So You Think You Have a Thyroid Problem?

So you think you  have a thyroid  problem but your physician says you are “Normal?” It is  possible that  you are both RIGHT!

Unfortunately, for YOU, the physician is RIGHT in that you are ”normal.” This just means that you are within the range of a lab test that tests TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and not your Free T3 (the active part of your thyroid).  More often than not, since you did  not meet your  physician’s understanding of a thyroid deficiency, you would be prescribed an anti-depressant.

The truth is that YOU are also RIGHT, because you may suffer from “subclinical hypothyroidism”, a condition not understood or recognized in a conventional  medicine approach to health. Further, even if  you  were diagnosed as suffering from hypothyroidism based on the  physician’s TSH  lab test, you would  likely be prescribed a synthetic thyroid and not a   natural thyroid.  Either  way, you  would not receive the  benefits of natural thyroid.

Therefore, if  you believe that you may have a thyroid deficiency, ask for a Free T3 lab test. If  that  test is low, you may in  fact improve your symptoms and quality  of life with natural  thyroid.

Hormone Information – Thyroid

Thyroid hormone is a metabolic hormone secreted by the thyroid gland. It regulates temperature, metabolism and cerebral function that result in increased energy, temperature and warmth. It increases fat breakdown resulting in weight loss and lowers cholesterol. Thyroid hormones control the growth differentiation and metabolism of each cell in the body. They also control how fast our body uses the fuel that we consume particularly carbohydrates and fat. This in turn helps to regulate our temperature and body fat percentage.

The thyroid hormone protects against cardiovascular disease by its cholesterol lowering properties. It improves cerebral metabolism, prevents cognitive impairment and relieves symptoms of thin, sparse hair, dry skin and thin nails.

Persons who suffer from low thyroid function tend to experience fatigue and low energy, slowness in their speech and actions, forgetfulness, mental confusion, depression, arthritis-like pain and susceptibility to colds and infections. Many of these aspects are considered normal aging. However, we now know that it is secondary to thyroid insufficiency. The thyroid hormone is an indispensable ingredient in the total hormone package.

Benefits of Thyroid Supplementation:

  • Regulates temperature, metabolism, and cerebral function
  • Increases energy,  body temperature, and warmth
  • Increases fat breakdown resulting in decreased weight and lower cholesterol
  • Protects against cardiovascular disease
  • Improves cerebral metabolism
  • Prevents cognitive impairment
  • Relieves symptoms of thin sparse hair, dry skin, and thin nails

Possible Side Effects:
Most common side effects from too high a dose include chest pain, increased pulse rate, palpitations, excessive sweating, heat intolerance, or nervousness.

Administration:
Most physicians continue to prescribe the synthetic thyroid hormone T4 or Synthroid.  Synthroid is only T4 and may not be converted to the T3 the body needs. The recommended form of thyroid replacement is with Armour Thyroid or compounded thyroid which is a combination of T3 and T4. The combination allows the body to receive the active form as well as the inactive to treat those patients who are not able to properly convert. The standard dose is 1-2 grains taken once daily in the a.m.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. What do I do if I forget to take my thyroid? If you forget to take your thyroid in the morning you may take it later in the day and resume your schedule the following morning.  Do not take two the following day to make up your dose.
  2. What will happen if I forget to take my thyroid for a few days? You will generally start to feel more fatigued, decreased energy and possibly feel more cold than usual.

Additional Information:
Thyroid production declines as we age, similar to other hormones. This is not considered to be true hypothyroidism but rather a thyroid insufficiency that has in the past been thought to not need hormone replacement. Research suggests that improving thyroid levels will alleviate the symptoms of thyroid insufficiency and allow our system to function more effectively and efficiently.

Mitochondria need thyroid hormone to burn oxygen and produce ATP, the fuel that runs the body. If the mitochondria are weakened due to an inadequate supply of thyroid hormone, then we will not be able to burn up proper amounts of oxygen thereby giving us less energy and symptoms of thyroid insufficiency. In addition, we will be unable to keep up mentally and physically as we once did. In addition, our immune system slows down becoming weaker and less effective. Physicians have been hesitant to supplement thyroid hormones largely due to a lack of understanding of the importance of optimal thyroid levels and the relationship to the quality of daily life.

