Progesterone

A sex hormone whose levels normally soar in the second half of the menstrual cycle can vastly increase a female monkey's chances of getting infected with a monkey version of HIV, researchers report.In a study directed by Dr. Preston A. Marx of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 14 out of 18 monkeys given the sex hormone progesterone became infected with the simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV as compared with 1 out of 10 monkeys that did not receive the hormone.

Here's a hot flash for you - or rather, a bunch of them. Rebecca Hulem is a Los Angeles-based nurse practitioner and consultant who is known as "The Menopause Expert." Her 2003 book, Feelin' Hot? A Humorous, Informative and Truthful Look at Menopause, is about ... well, the title is pretty self-explanatory. Hulem decided to write the book and to maintain a Web site (themenopauseexpert.com) after experiencing a particularly rocky Silent Passage. "I was having mood swings, fatigue, difficulty focusing," she says.

The tranquilizer Xanax can relieve the tension, irritability and aches of severe premenstrual syndrome, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center researchers say.Their study, published in Wednesday's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, also found that the hormone progesterone is not particularly effective in treating PMS, even though it has been widely prescribed for that purpose for more than a decade.Coming on the heels of a study that found Prozac can help with severe PMS, the new research offers yet more insight into the hormonal and nervous system interactions that trigger the mysterious malady.

A movie date, it turns out, can be more than a picture show. A psychologist at the University of Michigan has found that certain movies can crank up our hormone levels and perhaps alter our behavior. A romantic flick such as The Bridges of Madison County can increase our biochemical readiness to cuddle. But a violent The Godfather II can fire up a guy's testosterone, unleashing his assertive instincts and his libido. "Movies, like good books, arouse our emotions," said Oliver C. Schultheiss, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

You increase your chances of developing basal-cell skin cancers and melanomas if you expose your skin to sunlight or sunlamps, even if you apply a sunscreen.Sunlight is classified into shorter wavelengths called UV-B, longer wavelengths called UV-A, and the very long wavelengths that are used in black lights.Scientists used to think that the shorter UV-B rays caused cancer, while the longer UV-A and black light rays were far less likely to do so.DNA, the genetic material in cells, is known to absorb the short UV-B waves which disrupt the genetic messages and cause cancer.

Q: Is Norplant safe for teen-agers? How does it work? I have trouble remembering to take my birth control pills.A: Studies of Norplant use by teen-agers are just getting under way, but the information we have available suggests it should be safe for them. Norplant consists of six slender progesterone-containing rods that are inserted under the skin of the upper arm during a minor surgical procedure. The person inserting the rods has only to make a tiny incision in the skin with a small amount of local anesthetic.

The day after you exercise intensely, expect to feel sore and unable to exercise as comfortably as you did the previous day. Will you recover faster by exercising at a relaxed pace or by taking the day off?You recover faster from a particularly hard workout by taking the day off, but athletes training for competition don't usually do that. They exercise at a relaxed pace because it helps their muscles handle harder workouts in the future.Training for all sports involves the hard-easy principle.

When I heard about Depo-Provera, it sounded like the no-muss, no-fuss, long-acting contraceptive I had been wishing for. But shortly after the shot my sex drive disappeared.I guess it's no wonder women don't get pregnant if they all feel like I do. How long will this go on?The natural hormone progesterone can depress libido, and the ingredient in Depo-Provera, medroxyprogesterone, can have a similar effect.Some people are more susceptible to this side effect than others, and it sounds as if you are sensitive to this reaction.

Lord Kagan, 79, who made millions from the invention of a lightweight raincoat and bounced back from the disgrace of a prison term, died Tuesday in London. In 1980, he was convicted of false accounting, involving the export of denim and the theft of indigo dye. He served 202 days in prison and was stripped of his knighthood. He retained the peerage, which can only be invalidated by legislation.Adolf Butenandt, 91, whose pioneering work on hormones earned him the 1939 Nobel Prize in chemistry and helped lead to the development of the birth control pill, died yesterday after a long illness in Munich, Germany.

Q. My problem concerns treatment not for people but for my little dog. Last year, at 10 years of age, he developed severe separation anxiety. The vets have prescribed Benadryl, Valium, Prozac and phenobarbital over the course of the year. None has helped. We just can't leave him home anymore, which is sometimes inconvenient. I bought St. Johnswort for him, but have not used it. What do you think?A. We consulted Barbara Simpson, a member of the American College of Veterinary Behavior. She said your dog needs a thorough medical work-up for visual difficulty, hearing problems, cognitive dysfunction or thyroid trouble.

