Men's Health

Andropause: the “Male Menopause”

In 1980, an 18-year veteran police detective in Ontario with a previously spotless record stole approximately $1000.00 worth of items from the evidence room of his department.  He persuaded the judge in his case to spare him a prison sentence, claiming that “male menopause” had clouded his judgment.

 Ever since the term “male menopause” was first coined in 1949, there have been debates about whether men go though a psychological and physiological change that is similar to menopause in women.  Read the rest of this entry »

Testosterone Therapy: Moving toward Mainstream

As the American population ages, baby boomers are confronted with a number of troublesome age-related diseases.  Many are scrambling to hold onto their health and youthful vitality.  Retirement is not what is once was.  More people want to remain active and engaged with life, not just sitting around with a fishing pole in their hands.  And, they certainly do not want to suffer the slow decline in physical and cognitive function that afflicts far too many in nursing homes.  Although a number of factors must be considered, including living a healthy lifestyle, mounting scientific evidence points to diminished hormones as a previously under recognized, yet modifiable factor in the aging process. Read the rest of this entry »

Osteoporosis: Not Just a Woman’s Disease

Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures.  Osteoporotic fractures are most commonly seen in the hip, spine and wrist, although any bone can be affected.  In simpler terms, osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become weak and can break from a minor fall or, in serious cases, from a simple action such as a sneeze. Read the rest of this entry »

Your Heart and Your Bones

We all probably know someone who can predict the weather by the way their bones and joints feel.  And, when someone is especially committed to someone or something, they often say they “feel it in their bones”.   But we now have mounting scientific evidence linking the health of your bones to your risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Read the rest of this entry »

Lifestyle Changes for Fat Loss – Exercise

Starting an exercise program is a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle change.  Granted, this is no major revelation.  Burning more calories than you eat is a fairly obvious recipe for weight loss.  The question then becomes: How should you exercise for maximal fat loss and optimal long term changes in body composition? Read the rest of this entry »

Erectile Dysfunction Predicts Heart Disease

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection.  ED affects approximately 18 million American men over age 20[1].  It is well known that many of the same risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease also play a role in erectile dysfunction.  A number of studies have shown that ED can predict cardiovascular disease[2] and cardiovascular mortality.[3] Read the rest of this entry »

Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

I don’t imagine there are very many people who need convincing that sex is a good thing, or that would need coaxing to engage in more sex.  Sex is extremely pleasurable and that should be sufficient reason to vigorously pursue it.  The one caveat is to avoid risky, indiscriminate sex that could potentially create very unhealthy situations, such as STD’s, AIDS or unwanted pregnancies.

What specifically constitutes “good sex”  is as variable as there are different tastes in clothing or food.   There has been quite a bit of study on this topic, though not all of it would pass rigorous scientific scrutiny.   Read the rest of this entry »

Testosterone is Essential for Optimal Health

A realization is dawning in clinical medicine that testosterone has a prominent role in maintaining good health.  That is not to say that more is always better.  Just like other readily understood areas of human existence, there is an optimum range, below and above which can be detrimental.  Typically people enjoy environmental temperatures between 40 degrees and 90 degrees.  Temperatures above and below this range cause some discomfort, injury and eventual death.  Even within this “normal” range there exists a smaller range representing the optimal temperature.  Read the rest of this entry »

Smokers More Likely to Suffer Cognitive Decline

Dangers From Smoking Continue to Mount

Smoking is a very expensive habit, both financially and health-wise.  It has been widely recognized as the greatest individual risk for heart disease, stroke, emphysema, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) and lung cancer.  It has also been strongly implicated in early erectile dysfunction (ED) and breast cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

Fish Oil and Heart Health

Superior to Statins in Heart Failure Patients