Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 10/10/07.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Hormone Hoax: No Extra Benefit From Bioidentical Hormones - Doctor's Guide, 10/9/07 - "bioidentical compounded hormones (BCHs) ... conventional hormone therapy (CHT) ... Symptom relief from CHT and BCHs was similar except regarding sexual issues, where the response was significantly better for BCH than CHT"

Vitamin C May Slow Skin Wrinkling - WebMD, 10/8/07 - "After adjusting for other factors likely to influence skin aging, such as sun exposure and smoking, vitamin C and linoleic acid were independently associated with skin aging ... After digestion, linoleic acid is converted to DHA and EPA -- two fatty acids" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com and Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com. - Note:  I'm not sure that is correct.  Linoleic acid is an omega-6, which is not converted to DHA and EPA.  Most Americans get about ten time too much omega-6 already.

Limiting Refined Carbohydrates May Stall AMD Progression - Science Daily, 10/8/07 - "Our data showed those people in the high-glycemic-index group were at greater risk of AMD progression, especially those already in the late stages ... Participants who consumed the most refined carbohydrates were 17 percent more likely to develop blinding AMD than the group that consumed the least"

Folic Acid Lowers Blood Arsenic Levels, Study Shows - Science Daily, 10/8/07 - "treatment with 400 micrograms a day of folic acid, the U.S. recommended dietary allowance, reduced total blood arsenic levels in the study population by 14 percent"

Stimulant Treatment Linked With Improved Long-Term School Outcomes in ADHD - Medscape, 10/8/07 - "compared with the children with ADHD who did not receive stimulants, those who did were 1.8 times less likely to be held back a grade, and they had a lower rate of absenteeism"

Inflammation Linked to Eye Disease - WebMD, 10/8/07 - "participants with the highest CRP levels at the study's start were 40% more likely to develop early-stage AMD during the study, compared to those with the lowest initial CRP levels"

Drinking Tea May Slow Bone Loss - WebMD, 10/8/07 - "A new study shows elderly women who drank tea had higher bone density in their hips and less bone loss than women who didn't drink tea ... Previous studies have suggested that phytochemicals in tea, such as flavonoids, may be responsible for the protective effect against bone loss due to their estrogen-like properties"

Ginkgo Biloba Less Effective for Raynaud's Disease Than Nifedipine - Medscape, 10/8/07 - "According to the poster, the percentage change of attack rate after 8 weeks of treatment was 50.1% in the group N and 31% in the group ... If the patient felt strongly about not using the nifedipine, I probably would tell them [gingko] is something you could use, but it's not as effective"

Prostate Cancer Survival Varies by Season - washingtonpost.com, 10/7/07 - "Summer and autumn months correspond to times when vitamin D is highest (in Norway). Although the study does not prove vitamin D is the determining factor, it does suggest that this possibility should be studied further ... Compared with men diagnosed in the summer and fall, those diagnosed in the winter and spring were 20 percent more likely to die within three years after diagnosis" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Put the kettle on: Tea is steeped in health benefits - USATODAY.com, 10/7/07 - "Tea polyphenols, compounds with antioxidant activity, may protect against heart disease and a variety of cancers ... green and black tea, when substituted for drinking water, inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer cells implanted in mice ... compounds in green tea positively affect genes involved in cancer susceptibility and DNA repair" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Short-Course N-Acetylcysteine Effective for Acetaminophen Overdose - Medscape, 10/5/07 - "A shortened course of as few as six oral doses of N-acetylcysteine appears to be an effective treatment for certain patients with acute acetaminophen poisoning" - See n-acetyl cysteine at Amazon.com.

