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#133 From: "grehert@..." <grehert@...>
Date: Sun Nov 5, 2006 7:30 pm
Subject: Brain function, weight loss and tea. 		grehert
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First a little something about one of my favorite subjects, Hormone Therapy.   Hormones have been known to effect brain function for some time now.  From improving memory and mood, to delaying dementia.  Here's some of the latest research on this rejuvenating subject.
The U of G's Department of Biomedical Sciences is studying how two common groups of hormones can boost brain function and memory. 
  
GUELPH (Oct 30, 2006)
 
Estrogen and androgen, two common groups of hormones, are known for their effects on the human reproductive tract. But Guelph researchers say they may have another function in the human body -- in the brain.
 
Professor Neil MacLusky, says estrogen and androgen may help improve memory and synapse formation -- the bridges between nerves that enable movements and responses to occur -- warding off diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other forms of dementia.
 
"It turns out that androgens and estrogens are important to maintaining the health of the brain," he says.
 
His timing couldn't be better. One in 10 people over the age of 65 and nearly half of those aged 85 or older have Alzheimer's disease. The situation represents a potentially serious public health risk as life expectancy continues to rise.
 
In one project, he and a team of researchers at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre are studying the impact of using estrogen therapy on aging women who are beginning to show symptoms of Alzheimer's. Early results look promising, and the team hopes to shed light on the potential of hormone therapy to reverse or at least slow some mental degeneration.
 
 
Want an easy way to lose 5 to 7 pounds a year -- year after year?  (Thought that might grab your attention.)  Then read the article just below.
Study concludes:  Drink more water, lose more weight
 
By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY
 
BOSTON — Dieters who replace sugary drinks with water lose an extra 5 pounds a year, and those who drink a couple of more cups of water a day increase weight loss by 2 pounds a year, a study presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society suggests.
 
Most popular diet programs and books advise drinking plenty of water to aid digestion and to help reduce intake of sodas and other high-calorie drinks, but there haven't been many studies to back up the advice.
 
So researchers analyzed weight-loss data on 240 overweight women, ages 25 to 50, who were following one of several popular diet plans, including Atkins and The Zone, programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption to varying degrees.
 
Before beginning their programs, the women drank an average of about two cans a day of sugary drinks (about 200 calories total), including soda and juice. Findings:
 
•Dieters who replaced virtually all sweetened drinks with water, lost on average 5 pounds more in a year than dieters who didn't.
 
•Those who drank more than four cups of water a day lost an additional 2 pounds more than dieters who did not drink that much.
When you are trying to lose weight, it's easy to change the beverages you drink, says Barry Popkin, nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.  "It doesn't matter if you drink bottled water or tap water.  Just drink more water. It's a powerful way to cut weight."
 
Adults haven't changed their water intake over the past decade, but they are drinking about 20 more ounces a day of caloric beverages. "This is the major cause of our overall caloric increase during this period, and it's clearly linked with the increase of obesity."

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://www.usatoday.com:80/news/health/2006-10-24-water-diet_x.htm

(I've always believed the consumption of sugary sodas is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic.  Dr. Rehert)

 
Tea's sedative effects have been know since way before the first glass of Lipton's was ever poured.  Finally science is trying to unlock the key to this benefit.  Read the article below for more information.  (I think I'll go and have a cup, myself.) 
Tea soothes a troubled mind, say scientists
 
The soothing power of a regular cup of tea has been given more backing from science with research that shows it can reduce the harmful effects of stress.  Stress hormone levels fell by nearly twice as much in tea drinkers compared with those given a tea-like drink, after all had been put under stress.  
 
The research involved 75 young men who were regular tea drinkers. All gave up normal tea, coffee and decaffeinated drinks for six weeks and drank one of two "tea" mixtures, four times a day instead.  The real tea was disguised so that the volunteers could not derive accustomed comfort from the brew.
 
After six weeks they were given role-playing tasks to put them under stress.
 
Both groups exhibited significant levels of stress measured by increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, increased heart rate and raised blood pressure. But fifty minutes after the task, levels of cortisol in the real tea group had fallen by 47 per cent compared with 27 per cent in the fake tea group.
 
"Many people believe that drinking tea helps them relax after facing the stresses of everyday life. However, scientific evidence is quite limited."  He said they did not know which of the many constituents of black tea produced the beneficial effects.  He added: "Although it does not appear to reduce the actual levels of stress we experience, tea does seem to have a greater effect in bringing stress hormone levels back to normal."
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
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If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
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Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
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Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#132 From: "grehert@..." <grehert@...>
Date: Sat Sep 2, 2006 6:49 pm
Subject: High Blood Pressure, Diabetes and Sex while you're pregnant. 		grehert
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We know hormones prevent heart attacks in women under 59 years of age, but what do hormones do to your blood pressure?  This first article attempts to answer this important question.  My comments follow.
Cardiovascular effects of 6 months of hormone replacement therapy versus placebo: Differences associated with years since menopause
 
Objective: This study evaluated cardiovascular effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) versus placebo in postmenopausal women grouped according to time since menopause. 

Study design: Resting and stress blood pressure (BP) levels were obtained in 69 women randomly assigned to placebo or HRT in a 6-month double-blind study. Analyses evaluated if treatment effects differed among those postmenopausal less than 5 years, versus those postmenopausal 5 years or more.

Results: Compared with the placebo-treated and HRT>5 yrs since menopause groups, the HRT<5 yrs since menopause group showed reduced BP and trends toward reduced vascular resistance and norepinephrine. HRT>5 yrs group generally did not differ from placebo.
 
Conclusion: Reduced BP is evident in some HRT users, with diminishing benefit after the initial postmenopausal years. Time since menopause may be an important consideration in making individualized patient treatment decisions.
 
What this article is saying is that if a woman begins taking hormones within 5 years of her menopause, and takes them for 6 months, she will see her blood pressure (BP) drop 8.5 points on average.  If she begins her hormones after 5 years since her last menstrual period, she gets little to no BP effect.  Time since menopause seems to be critically important regarding the benefits of hormone therapy.
 
To see the full article, click on groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/files/ and open the file named Hormones and BP.pdf
 
 
With the obesity epidemic growing in America, diabetes is becoming ever more prevalent.  This next paper explores the link between diabetes and hormone therapy.
HRT May Reduce Diabetes Risk

Jan. 6, 2003 -- Despite the negative news about hormone replacement therapy (HRT), research suggests that HRT may provide a significant benefit in helping some women reduce their risk of diabetes.  The study, published in the Jan. 7 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, found that postmenopausal women with heart disease who took a combination of estrogen and progestin had a 35% lower risk of developing diabetes than those who took a placebo. The women on HRT also had more normal fasting blood sugar levels, which when high suggest the likely onset of diabetes.
 
Researchers say it's the first such benefit found in a large number of women -- based on more than 2,700 postmenopausal women with heart disease who were followed for about four years.
 
Eugene Barrett, MD, president-elect of the American Diabetes Association says that until now there really hasn't been much information on the role of HRT in the development of diabetes, and this study raises some interesting questions.
 
Karen E. Friday, MD, associate professor of medicine at Tulane University, agrees that further studies are needed and says her great hope is that the negative press about HRT has not halted research on estrogens because there is more that we need to know.
 
According to Friday, both animal and human studies suggest that estrogen plays a significant role in how the body regulates the sugar glucose, and she says we don't yet understand all of the potential mechanisms and influences of various forms of estrogen on diabetes.
 
Since diabetes is known to greatly increase a person's risk of heart disease, finding a way to safely reduce that additional risk through the use of HRT could have tremendous potential.

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://www.webmd.com/content/article/57/66219.htm
 
Sometimes the obvious needs to be confirmed with a little research.  Here's a study that says having sex late in pregnancy, might stimulate labor.  Seems pretty obvious to me.  Dr. R
Sex close to due date may cause spontaneous labor
 
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who have sexual intercourse during late pregnancy are more likely to have a spontaneous delivery at 38 to 40 weeks' and less likely to require labor induction, according to results of a study conducted in Malaysia.
 
It is commonly believed that intercourse hastens labor, but very little research has been published to confirm this theory.
 
Dr. Peng Chiong Tan, from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, designed a study in which 200 healthy, married women with uncomplicated pregnancies completed diaries regarding sexual activity beginning at week 36 of pregnancy. Labor induction was carried out among women who had not delivered by 41 weeks of pregnancy.
 
The results showed that 6.9 percent of sexually active women had not delivered by 41 weeks, compared with 29.8 percent of abstinent women.
 
After factors such as ethnicity, education, occupation, perception of coital safety and husbands' age were taken into account, women who had sexual intercourse were 90 percent more likely to have delivered by 41 weeks and almost 100% less likely to require labor induction compared with women not engaging in sexual intercourse.
 
Although the researchers recommend sexual intercourse as a means of avoiding labor induction, they add that "in potentially compromised pregnancies caution has to be applied because the effect of intercourse and orgasm has been described as being similar to an oxytocin contraction stress test."
 

Click Here For The Complete Story=> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13923867/
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#131 From: "grehert@..." <grehert@...>
Date: Wed Aug 9, 2006 1:14 pm
Subject: Gastric bypass surgery, fried fish and estrogens. 		grehert
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I have personally seen some fantastic life-enriching results of gastric bypass surgery.  But before deciding to have the surgery, be aware of the potential risks.
Two studies weigh in differently on risks of gastric bypass
 
By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY
 
Two new studies add to the growing debate over the potential benefits and risks of using bariatric surgeries to treat obesity.  Extremely obese people who have gastric-bypass surgery may live longer than other obese people who haven't had the procedure, the research suggests.
 
But one in 50 gastric-bypass patients die within a month after the operation, which is higher than previously reported, one of the studies found.  (Other studies have reported one in 200 or one in 500 die.) 
 
Obesity is defined as being 100 or more pounds over a healthy body weight. Excess weight increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other illnesses.
 
But critics say the risks of the surgery far outweigh the benefits, setting people up for malnutrition and other medical problems that can lead to higher costs.
 
In one of the new studies, researchers with the University of Washington in Seattle evaluated the health records of 66,109 obese patients. The findings, published in October's Journal of the American College of Surgeons:
 
• One in 50 surgery patients died within 30 days.
 
• About 3% of gastric-bypass patients younger than 40 had died in the 13.6 years after the surgery, compared with 13.8% of those who did not have the surgery.
 
• Overall, 11.8% of gastric-bypass patients of all ages had died after 15 years, compared with 16.3% who hadn't been operated on.
 
There are risks of dying during or after gastric bypass, but those who make it often get improvements in diabetes, heart disease, lung function and other medical problems and seem to live longer, he says.
 
In another study, researchers at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal compared 1,035 morbidly obese patients who had bariatric surgery, mostly gastric bypass, with 5,746 who were similarly overweight but did not have the operation. The findings in September's Annals of Surgery showed that gastric-bypass patients lost 67% of their excess weight.
 
And in a five-year follow-up period, six people died who had the surgery (four because of the operation), compared with 350 who died in the larger group. After adjusting for the different size of the groups, researchers say bariatric patients had an 89% reduced risk of death.
 
"If you take obese people and invest some money in this surgery, you are going to save lives," says lead researcher Nicolas Christou, who performs many of the gastric-bypass surgeries in Canada.
 
Bottom line, "bariatric surgery improves long-term survival in extremely obese patients, but there is an increased risk upfront." 

Fish may be good for you but think twice before tackling those fried fish sticks . . . or better yet, take omega 3 fatty acids every morning as I do.
Only Broiled or Baked Fish Help the Heart
 
Mon May 2
 
WASHINGTON - Trying to eat more fish for a healthy heart? Fish sticks don't count. So says a study suggesting only fish that's broiled or baked actually protects against heart disease.
 
A diet high in fish has long been linked with lower levels of heart disease, so much so that the heart association recommends two or more weekly servings - especially of oily fish such as salmon and tuna that are particularly high in the omega-3 fatty acids. Those healthy fats are thought to increase good HDL cholesterol and lower unhealthy triglycerides.
 
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of the Harvard Medical School examined ultrasound images of the hearts of 5,000 older Americans who were given a questionnaire about their diets. After accounting for other factors, he found that people who regularly consumed broiled or baked fish were more likely to have a lower heart rate and blood pressure, and better blood flow to the heart. In contrast, those who regularly consumed fried fish or fish sandwiches showed signs of hardening of the arteries and other heart problems.
 
There was little evidence of omega-3s in the blood of the fried-fish lovers, probably because the fish species that usually are served fried are cod or other lean types that are much lower in omega-3 fats than fattier fish like salmon, Mozaffarian said.
 

Click Here For The Complete Story=> http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-05-02-fish-heart_x.htm

Finally, here's more evidence for the benefit of estrogen - in this article it comes in the form of having your ovaries.

Ovary Removal May Boost Long-Term Dementia Risk

April 6  New research suggests that removal of the ovaries significantly increases a woman's risk for cognitive problems later in life.
 
The lead author of a study released this week said the findings shouldn't prevent women from having their ovaries removed when they are diseased. However, Dr. Walter Rocca, a professor of neurology and epidemiology at Mayo Clinic, did advise that women be cautious, especially when they undergo the procedure to prevent a disease that hasn't appeared yet.
 
He added that, because estrogen might be at the root of the problem, estrogen-replacement therapy might help women who do undergo ovary removal avoid cognitive problems. According to Rocca, researchers have long suspected that estrogen -- which is found in both men and women -- protects the brain.

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://www.drkoop.com/newsdetail/93/532012.html
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#130 From: "grehert" <grehert@...>
Date: Fri May 26, 2006 3:03 pm
Subject: Genes, Working Moms and PeriMenopausal depression. 		grehert
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Send Email Send Email
 
In the field of gene research, things are going gangbusters.  The entire human genome was recently published.  In the next few years many diseases will be defined in terms of the genes that cause them.  Here's the latest on heart disease:
Scientists find genes linked to heart attack risk
 
A study covering more than 2,000 patients has identified two genes that are associated with an increased risk of an early heart attack, researchers said on Thursday.
 
