Author Archives: Sarenka Smith

Physician of the Month: Gregory Seaman, MD

November 1, 2017

A4M valued member Gregory Seaman, MD shares insight from his professional experience in this Physician of the Month feature.

Q: Before joining A4M, what was your medical background?

Prior to joining A4M and opening thriveMD, I spent 7 years practicing as an anesthesiologist in the Chicago area. While I enjoyed the pharmacology and pharmacodynamics of anesthesia I didn’t feel very connected to the patients I worked with. I was certainly providing a service to them but I always felt medicine could be more. I started questioning why people needed all of these surgeries. Why do we wait until things go wrong and then take these drastic steps to correct them??

Q: What anti-aging techniques have you incorporated into your practice? And how did you do so?

When I started thriveMD we were focused on 4 main treatment modalities. We focused on bio-identical hormone replacement, medical weight loss, IV therapies and platelet rich plasma therapy. I believed these represented some of the “pillars” of anti-aging medicine. We have since expanded into many additional therapies. We now offer oxidative therapies, adipocyte as well as umbilical cord stem cell therapies, ultra-violet light therapies and will be starting with the HOCATT™ Platinum sauna very shortly. The HOCATT™ is a revolutionary invention by a man from South Africa, which incorporates an ozone sauna, carbonic acid, whole body hyperthermia, exercise with oxygen therapy as well as pulsed electro-magnetic field therapy and more all into one 30-minute session.

We started with the four pillars (as I saw them) and have let the people we work with dictate the direction we have headed. We are always searching for the latest advances and have been blessed to work with many other providers who are also striving for optimal health for their clients.

Q: What are the benefits of practicing anti-aging medicine (as a professional and for your practice)?

There are many benefits to practicing anti-aging medicine. The medicine I practice now is really the reason I wanted to be a physician in the first place. I spend more time with the people I work with and I really get to know them. There are a lot of things that make up a patient that traditional medicine either does not value or simply cannot fit into the current model. Each person that comes into my office is completely unique. Each persons’ family or financial stressors, relationship or work issues, the environmental hazards they are exposed to and these things combined bring a completely unique individual. In addition, so many people deal with GI issues, absorption problems, poor nutrition and high stress. These issues are critically important to the health and well-being of the person in front of me, and yet most of this information can be deemed from a lab test.

Q: What are the changes you see in your patients?

The most rewarding change I have seen in the people I work with is a feeling of some control over their health and their life. Many people just thought they were getting older and had to accept the deterioration in their health. When you work with them preventatively to optimize their health and they feel better, it gives them a whole new view of health. They feel empowered! That then has them wondering “what else can I do” and “how good can I feel at 40, 50 or even 70”?

I have been blessed to work with hard working, dedicated patients. These people are willing to do what it takes to be healthy but just never had the tools. Many people today are not going to the doctor just to get another prescription to deal with some symptom they are now faced with. They realize that this body is the one vessel they will go through life with and they are willing to do whatever it takes to take care of it.

Q: Why would you recommend anti-aging medicine to your peers?

I would recommend anti-aging to my peers because I believe it is why most (if not all) of them went into the field of medicine. To work closely with patients, get to know them and be able to really help them. Help them to not just avoid getting sick but to feel better at any age! We always tell patients at thriveMD that their body is like a Ferrari that they have spent years putting dirty gasoline in and never changing the oil. They really have no idea how their body is capable of functioning and how well it will function with a little help. With anti-aging medicine doctors are able to give these people this help. It is extremely rewarding.

Q: Where do you see the future of anti-aging medicine 20 years from now?

I think the future of anti-aging medicine is extremely bright. I think the more aware people are of the possibilities the more interest there will be and this will, in turn, lead to more possibilities. Traditionally medicine has been reactive in this country. People are now starting to approach medicine proactively and this is fueling the anti-aging boom. I do not see this slowing anytime soon. I hope in 20 years that anti-aging services and preventive medicine are mainstream and considered standard of care. As our country continues to age there will be a greater and greater demand to feel better longer. I envision anti-aging medicine rising to meet this demand.

Obesity: The Public Health Epidemic Sweeping America

The prevalence of obesity in the United States has skyrocketed in the past few decades, leading to jarring statistics that indicate a rapidly increasing global public health epidemic. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey states that more than 2 in 3 adults are considered overweight or obese; yet perhaps more disconcerting is the fact that approximately one-third of children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 19 qualify as overweight or obese.

