And so it begins...

Last Tuesday I learned more about my body, my bad habits and my personal medical situation than in any previous day in my 66 years on earth. Weeks ago I'd given my blood and for the following 2-3 weeks Southwest Age Intervention Institute was determining exactly what kind of shape I was in. And not just physical shape, but total shape. I arrived in their Arlington offices at about 12:45 and didn't leave until well after 7p.m. Does that sound like a long day? It was! But what an incredibly informative, insightful afternoon learning how I could defy aging.

The afternoon began with mental agility tests (that's not what they called them, but they tested whether or not doing sports talk for 36 years had significantly rotted my brain. Thankfully it had not!) Such tests also gauged my manu

al dexterity.

Then it was back to the meeting room for a terrific lunch of scallops and snow peas while watching a video explaining the basis of their nutrition program. I'm 66 and I learned basic info I wish I'd had known 40 years ago---except that it didn't exist then.

Next came a 75 minute meeting with nutritionist Judy Van Beest. Her husband, Johann, has basically walked me through this program as kind of overall program guide. Judy, who looks to be about 45 years old, took me through WHY the nutrition program worked, how it was designed and that my personal eating habits had created situations that could be problematic in the near future if I didn't address them.

Honestly, I'd never been shown exactly how the body worked, the glycemic index of foods, how certain foods triggered the release of insulin in the body and that continuously elevated insulin levels work against a body. About 45 minutes deep in this session I wrote myself a note----"This WILL work!" Imagine how stunned I was sometime later that afternoon to find Judy was actually 60 years old! She absolutely does not look it----but then she's in this age defying program.

Next, I went down the

hall to work with physical and exercise therapist, Vanessa. We did all kinds of exercises, meas

urements, body scans and took pictures that I can assure you are not that flattering, but the Institute wants baseline information to measure your progress.

Then came the final and most vital part of the afternoon---meeting with Dr. Jacob Rosenstein, who'll oversee my progress in all areas. We began with a physical to check basics. (Yes, there was a prostate exam!) Then came the most eye-opening hour. The Institute has a virtual dossier on me. The blood work measured everything, good and bad. I'm happy to report some good areas. My cholesterol is good, but there's work to do in terms of "good and bad" cholesterol. I'm deficient in vitamin D and my insulin's way too high. If, in my current condition, I'm to rebuild lean muscle mass I'll need testosterone injunctions (Insert Gordo joke here!) The session went and on and learned more and more. The scans revealed where my extra fatty tissue is concentrated and that I have some significant build-up of plaque in my carotid artery. There's also a touch of arthritis in my back.

It was incredible! The information just kept coming then I learned exactly what MY program would consist of. I got a huge three-ring binder with all of SAII's research and my particular health plan. We reviewed old eating habits, surgeries, family medical history, supplements I'd been taking and medications I had to take. Whew!

After that meeting Dr.Johann van Beest walked me to the pharmacy---their pharmacy! All, and I do mean ALL, the supplements and hormones necessary to correct imbalances were waiting for me. Each month I'll be shipped another month's supply. And, just in case you're wondering, no---this is not special treatment. This is the way any man or woman wanting to defy the aging process gets treated at Southwest Age Intervention Institute.

I'm truly psyched. This program does what it advertises and it will do it for me. Next week comes another meeting with Vanessa, who'll outline my exercise program. I'm gonna have to give up some old, very detrimental eating habits, workout more and understand that my body needs care if it's gonna work for me for many more years.

I'll be keeping you posted. But if what I've written intrigues you why not make the call.

Starting Your Age Intervention Program

At Southwest Age Intervention Institute, your customized program begins with extensive blood work. Our phlebotomist comes to you at work or home, and we work around your schedule. This blood work is the blueprint of your body at your age. We evaluate all major organ systems, hormonal levels, markers of inflammation, and risk factors for disease to determine how you are aging.

You complete detailed history forms so that we may understand your lifestyle, eating habits, past medical history, family health history, activity levels, and age intervention goals. The interpretation of the lab work is important. Where you are in the “normal” range clearly makes a difference. Your goal is to be at the lowest risk for disease and at peak physical, cognitive, and sexual function.

