CAUSES of Peyronie's Disease - started 2005

[Tim468]

Viagra has helped me when my T was below 140. However, I did not have total ED, but simply weaker than I wanted (or needed).

Tim

[BrooksBro]

Thanks for that comment Tim.  I truly believe we are each an experiment of one.  Friday I learned that I have below normal testosterone level; not nearly to your 140.  Applying Testim gel for the next 30 days, I hope to find out if this is my cause for the few spontaneous night time erections and decreased viagra effectivness.  I last had my testosterone checked about 6 years ago, when I first started viagra for ED, and it was reported as normal then.  

Viagra has helped me when my T was below 140. However, I did not have total ED, but simply weaker than I wanted (or needed).Tim

[newguy]

Thanks for that comment Tim.  I truly believe we are each an experiment of one.  Friday I learned that I have below normal testosterone level; not nearly to your 140.  Applying Testim gel for the next 30 days, I hope to find out if this is my cause for the few spontaneous night time erections and decreased viagra effectivness.  I last had my testosterone checked about 6 years ago, when I first started viagra for ED, and it was reported as normal then.  

Viagra has helped me when my T was below 140. However, I did not have total ED, but simply weaker than I wanted (or needed).Tim

Soundds like a reasonable approach. Please do let us know if you have success .

[BrooksBro]

One word describes my very new experience - WOW!  

I applied the Testim gel Saturday morning.  I awoke twice Saturday night with a full erection.  I applied the gel again Sunday morning, and was again awakened twice Sunday night/early Monday morning.  

Rather than being a medicine, where it has to be taken for a while to achieve a therapeutic level, this seems to be a direct replacement or supplement to a natural body regulator.  HOW it works is less important to me than that it DOES work.  

I feel like I am on the threshold of the meds I have been taking finally having the right environment for them to work.  

Since there is life in the blood, and the blood is now flowing to the right places, let the healing begin!

[slowandsteady]

Since there is life in the blood, and the blood is now flowing to the right places, let the healing begin!

I hope it makes a difference for you. Low testosterone levels haven't prevented or cured my Peyronies Disease though. For the last few years my serum testosterone has been over 700 ng/dL.

s&s

[lizagill]

Thanks for sharing this informative information. I have got lot of information. Please keep sharing more and more information.


This member banned for creating a spam account.

[pdnoob]

fwiw, I suspect lizagill is actually just a bot.  I'm not allowed to post links, but if you search Google for the exact text of "her" comments, you'll find them duplicated ad nauseum on health sites around the web.

[newguy]

fwiw, I suspect lizagill is actually just a bot.  I'm not allowed to post links, but if you search Google for the exact text of "her" comments, you'll find them duplicated ad nauseum on health sites around the web.

Correct. It all led up to posting a link about 'cheap viagra'. Someone else, posted some casino links yestesterday. I reported both of them, so they will likely soon be removed. I'm sure people wouldn't mind if the links were actually intended to be informative, but that's not the case with either of these. It's very easy to spot people signing up, posting 2 or 3 nonsense posts, then some links, so their efforts are wasted anyway.

(feel free to delete this message mods)

[Tim468]

Maybe Lizagill is simply interested in EVERYTHING related to "health"!

Tim

[George999]

I am currently pushing my docs for a never ending string of lab tests and I suspect that is now beginning to get interesting.  At some point around five years ago or more, before I contracted Peyronie's, my doctor mentioned that I was testing low on total serum protein in my blood.  He then commented that doctors were seeing a lot of this and were not really concerned about it and were basically writing it off as flaky results from the lab.  Now years later, my neurologist did a rather complete protein scan on my blood.  That test shows ONE protein to be radically low.  That protein is Alpha 1 Globulin.  This protein is produced by the liver and its major purpose is to protect elastin rich tissue from immune system attack.  The main concern when this is low is, of course, lung tissue.  Anybody other than myself see anything possibly interesting about this?  I have not yet discussed this with the doctors, my next appointment is in about two weeks.  I find this whole sequence very curious at this point.  - George

Wikipedia Referrence:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_1-antitrypsin

[slowandsteady]

Wikipedia Referrence:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_1-antitrypsin

Interesting line of reasoning. The wikipedia article says

Disorders of this protein include alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, a hereditary disorder in which a deficiency of alpha 1-antitrypsin leads to a chronic uninhibited tissue breakdown.

