Biofilms might cause antibiotics to be ineffective in treating infections

Pathogenic biofilms might protect bacteria from attacks by antibiotics.  If you have a resistant infection, you should add nattokinase, NAC, and/or lactoferrin to disrupt such biofilms so they can be killed by antibiotics.

From Advances in Microbial Physiology 2015.

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See a doc from InternationalCollege of Integrative Medicine

American College for Advancementin Medicine  American Academy of Environmental Medicine

Vitamin D3 is still extremely important

One study published last year claimed that vitamin D was not as important as previously thought.  Do not believe it, just because it might be the “latest” study.  Other studies published last year confirmed that Vitamin D is a powerful treatment for autoimmune problems, such as Lupus, MS, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.  5000-10,000 iu a day might be required for desirable effects.  Blood tests are needed to monitor results.

See Arthritis Care and Research, January, 2016

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CoEnzyme Q10 boosts energy

Chronic fatigue syndrome produces profound fatigue.  A recent report showed that CFS patients had dramatically lower levels of CoQ 10.  The lower the levels, the more fatigue and the less cognitive function was present.  I suggest that 200 mg a day would be an appropriate starting dose.

See Maes and associates in Neuroendocrinology, 2009.

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Several of the next few notes were sent by Dr. Steve Olmstead, a research cardiologist at Prothera.  He is my friend, the comments are mine.

 

B 12 and Fish Oils are a Great combo for Cardiovascular health. 

   Taking these nutrients can have favorable effects on triglycerides, uric acid, CRP, ferritin, and homocysteine.  No drug reduces these important risk factors better.

From the Asian Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2015.

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New Recommendations for Fibromyalgia

The 2016 recommendations for fibromyalgia treatment are a step in the wrong direction.  We can do a lot better in the field of alternative medicine.  The first guideline is giving the patient non-drug information and begin an exercise program with or without physical therapy.  Then three subgroups are identified:  those with anxiety and depression are treated with psychological therapies, those primarily with pain are given medications, and those with severe disability are treated with a comprehensive rehab program.  Every day, patients come to us having failed with this expensive and inadequate approach.  We utilize such therapies as B12 injections, low-dose naltrexone, food allergy desensitization, trigger point injections, correcting yeast imbalance, biofeedback, acupuncture, herbal preparations, and intravenous vitamin C, with more effective and less expensive results.

 See Family Practice News, August, 2016, p. 9-10.

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Smoking is By Far the Biggest Risk Factor for Disease and Death

Smoking is responsible for 29% of all cancers—lung, throat, stomach, liver, colon, pancreas, and kidney cancers.  Smoking is the biggest risk factor for heart disease.  Chronic Lung Disease is directly related to smoking in most cases.  40 million people in the U.S. continue to smoke, putting themselves at risk as well as loved ones from second-hand smoke.  Our present strategy of gradually increasing the taxes on tobacco and limiting the places where smoking is allowed is not working.  Cigarettes are dangerous, and they should be outlawed.

See the October Issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Added Risk for Measles Infections Before One Year of Age

Dr. James Cherry of UCLA Medical School was the lead author of a study that found that babies who get the measles before being vaccinated have a higher incidence of a terrible fatal complication called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).  MMR vaccines cannot be given prior to 15 months of age.  Whether parents vaccinate with MMR or not, their children might have a small risk of this complication if a child gets infected at an early age.  Homeopathics might offer some protection, but they were not included in the study.

See Washington Post Article, October 29, 2016.

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Cranberries Falsely Accused of Being Ineffective

A study published on-line by the AMA claimed that a “rigorous” study disproved that cranberries can be helpful in preventing recurrent urinary tract infections.  The study was limited to nursing home patients and did not target women who were known to be susceptible to infections.  Treated patients were given only 2 pills a day, while double that amount would more likely be effective.  There were only 10-12 infections in the two groups and more occurred in the placebo group.  Other studies have shown beneficial effects.  This study was guilty of the “weak science” that it claimed to debunk.  In my experience, cranberry supplements (without sugar) can be effective in selected patients.  If that does not work, d-mannose is another choice.

See Associated Press article in the Toledo Blade, October 29, 2016, section A, p.7.

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See a doc from InternationalCollege of Integrative Medicine

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A Good Night’s Sleep is Essential to Treat Hypertension

Those patients with hypertension who sleep less than 5 hours sleep per night have a 4-fold increased risk for all-cause mortality.  It is crucial for these patients to get at least 6 hours of sleep per night.

