TESTOSTERONE:
Marin P. Testosterone and regional fat distribution. Obesity Res. 1995 Nov;3(4):609S-612S.
T treatment was also followed by a specific decrease of visceral fat mass, by increased insulin sensitivity, by a decrease in fasting blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as a decrease in diastolic blood pressure.
It is now well established that men with visceral obesity have an accumulation of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and DM.
TT was followed by a decrease of visceral fat mass.
Insulin Resistance decreased.
Diastolic blood pressure and serum cholesterol decreased with testosterone treatment.
Insulin sensitivity improved.
TT gives beneficial effects on well being and the cardiovascular and diabetes risk profile, results similar to those observed after hormonal replacement therapy in postmenopausal women.
In men, endogenous testosterone concentrations are inversely related to mortality due to cardiovascular disease and all causes.
Low testosterone may be a predictive marker for those at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
Transdermal testosterone appears to be a safe and effective therapy for postmenopausal women with HSDD.
Testosterone therapy improved fasting insulin sensitivity.
Glycated hemoglobin was also reduced as was the fasting blood glucose.
Braunstein GD. Androgen insufficiency in women. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2006
In addition to low libido, the clinical construct of the female androgen insufficiency syndrome includes the presence of persistent unexplained fatigue and a decreased sense of wellbeing.
Multiple randomized double blind placebo controlled treatment trials have demonstrated that testosterone improves libido significantly more than placebo.
Doses that provide physiologic to supraphysiologic serum free or bioavailable testosterone concentrations are safe.
Conclusions and Relevance:
Testosterone treatment appears to be effective and efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms in men, particularly when higher dosage regimens were applied.
The WHO has declared depression to be the leading cause of disability worldwide.
This meta-analysis provides important new evidence that testosterone treatment may also be effective and efficacious for eugonadal and older men when higher testosterone dosages are administered.
Key points: This systematic review and meta analysis of 27 randomized placebo controlled clinical trials involving a total of 1890 men found that testosterone treatment was associated with a significant reduction of depressive symptoms, particularly in participants who received higher dosage regimens.
Transdermal testosterone (5 mg/d) prevented bone loss at the femoral neck, decreased body fat, and increased lean body mass in a group of healthy men over age 65 with low bioavailable testosterone levels.
Muller M, Aleman A, Grobbee DE, et al. Endogenous sex hormone levels and
cognitive function in aging men: is there an optimal level? Neurology. 2005 Mar
Higher testosterone (T) levels are associated with better cognitive performance in the oldest age category.
Shifren JL, Braunstein GD, Simon JA, et al. Transdermal testosterone treatment in
women with impaired sexual function after oophorectomy. N Engl J Med. 2000 Sep
Transdermal testosterone improves sexual function and psychological well-being. (This study was in women)
Golden SH, Maguire A, Ding J, et al. Endogenous postmenopausal hormones and carotid
atherosclerosis: A case-control study of the atherosclerosis risk in communities cohort.
Am J Epidemiol. 2002;155(5):437-445.
The authors found higher total testosterone and SHBG to be inversely related to carotid atherosclerosis, suggesting their potential importance in reducing atherosclerotic risk in postmenopausal women.
Rako S. Testosterone deficiency: a key factor in the increased cardiovascular risk to
women following hysterectomy or with natural aging? J Womens Health. 1998
Restoring a physiologic level of testosterone to women after hysterectomy not only can improve quality of life in terms of sexual libido, sexual pleasure, and sense of well-being but also can build bones–and may be a key to protecting cardiovascular health. Women developing testosterone deficiency as a consequence of natural aging/menopause may similarly benefit from physiologic testosterone supplementation.
Braunstein GD, Sundwall DA, Katz M, et al. Safety and efficacy of a testosterone patch
for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in surgically menopausal women: a
randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Arch Intern Med. 2005 Jul
Study findings have suggested that libido can be preserved for these women by use of estrogen and testosterone therapy, and that this combination is more effective than therapy with estrogen alone
ESTRADIOL:
Fasting glucose, insulin, and hemoglobin A1c were lowered, and insulin sensitivity increased with estradiol therapy.
Unopposed 17B-estradiol reduced carotid IMT progression in postmenopausal women in part by increase in HDL-cholesterol and decreasing LDL- cholesterol.