Looking at my 23andme.com report, I have the PiMM variant, meaning I should have normal serum level of A1AT according to my genes. I'm about to have some bloodwork done. I think I'll spring for this test too.

[George999]

You know, I think that what we are looking at here is the very real possibility that there are indeed multiple things that can lead to Peyronie's and this could just be one of them.  At this point, since starting the heavy duty Vitamin D3 protocol, the protein levels have not declined any further.  My hope of course is that this will reverse via epigenetic effect of high D3 levels, but of course there is no guarantee of that.  Certainly they will hopefully not decline further.  I do find it a bit disconcerting that multiple doctors simply told me not to worry about it.  Also disconcerting, that one of them told me point blank that he was seeing more of this issue in other patients.  - George

[snowydreams]

Is it possible that Peyronie's is just not a problem in the penis itself, but the connective tissue that connects and the penis to the pubis and tissue in the pubis?  When my Peyronie's symptoms first began, there was no curvature in the penis itself, but in the angle of the nocturnal erection(from a 90 degrees straight up to 40 degrees pointing towards the pelvis).  When I have mentioned this to the urologists I have seen, almost all of them denied this.  

[LWillisjr]

snowydreams,
It has been well documented that Peyronies Disease is a condition of scaring or scar tissue on the tunica itself.

I'm not following your description of a problem dealing with the connective tissue that attaches the penis to the pubis. You reference a 90 degree angel which would imply your erection is pointing straight up and possibly flat against your abdomen. And then an additional 40 degree bend would mean your erection is pointing into your abdomen?

[snowydreams]

nowydreams,
It has been well documented that Peyronies Disease is a condition of scaring or scar tissue on the tunica itself.

I'm not following your description of a problem dealing with the connective tissue that attaches the penis to the pubis. You reference a 90 degree angel which would imply your erection is pointing straight up and possibly flat against your abdomen. And then an additional 40 degree bend would mean your erection is pointing into your abdomen?HuhHuh

I meant 90 degrees skyward, not towards the abdomen, and that only after the problem began, did it the erection point towards the abdomen.

[Tim468]

Since the penis originates from the base of the abdominal wall, it can't "point at it" - at most it can lie flat against it.

If there is any dorsal curve to the penis, though, it can curve up and back towards the abdomen - certainly.

I do not think that anyone would call a contracture of the suspensory ligaments at the dorsal base of the penis "Peyronie's Disease". I have not heard of that happening - but I suppose it could contract, leading to a more upwards angle, or even coming to lie flat against the belly if that happened.

It seems more likely that there was a scarring of the tunica on the dorsum of the penis leading to an increased upwards angulation - perhaps even located deep to the small (or sometimes not so small) layer of fat just above the penis.

Tim

[snowydreams]

Since the penis originates from the base of the abdominal wall, it can't "point at it" - at most it can lie flat against it.

I meant the head of the penis and it is as you have described it.

I do not think that anyone would call a contracture of the suspensory ligaments at the dorsal base of the penis "Peyronie's Disease". I have not heard of that happening - but I suppose it could contract, leading to a more upwards angle, or even coming to lie flat against the belly if that happened.

It seems more likely that there was a scarring of the tunica on the dorsum of the penis leading to an increased upwards angulation - perhaps even located deep to the small (or sometimes not so small) layer of fat just above the penis.

Thanks for the reponse.

[slowandsteady]

Now years later, my neurologist did a rather complete protein scan on my blood.  That test shows ONE protein to be radically low.  That protein is Alpha 1 Globulin.

I received my blood test results for Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (from wiki, "Alpha 1-antitrypsin is the main enzyme of the alpha-globulin 1 region"). My level was 119 mg/dL, and the reference range is 90-200 mg/dL. FWIW. I should be getting the amino acid profile results soon too.

[George999]

Now years later, my neurologist did a rather complete protein scan on my blood.  That test shows ONE protein to be radically low.  That protein is Alpha 1 Globulin.

