Road to Healthy Aging

by Deborah Sainer, M.D.

Aging is inevitable, but how you age is not! You can control and manage your aging process now and in the future. Americans are living longer, but are not necessarily healthier. Chronic disease accounts for 70% of all deaths in the U.S. Fifty percent of Americans have central obesity – middle aged bulge that increases your risk of dementia. Putting on pounds increases your health risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, dementia, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. Health care costs are skyrocketing, and yet we are still not addressing the underlying cause of the aging process. Medical care that is centered on diagnosis and treatment of individual diseases is now outdated. Looking at the root cause of your medical condition is ultimately what will improve your quality of life.

So what are the factors that affect how we age? Genetics, environment, lifestyle (exercise, nutrition, stress management), hormonal imbalances, inflammation and oxidative stress. Inflammation is how the body responds to injury or stress. Did you know that inflammation is the underlying cause of all chronic illnesses? Managing inflammation by balancing hormones, and improving lifestyle is key to minimizing risks for long term illness. Age Management Medicine helps identify your risks at an early stage before developing these chronic conditions . By addressing these issues you will extend your health span. This is the best form of preventative health.

We all want to be productive as long as possible; have good energy, sexual functioning, low body fat, strong muscle mass with good flexibility and balance. Refreshing sleep and clear cognitive functioning makes life so much more enjoyable.  To achieve this goal, we need to refocus attention away from what is “normal” to what is “optimal”. While it is certainly normal to develop morbidities as we age, it is certainly not optimal and absolutely not inevitable. By focusing our attention on superior nutrition, daily exercise, optimal hormone management and pharmaceutical grade supplements, we can achieve optimal health. Good health is no accident. It takes your active participation.