At metabolism.com we receive a lot of questions from members wondering whether growth hormone therapy will help them grow taller. Lorraine’s question, posted below, is typical. The single most important factor determining the effect of growth hormone on improving height, is whether the bone still has growth plates that are “open” because when the growth [...]
August 23, 2008 By
Backward Science Influences Your Thyroid Hormone Treatment
I have written several times about the inability of our scientific community to solve the riddles of the treatment of hypo (low) thyroid function. In the most recent study trying to discover the best way to treat hypothyroidism, defective approaches in my opinion, again defeated the good intentions of researchers. The study “Small changes in [...]
August 23, 2008 By
Fumbling the Treatment of Hypothyroidism (becomes a national pastime)
In the July/August ’05 issue of Endocrine Practice, an influential journal read by endocrinologists throughout the United States, researchers again tackled the question of whether treating hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) with a combination of conventional t4 therapy (Synthroid, Levoxyl, levothyroxine) along with t3 (Cytomel) was superior to using t4 alone. In my opinion this study was [...]
August 23, 2008 By
Cortisol Regulation and Your Health: The Real Story
Cortisol is a hormone (chemical) produced by the adrenal glands which is essential for life. Without cortisol the blood pressure would drop and shock followed by death would occur. Cortisol is also thought to play a role in general maintenance of the body’s tissues and functions. Conditions of excessive adrenal cortisol production known as Cushing’s [...]
August 23, 2008 By
(Oops! They did it again.)
The editors of the latest research on the controversial subject of combination therapy (t4 plus t3) for treating hypothyroidism have missed the point again. A recent article published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (March 15, 2005) attempted to answer the question about whether combining t3 (Cytomel) with t4 (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid) for treating under [...]
August 23, 2008 By
Testosterone Replacement for Men
Testosterone, the primary hormone produced by the testicle, promotes most of the masculine characteristics of the body. These ‘secondary sexual characteristics’ include development of the penis, increased muscle strength and mass, facial and body hair and male sexual function. There are many medical conditions in men that result in low testosterone levels, a condition known [...]
March 1, 2008 By
Armour Thyroid Dropped by Medicare
After hearing the rumors, I was waiting for official notice that Armour Thyroid was being dropped from the Medicare formulary. The confirmation came by way of a form letter telling me that one of my patient’s prescriptions for Armour would no longer be covered by Medicare and asked if I want to switch them to [...]
October 24, 2007 By
Older Men in Boston Area to Die Sooner?
Men over 50 with low male hormone (testosterone) levels have a shorter life expectancy than men with of similar age with higher testosterone levels. Or so says a new medical study in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Of the almost 800 men over the age of 50 who were studied, those who had the [...]
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