8 Tips to help You stay Motivated and get 6 Pack Abs Faster!

When we start any kind of weight loss
program we can be extremely excited
about it all. We wake up each morning
and go to the gym and we do
everything by the book. But this initial
spark will only last for a week or so
and if you do not have powerful
motivational strategies in place to
help you push through the hard times
you will soon just become another
statistic of how many people fail to
stick to their new weight loss program.
Below I have listed 8 motivational
tips that will help you continue even
during the coldest winter mornings or
after your toughest day at work. Put
these fail proof tricks to work for you
and you will never again have a
problem to find a reason to go do
your workouts or eat right!
Think of the end product. What you
will look like and how you will feel in
the weeks and months from now.
Even take a photo out of a fitness
magazine of your dream body and
put it somewhere where you will see
it all day long.
Focus on the glory of victory, the
prize or reward you have selected at
the completion of the program. If it is
a dream beach holiday then really
visualize for 5 to 10min each day how
you are going to feel when you take
your shirt off and you are ripped on
the holiday.
Measure your progress every two
weeks. Nothing motivates like success,
NOTHING! So take a before photos
and then every two weeks take
another photo to see your results.
You can also do a body composition
test every 4 weeks to see how much
body Fat you have lost or muscle
gained.
Get a training partner or join a
group. Someone who can push you
that little bit further during each
workout can make all the difference
and hold you accountable. You can
even join a challenge like the
6WeekSixPack Challenge where you
know you are not alone and have
over 5000 other people working just
as hard as you to get ripped.
Mix things up. Change your diet food
choices, abdominal exercise selection
and workout regimes every four
weeks. If you continue with the same
regime week after week you will soon
plateau and your results will
dramatically drop, not to mention you
will be bored out of mind.
Get yourself an Ipod with some of
your favorite songs. I have tested this
a few times and if I go and do a
workout without my music or Ipod,
my results and workouts are a lot
worse. Music will motivate like few
other things.
Challenge yourself by setting
yourself fun playful targets and goals.
It can be a bet to get ripped before
summer or maybe just the look on all
your fiends faces who you have seen
for while when they see how great
you look at your next birthday.
Action creates motivation.
Movement will trigger your body and
mind to become motivated. Just start
the workout, no matter how slowly,
once you get going you will get more
into it and before you know it you feel
motivated and energized to push
harder.
I know these 8 tips might sound
simple and easy, but they are
powerful and I have seen them in
action with many of my clients. I have
seen how people who absolutely
hated exercise take these tips and
within a few weeks of using them they
can’t stop. They just want to know
when the next workout is and what
other healthy recipes I have for them
to try out. So believe me, if it is
motivation you need, these 8 tips
will deliver!
If you are still not part of our FREE
6WeekSixPack Challenge then why not
come and join us for 6 weeks of hard
work and fun and get yourself in great
shape for summer.

5 Ab Myths You Must Avoid at All Cost! by falling victim to 5 main 6 pack ab myths

Almost all the 6 pack ab myths I am
going to bust below you will have
comes across in your quest for a
ripped midsection. In fact there are
still fitness pro’s out there today that
will still teach many of the things we
will talk about in a second and that is
normally due to the fact that they just
aren’t qualified enough or don’t know
enough about the anatomy to actually
understand that they are talking BS.
But after today you will know the truth
about abs as with all our articles, the
info is based on facts!
AB Myth #1
Abdominal muscle is different from
regular muscle.
Your abdominal muscles are just like
every other muscle in your body. The
abdominal is different only in location
and unlike biceps or quads they don’t
rest on a bony surface. So you should
train them the same way you would
train, say, your biceps or your chest.
The basic laws of physiology apply to
all your muscles, including your abs.
This means that you have to do
exercises in the correct plane of
movement to effectively work the
muscle.
AB Myth #2
You have to train your abs
everyday.
The rules of weight training state that
you should give your muscles at least,
a day of rest to recover and this
applies to your abs as well. Instead of
working your back everyday, do them
every other day or even just three
times a week. They need a break just
like the rest of your body. The trick is
to train them hard.
AB Myth #3
Doing ab exercises gets rid of
abdominal fat.
There is no such thing as spot
reduction. People assume that if you
have fat deposits on your abdominal,
exercising the muscles underlying the
fat will make it go away. But they
assume wrong. You can’t get rid of
the fat over a muscle by repeatedly
exercising that body part. The only
way to burn fat from your tummy is
through prolonged exercise and a
healthy, low calorie diet.
AB Myth #4
High repetitions are required to
make gains.
As you’ve read earlier, abs are just like
every other muscle in your body. That
means, you should train your abs the
same way as the rest of your muscle
groups. To make strength gains with
your abs, you have to overload your
muscles.
AB Myth #5
If you have a bad back, training the
abs will worsen it.
Training your abs will strengthen you
back. The opposing muscles in you
body always assist each other. So if
you have weak ab muscles, the load
of the work falls on the back. So
strengthen the abs and your back will
become stronger as well.
Don’t waste time by falling victim to 5
main 6 pack ab myths. Train
intelligently in accordance with
scientifically based training techniques
and get super abs.