Low-Dose Aspirin Plus Statins Protects Against Colorectal Cancer - Medscape, 10/5/07 - "Dr. Brenner's group observed a modest risk reduction of colorectal cancer among regular users of low-dose aspirin (adjusted odds ratio = 0.77). A stronger association was found with regular use of statins (OR 0.65). The strongest risk reduction was seen in subjects who used combination low-dose aspirin and statins (OR 0.63), especially if both drugs were used for at least 5 years (OR 0.38)"

Even Mild Thyroid Problems Double Risk Of Heart Condition - Science Daily, 10/5/07 - "individuals who had a TSH level equal or greater than 10 mU/L had a two-fold risk of developing heart failure, compared to those who had normal thyroid levels"

Novel Combination of Bazedoxifene and Conjugated Oestrogens Relieves Hot Flashes Safely; Improves Vaginal Dryness and Sexual Function - Doctor's Guide, 10/5/07 - "The combination of bazedoxifene and conjugated oestrogens (BZA/CE) appears to provide a new option for postmenopausal women with vaginal dryness, hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms"

Microsoft Rolls Out Health Records - New York Times, 10/4/07 - "Microsoft is starting its long-anticipated drive into the consumer health care market by offering free personal health records on the Web ... The organizations that have signed up for HealthVault projects with Microsoft include the American Heart Association, Johnson & Johnson LifeScan, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the Mayo Clinic and MedStar Health"

Broccoli compound identified for heart benefits - Nutra USA, 10/3/07 - "the indole-based compound, indole-3-carbinol, was able to reduce the secretion of apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB) by 56 per cent, and thereby confer cardiovascular benefits" - See indole 3 carbinol at Amazon.com.

Identification and Management of Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 10/3/07 - "Metabolic Risk Factor Goals and Recommendations ..."

Creatine In Addition To Exercise Enhances Strength In Older Adults - Science Daily, 10/2/07 - "The exercise training resulted in improvements of functional ability and strength in all participants, but those taking the CrM and CLA showed even greater gains in muscle endurance, an increase in fat-free mass and a decrease in the percentage of body fat" - See creatine at Amazon.com and conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds:

Vitamin supplement use and risk for breast cancer: the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study - Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2007 Oct 5 - "a 20% reduction in breast cancer risk was observed with vitamin E supplement use among women with low-dietary vitamin E intake ... A non-significant 20% risk reduction was observed among vitamin B supplement users with low B dietary intake (OR = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.6-1.1). Frequent use of a vitamin B supplement was adversely associated with breast cancer risk among those with high dietary vitamin B intake (OR = 1.4"

Hypoxia enhances LPA-induced HIF-1alpha and VEGF expression: Their inhibition by resveratrol - Cancer Lett. 2007 Oct 3 - "Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive phospholipid that is involved in various cellular events, including tumor invasion and metastasis ... Collectively, these results show that LPA under hypoxic condition enhances cell migration through the sequential induction of HIF-1alpha and VEGF, and that this enhancement is efficiently blocked by resveratrol" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Comparison of Effectiveness of Rosuvastatin Versus Atorvastatin on the Achievement of Combined C-Reactive Protein (<2 mg/L) and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (<70 mg/dl) Targets in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (from the ANDROMEDA Study) - Am J Cardiol. 2007 Oct 15;100(8):1245-1248 - "CRP was effectively decreased in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving rosuvastatin or atorvastatin, whereas rosuvastatin decreased LDL cholesterol significantly more than atorvastatin"

A Meta-Analysis of 94,492 Patients With Hypertension Treated With Beta Blockers to Determine the Risk of New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus - Am J Cardiol. 2007 Oct 15;100(8):1254-1262 - "Beta-blocker therapy resulted in a 22% increased risk for new-onset DM ... beta blockers resulted in a 15% increased risk for stroke"

Breakfast glycemic index affects subsequent daily energy intake in free-living healthy children - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):980-987 - "At all ages, among children who consumed their next meal in the early postprandial phase (after 3-4 h), children with a lower GI(br) consumed more calories throughout the remainder of the day than did children with a higher GI(br), independent of major dietary confounders"

Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load are associated with high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol at baseline but not with increased risk of diabetes in the Whitehall II study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):988-994 - "At baseline, dietary GI and GL were associated inversely with HDL cholesterol, and GI was associated directly with triacylglycerols. Dietary GI and GL were related inversely to fasting glucose and directly to 2-h postload glucose ... The proposed protective effect of low-dietary GI and GL diets on diabetes risk could not be confirmed in this study"

