For Women Only
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of subcutaneous medroxyprogesterone acetate to treat endometriosis-related pain. Marketed as Depo subQ provera 104 (DMPA-SC) and manufactured by Pfizer, the drug is delivered by injection four times each year and stops menstruation, resulting in thinner endometrial tissue and less pain. The drug is not without side effects, however, including the possibility of significant bone loss. An alternative treatment is the use of biologically identical progesterone to block the monthly estrogen stimulus to the endometrial tissues. Progesterone is believed to stop further proliferation of endometrial cells. Given to women from day 6 to 26 of each menstrual cycle, progesterone may cause pain to subside and healing of the inflammatory sites to occur over a period of 4 to 6 months (Lee, J.R., with Hopkins, V. (1996). What your doctor may not tell you about menopause. New York: Warner Books; Lee, J.R. (1993). Natural progesterone: The multiple roles of a remarkable hormone. Sebastopol, CA: BLL Publishing). For more information about biologically identical progesterone, visit www.collegepharmacy.com.
For Men Only
In honor of Father's Day, why not treat yourself to a new, slimmer body with an innovative cosmetic technique? Mesotherapy involves the injection of a combination of vitamins, drugs, and supplements into the mesodermal or middle layer of the skin. The dermis acts as a time-release dosing system, allowing very small amounts of medicine to be absorbed over an extended period of time. The treatments are said to dissolve fat so that it can be excreted by the body. An alternative to liposuction, mesotherapy may be the only non-surgical treatment available for "spot reduction" and body sculpting in areas where diet and exercise have failed, such as the thighs, abdomen, hips, buttocks, waist, and upper arms. For information about upcoming free seminars on mesotherapy, visit www.collegepharmacy.com or call (800) 888-9358.
Healthy and Fit
Garlic supplements may dramatically reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, according to scientists at the University of Medicine in Berlin. Laboratory tests showed that powdered garlic supplements cut the formation of early fatty deposits in the arteries, called nanoplaques, by up to 40% and reduced the size of existing deposits by 20%. Nanoplaque formation leads to narrowing of the arteries and is triggered when LDL or "bad" cholesterol binds to the cells lining blood vessel walls. Garlic contains allicin, which thins the blood, inhibits clotting, and reduces harmful cholesterol. The study's findings are subject to replication in a future clinical trial. In the meantime, add a few more garlic cloves to that spaghetti sauce!
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Q&A
Q: Where did the term "midlife crisis" come from? I'm only 30, but I'm already scared.
A: According to a recent article in Time (May 16), Canadian psychoanalyst Elliot Jacques coined the term midlife crisis in 1965 when he was studying creative genius. He found that productivity often began to decline as artists reached middle age and wrestled with their own mortality. You'll note in the article, however, that for many women midlife can be an exhilarating turning point. Crisis shmisis!
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Remember Sex?
Keep your eyes on the ball is common advice in the sports world. When it comes to making a romantic connection, the advice is similar: keep your eyes on your target. Researchers at Dartmouth University asked 43 male and female students to view computer images of fashion models who either turned their gaze toward or away from the viewer. Both men and women rated models who averted their gaze as less likeable. In another experiment, male participants rated models who turned their attention toward them as more attractive, while female participants did not. Psychologists say that gaze is a potent attentional cue that can generate physical arousal.
Quote of the Month
"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time."
- Anna Freud
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