DHEA: Your Body’s Most Abundant Androgen

Posted on July 31, 2012 by drmike

DHEA (de-hydro-epi-androsterone) is the most abundant androgen in the human body. It is, importantly, a precursor of estrogen, testosterone and other hormones. Most of your body’s DHEA is produced in the adrenal glands, although small amounts are synthesized in the gonads, skin and brain. After production, DHEA is released into the bloodstream, where it can be converted into either estrogen or testosterone as needed.

DHEA levels peak at around age 20, then decline by approximately 10 percent per decade, with great individual-to-individual variability. By age 70, DHEA levels reach a level of 10 percent to 20 percent of young adult levels.

Low DHEA levels can cause:

Fatigue
Low sex drive
Loss of strength and muscle mass
Depression
Impaired immune function
Joint pain

Optimal DHEA levels can help:

Increase endurance
Increase testosterone levels
Increase lean muscle mass
Decrease body fat %
Improve memory
Boost immune function
Promote flexibility

Some studies show DHEA may help improve energy and libido, eliminate abdominal fat, increase muscle tone, improve immune function, regenerate tissue (bones, muscles and skin), improve cholesterol levels, maintain emotional well-being and improve the body’s ability to cope with stress.

Optimizing DHEA levels, as part of a complete Age Management Program, helps restore youthful amounts of this and other crucial hormones, resulting in more energy, improved immune function, enhanced well-being and better cognitive (brain) function.

If you’re in the West Hollywood, Orange County, Beverly Hills, or Los Angeles area, schedule an evaluation with Age Management / Hormonal Optimization expert Dr. Mike Carragher. If you live out of the area, we can take care of you as well, requiring only an annual visit to The Body Well for your anti-aging Age Management Program. Dr. Carragher will request a blood panel, schedule a comprehensive evaluation, and discuss the best individual treatment options for you.

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com

Testosterone Optimization in Men

Posted on July 18, 2012 by drmike

A large percentage of men who have been told their testosterone is fine actually have low testosterone. Often the total amount of testosterone is read as adequate, but the amount of usable testosterone is low.

Testosterone levels gradually decline at a rate of about 1-2% per year starting your late 20′s. Because this happens so slow, men often do not notice these symptoms and do not realize how low their testosterone actually is until years later. Most men in their late 30 and older are operating at about 50% of your optimal range. We usually treat males who are over 35 years of age but there are some exceptions.

Many men suffer needlessly because their testosterone is never checked, they are in the “range” or the wrong test is ordered. Men as young as 25 to 30 years in age are presenting with low levels of testosterone, which was not the case 10 or 20 years ago. This is possibly a result of environmental toxins, plastics, pesticides, pollutants and/or xenoestrogens in the environment.

Men with low testosterone may have subtle to profound symptoms, ranging form poor motivation, anxiety, weight gain, and loss sense of well being to profound depression, and loss of sex drive. Men with low testosterone cannot only enjoy an improved quality of life with testosterone supplementation, but it will also provide a significant decreased risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and death.

Testosterone optimization can result in:

Decreased aging of heart and better circulation
Protects against heart disease
Lowers cholesterol levels
Decreased risk of heart attacks and strokes
Decreased risk of diabetes
Decreased body fat
Increased lean muscle
Decreased brain aging
Improved memory, mental functioning and ability
Improved concentration and focus
Decreased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s
Increased sense of well being and mood
Increased energy, stamina and endurance
Increased sexual potency and frequency
Decreased osteoporosis
Decreased risk of prostate cancer

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com

Man, Are You Getting Fat?

Posted on July 7, 2012 by drmike

Are you a guy who can’t seem to lose that extra weight around the middle?

There is hope!

Research shows a strong connection between weight gain in men and hormonal imbalances. Low testosterone and high cortisol levels are related to increased body fat, especially in the midsection, as well as decreased lean muscle mass in men. This excess body fat furthers the hormonal imbalance by converting more testosterone into estrogen. Increased body fat and lean muscle loss means more fat and less muscle to carry around, resulting in fatigue and low energy levels.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Weight gain in men is also affected by high stress. Stress leads to increased cortisol levels in the body, and prolonged stress and heightened levels of cortisol increase the production of fat cells and a slowed metabolic rate. Elevated cortisol also increases appetite, causing men to eat more and male weight gain naturally follows. Making matters worse still, high cortisol levels diminish testosterone levels, which are already decreasing as men age. Low testosterone causes low energy and fatigue, meaning less physical activity and still more weight gain in men.

Another vicious cycle!

To boot, as men age, thyroid disorders, particularly hypothyroidism, and low levels of the human growth hormone (HGH) also cause weight gain by decreasing the body’s metabolic rate.

So what’s the solution?

A Comprehensive Age Management Evaluation and Program allows us to measure and appropriately optimize hormone levels as an integral part of an overall care plan. With the help of Age Management and Hormonal Optimization, we can bring your testosterone, cortisol, estrogen, HGH and thyroid hormones, among others, into optimal ranges. This balance will best position you for maximal body fat loss, an increased metabolic rate, better energy and a more vigorous life.

