• Vitamin D3 supplementation helps women build muscle, avoid falls even after menopause

    The benefits of vitamin D supplementation for postmenopausal women have been widely debated. But a new study from Sao Paulo, Brazil, now documents that vitamin D supplementation can significantly increase muscle strength and reduce the loss of body muscle mass in women as late as 12+ years after menopause. The study results will be presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), which begins September 30 in Las Vegas.

    Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem in postmenopausal women worldwide, creating muscle weakness and a greater tendency for falling. The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted over a nine-month period. Muscle mass was estimated by total-body DXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), as well as by handgrip strength and through a chair-rising test.

    At the end of the trial, the women receiving the supplements demonstrated a significant increase (+25.3%) in muscle strength, while those receiving the placebo actually lost an average of 6.8% of muscle mass. Women not receiving Vitamin D supplements were also nearly two times as likely to fall.

    “We concluded that the supplementation of Vitamin D alone provided significant protection against the occurrence of sarcopenia, which is a degenerative loss of skeletal muscle, says Dr. L.M. Cangussu, one of the lead authors of the study from the Botucatu Medical School at Sao Paulo State University.

    “While this study is unlikely to decide the debate over Vitamin D, it provides further evidence to support the use of vitamin D supplements by postmenopausal women in an effort to reduce frailty and an increased risk of falling,” says NAMS Executive Director Wulf H. Utian, MD, PhD, DSc(Med).

    Article Source: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/vitamin-d3-supplementation-helps-women-build-muscle-avoid-falls-even-after-menopause/menopause/

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  • The HCG Diet: Yet another ineffective quick fix diet plan and supplement

    I contribute biweekly to Science-Based Medicine and could easily devote every post to writing about weight loss supplements, and never run out of topics. As soon as one quick fix falls out of favour, another inevitably replaces it. Some wax and wane in popularity. And pharmacies don’t help the situation. I cringe every time I walk down the aisle where weight loss products and kits are located. Detox? Hoodia? The “fat blaster”? Here are pharmacists, well educated and perfectly positioned to provide good advice to consumers, but standing behind a wall of boxes with ridiculous weight loss promises. Yet pharmacists tell me that these products are not only sought out by customers, but they actually sell well. It’s a lost opportunity to provide good advice, and consumers pay the price.

    Perhaps because consumers associate these products with pharmacies, I get regular questions about weight loss programs. I end up developing some degree of familiarity with many of them, if only to be able to credibly redirect away from some of the more harmful plans and approaches. It’s that philosophy that I used recently when I was asked about how to best to manage a “plateau” on the HCG diet. I’d never dispensed human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) before, but knew of its use for the treatment of infertility, where it promotes egg release. But weight loss? I couldn’t think of a mechanism for how HCG could promote weight loss. So I did some digging, and found a long, rich vein of pseudoscience that dates back decades.

    HCG is a hormone secreted by the placenta during pregnancy. Its use as a weight loss adjunct has roots that date back to the 1950s, when Italian physican ATW Simeons announced [PDF] case studies of weight loss in patients given HCG injection and placed on very low calorie diets — about 500 kcal/day. Simeons’ data failed to be replicated in later studies, and interest seemed to deservedly fade. The diet leapt back into consciousness when telemarketer and convicted felon Kevin Trudeau started promoting the diet again in 2007, claiming the TRUTH had been suppressed by the American Medical Association and the FDA. Since then, HCG (also called the Simeons method) has been on a bit of tear, and it’s currently enjoying a resurgence of popularity.

    The Evidence

    With HCG, we’re not facing a situation of unproven efficacy. Rather, there’s good evidence to demonstrate that it does not have any meaningful effect. Multiple studies and meta-analyses have evaluated the HCG diet and found no evidence that HCG injections offer any incremental benefit. The studies date go way back to the 1970s [PDF], and their conclusions are consistent and persuasive: The weight loss effect on the HCG diet is due to the dramatic calorie reduction, and the HCG has no measurable effect on weight loss. Not surprisingly, there are no medical associations that I could find that endorse the use of HCG for weight loss. The American Society of Bariatric Physicians warns,

    Numerous clinical trials have shown HCG to be ineffectual in producing weight loss. HCG injections can induce a slight increase in muscle mass in androgen-deficient males. The diet used in the Simeons method provides a lower protein intake than is advisable in view of current knowledge and practice. There are few medical literature reports favorable to the Simeons method; the overwhelming majority of medical reports are critical of it. Physicians employing either the HCG or the diet recommended by Simeons may expose themselves to criticism from other physicians, from insurers, or from government bodies.

