Fibromyalgia, characterized by widespread pain and tenderness in the muscles of the neck, arm, back, hip, leg, and foot, is the second most common diagnosis in rheumatology clinics. People suffering from fibromyalgia tend to have abnormal levels of various hormones, including low levels of human growth hormone. Because the pituitary gland’s production of hGH peaks during deep sleep, the theory is that the sleep disturbances that plague patients may explain the hormone shortage.

Hormone level testing is gaining acceptance among doctors, but blood versus saliva testing remains controversial. A blood test measures the total hormone level in the body while a saliva test measures the free hormone level. This is important because only the free hormones can affect the the cells. The total hormone level gives no indication of how much of a particular hormone is actually affecting changes in the body. For more information on saliva testing, visit ZRT Laboratory’s website — www.salivatest.com. (ZRT Laboratory Saliva Test kits are available from Springboard.)

A study reported in Obstetrics & Gynecology confirms what many women have discovered on their own — progesterone cream is effective in relieving hot ßashes. The double-blind study found that hot ßashes improved or resolved in 83% of the women using the progesterone cream versus 19% of those given the placebo.

When looking for a facial cleanser, pass on true soaps such as Ivory which are harsh and skin-drying. Healthy skin is naturally acidic with a pH between 5.6 and 5.8 while true soaps have a pH between 9 and 10. Dermatologists recommend Cetaphil, Dove, AveenoBar, Basis Sensitive Skin Bar, and Purpose.

A study in JAMA defines another eating disorder — Night-eating Disorder. People with the disorder eat very little during the day, consume large amounts of foods between 8PM and 6AM, and suffer from insomnia. In the study, night-eaters awakened three or more times during the night and ate during half of the awakenings — mostly high-carbohydrate foods. The researchers also found that the night-eaters exhibited a nighttime deterioration in mood and had lower levels of melatonin and the appetite-associated hormone leptin than did overweight people who did not overeat at night.

You might have noticed that green and black tea are being added to a variety of supplements. Rejoice chocoholics — dark chocolate may be even more heart-healthy than tea! Dark chocolate contains four times more of the antioxidants that guard against heart attack and boost the immune system. The antioxidant content of milk chocolate is about the same as that of tea. Happy Valentine’s Day!