Thyroid, Adrenals & Sex Hormones: A Balancing Act Louis B. Cady, MD – CEO & Founder – Cady Louis B. Cady, MD – CEO & Founder – Cady Wellness Institute Wellness Institute Adjunct Professor – University of Southern Indiana Adjunct Professor – Indiana University School of Medicine Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference Sedona, Arizona September 17-18, 2011
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Thyroid, Adrenals, & Sex Hormones: A Balancing Act
This is the lecture delivered on September 18, 2011, by Dr. Cady at the 2nd annual Integrated Medicine and Mental Health Conference in Sedona, Arizona.
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Transcript
Thyroid, Adrenals & Sex Hormones: A Balancing Act
Louis B. Cady, MD – CEO & Founder – Cady Louis B. Cady, MD – CEO & Founder – Cady Wellness Institute Wellness Institute Adjunct Professor – University of
Southern IndianaAdjunct Professor – Indiana University School of
MedicineIntegrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference
Sedona, ArizonaSeptember 17-18, 2011
Framework for this presentation:
“Slumber not in the tents of your fathers. The world is advancing. Advance with it.” - Giuseppe Mazzine
Orientation to this talk• Sketch in the fundamental differences
between “wnl” and OPTIMAL
• Quick review of hormones having to do with FATIGUE and DEPRESSION:– Thyroid– DHEA– Testosterone/estradiol/progesterone– IGF-1 (“food soldier” of growth hormone)
• Exposure to the literature/stimulation
American Journal of Health Promotion; November/December, 2002
19% of those surveyed
were completely healthy with high levels of both physical
and mental health and a low level of
illness.
18.8% completely unhealthy, defined as having low
levels of health with high levels of illness.
Two-thirds of the adults reported some
degree of mental or physical illness that kept them from being completely healthy.
“Incompletely healthy.”
HEALTH continuum
DE
AD
OP
TIM
AL
66%“Incompletely healthy”
VISION: “We dramatically transform the lives of our patients and clients to levels of peak physical and mental health, supporting a lifetime of maximum performance and happiness.”
BODY
MIN
D
ACTIO
NS
Critical area of concern for men & women. Things that will make them:
• Tired &/or depressed
• Unable to cope
• “Mean”
• Stressed
• Deficient in libido or in the bedroom
• Demented
How would you take care of a classic?
There are fuel additives we can use to keep our cars burning cleaner and preserve engines.
No fuel additives should be used. They are unnatural. Gas is all that is required.
We should use optimal quality of gas. Cheap gas causes “pinging” which is hard on the engine.
The quality of the gas is irrelevant. Anything that the motor will burn is adequate.
We should take our car in for preventive maintenance before anything breaks.
Preventive maintenance? This is silly! Wait until something breaks, then have the car towed in so the mechanic can really tell what is wrong.
“Age management” “Conventional practice”
A Shrink meets the “anti-aging” crowd
• Patient “complaints”• Loss of energy• Loss of stamina• Loss of libido• Weight gain• Loss of zest for life• Loss of interest in career• “I’ve felt like I’ve been
• Can be “wnl” but suboptimal.• TSH frequently only thing checked.• Nothing known about Free T4 or Free T3.• Free T4 can be converted to Reverse T3 under
stress (cortisol)• Free T4 can be underconverted to T3.• Can have normal levels (or slightly elevated
levels) of everything and have auto-immune thyroid disease.
“the foot soldier” “the evil twin”
“Thyrotropin (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone or TSH). Measuring TSH is the most sensitive indicator of hypothyroidism.” (hunh?!)
Yes, T-3 DOES get into the brain (Transthyretin = carrier protein)
• Terasaki, T. and Pardridge, W.M.: Stereospecificity of triiodothyronine transport into brain, liver, and salivary gland: role of carrier- and plasma protein-mediated transport. Endocrinology, 121(3):1185-1191, 1987.
• http://www.kingpharm.com/uploads/pdf_inserts/Cytomel_PI.pdf.• Mooradian, A.D.: Blood-brain transport of triiodothyronine is reduced in
aged rats. Mech. Ageing Dev., 52(2-3):141-147, 1990.• Cheng, L.Y., Outterbridge, L.V., Covatta, N.D., et al.: Film
autoradiography identifies unique features of [125I]3,3'5'-(reverse) triiodothyronine transport from blood to brain. J. Neurophysiol., 72(1):380-391, 1994.
