Lee S. Levin, M.D. Anti-Aging Internal Medicine in Santa Fe, New Mexico
A Word from Dr. Lee Levin on Anti-Aging Internal Medicine
This combination of alternative and traditional therapies results in patients feeling younger, more energetic, and stronger. It is evidenced in improved test results demonstrating decreased inflammation, improved cholesterol and lipid levels, stronger bones, better endurance, less diabetes, and numerous other benefits.
We all age. The question is, how well will we age? Medical knowledge is remarkably doubling every three to four years. As a result, we now have many new approaches to markedly enhance an individual’s quality of life and slow the progression of age-related disease. Dr. Levin devotes a great portion of his time and energy to the review and study of the latest in these medical advances, providing his patients with the highest quality anti-aging expertise possible.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1) What is anti-aging medicine? Anti-aging medicine focuses on the prevention, early detection and treatment of age-related dysfunction and disease. Scientific advancements in recent years have demonstrated that many of the disabilities traditionally associated with the aging process can be addressed by modern, informed medical treatment. The body’s biological processes can be revitalized and the quality, and perhaps quantity, of the human life span enhanced. Physicians who are trained in anti-aging medicine focus on preventing a long list of ailments through the use of diet and exercise, hormonal and metabolic analysis and treatment, and supplementation with vitamins and other dietary supplements. Anti-aging medicine has been called “the most important new model for health care for this millennium” (“The New Anti-Aging Revolution,” p. 3, by Dr. Ronald Klatz, President of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and Dr. Robert Goldman, President of the National Academy of Sports Medicine).
2) How does Dr. Levin’s personal philosophy and approach to anti-aging medicine help to define his practice? Dr. Levin has been in practice in Internal Medicine since 1979 and continues to meet the needs of a large, diverse population at his office in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Active in mountain climbing, skiing, kayaking, running, and other outdoor activities, Dr. Levin began in recent years to explore the ways in which modern medicine could enable him, and by extension his patients as well, to remain active and strong and to continue to perform at an optimal level in all areas of life. He blends expertise in both traditional Internal Medicine with the newest discoveries in anti-aging to actively delay, and in many cases prevent, the diseases and dysfunctions of the aging process.
3) What can I do to prevent breast cancer? Science now understands that a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet rich in omega-3 oils, fresh fruits and vegetables, along with regular exercise and weight control greatly decreases one’s risk of breast cancer. Supplements such as calcium, vitamin D, fish oil, and Indole-3-Carbinol have demonstrated great preventative qualities. Regular mammograms remain extremely important in early detection.
4) Does estrogen cause breast cancer as has been suggested in recent popular-press accounts? The answer to this depends upon many factors rather than it being a simple “open and shut” case. Some studies suggest that after ten to twenty years of estrogen supplementation (much of which has occurred a form of oral estrogen/progestin; Premarin and Provera), there may be a slight increase rate of breast cancer. Other studies say there is no increased risk. As with anything, what is important are the ages and health circumstances of individual patients, the form and amount of estrogen supplemented, and the knowledge of the practitioner. Women must consider that the advantages of early (at menopause) bioequivalent estrogen replacement include stronger bones, less colon cancer, less heart disease, increased libido, younger skin, and better mood and memory. These advantages, resulting from natural estrogen supplementation in an informed, medically overseen way (complemented by the significant preventative advantages of undertaking a healthy diet, exercise, and lifestyle), can strongly outweigh the much smaller, possible increased risk of breast cancer.
5) Is testosterone replacement just for sexual problems? The benefits of appropriate testosterone replacement are numerous. They include improved sexual function, improved mood and strength, decreased inflammation, prevention of coronary artery disease, improved bone strength, and prevention of diabetes. Testosterone supplementation can positively affect almost every system in the body.
6) Does testosterone supplementation cause prostate cancer? Numerous studies say “no.” However, testosterone replacement can adversely affect an already pre-existing presence of cancerous cells in the prostate. Individuals must be checked for prostate cancer with a prostate exam and PSA blood test prior to starting testosterone therapy, and then monitored twice yearly with the appropriate exams and blood testing.
7) Is Human Growth Hormone (HGH) a dangerous steroid? Human Growth Hormone is a complex protein and not a steroid. Some adults are deficient in growth hormone, a condition that leads to obesity, coronary artery disease, fatigue, increased risk of infections, osteoporosis, and many other adverse effects. Replacement of growth hormone in these patients will improve the physical and mental aspects of their lives.
8) Will I live longer with anti-aging medicine? This is not known, but we do know that you will feel better, have more energy, and have improved mood and zest for life with the appropriate therapy. If you are feeling better, eating better, exercising more, and have improved lab tests, you will have a greatly improved quality of life and could quite possibly increase your longevity.
