< Got Moobs? >
* * * * * *
Man boobs cause studied by researcher
A report to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine next week will outline the causes of gynecomastia, or as we like to call them, man boobs.
The clinical practice article, from a hormone expert at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, will explain that there are many reasons men—especially adolescents, middle-aged men and older men—can develop enlarged breast tissue, but it is usually not harmful and can be treated if it doesn’t resolve itself on its own.
This isn’t the first time doctors have sought to explain man boobs. Cedars-Sinai endocrinologist Dr. Glenn D. Braunstein has been studying gynecomastia, which comes from the Greek words for “female-like breasts,” for years.
Gynecomastia Afflicts up to 6 in 10 Men
Braunstein says that as many as 30 to 60 percent of adult men will at some point develop excessive growth of breast tissue. While the cause of this growth in adolescents is usually linked to hormone changes, there are several reasons for men to develop man boobs:
- Excess weight. Fat can cause men to produce more estrogen, thus more breast tissue.
- Medications and drugs. Braunstein says blood pressure medicines, hormones, and other medications may cause an increase in estrogen. Steroid abuse can also cause breast growth, and some experts believe marijuana use may contribute.
- Tumors. About a quarter of cases of excess tissue are related to tumors that affect glands that in turn produce more hormones.
- Diseases and other causes. Liver disease, genetic disorders and other health problems may also be behind man boobs, so it’s important to check with your doctor to make sure something more serious isn’t going on.
As for treatment options, Braunstein says that’s pretty easy: weight loss for people with man boobs who are overweight, and hormone therapy to lower levels of estrogen when weight isn’t the cause.
A report in the British Medical Journal found that about 80 percent of patients studied responded well to taking the drug tamoxifen, often associated with breast cancer treatment, to reduce their excess breast tissue.
Man Boobs Surgery a Last Resort, But Growing in Popularity
Breast reduction surgery is also an option for man boobs, and about 18,500 men in the United States undergo the procedure each year. It’s much less invasive now than it used to be, using ultrasound-assisted liposuction to target excess tissue in what’s usually an outpatient procedure.
While weight loss and surgery can remove the physical issues associated with gynecomastia, self-esteem and body image issues may also be a problem for many men.
NOTE: A nonsurgical gynecomastia treatment technique that involves diet and natural hormone balancing techniques is described here.
(By Sarah White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)
Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "
HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )
I have suffered and I do mean suffered with this for over 45 years. I was denied the surgery. Losing all the weight didn't help.
I was down to duct taping the buggers. I am going to see if the doc will rx that drug.
If a specific cause of gynecomastia can be identified and treated during the painful proliferative phase, there may be regression of the breast enlargement. [...] However, if the gynecomastia has been present for more than 1 year, it is unlikely to regress substantially, either spontaneously or with medical therapy, because of the presence of fibrosis. [...] During the acute florid stage of gynecomastia, a trial of tamoxifen, at a dose of 20 mg per day for up to 3 months, may be attempted.
That means if it was going to help, you'd have to have been prescribed the drug 45 years ago! That is, tamoxifen would only be effective during the prodromal period before actual breast tissue has developed.
Tamoxifen is also not a benign drug. As a SERM (selective estrogen response modifier), it has both estrogen-like and estrogen-blocking effects depending on the particular tissue. It largely blocks the effect of estrogens on breast tissue. Unfortunately, like natural estrogens, it can promote the formation of blood clots, leading to stroke or pulmonary embolism. Rare, but given that it wouldn't work to treat your problem, it's a risk not worth taking.
It sounds like surgery is your only option, aside from duct tape!
/Steve
Sounds like surgery (or duck tape, as Snickersdude suggests
) is the only answer .. Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "
HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )
Note that there is gynecomastia and so-called pseudogynecomastia. In the second case, there's no real breast tissue present, but adipose tissue (fat) instead. Weight loss (obviously) will help this, but sometimes pockets of fat are going to hang around despite weight loss. Add to that stretched, inelastic skin, and you can still have a cosmetic problem requiring surgery even if it can't be attributed to breast development.
/Steve
So thank you for the post.. 
Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "
HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )
