It has been observed that, when growing skin cells for grafts, the cells can only divide a fixed number of times before ageing and becoming unviable.
This has been related to the telomeres, which are a group of units on the end of the DNA strands. Apparently these get shorter at each cell division and result in the cell walls becoming thicker. This has the effect of making tissues less elastic (wrinkly skin) and inhibiting the passage of chemicals in and out of the cells. The inability of cells to take up nutrients and expel wastes is what leads to features such as grey hair and muscle wastage. It may well be a factor in Cancer being more predominant in older people, as cancer cells seem to be cells that have been damaged in some way but have failed to suicide (apoptosis).
It also leads to the curses of old age such as prostatis and impotence, because these are controlled by endocrine glands, whose cells no longer secrete adequate amounts of hormone.
It occurs to me that gene therapy could be used to prevent and maybe reverse old age.My limited understanding of gene therapy is that it is the modifying of the DNA by inserting suitable sections of preferred DNA into a retrovirus. This could presumably be used to replace lengths of telomere and restore a cells ability to divide, without ageing.
Unfortunately I don’t know where/who to put this suggestion, in order to find out if it’s a load of cobblers.

Well hello there from Heidelberg!

Sorry for the lack of recent updates– I’ve been trying to settle in, dealing with german bureaucracy, celebrating holidays, starting a new job, and adjusting to the time change.

Here’s my thyroid cancer update:

Here, just to fill you all in: I went to the ENT surgeon before I left Pittsburgh, he took a look at my throat and told me that he believed I have “silent” acid reflux, perhaps even secondary to the surgery.  He said that my muscles are in constant spasm and that the membranes are irritated by the acid.  I now have some medication for it, I haven’t exactly been taking very diligently– but after a few very uncomfortable days (the past three), I think I will try the drug and hope to hell it works.

I am now two days into my 175mcg dose… and feeling pretty special.  I’ve been progressively getting more heart palpitations and my appetite is scarily decreased.  I’ve resorted to setting events in my calendar with alarms saying “eat”.

It is very cold here– and the chill hurts my scar– but it’s kind of an unavoidable event because, due to the cold, it is uncomfortable if I wear something that touches my scar (like a scarf), but because I’m not wearing anything on top of it, my scar gets dried and painful.  I’ve been putting lots of cocoa butter on it in the morning, to try to avoid letting it dry out completely.

Moving everything in to my new place almost a week ago really strained my body– I’ve been trying to keep heat on my neck at all times (I bought the world’s most amazing scarf! It has pockets and microwavable inserts!), and allow my body to stretch out.  Two mornings ago I woke up with a completely frozen shoulder.  I put the last of my Bengay on it after an excruciatingly hot shower and lots of ibuprofen… I finally regained some movement back in it around midday, and by the evening I could move it quite well.

I also have to make an appointment with my endocrinologist here– I meant to do it today, but when I finally got home after hours of trying to find the right person to talk to about a university issue, I fell fast asleep for a few hours, and when I awoke, I had definitely missed my window of opportunity to call.

I’ll post a scupdate later– right now I think I’ll continue to watch some snow fall out in my garden, through my new big bedroom window and fall asleep.

I can’t even begin to explain how furious I am with UPMC’s idiotic and disorganized endocrine group!  Last Thursday I called the office explaining that I needed to have labs done before the weekend and that I would like to do them at the hospital near me, and I asked if they would fax them over.  They gladly agreed.  Fast forward to Monday, when I go in to get the labs drawn:  I arrive at the hospital, park and what not… I even have a friend on alert if I were to be unable to return home because I was light headed.  I walked into the over crowded waiting room, announced my name, and the nurse there just looks at me funny.  I explained to her that my prescription for the lab work had been faxed over on Thursday.  This was obviously not the case.  I thanked them, and moved on with my day, stopping to call my endocrinologist and ask her to re-fax it… this too was highly ineffective.  I finally had someone else call for me– and he even got them to fax it to our house.  So I went in yesterday uneventfully for lab work.

