Verantwortliches Entscheiden in der Medizin
Ausgabe: 3/2010
56. Jahrgang
Diagnose Altern? Zu den ethischen Grenzen der Anti-Aging-Medizin
The debate on anti-aging medicine is paradigmatic for recent trends in modern medicine. It touches upon the general question of ethical limits of medical practice in view of individual preferences and social demand. Taking its lead from the physicians professional ethos and the traditional goals of medicine, this essay examines three central points which have to be taken into account when setting such limits: (a) the concepts of disease and therapy, (b) the concept of suffering as the basis for justifying medical intervention and (c) the just distribution of health care resources in a public health care system. Against this background, the article underlines the need to engage in a fundamental discussion about the significance of aging for the individual and society in order to reach an ethical evaluation of anti-aging-medicine.
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