Do you feel as if you have many symptoms of a thyroid disorder but every time you have the lab test done, you're told it's "fine."
You've got it all - the cold hands and feet, the inability to lose weight despite a healthy diet AND exercising at least 30 minutes most days of the week, tendency towards constipation, dry hair, dry skin, feeling sluggish and tired.... yet why are you considered "normal" or "fine?"
It's my opinion that a complete thyroid test should be run on everyone (men too) every couple of years especially after major events such as birth, menopause, trauma, stresses...etc.
What do I mean by complete?
I mean running the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) plus the two free hormones - Free T4 and Free T3. In addition, I always would run an adrenal salivary test (www.salivatest.com) because the adrenals and the thyroid talk non-stop like teenagers on myspace!
This may help to uncover sub-clinical hypothyroidism as well. That means you aren't exactly overt hypothyroid but you're almost there.
As a Naturopathic Physician, I believe it's important to pull you away from the cliff before you get too close and fall off. That's the difference between sub-clinical and overt.
Why is this important? Well, you can have all those symptoms as described above and only be "sub-clinical" or edging closer to the cliff.
Plus, in the April 28, 2008 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine they reported that sub-clinical hypothyroidism can have a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) death than women with normal thyroid function.
Does this mean you will have to go on thyroid replacement? Not necessarily but it's important you talk with your health care practitioner about your options.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Women and Heart Attacks - Differing Symptoms?
What happens if you suddenly start to feel tired, nauseated, and jaw pain? What would you think?
According to a recent study on 25,755 men and women in 14 different countries, women often presented with 'atypical symptoms' and 'invisible' blood vessel blockages yet other test results confirmed they were having a heart attack, according to the study published online in the journal Heart.
To compound this, women often receive less work-up and less treatment than men!
The following is from the article:
Women with the same level of coronary artery disease as men were significantly less likely to receive drugs or statins that help prevent future heart attacks, the study said.
Women were also less likely to get an angioplasty or a stent to open up their blood vessels, no matter the gravity of their blockages, it said.
The women in the study with more advanced coronary artery disease were more likely than men to have suffered another heart attack or died within six months of their initial heart or angina attack.
Female patients also often described different symptoms than men when first reporting to hospital.
While 94 percent of men and 92 percent of women reported feeling chest pain, female patients with no chest pain were more likely to describe "atypical" symptoms such as nausea and jaw pain, the study said.
What do you do? First, if you experience any strange symptoms that sound like the ones in this article, either have someone take you to a hospital or call 9-1-1.
Second, demand equal health care. Make sure you receive an appropriate work-up for a heart attack and then the appropriate treatment!
It's your health that is at risk here no matter what sex you are!
According to a recent study on 25,755 men and women in 14 different countries, women often presented with 'atypical symptoms' and 'invisible' blood vessel blockages yet other test results confirmed they were having a heart attack, according to the study published online in the journal Heart.
To compound this, women often receive less work-up and less treatment than men!
The following is from the article:
Women with the same level of coronary artery disease as men were significantly less likely to receive drugs or statins that help prevent future heart attacks, the study said.
Women were also less likely to get an angioplasty or a stent to open up their blood vessels, no matter the gravity of their blockages, it said.
The women in the study with more advanced coronary artery disease were more likely than men to have suffered another heart attack or died within six months of their initial heart or angina attack.
Female patients also often described different symptoms than men when first reporting to hospital.
While 94 percent of men and 92 percent of women reported feeling chest pain, female patients with no chest pain were more likely to describe "atypical" symptoms such as nausea and jaw pain, the study said.
What do you do? First, if you experience any strange symptoms that sound like the ones in this article, either have someone take you to a hospital or call 9-1-1.
Second, demand equal health care. Make sure you receive an appropriate work-up for a heart attack and then the appropriate treatment!
It's your health that is at risk here no matter what sex you are!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Diet determines gender? Read on...
As some of you may know, I get all of my worldly news from the Yahoo! front page. If it's not on there I might not know about it....
Having said that I woke up this morning and found the following title, "Mother's diet can help determine sex of child: study"
I have been saying for years that there is a trend towards female babies but my friends and fellow doctors thought I was crazy. This study looked at 740 women in Britain who did not know the sex of their unborn baby and asked them details about their diet.
What they found is very cool!
*Fifty-six percent of the women in the group with the highest energy intake had sons, compared to 45 percent in the least-well fed cohort.
*Beside racking up a higher calorie count, the group who produced more males were also more likely to have eaten a wider range of nutrients, including potassium, calcium and vitamins C, E and B12.
*The odds of an XY, or male outcome to a pregnancy also went up sharply "for women who consumed at least one bowl of breakfast cereal daily compared with those who ate less than or equal to one bowl of week," the study reported.