There are two types of thyroid hormones, Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3).  T4 is inactive and kept in reserve, T3 is the active hormone. Thyroid hormone initially is produced in the thyroid gland as a storage form of the thyroid called T-4.  Once in the body, this circulating T-4 is converted to the active form of T-3 by an enzyme.  As we age, the production of T-4 diminishes. In addition, the conversion of T-4 to the active form of T-3 also diminishes, resulting in less stimulation of the cells.

Low thyroid levels results in complaints of fatigue, lack of energy, weight gain and all the other symptoms typical of low thyroid. Tests often show a “normal” thyroid.  Patients are treated with synthetic T-4 products and still experience hypothyroid symptoms even though the laboratory test values appear normal. The reason for this is that the treating doctor may rely on one thyroid test, TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone. This is an indirect measurement of thyroid function.  The new paradigm is to measure the free hormones in our body, which is the Free T-3 in thyroid. The free hormones are the œactive hormones and are a more accurate indication of the body’s metabolism of the hormone.

About 80% of the thyroid hormones we produce is T4, the inactive thyroid hormone that is typically held in reserve by the body.  T3 makes up only 20% of the thyroid hormone, but is about four times more potent than T4 and is the active hormone that the body uses to function.  T4 is converted into T3 when thyroid hormone is needed.

The release of the thyroid hormones is controlled by the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which is produced in the pituitary gland. Low circulating levels of thyroid hormone are detected by the hypothalamus which then instructs the pituitary to release TSH. When sufficient amounts are released the hypothalamus communicates with the pituitary to stop or slow down.

Because of this complicated feedback loop, high levels of TSH in the blood often means the pituitary is trying to stimulate production of the thyroid hormone but the thyroid gland is not responding. This condition, known as hypothyroidism, is more common in women and the elderly.

Mike Clark, Clinic Director

January 31, 2010 | Comments Closed

Are You Taking Melatonin?

Are you taking Melatonin? Maybe You Should.

Many members of Natural Lifetime Health have included the hormone Melatonin in their prescription regimen for years. We tend to think about Melatonin as a sleep hormone but  it also is a strong anti-oxidant. We find that the prescription triturate form in higher doses seems to work much more effectively than the capsule form or over the counter products.

Melatonin is produced in the dark, while we sleep, and wanes upon daybreak: bright light signals the production cycle to shut down. It is secreted by the pineal gland, a small organ set behind and between the eyes. The pineal is called the “third eye,” a reference to our evolutionary heritage-a time when the pineal may have extended the sensory capacities. The pineal gland serves as the timekeeper of the brain, helping to govern the sleep-wake cycle and, in animals, seasonal rhythms of migration, mating, and hibernation.

In the human population, melatonin levels are highest in children and lowest in the older adults.

Melatonin is made from an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid-we can get it only from the foods that we ingest. The tryptophan we consume during the day is converted into serotonin, a brain chemical involved with mood. Serotonin, in turn, is converted into melatonin.

WHAT MELATONIN DOES

Although research on melatonin has been ongoing since its discovery in 1958, it is only recently it has attracted high interest. Why? Research breakthroughs over the past decade have revealed some startling properties of this amazing substance:

  • Studies by immunologist Dr. Walter Pierpaoli of the Biancalana-Masera Foundation for the Aged in Ancona, Italy, and various colleagues have shown that melatonin treatments extended the life span of mice by as much as 25 percent. Moreover, mice that had been treated with melatonin not only lived longer, they also appeared younger, healthier, more vigorous, and sexually rejuvenated.
  • Researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans have done studies suggesting that melatonin can stop or retard the growth of human breast cancer cells. Cancer specialists in Milan have added melatonin treatments to chemotherapy and immunotherapy in their treatment of cancer patients. They have found that such patients experienced tumor regression, in addition to living longer and suffering from fewer side effects than patients who received chemotherapy and immunotherapy alone.
  • Studies suggest that melatonin may be a kind of “natural” sleeping pill, inducing sleep without suppressing REM (dream) sleep and without producing side effects, such as those caused by sedatives and other artificial sleep aids.
  • Travelers have found that by using melatonin they can “reset their biological clocks” after flying across one or more time zones. Numerous studies have confirmed melatonin’s efficacy in combating jet lag and restoring restful sleep patterns.
  • Melatonin may help to prevent heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol in people with high cholesterol. (Interestingly, melatonin seems to have no such effect on those with normal cholesterol.)
  • In a study conducted by the Medical University of Lodz (Poland) in April 2002, women between ages sixty-four and eighty years took melatonin at bedtime for six months, and were found to have a slight but significant increase in IGF-1 and an increased level of DHEA.
  • New research suggests that melatonin may be effective in combating, treating, or preventing AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, asthma, cataracts, diabetes, and Down’s syndrome. Some scientists also believe that it may be the basis of a new estrogen-free birth control pill that combats breast cancer at the same time that it prevents conception.