Women randomized to estradiol showed improvement in all the markers of carbohydrate metabolism.
North American Menopause Society. The role of local vaginal estrogen for treatment of
vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: 2007 position statement of The North
American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2007 May-Jun;14(3 Pt 1):355-369.
Low-dose, local vaginal estrogen delivery is effective and well tolerated for treating vaginal atrophy.
Hargrove JT, Maxson WS, Wentz AC, Burnett LS. Menopausal hormone replacement
therapy with continuous daily oral micronized estradiol and progesterone. Obstet
Gynecol. 1989 Apr;73(4):606-612.
This study demonstrates that the daily administration of a combination of micronized E2 and progesterone results in symptomatic improvement, minimal side effects, an improved lipid profile, and amenorrhea without endometrial proliferation or hyperplasia in menopausal women.
Mayeaux EJ, Johnson C. Current concepts in postmenopausal hormone
replacement therapy. J Fam Pract. 1996 Jul;43(1):69-75.
Benefits of HRT that are supported by strong scientific evidence include relief from menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, prevention of osteoporosis, cardioprotective effects, relief of urogenital atrophy, and decreased urinary incontinence. Benefits supported by observational evidence include improvement of emotional lability and depression, improved sense of well-being in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, increased dermal and total skin thickness, improved verbal memory skills, and decreased risk of colon cancer.
Shepherd JE. Effects of estrogen on cognition mood, and degenerative brain
diseases. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2001 Mar-Apr;41(2):221-228.
Although scientific study of the brain is in its infancy, numerous studies indicate that estrogen is essential to optimal brain function. Estrogen has been shown to increase cerebral blood flow, act as an antiinflammatory agent, enhance activity at neuronal synapses, and exert direct neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects on brain tissue. Through these varied mechanisms, estrogen strongly influences mood and cognition, and the decline of this hormone at menopause can produce significant emotional and cognitive problems in women.
Faludi AA, Aldrighi JM, Bertolami MC, et al. Progesterone abolishes estrogen and/or
atorvastatin endothelium dependent vasodilatory effects. Atherosclerosis. 2004
Estradiol was responsible for an increase in HDL-C.
PROGESTERONE:
MP is a clinically effective, well tolerated and cost comparable alternative to MPA without the side effects, problems and complications of MPA.
Fitzpatrick LA, Good A. Micronized progesterone: Clinical indications and comparison
with current treatments. Fertility & Sterility. 1999 Sept;72(3): 389-397.
A large body of evidence, including the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions study, suggests that the use of a combination of estrogen and oral micronized progesterone is optimal for long-term hormone replacement therapy. There also are data indicating that oral micronized progesterone could be of potential use for the treatment of premenopausal bleeding disorders, luteal phase disorders, and premature labor.
De Lignieres B. Endometrial hyperplasia. Risks, recognition and the search for a safe
hormone replacement regimen. J Reprod Med. 1999 Feb;44(2):191-196.
Adding a synthetic progestin or natural progesterone to estrogen therapy has been shown to decrease or eliminate the endometrial risk associated with ERT. However, the addition of synthetic progestins has been associated with uncomfortable side effects, reversal of some of the cardiovascular and metabolic benefits of estrogen, and unwanted bleeding. The use of natural micronized progesterone in lieu of synthetic progestins alleviates the former two drawbacks, while careful scheduling of estrogen and progesterone dosing can eliminate the latter.
Campagnoli C, Clavel-Chapelon F, Kaaks R, et al. Progestins and progesterone in
hormone replacement therapy and the risk of breast cancer. J Steroid Biochem Mol
Progestins had the opposite effects induced by oral estrogen. (Progesterone is protective, but progestin can be harmful).
Hargrove JT, Osteen KG. An alternative method of hormone replacement therapy using the natural sex steroids. Infert Repro Med Clin N Am. 1995;6:653-674.
Progesterone protects against endometrial cancer in a dose and duration of therapy manner.
Apgar BS, Greenberg G. Using progestins in clinical practice. American
Family Physician. 2000 Oct;62(8):1839-1846.
An oral micronized progesterone preparation has improved bioavailability and fewer reported side effects compared with synthetic progestins.
Nilsen J, Brinton RD. Divergent impact of progesterone and medroxyprogesterone
acetate (Provera) on nuclear mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. Proc Natl
Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Sep 2;100(18):10506-10511.