I know that it takes about 3 hours for the panels to come back… but that they don’t usually tell the patients until about 20 hours later– so I called, asking if my blood work had come back.  The woman who had answered the phone says “yes, they’re in… please hold a moment.  I’ll connect you to a nurse”.  I then spend the next 7 minutes on hold, while I am connected to some nurses’s voicemail.  I leave my message, knowing all the while that I wouldn’t get a response.  I then called back, told the woman that she was not available and that I need to talk to a real person.  She then connected  me to another nurse, who said, “your results are in, but I can’t tell you what they are until your doctor reviews them”.  Psht!  Fuck that!  Luckily I had a doctor’s appointment today anyway to meet with my PCP– he told my my TSH was 9.26.  This is very very BAD.  My TSH is even too high for a normal person’s TSH, let alone a thyroid cancer patient– my TSH has to be kept below 0.1, so it was almost 1000X the amount it should’ve been.  This is very bad, because TSH stimulates your body by urging it to produce more T4 (thyroid hormone), which in turn can spark new thyroid cells to grow.  My PCP decided it was time for a strong course of action and prescribed me (I was on 125mcg of Synthroid QD) 150mcg for one week and then 175mcg for two weeks, and then I’m supposed to get a blood test and my heart checked out so that it can be increased to 200mcg.  He says he expects it to need to be over 200mcgs… which is a lot.  Synthroid actually only makes increments up to 200mcg, the next one is then 300mcg… so if I need more than 200mcgs, I’m going to be taking two pills in the morning!

My PCP also got me an appointment with the best ENT surgeon in the region for tomorrow to check out what he thinks is some scar tissue building up in my throat– just so the dysphagia doesn’t worsen.

I then called my endocrinologist since they had yet to call me back, the nurse answered again and says “Oh, I was just about to call you– your TSH is still elevated, so your doctor has suggested to up your dosage to 150mcgs and get repeat labs in 6 weeks.  She says she doesn’t understand why your TSH continues to rise, and she wants to make sure you’re taking your medication first thing in the morning not with any other medications and an hour before breakfast.”  She then asked me if I needed a prescription, I said no, and she asked if my doctor had given me one before and I said no, my PCP gave it to me.  Thanks!  And hung up.  Well UPMC endocrinology, sorry, but I’m done with you idiots.  Obviously my internist can do way better than you, and since you’ve never gotten my TSH regulated and under 5, you lose.  Go fuck yourself please.

In other news, I leave the day after tomorrow for Heidelberg!  I’ll update when I am there.

She looks the most healthy amongst patients
With abnormalities hardly noticeable at a glance
A long stare into her eyes, still one may chance
She is one of a kind
The world hardly find
A phaeochromocytoma of sound mind

At night she is full of heat
At times her heart begins to beat
Like drums from African hills and Jamaican streets

Sweat flows like Niagara Falls
Her attacks comes and goes without a call
A minute, an hour, you won’t know at all

Under drugs she is strong and cheerful with face flush
But her stay in hospital
Phew! Is so long with no medical leave at all
A thing puzzling indeed for those who saw her
“Oh she’s so healthy! so fine!
Like Snow Bears from Whispering Pines”

by
S Chooi 30/3/89

(Not my work… but a poem I stumble across while studying… for those of you who don’t know, phaeochromocytoma is a pretty cool tumour that can present in a myriad of ways and is usually heritable and is associated with other endocrine tumours…)

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) we see an emphasis on the kidneys as holding the essence for life. Out of everyone I have worked with over the years, 98% of people have some stress to their kidneys. This also includes children. Stress, toxins, thoughts, water intake, food choices, quality of food, exercise, pH, sexual activities, etc. all contribute to stress in the kidneys.

In Asia, they are typically not fond of drinking a lot of fluid because it harms the kidneys. Yet, here in the USA, we are instructed to drink half your weight in water to flush out the toxic lifestyle we have from living in America. But not drinking enough pure water and being dehydrated also puts a strain on the kidneys.