Those with the genes had twice the risk of an early-onset heart attack as those without, according to the researchers.
 
Dr. John Kane, co-author of the study, said the trial sets the stage for a diagnostic test that can predict which people are at greatest risk for a heart attack.
 

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060511/hl_nm/celera_dc_2
Why are stay at home Moms heavier than working Moms.  Researchers are trying to figure this out.  Read more about it here.
Working Moms Healthier, Thinner Than Stay at Homes
 
Women who juggle career and family tend to be thinner and healthier as they approach midlife than long-term stay-at-home moms, a new study suggests.
 
Researchers tracked the health of a group of British women from their mid-20s to their mid-50s and found that full-time homemakers were the most likely to be obese in their sixth decade.
 
Women in long-term relationships who had raised kids while they held jobs outside the home were least likely to be overweight, and they also reported being in better overall health.
College London epidemiologist examined data from 1,171 women born in 1946 who had been part of a national health study since birth.
 
They found that at age 54, women who had been wives, mothers, and had a long work history were significantly less likely to report being in poor health than women who did not fulfill all three roles.
 
“This research doesn’t address why working moms tend to be healthier,” McMunn says. “And we certainly aren’t saying that working moms aren’t stressed. But it may be that being able to participate fully in society, both in and outside the home, is important for health.”
 

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,195496,00.html
We've always known that certain women suffer from depression as they go through menopause.  Here's research that looked into this association.
Risk of Depression Increases During Perimenopause
 
As women transition through perimenopause, their risk of depression triples, even if they have no prior history of major depressive disorder, according to findings presented here at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.
 
"In our sample, women were three times as likely to have an episode of depression during this time in their lives; and if they had vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes), they were six times as likely to develop depression," Dr. Cohen said. The 644 women in the study had had no prior depression and had no risk factors for depression.
 
Of these women, the 365 who entered perimenopause during the study period were three times more likely to develop depressive symptoms than were the 226 women, who were similar in age, whose menstrual cycles and ovarian functions remained normal and therefore pre-menopausal.
 
"These findings are consistent with previous research," Sharri Lusskin, MD, told Medscape. "Other investigators have shown that most women don't become depressed as they transition to menopause, and yet there are risk factors that make depression at this time more likely. These include a prior history of major depressive disorder, as well as a prior history of premenstrual syndrome." She added, "Women who have surgically induced menopause through the removal of their ovaries are also at high risk of depression."
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#127 From: "grehert@..." <grehert@...>
Date: Sat Apr 1, 2006 6:35 pm
Subject: Earwax, Eggs and Caffein. 		grehert
Offline Offline
Send Email Send Email
 
 
A lot of exciting things are coming out of all the latest genetic research.  I'll try to keep you informed of some of the more interesting findings.
Dry earwax? It's genetic

By Dan Vergano, USA TODAY
 
Genetics researchers have uncovered the key gene behind the mystery of human earwax.  The report in Monday's Nature Genetics journal solves a long-running anthropologist's riddle — why many people in China and Korea, as well as elsewhere in Asia, have dry earwax while the rest of humanity enjoys the sticky variety.
 
Who has dry gene?  
Estimated percentage of population with dry gene
 
China 100
Japan 69
India 54
American (Native) 30
Pacific Islands 14
Russia 5
American (European descent) 1
Africa 0
Europe (Hungary) 0
American (African descent) 0
 
Source: Nature Genetics
 
The earwax riddle surprisingly comes down to a single gene, dubbed ABCC11, reports a Japanese team led by Koh-ichiro Yoshiura of Nagasaki University.
 
In December, Shriver and colleagues, led by geneticist Keith Cheng of the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey, identified a gene responsible for much of the difference in human skin color between Europeans and Africans.
 
Taken with the earwax find, the trend is toward genetic research finding more of the non-disease genes responsible for physical differences in people worldwide.
 
 
 
We have all heard that eating eggs can be harmful to your health - "Too much cholesterol," thay say.  Well, some experts beg to differ with this opinion.  I personally believe that eggs in moderation are just fine - mainly because there's little carbohydrate found in eggs.  Check out this next story.
Eggs for breakfast aid weight control
 
12/29/05 
 
Eating eggs for breakfast can reduce hunger and caloric intake both at lunchtime and over the next 24 hours, according to a new study published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
 
The study compared the effects on hunger of two calorically-identical breakfasts, one consisting of two scrambled eggs and two slices of toast with low-calorie jelly, and the other a 3 1/2-inch bagel with cream cheese plus a 3-ounce nonfat yogurt.

The researchers found that when participants had eaten the egg breakfast they consumed significantly less, not only at lunch on that day, but also throughout the day and the next morning as compared to the bagel breakfast.  On average they ate about 163 fewer calories for lunch, 263 fewer calories that day, and 418 fewer calories over a 24-hour period.

"Eggs are a convenient, affordable and nutritious food," said Dr. Dhurandhar. "They are an integral and established part of breakfast in many cultures and may be eaten safely on a regular basis. Recent data from the Nurses' Health Study showed that egg consumption did not contribute to the risk of coronary heart disease or stroke. Furthermore, eggs have a 50% higher satiety index than other common breakfast foods.

The findings from this study build upon earlier studies showing that protein-based breakfasts improved weight loss better than carbohydrate-focused breakfasts.

 
And finally we hear so many things about caffein - both good and bad.  Here's a new twist to the caffein story.
Caffeine may put females in the mood for sex, a new study shows.
 
In the study, female rats that got their first shot of caffeine before mating were quicker than uncaffeinated females to scurry back to a male rat after sex.
 
The caffeinated females weren’t just looking for company. “It looks as if they wanted to have sex again,” researcher Fay Guarraci, PhD, tells WebMD.
 
The caffeinated female rats weren’t exactly shy.  “The way we measure their interest is they go back and revisit the male after they’ve just had some sexual interaction with them,” Guarraci explains.  The caffeinated females “would go and visit faster, and they would stay with the males until they received sexual stimulation before they left,” Guarraci says.
 
Using the same formula for humans, the lowest dose would roughly equal the caffeine in “a grande latte at Starbucks ... a pretty high-caffeinated beverage, but not something outrageous,” Guarraci says.
 
Her study shows that the caffeinated females didn’t just skitter around their cages aimlessly.  The caffeinated females seemed motivated to seek sex, not to burn extra energy from the caffeine, the researchers write.
 

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181639,00.html
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
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Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
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Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#126 From: "grehert@..." <grehert@...>
Date: Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:33 pm
Subject: Risk of dieing, grappling and hormones in Canada. 		grehert
Offline Offline
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If you're curious about your chances of dieing in the next 4 years, here's a test you can take - right now - to find out your odds.
Want to know the odds of you dying in the next four years? 
 
Taking a new quiz put together by researchers whose results are in today's Journal of the American Medical Association can help you figure it out.
 
The 12-question quiz is roughly 81 percent accurate and can give people 50 and older a reasonable idea of their survival chances, says lead author Dr. Sei Lee, a geriatrics researcher at San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.  There are things you can do to improve your chances, he notes, such as quitting smoking or taking up exercise.  The researchers even warn, "Don't try this at home," saying a doctor can help you put things into perspective.  But for the curious, here it is. Good luck.
     
      1. Age: 60-64 years, 1 point; 65-69, 2 points; 70-74, 3 points; 75-79, 4 points; 80-84, 5 points; 85 and older, 7 points.
      2. Male or Female: Male 2 points.
      3. Body-Mass Index: Less than 25 (normal weight or less), 1 point. (Calculate by multiplying height in inches times height in inches; then divide weight in pounds by that total; then multiply the total by 703.)
      4. Diabetes: 2 points.
      5. Cancer (excluding minor skin cancers): 2 points.
      6. Chronic lung disease that limits activities or requires oxygen use at home: 2 points.
      7. Congestive heart failure: 2 points.
      8. Cigarette smoking in the past week: 2 points.
      9. Difficulty bathing/showering because of a health or memory problem: 2 points.
      10. Difficulty managing money, paying bills, keeping track of expenses because of a health or memory problem: 2 points.
      11. Difficulty walking several blocks because of a health problem: 2 points.
      12. Difficulty pushing or pulling large objects like a living-room chair because of a health problem: 1 point.
 
Score: 0 to 5 points, less than a 4 percent risk of dying within four years; 6-9 points, 15 percent risk; 10-13 points, 42 percent risk; 14 or more, 64 percent risk.
 
(Note: Researchers say the 1-point penalty for having a body-mass index under 25 (normal weight or less) is based on findings that being underweight is a health risk for elderly people.)
 
 
 
From England, their National Health Service is promoting the health benefits of sex.  Read more below. 
Grapple a day keeps the doctor away
 
February 12, 2006
 
It can help to reduce stress, soothe pain, cure insomnia, lower the risk of a heart attack and, as if that wasn't enough, make your hair shine and your wrinkles vanish.
 
"Forget about jogging round the block or struggling with sit-ups," says the British Government's patients' helpline, National Health Service Direct. The key for healthy living is "a good bout of 'sexercise' ".
 
"Regular romps", according to an official posting on the home page of the NHS Direct website, will bring a plethora of health rewards, from staying fit and burning calories to combating cancer.
 
"Orgasms even release painkillers into the bloodstream, helping keep mild illnesses like colds and aches and pains at bay, and produce extra oestrogen and testosterone hormones," the site says.
 
"These hormones will keep your bones and muscles healthy, leaving you feeling fabulous inside and out. The increased production of the hormones will make your hair shine and your skin smooth. And if you're worried about wrinkles, orgasms even help prevent frown lines from deepening."
 
 
 
And from our neighbors in Canada, hormones are getting a second chance.
MDs back HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for menopause symptoms
 
Feb. 7, 2006
CANADIAN PRESS
 
After years of confusion about its safety as a treatment for symptoms of menopause, hormone replacement therapy received the green light from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada.
 
In the first rewrite of its guidelines on the issue since 2001, the society gave its blessing to the use of HRT for moderate to severe menopausal symptoms.
 
Those who drafted the report distilled clinical and scientific studies about menopause in an attempt to provide physicians with the most current treatment information. Their report suggests the increased risk associated with taking the drugs is of the magnitude of lifestyle choices women routinely make, such as delaying childbirth until after age 30, smoking or not exercising.
 
“It’s less of a risk than having two glasses of alcoholic beverages a day. So there are many things we do that increase our breast cancer risk,” Blake said.
 
The society recommended health-care professionals offer hormone therapy as the most effective option for moderate to severe menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats and mood changes.  While menopause is a natural transition, for some women it isn’t an easy one. Hot flashes can be everything from uncomfortable to an unbearably disruptive condition.
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#125 From: "grehert@..." <grehert@...>
Date: Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:27 pm
Subject: Weight loss, exercise and hormones. 		grehert
Offline Offline
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First here's a story that describes a new weight loss procedure.  To me it seems so logical and simple . . . all I can say is, "Why didn't I think of that?"    Dr. Rehert
Stomach Balloons Used to Fight Weight Gain
 
Jan 29, 2006
 
ROME - Vittorio Campati is a 40-year-old restaurant chef. He weighs 308 pounds, likes pasta and sweets and has failed many diets.  His last resort? A balloon inserted into his stomach in a procedure that lasts less than 20 minutes. European doctors hail the technique as a simple, less invasive way to fight obesity.
 
Inserted down the patient's throat, a round silicon balloon is filled with a saline solution and remains in the stomach for about six months.
 
"We introduce a balloon of half a liter volume (about a pint) in the stomach and inflate it so it takes up space and helps slow down the eating," said Dr. Nicola Basso, the obesity surgeon who performed the procedure on Campati. "This causes a sense of fullness, and the patient is helped to lose weight."
 
Basso, who has performed the procedure on about 700 patients in six years, said the technique allows an average drop of 33-44 pounds over six months.  "The efficacy of the treatment depends on how the patient is able to use these six months to change his dieting habits in a more or less stable way," Basso said.
 
You've probably heard of endorphins, those exercise induced chemicals that block pain and create a sense of well being.  Well they just might explain the benefit described in this next article . . . something to try the next time you're down in the dumps.
Single workout can lift mood in depressed patients
Jan 25, 2006
 
By Amy Norton
A single 30-minute walk on a treadmill can give a temporary emotional lift to patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder, the results of a small study suggest.
 
Researchers found that among 40 men and women recently diagnosed with major depression, those who spent just a half hour on a treadmill reported a short-term improvement in energy and emotional well-being.
 
Past studies, he explained in an interview, have shown that regular exercise can help treat depression over time. But the new findings show that "you don't have to wait" to start getting some benefit, he said.
 
A number of studies have found that active adults are less likely to suffer depression than their sedentary peers, while some clinical trials have shown regular exercise can serve as a therapy for the disorder -- and perhaps be as effective as antidepressant drugs in some cases. 
 

 
And finally another nail in the coffin of the WHI (Women's Health Initiative) study.  The more that scientists scrutinize the WHI research, the more they find that our earlier beliefs about hormones were generally correct.  It seems that hormone's benefits substantially outweigh its risks in the early menopausal woman.
Hormone therapy less risky for younger women
 
Jan 23, 2006
 
Younger women may be able to take hormone replacement therapy without raising their risk of heart disease, U.S. researchers reported on Monday in a study aimed at reducing some of the confusion surrounding HRT.
 
Women who started taking the drugs as they began menopause -- which typically starts in the mid-40s and lasts through the mid-50s -- had a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease than women who did not take them, the researchers found.
 
The findings contrast with those of a highly publicized 2002 study called the Women's Health Initiative or WHI, which found HRT raised the risk of heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and other serious conditions.
 
Manson and others who worked on the WHI study noted the women in it were on average 63 -- a decade past menopause.  They wondered what would happen with younger women, just entering menopause.
 
So they used data from the Nurses' Health Study, an ongoing study of 121,700 female nurses, age 30 to 55 when it started in 1976. Every two years these women have filled out detailed questionnaires on their health, habits and medications. When they died, their medical records were carefully added.
 
The nurses' data showed that if women took HRT at younger ages, they had a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease than women the same age who did not take HRT.
 
