What To Expect at the 28th Annual World Congress | The Science of Longevity: Exploring the Limits of the Human Lifespan

December 10, 2020

A growing understanding of complex cellular processes, burgeoning clinical trial data indicative of revolutionary breakthroughs, and continued research efforts in longevity science have all contributed to numerous advancements in the anti-aging field. As part of our mission to equip healthcare practitioners and medical professionals with the most clinically current and relevant education, we present a revelatory event curated and hosted by world-renowned experts and industry leaders – the A4M 28th Annual World Congress. Taking place between December 12-13, 2020, the premier event will delve into the intricacies of anti-aging innovations while providing participants with a comprehensive update of the regenerative medicine industry.

Hosted via a top-tier virtual platform, this year’s Congress will be delivered right to attendees regardless of their location in the world and will continue to deliver the highest levels of dynamic and interactive advanced continuing medical education. Attendees of the 28th Annual World Congress can expect to experience world-class educational programming, a collaborative environment filled with valuable networking opportunities, as well as a close examination of entrepreneurial and industry-specific insights engineered to empower them to push the boundaries of their practice.

Latest Topics in Anti-Aging Medicine 

Participants of the 28th Annual World Congress <https://www.a4m.com/world-congress-2020.html> will have the opportunity to delve into a vast array of topics within longevity science. From the latest discoveries in regenerative and stem cell therapeutics to a comprehensive exploration of the biological trial framework, medical professionals will be expertly guided through the most clinically relevant subjects in the anti-aging world.

Regenerative Therapies

A continued and growing interest from the medical industry has been fueling the scientific investigation of biological aging processes alongside potential strategies for delaying them and preventing age-related diseases. This year’s Congress will encompass recent developments in stem cell research, which have prompted the development of novel therapeutics that show promise in optimizing stem cell treatments, during the first day of the event. Emerging therapies that aim to delay or even reverse cellular degeneration will be explored as their discovery has the potential to help prevent widespread illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and dementia. In addition, this educational track will cover recent clinical data that further solidifies the burgeoning field of peptide science and the potential benefits of such treatments in regenerative medicine. At the conclusion of the day, Joseph Cleaver, MD will lead a session spotlighting patient cases and protocols to offer tangible examples of the many concepts discussed.

The Aging Brain

As part of the Congress, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the current understanding of age-related neurological changes. Taking place during day 1 of the conference, The Aging Brain track will explore pertinent topics in the field, including the NAD+ miracle molecule, recent neuroimaging findings and their implications, as well as breakthrough discoveries that suggest the potential to reverse cognitive decline. During this track, Christopher Shade, PhD will offer a session highlighting effective strategies for elongating health spans titled The Longevity Wheel: A Model for Supplementing Core Biochemical Pathways for Aging Optimization.

Immunocompetency and Aging

Average life-expectancy for humans continues to increase and alongside it the prevalence of age-related disease and functional decline. While the human life span extends further, a growing population of elderly patients is left vulnerable to infectious and chronic disease, resulting in a high level of burden on their health as well as the healthcare system. Providing attendees with a comprehensive examination of one of the most clinically relevant topics today – immunocompetency – Track 2 of the event’s second day will present valuable strategies for practitioners to improve health spans and boost immune competency in their patients as well as themselves. The track will offer insight into alternative methods of immune system support, including herbals and supplements, strategies for reversing autoimmune damage, as well as techniques for advanced wound healing and combating inflammation.

Introducing breakthrough approaches to promoting sustained health in the current pandemic environment, the event will spotlight novel methods for improving the human health span while exploring real-life patient cases under the guidance of faculty experts Andrew Heyman, MD, MHSA and James Lavalle, RPh, CCN.

Hormonal Health

The growing importance of hormonal health is becoming an integral component of modern medicine.

During the 28th Annual World Congress, attendees will have the opportunity to attend numerous educational sessions focused on the wide-ranging effects of hormones and hormonal health factors. Topics will include best practices for hormone testing following a data-based approach led by Mark Newman, MS, as well as the evolutionary differences in gender and their role in longevity led by Felice Gersh, MD. Spotlighting the plausible benefits of hormonal factors on autoimmunity, the Potential of Hormones to Improve Immunocompetence and Longevity session led by Thierry Hertoghe, MD.

Triads: A System’s Biology Approach

Alongside the World Congress, Module V Triads: A System’s Biology Approach  will be taking place from December 11-13, 2020. This can’t-miss event will equip clinicians with knowledge of how to evaluate and treat common patient cases using a synthesis of the best clinical practices derived from Modules I-IV. Led by world-renowned experts and industry professionals, this module will investigate the clinical framework of reciprocal relationships between the adrenals-thyroid-pancreas, gut-immune-brain, cardiopulmonary-neuro-vascular, liver-lymph-kidney, and estrogen-progesterone-testosterone.

Attendees will examine patient case histories to explore a wide range of metabolic syndromes, disorders, and diseases to obtain a comprehensive metabolic, functional, and nutritional roadmap of strategies for the management of even the most complex presentations. Module V encompasses natural and hormonal treatment strategies, protocols for treating various systemic pathologies, effective detoxification methods, and approaches to optimizing hormonal health. Upon completion, participants will be able to employ the triad framework and its applications to restore metabolic health and promote resiliency.