The association between betaine and choline intakes and the plasma concentrations of homocysteine in women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1073-1081 - "Total choline + betaine intake was inversely associated with tHcy, as was choline from 2 water-soluble choline-containing compounds. Remethylation of tHcy may be more dependent on the betaine pathway when methyl sources are low as a result of either inadequate folate intake or heavier alcohol consumption"

Dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, and the risk of breast cancer in an Italian prospective cohort study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1160-1166 - "The relative risk (RR) of breast cancer in the highest (versus lowest) quintiles of GI and GL was 1.57 (95% CI: 1.04, 2.36; P for trend = 0.040) and 2.53 (95% CI: 1.54, 4.16; P for trend = 0.001), respectively. Total carbohydrate intake was not associated with greater breast cancer risk, but high carbohydrate from high-GI foods was. When women were categorized by baseline menopausal status and body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)), the increased risk of dietary GL was confined to those who were premenopausal (RR = 3.89; 95% CI: 1.81, 8.34) and who had normal BMI (ie, <25)"

Serum zinc and pneumonia in nursing home elderly - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1167-1173 - "Normal serum zinc concentrations in nursing home elderly are associated with a decreased incidence and duration of pneumonia, a decreased number of new antibiotic prescriptions, and a decrease in the days of antibiotic use. Zinc supplementation to maintain normal serum zinc concentrations in the elderly may help reduce the incidence of pneumonia and associated morbidity"

Fructose intake is a predictor of LDL particle size in overweight schoolchildren - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1174-1178 - "After control for adiposity, the only dietary factor that was a significant predictor of LDL particle size was total fructose intake"

Dietary carbohydrate and the progression of age-related macular degeneration: a prospective study from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1210-1218 - "The latter gives an estimate that 7.8% of new advanced AMD cases would be prevented in 5 y if people consumed the low-dGI diet"

Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1225-1231 - "Higher intakes of vitamin C and linoleic acid and lower intakes of fats and carbohydrates are associated with better skin-aging appearance. Promoting healthy dietary behaviors may have additional benefit for skin appearance in addition to other health outcomes in the population"

Tea drinking is associated with benefits on bone density in older women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1243-1247 - "In the cross-sectional analysis, total hip aBMD was 2.8% greater in tea drinkers (x: 806; 95% CI: 797, 815 mg/cm(2)) than in non-tea drinkers (784; 764, 803 mg/cm(2)) (P < 0.05). In the prospective analysis over 4 y, tea drinkers lost an average of 1.6% of their total hip aBMD (-32; -45, -19 mg/cm(2)), but non-tea drinkers lost 4.0%" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Potential role of sugar (fructose) in the epidemic of hypertension, obesity and the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):899-906 - "We also present evidence that the unique ability of fructose to induce an increase in uric acid may be a major mechanism by which fructose can cause cardiorenal disease"

Isoflavone intake in persons at high risk of cardiovascular events: implications for vascular endothelial function and the carotid atherosclerotic burden - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):938-945 - "In persons at high risk of cardiovascular events, a greater isoflavone intake is associated with better vascular endothelial function and lower carotid atherosclerotic burden"

Insoluble cereal fiber reduces appetite and short-term food intake and glycemic response to food consumed 75 min later by healthy men - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):972-979 - "A serving of 33 g insoluble fiber reduced appetite, lowered food intake, and reduced glycemic response to a meal consumed 75 min later"

Curcumin enhances the effects of 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin in mediating growth inhibition of colon cancer cells by modulating EGFR and IGF-1R - Int J Cancer. 2007 Oct 4 - "inclusion of curcumin to the conventional chemotherapeutic agent(s)/regimen could be an effective therapeutic strategy for colorectal cancer" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.

Carnosine Is Neuroprotective Against Permanent Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Mice - Stroke. 2007 Oct 4 - "Carnosine is neuroprotective in focal cerebral ischemia and appears to influence deleterious pathological processes that are activated after the onset of ischemia" - See l-carnosine at Amazon.com.

