LongevityRx brings a new approach to preventive medicine in Rancho Santa Fe

Most often, we rely on traditional medicine to treat what ails us. Get sick, and go see a doctor to help you get healthy again. But more frequently, many of us are looking for ways to proactively take control of our health in order to manage or even reverse existing conditions, fill in gaps or find alternatives to traditional care, or prevent ever getting sick in the first place. 

In that arena, Joel Fuhrman, MD, a board-certified family physician, and his daughter Cara Fuhrman, a Naturopathic Doctor, recently opened LongevityRx in Rancho Santa Fe. Offering nutrition- and science-led medicine, the practice works to not only optimize health, but provides effective alternatives to invasive diagnostics and even reverses disease in patients. “We’re not doing quite primary care, and we’re not doing functional medicine, integrative medicine, or alternative care,” says Joel, whose work spans more than 35 years in prevention-first medicine founded on his Nutritarian philosophy that emphasizes a plant-rich, nutrient-dense diet. “We’re just advanced science medicine that the medical profession hasn’t caught up to.”

The breadth of what their care addresses is impressive, and reflects the broad benefits of nutrition-as-medicine combined with an embrace of emerging technologies that buck the standards that are outmoded, ineffective, or even have dangerous side effects that are still widely in use in traditional medical settings. However, this isn’t to say that these methods aren’t accepted by other doctors.
“A lot of doctors are referring to us for our regenerative therapies and for getting QT Imaging, and even for nutritional consultations,” says Joel. “[For instance,] if a person has diabetes or high blood pressure, they may have a cardiologist, but the cardiologist may send them to us because we’re going to get rid of their diabetes and heart disease through nutritional intervention.” 

The imaging reference is significant: LongevityRx’s QT Imaging offers a revolutionary alternative to the traditional mammogram. Unlike what’s primarily on offer in hospitals, QT Imaging is radiation and compression-free, and effective for use with dense tissue. Results are read by a radiologist and can reduce the risk of false positives or unnecessary biopsies. Coupled with care from Cara, who specializes in women’s health and breast cancer prevention, women have the opportunity to take charge of their care with wraparound services that include hormone optimization, nutrition, and diagnostics. 

“Medicine is about 17 years behind the technology,” says Cara. It’s not that hospitals aren’t aware that it exists; it’s simply because they’re too deeply invested in other methods, according to Joel. “The mammogram screening industry is a billion-dollar industry, and the hospitals and the centers have invested billions of dollars into that technology. They’re not going to take away all their old equipment and revamp for this new technology,” says Joel of the new, $1 million QT Imaging machine utilized at LongevityRx. 

For this reason, QT Imaging is not likely to be covered by insurance, yet its cost may seem insignificant to those looking to avoid radiation, false positives, or additional procedures such as biopsies, those who want a more comfortable experience, or those who simply want to take control of their health by establishing a baseline with this scan. For those who are referred but are still under care of another doctor, they may come solely for a scan with no consultation required, and those patients receive a full report with the results of their scan via email.

For patients looking to take charge of their health — whether to reverse conditions such as autoimmune disorders, diabetes, or heart disease, or to just be a healthier version of themselves — the doctors offer a customized plan to optimize results. “We sit down with a full hour consultation, and we go over their case in detail,” says Joel. “We come up with a detailed treatment plan. We give them everything in writing, and we’ll see them again at intervals that might be indicated according to the necessity of their condition.”

The Longevity Package, a $3,000-$3,600 (depending on gender) comprehensive evaluation, includes an initial assessment comprising the consultation, a bone density scan, a blood test, a liquid biopsy that scans for 60+ cancers, an Omega-3 test that’s a marker for longevity, and QT Imaging scans for women on the initial visit, as well as a follow-up visit. Each visit also includes a session in the Ammortal Chamber, which utilizes red light therapy, hydrogen therapy, pulsed electromagnetic fields, and more. 

With such deep knowledge in health and longevity, the Fuhrmans are enthusiastic to share their No. 1 tip for optimal health — no consultation required. It’s an eating plan that maximizes consumption of what they call G-BOMBS: Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, and Seeds. “The secret to living longer is reducing animal protein and eating more plant protein,” says Joel. “So, we get a large amount of plant protein by mixing together a big serving of green vegetables with some beans, some nuts, or seeds in the same meal.” Cara agrees. “The main thing is eating a big salad every day with a lot of sprouts in it.” It’s an easy prescription for living longer, better. drlongevityrx.com