 

See Family Practice News, February 15, 2016, p. 28-29.

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Statin Drugs Might not Benefit Patients at Risk for Heart Attacks

Statin drugs (or red yeast rice supplements) do give some benefit to patients who have already suffered a heart attack.  However, proof is lacking and inconsistent that statins are effective in the prevention of cardiovascular events for patients that have elevated risk scores.  Despite this lack of evidence, millions of patients are being treated with these drugs.  This increases the cost of care and exposes patients to side effects from the drugs.  Evidence-based medicine is being ignored for true prevention.  You would be better off donating a unit of blood twice a year.

See Dubroff, Statin Therapy and Cardiovascular Risk, The American Journal of Medicine, March 2016, p. 235-7.

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See a doc from InternationalCollege of Integrative Medicine or

American College for Advancementin Medicine orAmerican Academy of Environmental Medicine

Lead Poisoning in Children

Lead can be ingested by eating old paint chips and by drinking contaminated water.  The crisis in Flint, Michigan has brought awareness for the need to test municipal water supplies and several new problem areas have been identified.  A more common source that is often missed lies in the fields where food is raised.  Years of plowing with tractors run by leaded fuel have contaminated our food supply still to this day.  A safe blood level was listed as 60 mcg/dl in 1970.  Now that level is down to 5 mcg/dl.  The truth is that no level is safe.  Further, a challenge test is more accurate than blood screening, but it is rarely performed.

See Family Practice News, March 1, 2016, p. 30-32 for more details.

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See a doc from InternationalCollege of Integrative Medicine

American College forAdvancement in Medicine

Anxiety is Often Missed in Children

Dr. John Walkup of Cornell University emphasizes that many children who have been labeled as ADHD, autism spectrum, or even depression are simply anxious.  They have difficulty focusing and concentrating because their minds are full of worry and anxiety.  Rather than medications, we usually treat this problem with herbal and homeopathic supplements.  Better yet, they can receive Sensitivity Reduction Technique (SRT), which involves light tapping on acupuncture points (no needles).  This treatment can give long-term relief.

Contact our office at 800-788-4627 for more details or see our website.

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Don’t Wait Until You are Older to Safeguard Your Memory

Some of us define aging as what happens 15 years after your current age.  An Australian Study showed that mid to late life exercise had the most powerful lifestyle effect on verbal memory.  Blood pressure control and high levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, were the next most important factors.  What you do now will have a good effect on what happens later.

See  Szoeke, American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 5/8/2016.

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Insomnia in Young Men and in Older Adults Increase CV Risk

Insomnia increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes in younger to mid-life men and the elderly, but not in younger women.  The insomnia is related to excessive sympathetic stimulation.  This can be detected and treated by getting a heart rate variability test (Max Pulse), which we offer in our office.  If you are at risk, you can counter-balance the risk with regular relaxation exercises.

 See the CARDIA Study in the Journal of Preventive Cardiology, Jan. 2014, 57-64.

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See a doc from InternationalCollege of Integrative Medicine

American College for Advancementin Medicine  American Academy of Environmental Medicine

 

Help for the Alcohol Addicted

If you know someone who is suffering from alcoholism, the best way that you might be able to help is to urge him or her to attend 3-4 meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous to give the program a chance.  Their success rate is better than any other measure.  The average person who has achieved strong recovery has attended AA meetings for 7 years or more.  The added social support is crucial for success.

See Marc Gallanter, “What is Alcoholics Anonymous?  A Path from Addiction to Recovery”,  Oxford University Press, 2016.

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New Guidelines for Prescribing Pain Meds

A few years back, doctors were urged to treat pain as the fifth vital sign so it could be adequately treated.  Unfortunately, this resulted in more narcotics being diverted  toward abuse.  Now the CDC is asking for caution.  Whenever possible, non-drug measures are now recommended first line for pain relief, such as chiropractic, massage, and the Kaufman technique that we use.  Non-steroidal drugs such as ibuprofen are also preferred for short-term pain relief, but they have their own set of side effects.  Nutritional supplements like curcumin can also be very effective and safe.

See Family Practice News, June 15, 2016, p. 12.

