Dr. Hellen Greenblatt

Tired of Visiting the Bathroom So Frequently?

It is estimated that over 33 million people in the United States are uncomfortable leaving their homes or meeting with friends because they have an overactive bladder that forces them to be close to a bathroom at all times. People with an overactive bladder may urinate eight or more times in 24 hours and multiple …
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aging, anti-inflammatory, autoinflammatory, balance, bladder, C-reactive protein, cytokines, immune homeostasis, inflammatory responses, overactive, pro-inflammatory

Stress

From the time of the ancient Greeks, it has been clear that the mind-gut-body connection influences one’s health; however, only during the last century have we begun to understand why this is the case. With new tools, scientists can show that there is cross-talk between the brain, the gut and the immune system. Immune molecules …
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anti-inflammatory, balance, cytokines, exercise, fatigue, genes, gut, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, pro-inflammatory, stress

The Role of Inflammation in Enlarged Prostate

Repeatedly I am asked whether there is an association between inflammation and an enlarged prostrate. Fifty percent of men by age 50, and 80% of men by age 80 have inflamed, enlarged prostrates, a condition medically known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). (The prostate is an organ that wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine to …
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aging, anti-inflammatory, balance, benign hyperplasia, cardiovascular disease, chronic disease, diabetes, immune homeostasis, inflammation, inflammatory responses, Obesity, prostate, Smoking

Good Nutrition is Not Enough. The Need for Balanced Inflammation.

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Last week I talked with a young local Asian-American business owner who shared with me that he was “a little fatigued and stressed out”. I suggested that if he took steps to getting his immune system in balance, that since our physical and emotional well-being is dependent on homeostasis, he would feel much better. He …
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aging, anti-inflammatory, autoimmune, autoinflammatory, balance, chronic disease, Crohn's, cytokines, depression, diabetes, immune homeostasis, immune system, infection, inflammation, inflammatory responses, joint pain, pro-inflammatory

Delirium and the Inflammatory Response

Delirium is an under-reported condition that may affect up to 56% of older individuals after surgery, patients that have been heavily sedated for a length of time, burn, cancer, and patients on ventilators for long periods. Patients experience vivid hallucinations that may be part of a vicious cycle if doctors attempt to control the delusions …
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aging, anti-inflammatory, balance, burn, C-reactive protein, cancer, CRP, cytokines, delirium, dementia, hip fracture, immune homeostasis, infection, inflammation, open-heart, pro-inflammatory, surgery, Ventilators

Expecting to Live Longer? Balance Inflammation.

| Posted by in Aging | Cancer | Immune Homeostasis (Immune Balance) | Inflammation - (0 Comments)

For over two decades I have noticed that individuals in immune homeostasis, immune balance, are on fewer medications or no medications than their cohorts, and the majority of them look and feel 10 years younger than other people their age. Comparing photos of how these individuals look now with photos as how they looked 10-20 …
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aging, anti-inflammatory, arthritis, autoimmune, balance, cancer, chronic disease, cytokines, depression, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, inflammatory responses, Parkinson's, pro-inflammatory, telomeres, youthful

Depression, Aging, Longevity, and Inflammation

Shirley Wang published an article in the WSJ titled “New View of Depression: An Ailment of the Entire Body”. Her lead-in stated: “Scientists are increasingly finding that depression and other psychological disorders can be as much diseases of the body as of the mind. People with long-term psychological stress, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder tend …
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aging, anti-inflammatory, balance, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic disease, cytokines, demenia, depression, diabetes, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, longevity, Obesity, pro-inflammatory, senescent, Smoking, stroke, telomeres

Inflammation, Alzheimer’s, and Immune Homeostasis

Alzheimer’s and IVIG Rx Last week John Gever, Senior Editor, MedPage Today brought attention to the results of a small study presented at the 2012 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference held in Vancouver, British Columbia. In this study, patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s were given antibody preparations, immunoglobulin preparations, which were obtained by pooling plasma …
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Alzheimer's, antibodies, autoimmune, balance, brain, cytokines, dementia, immune homeostasis, immune system, immunoglobulins, immunological, inflammation, inflammatory responses, intravenous, IVIG, multiple sclerosis, neurological, Parkinson's, pro-inflammatory, traumatic brain injury

