HealthBeat News

Category: Man Health

  • The Many Health Benefits of Donating Blood

    By Dr. Dana Myatt

    An estimated 40,000 pints of donor blood are needed each day in the U.S. for patients with cancer, those undergoing orthopedic surgeries, marrow transplants and cardio vascular surgeries, people being treated for inherited blood disorders and those with acute injuries resulting in blood loss. There are other reasons why a blood transfusion might be needed but these are some of the “biggies” that occur every day. The need is always there.

    If you donate blood, you will be a hero and may help save someone’s life. But there’s more to it than you being a “good doobie.”
    Blood donors are rewarded with at least 3 personal health benefits. You read that right. Donating blood is healthy for the donor, not just the recipient.

    Here’s the scoop.

    There are at least three benefits of blood donation:

    1.) You get a Mini Health Screen. They check your blood pressure, pulse and temperature every time you donate. Getting a B.P. check every 3-4 months is a good thing and can alert you to any changes.

    2.) You get free lab testing. There are some tests that blood donation centers perform every time you donate. These are things that are good to know about and things that your doctor is unlikely to order unless there is an obvious reason.

    As part of the donation process, your blood will be screened for any or all of the following:

    On your first visit you will be tested for:

    I.) ABO Typing – provides determination of Blood type: A, B, O, or AB.
    II.) Rh factor Determination – indicates positive or negative Blood type.
    III.) Blood Group Antibodies – indicates unexpected antibodies that may be a result of prior transfusion, pregnancy or other factors.
    And at every visit you will be tested for these minimums:
    I.) Hepatitis B Surface Antigen – indicates a present infection (hepatitis) or carrier state of hepatitis B virus.
    II.) Antibody to Hepatitis B Core – additional test that detects a present or past infection with the hepatitis B virus.
    III.) Antibody to Hepatitis C Virus – indicates antibody to a virus that causes hepatitis C (responsible for non-A non-B hepatitis.) The mean incubation time is six to eight weeks.
    IV.) Antibody to HTLV – 1 and 2 – indicates the antibody to a virus that causes adult T-cell leukemia, among other things.
    V.) Antibody to HIV 1 and 2 – indicates an infection with Human Immune deficiency Virus. (virus that causes AIDs)
    VI.) Syphilis – screens for this venereal disease.
    VII) iron levels. (ferritin, or storage iron, is tested only in young adults)
    VIII.) Hemoglobin and hematocrit (this tells if you have enough red blood cells and iron)
    IX.) Nucleic acid testing (NAT) is a molecular technique for screening blood donations to reduce the risk of transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) in the recipients, thus providing an additional layer of blood safety
    X.) total cholesterol

    Some donation centers also test for:

    I.) Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) – identifies a liver enzyme that, when increased, may indicate undetectable forms of hepatitis.
    II.) West Nile Virus
    III.) Chagas disease
    IV.) Zika virus
    V.) Babesiosis – a tick-born virus

    Hepatitis B, Hep C and HTLV can be transmitted without sexual contact, so don’t believe that these tests are only useful for those who practice unprotected sex with multiple partners. In fact, Hep C is an epidemic among Baby Boomers, in part because of previous blood transfusions before donor blood testing was performed and also because older folks are just as likely to practice unprotected sex as younger folks.

    West Nile and Zika are mosquito-transmitted diseases and Chagas disease is transmitted by “kissing bugs.” These “bug transmitted” diseases can be mild or can cause symptoms and problems up to and including death.

    Discussing each of these diseases is beyond the scope of this article but Google them and you’ll see why they are worth knowing about.

    3.) You get to normalize / optimize your storage iron levels (ferritin). The donation center doesn’t check your serum ferritin levels (storage iron) unless you are a young adult. They do evaluate circulating iron in your blood to make sure you are not anemic on the day you donate. Giving blood decreases storage iron and that’s a good thing. Here’s why.

    Ferritin is an iron storage protein that is a measure of body iron stores. High levels (even “high normal” within the normal range) increases free radical production and is highly associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis and peripheral vascular disease.

