Located in Montreux, next to Lake Geneva – on the so-called Swiss Riviera – is the La Prairie Clinic, surrounded by the majestic Swiss and French Alps. Internationally famous, conceived as one of the best places in the world to strengthen the immune system, revitalize and improve quality of life, it receives—and has received—patients from different latitudes and age groups. For 40 years, Willie Carballo He is the representative for Latin America and he knows the long list of world leaders, royalty and personalities who were treated there. “Sir Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, Pope Pius Tévez had an impressive change. He came from being at the bank in England, we took him to the clinic with his entire family, he stayed for about 10 days. He later went to play in Italy, for Juventus, and won the Scudetto. Also Mirtha Legrand—a representative icon at the time, who is still an example of longevity in good shape—, Susana Giménez and Teté Coustarot. Angelina Jollie, Brad Pitt and Mario Vargas Llosa among others passed through La Prairie,” says Carballo.
To talk specifically about longevity with well-being, NEWS spoke with its medical director, Dr. Adrian Heini. At a time when old age is postponed in many countries and does not have the support of some governments, which consider the elderly an unproductive burden, talking about the subject in the midst of the overflowing cult of youth seems anachronistic. However, for more than 90 years, the Swiss clinic continues to focus on the revitalization of older adults, with medical programs aimed at accompanying what is a reality: longer life is longer and the ideal is to live it more fully.
News: Tell us about your position and your medical specialty.
Adrian Heini: I am La Prairie’s medical director, a specialist in internal medicine and trained in clinical nutrition, specializing in nutrition and longevity. I’ve been here for 10 years; Before, the clinic was smaller, I served in offices, until I joined my current position.
News: Do you live in the clinic?
Heini: (Smiles) I often feel like I live here! It’s a lot of work, but the experience in preventive medicine and longevity is very interesting.. We analyze new anti-aging treatments and products. I am a member of the innovation and research committee.
News: When was the clinic founded and with what priority objective?
Heini: In 1931 – he is already 92 years old – by Dr. Paul Niehans. He was a Swiss surgeon, a theologically trained philanthropist. A man of vision who formed a group where animal cell transplants began to help the sick. In that context he started everything, although it is no longer cells or tissues that we inject but extracts of natural essences. This is how the treatments evolved until Niehans’ death in the 60s. From there we grew in expertise and modern methods.
The clinic is impressive due to its building size and infrastructure. It includes offices, operating rooms and a luxurious medical center with spa, all equipped with the latest technology and the comfort of a luxury hotel. In short, the proposal they offer from the beginning is cell regeneration through holistic medicine, with some specific objectives: delay the aging process, reactivate cell renewal, maximize physical and mental performance, increase resistance to oxidative stress and activate the immune system.
News: What is the treatment aimed at longevity with well-being?
Heini: We have our legendary Revitalization treatment and another Premium Revitalization treatment, the latter being more extensive. It includes stimulation of the intestinal flora, antioxidants and is more complete due to its evaluation and check-up studies.
News: What does the checkup consist of in Premium Revitalization?
Heini: The patient stays for a week and the first two days undergoes different check-ups. A very extensive blood test where metabolic stress is measured at the cellular level, the combustion of stress at the energetic level, how many calories are burned. We do genetic analysis of DNA where the predisposition for cellular stress is seen. All this to make corrections, of course, with nutrition strategies and supplements. The effects of the treatment last between one and two years. This is something unique, very significant. In other treatments you have to take a supplement every day, the effect is shorter… or you have to inject something twice a week. It is not our case. This can be confirmed by all our clients.
News: What factors trigger early old age?
Heini: After 30 there is an organic decline. But there are genetic differences, you age differently. We do an epigenetic test and we see that what affects us the most is a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, too much alcohol and unhealthy food. All this produces free radicals.
News: Do you consider obesity as another factor?
Heini: We do a kind of scan to measure body composition, how much fat and muscle are detected and see bone density. We check and compare with the ideal composition. For each age and sex there are ideal weight parameters. There may be a lack of muscle and too much fat. So, in this case, we show the way to strengthen the muscles. In men, abdominal fat must be lost, which has negative consequences. There are also women with normal weight, but with too much fat.
News: And the treatment offered by a 7-day, 6-night inpatient program, when does it start?
Heini: Already on the second day. Because you can start with natural supplements and then inject CLP, our revitalizing extract. We already have the results and we can move forward. Premium treatment does not affect patients with heart or kidney failure, for example, because it is not counterproductive, quite the contrary. In all cases, before admission, we send a form that the patient must complete, to know under what conditions we receive the person. Many people came, after Covid, to strengthen their immune system. During the pandemic we had to close for a couple of months, reduce staff, we lost money but we were able to continue.
News: How much do the treatments cost?
Heini: Basic Revitalization from 25 thousand euros; the Premium from 41 thousand euros.
News: Tina Turner, the brilliant singer who recently died, lived in Switzerland during her last years and pondered—along with her friend and neighbor, the musician Phil Collins—the modus vivendi of the Swiss. Such a vital woman, was she ever cared for in La Prairie?
Heini: Not that I know. But I was with her and her husband, Erwin Bach, at the ceremony that was held here, in Montreux, in tribute to Claude Nobs, one of the founders of the Jazz Festival of this city, who also died. Nobs’ family did not want a big funeral but opened the doors of her house to anyone who wanted to go. To visit and learn a little about how he lived, see the instruments he had… I just met Tina, who was coming with her husband from Zurich – it’s a three-hour drive – and I saw her very well… Of course, it was 10 years ago.