They report that previous research has shown -- despite the rising epidemic in obesity -- a reduction in the average energy uptake in advanced economies. The number of adults who skip breakfast has also increased substantially.
They say this is a built-in evolutionary mechanism...because women traditionally can handle the tougher times and can still reproduce then female babies are more commonly born.
The author says, if a mother has plentiful resources, then it can make sense to invest in producing a son because he is likely to produce more grandchildren than would a daughter, thus contributing to the survival of the species.
What does this mean?
It means that your diet will 'potentially' influence the gender of your baby. It means, while you are trying to become pregnant to eat a healthy diet, do not skip breakfast, avoid alcohol, smoking and coffee completely and take care of your body!
It means that if you take care of yourself through your diet then evolution recognizes that you are healthy...and that is ultimately what you want to be.
Having said that I woke up this morning and found the following title, "Mother's diet can help determine sex of child: study"
I have been saying for years that there is a trend towards female babies but my friends and fellow doctors thought I was crazy. This study looked at 740 women in Britain who did not know the sex of their unborn baby and asked them details about their diet.
What they found is very cool!
*Fifty-six percent of the women in the group with the highest energy intake had sons, compared to 45 percent in the least-well fed cohort.
*Beside racking up a higher calorie count, the group who produced more males were also more likely to have eaten a wider range of nutrients, including potassium, calcium and vitamins C, E and B12.
*The odds of an XY, or male outcome to a pregnancy also went up sharply "for women who consumed at least one bowl of breakfast cereal daily compared with those who ate less than or equal to one bowl of week," the study reported.
They report that previous research has shown -- despite the rising epidemic in obesity -- a reduction in the average energy uptake in advanced economies. The number of adults who skip breakfast has also increased substantially.
They say this is a built-in evolutionary mechanism...because women traditionally can handle the tougher times and can still reproduce then female babies are more commonly born.
The author says, if a mother has plentiful resources, then it can make sense to invest in producing a son because he is likely to produce more grandchildren than would a daughter, thus contributing to the survival of the species.
What does this mean?
It means that your diet will 'potentially' influence the gender of your baby. It means, while you are trying to become pregnant to eat a healthy diet, do not skip breakfast, avoid alcohol, smoking and coffee completely and take care of your body!
It means that if you take care of yourself through your diet then evolution recognizes that you are healthy...and that is ultimately what you want to be.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Plastic - Potentially Toxic?
The federal National Toxicology Program said Tuesday that experiments on rats found precancerous tumors, urinary tract problems and early puberty when the animals were fed or injected with low doses of the plastics chemical bisphenol A.
This is something that environment groups have known for years...but what is it?
Bisphenol A is a chemical found in shatter-proof hard plastics such as baby bottles, storage containers, water bottles, food containers...etc. The idea is that it is an "endocrine disruptor" in that it mimics the actions of estrogen.
According to the article, the CDC reports that more than 90 percent of Americans are exposed to trace amounts of bisphenol. The chemical leaches out of water bottles, the lining of cans and other items made with it.
One state, New Jersey, has already passed a bill banning the sale of plastic with bisphenol in it. Canada's health system is also doing similar research and looking to report their findings soon.
Don't use plastic. If you must use plastic then absolutely do not store anything hot in it. Do not put hot food or liquid in the plastic because it will leach out 55 times faster!
This is something that environment groups have known for years...but what is it?
Bisphenol A is a chemical found in shatter-proof hard plastics such as baby bottles, storage containers, water bottles, food containers...etc. The idea is that it is an "endocrine disruptor" in that it mimics the actions of estrogen.
Eek! The world does not need more estrogen! Our kids do not need more estrogen!
According to the article, the CDC reports that more than 90 percent of Americans are exposed to trace amounts of bisphenol. The chemical leaches out of water bottles, the lining of cans and other items made with it.
One state, New Jersey, has already passed a bill banning the sale of plastic with bisphenol in it. Canada's health system is also doing similar research and looking to report their findings soon.
What can you do?
Don't use plastic. If you must use plastic then absolutely do not store anything hot in it. Do not put hot food or liquid in the plastic because it will leach out 55 times faster!
Use glass containers to both drink out of and store your food.
Here's to a healthier you and a healthier environment!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Vitamin D - Much More than a Sunny Day!
Did you know that Vitamin D is really a super powered steroid hormone with multiple functions in your body beyond correcting rickets disease?
Did you know that even if you stand outside in the sun chances are you don't absorb very much because you're wearing sunglasses and SPF sunblock which limits Vitamin D from entering your body?
Did you know common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency are muscular weakness, feeling of heaviness in the legs, chronic musculoskeletal pain, easy tiring, fatigue, and low mood in the darker/dreary seasons?
Did you know that optimal levels of Vitamin D 'may' help with some cancers, the flu, autism, asthma, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease in addition to curing rickets and osteomalacia?
