Month: September 2021

Categories
Functional Medicine Health Concerns

A Functional Approach to PCOS

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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Known as PCOS, this condition can happen at any age after puberty. Every month, as part of a healthy menstrual cycle, the ovaries release an egg. In women that have PCOS, the ovaries will develop a thickened outer wall underneath which many partially stimulated eggs form cysts, hence the name polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Normally, the ovaries release a small amount of male sex hormones, called androgens. However, in women with PCOS, the ovaries start making slightly more androgens – which is the reason for masculine symptoms like extra facial and body hair and male pattern baldness.

Traditionally, the diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome was made when an imaging study revealed multiple cysts on the ovaries. We now know not every woman diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome has visible cysts on her ovaries. Polycystic ovarian syndrome can still be diagnosed if the majority of other common symptoms are experienced and/or they have the common endocrine abnormalities associated with PCOS. This is because the “cysts” are actually just increased number of follicles.

How Do I Know If I Have PCOS?

Pay attention to your body! Your body is wonderfully and brilliantly made. It will tell you if something is off. At the start of your next cycle, pay attention to these signs.

Symptoms of PCOS:

  • Trouble getting pregnant (infertility)
  • Irregular menstrual cycle
  • Hirsuitism, with hair growth on the face, chin, or parts of the body where men usually have hair
  • Acne on the face, chest, and upper back
  • Thinning hair or hair loss on the scalp; male-pattern baldness
  • Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
  • Darkening of skin, particularly along neck creases, in the groin, and underneath breasts, which is commonly associated with insulin resistance
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Elevated waist to hip ratios, overweight and obesity
  • Fatigue

What Causes PCOS?

While the exact cause of PCOS is unknown, several factors, including genetics, diet, stress levels, and environmental toxins can all play a role because they influence your hormones. The common hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS include high androgens (testosterone/DHEA), overproduction of CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone) and cortisol, elevated insulin/glucose levels, elevated estrone levels and improper ratios of LH (lutenizing hormone) to FSH (follicle stimulating hormone).

High insulin is not just a symptom, it is a major driver.

The body makes insulin but can’t use it correctly increasing risk for T2DM. Insulin lowers your blood sugar by storing glucose in cells. The cells become resistant to the constant insulin and need more to be signaled to lower the blood sugar. When the resistance goes on for a while, this results in high insulin and high blood sugar.

Can I Treat PCOS Naturally?

Diet and exercise are the most fundamental ways to manage insulin and PCOS! Our Functional Medicine providers recommend engaging in moderate exercise for at least 30 min per day to regulate blood sugar.
Regular movement throughout the day helps your body use sugar as it was designed to and, therefore, improve insulin sensitivity!

Things you can do to improve hormone balance and reduce PCOS:

  • Avoid high sugar foods and having low carb diet, rich in protein and fat balance blood sugar.
  • Avoid excess caffeine
  • Prioritize sleep and reduce stress
  • Avoid xenoestrogens/endocrine disruptors – non organic meats/dairy, skincare/cleaning products
  • Replace tampons with pads or menstrual cups
  • Supplements: high quality, recommended magnesium, NAC, inositol, berberine
  • Red light laser therapy (photobiomodulation)

 

Here’s What You Can Do Today

Better Food and Finding a Healthy Weight if Overweight

Consuming a nutrient-dense, low-glycemic diet will improve insulin sensitivity, body composition and androgen levels. In the Journal of Obesity, participants followed a low starch/low dairy food plan for 8 weeks, which resulted in a decrease in testosterone, improved insulin sensitivity and weight loss. In addition, there may be some association with improper detoxification and bodily retention of environmental toxins in patients with PCOS. We suggest most patients consume a whole foods diet, limiting exposure to pesticides, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners. Include a plethora of non-starchy vegetables, grass-fed/pasture-raised meat/poultry, wild-caught fish (salmon is my favorite), nuts/seeds and unrefined oils/fats like coconut oil, olive oil and avocado.

Stress Management

Increased stress will elevate your cortisol levels which in turn elevates blood glucose levels. This will lead to increased weight gain around the abdomen as well as an increase in androgen levels. Excess androgen levels can lead to aromatization and an increase in estrone levels created by the increase in adipose (fat) tissue. Elevated estrone levels disrupt the proper ratios of LH and FSH that lead to menstrual irregularities and the many other symptoms associated with PCOS. Many patients admit to experiencing stress in their lives, however, most are not aware of the real physiological changes that occur when they feel stressed.

Some suggestions for reducing stress are to spend more time in nature, try mindful movement, breathing, and meditation a few times per week. Start a heart-centered meditation, engage in daily prayer, start a journal and ensure that you are getting proper sleep (at least 7-9 hours per night). Other suggestions include acupuncture, energy therapy such as marma therapy, massage and/or chiropractic.