I received my blood test results for Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (from wiki, "Alpha 1-antitrypsin is the main enzyme of the alpha-globulin 1 region"). My level was 119 mg/dL, and the reference range is 90-200 mg/dL. FWIW. I should be getting the amino acid profile results soon too.

Interesting ... My suspicion is that we each have very different combinations of individual factors converging to make us vulnerable to Peyronie's.  Some are probably genetic, others related to age, others environmental.  - George

[didi20031]

hi!

I am wondering for I while now if what we all call "peyronies disease" is really the same thing in all the different cases described on this site. I seriously doubt it! Reading many of the threads and thinking about my own experience I have the impression that there are (at least!!) two different patterns:

1) peyronies after an injury. this seems to progress more or less in a way that is described as "classic" (active stage / chronic stage).

2) the more unpredictable form of peyronies seems to be that described by men who do not remember any injury (like me). In fact my problems started 2 years ago with pain during erections and a (at that time very small) lump near the head of my penis. Since that day I have observed lumps and pain coming and (some of them) going. I am still waiting for some kind of a stable phase in order to get back a (more or less) "normal" sex life...

One year ago I was diagnosed with M. Ledderhose (1 lump on my right foot) too.

So I feel that the second case is somehow more serious since the cause there seems to be an "error" in the "genetic program"?!

Just wanted to give my thoughts on this f*** disease. Please let me have your opinions about it. Maybe the MDs here on the forum can tell if my "theory" is worth being considered or if it's only stupid thoughts of a layman...

I wish you guys all the best!!!
didi

[BrooksBro]

Now that you have both Peyronie's and Lederhosen, Dupuytren's is also possible.  Then there is vitiligo, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, and erectile dysfunction.  All these conditions are often found together, and all can be genetic.  I am not a doctor, nor have I ever portrayed one, except as a young child and with my wife (woo hoo!); I have all these conditions.

Thinking with my second brain, as long as I can achieve an erection and successfully engage in intercourse, these are tolerable.  Lederhosen does not affect my running, and Dupuytrens does not affect my daily activities.  Maintaining a minimal suntan covers up the vitiligo (for now).  The other conditions are significantly resolved with medication and physical therapy (VED & traction).

For me, until the day I trade this fragile body for an eternal one, coping with these conditions is preferred to diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and many other debilitating conditions.  

[didi20031]

so, you want to tell me that it is very likely that I will get all of these conditions???

[didi20031]

I thought my thread could have been an interesting basis for discussion. It is ignored instead...

[BrooksBro]

Not at all!  And, I sure hope NOT!  There is some common thread to all of them, that's all.  

so, you want to tell me that it is very likely that I will get all of these conditions???

[newguy]

I thought my thread could have been an interesting basis for discussion. It is ignored instead...

I'd say that it's very unlikely that you'll suffer from all conditions associated with peyronie's disease. How's the condition of your peyronie's disease? Are you still taking pentox and has it helped with the slight curvature that you mentioned had appeared in April 2009?

[George999]

Didi, like many diseases, Peyronie's most likely results from a combination of factors which are different in different individuals.  As such, it is probably more a syndrome than a disease, but since the outward manifestations are the same or nearly the same, it all gets shoehorned into the same box.  Certainly a major component is inflammation of a sort that Pentoxifylline and the VED both address.  So there are common treatments.  Additionally, genetic damage and/or predispositions are also likely to play a major role which is why I advocate Vitamin D which is known to be a genetic regulator as well as being an anti-inflammatory.  So you can split hairs and say that it is really "many" diseases and not one, but you could probably do the same thing with everything from Metabolic Syndrome to Multiple Sclerosis.  - George

[didi20031]

@BrooksBro
thanks! It's only that I found your post a little "shocking". I am 35 and I still hope that there is something like a future with an nice partner for me!

