Al Sears, MD 11905 Southern Blvd. Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 April 8,2024 Most people who end up in nursing homes are there because they’ve lost the ability to function physically and can no longer care for themselves. Conventional doctors will tell you frailty and loss of functionality are an irreversible, untreatable, and inevitable part of the aging process. I call that nonsense. And I’ve been proving it at my clinic for decades now. You see, frailty and loss of functionality are only age-related if you do nothing about them. Sadly, in the 15 minutes doctors give patients during an appointment, they ignore the practical steps that you can take to improve the key contributors to loss of functionality — like muscle weakness… lung capacity… walking speed… grip… balance… the ability to climb stairs… flexibility… and more. None of these critical factors should be ignored. Instead, they should be measured, assessed, and rebuilt. And that’s exactly what we do for patients at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine. A key study published in a recent issue of the British Medical Journal confirms what I’ve been telling my patients for years: The early detection of changes to your motor function — the control and coordination of your muscle movements — is not only an important opportunity to reverse the decline, but it could also add years of healthy living to your life.1 The study followed more than 6,000 participants over a 12-year period. Researchers found that increasingly poor physical function after the age of 65 was linked to a significantly higher risk of “all-cause mortality.” The researchers also noted that when physical decline increases dramatically after the age of 65, mortality often follows within 10 years. Signs of decline to watch out for in your daily life include:Slower walking speedDifficulty getting up from a chairWeakening grip strengthDifficulty getting dressedProblems climbing stairsAnd the statistics revealed in the study are shocking… The researchers found that poor motor function was associated with up to a 25% increased mortality risk for slower walking speed, weakened grip strength, and difficulty getting up from a chair. But here’s the most worrying result they found… Struggling with the normal activities of daily living — such as using the toilet, cooking, and grocery shopping — was associated with a staggering 30% increased risk of mortality over the following decade. Physical decline brings on one of the biggest threats you can face as you age — a condition called sarcopenia… a loss of muscle as you age. If you do nothing to stop sarcopenia, you will lose about three pounds of muscle every decade. After the age of 70, the process speeds up significantly. By the time you’re 80, you could lose 35% to 40% of your muscle mass.2 Studies also reveal prolonged periods of muscle loss can even lead to chronic inflammation and loss of bone density.3,4 However early detection of changes in motor function should be regarded as an opportunity for prevention and reversal. Here at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine, we take a three-step approach to reversing physical decline:MeasureAssessRebuildThe researchers in the BMJ study assessed walking speed, chair rise time, and grip strength. These are important — but at my clinic, we go a lot further. We use a system designed to measure your body’s biomarkers of aging. It’s a protocol unique to the Sears Institute of Anti-Aging Medicine called Functional Biomarker Analysis. And, if I’m being honest, it’s one of the things we do at the Sears Institute that I’m most proud of… Your Functional Biomarker Analysis provides a total measure gives you a total measure of how your body has biologically aged over time. But even more importantly, it gives you the information you need to improve it — so your body can act younger and stronger than its physical age. Measuring and raising your Functional Biomarkers means increasing the…Power of your heartStrength of your bonesStrength of your immune systemFlexibility of your arteriesPower of your lungsLength of your telomeres (the age markers at the ends of your chromosomes)Acuity of your memory and brainpowerEfficiency and effectiveness of your hormonesSpeed of your reaction timeSharpness of visionYour overall physical powerOnce we test to see where your body is declining, we use these measurements to reverse the process. Together, we’ll develop an individualized treatment plan based on your unique results. On average, the patients at my clinic who’ve gone through this Functional Biomarker Analysis have grown 14 years younger. But that number is increasing every day as more and more patients are taking part. I’ve watched them grow decades younger – and years stronger.Reverse your physical age using my unique Functional Biomarker AnalysisImproving Functional Biomarkers is the essence of what I have always believed medicine should be about… helping patients live younger and stronger, starting right now. Today, I want to invite you to be a part of it. If you’re interested in turning back the hands of time and growing younger and stronger – or if you simply want more information – please call my clinic at 561-784-7852. My friendly staff will be happy to answer your questions and set you up with your own assessment. To Your Good Health,Al Sears, MD, CNS References:Landre B, et al. “Terminal decline in objective and self-reported measures of motor function before death: 10 year follow-up of Whitehall II cohort study,” BMJ 2021;374 :n1743Wilkinson DJ, et al. “The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function: Measurement and physiology of muscle fibre atrophy and muscle fibre loss in humans.” Age Res Review. 2018;47:123-132.Evans WJ. “Skeletal muscle loss: cachexia, sarcopenia, and inactivity.” Am J Clin Nutr. Feb 17, 2010.Bettis T, et al. “Impact of muscle atrophy on bone metabolism and bone strength: Implications for muscle-bone crosstalk with aging and disuse.” Osteoporos Int. 2018 Aug; 29(8): 1713–1720. |