10 Sixpack Pumping Home Exercises by Anders, M. (2001). New Study Puts the Crunch on Ineffective Ab Exercises

Membentuk sixpack memang
salah satu yang paling sulit
dibandingkan dengan
membentuk otot-otot lainnya
pada tubuh, namun bukan
berarti tidak mungkin untuk
dicapai bukan?
Pada pembahasan kali ini, kita
akan membahas beberapa jenis
latihan untuk fitnes yang
dianggap paling efektif menurut
penelitian untuk mencapai
sixpack. Dan berita gembiranya,
khususnya bagi Anda yang
sibuk, latihan ini dapat Anda
lakukan tanpa harus pergi ke
tempat fitnes! Namun sebelum
kita mulai membahas mengenai
gerakan-gerakan latihan yang
cocok untuk mempertajam
sixpack, mari kita kenalan lebih
jauh terlebih dahulu dengan
otot-otot perut kita.
Pada dasarnya otot perut dapat
diklasifikasikan menjadi 4
bagian; rectus abdominis,
external obliques, internal
obliques, dan transversus
abdominis. Rectus abdominis
inilah yang kemudian sering
disebut juga dengan otot
sixpack. Disamping otot sixpack
ini terletak otot external dan
internal obliques. Otot
transverses abdominis
merupakan otot terdalam,
posisinya dibawah internal
obliques. Otot ini memiliki peran
penting untuk membuat perut
terlihat rata.
Exercise for sixpack muscle
Untuk bagian pertama, kita akan
membahas beberapa jenis
latihan untuk otot perut rectus
abdominis, atau yang sering
disebut dengan otot sixpack.
1. Bicycle Maneuver
Berbaringlah di lantai
dengan kedua tangan
diletakkan disamping kepala
Tarik lutut sekitar 45 derajat
dan mulailah gerakan
seperti mengayuh sepeda
Sentuh lutut kanan dengan
siku kiri dan sebaliknya
2. Crunch on Exercise Ball
Duduklah diatas bola
dengan kaki rata di lantai
Biarkan bola berguling
kearah belakang dan
berbaringlah diatas bola
hingga paha sejajar dengan
lantai.
Silangkan lengan didepan
dada atau di belakang
kepala
Angkat dagu sedikit keatas
dan mata menuju ke langit2
Angkat tubuh tidak lebih
dari 45 derajat
*) untuk meningkatkan
keseimbangan, buka kaki lebih
lebar
3. Vertical Leg Crunch
Berbaringlah di lantai
dengan posisi tangan di
belakang kepala
Angkat dan luruskan kaki di
udara
Silang kaki di bagian lutut
dan tekuk sedikit
Kencangkan otot perut
dengan mengangkat badan
kearah lutut
4. Curl Up
Berbaringlah di lantai, tekuk
lutut hingga membentuk 90
derajat dan telapak kaki
menyentuh lantai (Jangan
letakkan kaki Anda dibawah
apapun)
Tangan lurus kedepan dan
baringkan di lantai.
Perlahan angkat badan
Anda, rasakan kontraksi
pada otot perut.
Turunkan perlahan badan
Anda
Exercise for Lower Rectus
Abdominis
Kebanyakan orang merasa
pembentukan otot sixpack
bagian bawah lebih sulit
daripada bagian atas. Are you in
the same boat? Try these
exercises!
5. Toes to sky
Berbaringlah terlentang
dengan tangan terbuka
lebar 90 derajat
Angkat kedua kaki vertical
keatas
Angkat panggul setinggi
mungkin dengan tetap
mempertahankan posisi
kaki lurus vertical
Tahan untuk beberapa saat
kemudian turunkan kembali
panggul
6. Modified V-Sit
Berbaringlah terlentang
dengan kaki lurus
menempel pada lantai dan
tangan lurus disamping
badan
Angkat badan dan tekuk
lutut bersamaan hingga
membentuk huruf V
Luruskan kaki dan badan ke
posisi semula secara
bersamaan
Exercise for obliques and
transverses abdominis
muscles
Untuk mendapatkan otot perut
yang sempurna, sebaiknya
latihan otot sixpack juga disertai
dengan latihan otot obliques
dan transverses abdominis .
Russian twist, side raise, dan
lateral leg lowering merupakan
jenis gerakan yang biasa
dilakukan untuk melatih otot
obliques. Sedangkan thin
tummy merupakan gerakan
untuk melatih otot transverses
abdominis.
7. Russian Twist
Duduklah diatas lantai
dengan posisi lutut yang
menekuk dan tidak
menyentuh lantai
Angkat badan hingga
membentuk huruf V
dengan paha
Gabungkan kedua telapak
tangan dan tarik lurus
hingga tegak lurus dengan
tubuh (boleh juga jika ingin
membawa beban)
Gerakkan tubuh ke kenan
atau kiri dan tahan untuk
beberapa detik
8. Side Raise
Berbaringlah terlentang
diatas lantai dengan posisi
kedua lutut menempel
bersama dan ditekuk 90
derajat
Jatuhkan kedua lutut ke
salah satu sisi (kanan atau
kiri) dengan posisi bahu
dan punggung yang tetap
lurus dan menempel pada
lantai
Silangkan tangan di bahu
Naikkan badan dan
gerakkan bahu kearah
berlawanan dengan posisi
kaki
9. Lateral Leg Lowering
Berbaringlah di lantai,
dengan kedua kaki lurus
keatas dan tangan
membentuk 90 derajat dari
badan (bentangkan ke
samping)
Gerakkan kedua kaki ke
salah satu arah kemudian
ke arah yang berlawanan,
hentikan sebelum kaki
menyentuh lantai.
Jaga posisi kepala dan
badan bagian atas tidak
menyentuh lantai
10. Thin Tummy
Berbaringlah terlentang
diatas lantai dengan lutut
yang ditekuk
Letakkan kedua tangan
dibawah posisi sabuk
dengan posisi jari
mengahadap ke bawah dan
ibu jari pada upper
abdominal region (supaya
kita bisa merasakan
kontraksi otot yang terjadi
pada lower abdominal).
Kencangkan otot perut
bagian bawah
Angkat salah satu kaki
dengan lulut ditekuk
sehingga paha dan perut
membentuk sudut 90
derajat demikian juga
antara betis dan paha.
Lakukan bergantian antara
kaki kanan dan kiri.
Jangan lupa bahwa latihan di
atas perlu didukung dengan
nutrisi yang tepat, istirahat yang
cukup, dan suplemen yang
sesuai untuk mencapai sixpack
secara efektif, seperti misalnya
dikombinasikan dengan
program dari Sixpack Package
dari L-Men Store.
Burn your fat and build your
sixpack, Brothers!
References:
Anders, M. (2001). New
Study Puts the Crunch on
Ineffective Ab Exercises.