Q. My problem concerns treatment not for people but for my little dog. Last year, at 10 years of age, he developed severe separation anxiety. The vets have prescribed Benadryl, Valium, Prozac and phenobarbital over the course of the year. None has helped. We just can't leave him home anymore, which is sometimes inconvenient. I bought St. Johnswort for him, but have not used it. What do you think?A. We consulted Barbara Simpson, a member of the American College of Veterinary Behavior. She said your dog needs a thorough medical work-up for visual difficulty, hearing problems, cognitive dysfunction or thyroid trouble.

A sex hormone whose levels normally soar in the second half of the menstrual cycle can vastly increase a female monkey's chances of getting infected with a monkey version of HIV, researchers report.In a study directed by Dr. Preston A. Marx of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 14 out of 18 monkeys given the sex hormone progesterone became infected with the simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV as compared with 1 out of 10 monkeys that did not receive the hormone.

When I heard about Depo-Provera, it sounded like the no-muss, no-fuss, long-acting contraceptive I had been wishing for. But shortly after the shot my sex drive disappeared.I guess it's no wonder women don't get pregnant if they all feel like I do. How long will this go on?The natural hormone progesterone can depress libido, and the ingredient in Depo-Provera, medroxyprogesterone, can have a similar effect.Some people are more susceptible to this side effect than others, and it sounds as if you are sensitive to this reaction.

The tranquilizer Xanax can relieve the tension, irritability and aches of severe premenstrual syndrome, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center researchers say.Their study, published in Wednesday's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, also found that the hormone progesterone is not particularly effective in treating PMS, even though it has been widely prescribed for that purpose for more than a decade.Coming on the heels of a study that found Prozac can help with severe PMS, the new research offers yet more insight into the hormonal and nervous system interactions that trigger the mysterious malady.

Lord Kagan, 79, who made millions from the invention of a lightweight raincoat and bounced back from the disgrace of a prison term, died Tuesday in London. In 1980, he was convicted of false accounting, involving the export of denim and the theft of indigo dye. He served 202 days in prison and was stripped of his knighthood. He retained the peerage, which can only be invalidated by legislation.Adolf Butenandt, 91, whose pioneering work on hormones earned him the 1939 Nobel Prize in chemistry and helped lead to the development of the birth control pill, died yesterday after a long illness in Munich, Germany.

Women call it The Shot.Like its predecessor, The Pill, it promises freedom from pregnancy. But there is a big difference -- one that has women by the thousands flocking to ob-gyn offices, public clinics and student health centers across the country.Women have to remember to take The Pill daily. They have to get The Shot just once every three months.That difference seems to account for the growing and unexpected popularity of injectable Depo-Provera, approved as a contraceptive two years ago by the Food and Drug Administration.

All athletes have days and months when they become too tired to train effectively. Years ago, doctors thought that potassium and magnesium deficiencies caused chronic fatigue in athletes. Now we know that low body levels of these minerals are almost never the cause.As you become more fit, your blood volume can increase by as much as 20 percent. Your blood levels of potassium drop because the blood volume expands, diluting the minerals. This has no adverse affects and can increase your endurance.

Fifteen years ago, members of the Washington Redskins didn't drink fluids while they practiced in the summer temperatures at Carlisle, Pa.Six of their players, including their starting quarterback, passed out from heat strokes.When you exercise in hot weather, you should always drink before you feel thirsty.By the time you feel thirsty, you will have lost between two and four pounds of fluid; you will feel weak and tired; and you will be at increased risk for heat stroke.Thirst is a very late sign of dehydration.

All athletes have days and months when they become too tired to train effectively. Years ago, doctors thought that potassium and magnesium deficiencies caused chronic fatigue in athletes. Now we know that low body levels of these minerals are almost never the cause.As you become more fit, your blood volume can increase by as much as 20 percent. Your blood levels of potassium drop because the blood volume expands, diluting the minerals. This has no adverse affects and can increase your endurance.

You increase your chances of developing basal-cell skin cancers and melanomas if you expose your skin to sunlight or sunlamps, even if you apply a sunscreen.Sunlight is classified into shorter wavelengths called UV-B, longer wavelengths called UV-A, and the very long wavelengths that are used in black lights.Scientists used to think that the shorter UV-B rays caused cancer, while the longer UV-A and black light rays were far less likely to do so.DNA, the genetic material in cells, is known to absorb the short UV-B waves which disrupt the genetic messages and cause cancer.