Archive for the ‘cancer risk’ Category

Does Potassium Iodide Protect Against Radiation?

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Damaged nuclear reactors in Japan have set off worldwide concerns over radiation exposure, especially if you live downwind from surrounding areas or near nuclear plants. Potassium iodide, known to protect against thyroid cancer is now in short supply. Thyroid cancer rates have been reported to increase by as much as 100 fold in populations exposed to high levels of radiation and cancer begins approximately
four years after exposure. Adult treatment is only recommended at high levels of exposure; however children have very active thyroid glands and are particularly sensitive to even low levels of exposure.

Living downwind from sites of radiation leaks is particularly hazardous because particles can be inhaled. It can contaminate soil and water making crops grown on the land and animals and animal products such as milk and dairy contaminated. So exposure can be indirect.

Radiation Danger

Radiation Danger

Did you know that in the US, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) offers potassium iodide (KI) tablets at no cost to States that request it for people within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant. The stockpiles and distribution channels are the responsibility of various regulatory organizations depending on the radius from the plants.

Potassium iodide (KI) and potassium iodate (KIO3) are equally effective forms of compounds that can deliver iodine to the body. They saturate the thyroid gland with non-radioactive iodine and block the uptake of radioactive iodine. It is most effective if taken a few hours prior to exposure but can be beneficial even if taken within three hours after exposure.

These products which are sold as over-the-counter medications or as dietary supplements are not routinely tested for quality prior to sale by any government agency. While OTC products are required to be manufactured under more strict guidelines and in FDA approved facilities check with watchdog agencies or the FDA to assure you are purchasing viable product. Only three products, Iosat®, ThyroSafe®, and ThyroShield® are currently registered with the FDA as over-the-counter medications, indicating that they are manufactured under stricter regulations than the other products sold as dietary
supplements. Currently, all but 2 brands are out of stock.

Since large doses of iodide are needed to protect against thyroid cancer measured in milligrams, other iodine preparations such as tincture of iodine, iodized salt or supplements to prevent iodine deficiency are either not stable or have too small a dose to be of any use as they contain only a few hundred micrograms (1mg = 1,000 mcg).

Unfortunately, these products only protect against thyroid cancer and do nothing for the other damaging effects of radiation and late forming cancers. In contaminated areas, the best solution is evacuation. I will be contributing to relief efforts in Japan as I do for any country that suffers such devastation. If you are considering donating, choose a responsible organization to send donations.

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Balding and Prostate Cancer

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Could balding be bad for you? A recent study revealed that patients with prostate cancer were twice as likely to have hair loss in their 20’s, due to androgens, that are hormones in the testosterone.

Baldness risks

Baldness risks

While testosterone makes men, men and has many benefits, there is a dark side, especially when it is converted to (DHT) know as dihydrotestosterone. This is a very potent form of testosterone and it acts on the skin, and if in excess, may produce acne, hair loss on the scalp and hair growth everywhere else but the scalp.

DHT also stimulates the growth of prostate cells, contributing to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in many older men. In BPH, prostate cells grow and can block the outflow of urine, decreasing the ability to empty your bladder and causing men to wake up to urinate several times a night, and a weak stream making a bathroom break a long ordeal to empty their bladder. It was thought that if DHT made benign prostate cells grow, there may be a link to cancer.

Several studies looked at baldness and the risk of prostate cancer. The latest study showed that the early development of hair loss was associated with double the risk of developing prostate cancer. Another study found that men with bald spots at the top of their heads (vertex baldness) were one and a half times more likely to have prostate cancer than those without bald spots.

Herbs such as saw palmetto and stinging nettles became popular since they slow the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Medications such as finasteride (Propecia) are prescribed for male pattern baldness because it also blocks the conversion of testosterone to this potent and potentially dangerous form.

You can benefit from seeing a metabolic anti aging doctor familiar with hormone conversion. Have your DHT levels measured and find out what would be most appropriate for you. If you are on or considering testosterone replacement therapy, chrysin can be added to your prescription to decrease the amount of DHT produced. Schedule a consultation to learn about other ways to slow aging and prevent cancer, it’s never one thing.

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Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer – A New Perspective

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

The news has again been filled with reports of the dangers of hormone replacement therapy. The latest study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on October 20, 2010 looked at the same people from the infamous Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). The news isn’t that different, they just followed the study participants longer and found the cancers to be more aggressive.

