Showing posts with label quality of life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quality of life. Show all posts

Monday, October 7, 2013

Archives of the Vagina: A Journey through Time


by Dr. Margaret Aranda

For my Caring Friends, here's a preview of my newest book, written before the doctor dropped me on the floor in March, 2013. I wrote this book (many of you will understand) because I'm not sure if I'll live long enough to see my daughter live through all the stages of womanhood: the maiden, the mother, and the crone. It will be certain to help husbands understand their wives go through menopause, and help their daughters go through menstruation. Especially if both are happening at the same time.

                                   Book Cover Photo. Archives of the Vagina: A Journey through Time.

The book starts with my first period, and is very tongue-in-cheek humorous, because all girls know where they were when they started their first period. Then I go through history, sociology, anatomy, and the endocrinology of the ovaries.

I discuss what Aristotle thought of menstruation and menopause, how William T. Stead is a hero we never hear about for rescuing children out of prostitution in London's brothels. This book is filled with the sociology of menstruation, including whether women on their periods can fly a plane, and whether women who are camping on their periods attract bear attacks that lead to death.

One of the most surprising statistics that I learned in my research and interviews of women is that in the USA, in women over 45 years old, 40% have had a hysterectomy. Of these, nearly 50% have had normal ovaries removed without proper Informed Consent. I dedicate an entire chapter to "Ovarian Conservation" (i.e., keeping your ovaries), and give you all the risk factors you need to know so you can put yourself on the Chart to see if you are at risk for ovarian cancer, and hence should get them removed. So my next book will be Hysterectomy can be Hell. I hope to get an Army behind me on this one, because it will take a Movement to change our culture. And changing a culture always means that people won't like you. Believe me. I've been there before.

I discuss the HPV vaccination for girls aged 11-12, starting your period, how to put in a tampon, and introduce what most people don't know: the menstrual cup, and the nondisposable pad. I promote a certain program that helps girls in Africa obtain menstrual pads so they don't have to miss school, be drop-outs, get pregnant, contract HIV, attain a lower socioeconomic status, and die earlier than the girls that are more educated. So expect a Movement there, too.

I go through the Women's Health Initiative and basically tear it to shreds, because it had, in my opinion, no application to women in menopause suffering symptoms of vaginal dryness and hot flashes. I let you skip a very medical chapter if you would like, but I also put it in there for medical personnel to evaluate it for themselves. I dissect menopause and give the man's perspective, too, hopefully leading you to more self-discovery and compassionate understanding. Pretty funny stories there, too, my friend.

I have spoken to men who have had over 1,000 sexual partners and still do not know where the woman's urethra is. So I depict it for you explicitly, and explain why you should stay away from it so your woman does not get a urinary tract infection (UTI). Same thing for rectal sex; the rectum is filled with E.Coli bacteria and if you put the penis back into the vagina after rectal sex and it rubs onto the urethra (where the pee comes out), your woman can develop a whopping and bloody UTI. So, save the rectal sex for last. There's more, and it's all in this comprehensive Reference Book.

The last half of the book is dedicated to such things as Invisible Diseases, the Low Glycemic Diet, Immunonutrition and Fish Oil, Telemeres, Living for not only Health & Wellness but also for Quality of Life, Caregiving (and the effects on women, by ethnicity), Long-Term care, and death and dying. I empower you to ask questions, eat Spoon by Spoon, and Don't Fall when you are elderly. I tired of seeing women come into the Operating Room for hip fractures from a fall. You need to know your bone density, and take your Vitamin D or Calcium.

The role of an Endocrinologist in your care can not be underestimated. I also believe that Cenegenics has an excellent program for Concierge Medicine, private pay by cash, that is mostly utilized by Presidents and CEOs of companies. They are mostly men. This needs to change, because there are plenty of millionaire women out there (and wives of CEO men). And women need to stop spending all their time nurturing others, and start spending some time nurturing themselves. So I took all this knowledge in my head and told it to you before my traumatic brain injury and DI occurred; and I thank God that I did it.

There. I said it. My opinion rings throughout this book, and it is backed up by over 200 Stanford-quality references that are NIH-funded. I list them all for you, and many of them are dated in 2012 and 2013. Nothing but the best for you, my friends. Nothing but the best. Be prepared to learn, to grow, and to  ROCK your WORLD. You can ORDER the book at www.drmargaretaranda.tateauthor.com/other-works/

God Bless You in all that you do.


