COVID-19 is placing stress on Canada's public health system. Our clinic is starting to offer virtual care to make sure that we can continue to care for our patients safely and effectively. This means that we will be using video and audio technologies for some patient visits rather than asking all patients to come into our office. Some of these technologies are provided by the Province. Others have been provided by vendors like Google, or Apple to help make discussions with your care provider as easy as possible during these difficult times. Some health concerns can be addressed with virtual care alone, but in some cases your doctor may ask you to visit a hospital or other health care facility if necessary, for a physical examination.

We do our best to make sure that any information you give to us during virtual care visits is private and secure, but no video or audio tools are ever completely secure. There is an increased security risk that your health information may be intercepted or disclosed to third parties when using video or audio communications tools. To help us keep your information safe and secure, you can:

Understand that emails, calls, or texts you receive are not secure in the same way as a private appointment in an exam room.

Use a private computer/device (i.e., not an employer's or third party's computer/device), secure accounts, and a secure internet connection. For example, using a personal and encrypted email account is more secure than an unencrypted email account, and your access to the Internet on your home network will generally be more secure than an open guest Wi-Fi connection.

You should also understand that electronic communication is not a substitute for in-person communication or clinical examinations, where appropriate, or for attending the Emergency Department when needed (including for any urgent care that may be required).

If you are concerned about using video or audio tools for virtual care, you can ask our office to arrange for you to visit a different healthcare provider or other health care center where you can be seen in person. However, please note that visiting a health care provider in person comes with a higher risk of coming into contact with COVID-19 and the possibility of spreading the virus.

By providing your information, you agree to let us collect, use, or disclose your personal health information through video or audio communications (while following applicable privacy laws) in order to provide you with care. In particular, the following means of electronic communication may be used (identify all that apply): email, videoconferencing (including Skype, Facetime, etc.), text messaging (including instant messaging), website/portal, OnCall.

April 1, 2020

A note to our patients. We have suspended all in-office visits at this time due to COVID 19. However, if you have an appointment currently booked with our office you will receive a call 2 days prior to that appointments. We will advise you how we will be able to proceed. Wishing you and your family safety and vitality during this challenging time.

If you need a renewal your prescriptions during the COVID-19 #stayathome period, please have your pharmacy fax your renewal request. Our fax number is 905-639-7647. Be well!

Update About Our Office During This Outbreak of Corona Virus : March 15, 2020

On the advice of the Ministry of Health we are changing our office protocols to ensure minimization of risk to our patients and our staff.

Starting the week of March 16, 2020 we will try to change as many patients visits as we can to virtual electronic visits. Initially most will be by phone. There are some patients who have already made arrangements to come to the office and, if they do, we will see them, once again minimizing risks by using frequent hand washing and minimized personal contact.

For the majority of scheduled patients we will set up visits through OnCall Health. One of the problems with phone visits is that each person requires individualized attention and some visits unexpectedly may take longer than others. We will make every effort to keep on schedule but at times we may be delayed.

Dr Lawrence Komer
Medical Director
The Komer Clinics

Great news! The Komercare Clinics are accepting new patients for men's health. Contact your physician for a referral to the Komercare Clinics. We look forward to serving you! 905-639-2571

New Patients Welcome | COVID-19 Annoucement | Office Updates

Cardiovascular System | Dr. Lawrence D. Komer Medical Professional Corporation

Dr. Lawrence D. Komer Medical Professional Corporation

Cardiovascular System

Men are known as the ones who procrastinate and avoid dealing with their health. But increasingly, men are beginning to take on the challenges of learning and doing something about their health. This is especially true of the heart.


 

Testosterone May Actually Help Men’s Hearts

Men’s Higher Heart Disease Risks May Not Be Tied to Testosterone

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News

Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
on Monday, May 16, 2005

May 16, 2005 — Middle-aged men may suffer more frequently from heart disease than women, but testosterone may not be to blame.

A new Finnish study shows that testosterone may actually help protect men from atherosclerosis (or hardening of the arteries) and reduce their risk of heart disease.

Researchers say the results once again call into question the view that estrogen is good for heart health and testosterone is bad.

Recent studies in older menopausal women have shown that estrogen replacement therapy does not offer the benefits in reducing heart disease risk once assumed that it would, and this study shows that testosterone therapy may not necessarily be as harmful to the heart as previously thought.

Although animal studies have shown that testosterone may have negative effects on heart health, such as altering cholesterol levels, researchers say this study as well as others in humans suggest that the male sex hormone may have potential benefits.

“The evidence overall is starting to show that normal testosterone levels in aging men are good for the heart,” says researcher Olli Raitakari, MD, PhD, of the University of Turku in Finland, in a news release.

Testosterone and the Male Heart

In the study, researchers compared the extent of atherosclerosis in 99 generally healthy middle-aged men who had symptoms of andropause (low testosterone), such as fatigue, low libido, and depression, to that found in 140 men with no signs of andropause.

The results appear in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Ultrasound testing showed that the thickness of the carotid artery, the main artery in the neck and a measure of the extent of atherosclerosis, was greater in the men with symptoms of andropause compared with the other men.

The thickness of the wall of this artery is a predictor of a higher risk of heart disease. The study showed that the wall thickness increased as testosterone levels dropped. They show a link between increased wall thickness and the levels of another hormone called luteinizing hormone — a marker for male menopause. Researchers say this is the first study to link atherosclerosis to luteinizing hormone.

New Questions About Testosterone Therapy

Experts say this study and others are challenging the notion that the female advantage in heart disease risk is due to either a protective effect of estrogen or a harmful effect of testosterone.

“This study suggests that higher testosterone levels are associated with less atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries, and that’s contrary to what we thought,” says Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, MD, of the University of California-San Diego, in the news release. “And on the other hand, most middle-aged men who complain of low libido, fatigue, or the other complaints that go with “andropause” symptoms, don’t actually have low testosterone levels.”

For example, she points out that only 6% of the middle-aged men in this study had both symptoms of andropause and low testosterone levels.

“These results suggest that testosterone is not as bad for your heart as we had thought. Clinical trials of testosterone therapy will be necessary to confirm this idea,” says Barrett-Connor, who also wrote an editorial that accompanies the study.


 

SOURCES: Makinen, J. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, May 17, 2005; vol 45: pp 1603-1608. News release, American College of Cardiology.

© 2005 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.