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Publications

Journal Article Review Ppublish

PubMed: 40532003 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adu8437

Intrinsic health as a foundation for a science of health.

Sci Adv 11(25):eadu8437

Authors: Alan A Cohen, Martin Picard, John R Beard, Daniel W Belsky, Julie Herbstman, Christine L Kuryla, Molei Liu, Nour Makarem, Daniel Malinsky, Sen Pei, Ying Wei, Linda P Fried

Affiliations

  • Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
  • Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
  • Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
  • Merritt Center for Neuromuscular and Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
  • New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA.
  • International Longevity Center-USA, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
  • Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
  • Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
  • Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Abstract

The health sciences largely focus on disease. However, the interconnected determinants of diseases suggest that we need a science of health, a framework to examine the biology of homeodynamics in a changing environment and how this affects the health we value. We build on first principles and recent discoveries on biological system dynamics to develop the concept of intrinsic health, a field-like state emerging from the dynamic interplay of energy, communication, and structure within the organism, giving rise to robustness/resilience, plasticity, performance, and sustainability. Intrinsic health is a quantifiable property of individuals that declines with age and interacts with context. We propose a measurement framework and describe how it will contribute to achieving the shared goals of medicine and public health.

MeSH

Biological Science Disciplines, Foundations