    So does the HCG Diet Work?

    Any weight loss from the HCG diet is actually due to the dramatic calorie restriction required as part of the diet plans — in some cases, as low as 500 calories per day. This near-starvation diet is dramatically below appropriate levels for weight loss or maintenance, and escalates the risk of malnutrition if prolonged. Even if it wasn’t immediately harmful, a 500kcal diet is simply unsustainable. Weight maintenance is the real challenge with obesity.

    HCG injections are not innocuous. It may be teratogenic (cause birth defects) in pregnant women. Reported side effects include headache, fatigue, irritability, restlessness, ovarian overstimulation, ascites, and edema.

    Regulatory status

    The FDA has long maintained that HCG is ineffective for weight loss and in the 1970’s mandated this warning with all HCG diet advertisements:

    HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or “normal” distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.

    What’s appeared over the past several years have been non-prescription (i.e., over-the-counter) HCG products, including “homeopathic” HCG which if you follow the absurd principles of homeopathy, should cause weight gain, not loss. Moreover, HCG is a protein that would be digested if consumed orally. But scientific cogency isn’t a necessary component of a good sales pitch, and you’ll see homeopathic versions sold widely. The FDA noted this and took action this past December, when it began to pull all unapproved HCG products completely off the market. This has put the supplement industry into the positon of creating “HCG-free” versions of their products become infused with “radionics” where the HCG “energy” is transferred to vitamins or amino acids. The FDA emphasizes in its warnings that all non-prescription versions of HCG are fraudulent and ineffective, as non-prescription HCG does not exist. Even “homeopathic” HCG is prohibited:

    “Deceptive advertising about weight loss products is one of the most prevalent types of fraud,” said David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Any advertiser who makes health claims about a product is required by federal law to back them up with competent and reliable scientific evidence, so consumers have the accurate information they need to make good decisions.”

    The FDA even notes that the infamous Quack Miranda warning is insufficient warning to consumers, when it comes to HCG:

    We recognize that a number of pages on your website contain a disclaimer stating that the products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. However, notwithstanding this disclaimer, the claims made on your website for “HCG Fusion 30” and “HCG Fusion 43” clearly demonstrate that these products are drugs as defined by section 201(g)(1) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 321(g)(1)], because they are intended to affect the structure or any function of the body.

    The Alternative Universe

    The lack of evidence for HCG, and the explicit FDA warnings haven’t stopped a thriving business model among those that promote alternatives to science-based medicine. In the United States, for example, a naturopath has formed the “HCG Diet Council” and is collecting anecdotes from providers and users as part of their “standardized research program” of both HCG and homeopathic HCG. “Does the FDA Want to Keep America Fat?” the council asks. In Canada, naturopaths at the Northern Centre for Integrative Medicine thumb their nose at the evidence, and Health Canada’s warning:

    HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) is authorized in Canada only for treatment of women with infertility, and only in an injectable form. There is no scientific evidence that the use of HCG either by mouth (as drops under the tongue, as advertised on the Internet) or as a self-administered injection, could promote weight loss.

    NCIM honors the intent of Health Canada’s statement, which is protective in nature. Health Canada’s statement does not address the more substantive issue, which is the significant risk of not taking action to reduce your weight and risking future illness. The NCIM HCG Rx+ weight loss intervention cannot make any guarantees, it nevertheless provides a time-tested approach to weight loss that is physician supervised and individually monitored for safety and effectiveness.

    And NCIM doesn’t honour the intent of the statement at all. It notes that the prescription it provides for HCG injections may be covered by private drug insurance.

    And a post on HCG can’t neglect it’s biggest television promoter after Kevin Trudeau: Dr. Oz, who having recommended against the HCG diet, turned around and subsequently promoted it on his show, prompting obesity specialist Dr. Yoni Freedhoff to ask “Dr. Oz — so corrupted by fame he even sells himself out?“

    Conclusion

    There’s no persuasive evidence that HCG injections has any meaningful effects on weight loss. And “homeopathic” HCG is quite literally, nothing. If the HCG diet shows one thing at all, it’s the tenacity of an idea once it’s been planted. Despite warnings by researchers, health professionals, and regulators since at least 1976 about the lack of evidence for HCG as a weight loss adjunct, it continues to attract attention and new users, now promoted by naturopaths and television personalities that are indifferent to the evidence. It’s gratifying to see a regulator (the FDA in this case) take off the gloves with supplement vendors and other purveyors of HCG pseudoscience. When it comes to weight loss there are no quick fixes.

