Increased Male Hormones in Autism, Peer Reviewed Study

Routine Testing Confirms Elevated Male
>Hormones in Autism
>
>Release Contacts:
>For Immediate Release CoMeD President
>November 28, 2007 [Rev. Lisa K. Sykes (Richmond, VA)
> 804-364-8426]
> CoMeD Sci. Advisor
> [Dr. King (Lake Hiawatha, NJ)
> 973-263-4843]
>
>WASHINGTON, DC - A new moderate-scale
>peer-reviewed scientific/medical study
>confirms many patients with an autistic
>spectrum disorder (ASD) suffer from
>significantly elevated levels of male
>hormones, and numerous treatments that
>lower male-hormone levels have significantly
>improved clinical outcomes in patients
>with an ASD.
>
>This study, "A Prospective Assessment of
>Androgen Levels in Patients with Autistic
>Spectrum Disorders: Biochemical Underpinnings
>and Suggested Therapies," by Mr. David A.
>Geier and Dr. Mark R. Geier, has been
>published in the most recent issue of
>Neuroendocrinology Letters (Volume 28,
>Issue 5, pgs. 565-573). A grant from the
>Brenen Hornstein Autism Research & Education
>(BHARE) Foundation (Elk Grove, IL) to the
>Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc. (Silver
>Spring, MD) funded this research.
>
>Previous studies by Tordjman et al. (1997)
>and Geier and Geier (2006) have suggested
>patients with an ASD have elevated levels
>of male hormones. The male hormones tested
>in the Geier and Geier (2007) study were:
>testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA),
>and androstenedione.
>
>This study utilized blood testing to assess
>the level of these male hormones in patients
>diagnosed with an ASD. The researchers examined
>70 patients diagnosed with an ASD who were
>subsequently found to have elevated male-hormone
>levels by the CLIA-approved US Laboratory
>Corporation of America (LabCorp).
>
>The findings by Geier and Geier demonstrate:
>· Patients with an ASD had significantly
> increased levels of serum testosterone,
> serum free testosterone, percent free
> testosterone, DHEA, and androstenedione
> relative to LabCorp's age- and sex-specific
> reference range means.
>· Female patients with an ASD diagnosis had
> significantly higher relative testosterone
> and free testosterone levels than the male
> patients.
>· Elevations in male hormone levels may result
> from environmental exposures, such as mercury,
> and increase the toxicity of the exposure.
>
>The results of the present study confirm and
>extend previous observations, establishing the
>clinical importance of elevated male-hormone
>levels in those diagnosed with an ASD. Also,
>this paper's findings are consistent with those
>observed by many others who treat similar
>patients.
>
>The researchers also found that administration
>of a male-hormone-reducing drug (leuprolide
>acetate, LUPRON®) to nearly 200 patients
>diagnosed with an ASD resulted in significantly
>lowered male-hormone levels and corresponding
>clinically significant reductions in
>hyperactivity/impulsivity, stereotypy,
>aggression, self injury, abnormal sexual
>behaviors, and/or irritability behaviors that
>frequently occur in patients with an ASD, with
>few non-responders and minimal adverse effects
>from the therapy.
>
>Thus, hormone testing is being successfully
>used to:
>· Demonstrate the role of elevated male
> hormones in populations with an ASD,
>· Clinically identify children and adults
> who have elevated male hormones, and
>· Track male hormone levels from affected
> patients undergoing treatment to lower
> male hormones.
>
>Today, any parent, physician, or healthcare
>provider can easily confirm whether a
>patient diagnosed with an ASD has elevated
>male hormones through testing done at LabCorp.
>
>Among other articles, the CoMeD's website,
>http://www.Mercury-freeDrugs.org, contains
>full copies of the 2006 and 2007 papers
>authored by David A. Geier and Mark R. Geier.
>