@newguy
Let's hope so!! peyronie's and ledderhose is really enough for me to deal with!
my peyronie's is a neverending up and down story. plaques come and go (yes they do!) and so does pain and discomfort. However, even if the plaques go away they seem to leave some damage since my erections are less hard than they used to be   and my penis has lost a lot of its sensitivity.
I am into this for exactly two years now. I was hoping to enter the "stable phase" but I doubt that it exists in the meantime... yes, I am still on pentox. if it works or not? hard to say. as I mentioned, my plaques usually resolve after approx. 3-6 months. curvature is still minor and getting better at the moment. dents on the shaft have resolved (only the most recent one is visible at the moment) and only a minor loss of girth directly below the glans seems to be permanent up to now. maybe it's because of pentox, maybe it's the how peyronie's works in my special case...
even the erections change. there are periods when they are good (except for the glans which is permanently softer than in my pre-peyronies days) and periods when I am really in panic... I still don't know if it is in my head or if the peyronies is responsible for it.  

@George
I agree with you on the fact that it does not matter for us if it s one disease or 10. But for research it may have to be considered. After more than 200 years they still don't know what causes peyronies. There has to be a reason for that?!

[newguy]

didi20031 - Did the plaques resolves within 3-6 months, before you started taking pentox? i'd definitely stick with it. It's a shame that you experience further bouts, but maybe a common oral routine (pentox, l-arginine, viagra/cialis..vitamin d, maybe pycnogenol too. I've written about a few of the treatments I take in my latest peyronie's disease blog post.). Combined this with gentle VED use can help you to avoid or lessen the extent that this condition troubles you. It's positive thast you're doing something to keep on top of this.

[didi20031]

newguy, I started taking pentox very early (approx. 3-4 months) after I had noticed the first changes in my penis and I never stopped taking it.

[chilton]

Hi, thanks for sharing with me some good informations. I am very glad to know about causes of Peyronie's Disease, it is very useful to me.


Thanks

----------

[boomerang]

Hi didi,  I have had many of the symptoms you describe.  Peyronie's (recently), Dupuytrens (10 years), Hypodontia (missing teeth) from birth, the beginnings of Ledderhose (last 3 years), migraines in my youth and later as flashing zig zag lines in my peripheral vision, sugar craving, exhaustion, memory problems, learning difficulties, seeing stars, Paroxysmal Atrial fibrillation, balance problems, ear problems, the list goes on.  However I think all of these can be explained by my genetic make up and my blood being too thick.
From birth and before we are surrounded by a cloud of tens of thousands of different microbial parasites.  Our genetic make up determines which of these will cause us problems.

Most doctors will be unable to understand the following explanation because they have no technical background. Present medical tests will not pick up any of the causes of peyronie's I fear.

My reading of it is that infections particularly cardio vascular infections cause the blood to thicken for one reason or another.  In my case I suspect fibrinogen and fibrin as the main culprits.  Inflammation causes fibrinogen to turn into fibre called fibrin.  This thickens the blood and coats the blood vessels and makes it difficult for the red cells to squeeze through the capillaries.  Red cells in healthy people are bigger than the capillaries so have to distort and squeeze through.  

If they can't do this easily due to the blood being too thick (for any reason, too much fibrin, too many platelets, blood cells too large, too much or any blood component) then the person will suffer from lack of oxygen to the cell tissue (even though the blood tests show full oxygen levels), lack of glucose (energy the cells need) and lack of nutrients to the cells.

If this happens over a long period of time the body and organs will malfunction but the symptoms will take a very long time to appear and will be random in nature.  Two people with exactly the same cause for having thick blood will probably show entirely different symptoms at first.  Eventually if they live long enough they will get more and more matching symptoms.

Hence why I take Neprinol. Not only does it thin the blood but it removes Fibrin in the form of scar tissue.   I had a painful Ganglion and since taking 9 neprinol capsules a day for six months it has disappeared (3 capsules at once  half an hour before meals with a glass of water).  Not only that but I had a very sore site where a cyst had been removed and this has cleared up totally.  I have my erection back but still a bent penis. I am trying VED and traction.  And will look into Pentox and L-Argenine.  However please can you let me know what you think works best.  

Taking this much Neprinol works but the only drawback is that I cannot touch alcohol.  One drop and the room spins round all night.  Also caffeine is very bad too.  Apart from that I have my life back and I can mountain bike without getting out of breath.  I would say I feel 20 years younger.  Amazing!