American boys and teens are different than in the traditional Asian culture. Sex and bodily fluids is a badge of honor here, yet it begins to deplete life force and life essence very early on. This depletion continues through adulthood until men lose their active sex drive or develop Erectile Dysfunction (ED). The erection of the penis during sexual excitation is mediated by the Nitric oxide (NO) that is released from nerve endings close to the blood vessels of the penis. NO also regulates adrenal function and endocrine function. We generally see a correlation between ED and imbalanced hormone levels, which is traced back to endocrine and adrenal function. In teens, testosterone can be too high. In middle age men, testosterone tends to be too low. Kids are now maturing faster and much more is accepted and available now to kids so they have a mature life style at way to young of physical or emotional age.

Kidney stress is often shown in the quality and color of hair. Hair is one of the parts of the body that the body will sacrifice first. If the body is off, the hair will stop receiving nutrition and energy, thus the graying and thinning that occurs.

Kidneys also have an impact on bone marrow. So much so that now they are doing kidney and bone marrow transplants at the same time. I think we can look at Nitric Oxide (NO) as the key player. Release of NO around the glomeruli of the kidneys increases blood flow through them thus increases the rate of filtration and urine formation. The overall production of NO is decreased in kidney stress. The brain’s glial cells produces sodium nitrite, in presence of organic acid, it breaks down to nitric oxide for use. Nitric oxide is used by the bone’s marrow cells, which in turn creates stem cells or at least allows stem cells to further develop. The problem occurs whenever people eat acid forming food, have toxicity, physical stress, emotional or mental stress, or heavy metal poisoning causing the condition known as acidosis or low pH. Whenever this happens, the sodium nitrite breaks down into nitric oxide before the sodium nitrite reaches the bone marrow and stem cell production begins to slow down. When people are low on stem cells, we see the hair thin and begin to lose color or turn gray.

Something to help? Here are my recommendations:

Stop all mineral supplements for 3 days. Check your pH. Restore the bicarbonate reserves in your intestines, organs, and tissues. The remedy for regeneration of marrow cells is: Squeeze one whole lime (about 8 teaspoon), plus 1/2 teaspoon of aluminum free baking soda in 1/2 glass of water, taken twice a day. To get some improvement it would generally take about 3 weeks for the body to have sufficient amount of bicarbonates and alkalinity for nitric oxide. This total process usually takes a total of 6 months to completely saturate your tissues.

Increase the voltage of your cells. An ionic foot bath, infrared sauna, walking on the sand on a beach, touching the Earth with your feet, etc. are all ways to increase cellular voltage.

Silver and Gold Colloidals will also help.

Go Raw- a 70%+ raw diet works well.

He Shou Wou is a good TCM supplement to also add in.

Simplify your life and remove any negativity or stress including thoughts, people and situations.

3020940    การตรวจทางห้องปฏิบัติการของความผิดปกติของต่อมไร้ท่อและเมตะบอลิสม    Laboratory Investigation in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorder

หลักทฤษฎีและวิธีการตรวจทางห้องปฏิบัติการในการตรวจความผิดปกติของโรค ทางต่อมไร้ท่อและเมตะบอลิสมกัมมันตภาพรังสี เครื่องมือตรวจรังสีอันตราย และวิธีการป้องกัน และวิธีการที่นำมาใช้ในห้องปฏิบัติการ

(Principle and theoretical as well as practical laboratory techniques in detecting endocrine gland and metabolism abnormality; radioisotope, instruments for detecting, radiation, hazard and method of prevention of radiation.)

(3020940 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3020960    ภูมิคุ้มโดยตัวเองกับระบบโรคทางต่อมไร้ท่อ    Autoimmunity and Endocrine Disease

กลไกการเกิดโรคทางระบบต่อมไร้ท่อจากภูมิคุ้มกันโดยตรง พันธุกรรมและปัจจัยอื่น อันเกิดจากสภาวะแวดล้อมและแทรกซ้อน พยาธิสภาพ การวินิจฉัย การรักษา ติตตามผลอันเกิดจากโรคภูมิคุ้มกันโดยตัวเอง

(Mechanism of developing endocrine diseases from autoimmunity, hereditary and environment facters; pathology, diagnosis, treatment, follow up and complication of these autoimmune diseases.)

