"The end of the beginning"
The American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) proclaims in Science magazine's February 28, 2003 issue that current aging research has reached its concluding point. Explaining that "[Scientists who study aging] have focused on physiological mechanisms underlying the processes of aging, rather than on the large array of debilitating and costly disorders that so commonly emerge during the latter half of the lifespans of human beings," AAAS points to "the 'one disorder at a time' approach" as "having limited power to ... extend the human lifespan." Rather, Dr. Martin et al. submit that while curing individual diseases can achieve a gain in life expectancy on the order of 30-40 years, slowing down aging offers "the biggest bang for the buck" by adding 60-70 years. As a result, those who celebrate their 50th birthday attain the opportunity to live to 120 years. (1)
The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M, Chicago, Illinois USA; www.worldhealth.net and www.a4minfo.net) salutes this declaration because it hails a new era for preventive medicine specifically aimed at improving health as we age that is consistent with the anti-aging medical model. Since its inception a decade ago, the A4M has advanced an innovative healthcare model involving the detection, prevention, and treatment of aging-related disease and the promotion of research into methods to retard and optimize the human aging process. A4M's model for anti-aging medicine embraces a multi-disciplinary approach for wellness-based healthcare, as our membership includes specialists in areas such as endocrinology, neurology, oncology, gynecology, pain management, and cosmetic surgery--as well as general and family practice physicians. A4M continues to unite physicians and scientists across specialties in a spirit of cooperative research and application to promote a scientifically-validated whole-body approach to aging intervention.
Indeed, Science magazine's special Aging issue (February 28, 2003) contains a testimonial to the important near-term applicable advancements being made in human aging intervention. Dr. Valter Longo and colleagues at University of Southern California reported that animal research on longevity is very near its transference to human application. Dr. Longo's article in Science remarks that viable techniques to extend the human lifespan by 20 years or more could be "standard procedure 30 or 40 years down the road," but by prompting "as many people as possible to get into this novel way of looking at disease prevention, anti-aging drugs could be available in the next ten years." (2)
Prestigious Recognition
A4M continues to be the world's leading professional organization dedicated to advancing research and clinical pursuits that enhance the quality, and extend the quantity, of the human lifespan. The 12,000 physician, scientist, and health practitioner members from over 70 countries who belong to the A4M are forging an innovative model of healthcare that alleviates the mounting social, economic, and medical woes otherwise anticipated to arrive with the rapidly growing volume of an aging population. This movement is no longer denied, rather it is becoming a widely embraced resource being explored by many public health and public policy experts who seek...