Anti-aging medicine. 2. Efficacy and safety of hormones and antioxidants.

Little is known about the efficacy and safety of substances that are being promoted to consumers as "anti-aging" therapies. Hormones such as DHEA, human growth hormone, and testosterone tend to decline with aging, but the therapeutic value of replacing them to "normal" physiologic levels has not been substantiated by controlled clinical trials. The best source of antioxidants is a balanced diet, although older patients may benefit from vitamin E supplementation. Providing anti-aging medicine in the primary care setting means practicing good medicine. It means talking to patients who request these therapies and understanding why they want them and how much risk they're willing to take.