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In Men, it's called MANopause
Men go through menopause, too!
Dr. Michael Lee
BodyLogicMD l Miami, FL
It's a real health condition and some are calling it "MANopause." The symptoms of andropause, the male menopause are often misleading.
BodyLogicMD, a national network of physicians specializing in anti-aging medicine and natural bioidentical hormone therapy, give advice on what to look for and how to t
reat the symptoms of andropause using bioidentical hormone therapy.
BodyLogicMD doctors diagnose men with andropause every day and encourage men in general to watch for the Top 10 Signs of Andropause.
Top 10 Signs of Andropause - The Male Menopause
- Irritability
- Sleep problems
- Diminished libido
- Erectile problems
- Muscle loss
- Weight gain
- Memory loss
- Thinning hair
- Decreased bone density
- Depression
Unlike women, who are more likely to be aware of many of the symptoms of menopause, doctors say men frequently mistake andropause for aging.
"Men's symptoms appear over the course of a decade or more and it becomes a very slow, insidious process that they attribute to getting older," explains BodyLogicMD's Dr. Michael Lee, "As men lose testosterone, they begin experiencing male menopause - or andropause."
Testosterone is key for building muscle and retaining memory in men. When they get into their early 30s, men begin losing testosterone at a rate of one to two percent a year.
Although the first study on male andropause was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in the mid-1940s, it is only recently that the U.S. medical community has taken notice of this condition. Experts today say as many as 25 million American males between ages 40 and 55 are experiencing some degree of male menopause.
"Typically, men suffering from the symptoms of andropause are treated for a specific medical condition that is related, but not the root issue. Therein lies the problem," Dr. Lee says. "It is common for an andropausal male to be misdiagnosed."
For example, a man may be diagnosed with depression and prescribed an antidepressant. Both the doctor and patient think the man's problem is addressed. However, if that man has other symptoms of male menopause, such as loss of libido, the antidepressant will only exaggerate that problem.
"Modern day medicine is changing the way we diagnose and treat men suffering from andropause," says Dr. Lee. "BodyLogicMD affiliated physicians play a critical role in this movement."
TESTOSTERONE The Male Hormone Improves:
- Brain function
- Energy
- Strength
- Bone density
- Libido
- Sexual sensitivity
- Sexual function
- HDL and LDL levels
- Cardiovascular health
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Hormones Put to the Test
Saliva and Blood Testing
By Dr. David T. Zava
ZRT Laboratory l www.zrtlab.com
Thinking about getting tested for hormonal imbalance?
BodyLogicMD offers saliva and blood spot testing to help illuminate the reasons for those disruptive symptoms and chronic health problems that may have made you forget how good you could be feeling.
Keep in mind that saliva testing is totally non-invasive and blood spot involves a simple, nearly painless fingerstick with the tiny lancet provided in the kit. Drops of blood are collected on a filter card and allowed to dry. No special processing of the blood is required and the hormones in the dried blood are remarkably stable at room temperature for up to a month. You simply collect the saliva and blood at your convenience in your home, fill out the forms, and send the sample to the laboratory for testing in the prepaid package. Flexible, convenient, and stress free sample collection are only a few reasons to test this way. Read on to find out more about these innovative testing methods and which method of testing - saliva, blood spot or both - might be right for you.
Saliva is used to detect the levels of sex-hormones produced by the ovaries or testes (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone) and adrenal glands (DHEA and cortisol). Scientific studies (for references see: www.zrtlab.com) show a strong correlation between hormone levels measured in saliva and the amount of hormone escaping the bloodstream and entering tissues throughout the body. Some hormones circulating in the bloodstream, such as the thyroid hormones and insulin, however, do not enter saliva because of their large size. These hormones need to be tested in blood, and the fi nger-stick blood spot test provides a simple and convenient means to collect the blood sample.
Blood spot testing is on a par with serum testing, and in addition, collection times can be optimized for fasting baseline levels and testing of hormone levels throughout the day. Clinical laboratories have used dried blood spot analysis extensively since the 1960s when the technology developed from the need to test infants where conventional blood draws were not feasible.