As the largest event in regenerative medicine, A4M’s 28th Annual World Congress will present an expertly curated agenda of the latest education necessary for clinicians to remain at the forefront of clinical practice. Joined by other leaders in the field, conference attendees will obtain a comprehensive overview of current knowledge in longevity science and leave equipped with invaluable industry insight, revolutionary clinical strategies, as well as an expanded network of fellow medical professionals seeking to optimize modern healthcare.

The Cognitive Complications of COVID-19

November 25, 2020

At this time, the long-term complications of COVID-19 remain unknown although there is evidence of changes aside from acute symptoms referred to as “long COVID.” Several case studies have reported neurological problems in severely affected COVID-19 patients – such complications may arise from associated stroke, inflammatory syndrome, immune responses, and other health factors.

Currently, there is little clinical information concerning the nature and prevalence of cognitive consequences post-COVID infection, the full spectrum of their severity, or the connection between hospitalization status. Emerging evidence points to potential cognitive deficits associated with the virus, revealing significant brain function impacts in the worst cases of infection, according to a recent non-peer-reviewed study.

Cognitive Performance in COVID-19 Survivors

Led by Imperial College London doctor, Adam Hampshire, the study encompassed a cohort of over 84,000 participants who performed cognitive tests aimed at assessing brain performance, including word recall and puzzles. Data for analysis was gathered from the Great British Intelligence Test. The research team controlled results for age, gender, education level, income, racial-ethnic group, and pre-existing medical conditions.

The study revealed that participants who recovered from suspected or confirmed COVID-19 performed worse on cognitive tests in multiple domains than expected given their age and demographic profiles. Observed cognitive defects were of “substantial effect size,” especially among individuals who had been hospitalized with COVID-19. Furthermore, deficits scaled with symptom severity with the worst cases of illness showing a cognitive impact equivalent to a 10-year decline in global performance in patients aged between 20 and 70 years.

“Our analyses … align with the view that there are chronic cognitive consequences of having COVID-19,” the researchers wrote in a report of their findings. “People who had recovered, including those no longer reporting symptoms, exhibited significant cognitive deficits.”

Study Limitations

Hampshire and his team’s results are worrisome, however, their findings are yet to be reviewed by other researchers. Experts warn that the latest results should be interpreted with caution as the cognitive health of participants pre-COVID infection was not known or accounted for in the study. In addition, the study’s findings do not reflect long-term recovery, indicating that the cognitive effects may only be present for the short term. Study’s findings can not be entirely reliable as they do not compare before and after scores, involved a large number of people who self-reported having COVID-19 with no positive test measure

Nonetheless, the latest study alongside other emerging research on the potential cognitive repercussions of COVID-19 illness add to a growing list of concerns. While current literature signals potential for cognitive complications, it warrants further investigation and understanding of the duration of such cognitive deficits. Forthcoming studies should aim to identify the extent to which cognition is affected after infection and whether permanent neurological damage to brain function is possible.

November Partner of the Month: Karger

November 23, 2020

Get to know an Editor-in-Chief: Brant E. lsakson (Journal of Vascular Research)

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was raised in the middle part of the United States, which is predominantly flat farmland. Even though I live on the East Coast of the US now, I am still nostalgic for that part of the US. I enjoy reading history, playing with my kids, coffee, and working outside.

2. You are a professor of molecular physiology and biological physics and part of an ambitious interdisciplinary research effort to understand how cells communicate. How did you become interested in your field?

I first became interested in cell-cell communication while an undergraduate student. I took an independent study class on endocrinology and thought it was fantastic! Because of this class, I applied to graduate school and worked on calcium signaling and gap junctions between cell types with Dr. Scott Boitano for my PhD, and further focused on heterocellular communication between the endothelium and smooth muscle during my post-doc with Dr. Brian Duling. Both professors were quite instrumental in fostering my passion for the topic. I have been hooked ever since, and cellular communication remains the essential theme of my lab.

3. Which other exciting developments are currently taking place in the field?

From a very biased perspective based on my science, I see purinergic signaling having a resurgence of interest and activity with a lot of high-impact work coming out in the pannexin and CALHM channel fields. Although the receptors for purinergic signaling have been known for some time, how the purinergic signal escapes the cell has been unknown. The discovery of non-red blood cell hemoglobin and its potential physiological roles has also been quite interesting.

4. What advice would you give to someone just starting their career?

Create your own niche and do something different, i.e., focus on being creative. I am an advocate of not following the canonical pathway, in life or science! Science can get weighed down by dogmatic assumptions. It’s your job to break free from those assumptions and make the novel discoveries.

5. What do you feel makes the Journal of Vascular Research special in the publishing landscape and are there papers you would like to see submitted to JVR?

JVR is one of the oldest journals dedicated to vascular research. The journal is run by active researchers who understand how important quality and reproducible science is to the scientific community to move forward. In terms of papers I would like to see in JVR, my preference would be for manuscripts with novel ideas that push the boundaries of our current vascular biology using new technology or testing new concepts. New methods, especially genetic models, would also be of great interest to JVR.

Brant E. Isakson, PhD
Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Resident Faculty of the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, UVA School of Medicine Pinn Scholar, University of Virginia School of Medicine