EP53: Integrative Medicine and Healthy Aging

<p><strong>Integrative Medicine and Healthy Aging</strong></p> <p><strong><em>"People can stay healthy when their head, heart, and spirit are aligned."</em></strong><strong>-Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Polypharmacy is a significant concern in geriatric treatment, presenting a chance of adverse effects and medication reactions. Although older adults under the age of 60 take 2–3 prescription medicines every day, those above 80 consume over 4–5 prescriptions per day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With that, many older adults in the United States are shifting to integrative medicine to boost their Quality of Life (QOL) significantly. The shift is a result of health issues and as a support for their beliefs and underlying theories about health and lifestyle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, despite its increasing popularity, integrative medicine's impact on an older adult's quality of life and preventive medicine is too well understood. To fill in the gap, I am joined today by two guests, Dr. Leigh Frame and Dr. Mikhail Kogan, both from the George Washington University's Center for Integrative Medicine. We will be having meaningful discussions about The role of Integrative Medicine in Healthy Aging.</span></p> <p><strong>Part One of 'Integrative Medicine and Healthy Aging.'</strong></p> <p><strong>What is Integrative Medicine?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Integrative medicine is a pyramid of treatment that starts with non-invasive, non-surgical, non-pharmacological methods, especially for chronic conditions that often don't have a curative pharmacologic approach. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, integrative medicine focuses on the whole person and their entire lifestyle. It looks at all aspects of their life, support system, mind, body, and soul. It's an all-inclusive systems approach to health and wellness that uses any evidence-based therapeutic available.</span></p> <p>