Ana Aslan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ana Aslan
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Ana Aslan in 1970
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| Born | 1 January 1897 |
| Died | 20 May 1988 (aged 91) |
| Resting place | Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest |
| Nationality | Romania |
| Citizenship | Romania |
| Alma mater | Faculty of Medicine, Bucharest (1915–1922) |
| Known for | Gerovital |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Gerontology, Geriatrics |
| Institutions | National Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics (founder) |
Ana Aslan (born January 1, 1897, in Brăila, Kingdom of Romania – died May 20, 1988, in Bucharest, Socialist Republic of Romania) was a famous Romanian biologist and physician. She was an expert in gerontology, which is the study of ageing and older people. She became an academician in 1974. From 1958 to 1988, she was the director of the National Institute of Geriatrics and Gerontology.
Early life
Ana was the youngest of four children. She had two brothers and two sisters. Her parents were Margarit and Sofia Aslan. Ana was a very smart child. She learned to read and write by the age of four.
When she was 13, her father died. Her family then moved to Bucharest, Romania. This is where she started her studies. She finished school at the Central School of Bucharest in 1915.
Ana was very close to her father. His early death made her want to become a doctor. At that time, it was not common for women to become doctors. But Ana Aslan decided this was her path. She studied at the Faculty of Medicine from 1915 to 1922.
Her mother was worried about money. She did not support Ana's decision to become a doctor. So, Ana Aslan went on a hunger strike until her mother agreed. During her studies, she also worked as a nurse. She helped soldiers during the First World War.
Research on Aging
After finishing medical school in 1922, Ana Aslan started working with Daniel Danielopolu. He helped her with her doctoral paper. In 1924, she earned her M.D. degree. Her main focus was on how the body works and the process of aging.
While doing experiments, she was studying a drug called procaine. She noticed it had good effects on people with arthritis. But she also found other helpful effects of this drug. This discovery led to a three-year study. It resulted in her invention of a drug called Gerovital (H3). She prescribed it to help with the effects of aging.
Some scientists were unsure about Gerovital. They wondered if it was a "fountain of youth" that could stop aging completely. To prove her results, Ana Aslan started a big research study. For two years, blood samples were taken from 15,000 people. Some people received Gerovital, and others received a placebo (a fake drug).
The results showed that 40% of the people who took Gerovital had fewer sick days. Also, during a flu outbreak, the death rate was much lower for those who took the drug (2.7%) compared to those who took the placebo (13%). In 1976, she worked with a pharmacist named Elena Polovrăgeanu. Together, they created another drug called Aslavital. This drug was similar to Gerovital. It was made to help slow down the skin aging process.
Awards and Honors
Ana Aslan received many international awards for her research. Here are some of them:
- She became a member and the first Co-President of the International Academy of Science in Munich.
- In 1971, she received the "Cross of Merit" – First Class from Germany. This is a high honor.
- She won the "Cavalier de la Nouvelle Europe" Prize Oscar in Italy in 1973.
- In 1974, she received "Les Palmes Academiques" from France.
- The Philippines made her an "Honorary Foreign Citizen and Honorary Professor of Sciences" in 1978.
- In 1981, she received the "Member Honoris Causa" Diploma from the Bohemo-Slovakian Society of Gerontology.
- In 1982, she received the "Leon Bernard" Prize. This is a very important award from the World Health Organization. It was given to her for her work in developing gerontology and geriatrics. The Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu nominated her for this award.
Cosmetic Lines
Ana Aslan also created two cosmetic products. These were a hair lotion and a cream called Gerovital H3. She allowed the companies Farmec and Miraj to produce them. These companies later made many other types of cosmetics. The original ingredient, procaine hydrochloride, was later removed from the formulas.
Legacy
Ana Aslan is seen as a pioneer in social medicine. After leading the physiology department at the Institute of Endocrinology in Bucharest, she founded the Institute of Geriatrics of Bucharest. In 1959, Ana Aslan also started the Romanian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics.
This Romanian Society of Gerontology was the first in the world to focus on several things:
- It did research in clinics, experiments, and social studies.
- It created ways to prevent the aging process.
- It set up a national health network to help prevent aging.
Her drug, Gerovital, was used by many famous people around the world. This included politicians like John F. Kennedy.
See also
In Spanish: Ana Aslan para niños