Here’s a perspective:

• The women in the WHI were given 0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) (synthetic) and 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate (synthetic progesterone otherwise known as progestin).

• CEE is available in much lower doses and bioidentical estradiol is available in both patch and oral form. The patch allows hormone to be absorbed through the skin and does not increase clotting.

• Progestin was implicated in cancer risk and we now have pharmaceutical bioidentical progesterone known as Prometrium or it can be compounded by a compounding pharmacy. There is a difference between synthetic progestin and bioidentical progesterone which is the same chemical structure made by your body.

• The average age of those in the study was 63, and most were well past menopause when they started hormone replacement therapy.

• Reports from the most recent North American Menopause Society meeting in Chicago indicate that there was a statistically significant reduction in mortality and a positive benefit to risk ratio for women started on hormone therapy in the first decade after onset of menopause when data from the two Women’s Health Initiative hormone therapy trials were pooled.

• The deaths due to breast cancer were 2.6 per 10,000 women and women who were not on hormone replacement therapy also developed breast cancer at the rate of 1.3 deaths per 10,000 women.

• Dr. André Lalonde, Executive Vice-President, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada stated, “The increased risks for breast cancer in users of combination hormone therapy is about the same risk women accept when they drink alcohol, don’t exercise regularly or gain weight after menopause.”

So many women suffer and both doctors and patients are fearful of hormone replacement therapy. The point is, that it is time for a new large scale study using bioidentical hormones at the beginning of menopause. I suggest you read the press release from Dr. Andre Lalonde which can be found on the home page of The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada http://www.sogc.org/index_e.asp

If you are experiencing symptoms of menopause, talk to a doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and get a perspective of the risks and benefits.

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Keep The Long in Longevity – Telomere Length and Cancer

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

We are all mortal and some people will go to great lengths to live longer. The quality of life is just as important and telomeres, the cap at the end of each strand of DNA has been associated with both. Telomere length may be a predictor of cancer risk and cancer fatality.

One of the theories on aging is that each time your DNA replicates, you lose telomere length. Once a cell reaches a certain number of replications, the telomere becomes too short. Like a shoelace that loses its cap, with the cap (telomere) gone, DNA unravels and can no longer serve as a template to make new proteins, cells and other factors for growth and repair. Loss of telomere length can also cause cells to become unstable and replication continues in an unbridled fashion to produce malignant cancer.

In July’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers looked at telomere length and the overall incidence of cancer and mortality. They found a link between telomere length and certain types of cancer. There was also some evidence that tumors with a high fatality rate were associated with telomere length. Tumors with a more favorable prognosis showed little or no association with telomere length.

Their conclusions were that short telomeres are associated with an enhanced risk of cancer and fatal cancer in particular. You can measure your cellular longevity by measuring telomere length. Telomere length can be maintained with an anti-aging diet, dietary supplements, lifestyle and other factors all of which may enhance your health and assure healthy aging and the ability to repair and regenerate cells. Schedule a consult with an Anti Aging Doctor to measure your telomere length and learn how to preserve that length. Stay tuned for more on this topic.

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Sunscreen Safety – Are you Protected?

Monday, July 19th, 2010

The sun, as pleasant as it is when it is shining, has harmful UVA and UVB rays that age the skin and may cause malignant skin cancer. Yet, use of sunscreens can be a double-edged sword. It can give people a false sense of security to stay in the sun longer, which increases the risk of cancer. Some active ingredients are readily absorbed and can disrupt hormones, and other ingredients may speed the development of skin cancer. Sunscreens also block the production of Vitamin D, which is essential to bone health and immunity as well as prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. So how do you choose a sunscreen that is safe and effective? The Environmental Working Group www.ewg.org analyzed the data and rated sunscreens on both their safety and efficacy. Here are the highlights.

The most safe and effective sunscreens have broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection and contain the least hazardous ingredients such as:

• Zinc or titanium dioxide, which are known as mineral sunscreens, have the best safety profile

• Mexoryl SX (ecamsule) is another good option, but it’s sold in very few formulations.