Studies conducted by pioneering University of Texas melatonin researcher Dr. Russel Reiter show melatonin to be the most potent scavenger of free radicals-unstable molecules that promote cancer and heart disease by damaging DNA, cells, and tissue.

Mike Clark, Clinic Director
Tel: 512-266-6713

| Comments Closed

Men and Andropause: Part 3

Men and Andropause: Part 3

By Mike Clark, Education Director and CEO of NBH Lifetime Health

Hypogonadism (low testosterone) and Heart Trouble

Low testosterone levels have also been implicated in playing a role in the development of chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular heart disease. One study found that, in assessing a group of men and postmenopausal women over 50 years of age for levels of various hormones as they might relate to health conditions, plasma estradiol levels were highest in hypertensive men and testosterone levels were lowest in men with coronary heart disease. The researchers conclude that perhaps, “Decreased testosterone and/or increased estradiol may have an adverse effect on lipid profile in elderly men.”

Another study conducted among a male population likewise reported that low testosterone may be a risk factor for coronary heart disease, which may relate to lipoprotein metabolism by endogenous testosterone. Results showed that mean plasma testosterone levels among patients with coronary heart disease were significantly—about 40%—lower than in healthy subjects. Moreover, there was a negative association between plasma testosterone levels and plasma triglyceride levels and lipoprotein (a), which translated into higher blood lipid levels relative to lower testosterone levels. Contrarily, a positive association between plasma testosterone levels and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein 3 cholesterol meant that higher testosterone levels equaled higher “good” cholesterol levels.

The Natural Aging Factor

It is well documented in research that sex hormones such as testosterone are vital components in the sexual development of pubescent males, as well as contributing to the increase of their muscle and bone mass as they transform from boys into men. Meanwhile, dwindling testosterone levels as a result of metabolic aging trigger the opposite kind of effects, including the loss of body hair and progression of male pattern baldness, loss of muscle and bone mass, and increased fat.

Low testosterone levels aren’t just the prospect of a small segment of the male population but rather, they tend to affect the male population as a whole. Natural aging causes a gradual decline in male hormones, so that by age 70, men have less than a quarter of their optimal testosterone levels. Some figures reveal that free testosterone levels start to fall at the age of 25. While men with normal testosterone levels sometimes exhibit some of the symptoms, which may very well stem from other causes besides hypogonadism, the fact that androgen therapy usually alleviates these symptoms suggests a hormonal deficiency as the root cause of such deterioration in health.

Many study results show a positive role in maintaining adequate testosterone levels in aging males. In terms of overall body composition, for example, research has demonstrated a measurable increase in lean body mass and in mid-arm circumference and the decrease in waist-to-hip ratio in elderly men, after they received androgen replacement therapy to treat their low testosterone levels.

Environmental toxins may affect testosterone

There’s evidence that chemicals in the environment known as endocrine disrupters may be causing a decrease in testosterone. Endocrine disrupters interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine system. Scientists in Britain have done research in rats on the estrogen-mimicking chemical HPTE, which is a metabolite of the commonly used pesticide methoxychlor. These scientists have shown that HPTE causes a decrease in, testosterone production from Leydig cells. Other compounds, such as those found in plastic bottles that hold everything from bottled water to laundry detergent, are man-made mimics of estrogen. This may be one of the reasons why we are seeing more young males with low levels of testosterone.

