Anti-aging movement

The anti-aging movement is a social movement^[1] of physicians and other health providers and patients devoted to reducing the effects of and reversing aging.^[2] A substantial portion of the attention of the movement is on the possibilities for life extension, but there is also interest in techniques such as cosmetic surgery which ameliorate the effects of aging rather than delay or defeat it.

The two most prominent scientists in the anti-aging movement are Ray Kurzweil, who thinks we can defeat aging through the advance of technology ^[3], and Aubrey De Grey, who thinks the human body is a very complicated machine and thus, can be repaired indefinitely. ^[4]

Anti-aging medicine

Anti-aging medicine has become a budding and rapidly growing medical specialty as physicians who initially sought treatment for themselves have received training and certification in its practice^[1] by organizations such as the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M).

Presently there are few if any medicines proven to slow aging, however in the near future, it is likely that organ replacement, nanotechnology and other advancements will change this. ^[5]

Human growth hormone

Some recent clinical studies have shown that low-dose GH treatment for adults with GH deficiency changes the body composition by increasing muscle mass, decreasing fat mass, increasing bone density and muscle strength, improves cardiovascular parameters (i.e. decrease of LDL cholesterol), and affects the quality of life without significant side effects.^[6][7][8]Central to anti-aging medicine is administration of human growth hormone (HGH),^[9] It has the effect, in adults, of increasing muscle mass, reducing fat, and increasing energy. It also has dangerous side-effects. But anti-aging practitioners claim it is safe at low dosage. It is not approved for use in healthy aging patients. That restriction is gotten around by means of a diagnosis of some injury or organic condition, adult growth hormone deficiency,^[10] which supposedly has resulted in reduced secretion of the hormone.^[11]

Menopausal hormone drugs

Administration of Estrogen and other hormones such as progestin were popularized by the 1966 book, Feminine Forever by Robert A. Wilson.^[12] However, the increase of the use of estrogen was shown to be associated with an increased risk of cancer.^[13] Later, in 2002, research into the long-term effects of estrogen on post-menopausal women, the Women’s Health Initiative,^[14] produced evidence that that there were serious side effects. Physicians who prescribe the hormones now prescribe low doses of the drugs. Research into the long-term effects of HRT are continuing, with a 2009 Cochrane review concluding that long-term use may decrease the risk of bone fractures, but increase the risk of stroke, heart attacks and breast cancer.^[15]

Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine & Regenerative Biomedical Technologies

An annual conference is held which in addition to presentations by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), offers booths and presentations by manufactures of products and providers of services. The 17th annual conference was held December 9–12, 2009 at the THEhotel at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to the A4M website^[16] key conference topics:

• Alternative cancer therapies
• Sleep disorders
• Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
• Facial rejuvenation
• Weight Management including non-invasive procedures for obesity
• DNA mitochondrial repair
• Infectious disease and restoring the immune system
• Exercise physiology for seniors
• Metabolic-cellular detoxification
• Hormone restoration in men and women
• IV parenteral mutrition

Alternative Approaches

Biogerontology

Biogerontology is a scientific discipline which has the same area of interest, but as a branch of Gerontology, takes a more conservative approach.^[17]

Age Management Medicine

Age Management Medicine distinguishes itself from anti-aging by being a more evidence based, proactive, preventative approach to healthcare for an aging population focused on preservation of optimum human function and quality of life making every effort to modulate the process of aging prior to the onset of degenerative aging. Led by the Age Management Medicine Group (AMMG), which provides education and information on the specialty of Age Management Medicine to physicians and healthcare professionals through evidence-based continuing medical education conferences, workshops, seminars, certifications, publications and web media.^[2]

Mass movement

A substantial fraction of older people, taking their cue from alternative medicine, purchase and use herbal supplements and other products which promise relief from the incidents and dangers of aging. These products are nearly always useless and sometimes are harmful.^[18]

Realistic and modest appraisal

There is a great deal of over-heated rhetoric in use with respect to life extension with over-optimistic projections on the part of its advocates. There is little evidence that any significant break through has been made, or is on the horizon,^[19] however, this is largely due to a current lack of funding or interest in the issue. ^[20] A study of the common supplements and hormone treatments used published in 2006 in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine showed than none of them are effective with respect to extending life.^[21]

Criticism

Though there is no scientific reason to think curing aging is impossible, there are some criticisms of both the time frame life extensionists envision (the first, perhaps somewhat crude, treatments within the next several decades, or at least before the beginning of the 22nd century) and of whether curing aging is even desirable. Common criticisms of the idea of life extension are fears it will cause the world to be more overpopulated; however De Grey counters that by saying that since menopause would also be delayed, women could wait longer to have children and thus, the rate of growth would actually decline as a result. Also, the slowly growing population would buy centuries of time to figure out new places to live, such as space colonies.

Criticism has also come from the direction of religion, seeing it as 'playing God'.

Notes

Further reading

• Arking R, Butler R, Chiko B, Fossel M, Gavrilov LA, Morley JE, Olshansky SJ, Perls T, Walker RF. Anti-aging teleconference: What is anti-aging medicine? Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine [Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]. 6(2): 91-106, 2003
• De Grey, Aubrey D. N., Leonid Gavrilov, S. Jay Olshansky, L. Stephen Coles, Richard G. Cutler, Michael Fossel, and S. Mitchell Harman. Antiaging technology and pseudoscience. Letter. Science, 2002, 296: 656-656.
• Gavrilov L.A. Scientific legitimacy of the term "Anti-Aging." Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine, 2002, 5(2): 239-240.