The Spanish actress has returned to Clínica Neleva, the Madrid centre where Dr. Ángel Durántez is redefining what it means to age well, not by chasing youth, but by extending healthspan.
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón has recently shared on her social media a new visit to Clínica Neleva, the exclusive Madrid centre specialising in preventive medicine and advanced longevity, where the actress places her health in the hands of Dr. Ángel Durántez, one of the leading international voices on healthspan and healthy ageing.
Far from the traditional anti-ageing that is tied only to aesthetics, the new generation of wellness focuses on what is known as healthspan: living longer, yes, but above all living with energy, health and quality of life. Clínica Neleva has become one of the main reference points of this new paradigm in Europe.
Healthspan: the new luxury
Beyond becoming a wellness address of choice among well-known faces, Clínica Neleva embodies one of the great shifts reshaping health and anti-ageing: a way of understanding longevity that no longer seeks only more years, but more years lived with energy, autonomy, and physical and cognitive wellbeing.
So what does ageing well really mean? For Dr. Durántez, founder of Clínica Neleva, longevity should also be measured in functional capacity: “It means reaching eighty able to walk safely, climb stairs, travel, keep relationships, learn and make decisions about your own life.” It is a vision that protects not only physical health, but also autonomy, clarity of mind and the ability to keep enjoying everyday life.
Aitana’s visit comes at a particularly active moment in her career. After more than four decades in the business, she continues to combine projects in film, television and theatre. In recent months she has worked with Pedro Almodóvar again in Amarga Navidad and starred on stage in Jacinto Benavente’s La Malquerida.
Newly 58, her path also offers a way of looking at the passing of time that has little to do with chasing eternal youth: keep developing projects, explore new facets and enjoy an active life at any age.
A pioneer in healthy ageing
Founded by Dr. Ángel Durántez, a pioneer in Spain in healthy-ageing medicine, Clínica Neleva has established itself as one of Europe’s most advanced centres in preventive medicine and longevity. Its model is deeply personalised, combining precision diagnostics, advanced prevention and continuous follow-up to optimise how the body ages before disease even appears.
“A cardiovascular disease or diabetes does not usually begin on the day of diagnosis. They have often been developing for years. That earlier time offers opportunities to intervene,” explains Dr. Durántez.
The new anti-ageing, in other words, is no longer only about aesthetics. Longevity medicine works on key areas such as metabolic health, silent inflammation, cognitive function, sleep quality, muscle mass and hormonal balance, on the understanding that ageing well depends on preserving the body’s proper functioning for longer.
Muscle mass has a particularly important place here. As Dr. Durántez puts it, “muscle is much more than the tissue that lets us move, it is a metabolic organ”, essential for regulating glucose and maintaining insulin sensitivity. Its gradual loss affects not only physical strength, but also functional capacity and independence as we age.
More than 300 biomarkers
To this end, Clínica Neleva works with some of the most advanced diagnostic protocols in the sector, integrating genetic studies, epigenetic analysis, advanced cardiovascular assessment, metabolic monitoring, cognitive health and more than 300 specific biomarkers, giving a global, personalised picture of each patient’s health.
The approach starts from one premise: feeling well, or having apparently normal results in a conventional blood test, does not always mean every health indicator is optimal. As Dr. Mariana Sada of Neleva’s medical team explains, “a ‘normal’ result does not always mean ‘healthy’; sometimes it means the problem has not shown itself yet.” Some changes, such as insulin resistance, can stay hidden for years while glucose levels remain within usual ranges. A broader assessment gives a fuller view and helps detect deviations before they develop.
From this evaluation, the team designs an individual plan that can include interventions in nutrition, physical exercise, metabolic and hormonal health, rest and supplementation, as well as advanced longevity therapies. The process does not end with the check-up: through its Continuum Programmes, the clinic offers regular medical follow-up and ongoing support to assess progress and adapt strategies to each person’s needs.
Located in the heart of Madrid’s Salamanca district, the clinic is also part of the Roundtable of Longevity Clinics organised by the Buck Institute in San Francisco, one of the leading international bodies in ageing and longevity research.
“It is no longer only about living more years, but about living them better,” says Ángel Durántez from Clínica Neleva. That philosophy is precisely what is turning longevity into the new wellness luxury.