While the causes of obesity vary, factors include genetics, nutrition habits, lifestyle habits, geographic location, and socioeconomic status. The epigenetics of obesity demonstrate that genetic makeup plays an innate role, but can be mitigated and lessened by one’s activity choices and environment. As obesity is one of the primary risk factors for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and a host of other critically severe health problems, there is a pressing need for increased awareness and action steps surrounding the epidemic.

A recent study based at and conducted by UT Southwestern Medical Center reveals a strong genetic-environmental interaction: obesity significantly exacerbates the effects of gene variants that increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by various metabolic pathways. If untreated and unmonitored, NAFLD can ultimately lead to cirrhosis—chronic liver disease—and liver cancer. Scientists found that the PNPLA3 gene variant spurred the strongest genetic-environmental interaction: “the first genetic cause of NAFLD ever identified.” One of the lead researchers in the study explains that people with lower BMI indexes are unlikely to have excess fat in the liver, despite having the PNPLA3 risk alleles. A longitudinal study further revealed that the risk of having cirrhosis among those with the risk allele increased 5.8 times, compared to those who were obese but lacked the risk allele.

The findings demonstrate an interaction between obesity and genetics, confirming the importance of both genetic screenings and early interventions. Nevertheless, DNA is not the sole culprit; while genetics inevitably account for some of a person’s obesity risk, genes can be countered and curbed by the implementation of healthy lifestyle interventions. Increasing data and studies indicate that sleep hygiene is a necessary element in terms of obesity prevention, coupled with consistent physical activity and exercise.

Thus, although there is no single approach to prevent or treat overweight and obesity, the importance of diet and exercise cannot be understated—particularly with younger children and adolescent, as childhood obesity almost inevitably leads to adulthood obesity. While some studies suggest that the epidemic will worsen and hit new highs, others advocate for the imminent urgency of different treatment approaches, including collaboration with the food and restaurant industries regarding calories and portion sizes. Regardless of societal and external factors, the epigenetics of obesity can be influenced by our behavior and actions: namely, positive and healthy lifestyle interventions.

To learn more about personalized approaches & strategies to address weight management and obesity, attend our pre-conference Obesity Management Workshop in Las Vegas on December 13th, 2017. 

Mental Illness & Physical Disease

September 21, 2017

At A4M/MMI, we believe that all of the body’s systems are interrelated, and function through a consistent mind-body connection. Indeed, recent research indicates that the intimate ties between mental health and physical disease represent a dual diagnosis rooted in concrete, tangible evidence.

While doctors once believed that the link between mental and physical health problems was purely behavioral, scientists are now learning that “seemingly unrelated psychological and physical issues” may have close connections and correlations. There is a physiological change that additionally occurs: a new study that focuses on the physical and mental health of people afflicted with psoriasis, a dermatological autoimmune disease that results in red, flaky scales and patches on the skin’s surface, demonstrates that depression is common among these people, due to social stigma and discomfort.

Still, researchers also found that patients with psoriasis and a diagnosis of depression were 37% more likely to develop psoriatic arthritis—a complication that involves joint inflammation—than those without depression. Authors articulate that depression can spur behaviors that act as triggers for the condition, or exacerbate pre-existing causes. For those with a genetic predisposition to the disease, factors such as poor nutrition and physical inactivity can negatively impact the severity of the symptoms. Yet the association still held when authors controlled for many of these behaviors, which suggests that the root cause of the depression has a direct influence on the development of psoriatic arthritis.

Research over the last several decades has demonstrated that inflammation in the body—one of the primary triggers of psoriatic arthritis—can also drive the development of depression. The processes are now known to be similar to those that drive some physical illnesses, as well. Moreover, elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol may link psychological and physical conditions, as high levels of cortisol areas associated with depression and can likewise contribute to an inflammatory state—and conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Previous studies have confirmed the link between depression and an increased risk of conditions like stroke and diabetes, while a study last year found that depressed mood was as strong a predictor of heart disease as other well-known risk factors, like high cholesterol and obesity. Other mental-health diagnoses, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, have synonymously been associated with increased risks of physical health problems.

The silver lining, however, is that treating depression and other comorbid mental health conditions may help improve overall physical symptoms, or reduce the risk of future problems—particularly if doing so can ultimately lower cortisol levels, and other markers of inflammation. Correspondingly, treating physical illnesses and controlling symptoms can help improve general mental health.