NBH Lifetime Health Lab Tests

It is recommended that all males over the age of 35 be tested for their levels of  free testosterone, total testosterone, estradiol and DHEA. We also suggest the standard tests for cholesterol as well as tests for the major heart factors including homocysteine, fibrinogen, and CRP.

I would like to thank Dr. Edward Rosick for some of the scientific material contained herein.

January 26, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Men and Andropause: Part 2

Men and Andropause: Part 2

By Mike Clark, Education Director and CEO of NBH Lifetime Health

Testosterone-the Key to Andropause

In women, estrogen and progesterone are the two key hormones that decline during menopause. In men, it is the hormone testosterone that falls most in production as a man ages, and it’s thought that this fall is the single most important cause of andropause. Testosterone levels peak in a man at approximately age 25 to 30 and then begin a gradual decline. Some men have low testosterone by age 30.

One reason that aging men are not diagnosed as being testosterone deficient is that blood test laboratory reference ranges are age-adjusted to reflect the anticipated reduction in testosterone production. So, when a doctor looks at an aging man’s free testosterone blood test result, he often sees it fitting neatly into the standard reference range for a “normal” aging man. The problem is that normal aging men are expected to have lower testosterone levels, which are far from optimal (youthful) ranges. The optimal testosterone level for most aging males are those of a healthy 21-to-30 year old.

Testosterone is vitally important for its anabolic properties, including effects on cholesterol levels, protein breakdown, muscle mass and bone density, and its androgenic effects, including the development and maintenance of male secondary sex characteristics (deep voice, increase in facial and body hair, muscle

How Testosterone Changes in Aging Men

One change found in aging is in the ratio of free testosterone to testosterone bound to SHBG. In many aging men, especially those who are obese, free testosterone levels drop significantly as the levels of SHBG increase and “bind up” whatever free testosterone is left. As if this news isn’t bad enough, there are also steep declines (40% to 75%) in other steroid hormones, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA-sulfate (DHEA-S) seen in men as they age from 20 to 80.

Testosterone Strengthens Muscles and Bones

One of the most destructive effects of aging is the loss of muscle and bone mass. While the loss of bone mass, or osteoporosis, is now widely recognized as a significant factor in robbing elderly women of their ability to walk, osteoporosis is also a significant health concern for older men. In addition, the loss of muscle tissue, or sarcopenia, is now finally being recognized as a major debilitator of both men and women. In men, both sarcopenia and osteoporosis can be linked to the decline in testosterone and other steroid hormones.

Adequate levels of testosterone are also needed for optimal brain functioning. Multiple studies have confirmed that men who maintain optimal testosterone levels as they age have significantly fewer symptoms of senility compared to men with low levels of testosterone. In a hallmark study published in 2002, 407 men aged 50-to-91 were followed for 10 years and were given multiple tests to determine their testosterone levels and cognitive functioning.

The authors concluded: “Higher FTI [free testosterone levels] was associated with better scores on visual and verbal memory, visuospatial functioning and visuomotor scanning and a reduced rate of longitudinal decline in visual memory.” Furthermore, those randomized, placebo-controlled studies showed that testosterone supplementation improved verbal memory, working memory and visuospatial performance in elderly men.

Declining Testosterone Levels

Declining testosterone levels can lead to the development of numerous symptoms such as a decrease in virility, libido and sexual activity, general sense of well-being, as well as fatigue, depression and sleep disturbances. In addition to problems such as sexual dysfunction or general malaise, low testosterone also translates into decreased muscle mass and strength, as well as a decrease in bone mass and an increase in abdominal fat. Studies show that the latter two pay a role in degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Moreover, depleted testosterone levels are being linked to the incidence of various lipid disorders and heart disease.

Less Bone, More Fat

While osteoporosis hasn’t always been considered a disease that afflicts males, the rising incidence of bone mass degeneration among aging men points a finger to some age-related cause. As androgen receptors are expressed in osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) researchers now believe that androgens have some direct effect on bone formation and resorption.

Declining Testosterone, Fat Mass and Heart Risk

A growing body of research now suggests that an age-related increase in fat mass, or obesity, can be attributed to a fall in free testosterone and growth hormone levels. Moreover, studies report a connection between abdominal obesity and increased cardiovascular mortality and Type II diabetes mellitus. Recent findings from the University Hospital in Ghent, Belgium illustrate that age is related to a drop in free testosterone levels and free insulin-like growth factor-1, while contributing to an increase in body mass index and fat mass.

