An Anti-Aging Medical Approach to Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome

Dr. Ron Klatz l Host of Second Opinion

Sundays at 10 pm

Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by a group of health risk factors that includes enlarged waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and high fasting glucose levels. In combination, these factors increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a branch of the NIH, have found not only that the rate of diagnosed diabetes has risen, but that pre-diabetes, a condition marked by elevated blood sugar that is not yet in the diabetic range, affects 35% of men and 23% of women. [“New Survey Results Show Huge Burden of Diabetes,” National Institutes of Health News Press Release, 29 Jan. 2009; http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2009/niddk-26.htm.]

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An Anti-Aging Medical Approach to Heart Disease

By Dr. Ron Klatz

Host of Second Opinion  l Sundays at 10 pm

New statistics from the American Heart Association report that in the United States, between 1999 and 2006 deaths due to coronary heart disease dropped by 30.7%. However, cardiovascular conditions such as heart attacks and stroke remain the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 34.2% of the more than 2.4 million deaths reported in 2006.  This report also foreshadows future problems, noting that one US study has determined that 15% of men ages 33 to 45 and 5.1% of women of the same age already had significant artery calcification – deposits that can thicken to clog arteries, putting these people at-risk to have cardiovascular problems in the years ahead.       American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee.  “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2009 Update. A Report From the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee,” Circulation. 2008 Published online before print December 15, 2008, doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.191261.]  We observe that these reductions in deaths from heart disease and stroke prevail despite the increasingly sedentary and overweight/obese status of the American public.  This American Heart Association report is important in that it points out that two-thirds (62%) of adults reported no vigorous daily activity lasting at least 10 minutes (an exercise threshold of the minimum recommendation for heart-strengthening exercise). Further, the report notes that the incidence of overweight (body mass index at the 95th percentile) increased among children 6 to 11 years of age from 4% in 1971-74 to 17% in 2003-2006.  Among infants from 6 months to 23 months of age, the prevalence of high weight-for-age was 7.2% in 1976-1980 and 11.5% in 2003-2006. Clearly, lifestyle choices, including regular exercise and proper nutrition, are integral to ensuring any continued progress on the front of reducing deaths due to cardiovascular disease and its underlying causal factors.

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Understand and Take Control of Menopausal Moods

By Dr. Sherrill Sellman

Host of What Women Must Know Mondays at pm EST and Women's Healing Circle Sundays at 4 pm EST

On my journey through the uncharted seas of perimenopause I encountered some rather rough sailing. My days were filled with the swells and troughs of depression, tears, mood swings, irrational angry outbursts, lethargy and fatigue. My nights found me in turmoil with gripping anxiety and panic attacks along with soaking night sweats. Add to this, the unexplained weight gain and low libido and I knew something was seriously awry. My moods and my body seemed totally out of control. What was happening to me?

The emotional roller-coaster that accompanies premenstrual syndrome, perimenopause and menopause is most profoundly connected to the flow of two powerful hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Nature has designed estrogen and progesterone to be partners in a delicate balancing act. When that balance teeters in either one direction or another, a whole host of health problems ensues. When estrogen is out of balance with progesterone a condition called "estrogen dominance" occurs. The imbalance that results causes depression, mood swings, anxiety, irritability, anger, insomnia, fatigue, weight gain, bloating, mental fogginess, low libido and sore breasts,

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MRIs pose risk for patients with pacemakers, other implanted devices

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Feb. 12--Cristina McShane is 25 and an exceptionally fit long-distance runner. But a year ago, a rare heart condition left her hospitalized and needing a pacemaker.

McShane, an Orlando physician's assistant at a cardiology practice, knew that she faced a dilemma: If she didn't get the pacemaker, the random pauses in her heartbeat would lead to continued blackouts, leaving her unable to drive and severely limiting the quality of her life. Getting the device, though, would make it dangerous for her to get an MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, the most important tool for diagnosing certain soft-tissue problems, such as brain tumors.

In fact, most doctors wouldn't allow her to get an MRI.

"I was upset," McShane said. "I was only 24, and looking to the future and what I might need medically, I knew I might need an MRI. But I didn't have a lot of choice. I couldn't keep passing out."

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Nutritional Intervention Reverses Damage to Hair and Skin Caused by Aging and Genetic Predispositions

by Gary Null, Ph.D., and Martin Feldman, M.D.
Winter 2006/Spring 2007

ABSTRACT

This six-month study is a part of a larger, ongoing intervention study that has evaluated the effect of multiple lifestyle factors—nutrition, exercise, stress management, attitude and personal environment—on objective measures of functioning (weight, blood pressure cholesterol levels, hormone levels) and overall wellness.

In this leg of the study, we focused on the effect of lifestyle changes on hair and skin, which are observable indicators of the aging process, and on various aspects of physical, mental and energy functioning. Participants who entered the study had problems with their hair, skin or both.

Specific goals of the study were to induce new hair growth in bald areas, slow thinning of hair and reverse graying. These problems are caused by the aging process and/or genetic predispositions. The attempt to overcome genetic limitations was a new challenge for the intervention. For skin, the goal was to reverse or improve the effects of sun damage and premature aging of the skin. Processes that cause aging include: damage to DNA from oxidative stress and free radicals; glycation, which creates a cross-linking of proteins and sugars that damage skin; and inflammatory processes.

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Anti-Aging: Reclaim Your Youth

by Gary Null, Ph.D.

History regards Ponce de Leon's search for "The Fountain of Youth" as folly, and justifiably so. But in today's world, rejuvenation is more than a mere dream as scientific advancements in biochemistry are providing profound insights into the workings of the human body, testable theories on aging, and keys to slowing down the aging process.

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