The state of North American health care

We have just ended a century of unprecedented advances in medical knowledge and technology. Serious medical conditions that were once considered disabling or a death sentence are now curable and most devastating disease conditions that exist today are now manageable or preventable.

In spite of all the amazing medical advances in recent years, there exists a great paradox in health care today—we simply cannot afford it! The economics of today’s health care has made all of the advances in medical science less and less available to just about everyone—including even those that are willing to pay for them. As medical costs continue to soar, patients are increasingly being denied coverage for crucial services by their insurance companies.

If health care is so expensive, what can you do?

While we anxiously await new health reform and insurance legislation, what can we do to avoid all of these problems and receive the best health care possible? The answer is really very simple—don’t get sick! We must do everything possible to avoid disease and maintain excellent health.

Disease prevention is definitely the key to North America’s health care crisis. The question, then, is how does one go about obtaining top quality preventive health care?

Unfortunately today’s medical practice devotes little, if any, time to teaching patients about preventing disease, maintaining quality of life as people age, promoting the virtues of exercise and proper nutrition, and the importance of hormonal balance and optimal hormone levels in preserving vitality.

Most people do not know how to incorporate these areas into their lifestyle consistently. We must all learn how to maintain our quality of life and zest for living, how to prevent the accumulation of body fat and how to get rid of it if we already have it, and how to prevent or reverse the loss of bone and muscle tissue. This becomes critically important as we age if we are to avoid nursing home care, chronic pain, immobilization, mental deterioration, and prescription drug dependency.

That's why I'm so passionate about sharing resources that empower YOU to embrace a new lifestyle, engage in conversation with the right health care providers and learn how to navigate the health care system.

How do we know if we are at risk?

Everybody must become proactive in managing their own health, preventing disease, and maximizing the quality of their lives. Remember, we don’t die of old age—we die from degenerative diseases.

Many “early warning” signs of degenerative diseases can be can easily obtained tests that can prevent or delay their onset. Each of us should request these tests on a routine basis to help us take action early on to prevent disease.

The vast majority of primary care physicians are not allowed time and/or have the time to review this information, nor are they well versed in the nuances of nutrition, bio-identical hormone optimization and lifestyle management. However there is a new medical specialty that deals specifically and exclusively with all of these issues—Age Management Medicine.

The practice of Age Management Medicine, a proactive approach to aging

Age Management Medicine (AMM) is dedicated to the science of healthy aging and emphasizes the enhancement of health over the treatment of illness.

Traditional medical practices follow the “fix it when it breaks” approach. AMM focuses on disease prevention, wellness and quality of life. Its goal is to promote a more dynamic life throughout middle age and beyond by utilizing scientifically sound, twenty-first century strategies that enhance health, quality of life and longevity.

We must all change our thinking about aging. Older does not mean sicker. The majority of us have a strong enough genetic makeup to live beyond 85. The key is to make the best of the genes we have.

Incorporation of AMM practices into our daily lives allows us to compress the time we are sick to the very end of our lives. We cannot stop or reverse the aging process, but we can definitely manage it better than previous generations have. We can avoid premature disability and death. After all, what are the benefits of living longer if we end up in a nursing home locked into a body or brain that doesn’t work during the last 20 to 30 years of our lives?

What can you do to help prevent premature aging?

As part of my medical practice, I specialize in Age Management Medicine. Many of my clients, friend, family and complete strangers will ask me, how can I prevent the onset of premature aging? With this in mind I have compiled a list of for you to review and put into practice. In this case practice does make perfect! As part of this column we will review each of these tips in upcoming articles and interviews.


Author’s note: My former mentor, Dr. Alan Mintz, and colleague Dr. Jeffrey Life of the Cenegenics Medical Institute contributed to this article.


Dr. Andrea Pennington, a physician, acupuncturist and empowerment coach, is the president of Pennington Empowerment Media and is a physician affiliate of the Cenegenics Medical Institute. She is the author of The Pennington Plan: 5 Simple Steps to Vibrant Health, Emotional Well Being and Spiritual Growth. For more information, visitwww.andreapennington.com.