    Written By: Scott Gavura

    Article Source: https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-hcg-diet-yet-another-ineffective-quick-fix-diet-plan-and-supplement/

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  • Fitness Helps Improve Lipid Profile

    Exercise may delay age-related elevated cholesterol, among men.

    A measure of the ability of the body’s circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to the skeletal muscles during sustained physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) may be achieved by plentiful aerobic exercise. Yong-Moon Mark Park, from the University of South Carolina (South Carolina, USA), and colleagues analyzed data collected on 11,418 men enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, ages 20 to 90 years, without known high cholesterol, high triglycerides, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at the study’s and during follow-up averaging 36 years. The researchers conducted blood tests to ascertain cholesterol levels, and administered treadmill tests to measure cardiorespiratory fitness. The team observed that the better men did on the fitness tests, the more likely they were to have lower total cholesterol, lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, “bad” cholesterol), and higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, “good” cholesterol). Men with higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels had better cholesterol profiles than less fit men from their early 20s until at least their early 60s, though the difference diminished with older age. As well, men with lower fitness levels reached abnormal cholesterol levels before age 40. The study authors write that: “Our investigation reveals a differential trajectory of lipids and lipoproteins with aging according to [cardiorespiratory fitness] in healthy men and suggests that promoting increased [cardiorespiratory fitness] levels may help delay the development of dyslipidemia.”

    Article Source: http://www.worldhealth.net/news/fitness-helps-improves-lipid-profile/

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  • Breast Tissue in Men

    A breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts from cells of the breast. A malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that may grow into (invade) surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the body. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer, and can spread to other areas of the body. To learn more about how cancers start and spread, see What Is Cancer?

    Breast cancer occurs mainly in women, but men can get it, too. Many people do not realize that men have breast tissue and that they can develop breast cancer.

    Normal breast structure

    To understand breast cancer, it helps to have some basic knowledge about the normal structure of the breasts.

    The breast is made up mainly of lobules (glands that can produce milk if the right hormones are present), ducts (tiny tubes that carry the milk from the lobules to the nipple), and stroma (fatty tissue and connective tissue surrounding the ducts and lobules, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels).

    Until puberty (on average around age 9 or 10), young boys and girls have a small amount of breast tissue consisting of a few ducts located under the nipple and areola (area around the nipple). At puberty, a girl’s ovaries make female hormones, causing breast ducts to grow, lobules to form at the ends of ducts, and the amount of stroma to increase. Even after puberty, men and boys normally have low levels of female hormones, and breast tissue doesn’t grow much. Men’s breast tissue has ducts, but only a few if any lobules.

    Like all cells of the body, a man’s breast duct cells can undergo cancerous changes. But breast cancer is less common in men because their breast duct cells are less developed than those of women and because they normally have lower levels of female hormones that affect the growth of breast cells.

    The lymph (lymphatic) system of the breast

    The lymph system is important to understand because it is one of the ways that breast cancers can spread. This system has several parts.

    Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped collections of immune system cells (cells that are important in fighting infections) that are connected by lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic vessels are like small veins, except that they carry a clear fluid called lymph (instead of blood) away from the breast. Lymph contains tissue fluid and waste products, as well as immune system cells. Breast cancer cells can enter lymphatic vessels and begin to grow in lymph nodes.

    Most lymphatic vessels in the breast connect to lymph nodes under the arm (axillarynodes). Some lymphatic vessels connect to lymph nodes under the breast bone (internal mammary nodes) and either above or below the collarbone (supraclavicular or infraclavicular nodes).

    If the cancer cells have spread to these lymph nodes, there is a higher chance that the cells could have also gotten into the bloodstream and spread (metastasized) to other sites in the body. The more lymph nodes with breast cancer cells, the more likely it is that the cancer may be found in other organs as well. Because of this, finding cancer in one or more lymph nodes often affects the treatment plan. Still, not all men with cancer cells in their lymph nodes develop metastases to other areas, and some men can have no cancer cells in their lymph nodes and later develop metastases.

    Benign breast conditions

    Men can also have some benign (not cancerous) breast disorders.

    Gynecomastia

    Gynecomastia is the most common male breast disorder. It is not a tumor but rather an increase in the amount of a man’s breast tissue. Usually, men have too little breast tissue to be felt or noticed. Gynecomastia can appear as a button-like or disk-like growth under the nipple and areola (the dark circle around the nipple), which can be felt and sometimes seen. Some men have more severe gynecomastia and they may appear to have small breasts. Although gynecomastia is much more common than breast cancer in men, both can be felt as a growth under the nipple, which is why it’s important to have any such lumps checked by your doctor.

