By Veena Thoopkrajae

When your doctor says you're actually older than it says on your ID card, don't be offended, even if she explains that she's talking about your "biological age".

Turn your umbrage toward stress, pollution and poor nutrition. They're the usual suspects in premature ageing.

"When you feel fatigued or over-stressed for some unknown reason, you don't usually see a doctor, but those kinds of symptoms can be analysed to see if they're caused by hormone deficiency," says Dr Krisdakorn Watcharachotephimai, an anti-ageing specialist at the Addlife Clinic.

Hormones produced by our endocrine glands regulate how well our physical systems function and, by extension, our emotional wellbeing. But men produce fewer hormones after age 30 and women after 35.

This is where technology can be called on to keep the body in balance.

A detailed analysis of your hormone status lets specialists prescribe a corrective regimen. This could involve controlling the amount of free radicals and taking anti-oxidant supplements - vitamins, minerals and amino acids, says Krisdakorn.

If cells are damaged by free-radical oxidation, the result can be as basic as eye cataracts and arthritis and as serious as heart disease, cancer, stroke and Alzheimer's.

Krisdakorn advises people who are approaching 40 to undergo an analysis of their bone density and oxidation and hormone levels.

This is how your ageing process is assessed. If you're losing muscle tone and accumulating a lot of fat, you could be inviting diabetes. The prescription would likely be regular exercise and better nutrition.

Low bone density could be an early sign of osteopenia, and you'll need more calcium and Vitamin D. A surplus of free radicals warrants more fruit, vegetables and rest, as well as dietary supplements.

"We don't fix the problems," says Kridakorn. "If we find any disease, we send our patient to specialists. What we do is more preventive. It's aimed at detecting disease and avoiding any age-related symptoms."

Warning signals

Got any of these symptoms? Get some help.

>> Tired despite sleeping well

>> Insomnia

>> Lacking stamina

>> Gaining weight

>> Getting more forgetful

>> Nagging pains in the lower back or joints

>> Irritable or anxiety

>> Loss of sex drive

Daily Xpress/Asia News Network