What’s the Difference?

With healthcare becoming increasingly complex, particularly for those looking to optimize health at the cutting edge, these terms can sometimes add to the confusion. Celebrity physicians like Peter Attia and Mark Hyman have helped bring attention to these fields, but it can still be challenging to navigate.

In this article, I’ll clarify these healthcare terms to help you understand their differences and areas of overlap. While these definitions are not yet standardized, they should provide valuable insights.

Functional Medicine

Functional medicine, in many ways, is the foundation of personalized medicine. It emphasizes understanding the interactions among nutrition, gut health, inflammation, and how these can impact overall health. This field often involves advanced lab testing, with a strong focus on gut microbiome analysis and micronutrient levels, making it a solid first step in a personalized healthcare journey.

While functional medicine was once met with skepticism by traditional medicine, the field has gained traction as scientific research has validated some of its principles, particularly regarding the gut microbiome’s role in health and disease. Functional medicine is now increasingly recognized as a holistic approach to addressing chronic health issues at their root.

Longevity Medicine

Longevity medicine builds upon the principles of functional medicine but incorporates more advanced diagnostics and personalized tools, such as genetic testing, coronary CT scans, and comprehensive cholesterol profiling. This approach uses scientific evidence to tailor lifestyle recommendations in areas like diet, sleep, and exercise, aiming to reduce disease risks long before symptoms appear.

In essence, longevity medicine is like an upgraded version of functional medicine, focusing on preemptive care and targeting individual risk factors. As Dr. Peter Attia calls it, "Medicine 3.0," this approach strives to keep individuals healthy years or even decades before disease might otherwise develop.

Regenerative Medicine

While regenerative medicine often overlaps with longevity medicine, it dives deeper into advanced interventions. Beyond lifestyle and dietary changes, regenerative medicine uses cutting-edge therapies, including NAD+ injections, exosomes, peptides, and cellular therapies, to target aging at the cellular and mitochondrial levels. These therapies aim to not only slow aging but potentially reverse cellular damage to maintain optimal function at the genetic level.

Regenerative medicine recognizes that optimizing your health can be achieved through supplements, medication, and lifestyle changes. But maximizing your health requires tools that impact at the cellular, mitochondrial, and even genetic level.

What to Expect at Aeonic Health

At Aeonic Health, we’re committed to helping you achieve your healthspan goals. Whether you're looking for targeted programs or a fully customized health plan, all clients start with a 90-minute consultation.

During your initial session with Dr. Swenson, we’ll review your medical history, assess your current health and lifestyle, and discover your personal goals. This consultation leads to a personalized protocol, which may include biomarker and lab analysis, biometric testing, and a tailored action plan.

Sources: 

1. Bland, J. S., & Minich, D. M. (2019). Functional medicine in clinical practice: Treatment for chronic disease and whole-person health. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Medicine, 11(3), 191-199.

2. Valdes, A. M., Walter, J., Segal, E., & Spector, T. D. (2018). Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ, 361, k2179.

3. Attia, P. (2023). Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. Random House.

4. Duffy, J. F., & Czeisler, C. A. (2009). Effect of light on human circadian physiology. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 4(2), 165-177.

5. Sharma, R., & Tiwari, A. (2021). Potential of NAD+ precursors in longevity and aging. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12, 638111.

6. Gimeno, M. L., et al. (2017). The potential of stem cells for clinical application in regenerative medicine: A review. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 8(1), 115.