In a medical article published this month in the Journal of Current Opinions in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Obesity, entitled Testosterone Replacement In Men, the authors concluded that there is a link between a low testosterone level and the risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome.

As men age, they begin to experience changes in their bodies. Abdominal fat increases and muscle mass decreases. They also experience a distressing decline in their sex drive. At the same time, the risk of serious health conditions such as depression and heart disease rises. While many of these symptoms are dismissed as signs of "natural aging," there is often an underlying and identifiable cause of these symptoms -the gradual decline of important sex hormones, especially testosterone.

Testosterone replacement therapy has been shown to have positive effects on sexual function, mood, body composition, muscle mass, and bone density. Due to its potential side effects, careful monitoring for safety is critical. It is crucial to be under a physician's close supervision when receiving testosterone optimization or replacement therapy.

Too often, men who have problems related to a low testosterone level are advised to treat only the symptoms of their conditions (such as taking antidepressant and/or cholesterol-lowering drugs). Fortunately the connection between hormones and the diseases of aging is now recognized and being studied more carefully than ever. Restoration of youthful hormone levels is associated with optimal sexual function, energy, and vitality, while declining hormone levels correlate with many age-related conditions, including high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, diabetes, loss of muscle and bone mass, and fatigue (Shores MM et al 2004).

All men over the age of 35 should have their levels of testosterone-along with blood lipids, glucose and prostate specific antigen-tested to assess their overall well-being and to determine whether they may benefit from testosterone replacement therapy.

Restoring youthful levels of testosterone may help avert lifestyle related diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome. Clinical experience shows that testosterone therapy helps improve blood sugar control, boost energy levels, support sexual health, promote wound healing, and restore a more youthful appearance by increasing muscle mass and bone mass and decreasing body fat.

Vitamin D is one of the new frontiers in nutritional research because of its emerging role in preventing diseases such as cancer and optimizing metabolism. There are 89 published medical studies that describe how greater Vitamin D levels reduce cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, esophagus, pancreas, ovary, rectum, bladder, kidney, lung and uterus, as well as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma. These published scientific studies have shown cancer risk reductions of 50% and greater based on higher vitamin D status.

Bioactive vitamin D or calcitriol is a steroid hormone that has long been known for its important role in regulating body levels of calcium and phosphorus, promoting bone formation and in boosting the immune system.

In people who have low Vitamin D levels, it has been found that they have death rates from ALL causes and from heart attacks which are TWO times GREATER than normal. Deficiencies cause inflammation, free radicals, cell damage and cell stickiness, which promote deadly diseases and aging.

Vitamin D supplementation must be monitored closely by blood tests. Vitamin D toxicity can result from regular excess intake of this vitamin, and may lead to hypercalcemia and excess bone loss. Vitamin D levels should be monitored closely by a physician in a patient who is found to be deficient and taking replacement.

Being fat may not be so unhealthy as we were once led to believe. It is the amount of silent inflammation that one has that is believed to lead to chronic disease and not necessarily the amount of body fat. This concept is called inflamm-aging. One of the primary goals of any proactive preventive medicine program should be not only to decrease body fat but to decrease the amount of silent inflammation in the body. A person can have excess silent inflammation regardless of the amount of body fat that they have. So if excess weight is not the overriding cause of heart disease, then what is? The answer again is increased silent inflammation.

You can't tell if someone has increased silent inflammation simply by looking at them because only the blood will tell. If you keep silent inflammation under control by the combination of an anti- inflammatory diet, anti-inflammatory hormones, anti- inflammatory supplements and anti-inflammatory exercise and incorporate high-dose, ultra refined fish oil, you are likely to live to an advanced age regardless of your weight.

In an article the first week of August 2008 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a study was published that indicated being overweight, and even obese, may not be as dangerous as we are led to believe. Current thinking is if you are overweight or obese, you are on your way to an early cardiovascular death. The facts are quite different.

In people who are overweight (this accounts for 72 million Americans), more than one- half have totally normal levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood glucose as well as normal blood pressure. This means that they have no risks factors for heart disease, even though they don't fit into designers' clothing. On the other hand, in normal- weight Americans (about 64 million), more than a quarter (or 16 million Americans) have at least two risk factors for future heart disease. And what about obese Americans? About one-third of them (about 20 million Americans) are virtually free of risk factors for heart disease.

So how do you know if you have silent inflammation? There are blood tests that can be done to determine this. By the end of the year, my patients will have a blood test that they can do at home which will determine their level of Arachidonic Acid (AA) to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). This simple test in addition to other lab tests will determine if the goal of keeping silent inflammation low in the body is being met.

Exercise promotes longevity and mental health.In one study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers at University College London studied 20,000 people to determine their amount of weekly exercise and their mental health. Researchers looked at the symptoms of stress and anxiety among 3,000 people to determine a link between symptoms and exercise.

They prescribed an exercise regimen of 3 hours per week walking at moderate pace, adding that more benefits tend to rise as walking speeds increase.

Taking part in sports at least once a week lowered the risk by 33 percent, while housework and walking could cut it by as much as 20 percent, researchers said.

They emphasized that no less than 20 minutes of physical activity was required to gain mental health benefits.

In addition to aerobic exercise like walking, resistance training is another very important component of a well planned healthy aging program. The results of a well planned program can be experienced in as little as 6-8 weeks.

Muscle Training with Resistance Exercises (Weight Training) is a particularly important form of exercise for older adults. As we age, we lose muscle mass and bone density and store fat. Between the ages of 40 and 70, the average person loses 10-20 pounds of muscle mass and stores 20-30 pounds of fat. Bone density also decreases as we age and most men and women have osteoporosis by the time they reach 70 years of age. This causes a two inch avg. loss of heigth and a higher risk for fractures of the hip. Once a person has had a hip fracture, the risk of death within the next five years increases substantially as it reflects a marked deterioration of the bones and muscles and the overall health of the person.

Mr. Lee Haney, 8 Time Mr. Olympia, exclusively partners with Dr. Casas to provide her patients with a customized exercise prescription that takes into account their nutritional and supplementation requirements as well as specific training program needs. Mr. Haney has trained several top athletes and was Past Chairman to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He is the host of the internationally broadcast exercise fitness television show on TBN, TotaLEE Fit. Mr. Haney has over 20 years of knowledge and expertise to design an exercise prescription just for you as part of your initial healthy aging evaluation.

The informational seminar is offered to the first 25 participants who register by completing the registration form on the website or by calling 404-210-9969.

FREE AGE MANAGEMENT MEDICINE INFORMATION SEMINAR

WHEN: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2008 from 10 am to 11 am

WHERE: ATLANTA MARRIOTT ALPHARETTA

AZALEA ROOM

5750 Windward Parkway Alpharetta, Georgia 30005 USA

The Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta is located north of downtown Atlanta directly off of exit 11- Windward Parkway on GA 400

Coffee (Decaf and Regular) and Tea will be served.