Sun Men and Health Article Sources: Journal of Surgical Oncology

Tans, Sunshine and Skin Cancer
Sunshine makes us feel good. Most of
us like a tan as it makes us look good
and more healthy. One problem is
that sunlight makes our skin age
quicker. The UV (ultraviolet) light of
sunshine may give us the vitamin D
we need that can reduce the risk of
brittle bones and some cancers, but
the sun is also considered to be one
of the major causes of skin cancer.
Each year more men than women die
from skin cancer. The problem is men
ignore skin changes and moles more
than women. Here are some facts
about skin cancer.
Skin Cancer Statistics
The American Academy of
Dermatology (2006) estimates that 1
million Americans will develop skin
cancer this year
1 in 5 Americans will develop some
form of skin cancer during their
lifetime
World-wide the incidence of
melanoma is nearly doubling every
10-20 years in countries with white
populations
An estimated 10,710 people will die
of skin cancer. 7,910 from melanoma
and 2,800 from other skin cancers
A person's risk of skin cancer
doubles if he or she has had five or
more sunburns
The American Cancer Society
estimates that in the USA (2006) there
will be 62,190 new cases of
melanoma
In the UK 1,777 people, 1,002 men,
die from melanoma each year
Older Caucasian males have the
highest mortality rates from
melanoma.
There are a number of different types
of skin cancer. There are 2 classes -
nonmelanoma skin cancers and
melanoma. The skin cancer types are
basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous
cell carcinoma and melanoma.
Freckles and Skin Damage
Freckles, more common in people
with fair complexions, are always
darker than their surrounding skin as
they are deposits of a dark pigment
called melanin. Freckles can be red,
yellow, tan, light-brown, brown, or
black.
Are freckles a sign of skin damage?
Well, yes they are. Freckles are a
warning sign that your skin does not
like the sun light. The best way of
preventing sun damage is to apply
high factor sunscreens and to wear a
hat.
Sun Damage is Not Reversible
The bad news is sun damage is not
reversible. If you have spent a lot of
time tanning in the sun or have not
used protective clothing or sunscreens
in the past there is nothing you can
do about the skin damage you already
have. The only thing you can do is be
responsive to skin changes and seek
advice on freckles and moles that
change shape and/or color. The
American Academy of Dermatology
has warned that there is an
unrecognized epidemic of skin cancer
in the United States.
Skin color, Racial Groups and Skin
Cancer
People of color have increased
melanin in their skin. That protects
them from the damaging effects of
sunlight and so the numbers of
people who are diagnosed with skin
cancer are fewer.
Melanoma is diagnosed more often in
whites than in African Americans. A
study in the Journal of Surgical
Oncology (Vol. 78, No. 1: 10 – 16)
showed that when African Americans
develop the disease they have higher
mortality rates. Melanoma is often
diagnosed late in nonwhites.African
Americans have a 45% survival rate at
five years compared to 69% in whites.
In African Americans lesions show up
on the extremities, especially the soles
of feet or palms of the hands. What is
important about this is that
melanoma' s therefore are not the
result of sun exposure.
How Successful are Skin Cancer
Treatments?
Both basal cell carcinoma and
squamous cell carcinoma have over a
95% five-year cure rate if detected and
treated early. Melanoma's, if they are
treated before becoming invasive, also
have a 95% cure rate. Melanoma is
the most serious form of skin cancer.
The key to successful treatment is
early detection. If you notice changes
in your skin, a mole develops or
changes shape or looks different, then
see your doctor. Do not ignore it and
hope it goes away. That could be
deadly.
Article Sources: Journal of Surgical
Oncology (Vol. 78, No. 1: 10 – 16), The
American Academy of Dermatology
American Cancer Society
National Institutes of Health
Ethnic Skin: A Spectrum of Issues
Barbara A. Burrall, MD

Smoking Changes Brain Chemistry by Medical News Today from original press release

Chronic smoking affects nerve cells
and alters the chemical makeup of the
brain, according to research
presented at the annual meeting of
the Radiological Society of North
America (RSNA) .
"This is the first imaging study to
focus on the relationship between
brain metabolites and nicotine
dependence ," said Okan G-r, M.D. ,
from the Department of Radiology at
the University of Bonn in Germany.
Dr. G-r and colleagues used proton
magnetic resonance spectroscopy
(MRS) to study 21 men and 22
women, age 21 to 59, in a smoking
cessation program two weeks after
quitting and again six months later.
Patients were encouraged to use
nicotine patches during the initial six
weeks of smoking cessation; however,
only 36 of the patients complied.
Proton MRS is able to measure brain
metabolism at the cellular level and
can provide detailed chemical data
about the brain's metabolites, which
are involved in many physical and
chemical processes within the body.
The researchers compared the data
collected from the smokers to proton
MRS data collected from 35 age- and
gender-matched healthy controls.
The results showed that the nicotine-
dependent patients had significantly
decreased concentrations of the
amino acid N- acetylaspartate (NAA) in
the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC),
the part of the brain that processes
pleasure and pain. The decreased
NAA levels were evident regardless of
whether or not the patient used a
nicotine patch and correlated directly
with the patient's smoking history: the
greater the number of pack years
(one pack per day for one year equals
one pack year), the lower the NAA
level.
"The ACC is involved in mediating
conditioned reinforcement, craving
and relapsing behavior in addiction,"
said study co-author Christian G. Sch-
tz, M.D., M.P.H ., from the Department
of Psychiatry at the University of Bonn.
"Lower NAA levels have been
implicated as indicators of neuronal
or axonal dysfunction."
Reduced NAA levels have been
reported for a number of psychiatric
and mood disorders, including
schizophrenia , dementia and bipolar
disorder , as well as in cases of
substance abuse, particularly alcohol
dependence.
Choline concentrations in the ACC
were slightly lower in the smokers
compared with the nonsmokers, and
lower still in the female smokers
compared with the male smokers.
Choline is significantly involved in cell
membrane metabolism, which is
essential for cardiac and brain
function. Reduced choline levels can
be a precursor to the breakdown of
cell membranes.
Concentration of total creatine (tCr)
levels in the frontal lobes was typically
higher in the smokers who did not
use patches compared to those who
did. The metabolite tCr plays an
important role in supplying energy to
the muscle cells. Higher tCr levels
have been associated with stimulant
use. Furthermore, the researchers
found that high tCr levels predicted a
higher likelihood of relapse.
Upon follow-up after six months, the
researchers found that most
metabolite concentrations, including
that of NAA, had normalized in the 25
ex-smokers who did not relapse.
"These findings further emphasize the
importance of quitting smoking," Dr.
G-r said. "The degree of reduction of
NAA in the ACC depends on the
amount of tobacco consumed over
time, but it appears to normalize after
smoking cessation."
###
Co-authors are Hans H. Schild, M.D.,
Wolfgang Block, Ph.D. , Frank Tr-ber,
Ph.D ., and Wolfgang Maier, M.D.
RSNA is an association of more than
40,000 radiologists, radiation
oncologists, medical physicists and
related scientists committed to
promoting excellence in radiology
through education and by fostering
research, with the ultimate goal of
improving patient care. The Society is
based in Oak Brook, Ill.
The data in these releases may differ
from those in the printed abstract and
those actually presented at the
meeting, as researchers continue to
update their data right up until the
meeting.
Contact: Maureen Morley
Radiological Society of North America

