We are terming this quarterly newsletter the anti-aging issue. Anti-Aging Medicine was one of the first phrases used to describe a set of medical activities that address managing health concerns that typically manifest in middle and later age groups. Cardiovascular disease, hormonal dysfunction, adult onset diabetes, chronic inflammation resulting in autoimmune disease and/or arthritic conditions are good examples. Aesthetic issues such as pigmented, wrinkled and or loose skin also fall into the discipline of Anti-Aging Medicine. At the clinic we do a lot of activities that may be described as Anti-Aging Medicine.
In this era of increased patient-driven medical care, many new medical associations have been formed to deal with age-related health issues. They promote everything from the most novel and controversial treatments to the tried-and-true use of diet and lifestyle management to restore and promote a patient’s health. None of these organizations have as deep of roots in preventing disease and restoring long-term health through stimulating the body’s ability to regulate and heal itself (anti-aging) as Naturopathic Medicine. That’s a big claim. But, remember the best cure is prevention and that’s been the aim of Naturopathic Medicine from the beginning.
Special Announcements
New Operations Manager - Amanda Stewart is our new Operations Manager. The first day that she started Amanda made an impact. Not only did she master her job in short order, she pursued opportunities to make our clinic operations run better for patients and practitioners. Her background in Kinesiology allows her to understand and support the clinic’s aims in providing patient care.
New Patient Care Manager - Megan Strocel transitions to a Patient Care Manager role. After more than a year of helping run the clinic’s administrative functions, Megan has learned inside-out what it takes to facilitate the best patient relationships and achieve positive health outcomes. Megan has a background in Kinesiology with paramedical training at the clinic and the Institute of Skin Science.
New Name and New Website - After 10 years of practice development and delivering an extensive range of services, we decided to settle down our identity. Our clinic and medical spa activities will all fall under the name “The Nardella Clinic”. This name reflects a reinvestment in continuing the precedents established by Dr. Nardella for delivering naturopathic medical services in Calgary. Look for these changes in the upcoming weeks.
Health Bulletin
The kids are back to school. The perennial topic of allergies and their growing presence is discussed in the media. Parents are portrayed in stressful situations as they guide their kids through a world of potential food land mines. It is a scary world for those with potential anaphylaxis reactions. For those kids with delayed food allergies, as much as 60% of them, the world can be a frustrating and uncomfortable place. We recommend testing for food allergies as a general health test for kids. Gastrointestinal discomfort, ability to focus, fatigue and skin disorders are just some the symptoms that kids may suffer from due to food sensitivities.
Learning about these issues early also has a dramatic anti-aging impact. A food sensitivity is an immune system response that causes inflammation. Chronic inflammation may contribute to the long-term development of various degenerative diseases.
Success Stories
A female in her mid-thirties presented to the clinic with recurring hives all over her body. She thought that it might have been some foods that she was eating. She had seen dermatologists and allergy specialists. In addition to this, the patient had been undergoing several months of family stress.
With this background it was decided to assess her cortisol and DHEA levels. Cortisol is responsible for many important functions in your body. It helps with metabolism, the immune system, controls inflammation and helps manage a person’s response to stress. Adrenal glands produce cortisol and they can become exhausted of their ability to produce this hormone. We found that the patient’s adrenal glands were not producing any cortisol. She was provided with some adrenal glandulars and supportive herbs to help boost her hormone production and the hives soon disappeared within a month.
There is a significant link to anti-aging. Stress can make us unhealthy. It’s important to make sure that your body is up to the challenges in your life.
Hormones R' Us
The assessment of hormonal health and the development of strategies to properly regulate a patient’s hormones occupies a large component of an Anti-Aging Medicine practice. Naturopathic doctors are well trained in the complex interrelationships among hormones. The Nardella Clinic has also made additional investments in understanding how to assess and develop hormone therapy for its patients requiring this service. Dr. Nardella attended the Institute for Functional Medicine’s 2007 Symposium, 21st Century Endocrinology: Thyroid and Adrenal as Sentinel Organs 2007. Further, the clinic had the privilege of hosting Dr. Patrick Hanaway, Chief Medical Officer of Genova Diagnostics, for a lecture and discussion regarding the latest diagnostic testing available to provide comprehensive insight into a patient’s hormonal health.
With diagnostics tools now available for our patients we can see the progression and decline of critical hormones. Examples are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Each individual has a different environmental, genetic and biochemical influence on the production of their hormones. Individualized treatments are required to effect the best outcomes of hormone therapy.
As an example of applying hormone therapy to have anti-aging benefits, the hormones consisting of estrogens and androgens have an important role in muscle, bone and cognitive function. It has been shown that postmenopausal women with estrogen deficiency have accelerated memory loss, bone loss and chronic stress. Hormone dysfunction can have dramatic impacts on the health of both men and women. Hormone therapy can help alleviate negative impacts. Hormone therapy includes diet and lifestyle changes that facilitate healthy hormone regulation to the direct use of bio-identical hormones.
Photoaging: What is it?
If our skin had its way, it would stay soft and supple like a baby’s skin throughout our whole life. Optimum hydration, density, colour, firmness, and immune function, to name a few. Aging takes its toll on our skin, giving us expression lines, thin skin and increased laxity. But what about the rest of the symptoms we associate with aging? Age spots, dryness, fragility, uneven tone and pigment, rough texture, all describe aging, but are not actually part of the natural aging process. These symptoms are termed as Photoaging, and all are treatable and preventable.
