West Newsmagazine 4-5-17

48 I MATURE FOCUS I
April 5, 2017
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
Des Peres Hospital Senior Care Clinic
Common problems treated include:
Memory loss and confusion
Depression and anxiety
Osteoporosis
Medication problems or side effects
Fainting and Falls
Gerald M. Mahon, MD
As we age, our health care needs change.
Geriatricians specialize in the care of older
adults. They are trained in family or
internal medicine, but have additional
training in caring for seniors.
The geriatric specialists in Des Peres Hospital’s
Senior Care Clinic provide a complete
geriatric assessment to evaluate and
determine a patient’s health care needs.
Incontinence
Poor appetite or weight loss
Decreased ability to perform daily
activities
For An Appointment, Call 314-966-9313
The following board-certified specialists see patients in our clinic:
I-270 and Dougherty Ferry Rd
despereshospital.com
Have peace of mind with our all-inclusive memory
care pricing starting at $5,750.
Our memory care program is designed to help your loved one:
• Engage in meaningful daily activities
• Regain their sense of purpose
• Reconnect with the world around them
WestviewAssistedLiving.com | (314) 288-0625
27 Reinke Road | Ellisville, MO 63021
WV West News Mag 4 5 17
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MATURE FOCUS, from page 47
well below the average for healthy younger
men. They were randomly selected to
receive either testosterone gel applied to the
skin or a placebo gel daily, and their testosterone
was measured at one, two, three, six,
nine and 12 months. They were also closely
monitored during the study for prostate and
cardiovascular problems [men considered
to be at high risk for prostate cancer and
cardiovascular disease were excluded from
the study for safety reasons].
Results of the T Trials previously reported
in 2016 included testosterone’s impact
on low sexual function, difficulties with
mobility, and fatigue or low energy. Overall,
treatment with supplemental testosterone
was found to improve sexual function as
measured by the men’s scores on three standard
questionnaires. Having testosterone
treatment did not significantly affect men’s
walking ability, but did improve overall
walking speed and distance compared with
men who received a placebo. The treatment
did not significantly affect fatigue symptoms,
but did have some modest positive
effects on mood.
Results of the current T Trials research
appeared in the Journal of the American
Medical Association and JAMA Internal
Medicine.
• • •
For older women, hormone replacement
therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms
has been a controversial topic for years,
as different studies have associated it both
with health benefits and potential risks,
including cancer and stroke. Fear about
those risks has led to a dramatic decline
in the number of women using hormone
replacement therapy over the past 15 years.
But a new study conducted at the Cedars-
Sinai Medical Center showed that women
using hormone replacement therapy had a
significantly lower risk of death along with
lower levels of atherosclerosis [the buildup
of plaque in heart arteries] compared to
women not using hormone therapy.
The new study analyzed information from
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more than 4,200 women who received a
coronary calcium scan, a CT scan that measures
the amount of calcium in the heart’s
arteries, at Cedars-Sinai between 1998 and
2012. Higher levels of calcium indicate a
buildup of arterial plaque, which increases
heart attack and stroke risk.
After accounting for women’s ages,
coronary calcium scores and cardiovascular
risk factors including diabetes, high
blood pressure and high cholesterol, the
study found that women using hormone
replacement therapy were 30 percent less
likely to die than those not on hormone
therapy. Women using hormone replacement
therapy were also 20 percent more
likely to have a coronary calcium score
of zero – the lowest possible score, which
indicates a low probability of having a
heart attack – and 36 percent less likely to
have a coronary calcium score above 399,
which indicates severe atherosclerosis and
high heart attack risk.
According to the research team, those
results are evidence that estrogen replacement
therapy, sometimes along with
progesterone or similar hormone therapies,
may help improve women’s heart
health and overall survival. “With proper
screening and proper follow-up, from a
cardiovascular standpoint, I believe it is
beneficial to take hormone replacement
therapy,” said Dr. Yoav Arnson, a scientist
at Cedars-Sinai and the study’s lead author.
“Our results confirm and enhance previous
work in terms of showing lower atherosclerosis.
In addition, we’ve shown very
clear survival benefits of using hormone
replacement therapy.”
Estrogen is believed to protect women’s
heart health; their rate of heart disease
increases dramatically after menopause,
when estrogen levels fall rapidly. By
replacing the natural estrogen lost during
menopause, hormone replacement therapy
could help women regain its cardiovascular
benefits, Arnson said, adding that women
and their doctors must weigh the potential
Includes lodging, meals and scheduled activities
Contact us for a 2017 program guide
888-FUN-YMCA • troutlodge.org
See MATURE FOCUS, page 50
• Wine Tours & Harvesting
• Painting Classes
• Horseback Riding
• Bonne Terre Mine
• Elephant Rocks Park
• Women’s Programs
• Canoeing & Adventure
• Day Programs
• Themed Programs & more