Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dr. Vagnini Health & Longevity E-Report

January 2006
Contact: G.F. Proud, 631-323-3523

Prevention Rules at Anti-Aging Confab
Could there be a reason for repetition? Yes, indeed. Although the phrase metabolic syndrome was named officially in a report of the U.S. Surgeon General six years ago (It had been widely known for decades under by the name Syndrome X.), the message still has not penetrated the American public’s health consciousness such that it is the target of aggressive therapies. Dr. Vagnini was addressing 300 physicians in the Paris Casino Hotel’s grand ballroom and urging them to be alert to diagnose MSy. Up until recently, while it is the pre-condition for the degenerative diseases that are common in the process of aging, it has been the most under-diagnosed condition. “You can prevent heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. These are all preventable diseases,” he said. “And it is most critical that anti-aging-physicians who are in the forefront of preventive medicine lead in educating the public to signs of the metabolic syndrome and its life shortening risks. I think this is a tremendous opportunity for anti-aging physicians to effectively address the aging process.”

The metabolic syndrome is a genetic disorder complicated by life-style choices. Its four signs are central obesity, hypertension, high triglycerides, and glucose abnormality. Each of these signs is easily detected in the typical office visit. In the latter and most significant sign, also called insulin resistance, the cells’ insulin receptors do not work, do not generate energy but instead cause food intake to be stored, resulting in overweight/ obesity and related health problems. Physician-directed dieting and exercise are the antidote. Dr. Vagnini urged his audience of doctors to aggressively attack the MSy in their clinical practices. “Unless we prevent it,” he warned, “the metabolic syndrome will continue as a major U.S. epidemic.

The Direction of Anti-Aging Medicine
An Interview with Dr. Vagnini

Approximately 3500 physicians and other professional health care scientists and clinicians attended the 2005 Winter Congress of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) in Las Vegas December 8-12. There were more than 100 lecturers, one of whom was Dr. Frederic J. Vagnini. Dr. Vagnini, the co-chairman of an all-day workshop on New Biotechnologies, comments here on the conference and the direction of the Anti-Aging Medicine movement.

Q: You have been an active member of A4 M since its founding; what signs of growth and progress have you seen in the intervening years?
Tremendous growth. The movement has been widely accepted by progressive physicians of many disciplines not only in America, but worldwide . . . as evidenced by the attendance at the international meeting in Las Vegas. I have seen this growth in the organizational format of the conference and in the number of exhibitors it has attracted.

Q: At the conference this year, there seemed to be heightened interest in hormones and hormone replacement therapies. Is this something that is the result of recent scientific research and is it likely to become an important element of anti-aging practice?
Hormone replacement therapy is again widely accepted by the medical profession. After the assault on estrogen replacement therapy for females a few years ago, there was a decline in HRT. Suzanne Somers’ book The Sexy Years rekindled interest in bioidentical hormone replacement. Testosterone therapy for men is also increasing. Dr. Ron Rothenberg’s lecture precisely explained the proper use of any type of hormone replacement; namely, where there are deficiencies to be corrected.

Q: While the physicians appear to have grasped the significance of an anti-aging approach to clinical practice, would you say that the public, health care consumers, are also beginning to understand it as well; or is there still some health education to be done?
A recent news article told of young people seeking skin care anti-aging therapies to prevent damage caused by the sun and toxins in the environment. Such are only the cosmetic benefits of anti-aging therapy. I feel the public needs to be educated in all the other areas of anti-aging medicine.

Q: The roster of conference speakers always includes well-known researchers as well as practitioners. What are some of the leading edge concepts and themes that were highlighted in lectures this year?
There were a number of new theories and concepts. I was particularly interested in lectures on inflammation as the etiology for degenerative disease and on cellular biochemistry in the area of mitochondrial function. And judging by the enthusiastic reception my lecture received, there was much interest in clinical management of the metabolic syndrome for prevention of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and many cancers.