    Serum ferritin is one of the strongest risk predictors of overall progression of atherosclerosis.(1-10). This is big and because of the evidence, I consider ferritin one of the four most important anti-aging/longevity tests that can be performed.

    The degree to which ferritin will be lowered varies among individuals, so I recommend periodic testing (say, 6 weeks after donation) to help gauge how often to donate.

    On the other hand, if you are anemic without a known reason (you’re not a female of menstrual age, for example), finding this out might save your life. Unseen (occult) bleeding from the colon, for example, can be a sign of polyps or cancer. Unexplained anemia needs to be followed up, and you’ll have benefit of this information more frequently when you are a 3-4 times per year blood donor.

    Wouldn’t it be great to know that you were helping yourself and also helping someone else?

    Bottom line: “Hero points” aside, most people should be donating blood 2-4 times per year for health reasons. You can help save a life while benefitting your own health. There are very few medical “treatments” that offer such a “win-win”!

    Ask your doctor if you are a candidate for donating blood (most people are), then call one of the local blood drives and get yourself signed up. Your “future self” will thank you.

    References:

    1. Alissa EM, Ahmed WH, Al-Ama N, Ferns GA. Relationship between indices of iron status and coronary risk factors including diabetes and the metabolic syndrome in Saudi subjects without overt coronary disease. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2007;21(4):242-54. Epub 2007 Aug 7

    2. Ahluwalia N, Genoux A, Ferrieres J, Perret B, Carayol M, Drouet L, Ruidavets JB. Iron status is associated with carotid atherosclerotic plaques in middle-aged adults. J Nutr. 2010 Apr;140(4):812-6. Epub 2010 Feb 24.

    3. de Godoy MF, Takakura IT, Machado RD, Grassi LV, Nogueira PR. Serum ferritin and obstructive coronary artery disease: angiographic correlation. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2007 Apr;88(4):430-3.

    4. Depalma RG, Hayes VW, Chow BK, Shamayeva G, May PE, Zacharski LR. Ferritin levels, inflammatory biomarkers, and mortality in peripheral arterial disease: a substudy of the Iron (Fe) and Atherosclerosis Study (FeAST) Trial. J Vasc Surg. 2010 Jun;51(6):1498-503. Epub 2010 Mar 20

    5. Kiechl S, Willeit J, Egger G, Poewe W, Oberhollenzer F.Body iron stores and the risk of carotid atherosclerosis: prospective results from the Bruneck study.Circulation. 1997 Nov 18;96(10):3300-7.

    6. Lee KR, Sweeney G, Kim WY, Kim KK. Serum ferritin is linked with aortic stiffness in apparently healthy Korean women. Crit Pathw Cardiol. 2010 Sep;9(3):160-3

    7. Mainous AG 3rd, Diaz VA. Relation of serum ferritin level to cardiovascular fitness among young men. Am J Cardiol. 2009 Jan 1;103(1):115-8. Epub 2008 Oct 17.

    8. Menke A, Fernández-Real JM, Muntner P, Guallar E. The association of biomarkers of iron status with peripheral arterial disease in US adults. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2009 Aug 3;9:34.

    9. Valenti L, Swinkels DW, Burdick L, Dongiovanni P, Tjalsma H, Motta BM, Bertelli C, Fatta E, Bignamini D, Rametta R, Fargion S, Fracanzani AL. Serum ferritin levels are associated with vascular damage in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011 Aug;21(8):568-75. Epub 2010 Apr 13.

    10. Zacharski LR, Shamayeva G, Chow BK. Effect of controlled reduction of body iron stores on clinical outcomes in peripheral arterial disease. Am Heart J. 2011 Nov;162(5):949-957.

     

  • Testosterone For Men – It’s Really Safe After All!

