Multidisciplinary, holistic patient care that detects the potential risks of developing a disease
A team of specialists will develop precision medicine focused on health rather than disease, with special attention to clinical nutrition where the patient is at the very center of the process
In a world where we are living longer but with more chronic diseases and disabilities in old age, new models of clinical care are now focusing on prevention. Such care will keep us in optimal physical and intellectual condition both now and in the future. This is precisely what the Preventive Care, Longevity and Holistic Medicine Unit, part of Olympia’s Lifestyle Center, is looking for. A new health model focused on the pursuit of more holistic healthcare.
As Dr José Francisco Tinao, Head of the Unit, explains, the aim is to offer patients global care, focusing not only on the body, but also on the state of mind, emotions and stress control. "All-inclusive care," is what the doctor calls it.
One of its most important features is teamwork. "The patient will be attended to in a coordinated manner by a range of different professionals. A combination of traditional care in the patient’s clinical history, physical examination, and modern biochemical, genetic and biophysical analyses that provide highly relevant information to supplement traditional methods," says the specialist. Clinical nutrition will also play a key role. The Nutrition area provides constant support, pointing out and explaining any dietary changes that may be required. Dr Tinao believes that knowing how to choose the right diet is hugely important. "For example, following an anti-inflammatory diet, knowing what to have for breakfast, and taking a keen interest in all your food choices. Nutrition is going to be an essential link in the overall approach to patients," he stresses.
The patient will be at the very heart of this whole process. The clinician explains it as follows: "The patient is the central character, but requires support. Patients need help in order to learn what they can do for themselves. Only then can we ensure they will be independent in the future," says Dr Tinao.
As this specialist reminds us, Olympia’s goal is to focus on preventive care, avoiding disease in the future by promoting health and education. The aim is to age healthily, to improve quality of life, and to not let disease or a lack of willpower put us in bad shape. Olympia’s Preventive Care, Longevity and Holistic Medicine unit will achieve this goal through genetic studies (latest generation polymorphisms) to determine any risk of developing certain diseases. "Precious, precise information because we then have time to work on blocking ‘these genes’ and reducing the chances of cardiovascular, rheumatic and autoimmune diseases, diabetes and degenerative processes," says Tinao.
The specialist points to the liver as an example. "Genetic studies let us see how your liver detoxifies substances. There are people who genetically have a very good liver, and others who –without being sick– have a ‘slower’ one. If you know how the liver works, then you can prevent a disease from developing." This type of study allows the team of specialists to stay one step ahead and act accordingly. "However, taking action does not mean simply prescribing medicine, but rather starting to do things that reduce this risk, such as changing the patient’s diet or drawing up a specific physical exercise programme," the expert explains. "We support the proper working of the immune system. Immunosenescence is one of the instruments of ageing associated with pathologies that cause us to decline, reducing our quality of life," says the doctor.
According to José Francisco Tinao, studying the person as a whole with novel methods lets us not only analyse unsuitable habits that can lead to diseases and their consequences, but also verify gastrointestinal and liver function, the hidden presence of micronutrient deficiencies, the activated presence of viruses that have lost the natural balance with our immune system, or the presence of a new reality: environmental toxins that interfere with metabolic reactions. Knowing all this lets us work on halting their development and progress.
Dr José Francisco Tinao is a specialist in biological and anti-ageing medicine who has pioneered interdisciplinary medicine in Spain for over fifteen years, and works to promote and disseminate innovative health strategies through symposiums, research and publications. A long teaching career. Founder and current honorary Chair of the Spanish Society of Interdisciplinary Health and Medicine (SESMI), of the European Society of Medicine, and also a member of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine.
