.
– They offer a spacious environment with reclining seats, integrated entertainment, and a calming interior that makes longer HBOT protocols both effective and enjoyable.
– Despite their elevated design, the chambers are engineered to hospital-grade specifications, including an antechamber and advanced safety systems typically found only in high-end clinical hyperbaric units. To our knowledge, this combination of space, comfort, entertainment, and complete medical functionality is among the first of its kind globally.
Except for HBOT, Age Back Co also offers regenerative treatments that are rarely available in standard healthcare.
– Through our Istanbul clinic and our GMP-certified laboratory Vivosel, patients gain access to stem-cell therapies, exosome-based treatments, regenerative hair-restoration programs for both men and women, plasma exchange (plasmapheresis), and regenerative dentistry.
– We use stem cells and exosomes across several key areas, including orthopaedics, fertility, hair restoration, and longevity-related treatments. Our programs include the full treatment process and structured follow-up, delivering the regenerative intervention and measuring its biological impact over time. All programs are medically led and extensively measured before and after, including more than 80 biomarkers and scans over a 4–6 month period.
What’s your view on the recent rise of longevity? And how do you follow it?
– The growing global interest in longevity, driven by global research and visionary investment, is exactly what we need to accelerate progress. Aging is no longer seen as an unavoidable fate we simply have to accept; it is increasingly understood as a biological process we can measure, influence, and in many cases slow down.
– I got my training from the American Academy of Anti-aging medicine (A4M), Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), Longevity Doc, and regularly attend longevity conferences. That’s where I constantly update my knowledge in the field.
– I foresee that longevity medicine will be the future healthcare. Knowledge, tools, and technologies are advancing at an unprecedented pace, and the coming decade will likely reshape how we think about health, prevention, and regeneration. We now understand far more about the underlying mechanisms that drive aging, and importantly, how to intervene.
– The goal of longevity medicine is not immortality; it is to extend the years we can live with vitality, independence, and resilience. Healthspan, not just lifespan, is what truly matters. After all, no one aspires to live longer in poor health. The promise of longevity medicine is to help people live better for longer.
And, what’s the next big thing here?
– Regenerative medicine is entering a new era where breakthroughs in stem‑cell science, exosome therapies, senolytics, mitochondrial repair, and epigenetic reprogramming are rapidly moving from research into real clinical practice, says Helm. She continues:
– The coming years will redefine healthcare: organ‑specific regenerative therapies, plasma‑based rejuvenation, and AI‑driven biological‑age tracking are becoming the foundation for a new medical model focused not on disease management, but on restoration of function and vitality.
– A year from now, we’ll likely be discussing how these innovations are reshaping recovery, performance, and aging, and how the next chapter of medicine is arriving much faster than expected.