Everyone is welcome to come to the BioTE seminar today from 5:30-6:30 pm. Dr. Trussell will talk about the benefits of bio-identical hormone pellets and the risks of synthetic hormones in men and women. Light refreshments will be served and you'll have the opportunity to ask questions in a relaxed atmosphere.

Contrave....New Weight Loss Medication Is Here!

A month ago I told you Contrave had been approved for weight loss. It is now available in pharmacies or by mail with a faxed prescription from our office.  Contrave contains naltrexone and buproprion, and is titrated up to a dose of 2 tablets twice a day. Contrave has some benefits others may not.

The Scale Down program is a weight-management support program developed by Harvard-trained researchers, and is available to you at no cost as long as you're taking Contrave. So how does it work? First you fill your prescription for Contrave at your local pharmacy or we can fax your prescription in for you and it will be shipped directly to your door. You will register online for the Scale Down program.

After you register for the Scale Down program, you will receive a wireless scale as part of your membership at no additional cost. You will weigh daily. Scale Down receives your data wirelessly and tracks your weight. Based on your weigh-ins, Scale Down sends you personalized text messages. You will also receive emails with access to on-line mini-lessons covering other things you can do to lose weight.

You can also sign up for savings through Contrave Direct Save. When I fax in your prescription, you can get convenient home delivery and the Contrave pharmacist helps make sure you get Contrave at the lowest cost by checking your insurance coverage for you. If  Contrave is covered by your insurance the cost is $55/month the first two months. If Contrave is not covered by your insurance then the cost is no more than $70/month the first two months. After the initial two months your cost is either $45 or $60/month depending on your insurance coverage.

Call today for your appointment to try this novel new weight loss medication and receive a welcome bag from the company.......501-228-6237

Berkeley Advanced Lipid Profile and Genetic Testing

Strokes, Heart Attacks and Diabetes are preventable! Treating these diseases is very expensive! Preventing them is not! Although statin medications (Crestor, Lipitor, Pravachol, etc.) lower total cholesterol and other numbers on a standard lipid panel, they really haven't done a whole lot to prevent heart attacks. Up to 70% of people who take a statin still have a heart attack anyway! So perhaps more is going on than just an elevated cholesterol or an elevated LDL (bad cholesterol) or a low HDL (good cholesterol). We know that insulin resistance (which leads to diabetes), inflammation and the size and number of various lipid particles in your blood are an excellent predictor of stroke and heart attack. And we take things a step further by looking at your genetics. Although you can't change your genetics (you know the old phrase...."you can't choose your parents"), genetic testing will tell you if you have inherited, increased risk for heart attack and stroke so that you can double (or triple) your efforts to make necessary changes on your advanced lipid testing with diet, exercise, stress reduction and/or medication.

       
           

To further clarify.......LDL (low density lipoprotein) is considered the "bad" cholesterol. HDL (high density lipoprotein) is considered the "good cholesterol". However, there are several different sizes of LDL particles.  The three big LDL particles aren't that bad, but the 4 small, dense LDL particles increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes. There are 5 sizes of HDL particles. (see the picture below on the left). The bigger the particle, the better it is. That is because smaller particles are able to get into the artery walls and stimulate inflammation which in turn causes a plaque to form. Eventually that plaque will rupture and a blood clot will develop blocking the artery. This is called a heart attack or depending on the location, a stroke. (see picture below on the right)

And there are at least a dozen other markers that are predictors of this inflammation such as hsCRP and PLAC-2, plaque formation, and insulin resistance which leads to subsequent heart attacks and strokes.  Dr. Trussell reviews the complete Berkeley panel with you including your genetics. She makes recommendations about diet, exercise and medications. She will ask you to return anywhere from one to 3 times per year to see how the changes you implement have affected your lab work and she will make further recommendations. The same diet is not right for everyone, just like the same medication is not right for everyone. It depends on YOUR genetics and YOUR advanced lipid testing.

Do you ever leave the doctor's office and find you can't remember a thing the doctor said? Berkeley knows that and offers free of charge a clinical nurse educator who again goes over all your lab with you AND talks to you about your diet, and changes you can make based on what YOU like to eat. Working with Dr. Trussell, she can make further suggestions about ways to become more active, reduce stress, and she will review your medication with you so that you understand its purpose. In addition you have access to the free online Living 4myheart program which is full of more information and personal testimonies.

Call today to set up your appointment to prevent a heart attack or stroke! Live life to its fullest!
501-228-6237

October Events at Sei Bella! Please Join Us!

