don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

The only difference between fiction and nonfiction is that fiction should be completely believable.
Mark Twain

It may be apocryphal but I have heard that Gabe Mirkin, a physician, author, professor, columnist, talk show host and former marathon runner, did a survey of Olympic marathon hopefuls, asking them individually if they would take a series of injections that would guarantee gold medal success. There was one caveat, however: Taking the injections, while it would bring victory, would likely cause death within a few years time. Without hesitation, more than 90 percent of subjects said they would take the injections. Evidently, the goal of Olympic glory was quite a passion.

The promise of youth eternal, or at least longer than otherwise likely, seems to exert a pull on the non-marathon running population comparable to the hopes of Olympic glory with Mirkin's study subjects. A passion for staving off the effects of aging has even led to a new field of commercial medicine, namely, the treatment of aging "as a preventable disease." At expensive anti-aging centers around the country (often misnamed "wellness centers)", a regimen of pharmaceuticals, primarily human growth hormone (HGH) injections, are used to battle the inevitable. Supplementing HGH injections is the usual spa-like fluff, such as custom-made vitamins "made to order for each client," hot-stone massages, "goat-butter wraps" and even champagne, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article entitled, "Doctors Begin to Treat Aging As a Preventable Disease (May 20, 2003).

Of course, the anti-aging menus also include lots and lots of testing. They test for "biomarkers" such as skin thickness and oxygen uptake. They look for ways to assess and repair/forestall further cell damage with expensive (and profitable) heart scans (tomography.) They assess coronary plaque buildup ($450.) At one center, they run up the bill with "bone scans, body-composition tests, stress tests, strength tests, lung-function tests and more than 100 blood tests." If you are a rich hypochondriac, this anti-aging movement could be just what you're looking for.

The anti-aging centers also offer more traditional medical and nutritional protocols. They look to discover what genes are at work in aging, what can be learned from worms and mice, and whether it's a good idea to go on a starvation diet for increased longevity. (I can answer the last question right now! NO!) These are some of the questions that intrigue the anti-aging folks. The field is by no means limited to physicians, chiropractors, and acupuncturists and just about all other varieties of established and alternative healer types are part of the new enterprise. The movement to reverse and/or prevent aging of one kind or another has attracted many Internet snake oil merchants, who sell bio-scanners (to detect free radical levels), oxygen chambers, magnets, vitamins and other potions to keep (or transform) you into a modern Dorian Grey. (Unlike the title character in Oscar Wilde's novel, you can have youth and beauty while keeping your soul; these devilish medics are only interested in your money.)

The larger segment of the medical establishment not involved in these enterprises has expressed a variety of concerns. The General Accounting Office, articles by researchers in science magazines and critics in varied forums have warned of adverse effects from unproven treatments, particularly from HGH. While the latter may (or may not!) "increase the libido and lean muscle mass, erase wrinkles, lessen fat and strengthen bone," as suggested in the above noted WSJ article, it will also increase the risk of many unpleasantries, from diabetes to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Several years ago, I discussed much of this with Dr. Alan Mintz, head of the Cenegenics Medical Institute* in Las Vegas. I was given a tour of the program and facilities. I was there as an advisor to a wealthy Florida woman who was considering an annual $15,000 anti-aging program. Compared with other center regimens, this was a bargain. (Don't ask about insurance -- most policies do not cover this kind of thing.) My sense of things after visiting Cenegenics, as now, is that injecting yourself six times daily with HGH, loading up on supplements (as many as 32 daily) and dabbling in testosterone, estrogen and progesterone creams is a really bad idea.

What's wrong with or so hard to appreciate about exercise, a healthy diet, pure thoughts and lots of laughs -- and other elements described in the dimensions of wellness? The sensible lifestyle option is free, has no similar adverse side effects and, if you look on the bright side of life, ought to lead to a youthful appearance, considering your age.

I would never consider making a deal with the Devil, in part because a wellness lifestyle is so attractive as to diminish the need for risky drug approaches, and, in part, because I don't believe in the Devil. If I did, however, I would not sell my soul, if I had one, but I would be willing to negotiate.

All the best. Be well.

*An age management medicine practice, offering customized, synergistic programs, centered on low-glycemic nutrition, exercise, nutraceuticals and hormone normalization (when clinically indicated). [Description from Cenegenics Medical Institute]

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the PHYSICAL DOMAIN under the skill area of lifestyle habits. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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