• Rudas, P. and Bartha, T.: Thyroxine and triiodothyronine uptake by the brain of chickens. Acta Vet. Hung, 41(3-4):395-408, 1993.
• You must check the thyroid and you must check ALL OF IT (not just “TSH.”)
• Stress and/or selenium deficiency can PROFOUNDLY alter it.
• Do you want “normal” or “optimal”?
Fatigue from Adrenal Dysfunction - The Worst Case Scensario:
Addison’s Disease
Signs & Symptoms of Adrenal FATIGUE• Difficulty getting up in a.m.• Ongoing lethargy during the day.• Continued fatigue not relieved by sleep.• Craving for salt or salty foods.• Increased effort to do daily tasks• LESS PRODUCTIVE• Decreased sex drive• Decreased ability to handle stress.• Light-headed when standing up quickly• Increased recovery time for illness• Generally less happy about life.
“Hypoadrenia”: The Adrenal Problem that most conventionally trained physicians don’t know about.• Non-Addison’s hypoadrenia• Subclinical hypoadrenia• Neurasthenia• Adrenal neurasthenia• Adrenal apathy• Adrenal fatigue• “Adrenal burnout”• “Chronic fatigue syndrome”?!!
The state of adrenal exhaustion can be determined
Early-stage Chronic Stress Response
Mid-stage Chronic Stress Response
End-stage (exhausted) Chronic Stress
Response
DHEA – the critical hormone most doctors never check
• Produced in the adrenal cortex– Humans and primates are unique in secreting large
amounts
• Immune system booster• Insulin regulator• Energy increase – remarkable• Boosts growth hormone
– 20% in men; 30% in women in one study• [Yen, Morales Khorram – one year double-blind placebo
controlled crossover experiment – with 100mg DHEA]
334 citations on “DHEA with energy” – as of 07 29 2011
Why isn’t adrenal fatigue diagnosed?
• Not severe enough to be an emergency• Symptoms can be attributed to other
things, including “just neurotic” or “avoidant”
• “Functional medicine” testing not typically done (& rarely is DHEA-S checked)
• Modern medicine focuses on the treatment of sickness, not “less than optimal” function.
• “Bell Curve” paradigm
Modern Medicine’s Paradigm: 2 Standard Deviations – a model
“NORMAL”
OPTIMAL
432 citations on DHEA with depression as of 9/5/2011
“Neuroeconomic paramaters predicted to be related to suicidal behavior.” DHEA is related to these, acting in amygdala.
Low levels of DHEA/DHEA-S assoc. with depression, as per Western studies. “DHEA was significantly assoc. w/ [Chinese] Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).”
Neurobiological & neuropsychiatric effects of DHEA & DHEAS [Maninger N et al. Front
Neuroendocrinology 2009]
• DHEA & DHEAS synthesized in adrenals AND BRAIN.
• Biological actions of DHEA/DHEA-S:– Neuroprotection– Neurite growth– Antagonistic effects on oxidants & glucocorticoids
• “accumulating data suggest abnormal DHEA (S) concentrations in several neuropsychiatric conditions.”
Source: Maninger, N et al : Front Neuroendocrinol. 2009 Jan;30(1):65-91. Epub 2008 Dec 3.
• Platelet MAO levels inversely correlated to estradiol levels– Klaiber EL et al. Psychoneuroendo-
crinology. 1997 Oct;22(7):549-58.
• Estrogen decreases MAO-A & MAO-B– Holschneider DP et al. Life Sci. 1998;63(3):155-60
Estrogen-related mood disorders – reproductive life cycle factors.
Douma SL et al. Adv. Nursing Sci. 2005. 28 (4):364-375
• “Clinical recovery from depression postpartum, perimenopause, and postmenopause through restoration of stable/optimal levels of estrogen has been noted.”
Symptoms of estrogen imbalances*: Hot flushes or flashes; night sweats Mood swings DEPRESSION, and/or anxiety, panic attacks “Concentration” issues: Memory, communication, and
Psychoactive Progesterone* Increases energy and libido Has a calming effect, acting like a
benzodiazepine to the brain (HS dosing) Enhances mood Balances blood sugar (appetite) Regulates fluid balance, sodium mineral balance Necessary for fertility Helps relieve menopausal symptoms Decreases risk of endometrial cancer and may help protect
against breast cancer, fibrocystic breasts, and osteoporosis
* Adapted from Whitney Gabhart, N.D.
Testosterone: The “sexist” bias against women
• Fall in the circulating testosterone and the adrenal preandrogens most closely parallel increasing age.