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Need a doc? See a doc from InternationalCollege of Integrative Medicine ,

American College for Advancementin Medicine or American Academy of Environmental Medicine

 

Long-term Antibiotics is not the Answer for Long-term Symptoms of Lyme Disease

The New England Journal of Medicine published an editorial pointing out that there was no evidence that treating Lyme disease with long-term antibiotics is effective in treating persistent symptoms of Lyme disease.  The infection with this disease does not persist after initial antibiotic treatment.  The editorial did not recommend any other treatment at this time.  However, a small group of physicians in the American Academy of Environmental Physicians that I am proud to belong to have used an allergy desensitization technique called Low-dose immunotherapy (LDI) to reduce the autoimmune response of Lyme disease with impressive results.

See the editorial in the March 31 issue of the NEJM and Google AAEM for more info on LDI.

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Eating Fish or Taking Fish Oils to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

An Editorial in the AMA journal summarized the limited evidence and concluded that it is indeed beneficial to increase fish intake to slow the progression of various neurogenic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.  The benefit exceeded the risk of eating fish, much of which is contaminated with mercury.  My advice is to be as sure as possible that your source of fish oil has been tested for the absence of mercury.  Further, a simple challenge test for mercury accumulating in the body should be done at least every 2-3 years for fish-eaters.  If the level is high, chelation can bring much of the mercury out of the body and brain.  This should increase the benefit of eating fish substantially.

See the Editorial on Fish Consumption in JAMA, Feb 2, 2016 issue.

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Could Statin Drugs do More Harm than Good?

A stunning article in the American Journal of Medicine questioned the widespread use of statin drugs.  At the present time, millions of patients are taking these drugs based on a computerized risk score predicting at least a 7.5% risk of having a heart attack over the next 10 years.  This is based on guesswork.  There is no proven benefit that statin drugs will reduce the risk.  Furthermore, after 15-20 years of taking a statin drug, there is a 363% increase in the incidence of diabetes, which is a major risk factor for vascular disease.  If you already have had a cardiovascular event, then statin drugs or at least red yeast rice are indicated.  Otherwise, maybe not.

 See the March, 2016 issue of the American Journal of Medicine.

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Are You at Risk for Silent Heart Attacks?

A recent report in Circulation from Wake Forest University revealed that 43% of heart attacks in middle-aged men were silent.  Patients did not have typical chest pain or shortness of breath.  Some of them had vague symptoms, such as fatigue.  From 20 to 60% of all heart attacks are silent.  Sometimes the first symptom is sudden death.  Get a CardioRisk test of the carotid arteries or an ultrafast CT scan to detect calcium deposits in the coronary arteries to see if you are at risk.  If you know you are at risk, strict control of BP and cholesterol, regular exercise, a great diet, and perhaps chelation therapy could save your life.

Silent heart attacks in Circulation magazine.

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Lead: The Problem Goes Much Deeper Than Flint

Many children in Flint are still at risk of brain damage and vascular problems.  A comprehensive detection and treatment program has yet to be formulated.  Recently, the Cleveland Chief of Public Affairs revealed that 507 homes in Cleveland were at high risk from lead-based paint.  Lead is present throughout the environment and especially in the food supply.  Lead does not stay in the blood for more than a few days.  It is stored in the bone and brain.  Thus to detect levels of this very toxic metal, a challenge test is required.  But the government stubbornly refuses to accept such tests as appropriate.  If present in the body, chelation therapy is necessary to remove it.  Wake up, America!  Our future is at risk.

Go to http://bit.ly/1UOYBUo for the Cleveland report.

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What’s wrong with American health care?

 

This question was asked by Tim Bolen of Rick Jaffee, prominent defense attorney, for the Bolen Report.  I am going to paraphrase Rick’s answers with some of my own comments:

--The US has the most expensive health care system in the whole world.

--643,000 people go bankrupt each year due to medical bills.  Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and Switzerland each had no one go bankrupt for this cause.

--Many countries have better health care statistics than we do in the US.

--New technologies and drugs are developed and researched primarily in the US, but are often too expensive for patients to utilize.

--We continue to choose to let a significant portion of our population live without adequate health care.  We pay too much for too little.

--Big Pharma (Drug companies) often raise prices for drugs by huge amounts without justification.

--Insurance companies refuse to pay for therapies that are effective.

--Diet, exercise, and stress reduction are not routinely provided for patients.

--Hospitals charge huge mark-ups for their services.

--Even single payer health insurance will not work because costs are out-of-control and are not connected to regular market forces.