One recent study consisting of 372 males aged >20-85, revealed that body mass index and age were independent factors in determining testosterone levels. These decreased by about one quarter when researchers compared the young controls to men in the elderly group, while free testosterone levels fell by almost half with age. Likewise, fat-free mass decreased by 18.9%. In a subgroup of 57 men aged 70-80 years, the lower that testosterone levels dropped, the higher the percentage of body and abdominal fat, as well as plasma insulin levels.

Low Testosterone and Increased Risk of Diabetes and Adipose Fat.

Other findings indicate that low testosterone levels predisposed men to adipose fat which, in turn, seemed to raise their risk of diabetes mellitus. Researchers at the University of Washington’s Department of Medicine set out to examine the effects of age-related decreasing serum testosterone levels on intra-abdominal fat in a group of 110 second-generation healthy Japanese-American men. Measurements were taken first to establish baseline levels of glucose, body mass index, visceral adiposity, subcutaneous fat, fasting insulin and C-peptide levels, and overall testosterone levels (which were within the normal range relative to the men’s age).

When the researchers performed follow-up measurements 7.5 years later, their results indicated that intra-abdominal fat had increased by an average of 8.0 centimeters squared. More importantly, though, they found that the change in intra-abdominal fat correlated to baseline total testosterone levels, but they were not significantly related to other measurements such as body mass index, total fat or subcutaneous fat. The study authors concluded that, in their sample, “lower baseline total testosterone independently predicts an increase in intra-abdominal fat. This would suggest that by predisposing to an increase in visceral adiposity, low levels of testosterone may increase the risk of type II diabetes mellitus.”

Low testosterone Levels, Excess Abdominal Fat and Heart Disease

Similarly, another study that analyzed some of the health effects of excess abdominal fat, also referred to as android obesity, reported that individuals exhibiting upper body excess fat distribution tend to have lower levels of plasma testosterone and growth hormone levels, suggesting what the authors describe as “complex hormonal abnormalities”.

Abdominal obesity lends itself to an apple-shaped figure and has been related to a heightened risk of conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. These researchers believe that, “Visceral fat tissue, through its portal drainage, could be an important source for free fatty acids that may exert complex metabolic effects: involvement in hepatic lipogenesis, increase in hepatic neoglucogenic flux, reduction in insulin metabolic clearance and involvement in peripheral insulin resistance through a competition mechanism described by Randle.”

They conclude that abdominal obesity may be related to diabetes by means of an enhanced fatty acid made available from fat tissues (visceral and subcutaneous) in individuals who are genetically predisposed to type II diabetes. Research has also pointed to the possibility of a link between abdominal obesity and hypercorticism, or elevated cortisol levels. A reason for this, suggest scientists, might be that excess cortisol opposes testosterone and growth hormone production, both of which are regulators of body fat. Moreover, low testosterone levels also seem to encourage cortisol levels to rise and elicit their many aging effects, including immune dysfunction, brain cell injury, arterial wall damage and other assaults.

…continue to Part 3 for “Hypogonadism and Heart Trouble” and “The Natural Aging Factor”

| 5 Comments »

Men and Andropause: Part 1

Men and Andropause: Part 1

By Mike Clark, Education Director and CEO of NBH Lifetime Health

In a recent article regarding andropause, the author stated that “any man that is feeling the signs of andropause, should definitely see a doctor and get help.”

The author further states: “Although with age, a decline in testosterone levels will occur in virtually all men, there is no way of predicting who will experience andropause symptoms of sufficient severity to seek medical help. Neither is it predictable at what age symptoms will occur in a particular individual. The author does not identify the “signs of andropause” nor does he explain when the symptoms are severe enough to seek medical help.

The purpose of this article is to define andropause and to identify the symptoms of andropause. It will also be recommended that all men, whatever their age, should have lab tests done by a competent physician trained in bioidentical hormones if they have any signs of testosterone deficiency. Further, this article will explain why all men who have “suboptimal levels of free testosterone” should consider restoring these levels to more optimal levels for prevention reasons and for quality of life reasons.