    Gynecomastia is common among teenage boys because the balance of hormones in the body changes during adolescence. It is also common in older men due to changes in their hormone balance.

    In rare cases, gynecomastia occurs because tumors or diseases of certain endocrine (hormone-producing) glands cause a man’s body to make more estrogen (the main female hormone). Men’s glands normally make some estrogen, but not enough to cause breast growth. Diseases of the liver, which is an important organ in male and female hormone metabolism, can change a man’s hormone balance and lead to gynecomastia. Obesity (being extremely overweight) can also cause higher levels of estrogens in men.

    Some medicines can cause gynecomastia. These include some drugs used to treat ulcers and heartburn, high blood pressure, heart failure, and psychiatric conditions. Men with gynecomastia should ask their doctors if any medicines they are taking might be causing this condition.

    Klinefelter syndrome, a rare genetic condition, can lead to gynecomastia as well as increase a man’s risk of developing breast cancer. This condition is discussed further in the section “What are the risk factors for breast cancer in men?”

    Benign breast tumors

    There are many types of benign breast tumors (abnormal lumps or masses of tissue), such as papillomas and fibroadenomas. Benign tumors do not spread outside the breast and are not life threatening. Benign breast tumors are common in women but are very rare in men.

    General breast cancer terms

    Here are some of the key words used to describe breast cancer.

    Carcinoma

    This term describes a cancer that begins in the lining layer (epithelial cells) of organs such as the breast. Nearly all breast cancers are carcinomas (either ductal carcinomas or lobular carcinomas).

    Adenocarcinoma

    An adenocarcinoma is a type of carcinoma that starts in glandular tissue (tissue that makes and secretes a substance). The ducts and lobules of the breast are glandular tissue (they make breast milk in women), so cancers starting in these areas are sometimes called adenocarcinomas.

    Carcinoma in situ

    This is an early stage of cancer, when it is confined to the layer of cells where it began. In breast cancer, in situ means that the abnormal cells remain confined to ducts (ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS). These cells have not grown into (invaded) deeper tissues in the breast or spread to other organs in the body. Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast is sometimes referred to as non-invasive or pre-invasive breast cancer because it might develop into an invasive breast cancer if left untreated.

    When cancer cells are confined to the lobules it is called lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). This is not actually a true pre-invasive cancer because it does not turn into an invasive cancer if left untreated. It is linked to an increased risk of invasive cancer in both breasts. LCIS is rarely, if ever seen in men.

    Invasive (or infiltrating) carcinoma

    An invasive cancer is one that has already grown beyond the layer of cells where it started (as opposed to carcinoma in situ). Most breast cancers are invasive carcinomas, either invasive ductal carcinoma or invasive lobular carcinoma.

    Sarcoma

    Sarcomas are cancers that start in connective tissues such as muscle tissue, fat tissue, or blood vessels. Sarcomas of the breast are rare.

    Types of breast cancer in men

    Breast cancer can be separated into several types based on the way the cancer cells look under the microscope. In some cases a single breast tumor can be a combination of these types or be a mixture of invasive and in situ cancer. And in some rarer types of breast cancer, the cancer cells may not form a tumor at all.

    Breast cancer can also be classified based on proteins on or in the cancer cells, into groups like hormone receptor-positive and triple-negative. These are discussed in the section “How is breast cancer in men classified?”

    Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

    Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS; also known as intraductal carcinoma ) is considered non-invasive or pre-invasive breast cancer. In DCIS (also known as intraductal carcinoma ), cells that lined the ducts have changed to look like cancer cells. The difference between DCIS and invasive cancer is that the cells have not spread ( invaded ) through the walls of the ducts into the surrounding tissue of the breast (or spread outside the breast). DCIS is considered a pre-cancer because some cases can go on to become invasive cancers. Right now, though, there is no good way to know for certain which cases will go on to become invasive cancers and which ones won’t. DCIS accounts for about 1 in 10 cases of breast cancer in men. It is almost always curable with surgery.

    Infiltrating (or invasive) ductal carcinoma (IDC)

    Invasive (or infiltrating) ductal carcinoma (IDC) starts in a milk duct of the breast, breaks through the wall of the duct, and grows into the fatty tissue of the breast. At this point, it may be able to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system and bloodstream. At least 8 out of 10 male breast cancers are IDCs (alone or mixed with other types of invasive or in situ breast cancer). Because the male breast is much smaller than the female breast, all male breast cancers start relatively close to the nipple, so they are more likely to spread to the nipple. This is different from Paget disease as described below.