--Doctors ignore nutritional supplements, which can be effective and very safe.

--Defensive medicine, malpractice lawyers, and federal regulators have combined to greatly increase the cost of medical care, while making medical practice much more difficult to provide.

 

See bolenreport.com for more details.

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You might be more successful at quitting smoking by stopping “cold turkey”

The studies show that sudden cessation of smoking is slightly more successful than gradually cutting down.  However, the differences were not great.  Choose whichever method sounds good to you.  Your success rate at 6 months is going to be about 15-22%.  We provide a supplement called “crave arrest”, which can raise the success rate.  Even more potent is to get a brain map test in the office and then undergo a series of neurofeedback treatments to change your brain waves so that the addiction is no longer present.

Call our office to get more information on neurofeedback at 419-358-4627 or email Mail@healthcelebration.com for a brochure.

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Tylenol does not relieve pain from osteoarthritis

Contrary from what we have been told for decades, the latest meta-analysis from Lancet covering 74 randomized studies involving 60,000 patients did not show pain relief from Tylenol, even though Tylenol PM is considered to be the number one treatment to induce sleep (by relieving pain).  The more potent drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen carry with them significant side effects like severe GI pain and cardiovascular risks.  Instead, try Curcumin (turmeric) and other herbal treatments that give relief without the side effects.
 

See Lancet 2016 Mar 17.

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The third leading cause of death in the U.S. is medical errors

According to a study in the British Medical Journal, 9.5% of all deaths in our country are due to medical errors, that is 700 deaths a day.  Most of these deaths occur in the hospital.  Another report from the CDC estimated that antibiotics are prescribed inappropriately one-third of the time.  Much, much safer is the use of nutritional supplements.  The latter should be prescribed and used a lot more often in my opinion.

Reported by the Washington Post and Toledo Blade, May 5, 2016.

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Feeling tired in the afternoon?

The most common cause of running out of energy in the mid to late afternoon is adrenal fatigue, sometimes to the point of exhaustion.  A 4-part test for adrenal salivary cortisol levels readily detects the problem.  Many supplements can boost adrenal reserves by taking them in the morning and again at noon.  See your alternative doctor for help.  Treatment is often very effective.

See a doc from InternationalCollege of Integrative Medicine

American College for Advancementin Medicine

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Drugs might be causing you to gain weight

The American Academy of Family Physicians has warned patients who are taking medications for depression, diabetes, blood pressure, psychosis, seizures, steroids, and hormones that weight gain is commonly associated with some of these treatments.  Google what you are taking for these conditions.  If weight gain is listed as a side effect, ask your doctor for an alternative, if you having that problem.  Nutritional supplements can often be effective without the side effects.  See an alternative doctor for help.

 

See a doc from InternationalCollege of Integrative Medicine

American College for Advancementin Medicine

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Medications that help can cause dangerous side effects

The FDA has issued warnings that saxagliptin and alogliptin, two relatively new diabetic medicines, increase the risk of heart failure.  Another commonly prescribed diabetic medicine, pioglitazone, which helps prevent heart attacks, also increases the risk of bladder cancer.  Prilosec, a very popular drug to treat reflux of acid from the stomach can increase heart disease as well.  These are very good reasons to use natural supplements instead of drugs whenever possible.

See Family Practice news, April 15, 2016, p. 24.

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Low thyroid function leads to pre-diabetes

Many of our patients have low thyroid function, based on low normal test results and improvement of symptoms with natural thyroid treatment.  A study from the Netherlands shows that those with low thyroid activity have a 40% chance of developing prediabetes, which in turn might convert into full-blown diabetes.  The answer is to take natural thyroid medicine as needed and be careful to avoid excessive carbohydrates.

Goggle Dr. Layal Chaker of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, reported in Family Practice News, April 15, 2016, p. 26.

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Reducing Knee Pain from Osteoarthritis

Two measures were reported in Family Practice News in the December issue showing reduced knee pain due to osteoarthritis.  The first was oral chondroitin sulfate 1200 mg a day for two years compared to the drug, celecoxib.  Both groups improved nicely with reduced pain.  Of course, the natural substance had much fewer side effects.  The second was a report from Brazil using weekly injections of ozone gas for two months, compared to placebo.  Patients treated with Ozone did significantly better for 2 months after the shots were discontinued with minimal side effects.

See Family Practice News, December 25, 2015, p. 9.