Friday, November 23, 2012

What a Man Should Know about Menopause

by Margaret Aranda, M.D. 

What are some important things that every husband should know about menopause and how it affects a woman? Well, I think the most important thing is that it may cause vaginal dryness, which leads to pain on intercourse. Some women complain that having sex feels 'like a knife stabbing me'. Really. It can hurt, and that's no fun for either partner. And there are other issues, too.


I have noticed, for example, that a postmenopausal woman can be talking to me at night, and indeed let's make that a ~ cool ~ night with a breeze.  Her upper lip and forehead are covered with sweat.  In fact, her upper eyebrows and neck glisten in the moonlight.  I innocently ask (during our conversation on menopause), "Do you get hot flashes?"


She says, "No, I never get hot flashes."


So I ask, "Do you have pain with intercourse?"  Well, no big response there.  I persist, "Do you enjoy sex?"  She scoffs, "I could take it or leave it.  I just have sex to make my husband happy, but if it was up to me, I wouldn't even have sex.  And I would not miss it."  She smiles ever so gently.  

So I back up again, "Well, why don't you enjoy it?"  
She thinks.  
She hesitates.  
I wait, patiently.  
"Well, I guess that it just doesn't feel good."  

Results are in from Menopause, The Blog, which you can Click Here to Read.  While millions of women in the USA may have vaginal atrophy from a decrease of estrogen production after menopause, only about an estimated 7% are getting treatment!  This is simply astounding to me!  If you are a husband and your wife is complaining that having sex hurts during menopause, then this affects you as a man. Studies show that a woman is reluctant to discuss the situation with her doctor, and doctors can be reluctant to discuss it with their patients. So what is a man to do?

Firstly, we are reminded once again that with education comes empowerment. Now that you know that your wife could be having this problem, it may be good to talk to her about it. It could be that a woman does not realize that she has vaginal dryness.  The change could have happened so gradually over the perimenopausal years, that she does not realize that she actually has pain on intercourse, or dyspareunia.   So let's just step back a moment and realize that vaginal dryness, vaginal atrophy, and pain on intercourse ~ all these things can happen.  It's ok.  

We just need to realize, like the perspiring woman who says she does not get hot flashes, that a woman's body continues to change with time. Men need to continue to be attuned to their woman's body.  Why? Because menopause can riddle a woman's life with insomnia, restlessness, agitation, depression, hot flashes by day, sweats by night, pain on intercourse, vaginal dryness, dry skin, and general irritability. To name a few.

Women can spend fully one-third of their lives in menopause.  
That's a long time to suffer unnecessarily. 
I know it affects you, because it has to affect you.
So we'd better get 'good' at being IN menopause, yes?  
Let's do!




Medical Disclaimer: Nothing on this website is meant to diagnose, treat, or practice medicine. You must be seen in person by a physician for appropriate and individual medical treatment. If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1 in the USA.

Link Disclaimer: We are not responsible for any links that go outside of this website.


Eating for Anti-Inflammatory Benefit: The IF Tracker

by Dr. Margaret Aranda




Just a short blurb here about the IF Tracker Ap. For $5.99, you enter each and every food or drink that you consume in a day.  The IF Tracker then assigns an 'inflammatory' or...as the case may be, an "anti-inflammatory' number to each food you eat.  I've been on the Low-Glycemic Index Diet for about two months now, and I don't think that I will ever go back to eating the way that I did before (that was a Pre-Diabetic diet, and No Thank You!)  There are 2,200 foods pre-wired in to the Ap, and it is very user-friendly.  How did I learn about it?  From the Cenegenics Times quarterly Newsletter, of course.

For example, on Day One, I ended up with 1,200 positive points, only because I ate Atlantic salmon for dinner.  Surprisingly, my boiled egg, yogurt, salad, and carrots did not add up to much on the anti-inflammatory roster. None of these foods do much to 'add' to the anti-inflammation aspects of your diet.

On Day Two, I ate salmon, carrots, and salad too, but this time I skipped items that did not land me in the 'positive' range.  So at the end of the day, I could still drink my coffee with half-and-half, and wala! I'm 2,400 + points toward anti-inflammation.