Effects of CoQ10 supplementation on plasma lipoprotein lipid, CoQ10 and liver and muscle enzyme levels in hypercholesterolemic patients treated with atorvastatin: A randomized double-blind study - Atherosclerosis. 2007 Aug 4 - "All patients showed definite reductions of plasma CoQ10 levels in the placebo group, by 42%. All patients supplemented with CoQ10 showed striking increases in plasma CoQ10 by 127%. In conclusion atorvastatin definitely decreased plasma CoQ10 levels and supplementation with CoQ10 increased their levels" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com.

Low Serum Testosterone and Mortality in Older Men - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Oct 2 - "Men whose total testosterone levels were in the lowest quartile (<241 ng/dl) were 40% (HR=1.40; 95% CI, 1.14-1.71) more likely to die than those with higher levels ... In cause-specific analyses, low testosterone predicted increased risk of cardiovascular (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.02- 1.85) and respiratory disease (HR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.25-4.20) mortality, but was not significantly related to cancer death (HR, 1.34"

Efficacy of different doses and time intervals of oral vitamin D supplementation with or without calcium in elderly nursing home residents - Osteoporos Int. 2007 Sep 14 - "Daily vitamin D was more effective than weekly, and monthly administration was the least effective"

Health Focus (Hair Loss):

Hair Loss Abstracts:

• The importance of dual 5alpha-reductase inhibition in the treatment of male pattern hair loss: results of a randomized placebo-controlled study of dutasteride versus finasteride - J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006 Dec;55(6):1014-23 - "Dutasteride increased target area hair count versus placebo in a dose-dependent fashion and dutasteride 2.5 mg was superior to finasteride at 12 and 24 weeks" - Note:  Dutasteride is Avodart®.  See dutasteride at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Production rates of testosterone and of dihydrotestosterone in female pattern hair loss - Metabolism. 2003 Jul;52(7):927-929
• A randomized clinical trial of 5% topical minoxidil versus 2% topical minoxidil and placebo in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men - Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 9/02 - "In men with AGA, 5% topical minoxidil was clearly superior to 2% topical minoxidil and placebo in increasing hair regrowth, and the magnitude of its effect was marked (45% more hair regrowth than 2% topical minoxidil at week 48)." - See 5% minoxidil at drugstore.com

Related Hair Loss Products:

• Minoxidil 6 Month Supply 5% Extra Strength for Men Kirkland Brand
• drugstore.com Rogaine store
• HairMax at drugstore.com or Amazon.com - See my web page regarding research on the HairMax.
• Nizoral Shampoo at drugstore.com - See Nizoral Shampoo for Hair Loss
• OffshoreRx1.com - See my finasteride and dutasteride pages.
• Osmotics FNS Follicle Nutrient Serum (awarded Breakthrough Product of the Year by Allure Magazine) at DermaDoctor
• NuHair products at Drugstore.com
• grape seed extract / GLA / saw palmetto / silica / MSM / biotin

Alternative Hair Loss News:

• Balding - Life Extension Magazine
• Treating Hair Loss Naturally - WebMD - "Daly says he routinely recommends up to 3 mg of biotin daily for his hair loss patients, while Lessman developed a healthy hair, skin, and nails product containing 2 mg of biotin per daily dosage, which he believes is the minimum for healthy hair" -  biotin at Amazon.com.
• Nizoral Shampoo for Hair Loss - DermaDoctor.com - "They found that Nizoral increased hair thickness and decreased hair shedding, whereas the zinc pyrithione shampoo had the opposite effect" - See Nizoral Shampoo at drugstore.com
• I am a 35-year old woman who is losing her hair - Dr. Murray
• Low Iron Could Help Spur Baldness - HealthDay, 5/31/06 - "Iron deficiency is the world's most common nutritional deficiency ... If iron deficiency is detected and treated in the early stages, patients may be able to grow hair more effectively"
• Hair Loss? It May Be Iron Deficiency - WebMD, 5/17/06 - "whatever the cause of hair loss -- for both women and men -- having too little iron in the blood makes it worse"
• Flax lignans: a cure for hair loss? - Nutra USA, 5/9/05 - "Ten male sufferers of androgenetic alopecia aged between 20- and 70- years received a 50mg daily dose of SDG in the form of one 250 mg capsule of Acatris’ LinumLife Extra ... eight of the participants reported a modest improvement in their hair loss condition, one reported a great improvement and one reported no effect at all" - See iHerb or Vitacost flax products.
• Omega-3 fatty acids might curb hair loss - azcentral.com, 4/12/05
• Reversing Hair Loss? - Dr. Weil, 6/22/04 - "you may be able to prevent further loss and encourage re-growth by including omega-3 fatty acids to your diet"
• Soy: Prevent Prostate Cancer, Male Baldness? - WebMD, 3/30/04 - "A little-known molecule called equol ... is showing promise as a powerful blocker of a potent male hormone involved in prostate cancer, male baldness, even acne ... Actually, the protective effects occur when two chemicals in soy protein -- genistin and daidzin -- reach the digestive system, Setchell explains. There, they are metabolized to form genistein and daidzein. Daidzein is metabolized once again, to form equol" - See iHerb or Vitacost isoflavone products.
• Laser Comb [Hairmax] May Stimulate Hair Growth - thesandiegochannel.com, 5/8/03 - ""In our clinical trials in Canada, (the comb) does both," said Dr. Martin Unger, plastic surgeon. "We are getting over 97 percent -- sorry, 95 percent -- of the people who are using this are either stopping their hair loss or regrowing hair, and over 75 percent of the patients regrew hair to a significant amount." ... The Hairmax laser comb costs about $700." - See HairMax at drugstore.com or Amazon.com.
• Laser Comb May Stimulate Hair Growth - NBCSandiego.com, 5/8/03
• Can I Stop My Hair from Thinning? - Dr. Weil, 9/13/02 - "Make sure you’re getting enough omega-3 fatty acids ... supplement your diet with GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) in the form of black currant oil or evening primrose oil"
• Natural Treatment for Male Pattern Baldness - New Hope Natural Media, 7/3/02 - "Those with male pattern baldness may increase hair growth by taking a preparation containing saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) and beta-sitosterol ... Conventional medicines used to treat male pattern baldness are designed to block the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Topical application of minoxidil (Rogaine®) and taking oral finasteride (Propecia®) have been shown to inhibit this conversion and to increase hair growth, but both medications have been linked with several adverse side effects, including fast heart rate, headaches, impotence, and decreased libido ... 400 mg of a standardized extract of saw palmetto and 100 mg of beta-sitosterol per day ... After about five months, hair growth in 60% of the men taking the herbal combination had improved compared with their initial evaluation. In contrast, only 11% of those receiving the placebo improved"