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It is Safer and Cheaper to Have a Heart Attack in the Midwest

A report from the American Heart Association meeting in Orlando showed that those who have heart attacks in the Northeast and West have higher mortality rates by 14 % than those who are stricken in the Midwest.  Patients also spent quite a bit more money for their heart attack hospitalization in the West ($66,000) than in either the Midwest ($55,000) or the south ($54,000).  The reason for the difference was “unknown”.  However, it seems to me that increase cost is fueled by more aggressive interventions, including surgery and stents.  The more complicated the care given, the worse the result?  I am certain that a more natural approach would yield better results.

 See report by Dr. Aiham Albaeni of Johns Hopkins University.

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Heart Disease Takes a Back Seat for Women Patients

Even though heart disease is the number one killer of women, primary care docs and cardiologists pay more attention to obesity and breast disease, especially among younger women and minorities.  This can be counterproductive since most overweight women do not sustain weight loss.  Other risk factors are often ignored.  A good place to start might be the ASCVD risk calculator or other similar tools that are available on-line.
Women’s Heart Alliance, Dr. Holly Anderson.

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Excessive Sitting is Dangerous

People with desk jobs need to be on their feet at least two hours a day.  Otherwise, they have increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, and depression.  The risk might even exceed the risk of smoking.  Intensive exercise before or after work might be helpful but still might not be enough to offset the risk of sitting too much.  Stand up desks can be very beneficial.

See author Gavin Bradley, as quoted in The Week, December, 25, 2016, p. 31.

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Belly Fat is an Independent Risk Factor

A Mayo Clinic study found that belly fat is a concern, even if you are thin.  Your risks for heart disease, stroke and diabetes are all elevated due to increased visceral fat that wraps around internal organs.  The author calls for “waist loss” instead of “weight loss” to live longer and feel better.

See Cardiologist Paul Poirier at the Mayo Clinic.

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Are Dietary Supplements Safe?

The Centers for Disease Control has issued a warning that supplements are responsible for 2,100 admissions to hospitals each year.  It is true that nutrients are sometimes laced with stimulants that can lead to chest pain, palpitations, and dizziness, especially those that claim weight loss, energy boosts, and enhanced sexual performance.  As long as you stay away from stimulants, however, dietary supplements are extremely safe, much, much more so than prescription drugs.  The CDC’s warning sounds like it is condemning all supplements, which is totally inappropriate.

See The Week, December 25, 2015, p. 31.

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Pick Your Poison for Gastric Reflux

Research from Stanford shows that those who take long-term Protein Pump Inhibitors (Prilosec, Protonics, Nexium) to control G.E.R.D. have an increased risk of heart disease.  A reasonable substitute might be an H2 Blocker (Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid), which do not carry that risk.  Better yet, get tested for food allergies and digestive factors such as digestive enzymes and in some cases HCl to get to the cause.

See a doc from InternationalCollege of Integrative Medicine

American College for Advancementin Medicine or American Academy of Environmental Medicine

 

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Kidney Function Provides a Clue for Cardiac Risk

Blood profiles that used to report simple creatinine levels loosely suggested that kidney function was normal.  Nowadays, the lab calculates the GFR, which is a much more sensitive measure of potential kidney disease.  If the GFR is rising according to your sex, race, and age, it might mean that your risk of heart disease is rising similarly without your knowledge.  Many doctors have not caught on yet.  This is the time to take aggressive preventive measures, such as IV chelation therapy, which can help both kidney and heart function. 

See your integrative doctor to take a major step to avoid serious heart disease.

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Do Not Ignore Chest Pain or Shortness of Breath

A new study confirms that half of patients who suffered cardiac arrest ignored warning signs and symptoms.  Some of the symptoms persisted for up to a month.  The problem turned out to be serious instead of “indigestion that would likely go away”.  The longer one waits, the more likely complications and death can occur.  When you or a significant other becomes aware of these symptoms, or heart arrhythmias or unexplained fatigue, by all means get it checked.  Conventional medicine might save your life.  Alternative medicine might correct the underlying problem long-term.

 Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study.

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The Hidden Crisis in Circulatory Disease

A major effort is planned by the American Heart Association to raise public awareness of peripheral artery disease.  Patients with “poor circulation” are not being detected, evaluated or treated for this condition.  Affected patients have up to a four-fold risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death. An estimated 200 million people world-wide are affected by PAD.  Conventional treatment is basically regular exercise until the condition gets bad enough to require surgery.  Medications can help symptoms, but do not alter the disease process.  IV chelation can be a very effective therapy.

