A New Day
We’re all seeking the fountain of youth. We want to look younger, feel younger, and have more energy so we can live a life filled with meaningful relationships and activities we enjoy. Although many don’t get to enjoy the privilege of aging, when we do, it comes with its own set of challenges.
Fortunately, we live in an era during which there are significant advances in understanding health and wellness, particularly through integrative medicine. Unlike traditional medical practices, which treat the outcomes and symptoms of physical, mental, and psychological imbalances, integrative medicine delves into the causes of symptoms. This allows integrative medicine practitioners to help find root causes including hormonal imbalances and vitamin/mineral deficiencies that detrimentally impact your overall well-being and contribute to the aging process.
GLP-1 Medications
Most of us have heard of GLP-1 medications by now. Medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have received a significant amount of media attention because of their impact on weight loss. Originally, they were approved as medications to treat Type 2 diabetes, but were found to have a significant impact on weight loss, too. Semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy, was approved by the FDA in 2021 specifically to help with weight loss and tirzepatide, under the brand name Zepbound, was approved in 2023.
GLP-1 Medications and Anti-Aging
In addition to their positive effects on managing Type 2 diabetes and helping to promote weight loss, studies are continuing on GLP-1 medications to discover the full range of their effectiveness. Specifically, they’ve been found to have a remarkable degree of efficacy in helping with oxidative stress, which is a primary cause of innumerable diseases. Oxidative stress occurs when there are more free radicals (unstable, disease-causing molecules in the body) than there are antioxidants (nutrients and chemicals found in food that fight free radicals).
Oxidative stress and inflammation are closely related and have been found in nearly all disease processes in the body, especially those related to aging.
GLP-1 medications may be effective in the treatment and/or prevention of cardiovascular disease which can include:
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Congestive heart failure
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
They can also be instrumental in helping to manage chronic inflammation, one of the most serious disease-causing agents in the body. While inflammation can be the body’s natural response to helping fight infection or heal injury, chronically high inflammation biomarkers are related to:
- Liver disease (including NAFLD or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease)
- Asthma and COPD
- Chron’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases
- Kidney disease
- Neurodegenerative disorders (like Parkinson’s disease)
Ongoing research indicates that GLP-1 medications may help manage the inflammation related to those diseases and more. They may prove beneficial in managing and even preventing many age-related medical conditions.
Bellissima Med Spa
Bellissima Med Spa in New Paltz, NY offers GLP-1 agonists as a potential treatment for weight loss and weight management. We’re also excited about the potential they hold in the world of integrative and anti-aging medical care. Our practitioner, Dr. Alicia Olmoz FNP-BC, ENP, can meet with you to determine the most effective treatment plan for you. Contact us for more information.
