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The 411 on Anti-Aging Medicine

Posted in Health & Wellness

I found the information for this blog post from the American Society of Aesthetic Surgery website www.surgery.org and although, not an indepth review, it has very important information that you might find useful.

Aging can be a progressive
decline in mental and physical ability,
accompanied by an increase in susceptibility
to chronic disease. Humankind has long sought
ways to slow or retard the aging process.
Given the vast number of aging baby boomers
in our society, the relevance of anti-aging
medicine looms ever larger. Are the effects
of aging inevitable? Taken in the broadest
and most positive light, anti-aging medicine
is an extension of preventive health care.Technique:

Anti-aging medicine incorporates the realms
of biochemistry, biology and physiology,
and utilizes elements from the fields of
sports medicine, molecular genetics, nutrition
and mind/body medicine. Hormone levels begin
to decrease by the mid-thirties, and hormone
replacement therapy is a popular, though
controversial anti-aging technique, specifically
human growth hormone (HGH), DHEA, testosterone,
progesterone, estrogen and melatonin. Oxidative
stress reduction is another technique: Natural
metabolic processes as well as environmental
toxins lead to the formation of free radicals,
electrically unstable molecules that damage
DNA and protein; antioxidant formulas are
prescribed to combat free radicals, creating
a healthier balance between free radical
production and antioxidant defense. Other
primary natural tools against aging are
rest, exercise, and stress control techniques.
Plastic surgery is the surgical arm of the
field of anti-aging medicine.

Benefits:

  • Anti-oxidant vitamins
    have few negative side effects and have
    shown a wide range of health benefits.
  • 10 million American
    women are undergoing estrogen replacement
    therapy—a form of “anti-aging”
    therapy that is widely accepted and substantially
    effective.
  • Emphasizes tried and
    true approaches such as good nutrition
    and exercise.
  • Metabolic typing is
    also useful—the process of profiling
    an individual’s unique metabolism
    in order to prescribe maximally effective
    supplementation and other treatments.

Other Considerations:

  • Magic elixirs do not
    exist. There is not much science behind
    much so-called anti-aging medicine. There
    has been no dramatic new breakthrough
    in anti-aging medicine. Most drugs and
    approaches have been in clinical practice
    for at least 10 to 30 years.
  • The Institute on Aging
    of the National Institute of Health urges
    caution in the use of “anti-aging”
    hormone supplements.
  • All substances should
    be taken only under the guidance of a
    physician who is properly grounded in
    traditional medicine.
  • Beware of anti-aging
    organizations with specific products to
    sell. “Immunity boosters” and
    “glandulars” may be without
    known therapeutic benefits.
  • ok for current scientific
    information in peer-reviewed journals.
    Currently, anti-aging is not a recognized
    medical specialty, so beware of self-designated
    experts or organizations.