Dr. Goodyear

fecal Calprotectin validated in the measure of IBD in children.

Calprotectin useful as a marker of intestinal inflammation.

Fecal calprotectin is found to be a much better screening test for IBD than colorectal cancer.  Though, fecal Calprotectin levels were found to be elevated in colorectal cancer compared to controls, the sensitivity and specificity was low.  In contrast, a fecal Calprotectin > 100 mg/g, in this study, was found to be specific and sensitive for IBD and excluding IBS.

Fecal Calprotectin found to be useful as monitor for Ulcerative colitis relapse.  This was found more specific for UC than Crohn's disease.  There was a 14 fold higher relapse risk in those with levels > 150.

Men with infertility associated with 2.3 fold higher risk of death. The factors evaluated were semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, total sperm count, total motile sperm count.  Those that have 2 or more positive parameters were associated with increased death compared to those with normal semen analysis.

St john's wort increased insulin sensitivity and adiponectin on in vivo study.

I can only find the abstract of this article.  This article fits with the growing body of evidence that low Testosterone is a poor prognostic factor for men with prostate cancer.  This very short abstract points to using low levels of "free Testosterone" as a biomarker to treat low-risk prostate cancer.

Hops inhibits aromatase activity.

Hops is a natural aromatase inhibitor

Study finds that men with opiated induced low T have improvement in pain with Testosterone therapy.  Opiates are one of the many causes of low Testosterone (see my book Man Boob Nation).  Low T has been associated with increase inflammation in men.  Thus a normalization of Testosterone would provide anti-inflammatory effects.

To be read

Studies in breast cancer and prostate cancer have revealed different effects by ER alpha vs ER beta.  It is no surprise that the same effects are found in ovarian cancer.  This study found ER alpha antagonists and ER beta agonists "significantly" suppressed growth in the ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3 and OV2008.  Also, ER alpha agonist and ER beta antagonist "significantly" increased growth in the same cell lines.  These findings point to in increased proliferation with ER alpha and decreased with ER beta.  This is consistent with breast and prostate cancer also.

Study finds no worsening in cardiovascular biomarkers in women on Testosterone.  The women in this study were chose due to low Testosterone.  Testosterone was given IM at 4 different doses.  This is in contrast to other studies that have looked at endogenous Testosterone level.  Studies have shown increasing endogenous T levels in women is associated with increased CVD.  Studies on exogenous are lacking.  This points to limited risk associated with CVD and T therapy in women.   One caveat.  Two of the authors of this study have ties to the maker of the Testosterone enanthate used in this study.  Why is this important?  Prior studies have shown significant decrease in adverse event reporting in those funded by pharma--bias.

Retrospective study finds no increase in new MI and/or stroke in men with Testosterone therapy.  There are some men that Testosterone therapy is cardioprotective and some that are not.

This is the abstract from oral presentation at AACE in Las Vegas from May.  Small study finds reduction in fat mass, increase in muscle mass, increase in insulin sensitivity, and reduction in inflammation signaling with Testosterone therapy in men with low Testosterone.  These men were type 2 diabetics.  This is consistent with prior published literature.  However, men without diabetes, this association is hard to reproduce. The degree of glucose control also effects the response to Testosterone therapy i.e. the worse the glucose control, the more the response from Testosterone.   Also of note, those men with hypogonatrophic hypogonadism had decreased insulin receptor expression, decreased insulin sensitivity, and decreased GLUT-4 expression versus eugonadal men.  Remember from prior studies, it is the conversion of Testosterone to DHT that increases GLUT-4 transcription, translocation, and expression.

Mouse model finds that Bisphenol A (BPA) induces LH/FSH and Estradiol production through kisspeptin stimulation.

Increased risk of atrial fibrillation in men exercising more than 5 days per week.  The study looked at men 45-79.  In contrast, walking and bicycling later in life was associated with decreased risk.

Increased risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality is highest in the least active population in those with coronary heart disease.  However, those with the highest, strenuous physical activity were also at increased risk--though less than the inactive group.

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.  

Link exists between PCOS and subclinical hypothyroidism.  Another term is functional hypothyroidism.