BIOSYNTRX BLOG

Eye Memory

2009-10-16T08:51:00.001-06:00

A new study published in the journal Neuron suggests that eye movements pick the right answers in memory tests, even when the brain doesn't.

Apparently, eye movements correspond to activity in the hippocampus, one of the most important learning and memory centers in the brain. Eye movements are now suggested to reveal unconscious memories.

Two researchers showed volunteers in a functional MRI scanner pictures of 3 faces paired with 50 photos of outdoor scenes. The volunteers were then asked to choose which face had been matched with which landscape scene. When the scene was shown, activity in the hippocampus increased, followed 500 to 750 milliseconds later by eye movements directed toward the correct face, even if the volunteer had clearly chosen a different face.

Eye movements may become a new way of helping scientists understand how much people who are unable to talk and patients with dementia or schizophrenia remember. People with these disorders may remember far more than they are able to say.

Bottom line: keep your eyes and brain healthy.

Buy Supplements From Reputable Companies

2009-10-07T17:01:00.000-06:00

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 7, 2009 — In response to a “Perspective” article published on-line today by the New England Journal of Medicine, which discusses the regulatory status of dietary supplements, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement industry, issued the following statement by Andrew Shao, Ph.D., vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN:

“We question how a perspective article about the regulatory status of dietary supplements was accepted for publication in a leading scientific journal, yet facts were not checked. This article contains numerous errors, omissions or misinterpretations with regard to the regulation of dietary supplements, including the misstatement of how botanical supplements were regulated prior to the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). The author may be a credible doctor, but his expertise in understanding the practicalities of the regulatory framework for dietary supplements is questionable.

Contrary to what has become an urban myth, DSHEA did not lessen the oversight of dietary supplements—in fact, DSHEA actually provided the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with new enforcement authority not previously available. For example, DSHEA provided FDA with additional authority to remove adulterated or unsafe supplement products from the market. Further, DSHEA gave FDA authority to issue good manufacturing practices (GMPs) specific to dietary supplements to help ensure the quality and safety of dietary supplements, a critical component of dietary supplement regulation, conspicuously absent from this article. It is already against the law to manufacture and market adulterated or contaminated dietary supplements.

The author chooses to focus on select isolated examples of incidents, as if they were representative of the industry as a whole and fails to place the information into any kind of context. In the first full year that mandatory reporting of serious adverse events was in existence, FDA received only 1,080 total adverse event reports, 672 of which were considered serious. For context, these numbers are minute in comparison to the hundreds of thousands of adverse event reports FDA receives each year for other regulated products such drugs, biologics and medical devices. The overwhelming majority of dietary supplements are safe and well-made and consumers value the benefits these products can provide.

The problems presented by outliers are not isolated to dietary supplements. Like any regulated industry, there are unscrupulous manufacturers that don’t follow the law—but that is not the fault of the law itself nor of responsible manufacturers and changing the law will not deter rogue companies from breaking the law. What is needed are more resources for both FDA and FTC to step up enforcement efforts. The best bet for consumers is to learn as much as they can about the companies from which they plan to purchase supplement products. Stay away from companies making product claims that purport to cure diseases or promise magic bullet results; focus on companies with good reputations, well-known brands, or third-party certifications; and discuss with your physician or other healthcare professional what products or companies he or she recommends. More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements each year as part of their healthy lifestyle.”

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I post this as a voting member of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our 70+ manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as CRN’s Code of Ethics. Visit www.crnusa.org.

How Much Fish Oil

2009-09-30T17:16:00.009-06:00

The American Heart Association (AHA) Summary of Recommendations for Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake as of May 7, 2009.

Population
Patients without documented coronary heart disease (CHD)
AHA Recommendation:
Eat a variety of fatty fish at least twice a week.

Population
Patients with documented CHD
AHA Recommendation:
Consume about 1 gram of EPA+DHA per day, preferably from fatty fish.