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com

Men: The Importance of Knowing Your Estrogen Level

Posted on June 28, 2012 by drmike

Men need a certain amount of estrogen. For men, estrogen (specifically, estradiol) begins in the testes as well as through extra-glandular (outside the gland) conversion of androgens. But if a male body converts more testosterone to estrogen than required, the levels become too high. Consequently, the estrogen interferes with whatever free testosterone exists and both hormones compete for receptor sites. In these cases, there are ways of blocking the estrogen and the problem is easily solved.

Through enzymatic action, testosterone can convert to two other hormones: dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estrogen. The enzyme 5-alpha reductase (found in high concentrations in the prostate gland and skin) converts testosterone into DHT. Aromatase (found in skin, brain, fat and bone) transforms the hormone into estrogen (estradiol).

As years pass, increasingly more testosterone converts to estradiol, increasing a man’s risk for prostate cancer, heart disease and stroke.

One report compared estrogen levels of both genders, showing an average 54-year-old man’s to be higher than an average 59-year-old woman’s.

Since estrogen levels increase with age, men never need estrogen therapy. Actually, aging men often suffer the effects of too little testosterone and too much estrogen. The resulting imbalance directly causes many debilitating health and performance problems associated with “normal” aging.

Since testosterone increasingly converts to estrogen as men age, taking testosterone by itself, without monitoring other hormones, is not judicious. Testosterone may convert into even more estrogen, a process called aromatization.

Aromatization potentially worsens the already existing hormone imbalance. Too much estrogen and not enough testosterone can increase risk of a heart attack or stroke. High levels of estrogen also have been implicated as a cause of benign prostate hyperplasia (noncancerous enlargement of prostate) and even prostate cancer.

A Comprehensive Age Management Evaluation and Program allows us to appropriately optimize and follow estrogen as well as your other hormone levels as an integral part of your overall care plan. If you’re in the West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or Los Angeles area, schedule an evaluation with Age Management / Hormonal Optimization expert Dr. Mike Carragher. If you live out of the area, we can take care of you as well, requiring only an annual visit to The Body Well for your anti-aging Age Management Program. Dr. Carragher will request a blood panel, schedule a comprehensive evaluation, and discuss the best individual treatment options for you.

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com

Fat, Sick, and Tired. That is SO Not Sexy!

Posted on June 21, 2012 by drmike

Your body’s adrenal glands produce hydrocortisone (cortisol), a hormone known as a glucocorticoid. Glucocorticoids are critical for life and the key to your body’s physical and emotional stress response. The “glu-“ in glucocorticoid comes from glucose, as these steroids play a vital role in blood sugar metabolism.

Among its functions, cortisol stimulates bodily activities on awakening: It influences carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism, helps regulate blood pressure, and improves the stability of blood vessels. Cortisol is also vital for immune function (it fends off bacteria and viruses) and helps mobilize against inflammation. However, escalated levels of cortisol can actually suppress immune function.

Symptoms of high cortisol include the following:

High blood pressure
Hyperglycemia
Obesity
Weakened immune response

A cortisol imbalance may result in:

Fatigue
Depression
Weight gain
Bone and muscle loss
Foggy thinking
Anxiety
Irritability

Often called the “stress hormone,” cortisol protects your body when emotional stressors or emergencies arise. When the stress subsides, the brain sends a message to stop cortisol production to normalize levels. But if you’re under chronic pressure and stress, elevated cortisol levels may saturate your body. Over time, these elevated cortisol levels lead to fat accumulation, blood sugar problems, fatigue, bone loss and immune system impairment. Chronic stress (physical or emotional) can also eventually exhaust the adrenal glands, resulting in abnormally low cortisol production – an insidious cycle that can cause premature aging of tissues and total body burnout.

High stress levels and poor nutrition may both contribute to an imbalance in the levels of cortisol. As elevated or lowered levels of cortisol may lead to a host of health problems, it is imperative to have lab work completed to determine your levels. Corrective measures for high cortisol levels include balanced hormones, Relaxation Response Training (RRT), eating an appropriate, anti-inflammatory diet, and the correct physical activity.

So how do you know if you have a cortisol imbalance? If you’re in the West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or Los Angeles area, schedule an evaluation with Age Management / Hormonal Optimization expert Dr. Mike Carragher. If you live out of the area, we can take care of you as well, requiring only an annual visit to The Body Well for your anti-aging Age Management Program. Dr. Carragher will request a blood panel, schedule a comprehensive evaluation, and discuss the best individual treatment options for you.

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com

Dr. Mike at The Body Well

The Blog That Keeps You Young, Strong, Powerful, and Beautiful

Category Archives: Dr. Mike’s Tips

DHEA: Your Body’s Most Abundant Androgen

Testosterone Optimization in Men

Man, Are You Getting Fat?

Men: The Importance of Knowing Your Estrogen Level

Fat, Sick, and Tired. That is SO Not Sexy!