"It does suggest that women who are good candidates for hormone therapy because they are recently menopausal and having moderate to severe hot flashes and are at low risk of heart disease may not need to be alarmed about the (earlier) findings," Manson said in a telephone interview.

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060123/hl_nm/hormones_dc

 
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#124 From: "grehert@..." <grehert@...>
Date: Sun Jan 22, 2006 3:08 am
Subject: Cough syrup, magnetic bracelets and wine drinkers. 		grehert
Offline Offline
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The next time you have a troublesome cough, remember this first article.  And realize this article isn't saying that codeine (Rx) doesn't work, just OTC cough syrups.
No evidence Over-the-counter cough syrups work
 
Jan 9, 2006,  By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
 
Over-the-counter cough medicines do little good and may harm children.  Adults are better off using older nonprescription antihistamines and decongestants to stop the flow of mucus that causes the cough, the American College of Chest Physicians said in its latest guidelines.
 
"Cough is the number one reason why patients seek medical attention," said Dr. Richard Irwin of the University of Massachusetts Medical School.  "There is no clinical evidence that over-the-counter cough expectorants or suppressants actually relieve cough," Irwin added.
 
"There is considerable evidence that older type antihistamines help to reduce cough, so, unless there are contraindications to using these medicines, why not take something that has been proven to work?"
 
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, showed that children usually recovered quickly

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-01-09T220348Z_01_KWA979346_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-COUGH-DC.XML

 

 
Do you know anybody walking around wearing magnets or copper bracelets to heal their aches and pains.  Ibuprophen might be a better investment.
Health bracelets are a 'waste of money'
 
THE mystical draw of magnetic therapy has seen world leaders from Cleopatra to Bill Clinton convinced of its healing power.  But despite such longstanding popularity with the rich and powerful, new research has led to warnings from the United States that the "alternative" treatment has no proven benefits and simply targets vulnerable people looking for pain relief.
 
The report by American doctors concluded that the rapidly expanding commercial industry selling static magnet therapies is exploiting the people who buy and believe in the products.
 
Billions of dollars are spent annually on "static" magnetic bracelets, insoles, wrist and knee bands, back and neck braces, and even pillows and mattresses in the hope they will cure anything from back pain to migraines.
 
In Britain, Princes William and Harry have been seen wearing copper bracelets, which often have magnetic properties and have become something of a fashion statement.  The Silence of the Lambs actor Sir Anthony Hopkins is a known to be a believer in magnetic therapy, which dates from ancient times.
 
But Professor Leonard Finegold, of Drexel University in Philadelphia, who led the research said: "There is a billion-to-one chance that I am wrong. There is simply no evidence that this therapy works.  These products cost huge amounts of money, and it would be just as effective to strap a fridge magnet to your wrist."
 
"Sometimes people feel pain relief if you tell them a bracelet has magnets in when it does not. It is a placebo effect. If people really must buy a magnet they should buy the cheapest as it will cause the least financial pain."
 
Magnetic bracelets are often pitched as a cure for pain from osteoarthritis, or as a means of warding off the condition. Last year, $4.8 billion was spent on magnets for pain relief.

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=21182006

 

 
You've probably heard that drinking wine is good for your health - and certainly a lot healthier than drinking beer.  Here's an article that suggests it's not 'what' you drink but rather 'what' it washes down.
Beer Drinkers 'Eating More Junk.'  
 
Beer drinkers are more likely to buy unhealthy food such as chips and ready meals than people who prefer wine, a study suggests. 
 
A Danish team studying 3.5 million supermarket transactions found wine buyers bought more olives, fruit and vegetables.  Beer drinkers meanwhile chose fattier, meatier options, the study said. 

According to the research team, at the National Institute of Public Research in Copenhagen, wine buyers also bought more poultry, cooking oil and low-fat cheese than beer buyers.

Beer lovers were attracted to cold cuts, chips, pork, butter, margarine, sausages, lamb and soft drinks.

The team suggested the food factor (rather than the choice of alcohol) may explain why wine appears to have a beneficial impact on health.

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4629560.stm

 

The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#123 From: "grehert" <grehert@...>
Date: Fri Dec 23, 2005 2:42 pm
Subject: Chimeras, abortion, dieting and hormones. 		grehert
Offline Offline
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This is the Happy Holidays edition of DrRehertsAlerts. 
May all of the subscribers of DrRehertsAlerts have a happy (no seasonal depression) and safe (no drinking and driving) holiday season. 
 
Best wishes in the New Year from Sue, Arlesia, April, Jocelyn and Dr. Rehert.
 
We'll start off with a story that I'm sure will get everybody thinking . . . and nope, this is not science fiction!
Mice created with human brain cells
 
By Paul Elias, Associated Press
 
SAN FRANCISCO - Add another creation to the strange scientific menagerie where animal species are being mixed together in ever more exotic combinations.
 
Scientists announced Monday that they had created mice with small amounts of human brain cells in an effort to make realistic models of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease.  Led by Fred Gage of the Salk Institute, researchers created the mice by injecting about 100,000 human embryonic stem cells per mouse into the brains of 14-day-old rodent embryos.
 
Those mice were each born with about 0.1% of human cells in each of their heads, a trace amount that doesn't remotely come close to "humanizing" the rodents.  Still, the work adds to the growing ethical concerns of mixing human and animal cells when it comes to stem cell and cloning research. After all, mice are 97.5% genetically identical to humans.
 
"The worry is if you humanize them too much you cross certain boundaries," said David Magnus, director of the Stanford Medical Center for Biomedical Ethics. "But I don't think this research comes even close to that."  Researchers are nevertheless beginning to bump up against what bioethicists call the "yuck factor."

Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/genetics/2005-12-12-mice-human-brains_x.htm?csp=34

 
If you ever heard that having an abortion causes depression, here's some new research . . .
Abortion cuts risk of later blues

Clara Pirani, Medical reporter
October 29, 2005
 
Proceeding with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy is more likely to cause depression than having an abortion, a controversial new study has found.  Researchers questioned 1247 women who aborted or delivered an unwanted first pregnancy between 1970 and 1992.
 
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that going ahead with an unwanted pregnancy was more likely to lead to depression.
 
"We conclude that, under present conditions of legal access to abortion, there is no credible evidence that choosing to terminate an unwanted first pregnancy puts women at higher risk of subsequent depression than does choosing to deliver an unwanted first pregnancy," said Nancy Russo and Sarah Schmiege from Arizona State University's department of psychology.

Click Here For The Complete Story=> http://www.webmd.com/content/article/114/111286
 
Here's an interesting study that might give us all clues to successful dieting.  "When it comes to food, out of sight is out of mind."
Candy jar psychology
 
October 21, 2005
 
VANCOUVER -- Scientists studying candy-jar psychology have confirmed what most of us know instinctively: Out of sight is out of mind.
 
Secretaries who were given Hershey kisses for Secretary's Week ate more of them when the jars were clear or on their desks than when the chocolates were in opaque containers or placed a short distance away.
 
Wansink and his colleagues gave 40 university secretaries 30 chocolate kisses in either a clear or an opaque candy jar placed on their desks or about six feet away. The dish was refilled each night, and researchers counted how many candies were eaten over the next four weeks.
 
Secretaries ate an average of 7.7 kisses each day when the candies were in clear containers on their desks; 4.6 when in opaque jars on the desk; 5.6 when in clear jars six feet away; and 3.1 when in opaque jars six feet away.
 
"Here's the golden lining: If we move food away from us, even six feet, we eat less and we overestimate how much we have eaten," the researchers concluded.
 

 
And finally, one of the more recent stories on hormones.  More and more people are again beginning to grasp that the benefits of hormone therapy far outweigh the risks in the appropriate population.
Conflicting research debates cardiac benefits of estrogen therapy
 
By Shari Roan
Los Angeles Times
November 7, 2005
 
Richard White toiled in his laboratory at the Medical College of Georgia for eight years trying to understand how estrogen helped prevent heart attacks and stroke. His studies looked promising; estrogen seemed to prime the female cardiovascular system to prevent clotting and relax blood vessels.
 
So when the massive Women's Health Initiative results were released three years ago -- finding that estrogen therapy in older postmenopausal women seemed to cause more heart attacks and strokes -- White was dumbfounded.
 
"It just didn't make any sense," says the pharmacologist. "But you can't doubt it; the information was right there. So we started to try to figure out why this same hormone could produce two different effects."
 
He went back to the drawing board, and so have a lot of other researchers.
 
A growing number of doctors are trying to reconcile the Women's Health Initiative's negative findings with other research suggesting estrogen therapy can't be that bad.
 
These doctors say hormone replacement therapy may still be a valuable option for some younger women. They also say the recommendations emerging from the Women's Health Initiative -- that hormone therapy should be used only in a low dose for the shortest time possible by women who need it the most -- may be needlessly restrictive.
 
"We used to think hormone replacement therapy should be taken by everyone," says Dr. Hugh S. Taylor, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine. "Now the pendulum has swung too far the other way."
 
A growing number of doctors now say the WHI study provides an incomplete picture because the average age of the participants was 63. If hormones are taken around the time of menopause -- age 51 on average -- they might protect women from heart attacks, stroke, and possibly even dementia, these experts say.
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#122 From: "grehert@..." <grehert@...>
Date: Fri Nov 25, 2005 12:10 pm
Subject: The latest on hormones - part 2 - heart disease. 		grehert
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As reported in my last email I recently attended a conference in New York City where the very latest opinions on postmenopausal hormone therapy were presented by two leading gynecologists, Dr. Leon Speroff and Dr. Allen DeCherney.  
 
My last email was about breast cancer.  In this email I'd like to share with you Dr. Speroff's summary on how heart disease is effected by hormone therapy.  The summary that he wrote is in black. 
 
<<My comments and explanations are interspersed in red.>>

 

Cardiovascular Disease – Conclusion

 

The WHI <<Women's Health Initiative Study>> concluded (and many individuals and organizations did as well) that hormone therapy is not a viable intervention for primary prevention of CHD (coronary heart disease).  We cannot quarrel with the conclusion that postmenopausal hormone therapy does not reduce or slow the progression of established coronary heart disease.  However, the WHI did not study the appropriate population in the appropriate time period to establish that hormone therapy does not exert a primary preventive effect on the risk of coronary heart disease.  <<Here Dr. Speroff is saying that it is becoming increasingly clear that hormones are not good treatment for women who have "established" heart disease.  In other words, once a woman develops atherosclerosis in her heart blood vessels, hormones will not "reduce or slow" this disease.  But he suggests that WHI didn't find the expected "good" effect of hormones because they studied older women (average age was 63), rather than younger women just entering menopause (around age ~50).  These younger women would probably have benefited from hormone therapy.>> 

 

The results of secondary prevention trials provide a reasonably solid basis not to recommend postmenopausal hormone therapy for women with existing atherosclerosis in the anticipation of preventing future cardiovascular events.  <<Again he advises against starting hormone therapy in women who have "existing atherosclerosis" (i.e. hardening of the arteries).>>  The results also indicate that there is no need to avoid the use of medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera), because there has been no difference observed comparing women treated only with estrogen to those treated with estrogen and progestin.  <<He is saying that the research suggests that taking Provera doesn't increase your risk of getting heart disease.>>

 

The cardiovascular results over the last few years support an emerging theme.  The theme is: Healthy endothelium <<blood vessel lining>> is needed to respond to estrogen.  Experimental evidence in the monkey indicates that the beneficial effects of hormonal treatment are progressively diminished with increasing atherosclerosis.  In postmenopausal women, the vasodilatory effects of estrogen dissipate with increasing age.  By the time the endothelium is involves with atherosclerosis, it is too late for estrogen to exert a beneficial effect.  The clinical trial reports make an argument that the optimal approach to postmenopausal hormone therapy is to start treatment close to the menopause, avoiding a significant period of exposure to low estrogen levels prior to beginning therapy.  <<He repeats the overriding theme that younger women, just going into menopause, with health blood vessels (no atherosclerosis), will benefit from starting hormone therapy.  Older menopausal women who have already developed atherosclerosis (because their estrogen levels were deficient for so many years) will probably not benefit from beginning hormone therapy.>>  And there continues to be good reason (a combination of biologic data and uniform agreement in a large number of observational studies) to believe that hormone therapy can have a beneficial role in the primary prevention of coronary heart disease.  <<And finally Dr. Speroff says that the majority of medical research supports the idea that hormone therapy prevents heart disease when started in an early menopausal woman.>>

Well that's a lot of material on hormones.  But if you are still interested, you can watch an excellent video on-line as it was shown on MSNBC.  CLICK HERE - And then click on "LAUNCH" on the NBC VIDEO screen (under the picture of Dr. Judith Reichman).  I think it's an exceptional discussion of the subject of hormones and their effect on heart disease. 
Dr. Rehert
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
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#121 From: "grehert" <grehert@...>
Date: Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:56 pm
Subject: The very latest on Hormones. 		grehert
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This past weekend I attended a conference in New York City that presented the very latest opinions on postmenopausal hormone therapy.  The conference was presented by two of the world's leading gynecologists, Dr. Leon Speroff and Dr. Allen DeCherney.  
 
