Healthy Aging

Making Sense of Bioidentical Hormones

By Michael Traub, ND, FABNO - Vol. 9, No. 3. , 2008

Use of bioidentical hormones – estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone derived from plants such as soy or yam – has grown rapidly over the last decade. According to a new FDA rule, claims that bioidentical hormones are safer or more effective than conventional HRT are false and misleading. The issue has become one of the hottest women’s health controversies.

Black Cohosh Compares Favorably With Drug Therapy for Menopausal Symptoms

By Tori Hudson, ND | Contributing Writer - Vol. 9, No. 3. , 2008

In the first head to head comparison of a botanical therapy versus a drug for management of menopausal symptoms, a standardized formulation of Black Cohosh was equally effective as tibolone, a drug widely used in Europe and Asia; the herbal formula had fewer adverse effects. Pycnogenol, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory derived from the bark of French Maritime Pine trees, can reduce menopausal symptoms while improving women’s lipid profiles.

Metabolic Cardiology: Solving the Heart’s Energy Crisis

By Erik L. Goldman | Editor-in-Chief - Vol. 9, No. 2. , 2008

A new vanguard of “metabolic” cardiologists contends that cholesterol elevation has been overstated as a cause of heart disease, and that physicians should pay more attention to the heart muscle itself. A quartet of nutrients magnesium, co-enzyme Q10, L-carnitine, and D-ribose can profoundly improve the heart’s pumping ability and reduce risk of death, even in very ill patients.

Can Vitamin D & Calcium Reduce Diabetes Risk?

By Staff Writer - Vol. 9, No. 1. , 2008

A recent metanalysis by Tufts researchers shows a clear correlation between vitamin D deficiency and increased likelihood of type 2 diabetes. The data also suggest that combined supplementation with vitamin D and calcium may prevent progression to diabetes in high-risk individuals.

Going Against the Flow: Botanical Allies Help Mitigate Urinary Incontinence

By Stephen Siegel, MD & Joanna Cohen | Contributing Writers - Vol. 8, No. 3. , 2007

Urinary incontinence is common, and incidence will only increase as the population ages. Conventional drugs often have unwanted side-effects. Fortunately, there are a number of herbal allies like rosehips, saw palmetto, and teasel, as well as homeopathic remedies that can help strengthen urinary tract smooth muscle and reduce involuntary urine flow.

Confronting the Challenge of Polypharmacy

By Cathy Creger Rosenbaum, PharmD | Contributing Writer - Vol. 8, No. 2. , 2007

Polypharmacy, the progressive piling on of medications, is one of the biggest unspoken public health threats facing the nation. Simply put, more meds means more adverse events and drug interactions. The problem is only going to grow as the Boomer generation ages, unless physicians and patients work together to use medications more judiciously.