Some informally dub it “grumpy old man complex.” British author Carol Wyer labels it “irritable male syndrome,” a spike in the outward crankiness of guys of a certain age.

As more baby boomers hit 60 — the age when male grumpiness seems to kick in — be ready for a growing chorus of grouchy flare-ups, like a Donald Trumprant set to explode.

The condition isn’t just a stereotype represented by the proverbial fist-waving shout, “Get off my lawn!” Testosterone levels generally fall as men age, according to the Mayo Clinic. Such hormone drops are known to dampen male moods, says Dr. Ridwan Shabsigh, head of the International Society of Men’s Health and a urologist in New York City.

Grumpiness is even used as a mood description in screening questionnaires for low testosterone. One form many U.S. male patients are asked to fill out is a test for Androgen Deficiency in Aging Men (ADAM). Androgen is the family of hormones that controls the development of masculine traits. Question No. 6 on that form reads: “Are you sad and/or grumpy?”

“Patients with low testosterone tell me they feel less capable of concentration. And they feel less capable of tolerating the nuances of everyday life – from family, friends, colleagues and customers,” Shabsigh said. “Whatever you do, you have people around you, and you get irritated sometimes. The ability to tolerate or deal with it is reduced when the testosterone is low.”

Certain metabolic and kidney diseases, including diabetes, are known to cause abnormally low testosterone, Shabsigh says, adding the prevalence of those disorders rises with age.

In healthy men, testosterone levels remain within normal limits until about age 60, with a gradual decline after that, studies indicate. According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, up to 30 percent of men beyond the age of 75 have low testosterone levels. The question of whether to treat such cases of low testosterone “remains a matter of debate,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

MORE

Portland ranked 10th in the list of best cities for men.

Men’s Health magazine has released its 12th annual list of the best cities for men.

The ranking of 100 cities is based on 38 factors, including air quality, unemployment, death rates and commute times, according to a press release. Data was taken from government databases and cancer registries, Reuters reported.

This year, a number of western and southern states made the top 10 list of best cities for men.

For the full ranking — including the worst, fittest and healthiest cities for men — make sure you click over to Men’s Health.

Here’s the list of the 10 best cities in the U.S. for men to live.

Via www.huffingtonpost.com

Madison, Wisconsin
Madison ranked ninth in the list of best cities for men.

Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City ranked eighth in the list of best cities for men.

Austin, Texas
Austin ranked seventh in the list of best cities for men.

Burlington, Vermont
Burlington ranked sixth in the list of best cities for men.

Seattle, Washington
Seattle ranked fifth in the list of best cities for men.

Plano, Texas
Plano ranked fourth in the list of best cities for men.

San Francisco, California
San Francisco ranked third in the list of best cities for men.

San Jose, California
San Jose ranked second in the list of best cities for men.

Boise, Idaho
Boise ranked first in the list of best cities for men.

Gonorrhea resistant to antibiotics has been reported for some time. What you should be concerned about is that it has now arrived in North America:

In a study released Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a group of scientists led by Vanessa Allen of Public Health Ontario, found that 6.7 percent of patients with gonorrhea at a Toronto clinic still had the disease after a round of cephalosporins, the last effective oral antibiotic used to treat the disease. Of 133 patients who returned for a “test of cure” visit, nine remained gonorrhea-positive. This is the first time cephalosporin-resistant gonorrhea has been found in humans in North America.

“These are the clinical cases we’ve been waiting for,” Allen says. “This is the translation of the lab information into what the clinical consequence is.”

The report:

In an accompanying editorial, Robert D. Kirkcaldy, M.D., M.P.H., of the Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues write that the findings of this study, of documented cephalosporin treatment failures in North America, although expected, “its arrival is deeply troubling; clinicians now face the emergence of cephalosporin-resistant N gonorrhoeae without any well-studied, effective backup treatment options.”

“New antibiotics for treating gonococcal infections are needed. A clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases examining novel combinations of existing drugs just completed enrollment, and a small study of a new oral agent is ongoing. But the antibiotic pipeline is running dry: continued investment in antibiotic development is critical. Meanwhile, the gonococcus has continued to develop the capability to defeat each new antibiotic used. The threat of drug-resistant gonorrhea is increasing and has reached North America. Clinicians, drug developers, and public health professionals must act now.”