The recent results from the Women’s Health Initiative trial, which used MPA as the progestinal agent, indicate that differences between progestin formulations are crucial to health outcomes in women.
Kaunitz AM. HT and breast cancer: does the type of progestin matter? OBG
Management. 2007 June;19(6):31-35.
In this study from France, the association between estrogen–progestin regimens and breast cancer varied significantly, depending on the progestin.
Barbieri RL. More data on hormone therapy risks arrive to reshape practice. OBG
Management. 2008 Aug;20(8):10, 13-14.
The preliminary new evidence reviewed here suggests that, for a postmenopausal woman beginning combination HT, progesterone be given consideration as the progestin component.
progesterone in hormone replacement therapy, with special reference to the nervous
system. Endocr Rev. 2007 Jun;28(4):387-439.
There is indeed strong evidence that the aging nervous system remains at least to some extent sensitive to these beneficial effects of progesterone.
Fitzpatrick LA, Pace C, Wiita B. Comparison of regimens containing oral micronized
progesterone or medroxyprogesterone acetate on quality of life in postmenopausal
women: A cross-sectional survey. J of Women’s Health & Gender-Based Med. 2000
When compared with the MPA-containing regimen, women using micronized progesterone-containing HRT experienced significant improvement in vasomotor symptoms, somatic complaints, and anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Fitzpatrick LA, Good A. Micronized progesterone: Clinical indications and
comparison with current treatments. Fertility & Sterility. 1999 Sept;72(3):389-397.
A large body of evidence, including the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions study, suggests that the use of a combination of estrogen and oral micronized progesterone is optimal for long-term hormone replacement therapy.
Carmody BJ, Arora S, Wakefield MC, et al. Progesterone inhibits human
infragenicular arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation induced by high glucose and
insulin concentrations. J Vasc Surg. 2002 Oct;36(4):833-838.
Significant reductions in cell proliferation as determined with both cell count and thymidine incorporation suggest that progesterone is an inhibitor of VSMC proliferation induced by our in vitro models of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Therefore, progesterone may have a protective role against the atherosclerotic changes associated with type II diabetes.
THYROID:
Prinz PN, Scanlan JM, Vitaliano PP, et al. Thyroid hormones: positive relationships
with cognition in healthy, euthyroid older men. Biol Sci Med Sci. 1999
Our data suggests that older subjects may require circulating thyroid hormones in middle to high levels in order to maintain optimal brain functioning. Variations in these levels can have significant cognitive consequences even in apparently euthyroid subjects.
Therefore, it is quite possible that there is a substantial population of undetected, sub clinically hypothyroid individuals in the general population who may suffer subtle cognitive deficits, long before hypothyroidism becomes manifest by obvious metabolic symptoms.
Bunevičius R, Kažanavičius G, Žalinkevičius R, et al. Effects of Thyroxine as
Compared with Thyroxine plus Triiodothyronine in Patients with Hypothyroidism. N
Engl J Med. 1999; 340:424-429.
In patients with hypothyroidism, partial substitution of triiodothyronine for thyroxine may improve mood and neuropsychological function.
This finding suggests a specific effect of the triiodothyronine normally secreted by the thyroid gland.
Combined therapy with thyroxine and triiodothyronine may be an improvement over standard thyroxine treatment for patients with hypothyroidism.
Although generally effective, not all patients benefit from thyroxine therapy alone.
Combination therapy group scored their mood as significantly improved.
Physical well being was significantly better on three of seven scales.
No test scores for patients on thyroxine alone showed any improvement.
These patients reported having more energy, better concentration, and an improved sense of well being.
Hamilton MA, Stevenson LW, Fonarow GC, et al. Safety and Hemodynamic Effects of
Intravenous Triiodothyronine in Advanced Congestive Heart Failure. American Journal
of Cardiology. 1998 Feb 15;81(4)443-447.
Most patients with advanced congestive heart failure have altered thyroid hormone metabolism.
A low triiodothyronine level is associated with impaired hemodynamics and is an independent predictor of poor survival.
Klein I, Ojamaa K. Thyroid hormone treatment of congestive heart failure. Am J Cardiol.
Recent work has characterized the beneficial effects of thyroid hormone on cardiovascular hemodynamics.
Administration of thyroid hormone has been shown to increase cardiac inotropy and to lower systemic vascular resistance.
