Has anyone ELSE been following the latest publicity of "research" (I put this in quotes because using the word research in reference to this issue is really stretching it!) regarding testosterone and Multiple Sclerosis??? I absolutely find this flooding of the media about the issue both fascinating and peculiarly intriguing...kind of like being unable to take my eyes off a bad car accident on the freeway...I slow down, I gawk, I am intrigued, and then I feel GUILTY for looking in the first place! LOLIf you haven't heard or read about the latest "research" regarding the hormone and it's alleged benefits for MEN with MS, let me fill you in. Here's a snippet of a news release:
Study finds testosterone helps MS patients
Reuters
May 14, 2007
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A testosterone gel slowed brain deterioration and boosted thinking ability in men with multiple sclerosis, according to a small study showing a possible new way to treat the incurable disease.
Writing on Monday in Archives of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles researchers said the study was based on the fact that men develop MS less frequently than women and the idea that the male sex hormone testosterone may be protective.
MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease -- in which the immune system attacks rather than protects the body -- that affects the central nervous system. The men in the study had a common form of MS in which periods of symptoms alternate with periods of remission.
The men applied a testosterone gel to their shoulders daily for a year. Tests of cognitive function -- the ability to think, learn and judge -- improved, and brain atrophy diminished to the level of normal aging, the study found.
The treated men also had increased muscle mass.
But the study involved only 10 men, and bigger studies are needed, the researchers cautioned. The average age of the men was 46.
"The reason it's important is there are no neuroprotective drugs for MS, and so this would be a candidate," said Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, a professor of neurology at UCLA and senior author of the study, in a telephone interview.
There is no cure for MS, which affects more than 1 million people worldwide, including an estimated 300,000 people in the United States. It is twice as common in women than men. Symptoms often first appear between the ages 20 and 40.
Multiple sclerosis can be a mild illness in some people while causing permanent disability in others. Symptoms may include numbness or weakness in one or more limbs, partial or complete loss of vision, tingling or pain, electric-shock sensations with certain head movements, tremors and an unsteady gait.
Reuters
May 14, 2007
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A testosterone gel slowed brain deterioration and boosted thinking ability in men with multiple sclerosis, according to a small study showing a possible new way to treat the incurable disease.
Writing on Monday in Archives of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles researchers said the study was based on the fact that men develop MS less frequently than women and the idea that the male sex hormone testosterone may be protective.
MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease -- in which the immune system attacks rather than protects the body -- that affects the central nervous system. The men in the study had a common form of MS in which periods of symptoms alternate with periods of remission.
The men applied a testosterone gel to their shoulders daily for a year. Tests of cognitive function -- the ability to think, learn and judge -- improved, and brain atrophy diminished to the level of normal aging, the study found.
The treated men also had increased muscle mass.
But the study involved only 10 men, and bigger studies are needed, the researchers cautioned. The average age of the men was 46.
"The reason it's important is there are no neuroprotective drugs for MS, and so this would be a candidate," said Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, a professor of neurology at UCLA and senior author of the study, in a telephone interview.
There is no cure for MS, which affects more than 1 million people worldwide, including an estimated 300,000 people in the United States. It is twice as common in women than men. Symptoms often first appear between the ages 20 and 40.
Multiple sclerosis can be a mild illness in some people while causing permanent disability in others. Symptoms may include numbness or weakness in one or more limbs, partial or complete loss of vision, tingling or pain, electric-shock sensations with certain head movements, tremors and an unsteady gait.
I'm sorry, but does anyone else notice that the EXPLANATION of MS takes up more of this article than the actual STUDY? Could it be because only TEN subjects were used in this highly informative and scientific research?!? Could it also be a result of a "backlash" of sorts in response to scientists discovering PROGESTERONE in pregnant MICE seemed to slow MS? I can't help but wonder if this is not simply a battle of the sexes here. LOL
Frankly, I think we've got enough TESTOSTERONE in our world today...MS or no MS...I promise to eat my own shorts if this "research" proves to be anything more than a shot-in-the-dark speculation and an attempt to sell TESTOSTERONE cream!
But I'm a female, so maybe I AM a bit biased here...LOL...
13 comments:
Personally, I think that testosterone is great!
But I also think its funny that in men with MS, testosterone is alleged to slow brain deterioration and boost thinking ability. In most men, it has the exact opposite affect! :)
Testosterone scares me. I'm in peri-menopause and have been for about 2 years (I'm on the younger end of the scale)and my hormones were WAY out of wack. I was put on a hormone cream to boost my progesterone (I had basically none) and to boost my testosterone just a wee bit. Well let me just say this...the testosterone made me like a crazed woman. I will never go on it again. I even scared myself! Argh!
STEVE:
Too funny! And this coming from a testosterone-pumping man!
You crack me up...
How's the mom in law doing, BTW?
LD
MISS CHRIS:
I've heard tell of that happening to women...sort of like giving men estrogen or progesterone...they'll get bigger "titskas" than a gal! LOL
LD
Hey, I know what's what. I'm a manly man, hairy chested and prone to scratch indiscriminately.
But I'm also somewhat self-aware. Guys who train in BJJ tend to be. It's a funny dichotomy. Wrestling, whether it's high school wrestling, greco roman, sambo, BJJ or any other grappling art, is an activity that is fundamentally macho. You have combat between two people that involves skill, strength, endurance and mental acuity.
But, at the same time... well, just watch this clip when you get the chance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzdT-kerHac
My MIL is hanging in there. The poor thing's got very sensitive skin and is a big rash right now from the medicine and chemo. She's learning to live with diabetes now, and seems to be addressing her diet (thank goodness).
STEVE:
Yes, you do not strike me as a steroid-induced/testosterone-overloaded gentleman! The mere fact you WRITE (and can even read) removes you from any major "Neanderthal" connection! LOL
Sorry to hear MIL is having a very rough go of it...I hope the discomfort improves for her soon...
LD
I was given testosterone was well once. No way will I take it again. Not only did I develop oily skin/hair, I felt like a nutcase. I have enought trouble with my thyroid (wait, that's another hormone) and my HRT but throw some testosterone in the mixture, I turn into someone you should be very, very afraid of.
Again....very, very afraid of! LOL!
Pregnancy patches and testosterone.... Are bells ringing? Is MS caused by hormone imbalances?
HAVE MYELIN:
I think hormones are responsible for MANY disorders...for instance, my "mood disorder". LOL I wouldn't have this "mood" if I weren't perimenopausal and 42!!!
Never had testosterone though...at least not medically induced. But these old lady chin hairs I am told are caused by SOME kind of hormonal imbalance, so I'm thinking testosterone should be left to the gentlemen...
LD
I pluck!!! :-D I hate old lady chin hairs especially before my time!
HAVE MYELIN/SHERRY:
Is there EVER a "time" for chin hairs on a lady??? I think not...LOL
LD
I think everyone in my family has emailed me article after article about this. Funny!
I have enough facial hair for the moment...as my boobs aren't effected as of yet, I'll take a back seat to the testosterone for now. I'd hate to have to start plucking chest hairs. =)
SUZY:
I think it's just backlash from all that talk last month about progesterone in pregnant mice! The boys are just trying to have their say, too. LOL
LD
Does Testosterone Therapy cause Prostate Cancer?
The answer is NO acording to Dr. Rhoden. In January 2004 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, he reviewed 72 medical studies and found no evidence that testosterone therapy causes prostate cancer.
A link to the Rhoden article can be found at this page:
Low Testosterone Diagnosis and Treatment
Jeffrey Dach MD
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