Life expectancy has increased 2.5 years each decade for the last 160 years, so if this trend continues life expectancy will be 100 within the next 50 years. Many believe this trend will not only continue, but will actually increase as we better understand the ageing process and develop anti-ageing techniques – amazingly our knowledge about ageing and anti-ageing techniques is doubling every two years. For the first time in human history we have the ability to exert major influence over the ageing process. 

Most people are very aware of the signs of aging, especially when they begin to happen to you! You look in the mirror and see an increase in wrinkles and notice the changes in skin tone and elasticity. Your eyesight starts to diminish and you may begin to fall prey to middle age spread as you lose muscle mass and gain fat. You no longer feel as vibrant as energetic as before and are experiencing more generalised aches and pain. You begin to worry that your memory is going and that not being able to find your car keys is the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Many people find these changes depressing and distressing, but the good news is that the ageing process can be slowed, halted and even reversed. The physical and mental decline associated with advancing age is not inevitable and irreversible, and is a reflection of how we have lived rather than how long we have lived. Age related decline and the rate at which we age is due to loss of function and fidelity at a cellular level. Many factors influence cell function: genetics; lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, stress; and environmental factors such as radiation, pollution, toxins. Any attempt to control or reverse ageing requires an understanding of the processes that take place at the cellular level and what factors influence and modify these processes. 

A comprehensive anti-ageing program should be aimed at the early detection, prevention, treatment and reversal of age-related decline. A good program will include:

There is usually extensive baseline screening of all new clients. This is important for: assessing your current health status; assessing the health and function of your major organs; identifying any medical conditions and your individual risk factors; and understanding your current lifestyle habits. This baseline data is a valuable record of where you started from and enables you to quantify and measure any improvements you make.

A comprehensive anti-ageing program should target the risk factors for the major degenerative diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, osteoporosis, arthritis) as preventing degenerative disease can extend life by 15 to 20 years if started early enough.

As mentioned previously, for an anti-ageing program to be effective, it must focus at a cellular level. A good anti-ageing program will have protocols that: protect DNA; enhance DNA repair; protect and enhance mitochondrial function (mitochondria produce energy); support biochemical and enzymatic pathways; and ensure that all major organs and body systems are working well and in a coordinated manner. 

Hormone replacement therapy is an important component of any anti-ageing program as hormones support the function of all other body systems. Not everyone who takes part in an anti-ageing program will need or want to have hormone replacement therapy. Many people are aware of HRT for menopausal women, but in an anti-ageing program hormone replacement therapy is wider ranging and also includes protocols for male hormone replacement. Some of the hormones in this type of therapy are: oestrogen, progesterone, pregnenolone, testosterone, human growth hormone, melatonin, and DHEA. 

There are many factors involved in making the decision to use hormone replacement therapy, but if you decide to undertake anti-ageing HRT you should be under the care of a GP who specializes in anti-ageing medicine. With hormone replacement therapy one size does not fit all. Prior to commencing HRT it is important that your current hormonal status has been accurately assessed. These results will then be used by your GP to develop your personalized protocol and monitor your progress.

To benefit from an anti-ageing program you will need to adopt a number of health promoting lifestyle habits. Getting people to make these changes and incorporate them on a permanent basis is difficult. Giving people information does not always equate into people making change. An anti-ageing program should have an in-built health promotion component that not only educates you about diet, exercise, stress management and nutritional supplementation, but supports you in incorporating these habits into your lifestyle.

Anyone over the age of thirty (most of our hormones begin to decline after our mid-twenties) can benefit from an anti-ageing program. Many people don’t think about an anti-ageing program until they begin to experience age-related declines in their health and general sense of well-being, but like investing, the earlier you start the greater the long-term rewards. The good news is that it is never too late to start.