It is well documented that patients with advanced heart failure after coronary artery bypass surgery and after myocardial infarction, have altered thyroid hormone metabolism with low serum triiodothyronine (T3) levels.
The decrease in serum T3 levels occurs primarily as a result of a decrease in conversion of tetraiodothyronine (T4) to T3… causing low T3 or nonthyroidal illness syndrome.
Coupling the potential benefits of thyroid hormone to enhance cardiac performance with the inherently low serum levels of T3, a heart failure treatment regimen that includes thyroid hormone replacement in a carefully monitored setting seems rational.
Hak EA, Pols H, Visser TJ, et al. Subclinical hypothyroidism is an independent risk
factor for atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction in elderly women: The Rotterdam
Study. Ann Intern Med. 2000;132:270-278.
Subclinical hypothyroidism is linked with a more than twofold increase in heart attack risk among women aged 55 and older, according to the recent study from the Netherlands.
Mild thyroid disease is in the same ballpark as well established cardiac risk factors like high cholesterol and smoking.
It does tip the balance toward recommending thyroid replacement therapy, which is a relatively benign treatment to your patients who have this common condition.
Conclusion: Subclinical hypothyroidism is a strong indicator of risk for atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction in elderly women.
Baker B. No BMD loss with thyroxine replacement. Ob Gyn News. 2000 September 1.
Exogenous thyroid replacement does not reduce bone mineral density in women. …. 10,000 women 49-69 yrs old were studied.
Appetecchia M. Effects on bone mineral density by treatment of benign nodular goiter
with mildly suppressive doses of L-thyroxine in a cohort women study. Horm Res.
Thyroid diseases and the treatment may influence the osseous system. The influence that prolonged suppressive L-thyroxine (LT4) therapy may have on inducing subclinical hyperthyroidism on bone metabolism is still a matter of debate.
Data showed no significant difference between BMD values for treated and untreated patients in both pre and postmenopausal status.
In all patients serum markers of bone turnover were in the normal range.
This study suggests that at slightly suppressing TSH doses, T4 therapy has no adverse effects on BMD in both pre- and postmenopausal women… by maintaining TSH near or below the assay sensitivity limit.
Mikosch P, Jauk B, Gallowitsch HJ, et al. Suppressive levothyroxine therapy has no
significant influence on bone degradation in women with thyroid carcinoma: a
comparison with other disorders affecting bone metabolism. Thyroid. 2001
A suppressive LT4 therapy, as used for patients with DTC, led to no significant increases of S-CTx and U-NTx.
The study indicated that a well controlled suppressive LT4 therapy has only a minor effect on the degree of bone degradation and that a possible estrogen deficiency in patients with DRC has a greater impact on bone degradation.
Patients on suppressive LT4 therapy and estrogen deficiency may benefit from hormone replacement therapy.
Jancin B. CHD risk doubles with subclinical hypothyroidism. Internal Med News. 2004 December 15.
Subclinical hypothyroidism is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease.
“These data, I think, strengthen the argument somewhat for treating patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.”
SCHis associated with increased total cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Subclinical hypothyroidism was associated with a 2.2 fold increased risk of CHD.
Davis S, Kopecky KJ, Hamilton TE, et al. Thyroid neoplasia, autoimmune thyroiditis,
and hypothyroidism in persons exposed to iodine 131 from the Hanford nuclear site.
JAMA. 2004 Dec 1;292(21):2600-2613.
Participants who survived until age 89 years had higher levels of free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine.
Decreasing levels of free T3 were associated with poor outcomes on virtually all domains of functional performance at baseline.
Low levels of free T3 also were associated with an accelerated increase of disability… Depressive symptoms… decline of global cognitive function.
Decreasing levels of free T3 were associated with increased mortality.
In our study we found significant associations between low levels of free T3, poor performance, and increased mortality.
www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pubmed/22786450
Low T3 levels are independently predictive of vertebral fractures in women older than 50 years.
Neither TSH nor T4 predicted fracture.
Thyroid hormone measurements are recommended as part of a routine evaluation for osteoporosis.
Patients with a deficiency in T3 may be candidates for antiresorptive treatment.
www.thyroid=info.com/articles/t3drugsnejm.htm
SCH treated by L-thyroxine leads to a significant improvement in CV risk factor and symptoms of tiredness
The CV risk factor reduction is related to the increased level of free T4 concentration.