9) Will my insurance company cover an anti-aging program? Some insurances cover the cost of many of the protocols prescribed by anti-aging physicians. Unfortunately others, including Medicare, do not. Of course, lifestyle changes, much of what is involved in anti-aging medicine, simply require that you, the patient, make the decision to begin taking the actions that will better the quality of your own life. |
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We’ve created this web site for both new and current patients. It includes specific information on our practice, together with general wellness information.
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Lee S. Levin, M.D. Diplomate of the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine |
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Practice Philosophy |
The early prevention and treatment of disease before it becomes severe and disabling is the focus of my practice of medicine. To achieve this goal, I use a variety of medical techniques including traditional Internal Medicine, the latest in nutritional supplements and dietary research, proper exercise, and stress reduction. I blend these techniques with a comprehensive metabolic and hormonal evaluation to strive toward optimal health. My patients have found marked improvement in energy and quality of life following my wellness program.
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Experience |
1979-1990 Physician, voluntary faculty at Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara, California; a teaching affiliate of Stanford University School of Medicine
1990-1993 Chief of Internal Medicine, Lovelace Medical Group, Santa Fe, New Mexico
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1993-present Physician in private practice, Santa Fe, New Mexico
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Professional Organizations |
New Mexico Medical Society American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Life Extension Foundation International Hormone Society |
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Education |
1968-1972 Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
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Interests |
Mountaineering (Dr. Lee Levin was the official physician on a Mount Everest service trek–click here for photos and acknowledgment), skiing, hiking, mountain biking, weight training, kayaking, long distance running
Environmental advocacy
Longevity and optimal wellness
Married: four children, one grandchild |
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Men Face Rising Osteoporosis Risk
As with women, Cauley explained, osteoporosis in men results in part from declining levels of estrogen, which normally keep bone-depleting inflammatory compounds called cytokines in check. Without sufficient estrogen, cytokines strip away at bone layers through a process called resorption. Over time, weakening bones develop the hallmarks of osteoporosis, becoming brittle and fracture-prone. Rates of hip fracture were especially pronounced among Hispanic men, for unknown reasons, Cauley said. “The increase may be due to inadequate vitamin D, but really we don’t yet know why Hispanic men are more vulnerable.”
Cauley emphasized the study reinforces a basic message: namely that men over the age of 70 should consider a bone density check. “If bone density is good, you may not need to repeat the test, but if it’s low, you may need to retest within a few years and maybe start thinking about treatment,” she said. In a further study, Dr. John Wong from Tufts University and his colleagues estimated the number of male fractures and associated costs from 2005 to 2025. Using a computer model that simulates costs, morbidity, and mortality for different age and racial/ethnic groups of men in the United States, Wong and colleagues predicted a 56% increase in the incidence of male osteoporotic fractures, from a total of 595,000 to 925,000.
The model also predicted a commensurate rise in related costs, from a baseline of US $4.1 billion to US $6.7 billion. The increase in male fracture incidence, Wong said, can be attributed to rising numbers of elderly people in the US population, which is steadily aging.
The Economic Impact of Osteoporosis in Men
A large portion of the total cost of treating fragility fractures in the United States goes to treating men, a new study revealed. “People are not really aware that this disease also occurs in men as well as women, as a result, they don’t really understand the economic consequences of osteoporosis in men,” said Dr. Rick Adachi, professor of medicine at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and lead author on the study. But Adachi and colleagues found that 30 percent of the total cost of treating fragility fractures goes towards treating men. “This was higher than anticipated and contradicts the view that women alone are at risk for fragility fractures and the costs and consequences associated with them,” Adachi said. Together with colleagues at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, and Proctor and Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Mason, Ohio, Adachi examined data from approximately 45 different public and private healthcare plans. The researchers tallied medical claims for treatment of vertebral and non-vertebral fractures in men and women aged 50-89 years. Nearly two million claims were analyzed and fragility fracture rates determined for the wrist, leg, arm, hip, pelvis, shoulder and spine. In addition to the higher than anticipated costs related to treating fractures in men, the study came up with another surprising finding—over 90 percent of the cost of treating fractures in men goes towards treating non-vertebral fractures. “While vertebral fractures are important and do reflect fragility in men, the real cost in men turns out to be these non-vertebral fractures, said Adachi. These include fracture of the hip, wrist, and shoulder. Though osteoporosis affects more women than men, about 1 in 5 men over age 50—more than will get prostate cancer—will, at sometime, suffer an osteoporotic or fragility fracture, according to previous research. In fact, estimates suggest that by 2025 the number of hip fractures in men, worldwide, will have more than doubled. Adachi’s findings suggest that adjusted for inflation, the cost of treating osteoporosis in men will rise by at least that much, in real terms. “If we want to help reduce costs, then we really need to focus on new approaches for the early identification of osteoporosis in men and we need to find medications that are proven to help prevent both vertebral and non-vertebral fractures,” said Adachi. Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by International Osteoporosis Foundation.