I wonder what the reaction will be if I take pentox or l-argenine?

I think that it could be that people with an underlying infection of the cardio vascular system suffer from peyronie's after an injury because parasites are opportunistic.

See my post about my theory and taking Quinine.

Cheers, Boom

hi!

I am wondering for I while now if what we all call "peyronies disease" is really the same thing in all the different cases described on this site. I seriously doubt it! Reading many of the threads and thinking about my own experience I have the impression that there are (at least!!) two different patterns:

1) peyronies after an injury. this seems to progress more or less in a way that is described as "classic" (active stage / chronic stage).

2) the more unpredictable form of peyronies seems to be that described by men who do not remember any injury (like me). In fact my problems started 2 years ago with pain during erections and a (at that time very small) lump near the head of my penis. Since that day I have observed lumps and pain coming and (some of them) going. I am still waiting for some kind of a stable phase in order to get back a (more or less) "normal" sex life...

One year ago I was diagnosed with M. Ledderhose (1 lump on my right foot) too.

So I feel that the second case is somehow more serious since the cause there seems to be an "error" in the "genetic program"?!

Just wanted to give my thoughts on this f*** disease. Please let me have your opinions about it. Maybe the MDs here on the forum can tell if my "theory" is worth being considered or if it's only stupid thoughts of a layman...

I wish you guys all the best!!!
didi

[BillyJ]

I had a very gradual change to the tunica along the dorsum (top when looking down) of my penis over many years. I gardually developed a cord like thing that ran the length. I also developed a very gradual narrowing of the tip (maybe last third?) that led to s perceptible (to me) tapering of the end of my penis. This happened gradually over many years - it never felt either stable or unstable - it was that slow. I DID feel like i knew when it was active and happening - hard to explain.

Then, I developed several new dents along the side, all on the left side in the last few years.

So, for me, either can seem to happen. New things come along, and old things gradually can change.

Tim

Tim468,


I read your post Tim468 and it  sounds much like what I am experiencing.  I am pretty distressed by this condition and haven't found a path of treatment that seems to be working.   I wonder if you (or others here) may have any suggestions?  I do not have the "classic" peyronie's effects like deflection or hourglass..I just noticed the narrowing at the tip...or "last third" or "tapering" as you referred to it. Penis size is reduced and length. I can feel some hard lumps inside ,  on top of shaft and the "cord" sensation running along the top of shaft to seems to be presenting more. The tip is softer than rest of erection too. I have been to urologist and he wants to try Verapramil injections. I am also using DMSO topically.  Concomitant symptoms seem to be occasional pain in right inquinal and umbilical areas, so I had ultrasounds for abdominal hernias, results negative.  Right testicle not descending properly either.

I noticed the narrowing occur a month after a slight sexual injury...during intercourse I felt like something changed...no pain....at first...there was just a sensation like "an inner covering slipped back..down the penis if that makes any sense.

After the injury..I had pain at the tip of penis during sex..for a couple weeks I could not tolerate any flexing of penis away from body while erect.  

The tapering started occurring after...no pain...just softness at tip and decreasing in erection size etc.

Any insight or suggestions  would be greatly appreciated,

Thank you

BillyJ

[BrooksBro]

Factors affecting the degree of penile deformity in Peyronie's disease: An analysis of 1001 patients - Abstract

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

Only a few studies have investigated the association between the severity of Peyronie's disease (Peyronies Disease) and clinical parameters such as age and associated comorbidities.

The aim of this study was to report the relationship between the degree of the curvature of the penis and the clinical parameters among patients with Peyronies Disease. A total of 1,001 patients with Peyronies Disease were evaluated retrospectively in terms of penile deformity, erectile status and risk factors for systemic vascular diseases. The degree of curvature was assessed with a protractor during maximum erection in response to a combined injection and stimulation (CIS) test and/or vacuum device. A modified Kelami classification was used to categorize penile deformities; Chi-square tests, one way ANOVA and univariate and multiple ordinal regression analyses were used for statistical analysis.    