Effect of Smoking on Life Span by Janet Brigham

"Action on Smoking and Health" tells
us that a 30-year-old smoker can
expect to live about 35 more years,
whereas a 30-year-old nonsmoker
can expect to live 53 more years. The
children of a parent or parents who
smoke may be at risk from the genetic
damage done to the parent before
conception (because of their previous
smoking), the direct effects to them in
the womb, and the passive smoke
they are exposed to after they are
born.
{"Smokers urged to weigh the 'facts'
during the 'Great American Smoke-
Out,' Vital Signs, The Daily Progress,
Charlottesville, Virginia, Nov. 14, 1993,
written by June Russell, a member of
Smoke-Free Charlottesville}
The amount of life expectancy lost for
each pack of cigarettes smoked is 28
minutes, and the years of life
expectancy a typical smoker loses is
25 years.
{"Dying to Quit," 1998 book by Janet
Brigham}
Every cigarette a man smokes reduces
his life by 11 minutes. Each carton of
cigarettes thus represents a day and a
half of lost life. Every year a man
smokes a pack a day, he shortens his
life by almost 2 months.
{University of California, Berkeley
Wellness Letter, April 2000}
There are some 1.1 billion people
who smoke on our planet earth. Just
less than one-third of all adults in the
world smoke regularly. Tobacco
deaths will not only occur in old age
but will start when smokers are about
age 35. Half of those who die from
smoking-related causes will die in
middle age, each losing about 25
years of life expectancy. More than
95% of the tobacco consumed is in
the form of cigarettes. About half of all
smokers who undergo lung cancer
take up smoking again.
{"Dying to Quit," a 1998 book by Janet
Brigham}
http:// www.jrussellshealth. com/
smoking.html

Men And Sex; New Tell All Survey Shares Truths Of Male Psyche by Sy Kraft

Tens of thousands of men have
answered questions about children,
money, sex, marriage and many other
issues that a popular men's website is
about to publish in a piece called "The
Great Men's Survey." This report will
be fully released in August, but some
insighful information for all has been
released this week. Roughly about
68,000 men participated in the survey
when all was said and done.
Here are some key points. Younger
men are more likely to have a
problem dating a woman with
children, 68% of the men said they
believe in the institution of marriage
and plan to get married someday,
92% of the men said they would be
OK if their female partner or spouse
made more money than them but
about one third of men filling out the
questionnaire said it was very
important or somewhat important
that their wife or future wife signed a
prenuptial agreement.
About 47% to 50% of men under age
30 were fine with dating a woman
with children, but almost half of the
male respondents aged 15 to 28 were
not comfortable with the idea of
dating a woman with children. Men's
discomfort with dating a mom
dropped with each additional decade
of age, falling below 15% of men aged
50.
If they had to choose between having
a child or a dog, men under age 20
would pick the dog by a tiny margin of
28% to 26%. Men between 35 and 50
wanted the child more than a puppy.
About one-third of all men wanted
both a child and a dog, while about
13% didn't want either creature in
their house.
If men could have only one child,
apparently the desire for a boy was
greater than that for a girl, but the
older the men were, the less the
gender of the child mattered.
To maintain a healthy relationship,
about 12% of men under age 30
thought couples should have sex
every day. More than 75% of men
answering the survey thought couples
should have sex several times each
week. About 1% said sex once a
month would be okay.
Some experts feel that the best way to
understand male mating behavior is
as the product of biological evolution.
Evolution is only concerned about
getting genes into the gene pool. It
selects for genes that increase their
own presence in the gene pool, and
this is accomplished by having a large
number of surviving offspring.
The elements of male sexuality are
consistent with the pressure to have
many offspring that reach
reproductive age themselves. Men are
biologically programmed to get have
as many surviving offspring as
possible, that is precisely the thing
that evolution selects for. Note that
this expresses the outcome that
evolution selects for, but it doesn't
specify the mechanisms by which that
happens, and does not compel men
to act on the predisposition.
Commitment to a family is good: it
helps the offspring reach adulthood,
but the commitment is not
necessarily exclusive. A wife's womb
is a bottleneck. More children outside
of the marriage would increase
reproductive success, as would more
marriages, if the man can support
them.
A man wants sex more often than a
woman, on the average, and
especially when the woman is
occupied with pregnancy, lactation,
and caring for children. Some feel
menopause is nature's way of telling a
man to find someone younger. This
encourages a man to seek out more
than one woman.
Men commonly fantasize about sex
with many women. Giving reasons for
being unfaithful, men commonly
report they are "bored" with sex with
their wife or girlfriend, that they need
"variety." These are the ways natural
selection translates into human
experience.
For hundreds of insights into the male
brain, click HERE at your own risk.
Written by Sy Kraft

