At Preciva Health, we believe the journey to better health is personal—and it’s one that Dr. Rahna Rehman knows intimately. Her own path to health challenges culminated in a cancer diagnosis. This experience led her to a profound understanding of how aging, cancer, and longevity are deeply interconnected.
This journey has shaped her professional expertise. It has also ignited a passionate commitment to helping others prevent and overcome similar health obstacles.
The Link Between Cancer and Aging
How Cancer and Aging Are Linked
Aging has historically been seen as a primary risk factor for cancer. The chances of developing cancer increase as we grow older. The reason behind this is the cumulative cellular damage our bodies endure over time.
However, more recently, we’re seeing a concerning trend—people are developing cancer at younger ages, often without a family history. This suggests that some people are experiencing accelerated aging, causing chronic diseases like cancer to appear earlier than expected.
The Rise of Accelerated Aging
What’s driving this acceleration? Lifestyle choices, emotional stress, and environmental factors all contribute to our body aging faster than it should. This leads to a feeling of less then optimal health and higher risk for development of chronic diseases, including cancer.
The Biological Link: What Cancer and Aging Have in Common
Cellular Damage and Dysfunction
At the cellular level, cancer and aging share striking similarities. Both involve cellular damage—whether it’s oxidative stress, DNA mutations, or compromised mitochondrial function.
This accumulated damage leads to cellular dysfunction. When left unchecked, it accelerates the aging process, including the risk of developing cancer.
This phenomenon helps us better understand the biological processes involved in aging itself.
How Cancer and Aging Share Key Mechanisms
In cancer, normal cells mutate and become dysfunctional. They bypass checkpoints in the body’s “safety mechanisms.” These checkpoints would normally prevent uncontrolled growth. This mechanism is shared by both aging and cancer. It reveals that aging isn’t simply about the passage of time. Aging results from cumulative cellular damage and faulty repair mechanisms.
The Critical Role of Cellular Checkpoints in Accelerated Aging
Our body’s internal “quality control officers,” known as cellular checkpoints, help maintain our health. They do so by detecting and repairing DNA damage, stopping abnormal growth, and triggering programmed cell death (apoptosis) if necessary.
As we age, these checkpoints weaken, making it harder for checkpoints to identify and fix DNA errors. This weakening allows damaged cells to divide uncontrollably and accumulate mutations, rather then being removed. This process contributes to cells that do not function correctly. This improper function leads to a feeling of poor health. It also accelerates aging-related issues like frailty, muscle loss, and organ decline, resulting in aging-related diseases. Eventually, they can become cancerous.
At key stages of cell division, cellular checkpoints act like quality control officers to:
| Detect DNA damage: | Checkpoints ensure that any damage to DNA is repaired before the cell divides. |
| Stop abnormal growth: | If the DNA is damaged beyond repair, checkpoints will halt the cell cycle. This action prevents the damaged cell from replicating. |
| Promote cell death (apoptosis): | If damage is too severe, checkpoints trigger programmed cell death, eliminating potentially harmful cells. |
In other words, they ensure that only healthy cells survive and proliferate.
Preserving Cellular Integrity to Combat Aging and Cancer
Understanding the shared root cause of cancer and aging is essential. Cellular dysfunction highlights a crucial point. Preserving cellular integrity is key to both slowing down aging and reducing the risk of cancer.
By supporting our body’s natural repair mechanisms, we can help prevent aging-related decline. Maintaining healthy cellular checkpoints also helps prevent the onset of chronic diseases like cancer.
A New Approach to Longevity
As we delve deeper into the intersection of aging and cancer, it’s becoming clear that longevity isn’t just about adding years to life—it’s about making those years healthy and fulfilling.
The link between aging and cancer offers invaluable insights for those of us focused on longevity. If we can understand how the body’s cells malfunction with age, we can learn from this process. By studying how cancer cells bypass the normal processes, we can understand how they continue to grow. We can then apply these lessons to healthier aging strategies.
Here’s what we can learn from this:
At Preciva Health, we focus on uncovering the root causes of imbalances in your body using functional and metabolic medicine.
Our approach:
- is personalised to meet your unique needs.
- It empowers you to prevent disease.
- It helps you optimise your well-being.
It supports healthy aging. By combining cutting-edge science with proven lifestyle strategies, we help you achieve lasting wellness and vitality.
Dr. Rahna Rehman: Your Trusted Guide to Longevity
Dr. Rahna Rehman stands out as a specialist who is not only highly trained and certified but also deeply connected to the process of healing.
Having been through her own health challenges—including a cancer diagnosis—Dr. Rahna knows what it’s like to feel vulnerable and uncertain. This personal experience fuels her passion for ensuring that you are never in that same position. Her approach is built on expertise, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to your health.
You can listen to Dr Rahna speak on the Yes to life Charity via the following link https://yestolife.org.uk/radio_shows/bringing-it-all-together/ –
Whether you’re seeking to enhance vitality, overcome health challenges, or optimise your lifestyle for longevity, Dr. Rahna Rehman and the team at Preciva Health are here to guide you every step of the way.
Together we’ll create a personalised plan that prioritises your cellular health, reduces the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, and helps you live a vibrant, healthy life.
Discover Our Integrative Approach
Explore our Integrative Approach and see how we can help you optimise your healthspan—ensuring you live your fullest life.
Focusing on Quality of Life
At Preciva Health, we focus on quality of life. We empower you to make informed choices. These choices support your body’s natural repair systems. They also lead to lasting health improvements. True longevity isn’t just about adding more years—it’s about making those years your healthiest and most fulfilling.
Are you ready to take control of your health? At Preciva Health, we can help you unlock your full potential.
*Meta-hallmarks of aging and cancerLópez-Otín, Carlos et al.Cell Metabolism, Volume 35, Issue 1, 12 – 35
**Laconi, E.; Cheri, S.; Fanti, M.; Marongiu, F. Aging and Cancer: The Waning of Community Bonds. Cells 2021, 10, 2269.
Stay tuned for future blogs where we’ll dive deeper into key health systems and their role in healthy aging.
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