Population
Patients who need to lower triglycerides
AHA Recommendation:
2 to 4 grams of EPA +DHA per day, provided as fish oil capsules and always under physician care.

The AHA report suggest that patients taking more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids from capsules can be at increased risk of internal bleeding and suppressed immune system.

What do epidemiological and observational studies show?

The Good News: Epidemiologic and clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fatty acids reduce CVC incidence. Large-scale epidemiologic studies suggest that people at risk for coronary heart disease benefit from consuming omega-3 fatty acids from plants and marine sources.

However, the ideal amount to take isn't clear, and neither the AHA or the Institute of Medicine recommend more than 500 mg per day (3,500 mg per week) for disease prevention. Evidence from a few prospective secondary prevention studies suggest that taking 2 grams of EPA / DHA per day (fatty fish or supplements) reduces deaths from heart disease. Other retrospective studies suggest not.

Fish Oil is the largest selling product in the supplement industry and agressive marketers are not shy about recommending 2 or more grams of EPA/DHA a day for disease prevention. The American Heart Association clearly recommends physician care for those taking over 3 grams of Omega-3 EPA /DHA on a daily basis.

We at Biosyntrx strongly support fish consumption and fish oil supplementation, but it is not the be-all-end-all magic bullet that some suggest. Excessive amounts of supplemental fish oil may inhibit the body's ability to mount a lifesaving inflammatory response if needed.

Good health and certainly eye health is dependent on adequate consumption of the the full-spectrum of nutrients including fatty acids, portion and weight control, shades when in the sun, committment to regular exercise and loving friend and family relationships.

Omega-6 Fatty Acid Jobs

2009-09-17T17:37:00.003-06:00

Dietary Omega-6 fatty acid is responsible for the bodies ability to mount a lifesaving inflammatory response when needed. This includes spiking a fever to kill off bacterial and viral infections, swelling to protect bones, and clotting to prevent us from bleeding to death.

Biologist have now discovered that the smell of death or injury that repels living beings has been identified as Omega-6 linoleic acid. A biology professor at McMaster University, David Rollo, found that corpses all emit the same death stench produced by this fatty acid.

Dr. Rollo suggests that recognizing and avoiding the dead could reduce the chances of catching the disease, or allow you to get away with just enough exposure to activate your inate immunity.

He also suggests that linoleic acid is reliable and quickly released from cells following death. Evolution appears to have favoured such clues because they were reliable associated with demise, and avoiding contagion and predation are rather critical to survival.

I am always in awe of the the brilliant way the body uses nutrients.

Grand Junction CO & Health Reform

2009-09-16T17:48:00.002-06:00

Grand Junction Colorado's health care system is often sited as excellent and one to be envied.

The system excels because of extraordinary collaboration. This did not occur at random or in a vacuum. Effective collaboration results from the tenacious commitment of its key players to a shared vision of community performance, realized through incentives, information sharing, and appreciation of distinct comparative advantages. Many lessons of the Grand Junction experience should inform the national health reform debate.

Lesson #1:
Vision and incentives are essential to an operational sense of community. Grand Junction’s leaders view their own self-interest and the community’s interests as congruent.

Lesson #2:
Information systems and data sharing are essential for collaboration and trust. The electronic records system and the interoperability enable evidence-based collaboration on complex and high-cost cases, across institutions and among clinicians.

Lesson #3:
Complementary institutions pursuing their comparative advantages facilitate collaboration. Grand Junction’s providers allow specialized complements to focus on specific populations to ensure that all residents get the right care at the right time.

Lesson #4:
Primary care is the core of any high performance health system. Throughout a patient’s life, primary care physicians in Grand Junction are involved in all levels of treatment. Continuity and collaboration between primary care physicians, specialists, and other members of care teams leads to higher-quality care, better outcomes, and lower costs. Most importantly, team-based care refocuses the delivery system on the patient, not on the provider.

