The Top 10 Over-used Tests and What Should be Done Instead

1.      Nuclear stress tests after heart surgery, yearly EKG’s or exercise tests.  Much better to do non-invasive functional or anatomical tests like Calcium score CT scans (once), CardioRisk, Max pulse, ICD, Heart Rate variability tests.

2.      PSA for prostate screening and annual pap tests.  The former is no better than a digital rectal exam, and pap tests every 3 years is fine for most women, unless they are taking hormones.

3.      PET scan for Alzheimer’s. Asking a few questions is certainly cheaper and probably more accurate.

4.      Any Xray or MRI for low back pain unless the problem is severe, related to an injury or persistent over months.

5.      Bone density in women under 65 or men under 70.  At that age, by all means, before that, a vitamin D3 blood test will suffice.

6.      Follow-up ultrasounds for small ovarian cysts, unless of course symptoms change.

7.      Colonoscopy after age 75—no, but before that, yes.

8.      Yearly physical exams are out, but targeted check-ups are helpful.

 

Read more in The Treatment Trap by Rosemary Gibson

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Statin Drugs Increase the Tendency for a Deadly Diet

An article published in JAMA on-line showed that patients who take statin drugs to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease tend to eat more food, more calories, and more junk food.  This caused them to gain weight and increase their incidence of hypertension and diabetes.  Apparently, a significant number of patients felt that taking the drugs allowed them to have looser lifestyle habits.  In fact, the lifestyle, which includes a healthy diet, is a much bigger factor than lowering the cholesterol or LDL numbers.

 See JAMA on line for Internal Medicine for April 17, 2014, cited in the Toledo Blade, April 25, 2014, section A, page 10.

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Prevention of Breast Cancer

Commonly recognized risk factors for breast cancer include excessive radiation, first-degree relatives with diagnosed breast cancer, synthetic hormone replacement, early menarche or late menopause, no births, and no breast-feeding.  Other important factors are underwire bras, wearing bras for 12 hours or more in a day, excessive caffeine, and toxic metals, including aluminum found in deodorants.  Thermography can identify vascular patterns in which breast cancers are more likely to grow.  Abnormal thermograms can often be improved with a few nutritional supplements.

 See Dressed to Kill by Sydney Singer. Celebration of Health Association website  

Protection Against Radiation Exposure

You can get low-grade radiation exposure from the environment, or you can be exposed to a higher degree with procedures like CT scans and mammograms, or you might have radiation therapy recommended for breast or other cancers.  Some degree of protection against the harmful effects of radiation might be obtained by taking Chlorella, miso broth, turmeric, seaweed, and/or holy basil before and after exposure.  You could also take a hot bath with a pound of Epsom salt or sea salt and a pound of baking soda, soaking until the water cools.  Afterwards, do not shower or rinse the salt off for at least 4 hours.

 From  Superfood Therapeutic Guide by Robin Murphy.

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Staying Awake and Breathing Better

A negative ion generator, available at health food stores or over the internet for as little as $20, might help your breathing if you have asthma, allergies, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  You can also get a portable device that might keep you awake while driving.

 

From  Superfood Therapeutic Guide by Robin Murphy.

Celebration of HealthAssociation website  

Super Foods for Allergies

One of the first measures to take if you have prominent allergies is to check for and treat toxins.  Yeast toxins are generated when you have an overgrowth in the intestine.  A stool culture will help to make the diagnosis.  Heavy metals can be detected with a “challenge test”, using the same chelating agent that might be utilized for treatment.  Activated charcoal from the health food store removes toxins with a dose of 1 tsp or 3 capsules in 8 ounces of water.  Super foods that might help allergies include evening primrose oil, garlic, grape seed oil, horseradish, noni, and onions.  Olive leaf and holy basil are good immune boosters.

 See Superfood Therapeutic Guide by Robin Murphy. Celebrationof Health Association website  

The Choosing Wisely Program

Nearly 60 medical organizations have endorsed a new program that has identified 120 tests and procedures that might be medically unnecessary and should be avoided.  Patients often come out of the ER with thousands of dollars of bills that might have been avoided.  I have seen families with an autistic child elsewhere rack up $25,000 charges in a couple of months.  Every test should have a purpose that leads to potential benefit for each individual patient.  The risks to testing such as mammograms, CT scans, MRI’s, and catherizations should be carefully weighed against the potential benefits.  Is the proposed test going to change the therapy for that patient?  We certainly do not want to spend so much on testing that we have nothing left for treatment.

See Family Practice News, 12/2013, p. 48.

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