(3020960 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3102728    สรีรวิทยาขั้นสูงของระบบต่อมไร้ท่อในสัตว์เลี้ยง    Advanced Physiology Of Endocrine System In Domestic Animals

หน้าที่ของต่อมไร้ท่อต่างๆ กลไกการควบคุมการหลั่งฮอร์โมน ปฏิกิริยาระหว่างฮอร์โมนต่างๆ ที่มีผลต่อการควบคุมสภาวะภายในร่างกายสัตว์เลี้ยง

(Functions of endocrine organs: the regulation mechanisms of hormonal secretion and hormonal interaction.)

(3102728 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3107753    การศึกษาขั้นสูงด้านโรคเมแทบอลิซึมและระบบต่อมไร้ท่อในสัตว์เลี้ยง    Advanced Study of Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases in Companion Animals

พยาธิกำเนิด อาการทางคลินิก การวินิจฉัย และการรักษาโรคระบบต่อมไร้ท่อและเมแทบอลิซึมในสัตว์เลี้ยง

(Pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis and therapy for endocrine and metabolic diseases in companion animals.)

(3107753 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) we see an emphasis on the kidneys as holding the essence for life. Out of everyone I have worked with over the years, 98% of people have some stress to their kidneys. This also includes children. Stress, toxins, thoughts, water intake, food choices, quality of food, exercise, pH, sexual activities, etc. all contribute to stress in the kidneys.

In Asia, they are typically not fond of drinking a lot of fluid because it harms the kidneys.  Yet, here in the USA, we are instructed to drink half your weight in water to flush out the toxic lifestyle we have from living in America. But not drinking enough pure water and being dehydrated also puts a strain on the kidneys.

American boys and teens are different than in traditional Asian culture. Sex and bodily fluids is a badge of honor here, yet it begins to deplete life force and life essence very early on. This depletion continues through adulthood until men lose their active sex drive or develop Erectile Dysfunction (ED). The erection of the penis during sexual excitation is mediated by the Nitric oxide (NO) that is released from nerve endings close to the blood vessels of the penis. NO also regulates adrenal function and endocrine function.

We generally see a correlation between ED and imbalanced hormone levels, which is traced back to endocrine and adrenal function. In teens, testosterone can be too high. In middle age men, testosterone tends to be too low. Kids are now maturing faster and much more is accepted and available now to kids so they have a mature life style at way to young of physical or emotional age.

Kidney stress is often shown in the quality and color of hair. Hair is one of the parts of the body that the body will sacrifice first. If the body is off, the hair will stop receiving nutrition and energy, thus the graying and thinning that occurs.

Kidneys also have an impact on bone marrow. So much so that now they are doing kidney and bone marrow transplants at the same time. I think we can look at Nitric Oxide (NO) as the key player. Release of NO around the glomeruli of the kidneys increases blood flow through them thus increases the rate of filtration and urine formation. The overall production of NO is decreased in kidney stress.

The brain’s glial cells produces Sodium Nitrite, in presence of organic acid, it breaks down to Nitric Oxide for use. Nitric Oxide is used by the bone’s marrow cells, which in turn creates stem cells or at least allows stem cells to further develop. The problem occurs whenever people eat acid forming food, have toxicity, physical stress, emotional or mental stress, or heavy metal poisoning causing the condition known as acidosis or low pH. Whenever this happens, the Sodium Nitrite breaks down into Nitric Oxide before the Sodium Nitrite reaches the bone marrow and stem cell production begins to slow down.

When people are low on stem cells, we see the hair thin and begin to lose color or turn gray.

Something to help? Here are my recommendations:

Stop all mineral supplements for 3 days. Check your pH. Restore the bicarbonate reserves in your intestines, organs, and tissues. The remedy for regeneration of marrow cells is:

Squeeze one whole lime (about 8 teaspoon), plus 1/2 teaspoon of aluminum free baking soda in 1/2 glass of water, taken twice a day. To get some improvement it would generally take about 3 weeks for the body to have sufficient amount of bicarbonates and alkalinity for nitric oxide. This total process usually takes a total of 6 months to completely saturate your tissues.

