Group items tagged

This article finds the mean TSH level in the "healthy" population to be 1.5.  Calls into question any level above that with symptoms of hypothyroid.  Full, adequate thyroid including free T3 and rT3 must be done.

Saliva testing no longer questioned

saliva testing of progesterone and estriol not questioned, but used to predict outcomes

This study follows others: Diabetes associated with low Total Testosterone.  The question is whether this is a cause and effect or merely an association? This study also found age, income, BMI, and diabetic neuropathy as risk for low Testosterone.

Study finds no improvement with glucose control in diabetics.  This study looked at moderately controlled diabetes. Studies have previously shown that poorly controlled diabetes definitely benefits more than those with more mild glucose control problems.  Additionally, the Testosterone levels in this study would not have met the definition of low T by other studies.  So, the question is did these men need T?  Second, did the authors design the study long enough to see changes in the insulin sensitivity and glucose control?  Abstract only available and thus I don't have access to that information.  Third, and this might support the 2nd point, increased lean mass and decreased fat mass was found.  This points to positive metabolic change.  Would this have, given more time, resulted in improved glucose control? No change in visceral adiposity was seen.  This finding, also, is not new.  Testosterone therapy does not improve visceral adiposity.  Though, increasing fat adiposity, low Testosterone, and associated increase in systemic inflammatory cytokine production results in visceral adiposity, Testosterone therapy does reverse the visceral adiposity.  

Your vision is likely to be one of your most valuable senses, you want to consider your visit to the eye doctor as important an opportunity to review your health status as your regular checkup with your physician.

review of dietary role in Cancer.  Good to review.  the authors reviewed 13 different proposed diets and the evidence.  I question the level of review, because the studies they reviewed on ketogenic diet appears insufficient.

Low free and Total Testosterone levels found to be associated with premature CAD in men.  Some confounders were present, which they tried to account for--this should leave some healthy questioning of this study results.  That being said, this is not the first time low T has been found to be associated with CAD in men.  This study found a statistical significant association with Free and Total Testosterone levels in young men.  Another point to consider is the Low T a cause or a biomarker and an effect of poor/declining health?  I would so more to the biomarker point.

Study looked at hormone levels via serum analysis at the time of sudden cardiac arrest in both men and women.  Low Testosterone and elevated Estrogen levels in  men were associated with increased odds (OR) versus women only had increased odds with elevated Estrogen.   ManBoob nation, my first book, discusses the mechanism behind this for men.  The finding in women really calls into question the Estrogen only model currently employed by physicians for post menopausal women.

Supporting evidence for DHEA improvement for women is mixed and minimal.  Full article is not available so the question as whether a need was indicated based on testing is not available.  Side effects were seen with DHEA--primarily acne.  

How Toxic Are You? Answer the following questions as honestly as you can. Score 1 point for every yes, 0 for no. Unless you score 5 points or less, you should introduce yourself in gently by following by following the H2O Energy Flow Detox program to prevent headaches and side effects that come from detoxing too quickly. There is not right or wrong score here, but your should keep your score so that you can measure your progress after completing the detox program.

No decrease or trend for lower inflammatory markers seen in Testosterone therapy in men > 65.  These men had levels of T < 475 ng/dl, which brings into question this studies results as most studies point to 300 or 250 as the mark.

low Estradiol and high Total Testosterone associated with high risk of ischemic heart disease.  This study looked at endogenous levels in women.  This data as well as others really brings into question the massive prescription Testosterone push in women.

Higher Testosterone and DHT levels in men was found to be positively associated with FEV1 and FVC; Estradiol was not.  The question here is cause or effect.   Also interesting is the fact that smokers had higher Testosterone levels compared to non-smokers.

High dose vitamin D (10,400 IU) found to reduce IL-17, CD161 and effector memory cells; in contrast low dose vitamin D (800 IU)  did not.  The study also called into question the traditional target range of vitamin D.  The authors here proposed 40-60

study calls into question the out of date RDA for vitamin D as too low to maintain optimal vitamin D levels.

The good and bad cholesterol thing was nothing but marketing; new study calls into question HDL as a useful cardiovascular biomarker.

Good science always challenges established dogma.  Only abstract available here.  Study calls into question the 10:1 claim: bacteria out number human cells by 10:1.  New study finds ratio more near 1:1.  

New prospective study of 1023 patients finds that high-insulogenic diet, also know as a traditional American diet, high glycemic, high sugar diet... is associated with an increased risk of cancer recurrence and mortality compared to low insulogenic diet.  The authors concluded that this would be beneficial for after surgical resection in people with stage III colon cancer. My question, is why wait on the development of cancer: use a low-insulogenic diet to prevent the cancer all together or when diagnosed implement immediately.  Why wait? Treat early! Prevent!

Study questions causal associations of testosterone and cardiometabolic risk.  In this analysis they used to SNPs, one on the SHBG gene rs12150660 and the other on the X chromosome rs59344505.