Andropause-the Male Menopause

Menopause, the time in a woman’s life of distinct hormonal changes, can be very stressful to women, both on an emotional and physical level. During this time, many women suffer from mood swings, hot flashes, body aches and other effects of declining estrogen and progesterone levels. All women endure changes caused by declining hormone levels.

However, just because a man may not feel the dramatic changes a woman often undergoes doesn’t mean that he does not experience hormonal changes. As men reach their 40s (and sometimes much earlier), most will start noticing physical and emotional changes. Abdominal fat often takes the place of formally hard muscle, even with regular physical exercise. Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep are less frequent as nocturnal visits to the bathroom to urinate increase in frequency. The thick head of hair that once covered the head becomes gray and thinner. Every night sex may turn into once a week to every-other-week sex as both interest and ability to perform decrease. Drive and ambition may also begin to fade along with libido and lean muscle mass and strength.

Many physicians state that these changes in men are an inevitable part of “normal” aging. The idea that there is such a thing as andropause is still thought of as a myth by most mainstream medical doctors. They state that since men don’t have a physical signpost (such as the cessation of menstruation seen in women), andropause does not exist. However, even though women have a clear-cut physical demarcation in their lives, other changes of menopause take place over several years. In the case of andropause, it is thought that the majority of physical, mental and emotional changes take place over 10-to-15 years.

These changes, which include declines in libido, sexual function, muscle mass and strength, increase in prostate size leading to benign prostatic hypertrophy, along with fatigue and depression, begin around age 40 for most men. It has been estimated by some researchers that today as many as 25 million American men between 40 and 55 are experiencing signs and symptoms of andropause. It has been our experience that most men over the age of 40, and many men younger than the age of 40, have low levels of free testosterone.

…read Part 2 for “Testosterone: The Key to Andropause”

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Adrenal Fatigue

Do You Suffer From Adrenal Fatigue?

Are you:

  • Tired for no reason?
  • Have trouble getting up in the morning?
  • Need coffee, colas, salty or sweet snacks to keep going?
  • Feeling rundown or overwhelmed?
  • Can’t bounce back from stress or illness?
  • Crave salty and/or sweet snacks?
  • Feeling best only after 6 PM?
  • General feeling of “malaise?”

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions you may be suffering from Adrenal Fatigue.

Adrenal Fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms, known as a “syndrome,” that results when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level. As the name suggests, its paramount symptom is fatigue that is not relieved by sleep but it is not a readily identifiable entity like measles or a growth on the end of your finger. You may look and act relatively normal with Adrenal Fatigue and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet you live with a general sense of un-wellness, tiredness or “gray” feelings.

Who gets Adrenal Fatigue?

Anyone can suffer from Adrenal Fatigue at some time in his or her life. An illness, a life crisis, or a continuing difficult situation can drain the adrenal resources of even the healthiest person. Poor or irregular eating habits, lack of “downtime”, consistent or unrelieved stress (now or in the recent past), too little sleep or poor quality of sleep, sub-optimal hormone levels, all make a person more prone to Adrenal Fatigue.

Adrenal Fatigue affects an estimated 80% of people living in industrialized countries at one time or another in their lives, yet it has been ignored and largely untreated by the medical community. Conventional medicine only recognizes it in its most severe forms of Addison’s Disease or Cushing Disease.

Unless you suffer from one of these extreme forms of adrenal fatigue, you are considered to be within the “NORMAL” lab range. You are then told (1) you are depressed so take an anti-depressant or seek counseling and/or (2) it is all in your head, and/or (3) you are getting old.

People suffering from Adrenal Fatigue often have to use coffee, colas and other stimulants to get going in the morning and to prop themselves up during the day.

NBH Lifetime Health Hormones & Weight Loss Centers are pleased to announce a comprehensive program for assessing and treating adrenal stress. We offer a complete program that uses saliva and blood testing and patient education combined with therapeutic and lifestyle products to achieve maximum effectiveness. Call for an evaluation today and start your recovery program.

Adrenal Fatigue Burnout Questionnaire

The following questionnaire will help you determine if you have symptoms of a syndrome popularly known as “burnout”. Burnout refers specifically to a type of Adrenal Fatigue brought about by lifestyle factors such as working too hard, deaths in the family, divorce, job loss, juggling too many activities, etc.

