PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE at Aletris Center in Scottsdale, AZ
At ALETRIS, we embrace the advancement and utilization of technology to detect, prevent, and treat age-related disease, and we promote research to optimize the human aging process.
We believe that the many disabilities associated with “normal aging” are actually ameliorable to alternative medical treatment and healthy living. Essentially, the human life span can be lengthened and the quality of one's life improved.
Preventing Cancer
Cancer, the second leading cause of death in the United States, refers to a group of diseases in which an individual's own cells grow out of control. Current estimates state that thirty percent of all Americans will develop some kind of cancer in their lifetimes. The most common forms are cancer of the skin, lungs, colon and rectum, breast, prostate, and uterus.
The exact cause of cancer has not yet been discovered. Evidence suggests, however, that cancer could result from complex interactions of viruses, genetic make-up, immune status and exposure to other risk factors. Additionally, exposure to environmental toxins has been found to be a major contributor to cancer.
At ALETRIS, we believe in thinking about cancer risk before a diagnosis is ever made. Many of our patients come to us with concerns because of a strong family history, and we encourage each of our patients to take a proactive stance against cancer. Lifestyle factors, nutritional deficiencies, weakened immunity, and impaired liver detoxification can be assessed and corrected.
We often encourage patients to run tumor markers or imaging to rule out cancer in a particular area, especially if they have a genetic history or lifestyle that points to a specific concern. Often, the stress and worry of potential cancer can be just as damaging to a patient as the actual growth of a tumor.
We believe that diligent follow-up is critical to proper prevention, and we may recommend preventative imaging such as thermography and colonoscopy along with regular skin evaluations with a dermatologist.
Labs/imaging for cancer prevention include:
Liver detoxification
2, 16 OH-E2 urine metabolites
Tumor markers
Breast thermography/mammography
Colonoscopy
Genetic testingPreventing Cardiovascular Disease
Cholesterol testing has historically been used as the standard marker for cardiovascular disease. In 2001, NIH found that approximately 50% of people that suffer a heart attack, however, have “normal” cholesterol values.
Recent advances in laboratory testing have shown that correlating other lab tests greatly improves our ability to note the onset of early cardiovascular disease. Many factors play a role in heart disease:
Inflammation
High hs CRP levels
Increased homocysteine
Blood viscosity and clotting
Platelet count
Fibrinogen
Carrier molecules
Lipoprotein a
Lp-PLA2
Cholesterol, subclasses, and other lipids
LDL
HDL
TriglyceridesTreatment for early stage heart disease is comprehensive and tailored to which parameters are out of range. One person's profile for heart disease can look very different from another's. Our approach is based in the naturopathic philosophy, which is to treat the person, not the disease.
Labs and imaging that screen for cardiovascular disease include:
Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, VLDL (and subclasses)
Lipoprotein a
triglycerides
Lp-PLA2
Homocysteine
Fibrinogen
Platelet count
Hs CRP
“VAP"
Yearly EKG
Stress testAt ALETRIS, we believe in playing it safe. It is better to have the testing done and know that cardiovascular disease is not a risk for future health compromise.
Preventing Osteoporosis
It is estimated that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 12 men over the age of 50 have osteoporosis worldwide. Osteoporosis is responsible for millions of bone fractures annually, most commonly involving the lumbar vertebrae, hip, and wrist .
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that all women 65 years of age or older should be screened with bone densitometry, also called a DEXA scan. The Task Force recommends screening women 60 to 64 years of age who are at increased risk. The best risk factor for indicating increased risk is lower body weight (weight < 70 kg).
Surprisingly, the one year mortality rate following hip fracture is approximately 20%. Vertebral fractures can lead to severe chronic pain of neurological origin and deformity. Though rare, multiple vertebral fractures can lead to a severe hunch back (kyphosis), and the resulting pressure on the lungs can impair one's ability to breathe.
Conventional medicine does little to treat osteopenia – a condition of milder bone density loss. At Aletris, we consider anything less than normal bone density a concern.
The mechanisms influencing the formation of the disease are complex. Most cases do not result from inadequate calcium intake, but include other factors affecting bone matrix formation and reabsorption. These include: cigarette smoking; sedentary lifestyle with little weight bearing exercise, such as walking; a family history of osteoporosis; and being age 30 or older. Trabecular bone is the sponge-like bone in the center of long bones and vertebrae. Cortical bone is the hard outer shell of bones. In contrast, trabecular bone is more active, more subject to bone turnover, and to remodeling. Long before any overt fractures are present, the small spicules of trabecular bone break and are reformed in the process known as remodeling. Bone will grow and change shape in response to physical stress. For example, the bony prominences and attachments in runners are different in shape and size than those in weightlifters. It is an accumulation of fractures in trabecular bone that are incompletely repaired that leads to the manifestation of osteoporosis. Common osteoporotic fracture sites, the wrist, the hip and the spine, have a relatively high trabecular bone to cortical bone ratio. These areas rely on trabecular bone for strength.
Low peak bone mass is important in the development of osteoporosis. Bone mass peaks in both men and women between the ages of 25 and 35 and diminishes thereafter. Achieving a higher peak bone mass through exercise and proper nutrition during adolescence is important for the prevention of osteoporosis.
Bone remodeling is heavily influenced by nutritional and hormonal factors. Calcium and vitamin D are nutrients required for normal bone growth. Parathyroid hormone regulates the mineral composition of bone, with higher levels causing loss of calcium and bone. Glucocorticoid hormones also cause bone breakdown. Calcitonin, estrogen and testosterone all increase bone growth. The loss of estrogen following menopause causes a phase of rapid bone loss. Similarly, testosterone levels in men diminish with advancing age and are related to male osteoporosis. In addition to estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) affects bone density.
Those who suffer certain auto-immune and inflammatory disorders are prone to have a higher level of cytokines in the body. The presence of these proteins increase the body's inflammatory response which may upset the process of the osteoblast and osteoclast cycle and increase a person's risk for osteoporosis.
People who remain physically active throughout life have a lower risk of osteoporosis. Conversely, people who are bedridden are at a significantly increased risk. Physical activity has its greatest impact during adolescence, affecting peak bone mass most. In adults, physical activity helps maintain bone mass, and can increase it by 1 or 2%.
At ALETRIS, our naturopathic physicians have designed programs both to prevent the onset of osteoporosis and to treat women currently diagnosed with osteoporosis. Therapies involve optimizing bone health through diet, lifestyle modifications, weight-bearing exercise and nutritional supplements.