In this email I'd like to share with you, my patients, the summary Dr. Speroff gave of his current views on postmenopausal hormone therapy and it's effect on breast cancer and heart disease.  Below is his summary as it applies to breast cancer.  My next email will cover heart disease.  Dr. Speroff's summary is in black.  <<My comments and explanations are interspersed in red.>>

SUMMARY – Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer

 

  • The WHI (Women’s Health Initiative Study) agrees with some case-control and cohort studies indicating that long-term current use of combined estrogen and progestin has a slightly increased risk of breast cancer.  <<Here Dr. Speroff admits that long-term hormone replacement therapy may increase the risk of breast cancer by 24%.  However in considering this 24%, you should realize that obesity increases the risk of breast cancer by 100%, and heavy alcohol intake also increases the risk or breast cancer by about 100%.  And let's not forget that talking on your cellphone while you drive your car, increases your risk of having a auto-accident by 400%.  And smoking cigarettes increases your risk of lung cancer by 2,000%.>>  It is still not clear whether this finding is due to an effect of hormonal therapy on pre-existing tumors.  <<Here he is stating that despite all the world's research, there is still no strong evidence that hormones cause breast cancer.  They may just speed up the emergence and detection of small breast cancer tumors that were present, totally unrelated to the hormone therapy.>>
  • The epidemiologic data indicate that a positive family history of breast cancer should not be a contraindication to the use of postmenopausal hormone therapy. <<Dr. Speroff finds no evidence that a women with close relatives with breast cancer (mother, sister) has any increased danger from taking hormones.>>
  • Women who develop breast cancer while using postmenopausal hormone therapy have a reduced risk of dying from breast cancer.  This is probably because of two factors:  (1). Increased surveillance and early detection: and (2). An effect on pre-existing tumors so that tumors appear at a less virulent and aggressive stage.  <<Here he cited studies showing that if you get breast cancer while you are taking hormones, your outlook is improved.  Specifically in women who get breast cancer while taking hormones: (1) the breast cancer tumors are found at a younger age, (2) they are less agressive, (3) they are smaller, (4) they have a lower chance of spread, and (5) there's a 40-60% less chance of dieing from the breast cancer.>>
So consider all this when you think about whether it's safe or not to take postmenopausal hormone therapy.  In my next email I will discuss the very latest opinions regarding postmenopausal hormones and their effect on heart disease.
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
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Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#120 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Tue Oct 4, 2005 4:01 am
Subject: Dirty Atlanta men, Hot flashes and Left Handedness. 		grehert
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If you've been to a Braves game recently, you may unknowingly have been part of a research study.  Read on to learn how . . .  

Braves Fans the Dirtiest According to Study

 

Men are dirtier than women. Scientists confirmed this by spying in public restrooms, watching as one-fourth of the men left without washing their hands.  The worst offenders were at an Atlanta Braves game.

 

Wednesday's results mark the American Society of Microbiology's latest look at how many people take what is considered the single easiest step to staying healthy: spending 20 seconds rubbing with soap under the faucet.

 

In 1996, the society first studied how often people wash up after using the toilet. Researchers lingered in public restrooms while surreptitiously counting. They concluded about one-third did not wash.

 

Every few years, the research is repeated. This time, 83 percent of people washed.

 

The worst hygiene was at Atlanta's Turner Field, where 37 percent of the men left the bathroom without washing and 16 percent of the women did.

Click Here For The Complete Story=>  http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/4896734

 

Many of my patients already know that when you stop taking your hormones, your hot flashes usually return.  Somebody not quite as enlightened as you'all wanted to prove this.  And wouldn't you know . . . they proved it. 

Pills May Merely Delay Hot Flashes.  Study of Women who Stopped taking Hormones sees Symptoms of Menopause Recur.

 

By Lindsey Tanner

 

CHICAGO - Judy Smith says she had five blissful years without hot flashes while participating in a landmark study of hormone supplements. But when she quit taking them, the symptoms returned for her and many other participants, suggesting that the pills might postpone but not prevent menopausal symptoms.

 

"You can't necessarily expect to just skip that stage' by taking hormones, said Dr. Judith Ockene of the University of Massachusetts.  The survey, which appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association, also found that menopause symptoms can last longer than many women thought. More than one-third of women who reported symptoms after stopping the study pills were in their 60s and 70s at least 10 years older than the average age of menopause.

 

Click Here For The Complete Story=> http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204~21474~2962000,00.html

 

I thought this next article was rather interesting.  I cannot explain the association, and I doubt that it's anything but coincidence, but who knows?  Maybe there is something to it. 

Breast Cancer, Handedness Could Be Linked
Study Finds Higher Rate of Disease in Left-Handed Women

 

September 26, 2005

 

Are left-handed women at increased risk for breast cancer? A new study suggests that might be the case.

 

Cuno Uiterwaal of the University Medical Center in the Netherlands examined the relationship between handedness and breast cancer in 12,178 healthy, middle-age women.  Between 1982 and 2000, the left-handed women in the study were more than twice as likely as right-handed women to develop breast cancer before going through menopause, the researchers found. The association held up even after the researchers took into account other factors, such as social and economic status, smoking habits, family history of breast cancer, and reproductive history.

 

Much more research is needed to explore whether the relationship is real and what may explain it. But the researchers speculated that left-handed women may be at risk for breast cancer because they were exposed to higher levels of certain hormones in the womb.  Women exposed to the hormonal drug diethylstilbestrol, or DES, for example, when they were in the womb were more likely to be left-handed, they noted.

 

Click Here For The Complete Story=>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/25/AR2005092501152.html

 

The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 

 

If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.

 

Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.

 

Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.

285 Boulevard, NE

Suite 520

Atlanta, Georgia

Phone: 404-688-2800

 

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
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If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
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Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
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Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#119 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:26 am
Subject: Chocolate, big thighs and hearing loss. 		grehert
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If you are a chocolate lover, take your sweet time reading article number one . . . all the way to the bitter end.
Good news for dark chocolate-lovers
Jul 19,
 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dark chocolate can not only soothe your soul but can lower blood pressure too, researchers reported Monday.
 
The study, published by the American Heart Association, joins a growing body of research that show compounds found in chocolate called flavonoids can help the blood vessels work more smoothly, perhaps reducing the risk of heart disease.
 
Blumberg and colleagues at the University of L'Aquila in Italy studied 10 men and 10 women with high blood pressure.  For 15 days, half ate a 3.5 ounce bar of specially formulated dark chocolate, while the other half ate the same amount of white chocolate.  Then each group "crossed over" and ate the other chocolate.
 
"White chocolate, which has no flavonoids, was the perfect control food because it contains all the other ingredients and calories found in dark chocolate," Blumberg said.
 
When the volunteers ate the special dark chocolate, they had a 12 mm Hg decrease in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) and a 9 mm Hg decrease in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) on average.
 
Blood pressure did not change when the volunteers ate white chocolate.
 
Eating dark chocolate also seemed to improve how the body used insulin, and reduced low density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol by about 10 percent on average.
 
"The findings do not suggest that people with high blood pressure should eat lots of dark chocolate in lieu of other important blood pressure-reduction methods, such as medication and exercise," Blumberg said. "Rather, we are identifying specific flavonoids that can have a benefit on blood pressure and insulin sensitivity."
 

Click Here For The Complete Story=> http://www.indiadaily.com/breaking_news/41334.asp
 
You've heard it before, "what fruit are you shaped like?" . . . . This next article investigates why it's better to be shaped like a pear than like an apple.  
Fat thighs may benefit health, say researchers
August 13, 2005
 
For many people, mainly women, fat on legs, hips, and buttocks may actually help ward off heart disease and diabetes, recent research suggests.
 
University of Colorado researchers reported this week that in a study of 95 women past menopause, being bottom-heavy was linked to better scores on several markers in the blood, including triglycerides and high sugar levels. "Our body of research, as well as some others, suggest that leg fat is good fat," said Rachael Van Pelt, the lead researcher.
 
Researchers are not sure exactly why leg, hip and buttocks fat carries benefits, but this latest study complements the growing understanding that all fat is not alike. In recent years it has become clearer that "visceral fat," which swells waistlines and wraps around organs, poses the greatest health danger, while "peripheral fat" on arms, legs, hips and buttocks is more benign and, according to recent research, may even be helpful.
 
Researchers caution that their work does not translate into advice to gain or retain excess weight. Though people tend toward either a bottom-heavy pear shape or a top-heavy apple shape, there is no way to gain only peripheral fat (pear shape) without gaining visceral fat (apple shape), as well.
 
 
And just in case you ever wondered . . .
Men do have trouble hearing women.
 
2005-08-10
 
BEIJING, Aug. 10 -- Men who are accused of never listening by women now have an excuse — women's voices are more difficult for men to listen to than other men's, British scientists found.
 
The Daily Mail, quoting findings published in the specialist magazine NeuroImage, said researchers at Sheffield University in northern England discovered startling differences in the way the brain responds to male and female sounds.
 
Men deciphered female voices using the auditory part of the brain that processes music, while male voices engaged a simpler mechanism, it said.
 
The newspaper quoted researcher Michael Hunter as saying: “The female voice is actually more complex than the male voice, due to differences in the size and shape of the vocal cords and larynx between men and women, and also due to women having greater natural 'melody' in their voices.  This causes a more complex range of sound frequencies than in a male voice.” Hunter explained.  The findings may help explain why people suffering hallucinations usually hear male voices, the report added, as the brain may find it much harder to conjure up a false female voice accurately than a false male voice.
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com. <= CLICK HERE
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#118 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Sat Aug 13, 2005 5:24 pm
Subject: Viagra, fish oil and obesity. 		grehert
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Viagra has been one of the biggest blockbuster drugs of all times.  It has solved many a marital problem.  Now here's a story about how it's causing some new, unanticipated trouble for couples.
Women complain of too much sex
07/16/05 
 
Some New Zealand women say Viagra is giving their sex life too much of a lift.  They complain that their partners insist on having sex - regardless of their own mood - because the men want to get their money's worth. A 48-year-old, who said Viagra made sex inevitable, said the attitude was: "I've taken the pill, OK, let's go". And a 60-year-old, explaining the difficult adjustment to a sudden, vigorous sex life, said: "All of a sudden Viagra became the focus in the house for a while".
 
The Montreal Gazette reported that while much scientific research had been done on the safety of drugs aimed at improving sexual performance of men - and increasingly, more on women - few had looked at the emotional and relational impacts.
 
Meika Loe, of Colgate University, said the success of Viagra had been a double-edged sword: "What is new is the pressure that comes with the Viagra phenomenon and the pressure to be sexual".
 
In Ms Potts' study, some women complained that their husbands could have multiple erections over a 24-hour period and even though the women didn't want to have sex, they felt a duty to endure it to help their partners repair their battered self-esteem.
 
When one 57-year-old was asked what would happen if she told her partner she wasn't in the mood for sex, she replied: "I think he'd be pretty deflated, really, and I think it would be worse because of the fact that he'd taken that pill. I'm frightened that it would hurt his feelings."
 
Some women reported that less time was spent on pleasurable activities other than intercourse while others said they'd get angry with their husbands for not consulting them before popping a pill.
 
 
If you take daily fish oil (omega 3 fatty acids), or if you take soy supplements (i.e. Estroven) for hot flashes, here's something that might interest you.  And it's from Emory University.
Soy and fish oil may help prevent heart attacks
12 Apr 2005
 
Taking daily supplements of fish or soy oil may improve cardiac function and protect against heart attacks in the short-term. Study results published in the April issue of CHEST are the first to show that soy oil increases heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of cardiac autonomic function.
 
Fernando Holguin, MD, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. "In fact, our study group showed improvements in heart function in as little as two weeks."
 
Researchers from Atlanta, GA, Boston, MA, and Cuernavaca, Mexico, took the HRV of 58 elderly patients every other day for two months to establish a baseline for each participant. For 11 weeks, half of the study participants took a daily 2 g supplement of fish oil, which contains marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids, and the other half took a daily 2 g supplement of soy oil, which contains plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids improve heart function by providing greater variability between beats, therefore reducing the risk of arrhythmia and/or sudden death.
 
Researchers discovered that while patients in both groups experienced a significant increase in HRV, those who took the fish oil supplements achieved a greater increase in a shorter time period.
 
"Studies like this demonstrate that there are additional approaches we can take to protect ourselves from heart attacks," said Paul A. Kvale, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. "It's exciting to see the potential for omega-3 fatty acids in improving heart function when it complements a healthy lifestyle of exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting eight hours of sleep."
 
Obesity is the talk of the media as well as the medical community.  Here's an interesting story that argues that obesity starts in the nursery and argues for more breast feeding.
First Week Critical in Childhood Obesity - U.S. Study
 
Mon Apr 18 Reuters
 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - What you feed a newborn baby during the first week of life could be critical in deciding whether that baby grows up to be obese, U.S. researchers said on Monday. They found that formula-fed babies who gained weight rapidly during their first week of life were significantly more likely to be overweight decades later.
 
"It suggests that there may be a critical period in that first week during which the body's physiology may be programmed to develop chronic disease throughout life," said Dr. Nicolas Stettler, a pediatric nutrition specialist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
 
Writing in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, they said each additional 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of weight gained during the first eight days of life increased a baby's risk of becoming an overweight adult by about 10 percent.
 
The study also helps reinforce recommendations that mothers breast-feed their babies. "For a variety of health reasons, the American Association of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding during a baby's first six months of life," Stettler said. Breast-fed babies are less likely to be overweight.
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#117 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Wed Jul 6, 2005 12:57 pm
Subject: Walking, your memory, and the morning-after-pill. 		grehert
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This first story confirms that if you're overweight, walking is good exercise.  Walk fast, walk slow - but walk to lose weight and stay healthy.  Bottom line of this story - walking slow is safer for your knees - though walking faster benefits your heart more.  So listen to your knees but walk!
Walk Slowly For Weight Loss, According To University Of Colorado Study
 
Leisurely walking for distance combined with low-impact cardiovascular activity appears to be the best formula for obese people seeking to get into shape and stay healthy, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder study.
 
Ray Browning at University of Colorado said the results show that people who walk a mile at a leisurely pace burn more calories than if they walk a mile at their normal pace. In addition, those who walk at 2 miles per hour rather than 3 miles per hour reduce the loads on their knee joints by up to 25 percent.
 
"The message is that by walking more slowly, obese individuals can burn more calories per mile and may reduce the risk of arthritis or joint injury," he said.
 
The researchers tested 20 men and 20 women on treadmills and sidewalks, half of whom were of normal weight and half classified as class 2 obese, meaning they have a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 to 40. A 5-foot 4-inch tall woman with a BMI of 30 weighs about 175 pounds, while a 6-foot man with a BMI of 30 weighs about 225 pounds.
 
The results show that brisk walking dramatically increases the knee joint forces, which can lead to a variety of problems including joint injuries and arthritis, the researchers said.
 
"This study also pointed up the phenomenal accomplishments of obese people," said Kram. "Our test subjects lead productive lives, and if you weigh 300 pounds, many everyday activities are athletic endeavors."
 