Exercise

Getting regular movement is part of any treatment plan for patients diagnosed with PCOS. It is important to engage in moderate activity to improve body composition, burn fat and lower cortisol levels. Some women make the mistake of engaging in extremely intense activity, which can actually cause more hormonal imbalances. As a general rule, we recommend listening to your body and paying attention to how you feel during and after your exercise routine.

Herbal Medicine

Herbs known as adaptogens can help promote hormone balance and protect the body from the effects of cortisol caused by chronic stress. Ashwaganda, holy basil, rhodiola and maca root can are a few of the herbs that can be helpful in PCOS. Licorice can lower testosterone levels, however, care must be taken if you also have hypertension.  Inositol is another commonly used supplement to improve symptoms associated with PCOS, although it seems to be more helpful in the patients that are not classified as obese. There are two types of inositol: myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol and doses somewhere between 1,200-2,400 milligrams per day can help with follicular maturation, weight loss, reducing leptin levels , lowering triglyceride levels and improving HDL levels. Lastly, omega- 3 supplementation can affect gene expression that is involved in insulin and lipid signaling pathways.

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We’re Here to Help You

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References & Further Reading

  1. Sirmans SM, Pate KA. Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. Clin Epidemiol. 2013;6(1):1-13. doi:10.2147/CLEP.S37559
  2. Sirmans SM, Parish RC, Blake S, Wang X. Epidemiology and comorbidities of polycystic ovary syndrome in an indigent population. J Investig Med. 2014;62(6):868-874. doi:10.1097/01.JIM.0000446834.90599.5d
  3. Ding T, Hardiman PJ, Petersen I, Wang FF, Qu F, Baio G. The prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in reproductive-aged women of different ethnicity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oncotarget. 2017;8(56):96351-96358. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.19180
  4. Gibson-Helm M, Teede H, Dunaif A, Dokras A. Delayed diagnosis and a lack of information associated with dissatisfaction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017;102(2):604-612. doi:10.1210/jc.2016-2963
  5. Mathur R, Ko A, Hwang LJ, Low K, Azziz R, Pimentel M. Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with an increased prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome. Dig Dis Sci. 2010;55(4):1085-1089. doi:10.1007/s10620-009-0890-5
  6. Cooney LG, Lee I, Sammel MD, Dokras A. High prevalence of moderate and severe depressive and anxiety symptoms in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod. 2017;32(5):1075-1091. doi:10.1093/humrep/dex044
  7. Jason J. Polycystic ovary syndrome in the United States: clinical visit rates, characteristics, and associated health care costs. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(13):1209-1211. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.288
  8. Schmidt TH, Khanijow K, Cedars MI, et al. Cutaneous findings and systemic associations in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. JAMA Dermatol. 2016;152(4):391-398. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2015.4498
  9. Lim SS, Hutchison SK, Van Ryswyk E, Norman RJ, Teede HJ, Moran LJ. Lifestyle changes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;3:CD007506. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007506.pub4
  10. Lua ACY, How CH, King TFJ. Managing polycystic ovary syndrome in primary care. Singapore Med J. 2018;59(11):567-571. doi:10.11622/smedj.2018135
  11. Kazemi M, McBreairty LE, Chizen DR, Pierson RA, Chilibeck PD, Zello GA. A comparison of a pulse-based diet and the therapeutic lifestyle changes diet in combination with exercise and health counselling on the cardio-metabolic risk profile in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2018;10(10):E1387. doi:10.3390/nu10101387
  12. Wolf WM, Wattick RA, Kinkade ON, Olfert MD. The current description and future need for multidisciplinary PCOS clinics. J Clin Med. 2018;7(11):E395. doi:10.3390/jcm7110395

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Categories
Maternal & Pediatrics

Pediatrics: Cardiomyopathy

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Why is Cardiomyopathy the Number One Cause for Pediatric Cardiac Arrest & Heart Transplants?

Pediatric heart transplantation (pHTx) represents a small (14%) but very important and particular part in the field of cardiac transplantation.
Approximately 600-700 pediatric heart transplantation procedures are performed worldwide each year, representing about 12% of the total number of heart transplants performed.
The main cause of both of these? Cardiomyopathy
Although there’s not a lot of research behind the real why’s of it, we asked our providers to share some things that are known & information that can hopefully help prevent this pediatric heart issue from continuing to rise!

The Heart and Iron

Our hearts could not function without iron. This mineral is needed to make hemoglobin, which delivers oxygen to the body, and myoglobin in muscles. The most significant muscle in the body is the heart.

Much of what we know about iron in the heart comes from research that centers on people with iron overload at a young age, such as individuals with thalassemia, sickle cell disease, or juvenile hemochromatosis. The most significant research specific to adult onset hemochromatosis and cardiac iron comes from the US National Institutes of Health Hemochromatosis Protocol led by Dr. Susan Leitman and from Professor Dudley Pennell, Director of the National Institutes of Health Research Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit at Royal Brompton Hospital, London.