• Avobenzone (3 percent for the best UVA protection) is for those who don’t like mineral products

Avoid sunscreens with:

• Oxybenzone and 4 MBC since they are hormone disruptors, penetrate the skin and may be toxic over time in children

• Retinyl palmitate which may actually speed the development of skin cancer

To add further protections from the inside out, take a supplement with lutein and zeaxanthin and eat more kale, spinach and chard that contain these compounds that may protect against sun damage. Take at least 2,000 international units of Vitamin D and have your Vitamin D levels measured.

Have fun in the sun knowing you are protected and enjoy your summer.

If you have a question on Skin rejuvenation please feel free to leave it as a comment and I will answer your question promptly.

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Bioidentical Progesterone vs Progestin and Breast Cancer

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Progesterone is used to treat PMS, migraine, irregular menstrual bleeding, mood swings and insomnia, fibroids, fibrocystic breasts and hair loss among other things. Bioidentical progesterone has the same chemical structure and effects of the progesterone made in our bodies, whereas synthetic progestin has a different chemical structure and may have some similar effects as well as different effects. A good comparison is a natural fat versus a trans fat. Both are fats but one is altered to prevent food from spoiling. It took many years to determine that the chemically altered form has some deleterious effects that outweighed the benefits of a more stable food product.

Likewise, natural progesterone and synthetic progestin have some similar as well as different effects. . While bioidentical progesterone and synthetic progestin have indistinguishable effects on uterine endometrial tissue, there is significant evidence that they have different effects on breast tissue. Many studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer with the use of synthetic progestin and although there were no large scale double blind control studies of the use of bioidentical progesterone, some large scale observational trials in humans and double blind placebo controlled trials in primates show significant differences in the effects of progesterone and progestin on breast cancer and breast tissue. Cells grow (proliferate) and then die off (apoptosis), when they continue unbridled growth, there is potential for overgrowth of tissue – fibrocystic breasts, endometrial (uterine) thickening among other things or if left unchecked, cancer. Studies show that in breast tissue, bioidentical progesterone stops unbridled growth while synthetic progestin does not. Observational trials showed an increased incidence of breast cancerwith the use of synthetic progestin and a reduction in breast cancer risk with the use of bioidentical progesterone.

The bioidentical hormone debate will continue until we have better long term studies that are unbiased by commercial interests, and the gold standard of a double blind, large scale controlled trials which are used to make treatment guidelines. However we can look at the existing studies and weight the risks and benefits of replacement in women who are suffering from severe symptoms associated with progesterone deficiency. Seek the guidance and support of health care professionals who are knowledgeable in the use of bioidentical hormone treatment and uncover other risk factors that may influence your decisions.

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Is it “Manopause” or Midlife Crisis?

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

What’s it all about? You enter midlife and assess where you are at and where you are going. We can sometimes set Hollywood style expectations for ourselves. In an hour or two someone becomes the hero, gets the girl, makes the big deal or gets recognition for their accomplishments and hard work. Life is not that simple. So what happens in mid-life?
Men tell me, they feel listless or restless and they just don’t feel like themselves. Some try to drive themselves or satisfy their unease by buying a fast car, having an affair or some other means to feel like a man. Could it be “manopause?” On examination, some are developing breasts, have less strength and carry their weight in their belly. They complain of tiredness, lack of energy, reduced strength, and frailty, loss of libido, decreased sexual performance, depression and mood change. Any or all of these factors drives men to seek help or solace through their behaviors. Testing testosterone levels reveals many men have low levels. Total testosterone levels fall at an average of 1.6% per year while the free and bioavailable levels fall by 2%–3% per year.
Testosterone is the hormone that makes men who they are. Aside from sexual and reproductive development and desire, it increases muscle and bone mass and is essential for health and well-being as well as preventing osteoporosis. It has a profound effect on mental and physical energy.
Many people fear that taking hormones increases the risk of cancer and there is a lot of bad press associated with inappropriate use. The most recent and reliable studies have shown that testosterone does not cause prostate cancer. Recent studies have shown conflicting results concerning the importance of testosterone in maintaining cardiovascular health. However, normal testosterone levels in elderly men has been shown to improve many parameters which are thought to reduce cardiovascular disease, risk such as increased lean body mass, decreased visceral fat mass, decreased total cholesterol, and blood sugar control.
The best way to determine if your symptoms are related to low testosterone is to measure your level. If low, discuss the findings with a knowledgeable health care professional and educate yourself on the risks and benefits. The American Society of Andrology’s position is that “testosterone replacement therapy in aging men is indicated when both clinical symptoms and signs suggestive of androgen deficiency and decreased testosterone levels are present.” There is no need for man to pause in midlife – you can go full speed ahead.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2544367/?tool=pmcentrez

