"For decades, medicine has been dominated by a "fix-it-when-it-breaks" mentality. We wait for disease to appear, then react. But when the machinery in question is the only body you'll ever have, waiting until failure is both risky and costly. A better way forward, what I call healthspan medicine, is proactive, preventive, and personal. The Intersection of Psychology and Biology Healthspan medicine blends advances in diagnostics, geroscience, systems biology, and artificial intelligence with a clear-eyed recognition that our biology is deeply influenced by our psychology."
"Stress, social connection, optimism, and purpose are not abstract "nice-to-haves", they alter our hormones, immune function, and even our gene expression. We now know that psychological well-being can shape epigenetic marks on our DNA, influencing how quickly or slowly we age. In other words, your thoughts and relationships can literally write themselves into your biology. Over the past two decades, geroscience has revealed several molecular hallmarks of aging, along with interventions - from nutrition and exercise to pharmaceuticals -"
Medicine historically followed a fix-it-when-it-breaks approach, waiting for disease and reacting rather than preventing. Healthspan medicine emphasizes proactive, preventive, and personalized strategies to maintain bodily function across life. Psychological factors such as stress, social connection, optimism, and purpose directly influence hormones, immune function, and gene expression, including epigenetic marks that affect aging rate. Geroscience has identified molecular hallmarks of aging and interventions—from nutrition and exercise to pharmaceuticals—that can modulate these processes. Emerging aging clocks measure biological age and aging rate, offering tools for optimization. The longevity field has expanded rapidly from labs to broader application and innovation.
Read at Psychology Today
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