Levothyroxine-only thyroid hormone replacement does not leave a substantial percentage of hypothyroid patients feeling well and these patients feel and function better when T3 is added to their thyroid hormone replacement.
Interestingly this offers an explanation for why patients have felt well all along on alternative thyroid drugs like the natural Armour Thyroid, Westhroid, and Naturethroid.
The astute, talented doctors who have thought for themselves, forged ahead despite peer pressure and pharmaceutical company marketing clout, all along practicing based on their knowledge that T3 drugs work better for many of us
Triiodothyronine supplementation significantly increased the antidepressant effects of sertraline in a randomized placebo controlled clinical trial.
“Results of the current controlled study support the efficacy of T3 as an enhancer of antidepressant action.”
A 50 mcg dose per day proved efficacious.
They also reported no difference in adverse events with T3 compared with placebo.
Meier C, Trittibach P, Guglielmetti M, et al. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone in
assessment of severity of tissue hypothyroidism in patients with overt primary thyroid
failure: cross sectional survey. BMJ. 2003 Feb 8;326(7384):311-312.
Patients with biochemical severe hypothyroidism may present with only mild clinical manifestations, whereas some patients with moderate changes in thyroid hormones may present with severe signs of tissue hypothyroidism.
TSH is a poor measure for estimating the clinical and metabolic severity of primary overt thyroid failure.. In contrast to the high diagnostic accuracy of TSH measurement for early diagnosis of hypothyroidism.
The biological effects of the thyroid hormones at the peripheral tissues- and not TSH concentrations- reflect the clinical severity of hypothyroidism.
“Thyroid treatment should be guided by clinical and metabolic presentation and thyroid hormone concentrations and not by serum TSH concentration.”
DHEA:
Androgens and DHEA have been found to inhibit breast cancer development and growth, and to stimulate bone formation.
DHEA has been found to increase bone mineral density and to stimulate vaginal maturation without affecting the endometrium, while improving well-being and libido with no significant side effects. (Intrarosa)
Fukui M, Kitagawa Y, Nakamura N, et al. Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate
concentration and carotid atherosclerosis in men with type 2 diabetes. Atherosclerosis.
Decreased serum DHEA concentrations may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in men.
In conclusion, serum DHEA-S concentration is negatively associated with carotid atherosclerosis.
Low DHEA concentrations are associated with development of central obesity
DHEA treatment can reduce body weight and serum tumor necrosis factor a(alpha) and also may improve insulin sensitivity.
Schmidt PJ, Daly RC, Bloch M, et al. Dehydroepiandrosterone monotherapy in midlife onset
major and minor depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005 Feb;62(2):154-
We find DHEA to be an effective treatment for midlife-onset major and minor depression.
Bernini GP, Sgro M, Moretti A, et al. Endogenous androgens and carotid intimal- medial
thickness in women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999 Jun;84(6):2008-2112.
Our results suggest that, in the physiological range, DHEA-S and androgens in women are correlated with lower risk of carotid artery atherosclerosis.
Davis SR, Shah SM, McKenzie DP, et al. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels are
associated with more favorable cognitive function in women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab.
Higher endogenous DHEA-S levels are independently and favorable associated with executive function, concentration, and working memory.
Kedziora-Kornatowska K, Beszczyńska-Oleś R, Kornatowski T, Szadujkis- Szadurski
women depending on coexisting disease states. Adv Med Sci. 2007;52(1):126-130.
Mean blood serum DHEA-S concentration was statistically significantly lower in the group of patients suffering from coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, and depression
Lower DHEA-S concentration was observed in patients with benign disorders of cognitive function and depression.
Serum cortisol levels decrease from the 3rd month.
Téllez N, Comabella M, Julià E, et al. Fatigue in progressive multiple sclerosis is
associated with low levels of dehydroepiandrosterone. Mult Scler. 2006 Aug;12(4):487-
Our results suggest that these hormones should be considered as biological markers of fatigue in MS patients and that hormone replacement may thus be tested as an option to treat fatigue in MS patients.
Maes M, Mihaylova I, De Ruyter M. Decreased dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate but
normal insulin-like growth factor in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): relevance for the
inflammatory response in CFS. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2005 Oct;26(5):487-492.