UPDATE: A better article from NPR notes that the gonorrhea can be eventually cured at this stage:

…even in the Canadian study, all patients eventually recovered when they were given larger doses of cefixime or a related antibiotic. Nevertheless, there have been worrying signs of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea in the U.S.

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com

BY CAMILLE BEREDJICK

In August the Lifetime showDrop Dead Diva devoted an episode to the so-nicknamed “sperm ban,” a Food and Drug Administration policy meant to keep men who have had sex with men (MSM) from donating to sperm banks. The episode prompted an inevitable comparison of the sperm ban to another FDA policy targeting gay men — the ban on blood donation — and gave the issue a push back into public debate.

The FDA policy barring MSM from donating blood is infamous, sparking protests nationwide and even inspiring a movement for repeal led by members of Congress such as Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Mike Quigley. In comparison, the ban on gay sperm donors is relatively unknown.

That’s because the FDA’s MSM sperm donation policy isn’t really a “ban.” Since 2005 the FDA has offered “guidelines” for sperm banks, suggesting that men who have had sex with men in the previous five years be barred from donating sperm. While some (if not most) sperm banks certainly abide by the guidelines, the policy is neither mandatory nor enforced, meaning some sperm banks do collect donations from gay and bisexual men.

The FDA policy on blood donation, on the other hand, affirms that any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 is barred from donating blood for life, a decision that was upheld by a panel in 2010.

Nonetheless, it is still possible to donate sperm as a gay man, and according to Nathan Schaefer, director of public policy for Gay Men’s Health Crisis, that’s why the policy isn’t as widely condemned — or as thoroughly covered in the media — as the blood ban.

“It’s on the books but it’s not enforced in the same way,” Schaefer says. “I think there’s not as much attention to it because it’s not like people are being denied all the time. That’s not to say we don’t think it shouldn’t be removed, but that’s why people know less about it.”

Read full article www.advocate.com

Understanding your drunken stupor from the brains perspective. Find out how alcohol molecules alter your brain, ultimately resulting in a night that you…hopefully remember.

Written and created by Mitchell Moffit (twitter @mitchellmoffit) and Gregory Brown (twitter @whalewatchmeplz).

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/AsapSCIENCE
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/AsapSCIENCE

Billy Bush tackles the taxi obstacle at Men’s Health urbanathlon

Use common sense and don’t actually run across the tops of taxi cabs.

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. – Healthy Hollywood’s good friends at Men’s Health magazine are challenging folks to the ultimate fitness race. Guys and girls nationwide are invited to compete in Men’s Health Urbanathlon. “It is like a triatholon that uses the streets and landmarks of the city as part of the race. The 9.5 – 11 mile course incorporates obstacles like hurdling over yellow taxi cabs, crawling under Subarus, tire-stutter stepping, over-under traffic barricade obstacles, chain link crawls…and stadium stair climbs,” reveals the Men’s Health team.

Access Hollywood’s own Billy Bush is the host of these fitness fests. So far, the races have been held in Chicago, New York and this weekend in San Francisco. Billy’s job is to warm up the over 5 thousand Urbanathletes. Let’s go, Billy!

But, if you can’t make it to the race, but still want to train like an urban champ, Men’s Health shares with Healthy Hollywood a do-it-yourself guide.

Here are three mini-workouts, each one inspired by the Urbanathlon, which feature long runs interspersed with muscle challenges. Workout 1 will train you for sustained effort, while the other two will build aerobic capacity and stimulate fat loss. Complete each routine once a week. Also, add one challenge to workouts 2 and 3. You’ll inject variety into your training time as you have more fun and achieve better results.

Workout 1

Step 1: Run 2 miles.

Step 2: Find a hill and run up 50 yards at about 80 percent of your sprinting pace. Walk back to the starting point. Do this a total of 10 times.

Step 3: Run 2 more miles.

Each week, add a quarter mile to Step 1 and to Step 3 until you build up to 6 miles total.

