November 10th, 2009
An interesting but sobering article in the Vail Daily News outlines how toxins in our environment are playing a major role in declining fertility.
It’s acknowledged that one out of every six couples in the U.S. experiences problems with conception during the first 12 months of trying. Apparently, toxins can affect sperm count, movement and “structure” and sons of mothers who have a high level of toxins may have a lower sperm count and a male birth defect called hypospadias.
In women, environmental toxins can affect ovulation, hormones such as progesterone and estrogen, and can cause PCOS, endometriosis and fibroids.
Fortunately, taking precautionary steps as simple as using glass instead of plastic containers, can aid in fertility and conception.
Read on:
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20091109/AE/911099992/1078&ParentProfile=1062
May 29th, 2009
Just as I was getting a handle on hormones as relates to PCOS, bioidentical hormones are all over the Internet and other media. What exactly are they and how would they affect me? What are the pros and cons of using them?
Fortunately, Dr. Rebecca Booth conveys the straight story in her May 27th Huffington Post blog entitled “Bioidentical Hormones – Marketing Hype of Medical Breakthrough?”
This respected OB/GYN and author of “The Venus Week: Discover the Powerful Secret of Your Cycle…At Any Age” lists many of the changes brought about by our sex hormones in adolescence up to our mid- 20’s (Breasts develop; the waistline is carved out). Good!. And with menopause (Breasts deflate (or worse, get enormous); Waist disappears). Not so good.
We urge you to read this article in full to better understand the nature of your hormones:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-booth/bioidentical-hormones-mar_b_208180.html
All the best, Catherine L, PCOS Support Blog Editor
June 16th, 2008
The Endocrine Society
June 16, 2008
In young girls at risk of early puberty and insulin resistance, the diabetes drug metformin delayed the onset of menstruation and decreased the development of insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. The results were presented Monday, June 16, at The Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
“The findings indicate that we can slow down puberty,” said the study’s senior author, Lourdes Ibanez, MD, PhD, of the University of Barcelona in Spain. “This is important because when puberty is faster in girls, the appearance of menses occurs earlier, and this sequence of events may ultimately result in a shorter adult height.”
Also, getting a first menstrual period before age 12 has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Early puberty (breast development) is a risk factor for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), especially if the girl is overweight, she said. PCOS is a common cause of infertility.
All 38 girls in the study had not yet reached puberty at the start of the study but had developed pubic hair abnormally early—before the age of 8 years. These girls typically start puberty earlier than their peers, Ibanez said.
The study patients had another risk factor for early puberty. All had been born small and experienced rapid catch-up growth during infancy, thus developing more fat than normal. This fat tends to be around the middle, which increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease in adulthood. Belly fat also is a marker of insulin resistance, in which the body needs more insulin than usual to clear glucose, or sugar, from the blood. Girls who are the most insulin resistant begin menstruating much earlier than their peers, Ibanez said.
Therefore, Ibanez and her co-workers studied whether a low dose of metformin, a drug that improves insulin resistance, would slow the transition through puberty by decreasing insulin resistance and abdominal fat. The girls had an average age of nearly 8 when they started the study. They randomly received either no treatment (19 girls) or treatment with low-dose metformin once a day (19 girls) for 4 years.
The metformin-treated girls started puberty and menstruation later than the untreated girls, the authors found. After 4 years of treatment, they also gained about 50 percent less fat—especially abdominal fat—and became less insulin resistant, compared with girls who did not receive the drug, according to Ibanez. They also had fewer risk factors for future heart disease, including better cholesterol levels, she said.
Bone mineral density testing showed no harm to bone development in the treated girls. At 4 years, treated patients continued to grow taller, but most untreated girls had already stopped growing.
Use of metformin in this patient population is experimental. Metformin is approved for treatment of type 2 diabetes in people 10 years or older.
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Researchers from the University of Girona’s Doctor Josep Trueta Hospital, Spain; the Hospital of Terrassa, Spain; and the University of Leuven, Belgium, collaborated on this study. Carlos III Institute of Health in Madrid, Spain, funded the study.
Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones, and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society’s membership consists of over 14,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 80 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at www.endo-society.org.\
Contact: Aaron Lohr
alohr@endo-society.org
240-482-1380
The Endocrine Society
May 19th, 2008
By Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP
Women to Women
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms I hear about from my patients at the clinic.
And when I ask these women to tell me about what’s going on in their lives, all too often the answers include more responsibility than seems humanly possible. They’re waking up still tired, unable to think straight in the morning without caffeine; needing high-carb snacks, more caffeine, or a nap to get through the afternoon; then burning the midnight oil because they’re too wired to sleep. Pretty soon these women are in a seemingly unending cycle of exhaustion and poor nutrition — and feel desperate for the energy they once had.
Science tells us that if you experience stress on a chronic basis, the tiny adrenal glands that moderate your stress response and balance many other hormones in your body will suffer. Adrenal fatigue is what develops. And as the adrenal glands become increasingly compromised, women end up with excess abdominal weight, decreased immunity, lack of concentration, irritability, disrupted sleep, and ultimately, pure exhaustion. But the upside is: adrenal fatigue can be prevented and reversed. I’ve seen it time and again. And one of the best places to start is by paying closer attention to the choices you make about food — and not just what you eat, but when you eat it and how.
From my own experience and that of my patients, I know it’s difficult to make good nutritional choices when we’re going through periods of stress. Not only are our minds preoccupied with the stressor at hand, but our bodies are telling us they desperately need support, so we reach for foods that provide quick energy. Particularly at the end of a stressful day as the body is entering a period of recovery, overeating or making poor choices can be easy to do.
I know it feels overwhelming to think about changing your eating patterns, but believe me, small, incremental changes can really support better adrenal gland function and your daylong energy reserves. You don’t have to drag through the long days or dread your alarm clock every morning. Let’s look at some options for eating to support your adrenals — so you can enjoy good energy all through the day, and get a great night’s sleep. The difference can be like night and day!
To continue reading:
http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalfatigue/adrenalglandnutrition.aspx