Over Recommended, Unnatural Sources of Iron

70% of pregnant women report using iron-containing prenatal supplements that are often prescribed by their physicians (4), despite the current debate over whether a recommendation of supplemental iron is necessary in iron-replete pregnant women in the US (5–7). Prenatal supplements are products typically intended for use before, during, and after pregnancy, unless otherwise specified on the product label. We compared the forms and amounts of iron used in formulating prenatal supplements with the forms and am

Misleading information on supplement labels is the most common reason for confusion about these ingredients. Consuming these potentially dangerous chemicals is much more serious than once thought.

Synthetic vitamins and minerals are processed in a laboratory, while natural vitamins and minerals are derived from plants. Your body can tell the difference, even if a microscope can’t. Synthetic supplements contain little or no natural ingredients. Some claim to contain 10% natural vitamins, but the rest of the ingredients will have come from a lab. The “ingredients” of synthetic supplements are chemicals that are constructed in a lab. They may look, feel and taste natural, but your body may not—probably does not—absorb synthetic supplements in the same way that your body would absorb natural supplements.

  • Iron overload can occur from certain things that pregnant women take such as medications, and synthetic high dose supplements (ie. iron and folic acid) play a role in baby’s heart development.

Magnesium & Iron Together

Although magnesium and iron are not cofactors, which are nutrients that help other nutrients function, they appear together in foods. Just as you’ll find iron in meats, fish, nuts, leafy greens, grains, cereals, fruits, vegetables and other foods, you will find magnesium in these foods as well. Therefore, a deficiency in one likely predicates the other, unless there is a specific cause for either condition. Strict vegetarians are at particular risk for both deficiencies.

But, what happens if you are magnesium deficient but are supplementing iron?

Excess iron intake reinforces the iron accumulation in liver and spleen of people who are magnesium deficient. The saturation of iron binding capacity can be enormously elevated when we are magnesium deficient and loaded with excess iron. Dietary iron deprivation can also diminish the degree of calcium deposition in the kidney of magnesium deficient people. So, magnesium-deprived people have abnormal iron metabolism losing homeostatic regulation of plasma iron, and magnesium deficient people with dietary iron overload may be hemochromatosis – which can cause serious damage to your body, including to your heart, liver and pancreas.

Magnesium deficiency and iron overload together can have a BIG impact on the heart of both you and your baby.

Viral Infections

Pregnancy comprises a unique immunological condition, to allow fetal development and to protect the host from pathogenic infections. Viral infections during pregnancy can disrupt immunological tolerance and may generate deleterious effects on the fetus.

A range of viral infections in pregnancy are associated with specific placental findings, including lymphoplasmacytic villitis with associated enlargement of villi and intravillous hemosiderin deposition in the setting of maternal cytomegalovirus infection (40), as well as rare reports of intervillositis in the setting of Zika virus (41) and Dengue virus (42), among others.

Viral infections, especially streps, can greatly impact a baby’s heart development.

Genetic Predispositions

Like most common diseases, heart failure develops as a result of complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Early studies identified variants in genes in the adrenergic and renin-angiotensin pathways that influence the likelihood of developing heart failure and response to evidence-based therapies. These polymorphisms confer relatively minor increases in risk and manifestation of clinically evident HF in patients who carry these alleles likely requires other genetic and environmental insults.

In contrast, mutations in single genes can cause dilated cardiomyopathy independently and typically are heritable in an autosomal dominant fashion. Diagnosis of familial dilated cardiomyopathy requires a careful family history and confirmatory genetic testing, and can have significant impact on the health of the patient’s family members. Though such testing ideally is undertaken in consultation with a genetics professional, numerous resources are available to guide the cardiologist through the process (Table ​22). If you have a genetic predisposition component, it’s okay! There still needs to be a trigger – which we can work together to prevent.

Taking Action

Here’s what you can do to:

  • Be sure to either get your nutrients from whole, mineral-rich, naturally grown foods or take high quality, whole food supplements while pregnant such as folate and avoiding folic acid.
  • If iron is truly needed then making sure it’s the correct form that doesn’t get stuck in the organs/tissues.
  • PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY. It’s intelligent. If you feel sick, see if you have a virus.
Coxsackievirus B (CVB) is the most common cause of viral myocarditis. It targets cardiomyocytes through coxsackie and adenovirus receptor, which is highly expressed in the fetal heart.
But many viruses are commonly associated with myocarditis, including the viruses that cause the common cold (adenovirus); CMV, hepatitis B and C; parvovirus, which causes a mild rash, usually in children (fifth disease); and herpes simplex virus.
Fever, rash, fatigue and general sick symptoms would be what to watch for but would be very hard to prevent as most of that stuff isn’t screened for in pregnancy, just like STDs and such.
Specifically ask for a viral panel that directly correlates with myocarditis (if your doctor doesn’t know what to run, check with other doctors)
You can also specifically ask for CVB to be checked!
If you are pregnant or have concerns for your child, do not hesitate to reach out! We are here to help in any way we can.

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