A ray of HOPE

WRITER

We’ve been told many diseases are chronic, have no cure and will worsen with age.

Patients are prescribed medication for the rest of their lives to manage symptoms of these illnesses and in some cases, the medications produce side effects, creating a need for additional medication.

Now, a group of innovative doctors will gather to discuss the possibilities of reversing diseases, rather than masking their symptoms.

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Dr. Shalesh Kaushal of Retina Specialty Institute, with the help of Central Florida Health Alliance, will host an educational symposium featuring some of the nation’s pre-eminent researchers and clinicians. The unique event will explore the possibilities of reversing diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

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The symposium, titled “Can Chronic Diseases be Reversed?” will be held Jan. 10 across the highway from The Villages Region- al Hospital. Kaushal will serve as moderator.

“Medicine is good at treating symptoms but not the underlying cause,” Kaushal says. “My colleagues who are coming to this symposium believe that diseases can be reversed. This symposium represents a broader vision of where I see the future of retinal disease therapies, as well as other common chronic diseases. I’m planning to have this as an annual event. It will also be the inaugural, yearly meeting of the International Society to Reserve Chronic Disease.”

The symposium will include faculty members from Harvard, Yale, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, the National Institute of Health and other prominent institutions. The public is invited.

“I believe the caliber of these world-class speakers and the combination of basic and clinical scientists will make this a fun and unique event,” Kaushal says. “This symposium draws a cross-section of the best and brightest minds, who work tirelessly in their respective fields and believe reversing disease is possible. It is an honor to host this esteemed group as we come together to share knowledge and collectively work to continuously improve the quality of care we deliver to our valued patients.”

A symposium of this caliber is a point of pride for Kaushal, who served as an assistant professor, head of the retina division and the Richardson II chair in the ophthalmology department at the University of Florida. He joined Retina Specialty Institute in 2012. Being in both academia and private practice has allowed him to be intimately involved in many cutting-edge clinical trials to treat retinal diseases. He is also an active participant in advancing new drug treatments for patients with vision-threatening diseases.

Being a visionary, a dynamic leader and thinking outside the box has earned Kaushal much respect among colleagues. Because of his reputation, doctors throughout the country continually refer patients to him.

Thanks to clinicians and scientists such as Kaushal, the possibility of reversing diseases without reliance on drugs and medication is being pursued.

“I think the public will be impressed by the breadth and depth of scholars here who share my vision of reversing disease,” he says. “I think this is where medicine has to go over the next 20 to 25 years.”

THE SYMPOSIUM WILL FEATURE RESPECTED CLINICIANS AND SCIENTISTS SUCH AS:

DR. CALDWELL ESSELSTYN of Cleveland Clinic, a leading proponent in the field of plant-based diets.

DR. COLIN CAMPBELL of Cornell University, an American biochemist who specializes in the effect of nutrition on long-term health.

DR. ARTHUR HORWICH of Yale University, a medical geneticist and recipient of the prestigious Lasker Basic Medical Research Award.

DR. RANDY JIRTLE of Duke University, a biologist renowned for his pioneering work in epigenetics and genomic imprinting.

DR. AMIR LERMAN of Mayo Clinic, who has authored numerous publications focusing on coronary artery disease.

DR. NEIL RIORDAN of the Stem Cell Institute, one of the nation’s top applied stem cell research scientists.

DR. ALESSIO FASANO of Harvard University, a pioneering researcher in the fields of celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

DR. TOM CAMPBELL of Rochester University, co-author of the bestselling book, “The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight-Loss, and Long-Term Health.”

DR. TOREN FINKEL of the National Institute for Health, an avid researcher on the role of cellular metabolism and oxidative stress in age-related diseases.