SEARCHING FOR A sip of that elusive elixir of life, the fountain of youth, has become a global obsession which crosses all social demographics. No longer reserved solely for the rich and famous, undergoing the slice of the knife, a paralysing injection of Botox, or a sandblast of the skin with dermabrasion, is accessible to most. And the number of ways to try turning back the years becomes more numerous and popular, the older and more vain we become.
At Cenegenics, Hong Kong's first professional age management centre, vanity may well be the initial motivation for most patients to visit. However, their focus is soon changed to that of ultimate health. A branch of the US-based Cenegenics Medical Institute, the corporate centre on Ice House Street is headed by neurosurgeon Dr Robert Ho. His centre offers would-be Peter Pans a scientific approach to health, which turns back the clock most importantly on the inside, with, in theory, corresponding visual results on the outside.
Patients start by undergoing a series of tests collectively called MedBACE. These tests attempt to discover a patient's true biological, as opposed to chronological, age as well as reveal exactly where they are headed in terms of longevity and potential for disease. The results of these tests and the consequential action taken can, Cenegenics claims, quite literally change a patient's fate.
'Cenegenics is all about trying to discover and measure the biomarkers of ageing, and letting you know where you stand at this moment,' says Ho. 'Age management can catch everything before it gets there, for example in people about to become diabetic.'
By 40, many people feel the consequences of a natural decline in essential hormones, the lack of which adversely affects energy and vitality, muscle and bone mass, skin health and memory. According to Cenegenics, there is no need to stand by and watch while these symptoms develop. Following the MedBACE tests, the centre tailor-makes a treatment programme which emphasises the correct nutrition, nutritional supplements and exercise, and may additionally include the core concept of hormonal modulation.
The thought of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) scares off most potential patients, but it need not be so, says Ho. 'In your 40s and 50s, your memory is not half as sharp as in your 20s. Your mental vitality decreases and we know this performance decline is related to hormones. The human growth hormone [hGH] is known to have beneficial effects on the brain.'