Hormones for "Morons": The Science of Graceful Aging

The author describes in simple terms the process of development of an organism, and the phenomenon of Aging as final stage of this process, as postulated by Neuroendocrine theory of Aging. The body is compared to a society consisting of trillions of cells as its citizens, and brain as its government. Based on the fact that the aging process causes disregulation in all 3 major systems of the body, namely procreation, energy exchange and adaptation, the cause of aging is traced to changes in the hypothalamus, the main regulator of the body.  It provides an explanation of how two mutually exclusive states, the stability of internal environment and the change, necessary for the development of an organisms can coexist at the same time.

The book makes easy to understand the mechanism behind self regulation of the body by explanation of the negative feedback principle and its role in the aging. It provides explanation of functions of main hormones and mechanisms of their actions as well as their role in the development of nine normal diseases of aging. The origin and mechanism of Stress as the general defense mechanism is followed by lively description of the hormone interplay underlying Stress. 

Normal diseases of aging such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, immune decline, autoimmune disease, psychological depression, chronic state of stress and cancer are viewed not as separate conditions, but as different manifestations of the major single disease, called Aging. The knowledge acquired after reading this book will help readers to address and mitigate the phenomenon of aging with more understanding and logic.

Dr. Mikhail Berman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and a board member of the U.S. National Science Foundation's Center for Advanced Knowledge Enablement. A third-generation physician, Dr. Berman was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, graduated from St. Petersburg Medical and Pediatric Academy in 1977, and completed post-MD training in medicine, surgery, and urology.In 1982 he immigrated to the United States and earned a license to practice medicine in 1985, practicing in Florida since then. Until 2006, Berman directed a three-clinic family practice, "Your Family Doctor," and was affiliated with medical centers of South Shore, Golden Glades, Parkway, and Jackson North.From early on in his medical career, Dr. Berman was interested in alternative therapeutic systems and their approach to healing, focusing not on the disease itself but the patient as a whole.During his practice at the Your Family Doctor clinics, Berman had an opportunity to study the phenomenon of Aging extensively. That led to his involvement in Integrative, Functional, and Anti-Aging Medicine. After practicing for 15 years as a family physician, Berman refocused his practice on the emerging specialty and became involved in the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. In 2006, he founded Youth Extension Solutions in West Palm Beach. Since then, Dr. Berman's healing arsenal expanded to include Bio-Identical Hormone Correction Therapy, Mesotherapy, Nutritional Medicine, and other holistic therapies.Berman was trained by such internationally known authorities as Drs. Robert Greenblatt, Rebecca Glaser, Thierry Hertoghe, Pamela Smith, and Bruce Shelton.Dr. Berman's specialties are Bio-identical Hormone Corrective Therapy and Functional Medicine. Dr. Berman's conviction is that successful therapy is not possible without a partnership between the physician and the patient and that the patient has to be an active participant and not just a subject in the treatment process. To actively participate, the patient needs to have some level of knowledge about the processes that the physician is affecting in the healing process. This book explains the role of hormones in the phenomena of development and aging, in simple terms, to enable the reader to become an active participant in the anti-aging process.

Carol K. Slonimski, Ph.D. is a clinical geropsychologist practicing in West Palm Beach, Florida. She received her doctorate from the University of Miami and completed post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical School. In addition to her clinical work, she is an artist with interest in historical and medical illustration.

Dr. Naphtali Rishe is a Professor of Computer Science and the inaugural Outstanding University Professor at Florida International University in Miami. Rishe is the Director of the National Science Foundation's Industry-University Cooperative Research Center for Advanced Knowledge Enablement, a multi-university consortium. Rishe has been awarded $55 million in grants. Rishe has published six books and 430 papers and has been awarded 24 U.S. patents. Rishe's geographic data management system, TerraFly, has been featured in FOX TV News, New York Times, USA Today, NPR, and the Science and Nature journals. The National Science Foundation's annual report to Congress and its compendia of technology breakthroughs have recognized Rishe's work on semantic and geographic database management and health informatics. Rishe is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Rishe received the 2021 IBM Global University Program Academic Award.