Fibroids and Green Tea

There is no real research and no real medical solution to a predominately African American women problem of fibroids. There's been research since the new millennium the studies and research just hasn't produced any usable therapies or treatments to this growing problem.

"Research in women's health continues to be a high priority for the Institute. We are supporting research to develop effective treatments for uterine fibroids, the number one reason for hysterectomies and a leading cause of infertility, particularly among African American women. With the Office of Research on Women's Health, we are conducting research to understand, treat, and reduce conditions such as pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence that can develop as a result of childbirth or the aging process. We are also conducting research to diagnose and treat vulvodynia, a particularly painful condition that affects the reproductive, sexual, and physical health of women," said Duane Alexander, M.D., Director of the NICHD." (NIH) Spring 2001

Why is it that there's been no real advances in the science and treatment of uterine leiomyomata? We know that science can't be any more than inventions created on demand from thin air. Yet one would hope that with time and money there would be some significant information available to suffers. After all money was thrown at the problem with the Fibroid Growth Study (FGS) - Epidemiology Branch, April 16, 2002 through March 2003.

A $100 check was mailed to participants approximately two to three weeks after each MRI visit, up to four visits. Payments ranged between $100 and $400 depending on the number of visits. - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

In the midst of one study research doesn't stop at other facilities and information doesn't die on the vine. Facts are there to be primed, sought and or mined. Scientific research sets standards that can be duplicated, replicated and repeated at will. It's that results that can lead to the proper medications and treatments that can heal and repair.

"Scientists at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the University of South Florida, Tampa, have come one step closer to identifying the cause of uterine fibroids - a condition that affects up to 70 percent of all reproductive age women and can lead to heavy menstrual bleeding, pain, and in some cases, infertility. Specifically, the researchers identified 145 genes that are involved in the development and growth of uterine fibroids. Most of these genes were not previously known to have a function in the human uterus. The study, which also provides evidence that susceptibility to uterine fibroids is passed from father to daughter, appears in the July issue of Fertility and Sterility." National Institutes of Health (NIH) July 22, 2002

Two years later the research reveals information that is both hopeful and counter to all previous information:

"Fibroid Tumors Lack Crucial Structural Protein - Fibroid tumors-the sometimes painful uterine growths affecting many American women-lack a key protein that plays a role in holding tissues together, according to a study by researchers from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health. "This finding is a major step in understanding the nature of fibroids and may prove useful in efforts to devise more effective treatments for them," said Duane Alexander, M.D., Director of the NICHD." (NIH) June 2, 2004

What we did learn is that everything we'd been doing to treat fibroid tumors was wrong or rather useless:

"A new study suggests that the conventional hormone therapies used to treat fibroid tumors are unlikely to produce much improvement and at best will only temporarily relieve symptoms. However, the study findings also suggest a strategy for developing a new, non-surgical treatment." (NIH) October 15, 2004

There's no hope in traditional rememdies or treatment so what's a patient in pain to do? Non-traditional natural remedies and treatment of course. The only problem is that there is no scientific evidence for the success of these treatment. All of the research is antedotal information found on the internet blog sites. What we did find we found suspicious.

Green Tea: Reducing Dangerous Metals in the Brain - Excess levels of iron have been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, leading some researchers to wonder if chelating (or binding) free iron levels in the brain might benefit patients. Iron enhances and promotes the generation of free radicals, which are known to cause damage in Alzheimer’s disease. One potential chelating agent is green tea catechins. These powerful flavonoids have been shown to possess potent chelating properties, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers (Mandel S et al 2006). Animal studies have demonstrated that the main flavonoid in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), can decrease levels of beta-amyloid in the brain, offering hope that green tea can help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (Rezai-Zadeh K et al 2005).
http://www.lef.org/protocols/neurological/al\\zheimers_disease_01.htm

The research is partially publicly funded and probably with supposed matching funds from organizations with partially completed websites outside the US where their information stops at year 2008. The problem still exists. The results are the only hopeful bright light on the horizon. The effects should be rather universal with very few negative reactions to use.

"Green tea extract inhibits proliferation of uterine leiomyoma cells in vitro and in nude mice. EGCG effectively inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in rat ELT3 uterine leiomyoma cells in vitro and in vivo. This study was supported by Research Center for Minority Institutes (RCMI) Grant G12 RR03032 and National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 1 R01 HD046228 (A.A.) American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (AJOG)

We say very few negative reactions because green tea can cause problems for people on high blood pressure medication. Even after all all the studies and research the results are the same:

Currently, we know little about what causes uterine fibroids. Scientists have a number of theories, but none of these ideas explains fibroids completely. Most likely, fibroids are the end result of many factors interacting with each other. These factors could be genetic, hormonal, environmental, or a combination of all three. Once we know the cause or causes of fibroids, our efforts to find a cure or even prevent fibroids will move ahead more quickly. (NIH) August 18, 2006

The reseach and organizations concerned about the issue of women's health have made it a part of their "strategic plans" and long term studies. What women don't need is more blame the victim results. The truth is the truth but when you raised on a farm to say you need a urban lifestyle is no real truth. We are where we are and who we are. Yes, we need to be more active and to eat more blah blah blah. That's the same - "Just Say No!" "Can't We All Just Get Along" "I'd Like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony" nonsense that provides no real useful information for anyone.

"Approximately 20 to 40 percent of reproductive age women have fibroids, or uterine leiomyomata, and they occur two to three times more frequently in African American than in Caucasian women. This disorder is a significant source of abnormal uterine bleeding, anemia, and pelvic pain, and often poses a serious reproductive threat. The tumors also may press on adjacent structures, leading to difficulty with normal bowel or bladder function and frequently requiring surgical interventions. In fact, uterine leiomyomata are the leading reason for women to undergo a hysterectomy in the United States." - National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD Strategic Plan 2004/2008)

What women don't need is more it's all your fault blame because the truth is every single human being can be better. What we did love was that Glenn Heartwell, MPH in the middle of her UFS Study shared her own painful story from fibroid pain and suffering. (PDF)

"Uterine leiomyomata, also known as fibroids, are the leading indication for hysterectomy in the United States. Despite the morbidity and high medical costs associated with fibroids, there has been little epidemiologic study of this condition. These benign tumors are hormone-dependent, develop after puberty and regress after menopause. Both estrogen and progesterone are considered important stimulants, or at least permissive factors for tumor growth." Uterine Fibroid Study (UFS) Epidemiology Branch

No one should have to settle for tomorrow maybe we'll be able to find some kind of treatment for your pain and suffering. It's doesn't matter if you're a woman from any ethnic heritage. African American women shouldn't have wait at the back of any research bus for an effective treatment and if science can't provide it maybe nature and those that uses nature to heal and treat will.