A person's blood can accumulate potentially damaging particles that may be flushed out. Some anti-aging influencers, along with a handful of scientists, believe exchanging the plasma in a person's blood can help slow biological aging. 

Plasma exchange is a well-established treatment for certain blood disorders, autoimmune diseases and neurological conditions, and it’s typically covered by insurance when deemed medically necessary. It is not covered for anti-aging purposes.

One of the first trials examining plasma exchange for anti-aging in humans was published recently in the journal Aging Cell. The New York Times reports that the study offers early evidence that it may be able to slow the biological breakdown that comes with age, even in otherwise healthy people.

The small study of 42 participants, with an average age of 65, found those who had plasma exchange therapy during the course of a few months had lower concentrations in their blood of the biological compounds that accumulate with age, compared with a control group. The trial was sponsored by Circulate Health, a plasma exchange startup.

Still, many other scientists who study plasma exchange are skeptical. Its anti-aging benefits for healthy people have not been proven in large clinical trials, and drawing blood and replacing plasma with added fluids could put patients at risk for unnecessary medical complications without a clear payoff.

During the therapy, a machine separates and discards the plasma from the blood, replaces it with donor plasma or a substitute fluid, then returns the blood back to the patient. The substitute fluid often contains a mixture of saline and proteins. In some cases, an infusion of antibodies or drugs may also be added to boost the immune system or fight certain diseases. Each session typically takes a couple of hours.

Hospitals use plasma exchange to remove particles that speed up a disease's progression, such as the antibodies that attack a patient’s nervous system in multiple sclerosis. But proponents of the procedure for improving health and life span say it can be used to remove the inflammatory antibodies and proteins that may drive biological aging.

Most of the research into the anti-aging benefits of plasma exchange has been done on animals, so the findings don’t necessarily carry over to humans, said Caroline Alquist, MD, PhD, interim co-director of the Hoxworth Blood Center at the University of Cincinnati. Also, until now, the research in humans has focused on patients who already have an age-related disease. 

Source: https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2025/05/could-plasma-exchange-therapy-help-you-live-longer.html