What is Age Management Medicine?

When we are young, we are invincible. As the years pass, aging makes itself known in unpleasant ways. Workouts require more effort for fewer results. Forgetfulness increases, fatigue at lesser levels of work occurs, sleep is less restorative, among other signs of aging.

Age management medicine is defined as preventive medicine, largely by focusing on supplementation of natural hormones. We start to lose one to three percent of our hormones starting at age 30 and the decline continues. Age management medicine uses hormone modulation for the endocrinologically ‘normal’ patient by identifying hormone levels which yield superior health outcomes, often the upper third of the ‘normal’ range. The objective is to restore the patient’s hormone levels back to those of the upper third of ‘normal’, when patients were in their mid-30’s, when the immune system was the strongest, metabolism was most efficient and the ability to build muscle rather than fat was the greatest. Typically, for men this means replacing testosterone and DHEA. For women, usually testosterone and DHEA are supplemented along with bioidentical formulations of estrogen and progesterone.

Successful therapy must be accompanied by optimal low glycemic index nutrition, adequate nutrient supplementation, and the absolute need for physical exercise.

What Age Management Medicine is NOT
It is not a ‘fountain of youth’
It is not for patients under the age of 40
It is not for patients who have ever had prostate cancer or breast cancer
It is not a replacement for your primary care physician

The current American medical system is based largely on the treatment of disease, rather than a preventive and proactive system. As such, age management medicine is not covered by health insurance, Medicare, or other such systems. Bills for age management medicine cannot be submitted to such agencies. Some HSA’s and MSA’s may reimburse some expenses. Please check with your HSA or MSA manager for details.

 

Janine Coles Islam, M.D.
FAAPM&R, FAADEP, FAANEM