I had no idea that peas, grapes, and papaya don't do much for me here.  It's the Serrano peppers, onions, garlic, olive oil, and fish that add in by adding a huge positive value to the roster.  Especially the fish. Wow, I can't believe how good fish is for you, and after only two days of the IF Tracker, I'm hooked.

Here's my dinner tonight:

FOOD
PORTION
IF VALUE
Atlantic Salmon, farm-raised
4 oz
1,182
Olive Oil
2 tsp
53
Baby Carrots
¼ cup
39
Dill, fresh
¼ tsp
39
Garlic, raw
1/8 tsp
9
Onions, raw
1/8 cup
73
Tomatoes, cooked
2 tbsp
2
Papaya, fresh
1 1/3 tbsp
3
Cilantro
1 1/3 tsp
3
White flour, unbleached
¾ tsp
-3



Add to the above: lox for breakfast with cup of coffee; almond snack; tuna salad with lettuce and tomatoes, zucchini, carrots.

My total IF Tracker points for the day? 2,479.
Calories = 1,104
Fat (g) = 72
Protein (g) = 79
Carbs (g) = 39

I'm loving this! I know that I still have a long way to go to really 'get' this, but hey, it's only Day Two!


The kids eat the whole plate, company raves aloud, and everyone feels great after a meal!
Here's the Menu:

Salmon and Olives, with Olive Sauce
Papaya and Tomato Salsa, Cilantro Bits
Baby Carrots, Garlic, Parsley, and Dill Weed

Mmmmm!  This dinner is a keeper!






Medical Disclaimer: Nothing on this website is meant to diagnose, treat, or practice medicine. You must be seen in person by a physician for appropriate and individual medical treatment. If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1 in the USA.

Link Disclaimer: We are not responsible for any links that go outside of this website.






Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Understanding Low Sexual Desire in Women

by Margaret Aranda, MD, PhD


Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is a term used to describe a decrease in sexual desire in women.  How do you know if your woman has HSDD?  How many women fake orgasm or pretend to enjoy sex with their husbands, when post-menopausal symptoms of vaginal dryness may be "knife-blade", painfully sharp?  Every menopausal woman deserves a work-up to determine hormonal causes as a primary cause of sexual dysfunction, decreased quality of life, or psychosocial satisfaction.



First of all, HSDD is a term describing sexual dysfunction.  There is a lack or complete absence of sexual fantasies, and a lack of desire for sexual activity.  The diagnosis comes from a clinician, not the patient.  No 'partner' is required to make the diagnosis.

Requirements include that the patient has distress or relationship problems.  It has to be a perceived problem.

The topic of female sexuality is of paramount interest for not only 'the female', but for you men. By default, it is also a topic of mental health, quality of life, Family Matters, Marital Relationships, procreation, and aging through menopause.

Men are affected by any decrease in libido that their partner has, no matter the cause.  It is important to discuss the topic openly, as this could provide relief of the situation.  There is one main fact that seems to stand out amongst all: #1) women are reluctant to volunteer information on sexual dysfunction, and #2) doctors are reluctant to ask women about sexual dysfunction.

Think of females and their sexual health. Now think of female sexual disorders. What is the most common female sexual disorder? It is Low Desire, with Laumann et al  estimating a stunning prevalence of 30% (1) in a 1999 study done in the United States of America.

Masters and Johnson were the first to describe a female model of the sexual response. Their paramount study was done in 1966 (2). It categorized, in a linear fashion, four stages of the sexual response: Excitement, Plateau, Orgasm, and Resolution. In 1977, Kaplan added Sexual Desire to this scenario (3).

Today's nonlinear description by Basson takes into account: psychosocial and psychocultural matters, relationship satisfaction, emotional intimacy, and sexual stimuli (4).

The American Psychiatric Association classifies female sexual dysfunction into these categories:
Desire, Arousal, Orgasm, or Pain. We aim to focus on Desire, specifically Low Sexual Desire. But before we leave this item, we retain the stance that another reclassification is perhaps under way. Brotto suggests that Desire and Arousal be more of a 'combined' issue of Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder (5).