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Poor testosterone – it has been so misunderstood, maligned, and feared for so many years now that any attempt by a doctor to use testosterone therapy is met with regulation and resistance from the powers-that-be and most doctors just won’t bother. Who needs the hassle? It is easier and less trouble for a doctor to prescribe narcotic drugs like Oxycontin or even morphine than it is to prescribe testosterone…

    And that’s a shame, since so many men can benefit from a little help to maintain normal, youthful testosterone levels…

    You see, most men are well-supplied with testosterone in their youth, beginning at puberty. Testosterone is what turns a pre-pubescent boy with high voice and puppy-fat into a muscular, broad-shouldered, deeper-voiced, virile young man. Most men continue to enjoy good levels of testosterone into their 30’s – but then something changes: for most men there is a slow and steady decline in testosterone levels from then on.

    This “slowing down” of testosterone production leads to a number of problems. Some guys may simply attribute these symptoms and problems as being “part of getting older” but it need not be that way.

    Falling testosterone levels can result in:

    • decreased libido
    • erectile dysfunction
    • depression
    • Increased fatigue
    • low energy
    • decrease in muscle mass
    • increase in abdominal fat
    • decrease in bone density
    • sleep problems
    • mood and motivation problems
    • and more, much more

    Despite all this, testosterone therapy has been shunned by conventional medicine since the 1940’s when it was wrongly accused of “activating” prostate cancer based on the experience of one single patient at that time. This enduring myth has been terrifying doctors and legislators ever since.

    More recently, fears were ginned up about cardiovascular risks with testosterone use. A flawed study by the VA claimed that testosterone therapy caused an increased risk of death from all causes, including heart attacks and strokes. I wrote about this and debunked the study and it’s conclusions back in 2013 in this article: Does Testosterone Therapy Increase Heart Attack And Stroke Risk?

    But things are looking up for testosterone. The 2013 VA study was soon acknowledged by many conventional medical sources to be deeply flawed in many ways. Sadly, while the initial reports of danger made big headlines the corrections to the study, though published in JAMA, did not receive much attention at all.

    Then, in 2015 a study was published that acknowledged that testosterone therapy used to normalize testosterone levels in otherwise generally healthy men does not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. While the conclusions of the study fell short of acknowledging the many benefits of testosterone therapy it at least began the process of allowing doctors to feel a little more comfortable about considering testosterone therapy.

    Now, on April 3rd of this year, the results of a study were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 65th Annual Scientific Session in Chicago which shows that testosterone therapy helps men with low testosterone levels who already have coronary artery disease to reduce their risks of strokes, heart attacks, and death.

    Here is a summary of the study and the results;

    The research team studied 755 male patients between the ages of 58 and 78, divided into 3 groups, over a number of years. The men all had severe coronary artery disease.

    Their conclusions:

    • After one year, 64 of the men who were not taking testosterone supplements suffered major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke), while only 12 who were taking medium doses of testosterone and only nine who were taking high doses did.
    • After three years, 125 of the men not taking testosterone suffered major adverse cardiovascular events, while only 38 medium-dose and 22 high-dose men did.

    In short: The men NOT receiving testosterone therapy were 80 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke.

    WOW! Just Wow!

    This could prove to be a game-changer! We can only hope now that the FDA will begin to take notice and remove some of the roadblocks to prescribing testosterone therapy that have made doctors so reluctant, even skittish about it up to now.

    Until then, for those who might want to get a jump on it Dr. Myatt has been balancing male hormones (as well as female hormones) and prescribing testosterone for many years.

    Men, if you want to avoid or correct symptoms of low testosterone that can include include night sweats, low libido (sex drive), weight gain, depression, anxiety, hot flashes, gynecomastia (enlarged male breasts aka “man-boobs” or “moobs”), fatigue, irritability, weight gain, erectile dysfunction, loss of stamina and lean muscle mass, cognitive decline and decreased bone mineral density check out Dr. Myatt’s BioIdentical Hormone Replacement Programs and book a Brief Telephone Consultation today.