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2701485/?tool=pmcentrez

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Posted in Osteoporosis, cancer risk, good health, men's health | 1 Comment »

Radiation exposure for CT scans

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Radiation exposure is not just a function of a catastrophic disaster such as Chernobyl. What about Cat Scans, otherwise known as CT’s? We have a plethora of technology available to us to look inside ourselves and see tumors, plaque, abscesses, hemorrhages and other maladies. CT has had a profound impact on the practice of medicine and had indeed been a terrific technology allowing us to avoid unnecessary exploratory surgery.
The Archives of Internal Medicine in December 2009 reviewed “Cancer Risks and Radiation Exposure form Computed Tomographic Scans.”The researchers found a 13-fold difference in radiation dose between the highest and lowest that occurred within and across institutions. “The articles in this issue make clear that there is far more radiation from medical CT scans than has been recognized previously, in amounts projected to cause tens of thousands of excess cancers annually. Also, as these scans have become more sensitive, incidental findings lead to additional testing (and often more radiation), biopsies, and anxiety. They question the need for screening CT’s as well as the frequency of follow up. “The one year change in Coronary Artery Calcification does no appear to be a suitable surrogate end point for treatment trials in patients with Cardiovascular Disease or chronic kidney disease. “ In the article “Projected Cancer Risks from CT Scans Performed in the United States in 2007, the overall conclusion was an estimated 29,000 future cancers could be related to CT scans performed in the US in 2007. Consider the risk of the screening scans for your entire body, your heart or other areas. While these may be valuable in select cases, yearly screenings could significantly increase your risk of developing cancer.
All of us want the latest technology and absolute assurances about our health and if a CT is not ordered, may feel slighted. Before you hastily jump to conclusions, consider the risks and benefits, especially when you are considering screening CT’s. So if you seek the assurance of an Executive Physical consisting of a full body CT scan and/or virtual colonoscopy to detect early cancer, you may want to consider your radiation exposure. There are many other ways to get screened. Seek the advice of a preventive medical expert.

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CT or Not CT…..Does it cause Cancer? That is the Question

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Radiation exposure is not just a function of a catastrophic disaster such as Chernobyl. What about Cat Scans, otherwise known as CT’s? We have a plethora of technology available to us to look inside ourselves and see tumors, plaque, abscesses, hemorrhages and other maladies. CT has had a profound impact on the practice of medicine and had indeed been a terrific technology allowing us to avoid unnecessary exploratory surgery.

The Archives of Internal Medicine in December 2009 reviewed “Cancer Risks and Radiation Exposure form Computed Tomographic Scans. ”The researchers found a 13-fold difference in radiation dose between the highest and lowest that occurred within and across institutions. “The articles in this issue make clear that there is far more radiation from medical CT scans than has been recognized previously, in amounts projected to cause tens of thousands of excess cancers annually. Also, as these scans have become more sensitive, incidental findings lead to additional testing (and often more radiation), biopsies, and anxiety. “They question the need for screening CT’s as well as the frequency of follow up. “The one year change in Coronary Artery Calcification does no appear to be a suitable surrogate end point for treatment trials in patients with Cardiovascular Disease or chronic kidney disease. “ In the article “Projected Cancer Risks from CT Scans Performed in the United States in 2007, the overall conclusion was an estimated 29,000 future cancers could be related to CT scans performed in the US in 2007. Consider the risk of the screening scans for your entire body, your heart or other areas. While these may be valuable in select cases, yearly screenings could significantly increase your risk of developing cancer.

All of us want the latest technology and absolute assurances about our health and if a CT is not ordered, may feel slighted. Before you hastily jump to conclusions, consider the risks and benefits, especially when you are considering screening CT’s.

Dr. Lorraine Maita has is a Diplomate in The American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and Internal Medicine. She specializes in lifestyle, stress management, exercise, nutrition, supplements, bio-identical hormone replacement, neuro-cognitive function and executive physicals in her Medical practice in Short Hills, NJ

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