Archive for March, 2008

Big belly? No memory? How they are connected.

Everyone knows that having the typical “apple” shape where your belly is larger than your hips is worse for your health down the road. All that fat centered around your organs and hanging over your pants can lead to heart disease and blood sugar problems like insulin resistance and diabetes. But can it cause dementia as well? Researchers say “yes!”
In the March issue of Neurology, they found that total body weight is a strong predictor of dementia, conferring a 75% increased risk among those with the highest BMI! Eek!They also found that individuals who were both obese [...]

Stopping HRT – Are you still at risk for cancer?

After the big Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study that came out a few years ago, women around the world have been wondering, am I still at risk for breast cancer? I stopped my estrogen and I stopped my progestin (fake progesterone) so now what?
In the March 8th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (big deal to get published in here!) the news was not so good. Immediately stopping these hormones lowered cardiovascular risks such as heart attacks and blood clots. This is a good thing. However, they also found that women who took [...]

Born earlier than 37 weeks? How it affects the future!

When you’re pregnant, sometime it seems like that baby is never going to come out! Your friends, family and even doctor will tell you that when the time is right it will happen as it should. However, there are instances when you may go into labor prematurely and not have a choice in the matter. And then you hear of moms scheduling their c-section ‘out of convenience’ either for them or for the doctor.
Has anyone looked at what happens long-term when a baby is born pre-maturely? Were you or your partner born pre-maturely?
In the March 26th [...]

The Fertility Diet and Lifestyle Factors

In the November 2007 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the researchers looked at 17,544 women ages 25 to 42 years old to see how diet and lifestyle affected their fertility…especially when it came to an ovulation disorder. What they found supported the recommendations that I have been making in my practice for my fertility patients.
First of all, fertility concerns affects 1 in 6 couples and ovulation problems are the cause 18-30% of the time. In order for sperm to meet egg and create a baby the egg must first be released from the ovary and travel into the tube. If [...]