     

    References and Additional Reading:

    Morgentaler A, Controversies and Advances With Testosterone Therapy: A 40-Year Perspective. Urology. 2016 Mar;89:27-32. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2015.11.034. Epub 2015 Dec 9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26683750

    Abraham Morgentaler, MD. Defending Testosterone, Debunking the Myths. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/845705_5

    Morgentaler A, Testosterone and prostate cancer: an historical perspective on a modern myth. Eur Urol. 2006 Nov;50(5):935-9. Epub 2006 Jul 27. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16875775

    Intermountain Medical Center, November 9, 2015, Use of testosterone replacement therapy in healthy men does not increase risk of heart attack or stroke, new study finds. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151109160558.htm

    Intermountain Medical Center, April 3, 2016, Testosterone supplementation reduces heart attack risk in men with heart disease. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160403195920.htm

  • Seven Not-Surprising Health Updates From 2015

    As many of you know, Nurse Mark and I read the medical news every single day. There isn’t much in the way of a “breakthrough” that we’d ever miss. We even
    know about the “pseudo-breakthroughs” — those lab rat studies that are over-hyped in importance. Because of this, some of these hot-off-the-press findings you have already read about in previous HealthBeat articles. However, now that the research is being solidly reported in the conventional medical journals, some of it bears repeating.

    Here are the most recent “now it’s true because conventional medicine finally recognizes it” topics that you should be aware of. Don’t be surprised if many of these items fall into the “we told you so” category. That just means we’re doing our best to keep you on the leading edge of medical news!

    We Told You So About…

    1.)    Statin drug dangers. First, these drugs were so important that just about everyone – including children – should be taking them. Next they reported a “small increase” in diabetes with use. Oh, and that annoying problem of myalgia (muscle pain) and myopathy (rhabdomyelosis), and “brain fog” and other cognitive impairments. But not to worry, that doesn’t happen very often, so they say.

    The latest news is that the risk of diabetes increases by about 50%. Since diabetes is a serious risk factor for heart disease (the reason people take statins) AND since diabetes also increases the risk of cancer,Alzheimer’s, eye disease, atherosclerosis (narrowing and hardening of the arteries), kidney disease, and more, this is a big finding. “But don’t stop taking the drug until more is known” is the cry of Big Pharma.

    2.)    Acid-Blocking drug Dangers. We’ve talked a lot about this before in HealthBeat articles. Now add another risk of long-term use to the list of dangerous side effects: kidney disease. Sometimes severe enough to ruin the kidneys and require permanent appointments at the dialysis clinic and a spot on the transplant list. Ouch!

    These drugs, called PPI’s (proton pump inhibitors) were designed to be used short-term to treat ulcers. They work well for that. But “short term” means 6 weeks. If you have ongoing digestive distress and GERD, you need MORE stomach acid, not less. We’ve written about that, too.

    So, if you have been using acid blockers for anything other than ulcers, especially if you use them ongoing, I recommend that you stop before you have long-term consequences and take the time to figure out the real cause and correction for your GERD, heartburn and other digestive problems. If your stomach or esophagus hurt when you eat, consider that biofeedback from your body that something needs to be fixed, not masked.

    3.)    Sugar increases risk of breast cancer metastasis. I’ve mentioned this a gazillion times. In fact, ALL carbohydrates increase growth of ALL types of cancer. Conventional medicine just caught on.

    Meanwhile, watch for my upcoming book “The Ketone Diet for Cancer.”

    4.)    Testosterone therapy for men really is safe after all. We’ve heard for years all about the supposed dangers of testosterone therapy – mostly from politicians who have no medical training but plenty of skill in leaping to conclusions based on faulty research and fears of “anabolic steroid” use by sports figures and teenage body builders.

    As a result, testosterone, a natural substance present in everyone has been treated like some scary, evil drug by the FDA and prescribing it is a nightmare for physicians. That could change, as the bogus charges against testosterone therapy are refuted by study after study.

    It turns out that not only does Testosterone use NOT increase the risk of prostate cancer, and does NOT increase the risk of heart attacks as we have been told over and over in the past, Testosterone use actually reduces the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke, and all-cause mortality, according to a large new retrospective study of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients.