Because walking slowly may not significantly improve an obese person's level of cardiovascular fitness, performing other vigorous lower-impact activities like swimming, cycling, step routines and elliptical training workouts also are recommended, said Browning.
 

Click Here For The Complete Story=> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/06/050616061516.htm

 

If you take supplements, this next story gives you the latest research on a very popular one - Folic Acid.  Several benefits have been reported.  Now it's good for your memory . . . and it's very safe. 

Extra Folic Acid May Help Memory 
Jun 21
 
WASHINGTON - High-dose folic acid pills — providing as much of the nutrient as 2.5 pounds of strawberries — might help slow the cognitive decline of aging.  So says a Dutch study that's the first to show a vitamin could really improve memory.
 
The research, unveiled Monday at a meeting of Alzheimer's researchers, adds to mounting evidence that a diet higher in folate is important for a variety of health effects. It's already proven to reduce birth defects, and research suggests it helps ward off heart disease and strokes, too.
 
But as people age, some decline in memory and other brain functions is inevitable. Taking 800 micrograms of folic acid a day slowed that brain drain, reported lead researcher Jane Durga.
 
In the study, 818 cognitively healthy people ages 50 to 75 swallowed either folic acid or a dummy pill for three years.  On memory tests, the supplement users had scores comparable to people 5.5 years younger, Durga said. On tests of cognitive speed, the folic acid helped users perform as well as people 1.9 years younger.
 
Previous studies have shown that people with low folate levels in their blood are more at risk for both heart disease and diminished cognitive function.
 
Durga said it's not clear how folic acid might work to protect the brain. Some studies suggest folate lowers inflammation; others suggest it may play a role in expression of dementia-related genes.
 
Folate is found in such foods as oranges and strawberries, dark-green leafy vegetables and beans. In the United States, it also is added to cereal and flour products. The recommended daily dose here is 400 micrograms; doctors advise women of childbearing age to take a supplement to ensure they get that much.
 
 
I don't always agree with the Canadians, but here's an example where they're cutting edge.  They approved the morning-after-pill as "over the counter" in April of this year.  Our government still doesn't think it's a good idea.  Someday they'll see the light.
Canada Oks Non-Prescription 'Morning After Pill'  
  
April 20, 2005
 
TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian government decided the controversial "morning after pill," under the brand name Plan B, would be allowed to be dispensed by pharmacists without a prescription.
 
The pill is 95 percent effective in preventing unintended pregnancy if taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex and is 85 percent effective if taken within 72 hours.
 
"Emergency contraception has the potential to significantly reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy and the number of abortions performed," said Andre Lalonde, with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada.
 
However, some groups such as Campaign Life Coalition slammed the decision, calling Health Canada irresponsible. 
 
Vyta Senikas, a doctor and an executive with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, rebuffed claims that the drug would be used as a regular method of birth control.  "People seem to have the idea that adolescents are going to run rampant because they have this emergency contraceptive available and that due diligence will not be done. But there are several studies that show repeat offenders don't exist or exist in extremely small portions." she said.
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
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285 Boulevard, NE, #520
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#116 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Thu May 26, 2005 10:38 am
Subject: Pear-shaped, apple-shaped, cell phones and doughnuts. 		grehert
Offline Offline
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You've probably all heard about 'pear-shaped' women and 'apple-shaped' women.  'Pear-shaped' means your buttocks is disproportionately large to your abdomen.  'Apple-shaped' suggests a big abdomen. 
 
The theory goes that  'Pear shaped' women tend to be 'heart-healthier.'  Their buttocks fat tends to be 'good' fat - correlates better with 'good' cholesterol (HDL).  Abdomen fat tends to be 'bad' fat - correlates more with 'bad' cholesterol (LDL). 
 
With that background, here's an article that suggests estrogen is still believed by many physicians to be heart-healthy in the 'early-menopause' women.  Estrogen tends to keep your buttocks fat on your buttocks where it belongs. 
 
(In case you were wondering, all men are considered apple shaped - and therefore their higher risk of heart disease.)
Study on 'apple-shaped' women explains heart risk
By Maggie Fox
Mon May 2
 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Women who develop thick waists and high cholesterol at menopause may be at higher risk of heart disease because they also have more damage to their arteries, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
 
Moreau and colleagues studied 31 healthy women and found that the arteries of women past menopause were 56 percent less elastic than those of premenopausal women.  They tested oxidative stress by giving the women intravenous infusions of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) a powerful antioxidant.
 
When the postmenopausal women were given ascorbic acid, elasticity in their carotid arteries improved by about 26 percent.  What it may show is that estrogen therapy may help prevent some of this damage, if used before it happens.
 
"We can't say you should take estrogen," she stressed.  But several researchers have noted that the studies that were the basis of pulling millions of women off hormone replacement therapy included women with an average age of 65 -- well past menopause and perhaps suffering from already damaged arteries.  "Chances are the vessels are already aged and they could be getting stiffer," Moreau said.  "So maybe if you initiate hormone therapy in a healthy vessel, right around the age of menopause, we could probably see some different things."
 
She agrees with others who want to investigate the possibility that HRT given to younger women, just going through menopause at 45 to 55, might prevent the damage.
 
Here's some good news for all you cell-phone junkies.
Cell Phone Use Not Linked To Brain Tumors: Study
April 11, 2005
 
A new study by Danish researchers has found no link between cell phone use and the risk of developing brain tumors.
 
For the study, Danish researchers questioned 1249 people about their cell phone use, 427 of whom had brain tumors and 822 people without brain tumors.  They found no link between the cell phone use and brain tumors, including years of use and frequency of use. It also found no connection between the location of brain tumors and the side of the head where people most often held their cell phones.
 
Johansen said until more long-term studies are performed that can confirm his results, firm conclusions cannot be made.
 

Click Here For The Complete Story > http://www.healthtalk.ca/cell_phone_tumors_041105_89932.php
And last, something I didn't have to tell you.  But here's the reason doughnuts are so addicting?
Experts Agree Doughnuts a Totally Worthless Food
New York Times May 3, 2005
 
For many Americans, there's nothing quite like biting into a warm, hot-off-the-grease, doughnut. Yet whether they're frosted or sprinkled, sugar-glazed or plain, one truth remains: Doughnuts' lack of nutritional quality makes most nutritionists wince.
 
What makes doughnuts so damaging to your health? For starters, they're packed with:
 
Trans fats
Artificial flavorings
Refined sugar and flour
... all the "goodies" that contribute to a massive, health-harming outcome. (Even the typical glazed blueberry doughnut from Krispy Kreme contains artificial fruit made from sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn cereal and other assorted chemicals.)
 
Tasty, feel-good foods like doughnuts are not only difficult to resist, they can actually lead to addiction for people who have stronger than normal genetic tendencies to enjoy foods that are especially high in fat and sugar.
 
Moreover, brain scan research found that high-carbohydrate foods like doughnuts--with their appealing texture and high sugar and fat content--artificially raise serotonin (linked to mood) and dopamine (associated with pleasurable sensations) levels in the brain, fueling addiction.
 

Click Here For The Complete Story >http://www.mercola.com/2005/may/21/doughnuts.htm
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
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clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
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Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
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Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#115 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Sat May 7, 2005 2:47 pm
Subject: Parkinson's Disease, baby aspirin, and the future of videogames. 		grehert
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The first story describes a new found benefit of taking estrogen.    If Parkinson's Disease runs in your family, this may be especially important for you.
Ovary removal increases risk of Parkinson's disease
 
14 April 2005  -  Roxanne Khamsi
 
Women who have had both their ovaries removed are at double the normal risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a study of medical records stretching back half a century.
 
Women's ovaries produce significant amounts of the hormone estrogen, which has been shown to protect certain types of nerve cell. "It acts on cells to make them less susceptible to toxins," says Kieran Breen, director of research at the Parkinson's Disease Society in London.
 
Walter Rocca of the Mayo Clinic searched medical records from 1950 to 1987 from Olmstead County in Minnesota.  In addition to searching through the historical data, Rocca and his team conducted thousands of medical checks to follow-up patients among the 5,000 women in the dataset.  About half of the women in the study had undergone an ovariectomy.
 
Doctors sometimes suggest an elective ovariectomy - removal of the ovary - for patients who must have an abdominal hysterectomy - removal of the uterus. This extra step eliminates the future risk of ovarian cancer.  But the new findings cast some doubt on whether this is the wisest choice for all patients.
 
Of the 2,485 women who had one or both ovaries removed, 43 developed Parkinson's symptoms, 25 of whom developed the full-blown disease. In contrast, among the roughly 2,500 women who did not undergo ovariectomy, only 29 developed symptoms, with 18 cases of full Parkinson's.
 
Removing the second ovary put patients at greater risk.
 
When considering ovariectomy as a preventative measure, Rocca's team advises women to examine their family medical history for either cancer or Parkinson's disease. "You have to weigh the two sides and decide," says Rocca.
 
 
An alternative would be to have the ovaries removed and then to take estrogen therapy. 
Dr. Rehert
 
 
Next for my over 50 y/o patients who ask me why I advise them to take  a baby aspirin every day . . .  here's the story. 
Daily aspirin advised for those over 50
 
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
April 13, 2005
 
CARDIFF, Wales -- A researcher at Cardiff University's medical school in Wales says everyone over the age of 50 should take a mini-aspirin daily to reduce the risk of stroke.
    
Prof. Peter Elwood claimed the occurrence of strokes and heart attacks can be reduced by about a third with a low-dose aspirin taken daily, London's Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.
    
Elwood, who has studied the effects of aspirin for 30 years, spoke at a London conference organized by the Aspirin Foundation.  "We feel the time is now right for this debate. People should be given the evidence of the benefits and risks so that they can decide what they want to do," he said.
    
Another researcher, Antony Bayer, senior research fellow in geriatric medicine at Cardiff, said 80 percent of North American specialists believe aspirin should be given to patients with dementia and cardiovascular risk factors.  A research paper calling for a debate on the use of aspirin in older people has been accepted for publication by the British Medical Journal. But the subject is contentious, since aspirin also raises the risk of bleeding, the newspaper reported.
 
http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050413-031243-9529r
 
But remember - aspirin, like all therapies, has its risks as well as its benefits.
 
 
And on a lighter note, here's a look into the future from Sony Corporation.  Won't this be something when it's perfected?
Sony Invention Beams Sights, Sounds Into Brain
 
LONDON (Reuters) - If you think video games are engrossing now, just wait: PlayStation maker Sony Corp (SNE.N). has been granted a patent for beaming sensory information directly into the brain.
 
The technique could one day be used to create videogames in which you can smell, taste, and touch, or to help people who are blind or deaf.  The U.S. patent, granted to Sony researcher Thomas Dawson, describes a technique for aiming ultrasonic pulses at specific areas of the brain to induce "sensory experiences" such as smells, sounds and images.
 
"The pulsed ultrasonic signal alters the neural timing in the cortex," the patent states. "No invasive surgery is needed to assist a person, such as a blind person, to view live and/or recorded images or hear sounds."
 
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
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Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#114 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Wed Mar 23, 2005 1:56 pm
Subject: Agression, low-carbs and baby aspirin. 		grehert
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For the men, here's a simple test to see how aggressive you might be.  Hormones act in many diverse and mysterious ways, beginning in the womb.. 
The Secret to Man's Aggression: in His Finger?
 
Fri Mar 4, 2005  -  By Alison McCook
 
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - How long a man's second finger is relative to his fourth finger appears to predict whether he is prone to be physically aggressive toward others, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada.
 
But it's not finger length that causes aggression; the important factor is the male hormone testosterone. Fetuses are exposed to various levels of this hormone in the womb, and research shows that men who were exposed to higher levels tend to have shorter second fingers, relative to their fourth fingers. "More testosterone, relatively longer ring finger."
 
"More than anything, I think the findings reinforce and underline that a large part of our personalities and our traits are determined while we're still in the womb," says researcher Peter Hurd of the University of Alberta, in a news release.
 
This is not the first study to link the ratio between a man's second and fourth fingers to his personality. Previous reports have found that men with smaller ratios - meaning, their second finger is much smaller than their fourth - tend to do better in sports, and are perceived as more dominant and masculine by women.
 
The researchers found that shorter second-to-fourth finger ratios predicted proneness to physical aggression, but not other types of aggression, and only in men, not in women.   And in general, men had smaller finger ratios than women.
 
SOURCE: Biological Psychology, March 2005.
 
 
I've many times found that "sugar makes me hungry" a few hours after eating it.  Well it turns out it's no joke.  And here's proof.  
New Theory on Why Low-Carb Diets Work
By E.J. Mundell, Monday March 14th
 
(HealthDay News) -- A new study involving obese individuals suggests the reason the Atkins, Zone and other low-carb regimens help people lose weight is that they simply eat less food.
 
"Take the carbohydrates away, and I expected the participants would just eat more of the other stuff," said researcher Dr. Guenther Boden.  "But they didn't. In fact, it turned out they ate 1,000 calories less every day," he said.  The findings were published in the March 15 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
 
To help determine the correct answer, his team sequestered 10 obese patients in a controlled, clinical environment where diets were strictly monitored for three weeks.
 
For the first week, participants ate their usual mixed diet. But during the last two weeks the researchers restricted their intake of carbohydrates from 300 grams per day to just 20 grams a day.  At the same time, a tempting array of fatty, sugary and other foods was readily available to all.  "We told them 'Look, you can eat as much of anything else as you want, whenever you want.' "
 
The result: By the end of the two-week low-carb regimen, patients lost an average of 3.6 pounds and reduced their daily caloric intake by nearly 1,000 calories -- from an average of 3,111 calories before they began the diet, to just 2,164 calories while on the low-carb regimen.
 
"In other words, they self-corrected their previously excessive appetites down to normal," Boden said.
 
 
 
For all women who take that baby aspirin every day, here is the reason why it's beneficial.  But, like everything else, it's not without some risk.  Read this next story to learn more.
Study: Aspirin Prevents Strokes in Women
 
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer
 
ORLANDO, Fla. - Middle-age women can cut their risk of strokes but not heart attacks by regularly taking low doses of aspirin, and the pills help prevent both problems in women 65 and older, a major study found.
 