Menopause And Increased Risk Of Fatal Heart Attack Not Linked

here is no link between the
menopause and increased risk of fatal
heart attack, say Johns Hopkins
researchers who report their findings
in the 6 September online issue of the
British Medical Journal, BMJ. They
found that the increasing number of
deaths from heart attack as women
get older is not due to the
menopause but aging alone and not
hormonal changes. They were also
surprised to find evidence suggesting
that something biological happens to
young men up to the age of 45 that
raises their heart risk and propose we
should be paying more attention to
that.
Instead of the long-held belief that
cardiovascular risk in women spikes
just after the menopause, the Johns
Hopkins research points towards the
risk rising at a constant rate over the
whole lifespan.
Study leader Dr Dhananjay Vaidya, an
assistant professor of medicine at the
Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine, told the press:
"Our data show there is no big shift
toward higher fatal heart attack rates
after menopause."
"What we believe is going on is that
the cells of the heart and arteries are
aging like every other tissue in the
body, and that is why we see more
and more heart attacks every year as
women age. Aging itself is an
adequate explanation and the arrival
of menopause with its altered
hormonal impact does not seem to
play a role," he added.
The implications are that perhaps
more attention should be paid to
women's heart health before the
menopause, since this study suggests
that is not negligible, as previously
thought.
The researchers are not saying that
menopause has no effect in the risks
of other diseases. For instance, the
rate of breast cancer deaths goes
down faster at menopause, probably
because of the changes in hormone
levels, said Vaidya.
For their study, the researchers
analyzed rates of death among
people born in England, Wales and
the USA between 1916 and 1945.
They followed the trends among
groups of similar people as they aged
and found that around the age of the
menopause in each group, there was
no rise in deaths among women over
and above the steady curve expected
from aging.
Vaidya said the death rate curve
increases annually in a similar way to
compound interest: the rate stays
steady at 8% a year, but the risk
accumulates, getting bigger as each
year goes by.
Absolute mortality, said Vaidya,
increases at all ages with no abrupt
change at the time of the menopause.
What the team also found surprising
were what they saw in the curves for
men. We have known for some time
that the risk of dying from heart
disease hits men earlier in life than
women, but what Vaidya and
colleagues found was that the
mortality curve for men under 45
years of age went up by 30% a year,
and only slowed down after the age
of 45 to around 5% a year.
Overall, this was similar to the rate
throughout the lifetime for women
(thus coming back to the compound
interest analogy, after around midlife,
assuming both invested the same
capital sum, both men and women
will have accrued the same amount of
interest, or risk, just women at a
steady rate of 8% and men at a fast
rate of 30% followed by 5% after the
age of 45).
This suggests something biological is
happening in younger men that could
be putting their hearts at risk.
"Instead of looking at menopause,
what we should be looking at is what
is happening biologically to men over
time," urged Vaidya, explaining that
they don't have an answer, it's just
that "good research always creates
more questions."
One possible explanation is there are
differences between men and women
in terms of what happens to their
telomeres. These are the ends of
chromosomes that protect important
genes (think of the hard plastic ends
of shoelaces that stop them fraying).
Every time DNA is copied, a bit of
telomere is lost. This happens each
time cells divide, until the point is
reached where genes get damaged,
and that is the damaging effect of
aging on cells.
We know that while male and female
babies have the same telomere
lengths, by the time the male babies
reach young adulthood, these will be
significantly shorter than that of their
female couterparts, but then later in
life, the rate of them getting shorter is
about the same in both sexes. The
researchers wonder if this might
account for the higher risk of death
from heart disease at younger ages
for men, and then both sexes having
similar heart disease mortality rates
later in life.
The data revealed some good news
too: comparing groups according to
the year they were born, each
successive group had lower total and
heart disease death rates over their
lifetime, which the researchers said
was most likely because of better
nutrition , better quality of life,
preventive medical care, drugs and
other treatments for heart disease.
Vaidya urged doctors to ensure that
they assess cardiovascular health in
their female patients from an early
age, and make sure they follow
healthy heart habits.
"Special attention should be paid to
heart health in women due to their
overall lifetime risk - not just after the
time of menopause," said Vaidya.
Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

Testosterone Concentrations In Men Affected By Genetic Makeup by Medical News Today from original press release