Inflammation, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and Immune Homeostasis

A previous posting (1) discussed the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and inflammation. Evidence was presented, that levels and types of inflammatory cytokines, as well as other blood markers, are different for individuals suffering with sleep apnea as compared to controls. Steven Park,MD, a renowned sleep apnea expert in NYC, has discussed the contribution of …
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arthritis, asthma, balance, cancer, cytokines, immune homeostasis, inflammation, inflammatory responses, Obesity, pro-inflammatory, sleep apnea, TNF-alpha

Inflammation, Longevity, and Healthy Aging

The journal of the American Geriatrics Society, just released a study of older women suggesting that women, and we assume men as well, add years of healthy living by staying active and increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables. Women between the ages of 70 to 79 years were followed for a five-year period. Investigators …
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balance, C-reactive protein, cancer, cytokines, energy, exercise, fruits, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, inflammatory responses, longevity, phytonutrients, pro-inflammatory, vegetables

Inflammation, Unhealthy Aging, and Alzheimer’s

| Posted by in Aging | Immune Homeostasis (Immune Balance) | Inflammation - (0 Comments)

As I have shared with readers and audiences over the years, when someone ages poorly, it results from decades of inflammatory imbalances. Inflammation is necessary for the body to defend itself from pathogens and mutating cells, and for the body to heal itself after trauma or disease. However, when the immune system produces excessive levels …
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Alzheimer's, balance, cytokines, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, inflammatory responses, pro-inflammatory

Inflammation, Epigenetics, and Aging

The concept of epigenetics was first introduced in the 1940s, and its implications on how we modulate inflammation through its processes are intriguing and exciting. For most of my scientific career, we were taught that biological processes of the body were pre-determined by genes. It was said that DNA’s message was set-in-stone, and except through …
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aging, balance, cancer, chronic disease, cytokines, diabetes, epigenetics, exercise, fat cells, heart disease, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, inflammatory responses, Obesity, pro-inflammatory

Hot Flashes, Menopause, and Inflammation

Recently a woman going through menopause, pleaded with me for suggestions as to her dealing with hot flashes, mood swings, sudden tears, fatigue, inability to sleep soundly, difficulty in concentrating, mental blocks, and “always forgetting things”. She had tried many different physicians and approaches, without success. She was “at her wit’s end”. About 75-85% of …
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Autoinflammatory Diseases and Immune Homeostasis

Recently, a professional networking site directed me to a short note by Lisa Moreno-Dickinson, President of the stopcaidnow.org. The title of her article was “When Doctors Don’t Know How to Help From Misdiagnosis to No diagnosis … What Can a Parent Do?”. CAID refers to Childhood Auto Inflammatory Diseases. These genetic disorders usually start in …
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antibodies, autism, autoimmune, autoinflammatory, balance, Blau's, cancer, chronic disease, Crohn's, cytokines, gut, immune homeostasis, immune system, immunoglobulins, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, inflammatory responses, joint pain, pro-inflammatory

Aging and Rhinitis (Nasal Inflammation)

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Severe nasal reactions to medications, pollen, dander, foods, fragrances, and other environmental stimuli may occur as people age. These responses, often not a true allergic response, are termed vasomotor or nonallergic rhinitis (1), because they are not due to a typical “allergic” response. Nonallergic rhinitis (“itis” as in inflammation) is associated with increased irritability, problems …
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allergic, balance, immune homeostasis, infection, inflammation, inflammatory responses, non allergic, nose, odors, perfumes, pro-inflammatory, rhinitis, runny, second-hand smoke, sinuses, stress, stuffy, weather

Aging, Surgery, Inflammation, and Healing

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An article in this week’s New York Times* focused on men and women in their late 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s who decided to have face, neck, (and for women) breast surgery to appear younger. As one woman, 83 years of age says, “Physically, I’m in good health, and I just feel like, why not …
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