Give each question a value ranging from 0-5 with “0″ representing not being true for you and “5″ describing you very well. The more high numbers you have, the more likely you have some degree of adrenal fatigue.

Do you tire more easily? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Do you feel fatigued rather than energetic? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Are people annoying you by telling you “you don’t look so good lately”?
___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Are you working harder & harder but accomplishing less? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Are you increasingly cynical and disenchanted? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Do you often experience unexplained sadness? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Are you forgetting appointments, deadlines or personal possessions more frequently?
___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Have you become more irritable? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Are you more short-tempered? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Are you more disappointed with people around you? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Are you seeing family members and close friends less frequently?
___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Are you too busy to do even routine things like make phone calls or read reports or send cards to friends? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Are you experiencing increased physical complaints (aches, pains, headaches, lingering colds)? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Do you feel disoriented when the activity of the day comes to a halt?
___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Do you feel disoriented when the activity of the day comes to a halt?
___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Is joy elusive? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Are you unable to laugh at a joke about yourself? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Does sex seem like more trouble than it’s worth? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5
Do you have very little to say to people? ___0 ___ 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5

January 11, 2010 | 1 Comment »

Male Andropause

Male Andropause.

By Mike Clark, Clinic Director of NBH Lifetime Health

Low testosterone levels for men can mean high health risks. After decades of research and hype surrounding female menopause and hormone replacement therapy, men have recently started receiving some attention about their own age-related hormonal decline, known as andropause.

At NBH Lifetime Health, we have been treating men of all ages for testosterone deficiencies for more than ten years. A simple lab test for free and total testosterone will determine if the male is deficient in this primary male hormone. We also test the estradiol level to determine if testosterone is converting to estradiol. Another important test is DHEA. This hormone is often called the body’s repair hormone and master hormone.

For males in the 40’s and above, we offer tests for the major heart factors including cholesterol, homocysteine, fibrinogen, and CRP. Testosterone is of  course a major heart factor in that low levels  are associated with heart disease. We have found that most men over 40 have less than optimal levels of free testosterone. More and more, we are finding the younger males can  also  have these difficulties.

Declining testosterone levels

Declining testosterone levels can lead to the development of numerous symptoms such as a decrease in virility, libido and sexual activity, general sense of well-being, as well as fatigue, depression and sleep disturbances. In addition to problems such as sexual dysfunction or general malaise, low testosterone also translates into decreased muscle mass and strength, as well as a decrease in bone mass and an increase in abdominal fat. Studies show that the latter two pay a role in degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Moreover, depleted testosterone levels are being linked to the incidence of various lipid disorders and heart disease.

Less bone, more fat

While osteoporosis hasn’t always been considered a disease that afflicts males, the rising incidence of bone mass degeneration among aging men points a finger to some age-related cause. As androgen receptors are expressed in osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) researchers now believe that androgens have some direct effect on bone formation and resorption.

Declining Testosterone, Fat Mass and Heart Risk

A growing body of research now suggests that an age-related increase in fat mass, or obesity, can be attributed to a fall in free testosterone and growth hormone levels. Moreover, studies report a connection between abdominal obesity and increased cardiovascular mortality and Type II diabetes mellitus. Recent findings from the University Hospital in Ghent, Belgium illustrate that age is related to a drop in free testosterone levels and free insulin-like growth factor-1, while contributing to an increase in body mass index and fat mass.

One recent study consisting of 372 males aged >20-85, revealed that body mass index and age were independent factors in determining testosterone levels. These decreased by about one quarter when researchers compared the young controls to men in the elderly group, while free testosterone levels fell by almost half with age. Likewise, fat-free mass decreased by 18.9%. In a subgroup of 57 men aged 70-80 years, the lower that testosterone levels dropped, the higher the percentage of body and abdominal fat, as well as plasma insulin levels.

Low Testosterone and Increased Risk of Diabetes and Adipose Fat.

Other findings indicate that low testosterone levels predisposed men to adipose fat which, in turn, seemed to raise their risk of diabetes mellitus. Researchers at the University of Washington’s Department of Medicine set out to examine the effects of age-related decreasing serum testosterone levels on intra-abdominal fat in a group of 110 second-generation healthy Japanese-American men. Measurements were taken first to establish baseline levels of glucose, body mass index, visceral adiposity, subcutaneous fat, fasting insulin and C-peptide levels, and overall testosterone levels (which were within the normal range relative to the men’s age).