I am happy to provide a PDF of an article called Grand Junction, Colorado: A Health Community That Works to all interested readers. The authors are Len Nichols, Micah Weinberg and Julie Barnes.

The Healthcare War

2009-09-08T17:01:00.012-06:00

Every time I start to semiseriously consider just giving up on today's nasty partisan politics, a favorite writer will force me to take a deep breath, have a good laugh, and in this case - listen to some great music.

Here is San Francisco writer, Sam Barry's September 8 column. Sam is Dr. Betty Kamen's son-in-law. Dr. Kamen is an esteemed member of the Biosyntrx Scientific Advisory Board.

"We are fast approaching the time when we, as a nation—and here I am referring to the United States, not Denmark—must make a decision regarding the healthcare system. Broadly speaking, there are two positions on the healthcare crisis, which can be characterized as follows:

Position 1: Everyone should have healthcare. This should be a national priority. If you think otherwise you are an evil, greedy corporate lobbyist for Big Pharma, the insurance industry, or the AMA, or an insane member of the gun-toting Christian right-wing Republican conspiracy, located somewhere east of Berkeley and west of the Hudson River, probably in Texas or Colorado Springs.

Position 2: Healthcare is for sissies. I have a good job and I have healthcare because I earned it. Later, when I am older, I will have Medicare, which I also earned. Screw the rest of you, except for my loved ones, who deserve nothing but the best because I have family values. People who think differently than me are, in a word, Commies.

As you can see, these two positions are fairly far apart. As I see it, we can all either sit down at the negotiating table and hammer out an agreement that serves the best interests of the nation and its citizenry, or we can grab our weapons, get behind some barricades, and start shooting.

The last time we did this in the United States (the shooting that is)—if you exclude minor incidents like the pitched battles at recent congressional town hall meetings—was during the Civil War. While I am not suggesting we have another civil war over the healthcare crisis, it would solve a couple of problems: one side or the other would win, ending the debate; the economy would get a kick start; many National Guard troops would get to come home from Iraq and Afghanistan to fight Americans right here in America; and there would be some good songs written, which we could all then learn to play on the harmonica. Win, win, win all around."

Thank you Sam, for bringing some much-needed humor to the healthcare issue. As promised, here is a link of you playing two of my favorite tunes. http://www.redroom.com/video/sam-barry-and-todd-swenson-play-theme-black-orpheus-manh%C3%A3-de-carnaval-and-the-way-you-look-ton

Annals of Surgery Abstract on Healthcare Reform

2009-08-21T12:37:00.005-06:00

Abstract: The United States has the most expensive and complex healthcare system in the world. Despite the magnitude of funds spent on the system, Americans do not achieve the high standards of health seen in other developed countries.

The current model of health insurance has failed to deliver efficient and effective healthcare. The administrative costs and lack of buying power that arise out of the existing multipayer system are at the root of the problem. The current system also directly contributes to the rising number of uninsured and underinsured Americans.

This lack of insurance leads to poorer health outcomes, and a significant amount of money is lost into the system by paying for these complications. Experience from other countries suggests that tangible improvements can occur with conversion to a single-payer system. However, previous efforts at reform have stalled.

There are many myths commonly held true by both patients and physicians. This inscrutability of the US healthcare system may be the major deterrent to its improvement. A discussion of these myths can lead to increased awareness of the inequality of our healthcare system and the possibilities for improvement.

Sarpel U, Vladeck G, Divina C: Klotman P. Fact and Fiction: Debunking Myths in the US Healthcare System Annals of Surgery: April 2008 - volume 247-Issue 4 - PP 563-569

Statins for Age-related Macular Degeneration

2009-08-07T08:26:00.002-06:00

This Cochrane review published on July, 17, 2009, identified one completed and one ongoing randomized controlled trial.