International College of Integrative Medicine  or American College for Advancement in Medicine  to fine an integrative doctor who offers chelation therapy.

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Frequent Breaks from Prolonged Sitting are Beneficial

Taking frequent breaks of 5 minutes from prolonged sitting improved the metabolic response to a meal in diabetic patients.  Measurable effects in blood glucose, insulin levels, and suppression of non-esterified fatty acids persisted for 24 hours.  This could result in improved glucose control in diabetic patients and improved weight loss.  Simply standing for 5 minutes every 30 minutes and walking on a treadmill for a similar time were effective.

See Dr. Joseph Henson at the Diabetes Research Center at the University of Leicester, in England.

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Home Births are an Option

Planned out-of-hospital births had a slight increase in perinatal mortality in a large Oregon study, but the risk was very low in both groups.  As expected the use of assisted delivery methods such as induction of labor and C-sections was much lower in home births.  Studies in Europe have shown that planned out-of-hospital births for low-risk patients can be a safe option.  Mothers and fathers often report a favorable birth experience.  The authors stress the importance of skilled midwives and careful backup coverage from obstetricians.

 

See the 12/30/15 issue of the NEJM.

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Gluten Sensitivity is a Common Problem

At least 20% of the population appears to be gluten sensitive.  Of those only one-fifth are proven Celiac disease by biopsy of the lining of the small intestine.  IGG and IGA antibodies are produced in other affected patients, who suffer from food allergies.  Those with a yeast imbalance in the digestive tract (dysbiosis) also usually do not tolerate gluten.  Fortunately, most patients with gluten sensitivity can be desensitized with either sensitivity reduction technique (tapping on acupuncture points) or low dose allergen treatment.

 International College of Integrative Medicine, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, or the American College for theAdvancement of Medicine.

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Best Approaches to Resistant Hypertension

If your blood pressure will not come down to normal levels despite the usual treatment, the most effective drug to add is spironolactone.  The most effective supplement is BP Natural Relief, which contains the herb rauwolfia.  BP control is a major risk factor that should not be ignored.
    

See a video interview of Dr. Bryan Williams at Family Practice News.com

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Early Intervention Might Forestall Women’s Skin Aging

Skin collagen decreases up to 50% in the few years surrounding menopause.  This is the time to treat the skin to prevent irreversible sagging of the skin.  Topical estrogen balanced with progesterone can help prevent this loss.  Laser resurfacing, microneedling, topical vitamin A, or radiofrequency treatments can also help.  Hormone treatment is reasonable, according to dermatologists, as long as there is not a strong family history of breast or uterine cancer.

See Dr. Diane Madfes at the procedings of the summer, 2015 session of the American Academy of Dermatology.

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The Prevalence of Diabetes

Between 1988 and 2012, the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes decreased slightly.  However, the amount of patients diagnosed with diabetes increased, especially in minorities.  The diagnosis of diabetes was largely based on a fasting glucose of 126 mg/dl or a HBA1C of 6.5 or higher.  Pre-diabetes was detected in patients with fasting glucoses of 100-125 or HBA1Cs of 5.7 to 6.4.  Patients with pre-diabetes are being detected but little is being done to prevent it from growing into full-blown diabetes, where the risk skyrockets.  Diet, exercise, weight loss, cinnamon, chromium, berberine, and IV chelation are all helpful in reducing the substantial risk of diabetes.  Get tested today.

 See the NHANES study published in the Sept. 8, 2015 issue in JAMA.

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Do the Best Tests to Screen for Cardiovascular Disease

The best ways to determine if you have cardiovascular disease are non-contrast CT scans for calcium score, CardioRisk ultrasounds of the carotid arteries, the ankle/brachial blood pressure index, and a new blood test call the Corus test.  To monitor your risk over time, cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, the HBA1C, and current lifestyle habits such as smoking, diet, exercise and measurement of stress hormones with heart rate variability testing.  The Boston heart blood profile can provide comprehensive risk factor data.  Stress tests and echocardiograms give more information as needed.  Notice that I did not include many angiograms, which I think are over-rated and can lead to unnecessary surgery.