• Nutritional factors and hair loss - Clinical & Experimental Dermatology, 7/02 - "serum ferritin concentrations were a factor in female hair loss ... The role of the essential amino acid, l-lysine in hair loss also appears to be important. Double-blind data confirmed the findings of an open study in women with increased hair shedding, where a significant proportion responded to l-lysine and iron therapy" - See iHerb and Vitacost l-lysine products.
• Monthly Updates - Hair Loss Research, 10/01 - "While finasteride (Propecia/Proscar) decreases serum DHT, it also is thought to increase estrogen which suggests that men over 35 may want to consider using it in conjunction with a systemic aromatase inhibitor such as Chrysin/Piperine (Super Miraforte), Arimidex, or stinging nettle extract, to maximize its hair growth effects and minimize potential side effects (that are listed in the PDR) such as Gynocaemastia (breast enlargement in males), sexual side effects, and an increase in fat deposition. These compounds have been reliably shown to increase testosterone and reduce excess estrogen, resulting in a youthful hormone profile that optimizes immune function and to some degree, body composition"
• Antiaging Products for Skin, Hair and Nails - Nutrition Science News, 10/00 - "A lack of silicon is known to reduce normal growth and repair of the skin, hair and nails.  However, studies show that silicon supplementation has delivered few benefits. The reason for this in most cases is that a nonbioavailable silicon source has been used. Silicon is a nonmetallic element that is very reactive. It occurs naturally almost exclusively in silicates, the geologic rock-forming minerals. Although silicates are the most abundant materials on earth, they don't provide a bioavailable form of dietary silicon. Moreover, silica, often used as a dietary supplement, is a polymeric silicon-hydroxide-oxide-water complex from hard stone, such as quartz, that has anywhere from two to trillions of silicon atoms, and is also very poorly bioavailable. On the other hand, orthosilicic acid, which consists of only one Si bonded to four hydroxides instead of oxygen, is the form of Si that is found in our bloodstream. Therefore, stabilized orthosilic acid is the only form of supplemental silicon that has been shown conclusively to be bioavailable for humans. Silicates, silica gel, colloidal silica, clays, horsetail (Equisetum arvense) and most foods don't contain the orthosilicic acid form of silicon."
• Hair Graying and Loss - Nutrition Science News, 10/00 - "Japanese researchers found that topical application of procyanidin-B2 from grape seed and apple extracts activate hair follicles in mice, resulting in increased hair growth. Furthermore, Italian researchers found that a topical preparation containing esculin (an oxolinic acid) from horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) reduced hair loss and increased circulation to the hair follicles in men and women suffering from hair loss.3 Reduced scalp microcirculation is also one of the factors causing hair loss."
• Proanthocyanidin Power - Nutrition Science News, 6/00 - "Japanese researchers shaved mice and found that 40 percent of their hair grew back naturally. When a 1 percent solution of any of three proanthocyanidins was applied to the skin, however, between 70 and 80 percent of the hair grew back. Test tube studies confirm that OPCs actually stimulate the hair keratinocytes to produce three times more hair than the controls."
• Hair Loss- MinSaw-A, Nizoral and Dercos- The bald truth! - By Phil Micans PharmB - "the addition of retinolic acid (the active ingredient in the famous anti-wrinkle skin cream- Retin-A), helps to further stimulate the blood supply on the scalp surface and therefore to the hair follicle"

