Ana Aslan

Romanian biologist and physician of Armenian origin

For other uses, see Aslan (disambiguation).

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)

This article's factual accuracy is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help to ensure that disputed statements are reliably sourced. (January 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

The examples and perspective in this article may not include all significant viewpoints. Please improve the article or discuss the issue. (January 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

(Learn how and when to remove this message)

Ana Aslan

Ana Aslan in 1970

Born| (1897-01-01)1 January 1897

Brăila, Kingdom of Romania

Died| 20 May 1988(1988-05-20) (aged 91)

Bucharest, Socialist Republic of Romania

Resting place| Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest
Nationality| Armenian
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 (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈana asˈlan]; 1 January 1897 – 20 May 1988) was a Romanian biologist and physician of partial Armenian descent, who was born Anna Aslanyan in Braila and died in Bucharest. She was a specialist in gerontology, academician from 1974 and the director of the National Institute of Geriatrics and Gerontology (1958–1988).

## Early life

[edit]

Ana was the youngest of four children, two brothers and two sisters, born to Mkrtitch and Sofia Aslanyans. Ana was said to be a very intellectual child, learning to read and write already by age four. At the age of 13, her father died, and her family then moved to Bucharest, Romania. It was in Bucharest where she began her studies. She graduated from the Central School of Bucharest in 1915. The premature death of her father, whom she was close to, was said to be the reason she wanted to become a physician. Although the medical field was not a desirable field for women to enter, Ana Aslan decided that was the path she wanted to pursue and attended the Faculty of Medicine from 1915 to 1922. Her mother did not support this decision of becoming a physician because of financial strains, so Ana Aslan went on a hunger strike until her mother accepted her medical career. During her time in undergraduate studies, she attended to soldiers as a nurse during the First World War.

## Research

[edit]

After graduating from the Faculty of Medicine in 1922, she began working with Daniel Danielopolu who supervised her doctoral thesis. She obtained her M.D. degree in cardiovascular physiology in 1924. Her focus was on physiology and the process of ageing. While experimenting on the effects that procaine had on arthritis, Aslan discovered other beneficial effects of this drug. It was this discovery that led to a three-year study and eventual invention of her drug called Gerovital (H3), which she prescribed for the effects of aging. With hesitation from fellow scientists that Gerovital was a "fountain of youth", Aslan kicked off a research study to prove the results. Over a period of two years, blood samples were taken from 15,000 people, with some of them receiving Gerovital and some receiving a placebo. 40% of the people who took Gerovital had less sick-leave days, and mortality rate from the flu epidemic was 13% in placebo patients while only being 2.7% in patients who took the drug. In 1976, with a pharmacist named Elena Polovrăgeanu, they invented another drug named Aslavital, which was a similar drug to Gerovital aimed to delay the skin aging process.[citation needed]

## Awards

[edit]

Aslan on a 2016 Romanian stamp Aslan on a 1996 Romanian stamp

Ana Aslan received many distinctions for her research activity, for example:

* Member of the International Academy of Science, Munich and first Co-President
* "Cross of Merit" – First Class of the Order of Merit, Germany, 1971
* "Cavalier de la Nouvelle Europe" Prize Oscar, Italy, 1973
* "Les Palmes Academiques", France, 1974
* "Honorary Foreign Citizen and Honorary Professor of Sciences", Philippines, 1978
* "Member Honoris Causa" Diploma of the Bohemo-Slovakian Society of Gerontology, 1981
* "Leon Bernard" Prize, important distinction granted by the World Health Organization upon nomination and endorsement by officials of a member state (in this case by the Romanian Nicolae Ceauşescu) for contributing to the development of gerontology and geriatrics, 1982

## Cosmetic lines

[edit]

This section may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. You can help. The talk page may contain suggestions. (March 2013)

|

Ana Aslan patented two cosmetic products (hair lotion and cream Gerovital H3), entrusting their production to Farmec company and Miraj. The two companies have since diversified their range of cosmetics, and traditional procaine hydrochloride was eliminated from the formula.[1]

## Legacy

[edit]

Ana Aslan was considered a pioneer of social medicine. Years after becoming the head of the physiology department at the Institute of Endocrinology of Bucharest, she founded the Institute of Geriatrics of Bucharest. Ana Aslan, in 1959 organized the Romanian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics. The Romanian Society of Gerontology was the first in the world to channel its research into clinic, experimental, and social researches, devise a therapeutic strategy to prevent the process of aging, and organize a national health network for the prevention of aging. Her drug was used by many famous politicians and celebrities around the world, including John F. Kennedy.[citation needed]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ TV, NatGeo. "National Geographic pentru toți oriunde". www.natgeotv.com (in Romanian). Retrieved 17 December 2022.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ana Aslan.

* "Ana Aslan" Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics Official Website
* Ana Aslan, Encyclopedia of Romania (in Romanian)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Greece
* Poland
* Israel

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* SNAC