We found significantly lower serum DHEA-S concentrations in CFS.
The decrease in serum DHEA was highly sensitive and specific for CFS.
CFS is accompanied by powered levels of DHEA and that the latter may play a role in the immune system (defect in the early activation of T cells ) and the inflammatory pathophysiology of CFS.
Villareal DT, Holloszy JO. Effect of DHEA on abdominal fat and insulin action in elderly
women and men: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2004 Nov
DHEA replacement could play a role in prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome associated with abdominal obesity.
Nordmark G, Bengtsson C, Larsson A, et al. Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone
supplement on health-related quality of life in glucocorticoid treated female patients with
systemic lupus erythematosus. Autoimmunity. 2005 Nov;38(7):531-540.
DHEA treatment improves HRQOL with regard to mental wellbeing and sexuality.
DHEA has a modest and selective beneficial effect on BMD and bone resorption in women.
Alhaj HA, Massey AE, McAllister-Williams RH. Effects of DHEA administration on
episodic memory, cortisol and mood in healthy young men: a double-blind, placebo controlled
study. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2006 Nov;188(4):541-551.
DHEA treatment improved memory recollection and mood and decreased trough cortisol levels
DHEA therapy decreases total cholesterol concentration, insulin and glucose levels.
This therapy is beneficial against CHD risk factors.
Serum insulin-like growth factor concentration increased in response to DHEA replacement.
DHEA replacement has the beneficial effect of enhancing the increases in muscle mass and strength induced by heavy resistance exercise in elderly individuals.
Rhoden EL, Morgentaler A. Risks of testosterone-replacement therapy and
recommendations for monitoring. N Engl J Med. 2004 Jan 29;350(5):482-492.
Experienced clinicians aim for the mid to upper normal range in order to optimize the response to treatment with testosterone.
Gaby, A. R. DHEA: The hormone that does it all. Holistic Medicine. 1993 Spring:19-23.
Current research suggests that DHEA may be of value in preventing and treating cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, other memory disturbance, immune system disorders including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, and chronic fatigue.) DHEA may also enhance the body’s immune response to viral and bacterial infections. Perhaps most interesting, DHEA is currently being investigated as an anti-aging hormone. DHEA may also be of value in preventing and treating osteoporosis.
Villareal DT, Holloszy JO. Effect of DHEA on abdominal fat and insulin action in
elderly women and men: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2004 Nov
DHEA replacement could play a role in prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome associated with abdominal obesity.
Wolkowitz OM, Reus VI, Roberts E, et al. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
treatment of depression. Biol Psychiatry. 1997 Feb 1;41(3):311-318.
These preliminary data suggest DHEA may have antidepressant and promemory effects and should encourage double-blind trials in depressed patients.
Herrington DM. Dehydroepiandrosterone and coronary atherosclerosis. Ann N Y Acad Sci.
These data suggest that low plasma levels of DHEA may facilitate, and high levels may retard, the development of coronary atherosclerosis and coronary allograft vasculopathy.
Barrett-Connor E, Khaw KT, Yen SS. A prospective study of dehydroepiandrosterone
sulfate, mortality, and cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med. 1986 Dec
The data suggest that the DHEAS concentration is independently and inversely related to death from any cause and death from cardiovascular disease in men over age 50.
Gordon GB, Bush DE, Weisman HF. Reduction of atherosclerosis by administration of
dehydroepiandrosterone. A study in the hypercholesterolemic New Zealand white
rabbit with aortic intimal injury. J Clin Invest. 1988 Aug;82(2):712-720.
The results show that high levels of plasma DHEA inhibit the development of atherosclerosis
Morales AJ, Nolan JJ, Nelson JC, Yen SS. Effects of replacement dose of
dehydroepiandrosterone in men and women of advancing age. J Clin Endocrinol Metab.
Restoring DHEA and DS to young adult levels in men and women of advancing age induced an increase in the bioavailability of IGF-I, as reflected by an increase in IGF-I and a decrease in IGFBP-1 levels.
Labrie F, Diamond P, Cusan L, et al. Effect of 12-month dehydroepiandrosterone
replacement therapy on bone, vagina, and endometrium in postmenopausal women. J
Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997 Oct;82(10):3498-3505.
