•

0)Wift_nt; EDLUITU

Bloomfield, started taking- DHEA
tablets about nine months ago.
"I heard about DHEA from a
client who is a physician," said
Timlin 'Within a couple of weeks
I felt that I had more energy and
after a few months I could see that
my muscles are more dense and
more solid since I began taking
the supplements.
"I haven't had any negative
side-effects so I'm continuing to
take the supplements and finding
out as much as I can about DHEA
because the interpretation of the
research results remains mixed.
"On one side there's the med-
ical reports that say DHEA is
great and on the other side are
those that say don't mess with the
supplement.
"I'm always looking for ways in
which I and my clients can im-
prove our quality of life and I'm
betting on the good news."
Much of DHEA's reputation as
a wonder hormone is from exper-
iments in which mice or rats were
fed daily doses. These studies
showed that DHEA can prevent
or delay the onset of cancer, hard-
ening of the arteries, viral infec-
tions, lowered immunity, obesity
and diabetes.
What works in mice, however,
doesn't necessarily work for peo-
ple. According to a recent article
in Heaithnews, a newsletter pub-
lished by the New England Jour-
nal of Medicine, the longest and
more carefully conducted work on
DHEA in humans comes from Dr.
Samuel Yen, professor of repro-
ductive medicine at the Univer-
sity of California, San Diego.
In his latest study, eight men
and eight women aged 50 to 65
took either 100 milligrams of
DHEA or an identical placebo pill
each night for three months. For
three months after that, they took
the opposite pill.
Within two weeks of starting
DHEA, circulating levels of the
hormone were a bit higher than
normally found in young adults.
Lean body mass increased slight-
ly in both sexes as did muscle
strength, which interestingly, also
increased with the placebo. Fat
body mass decreased in men but
increased slightly for women, and
there was some suggestions of an
improvement in immune func-
tion.
But none of the findings, as Dr.
Yen himself acknowledges, proved
that aging was reversed.
It appears that the popular and
scientific interest in DHEA stems
from our focus on youth. The prob-
lem arises because, unlike taking
megadoses of vitamin C, the ex-
perts say not enough is known
about DHEA and how safe it may
be, including its potential for ir-
reversible side effects over a long
period of time.
It seems that few of the claims
for DHEA are quite true, although
many experts speculate that
DHEA research will eventually
lead to health benefits. ❑

On

•

Saturday August 23,

from 1 to 5 p.m. you'll

•

discover just how fun hospitals can be. Announcing the

Outer Drive Family Fun Fest,

•

a day filled

with games, food and music. You'll also find our health •

tent where you can get free health screenings and

I

children accompanied by a guardian with the child's

immunization record can be immunized free. Kids bring

your teddy bear for a checkup. And if you were born at

either Grace or Sinai Hospital, bring your birth certifi-

cate to receive a free gift. For more information on the

1-800-011/1 C-2500.

Outer Drive Family Fest, call

Wayne State University

Co-Sponsors

Grace
Hospital

Sinai
Hospital

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14.4a,

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Wayne State University

044

MUSIC, FOOD AND GAMES.

STAYING HEALTHY HAS re vimo
NEVER BEEN, THIS MUCH 8.1

Grace Hospital • 6071 W. Outer Drive • Detroit, Michigan 48235

PIES For Life

A PERSONALIZED PROGRAM
FOR FITNESS & WEIGHT LOSS

C

-

0"

C

►
BODY FAT TESTING
■ SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS FOR
SENIORS & MOTHERS-TO•BE
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PERSONAL TRAINER

Call for free consultation in your home or office (248) 299-4888

ALICIA T. FREIDINGER • M.ED Exercise Physiology • ACSM, ACE, Fit, CPR Certified

ORIENTAL RUGS

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appraise them, clean them
repair them
and love them!

‹
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OAK PARK OUTLET • (248)546-RUGS
BIRMINGHAM
• (248)646-RUGS
ANN ARBOR
• (313)973-RUGS

Assistance for your loved one at home

Visiting Nurse Association Support Services
can help you or your loved one maintain
an independent lifestyle at home.

2 hour to 24 hour care - 7 days a week
•Personal care •Medication reminders
•Light housekeeping •Shopping &
transportation •Nursing care
•Sitting service •Wake-up phone calls

Employees are fully insured and bonded.
Call (248) 967-5800

VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION

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WE SHIP
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THE CAREFREE WAY TO
CLIMB STAIRS

The Packaging and Shipping Experts
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be a real problem. But there is a simple answer.
STAIR-GUDE' powered stairway lift. Easily installed
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STAIR-GLIDE•

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