Please be our guest at one of or both of the events we are having this month. At Sei Bella we strive for health|wellness|beauty. Our BioTE seminar sand our ArteFill events focus on just those things. You will have the opportunity to talk with me and ask questions while learning about how to make your self look and feel better. Sincerely, Anne R Trussell, MD owner/physician  Sei Bella Med Spa BioTE seminar Bio-identical hormone pellet replacement therapy What are the risks of synthetic hormones and what are the benefits of bio-identical hormone pellets? Are you suffering from fatigue, decreased libido, hot flashes, night sweats, erectile dysfunction, memory loss, brain fog, insomnia, or weight gain? BioTE may be the solution! Come join us for an educational talk by Dr. Trussell and have plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Event Info Oct 28, 2014 5:30-6:30 pm 9501 Baptist Health Drive, Suite 940 Little Rock light refreshments will be served ArteFill event The newest longest lasting filler on the market We have had such a tremendous response to previous events that we are offering one more this year. Come learn about our newest, longest lasting filler from Dr. Trussell who is a certified national trainer for ArteFill. Even if you have participated before, you can come take advantage of the special pricing at this event, too! You'll have the opportunity to ask questions, see before and after pictures and reserve Botox for your NEXT visit at $8/unit.  Event Info October 29, 2014 All day by appointment (call today to reserve your spot) 9501 Baptist Health Drive, Suite 940 Little Rock Light refreshments will be served For more information on either event or to schedule an appointment......give us a call at501-228-6237. We look forward to visiting with you and helping you reach your health|wellness|beauty goals.

Save  50% Remember, all Sonya Dakar and Aloe Source products are 50% off this month! AND you receive a free facial wash of your choice with the purchase of a VIPeel this month. VIPeels are only $275 in October!  Offer Expires: October 31st

The Myths and the Truths about Testosterone Replacement

As I surf through the internet, which I frequently do when watching football and HGTV, I realize how much misinformation there is out there on hormone replacement, especially when it comes to replacing testosterone. If you've read my previous blogs (check out August 2014), newsletters or looked at our Facebook page, you know I am a proponent of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. I do not like synthetic hormones. I do not think they are safe. I will not take them myself. At Sei Bella I use BioTE bio-identical hormone replacement pellets. I have them myself and it has made a huge difference in my sleep quality, energy and muscle recovery after I do long runs.....

Let's start with some myths I can debunk about bio-identical testosterone replacement.

• Testosterone is NOT just for men! Women need testosterone, too! It protects our bones, maintains our muscle mass, and drives our libido....just to name a few. Even women who have had breast cancer can be pelleted with testosterone (but not estrogen)!
• Testosterone is NOT just for women's sex drive! Testosterone reduces insulin resistance which leads to diabetes, reduces cholesterol, reduces visceral fat and decreases risk of heart disease in addition to the benefits mentioned above.
• Testosterone does NOT make women look like men! It would take 30 times the dose we give you in pellets to come remotely close to that.
• Testosterone does NOT cause your voice to get deeper......that is only with anabolic steroids like the ones some athletes and wrestlers take.
• Testosterone does NOT cause hair loss!
• Testosterone is NOT unsafe for the heart!
• Testosterone does NOT cause liver damage! There are three reported cases of hepatocellular carcinoma from oral synthetic testosterone.
• Testosterone does NOT cause aggression.
• Testosterone does NOT cause breast cancer. It is safe for women who have had breast cancer to be pelleted with testosterone.

So what are some of the truths?

• Men age 30-70 will lose 1-3% of their total testosterone production per year.
• Women age 20-40 lose 50% of their testosterone production.
• LOW testosterone puts men and women at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, prostate cancer (men), and loss of muscle mass. 

Call today to schedule a consult about BioTE.  501-228-6237. We will also be having a free seminar on October 27, 2014 from 5:30-6:30 pm and you will have the opportunity to relax and ask me questions and have a little snack, too!!

               

                                                   

Anne R Trussell MD

owner/physician

Does Hormone Replacement Therapy Protect Against Parkinson's Disease?

Parkinson's Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's Disease. Parkinson's is a disorder of the brain that leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty with walking, movement and coordination. Much more research and awareness have evolved over the last decade thanks to the actor Michael J. Fox who has Parkinson's. The incidence and prevalence of Parkinson's disease is rising.  1.8% of people over age 60 develop Parkinson's disease. There are many inconclusive studies on prevention of Parkinson's disease.

We do know a few things about hormone replacement therapy and Parkinson's disease, though. Estrogen replacement is protective against the incidence of dementia which occurs in nearly 30% of Parkinson's Disease patients. Since Parkinson's is more common in men, it raises the suspicion that estrogen has a protective role. It appears that estrogen's antioxidant properties have a direct effect on the survival and recovery of dopamine neurons in early Parkinson's disease. Also the risk of Parkinson's Disease increases after therapy with tamoxifen which is an anti-estrogen drug given to some women after breast cancer. Testosterone replacement also improves the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.

The above pictures show Saint Pope John Paul II in the early years of his papacy and then after he was debilitated with Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson's is not only disabling, it is frustrating to patients because most can think clearly but can't get their bodies to follow commands. Although there is no cure, there are plenty of medications to treat Parkinson's, two of which you make naturally.....estrogen and testosterone. Call today to schedule your consult about BioTE bio-identical hormone pellet replacement therapy.....501-228-6237

Anne R Trussell MD

ArteFill for the Hands

When it comes to anti-aging, we often only focus on our faces and decolletage. However, you have to think about your hands as well. They will reveal your age in a heartbeat! I did this lady's hands today. She is slim and in her 50s. Her face looks more like early 40s. She wanted more youthful looking hands so I put a syringe of ArteFill in each. Painless, quick and instant results......