CANCER PREVENTION
Green Tea Extract Stops Progression to Prostate Cancer
An extract of the catechins found in green tea appears to be effective in preventing the progression of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia to invasive prostate cancer, Saverio Bettuzzi, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.In the placebo-controlled, double-blind study, 30 men with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) took 200 mg of green tea catechins (GTCs) three times daily for 6 months. Another 30 men with PIN took a placebo. Catechins are antioxidants, and they belong to a class of polyphenols called flavanols. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the major catechin in green tea, and in tissue culture EGCG has been shown to induce apoptosis in cancer cells, but not normal cells. At 12 months, nine (30%) of the men who took placebo had progressed to prostate cancer. In contrast, only one (3.3%) of the men who took GTC had progression of PIN to invasive cancer, for an apparent efficacy rate of 90%. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant.
By Robert Finn, excerpted from Internal Medical News,August 1, 2005.
Exercise Cuts Breast Cancer Risk 10% After Menopause
In postmenopausal women, an active lifestyle provided about 10% reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer over a 17-year period in over 36,000 women, according to a prospective cohort study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.Dr. Aditya Bardia and colleagues from the Iowa Women’s Health Study mailed questionnaires addressing leisure time physical activity and breast cancer risk factors to postmenopausal women living in Iowa in 1986; a total of 41,837 women (43%) responded. A high level of physical activity was associated with a 13% reduction in the risk of developing ER (estrogen responsive)-positive breast cancer and an 8% reduction in ER-negative breast cancer, compared with low physical activity. The risk reduction for PR-positive and PR-negative breast cancer was 5% and 27% respectively. Excerpted from Internal Medicine News
I3C and DIM: Natural, Dual-Action Protection Against Deadly Cancers
With the increasing toxicity of our natural environment, guarding against cancer is an essential part of the quest for a longer, healthier life. Despite the expenditure of hundreds of billions of research dollars, the war on cancer has yet to produce a significant cure for most forms of this deadly disease. As a result, health-conscious adults are advised to adopt an aggressive strategy of cancer prevention. Fortunately, scientists have identified and isolated remarkable chemicals in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and watercress that can protect against cellular changes that lead to colon, breast, thyroid, and other cancers. Many studies have demonstrated that specific compounds isolated from these vegetables—including diindolylmethane (DIM) and its precursor, indole-3-carinol (I3C)—have unique cancer-fighting benefits. These compounds have been found to alter estrogen metabolism in both men and women, thus protecting against hormone-dependent cancers such as those of the breast, cervix, and prostate. One of the most important applications of I3C and DIM may be in protecting against hormone-induced breast cancer. Epidemiological, laboratory, and animal studies indicate that dietary intake of I3C prevents the development of estrogen-enhanced cancers, including breast, endometrial, and cervical cancers. I3C has been found to cause growth arrest and increased apoptosis (programmed cell death). -Excerpted from Life Extension Journal, January 2006
Diet and Nutrition
Coffee for Heath
When the Ink Spots sang “I love the java jive and it loves me” in 1940, they could not have known how right they were.Coffee drinkers are about 60% less likely to develop type-2 diabetes, even in those with early signs of diabetes, vs. those who abstain from the beverage. The University of California, San Diego, studied 910 people, ages 50 and older with no diabetes, and found the protective effect wasn’t caffeine, since decaffeinated coffee also helped.
