The Aesthetics Advisor

Many men accept as fact the idea that testosterone will inevitably decrease as they get older. However, new science is showing that diseases of lifestyle, rather than just age, are often the real culprits behind the decline. Testosterone levels have shown a stunning downward trend in the past several decades. The standard American diet is a nutritional wasteland. Environmental pollution and microplastics are wreaking havoc on our hormone levels with their endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Obesity, many drugs, and our sedentary lifestyle also undermine testosterone production. When so many aspects of our way of life can potentially sabotage testosterone levels—and by extension, good health—it becomes fundamental to a man’s well-being to understand how to preserve and boost levels of this vital hormone. In a  study published  in March 2023 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers examined 625 men with an average age of 65 years, aiming to determine how aging affects testosterone. The

Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and senility are terms that are often used interchangeably to describe age-related cognitive decline. However, they are distinct conditions that differ in their causes, symptoms, and treatment. Understanding the differences between these conditions can help individuals and their families make informed decisions about their care and treatment options. Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects older adults. It is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive function, including memory loss, impaired language and communication, difficulty with problem-solving and decision-making, and changes in mood and behavior. The exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is not yet fully understood, but it is thought to be the result of a complex interplay between genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. The disease is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits in the brain, whi

Although artificial intelligence won't replace your doctor any time soon, a new study has found that technologies such as ChatGPT could improve patients' experience by providing responses to their healthcare questions that are more accurate and in a manner they perceive as more empathetic than answers from human doctors. The study, appearing in JAMA Internal Medicine , compared written responses from human physicians and those from ChatGPT to real-world health questions. A panel of licensed healthcare professionals evaluating the responses preferred ChatGPT's answers 79% of the time, and found them more empathetic and of higher quality. "The demand for doctors to answer questions via electronic patient messaging these days is overwhelming, so it is not surprise that physicians not only are experiencing burnout, but also that the quality of those answers sometimes suffers. This study is evidence that AI tools can make doctors more efficient and accurate, and patients h

More than 15 years ago, Aimee Payne was searching for a way to hunt down — and target — the cells behind a potentially life-threatening condition that initially triggers painful blisters on the skin. The University of Pennsylvania dermatologist found an answer in another corner of the university that housed cancer experts looking to solve a different problem. A team of researchers, led by immunologist Carl June, genetically altered the T cells of three leukemia patients who had failed to respond to standard cancer therapies. Reinfusing the engineered cells back into the patients appeared to cure two of them and the other patient improved. The seminal results, published in 2011, opened up a new field, dubbed chimeric antigen receptor T cells, or CAR-T, that has produced six approved cancer therapies. While CAR-T continues to reshape cancer care, enthusiasm is growing for its move into a less-obvious area: autoimmune disease. Working with one of the CAR-T inventors in 2016, Payne’s lab c

You’re sick and feeling pretty miserable. You want relief, and you want it   NOW . That probably explains how you landed on this article after Googling for “cold cures” in between coughing and sneezing. Products such as vitamin C or zinc “immune boosters” carry some enticing feel-good promises, after all. But do they really work? Let’s find out what the science says from family medicine physician  Donald Ford, MD . Does vitamin C work for colds? There’s no question that vitamin C is an important nutrient and a critical ally for your immune system. It’s an  antioxidant  that helps your body battle against illness by taking on cell-damaging free radicals. But the nutrient isn’t magical, cautions Dr. Ford. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of therapeutic vitamin C show that it doesn’t reduce the incidence of colds. But when it comes to recovering from a cold, vitamin C packets might help a wee bit. Researchers found that a vitamin C supplement may  reduce the duration of a cold  by abo

Introduction Pericarditis, myocarditis, and endocarditis are all conditions that affect the heart, but they are distinct and have different causes, symptoms, and treatments. We will discuss these three conditions and highlight their differences, similarities, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Pericarditis Pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardium, the thin sac that surrounds the heart. The pericardium has two layers: the outer fibrous layer and the inner serous layer. When the serous layer becomes inflamed, it rubs against the outer layer, causing chest pain and other symptoms. Pericarditis can be acute or chronic, and it can be caused by viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infections, autoimmune disorders, cancer, trauma, or drugs. The symptoms of pericarditis include sharp, stabbing chest pain that worsens with deep breathing or coughing, fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, abdominal or leg swelling, and palpitations. The diagnosis of pericarditis is ba

After decades of being accused of being hypochondriacs, sufferers from chronic Lyme disease have been exonerated in an award-winning American documentary called “The Quiet Epidemic.” The 2022 film proves that Lyme spirochetes, in approximately 20 percent of those affected, remain active in the human body long after the customary three-week round of antibiotics. Doctors and Insurance Companies Have Traditionally Questioned the Existence of Chronic Lyme Although Lyme disease was first “discovered” in 1975, its chronic version is still often not accepted as a viable disease by many doctors and most insurance companies. “The Quiet Epidemic,” a  documentary  about chronic Lyme disease by filmmakers Lindsay Keys and Winslow Crane-Murdoch, may finally provide conclusive evidence that chronic Lyme does indeed exist. Journalist Mary Beth Pfeiffer, from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., stated in the film that the battle over chronic Lyme is “one of the most controversial and vicious medical debates today … W

You’ve likely heard about the many benefits of omega-3 fats for your heart, brain and more, but if you’re consuming it in supplement form, be sure it’s alongside phospholipids. Wild-caught salmon, sardines and certain other fish are excellent sources of the omega-3 fats eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).(1) However, because most Americans do not consume much seafood, many rely on fish oil supplements instead. This is a mistake for virtually anyone who makes this choice. This is because the chemical process used to make most of these products — trans-esterification — transforms the oil into a synthetic product that’s far removed from the natural fats you’d get when eating sardines or other fatty fish.(2) There are many issues with synthetic fish oil, and absorption is only one of them. Free fatty acids of fish oil have an absorption rate of at least 95%. EPA in its natural triglyceride form had a 68% absorption rate in one study, while ethyl ester forms — the ty