The Stem Cells Transplant Institute in Costa Rica provides stem cell therapy to counter the effects of aging. Your body is made up of millions and millions of cells. As you age, those cells lose the ability to regenerate and repair themselves which, causes your body to change. Your skin becomes thinner and loses its elasticity causing wrinkles. Your bones weaken as they become thinner. You lose the ability to maintain and grow muscle. As the cells in your brain die, you begin to lose focus and your memory gets worse. Your immune system is not as strong and you are more susceptible to disease and organ damage. Scientists do not know the exact cause of aging but they do know, the more we expose ourselves to harmful molecules, the more damage we accumulate, and the quicker we age.
Aging is inevitable, but approximately 10% of people over the age of 65 will suffer from a more severe condition called frailty, a medical condition that dramatically affects a persons physical and mental well-being. Stem cell therapy, at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute, may help reduce the symptoms of aging and frailty.
What is frailty?
There is no absolute medical definition for frailty but typically it means a person is suffering from at least 3 of the following 5 criteria:
- Low grip strength
- Low energy
- Slow walking speed
- Minimal physical activity
- Unexplained weight loss
It is estimated that 10% of people over the age of 65 suffer from frailty and that number rises to at least 25% in people over the age of 85.1 Weakness is typically the first symptom followed by slowness, low physical activity and later exhaustion and weight loss. The loss of muscle mass and muscle quality is due to several anatomic and biologic changes that typically start in our 40’s including;
- Oxidative stress (an imbalance between to production of free radicals and the body’s ability to fight their harmful effects)
- Increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines
- Decrease and anti-inflammatory cytokines
- Malnutrition
- Decreased physical activity
- Muscle apoptosis
Frailty makes a patient more vulnerable to extreme temperatures, infections, injury, changes in medication, and surgery. Patients diagnosed with frailty will be at significantly greater risk of morbidity and mortality from surgical procedures.
Stem cells have a limited capacity to self-renew and when a stem cell is no longer able to self-renew it dies. Frailty is associated with stem cell depletion. Stem cell therapy, at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute, can replace dead stem cells with new activated cells and may help reduce the symptoms of aging and frailty.
How do stem cells work?
- Stem cells can become the specific type of cell needed to repair damaged tissue; for example, stem cells can become heart, muscle, liver, bone, cartilage or brain cells.
- They are referred to as “unspecialized” cells which means they can be removed from one part of the body and inserted into a different part of the body that is damaged.
- Stem cells contain growth factors and can accelerate healing
- Stem cells can reduce inflammation reducing pain without the need for pain medication
- Stem cells reproduce quickly and for long periods of time
Stem cell therapy for treating frailty
In October of 2017, researchers published the results of a trial comparing the use of stem cells vs. placebo in patients with frailty. Patients were given an injection of one of two doses of mesenchymal stem cells or a placebo and then evaluated at 1 month and 6 months post-infusion. Researchers found stem cell therapy to be both safe and effective in patients with frailty. Both groups treated with mesenchymal stem cells showed a significant improvement in physical performance and quality of life measures and a significant reduction in systemic inflammation.1
The professionals at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute use adult autologous mesenchymal stem cells derived from the patient’s own adipose tissue. The stem cells are collected from the patient, reprogrammed in the lab and then delivered back into the patient. The healthy cells replace the damaged cells boosting the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Tissue and organ function is restored resulting in improved immune function and decreased inflammation.
The experts at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute want to help you look and feel younger. Frailty decreases a patient’s quality of life and increases the risk of morbidities and mortality. Fight the signs and symptoms of aging by scheduling an appointment for stem cell therapy. Contact us today to see if stem cell therapy can help you.
