A
leading medical authority has criticized the increasing use of
anti-aging hormones, saying anti-aging hormones offer little benefit but
come with high risk.
Dr. Thomas T. Perls, an associate professor of medicine at Boston
University School of Medicine has long spoken out against the promotion
and distribution of growth hormones (GH) for non-medical uses such as anti-aging
and sports. Dr. Perl's opinions on anti-aging hormone use comes In the
wake of the American Medical Association's (AMA) Council on Science and
Public Health's recently released report "The use of hormones for
"anti-aging": a review of efficacy and safety" which question anti-aging
hormone benefits and anti-aging hormone risks.
In an editorial appearing in the Future Medicine journal Aging Health, Dr. Perls applauds the courage and example displayed by the AMA in its recently published assessment of the risks and benefits of estrogen, growth hormone (GH), testosterone and DHEA for anti-aging.
There have always been many supplements and other products peddled to the consumer reported to be the next ‘fountain of youth’. Most recently the new ‘anti-aging solution’ that some entrepreneurs are peddling to age conscious consumers are called l "bio-identical" or "all-natural" hormones. What they mean by these terms varies from substances made from vegetables, such as yams or soy, which some claim have estrogen-like effects to, more commonly, drugs that are exactly the same as hormones prescribed by endocrinologists for specific diseases. Dr. Perls remarked: "The terms bio-identical or all-natural, particularly in the case of the drugs prescribed by endocrinologists, misleadingly convey a sense of safety to the gullible customer. Arsenic is all-natural to, and it even has some medical uses, but it is anything but safe."
"The AMA's review of the risks and benefits of these hormones in the setting of anti-aging and athletic enhancement is very important given its inclusion of the consensus and position statements of the key professional medical societies as well as the federal agencies that guard public health." states Dr. Perls in the editorial.
The editorial by Dr. Perl, summarizes the AMA's assessment for each of the purported anti-aging. Dr. Perls denounces the marketing of these anti-aginghormones, particularly growth hormone and anabolic steroids (anabolic steroids are variations of testosterone), for anti-aging. He also provides guidelines for spotting "red flags of quackery" and basic advice that physicians can lend to their patients in their pursuit of healthy aging.
The bottom line of Dr. Perl’s argument is that in terms of anti-aging, the risks of these anti-aging hormones out-weigh the little or no benefit
Journal Reference:
1. Thomas T Perls. Anti-aging medicine: what should we tell our patients? April 2010, Vol. 6, No. 2, Pages 149-154, Aging Health DOI: 10.2217/ahe.10.11
In an editorial appearing in the Future Medicine journal Aging Health, Dr. Perls applauds the courage and example displayed by the AMA in its recently published assessment of the risks and benefits of estrogen, growth hormone (GH), testosterone and DHEA for anti-aging.
There have always been many supplements and other products peddled to the consumer reported to be the next ‘fountain of youth’. Most recently the new ‘anti-aging solution’ that some entrepreneurs are peddling to age conscious consumers are called l "bio-identical" or "all-natural" hormones. What they mean by these terms varies from substances made from vegetables, such as yams or soy, which some claim have estrogen-like effects to, more commonly, drugs that are exactly the same as hormones prescribed by endocrinologists for specific diseases. Dr. Perls remarked: "The terms bio-identical or all-natural, particularly in the case of the drugs prescribed by endocrinologists, misleadingly convey a sense of safety to the gullible customer. Arsenic is all-natural to, and it even has some medical uses, but it is anything but safe."
"The AMA's review of the risks and benefits of these hormones in the setting of anti-aging and athletic enhancement is very important given its inclusion of the consensus and position statements of the key professional medical societies as well as the federal agencies that guard public health." states Dr. Perls in the editorial.
The editorial by Dr. Perl, summarizes the AMA's assessment for each of the purported anti-aging. Dr. Perls denounces the marketing of these anti-aginghormones, particularly growth hormone and anabolic steroids (anabolic steroids are variations of testosterone), for anti-aging. He also provides guidelines for spotting "red flags of quackery" and basic advice that physicians can lend to their patients in their pursuit of healthy aging.
The bottom line of Dr. Perl’s argument is that in terms of anti-aging, the risks of these anti-aging hormones out-weigh the little or no benefit
Journal Reference:
1. Thomas T Perls. Anti-aging medicine: what should we tell our patients? April 2010, Vol. 6, No. 2, Pages 149-154, Aging Health DOI: 10.2217/ahe.10.11
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