Do you know what your Vitamin D levels are?
A most brilliant article came out in the March 2008 Alternative Medicine Review entitled, Use of Vitamin D in Clinical Practice by Dr. John Cannell and Dr. Bruce Hollis. According to the authors, healthy humans should be supplemented with enough vitamin D or exposed to enough ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation to achieve 25(OH) vitamin D levels of 40-70 ng/mL year-round.
But I get plenty of sun-time, you say?
Factors affecting UVB exposure and the skin's production of Vitamin D include latitude, season of the year, time of day, air pollution, cloud cover, melanin content (how dark is your skin), use of sunblock, age, obesity, and the extent of clothes covering your body.
Because melanin in the skin acts just like a sunscreen, dark-skinned individuals need much longer UVB exposure than fair-skinned folks. Also, body fat absorbs vitamin D right into those fat cells without letting the rest of the body use this great hormone.
Okay, I get it so what type of lab-work should I have done?
Ask your doctor for a 25,OH Vitamin D test (do NOT get the 1,25,OH vitamin D test). Optimal levels are between 40-70 ng/mL although many researchers and clinicians aim for above 50 ng/Ml.
What if I am deficient?
Many health providers who do not know about vitamin D will worry about vitamin D toxicity which is second to an elevated level of calcium in your body. This is VERY uncommon but begins to occur when your vitamin D levels reach and exceed 150 ng/ml. Remember, you want to be somewhere between 40-70 ng/mL.
Keeping in mind your risk of skin cancer, getting outside and enjoying the sun in small increments without sunblock is a great way to increase your levels. Once you get a bit of unblocked sun...you can rub on your SPF sunscreen and/or cover-up and continue with your activity.
If you plan on taking vitamin D supplements, always do so under the supervision of a healthcare provider and make sure you are monitoring your vitamin D and serum calcium levels every 3-4 months when taking higher levels. Make sure your supplement is D3 or cholecalciferol and NOT the inferior form D2 or ergocalciferol. D2 (ergo) is not human vitamin D, acts much weaker, is not normally present in humans, and produces metabolic by-products not normally found in humans.
Before you go supplementing with vitamin D above 2000 IU/day, get your labs done and talk with a healthcare provider who is skilled at the ins and outs of this powerful vitamin hormone.
Three cheers for Vitamin D!
Did you know that even if you stand outside in the sun chances are you don't absorb very much because you're wearing sunglasses and SPF sunblock which limits Vitamin D from entering your body?
Did you know common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency are muscular weakness, feeling of heaviness in the legs, chronic musculoskeletal pain, easy tiring, fatigue, and low mood in the darker/dreary seasons?
Did you know that optimal levels of Vitamin D 'may' help with some cancers, the flu, autism, asthma, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease in addition to curing rickets and osteomalacia?
Do you know what your Vitamin D levels are?
A most brilliant article came out in the March 2008 Alternative Medicine Review entitled, Use of Vitamin D in Clinical Practice by Dr. John Cannell and Dr. Bruce Hollis. According to the authors, healthy humans should be supplemented with enough vitamin D or exposed to enough ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation to achieve 25(OH) vitamin D levels of 40-70 ng/mL year-round.
But I get plenty of sun-time, you say?
Factors affecting UVB exposure and the skin's production of Vitamin D include latitude, season of the year, time of day, air pollution, cloud cover, melanin content (how dark is your skin), use of sunblock, age, obesity, and the extent of clothes covering your body.
Because melanin in the skin acts just like a sunscreen, dark-skinned individuals need much longer UVB exposure than fair-skinned folks. Also, body fat absorbs vitamin D right into those fat cells without letting the rest of the body use this great hormone.
Okay, I get it
Ask your doctor for a 25,OH Vitamin D test (do NOT get the 1,25,OH vitamin D test). Optimal levels are between 40-70 ng/mL although many researchers and clinicians aim for above 50 ng/Ml.
What if I am deficient?
Many health providers who do not know about vitamin D will worry about vitamin D toxicity which is second to an elevated level of calcium in your body. This is VERY uncommon but begins to occur when your vitamin D levels reach and exceed 150 ng/ml. Remember, you want to be somewhere between 40-70 ng/mL.
Keeping in mind your risk of skin cancer, getting outside and enjoying the sun in small increments without sunblock is a great way to increase your levels. Once you get a bit of unblocked sun...you can rub on your SPF sunscreen and/or cover-up and continue with your activity.
If you plan on taking vitamin D supplements, always do so under the supervision of a healthcare provider and make sure you are monitoring your vitamin D and serum calcium levels every 3-4 months when taking higher levels. Make sure your supplement is D3 or cholecalciferol and NOT the inferior form D2 or ergocalciferol. D2 (ergo) is not human vitamin D, acts much weaker, is not normally present in humans, and produces metabolic by-products not normally found in humans.
