The Ministry of Health, the Police, and the Cyprus Medical Association (CyMA) have launched extensive investigations into registered doctors and unlicensed practitioners offering unverified anti-aging, wellness, and longevity treatments.
The probes follow heightened public concern across Greece and Cyprus regarding unsafe medical and cosmetic procedures, ranging from Botox and fillers to intravenous hormone therapies and plasmapheresis.
CyMA Ethics Committee President Michalis Anastasiades stressed to Phileleftheros that while evidence-based preventive care and recognized aesthetic procedures are fully legitimate, serious risks arise when medical jargon is used to market unproven methods.
“Body care, proper nutrition, and taking vitamins under medical advice are legitimate and necessary preventive measures,” Anastasiades said. “Even internationally recognized aesthetic procedures are acceptable when performed by qualified specialists. However, security concerns begin where terminology resembles youth elixirs and miraculous claims.”
“Terms like ‘longevity’ and ‘healthy aging’ have been distorted in recent years,” Anastasiades added. “Healthy aging is a global medical goal, but it cannot be achieved through pseudo-medical practices or treatments lacking clinical documentation.”
He warned that marketing language alone does not guarantee a service’s efficacy or safety. “The exploitation of such terms by certain individuals is not proof that the service is medically recognized or beneficial,” Anastasiades stated.
According to Anastasiades, CyMA is emphasizing the distinction between holding a general medical license and possessing a recognized specialty. The presence of a doctor at a wellness center or their name on an advertisement does not automatically validate the procedures provided.
Furthermore, health officials warned that marketing terms such as “natural,” “supplement,” “peptide,” or “for research use only” do not confirm that a substance is safe or authorized for human administration. Unregulated biological substances purchased online or from uncertified centers carry severe risks of contamination, toxicity, and improper dosage.
CyMA is currently reviewing complaints against members who allegedly administer treatments lacking medical indication. Following a mapping exercise of wellness centers by the Ministry of Health, CyMA will investigate doctors operating in anti-aging and weight-loss facilities to determine whether their activities align with their specialized training, evidence-based medicine, and the Code of Medical Ethics.
Anastasiades underlined that registered physicians carry personal legal and ethical liability. He noted that disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against any members engaging in unscientific or illegal practices.
CyMA clarified that the following elements do not constitute valid scientific proof for medical treatments:
- Personal testimonials and social media posts
- High follower counts of online influencers
- Before-and-after photographs
- Scientific jargon or wearing lab coats in promotional materials
- Claims that a procedure is “popular abroad” or labelled “natural” or “for research use only”