- patients with deformities without a curvature (notching, hourglass and swan neck deformity, Group 1) - 12.3%
- with mild (≤ 30°, Group 2) - 39.5%
- moderate (31-60°, Group 3) - 34.5%
- severe curvatures (>60°, Group 4) - 13.5%

Multiple ordinal regression analysis identified significant independent predictors of the severity of the penile curvature.

- age (p = 0.013)
- side of deformity (p = 0.007)
- erectile dysfunction (p < 0.0001)
- diabetes mellitus (DM) (p = 0.001)

In conclusion, patients' age, side of deformity, erectile function and DM were significantly associated with the degree of curvature.

Written by:  Kadioglu A, Sanli O, Akman T, Canguven O, Aydin M, Akbulut F, Kucukdurmaz F.  

[Scorpiries]

- patients with deformities without a curvature (notching, hourglass and swan neck deformity, Group 1) - 12.3% - with mild (≤ 30°, Group 2) - 39.5% - moderate (31-60°, Group 3) - 34.5% - severe curvatures (>60°, Group 4) - 13.5%

hello, i would like to know what category i'm in... my curve is about 30degrees to the right.. seems like i'm in mild case of peyronies according to what i've read from the previous post... but am i still able to have intercourse without hurting myself nor my partner with this degree of curvature? and what does it mean by hourglass deformity? is the dented area which cause the penis to start bend over is called hourglass deformity? is there any peyronies sufferer who dont have this dented area/part?

[swolf]

I wasn't sure where to post this, but here's a short piece on metabolic syndrome that others might find interesting (I personally don't really understand it):

The Epidemic of Obesity, Diabetes and "Metabolic Syndrome:" Cell Energy Adaptations in a Toxic World?

"Metabolic syndrome" (MetSyn) has been termed the "Epidemic of the 21st century." MetSyn is an accretion of symptoms, including high body mass index (weight-for-height), high blood sugar, high blood pressure (BP), high blood triglycerides, high waist circumference (central/visceral fat deposition), and/or reduced HDL-cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol. Epidemics of Obesity and diabetes are intertwined with, and accompany, the meteoric rise in MetSyn.

The prevalent view is that MetSyn is due to a glut of food calories ("energy") consumed, and a dearth of exercise energy expended, spurring weight gain—an "energy surfeit"—with the other features arising in consequence. After all, we have more access to calories, and are more often sedentary, than in times gone by. In turn, MetSyn factors are each linked, in otherwise-healthy young populations, to higher mortality.

But this normative view leaves many questions unanswered: Why do elements of MetSyn correlate? Why are overweight people today more likely to have diabetes than hitherto? Why are elements of MetSyn now emerging in infancy? Why is MetSyn materializing in poor and third-world nations?

http://edge.org/response-detail/2846/what-is-your-favorite-deep-elegant-or-beautiful-explanation

[George999]

This piece is VERY interesting indeed, and very true.  And when you have a coherent theory of how the syndrome develops, the answer to the questions become clear and the whole thing becomes easier to understand.

1)  

Why do elements of MetSyn correlate?

Answer:  Because MetSyn develops on the genetic and cellular levels which causes it to have metabolic effects that are to SOME DEGREE uniform.

2)  

Why are overweight people today more likely to have diabetes than hitherto?

Answer:  Because the weight gain we are seeing today is occurring for different reasons than the weight gain experienced by previous generations.  Weight gain, while a contributor to the problem, is not the key to the problem.  That is why a number of NORMAL weight, NORMAL BMI people are developing type II diabetes.

3)  

Why are elements of MetSyn now emerging in infancy?

Because the genetic factor means that their is a partial transmission of MetSyn vulnerabilities from mother to child, AND infants are increasingly being fed differently than infants of previous generations.

4)  

Why is MetSyn materializing in poor and third-world nations?

Because poor and third-world nations are gradually adopting western food and lifestyle habits that are putting them at increasing risk of MetSyn.

A HUGE part of the problem is that too much research is tainted by large amounts of money from corporate interests that have a vested interest in maintaining the mystery surrounding MetSyn.  As people learn the truth about MetSyn, these corporate interests will see their profits decline and their businesses shrink.  Thus their strategy is typically to throw as much confusion into the mix as possible.  And they are VERY good at doing that.