Before you go supplementing with vitamin D above 2000 IU/day, get your labs done and talk with a healthcare provider who is skilled at the ins and outs of this powerful vitamin hormone.
Three cheers for Vitamin D!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Big belly? No memory? How they are connected.
Everyone knows that having the typical "apple" shape where your belly is larger than your hips is worse for your health down the road. All that fat centered around your organs and hanging over your pants can lead to heart disease and blood sugar problems like insulin resistance and diabetes. But can it cause dementia as well? Researchers say "yes!"
In the March issue of Neurology, they found that total body weight is a strong predictor of dementia, conferring a 75% increased risk among those with the highest BMI! Eek!
They also found that individuals who were both obese and who had a large belly were 3.6 times more likely to develop dementia than those of normal weight and belly size.
The thing is, visceral fat (there in your belly) is actually quite active! It produces hormones and inflammatory markers AND is a storage place for toxins. Now they are finding it can really play havoc on your brain.
Dementia is the loss of mental skills that affects your daily life. It can cause problems with your memory and how you plan. According to Wikipedia, it's the progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging.
Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia but stroke, tumors, head injuries, hypothyroidism and low Vitamin B12 can also be the cause.
If you find your memory isn't what it used to be, make an appointment with your doctor and start healthy habits that will get rid of that belly fat!
In the March issue of Neurology, they found that total body weight is a strong predictor of dementia, conferring a 75% increased risk among those with the highest BMI! Eek!
They also found that individuals who were both obese and who had a large belly were 3.6 times more likely to develop dementia than those of normal weight and belly size.
The thing is, visceral fat (there in your belly) is actually quite active! It produces hormones and inflammatory markers AND is a storage place for toxins. Now they are finding it can really play havoc on your brain.
Dementia is the loss of mental skills that affects your daily life. It can cause problems with your memory and how you plan. According to Wikipedia, it's the progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging.
Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia but stroke, tumors, head injuries, hypothyroidism and low Vitamin B12 can also be the cause.
If you find your memory isn't what it used to be, make an appointment with your doctor and start healthy habits that will get rid of that belly fat!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Stopping HRT - Are you still at risk for cancer?
After the big Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study that came out a few years ago, women around the world have been wondering, am I still at risk for breast cancer? I stopped my estrogen and I stopped my progestin (fake progesterone) so now what?
In the March 8th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (big deal to get published in here!) the news was not so good. Immediately stopping these hormones lowered cardiovascular risks such as heart attacks and blood clots. This is a good thing. However, they also found that women who took HRT remained at a higher risk for breast cancer even up to 3 years after stopping!
The study happened between 2002 and 2005. Being that it is 2008, the study does not say if it was ongoing and the effects of HRT after 3 years, ie. from 2002 - 2008.
What can women do? Be diligent! Go get your breast exams and mammograms! Eat healthy, exercise, limit your alcohol intake, limit your estrogen exposure, drink plenty of filtered water and perform monthly breast self exams (or have your partner do it!)
I have a good friend who went to the doctor for her yearly check-up. She brought her husband for moral support. During the breast exam, the doctor found a lump and remarked if my friend had ever felt it? Was it new? Had it been growing? How long had it been there? My friend was at a loss for words...she didn't know.
Suddenly her husband piped in, "I've been feeling that lump for awhile now. It hasn't grown. It hasn't changed."
The moral of the story is communication!! The lump turned out to be normal but had he told her about it, she would have been in for evaluation much sooner. I now tell all of my patients this story so they will let their significant others know a breast exam can be both fun AND medical at the same time!
In the March 8th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (big deal to get published in here!) the news was not so good. Immediately stopping these hormones lowered cardiovascular risks such as heart attacks and blood clots. This is a good thing. However, they also found that women who took HRT remained at a higher risk for breast cancer even up to 3 years after stopping!
The study happened between 2002 and 2005. Being that it is 2008, the study does not say if it was ongoing and the effects of HRT after 3 years, ie. from 2002 - 2008.
What can women do? Be diligent! Go get your breast exams and mammograms! Eat healthy, exercise, limit your alcohol intake, limit your estrogen exposure, drink plenty of filtered water and perform monthly breast self exams (or have your partner do it!)
I have a good friend who went to the doctor for her yearly check-up. She brought her husband for moral support. During the breast exam, the doctor found a lump and remarked if my friend had ever felt it? Was it new? Had it been growing? How long had it been there? My friend was at a loss for words...she didn't know.
Suddenly her husband piped in, "I've been feeling that lump for awhile now. It hasn't grown. It hasn't changed."
The moral of the story is communication!! The lump turned out to be normal but had he told her about it, she would have been in for evaluation much sooner. I now tell all of my patients this story so they will let their significant others know a breast exam can be both fun AND medical at the same time!
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