Of the completed trial, in which 30 patients received either 20 mg simvastatin or a placebo daily for a period of three months, the analyses did not show a statistically significant difference in visual acuity at completion of study treatment or 45 days after the completion of study treatment.

Of the ongoing trial, the preliminary analyses after 12 months of treatment did not show a statistically significant difference between 40 mg simvastatin daily and placebo in visual acuity, drusen score or visual function. Due to the small size of the completed trial and the short duration of the treatment and follow–up period, no conclusion regarding the effects of statins on the onset or progression of AMD can be made at this time. The authors will update this review as data from the ongoing trial become available.

Balanced Immune Health

2009-07-31T09:49:00.006-06:00

Experts are warning that the 2009 fall/winter season could be a miserable one from a public health standpoint. Therefore, we strongly recommend that our Friday Pearl readers subscribe to this blog. http://www.balancedimmunehealth.com/

These folks clearly understand the importance of maintaining a properly balanced immune system, so that our killer cells instantly kill when they need to, and our suppressor cells know when to call off the attack dog cells when an aggressive immune response is no longer needed. Over-reactive immune response can be responsible for cytokine storms that are particularly dangerous for our lungs when it comes to flu bugs.

Have a great weekend.

Aspen Ideas Festival

2009-07-02T09:23:00.004-06:00

This short Brian Greene video from this week's Aspen Ideas Festival is not to be missed by those of you who love science and those of you who weren't properly introduced to the joy of the subject.

http://www.aifestival.org/audio-video-library.php?menu=3&title=315&action=full_info

Brian Greene is the author of The Elegant Universe, Icarus at the Edge of Time and The Fabric of the Cosmos. He is a full professor at Columbia University.

Selenium "Highly Unlikely" to Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk

2009-06-22T14:41:00.005-06:00

FDA has concluded that minimal evidence supports the linking of selenium consumption and reduced risk of prostate cancer, likely delivering a further blow to Bayer One A Day Men’s Multivitamins products containing the mineral and touting its prostate health benefits.

In a decision dated June 19, the agency informs attorney Jonathan Emord that it “intends to consider the exercise of its enforcement discretion” for a claim stating the following: Two weak studies suggest that selenium intake may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. However, four stronger studies and three weak studies showed no reduction in risk. Based on these studies, FDA concludes that it is highly unlikely that selenium supplements reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

The agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is allowing two similarly weak qualified health claims for selenium and bladder and thyroid cancer. FDA rejected all claims for a number of other site-specific cancers Emord had sought, including lung, brain and breast cancers.

In an e-mail, Emord said the agency’s decisions violate First Amendment standards and “reveal a profound and unscientific bias against communication of accurate information concerning the relationship between these nutrients and these disease risks.”

FDA currently allows QHCs linking selenium and vitamins C and E to reduced risk of “certain forms of cancers,” but has not approved the mention of any specific cancers.

Under its new leadership, FDA has shown little willingness to be flexible when claims fall outside approved language and supporting science. Commissioner Peggy Hamburg recently said the agency does not wish “to delve too deeply into the wordsmithing of various claims and labels,” but does want them “to accurately reflect the best available science with respect to the safety and benefits of a given product.”

Women's Multivitamin Study

2009-06-16T10:38:00.004-06:00

Here is an article by the health ranger, Mike Adams, that was published in Natural News on February 10, 2009. We think you will find it interesting.

A study published in the Febuary 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine claims that multivitamins were useless at preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease in women. The mainstream media predictably picked up on this story, gleefully running it as "proof" that nutrition is worthless and only pharmaceuticals can enhance your health.

What they're not telling you, though, might shock you. Here's the truth about this so-called "scientific" study on multivitamins: No multivitamins were even used in the study! The women followed in this study weren't actually given any multivitamins at all. They were simply asked if they take multivitamins! There was no quality control in the study - since no multivitamins were given to women.