Hair Loss CME:

• Medscape hair loss CME courses
• Doctor's Guide hair loss CME courses
• Hair Loss and Hair Loss Treatment - Drug Store News, exp. 2/1/06

Hair Loss General Information:

• Hair loss - American Academy of Family Physicians
• Hair loss - emedicine.com
• Hair Loss - familydoctor.org
• Hair Loss - Intelihealth
• Hair Loss - DermaDoctor.com
• Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow - DermaDoctor.com
• Frequently Asked Questions - Hair Loss - Medscape
• Hair Loss and Insulin - DrMirkin.com, 3/22/00
• Treatments for hair loss - Medifocus.com

Other Hair Loss News:

• Treatment Found To Reverse Hair Loss - Science Daily, 6/11/07 - "one of each pair of twins was given 0.5 mg/day of the medication, the other receiving a placebo ... After both 6 and 12-month intervals, hair loss was found to not only have been halted in twins using dutasteride, but hair growth was actively improved" - Note:  Dutasteride is Avodart®.  See dutasteride at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Grasping at strands for baldness remedies - USA Today, 3/18/07 - "So where does the laser comb fit in? Leavitt points to the six-month study reviewed by the FDA that shows men who used the comb grew an average of 19 more "terminal" (thick, rather than thin) hairs per square centimeter than those who used sham devices. That's a "medically significant" amount, he says, though the average healthy scalp has 160 to 260 hairs per square centimeter" - See the HairMax at drugstore.com or Amazon.com.
• Drug May Fight Women's Hair Loss, Too - WebMD, 3/20/06 - "Propecia, a drug used to treat male hair loss, may help fix women's hair loss when taken with birth control pills"
• Unbalanced Diets May Lead To Hair Loss - CBS Chicago, 10/13/05
• Tips for Preventing, Fixing Female Hair Loss - ABC News, 10/11/05
• Scientists May Have Exposed Cure For Baldness - CBS 2 Chicago, 9/27/05
• Health: Hope Sprouts Eternal - Newsweek, 2/9/05
• Hair Cloning Nears Reality as Baldness Cure - WebMD, 11/4/04
• Hair Follicle Diseases Leading to Hair Loss: Scarring Alopecias - Medscape, 11/2/04
• Stem Cells Renew Hope For Fading Hair Follicles - Science Daily, 9/7/04
• Special Skin Cells May Grow New Hair, Skin - WebMD, 9/2/04
• What is hair cloning? - Guardian Unlimited, 7/1/04
• Hair Replacement: The Next Generation - WebMD, 6/22/04
• Stem Cells Can Re-grow Hair - WebMD, 3/15/04
• Hair Today... - Time, 10/20/03
• Hair Loss: Telling the Bald Truth - Newsweek, 6/16/03
• Chemical Triggers Hair Growth in Mice, May Help Human Hair Loss - WebMD, 5/14/03
• Growth Rate Of Hair Affected By Transplantation Site - Doctor's Guide, 10/7/02
• Hormones Influence Efficacy Of Treatment For Women's Alopecia - Doctor's Guide, 7/12/02
• Finasteride Cuts Risk of Further Visible Hair Loss in Men - Doctor's Guide, 7/1/02
• Arthritis Drug Helps Grow Hair - WebMD, 5/13/02
• Baldness Induced By Dopamine Treatments May Be Reversible - Doctor's Guide, 3/11/02
• Surgery, Drugs -- Options Abound for Hair Loss - WebMD, 3/11/02
• Minoxidil Finds Novel Indication In Hair Loss Prevention Following Rhytidectomy - Doctor's Guide, 2/24/01
• Propecia (Finasteride) Demonstrates Reduced Hair Loss/Increased Hair Growth in Male Pattern Hair Loss - Doctor's Guide, 11/19/01
• Hair Loss In Emotional Stress Triggered By Corticotrophin Releasing Receptors - Doctor's Guide, 10/26/01
• Long-Term Treatment With Propecia (Finasteride) Effective In Preventing Male Pattern Baldness - Doctor's Guide, 3/15/01
• Cancer Research Leads To Possible Baldness Cure - In Mice - Intelihealth, 2/16/01 - "The VEGF-enhanced mice regrew hair quicker, and, better yet, researchers found that their hair follicles - the structures at the roots of hairs - were 30 percent wider. . . "By overall volume, the hair was about 70 percent thicker" than in the normal mice, Detmar said, adding, "To my knowledge, no one has been able to make hair thicker" previously."
• Younger Bald Men More Likely to Be Insulin Resistant - WebMD, 10/2/00
• Study Links Baldness, Heart Problem - Intelihealth, 1/24/00
• Hair loss: How effective are the newest treatments? - CNN, 1/6/00
• Propecia Increases Hair Weight And Quality, Improves Scalp Coverage - Doctor's Guide, 9/29/99
• Hope for restoring lost hair - CNN, 6/11/99
• Hair Loss and Thyroid Disease - About.com, 6/10/99 - "In a recent study, Dr Hugh Rushton, a professor at Portsmouth University, also found that 90 percent of women with thinning hair were deficient in iron and the amino acid lysine"
• Results Of New Study Confirm Propecia Works Only In Men - Doctor's Guide, 5/4/98
• FDA Clears Propecia For Treatment Of Hair Loss In Men - Doctor's Guide, 12/22/97
• FDA Committee Recommends Rogaine Extra Strength for OTC Sales - Doctor's Guide, 7/16/97
• Propecia Shows Hair Regrowth, With Few Side Effects - Doctor's Guide, 6/17/97
• Oral Treatment for Male Pattern Hair Loss Shows Promise - Doctor's Guide, 3/23/97

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