Aging is the most important risk factor for the main diseases of civilization. Anti-aging medicine attempts to analyze the mechanisms underlying the aging process and derive appropriate treatment options from them. Aging is a multifactorial process whose molecular biological foundations have now been largely deciphered. While there is well-established knowledge about the pathophysiology of the aging process, there is currently no interventional measure that has been proven to extend life in humans. Beyond fashionable excesses, anti-aging medicine has an important role to play if it consistently sees itself as preventive medicine against age-related diseases. A well-founded anti-aging consultation includes a thorough diagnosis with a detailed anamnesis interview to gather information about lifestyle and familial (inherited) risks. In addition, there is a detailed individual diagnosis (health and performance diagnostics) with which the functionality of the organs is determined. Laboratory tests are used to determine hormone status, the body's own protective potential against low-level inflammation, possible inherited risk factors (genetic diagnostics) and excessive pro-oxidative metabolism. Why anti-aging? I want to live as long as possible - and as young as possible. Why anti-aging? "We're going to get old anyway!" True! But growing old healthily is the goal! And anti-aging medicine can make a significant contribution to this. The desire to stop or even reverse the aging process is probably as old as humanity itself. Anti-aging medicine only became a big fashion trend in the 1990s. To put it straight away: the sometimes exaggerated promises of this early anti-aging medicine have not yet been fulfilled. There has been significant progress in the meantime: we now understand the biological process of aging quite precisely. Whether oxidative stress, chronic low-level inflammatory processes or hormone deficiency - the most important aging factors are now well known. Aging is now the most important risk factor for all of the diseases that determine our fate in the 21st century: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and dementia; even cancer is essentially an age-related disease. The aim of anti-aging medicine is to better understand the risk factor of aging and to treat it more specifically. The anti-aging concept Preventive and anti-aging medicine Successful anti-aging therapy is fundamentally tailored to the individual patient, but it is still based on a concept. Lifestyle Anti-aging always starts with your personal lifestyle. A balanced diet and sufficient exercise are the basis of a health-conscious lifestyle. And of course avoiding risk factors is also part of this. First and foremost here is smoking. Balanced diet A Chinese proverb says: An illness has many fathers, the mother is always a poor diet. Avoiding excess weight and an adequate supply of micronutrients are of fundamental importance for healthy aging. Exercise Hundreds of studies have now proven the fact that exercise is the best medicine. Regular exercise not only prevents cardiovascular disease - osteoporosis, dementia and cancer can also be avoided. Supplementation Micronutrients play a crucial role in maintaining our health. Anti-aging medicine has identified two crucial aging factors. These include oxidative stress (influence of free radicals) and chronic low-level inflammatory processes. Both factors can be influenced by the targeted intake of micronutrients. Targeted and individualized supplementation therefore plays a major role in anti-aging medicine. Hormone replacement therapy The decline in many hormones with age often leads to a loss of function and a loss of vitality. By replacing the missing hormones, these deficits can be compensated in many cases. Individualized hormone replacement therapy is therefore also part of the spectrum of anti-aging measures. It definitely requires monitoring by a doctor. Mental balance Stress and unresolved conflicts are an important aging factor. A balanced diet and physical fitness therefore play a role in the fight against the aging process. Mental balance is also of crucial importance. Aesthetic anti-aging The aim of anti-aging medicine is to slow down the biological aging process and not just to conceal its visible consequences. Nevertheless, those who want to stay younger often also want to look younger. There are now a number of effective, non-invasive measures available in the field of aesthetic anti-aging. Those who look younger often feel younger too.