Men's Health Articles

Thats right, the CDC (center for disease control), the US governments personal watchdogs for the nations health has announced a nationwide epidemic; male reproductive health !  Shocking?  Not to me, as I have seen countless semen analysis come through my clinic (usually without the men attached to them, but the wife toting the sad document) that display a very sad state of our male reproductive health, in particular, male factor infertility.

The Vancouver Sun
Thu 27 Mar 2008
Page: A1 / FRONT
By: Pamela Fayerman

Women
outlive men by five years in B.C. and Dr. Larry Goldenberg thinks that
has a lot to do with the fact men are 20 years behind women in being
proactive about their health.  So just as he championed a prostate
cancer centre of excellence at Vancouver General Hospital a decade ago,
he is now focused on forming a men's health centre, not unlike the one
for the opposite sex at B.C. Women's Hospital.
People tend to think of penises and prostates as the only body
parts men have to worry about, but Goldenberg begs to differ.  "The
penis is like the canary in the mineshaft," he says, referring to the
fact that erection and other problems may be due to numerous medical
conditions, especially cardiovascular disease.  "But there's more to
men's health than penises, prostates, vasectomies and circumcisions.
Men are 20 years behind women in terms of gender-specific health
centres," says Goldenberg, professor and head of the department of
urologic sciences at the University of B.C. and Vancouver General
Hospital.

Ladies, you may want your men to read this...In order to enliven her feminine core, your woman should spend time every day in absolute abandon and celebration. During these times of dancing, singing, laughter and sheer delight, her body and mind should be totally released of any obligation to be masculine, directed, controlled, structured or goal oriented. These occatsons are most rejuvenating when she is with other women, magnifying and rejoicing in each other's feminine radiance and flow. If your woman lacks this frequent feminine rejuvenation, she will develop symptoms of depressed feminine energy. Disease, especially in her more feminine parts, lack of life energy, low sexual desire and enjoyment, and a blue, downhearted, despond disposition.

The FDA is investigating reports that impotence drugs can cause a rare form of blindness. Although the connection is unproven, the agency has received more than 40 reports of men who suddenly and permanently lost their vision within a day or two of taking them. Based on four years of adverse event claims, CBS News reports that the number of men affected may be several times higher.

Still, the percentage of men affected compared to the tens of millions of users of these drugs is infinitesimal - although blindness isn't exactly a "minor" side effect. But those who take them may have more to worry about than the rare side effects of a little blue pill. Impotence is very often a sign of poor circulation - and in many cases, that's an early warning for heart disease. Those who rush to remedy a "performance" problem with a pharmaceutical solution could be ignoring an impending threat to their lives.

Written by: SHERYL UBELACKER

TORONTO (CP)

- It's well-known that new mothers can get the baby blues, but fathers can also suffer from postnatal depression - and having a despondent dad early in life can leave long-lasting psychological marks on children, a study suggests.

Children whose dads experienced depression after bringing home what is usually a new bundle of joy were found to have an increased risk for emotional and behavioural problems, at least through early childhood, the study found.

"We have known for some time that depression in mothers has a wide range of effects in the development of children, both emotional and behavioural and, indeed, cognitive effects," said study co-author Dr. Jonathan Evans, a psychiatrist at the University of Bristol.

"What has been less clear is whether the father's psychological state has an important impact on how the child developed."

Early results of a new study also show acupuncture may improve quality of life

PORTLAND, Ore. - Prostate cancer patients who have hot flashes caused by hormone therapy may benefit from acupuncture, according to an ongoing Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute study. Acupuncture significantly decreased the frequency and intensity of hot flashes in 60 percent of study participants who have completed treatment.

"We expect 25 percent of men to respond to placebos, so to have 60 percent of men experience a significant reduction in hot flashes is an encouraging preliminary result," said Tomasz Beer, M.D., director of the Prostate Cancer Program at the OHSU Cancer Institute.

Six weeks after concluding a 10-week course of acupuncture, six of 10 men had a 50 percent or greater reduction in hot flash frequency and intensity. Quality of life also improved. On an index of 0 to 100 for which a lower number indicates a better quality of life, the mean score decreased from 42.6 to 22.7, an improvement of 47 percent.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)

In 1997, the proportion of sperm injection treatments - in which sperm is injected into a female egg - compared to in vitro fertilization, or IVF, across Europe, was 44 per cent. By 2001, sperm injection accounted for 48 per cent.

The latest survey found there were more than 122,000 sperm injection treatments in Europe in 2002, compared with 113,000 IVF treatments, pushing the proportion of injection up to 52 per cent of the total.

Experts said Wednesday there are many possible explanations for the increasing popularity of the sperm injection approach.

The numbers could be showing that infertility may now affect more men than women.

In a study of Danish greenhouse workers, an unexpectedly high sperm count was found among organic farmers, who grew their products without the use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. The sperm count was more than twice as high in these men as in a control group of blue-collar workers.2 Although these findings are not definitive, they suggest that consuming organically grown foods may enhance fertility.

Male factor infertility accounts for approximately 50% of all problems with infertility. It is for this reason that evaluation and treatment of the male is critical to a thorough comprehensive program for the infertile couple. Because there are many treatable, reversible and preventable causes of male factor infertility, early evaluation and treatment is very important.

In 1994, Drs. Honig, Jarow and Lipshultz reported the incidence of significant medical pathology associated with the evaluation and treatment of male factor infertility. In 1% of patients, a significant medical condition, sometimes life threatening (such as a cancer of the testis, brain tumor or spinal cord tumor) was the cause of the male infertility. Early intervention in these cases was important for treatment of the life threatening medical condition and improvement in the couples overall chance of getting pregnant. It is for this reason, we believe that early evaluation of the male should include a semen analysis and if abnormal, an early consultation with a urologist well-trained in male fertility related disorders. This should occur before a treatment plan (such as intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization or other assisted reproductive technologies) for the couple is instituted.

Abstract Studies confirm that male sperm counts are declining, and environmental factors, such as pesticides, exogenous estrogens, and heavy metals may negatively impact spermatogenesis. A number of nutritional therapies have been shown to improve sperm counts and sperm motility, including carnitine, arginine, zinc, selenium, and vitamin B- 12. Numerous antioxidants have also proven beneficial in treating male infertility, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione, and coenzyme Q10. Acupuncture, as well as specific botanical medicines, have been documented in several studies as having a positive effect on sperm parameters. A multi-faceted therapeutic approach to improving male fertility involves identifying harmful environmental and occupational risk factors, while correcting underlying nutritional imbalances to encourage optimal sperm production and function. ( Altern Med Rev 2000;5(1):28-38.)