Your Executive Health Evaluation is scheduled at our facility in Arlington, Texas approximately 4 weeks after your blood draw. The day of your evaluation spans 7 hours and includes:

• Ultrasound of the carotid arteries
• Bone density testing
• Body composition scan – determines the distribution of fat and lean in the body
• Fitness Evaluation – to determine proper training zones to burn fat with shorter workouts
• Mental acuity and cognitive function testing – to evaluate risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s
• Lunch – nutritional video
• Meet with our Nutritional Counselor – to teach the principles that allow you to eat healthy for life
• Consultation with Dr. Rosenstein – 2 hours. (He reviews your blood work and test results and performs a physical exam. He designs a personalized treatment plan to correct and optimize hormone imbalances.)

Our Age Intervention Program is a multifaceted approach to age-related change. We address your immediate goals, e.g., weight loss, lean muscle gain, improved energy, mental acuity, and sexual function. In the long term, our most important goal is to help you maintain optimum physical, cognitive, and sexual function while keeping you at the lowest risk for disease – everything from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia – so you can enjoy a good quality of life and not experience decline as typically we would see. By correcting the underlying hormonal and metabolic imbalances, we help you reverse the age-related changes you have experienced.

Days 1 through 30 – You can expect an improved feeling of wellbeing with sharper mental acuity, increased energy, motivation and drive in both your personal and professional life. You will experience renewed confidence and competitiveness. Men typically experience greater sex drive and a spontaneous return of early morning erections with improvement in mild depression associated with declining hormones. Women will begin to see a reduction in menopausal symptoms including decreased hot flashes and night sweats with improved mental outlook.

Days 31 through 90 – You will experience increased physical strength and endurance with reduced recovery time. Weight loss occurs and lean muscle mass gain transforms your body composition. You experience an improvement in cardiovascular conditioning with increased workout and physical activity abilities. Men and women will continue to experience changes in mood and energy while libido and sexual performance continue to improve.

Days 91 through 180 – You will continue to experience measurable and significant body composition changes. Decreased abdominal fat and increased lean muscle mass are seen. For those with osteopenia (loss of bone density), stabilization of bone mass occurs. The risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive dysfunction decreases while improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels are experienced.

Beyond Day 180 – Transformation is possible. Dr. Rosenstein became an age management patient in April 2008. He had remarkable results. Prior to the program, he was on a low-fat diet and exercised daily. Despite this he developed muscle wasting and fat accumulation around his abdomen. While his total body fat was only 21%, his body composition was poor. His abdomen had 26% fat. This type of fat distribution is associated with chronic diseases including insulin resistance, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. In the Age Intervention Program, the fat around his abdomen decreased from 26% to 7%. His total body fat went from 21% to 8%. He lost 14 pounds of fat and gained 17 pounds of muscle. He achieved these remarkable results in only 6 months (180 days).

Monitoring Your Progress
Following your Executive Health Evaluation, monitoring your ongoing progress is a critical part of the Southwest Age Intervention Institute Program. Follow-up blood work and a body composition scan ensure that your program is working as intended. Periodic adjustments or refinements to your program will be made by Dr. Rosenstein as needed.

Your next blood work is performed two months after you start the program. Your blood work is compared to prior results and your progress evaluated. Dr. Rosenstein consults with you once more to determine how the program is working for you and as to what changes should be made. It is vital that hormone levels are maintained at proper levels. From this point forward, dependent on need, blood work is performed every 4-6 months.

At Southwest Age Intervention Institute, our patients are encouraged to interact with both Dr. Rosenstein and staff. We monitor the changes in their program to ensure safety and efficacy. Each patient’s age intervention protocol includes proper diagnostics combined with a precise age intervention treatment plan.

Will I ever get some of that blood back?

Thorough! That's the impression I got when meeting the professionals at the Southwest Age Intervention Institute---thorough. As we talked I became more and more impressed with the singular focus of this place----they were absolutely serious about defying the generally negative feelings people have about getting older. As I've aged to a now still-very-spry 66, I faced these later years wondering what they'd be like and simply hoping I could "age gracefully." But at Southwest Age Intervention Institute, they've developed a proactive program in which we (they and I) take my future into my own hands. Their program stresses both mental and physical approaches to maintaining vitality. They believe passionately in their slogan of "turning the rest of your life into the best of your life."

I walked away both impressed and revved up about starting my individually designed program. Then, the day for the blood test and filing my paper work arrived. And, boy, did I ever understand what "thorough" actually meant! They wanted to know everything about me. EVERYTHING! But then, if you're designing such a program, you've got to know all there is to know about the body and the history the patient. Yes, the forms took some time to complete. But as I worked through the paperwork I realized again how dedicated they were to finding the very best paths to send me down.