    Sounds like more good reasons for men to consider hormone testing and replacement if needed. BHRT (BioIdentical Hormone Replacement Therapy) is not just for women! I’ve been prescribing testosterone for some 30 years now, despite all the FDA / DEA hassles – it’s that important to men’s health.

    And Here’s one that we have been following – look for a HealthBeat News article on this very soon:

    •    Cell phone use increases brain cancer risk. First we were told that it didn’t. Then we were told “maybe” but the evidence is weak. Now in the medical news the evidence is no longer weak. There is a 3-fold increase in brain cancer (aggressive gliomas) that correlates with cell phone and mobile phone use when the device is held next to the head.

    Personally, I try to minimize cell phone use and have increased “old school” (corded phone) use and speaker phone use whenever I can. There is some thought (and many marketing claims) that the bluetooth earpieces for cellphones may be safe due to their very low power output – we are examining the research.

    And now for good news breakthroughs:

    •    Coffee is healthy. For years we’ve been told it wasn’t. Now, coffee up to 5 cups per day is not only safe but is actually the biggest source of antioxidants in the US diet. The study found that people who drank three to five cups of coffee per day had about a 15 percent lower risk of premature death compared to people who didn’t drink coffee. Do-dah!

    •    Eggs, (and other fats) are good for you! Every 5 years the government gives us their latest dietary advice – and, lo and behold, this year the old warnings about cholesterol (including eggs), fats, and meats being evil have been softened considerably. Not only that, they are no longer making such dire warnings about processed meats like bacon and hot dogs.

    Read all about it on the government website: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/

    Woo-Hoo! Bacon and eggs for breakfast – with coffee!

     

    References:

    Statins:

    Reference: Henna Cederberg, Alena Stančáková, Nagendra Yaluri, Shalem Modi, Johanna Kuusisto, Markku Laakso.
    Increased risk of diabetes with statin treatment is associated with impaired insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion: a 6 year follow-up study of the METSIM cohort. Diabetologia. May 2015, Volume 58, Issue 5, pp 1109-1117

    Acid Blockers:

    Lazarus B, Chen Y, Wilson FP, et al. Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and the Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease. JAMA Intern Med. Published online January 11, 2016.

    Sugar / cancer connection:

    Jiang Y, Pan Y, Rhea PR, Tan L, Gagea M, Cohen L, Fischer SM, Yang P. A Sucrose-Enriched Diet Promotes Tumorigenesis in Mammary Gland in Part through the 12-Lipoxygenase Pathway. Cancer Res. 2016 Jan 1;76(1):24-9.

    Testosterone:

    Rishi Sharma et al., Normalization of testosterone level is associated with reduced incidence of myocardial infarction and mortality in men. European Heart Journal, 6 August 2015. http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/07/27/eurheartj.ehv346

    Jacques Baillargeon et al., Long-term Exposure to Testosterone Therapy and the Risk of High Grade Prostate Cancer. The Journal of urology, December 2015Volume 194, Issue 6, Pages 1612–1616. http://www.jurology.com/article/S0022-5347(15)04148-8/abstract

    Cell Phones:

    Hardell, Lennart et al. Mobile phone and cordless phone use and the risk for glioma – Analysis of pooled case-control studies in Sweden, 1997–2003 and 2007–2009.
    Pathophysiology , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , 1 – 13

    Coffee:

    Ming Ding, Ambika Satija, Shilpa N. Bhupathiraju,  Yang Hu, et al. Association of Coffee Consumption With Total and Cause-Specific Mortality in 3 Large Prospective Cohorts.  Circulation. 2015;132:2305-2315.

  • Vitamin D And Prostate Cancer: A New Connection

    By Nurse Mark

     

    We’ve written about Vitamin D so much that you might have become jaded about the subject. But Vitamin D is an amazing vitamin – hormone that almost daily has new studies showing its value in treatment of an ever-widening array of diseases.

    For all you men out there “of a certain age” who must be concerned with prostate health and the very real specter of prostate cancer, Vitamin D just earned itself  a whole new level of respect.

