AMMG April Conference will feature a Track on Core Issues in Age Management Medicine
Jeff Morris
In less than two weeks, the 26th Clinical Applications for Age Management Medicine Conference takes place in Miami, Florida. As one of the Pre-Conference Tracks on Thursday, April 11, AMMG will present Introduction to Core Issues in Age Management Medicine, a course designed to familiarize physicians and healthcare professionals with all of the basics.
Whether you are just starting out in age management medicine, need a refresher in a particular area, have staff whose knowledge can be bolstered, or are any type of healthcare professional curious to find out what age management medicine is all about, this track will provide a firm foundation.
It will cover evidence-based use of nutrition, supplements, fitness, hormones—including a specialized lecture on hGH and assessment protocols—and legal basics, with some of the newest medical science on aging that may be in use now or in the near future. Included will be relevant case presentations and discussion.
The initial patient assessment is the key to any successful age management medicine program. Michale “Mickey” Barber, M.D., will focus on the many aspects of a patient’s health and fitness that should be evaluated as part of the assessment. These include the patient’s health and disease history, nutritional patterns, sensitivities and supplement history, fitness, strength and balance, and measurement and interpretation of key aging biomarkers including hormones. Assessment of stress levels will also be addressed. Attendees should leave this lecture with a good understanding of a basic as well as advanced age management assessment protocol.
Back-to-back sessions will focus on Basic Hormone Replacement and Replenishment for Men, and for Women. Taught by seasoned experts Neil Rouzier, M.D., and Anna Cabeca, D.O., these two lectures will address issues specific to each of the sexes. Dr. Rouzier will look at some of the problems and complications in prescribing hormones for men. He will address side effects, monitoring, understanding levels, erythrocytosis vs. polycythemia, prostate cancer and elevated PSA, use of 5 alpha reductase inhibitors, and aromatase inhibitors.
Dr. Cabeca will address times of greatest hormonal fluctuations in women and their symptoms, including physical complaints, sexual dysfunction, medical illness, and other challenges. She will look at the many tools healthcare providers may use to alleviate and ease hormonal transition, include appropriate diagnostic tools, physical exam, and an armamentarium of treatments to recreate hormonal balance on many levels—not only hormones, but including the sex steroids, adrenal and neurotransmitter support, and dietary and lifestyle modifications.
Rebecca Murray, APRN, an endocrine nurse practitioner with years of experience, will discuss the Clinical Use of Supplements in Age Management Medicine. She notes that, contrary to the standard RDA for nutrients, various other factors contribute to a person’s actual needs, including decreased ability to absorb nutrients, medications that many deplete the body of certain nutrients, and environmental factors that contribute to a greater need. By providing an overview of the mechanism of action of nutraceuticals and supplements in protecting from the untoward effects of inflammation, oxidative damage, and endothelial dysfunction, she will show how they can be applied in your practice for the prevention and treatment of common medical conditions seen in the aging population.
Edwin N. Lee, M.D. will present ways growth hormone can be improved, both with and without actually using growth hormone. Despite the fact that growth hormone is essential in lowering body fat, improving on lipids, keeping muscles healthy and improving on bone density, treatment with recombinant human growth hormone is not covered under most insurance plans and it is also cost prohibitive for most people. Dr. Lee will discuss an alternative to the expensive recombinant human growth hormone most commonly used for boosting IGF-1, which has the advantage of inducing all five of the hGH isoforms rather just the one that is found in the synthetic form. He will also review the diagnosis of adult onset growth hormone deficiency.
Fitness and exercise are important components of any age management medicine program. Mary Corry, R.N., will discuss the benefits of exercise and how to build an effective exercise program for both beginner and advanced patients.
With obesity at epidemic proportions and now the leading cause of chronic medical illnesses that occur as we age, correcting obesity should be paramount for every physician who practices age management medicine. Robert L. True, M.D., will look at older and newer concepts for diet and weight loss. Some of the newer concepts such as higher fat diets, ketogenic diets and fasting mimicking diets have accumulated a plethora of evidence that suggest these may be preferred options for patients to lose weight. Dr. True will present new evidence physicians should consider when recommending weight-loss options.
Last but not least, age management medicine practitioners need to be able to recognize when relevant Federal and State regulations are implicated within their age management practice, and measure and evaluate necessary steps to ensure compliance with these statutes and regulations. Paul D. Werner, Esq. will lead a workshop that focuses on one essential element: compliance as an ongoing process. He says providers need to be motivated, alert, and self-critical. Compliance and compliance plans are a risk management tool that should address each and every area of potential exposure. Compliance with Federal and State regulations is not only important when beginning a new practice, but is an essential element to the ongoing success of that practice. This session will help practitioners learn to identify issues before they escalate into problems that could result in liability.