Age management clinics are all the rage in certain places overseas. To a large extent this would involve doctors testing the levels in one’s body of various vitamins, glucose, red cell blood counts and testing one’s stress levels.  In terms of the management, one ends up taking specific vitamins and hormones so as to replace what your body may be short of.  I went through a comprehensive blood test about 7 or 8 months ago and the results showed that my adrenal glands were shot, that I was highly stressed and that my insulin level was far too high, despite the fact that I am in relatively good shape and don’t have as much sugar as most people would.  I was given the various vitamins and hormones to take and I must say I was quite impressed with the results when I had my blood tested again in early January.  

For example, my insulin level has come down almost 77%, my red cell folate had more than doubled and the cortisol levels had improved nicely.  I appreciate that this is not the kind of treatment that everybody can have or afford, because blood tests are quite expensive, but it does indicate where the science is moving, and that by identifying problems in your blood at an early stage, you can treat those things that tend to lead towards diabetes and possible other serious issues.  I am sure the science will become more and more advanced as time goes by, but when you can compare different blood tests to each other, you appreciate that this is real and scientific – it is not a lot of mumbo jumbo about how people feel or what they think.  As the doctor said blood tests don’t lie.  I am not sure how many doctors practice this type of medicine in South Africa, but I went to a doctor in Pretoria who specialises in this, Dr Hein Badenhorst, and the results were both very illuminating and to see improvement after a few months was also very rewarding.  Obviously though, as more and more people do it, the costs will come down and certainly once one gets past 40 it is probably a good idea to check your blood, from time to time to see what it can reveal and what potential future problems can be headed off early.