The results are opposite what is known about aspirin in men, where its benefit for stroke is limited and its ability to prevent heart problems is legendary. Since women proportionately suffer more strokes and men more heart attacks, this is generally good news, specialists said.
 
The new information comes from the Women's Health Study, the first rigorous, scientific test of whether long-term use of aspirin or vitamin E made a difference in cardiovascular risk in females. Previous research has been almost exclusively in males.
 
Findings were reported Monday at an American College of Cardiology meeting and also were being published online by the New England Journal of Medicine.
 
The study has "major public health implications," said Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
 
In the study, 40,000 female health professionals 45 and older were randomly assigned to take either fake pills or 100 milligrams of aspirin every other day.
 
After 10 years, aspirin users had a 17 percent lower risk of stroke, and a 24 percent lower risk of strokes caused by blood clots, owing, researchers believe, to aspirin's well-known anti-clotting properties.
 
Women 65 and older got even more benefit: They were 30 percent less likely to have a stroke caused by a blood clot and 34 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack.
 
Aspirin's benefits didn't vary among women who did or did not use hormones after menopause.
 
But the benefits did come with a cost.  Aspirin can cause internal bleeding.
 
The study "demonstrates the importance of studying medical therapies among women as well as men," Buring said. "We finally have the evidence base needed for women to make rational decisions about the use of aspirin in preventing cardiovascular disease."
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#113 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Tue Feb 22, 2005 11:28 am
Subject: Heart Disease Risk, Be Fidgety and a New Diet Book. 		grehert
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If you ever worry about your risk of having a heart attack, there's a new way to measure it.  Get out your tape measure and read the first article.
Waist Circumference Predicts Heart Disease Risk
 
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The circumference of your waist correlates more closely with several known risk factors for heart disease than does your body mass index (BMI) -- the measure of weight in relation to height -- according to a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  The findings are based on an analysis of data from 10,969 subjects.
 
Dr. Shankuan Zhu, from the Medical College of Wisconsin, found that waist circumference was more strongly tied to cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels than was BMI.
 
Waist measurements of 35 and 40 inches in men conferred a cardiovascular risk comparable to BMIs of 25 (overweight) and 30 (obese).   The waistlines with the corresponding risks for women were 33 and 37 ins.
 
"Our findings indicate that waist circumference is a better indicator of cardiovascular disease risk than is BMI."  Click Here For The Complete Story
 
 
Next here's new evidence that's it's not only diet and exercise that determines your weight . . . it's best to be a little fidgety.
Fidgeting Helps Separate the Lean From the Obese, Study Finds
 
By Rob Stein - Washington Post - January 28, 2005
 
Strolling to the bus stop, fidgeting during a meeting, standing up to stretch, jumping off the couch to change channels, and engaging in other minor physical activities can make the difference between being lean and obese, researchers reported yesterday.
 
The most detailed study ever conducted of mundane bodily movements found that obese people tend to be much less fidgety than lean people and spend at least two hours more each day just sitting still. The extra motion by lean people is enough to burn about 350 extra calories a day, which could add up to 10 to 30 pounds a year.
 
They also discovered that people appear to be born with a propensity to be either fidgety or listless, indicating that it would take special measures to convert the naturally sedentary into the restless -- especially in a society geared toward a couch-potato existence.
 
The new study provides powerful new evidence that a major cause of the obesity epidemic is the pattern of desk jobs, car pools, suburban sprawl, and other environmental and lifestyle factors that discourage physical activity. And despite generations of parents' admonitions to the contrary, people should be encouraged to be fidgety.  "We all know people who can't seem to stand still and others who hardly move," said Eric Ravussin of the Pennington Biomedical Research. 
 
For the study, Levine and his colleagues developed a system that can detect the smallest tap of a toe -- high-tech underwear resembling bicycle pants and sports bras or T-shirts embedded with sensors, originally designed for fighter jets, that take measurements every half-second.
 
Based on millions of bits of data, the researchers determined that each day, the lean subjects spent at least 150 more minutes moving in some way.
 
"We can begin to say to people, 'Yes, it would be good if you went jogging, and it would be good if you went to the gym. But it's also good to keep getting up, moving around.' Fidgeting and doing all those small things will make a difference," said Paul Trayhurn of the University of Liverpool in England.  Click Here For The Complete Story
 
 
And finally another story for the weight conscious.  Here is a new diet for those of you who are sick and tired of hearing about "Atkins" and "Southbeach."
Get Sexual for Ultimate Weight Loss - "The Desperate Housewives Diet"
By Denise Mann - Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD - Feb. 7, 2005.
 
Many newly engaged women drop weight without even trying from the stress and anxiety of planning a wedding.  New York City-based model and actress Kerry McCloskey was no exception. She lost 23 pounds in the six months after she got engaged, but it wasn't from stress. It was from sex -- lots of it!
 
"It was during a particular time of romance and passion after I got engaged and I saw the effects that increased sex had on my body," she tells WebMD. This epiphany led to more research and her new book called the Ultimate Sex Diet. "I felt better immediately," McCloskey says, "because sex is a mood enhancer; the more you have it, the more endorphins that are released." Endorphins are the brain's feel-good chemicals.
 
According to McCloskey and a growing body of research, we can all learn something from the wanton women of Wisteria Lane on ABC's hit comedy Desperate Housewives who bed-hop in and out of their marriages and all have rather exceptional figures. 
 
"It begins with thinking sexy thoughts and making sex a priority," she says.  On average, sex burns 150 to 250 calories per half hour. "Since it's free and so much fun, I've found making love is the ultimate exercise machine."  Click Here For The Complete Story
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#112 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Sat Jan 22, 2005 6:08 pm
Subject: Pregnancy Hoax, Testosterone Patch & Beer Belly Gene. 		grehert
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You probably read about the 59 y/o Georgia woman (with tubes tied) who accidentally got pregnant with twins . . . Miracle of miracles.    (Made you nervous, didn't it.) 
 
Well there's nothing to worry about.  Here's the final chapter in that story.        Dr. Rehert

Woman, 59, Admits Pregnancy Hoax
 
SYLVESTER, Ga., Jan. 4, 2005
 
(AP) A 59-year-old great-grandmother who claimed in an Associated Press story last year that she was pregnant with twins admitted Tuesday that she is not.  "To the surprise of even her family, it was recently discovered that Harris is not pregnant with twins," Harris said in a statement distributed Tuesday by her 39-year-old son, Fred Jackson. "Due to some personal issues that are still being evaluated, Mrs. Harris believed that she was pregnant with twins and was able to convince her family and friends that she was expecting as well."
 
Harris did not answer the door or phone at her rural home Tuesday. She has not responded to questions from the AP for weeks.
 
"The family of Mrs. Frances Harris regrets that this situation has occurred and apologizes for any inconvenience that may have caused," said the statement, signed by Mrs. Harris and Jackson. "At this time, the family wishes to put this situation behind them and will not be making any more statements."
 
A mother of five, grandmother of 14 and great-grandmother of six, Harris said in November that she had not been trying to get pregnant and even had her tubes tied 33 years earlier.
 
The FDA recently considered the approval of a testosterone patch for women to treat a newly defined condition, HSDD (hypoactive sexual desire disorder).  It was felt that because of all the recent FDA controversy regarding the drugs Vioxx, Celebrex and others, they put approval of this patch on hold for now.  Fortunately testosterone treatment in women has been used successfully for years.  Contact my office should you have any concerns in this area.

Drug boost for female sex drive stirs debate - Is lack of interest a medical issue?
 
By Judy Peres
Published November 28, 2004
 
The first-ever drug for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction--a testosterone skin patch--almost got the go-ahead from government experts, offering help to women with medical reasons for their lost libido.  But critics fear that when the drug inevitably is used by women outside the target group, it could wreak significant damage. Some believe the patch could change expectations about normal sex drive and add to women's anxieties.
 
The controversy highlights the ongoing debate over what constitutes sexual dysfunction in women and who gets to define it. Is lack of interest in sex a medical problem? Or will such quick fixes just cause more suffering, given that women's sexual complaints are so often caused by ignorance, abuse, psychological conflicts or inept partners?
 
"Doctors are already prescribing testosterone and other things off-label," said Amy Allina of the National Women's Health Network.  Leonore Tiefer, a psychologist at New York University School of Medicine, is concerned that the blitz of direct-to-consumer advertising that is sure to follow approval of the patch will change expectations about what's normal in the bedroom, just as the market for antidepressants made many people think they should be happy all the time.
 
It's unclear how many women actually suffer from hypoactive desire. Pharmaceutical companies commonly cite a 1999 study that found 43 percent of U.S. women ages 18 to 59 have problems with some aspect of sexuality.  But only a fraction of those women are considered to suffer from sexual dysfunction, because to qualify for the diagnosis the problem must be accompanied by personal distress. And although women tend to lose desire as they age, distress also decreases, because older women are less concerned about being sexual.
 
Allina noted that even for women who are correctly diagnosed with hypoactive desire disorder--women who lack libido and are distressed by it--"testosterone won't help all of them, either. Maybe the real problem is their husband is a jerk."
 
Nevertheless, there is some scientific evidence that testosterone improves women's desire and may also contribute to their sense of well-being, bone mass, and strength.
 
And last a little animal research from across the pond about an ever expanding issue.
'Beer gut' gene?  -  Rats with beer bellies may hold key in understanding middle-age bulge
 
British scientists have bred rats with beer bellies and expect the rats may reveal whey middle-aged men accumulate fat around the middle.
 
"We know that fat in the abdomen is associated with a range of risks including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension but we don't yet know why, and these rats may help us find out," said Professor Iain Robinson of London's National Institute for Medical Research.
 
His team of researchers dubbed the rats SLOBs -- Severe Late On-set oBesity -- and they are the first test animal with true middle-aged spread. This "beer gut" typically hits men in their forties and women after the menopause. "We have stumbled on the fact that there is a genetic component to it, but, more importantly, it may give us a clue to why the fat accumulates in that place, and why there is a difference between males and females," Robinson said.
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#111 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Fri Dec 31, 2004 4:56 pm
Subject: Exercise, laptop computers and Tsunami victims. 		grehert
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Everyone knows that exercise is good for you, but here's an article that confirms if you exercise and lower your body fat, you not only  lower your blood pressure, but you also reduce your risk of getting heart disease and diabetes.  So exercise to live longer  --  in other words, "Here's WHY you should exercise!"                 Dr. Rehert
Exercise Away Risk of Early Death
 
By Jeanie Lerche Davis -- Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
 
Dec. 29, 2004 - Want to live longer?  Start exercising regularly and melt fat away. An hour of exercise can improve fitness, but losing body fat staves off the deadly "metabolic syndrome," according to new research.
 
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and excess belly fat are the mix of risk factors known as "metabolic syndrome." This cluster of risk factors increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and early death.
 
Exercise has been recommended to reduce a variety of these risk factors. Studies have shown that exercise works to reduce body fat, especially fat around the waistline. It also helps with heart disease factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. But this current study looks at the broader effects of regular exercise on this mix.
 
The study involved 115 people aged 55 to 75 -- the typical older American with mild high blood pressure, many of whom were overweight.
 
Half were assigned a six-month moderate-intensity exercise program about one hour long, three days a week. However, they stuck with their regular eating habits.
 
The exercisers' risk factors improved, whereas those of the comparison (non-exercise) group didn't, he says. The exercisers lost more body and waistline fat and gained more muscle than the comparison group. Heart disease risk factors, like high blood pressure and cholesterol, also improved more in the exercisers.
 
"Older people can benefit greatly from exercise, especially to reduce their risk for developing the metabolic syndrome," says Stewart in a news release. "Our results show that this population can be motivated to follow through with a moderate exercise program, and for some risk factors, such as abdominal fat, exercise can be as effective as what is accomplished today with drugs."
 
Other examples of moderate-intensity activities include walking briskly, recreational swimming, or bicycling 5-9 miles per hour on level terrain.
 
For the men in the audience, if you use a laptop computer on your "lap," be careful --  you're at risk for the following syndrome:
Sperm does not compute

BY Corky Siemaszko -- DAILY NEWS
 
Want to be a dad? Keep the laptop off your lap.  Scientists from SUNY Stony Brook have discovered that heat generated by laptop computers can potentially affect sperm quality and quantity.
 
"The body needs to maintain a proper testicular temperature for normal sperm production," said lead researcher Dr. Yefim Sheynkin. "Portable computers in a laptop position produce scrotal hyperthermia."  That's a fancy way of saying toasted testicles.
 
To see how those oven-like conditions might affect a man's ability to produce a bun in the oven, researchers tested 29 volunteers ages 21 to 35. They discovered that, after an hour of computer surfing on their laps, testicular temperature jumped by 3.6 degrees. Any increase of 2 or more degrees above the average scrotal temperature of 94 to 96 degrees can cause changes in sperm count, Sheynkin said.
 
 
And finally we all know of the monumental suffering and needs in SE Asia.  If anyone of you would like to help the Tsunami-Earthquake victims, you can easily contribute on-line through many relief agencies.  Here I've given you links to two of the best: "Save the Children" and the "American Red Cross."  All you need is an amount and your credit card . . .  Go ahead, It'll make you feel good.
 
You can donate through "Save the Children" --
 
Or you can contribute through the "Red Cross" --
 
And have a Happy and Safe New Years.   Dr. Rehert
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#110 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Mon Dec 20, 2004 5:25 pm
Subject: Happy Holidays from Dr. Rehert and the staff! 		grehert
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Happy Holidays
 
 
 From April, Arlesia, Nicole, Sue and Dr. Rehert
 
(A little Christmas humor is attached!)

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#109 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Thu Nov 25, 2004 2:17 pm
Subject: Chocolate, hormones, and going to church. 		grehert
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First, here's some news for all you chocolate lovers.
Libido linked to love of chocolate
November 15, 2004
 
Women have compared chocolate to sex for decades. Now doctors have discovered a scientific link between the two.  According to Italian researchers, women who eat chocolate regularly had the highest levels of desire, arousal and satisfaction from sex.
 