• Accelerated decrease occurs in the years preceding menopause (like estrogen).
• Their loss affects: libido, vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes), mood, well-being, bone structure, and muscle mass.– Burd, Bachmann. Androgen replacement in menopause.
Curr Womens Health Rep. 2001 Dec; 1(3):202-5.
Traditional vs. Bio-identical “HRT”:
• Synthetic means that the molecule is not natural to the human body.
• Bio-identical hormone is one whose molecule is identical to that made by a human organ.
SV2003- 48
SV2003- 49
Women’s Health Initiative Study•Flawed study - it was designed as a “Premarin & Provera” study, not a bioidentical estrogen study.
•Premarin is a non-bio-identical substance
•Provera is a non-bio-identical substance
•Premarin is an equine derived array of 30+ female horse hormones.
SV2003- 50
Women’s Health Initiative Study
•The results presented did not justify their overall broad conclusion:
• “Premarin & Provera yielded these findings; therefore, Hormone Replacement Therapy is not appropriate for women.”
Women’s Health Initiative Study
THE PARTICIPANTS:• 2/3 of the women in the study were older than
sixty• Of these women, most were first-time users of
HRT.• Had already experienced cessation of
endogenous hormone production (for a DECADE!!!), therefore, at risk for:– Heart attacks, strokes, clots, cancer
SV2003- 51
SV2003- 52
Women’s Health Initiative StudyFacts You Should Know
• In the first 1-3 years there was a higher incidence of M.I.’s.
• Patients who stayed on that program beyond the 8th year started to actually outperform women on placebo.
• WHY????
SV2003- 53
Women’s Health Initiative Study Facts You Should Know
•When the W.H.I. Study was organized, the subjects were not prescreened for heart disease.
•Without prescreening, a group of women was included with pre-existing heart disease.
•
Hx of Baseline Health Characteristics (total # of participants 16,608)
•Premarin raises C-reactive protein significantly.
•CRP is an inflammation marker.•Inflammation is either the root cause (e.g., rupturing plaque), or a strongly contributing cause, of both Cancer & Heart Disease.
Some of the “10 reasons” to be happy [Studd J. Menopause Int. 2010 Mar;16(1):44-6
• Trans-derm safer than oral– Coag factors not induced in
liver
• Safe for tx of flushes, sweats, vaginal dryness
• Estrogens prevent osteoporotic fracutres – should be FIRST CHOICE rather bisphosphonates
• HRT protects intervertebral discs
• Est + T helps “reproductive depression”
• Improves energy & libido• Reduces incidence of heart
attakcs.• Beneficial effects on collagen• Note 1 % increased lifetime
risk of breast cancer
50’ish year old female, post-menopausal, on no hormones
• On aggressive supplement regimen with daily MVI and others
• Not ill
• Top rated medical care with previous labs done
• Nothing identified as seriously abnormal
• “Just interested in having my hormones checked.”
Treatment for this “normal” patient
1. Armour thyroid – ¼ grain for 1 week, then ½ grain. (Aiming for T3 in “high 3’s.”
2. DHEA – 25 mg SR micronized, compounded – in a.m.
3. Progesterone – 50 mg SR compounded – at night.
4. Testosterone – 3mg topical per day x 1 wk, then 6 mg. “Decrease dosing as needed for side effects.”
5. Vitamin D – 5,000 IU twice daily x 3 weeks, then decrease to one dose per day.
6. Fish oil – 4.6 grams (c. 1660 mg EPA and 1,250 mg DHA by compound weight, plus misc. Omega 3)
What’s life like now?• “it’s like the colors of the rainbow have gotten more into the
pink.”
• “My computer will survive – I use to ‘lose it’ over my computer. I would swear obscenities.”
• “I’ve gotten into a zen like mode. Handling everything that life can throw at me.”
• “It’s almost as if I’ve taken a pill or drug that jus makes me handle everything that life is throwing at me. I can roll with it.”
• “I’m not irritable any more. Time pressure has just one away.”
November 2009 “Alpha Male” issue
Observational study of randomly selected men – Boston3 cohorts of men: 1987-1989; 1995-1997; 2002 -2004.1374, 906, and 489 men, respectively. “Age independent decline in T that does not appear to be attributable to observed changes in explanatory factors, including lifestyle characteristics such as smoking and obesity.”“Recent years have seen a SUBSTANTIAL, and as yet UNRECOGNIZED age-independent population-level decrease in T in American men.” Travison, Araujo, et al. Jrnl of Clin. Endocrinol & Metabol 92:1; 196-202.
