Neuroendocrine Causes of Aging
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By VRP Staff
Aging can be defined as the adverse physiological and biochemical changes - and increased likelihood of mortality -associated with the passage of time. Its abundantly clear that after the 30th birthday, nearly every measurable physiological and biochemical parameter points in an adverse direction.
In 1992, Professor Vladimir Dilman, the distinguished Russian scientist, collaborated with Ward Dean, MD to reveal Dilmans theory on aging for the first time. Their landmark book, The Neuroendocrine Theory of Aging and Degenerative Disease, quickly sold out. Although the book is currently unavailable (it is now being revised), the principles
underlying the theory form the basis for Vitamin Researchs approach to anti-aging.
Dilmans theory, in essence, is that growth, development and aging--and age-related diseases--are due to the progressive loss of sensitivity of the hypothalamus, the bodys central regulating mechanism. The hypothalamus is the region of the brain which is responsible for maintaining body systems within normal ranges (temperature, acid-base,
and hormonal balance, etc).
The hypothalamus operates much like a thermostat in our homes. The thermostat maintains temperature within a narrow, comfortable range. Just as the thermostat wears out with time, as we age, the hypothalamus becomes less sensitive to various physiological and biochemical signals in the body. Like the loss of comfortable temperature in our home, due to the thermostat wearing out, loss of hypothalamic sensitivity results in an increasingly worsening hormonal balance, and a shifting of homeostasis in the body.
The shifting of homeostasis is a major cause of many age-related problems, such as:
- Loss of ability to sleep at night
- Tendency to lose muscle and bone mass, and to gain body fat
- Propensity to suffer from one or more of the common age-related diseases like arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, obesity, etc.
Thus, a key concept for potentially delaying--and in some cases, even reversing--these diseases is to restore the bodys hormones to more youthful levels. This can be done by: (1) supplementing hormones and hormone precursors that are deficient; and (2) resensitizing the hypothalamus (fixing the thermostat).
Additional elements of the neuroendocrine approach to anti-aging/life extension include:
- Reducing free radical activity--to prevent damage to DNA and cellular membranes
- Enhancing cellular bioenergetics--to optimize production of ATP, the bodys universal energy molecule
- Normalizing brain neurotransmitter balance--to help normalize hypothalamic regulation and synchronize chronobiological rhythms
- Utilizing cognitive enhancers--to restore mental performance to more youthful levels
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