Urologists from Milan's San Raffaele hospital questioned 163 women about their consumption of chocolate and their sexual fulfillment. "Women who have a daily intake of chocolate showed higher levels of desire than women who did not have this habit," the study found. "Chocolate can have a positive physiological impact on a woman's sexuality."
 
Dr Andrea Salonia, author of the study  (funded by a university, not by the confectionery industry)  said women who had a low libido could become more amorous after eating chocolate. "Chocolate is not like a food, it's like a drug," Dr Salonia said.
 
The research also looked at smoking and coffee consumption, but found no links with sexual enjoyment.
 
 
 
Next, there is more good news about hormones from the Women's Health Initiative Trial (WHI).  Studying a very large number of women (15,000+), they found that hormones reduced the incidence of diabetes by 21%. 
Effect of oestrogen plus progestin on the incidence of diabetes in postmenopausal women: results from the Women's Health Initiative Hormone Trial.
 
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Studies examining the effect of postmenopausal hormone therapy on concentrations of glucose, insulin and diabetes incidence have been inconclusive. We examined the effect of oestrogen plus progestin on diabetes incidence and insulin resistance. The study compared the effect of daily PremPro with that of placebo during 5.6 years. The participants were 15,641 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Hormone Trial, aged 50 to 79.
 
RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of treated diabetes was 3.5% in the hormone therapy group and 4.2% in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.67-0.93, p=0.004).  During the first year of follow-up, changes in fasting glucose and insulin indicated a significant fall in insulin resistance in actively treated women compared to the control subjects.
 
INTERPRETATIONS/CONCLUSION: These data suggest that combined therapy with oestrogen and progestin reduces the incidence of diabetes, possibly mediated by a decrease in insulin resistance.
 
Diabetologia. 2004 Jul;47(7):1175-87. 2004 Jul 14.
 
 
And for you church goers out there, you better not sit too close to all those candles.
Spending too much time in church could be hazardous to your health
 
BY MIGUEL BUSTILLO
Los Angeles Times
 
Going to church may be good for the soul, but some Dutch researchers say it may not be so healthy for the lungs.  The candles and incense regularly burned during religious services emit high levels of particulate matter, tiny airborne flecks that are considered one of the most harmful forms of air pollution, according to a new study by scientists at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
 
The researchers measured air quality at a small chapel and a large basilica in Maastricht, and found the air in both places contained particulate matter at levels up to 20 times higher than what is considered safe to breathe under European air pollution standards. The levels were similar to those found in the air beside roads traveled by 45,000 cars a day.  The researchers cautioned that the pollutants should not affect the well-being of most churchgoers, but that priests and especially devout congregants who spend long periods inside poorly ventilated chapels could be endangering their health.
 

Click Here For The Complete Story
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#108 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:15 pm
Subject: Cervical cancer vaccine, abortions and breast cancer & praise for olive oil. 		grehert
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First, anyone who is experienced in Pagemaker 6.5 or 7.0, please contact me at grehert@... about a small job I have.   Thank you,  Dr. Rehert.
 
Next here is some very good news!  This first story suggests that in the not too distant future women may not need to get those yearly Pap smears.  (Of course I'll be retired by then.  Dr. R)
Promising Cervical Cancer Vaccine
 
Nov. 12, 2004
 
There's new hope that cervical cancer could be progressively eradicated in a global campaign, much like the ones against smallpox and polio. Researchers say a second experimental cervical cancer vaccine appears to broadly protect against infection and risky precancerous conditions for more than two years.
 
Worldwide, 511,000 women are stricken with cervical cancer each year, and about half die. It is the leading cancer killer among women in the developing world.
 
Cervical cancer is caused by infection with human papilloma virus, or HPV, which is spread through sex. There are dozens of HPV strains, but two of them — HPV-16 and HPV-18 — account for more than 70 percent of cervical cancers.
 
The GlaxoSmithKline vaccine is designed to prevent infection from both major strains. Of the women who received the vaccine, 94 percent were protected from infection and the virus that causes most cervical cancers, McDermott reported.
 
None of the vaccinated women developed infections or cervical precancerous lesions, said Dartmouth obstetrician Diane M. Harper, the study's lead author. The vaccine also protected 93 percent against conditions that lead to abnormal Pap tests, she said.
 
In the placebo group, 10 women developed HPV-16 infections and four developed HPV-18 infections by the study's seventh month.
 

Next, there is a lot of dishonesty in the world.  But when your government starts lying to you about health issues I feel a responsibility to tell you the truth.   And it has been well documented that having a termination of pregnancy does not increase your risk of getting breast cancer.
Some Women Considering Abortion Are Wrongly Told It Could Hike Breast Cancer Risk
The Associated Press
 
WASHINGTON Nov 10, 2004 — Women seeking abortions in Mississippi must first sign a form indicating they've been told abortion can increase their risk of breast cancer. They aren't told that scientific reviews have concluded there is no such risk. Similar information suggesting a cancer link is given to women considering abortion in Texas, Louisiana and Kansas, and legislation to require such notification has been introduced in 14 other states.
 
"In my experience, this inaccurate information is going to dissuade few women from going ahead and having the abortion," said Dr. Vanessa Cullins, vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "What it does do is put a false guilt trip and fear trip on that woman."  Still, information suggesting a link is being given to women to read during mandatory waiting periods before abortions. In some cases, the information is on the states' Web sites.
 
The issue continues to be debated in state legislatures, with bills considered this year in Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
 
On the federal level, several members of Congress complained last year after the NCI (National Cancer Institute) Web site included material suggesting a link between breast cancer and abortion or miscarriage. An expert panel that was asked to review the data reported in March 2003 that "well established" evidence shows no link.
 
"The virtually complete consensus was that the studies that purported to show a link were methodologically flawed," said Dr. Martin Abeloff, director of the Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University. Those studies that showed no link, he said, were almost all well done.
 
 
 
If you like to add olive oil to just about everything you cook, as I do, you'll be very happy to read this next article.  Dr. Rehert

FDA- Olive Oil May Boost Heart Health
 
WASHINGTON - AP - The monounsaturated fat in olive oil may reduce the chances of suffering coronary heart disease, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday, opening the door to revised food labels.
 
As long as people don't increase the number of calories they consume daily, the FDA found "limited but not conclusive evidence" suggesting reduced risk of coronary heart disease when people replace foods high in saturated fat with the monounsaturated fat in olive oil.
 
It's the third time the FDA granted a qualified health claim for conventional food.
 
Olive oil and certain food containing olive oil can now indicate that "limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about two tablespoons of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil," the agency said. 
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#107 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Mon Nov 1, 2004 12:11 pm
Subject: Hormones, vitamins and the testosterone patch. 		grehert
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For those of you who are afraid you are taking your estrogens for too long a period of time, there's good news from The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), a leading authority on hormone therapy.  At their most recent meeting they dropped the phrase "limited to the shortest duration" in their yearly "Position Statement" which gives their most up-to-date consensus of experts on hormone therapy.  This is a very big change as more and more physicians are realizing that the recommendations which came out of the WHI study were harsher than they needed to be.  Read more below. 
September 29, 2004 09:48 AM US Eastern Timezone
 
The North American Menopause Society Updates Position Statement on Estrogen and Progestogen Use in Peri- and Postmenopausal Women
 
CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 29, 2004--
 
The third annual report, titled "Recommendations for estrogen and progestogen use in peri- and postmenopausal women: October 2004 position statement of The North American Menopause Society," contains several significant revisions based on clinical trial data published in the past year. It will be published in the Nov/Dec 2004 issue of the Society's official journal, Menopause.
 
In each of the last three years, NAMS has convened a Hormone Therapy Panel composed of experts in many fields to review newly published studies and to determine whether recommendations need revised or if new recommendations need to be added.
 
The following are some of the significant revisions contained in the 2004 document:
 
-- Placed no limit on ET/EPT treatment duration, provided it is consistent with treatment goals and is monitored regularly; no stipulation was made regarding when to reduce or stop therapy.
 
-- Revised the breast cancer statement to indicate that the risk of breast cancer probably increases with EPT (Estrogen-Progestogen Therapy) use but not ET (Estrogen Therapy) use.
 
-- Noted that the role of both ET and EPT in the primary prevention of coronary heart disease (i.e., preventing the disease from occurring) remains unclear, especially in younger women starting therapy early and continuing for a number of years.
 
NAMS is North America's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting women's health during midlife and beyond through an understanding of menopause.  (www.menopause.org).
And for you vitamin takers (like myself), here's the latest on one of my favorite supplements, folic acid.
High Folate Intake Lowers Women's Risk of Hypertension
 
By Martha Kerr
 
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Oct 11 - Women consuming 800 micrograms per day or more of folate (folic acid) have a significantly lower risk of high blood pressure than women consuming lesser amounts, according to data reported Monday at the American Heart Association's 58th Annual Fall Conference.
 
Dr. John P. Forman of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital reported the data from the Nurses' Health Studies I & II, comprising 155,000 women between 26 and 70 years old.
 
None of the women had high blood pressure at baseline. The investigators divided the women into five categories according to folate intake. Younger women who consumed 800 micrograms or more per day had a 29% lower risk of high blood pressure than those who consumed less than 200 micrograms daily. Older women in the highest category had a 13% lower risk of high blood pressure.  "It is very hard to get [800 micrograms folate daily] from diet alone," Dr. Forman noted. "Essentially all the women in the highest category took supplements."                                               
 
Last, here's the latest research on the testosterone patch for women  -  due out next year.
Testosterone Patch Hailed As Female Viagra
 
Wed Oct 20, 1:14 AM ET   Health - AP
 
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer
 
PHILADELPHIA - Menopausal women had more sex and were happier about it when using an experimental hormone patch hailed by some as a possible female equivalent of Viagra, doctors reported Tuesday. Women on the testosterone patch had sex about four times more than they usually did in two months compared to only one additional session for women given a fake patch containing no hormone, a study found.
 
"We found an increase in activity, an increase in desire and a decrease in distress," said Dr. Robin Kroll, a Seattle gynecologist. "The testosterone patch looks very promising. It may be the answer for what women are looking for for a libido lag in menopause," said Dr. Marian Damewood, a University of Pennsylvania gynecologist who is president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
 
Those on the hormone patch improved in all measures. Side effects were mild — mostly excess facial hair and red or irritated skin from the patch, Kroll said. "None of those patients wanted to stop taking the testosterone," she added.
The above is not meant to be medical advice or a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment.  Seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider before any modification in the treatment of any medical condition.  Also, please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.  (Under construction -- check it out.)
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
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transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

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#106 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Tue Oct 12, 2004 1:53 pm
Subject: Female vs. Male, Menopausal Hormones and Diet Pills. 		grehert
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Have you ever wondered about the differences between the male and the female brain?    
 
There is a theory from England that says the female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy, while the male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems. It's called the "empathising-systemising (E-S) theory."  And through the wonders of the internet, you can easily find out what kind of brain you have.

If you would like to know if your brain is predominantly female or male, read the next story and take the two (60 question) tests linked below.  Email me and let me know your results.     Dr. Rehert     

(It's funny how those British people spell things a little differently)

The Essential Difference - How male or female is your brain?

The following tests were developed by Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge in England.
 
Baron-Cohen's theory is that the female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy, and that the male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems. He calls it the empathising-systemising (E-S) theory.
 
Empathising is the drive to identify another person's emotions and thoughts, and to respond to these with an appropriate emotion. The empathiser intuitively figures out how people are feeling, and how to treat people with care and sensitivity.
 
Systemising is the drive to analyse and explore a system, to extract underlying rules that govern the behaviour of a system; and the drive to construct systems.
 
 
 
Next, here's an article that compares three different ways to take menopausal hormones.  1.) "estrogen alone" (for woman who've had a hysterectomy),  2.) "sequential" HRT (giving you a monthly period),  and 3.) "combined continuous" HRT (where you take an estrogen and a progestogen, together, every day).
Risk of Breast Cancer Depends on Type of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) Used
 
Recent reports of an increased risk of breast cancer in women taking continuous combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) caused significant controversy and distress for the millions of American women using hormones postmenopausally.  Weiss and colleagues studied nearly 4,000 postmenopausal women to determine odds ratios for breast cancer risk with different forms of HRT. Specifically the researchers calculated odds ratios for breast cancer following use of "estrogen alone" (i.e. Premarin or Vivelle), "sequential" HRT (i.e. Premarin or Vivelle ever day and Provera for the first 12 days of each month), and "continuous combined" HRT (i.e. PremPro).
 
Increasing risk for breast cancer with duration of HRT was found only in patients taking "continuous combined" HRT.  The odds ratio for "estrogen alone" was 0.82 for five years or more, indicating a lower rate of breast cancer in "estrogen alone" users than in nonusers.  For "sequential" HRT, the odds ratio at five years or more was 0.98, indicating close to or slightly less than the risk of nonusers.  For "continuous combined" HRT, the odds ratio at five years or more was 1.45, indicating an increased risk over nonusers.
 
The authors conclude that the risk of breast cancer varies with the HRT regimen used and is not increased for estrogen alone. The only significantly increased risk in this study was with use of continuous combined HRT for five years or more.  The authors state that the absolute risk of breast cancer may be low for individual women and that much more research is needed about the effect of different regimens of HRT.
 
Weiss LK, et al. Hormone replacement therapy regimens and breast cancer risk. Obstet Gynecol December 2002;100:1148-58.

Click Here For The Complete Story

So what exactly does this mean?  First we must realize that this study is just one of many, many studies . . . but it pretty much agrees with the results of the larger and more authoritative Woman's Health Initiative (WHI) study.  Assuming that this study and the WHI study are valid and correct (and that's a rather large assumption), it suggests the following:

If you take "estrogen alone" you may be decreasing your risk of breast cancer by 0 to  23%.

If you take "sequential" HRT you may be having no effect on your risk of getting breast cancer. 

And if you take "combined continuous" HRT you may be increasing your risk of breast cancer by 24 to 45%. 

