A groundbreaking study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Butler Columbia Aging Center, and Columbia Irving Medical Center has introduced a revolutionary scientific framework for understanding the biological foundation of health. This new concept, termed “Intrinsic Health,” focuses on measuring and promoting health itself rather than solely treating disease. Published in the prestigious journal Science Advances, the study sets the stage for a paradigm shift in the field of health science.
The paper, titled “Intrinsic Health as a Foundation for a Science of Health,” defines intrinsic health as a state that enables the body to maintain internal balance across dynamic biological networks, fostering resilience, performance, and sustainability over time. The researchers argue that while traditional medicine has long been centered on disease management, a comprehensive science of health has been lacking until now.
Lead author Alan Cohen, Ph.D., an associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School, emphasizes the importance of understanding the mechanisms that support health and shifting the focus towards health optimization rather than late-stage disease treatment. By defining, measuring, and targeting intrinsic health, the researchers aim to advance the field of health science and enhance the well-being of individuals and populations.
The study identifies three essential components that contribute to intrinsic health: energy, communication, and structure. These components, honed through billions of years of natural selection, collectively give rise to health as a measurable property that tends to decline with age. This makes intrinsic health a crucial area of focus for aging research and preventive medicine.
Co-author Martin Picard, Ph.D., underscores the significance of viewing the body as an energetic process rather than a molecular machine, highlighting a shift in perspective towards understanding life and health as fundamentally energetic processes. The ability to measure intrinsic health opens up possibilities for testing lifestyle interventions, empowering individuals to optimize their health, and transitioning medicine from reactive treatment to proactive health maintenance.
The study’s findings have the potential to catalyze transformative advances in public health and medicine by enabling a shift towards building, maintaining, and restoring health rather than solely focusing on disease prevention and treatment. With a clear biological target in sight, public health efforts can become more proactive and preventive, leading to improved population health outcomes and informed policy decisions.
This groundbreaking framework proposed by the researchers at Columbia University heralds a new era in health science, offering a roadmap for measuring and enhancing health at its core. By embracing the concept of intrinsic health, researchers and practitioners can pave the way for a future where health optimization is the primary goal, ultimately benefiting individuals and society as a whole.
