What is Anti-Aging Medicine?
Anti-Aging Medicine is a clinical/medical specialty and field of scientific research aimed at the early detection, prevention, treatment, and reversal of age-related decline. It is well documented by peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals and employs evidence-based methodologies to conduct patient assessments. The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine was established in 1997 as a professional physician certification and review board, which offers physician recognition in the form of specialty-based examination in Anti-Aging Medicine. Paraprofessionals may also now certify in Anti-Aging Medicine by a difference test in this newest and fastest growing medical specialty which represents over 14,000 physicians, scientists, and other health professionals, and the health-minded public from 73 countries worldwide.
What is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative Medicine optimizes the body’s endogenous mechanisms of self-repair and adds proven and near future exogenous treatments and technologies. Adult stem cells appear to be our most powerful tool at this time. Previous dogma concerning adult stem cells taught that neurons and myocytes did not have stem cells and the cells present at birth just declined in quantity and quality. It was also believed that hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow lacked plasticity and could not transform to other tissues. Current medical literature proves that adult stem cells exist in most tissues including brain, heart, muscles and liver. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) in the bone marrow have plasticity to potentially transform and repair all tissues and organs.
● In the hormone optimization component of Anti-Aging Medicine we are already optimizing stem cells. Progesterone via its metabolite allopregnenolone stimulates neural stem cells, testosterone stimulates muscle stem cells and EPC’s which can improve erectile function, and growth hormone treatment for adult growth hormone deficiency improves the quantity and quality of EPC’s. Estradiol improves incorporation and mobilization of EPC’s.
● In the lifestyle component of Anti-Aging medicine we are optimizing our adult stem cells with exercise and control of glucose and insulin.
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional Medicine is an integrative, science-based healthcare approach that treats illness and promotes wellness by focusing on the bio-chemically unique aspects of each patient, and then individually tailoring interventions to restore physiological, psychological, and structural balance.
Functional Medicine focuses on understanding the fundamental physiological processes, the environmental inputs, and the genetic predispositions that influence health and disease so that interventions are focused on treating the cause of the problem, not just masking the symptoms.
There are seven basic principles underlying functional medicine which include the following:
● Science-based medicine that connects the emerging research base to clinical practice.