It is beyond dispute that Peyronie's is associated with multiple causative factors. I would also argue that all of these factors are metabolically interconnected.
DHEA: Low levels of DHEA are seen in many of the autoimmune diseases, and higher daily intake of DHEA is associated with improvement of symptoms in many. A typical daily dose of DHEA for autoimmunity would be 50-200mg per day. However, since DHEA is a hormone, doses in excess of 50mg per day should be supervised by a physician. A male hormone profile or female hormone profile which includes evaluation of DHEA should be performed at the beginning of treatment to monitor hormone levels.
http://drmyattswellnessclub.com/autoimmune.htmResearch has pinpointed low DHEA levels as a marker for many degenerative diseases and accelerated aging. The hormone has been implicated as a contributing factor in a host of health problems, including Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune disease and other immunological disorders, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, memory problems, obesity, osteoporosis, and stress disorders.
What's more, the collective indirect evidence from more than 5,000 published studies overwhelmingly supports DHEA's anti-aging role. Scientists now have proof that DHEA: * Enhances immunity
http://www.anti-agingmd.com/dhea.htmlIn a study of ten women with the autoimmune disease Sjogren's syndrome, all were shown to have decreased serum concentrations of DHEA-S and an increased cortisol/DHEA-S ratio compared with healthy controls (Valtysdottir et al. 2001).
http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-017.shtmlDecreased levels of DHEA have been found in people with autoimmune disorders like lupus and immune deficiency syndrome. ... In patients with lupus, an autoimmune disease where the body attacks itself, studies show that DHEA helps regulate the immune system and may reduce the need for medication and slow the frequency of flare-ups. Clinical tests are ongoing to test how DHEA treats other diseases as well as autoimmune disorders.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/12040-increase-dhea-reduce-chances-autoimmune/I could go on and on. There are tons of citations out there discussing the association between DHEA blood levels and
auto-immune disease. The fact is, DHEA is one of the major NATURAL steroids in the body. What do they give to treat
auto-immune disease? Usually some sort of synthetic steroid.
Nestler showed, in several different ways, that increased levels of insulin drive DHEA levels down. Nestler also cited evidence obtained in his laboratory that insulin inhibits the adrenal 17,20-lyase activity in man that is needed for DHEA synthesis (JCEM 74: 362-7, 1992) In addition, according to Peter Hornsby's talk, insulin increases the activity of the 3HSD enzyme that destroys DHEA. Thus, insulin both inhibits the synthesis of DHEA and accelerates the breakdown of DHEA. However, DHEA has no effect on insulin levels, and has no effect on insulin sensitivity (type II diabetes) in humans.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag95/95sep4.htmNote: I DISAGREE with Nestler's assertion that DHEA has no effect on insulin sensitivity. I believe that the relationship between insulin and DHEA is a metabolic loop. Both have an effect on each other. The more insulin, the less DHEA. The more DHEA, the less insulin. What REALLY effects this loop on both ends is blood sugar levels and PRE-EXISTING insulin resistance.
Insulin is used to lower blood sugar. Insulin can also lower the amount of DHEA in the body. By lowering DHEA in the body, insulin might lower the effectiveness of DHEA supplements.
http://www.rxlist.com/dhea-page3/supplements.htm
Again, I could go on and on with references here.
FINALLY, I would point out the OBVIOUS. An increase in blood sugar levels causes an increase in insulin levels as the body struggles to metabolize serum glucose.
So ... its
BLOOD SUGAR ↑ → INSULIN ↑ → DHEA ↓ → AUTOIMMUNE RISK ↑ And that spells out the connection. Lowering blood sugar levels AND blood insulin levels AND supplementing with DHEA are keys to lowering autoimmune activity in the body. - George
Oh ... and by the way ... some believe the cause is genetic. But what causes genetic damage?
In vitro studies showed that insulin induced the number of AP sites (apurinic/apyrimidinic sites, a bio-marker of DNA damage), and this effect was dependent on high FASN expression. NMU (DNA alkylating agent)-induced colon cancer cell apoptosis was enhanced by the silencing of FASN. These collaborative results suggest that SPI diet decreases circulating insulin levels, colon FASN expression, and insulin-induced DNA damage, and attenuates FASN-mediated anti-apoptosic activity, to exert its cancer-preventive actions in the colon.
So there you are again. Autoimmune activity, genetic damage, etc. etc. ... What is capable of causing ALL of the above? TOO MUCH INSULIN!
So why do I keep taking this back to blood sugar issues? Because what are you going to do to control autoimmunity? It gets pretty complicated. Again, what are you going to do to deal with genetic damage? Again, pretty complicated. But when you follow all of this upstream to blood sugar levels, it gets simpler. Lifestyle. Diet and Exercise. Thats where you can get leverage over the whole string of issues that follow. Its the root of the problem where you can actually make a difference by taking a few relatively simple steps. Pumping up DHEA-s levels is also not complicated. So why drive this into areas where there is little hope for help? Why not deal with those things we CAN deal with and by doing that actually having beneficial effect on those things we CAN'T address directly?