Genetics play an important role in the
variation in, and risk of, low
testosterone concentrations in men. A
study by the CHARGE Sex Hormone
Consortium, published in the open-
access journal PLoS Genetics , is the
first genome-wide association study to
examine the effects of common
genetic variants on serum
testosterone concentrations in men.
Testosterone is the principal male sex
hormone and a potent anabolic
steroid. It exerts a variety of important
physiological effects on the human
body. Low testosterone
concentrations in men are associated
with increased risk of cardiovascular
morbidity, type 2 diabetes ,
atherosclerosis, osteoporosis,
metabolic syndrome, and sarcopenia.
Testosterone concentrations are
known to decrease with age, but the
observed inter-individual variability in
testosterone concentrations in men is
poorly understood.
By pooling the data of 14,429
Caucasian men, an international
collaboration of 10 independent
cohorts, co-led by the University of
Gothenburg and the University of
Greifswald, discovered genetic
variants at the sex hormone-binding
globulin (SHBG) gene and on the X
chromosome associated with an
increased risk of low testosterone.
Lead author Prof. Claes Ohlsson from
the University of Gothenburg says:
"This is the first large-scale study to
identify specific genes for low serum
testosterone concentrations. It is very
interesting that the genetic
contribution of the identified genetic
variants to testosterone
concentrations is substantial."
Co-senior author Dr. Robin Haring
from the University of Greifswald
concludes: "The reported associations
may now be used in order to better
understand the functional
background of recently identified
disease associations related to low
testosterone concentrations in men."
List of consortium members
The members of the consortium
include: The Framingham Heart Study
(FHS), Study of Health in Pomerania
(SHIP), The Gothenburg Osteoporosis
and Obesity Determinants (GOOD)
Study, Cooperative Research in the
Region of Augsburg (KORA), The
Health, Aging, and Body Composition
(Health ABC) Study, Rotterdam Study
baseline (RS1) , Invecchiare in Chianti
(InCHIANTI), European Male Ageing
Study (EMAS), The Osteoporotic
Fractures in Men Study - Sweden
(MrOS Sweden), The Cardiovascular
Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS) .
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Framingham Heart Study (FHS): The
FHS phenotype- genotype analyses for
this work were supported by the
National Institute of Aging (Genetics of
Reproductive Life Period and Health
Outcomes, R21AG 032598; JM
Murabito, KL Lunetta, D Karasik, DP
Kiel, WV Zhuang). The Framingham
Heart Study of the National Heart
Lung and Blood Institute of the
National Institutes of Health and
Boston University School of Medicine
is supported by the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute's
Framingham Heart Study Contract No.
N01- HC-25195 and its contract with
Affymetrix for genotyping services
(Contract No. N02-HL -6-4278 ). Sex
hormone measurements were funded
primarily by National Institute on
Aging grant 1RO1 AG31206 (PIs: S
Bhasin and RS Vasan); additional
support was provided by the Boston
Claude D. Pepper Older Americans
Independence Center
(5P 30AG031679 ) and a grant from the
National Institute on Aging and the
National Institute of Arthritis
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to
DP Kiel (R01 AR/AG 41398). Analyses
reflect intellectual input and resource
development from the Framingham
Heart Study investigators participating
in the SNP Health Association
Resource (SHARe) project. A portion
of this research was conducted using
the Linux Cluster for Genetic Analysis
(LinGA-II ), funded by the Robert
Dawson Evans Endowment of the
Department of Medicine at Boston
University School of Medicine and
Boston Medical Center. Study of
Health in Pomerania (SHIP) :
Computing resources have been
made available by the Leibniz
Supercomputing Centre of the
Bavarian Academy of Sciences and
Humanities (HLRB project h1231 ).
SHIP is part of the Community
Medicine Research net of the
University of Greifswald, Germany,
which is funded by the Federal
Ministry of Education and Research
(grants no. 01ZZ9603, 01ZZ0103, and
01ZZ0403) , the Ministry of Cultural
Affairs as well as the Social Ministry of
the Federal State of Mecklenburg -
West Pomerania. Genome- wide data
have been supported by the Federal
Ministry of Education and Research
(grant no. 03ZIK012 ) and a joint grant
from Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen,
Germany, and the Federal State of
Mecklenburg West Pomerania. The
University of Greifswald is a member
of the ''Center of Knowledge
Interchange'' program of the Siemens
AG. This work is also part of the
research project Greifswald Approach
to Individualized Medicine
(GANI_ MED). The GANI_MED
consortium is funded by the Federal
Ministry of Education and Research
and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of
the Federal State of Mecklenburg -
West Pomerania (03IS2061A ). The
testosterone reagents used were
sponsored by Siemens Healthcare
Diagnostics, Eschborn, formerly DPC
Biermann GmbH, Bad Nauheim,
Germany. Novo Nordisc provided
partial grant support for the
determination of serum samples and
data analysis. Gothenburg
Osteoporosis and Obesity
Determinants (GOOD) Study: Financial
support was received from the
Swedish Research Council
(K2010 -54X- 09894-19-3 , 2006-3832 ,
and K2010 -52X- 20229-05-3 ), the
Swedish Foundation for Strategic
Research, the ALF/LUA research grant
in Gothenburg, the Lundberg
Foundation, the Torsten and Ragnar
So¨derberg 's Foundation, Petrus and
Augusta Hedlunds Foundation, the
Va¨stra Go¨ taland Foundation, the
Go¨ teborg Medical Society, the Novo
Nordisk foundation, the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research
(MOP-15261 ), and the European
Commission grant HEALTH-
F2- 2008-201865 -GEFOS. We would like
to acknowledge Maria Nethander at
the genomics core facility at University
of Gothenburg for statistical analyses.
We would also like to thank Dr. Tobias
A. Knoch, Luc V. de Zeeuw, Anis
Abuseiris, and Rob de Graaf as well as
their institutions the Erasmus
Computing Grid, Rotterdam, The
Netherlands, and especially the
national GermanMediGRID and
Services@MediGRID part of the
German D-Grid, both funded by the
German Bundesministerium fuer
Forschung und Technology under
grants #01 AK 803 A-H and # 01 IG
07015 G for access to their grid
resources. Cooperative Research in
the Region of Augsburg (KORA): The
KORA research platform was initiated
and financed by the Helmholtz Center
Munich, German Research Center for
Environmental Health, which is
funded by the German Federal
Ministry of Education and Research
(BMBF) and by the State of Bavaria.
Part of this work was financed by the
German National Genome Research
Network (NGFN-2 and NGFNPlus:
01GS0823) . Our research was
supported within the Munich Center
of Health Sciences (MC Health) as part
of LMUinnovativ. This study was in
part supported by a grant from the
German Federal Ministry of Education
and Research (BMBF) to the German
Center for Diabetes Research (DZD
e.V .). Health, Aging, and Body
Composition (Health ABC) Study: This
study was supported by National
Institute on Aging contracts N01-
AG-6 -2101, N01 -AG-6 -2103, and N01-
AG-6 -2106. The genome-wide
association study was funded by NIA
grant 1R 01AG032098 -01A1 to Wake
Forest University Health Sciences and
genotyping services were provided by
the Center for Inherited Disease
Research (CIDR) . CIDR is fully funded
through a federal contract from the
National Institutes of Health to The
Johns Hopkins University, contract
number HHSN268200782096C. This
research was supported (in part) by
the Intramural Research Program of
the NIH, National Institute on Aging.
Rotterdam study (RS1 ): The
generation and management of GWAS
genotype data for the Rotterdam
Study is supported by the Netherlands
Organisation of Scientific Research
NWO Investments (nr.
175.010 .2005. 011, 911- 03-012) . This
study is funded by the Research
Institute for Diseases in the Elderly
(014- 93-015 ; RIDE2) , the Netherlands
Genomics Initiative (NGI) -
Netherlands Consortiumof Healthy
Aging (NCHA) project nr. 050- 060-810 ,
and funding fromthe European
Commision (HEALTH-F2 -2008-201865 ,
GEFOS; HEALTH-F2 -2008- 35627,
TREAT-OA ). The RotterdamStudy is
funded by Erasmus Medical Center
and Erasmus University Rotterdam;
Netherlands Organisation for Health
Research and Development (ZonMw);
the Research Institute for Diseases in
the Elderly (RIDE); the Ministry of
Education, Culture, and Science; the
Ministry for Health, Welfare, and
Sports; the European Commission
(DG XII); and the Municipality of
Rotterdam. We thank Pascal Arp, Mila
Jhamai, Dr. Michael Moorhouse,
Marijn Verkerk, and Sander Bervoets
for their help in creating the GWAS
database. The authors are grateful to
the study participants, the staff from
the Rotterdam Study, and the
participating general practioners and
pharmacists. We would like to thank
Dr. Tobias A. Knoch, Luc V. de Zeeuw,
Anis Abuseiris, and Rob de Graaf as
well as

Prostate Cancer Screening Carried Out On 20% Of Males Aged Over 75 Years, Australia by Petra Rattue

The Cancer Council NSW will present
evidence of research at the Clinical
Oncological Society of Australia
(COSA) Annual Scientific Meeting that
GPs were prescribing tests to screen
men above the age of 75 years for
prostate cancer, despite the fact that
there is likely to be no benefit.
Each year one in five Australian men
between the age of 75 to 84 years is
tested for prostate cancer against
international guidelines, which
recommend not to test patients in this
age bracket.
Lead researcher, Professor Dianne
O'Connell stated that according to
previous evidence, suggested prostate
cancer in men above the age of 75
years was progressing slowly and they
were far more likely to die from other
causes. She added: "A positive test in
this group may do more harm than
good."
Although the majority of men in this
age bracket will have prostate cancer,
it will never cause a problem for most,
yet discovering that they have prostate
cancer often means they will opt for
treatment, which in turn means they
are exposing themselves to a high risk
of serious side-effects, such as
incontinence and impotency.
Professor O' Connell explained:
"Organizations around the world offer
varying guidelines about when men
should begin testing for prostate
cancer, if at all. But there is consensus
that from age 75, men who do not
have a life expectancy of at least 10
years, should not be screened."
According to screening data obtained
from Medicare claims, 20% of men
aged between 75 to 84 years surveyed
received a Prostate Specific Antigen
(PSA) blood-screening test in the
previous year, with 35% of men
receiving the test in the previous two
years.
Dr O'Connell stated:
"We don't have information from
doctors about what is driving the
decision-making process. This should
be investigated, along with the
reasons why doctors continue to
order these tests for men in this age
bracket."
COSA President, Professor Bogda
Koczwara commented that there had
been a worldwide debate over the
value of PSA test. She referred to a
statement made by Doctor Richard
Albin, the test's founder, who recently
called it a ''hugely expensive public
health disaster'' and ''hardly more
effective than a coin toss''.
She added:
"While there are disparate views of
whether or not the PSA test is of
benefit, there is broad consensus that
we should not be testing men over
age 75. So it is concerning that this
sound advice is not getting through."
Written by Petra Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without
permission of Medical News Today

