Geroprotectors

Author: Alexey Portnov, family doctor
Date created: 21.03.2013
Last reviewed: 18.09.2025

Geroprotectors are very important for most middle-aged and especially older people, as they are in a state of polyhypovitaminosis due to their dietary habits and age-related changes in the digestive organs. This disrupts the metabolism in the human body and stimulates the aging process. In addition, when conducting drug therapy, sufficient vitamin saturation of the body often allows to reduce the dose of the drug (while maintaining its effectiveness), and also reduces the risk of side effects.

Due to the fact that the condition of hypovitaminosis often develops in late autumn, winter and spring, middle-aged, elderly and old people are recommended to take courses (3-4 weeks) of multivitamin preparations during this period: undevit, decamekit or aerovit. It is advisable to alternate them with the use of geroprotectors, vitamin and microelement complexes - kvadevit, compivit, etc.

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Biogenic stimulants

These geroprotectors activate the metabolism that decreases with aging. The most applicable in geriatric practice are apilak (a preparation made from royal jelly), aloe extract, FiBS (a product made from distilled estuary mud), pelloid-containing or placenta-containing drugs. Treatment is carried out in courses 2-3 times a year for 15-30 procedures.

Adaptogens

These are geroprotectors of plant origin that increase the adaptive capabilities of the body, which decrease sharply with aging. Under the influence of the means of this group, mental and physical performance increases, sleep and general well-being improve, protein and fat metabolism, and the body's immunological reactivity are normalized. Adaptogenic properties are possessed by ginseng root, eleutherococcus, Chinese magnolia vine, rosea rhodiola, aralia, and zamaniha.

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Enterosorbents

Geroprotectors that adsorb (bind) endogenous and exogenous toxins in the intestinal lumen and promote their accelerated elimination from the body. This leads to a decrease in the level of self-poisoning of the body and the rate of aging. Medicines with a similar effect include: lactulose, carbolong, polyphelan. They are used in short courses in patients with a tendency to constipation and flatulence. Natural enterosorbents are regularly used - vegetables and fruits rich in fiber and pectin, as well as enriching the diet with bran.

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Lipotropic agents

Geroprotectors that can normalize dyslipidemia and thus slow down the development of atherosclerosis (a universal process that accompanies aging). The choice of drugs with such action is very wide: clofibrate, lipostabil, eikonal, nicotinic acid, omega-3, plavix, etc. The choice of drug is determined by the nature of dyslipidemia.

Cytamines

They are balanced mixtures of biologically active substances: peptides, nucleoproteins, vitamins and minerals. They have tissue-specific and organotropic effects - they have a bioregulatory effect in the tissues from which they are obtained. Geroprotectors affect the level of the cell population, mitotic balance in organs and tissues, activate the differentiation of cell populations with an optimal level of metabolism and physiological activity in target tissues. The names of the drugs reflect the name of the organ of application: hepatamine, tyramine, vasalamine, cerebramin, etc.

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Antioxidants

Geroprotectors that reduce the level of free radicals in tissues. Free radicals react with fatty acid molecules that are components of membrane phospholipids, thus creating new oxidation chains that ultimately lead to membrane destabilization and cell destruction. Vitamins C, E and A have antioxidant properties. It is advisable to take a course (2-4 times a year) of treatment with drugs containing one or a complex of these vitamins, as well as enriching the diet with them.

The range of geroprotector drugs that prevent premature aging is constantly changing due to scientific research in this area. New drugs with cellular and intracellular action are appearing. The choice of tactics for using various geroprotectors should be determined by the doctor depending on the functional shifts in the state of the patient's organs and systems.

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