Doctors are trained to diagnose medical conditions and apply the correct treatment for those diagnoses. In anti-aging medicine, doctors attempt to do more than treat disease after it has arisen; they also apply methods that may slow or prevent the development of disease. There are symptoms of aging that may not be diagnosed as a medical condition, and anti-aging medicine focuses on improving those symptoms. Anti-aging medicine aims to enhance a person’s health and reduce the symptoms of aging, not simply treat disease as it arises.
Three key aspects of anti-aging medicine discussed here are:
- Optimal health practices for disease prevention and management.
- Hormone evaluations and the associated anti-aging treatments.
- Supplements and peptides.
Disease Prevention and Management with Optimal Health Practices
Prescription medicines alone can’t manage and reduce the incidence of major diseases. Diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors have been extensively researched and shown to work effectively against those diseases. One published research study from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that greater than 80% of heart attacks occurring in men may be preventable simply by leading a healthier lifestyle. As defined in the study, a healthy lifestyle includes maintaining healthy weight and diet, exercising, not smoking, and consuming only modest amounts of alcohol. The lead author of the study, professor Agneta Akesson, PhD, states, “It is not surprising that healthy lifestyle choices would lead to a reduction in heart attacks. What is surprising is how drastically the risk dropped due to these factors.”
A review of multiple research studies on senior athletes (ages 65 and up) entitled The Effects of Fitness on the Aging Process showed the anti-aging effects of exercise. Researcher B. Vopat, MD, says, “A lot of the deterioration we see with aging can be attributed to a more sedentary lifestyle instead of aging itself.”
Getting enough quality sleep is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle as well. Poor sleep has been associated with an increase in the development of cardiovascular disease, dementia, and a host of other conditions. Sleep can be improved by some of the anti-aging treatment factors discussed here: hormones, peptides, and exercise.
Is Hormone Therapy Right for You?
The use of supplemental hormones helps maintain more youthful hormone levels. The sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all decline over time, which can be accepted as a normal part of aging. However, low hormone levels can lead to symptoms of unwellness that can have a significant impact on people’s lives. There is a choice between accepting this unwellness as a part of aging or doing something about it by evaluating hormones and using them for their benefits.
Many symptoms attributable to aging can be directly related to diminishing hormonal levels, including fatigue, loss of strength and muscle tone, musculoskeletal aches and pains, and decreased libido and sexual enjoyment. The benefits of hormone therapy include a better general sense of well-being, more quality sleep, and improved skin tone. Hormones can also help achieve weight loss, and we can therefore enjoy the many benefits of staying slimmer rather than gaining weight as we age.
The use of thyroid therapy is limited in most medical practices to those patients shown by blood tests to have a severe thyroid hormone deficiency. Many people with borderline-low results are not treated even though they suffer from symptoms of an underactive thyroid: weight gain, fatigue, constipation, and more. This is another example in which an anti-aging doctor’s approach is helping someone with their overall wellness and not waiting for the condition to worsen severely before treating it.
Smart Supplemental Nutrients and Peptides
The possible list of supplements that could be considered anti-aging is extensive. Among the nutrients and herbs whose anti-aging benefits are supported by research are curcumin, resveratrol, acetyl-L carnitine, bacopa, vitamin B12, vitamin D, folate and the other B complex vitamins, vitamin C, phosphatidyl serine, and essential fatty acids. Individualization with a healthcare provider offers your best chance to receive a regimen tailored especially for you. Additionally, levels of nutrients can be obtained through lab testing so that your supplementation is more scientifically based.
Peptide treatments are available for:
- Skin care. Peptide-containing creams can reduce wrinkles and maintain healthy skin, making the skin more resistant to sun damage.
- Thinning hair. Peptides can be applied locally to the scalp or added to a hair restoration procedure such as PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) to promote hair restoration.
- Weight loss. Peptides are utilized to burn fat and enhance muscle, making a healthy diet and exercise regimen more successful, especially for those who have found it difficult to lose weight due to their metabolism.
Why wait until you’re so sick you have no choice but to be treated with multiple medications? Employ anti-aging medicine to stay healthier longer.
Henry C. Sobo, MD, is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. More information can be obtained at: www.drsobo.com and Dr. Sobo can be reached at his office in Stamford, CT, at 203.348.8805.