In 2005 the vaccine called Tdap, a combination of Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Tetanus, and Diphtheria, was approved by the FDA for individuals under age 65. The age cut-off was not due to any increased risk to the elderly, but because there were too few people in that age group to make statistically valid recommendations.

There is no reason to be concerned with vaccinating the elderly, and, because the pertussis epidemic continues in our state, the California Department of Public Health is urging that adults over 65 years of age receive the vaccine. This is particularly important in California, since over 6000 cases of pertussis have already been reported - a number which is believed to be far below the actual number of occurrences. Tragically, ten infants have died from pertussis during the past year in California.

We have the Tdap vaccine and are recommending that all patients who have not yet received it to come in soon to be inoculated. This is especially important, if you will be spending time with a baby during the holiday season.

A recent study performed at the University of Chicago randomized ten overweight, nonsmoking adults with a mean age of 41 years to 14 days of dieting and 8.5 hours of nighttime sleep followed by another 14 days of dieting and only 5.5 hours of nighttime sleep. The researchers studied the effect of sleep deficiency on weight loss and how it affected hunger and hormone levels. They also examined the changes in circulating cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, thyroid, and growth hormone concentrations.

The study concluded that the decreased sleep reduced the amount of fat lost by 55%. When the subjects slept 8.5 hours per night, they lost a mean of 1.4 kg, while during the period when they slept only 5.5 hours they lost a mean of 0.6 kg. They also found that less sleep time resulted in increased hunger and higher blood sugar levels after both fasting and eating.

Among other hormonal effects, it was found that the sleep restriction resulted in increased levels of ghrelin, a hormone that has been shown to reduce energy expenditure, stimulate hunger and food intake, promote retention of fat, and increase glucose production in the body. This could explain why the sleep deprived participants also reported feeling hungrier during the study.

The study investigators agreed that adequate sleep might be an important factor in successful weight loss, and they suggested that achieving at least 8 hours of sleep each night should become an integral part of a lifestyle package including nutritional changes and exercise.

December is filled with the joy of the holiday season, and we want this month to be a special and healthy one for all of our wonderful patients, their friends, and family. To celebrate this year, we are offering huge discounts on all of our aesthetic services. Deals like this come only once a year!

All of our Laser Services and Skin Care Treatments are being discounted an amazing 50%! Every single laser package and all facials, peels, and microdermabrasion treatment sessions are yours for only half the regular cost. We don't want cost to stand in the way of your getting that special aesthetic service you have been dreaming of. If you are not sure what would be best for you, call for a free aesthetic consultation with our aesthetician, Kris. She will evaluate your unique needs and work with you to create a fantastic beauty plan.

Dermal Fillers are all being reduced by 30%, and we are basically giving our BotoxCosmetic away at a mere $9 a unit with a minimum 40-unit purchase. You will look years younger after only a few minutes of treatment.

Skin Care Products are on sale too! Buy one and get half off another of the same or lesser value. You can do all of your Christmas shopping right here in our office. We now have several high-end lines, each with its own unique virtues. We also have an all-organic line of skin care products, ideal for anyone with autoimmune conditions and allergies. We also now have shampoo and conditioner which are 100% organic. These go great with our new all-organic facials.

Massages are always fantastic. Buy a package of 6 and get a 7th for free! You can break up the set and share the massages with friends and family, if you can bear to part from them yourself.

In October, the FDA approved Botox as a therapy for the treatment of chronic migraine headaches, those lasting at least 4 hours on at least 15 days each month. The recommended dose is 155 units of Botox given in divided doses across seven head and neck muscles at intervals of at least 13 weeks.

The study data showed that this use of Botox resulted in significantly fewer days of headaches and hours of headaches in the treated patients compared to those treated with a placebo. Adverse events included neck pain in 8% of patients and headache in 5%. In a few rare instances, there was a worsening of the migraine headache requiring hospitalization.

At WMGI we are pleased that Dr. Christine Nguyen has both the expertise and experience in the use of Botox for the treatment of migraine headaches. If migraines are a medical problem you have had to face, please make an appointment with Dr. Nguyen to discuss all of the therapies appropriate for your specific situation.

Thyroid hormones are essential to maintaining normal metabolism throughout the entire body. Symptoms of low thyroid function are varied and include fatigue, weight gain, puffiness around the eyes and face, constipation, feeling cold, foggy thinking, dry skin, and dry, thinning hair. Low thyroid can also result in elevated levels of "bad" cholesterol and promote heart disease.

