Does Dht Cause Prostate Cancer

How To Shrink Your Prostate Without Finasteride Or Deadly Side Effects

To help men who have prostate disease or are concerned about their prostate health, we are offering readers exclusive limited-time access to one of Bens special video presentations.

Normally reserved for private clients, we highly recommend that you watch this video while you still can. Especially if you have a prostate disease, BPH, a high PSA, if you are a man over 50, or anyone who even knows a man over 50.

• 5 deadly side effects of prostate drugs and why your doctor didnt tell you about them
• How and why Flomax & Finasteride are doing you more harm than good
• How you can improve your prostate health, side-effect-free, without using dangerous drugs and toxic treatments.

For more information on prostate cancer medication click here.

The Initial Causes Prostate Cancer Chinese Patient Handout

One of the first symptoms of prostate issues is pain or tenderness in the groin or lower back. This can be the result of a noncancerous condition called enlarged prostatic tissue, or it could be an infection of the bladder. In either case, its important to see a doctor as soon as possible. If youre suffering from prostate pain, you may want to consider reducing your caffeine intake.

Another symptom of a potentially enlarged prostate is difficulty starting a stream of urine, leaking, or dribbling. These symptoms are not serious, but theyre still alarming. Most men put up with an enlarged prostate for years before seeking medical attention, but they typically seek treatment as soon as they notice symptoms. Even if you dont have symptoms, its worth getting checked to determine if you have any prostate issues.

If you experience nightly bathroom runs, you may be experiencing an enlarged prostate. You may be having difficulty starting a stream of urine, or you may even be dribbling or leaking during the day. These problems arent life-threatening, but can become a nuisance. You should not ignore these signs and seek treatment as soon as you notice them. If you feel any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor.

How Will I Know That My Hormone Therapy Is Working

Doctors cannot predict how long hormone therapy will be effective in suppressing the growth of any individual mans prostate cancer. Therefore, men who take hormone therapy for more than a few months are regularly tested to determine the level of PSA in their blood. An increase in PSA level may indicate that a mans cancer has started growing again. A PSA level that continues to increase while hormone therapy is successfully keeping androgen levels extremely low is an indicator that a mans prostate cancer has become resistant to the hormone therapy that is currently being used.

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The Role Of Androgens In Prostate Cancer Development

Prostate cancer remains a major health care concern. It represents the most common male malignancy and the second most common cause of cancer-related death. Moreover, approximately 30% of men at postmortem examination have microscopic evidence of latent prostate cancer, and other autopsy studies have shown that the histological evidence of BPH is present in up to 90% of patients greater than 80 years of age and, of those, prostate cancer is present in greater than 50% of specimens that are well sectioned and reviewed. We know that the development of BPH is a long process, with initiation beginning in men at approximately age 30.,

Hair Loss And Hormonal Imbalance

Women experiencing hair loss tend to have an elevated testosterone to estrogen ratio .

In men, its the other way around:

A decreased testosterone to estrogen ratio .

For men, an increase in estrogen imbalances the ratio, as does a decrease in testosterone.

Its no coincidence, then, that the rising incidence of hair loss is coupled with a wide generational .

Today, the average man has anywhere from 20-25% lower T compared to the average man from just a few decades ago.

So the bottom line is this:

If you want to minimize your chances of hair loss, you have to optimize your endocrine health. For men, this means naturally increasing your testosterone levels and

Key Takeaway

Although increased DHT in the scalp can lead to thinning hair, it is not the root cause. Hair loss is more likely the result of both hormonal imbalance and genetic factors.

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Why Does Dht Affect People In Different Ways

DHT affects people in varying ways. This may be due to:

• an increase in DHT receptors at the follicle
• a greater local DHT production
• higher androgen receptor sensitivity
• more DHT produced elsewhere in the body and arriving through circulation
• more circulating testosterone that acts as a precursor for DHT

It is known that DHT binds to follicle receptors five times more avidly than testosterone, but the amount of DHT in the scalp is tiny compared with the levels in the prostate.

How levels are controlled and why they change are not yet understood.

5-alpha-reductase is the enzyme that converts testosterone into the much more potent androgen, DHT.

If 5-AR levels increase, more testosterone will be converted into DHT, and greater hair loss will result.

There are two versions of 5-AR: type 1 and 2 enzymes.

• Type 1 is predominantly found in sebaceous glands that produce the skinâs natural lubricant, sebum.
• Type 2 mostly sits within the genitourinary tract and hair follicles.

Type 2 is considered more important in the process of hair loss.

Finasteride, or Propecia, was approved for safety and efficacy in 1997, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration .

It is a selective inhibitor of type 2 5-AR. It is thought to act on the 5-AR enzyme that concentrates in the hair follicles to inhibit production of DHT.

Studies of its efficacy have yielded apparently impressive results, but some people have questioned how effective it is.