To Slow Rates Of HIV And HPV Transmission In South Africa, Earlier Circumcision In Males May Be Effective Intervention by Medical News Today from original press release

ccording to Anna R. Giuliano, Ph.D. ,
program leader in cancer
epidemiology at Moffitt Cancer Center
in Tampa, Fla., and colleagues in the
Netherlands, earlier circumcision of
males in South Africa may be a
positive step in slowing the spread of
both HIV and the human
papillomavirus (HPV). Their
commentary and data were published
in a recent issue of the British medical
journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases
(Vol. 11) 581-582 .
"Countries with high incidences of HIV
also have high incidences of cancer-
related HPV," said Giuliano. "This is
especially true in South Africa."
Commenting on a study related to
circumcision and HIV and HPV
transmission, Giuliano and her
colleagues note that studies have
shown that circumcision of HIV-
infected men does not reduce HPV
transmission to their female partners.
Many factors may account for this lack
of efficacy. However, Giuliano and
colleagues suggest that the high
prevalence of HPV among the HIV-
infected men (73 percent in the
intervention group and 69 percent in
the control group) and the high
prevalence of HIV among the female
partners of greater than 60 percent,
relates to the lack of efficacy of male
circumcision. In that study, it was
pointed out that the high and
sustained prevalence of HPV among
the HIV-infected individuals is "likely to
overwhelm any preventative effect of
circumcision."
"Male circumcision is important for
reduction of not only HIV infection but
also HPV infection in HIV- negative men
and their female partners," said
Giuliano. "However, its efficacy seems
limited to HIV- negative men. These
results suggest the need for early
circumcision to achieve maximum
effectiveness in populations with a
high incidence of HIV and cervical
cancer."
For maximum reductions in HIV and
HPV infections and related diseases in
women, such as cervical cancer, the
researchers recommend that both
circumcision and HPV vaccination of
the male population should be
delivered prior to sexual debut.

Vitamin E Supplements Raise Risk Of Prostate Cancer by Christian Nordqvist

Men who regularly take vitamin E
supplements eventually have a higher
risk of developing prostate cancer,
compared to other men of the same
age and overall health who don't,
researchers from the Cleveland Clinic
reported in JAMA (Journal of the
American Medical Association). The
authors say their findings clash with
what most people would have
expected.
As background information, the
researchers wrote:
"Lifetime risk of prostate cancer in the
United States is currently estimated to
be 16 percent. Although most cases
are found at an early, curable stage,
treatment is costly and urinary, sexual,
and bowel-related adverse effects are
common."
Epidemiological and preclinical
evidence had so far pointed towards
prostate cancer preventive benefits
associated with vitamin E and
selenium supplements.
The authors added:
"The initial report (December 2008) of
the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer
Prevention Trial (SELECT) found no
reduction in risk of prostate cancer
with either selenium or vitamin E
supplements but a statistically
nonsignificant increase in prostate
cancer risk with vitamin E. Longer
follow-up and more prostate cancer
events provide further insight into the
relationship of vitamin E and prostate
cancer."
Eric A. Klein, M.D. and team set out to
determine what the long-term effects
of vitamin E and selenium might be
on prostate cancer risk among men of
relatively good health. They gathered
data on 35,533 males from 427 study
centers in Puerto Rico, Canada and
the USA, who were randomized
between August 2001 and June 2004.
They only selected males with a PSA
measure below a certain level, a
digital rectal examination that did not
point towards a suspicion of prostate
cancer, aged 50 years or more for
African-Americans and 55 for other
males.
In the primary analysis, 34,887 men
were randomly selected into one of
the four following groups:
Selenium group - 8,752 men received
200 micrograms of selenium per day
Vitamin E group - 8,737 men received
400 IU per day
Double group - 8,702 men received
both selenium and vitamin E
Placebo group - 8,696 men received
supplement-looking dummy tablets
There was a 7-year minimum and 12-
year maximum planned follow-up .
Data was gathered and analyzed up to
July 2011.
A total of 521 additional prostate
cancers have been reported since the
initial report - in the following groups:
Placebo group - 113 cases
Vitamin E group - 147 cases
Selenium group - 143 cases
Combination group - 118 cases
In all three treatment groups there
was a higher rate of prostate cancer
compared to the placebo group. The
vitamin E group had a 17% higher risk
of developing prostate cancer
compared to those in the placebo
group.
When looking at the total prostate
cancer rate, not just the increase since
the initial report, the numbers were
as follows:
Placebo group - 529
Vitamin E group - 620
Selenium group - 575
Combined group - 555
It became apparent during the
participants' third year in the trial that
those in the vitamin E group had a
higher risk compared to those in the
placebo group. The researchers said
that "The elevated risk estimate for
vitamin E was consistent across both
low- and high-grade disease."
The authors wrote:
"In this article, we report an
observation of important public health
concern that has emerged with
continued follow-up of SELECT
participants. Given that more than 50
percent of individuals 60 years or
older are taking supplements
containing vitamin E and that 23
percent of them are taking at least 400
IU/d despite a recommended daily
dietary allowance of only 22.4 IU for
adult men, the implications of our
observations are substantial. "
The greater prostate cancer risk
among those in the vitamin E group
was only detectable after extended
follow-up. This means that the effects
of vitamin E can linger, even after the
individual stops taking the
supplement. For any study to be
meaningful and relevant, the authors
say the follow-up period needs to be
long.
The researchers also added that when
assessing the benefits and drawbacks
of micronutrients as dietary
supplements, studies need to be
large-scale , population- based, and
randomized.
They wrote:
"The observed 17 percent increase in
prostate cancer incidence
demonstrates the potential for
seemingly innocuous yet biologically
active substances such as vitamins to
cause harm. The lack of benefit from
dietary supplementation with vitamin
E or other agents with respect to
preventing common health conditions
and cancers or improving overall
survival, and their potential harm,
underscore the need for consumers
to be skeptical of health claims for
unregulated over-the -counter
products in the absence of strong
evidence of benefit demonstrated in
clinical trials."
Vitamin E
Vitamin E belongs to a group of fat-
soluble compounds, including
tocopherols and tocotrienols. Y-
tocopherol is the most common type
of vitamin E in the American diet, and
can be found in margarine, soybean
oil, corn oil and dressings. α-
Tocopherol is the second most
common form of vitamin E in the
North American diet, it is also the
biologically most active, and can be
found in sunflower oil, safflower oil,
and wheat germ oil.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant
that halts the production of reactive
oxygen species that are formed when
fat is oxidized.
α-tocopherol form of vitamin E
Reports have indicated that vitamin E
may have benefits for:
A vitamin E pre- cursor may protect
against a kind of breast cancer
Aging
Arthritis
Better diabetes control
Certain skin conditions
Improving the immune system in
elderly people
Lowering chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) in about
10% of both non-smokers and
smokers
Male fertility
Parkinson's disease
PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
Protecting from Alzheimer's disease
The prevention of heart disease

