Month: January 2023

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Not Hair Loss News – How Much Does a Prostatectomy Cost?

The answer to this questions was written up in Medscape General Surgery, a publication for physicians. Doctors generally do not know the real total costs of a surgical treatment, so this article educates the doctor. The total cost of such an operation runs between $135,000 to a low of about $10,000. The doctors fees range from a low of $4000 up to about $19,000. Much of this is paid by insurance; however, this may not be the case. Medicare pay up to 80% of a pre-approved fee which may be far less than the hospital charges as is the case for the doctors. What the problem is that no one knows what it should cost and if you are a person without insurance, the full fee will be charged to you without a discount. That would break the bank of most folks, so if you find yourself in this situation for any hospitalizations (not just prostate surgery), be sure to negotiate with both the hospital and the doctor or you could pay far more than you need to. Since hospitals negotiate with every insurance company, they will, when forced, negotiate with you. The good news for the uninsured is that hospitals and doctors will negotiate price.
surgery cost


2014-07-22 09:05:23Not Hair Loss News – How Much Does a Prostatectomy Cost?

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Not Hair Loss News – High Fiber Diet Prevents Prostate Cancer Progression

Snippet from the non-hair-loss article:

Eating food high in fiber may help control the progress of prostate cancer in people who are diagnosed with early stages of the disease, according to a new study.

The study was based on the observation that although prostate cancer incidence in Asian countries is same as in the West, the cancer rarely progress in Asian men. Researchers argue that the high-fiber diet may play a role in keeping the cancer from progressing.

The study was conducted on a set of mice that were either fed with inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), that’s found in high fiber diet or a diet without this component. Then, researchers used MRI to check the progress of the cancer in these mice.

Read the rest — High-Fiber Diet Prevents Prostate Cancer Progression

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Not Hair Loss News – Heart Failure and Cancer Risk

Snippet from the article:

People with heart failure are also more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, according to a new study that followed older adults with and without heart problems.

The findings don’t prove that heart failure, when the heart can’t pump enough blood to the rest of the body, causes cancer. Researchers said more studies are needed to determine what might explain the link.

“People have not really considered any association of heart failure and cancer together, at least not developing cancer after diagnosis,” said Dr. Adrian Hernandez, a cardiologist at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

Read the rest — Heart failure tied to higher cancer risk: study

The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The article points out that some heart drugs may increase cancer risks, or that people with heart failure are getting more tests done and seeing their doctors more often.

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Not Hair Loss News – FDA on Testosterone Supplements

FDA says there is little evidence testosterone treatment works.

The NBC Nightly News (9/3, story 6, 0:30, Williams) reported in its broadcast that the FDA “says there’s little evidence that testosterone boosting drugs taken by millions of American men are actually effective.” NBC notes that the agency also pointed out that it’s not convinced they carry serious risk either. “The condition has been marketed as low ‘T’ and the medications are offered to help with low sex drive and fatigue among some men,” notes NBC.

The FDA’s comments come ahead of a public meeting “to discuss the benefits and risks of treatments that raise levels of the male hormone” on Sept. 17, according to the AP (9/4, Perrone). The meeting comes after two federally funded studies “found links between testosterone therapy and heart problems in men.” The AP also testosterone boosting treatments have come under the spotlight “amid an industry marketing blitz for new pills, patches and formulations that has transformed testosterone a multibillion-dollar market.”


2014-09-04 15:15:19Not Hair Loss News – FDA on Testosterone Supplements

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Not Hair Loss News – Exercise Slows Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

At the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2014, it was reported that use of computer activities and exercise reduces cognitive decline associated with Dmentia and Alzheimer’s Disease. At the Mayo Clinic, 1830 people at risk for Cognitive Decline were were studied in different groups, with a control group and a group that participated in a variety of exercise routines from mild to advanced. The patients were studied for 2.3 years.

“Any level of physical activity in midlife may help keep cognitive decline and dementia in late life at bay, new research suggests.”

The range of exercises include: “mild exercise was defined as leisurely walking. Moderate exercise included engaging in activities such as brisk walking, cycling, and swimming, and vigorous exercise included participating in activities such as mountain biking and downhill skiing.”

There is definitely protective effects from exercise, even as simple as taking your dog on a brisk walk. “The investigators found that only moderate midlife physical exercise was significantly associated with a decreased risk for incident dementia”.

I summarize these important reports, because we all have parents and family that need to avoid the inactive lifestyle and we have a responsibility to them to see that they stay healthy and mentally active so we can enjoy their senior years with them.


2014-07-24 08:11:31Not Hair Loss News – Exercise Slows Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

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Not Hair Loss News – Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease Linked?

Snippet from the article:

Two new studies published this week lend credence to the idea that when it comes to exercise, there apparently can be too much of a good thing.