    Infiltrating (or invasive) lobular carcinoma (ILC)

    This type of breast cancer starts in the breast lobules (collections of cells that, in women, produce breast milk) and grows into the fatty tissue of the breast. ILC is very rare in men, accounting for only about 2% of male breast cancers. This is because men do not usually have much lobular tissue.

    Paget disease of the nipple

    This type of breast cancer starts in the breast ducts and spreads to the nipple. It may also spread to the areola (the dark circle around the nipple). The skin of the nipple usually appears crusted, scaly, and red, with areas of itching, oozing, burning, or bleeding. There may also be an underlying lump in the breast.

    Paget disease may be associated with DCIS or with infiltrating ductal carcinoma. It accounts for about 1% of female breast cancers and a higher percentage of male breast cancers.

    Inflammatory breast cancer

    Inflammatory breast cancer is an aggressive, but rare type of breast cancer. It makes the breast swollen, red, warm and tender rather than forming a lump. It can be mistaken for an infection of the breast. This is very rare in men. This cancer is discussed in detail in our document Inflammatory Breast Cancer .

    Article Source: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancerinmen/detailedguide/breast-cancer-in-men-what-is-breast-cancer-in-men

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  • Sleep loss lowers testosterone in healthy young men

    Cutting back on sleep drastically reduces a healthy young man’s testosterone levels, according to a study published in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

    Eve Van Cauter, PhD, professor in medicine and director of the study, found that men who slept less than five hours a night for one week in a laboratory had significantly lower levels of testosterone than when they had a full night’s sleep. Low testosterone has a host of negative consequences for young men, and not just in sexual behavior and reproduction. It is critical in building strength and muscle mass, and bone density.

    “Low testosterone levels are associated with reduced well being and vigor, which may also occur as a consequence of sleep loss” said Van Cauter.

    At least 15% of the adult working population in the US gets less than 5 hours of sleep a night, and suffers many adverse health effects because of it. This study found that skipping sleep reduces a young man’s testosterone levels by the same amount as aging 10 to 15 years.

    “As research progresses, low sleep duration and poor sleep quality are increasingly recognized as endocrine disruptors,” Van Cauter said.

    The ten young men in the study were recruited from around the University of Chicago campus. They passed a rigorous battery of tests to screen for endocrine or psychiatric disorders and sleep problems. They were an average of 24 years old, lean and in good health.

    For the study, they spent three nights in the laboratory sleeping for up to ten hours, and then eight nights sleeping less than five hours. Their blood was sampled every 15 to 30 minutes for 24 hours during the last day of the ten-hour sleep phase and the last day of the five-hour sleep phase.

    The effects of sleep loss on testosterone levels were apparent after just one week of short sleep. Five hours of sleep decreased their testosterone levels by 10% to 15%. The young men had the lowest testosterone levels in the afternoons on their sleep restricted days, between 2 pm and 10 pm.

    The young men also self-reported their mood and vigor levels throughout the study. They reported a decline in their sense of well-being as their blood testosterone levels declined. Their mood and vigor fell more every day as the sleep restriction part of the study progressed.

    Testosterone levels in men decline by 1% to 2% a year as they age. Testosterone deficiency is associated with low energy, reduced libido, poor concentration, and fatigue.

    Article Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/uocm-sll053111.php

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  • Sermorelin-GHRP 2, A Profound Effect on Body Composition with Renewed Energy!

    Call Boston Testosterone Partner s to learn more about our FDA approved Second Generation HGH releasing peptide therapy.

    We are the Nation’s foremost medical experts in HGH optimization through the use of prescription Sermorelin GHRP2 & GHRP6! Importantly, we are also the only Men’s Hormone Clinic that requires our pharmacies to send out Laboratory Analysis Reports with every Rx to every patient.

    Far superior technology than any other Sermorelin product available in the US. See the difference with BTP.

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    Eliminate Cellulite

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    Improve Cholesterol levels

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    At Boston Testosterone, our state-of-the-art compounding pharmacy has focused their considerable knowledge on producing a product that delivers greater benefits to the patient at a price that is more affordable than HGH. This exciting, new product, SERMORELIN GHRP2, has proven to be much more effective and have a more profound effect on body composition.

