- It is scientific. Anti-aging diagnostic and treatment practices are supported by scientific evidence and therefore cannot be branded as anecdotal.
- It is evidence-based. Anti-aging medicine is based on an orderly process for acquiring data in order to formulate a scientific and objective assessment upon which effective treatment is assigned.
- Is well-documented by peer-reviewed journals. As of this writing, the National Library of Medicine hosts more than 3,000 peer-reviewed articles on the subject of anti-aging medicine.
A first-ever study reveals the secrets of exceptional health in old age. Mark Kaplan, from Portland State University (Oregon, USA), and colleagues utilized the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3), a multidimensional measure of health status, to examine the maintenance of exceptionally good health among 2,432 elder Canadians enrolled in the Canadian National Population Health Survey, which tracked participants’ health for a ten-year period, 1994 to 2004. The researchers found that the most important predictors of excellent health over the entire decade were:
- Absence of chronic illness
- Income over US $30,000
- Having never smoked
- Drinking alcohol in moderation
- Maintaining a positive outlook
- Managing stress levels
The team comments that: “Many of these factors can be modified when you are young or middle-aged. While these findings may seem like common sense, now we have evidence of which factors contribute to exceptional health [as we age].”
Around the world, people are seeking medical guidance for ways to stay healthy, active, and vital well into their older years. As a result, the principles of the anti-aging lifestyle are gaining rapid and widespread acceptance as a framework for lifelong habits for healthy living.
[Kaplan MS, Huguet N, Orpana H, Feeny D, McFarland BH, Ross N. “Prevalence and factors associated with thriving in older adulthood: a 10-year population-based study.” J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008 Oct;63(10):1097-104.]