In the first study, led by Dr. Nikola Drca (Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden), and published online May 14, 2014 in Heart, investigators report that men 30 years old, who exercised for more than five hours per week, had significantly higher risks of developing atrial fibrillation later in life compared to men who exercised less.

The report also showed that older adults who walked or rode their bicycle for about an hour per day had a significantly lower risk of atrial fibrillation compared with older adults who almost never participated in such recreational physical activity.

In the second study, led by Dr. Ute Mons (German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany), also published in Heart, researchers studied the association of self-reported physical activity in 1038 subjects with stable coronary heart disease and confirmed previous findings of an increased risk of adverse events among inactive patients. However, they also found those who participated in daily “strenuous” physical activity had an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular causes.

Read the rest — Too Much Exercise: Studies Report J-Shaped Link Between Exercise and CVD Risks

I guess it boils down to: “Bike riding for older folks is good. Exercise for 30 year olds is bad.”


2014-05-20 13:44:52Not Hair Loss News – Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease Linked?

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Not Hair Loss News – European Men Are 11 cm Taller in the Last Century

Snippet from the article:

The average height of European males increased by an unprecedented 11 cm between the mid-nineteenth century and 1980, according to a new paper published online today in the journal Oxford Economic Papers. Contrary to expectations, the study also reveals that average height actually accelerated in the period spanning the two World Wars and the Great Depression.

Timothy J. Hatton, Professor of Economics at the University of Essex and the Research School of Economics at Australian National University in Canberra, examined and analysed a new dataset for the average height (at the age of around 21) of adult male birth cohorts, from the 1870s to 1980, in fifteen European countries. The data were drawn from a variety of sources. For the most recent decades the data were mainly taken from height-by-age in cross sectional surveys. Meanwhile, observations for the earlier years were based on data for the heights of military conscripts and recruits. The data is for men only as the historical evidence for women’s heights is severely limited.

Read the rest — Average Height of European Males Has Grown by 11 Centimeters in Just Over a Century

Researches theorize it could be due to better living conditions, better nutrition education, and better health systems, along with a decline in infant mortality rates.

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Not Hair Loss News – Energy Drinks Increase Blood Pressure and Produce Changes in EKG

Snippet from the article:

The group aimed to see how energy drinks affect heart health, given that these drinks, along with dietary supplements, are not regulated as stringently as new drugs that must meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety requirements, Shah said.

In a literature search, they identified seven observational and interventional trials that evaluated the impact of energy drinks on QT interval, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Three studies with a pooled sample of 93 subjects had QT/QTc data. Six studies with a pooled sample of 132 subjects had blood-pressure data, and seven studies investigated heart rate.

The patients, who were all young (aged 18 to 45) and healthy, underwent ECG and blood-pressure testing before and just after drinking one to three cans of energy drink—most commonly Red Bull, but also others such as Full Throttle and Meltdown RTD. An 8.4-oz can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine, compared with 35 mg of caffeine in a 12-oz Coke or about 100 mg of caffeine in an average cup of coffee, Shah said.

Read the rest — Energy drinks may prolong QT interval, raise BP

It’s not hair loss related, but it’s worth a post…

This is a study by Dr Sachin Shah, presented at the American Heart Association Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism / Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention (AHA EPI-NPAM) 2013 Scientific Sessions.

According to the report, the increase buzz may be the result of caffeine alone, but the changes in the EKG has not been explained and the relevance of it is not clear.

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Not Hair Loss News – Duration of Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy Questioned

Snippet from the article:

For some men with prostate cancer, hormonal therapy to beat the disease could be safely cut from three years to half that time, a new clinical trial suggests.

When men have cancer that is confined to the prostate gland but at high risk of worsening, one treatment option is radiation therapy plus drugs that cut testosterone levels, because this male hormone feeds the cancer.

Right now, doctors routinely give that hormonal therapy for two to three years, during which time men may suffer unpleasant side effects.

But that routine is based on a clinical trial from the 1990s that found that adding three years of hormonal therapy to radiation could cure certain prostate cancers. That doesn’t necessarily mean three years is ideal.

Read the rest — Could Duration of Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy Be Halved?

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Not Hair Loss News – Carrots Can Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk?

Snippet from the article:

Scientists have found that regularly eating the brightly-coloured vegetables appears to reduce the risk of prostate cancer by almost a fifth. Men who included carrots as part of their regular diet, eating them at least three times a week, were 18 per cent less likely to develop a prostate tumour, according to findings published in the latest European Journal of Nutrition.

The study, by scientists at Zhejiang University in China, pulled together the results of ten smaller studies from different parts of the world looking at the anti-cancer effects of carrots. This type of research, called a meta-analysis, is performed when findings from lots of studies with small numbers of patients produce conflicting findings. Some research has suggested carrots do protect the prostate against disease, others have found little or no benefit.

Read the rest — They help you see in the dark – now carrots can reduce the risk of prostate cancer

Always remember to eat your vegetables.