    Scientists at this year’s 249th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Denver learned about research showing that taking vitamin D supplements could slow or even reverse the progression of less aggressive, or low-grade, prostate tumors without the need for surgery or radiation.

    In his lecture before the ACS, Dr. Bruce Hollis of the Medical University of South Carolina detailed his new research suggesting that vitamin D supplementation  may improve low-grade prostate cancers by reducing inflammation, perhaps lessening the need for eventual surgery or radiation treatment. “We don’t know yet whether vitamin D treats or prevents prostate cancer,” says Hollis. “At the minimum, what it may do is keep lower-grade prostate cancers from going ballistic.”

    This new information reinforced findings of his previous research which showed that men with low-grade prostate cancer who took vitamin D supplements for a year had a 55 percent decreased Gleason score or even complete disappearance of their tumors compared to their biopsies a year before.

    And what about other cancers? Is it just prostate cancer? Here is an excerpt from Dr. Hollis’ paper:

    Vitamin D is metabolized, activated and acts through the vitamin D receptor expressed in a variety of human tissues, including cancer tissue of various origin. Basic research has revealed that vitamin D has anti-cancer potentials including pro-differentiation, anti-proliferation, and anti-inflammatory, to name a few. Epidemiological studies have revealed that low circulating 25(OH)D levels are a risk factor for a variety of human cancers.

    Are you getting enough Vitamin D?

    Dr. Hollis and many other experts are encouraging much higher levels of Vitamin D that conventional Medicine or the FDA. But each person is different, and an adequate or even generous supplemental dose of Vitamin D for one person may be nowhere near enough for someone else. Vitamin D testing is required to know for sure.

    So, what are the “numbers”?

    The Vitamin D test tells us blood levels of vitamin D measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) and the results can be grouped like this:

    • Deficiency: less than 20 ng/ml
    • Insufficiency: 20 to 32 ng/ml
    • Sufficiency: 32 to 100 ng/ml
    • OPTIMAL (per Dr. Myatt): 40 to 80 ng/ml
    • Excess (toxicity risk): greater than 150 ng/ml

    The Vitamin D test is a simple “Blood Spot” test, very much like the “finger poke” that diabetics do multiple times daily to check their blood sugars. A drop of blood is placed onto a test strip and sent off to the lab in a pre-paid mailer; the results come back in a few days. Then you can get started replenishing your Vitamin D levels, because chances are good that they are low – since overall, 41.6 % of Americans are Vitamin D deficient, and that number skyrockets to 82.1% of African Americans and 69.2% of Hispanics.

    Learn more about the Vitamin D Spot Test here:

    For additional information in our past articles about Vitamin D please review:

    The Surprising Importance Of Vitamin D

    Vitamin D – For Successful Dieting?

    Vitamin D – An Old Friend Finding New Respect

    Vitamin D and Liver Cancer: More Reasons Love Vitamin D

    Vitamin D Special Report

     

    References:

    1) http://www.newswise.com/articles/vitamin-d-may-keep-low-grade-prostate-cancer-from-becoming-aggressive

    2) J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 2012, DOI: 10.1210/jc.2012-1451

  • Does Testosterone Therapy Increase Heart Attack And Stroke Risk?

    By Nurse Mark

     

    A recently published study in JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association) has caused no end of worry among men. It seems that the study is quite clear in it’s conclusions that testosterone therapy does indeed cause an increased risk of death from all causes, including heart attacks and strokes.

    Yikes!

    Hey fellas, we better run, not walk to our doctors and get off that stuff that we’ve been prescribed, right?

    Not so fast guys… let’s take another look at this.

    First, what do the final numbers boil down to?

    In the group of men that were studied, some 8700 veterans, 20% had “bad outcomes” over the course of the study – meaning they died from a heart attack, stroke, or some other reason. And that was the group that was NOT taking testosterone. In the group that WAS taking testosterone, 26% of the men had “bad outcomes.”

    So, a whopping six percent difference between the two groups. That’s the difference between a fifth and a quarter.

    And who were these men?