Increase the voltage of your cells. An ionic foot bath, infrared sauna, walking on the sand on a beach, touching the Earth with your feet, etc are all ways to increase cellular voltage.

Silver and Gold Colloidals will also help.

Go Raw- a 70%+ raw diet works well.

He Shou Wou is a good TCM supplement to also add in.

Simplify your life and remove any negativity or stress including thoughts, people and situations.

Surgical video of the endoscopic portion of a left thyroid lobectomy using the daVinci Surgery System by Dr. Ron Kuppersmith at the The Texas Institute for Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery.

3309612    สรีรวิทยาขั้นสูงของระบบต่อมไร้ท่อ    Advanced Physiology Of Endocrine System

หน้าที่ของระบบต่อมไร้ท่อและการหลั่งของฮอร์โมน บทบาทและกลไกการทำงานของฮอร์โมนในการรักษาสมดุลภายในร่างกาย ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างระบบประสาทกับระบบต่อไร้ท่อ สรีรวิทยาของระบบสืบพันธุ์

(The physiology of endocrine glands and the regulation of secretion of their hormones, mechanism of action of hormones and their roles in maintenance of internal environment; relationship of the nervous and endocrine systems; the physiology of reproductive system and current methods in birth control.)

(3309612 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3309734    ประสาทสรีรวิทยาระบบต่อมไร้ท่อ    Neurophysiology Of Endocrine System

ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างระบบประสาทกับระบบต่อมไร้ท่อ กลไกการควบคุมการทำงานของฮอร์โมนผ่านระบบประสาทเพื่อควบคุมการทำงานของร่างกายและพฤติกรรม อิทธิพลของฮอร์โมนต่อการเจริญเติบโตพัฒนาและการทำงานของระบบประสาทและพฤติกรรมต่าง ๆ

(Relationship between nervous and endocrine systems in regulation of function of the body and behavior; influences of hormone on growth, development, and function of nervous system and behavior.)

(3309734 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

We got the kinks worked out, and I’m happy to announce the virtual, digital version of PCOS Magazine is now available! Hosted by the fine folks at Zipadi, the virtual version of PCOS Magazine is available for subscription at $20 per year. Single ‘copies’ will be available later this week. Here’s what’s great about the virtual editions: First, they’re cheaper than the hard copies through MagCloud (though bless the folks at MagCloud for printing such a great product). Second, you can print off pages from the virtual edition. No kidding. Third, you can share articles from the virtual edition via Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, you name it. Your $20 subscription gets you 6 issues per year (every two months).

You can preview the first five pages before subscribing. Take a look at it. Click on the Zipadi logo and join in!

Most of us will equate the human hormonal system with the endocrine, blood vessel, hormone system. A closer look will reveal a close interrelationship between 2 vastly different hormone systems; the autocrine (also at times referred to as the paracrine*) and the endocrine. From a health perspective it pays off to know these systems a bit more in detail which is what this article will focus on. Common characteristics of the two systems include that they both depend on hormone receptors; a receptor is “a receptor protein on the surface of a cell [...] that binds to a specific hormone”.

*not strictly true – paracrine hormones can communicate between different types of cells whereas autocrine only work on similar types

We will start with the autocrine system since this makes sense in evolutionary perspective; it came first into existence. It is worthwhile to note that several hormones, for an example acetylcholine, are functioning (and synthesized) in both hormonal domains. The description of both systems includes a standardized ending named “Health Perspectives”, while this section is of course written to be relevant to each of the hormonal systems it is reasonable to infer that something that enhances one system will in essence also help balance the other.

Autocrine Hormone System

This system is characterized by its local cellular function. It basically involves one, or multiple, cell(s) releasing locally acting hormones. By “locally acting” I mean that the hormones released will return to act either on the originator cell or its immediate neighbors.  Autocrine hormones do not enter the bloodstream. Since these hormones are the ‘base unit’ of cellular communication they have the power to ‘overrule’ the effects of endocrine hormones – as a metaphor think about them as neighbors or close friends; what they say will most often matter vastly more than any message you may get off the internet (at least short-term).