I think it's interesting that the most natural method of taking hormones (i.e. "sequential" HRT - having a menstrual period every month) gave the least difference from the control group - a small endorsement for the idea of keeping things "natural" to avoid disease.   "Best to not mess with nature."

And last, you've probably heard the many radio ads for CortiSlim.  Read below and learn the latest on this popular dietary supplement.
CortiSlim is served a lawsuit by FTC

Ads for the weight-loss product feature false claims, according to the government agency
By Linda Fantin
 
CortiSlim may have to change its name to CortiSorry after a federal crackdown on misleading ads for the weight-loss supplement developed by a University of Utah part-time professor.
    A Federal Trade Commission lawsuit alleges Shawn Talbott and his associates made false and unsubstantiated claims about the dietary supplement in radio, television and print ads, infomercials and on Web sites. As a result, CortiSlim marketers have agreed to stop claiming, among other things, that the product:
    Eliminates cravings, controls appetite or causes weight loss of 10 to 50 pounds for virtually all users;
    Causes users to lose weight specifically from the abdomen, stomach and thighs;
    Helps shed pounds without the need for diet or exercise;
    Has been demonstrated effective or is supported by more than 15 years of scientific research.
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
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Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#105 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Sat Sep 25, 2004 8:20 pm
Subject: Two articles on breast cancer. 		grehert
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Here are two stories about breast cancer:
 
First, we've known for a long time that overweight women have double the risk of developing breast cancer, as compared to their skinnier counterparts.  This next article blames high-carbohydrate intake for this curious disparity.           Dr. Rehert
High-Carb Diet Linked to Breast Cancer
 
By Miranda Hitti, WebMD Medical News
 
Aug. 6, 2004 -- Eating a diet high in carbohydrates -- particularly the sugary kinds -- may be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in women.
 
From a study of 1,866 women aged 20 to 75 in Mexico City, researchers interviewed the women about their diets and found that breast cancer risk rose with carbohydrate consumption. Those who ate the most carbohydrates had more than twice the risk of breast cancer than those who ate the least.  The results held after other risk factors like body mass index (a measure of body fat), family history of breast cancer, and the age at which the women first gave birth were screened out.
 
All carbohydrates are not alike. In this study, one kind particularly stood out -- sucrose, or table sugar. "Sucrose intake was significantly related to the risk of breast cancer," write the researchers.
 
The study linked insoluble fiber -- the kind that can't be digested -- with a lower risk of breast cancer.
 
The study failed to show an association between dietary fat and overall breast cancer risk.
 
"Scientists have long suspected that diet was among the factors contributing to breast cancer," says Willet. "We are beginning to gradually understand what elements of diet specifically are associated with the disease."
 
Now a second article on breast cancer.  This one reinforces the value of getting regular mammograms.  It says that when tumors are picked-up on a routine mammogram, they are milder and have better outcomes.  Take note !
Breast Cancer Milder If Caught by Mammogram
 
By Daniel DeNoon, WebMD Medical News  
 
Aug. 31, 2004 -- There's consolation for women who, during regular breast cancer mammogram screening, find out they have a tumor. Outcomes are significantly better when mammograms are the first sign of breast cancer.
 
The finding comes from analysis of detailed medical records from nearly 3,500 Finnish women diagnosed in 1991-1992 with invasive breast cancer. It suggests that women with mammogram-detected breast cancer may not need as aggressive treatment as women whose tumors are found in other ways, says Heikki Joensuu, MD, director of oncology at Helsinki University in Finland.
 
"This study tells us that tumors found in screening mammograms are different than the ones found outside screening. These tumors may be in less need of aggressive systemic therapies."
 
   Click Here For The Complete Story
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

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#104 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:15 pm
Subject: More good news about hormones, & ovulation makes you horny. 		grehert
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Every now and then an article is published that is both powerful and far-reaching regarding the effects and the safety of hormone therapy.  I think the article below, from the prestigious Cornell and Stanford Universities, is just such an article. 
 
Data was compiled on 27,000 women - a large number of women.  Half took hormones and half didn't.  In the women over 60 years of age, they found no difference in death from cancer or heart disease in the two groups - that means hormones caused no fatal harm in women over 60.  But more important than that, in women under 60, hormones reduced the overall mortality rate by 39% - that's a very significant finding for such a large number of patients.
 
Read more why women might benefit substantially from starting hormone therapy at menopause.  And click on the links for more details.
Younger Women May Benefit From HRT - Study Shows Benefits When HRT Is Taken Soon After Menopause
 
By Salynn Boyles,  July 15, 2004 
 
After combining the data from 30 trials comparing hormone use to nonuse, the researchers found a survival advantage for women who begin HRT (hormone replacement therapy) before the age of 60.  In women younger than 60, HRT reduced the risk of dying from any cause by 39% compared with women who did not take HRT at all.  "These data indicate that a large distinction needs to be made between the risks for women who start hormone therapy around the time of menopause and those who wait until they are older," researcher Edwin E. Salpeter, PhD, tells WebMD.  Regardless of age, treatment did not appear to influence the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer. 
 
 
 
And the pendulum swings . . .
Next, here's an article that explodes the myth that your chance of getting pregnant is the same every time you have sex.  New research suggests it may be much more likely than once thought because couples have more sex when a woman is the most fertile.  Possible explanations include (1.) an increase in the woman's libido at ovulation, (2.) an increase in the woman's sexual attractiveness at ovulation (do women secrete pheromones?) or (3.) maybe intercourse stimulates ovulation.  Read on.
Unprotected Sex Around Ovulation Increases Chance of Pregnancy
 
By Jennifer Warner
 
June 9, 2004 -- Your parents or sex education teacher may have told you that it only takes a single act of unprotected sex to make a baby, but new research suggests it may be much more likely than they thought.
 
A new study shows that sexual activity tends to peak during a woman's most fertile time, which means the chances of becoming pregnant from a single unprotected sex act are higher.
 
"There apparently are biological factors promoting intercourse during a woman's six fertile days, whether she wants a baby or not," says researcher Allen Wilcox.  "It's not uncommon for a doctor to hear from an unhappily pregnant patient that she and her partner had taken a chance 'just this once.'"
 
Incidentally, I am reading Suzanne Somers' new book on "bioidentical hormone therapy" called The Sexy Years.  She shares her personal experiences with breast cancer and hormones in an entertaining and joyful manner.  I think she presents some excellent ideas about the benefits of, and the logic behind, menopausal hormone therapy bioidentical to the natural hormone milieu of a woman age 35 . . . similar to the advice I have been giving for many years. 
 
I encourage you to read this book and "reply" to DrRehertsAlerts with any discussion or questions you might have.  It just might develop into a cyber-dialog across the Email list.     Dr. Rehert
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes,  Dr. Rehert

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

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#103 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:32 am
Subject: You won't believe this DrRehertsAlerts Email! . . . and you thought Motrin was just for cramps. 		grehert
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There's a wonder drug in our midst that you may not be aware of.  Motrin, (ibuprofen), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is useful for more than just cramps and headaches.  Read below about it's preventative effects on breast, colon, prostate, lung and a type of brain cancer, as well as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's Disease.  Also be sure to read the warnings regarding Motrin at the end of this email.  Links are listed for more details.
 
Think of this the next time you take a Motrin for a headache.    Dr. Rehert
 
"Regular use of ibuprofen (Motrin) also seems to help protect against breast cancer"
 
 
"The study shows low doses of ibuprofen, brands of which include Advil or Motrin, can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 49 percent."
 
 
"Treatment with aspirin, Advil (ibuprofen) and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may protect against a highly lethal type of brain tumor called glioblastoma multiforme"
 
 
"A Mayo Clinic study released in March 2002 suggests that regular use of aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) may help protect against prostate cancer"
 
 
"Most malignant tumors, including colon, breast, prostate, and lung, appear to be inhibited by NSAID use"
 
 
"since 1988, a series of articles -- from 30 to 35, published by number of groups -- has shown that groups of people taking aspirin or ibuprofen, Motrin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ... reduce risk of colorectal cancer by 50%"
 
 
"The risk for developing Parkinson's disease was cut nearly by half in people taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), researchers say"
 
 
"people 55 and older who took ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) for at least 2 years were 80% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s"
 
So that's the good news.  Now Motrin also has it's risks - like so many other drugs.  You should be aware that the risks of taking Motrin, like aspirin, can be substantial.  Serious gastrointestinal toxicity such as bleeding, ulceration, and perforation, can occur at any time. Minor upper gastrointestinal problems, such as dyspepsia, are common, usually developing early in therapy.  Symptomatic upper GI ulcers, gross bleeding or perforation appear to occur in approximately 1% of patients treated for 3-6 months, and in about 2-4% of patients treated for one year.  Click on the attached link for more details about the risks of taking Motrin.
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.  Check it out!
 
Best wishes.  Dr. Rehert
 
Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE
Suite 520
Atlanta, Georgia
For appointments call 404-688-2800

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)
#102 From: <grehert@...>
Date: Sat Jun 26, 2004 2:20 pm
Subject: Yo-Yo dieting, sexual dysfunction, and "talking dogs?" 		grehert
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If you've ever been a Yo-Yo dieter, here's some good news.  Apparently there's little scientific evidence - just a lot of rumors - that Yo-Yo dieting is dangerous to your health. 
 
Bottom line: Yo-Yo dieting is better than No dieting at all.  Read more below.
Yo-Yo Dieting

June 14, 2004
BALTIMORE - More than 65 percent of the population is overweight. Many have tried a laundry list of diets to get the weight off. Even when they work, the results are often short-lived and the weight comes back with a vengeance.
 
But yo-yo dieting may not be all bad. "It's better to be down half the time than not to be down at all, because for at least for that period of time, your health risks are reduced," Dr. Cheskin says.
 
Several studies confirm weight cycling is not harmful. But keeping the weight off is the goal. One way to keep off the weight is to simply cut calories. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. If you cut 500 calories a day in one week, you'd cut out the necessary 3,500 calories to lose one pound of fat.
 
To keep weight off, first find your triggers. If you're a stress eater, try yoga instead of food. If you're a social eater, keep a diet drink in your hand at get-togethers and keep your distance from the food tables.
 
 
Coming soon to a drugstore near you - the closest thing to Viagra for women that we will have available.  (In the mean time, there's always DHEA.) 
 
Read here about some new products for sexual dysfunction in women.
P&G Female Sexual Desire Patch Effective in Trial
 
Wed Jun 16,  By Bill Berkrot
 
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co. on Wednesday moved a step closer to becoming the first company with a drug on the market to treat sexual dysfunction in women.  The testosterone skin patch, to be called Intrinsa, significantly improved sexual desire and satisfaction in women whose ovaries had previously been removed.  Although the company declined to discuss when it would file its new drug application with the Food and Drug Administration, P&G spokeswoman Mary Johnson said if approved they hope to have Intrinsa available by prescription sometime next year.  The drug would be prescribed to increase sexual desire in menopausal women who have experienced loss of desire and are distressed by that loss.
 
"This is huge," said Sheryl Kingsberg, an associate professor of reproductive biology at Case Western Reserve University and one of the lead investigators of the trial.  "It's important to get it out there because we don't have any approved medical treatment on the market for female sexual dysfunction that clinicians can look at as safe and effective," Kingsberg said.
 
The search for a so-called female Viagra has so far proved elusive. Even Viagra-maker Pfizer Inc. abandoned their program of testing the drug for women, whose sexual dysfunctions are more varied and complicated than men.
 
Another company, Vivus Inc., is developing a drug to treat the arousal component of female sexual disorder that it hopes to submit to the FDA in 2006. It also has acquired rights to a female sexual desire treatment that may compete with Intrinsa.
 
 
And last, if you ever find yourself talking to dogs, no need to be embarrassed . . . you just might be a little ahead of your time.  And your pet may just understand you.  Read about some cutting-edge research below.
Collie's vocabulary rivals young child's, study says
 
Friday, June 11, 2004
 
By Rob Stein, The Washington Post
 
Rico, a 9-year-old Border collie from Germany, understands 200 human words, according to a new study.
 
Rico, a border collie with what appears to be an uncanny talent for human language, may be the Albert Einstein of dogs or just your average pooch. Either way, scientists are wondering if man's best friend is smarter than they thought.
 
A series of carefully designed studies concluded that the German dog has a stunningly large vocabulary and apparently can do something scientists thought only humans could do: Figure out, by the process of elimination, that a sound he has never heard must be the name of a toy he has never seen.
 
That feat, described in today's issue of the journal Science, suggests that dog owners who claim their pets understand what they're saying and are trying to respond may have been right.  Some scientists are going so far as to speculate that dogs might even have the capacity to speak - like Mister Ed, the talking horse in the 1960s television show - if only they had the necessary anatomy.  Patti Strand, an American Kennel Club board member, called the report "good news for those of us who talk to our dogs."
 
The above is not meant to be medical advice.  Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. 
 
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
 
Coming soon:  www.drrehert.com.
 
Best wishes.  Dr. Rehert

DISCLAIMER:  The articles discussed in "Dr. Rehert's Medical Alerts Email List”
are solely intended to entertain, inform and educate its readers.  They are not
to be considered medical advice.  You should not alter any of your lifestyle
behavior without the advice of your personal physician.

“Dr. Rehert’s Medical Alerts Email List” is open to anyone who wants to join. 
Either send your Email address to grehert@... (recommended)  OR  you may
go to the website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drrehertsalerts/ and follow the
“Join This Group!" instructions.  Also you can read all the earlier Emails by
clicking on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DrRehertsAlerts/messages

If you respond to this Email list, DO NOT include any personal information . 
Though the list is configured so that all Email responses only go to the
original sender, your Email may inadvertently be sent to the list.  Also,
transmitting personal information would be a violation of The U. S. Government
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Some of the "complete article" links require a username and password (for
example MedScape.com articles).  You can access these "complete articles" using
the username: drrehertsalerts, and the password: drrehertsalerts.  If you have
any questions or problems with the email list, contact me at grehert@....

Best wishes,

Gerald M. Rehert, M.D.
285 Boulevard, NE, #520
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-688-2800

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