    When we’re young, our bodies produce a growth hormone releasing factor that triggers our pituitary gland to produce and release human growth hormone (hGH) in levels that are sufficient to sustain good health and vitality. However, as we age, growth hormone releasing factor declines causing a decrease in the production and secretion of pituitary hGH. This often results in a growth hormone deficiency that can erode health, diminish vigor and vitality, and lead to a host of undesirable symptoms.

    A Natural, Effective, Affordable Alternative

    Traditionally, adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) has been treated by substituting natural hGH with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH). Now, our breakthrough product, SERMORELIN GHRP2 offers a natural, effective, and affordable alternative to recombinant human growth hormone for those suffering the symptoms of age-related growth hormone deficiency.

    Developed in 1998 by Serono Laboratories, Inc., the makers of Saizen hGH, FDA approved Sermorelin is the most natural and effective treatment for AGHD. As a releasing agent, SERMORELIN GHRP2 triggers the pituitary gland to produce your own natural growth hormone. Your body regulates the level and frequency of hGH release, so you don’t experience the side effects associated with injected rhGH.

    No Off Cycles!

    SERMORELIN GHRP2 requires no off-cycles. In fact, the longer you use it, the better your pituitary gland functions, more like it did when you were younger!! In addition, SERMORELIN GHRP2 can be used to re-stimulate the natural production of human growth hormone, making it a very effective off-cycle medication for those on an injected rhGH therapy program.

    At our pharmacy, we’ve combined the pituitary-supporting effects of Sermorelin with the stimulating action of GHRP-2 (Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide). GHRP-2 stimulates the pituitary gland which causes an increase in growth hormone release. In addition to amplifying your GH releasing Hormone, GHRP-2 also acts to suppress other hormones that inhibit your body’s natural growth hormone secretion. GHRP-2 also supports your central nervous system by protecting neurons, as well as, increasing strength similar to the way certain steroids in the dihydrotestosterone family do.

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    Restore Your Health and Vitality!

    Bottom line, restoring optimal growth hormone levels can sustain and promote youthful anatomy and physiology, thereby helping to restore the health and vitality often lost with age-related growth hormone deficiency. SERMORELIN GHRP2 not only provides the youth restoring benefits of hGH on body composition, it also helps maintain good pituitary health.

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  • PDE5 inhibitors – Another reason to love them

    Boston Testosterone Partners – Testosterone Replacement Therapy for Men with adjunct therapies in PDE5 inhibitors such as tadalafil (Cialis) and Sildenafil (Viagra). Here is another reason why many of our patients love to include tadalafil troches into their therapy protocols.

    Researchers from the University of Bonn treated mice with Viagra and made an amazing discovery: The drug converts undesirable white fat cells and could thus potentially melt the unwelcome “spare tire” around the midriff. In addition, the substance also decreases the risk of other complications caused by obesity. The results are now published in “The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology ” ( FASEB ).

    Sildenafil – better known as Viagra – is used to treat erectile dysfunction. This substance prevents degradation of cyclic guanosine mono-phosphate (cGMP), which then ensures blood supply for an erection. However, another effect of Viagra has been noticed quite some time ago – mice given sildenafil over longer periods of time were resistant to obesity when fed with high-fat diet. However, the cause for this reduced weight gain had been unclear. Researchers from the University of Bonn have been able to shed some light on this sildenafil effect. “We have been researching the effect of cGMP on fat cells for quite some time now,” reports Prof. Dr. Alexander Pfeifer, Director of the Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Bonn. “This is why sildenafil was a potentially interesting candidate for us.”

    Viagra converts undesirable white fat cells into beige ones

    Together with the PharmaCenter of the University of Bonn, the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), and the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, the team around Prof. Pfeifer studied the effect of sildenafil on fat cells in mice. The researchers administered the potency drug to the rodents for seven days. “The effects were quite amazing,” says Dr. Ana Kilic, one of Prof. Pfeifer’s colleagues. Sildenafil increased the conversion of white fat cells, which are found in human ‘problem areas’, into beige ones in the animals. “Beige fat cells burn the energy from ingested food and convert it to heat, says Prof. Pfeifer. Because the beige fat cells can “melt the fat” and thus fight obesity, researchers are very hopeful for their potential.

    Positive effect on inflammation responses

    In addition, the researchers observed something else of interest. If white fat cells are further “stuffed”/accumulating lipids, they are increasing in size and can synthesize and release hormones which in turn cause inflammation thus increasing the persons risk for chronic diseases. Such inflammatory responses may then lead to, e.g., cardio-vascular diseases resulting in heart attacks and strokes, as well as cancer and diabetes. “It seems that sildenafil prevented the fat cells in these mice from getting onto that slippery slope,” reports Prof. Pfeifer. Overall, the development of white cells seems to be healthier.