See the Sept. 8, 2015 issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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Just Right Treatment for Male Andropause

As men get older, they are often treated for hypogonadism (low testosterone).  This can be beneficial and safe, if initial blood levels are low (200-250 nanograms) and if relative low doses of testosterone topical gels are prescribed.  Other measures such treating chronic pain, diabetes, B12 deficiency, hyperlipidemia and hypertension, weight loss, and IV chelation can safely raise this hormone and improve quality of life.  However, treatment with injectable testosterone to achieve higher doses can be dangerous.  A huge study in the U.S. and England, showed a 26% increase in a composite end point of heart attack, stroke, and unstable angina and a 34% increase in all-cause mortality for patients treated with injectable testosterone.

See Dr. Margaret E. Wierman, JAMA Internal Medicine,  July 1, 2015.

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Heart Attack Survivors have a Much Higher Risk of Cancer

126,000 Danish patients who survived heart attacks were followed for up to 17 years.  The relative risk for developing lung cancer was 44% and bladder cancer was 31%, despite likely recommendations for smoking cessation.  The mechanism is unknown.  However, if those patients had been treated with chelation therapy for vascular disease, I would have expected a major drop in free radicals, which in turn might have lessoned the subsequent risk of cancer.  In my opinion, a combination of aggressive smoking cessation and chelation should be routine medical care following an acute myocardial infarction.

See Danish National Patient Registry for more details.

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Another Concern for Statin Drugs

 A study that was either suppressed or ignored for the past 5 years showed that patients who took statin drugs (to lower their cholesterol) had flu antibodies 38-67% lower than those who did not take statins.  A much larger study of patients greater than 65 y.o. who took statins were 11% more likely to get a severe respiratory disease.  The second study was conducted by Emory University.  The authors did not recommend changes in medical practice based on their study.  Why not?  Elderly people die of respiratory infections.  This blog recommends alternatives to statins such as red yeast and berberine whenever possible.

Contact Saad B. Omer of Emory University, the lead author of the latter study

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TV Advertising is Effective

According to a Health Tracking Poll, 44% of patients who asked their doctors about a drug they saw advertised were prescribed the drug by their doctor.  54% of physicians recommended lifestyle or behavioral changes.  49% recommended a different prescription drug and 39% an over-the-counter drug.  Unfortunately, the study did not track how often a nutritional or herbal product was recommended.  Even with the long list of possible side effects and interactions that is rattled off at the end of the ad, TV advertising is very profitable.

Kaiser FamilyFoundation Health Tracking Poll.

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Teen Sexual Assault Victims Are Not Receiving Minimal Care

A nationwide study of 12, 687 teenage victims of sexual assault treated in emergency rooms showed that only 44% received the basic recommended lab for sexually transmitted disease.  Only 35% received the recommended prophylactic treatment.  This proved true even when the ER had specialized sexual assault evaluation teams.  The tragic conclusion is that the victim is considered guilty and unworthy of care.  The authors call for a major shift in treating these assault victims.

See Pediatrics, Nov. 2, 2015.

Celebration of HealthAssociation website  

Teen Sexual Assault Victims Are Not Receiving Minimal Care

A nationwide study of 12, 687 teenage victims of sexual assault treated in emergency rooms showed that only 44% received the basic recommended lab for sexually transmitted disease.  Only 35% received the recommended prophylactic treatment.  This proved true even when the ER had specialized sexual assault evaluation teams.  The tragic conclusion is that the victim is considered guilty and unworthy of care.  The authors call for a major shift in treating these assault victims.
 

See Pediatrics, Nov. 2, 2015.

Celebration of Health Associationwebsite  

The Tragic Release of Lead into the Flint Water Supply

Flint, Michigan’s release of lead into the city water supply has made worldwide news.  I have spoken with two of my alternative medicine colleagues who live in the area. They are struggling with the task of how to chelate everyone who lives or works in the city of Flint.  Otherwise, those exposed are at high risk of brain damage, heart disease, and cancer.  Then there is the huge task of repairing the pipes and supplying residents with bottled water in the interim.  Please pray for those working hard to solve this major public health catastrophe.

Lead in Flint, MI

 

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Dismissing Vaccine Refusers From Practice

A Colorado study reported in Family Practice News revealed that 21% of Pediatricians and only 4% of Family doctors regularly dismissed children of families that refused to vaccinate.  This conflicts with ethical guidelines that have been widely published.  Those guidelines state that the physician’s role should be to discuss the pros and cons of alternative therapies with their patients.  It is then the patient’s or parents’ role to decide on which approach to take.