Having Too Little Dht

High levels of DHT can increase your risk for certain conditions, but having too little DHT can also cause problems in your sexual development as you go through puberty.

Low DHT may cause delays in the onset of puberty for all sexes. Otherwise, low DHT doesnt appear to have much effect on women, but in men, low DHT may cause:

• late or incomplete development of sex organs, such as the penis or testes
• changes in body fat distribution, causing conditions such as gynecomastia
• increase in risk of developing aggressive prostate tumors

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How Do These Drugs Work

The way in which the drugs work is by making testosterone less available to prostate cells. The form of testosterone that prostate cells most readily take up is called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. It is 10 times more potent than testosterone. DHT is a converted form of testosterone, and an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase is needed for this conversion. Then, when there is an abundance of DHT, prostate growth is stimulated when DHT is scarce, prostate growth is limited. This is where the drugs come into play.

Remember the term 5-alpha reductase inhibitors? As inhibitor suggests, the drugs block the chemical interaction from occurring, without affecting the production of testosterone needed for overall male health. Thus, they prevent testosterone from converting to DHT, and over time, the prostate gland reduces closer to its pre-BPH size. Urine can now flow freely through the prostate and out of the body. Note that Propecia is often prescribed to correct for male pattern baldness, which is androgen-dependent. While Propecia helps maintain hair growth, it is also affecting the prostate gland.

Background And Study Design

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Cancer Risk And Patient Monitoring

Despite the conclusion that it is highly doubtful that the administration of testosterone therapy produces any promotional effect in the absence of an already existing cancer, the patient needs to be monitored. A standard urologic evaluation to rule out malignancy should be undertaken prior to initiating androgen supplementation. Recommendations include a carefully performed digital rectal examination along with serum PSA measurements. If either the rectal examination is abnormal or the PSA level exceeds 4.0 ng/mL, ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy becomes mandatory. If the initial PSA levels are within normal limits and the DRE is negative, one should feel comfortable initiating androgen supplementation in properly identified patients. It is imperative that the patient be carefully monitored for any changes in these prostate risk findings and we would recommend reassessment at 3 months. At that time, if the PSA level exceeds 4.0 ng/mL, or there is a change in DRE, prostate biopsy is warranted. We recommend an additional prostate assessment in 3 more months and at least annually thereafter.

Testosterone Levels Alone May Not Hold The Key

However, while this research gives some interesting clues about factors involved in causing prostate cancer in the first place which will undoubtedly prove useful in working out how to one day prevent the disease from occurring it also raised more difficult questions.

Thats because although men with lower levels of testosterone were less likely to develop prostate cancer, once they did, it was more likely to be an aggressive form of the disease. So far, we dont have any answers as to why this might be, but it adds yet another layer of complexity to the mystery of prostate cancer development, and opens another avenue of investigation to the scientists set on unravelling these sorts of clues. It also suggests that testosterone levels alone will not hold the key to the causes of prostate cancer development, and that the link between male sex hormones and cancer development may well be more complicated than we previously imagined.

Dr Matthew Hobbs, Deputy Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK said: This research gives us some important clues about the role that testosterone might play in triggering prostate cancer. Its particularly interesting that men in this study with the lowest levels of the hormone were less likely to get prostate cancer, but if they were diagnosed, it was more likely to be aggressive. This is clearly a complex effect and more research is needed to understand it.

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Surgical procedures to remove the diseased prostate are usually necessary. Surgical procedures are not always necessary. If the disease is caused by bacterial infections, a doctor can treat the symptoms using alpha-blockers or surgery. Physical therapy, relaxation exercises, and warm baths are all recommended. A physician may also prescribe antibiotics to cure the infection. A bacterial infection can also cause a recurrence of the condition.

An enlarged prostate can be uncomfortable for both men and women. Some of the symptoms of an enlarged male reproductive organ include a weakened urine stream, urgent need to urinate, and urinary tract infections. BPH can also cause damage to the kidneys. A sudden inability to urinate can be life-threatening, as it can lead to bladder and kidney damage. Unfortunately, most men with enlarged prostrates put up with the symptoms for years before they seek treatment. However, many of the men with symptoms finally decide to go to a doctor for proper gynecological evaluation and to begin enlarged prostatic therapy.

Hair Growth And Hair Loss

Male pattern hair loss is the most common type of hair loss in men. Hair at the temples and on the crown slowly thin and eventually disappear.

The exact reason why this happens is unknown, but genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors are all thought to play a role. DHT is believed to be a major factor.

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How Can You Lower Dht Levels Naturally

Testosterone is important for males. It has many functions and beneficial effects. However, we have seen above how DHT is associated with both good and bad outcomes. If you have an excess of DHT, it is more likely to suffer from baldness and BPH. It is also associated with prostate cancer in some way.