The stimulatory effect on bone mineral density accompanied by an increase in serum osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation, suggests stimulation of bone formation by the androgenic action of DHEA, a finding of particular interest for both the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
MELATONIN:
Mills E, Wu P, Seely D, Guyatt G. Melatonin in the treatment of cancer: a systematic
review of randomized controlled trials and meta-analysis. J Pineal Res. 2005
Melatonin reduced the risk of death at 1 yr (relative risk: 0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.59-0.73, I2=0%, heterogeneity P<or=0.56).
Drake MJ, Mills IW, Noble JG. Melatonin pharmacotherapy for nocturia in men with
benign prostatic enlargement. J Urol. 2004 Mar;171(3):1199-1202.
Melatonin treatment is associated with a significant nocturia response rate, improvement in nocturia related disorders and a good adverse effect profile.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30653130/
Melatonin is very likely to be a promising alternative for migraine prophylaxis.
Finn R. Prophylaxis a must for patients with cluster headaches. Internal Med News. 2005
“Melatonin is really my first-line choice because it is easy to get over the counter and there are no side effects,” Dr. Rozen said. “[For] a small percentage of cluster patients, the night I give them melatonin is the last time they’re going to have a cluster.”
VITAMIN D:
(Still collecting these)
CONDITIONS…
Mood:
Seidman SN. The therapeutic uses of hormones in psychiatry. Psychiatric Annals. 2000;30(2):1-76.
Testosterone, Estrogen, Thyroid and DHEA all used to help treat Depression and mood disorders.
Aging conditions:
Biomedicina. 2000 Jan; 3(1):6-7. Brains, hormones and more behind women’s aging.
With age comes a diminished capacity for cellular protein synthesis, a decline in immune function, an increase in fat mass, a loss of muscle mass and strength and a decrease in bone mineral density.
Age related disability is synonymous with weakness, impaired mobility, balance, and poor endurance.
Physical frailty includes falls, fractures, impairment in activities of daily living, and loss of independence. Loss of muscle strength is caused by aging of muscle fibers.
Osteoarthritis, sedentary lifestyle and chronic debilitating diseases are all important factors in the process of frailty.
Traditionally, this aging process has been considered to be physiological and unavoidable but in recent years an increasing number of people are not willing to accept the grim stereotype of aging as an unalterable process of decline and loss. Hormones are partly responsible for this change in attitude.
There are now “routine” medical intervention programs offering long term replacement therapy with one or more hormones in order to delay the aging process and to allow us to live for a longer period in a relatively intact state.
Central Obesity, CVD, DM II, Cancers:
In the presence of sex steroid hormones, a normal distribution of body fat exists, but with a decrease in sex steroid hormones, as occurs with ageing or gonadectomy, there is a tendency to increase central obesity, a major risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
In fact, hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women and testosterone replacement therapy in older men appear to reduce the degree of central obesity.
Research results that help explain why middle-aged women develop central body fat: loss of hormones at menopause.
The OHSU research team has also conducted initial testing of estrogen replacement therapy as a possible method for counteracting the problem.
Menopause is also being connected to the unhealthy surge in type 2 diabetes cases, cardiovascular disease and other associated disorders.
For women, a sudden increase in weight often occurs following menopause.
Researchers determined that the drop in estrogen levels commonly associated with menopause is linked to an increase in cortisol.
These untreated women with higher cortisol levels also witnessed an increase in abdominal fat when compared with women receiving the estrogen therapy.
These findings suggest that estrogen replacement protects women from developing high cortisol levels and increased abdominal fat. “We believe that by preventing this rise in cortisol, we can delay or prevent weight issues and the many weight associated disorders in some of these women.”
After one month of estrogen therapy (E2) these women who all previously had heightened cortisol levels witnessed cortisol at levels close to that of premenopausal women.
FIBROMYALGIA:
Garrison RL, Breeding PC. A metabolic basis for fibromyalgia and its related
disorders: the possible role of resistance to thyroid hormone. Med Hypotheses. 2003
Fibromyalgia can be seen with hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism may be categorized, like diabetes, into type 1 (hormone deficient) and type 11 (hormone resistant).
Most cases of fibromyalgia fall into the latter category of hormone resistance.
Now there is evidence to support the hypothesis that fibromyalgia may be due to thyroid hormone resistance
Experimentally proven treatment with supraphysiologic doses of thyroid hormone improves symptoms.