Gender Differences In Teen Sleep Deprivation And Related Weight Gain by Medical News Today from original press release

Sleeping less than 8 hours a night
may be linked to weight gain in teens,
shows a new study presented at
CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting
of the American College of Chest
Physicians (ACCP) . Furthermore,
obesity was linked to short sleep
duration in teen males, with the
fewest hours slept linked to the
highest BMI levels.
"Sleep is food for the brain. When
teens do not get enough sleep, they
fall asleep in class, struggle to
concentrate, look and feel stressed,
get sick more often, and do not meet
their obligations due to tiredness ,"
said study author Lata Casturi, MA,
RPSGT, Baylor College of Medicine
Sleep Center in Houston, TX. "Teens
who sleep fewer than eight hours may
also consume more calories than
those who sleep more than eight
hours. Therefore, they have a higher
risk for obesity and associated health
problems, including high blood
pressure , heart disease, and stroke."
Ms. Casturi and colleagues, including
coauthor Anita Rao, presently a 10th
grader at Dawson High School in
Pearland, TX, surveyed 255 teens (108
males and 147 females) in high school
to obtain self- reported measures of
height and weight (used for BMI
calculation) and both weekday and
weekend quantity of sleep. Among
males, results indicated the average
sleep time on weekdays was 6 hours
32 minutes and on weekends 9 hours
10 minutes. Among females, the
average weekday sleep time was 6
hours 30 minutes and the average
weekend sleep duration was 9 hours
22 minutes. Teen males who slept 7
hours or less on weekdays had an
average BMI that was 3.8 percent
higher than those who slept more
than 7 hours. Likewise, teen females
who slept 7 hours or less had a BMI
that was 4.7 percent higher than
females who got more than 7 hours
of sleep per weekday.
But how does lack of sleep really
affect weight gain? According to
researchers, hormones leptin and
ghrelin work in a "checks and
balances" system to control feelings of
hunger and fullness. Ghrelin, which is
produced in the gastrointestinal tract,
stimulates appetite, while leptin,
produced in fat cells, sends a signal to
the brain when you are full. "When
you don't get enough sleep, it drives
leptin levels down, which means you
don't feel as satisfied after you eat.
Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels
to rise, which means your appetite is
stimulated, so you want more food,"
said co-author Radha Rao, MD,
DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston,
TX. "The two combined, can set the
stage for overeating, which in turn
may lead to weight gain."
Furthermore, after adjusting for
potential cofounders, short sleep
duration (<8 hours) was associated
with obesity in male teens. A negative
correlation also was found between
weekday sleep duration and obesity in
males, with the fewest hours of
weekday sleep associated with the
highest BMI. There was no evident
correlation between obesity and
weekday sleep hours in teen females.
The researchers believe the sex-
related difference in sleep and weight
gain may be due to the differences in
body composition during puberty.
"Males and females experience
differential growth rates and hormone
secretion during puberty. The sleep
factors that impact metabolism may
increase weight gain differently in the
two sexes," explained Ms. Casturi.
In addition to weight gain, lack of
sleep during teenage years can result
in poor sleep habits that continue into
adulthood and result in long-term
health consequences.
"Sleep promotes growth in children
and adolescents and strengthens the
immune and nervous systems. Hence,
sleep deprivation early in life may
cause the youngsters to suffer from a
lifetime of irreversible higher health
risks," said Anita Rao. Researchers
recommend that parents educate
teens about good sleep habits early in
life, which include setting a regular
sleep schedule, turning off
technological devices at night, and
avoiding caffeine and exercise at
bedtime.
"Sleep deprivation can have an
immediate impact on our physical
performance and cognitive function,
but can also lead to long term health
problems, including cardiovascular
and respiratory conditions," said
Suhail Raoof, MBBS, FCCP, President of
the American College of Chest
Physicians. "Developing good sleep
habits in adolescence may help to
reduce the risk of related health
conditions later in life."

Male Reproduction May Be Adversely Affected By Environmental Exposure To Organochlorines

Melissa Perry, Sc.D., M.H. S., professor
and chair of the Department of
Environmental and Occupational
Health at the GW School of Public
Health and Health Services and
adjunct associate professor at the
Harvard School of Public Health, led
an observational study indicating that
environmental exposure to
organochlorine chemicals, including
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and
p,p '-DDE (the main metabolite of the
insecticide DDT) can affect male
reproduction. The research was
published online in the journal
Environmental Health Perspectives.
The researchers studied 192 men who
were part of couples that were sub-
fertile, to see if the men with higher
levels of organochlorines in their
blood showed evidence of increased
rates of sperm abnormalities. They
looked for sperm disomy, which
occurs when sperm cells have an
abnormal number of chromosomes.
While all men have a certain number
of sperm with such abnormalities,
researchers found that men with
higher levels of DDE and PCBs had
significantly higher rates of sperm
abnormalities.
"This research adds to the already
existing body of evidence suggesting
that environmental exposure to
certain chemicals can affect male
fertility and reproduction. We need to
further understand the mechanisms
through which these chemicals impact
sperm," said Dr. Perry. "While we
cannot avoid chemicals that already
persist in the environment, it is
imperative that decisions about
putting biologically active chemicals
into the environment need to be
made very carefully, because there
can be unanticipated consequences
down the road."
The researchers used a new sperm
imaging methodology developed by
Dr. Perry and colleagues to detect the
chromosomal abnormalities, which
allowed them to study a larger
sampling of individuals than previous
studies.