See Family Practice News, Nov. 15, 2015, p.10.

 

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How Low Should We Go?

A major study called SPRINT from Case Western Reserve seemed to indicate that lowering blood pressure to 120 Systolic might lower all-cause mortality by 25% in non-diabetic patients.  The study is controversial because the results conflict somewhat with the earlier ACCORD study that included diabetic patients.  We can expect guideline writers to lower BP goals in the near future.  That might be a good thing, but it would be much better if we added natural therapies like garlic, magnesium, and herbal preparations rather than adding another drug or two and their potential for new side effects.

See the NEJM, Nov. 9, 2015

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High Intensity vs. Low Intensity Exercise

A report in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that it really does not matter which you choose to use.  Both have impressive benefits.  The current recommendations remain the same.  You should do high intensity exercise for 75 minutes per week or low intensity exercise for 150 minutes a week to get the same benefit.

See Annals Intern Med 1015; March 3: 162.

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New Information about Gardisil

Derrick Lonsdale, MD is a brilliance pediatrician and holistic clinician.  He has had a particular interest in collecting news of reactions to the Gardisil vaccine, which is given mostly to females around the age of 13 y.o.  Some report that there have been more than 30,000 reactions to the vaccine.  A typical reaction starts with a “flu-like” reaction but progresses into a strep infection that is mistaken for infectious mono.  But it does not stop there.  Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) develops, which is a multisystem disease involving the lower brain and which is very difficult to treat.  The best treatment I have seen is LDI, which I have discussed earlier in the blog.

Be very careful about the Gardisil vaccine.

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Heartburn Might not Be a Heart Attack but it Might Cause One?

GERD is a common complain for many Americans.  Almost all GI doctors immediately treat you for GERD with PPI drugs like Prilosec, Nexium, or Protonics.  These drugs dry up the acid in the stomach.  Long-term use of these meds have a couple of problems.  First the problem might be too little acid rather than too much.  Second, PPI drugs lead to a 16% increase in heart attacks, probably because they interfere with the digestion of important nutrients that tend to protect against having heart attacks.  Alternative docs have other ways to treat GERD.  Find one and see how they can help you.

Contact icimed.com or acam.org to find a holistic physician.

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It Might be Lyme Disease, Despite What the Tests Show

In 2012, the official incidence of Lyme disease in the US was 30,000.  In 2013, the incidence was 300,000!  There are false positive tests, and false negative tests.  Recommended treatment sometimes is a short course of oral anti-biotics and sometimes a long course of intravenous anti-biotics.  Sometimes the course of illness turns into a nightmare like chronic fatigue syndrome.  In my experience, if you are suspected of having Lyme disease anytime in the past, the most important treatment is to get desensitized to the family of organisms that can cause the syndrome.  The LDI treatment can be given orally and is not terrible expensive or toxic.

Contact the American Academy of Environmental Medicine website to find an LDI doctor.

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Are You Young at Heart?—Most Folks are NOT

Three out of four adults have a heart that is older than their actual age.  For men, the average heart age is 8 years older than actual age.  For women it is 5 and ½ years.  The average age of the first heart attack for men is 64 ½ and for women it is 72.  Too often the first symptom is sudden death.  So do not wait until you get that first heart attack.  It might be too late to do anything about it.  Get a CardioRisk test (which we offer at our office or an ultrafast CAT scan for calcium score or at least an on-line Framingham Risk score.  If you are at risk, get a Boston Heart Profile or come directly to get chelation therapy.  In my opinion, chelation is the best way to avoid getting a heart attack or stroke.

Next CardioRisk date is March 15, you do not need to be a patient

See Center for Disease Control and Prevention

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Statins and Other Drugs Have Minimal Effect on Arterial Plaque Volume

The PREVISE-IVUS trial sought to determine exactly how much plaque could be dissolved by a statin drug over a year.  The answer was 1.1% (a very low number).  Adding another drug, ezetimibe, to the statin improved the results.  However, the investigators did not evaluate how long the patients lived, their quality of life, or the complications they suffered.  EDTA chelation had excellent results for all of these other factors.  Asking your doctor for a Boston Heart Profile will get you much more detail as to the variety of significant factors that can cause plaque to form (and heart attacks to occur).

See the American College of Cardiology Journal 2015; 66: 508-510.

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