Then came the blood work. Because my schedule was ridiculous around NFL draft time, James the phlebotomist visited my office. Let me assure you, I don't like to give blood. I hate the sight of blood. So, I asked if I could simply look away, keep working and have James simply tell me when it was over (though at that point I figured I'd probably know). One stick and the process was underway. I continued to read. James changed vials and drew more blood. More reading. More blood. Five vials in all! Five. That seemed a lot to me but again that word came back to me----thorough! This is not some simple pop-a-vitamin-do-a-push-up-and-it'll-be-OK program.

When we meet again at their Arlington offices May 10 for them to go completely through the program they've designed for me, they'll know everything they needed to know about me. That gives me even more confidence in the team at Southwest Age Intervention Institute. They want me to defy aging, not simply accept decline as a "fact of life." I'll up date you next week on that meeting and the program.

Meanwhile, I'm left with only one question at this point-----will I ever get some of that blood back?

-Norm Hitzges

Discussing Low Testosterone (Low-T) in Men

Andropause and Testosterone

Andropause is the technical term for the changes that men go through as they age.  Between the ages of 40 and 79, a typical American male loses about 20 pounds of muscle, 15% of his bone mass, and nearly 2 inches in height.  After age 40, the testicles begin to shrink and men begin to experience impotence.

Andropause is not only related to a decline in testosterone as higher testosterone levels do not always result in increased sexual prowess. Other hormones (DHEA, growth hormone, thyroid hormone) are also important in andropause. Sexual decline may also be related to a decrease in neurotransmitters in the brain. Certain medications can also aggravate the brain neurotransmission and interfere with a man’s potency.

Produced in the testes, testosterone is the end result of a series of biochemical steps. Testosterone also regulates prostaglandin, which seems to keep the growth of the prostate under control. Testosterone also nourishes all the tissues in the male urinary and reproductive systems.

It is estimated that testosterone levels will drop to abnormally low levels in more than 20% of men after age 50. Testosterone can be affected by medication, by illness, obesity, stress, and lifestyle factors, such as excessive alcohol intake and smoking.

The following is a simple questionnaire for men to determine if their testosterone levels are adequate. How do you score?

1. Are you over the age of thirty-five? 
2. Do you have poor muscle tone? 
3. Are you prone to weight gain, particularly around the midsection?
4. Do you frequently feel weak and tired for no apparent reason? 
5. Is your recovery from exercise slow? 
6. Do you have a low sex drive or symptoms of sexual dysfunction?
7. Do you feel depressed, irritable, or unmotivated? 
8. Do you have difficulty coping with stress? 
9. Do you smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol regularly, or take prescription medicines? 
10. Have you recently been diagnosed with diabetes?

Men who have answered YES to any four questions are candidates for possible hormone replacement therapy for Low-T. There are more than 40 million men in the United States experiencing andropause, but the vast majority of them are unaware of it. As the tremendous popularity of Viagra suggests, many of these men have symptoms of male sexual dysfunction, while others find themselves fighting more subtle battles against depression, diabetes, fatigue, insomnia, and obesity - all common symptoms of Low-T that most doctors overlook and attribute to the natural process of aging or stress.

Hormones are the real juice of life. With our Age Intervention Program, we are astonished by how men and women are revitalized in as little as 6 to 8 weeks after beginning testosterone replacement therapy.


Standard Laboratory Tests are Insufficient

Medical science has determined that a man’s bio-available (free) levels decline at an alarming rate of 2% each year, beginning at age 30. This means that a man in his 60’s is functioning with only about 40% of the testosterone he had in his 20’s.

However, when standard laboratory tests are performed, most men typically have only their total levels of testosterone evaluated. Their more important bio-available levels go unchecked. As a result, millions of American men who have symptoms of low testosterone are walking around undiagnosed and untreated.


Benefits of Testosterone

• Enhances muscle mass and strength
• Enhances sex drive and function
• Improves cardiac health and blood pressure
• Improves memory, concentration, and visual acuity
• Improves mood and overall sense of well-being
• Improves overall energy
• Increases bone strength
• Increases tolerance for stress
• Promotes protein-building
• Reduces cholesterol and blood sugar