    These men were veterans who had undergone coronary angiography – a heart imaging test. Many, probably most, had risk factors for heart problems, including blocked heart arteries. Of course they did – nobody does coronary angiography just for fun!

    According to the researchers:

    In the cohort [group] of 8709 veterans with a total testosterone level less than 300 ng/dL who underwent coronary angiography, there was a high burden of comorbidities. Approximately 20% had a prior history of MI, 50% had diabetes, and more than 80% had CAD.

     

    Wow! “Co-morbidities” ?!?

    One fifth of this bunch had already survived at least one heart attack.

    Half of the group had diabetes.

    Four out of every five of these guys had known coronary artery disease.

    Most had additional health problems including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

    Talk about your “ticking time bombs”!

    Could the researchers have possibly found a group of men at higher risk? Maybe, but they would have had to work hard to find them – these guys were in rough shape!

    So let’s see… We’ll take a bunch of men with cardiovascular problems who are also experiencing the symptoms of low testosterone – low bone and muscle mass; increased fat mass; low energy; and impaired physical, sexual, and cognitive function – and we’ll give some of them testosterone.

    The guys that get the testosterone suddenly start feeling better, and some of them might even feel better enough to “over-do” things a bit. Since the body might take a little longer to be stronger than it does to feel better, can you see a potential problem developing here?

    “Well, Frank always loved tennis – but he hadn’t played much for the past few years, especially after that heart attack and the stents they put in. But then he saw his doc and started getting those testosterone shots and he was suddenly full of energy. His granddaughter came to visit and he just had to challenge her to ‘best two-out-of-three’ on the tennis court… He passed away that evening, after the big Thanksgiving family dinner – it must have been the testosterone that killed him, right?”

    Yeah, sort of…

    Or maybe this was a failure on his doctor’s part – perhaps a caution to “start slow, take it a little easy, and don’t over-do it just because you feel like you can” would have been in order… You see, Frank’s idea of excitement and activity for the past few years was sitting in his easy chair watching re-runs of “Dancing With The Stars” – he really hadn’t shown much interest or energy for anything else since the heart attack.

    But the numbers don’t lie – it’s a six percent increase in risk of death, right?

    Yes, the way the numbers were crunched in this study do show a six percent increase in risk of death.

    And the authors of the study acknowledge a number of “limitations” to the accuracy of their work:

    1. The study was “observational” meaning that they didn’t actually interact with the participants, they just looked at their records and drew their conclusions from that.
    2. They couldn’t know whether the reported testosterone levels were accurate since they had no way of knowing what time of day the tests were done. Testosterone levels vary widely throughout the day.
    3. This was a retrospective study – meaning that they got their cause of death information by looking at diagnosis codes in old patient charts – and ICD codes are not always entirely accurate. They didn’t go through the charts to see if the ICD code really matched what was in the patient’s records.
    4. This ended up being a small group of patients, followed over a long period of time – this tends be less accurate than looking at a large group of patients over a shorter time period.
    5. Finally, they acknowledge that this was a very specialized group of patients – and that this limits any ability to make the study apply to, for example, otherwise healthy men with low testosterone.

     

    Well, haven’t there been other studies that show testosterone is dangerous?

    Not really. There have been a few that have raised questions, but none that presented any “smoking guns.” One previous study, Adverse Events Associated with Testosterone Administration, also looked at a very small group of very debilitated (sick and sedentary) older men with low testosterone and found that improving their testosterone resulted in marked improvements in health and well-being, but also resulted in an increased risk of “cardiac adverse events”:

    RESULTS
    A total of 209 men (mean age, 74 years) were enrolled […] there was a high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and obesity […]
    As compared with the placebo group, the testosterone group had significantly greater improvements in leg-press and chest-press strength and in stair climbing while carrying a load.

    CONCLUSIONS
    In this population of older men with limitations in mobility and a high prevalence of chronic disease, the application of a testosterone gel was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events. The small size of the trial and the unique population prevent broader inferences from being made about the safety of testosterone therapy.