Investors Business Daily, November ‘06
Coffee Is a Top Source of Healthy Antioxidants
Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American diet, according to a study released earlier this year. Of course, too much coffee can make people jittery and even raise cholesterol levels, so food experts stressed moderation. Chemistry professor, Joe A. Vinson, of the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, analyzed the anti-oxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils, and common beverages. They then used Agriculture Department data on typical food consumption patterns to calculate how much antioxidant each food contributes to a person’s diet. They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. “Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber,” Vinson said. In February, a team of Japanese researchers reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that people who drank coffee daily, or nearly every day, had half the liver cancer risk of those who never drank it. The protective effect occurred in people who drank one to two cups a day and increased at three to four cups. Last year, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that drinking coffee cut the risk of developing the most common form of diabetes. Men who drank more than six 8-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee per day lowered their risk of type-2 diabetes by about half, and women reduced their risk by nearly 30 percent, compared with people who did not drink coffee, according to the study in Annals of Internal Medicine. -Excerpted from an article by Randolph E. Schmid, The Associated Press
Mediterranean Diet Prolongs Life in Elderly
Adherence to a Mediterranean diet decreases mortality in the elderly by more than 50%. In a study of dietary patterns and lifestyle factors in 2,339 apparently healthy men and women aged 70 to 90 years conducted in 11 European countries, the hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality at 10 years was 0.77 for adhering to a Mediterranean diet, 0.78 for moderate alcohol use, 0.63 for physical activity, and 0.65 for nonsmoking. Similar effects were seen regarding mortality from coronary heart disease, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. The combination of 4 low-risk factors lowered the HR for all-cause mortality to 0.35 (Journal of the American Medical Association 2004; 292:1433-1439)Olive oil added to a regular diet may help reduce oxidative damage to cells that can eventually lead to cancer. Oil contains phenols, which are antioxidants that prevent cell damage. The Copenhagen University Hospital’s study of 182 European men, aged 20-60, found that a quarter cup of olive oil throughout a day reduced oxidative damage by 13%.
The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
Deficiency in Vitamin D May Predispose People to Infection
Vitamin D Can Help
TESTOSTERONE
About half of randomized controlled trials of testosterone therapy in older men have shown positive effects on cognitive function, particularly spatial cognition, Dr. Camille Vaughan said at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society. Dr. Vaughan presented data from a study in which 70 healthy men, ages 65-83 years, with low levels of testosterone (less than 350 ng/ dL) and normal performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were randomly assigned to receive one of three regimens. There was a trend in the active treatment groups toward improved performance in the Benton Visual Retention Test in visuospatial skills on the Visual Patterns Test. ~~Exerpted from Internal Medicine News, June 15, 2006
Testosterone, DHEA Increased Physical Performance In Older Men
Data from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study showed that elevated levels of endogenous total testosterone, bioavailable testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate are associated with increases in physical performance in older men.The average age of subjects was 68 years. All participants completed a physical performance test as well as a grip strength and chair stand test. Researchers determined that up to certain critical concentrations, hormones conferred benefit. ~~Excerpted from Endocrine Today
PREVENTING HEART DISEASE
Erythropoietin is an entirely different modality of treatment for HF that is going to be a very exciting area in the future. It doesn’t interfere with any of the other drugs currently used in treatment.”~~Reynolds M. Delgado III, M.D.
Anemia Therapy in Heart-Failure Patients Increases Survival, Decreases Hospitalizations
Erythropoietin therapy improves renal function and decreases the need for hospitalization in anemic patients with heart failure (HF), according to results of an observational study presented at the annual meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America. Anemia is diagnosed in up to 55% of patients with chronic HF, depending on the disease severity and the definition of anemia applied. In patients with moderate-to-severe chronic HF, anemia has been associated with worsening symptoms, impaired exercise capacity, and reduced cardiac functional status as measured by New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. Several studies have shown that anemia in chronic HF is an independent predictor of cardiovascular death and is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization. In the analysis, the charts of 467 patients treated for chronic HF were reviewed. Anemia…was present in 38%. Treatment with an erythropoiesis-stimulation protein was given to 81 eligible patients…. Erythropoiesis-stimulating proteins (were supplemented with) oral iron if the serum iron level was below normal. Although the treated patients had worse renal function at baseline than the controls, the survival rates were 83% in the treated group and 68% in the control group. An Israeli outcomes study showed a similar favorable effect. ~~Excerpted from Internal Medicine World Report, November 2004, p.12.
Coronary Calcium Screening Backed for High-Risk Patients
Coronary calcium scanning followed by myocardial perfusion imaging looks like it may be an effective approach to screening for coronary disease, John J. Mahmarian, M.S., said at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. The results from several studies have shown that people with high coronary calcium scores have a markedly increased risk of having myocardial perfusion defects and significant coronary disease. Therefore, he said, screening for coronary calcium makes sense for people with an intermediate or high risk for coronary disease based on their risk factor profile. People with a (high) calcium score should be placed on an aggressive, risk-factor reduction regimen and are potential candidates for further, noninvasive testing by myocardial perfusion imaging using SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography). Whether myocardial perfusion imaging is used on people in this category or not should depend on the severity of their risk factors as well as their age and gender. These people should have follow-up screening for coronary calcium every 1-2 years. Dr. Mahmarian said that about 15% of people screened could be in this category. ~~ Excerpted from Internal Medicine News,
February 1, 2005
