Improving Health Span in Milwaukee & Chicagoland

We live in a world where conventional medicine is prolonging life; but our health during those later years is not ideal.  We all want to get older; but none of us want to age and lose our function during that process.  Your health span is the time that you are free of disease and are maintaining good function.  There are several theories on aging that are being debated in the scientific world as we speak.  I believe that Dr. Blagosklonny’s hyperfunction of theory of aging is supported by the current evolving science.  This theory states that aging is a programmed event where the growth and developmental programs that our cells are running do not turn off leading to hyperfunction and cell damage.   This leads to all of the disease states that we classically see with aging (hypertension, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, type 2 diabetes, COPD, cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis etc.).

 To improve health span, we need to control the growth pathways to limit cellular damage.  Each cell has a perfect state of being (homeostasis) where it is functioning optimally (cell is being efficient) and there is a balance in the oxidative and reduction environment (REDOX).   When a cell starts to function poorly, it can either work on correcting itself, die off (apoptosis), become a growing non dividing cell (senescent cell), or become a cancer.  

Unfortunately, we have very few great measurements of cellular function/cellular aging outside of the research setting.  Looking at animal models is helpful for learning how to treat disease states; aging is no different and the literature in worms, yeast, mice and dogs are very encouraging.  Usage of biologic methylation clocks are a good starting point in assessing a person’s “biologic age”.  Studying aging and the effects of treatments for aging is further complicated by the long life span of humans making it unlikely that we are going to have great randomized placebo-controlled studies on treatments to control aging for many, many years.  Our treatments are bringing current research science into clinical practice. 

To correct the cellular efficiency and limit the effects of getting older we need to:

1. Limit DNA damage from genomic instability – normally DNA is protected by proteins (histones) that lessen as we get older
2. Improve telomere length – improve telomerase activity
3. Improve protein maintenance (proteostasis) by encouraging the cell to break down old proteins – one part of autophagy
4. Limit growth nutrient sensing pathways – mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin)
5. Improve mitochondrial dysfunction – mitochondria produce energy and help control cellular efficiency
6. Reduce accumulation of senescent cells (these non-dividing, growing cells release lots of inflammatory agents that are found in aging)
7. Improve cell communication in order to limit production of inflammatory molecules
8. Improve and restore stem cells 

Until the testing for cellular aging catches up, we are going to need to rely on how someone feels they are doing: are they having less arthritis issues, able to walk longer/farther than prior or just feel more like they did when they were younger.  The goal of treatment is that people are feeling better today than they did previously.  

Some of the peptides and therapies used to effect these include but are not limited to NMN, resveratrol, rapamycin, epitalon, dasatinib, growth hormone secretagogues, and immune modulators. 

Schedule a Health Span Consultation in Milwaukee & Chicagoland

Dr. Raskin has been improving his patient’s overall health utilizing health span optimization for a number of years.  If you would like more information on how you can age optimally, please request an appointment through our secure online form under the “Getting Started Pull Down Menu” and one of our staff will contact you !