Photoaging is due to our skins exposure to the sun’s damaging UV radiation. Even when we don’t burn, events occur in our skins functioning that are damaging and ultimately affect the appearance and integrity of our skin. Despite the necessity of the sun for important bodily functions like Vitamin D conversion, we need to protect our skin from the detrimental effects of the sun, which can ultimately culminate in deadly cancers and infections.
UV radiation leads to a breakdown in cell function and communication due to the creation of free radicals which cause oxidative damage to all aspects of the cell walls. Collagen, one of the major structural components of our skin, is broken down after sun exposure, as well as the precursors which promote healthy collagen fabrication. Repeated injury via UV radiation continues to build from the time we are teenagers and eventually reveals itself as a wrinkle. Our skin manifests its immediate reaction to sun exposure by producing melanin, and what we perceive as a healthy tan, is actually a defence mechanism that is saying that our skin is already damaged. Continued melanin production eventually leads to uneven skin tone, age spots and rough texture. Our immune system is also adversely affected, as even short term UV exposure deactivates the immune function of the skin, allowing potentially harmful bacteria and viruses to bypass our primary defence mechanism, the skin.
We can treat the signs and symptoms of photoaging in two ways. First, photoprotection is the primary treatment, as we can prevent further damage. Photoprotection is achieved through avoiding direct sun exposure through shade and protective garments, using chemical UVA and UVB protection found in sunscreens, as well as physical blockers like titanium oxide, found in sunscreens and mineral makeup. Secondly, we can start to diminish the already visible signs of photoaging through various treatments. Most rapid and effective is the use of Intense Pulsed Light, which targets and repair irregularities in skin tone and colour, as well as stimulates healthy cell growth and function and collagen growth and repair. Dermasound facials that are combined with Alpha Hydroxy Acid peels offer the same results. Home care products including antioxidants, peptides, hydrators, mild acid treatments and a healthy diet complete the arsenal against photoaging. Fall/Winter is the ideal time to start your anti-aging treatments, as sun exposure is reduced, and the opportunity to develop safe sun habits is available before the onslaught of the summer sun arrives again. To find out what is right for you book a complementary medical aesthetics consultation.
Anti-Aging Treatment Spotlight: Caraseng
Since 1999, The Nardella Clinic has been associated with Dr. Jim Chan to support patients seeking complementary treatment for cancer. Dr. Jim Chan practices in Richmond, BC. He is internationally respected in the treatment of cancer. His clinic is the most significant private cancer treatment centre in Canada. Dr. Chan has facilitated the development and application of a Ginseng based product called Caraseng for the treatment of cancer. Continued development of Caraseng and understanding its functioning in the body has led to a significant alternative application other than cancer treatment. Anti-aging is likely Caraseng’s major benefit for patients not treating cancer. The anti-aging benefits come from the effects that Caraseng treatment has at a cellular level.
In addition to Caraseng’s ability to aid in the treatment of cancer, Caraseng also possesses the ability to help slow down our cell’s biological clock. The major anti-aging mechanisms at play are anti-oxidation, protection of telomeres, and improved organ function.
The production of free radicals in the body influences how the body ages. The more free radicals found in the body, the “older” your body will seem as free radicals can impact the metabolic activities of other cells. Caraseng contains special compounds called Ginseng Saponins. These compounds decrease the number of oxidative stress reactions in the body thereby decreasing the number of free radicals found in the body.
Ginseng Saponins also act to protect telomeres. Telomeres are located on the ends of each of our genes and protect the integrity of our cells. As the body ages and our cells divide contiously, these telomeres actually begin to shorten. If a telomere becomes too short, the cell will no longer be reproducible and it will die. Ginseng Saponins function to maintain the telomere length and increase telomerase activity, allowing the cell to continue dividing. While shortening of the telomere is unavoidable, Ginseng Saponins can also slow rapid shortening of the telomeres caused by free radicals.
Improved organ function is also a result of Ginseng Saponins. Body systems that have benefited from this compound include the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system and improved kidney and liver function. In the central nervous system, Ginseng Saponins protect our neurons (nerve cells) by increasing their resistance to chemical toxins, preventing cerebral lipid (fat) oxidation and finally, improving cerebal anit-oxidative stress capability. These acts of protection delay the aging process of our neural cells. Ginseng Saponins have also been clinically shown to improve memory and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The main function of Ginseng Saponins in the cardiovascular system is their ability to reduce myocardial cell damage. In fact, Ginseng Saponins may reverse myocardial damage and help restore cardiac contraction essentially turning back the clock for your heart.
Ginseng Saponins also act in a protection role in the liver and kidneys. In the liver, they increase the level of anti-oxidation function while in the kidneys they preserve the tubule epithelial cells. A reduction in the concentration of urea nitrogen and creatine in the blood are also results of these compounds functioning in the body.
Overall, delaying the aging process is a major function of Caraseng. By reducing oxidative stress reactions and eliminating free radicals, Caraseng allow our bodies to function at a higher capacity for a longer period of time. While all of this microscopic activity is invisible to the naked eye, the effects are shown on a macroscopic level. If you are thinking about protection against the aging process, treatment with Caraseng may be an excellent option. Treatments are available through oral supplementation or intravenous therapy.
Disclaimer
This document does not convey medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. Persons wanting to learn more about the topics discussed in this document or to pursue treatments need to contact the Nardella Clinic. Assessment by a clinic doctor or qualified staff member is required prior to starting any treatment. |
