Where the research comes from
Every morning an automated job reads these public sources and adds what is new:
- PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine index of published research.
- ClinicalTrials.gov, the US registry of clinical trials.
- bioRxiv and medRxiv, where researchers post preprints before peer review. We label every preprint as one.
- The FDA press announcements feed.
An item is included when its title or abstract is about aging or longevity, using a published keyword list. Every item links to its original source.
How research stages work
A research stage shows how far testing in people has gone. It does not say whether something works or whether you should use it.
Stages are set automatically every morning from PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov and FDA records, using these rules in order. Each treatment page says which rule placed it.
- Stage 4 · Widely recommended. Approved by the FDA for that use, or recommended in a major health guideline. We link the approval or guideline.
- Stage 3 · Large studies in people. At least one large (phase 3) trial in people, or at least five large randomized trials, has been published.
- Stage 2 · Small studies in people. There is at least one trial in people, published or registered, but no large ones yet.
- Stage 1 · Tested in animals only. Only studies in animals or cells have been found so far.
“Large randomized trials” means PubMed records tagged as randomized controlled trials that are also multicenter or phase 3. Products never get a stage of their own; product pages show the stage of each ingredient.
Under every stage we show the counts behind it, refreshed each morning:
- Randomized trials: PubMed records tagged as randomized controlled trials in people; large ones are also multicenter or phase 3.
- Human trials: PubMed records for the treatment tagged as a clinical trial and as research in people.
- Observational: PubMed records tagged as observational, cohort, case-control or cross-sectional research in people.
- Lab and animal: PubMed records indexed as animal-only or in-vitro research.
- Registered trials: ClinicalTrials.gov interventional listings that match the treatment.
Each treatment page links to the exact searches, so anyone can check the numbers. Counts are search results: they include some records that only mention a treatment, and very new papers may not be tagged yet.
Editorial standards
We do not write expert opinions. When we show what an expert or reviewer said, we name the person, give their role and where they said it, and link to the source. We quote briefly and do not change the meaning.
Some summaries are written by an AI model from a study's abstract or a trial's registry listing. They are labeled, they restate the source without judging it, and the original is always one click away.
How “The basics” is written
The basics on each treatment page (what it is, side effects, interactions and so on) come only from reference sources: the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, MedlinePlus, NCCIH, FDA drug labels on DailyMed, LiverTox and similar public health sites, and, where those say little, published reviews of studies listed in PubMed. An AI model rewrites them in plain English. Every sentence must match a passage that appears word for word on the source page, and a second check confirms the sentence says nothing more than that passage. Sentences that fail are left out. If a source lists side effects or interactions that didn't pass the checks, the whole section is held back rather than shown incomplete. Each section links to its sources, and the basics are rewritten monthly or sooner when a source page changes.
Longevity Verdict does not employ medical reviewers and does not give medical advice. Talk to your doctor before you change any treatment.
Advertising and affiliate links
Some links to tests and products may earn us a commission. Those links are marked. Companies cannot pay to change a research stage, a count, a quote or the order in which we list things.
Corrections
If something is wrong, email support@longevityverdict.com with the page and what should change. We correct errors and note the change on the page.