DOST Press Release

Philippine National Institute on Aging Executive Director Dr. Patricio

F. Reyes speaks during the DOST-NAST forum on "Quality Aging."

(Photo courtesy of DOST-STII.)

National Institute on Aging as solution to “graying Ph” pushed in DOST Forum

The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), an advisory body of the Department of Science  and Technology,  recently conducted a Science Information Forum  on “Quality Aging” in a bid to help address health problems associated with the graying of the global population, including that of the Philippines.

Held last December 13 at the Hyatt Hotel Manila, the forum underscored the crucial role of the newly established DOST-backed Philippine National Institute for Aging (PNIA) headed by US-based board certified neurologist and neuropathologist Dr. Patricio F. Reyes, MD, FAAN, as government and other sectors strengthen their campaigns for healthy living and quality aging. The institute operates on the concept that intrauterine life is vital to normal aging and that healthy living should cut across life spans.

At present, senior citizens in the country number to around 6.8 million. This figure is expected to reach 12 million by the year 2040. 

A range of degenerative diseases accompany aging, such as cancer, heart disease, strokes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common cause of dementia and which mainly targets the brain. An added burden to elderly patients and their families is the high cost of nursing homes.

At the forum, Dr. Reyes who is director of Health Partners Medical Group and chief medical officer of Yuma Therapeutics Corporation, mentioned that in the United States alone, more than 5 million are suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Of the total number of nursing home patients around the world, 50 percent are afflicted with Alzheimer’s.

“Caring for somebody with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease requires 24 hours of attention. Nobody is that strong to do it for many years. The lifespan of a person with Alzheimer’s takes many years,” said Dr. Reyes.  According to his presentation, more than 50 percent of caregivers suffer from depression.

However, he reiterated that degenerative diseases do not always occur in old age. In some cases, the disease originated from a brain injury or head trauma acquired in youth due to a fall, an accident, or a sports mishap similar to what boxing champ Manny Pacquiao experienced in his fight against Juan Manuel  Marquez. According to Dr. Reyes, a board member of the American Ringside Physician Association, the disease may develop over time and manifest itself many years after the injury was incurred.

From left: Newly installed Chancellor of the UP College of Medicine

Manuel Agulto, National Scientist Mercedes B. Concepcion,

Dr. Patricio Reyes, and Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, executive director

of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.

(Photo courtesy of DOST-STII.)

With its “from the womb to the tomb” approach, PNIA is seen as an effective vehicle for laying down the proper infrastructure to curb degenerative diseases and address the needs of the country’s elderly population, a segment that is seen to continue growing due to people’s increasing life spans.

Among others, PNIA aims to study the country’s different tribes and highland communities and compare their diet, physical activities, and other lifestyle habits with those of lowlanders.

The institute will also undertake basic science and clinical research and build rapid brain autopsy centers in the country. “If we become successful with the concept here in the Philippines, we will become the only country in Asia to have a rapid brain autopsy center,” declared Dr. Reyes who introduced the concept in the United States.

Other initiatives include the establishment of a National Registry, development of diagnostic markers, test measures, and diagnostic devices, utilization of local resources including indigenous fruits and vegetables, and development of food supplements for the brain.  “We should develop our own dark chocolate industry in the Philippines. Dark chocolate, along with nuts, have been found to be good for the brain,” Dr. Reyes emphasized.

Also in the pipeline are the publication of educational brochures and the recruitment of a multi-disciplinary team of dedicated professionals in the fields of medicine, sociology, statistics, science, and others.  

To fulfill these missions, the US-based doctor hopes to engage both public and private sectors and establish linkages with international agencies.  At present, the institute has the support of DOST and its sectoral council, the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) headed by Dr. Jaime C. Montoya.

“We have to practice evidence-based medicine. There has been no solid evidence that stem cells may treat Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases,” he emphasized during the open forum.  Instead, he stressed that every person is a product of the triangle of healthy living: genes, lifestyle, and environment.

With the establishment of PNIA, Dr. Reyes will be spending more time in the Philippines in order to get the ball rolling faster for its groundwork.

(By Angelica A. de Leon)