Fast food (low Zn) is bad for you.
• Fast food = high energy density = low essential micronutrient density, ESPECIALLY ZINC
• Antioxidant processes are dependent on Zinc• Fast food = severe decrease in antioxidant
vitamins and zinc, correlating with inflammation in testicular tissue – with underdevelopment of testicular tissue and decreased testosterone levels
Special needs - Zinc
• Low Zinc- associated with low testosterone– Per USDA, 60% of US men between 20 – 49
years of age do not get enough.– N.B.: Do not supplement with > 50 mg daily (can
W.Y. (2000). Low serum testosterone level as a predictor of increased visceral fat in Japanese-American men. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 24, 485-491
Testosterone functions (Men AND Women) • Enhances sex drive
• Builds muscle & decreases fat
• Elevates mood• Prevents osteoporosis
• Improves memory • Lowers cholesterol
• Protects against heart disease
“Hence, among older men reporting excellent asymptomatic health, age has no effect on serum T or E2 with a minor increase in DHT while obesity decreases serum androgens…”
• Decline in male sex steroids not as abrupt as menopause, but equally debilitating
–Between 40 – 70, average male loses:
• Nearly 2" of height
• 15% of bone density
• 10 – 20 pounds of muscle
•At 70 yoa, 15% completely impotent
Testosterone (Men)
Andropause: Characteristics of Change
• Insidious & unpredictable onset
• Slow progression
• Subtle & variable manifestations
• Cannot be linked directly to a decrease in the hormone testosterone
• Very different from menopause in women!
Charlton R. JMHG. 1(2004): 55-9 Kaufman JM. Endocrine Reviews. 26(2005):833-76
T vs Cognitive Function
Rosario ER. JAMA. 292(2004):1431-2
T vs Cognitive Function
Rosario ER. JAMA. 292(2004):1431-2
“Testosterone depletion likely precedes and thus may contribute to rather than result from the development of AD, since low brain testosterone is observed in men with early indications of AD neuropathology”
T vs Cognitive Function• 400 independently living men, 40-80yo
– 100 in each age decade– MMSE 21-30, average 28– TT: 208-1141ng/dL; Bio-avail T 78-470ng/dL
• HIGHER T = better cognitive performance in OLDEST AGE category
• Men with lowest 1/5 T = worse than men with highest 1/5 T
• Highest Bio-available T more significant than TT, age, intelligence level, mood, smoking, and alcohol.
Muller M. Neurology. 64(2005):866-71
T vs Mood in men
• Study: 278 men, >45yo, followed 2 years
• Compared to eugonadal patients, hypogonadal men w/TT <200ng/dL had – 4-fold increase risk of depression– Significantly shorter time to depression
diagnosis
• Depression risk inversely related to TT w/statistical significance <280ng/dL
Shores MM, Arch Gen Psychiatry. 61(2004):162-7
Treatment options – not just “the needle”
Testosterone and “Prostate Cancer risk”
• Prostate CA found 2.15 & 2.26 times more likely in lowest compared to highest tertile of total and free testosterone
• “. . . there are several papers showing a relationship between LOW testosterone and prostate cancer. Specifically, low testosterone has been associated with high-grade tumors, advanced stage of presentation, and worse prognosis.”
Morgentaler A. Eur Urol. 50(2006):935-9
Morgentaler A. Urology. 68(2006):1263-7
HOW OBVIOUS DOES IT HAVE TO BE? The Challenge of Empathic Listening
& CREATIVE THINKING
Ron Hunt lost an eye but suffered no brain damage after a freak accident with a large drill bit. (ABCNEWS.com)
Do you really want to try 100,000 miles without changing the oil?
Definition of ‘normal’ – “where your hormone levels are as lousy as
everyone else’s.” Neal Rouzier, MD
“NORMAL”
OPTIMAL
American Journal of Health Promotion; November/December, 2002
HEALTH continuum
DE
AD
OP
TIM
AL
66%“Incompletely
healthy”**“treatment resistant”?
“For me, the practice of medicine has opened the door to the greatest adventure in life. Medicine is like a hallway lined with doors, each door opening into a different room, and each room openinginto another hallway, again lined with doors. Medicine is always wonderful and never will be finished.”- Charles H. Mayo, M.D.
Extra slides for further background follow in notes
Contact info:Louis B. Cady, M.D.www.cadywellness.com Office: 812-429-0772