    More than half a billion overweight people worldwide

    Globally, over half a billion people are overweight. Present study has resulted in interesting starting points for further research on this mechanism. “Sildenafil is not only able to minimize erectile problems, but it can also reduce the risks of gaining excessive weight,” says Prof. Pfeifer. The researchers may have found a mechanism that allows converting the undesirable white fat cells into the “good” beige (brown-like) fat cells that “melt” away excess pounds. In addition, it might be possible to decrease complications related with obesity. “But this will need to be proven in additional studies,” adds Dr. Kilic.

    Caution against premature application

    Despite promising data, researchers caution the public against the fallacy of thinking that popping some sildenafil will work to quickly lose the extra pounds accumulated over the holidays. “We are currently in the basic research stage, and all the studies have been exclusively performed on mice,” stresses Prof. Pfeifer. It will be a long way until potentially suitable drugs for decreasing white fat cells in humans will be found.

    Source: University of Bonn

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  • Low testosterone may cause health problems that lead to erectile dysfunction

    Men with erectile dysfunction should be examined for testosterone deficiency and the metabolic syndrome, because these conditions commonly occur together, a new study shows. The results will be presented at The Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

    “Erectile dysfunction is a portal into men’s health,” said the study’s senior author, Aksam Yassin, MD, PhD, of the Clinic for Urology and Andrology of the Segeberger Clinics in Norderstedt, Germany. “It is becoming clear that obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems and erectile difficulties are intertwined, and a common denominator is testosterone deficiency.”

    Yassin’s research, performed with scientists from The Netherlands, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, aimed to determine in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) the prevalence of hypogonadism, the scientific term for testosterone deficiency.

    Over a two-year period the investigators studied 771 patients who sought treatment for ED. Their average age was 56. The patients received a comprehensive screening for low testosterone and indicators of the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that increase the chances of developing heart and vascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Having three of the following five risk factors establishes the diagnosis of this syndrome: increased waist circumference (abdominal fat), low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, high triglycerides (fats in the blood), high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.

    Among the 771 men, 18.3 percent of the men (141 men) had testosterone deficiency , which had previously been undetected, the authors found. The prevalence of hypogonadism in the general population of men age 45 and older is about 12 percent, Yassin said.

    Of all the men in the study, 270 (35 percent) had type 1 or type 2 diabetes; in eight of the men, diabetes was a new diagnosis, according to study data. High blood pressure was found in 239 men (31 percent), and 12 of these men had been unaware of it. Among the 162 men (21 percent) who had dyslipidemia–abnormal cholesterol or triglycerides–nine of them had not previously been diagnosed. And 108 men, or 14 percent, had varying degrees of coronary heart disease. Five of them received this diagnosis for the first time, Yassin said.

    Men with ED–especially older men–should therefore receive evaluation not only for ED but also for testosterone deficiency and any underlying signs of the metabolic syndrome, he advised.

    Article Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/tes-ltm061408.php

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  • Experts take strong stance on testosterone deficiency and treatment

    BOSTON – In an effort to address widespread concerns related to testosterone deficiency (TD) and its treatment with testosterone therapy, a group of international experts has developed a set of resolutions and conclusions to provide clarity for physicians and patients. At a consensus conference held in Prague, Czech Republic last fall, the experts debated nine resolutions, with unanimous approval. The details of the conference were published today in a Mayo Clinic Proceedings report.

    Much of the controversy surrounding testosterone therapy stems from intense media attention on recent reports suggesting increased heart-related risks associated with testosterone treatment. “The importance of this meeting was to set aside the various distortions and misinformation that have appeared regarding testosterone therapy and to establish what is scientifically true based on the best available evidence,” said Abraham Morgentaler, MD, chairman of the consensus conference. Morgentaler is the Director of Men’s Health Boston and an Associate Clinical Professor of Urology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.

    After examining the best available scientific evidence, Morgentaler and colleagues — who included experts with specialties in urology, endocrinology, diabetes, internal medicine, and basic science research — agreed on the following:

    • TD is a well-established, clinically significant medical condition that negatively affects male sexuality, reproduction, general health and quality of life.
    • Symptoms and signs of TD occur as a result of low levels of testosterone and may benefit from treatment regardless of whether there is an identified underlying origin.
    • TD is a global public health concern.
    • Testosterone therapy for men with TD is effective, rational, and evidence-based.
    • There is no testosterone concentration threshold that reliably distinguishes those who will respond to treatment from those who will not.
    • There is no scientific basis for any age-specific recommendations against the use of testosterone therapy in adult males.
    • The evidence does not support increased risks of cardiovascular events with testosterone therapy.
    • The evidence does not support increased risk of prostate cancer with testosterone therapy.
    • The evidence supports a major research initiative to explore possible benefits of testosterone therapy for cardiometabolic disease, including diabetes.