To get to our final point here, what is low sexual desire? Both the World Health Organization and the DSM-IV (the Psychiatrist's book of diagnoses) have similar descriptions for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, or HSDD. It is a recurrent or persistent absence or deficiency of sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity, causing marked distress or interpersonal difficulty (6, 7).
_________________________________________________

So, it can be that:

(A) Decreased Sexual Desire  + (B) Problems  ~  HSDD.
_________________________________________________


(A) = No sexual fantasies, recurrent lack of sexual fantasies, no sexual desire, and/or recurrent lack of sexual desire;

(B) = Personal Problems/Distress, or Relationship Problems
_________________________________________________


How big is this problem? In the 2006 Women's International Study of Health and Sexuality (WISHeS), HDSS was determined across the USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, and France.

In America, the prevalence of HSDD ranged from 9% to 26% (8).
In Europe, the prevalence of HSDD was from 6 to 16% (9).

Age and menopause mattered.

While many of the studies on female sexual dysfunction were done by telephone interview, this is to suggest that such anonymity is the result of ongoing female discomfort in talking face-to-face with her health care provider(s). So if a personal relationship or marriage is encountering difficulties due to 'mismatching' of sexual drive, low libido, chronic illness, or other matters having to do with sex, what is the husband or man to do? First, let us provide encouragement that the patient needs to feel comfortable telling her partner about sexual issues.  Then, it is good to disclose these problems to her doctor.

And if your female partner has a low libido or you are a partner whose sex drive far succeeds hers, and this is causing you marriage or relationship problems, perhaps you do not know that she could have a diagnosis of HSDD. Talk to her doctor about it.  Go to the appointment with her.

Possible treatment?  Possibilities include diet, exercise, and hormones (e.g., testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormone) as initial, corrective treatment.  


Let's open the door to some frank discussion.

It is time.


Medical Disclaimer: Nothing in this content is meant to advise, diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition whatsoever. Please speak to your health care professional for medical advice. 
Full Disclosure: Dr. Margaret Aranda Ferrante was an Institute Physician with Cenegenics Medical Institute, specializing in Age Management Medicine. 


REFERENCES:
(1) Laumann  EO, Paik A, and Rosen RC. Sexual dysfunction in the United States. Prevalence and Predictors. JAMA Vol 281(6), pp 537 - 544; 1999.
(2) Masters WH and Johnson VE. Human Sexual Response. Little, Brown & Co.; Boston, MA. USA (1866).
(3) Kaplan HS. Hypoactive Sexual Desire. J. Sex Marital Ther: Vol 3 (1), pp 3 - 9; 1977.
(4) Basson R. Using a Different Model for Female Sexual Response to Address Women's Problematic Low Sexual Desire. J. Sex Marital Ther: Vol 27(5); pp 395 - 403; 2001.
(5) Brotto LA. The DSM Diagnostic Criteria for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in women. Arch. Sex Behav. Vol 39(2), pp 221 - 239; 2010.
(6) World Health Organization. International Statistical Calculation of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; 1992.
(7) Basson R, Leiblum S, Brotto L, et al. Definitions of Women's Sexual Dysfunctions Reconsidered: Advocating Expansion and Revision. J Psychosom. Obstet. Gynaecol Vol 24(4), pp 221 - 229; 2003.
(8) Leiblum SR, et al. Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Postmenopausal Women. US Results from the Women's International Study of Health and Sexuality (WISHeS).  Menopause Vol 13(1), pp 46 - 56; 2006.
(9) Dennerstein L, et al. Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Menopausal Women: A Survey of Western European Women. J. Sex. Med. Vol 3(2), pp 212 - 222; 2006.





Medical Disclaimer: Nothing on this website is meant to diagnose, treat, or practice medicine. You must be seen in person by a physician for appropriate and individual medical treatment. If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1 in the USA.

Link Disclaimer: We are not responsible for any links that go outside of this website.

Full Disclosure: Margaret A. Ferrante, M.D.  is an Institute Physician with Cenegenics Medical Institute.  She receives no monetary compensation for hosting this website you are on, which is independent and not affiliated with Cenegenics. The information presented is for education and awareness.  Dr. Ferrante currently sees patients out of the Cenegenics office in Beverly Hills, CA. 
To book an appointment for a free Consultation, please email her at: mferrante@cenegenics.com



Monday, October 22, 2012

My! What Long Telomeres You Have!

by Margaret Aranda, M.D., Ph.D.


