Anti-aging medicine is a medical specialty founded on the application
of advanced scientific and medical technologies
for the early detection, prevention, treatment, and reversal of
age-related dysfunction, disorders and diseases. It is
a healthcare model promoting innovative science and research to
prolong the healthy lifespan in humans. Based on principles of
sound and responsible medical care that are consistent with those
applied in other preventive health specialties.
The science of anti-aging medicine is truly multi-disciplinary.
Not only represented by advances in the fields of biochemistry,
biology, and physiology, the field is enhanced by contributions
from mind/body medicine, sports medicine, molecular genetics,
and emerging medical technologies. Anti-aging medicine
is evidence-based, clinically sound health care.
The goal of anti-aging medicine is not
merely prolong the total years of an individual's life, but to
ensure that those years are enjoyed in a productive and vital
fashion. Focuses on the application of high-tech diagnostic
and biomedical technologies for the very earliest detection and
most aggressive care of disease. This approach has become the
hallmark of health promotion efforts aimed at achieving longevity.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified one of its
"ten global health targets for the 21st century"
as "to achieve an increase in life expectancy and in the
quality of life for all." ["WHO is making a difference
through health promotion" Health Promotion International,
1999]
It is predicted that, by the year 2029, advancements in stem
cell research, therapeutic cloning, and nanotechnology will be
harnessed into applications that improve and extend the human
life span. In this manner, anti-aging medicine is anticipated
to have a profound and permanent impact on the future of preventative
health care.
