It probably comes as no surprise to you that most often in our practice women, not men, are more proactively seeking answers for their health concerns and digging deeper into the underlying factors that could be causing their symptoms. Of course, this is a generalization, but we felt the need to write about some common concerns with male patients and how functional medicine may help.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
The leading health condition for men (and women) in this country is cardiovascular disease. There are many blood markers that we look at in regards to cardiovascular disease including a full lipid profile. We also look at inflammatory markers such as CRP and Homocysteine to determine the underlying risk for a cardiovascular incident. Did you know that several B-vitamins play a role in where these inflammatory markers fall? What testing have you received to determine how deficient or sufficient you are in these critical nutrients?
DEPRESSION
Depression is a growing concern for men (and women) throughout the United States. There are many different factors that influence the development of this condition. Some common factors however include proper nutrition, digestion, vitamin sufficiency, and balance within the gut microbiome (all of the organisms that live in the gut). Many researchers link inflammation as a root cause in the development of depression and many patients' lifestyle choices drive inflammation in the body.
DIABETES & BLOOD SUGAR REGULATION
Proper blood glucose levels are crucial for overall health. Many things can contribute to improper blood sugar handling such as the types of foods we consume, when they are consumed, as well as stress and proper adrenal gland function. Again, we look at lab markers including blood glucose, Hemoglobin A1C and many other markers to determine how our patients are doing in maintaining a stable blood sugar level and minimizing the risk of this disease.
HORMONE FUNCTION
It is worth noting that blood sugar is intimately involved in proper hormone function. Insulin surges can up-regulate aromatase, an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. In men, this often looks like increased abdominal fat, gynecomastia (development of breast tissue in men), depression, fatigue, loss of muscle mass, loss of libido, and erectile dysfunction. In the functional medicine world, we call this andropause or “manopause”. There are several labs we look at, blood sugar markers being some of them, to get an idea of if this could be behind your symptoms.
NEXT STEPS
As experienced providers in root cause healthcare and functional medicine, we look forward to helping optimize your health! Click here for more information or to schedule an appointment.
