HRT Update
A recent story in Scientific American takes issue with the hormone hysteria that is keeping many menopausal women from getting effective treatment. The article notes that the critical question now is: To what extent do the results of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Study apply to other forms of hormone replacement? "I think it borders on a tragedy that Premarin and Provera were chosen as the only HRT treatments," said neuroendocrinologist Bruce S. McEwen of Rockefeller University. For example, many researchers say Provera is a poor substitute for progesterone. This synthetic substitute for progesterone binds in the breasts to progesterone receptors, which may have led to the high rates of breast cancer in the study. The villain may not be estrogen. The article adds that several researchers believe in the need for a study similar to the WHI study that tests hormones more closely representing natural human hormones.
REGISTER NOW! If you missed our first Hot Flash! Seminar last summer, register now for Hot Flash! Revisited, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Wyndham Hotel in Colorado Springs. Keynote speaker will be D. Lindsey Berkson, women's health advocate and author of Hormone Deception and Natural Answers for Women's Health Questions. To register, call 262-0022, ext. 133.
Remember Sex?
Chemical exposure may affect a man's sex life, says author D. Lindsey Berkson. According to her book, Hormone Deception, workers at a plant that produced the insecticide kepone were reported to have lost their libido, become impotent, and register low sperm counts two decades later. Experiments showed that the pesticides were estrogenic, thus causing lower levels of testosterone.
Healthy and Fit
Regular, frequent exercise can help people over 40 prevent or control diabetes, according to a Mayo Clinic study reported in the August issue of Diabetes. Reduced insulin sensitivity as people age makes them more prone to developing diabetes. Although insulin sensitivity in younger participants remained higher four days after exercising, no increase was reported for middle-aged and older participants. The implication is that older adults must plan more effective and frequent exercise regimens.
Pet Peeves
It's no surprise that the word "bassett" in French means "low to the ground." Short-legged, long-eared Bassett Hounds are built that way to more closely follow the scent of a rabbit. Their ears and noses pick up and process the scent and their legs keep them moving.
Did you know that College Pharmacy could fill prescriptions for your whole family? The kids...Grandma...the family dog or cat... College Pharmacy can do it all!
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Letters
Individualized Care
"I want to thank you all for your willingness to spend time (a lot!) educating me... and always keeping you're cool when I've lost mine. I very much appreciate your courtesy & responsiveness. Those of us with EI/MS are so used to meeting with - at best - polite skepticism - and at worst... well, I'm sure you know... Your individual and collective attitude is itself good medicine."
"N.O."
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Q&A
Q: When I try to sleep at night, my skin feels like I have ants crawling all over it. Is this related to menopause?
A: The feeling that your skin is burning, itching, tingling, stinging, prickly, and ultra-sensitive to touch is called formication, which actually comes from the Greek word for ant. Biologically identical estrogen supplementation may help this problem.
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For Men Only
Brothers, not fathers, more strongly affect whether a man will get prostate cancer. Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia found an increased risk of prostate cancer for men with a family history; however, if the affected family member was a brother, the risk increased nearly three times. Scientists speculate that shared environmental factors like diet and genetic factors are likely contributors to the increased risk.
Quote of the Month
"We are too soon old and too late smart." – Hebrew Proverb
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