FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE BLOG 

Includes over 800 monographs reporting on emerging studies in the medical and scientific literature of practical clinical importance, easily searched for content.

Thyroid hormone conversion affects hypothyroid treatment

Dosing strategies solely based on a TSH definition of euthyroidism neglect the important role of FT3, which has recently emerged as an equally significant parameter in defining thyroid physiology... in cases where an FT3–FT4 dissociation becomes increasingly apparent following dose escalation of l-T4, an alternate treatment modality, possibly T3/T4 combination therapy, should be considered.

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Hormone replacement in menopause and ovarian cancer risk

Hormone replacement in menopause must be evaluated thoroughly on an individual basis with careful attention to the important benefits and risks. This includes of course objective measurements of bioactive hormone levels before and during hormone replacement at appropriate intervals, including analysis of benign versus troublesome estrogen metabolites. Regarding adverse effects that must be weighed, an important study just published in The Lancet brings to light a significant risk for ovarian cancer in current and past users of hormone replacement.

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Antioxidants in excess can increase inflammation and blunt benefits of exercise

Antioxidants, even glutathione, taken in excess can increase rather than ameliorate harmful inflammation...The use of antioxidants must be calibrated with careful consideration of the balance between protective and suppressive effects according to the needs of the individual patient.

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Breast cancer survival is enhanced by higher serum levels of vitamin D

Breast cancer survival is linked to higher serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] according to evidence presented in a meta-analysis just published in the journal Anti-Cancer Research...Higher serum 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with lower fatality rates in patients with breast cancer. Patients with the highest concentration of 25(OH)D had approximately half the fatality rate compared to those with the lowest concentration

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