Hormones and “natural enhancement” of the body: Personalized aging in anti-aging medicine

Abstract

This article discusses the role of hormonal therapies in the narrative concerning longevity present in anti-aging medicine. The objective is identifying the meaning that hormones have in the body enhancement process aimed to preserve natural functions and enable the personalization of aging. This analysis is part of a study conducted in Brazil with practitioners of anti-aging medicine, patients and objector members of the Brazilian Council of Medicine, by means of semi-structured interviews and fieldwork observation. The discussion addresses the formation of an international network of professionals and institutions supporting anti-aging practices in a disadvantageous institutional context in Brazil. Anti-aging medicine proposes a holistic approach to aging and focuses on enhancing health conditions throughout the patient’s life instead of targeting aging-related diseases. Hormones are considered “fuel” for life processes and conceived as elements that can integrate the particularity of each patient and the general aspect of natural tendencies in the aging process. That perspective strengthens the conception of natural enhancement, using the body’s own resources. Bioidentical hormone modulation contrasts with the pharmaceutical industry in a narrative that alters the boundaries between therapy and enhancement, natural and artificial, treatment and lifestyle.