    “It will be surprising to those unfamiliar with the literature to learn how weak the evidence is supporting the alleged risks of cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer,” said Michael Zitzmann, MD, vice-chair of the conference and a Professor in the Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology at the University of Muenster in Germany. “Indeed, there is substantial data suggesting there may actually be cardio-protective benefits of testosterone therapy.”

    “The medical and scientific communities are still largely unaware of the major negative impact of testosterone deficiency on general health,” added co-author Abdulmaged Traish, PhD, a Professor of Urology at Boston University Medical Center. “The media-driven focus on unproven risks has obscured the known health risks of untreated testosterone deficiency: obesity, reduced bone mineral density, and increased mortality.”

    Article Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-06/bidm-ets062116.php

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  • Low Serum Testosterone and Mortality in Male Veterans

    Background Low serum testosterone is a common condition in aging associated with decreased muscle mass and insulin resistance. This study evaluated whether low testosterone levels are a risk factor for mortality in male veterans.

    Methods We used a clinical database to identify men older than 40 years with repeated testosterone levels obtained from October 1, 1994, to December 31, 1999, and without diagnosed prostate cancer. A low testosterone level was a total testosterone level of less than 250 ng/dL (<8.7 nmol/L) or a free testosterone level of less than 0.75 ng/dL (<0.03 nmol/L). Men were classified as having a low testosterone level (166 [19.3%]), an equivocal testosterone level (equal number of low and normal levels) (240 [28.0%]), or a normal testosterone level (452 [52.7%]). The risk for all-cause mortality was estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates over a follow-up of up to 8 years.

    Results Mortality in men with normal testosterone levels was 20.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.2%-24.1%) vs 24.6% (95% CI, 19.2%-30.0%) in men with equivocal testosterone levels and 34.9% (95% CI, 28.5%-41.4%) in men with low testosterone levels. After adjusting for age, medical morbidity, and other clinical covariates, low testosterone levels continued to be associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.34-2.63; P <.001) while equivocal testosterone levels were not significantly different from normal testosterone levels (hazard ratio, 1.38; 95% CI, 0.99%-1.92%; P =.06). In a sensitivity analysis, men who died within the first year (50 [5.8%]) were excluded to minimize the effect of acute illness, and low testosterone levels continued to be associated with elevated mortality.

    Conclusions Low testosterone levels were associated with increased mortality in male veterans. Further prospective studies are needed to examine the association between low testosterone levels and mortality.

    Testosterone levels decline with aging, with an average decrease in total serum testosterone levels of approximately 1.5% per year. 1 The prevalence of low serum total testosterone levels is approximately 20% by the age of 50 years and 50% by the age of 80 years. Manifestations of low testosterone include decreased muscle mass and bone mineral density, increased fat mass, central obesity, insulin resistance, decreased libido and energy, irritability, and dysphoria. 2 In contrast to menopause, in which all women undergo a nearly complete cessation of gonadal estrogen secretion, in men, gonadal androgen secretion decreases gradually and progressively after the age of 30 years, but does not generally cease, and androgen levels remain highly variable in older men. The prevalence of clinical androgen deficiency (symptoms plus low testosterone levels) was recently reported to be about 6% to 12% in middle-aged and elderly men. 3 Testosterone levels also decrease with acute and chronic illnesses and with medications such as glucocorticoids and opiates. 2 Because of the aging of our society, many older men are affected by age-associated low testosterone levels. 2 In addition, the use of testosterone has increased significantly, with a tripling in prescriptions for testosterone over a 3-year period. 4 However, despite the marked increase in testosterone use, the overall risks and benefits remain unclear. 4 , 5

    In a recent small study 6 in a geriatric rehabilitation unit, we found that men with a low testosterone level had an increased 6-month mortality compared with men with a normal testosterone level who were of a comparable age and had comparable medical morbidity. Given these unforeseen preliminary findings, we conducted the present retrospective cohort study to examine if repeatedly low serum testosterone levels were associated with increased mortality in a larger sample of middle-aged and elderly men with a longer follow-up, of up to 8 years.

    Article Source: http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article/?articleid=410768

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