Workout 2

Step 1: Do a 400-yard sprint, timing yourself with a stopwatch. Try to run at the fastest pace you can maintain from start to finish.

Step 2: Rest for the same amount of time it took you to do the sprint.

Step 3: Add in Challenge 1, 2, or 3

Step 4: Rest for the same amount of time you rested in Step 2.

Step 5: Repeat three times, for a total of four rounds. Each week, add one round (including challenge) until you build up to eight rounds.

Workout 3

Step 1: Do an 800-yard sprint, timing yourself with a stopwatch. Try to run at the fastest pace you can maintain from start to finish.

Step 2: Rest for twice the amount of time it took you to do the sprint.

Step 3: Add in Challenge 1, 2, or 3 (on the next page).

Step 4: Rest for 60 seconds.

Step 5: Repeat three times, for a total of four rounds. Each week, add one round until you build up to eight rounds.

Challenge 1

Perform 1 set of each exercise below and then rest for 30 seconds. Repeat once, until you’ve done a total of 2 sets of each exercise.

Exercise 1: Jumping chinup

Stand beneath a chinup bar and, in one movement, jump up, grab the bar with an underhand grip, and pull your chest to the bar. (The momentum of your jump will help pull you up.) Do 2 reps.

Exercise 2: Reverse burpee

From a standing position, simultaneously squat down and lean forward, and then move straight into a pushup position. Lower your chest to the floor, and in one fluid movement, explosively push yourself back up and into a standing position. Do 10 reps.

Challenge 2

Do 1 set of each of the following exercises. Then go back to your workout.

Exercise 1: Walking lunge

Start with your hands behind your head (as if you’re being arrested). Keeping your torso upright, step forward with your left leg and lower your body straight down until your left knee is bent at least 90 degrees. Push your left heel into the ground, and step forward to a standing position. Then repeat with your right leg. Continue until you’ve traveled a total of 50 yards.

Exercise 2: Bear crawl

Assume a pushup position with your body in a straight line from your head to your ankles. (If this feels more like a lizard position to you, feel free to call it the iguana crawl.) Now move your right hand forward a few inches, and bring your left knee as close to your chest as you can without allowing the position of your torso to change or your lower back to round. That’s the starting position. Crawl forward by switching the positions of your arms and feet, moving your opposite arm and leg with each “step.” Continue until you’ve traveled a total of 50 yards.

Challenge 3

Do 1 set of each exercise. Then rest 60 seconds and repeat. Once you’ve done two rounds, return to your sprints.

Exercise 1: Stepup

Stand facing the seat of a park bench. Place your left foot on it—or on another object of similar height—and put your hands behind your head. Push your heel into the bench as you push your body up onto the bench until your left leg is straight. (Don’t rest your right leg on the bench at the top; instead, hold it in the air.) Lower yourself to the ground. That’s 1 rep. Do 20 reps, and then repeat with your right leg.

Exercise 2: Bulgarian split squat

Stand a couple of feet from a park bench, with your back to the seat. Bend your right leg and place the top of your right foot on the bench as you place your hands behind your head. This is the starting position. Keeping your torso upright, bend your left leg and lower your body until your left leg is bent at least 90 degrees. Push your body back to the starting position. That’s 1 rep. Do 20 reps, and then switch legs and repeat.

For more information, check out www.menshealthurbanathlon.com

– Terri MacLeod

Depression:

Major depression—also known as clinical depression—is a serious but common medical condition that affects gay men and lesbians at a higher rate than the general population. A number of factors may contribute to this, from living in an often homophobic society to facing family rejection to being closeted in some or all aspects of life.

Some of the symptoms of depression include:

• Depressed mood most of the day;
• Markedly decreased interest in activities most of the day;
• Decrease or increase in appetite;
• Decrease or increase in sleep;
• Fatigue or loss of energy;
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt; and
• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Depression treatment usually includes a thorough evaluation, patient education, and self-help instructions, individual or group talk therapy and, when appropriate, the prescription of anti-depressant medications. Treatment should begin with a thorough evaluation to rule out an underlying medical condition or the side effect of medications as the cause of the depression symptoms

Two specific types of psychotherapy have been proven effective in treating depression: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT). Steps often recommended to help combat depression include setting realistic goals, breaking tasks into small pieces, spending time with others, being physically active, avoiding drugs and alcohol consumption, being patient about the rate of improvement, and avoiding making major life decisions.