Back before the widespread introduction of refined carbohydrate products, MetSyn was practically unheard of.  The person who gets overweight from eating too much fats will indeed have health problems as a result.  But refined carbs make it much easier to over eat AND make MetSyn the most likely consequence of the resulting weight gain.  In fact, with a diet high in refined carbs, even people who don't gain weight are at high risk for MetSyn.  Late breaking studies even indicate that obese people actually eat LESS than normal weight people.  The key problem lies NOT in how many calories they are consuming, but in WHAT they are consuming.  Because WHAT they are consuming will CAUSE them to consume more calories until their metabolism is out of whack and from that point on, it really does not matter how they try to restrict calories, they will NOT be able to loose weight.  In order to lose weight, they will have to severely modify WHAT they are consuming, not simply just HOW MUCH they are consuming.

- George

I wasn't sure where to post this, but here's a short piece on metabolic syndrome that others might find interesting (I personally don't really understand it):

The Epidemic of Obesity, Diabetes and "Metabolic Syndrome:" Cell Energy Adaptations in a Toxic World?

"Metabolic syndrome" (MetSyn) has been termed the "Epidemic of the 21st century." MetSyn is an accretion of symptoms, including high body mass index (weight-for-height), high blood sugar, high blood pressure (BP), high blood triglycerides, high waist circumference (central/visceral fat deposition), and/or reduced HDL-cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol. Epidemics of Obesity and diabetes are intertwined with, and accompany, the meteoric rise in MetSyn.

The prevalent view is that MetSyn is due to a glut of food calories ("energy") consumed, and a dearth of exercise energy expended, spurring weight gain—an "energy surfeit"—with the other features arising in consequence. After all, we have more access to calories, and are more often sedentary, than in times gone by. In turn, MetSyn factors are each linked, in otherwise-healthy young populations, to higher mortality.

But this normative view leaves many questions unanswered: Why do elements of MetSyn correlate? Why are overweight people today more likely to have diabetes than hitherto? Why are elements of MetSyn now emerging in infancy? Why is MetSyn materializing in poor and third-world nations?

http://edge.org/response-detail/2846/what-is-your-favorite-deep-elegant-or-beautiful-explanation

[swolf]

from http://edge.org/response-detail/2846/what-is-your-favorite-deep-elegant-or-beautiful-explanation:

But a central factor is the explosion of oxidative stressors in our environment which disrupt function of (and DNA in) mitochondria, cells' energy-producers, E.g.:

·     Metals and heavy metals (mercury in fish, high fructose corn syrup, broken light bulbs; arsenic to promote poultry growth; aluminum vaccine adjuvants—with proliferating childhood vaccinations)
·     Plastics with bisphenol A
·     Personal care products (chemicals in sunscreens, lotions, hairdyes, cosmetics, detergents, fabric softeners/dryer sheets, conditioners)
·     Cleaning products
·     Furnishings/clothes with formaldehyde (pressboard, no-iron cotton)
·     Petrochemicals, combustion products
·     Electromagnetic fields (electronics, cellphones, smart-meters)
·     Fire retardants (pajamas, bedding)
·     Dry-cleaning chemicals
·     Air "fresheners"
·     Pesticides, herbicides (potent oxidative stressors, now routinely applied at homes, recreational-sites, professional buildings)
·     Termite tenting
·     Prescription and OTC drugs including antibiotics—with exposure directly and through our food supply
·     Antimicrobial soaps bearing active ingredients largely unfilterable from the water supply
·     Air and water pollutants/contaminants
·     Artificial ingredients in foods—transfats, artificial-sweeteners, dyes, preservatives.

article on flame-retardant chemicals, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/magazine/arlene-blums-crusade-against-household-toxins.html?_r=1:

Since 1975, an obscure California agency called the Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation has mandated that the foam inside upholstered furniture be able to withstand exposure to a small flame, like a candle or cigarette lighter, for 12 seconds without igniting. Because foam is highly flammable, the bureau's regulation, Technical Bulletin 117, can be met only by adding large quantities of chemical flame retardants — usually about 5 to 10 percent of the weight of the foam — at the point of manufacture. The state's size makes it impractical for furniture makers to keep separate inventories for different markets, so about 80 percent of the home furniture and most of the upholstered office furniture sold in the United States complies with California's regulation. "We live in a foam-filled world, and a lot of the foam is filled with these chemicals," Blum says.
...
The problem is that flame retardants don't seem to stay in foam. High concentrations have been found in the bodies of creatures as geographically diverse as salmon, peregrine falcons, cats, whales, polar bears and Tasmanian devils. Most disturbingly, a recent study of toddlers in the United States conducted by researchers at Duke University found flame retardants in the blood of every child they tested. The chemicals are associated with an assortment of health concerns, including antisocial behavior, impaired fertility, decreased birth weight, diabetes, memory loss, undescended testicles, lowered levels of male hormones and hyperthyroidism.
...
There are many flame retardants in use, the components of which are often closely held trade secrets. Some of the older ones, like the PBDEs, have been the subject of thousands of studies and have since been taken off the market (although many of us still have them in our furniture). Newer ones like Chemtura's Firemaster 550 are just starting to be analyzed, even though it is now one of the most commonly used flame retardants in furniture.

Logic would suggest that any new chemical used in consumer products be demonstrably safer than a compound it replaces, particularly one taken off the market for reasons related to human health. But of the 84,000 industrial chemicals registered for use in the United States, only about 200 have been evaluated for human safety by the Environmental Protection Agency. That's because industrial chemicals are presumed safe unless proved otherwise, under the 1976 federal Toxic Substances Control Act.

When evidence begins to mount that a chemical endangers human health, manufacturers tend to withdraw it from the market and replace it with something whose effects — and often its ingredients — are unknown. The makeup of the flame retardant Firemaster 550, for instance, is considered a proprietary trade secret. At a recent conference, Stapleton discussed a small, unpublished study in which she fed female rats low doses of Firemaster 550. The exposed mothers' offspring gained more weight, demonstrated more anxiety, hit puberty earlier and had abnormal reproductive cycles when compared with unexposed offspring — all signs that the chemical disrupts the endocrine system.
....
Still, the market is growing. In 1983, 526 million pounds of fire retardants were sold in the United States. By 2014, according to the Freedonia Group, a consulting firm, global demand is expected to reach 4.9 billion pounds. Whereas the sales of most chemicals are driven by consumer demand, flame retardants are marketed somewhat differently. They don't kill weeds or whiten smiles or freshen laundry. In fact, furniture makers complain that flame retardants make foam stiffer and less comfortable. What drives fire-retardant sales is regulation — like Technical Bulletin 117 in California or two recently passed laws in Maryland and Nevada requiring that flame retardants be added to the foam in school-bus seats. While industry as a whole typically complains about being over-regulated, this is a case in which regulation serves some business interests and frustrates others.
...
There was other good news too. In June, the governor of California, Jerry Brown, directed the Bureau of Home Furnishings to begin the process of revising TB 117 so that chemical flame retardants are no longer mandated. A draft of the new regulation, which is similar to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's smolder standard, was released in July and could be in effect by this time next year.
...
The flame retardants in furniture, she says, are just the tip of the iceberg — there are hundreds of millions of pounds more of them embedded in electronics and building insulation.

Maybe not a "cause," but certainly a contributing factor to modern health, in some way.

[George999]

swolf, All I can say is I agree with all of that.  - George

[skunkworks]

This thread is chock full of useful information and deserves a bump.  

[progress2016]

Peyronie's disease started 2 or 3 weeks after visit dentist. Opinion after research of my friends scientists, the cause of Peyronie's disease is the "Dexamethasone" (steroid) injection and also in some cases anesthetic injection that is given for the repair or extraction the tooth. My Peyronie's disease starts just after tooth surgery and I completely agree with opinion of scientists. Please let me know your experience and any similar case?

[kuaka]

Typical Federal Law.  "Toxic Substances Control Act" begins by assuming them safe...therefore does NOT control them.  Grr..