Example of compound(s) or drug(s) that modifies the activity of the Autocrine system

An excellent, and mass publicized, example of a autocrine activity modifier is aspirin which temporarily disables the two enzymes COX-1 and COX-2 that are essential to the production of a number of the autocrine prostanoid hormones. The good news is that COX-2 repression quells inflammation (and thus helps protect against everything from cancer to arthritis) while COX-1 repression helps stop the production of thromboxanes, which otherwise promote (at times fatal) blood clotting. The bad news is that new study reviews are showing that the increase in bleeding related accidents by supplementing with aspirin makes it so that this practice in essence only makes sense for people who have already suffered from heart-related problems.

Examples of Autocrine hormones

Eicosanoids (“derive[d] from either omega-3 (ω-3) or omega-6 (ω-6) EFAs. The ω-6 eicosanoids are generally pro-inflammatory; ω-3’s are much less so [...] with effects on cardiovascular disease, triglycerides, blood pressure, and arthritis“) [source]

Cytokines (“[derived from] proteins, peptides, or glycoproteins. [They are] substances that are secreted by specific cells of the immune system [in the] general region of the pathogen infected cells, so other immune molecules which follow the signal will arrive at that site”) and they hold a (“possible role in [...] autoimmune disorders. Several inflammatory cytokines are induced by oxidant stress. The fact that cytokines, themselves trigger the release of other cytokines and lead also to increased oxidant stress, makes them important in chronic inflammatory disorders.”) [source]

Health Perspective

Omega 3 fatty acids are undeniably a very subtle, efficient and proven way of positively helping the autocrine system do its job. Also, should a pro-inflammatory cycle in the autocrine system already be present then a number of compounds, such as Turmeric (Curcumin), are perfectly able to help short-circuit the negative loop by manipulating the expression of inflammatory autocrine factors downwards.

Endocrine Hormone System

Human Endocrine Glands

The endocrine system is characterized by its use of the blood system as communication highway for all its hormonal activity. The system has its control unit in the form of the hypothalamus (located in the middle of the brain) which, via the pituitary gland (which is in direct control with the blood stream), links the endocrine system (7 hormonal glands) up with the nervous system. This system lends itself well to illustration so have a look at included image (modified CC licensed image from Wikipedia) for reference.

In essence the hypothalamus gets incoming data in the form of feedback (via both communication via the nervous system and by sampling the amount of hormones in the bloodstream) from another gland that says “enough” or “more” of a given hormone which it uses to regulate production.

Endocrine sets of hormones are often functioning in axis setups; a famous, and often felt, example is the hormonal glucagon-insulin axis. In order for people to be fully functional and awake these two hormones needs to be in balance within a relatively small window. Insulin drives blood glucose down while glucagon drives it up. If we eat moderate amounts of carbohydrate in conjunction with protein then the pancreas uses these two hormones to keep the blood-glucose level within a very tight window. Should we overeat carbohydrate then the blood-glucose will go up a lot, eventually causing a strong release of insulin to drive it back down, this time however, the pancreas will not be able to stop the falling blood-glucose levels because protein is required for glucagon synthesis – result is that we get sleepy after over-eating for example pasta (or drinking fizzy drinks). Since insulin disables use of stored glycogen as energy long term stressing of the pancreas insulin production is likely to cause combination of overweight and eventually diabetes due to falling production of insulin.