Thus, is there a way to lower your levels of DHT and leave testosterone levels untouched? We mentioned above finasteride and dutasteride as two medical solutions. They are synthetic drugs that block the enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT. But we can also have a natural solution. Herbal remedies that block DHT and wont give you problems with your testosterone.

These natural DHT blockers can be helpful for men with prostate problems. They can also be very useful if you have male-pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. They wont work in telogen effluvium and other causes of hair loss, though.

Our recommended solutions to reduce levels of DHT include the following:

What Does Dht Do

DHT is derived from testosterone, a hormone thats present in both men and women. When a boy reaches puberty, dihydrotestosterone helps with the development of male characteristics including:

• the growth of scrotum, testes, and the penis

• pubic hair, as well as body hair

• muscle mass

• deepening of voice

Furthermore, the prostate gland also starts to grow larger and become functional with the help of dihydrotestosterone during puberty.

While the emphasis is often placed on the fact that dihydrotestosterone plays a role in the male body, a small amount of this hormone is present in the female body too. The ovaries are responsible for converting testosterone to DHT in women.

Although high levels of DHT can increase your risk for certain conditions, having too little DHT can also cause problems, including:

• conditions such as gynecomastia
• delayed development of the penis or testes
• increased risk of developing aggressive prostate tumors

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Testosterone And Prostate Cancer Risk: The Plot Thickens As Study Reveals Intriguing Clues

New research presented this weekend at the National Cancer Research Institute Cancer Conference in Liverpool has concluded that men with naturally low levels of the male sex hormone testosterone are less likely to develop prostate cancer than those with higher blood levels of the hormone.

• Research

This research, carried out by scientists at the University of Oxford, looked at blood samples from around 19,000 men aged between 34 and 76, collected between 1959 and 2004. 6,900 of these men went on to develop prostate cancer. The scientists divided the men into 10 groups, depending on the level of testosterone in their blood, and compared this to prostate cancer risk.

Whats interesting about this research is that while low levels of testosterone were associated with decreased risk of developing prostate cancer, high testosterone levels were not associated with increased risk. This supports the theory that there are only so many androgen receptors in the body. So once these are all full up with testosterone, it doesnt matter how much more testosterone is circulating in the blood, because it cant bind to and activate a receptor. This would explain why high levels of testosterone dont increase risk of developing prostate cancer, but low levels can lower it.

How To Increase Dht

Increasing DHT comes down to increasing testosterone, but the following bullet points should help get you started:

• Lean down to the range of 8-12% body fat.
• Ensure that your vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium levels are optimized.
• Lift heavy at the gym.
• Aim for 6-8 hours of high-quality sleep every single night.
• Eat balanced macros.
• Become conscious of your body language
• Practice intermittent fasting.
• Relax via meditation .
• Abstain from long, steady-state cardio.
• Limit alcohol consumption.
• Spark up your sex life.

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Serum Hormone Assays And Safety Laboratory Tests

Serum androgens were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry on a Waters Aquity UPLC coupled with a Micromass Premiere-XE tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer as described previously . Deuterated internal standards for each androgen were included in each sample. Androgens were extracted in hexane:ethyl acetate and derivatized in 0.025 m hydroxylamine hydrochloride and methanol. The lower limit of quantification for each androgen using this assay was 0.01 ng/ml. The intraassay coefficients of variation were: T = 4.9%, DHT 4.4%, dehydroepiandrosterone = 7.6%, androstenedione = 3.5%. Serum LH, FSH, and SHBG were quantified by immunofluorometric assay and estradiol by RIA . Samples for all subjects were measured in one assay. Safety laboratories including PSA, serum chemistries, and complete blood counts were measured in the clinical laboratory at the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA.

Testosterone Prostate Cancer And Balding: Is There A Link

We can thank the Greeks for the name doctors apply to male hormones. Androgen comes from the words meaning “man-maker,” and it’s a well-chosen term. Testosterone is the most potent androgen, and it does make the man. It’s responsible for the deep voice, increased muscle mass, and strong bones that characterize the gender, and it also stimulates the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow.

In addition, testosterone has crucial, if incompletely understood, effects on male behavior. It contributes to aggression, and it’s essential for the libido or sex drive, as well as for normal erections and sexual performance. Testosterone stimulates the growth of the genitals at puberty, and it is one of the factors required for sperm production throughout adult life.

Finally, testosterone also acts on the liver. Normal amounts are harmless, but high doses can cause liver disease and boost the production of LDL cholesterol while lowering the amount of HDL cholesterol.

Scientists have taken advantage of the link between male pattern baldness and BPH to develop a single medication for both conditions. Finasteride blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT when taken in a 5-mg dose , it helps some men with BPH, and in a 1-mg dose , it helps some men with androgenic alopecia. Another drug, dutasteride , has a similar effect on BPH but is not approved for baldness.

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