Several different classes of prescription medication are available to treat depression. These medications are prescribed by a licensed professional after careful consultation with the individual patient. They need to be taken exactly as prescribed.

If you’re unsure where to go for help, ask your primary care physician, internist, OB/GYN or health clinic for assistance. You can also check the Yellow Pages or Internet listings under such subjects as mental health, social services, suicide prevention, hospitals or physicians.
GLMA additionally has an online referrals resource you can search immediately by clicking here. Many treatment options exist to help you find the right answers.

Additional Resources

Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists
(215) 222-2800
www.aglp.org

GayHealth.com
www.gayhealth.com

National Foundation for Depressive Illness
www.depression.org

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
(800) 826-3632
www.dbsalliance.org

American Psychiatric Association
www.psych.org

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
(888) 333-2377
www.afsp.org

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
www.samhsa.gov

Depression.com
www.depression.com

By Tara Culp-Ressler

Pepsi’s partner in Japan is marketing a new “Pepsi Special” drink abroad that claims to suppress the absorption of fat with a dietary fiber named dextrin. Although the company claims that Pepsi Special could be the first “healthy” soda — and the product has even qualified for a government-designated label in Japan that identifies it as a nutrition-related product — U.S. health experts warn that it’s probably too good to be true.

The long-term effects haven’t been studied, but some Japanese scientists warn that consuming high levels of dextrin can cause stomach pain and bloating in the short term. And even aside from the supplement’s potentially negative effects, Time reports that Pepsi Special is unlikely to make it past the Food and Drug Administration’s standards if Pepsi were to attempt to market it in the United States:

Dr. Walter Willett, chair of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, added in an email statement: “Unless Pepsi can provide data from controlled studies in humans to the contrary, their claim should be regarded as bogus and deceptive.”

In fact, Pepsi may face challenges if it decides to bring Pepsi Special to the United States, since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tends to frown on such potentially suspect nutrient-boosting of essentially unhealthy products in an attempt to make them healthier. [...]

“You shouldn’t add good things to bad things because that could encourage people to eat something that isn’t healthy for them,” said Michael Jacobson, Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a food safety and nutrition consumer advocacy group.

Read full article HERE

Dr. Carlos Del Rio, an expert in AIDS research in Atlanta, told ABC News that the task force’s announcement is “very exciting” because it will help ensure that her patients are routinely screened for HIV, just as they are already tested for their blood pressure or cholesterol levels:

“People are terrible at knowing their own risk,” said Del Rio, adding that people may be unaware of the HIV status of their sexual partners. “And doctors are terrible at asking them about risk. It can be difficult to discuss sex and drugs with our patients.”

The task force recommendations are used by Medicare and other insurance companies to determine what laboratory tests should be covered. Other important task force recommendations included screening for breast and colon cancer, as well as high cholesterol.

“I don’t have to ask my patients if they eat hamburgers before ordering a cholesterol test,” said Del Rio. “Now I can do a routine HIV test when patients come to clinic.”

The task force first indicated they were considering updating their recommendations on HIV testing in August. Their previous guidelines on HIV screening — which hadn’t been changed since 2005 — left the decision to test for HIV up to each individual doctor, and only strongly recommended testing for the adults who were considered to be at “high risk” for contracting the virus after having multiple sexual partners. But according to researchers, since 20 percent of HIV-positive Americans are currently unaware they have the virus, regular screening could help identify more people who could benefit from early treatment.

Although gains in HIV treatment still remain somewhat stratified by race and class, Obamacare does represent an important step forward for HIV-positive individuals. Guaranteed coverage for HIV testing isn’t the only way that the health reform law will help combat the virus; Obamacare also increases resources for HIV research and prevention, helps ensure that the drugs for HIV treatment are more affordable, and prevents insurance companies from discriminating against Americans simply based on their HIV status.

Article Via thinkprogress.org