     

    So that proves it’s dangerous, right?

    No, it proves that if you take a sedentary old guy with low testosterone and make him feel young and spry again with testosterone therapy you might be asking for trouble.

    But dangerous? Here’s what the paper Testosterone for the aging male; current evidence and recommended practice has to say:

    Contrary to fears of the potential adverse effects of testosterone on cardiovascular disease, there are over forty epidemiological studies which have examined the relationship of testosterone levels to the presence or development of coronary heart disease, and none have shown a positive correlation. Many of these studies have found the presence of coronary heart disease to be associated with low testosterone levels.

     

    But is it really safe? Why is the FDA so freaky about testosterone shots?

    Guys, there is a big, big difference between anabolic steroid abuse by athletes, bodybuilders and wannabe tough guys and the legitimate medical treatment of low testosterone levels.

    The feds are rightly concerned about the sleazy and dangerous side of this issue, and especially concerned with protecting impressionable young people from the dangers of inappropriate testosterone use. Contaminated and counterfeit testosterone products exist. “‘Roid-Rage” and other ill effects from abuse of steroids is a real thing. We really don’t need to have famous sports figures telling kids by example that they can only succeed / be popular / win by taking steroids.

    But in their usual fashion, the feds have gone overboard in their efforts to “protect” us, making it very difficult for anyone to receive needed treatment. Testosterone, a hormone that occurs naturally in the human body (both make and female) is now as tightly regulated and controlled as morphine or even heroin!

    So, if I’m just a regular guy with low testosterone it might be safe?

    According to Testosterone for the aging male; current evidence and recommended practice:

    …the effects of testosterone treatment are well recognised and it seems clear that testosterone treatment for aging hypogonadal men can be expected to increase lean body mass, decrease visceral fat mass, increase bone mineral density and decrease total cholesterol. Beneficial effects have been seen in many trials on other parameters such as glycemic control in diabetes, erectile dysfunction, cardiovascular risk factors, angina, mood and cognition.

     

    Alright, so what is your opinion on all this, Nurse Mark?

    Well fellas, since you ask… I am 58 years young now, and my testosterone levels are still within the “normal range” – so there is no possibility for me to use testosterone replacement therapy legally. But I can assure you that the day my T level falls below the reference range for normal I will be looking to start treatment. In my opinion the medical benefits of appropriately applied testosterone replacement therapy are far too important to be ignored, and the quality of life improvements far outweigh any minute risks that there may be.

    However – for me and for all the rest of you men considering testosterone replacement therapy, Dr. Michael Ho, a cardiologist with the VA’s Eastern Colorado Health System in Denver and the lead author of the study that reports the 6% increase in overall risk acknowledged that this “should prompt doctors and patients to discuss potential risks and benefits of using the products.”

    It can’t be said more clearly – in testosterone replacement or any other medical therapy – be aware of the benefits and of the risks, and discuss them fully with your doctor. If your doctor doesn’t have the time or doesn’t want to discuss the risks and benefits fully, get another doctor who will.

    And don’t allow “studies” like this one to spook you!

     

    References:

    Testosterone Treatments May Increase Heart Risks: http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/news/2013/11/testosterone-treatments-may-increase-heart-risks?location=top#.UnwXSnBHTD4

    Association of Testosterone Therapy With Mortality, Myocardial Infarction, and Stroke in Men With Low Testosterone Levels: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1764051

    Adverse Events Associated with Testosterone Administration: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1000485

    Low Serum Testosterone and Mortality in Older Men: Conclusions: Testosterone insufficiency in older men is associated with increased risk of death over the following 20 yr, independent of multiple risk factors and several preexisting health conditions. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2190742/

    Testosterone for the aging male; current evidence and recommended practice: Contrary to fears of the potential adverse effects of testosterone on cardiovascular disease, there are over forty epidemiological studies which have examined the relationship of testosterone levels to the presence or development of coronary heart disease, and none have shown a positive correlation. Many of these studies have found the presence of coronary heart disease to be associated with low testosterone levels. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2544367/