Have you heard of Telomeres?


In 2009, Anti-aging mogel Elizabeth Blackburn et al won the Nobel Prize for their work on telomeres. 



A telomere is a molecular timepiece that resides on the end of a chromosome.  It's like a tail.   Some liken it to a plastic bit on the end of a shoelace.  Studies show that each time a cell divides to replicate itself, the telomere shortens.  It simply shortens and shortens until eventually, one day, it can no longer replicate because the telomere is too short.  The cell then either becomes inactive, or it dies.    Telomeres are linked to aging healthy.


Figure.  The telomere.   The end-portion of the chromosome replicates such that long telomere lengthmay act as a barometer to predict whether a person will or will not remain healthy.


In his quest for immortality, Bill Andrews, also known as The Man Who Would Stop Time, probed for twenty years to understand the mechanisms of aging.  On his 57,648th try, he discovered the gene that turns on the telomerase enzyme that makes telomeres.  And, he discovered that if normal cells are supplied with a continual source of telomerase, they will continue and continue to divide without dying.  Telomerase consists of two key components:  one is the RNA that stays there to serve as a continuing template for further synthesis, and the other is a protein that synthesizes the DNA needed to keep the genetic chromosome replicating over and over again. 

Aging has to do with telomere shortening.  If you have longer telomeres, then you are more likely to live healthy beyond 60 years old.  Studies have shown that if you are 60 or older and have short telomeres, you are more likely to get diagnosed with the big killers:  cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.  You also are more likely to get diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.  

Patients with aplastic anemia and shorter telomeres do not survive as well as their counterparts with longer telomeres.  The possible links between telomere biology and the risk of various cancers have been described.  Patients from lower socio-economic groups have been shown to have shorter telomeres than their twins.  

The following items can increase telomere length, and it's good news that many of these are the same lifestyle, supplement, or healthy living choices that we promote at Cenegenics:  diet, exercise, an appropriate body composition, vitamin D, antioxidants, multivitamins, fish oil, and others.  Enter TA-65.    And longer telomere profiles are associated with better lipid profiles, better cognition, a decreased risk of hypertension, type II diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. 

TA-65 is in a class of drugs called telomerase activators.  It is the first and only drug of its class, licensed to TA Sciences.  Some believe that TA-65 will transform traditional medicine's practice of treating disease once it occurs, and instead focus on preventive medicine's focus of discovering disease susceptibility before it gets a chance to become realized. 

Don't believe that you will gain the same benefits as the next person on this drug.  The very nature of TA-65 is that you may have shortened telomeres in one organ system, and this may differ from the next person.  So what TA-65 does is hone in on the shortest telomeres in a person's organ system, individualizing treatment because of the nature of this beast.

Effects of TA-65 include but are not limited to:  increased energy, increased stamina, decreased hours of needed sleep, improved productivity, increased libido, increased joint flexibility, improved skin appearance, improved visual acuity.  Laboratory findings may include increased bone density, improved T-cell count and improved immune function. 

Side effects:  none reported to date. 
Drug interactions:  none reported to date. 


So, it may be appropriate to start with a new compliment:

"My!  What long telomeres you have!"




References:


Cherkas, LF, et al.  The effects of social status on biological aging as measured by white-blood-cell telomere length.  Read Article Here. Issue

Aging Cell

Aging Cell

Volume 5Issue 5pages 361–365October 2006











Contie, Vickie.  Telomere length linked to outcomes in aplastic anemia.  NIH Research Matters.  September 27, 2010.  Read Article Here.

Genes that Protect the Chromosome Tips may Boost Longevity.  NIH Research Matters.  November 23, 2009.  Read Article Here.

Hooper, Joseph.  The Man Who Would Stop Time. August 2, 2011.   Read Article Here

Telomere Biology and the Risk of Cancer.  Read Article Here.




Medical Disclaimer: Nothing on this website is meant to diagnose, treat, or practice medicine. You must be seen in person by a physician for appropriate and individual medical treatment. If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1 in the USA.

Link Disclaimer: We are not responsible for any links that go outside of this website.

Full Disclosure: Margaret A. Ferrante, M.D.  was an Institute Physician with Cenegenics Medical Institute.