When the researchers performed follow-up measurements 7.5 years later, their results indicated that intra-abdominal fat had increased by an average of 8.0 centimeters squared. More importantly, though, they found that the change in intra-abdominal fat correlated to baseline total testosterone levels, but they were not significantly related to other measurements such as body mass index, total fat or subcutaneous fat. The study authors concluded that, in their sample, “lower baseline total testosterone independently predicts an increase in intra-abdominal fat. This would suggest that by predisposing to an increase in visceral adiposity, low levels of testosterone may increase the risk of type II diabetes mellitus.”

Low testosterone Levels, Excess Abdominal Fat and Heart Disease

Similarly, another study that analyzed some of the health effects of excess abdominal fat, also referred to as android obesity, reported that individuals exhibiting upper body excess fat distribution tend to have lower levels of plasma testosterone and growth hormone levels, suggesting what the authors describe as “complex hormonal abnormalities”.

Abdominal obesity lends itself to an apple-shaped figure and has been related to a heightened risk of conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. These researchers believe that, “Visceral fat tissue, through its portal drainage, could be an important source for free fatty acids that may exert complex metabolic effects: involvement in hepatic lipogenesis, increase in hepatic neoglucogenic flux, reduction in insulin metabolic clearance and involvement in peripheral insulin resistance through a competition mechanism described by Randle.”

They conclude that abdominal obesity may be related to diabetes by means of an enhanced fatty acid made available from fat tissues (visceral and subcutaneous) in individuals who are genetically predisposed to type II diabetes. Research has also pointed to the possibility of a link between abdominal obesity and hypercorticism, or elevated cortisol levels. A reason for this, suggest scientists, might be that excess cortisol opposes testosterone and growth hormone production, both of which are regulators of body fat. Moreover, low testosterone levels also seem to encourage cortisol levels to rise and elicit their many aging effects, including immune dysfunction, brain cell injury, arterial wall damage and other assaults.

Hypogonadism (low testosterone) and Heart Trouble

Low testosterone levels have also been implicated in playing a role in the development of chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular heart disease. One study found that, in assessing a group of men and postmenopausal women over 50 years of age for levels of various hormones as they might relate to health conditions, plasma estradiol levels were highest in hypertensive men and testosterone levels were lowest in men with coronary heart disease. The researchers conclude that perhaps, “Decreased testosterone and/or increased estradiol may have an adverse effect on lipid profile in elderly men.”

Another study conducted among a male population likewise reported that low testosterone may be a risk factor for coronary heart disease, which may relate to lipoprotein metabolism by endogenous testosterone. Results showed that mean plasma testosterone levels among patients with coronary heart disease were significantly—about 40%—lower than in healthy subjects. Moreover, there was a negative association between plasma testosterone levels and plasma triglyceride levels and lipoprotein (a), which translated into higher blood lipid levels relative to lower testosterone levels. Contrarily, a positive association between plasma testosterone levels and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein 3 cholesterol meant that higher testosterone levels equaled higher “good” cholesterol levels.

The Natural Aging Factor

It is well documented in research that sex hormones such as testosterone are vital components in the sexual development of pubescent males, as well as contributing to the increase of their muscle and bone mass as they transform from boys into men. Meanwhile, dwindling testosterone levels as a result of metabolic aging trigger the opposite kind of effects, including the loss of body hair and progression of male pattern baldness, loss of muscle and bone mass, and increased fat.

Low testosterone levels aren’t just the prospect of a small segment of the male population but rather, they tend to affect the male population as a whole. Natural aging causes a gradual decline in male hormones, so that by age 70, men have less than a quarter of their optimal testosterone levels. Some figures reveal that free testosterone levels start to fall at the age of 25. While men with normal testosterone levels sometimes exhibit some of the symptoms, which may very well stem from other causes besides hypogonadism, the fact that androgen therapy usually alleviates these symptoms suggests a hormonal deficiency as the root cause of such deterioration in health.

January 6, 2010 | Tags: , , | 4 Comments »