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Antiaging
and wellness. These are the number one healthcare topics of the popular
media today. Everywhere there are articles on stress and aging, diet and
aging, and weight and aging. Worldwide, the percentage of the population
aged 65 or more is increasing. In 2002, approximately 7 percent of the
world's population was age 65 or more; in 2025, the projected values for
this age group are nearly 11 percent worldwide and about 21 percent in
the more developed nations.1 By the year 2050, those 65 years and older
are expected to account for 17 percent of the world's population.2 A growing
segment of these populations is educated and motivated enough, as well
as financially able, to request and pay for proactive medical testing
and care in the hope of living longer and healthier lives.
Doctors
have traditionally used diagnostic testing in support of rule-in/rule-out
diagnostic programs. The increasing trend in medicine to take a more preemptive
approach to help patients achieve a healthier life is seen by the growth
of the antiaging and wellness medical discipline. The diagnostics industry,
too, is making a contribution to education through its focus on the role
that diagnostic testing plays in aging and wellness. DPC recognizes the
importance of diagnostic testing to detect and manage conditions such
as diabetes, menopause, andropause and others; and to assess the risk
of cardiovascular disease.
The
American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) is one of the important
organizations driving the education about the aging process and scientific
investigation in this field. We are pleased to publish an interview with
Ronald Klatz, M.D., D.O., president of the A4M.
| Q |
What
is the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M)? |
| A |
The
A4M is a nonprofit organization with a membership of 11,500 physicians
and scientists from 65 countries dedicated to the advancement of technology
to detect, prevent, and treat aging-related disease and to promote
research into methods to retard and optimize the human aging process. |
| Q |
What
is the mission of the A4M? |
| A |
The
mission of the A4M is to educate physicians, scientists, and members
of the public on antiaging issues. The A4M believes that the disabilities
associated with normal aging are caused by physiological dysfunction
which in many cases are amenable to medical treatment, such that the
human life span can be increased, and the quality of one's life improved
as one grows chronologically older. |
| Q |
Are
the members of the A4M board certified? |
| A |
There
are two board certifications by the A4M: |
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The
American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine Certification (ABAAM) for those
with an M.D., D.O., or M.B.B.S. degree from an accredited medical
school |
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American
Board of Anti-Aging Health Practitioners (ABAAHP) for Doctors of Chiropractic
(DC), Doctors of Dentistry (DDS), Naturopathic Doctors (ND), Doctors
of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), scientists (Ph.D. and similar), Registered
Pharmacists (RPh), Registered Nurses (RN), Nurse Practitioners (NP),
and Physician Assistants (PA). |
| Q |
What
is antiaging medicine? |
| A |
Antiaging
medicine is a new healthcare paradigm. Antiaging medicine, an extension
of preventive healthcare, is an evidence- based, multidisciplinary
model for the new millennium. This model is enhanced by contributions
from the fields of physiology, biochemistry, biology, sports medicine,
molecular genetics, and novel medical technologies to detect, prevent,
and reverse age-related diseases. |
| Q |
What
are the mechanisms of aging? |
| A |
While
aging processes can be divided into three general categories—
genetic, biochemical, and physiological—theories of aging fall
into two categories.
The
program theories hold that aging follows a biological timetable,
perhaps a continuation of the one that regulates childhood growth
and development. The damage or error theories emphasize
environmental assaults to our systems that gradually cause things
to go wrong. It's important to note, many of the theories of aging
are not mutually exclusive.
Here
is a brief and very simplified rundown of the major theories.
Program
Theories
Programmed
senescence
Aging is the result of the sequential switching on and off of certain
genes, with senescence being defined as the time when age-associated
deficits are manifested.
Endocrine
theory
Biological clocks act through hormones to control the pace of aging.
Immunological
theory
A programmed decline in immune system functions leads to an increased
vulnerability to infectious disease and thus aging and death.
Error
Theories
Wear
and tear
Cells and tissues have vital parts that wear out.
Rate
of living
The greater an organism's rate of oxygen basal metabolism, the shorter
its life span.
Crosslinking
An accumulation of crosslinked proteins damages cells and tissues,
slowing down bodily processes.
Free
radicals
Accumulated damage caused by oxygen radicals causes cells and eventually
organs to stop functioning.
Error
catastrophe
Damage to mechanisms that synthesize proteins results in faulty
proteins, which accumulate to a level that causes catastrophic damage
to cells, tissues, and organs.
Somatic
mutation
Genetic mutations occur and accumulate with increasing age, causing
cells to deteriorate and malfunction.
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| Q |
What
is wrong with getting old gracefully? |
| A |
Aging
is not just getting old. Old, healthy people gradually become sick,
frail, and eventually die from age-related diseases. |
| Q |
What
is the role of biotechnology in antiaging medicine? |
| A |
Antiaging
medicine benefits from the recent advancements in biotechnology. The
utilization of high-technology tools for diagnosis and treatment improves
the management of the leading causes of death. As a result, there
is an increase in the number of individuals who are 65, 85 and even
100 years and older. |
| Q |
What
are some of the conditions associated with aging? |
| A |
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Insulin resistance
• Cardiovascular disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cancer
• Alzheimer's disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Senility
• Adrenal fatigue
• Osteoporosis |
| Q |
What
is the role of clinical diagnostic testing for the early detection
of age-related diseases? |
| A |
One
of the primary goals of antiaging medicine is to detect conditions
early on that could lead to the deterioration of the human system.
Clinical laboratory testing is one important tool used to aid in early
detection to prevent and reverse age-related diseases. For example,
a new patient visiting an antiaging physician has an initial consultation
followed by a comprehensive hormonal evaluation that could include
the following: |
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Pituitary
Growth hormone |
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Thyroid
Free T3, free T4, and TSH |
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Adrenal
DHEA and cortisol |
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Pancreas
Insulin |
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Female
Total estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, sex hormone-binding globulin
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Male
Testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, and PSA. |
| Q |
Is
there an antiaging panel of laboratory tests that the A4M
recommends to their members for initial evaluation of patients? |
| A |
No,
but scientific research in aging intervention has identified key
biomarkers of aging that may be assessed. These biomarkers include
Laboratory
markers, assessed by clinical laboratory testing:
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Mitrochondrial
energy production |
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Production
of intrinsic intracellular antioxidant molecules (demonstrating antioxidant
protection/buffering capacity) |
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Collagen
crosslinking histology |
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Cortisol
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IGF-I
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Testosterone,
estrogen, progesterone |
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DHEA
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Physical
markers, evaluated by in-office testing equipment:
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Body
composition and body fat |
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Bone
density |
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EKG
and R1-R2 variability |
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Peripheral
vascular circulation |
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Cardiac
output |
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Pulmonary
function |
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Brachial/popliteal
pulse pressures |
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Kidney
filtration / renal function |
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Grip
strength |
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Memory
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Psychological
dispositon |
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Nerve
conduction velocity |
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Sensory
function: including olfactory, taste, hearing, tactile, and visual
accommodation |
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Balance
and coordination |
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Reaction
time. |
DPC's
immunoassay menu is positioned to support this new approach to healthcare.
Among the most extensive menus available, it includes assays for nearly
all of the laboratory parameters mentioned in this article that are investigated
in connection with diseases of aging.
For
more information about the A4M, visit www.worldhealth.net.
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