Example of compound(s) or drug(s) that modifies the activity of the Endocrine system

Iodine is essential for the production of thyroid hormone. “The thyroid controls how quickly the body burns energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body should be to other hormones.” Iodine deficiency can lead to “extreme fatigue, goitre, mental slowing, depression, weight gain, and low basal body temperatures.” which happens not just in developing countries but also in Europe: “In Germany it has been estimated to cause a billion dollars in health care costs per year.”) (sources 1 and 2)

Examples of Endocrine hormones

Growth hormone (GH) (Is a “protein-based poly-peptide hormone. It stimulates growth and cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals [.. and is secreted by the] pituitary gland.”) (source)

Pregnenolone (One of several pro-hormones that can undergo further steroid metabolism to be converted into a range of other hormones including the the axis hormones estrogen and progesterone as well as being a “precursor to testosterone and estrone“) (source)

Health Perspective

A re-occurring theme in the above information on the endocrine system has been the hormonal axes and how their maintainance of a fairly tight balance is of vital importance to health – it is worth understanding this process fully to aid this process through diet. After all imbalances can lead to diabetes which is actually being used as a accelerated model of aging. In essence minimizing excess blood glucose through dietary habits, along with exercise to promote healthy GH levels, will likely continue to be the most effective way to stabilize the endocrine system for years to come.

Available for download from the Texas Institute for Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery (http://www.roboticthyroid.com/):

Click here for the manual (PDF, 1.7 MB).

36 year old man had recently quit his local gym due to embarassment of his breasts getting larger.
On further questioning, he states that he has been suffering from impotence
He has a long hx of epigastric burning that ofter awakens him at night. He rarely goes to the doctor and takes OTC meds for it.

PE
VS normal
PE HEENT wnl, CV S1,S2 Chest clear,Abd WNL, Neuro exam WNL
Breasts moderate bilateral growth of breast tissue
Testes hypotropic

Labs WNL

Patient has been taking cimetidine (tagament) which isassociated with an increase in serum prolactin and can alter estrogen metabolism.

I will be adding information ASAP (meaning possibly tomorrow). We will be starting with a basic introduction to the body systems–Integument, skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, reproductive, lymphatic, and digestive.

Iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) is the single most common cause of preventable mental retardation and brain damage in the world (More? Abnormal Development – Iodine Deficiency). It is required for synthesis of thyroid hormone, which in turn regulates aspects of neural development.

Worldwide: 1.6 billion people are at risk, IDD affects 50 million children, 100,000 cretins are born every year
It causes goiters and decreases the production of hormones vital to growth and development. Children with IDD can grow up stunted, apathetic, mentally retarded and incapable of normal movement, speech or hearing. IDD in pregnant women cause miscarriage, stillbirth and mentally retarded children.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) – Essential nutrient iodine to be added to bread in Australia

The essential nutrient iodine will be added to bread, through the addition of iodised salt, in Australia from 9 October 2009 to help address the re-emergence of iodine deficiency across most of the population.

Also in Australia, “from September 2009, the mandatory fortification Standard requires Australian millers to add folic acid (a form of the B vitamin folate) to wheat flour for bread-making purposes. This means most bread in Australia will contain added folic acid. Flour represented as ‘organic’ is exempt from mandatory fortification.”

(More? UNSW Embryology – Iodine Deficiency) | Abnormal Development – Iodine Deficiency | Abnormal Development – Folic Acid and Neural Tube Defects |  FSANZ - Fortifying food with vitamins and minerals)

Poster presentation at the American Thyroid Association in Palm Beach, Florida.

The book, Its My Ovaries Stupid!, by Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet is chock full of information for women!  It really opened my eyes to all the different things that can happen with regard to our ovaries.  I wish that I had come across this book years ago, instead of just last year at my local used bookstore.  Even more, I wish that this book was mandatory reading for ALL gynecologists and endocrinologists.  There would be much fewer women out there suffering for so long with such serious problems!

Here’s what Her Place says of the book:

Sometimes it seems as though the only women’s health issues that get any sort of attention are breast cancer, pregnancy, and menopause. But in her groundbreaking book, It’s My Ovaries, Stupid!, Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet describes many of the rarely acknowledged, pervasive health threats to young women:

• Premature Ovarian Decline (POD)
• Premature Ovarian Failure (menopause in the young)
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
• Early puberty
• Endometriosis
• Infertility
• Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease and heart palpitations
• Osteoporosis
• Insomnia, fibromyalgia, and fatigue
• Mood disorders
• Weight gain

All the above problems are on the rise, robbing younger and younger women of life, fertility, and vitality.

