Main Presentation: “Science and Clinical Approaches to Aging” by Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz, MD
Only 1 in 5,000 Americans live past 100 years. In few small communities around the globe, this number can reach as high as 1 in 10. Children of centenarians are also more likely to live to 100 years, so we know that there is, at least a genetic component, although healthy epigenetic influences in the long-lived communities include advanced social structure, good nutrition, lots of exercise and usually red wine!
A fundamental truth is that centenarians ultimately die from the same degenerative disorders that we die from, only 25 years later. They also manifest the first signs of chronic degenerative diseases (osteoarthritis, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal disease) much later in life, into their 90’s.
To summarize my own 10-year journey to understand the molecular mechanisms of why we age and how to prevent age-related physical and mental decline, I will begin with a description of the gene clusters that are found in centenarians. These gene clusters offer significant insights into how a small human subpopulation has the ability to stay in repair mode much longer and more efficiently than those without these gene clusters.
About Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz, MD
Dr. Herskowitz’s extensive training includes a medical degree from The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, residencies in Anatomic Pathology and Internal Medicine, and Fellowship training in Cardiology at The Johns Hopkins Medical Center. During his 12 years at Johns Hopkins, he became Associate Professor of Medicine and Immunology and Molecular Microbiology and led a research team in the study of molecular and immunological mechanisms of inflammation, autoimmunity, ischemia, heart transplantation rejection and congestive heart failure.
Over the past 15 years, he helped establish and lead innovative health care non-profit research and development organizations that have domestic and worldwide social impact. He was head of a 75-person research team at the Ischemia Research and Education Foundation, working with over 100 leading heart surgery hospitals around the world, reducing adverse outcomes during and after heart surgery. Since 1999, he has been Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California at San Francisco, and Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Institute for OneWorld Health, the first non-profit pharmaceutical company in the United States. He is President of the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), one of the most respected Integrative Medicine societies in the US; Chairman of the Board of Directors for iRND3, an organization that discovers new medicines for rare and neglected diseases, and serves on the Board for PVRI, Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute.
Short Presentation: “Rethinking Cancer Treatment Using A Functional Medicine Approach” by Dr. Ann Lee, MD
Despite significant advances in our understanding of cancer over the last decade, treatment options have remained relatively unchanged. A growing elderly population and modern environmental exposures may present new challenges to fighting cancer. In this presentation, we will discuss “root cause” strategies and potential targets which are not traditionally addressed in the management of malignant disease.
About Dr. Ann Lee, MD
Dr. Ann Lee attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and completed residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Loma Linda University Medical Center in southern California, where she did research and published papers in traumatic brain injury. Afterward, she accepted an academic position with Stanford Medical Center and was Attending of the Polytrauma/Traumatic Brain Injury Unit at VA Palo Alto Health Care System where she cared for combat soldiers who suffered from blast injuries due to improvised explosive devices. Over the years, her practice focus has expanded from neurotrauma to include treatment of neuromuscular pain and chronic inflammatory disorders.
Despite her academic achievements, the more she learned about medicine as practiced in the conventional setting, the more she came to know of it’s limitations. Although she was fortunate to have helped many of her patients, she struggled with prescribing yet another opioid or performing injection after injection with limited results. Why do some patients improve while others wane? How are healthy people suddenly disabled from a seemingly innocuous injury?
Her great challenge came when her son fell ill and was put on antibiotics from which he developed severe side effects. After doing her own personal research into the microbiome, she was able to correct his condition, as well as several other maladies suffered by various members of her family. These ailments included high blood pressure, kidney stones, back pain, insomnia, headaches, acne, etc. She didn’t realize how sick she was herself until she started getting better!
Since beginning her journey into functional medicine, she has had the privilege of shadowing the clinics of leading functional medicine practitioners including Dr. Bill Barley M.D., Dr. Raj Patel M.D., and Chris Kresser, Lac.
Dr. Lee is excited and confident that health restoration is possible through a functional medicine approach, where the root causes of illnesses are addressed
For more info, read the newsletter.
NOTE: Meeting starts promptly at 7pm. Main speaker presentation begins at 7:20 p.m.