Combining the saliva and blood spot tests in one, simple to use, kit provides a powerful tool to assess the levels of a wide array of hormones that may be causing you problems. Hormones tested in saliva and blood spot are strongly correlated with symptoms of hormonal imbalances, both deficiency and excess. This is the key information physicians need to identify hormonal imbalances and track the safety and efficiency of prescribed treatment, as well as adjust your dosage accordingly.
Your BodyLogicMD provider may use saliva and/or blood spot testing to:
- Detect hormone imbalances prior to the appearance of patient signs or symptoms
- Identify hormone imbalances associated with symptoms
- Establish hormone baselines prior to surgery or beginning therapy
- Monitor hormone levels while supplementing
- Track treatment progress with follow-up reports
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Lights Out!
The Power of Sleep
By Dr. Susan Linder
BodyLogicMD l Fort Worth, TX
Sleep is absolutely essential for repair and rejuvenation. Most of us don't realize that poor sleep habits can predispose people to early death by way of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Our hormones have no chance to do their healing work without sleep.
When you lose sleep, you really can't catch up. Your hormones just don't spring back like that. Sleeping less than you need affects at least 10 different hormones causing them to shift and disrupt appetite, fertility, and mental and cardiac health.
BodyLogicMD experts agree that from a perspective of extending life, it is absolutely essential that good sleep patterns be maintained.
"The best advice we give our patients is that nutrition, fitness and sleep work together to increase vitality and hormonal harmony," said BodyLogicMD's Dr. Susan Linder. "Going to bed early, between 9:00 and 10:00 pm and getting 8-10 hours of sleep a night will have an abundance of benefits to help patients live the best life possible and also control the aging process."
10 Facts About Sleep You Probably Didn't Know...or were too tired to think about:
- Twenty-one percent of the people in the US think they have a sleep problem; 75 percent of us do.
- Estrogen is a sleep-maintaining hormone.
- Low testosterone is linked with snoring and sleep apnea, a repetitive interruption of breath during sleep that can increase the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
- When testosterone is balanced, slow wave or deep sleep is easier to achieve.
- Greater sleep length is associated with a reduced incidence of breast cancer.
- People who nap for 30 minutes at least three times a week had a 37 percent lower chance of heart attack.
- Experts say one of the most alluring sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the Internet.
- If your body goes for seventeen hours without sleep, your performance will resemble as if you have a blood alcohol-level of 0.05 percent.
- The "natural alarm clock" enabling people to wake without aid is caused by an increase in our stress hormone. Researchers say this reflects an unconscious anticipation of the stress to wake up.
- If you sleep enough each night, you will lose weight as a result of a decrease in your cortisol level.
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BodyLogicMD Always Growing
BodyLogicMD is expanding and it's happening faster than ever. We have opened four offices in the past three months. Read more about the following locations and tell your friends
Dr. Susan Linder
Fort Worth, TX
Before joining BodyLogicMD, Dr. Linder practiced physical medicine and rehabilitation. Treating patients in that specialty opened her eyes to the devastation caused by sedentary living, lack of nutrition and fitness, and imbalanced hormones. This discovery is what motivated her to expand her practice focus to preventive medicine and bioidentical hormone therapy.
"I am excited to own a practice dedicated to helping patients find optimal health through preventative medicine integrated with bioidentical hormone therapy. Hormonal imbalances such as menopause, andropause, perimenopause, and PMS are facts of life, but that doesn't mean people have to suffer with the uncomfortable symptoms."
Dr. Jennifer Landa
Maitland, FL
For the first time, patients in the Orlando area have a medical expert in women's health and a bioidentical hormone therapy doctor all in one. As a former OB/GYN who observed the roller coaster of menopausal symptoms of her patients, Landa brings a depth of traditional medicine integrated with modern day advancements. She specializes in preventive medicine and bioidentical hormone therapy.
"After seven years of working with women as an OB/GYN, it was exciting to transition and dedicate my practice into bioidentical hormone therapy. Now I can help women and men that suffer from hormonal imbalance."
Dr. Michael Lee
Miami, FL
Providing Miami with its first doctor dedicated exclusively to hormonal imbalance and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, the Miami location marks the opening of BodyLogicMD's 15th office in three years.