The major hormone produced by the thyroid gland is known as T4. For proper function, it needs to be converted to the 5-times more active thyroid hormone, T3. The conversion of T4 to T3 requires a variety of key minerals and vitamins, and if these are absent or unavailable in sufficient quantities, the less active T4 is produced. The nutrients required for this conversion include selenium, zinc, the B vitamins, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.

If a person is experiencing too much stress, excessive amounts of cortisol are released by the adrenal glands, decreasing the conversion of T4 to T3. Reducing unhealthy levels of stress is vital to health.

Environmental toxins are also now known to interfere with the proper functioning of thyroid hormones. These substances are known as "endocrine disrupters" and are recognized as exceedingly dangerous compounds - these include heavy metals such as mercury and lead, as well as toxins from plastics such as biphenyl (BPA) and phthalates.

Environmental toxins are also recognized as increasing the development of autoimmune thyroid disease, sometimes referred to as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. You can reduce your exposure to environmental toxins by eating organic food, and by not eating or drinking from plastic containers or aluminum cans.

Sadly, the complex nature of thyroid hormone function is not always recognized by busy practitioners. Patients should be screened and monitored utilizing the appropriate tests, which should then be interpreted by a health care practitioner expert in thyroid issues. Subsequently, it is essential that the proper balance of thyroid hormones is prescribed.

At WMGI, we work as a team to ensure that the proper diagnosis and treatments always occur and are happy to explain more about the role of thyroid hormones at any appointment.

A recent study was carried out by the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort evaluating the effect of consumption of milk-based probiotic dairy products on the incidence of spontaneous preterm labor (less than 37 gestational weeks). The researchers found that women with a higher, habitual intake of probiotic dairy products had a reduced risk of spontaneous preterm delivery.

This finding is of importance to perinatal care and has the potential to improve current pregnancy health care. Intake of milk products that contain probiotics might influence and reduce pregnancy complications, possibly through an effect of probiotics on vaginal tract infections and a reduction in the overall inflammatory state of the mother.

We hope you've found this issue of our email newsletter informative and enjoyable. We look forward to bringing you more news about opportunities to live better and healthier in the future.

 

If you would like to learn more about the many services provided by WMGI, please visit our Web site at www.wmgi.org.

 

Sincerely,

 

The Healthcare Professionals at
Women's Medical Group of Irvine

 

The clock is rapidly ticking towards the end of another year, and I am sitting here in utter disbelief that it is about to become 2011. It hardly seems possible.

Nevertheless, I thought it might be appropriate for us to take a few minutes to review our lives during the past year and give thought to what we would like to happen in the upcoming 12 months.

For me, the past year has been filled with change, though quite honestly that has been the dominant theme of my life for the past few years. This past year, however, was definitely memorable. As you may remember, I became a grandma! My adorable little Dana is now heading towards 8 months of age, and I was fortunate enough to have hosted her and her weary but proud parents for the week of Thanksgiving. I also managed to fly up to northern California every month to visit them since her birth in April.

My other children are all well and leading very exciting lives. My best friend and husband is always there to help me through life's many challenges, and both of my parents and mother-in-law are regulars in my life.

Women's Medical Group of Irvine also witnessed significant changes. We added new services such as biofeedback for urinary incontinence and overactive bladder, and augmented our imaging services with carotid artery and peripheral extremity (leg) artery ultrasounds, along with ultrasound for the detection of aortic aneurysms. On the aesthetic front, we began men's and women's all-organic, natural facials and brought in organic skin products, shampoo and conditioner. We also began scheduling at-home sleep studies to evaluate for sleep apnea.

We augmented our stellar staff as well. Nutrition services improved with the addition of our Masters degreed nutritionist- Denise Canellos. We added Shannon Clark, a fabulous holistic therapist who does massage therapy, Reiki energy healing, Reflexology, and Aromatherapy. We were extremely fortunate to find an knowledgeable and experienced endocrine specialist, Alison Gracom, PA, to assume the leadership of our endocrine, osteoporosis, and diabetes programs. Lastly, we welcomed our first Naturopathic doctor - Dr. Timothy Murbach, who will be expanding our medical offerings to include IV nutritionals and men's healthcare.

The biggest change, however, is about to happen. On January 1st, our name is going to change to the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, with separate women's and men's wellness centers. Though this change will likely have little impact on all of our female patients, it should make the men-folk much happier to come to us for their many healthcare needs.

We hope to continue to offer more services, all designed to make getting and staying optimally healthy that much easier for all. We are very grateful to you, our wonderful patients, for sharing this exciting journey with us. Have a wonderful holiday season, stay well and happy, and have a fantastic New Year!

Felice Gersh, M.D.