Did these women take cheap, synthetic vitamins bought at discount stores? Or did they take quality supplements from better sources? Nobody knows because it wasn't tracked!• Most people SAY they take multivitamins, but don't. If you ask most people, they will TELL you they eat healthy, and that they take multivitamins. But in reality they don't. Most people greatly exaggerate the description of their own health habits. Multivitamin consumption FREQUENCY was not accurately measured. There was no ability of this study to reliably measure how often consumers actually took their multivitamins. Did they take them once a week? Once a month? Once a year? Even taking them once a year would have counted in this study as "taking multivitamins." Gee, no wonder the results showed no improvement...In effect, this study did not measure the effects of multivitamins on cancer and heart disease. What it really measured was the degree to which people exaggerate their own claims of health habits, and the degree to which the mainstream media so easily falls for junk science.

The main stream media remains utterly clueless about nutrition, and it simply reprints practically any study published in a medical journal, even when that study is obviously based on deceptive science and a pro-Pharma agenda. All these attacks on vitamin C, vitamin E, antioxidants and multivitamins have the same source: The Big Pharma-funded mainstream media and its effort to try to discredit nutritional supplements in order to please advertisers.The very idea that nutrition is bad for you but Big Pharma's chemicals are good for you is insane to begin with. But that's what they want you to believe: Nutrition isn't required in the human body, they claim. But pharmaceutical chemicals are essential!What they want you to do is shut up, eat your (processed) food, take your (chemical) medications, get your (fraudulent) disease screening, pay your taxes, watch television ads, make more (sheeple) babies and stop questioning the status quo. And multivitamins? Stop wasting your money on them. You'll need that money to buy more monopoly-priced pharmaceuticals, after all.

Genetically Modified Foods?

2009-06-11T08:10:00.005-06:00

I just received this news release from a fellow board member of the Optometric Nutrition Society.

One May 19, 2009, The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) released its position paper on Genetically Modified foods stating that "GM foods pose a serious health risk" and calling for a moratorium on GM foods.

Citing several animal studies, the AAEM concludes "there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects" and that "GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health." The AAEM calls for:* A moratorium on GM food, implementation of immediate long term safety testing and labeling of GM food.

* Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community and the public to avoid GM foods. * Physicians to consider the role of GM foods in their patients' disease processes.
* More independent long term scientific studies to begin gathering data to investigate the role of GM foods on human health.

"Multiple animal studies have shown that GM foods cause damage to various organ systems in the body. With this mounting evidence, it is imperative to have a moratorium on GM foods for the safety of our patients' and the public's health," said Dr. Amy Dean, PR chair and Board Member of AAEM.

"Physicians are probably seeing the effects in their patients, but need to know how to ask the right questions," said Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, President of AAEM. "The most common foods in North America which are consumed that are GMO are corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed oil." The AAEM's position paper on Genetically Modified foods can be found at http:aaemonline.org/gmopost.html.

We recommend that everyone reading this blog take the time to read the AAEM's position paper on genetically modified foods. We can't possibly afford the disease consequences associated with new-to-nature-molecules that prove to be harmful - think hydrogenation and trans-fats.

Why Portion Control Avantrx?

2008-11-01T09:18:00.008-06:00

The Question: Why would a company focused on nutrients and eye disease launch a portion control formula into the eye care market?

The Answer: An increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes and a host of other degenerative disease is directly linked to the amount of excess subcutaneous and visceral fat we carry on our bodies. Visceral fat surrounds vital organs and is metabolized by the liver, which turns it into blood cholesterol. It also increases Il-6 and C-reactive protein, the inflammatory markers associated with disease and metabolic syndrome that precedes development of type-2 diabetes and most all degenerative disease, including the four major eye diseases, cataract, macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data this past Thursday that suggests the rate of new type-2 diabetes cases nearly doubled in the United States in the past 10 years.

The study, led by Karen Kirtland, provides an up-to-date picture of where the disease is exploding. The information should be a big help as the government and health insurance companies decide where to focus prevention campaigns, Petersen said.

