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MANILA, Philippines / Manila Standard Today / May 12, 2009
By Dinna Chan Vasquez
In Death Becomes Her, the characters of award-winning actresses Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn are “frenemies” who find themselves bound by a common curse, that of being immortal as a result of drinking a potion that promised to make them live forever.
Longevity medicine, a new field that focuses on recognizing and neutralizing primary age accelerators, is a controversial subject for many, who argue that one cannot prolong life or even prevent diseases that one is genetically predisposed to, such as diabetes or high-blood pressure.
Quincy Raya, MD of the
Asian Institute of Longevity Medicine, says longevity medicine, in her opinion, is not so much about prolonging a person’s life but improving its quality.
“This is very new in the Philippines but abroad, especially in Europe, older people go to doctors to find out how their lives can be improved and enhanced by longevity medicine. That is why when we opened last year, most of our clients were foreigners,” says Raya, whose specialty is anti-aging medicine.
Raya owns and operates the institute with Christopher Rex Gloria, who is also a De La Salle University graduate.
Raya originally wanted to be an internist but when she worked in a hospital, she realized that many diseases could be prevented with lifestyle changes and medical intervention.
“It was then that I realized the importance of longevity medicine and how it could help people,” she says.
The institute aims to slow down the rate of aging, increasing health span and improving the quality of life, mostly via Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy, which corrects hormone deficiencies.
“These deficiencies are caused by aging,” Raya explains. “BHRT alleviates symptoms of aging with the use of bio-identical hormones derived from natural sources like plants to balance a person’s metabolism.”
The results could include higher energy levels, a restful sleep and sharper memory, higher muscle and bone mass, better mood, enhanced sexual function and libido and diminished body fat and wrinkles. The best thing about BHRT, Raya points out, is that the hormones used are not synthetic but mimic the body’s own. Raya says the best time for a person to begin hormone replacement therapy is between the ages of 35 and 45 years old.
“And it’s not just about BHRT as we also help manage our patients’ lifestyles by advising them to exercise more and eat better for the best results,” she adds.
The side effects of the therapy, which could include rashes from the hormone creams, are very minimal and are the same as “normal drugs,” says Raya.
The institute has partnerships with TICEBA, a life science company in Heidelberg, Germany that specializes in stem-cell research and regenerative medicine. The institute is also a certified partner of Genosense diagnostics, which was founded in Vienna, Austria by experts in endocrinology, gynecology, molecular biology, molecular biology and biochemistry with intent of establishing individual and patient-oriented preventive genetic testing services.
Each service focuses on a carefully selected set of genetic variants associated with particular diseases and physiological imbalances. The institute has had younger patients, including a 10-year-old whose concern was stunted growth. Raya addresses concerns that hormones could make people gain weight.
“The BHRT program is a comprehensive process that includes changing the way people eat and live. This means becoming more active and having a healthy diet to get the best results from the therapy,” she says.
The cost of the program ranges from P5,000 to P35,000 a month for one year.
Copyright Manila Standard Today
In Death Becomes Her, the characters of award-winning actresses Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn are “frenemies” who find themselves bound by a common curse, that of being immortal as a result of drinking a potion that promised to make them live forever.
Longevity medicine, a new field that focuses on recognizing and neutralizing primary age accelerators, is a controversial subject for many, who argue that one cannot prolong life or even prevent diseases that one is genetically predisposed to, such as diabetes or high-blood pressure.
Quincy Raya, MD of the Asian Institute of Longevity Medicine, says longevity medicine, in her opinion, is not so much about prolonging a person’s life but improving its quality.
“This is very new in the Philippines but abroad, especially in Europe, older people go to doctors to find out how their lives can be improved and enhanced by longevity medicine. That is why when we opened last year, most of our clients were foreigners,” says Raya, whose specialty is anti-aging medicine.
Raya owns and operates the institute with Christopher Rex Gloria, who is also a De La Salle University graduate.
Raya originally wanted to be an internist but when she worked in a hospital, she realized that many diseases could be prevented with lifestyle changes and medical intervention.
“It was then that I realized the importance of longevity medicine and how it could help people,” she says.
The institute aims to slow down the rate of aging, increasing health span and improving the quality of life, mostly via Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy, which corrects hormone deficiencies.
“These deficiencies are caused by aging,” Raya explains. “BHRT alleviates symptoms of aging with the use of bio-identical hormones derived from natural sources like plants to balance a person’s metabolism.”
The results could include higher energy levels, a restful sleep and sharper memory, higher muscle and bone mass, better mood, enhanced sexual function and libido and diminished body fat and wrinkles. The best thing about BHRT, Raya points out, is that the hormones used are not synthetic but mimic the body’s own. Raya says the best time for a person to begin hormone replacement therapy is between the ages of 35 and 45 years old.
“And it’s not just about BHRT as we also help manage our patients’ lifestyles by advising them to exercise more and eat better for the best results,” she adds.
The side effects of the therapy, which could include rashes from the hormone creams, are very minimal and are the same as “normal drugs,” says Raya.
The institute has partnerships with TICEBA, a life science company in Heidelberg, Germany that specializes in stem-cell research and regenerative medicine. The institute is also a certified partner of Genosense diagnostics, which was founded in Vienna, Austria by experts in endocrinology, gynecology, molecular biology, molecular biology and biochemistry with intent of establishing individual and patient-oriented preventive genetic testing services.
Each service focuses on a carefully selected set of genetic variants associated with particular diseases and physiological imbalances. The institute has had younger patients, including a 10-year-old whose concern was stunted growth. Raya addresses concerns that hormones could make people gain weight.
“The BHRT program is a comprehensive process that includes changing the way people eat and live. This means becoming more active and having a healthy diet to get the best results from the therapy,” she says.
The cost of the program ranges from P5,000 to P35,000 a month for one year.
Copyright Manila Standard Today
