Anti-aging health check-up system—Current overview of anti-aging medicine in Japan and experiences from anti-aging health check-ups at Tokai University Tokyo Hospital—

Abstract

The term "anti-aging" means an attempt to slow the process of the aging-induced decline of the physiological function leading to illness. Aging is inevitable, but pathological aging can be delayed by lifestyle modification and stress management. Interventional approaches are taken to reduce aging-related problems, such as dementia, locomotive syndrome, and frailty, even when the individual is in a healthy state before aging-related diseases appear. The goal of anti-aging medicine is the extension of the healthy life-span and realization of successful aging.The anti-aging health check-up system, also known as the anti-aging dock, can offer specialized examinations to detect early signs of age-related changes, such as vascular, hormonal, oxidative stress-induced, and body composition changes, and help people reduce age-related risks with specialists in anti-aging medicine. The items examined in the anti-aging dock of Tokai University Tokyo Hospital are divided into two major components: the "degree of aging" and "aging risk factors". Our anti-aging health check-up system provides not only various examinations, but also health guidance and nutritional advice, including dietary supplements the examinees personally need.Japan is already a super-aging society, and the proportion of elderly people is steadily increasing year by year. Thus, the need for primary prevention of age-related diseases through health screening is growing. This article provides a current overview of anti-aging medicine in Japan and experiences from the anti-aging health check-up system at Tokai University Tokyo Hospital, which can serve as a helpful perspective for health evaluation and promotion.

Usefulness of Vitamin D Deficiency Questionnaire for Japanese (VDDQ-J) for Screening of Vitamin D Deficiency and Low Muscle Mass in Relatively Healthy Japanese Anti-Aging Health Checkup Examinees

“…Tokai University Tokyo Hospital offers specialized examinations called an anti-aging health check-up system to detect early signs of age-related changes (18,19). In the original report on the VDDQ-J, the prevalence of VDD was 54.1% and the median serum 25(OH)D concentration was 19.1 ng/mL (17), which were similar to the values in the present study (47.9% and 20.1 ng/mL, respectively).…”

“…A total of 163 subjects (male, n596; female, n567) who underwent the Advanced course anti-aging health checks at Tokai University Tokyo Hospital (18,19) without taking vitamin D supplementation or health foods containing vitamin D were enrolled in the study. The surveillance period was April 2019 to March 2022.…”

“…Measurements. All measurements were included in the Advanced course anti-aging health check examinations (18,19) and were performed after overnight fasting. Serum 25(OH)D was measured by a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) at BML, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan).…”

“…The anti-aging health checkups at Tokai University Tokyo Hospital (18,19) include the measurement of the serum 25(OH)D concentration, muscle strength, bone densitometry and a body composition analysis by whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Since 2019, the assessment of the vitamin D nutritional status using the VDDQ-J has been added.…”