Diabetes was the nation's seventh-leading cause of death in 2006, according to the CDC. More than 23 million Americans have diabetes, and the number is rapidly growing. About 1.6 million new cases were diagnosed among adults last year.

In Type 2 diabetes, cells do not properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar into energy. The illness can lead to complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and poor circulation that leads to amputations.

The study involved a random-digit-dialed survey of more than 260,000 adults. Participants were asked if they had ever been told by a doctor that they have diabetes, and when the diagnosis was made.

The researchers had data for 40 states for the years 2005-07. West Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee had the highest rates. Puerto Rico was about as high as West Virginia. Minnesota, Hawaii and Wyoming had the lowest rates.

It is not entirely clear why some states were worse than others. Older people, blacks and Hispanics tend to have higher rates of Type 2 diabetes, and the South has large concentrations of all three groups. However, West Virginia is overwhelmingly white.

The report asked about diagnosed diabetes only. Because an estimated one in four diabetics have not been diagnosed, the findings probably underestimate the problem, said Angela Liese, a diabetes researcher at the University of South Carolina.

Lifestyle changes that include portion control of nutrient-dense diets and daily exercise can dramatically lower the risk of developing type-2 diabetes and the other degenerative diseases.

Our Children and Psychotropic Drugs

2008-09-27T14:28:00.002-06:00

A new study published in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health found that American children are three times more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications for conditions such as ADHA and bipolar disease than European children are. The researchers suggest the difference is in regulatory practices and cultural beliefs.

The lead researcher, Julie Zito, from the pharmaceutical health services research department in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland, suggests there is significantly greater use of atypical antipsychotics and SSRI-type antidepressants for child mental health treatment in U.S. than in Western Europe. She also suggests that most of the use is 'off-label' -- without adequate evidence of benefits and risks, and that closer monitoring should be considered when these medications are used.

Researchers found that the annual prevalence of psychotropic medications among children in the United States was significantly greater than in either the Netherlands or Germany. In the United States, 6.7 percent of children were taking these drugs, compared with 2.9 percent in the Netherlands and 2 percent in Germany. In addition, use of antidepressants and stimulants was three or more times higher in the United States than in the Netherlands or Germany, and use of antipsychotic drugs was 1.5 to 2.2 times greater in the United States than in either of the other countries.

The study suggests that direct-to-consumer drug advertising, which is common in the U.S., is likely to account for some of the differences. The increased use of medication in the U.S. also reflects the individualist and activist therapeutic mentality of U.S. medical culture," the researchers concluded.

It has been suggested many times by researchers that the U.S. has a sick-care system, rather than a health-care system, with a particular emphasis on use of drugs and procedures for diagnosed conditions. This study reaffirms that pattern, with more use of medication for various mental health conditions among children in the U.S than other countries. What this study cannot show is whether the use of medication is appropriate, given variations in culture, or whether other countries under-prescribe psychotropic drugs or whether the U.S. over-prescribes them.

I put my money on over-prescribing.

Berkeley Lab News Center » IMPACTS: On the Threshold of Abrupt Climate Changes

2008-09-19T12:03:00.000-06:00

Berkeley Lab News Center » IMPACTS: On the Threshold of Abrupt Climate Changes

HIV Screening for All Women

2008-08-04T07:28:00.008-06:00

.....regardless of age!

The August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology published a committee opinion suggesting "Routine Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening" for all women between the ages of 19 and 64.

The article estimates that one-quarter of all Americans with HIV are unaware of their status. Women continue to represent a growing proportion of HIV and AIDS cases, and it's critical that they know their status.

When we add the HIV numbers to the fact that one out of every four women over the age of 12 would test positive for incurable genital herpes (according to the CDC one third of these women are asymptomatic and don't know they are potentially infecting everyone with whom they have a sexual encounter). Lest you male readers think you are off the hook, one out of every five of you would test positive for genital herpes -one third of all males with genital herpes are asymptomatic, as well.

