Byers Wellness Center
Natural Hormone Therapy - The HCG Diet - Body Sculpting
Testosterone?
Male patients don't usually recognize the symptoms of testosterone deficiency until it effects their erections. They often ignore the preliminary health related problems that occur as a result of age related declining testosterone levels. "But I can still perform in bed Doc!" "I can't be testosterone deficient".
Many a male patient has taken offense to my recommendation that we test their hormone levels. They respond like I just accused them of wearing thong underwear. This is all too common the response, and a sad one at that. Are you a professional that relies on a sharp mind for your job, yet yours is failing you? Or maybe you are hard physical worker that relies on your stamina to keep the pay checks coming in, yet your abilities are failing you.
Symptoms of Testosterone Deficiency (Androgen Deficiency)
Loss of energy
Brain Fog
Decrease mental quickness
Diminished libido
Decrease orgasmic intensity
Loss of strength
Loss of muscle flexibility
Prolonged recovery from exercise
Loss of cardiac protection
High cholesterol
High LDL Cholesterol
Weight gain
Fat increase especially mid abdominal
Loss of endurance Depression
Fear
Anxiety
Sleep disturbances
Difficulty converting fat to lean muscle mass with increased exercise
Osteoporosis
With an ever growing epidemic of Diabetes and Metabolic syndrome, patients think that losing sight of their knees underneath their growing abdominal fat fold is a normal part of aging. Well it isn't! It is the result of poor nutrition, increased visceral fat, and declining hormone systems. Testosterone is an important part of homeostasis, also known as "Physiological Balance" Interestingly enough, testosterone is important for both men and women. As is obvious, it is a very important hormone in the male body. While the sex organs have testosterone receptors, the heart muscle has a very high density of testosterone receptors. So while decreased libido may be commonly recognized as a sign of testosterone deficiency, many other physiological processes are also effected, and much sooner in the deficiency state than that of sex drive.
Testosterone levels begin to decline at 30 years of age, and the typical male's testosterone declines by approximately 10% per decade. This age related decline is a variable utilized by laboratories to calculate free testosterone levels. What does this mean? This means when a patient's physician orders a testosterone level, the lab provides a "free testosterone" level. This level is based on a calculation that utilizes age related decline as a "normal" factor. What isn't recognized, is that the levels a patient had as 20-30 year old man should be considered optimal for that individual. Not a calculation that takes into account all the other deficient males at that age level. Health was optimal at 30 years of age.
Testosterone is a hormone that is carried in the blood stream by a protein known as Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). If patient doesn't suffer from malnutrition, this protein binds testosterone. However, at cellular levels, it is the free unbound testosterone that engages testosterone receptors. Therefore, if a persons SHBG levels are elevated, and their total testosterone levels are normal to low, the amount of available free testosterone able to engage the receptors may be negligible.
What does this mean? This means to get an accurate picture of "free testosterone" levels, the SHBG levels must be tested. Most physicians don't do this, and most insurance companies don't encourage it.
An even scarier occurrence: As a man gains more body fat, this fat harbors an enzyme called aromatase. Aromatase is an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. So as we gain mid abdominal fat and as we age, we slowly increase our estrogen levels, thus becoming a woman. It is the aromatase that enhances the vicious cycle of mid abdominal fat. Unfortunately this mid abdominal fat, also called visceral fat, secretes a hormone called Leptin. Leptin is a hormone that communicates with the hypothalamus in the brain and is engaged in satiety signally, or the feeling that we are "full" after a meal. When our body over secrets Leptin, we develop Leptin resistance.
Akin to insulin resistance, the two of these syndromes throw us into the spiral of weight gain, health problems, and diabetes.
What is Metabolic Syndrome?
Call Our Medical Office to schedule an appointment.
(770) 387-3450
Metabolic Syndrome
What is Metabolic Syndrome?
This syndrome is one step away from Type II Diabetes. It also increases one's risk for a cardiovascular event. 20 million people in U.S. have diabetes, and 45 million are pre-diabetic
Symptoms include:
Fasting hyperglycemia —Insulin resistance and or Type II diabetes
High blood pressure
Central obesity (also known as visceral, male-pattern or apple-shaped adiposity)
Decreased HDL cholesterol
High LDL cholesterol
Elevated triglycerides
Prothrombotic state: meaning increase fibrinogen levels which can cause clotting
Pro-inflammatory state: often measure using a Cardiac C-Reactive Protein
This syndrome, which is characterized by high inflammatory states inside the body, leading to increase clotting potential, and/or arterial plaque formation.
What causes this syndrome? Much debate centers around discussion about the factors that lead to Metabolic Syndrome. What is known, is that the central body fat accumulation is a sign of visceral fat deposition. This visceral fat is fat the lays as an apron on top of the organs inside the abdomen. This fat is different from that fat that we can pinch in the abdominal wall area. Visceral fat acts to promote inflammation, as well as to secrete leptin. Leptin is a hormone in the body that communicates with the hypothalamus in the brain. More on this latter.
What leads to Metabolic Syndrome is multi-factorial. Usually it starts with a diet that supports the development of insulin resistance. High glycemic carbohydrate diets promote insulin resistance. Insulin resistance alters the way a body metabolizes calories and the manner in which those calories are stored. Visceral fat develops and acts as a promoter of inflammation. Together with diets that are higher in trans-fats, the inflammatory environment is supercharged and goes into a viscous cycle. Combine all this with a declining hormone environment and the end result is disease states that lead to increase risk for stroke, heart attacks, and cancers.
Call Our Medical Office to schedule an appointment.
(770) 387-3450
Men
770-387-3450