"I decided to trade in the days of delivering babies and performing hysterectomies to helping women suffering from menopause as well as men complaining of the symptoms of andropause and aging. My private BodyLogicMD practice allows me to spend quality time with patients."
Dr. Eric Honing
Phoenix, AZ
As a Family Practitioner and Sports Medicine Physician, Dr. Honing is dedicated to hormonal imbalance and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. The Glendale location marks the opening of BodyLogicMD's 16th office in three years.
"As a Family Practitioner, I have always desired to help patients achieve wellness through hormone balance and preventative medicine. I am now dedicating my time to using antiaging medicine, nutrition and fitness to help women and men resolve menopausal and andropausal symptoms, including weight gain, sexual dysfunction, declining energy levels and stress."
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Antioxidants & Aging
By Dr. Jennifer Landa
BodyLogicMD l Maitland, FL
Looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle that might slow the aging process on the inside and out? Remember, you are what you eat.
BodyLogicMD is on a mission to educate patients about the importance of proper nutrition and the effects it has on the aging process.
"People all over the world are searching for the secret to preserving their youth. The answer could very well be in the everyday fruits and vegetables we eat," said BodyLogicMD's Dr. Jennifer Landa.
Your body produces oxidants, which are the negative byproducts of genetic and environmental factors. These factors, such as sunlight, stress, and infection cause your body to generate and accumulate oxidants that influence aging and disease.
Antioxidants are the essential vitamins and minerals your body absorbs from fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes that are high in vitamin C, E, zinc, selenium, manganese, iron, beta-carotene, lycopene, and copper. Consuming a high intake of foods rich in these components reduce the amount of oxidants in your body. As long as your body is balanced - eating enough vitamin rich antioxidants to reduce unhealthy oxidants - you are taking the right steps to living better and longer.
Medically, numerous in-depth studies show the healing power found within antioxidants of the following foods:
Fish Oils
As people age, they are advised to consume diets rich in seafood and fish oils. The fact is, although this type of diet is high in omega-3 fatty acids that protect mental function, lower heart disease, and risk of cancer: they also oxidize quickly. As a result, a diet rich in fish oils should contain sufficient amounts of antioxidants to prevent oxidation.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables are high in vitamin C and flavonoids, (the water-soluble colors in flowers, fruit, vegetables, cereals, grain, and bark) which provide antioxidant protection against dangerous oxidant damage. Experimental studies have consistently shown that consuming these vegetables protects against several forms of cancer, including colon cancer.
Carrots
In equivalent amounts with green, yellow, and red fruits, carrots can help reduce cancer and risk of heart disease. The nutrient, beta-carotene that exists in carrots can be converted into vitamin A when the body needs it.
Tomatoes
Although beta-carotene is the most studied vitamin, lycopene that is found in tomatoes, is at least 10 times more effective as an antioxidant and may protect against prostate cancer.
Red Grapes
Grapes and grape products contain flavonoids, which are known for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Red grapes also contain anthocyanin, a nutrient that is inversely related to hear t attacks.
Wheat Germs and Beans
Legumes and grains rich in folate, a cancer-reducing vitamin, are proven to prevent oxidant stress. Breakfast cereals made with 100 percent whole grains and black-eyed-peas are the best source of folate.
Organic Garlic
Garlic provides the broadest spectrum of protection against age related conditions. High garlic intake can reduce the risk of stomach and colorectal cancer in half. More than 250 studies show that the concentrated form of organic garlic has a higher antioxidant content than the fresh bulb. It also has more potent anti-aging effects than fresh garlic. Organic garlic can boost immunity, prevent cancer, reduce cholesterol, protect the cardiovascular system, improve vigor, and enhance memory and learning.
Other foods for healthy aging are onions, citrus fruits, the cabbage family, soybeans, green leafy vegetables, peanuts, berries, spinach, and sardines.
BodyLogicMD emphasizes the importance of a healthy diet filled with regular consumption of antioxidants and exercise. Contrary to the popular association between anti-aging and keeping your 20-year-old-looking skin and body, the important aspects of anti-aging are to keep your insides working properly and to reduce your chances of infectious disease.
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