Given this data, isn't it time for all health professionals to stop acting like teenage and senior sex doesn't happen. This includes eye care professionals, since both ocular herpes and AIDS are potentially blinding diseases.

Hopefully, cross- talk between all medical specialties will soon become the norm.

We Must Change the Way We Eat

2008-07-31T16:45:00.002-06:00

A study conducted at Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine suggests that most adults in the U.S. will be overweight or obese by 2030, with related health care spending projected to be as much as $956.9 billion per year.

Overweight and obesity is a runaway health problem that must be addressed. If the current trends continue, 86% of the population will be overweight and 1 out of every 6 healthcare dollars will be spent paying for overweight and obesity-related costs.

The authors of this study, published in the July 2008 peer-reviewed issue of Obesity, warn that overweight and obesity is a public health crisis that is expected to get worse, unless health care professionals from every specialty step up to the plate and start working with their patients on lifestyle choices, including caloric intake and exercise.

Statins for Kids??

2008-07-07T14:01:00.010-06:00

The AMA released a notice today stating that they now recommend low fat milk for all children over the age of 12 months, and cholesterol lowering medications to children as young as eight-years-old, inspite of a recent study suggesting that cholesterol lowering meds can alter genetic structure and deteriorate muscles, including the heart muscle.

The pharmaceutical industry line is that a very small percentage of people actually suffer horrific, painful side effects from cholesterol lowering (statin) drugs. If these side effects happen to my child or grandchild, that would make it a 100% reaction for an innocent child and that is not reasonable in this writer's opinion.

There are a number of other ways to lower the childhood factors associated with increased risk of developing heart problems in adult years, including healthy dietary changes that include eliminating all junk foods (specifically all corn-based oil and high-sugar syrup foods) portion control (supersize nothing) and a moderate amount of daily exercise, all of which include positive side effects.

It seems almost criminal to subject any young child to the potential painful side effect risks associated with statin drugs, particularly if this AMA recommendation is in any way being made to increase profits for BigPharma.

Research Misconduct

2008-06-19T12:23:00.000-06:00

A survey of more than 2,000 scientists reveals that misconduct in research may be far more prevalent than suspected. The results are published in a Commentary in Nature this week.

The authors, based at the US Department of Health and Human Services’s Office of Research Integrity (ORI), surveyed 2,212 scientists at 605 institutions and found that nearly 9% believed they had witnessed potential research misconduct in the preceding three years. Extrapolating to the larger research community supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this suggests that as many as 2,300 observations of misconduct occur each year with roughly 1,000 going unreported.

Do we really think this behavior is confined to the United States?

Polar Express

2008-06-09T15:43:00.002-06:00

There is a new sense of scientific urgency around the accelerating pace of climate warming in the earth's polar regions. A NASA satellite camera on the Aqua caught a Manhattan-size floating piece of ice shelf in the act of disintegrating on Feb 28, 2008.

By March 8, the Wilkins ice shelf, comprising some 5,000 miles of floating ice off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula had lost 160 square miles of ice to the Pacific Ocean.

The July 2008 edition of Scientific American reports that this ice breakup is the latest of seven major Antarctic ice-shelf collapses in the past 30 years, after some 400 years of relative stability.

Once again, before casting our votes, we need to know where Barack Obama and John McCaine stand on the issue of global warming, and we need to know who they intend to use as their advisors on the vitally important issue.

Our health and the health of our offspring could depend on the quality of science-based decisions made in the next few years.

Obesity & Heart Failure

2008-06-05T18:08:00.006-06:00

A study in the recent Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported that obesity is associated with prolonged inflammation of the heart, which can lead to congestive heart failure.