Why is this happening? What can you do to protect yourself? How can you get tested? And what treatments are available?

Many common products and environmental toxins are endocrine disruptors that can profoundly disrupt hormone function, even in childhood. These products include:

• Pesticides
• Plastic food wrappers
• Aspartame
• Soy supplements
• Food additives

Adding to the problems posed by endocrine disruptors are lifestyle factors, such as stress and dietary fat.

Your life, fertility, and long-term health may depend on on the information contained in It’s My Ovaries, Stupid!. Dr. Vliet draws on the latest international scientific research and her more than twenty years of clinical experience to show the negative effects of endocrine disruptors and poor lifestyle choices on the body. She answers crucial questions for young women who want to take control of their health: For instance, whose job is it to care for the ovaries — beyond their function in reproduction? And why do women have trouble getting help for “hormone problems” that appear to be linked to their monthly cycles?

It’s My Ovaries, Stupid! will help you understand your symptoms, get reliable tests, obtain treatment, and improve your health. The book also examines the controversies surrounding hormone replacement therapy and discusses some of the latest and best options for the treatment of thyroid problems.

Remember, it’s not stress, and it’s not all in your head. It’s your ovaries!

Table of Contents

1. When Ovaries Go Awry: Women’s Lives, Women’s Stories
2. Your Ovaries: an Owner’s Manual
3. Your Ovaries and Their Life Cycle
4. Ovaries at Risk: Surprising Toxins in Your Diet
5. Ovaries at Risk: “Gender Benders” and Endocrine Disruptors Around You
6. Ovaries at Risk: Toxic Effects of Cigarettes, Alcohol, Marijuana, and Other Drugs
7. Ovary Shutdown: The Toxic Role Of Stress Overload and Sleep Deprivation
8. Lifestyle Habits and Cultural Issues—Unexpected Stress for Our Ovaries
9. Ovaries at Risk: Unusual Effects Of Viruses and Medical Illnesses
10. Ovaries at Risk: Unrecognized Problems from Surgery, Medications, and Herbs
11. Ovaries Out of Balance: Patterns in Women’s Lives
12. Ovarian Hormones and The Brain: It’s Not Just Stress or Your Imagination!
13. The Perils of Pcos, Obesity, Syndrome X, and Diabetes
14. The Many Faces of Infertility: Overlooked Factors
15. The Ovaries and Your Other Body Systems
16. Balancing Ovarian Hormones for Optimal Health
17. Test-and-Treat Strategies for Optimal Thyroid, Adrenal, and Glucose-Insulin Balance
18. Starting Your “Clean-Up Campaign”: Get Rid of Ovarian Disruptors You Can Control
19. Create Your Own Path To Optimal Energy and Health

Publisher: Evans and Company, New York
Number of pages: 503
© 2003

And a review of the book by Publisher’s Weekly (via Amazon) says:

Despite the flippant title, this book offers a serious and comprehensive look at hormone dysfunction in women of all ages. Vliet, founder and medical director of HER Place Women’s Center, believes that many women suffer needlessly because they are not being treated properly. According to the author, a variety of illnesses-depression, panic attacks, heart disease, diabetes, fertility problems-are related to hormonal dysfunction. Drawing on medical research as well as work in her own practice, Vliet (Screaming to Be Heard) provides a complete guide to ovaries, explaining how they work and what happens when they don’t work properly, along with surgical and other treatment. Included are questionnaires so readers can self-diagnose and prepare themselves before visiting a doctor. Also particularly helpful are sidebar definitions and schematic diagrams showing the connection between hormone and illness, such as “How Stress Sabotages Your Health” and “Chemical Disruption of Thyroid Pathways.” This is a detailed and sophisticated book, complete with a glossary of medical terms. Readers wanting spoon-fed simplified explanations of their “aches and pains” will find this book daunting, but women who want to become more knowledgeable and assertive patients will find it indispensable.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.