The 79 male study participants out of the 6,914 men who developed congestive heart failure had far higher levels of inflammatory proteins interleukin-6, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein compared with the nonobese participants. Near doubling of interleukin-6 levels was associated with an 84 percent greater risk of developing heart failure, and near tripling of c-reactive protein with a 36 percent greater risk than those with lower levels.

More and more evidence is building a case that suggests weight-related inflammation to be the chemical route obesity uses to target the heart and other organs, and that inflammation may play an important role in the increased risk of heart failure in overweight and obese people.

Recent government data suggests that 65 percent of the US population is now overweight and 33 percent of the US population is now clinically obese. These alarming numbers can change with lifestyle modification that includes consumption of calorie-restricted, nutrient-dense diets, portion control, full-spectrum supplementation and exercise.

The Power of Mothers

2008-05-09T14:50:00.039-06:00

We set aside the second Sunday in the month of May to honor all mothers, including Mother Earth. This year, she is particularly unhappy because her honey bee children are dying by the millions, which will lead to a reduction in the country's nutrient-necessary fruit and vegetable crops. Many studies now suggest that almost 90% of the feral bee population could already be dead due to a condition called Colony Collapse Disorder.

An amazing documentary called Vanishing of the Bees is in the works. Please, please check out the trailer http://www.vanishingbees.com/

Let's honor Mother Earth and Mother's Day 2008 by making a commitment to use our voices, our votes, and our purchasing power to address global warming, the amount of environmental toxins we are willing to tolerate, inaccessible health care for too many Mother's children, and the personal and corporate greed responsible for so much of earth's destruction.

Albert Einstein supposedly once remarked, "If honey bees become extinct, human society will follow in four years." I can't verify that quote, but the honey bee may very well be the canary in the mine.

The hillside color pallet below is Mother Nature's "Ode to Spring." We can collectively honor her on this day by vowing to protect her art and her honey bees for future generations. Simply click on the photo to view an enlargement.

$445M on Federal Lobbying in 2007

2008-05-06T16:03:00.005-06:00

Health care interests spent $445 million on federal lobbying in 2007--more than any other sector of the economy--to finish as the top spender for the second consecutive year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, HealthBeat reports.

In 2007 pharmaceutical and medical products companies rank first with $227 million in spending, while health insurance companies spent the second-most at $138 million. Hospitals and nursing homes spent $91 million, ranking fifth; while health professionals spent $70 million, ranking 15th; and HMOs/health services spent $52 million, ranking 19th.

Among specific organizations or companies, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spent the third-most at $22.1 million, the American Medical Association spent the fourth-most at $22.1 million and the American Hospital Association was fifth, spending $19.7 million.

According to the CRP, the pharmaceutical industry has spent $1.3 billion on federal lobbying in the last decade, more than any other industry. In addition, the drug industry's reported lobbying increased by 25% from 2006 to 2007.

Lobbying firm, Patton Boggs, whose clients include Bristol-Myers Squibb and Hoffman-La Roche, reported $41.9 million in 2007 revenue—an increase of 20% over 2006--and the most among Washington, D.C.-area firms.

What can we say, except that hopefully a new administration will take some power away from those who blatently put obscene profits before the health care needs of the public.

Chocolate & Pregnancy

2008-05-01T17:24:00.010-06:00

The May 2008 issue of Epidemiology published a Yale study that suggests women who eat dark chocolate are at decreased risk of developing preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous complication of pregnancy.

The study looked at self-reported chocolate consumption and also at levels of a byproduct of chocolate consumption, called theobromine, in the cord blood of pregnant women.

Those who reported chocolate consumption of more than five servings a week had a 70% lower risk of developing preeclampsia.

The researchers have speculated that the presence of anti-oxidants called flavonoids in dark chocolate may confer cardiovascular benefits.

This does not mean pregnant women should eat all the chocolate they want, as tempting as this information may be. Excess consumption of all sweets can lead to weight gain and other health problems during pregnancy, just as it does in a non-pregnant state.