Dr. Gerry Schwalfenberg of the University of Alberta just published the first case report of a woman with a treacherous autoimmune disorder, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or ITP, that vitamin D apparently cured.

Schwalfenberg GK. Solar radiation and vitamin d: mitigating environmental factors in autoimmune disease. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:619381.

More than 160 known autoimmune disorders exist in humans and more than 5% of the population has at least one of the disorders. They occur when your immune system malfunctions and attacks your own organs or tissues. No known cure exists. In the above publication, Dr. Schwalfenberg reviewed an extensive number of newer medical papers and concluded that, “Evidence that autoimmune disease may be a vitamin D-sensitive disease comes from many sources.”

He then reports on a 48-year-old female with one of the rarest and more perilous autoimmune disorders, ITP, which destroys platelets. Platelets help with blood clotting, and doctors follow platelet counts closely in ITP. She had been ill since 1998, had her spleen taken out to help elevate her platelet count and was on the best medicine for the disease, danazol. However, she continued to suffer from dangerously low platelet counts.

Visible symptoms of ITP include bruises, bleeding from the nostrils, bleeding at the gums, and excessive menstrual bleeding. A very low platelet count may result in blood masses in the mouth or on other mucous membranes. Bleeding time from minor cuts is usually long. Possibly fatal complications include bleeding inside the skull or brain or internal bleeding.

Knowing all the evidence that vitamin D is involved in autoimmune disorders, Dr. Schwalfenberg tested her vitamin D level in 2006 and found it to be 26 ng/ml. He started his patient on 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day. Her platelet count increased but not to normal. For the next two years, she had no symptoms of her ITP except for a moderately low platelet count. Unfortunately, a neighbor told her that 2,000 IU/day would make her toxic, so she stopped the vitamin D and her platelet count promptly fell dangerously low.

Dr. Schwalfenberg reassured her that her neighbor was incorrect and restarted her vitamin D, this time at 4,000 IU/day. She did well, and for the first time in a decade, was able to stop her danazol. She was given 10,000 IU/day of vitamin D for several days for an upper respiratory infection and her platelet count became normal for the first time in 14 years. It remains normal to this day and she is doing fine with a vitamin D level of 40 ng/ml taking 4,000 IU/day.

In a recent clinical review on autism and vitamin D, Dr. Eva Kocovska and colleagues from the University of Glasgow called for “urgent research” on vitamin D’s role in autism.

Kočovská E, Fernell E, Billstedt E, Minnis H, Gillberg C. Vitamin D and autism: Clinical review. Res Dev Disabil. 2012 Apr 20;33(5):1541-1550. [Epub ahead of print]

The body of the paper consisted of a review of the 35 papers published to date that deal directly with autism and vitamin D. Here were their areas of interest and the studies they reviewed.

On vitamin D blood levels

Four studies have looked at vitamin D levels in autistic children or their mothers and all have found low levels (<30 ng/ml) in autistic children. One found no difference in vitamin D levels between autistic children and boys with acute inflammation (a curious control), while the other three found differences, some significant and some not. One study found Somali mothers with autistic children had average vitamin D levels of 6.7 ng/ml, about 30% lower than Somali mothers without autistic children.

On vitamin D intake

The authors examined about a dozen papers that looked at vitamin D intake in autistic children, all finding that most autistic children do not meet vitamin D intake requirements for their age. On a side note, the authors also mention that magnesium has a crucial role in brain development and function. As readers know, magnesium deficiencies are the rule, not the exception in most Americans.

On brain development and function

The authors reviewed the numerous ways vitamin D is involved in brain development and function, including:

•  Synaptic development
•  Nerve migration and growth
•  Neurotransmission, both excitatory and inhibitory
•  Preventing excessive cell proliferation
•  Orchestrating signaling pathways in the brain
•  Cell differentiation
•  Nerve growth factor expression
•  Regulation of inflammatory cytokines
•  Neurotransmitter synthesis
•  Intra-neuronal calcium signaling
•  Anti-oxidant activity
•  Control of the expression of genes involved in brain structure and metabolism
•  Regulation of glutathione, the master antioxidant and heavy metal remover
•  Protection from glutamate toxicity

On autism, vitamin D and seizures

I was surprised at the number of studies showing the connection between vitamin D, seizures and autism. Up to 30% of children with autism have seizures, and it may be as easy as giving a vitamin D supplement to reduce seizures.

On breastfeeding

A recent study showed in a statistically significant finding that in States where exclusive breastfeeding is the highest, autism incidence is also the highest. Remember, unless the mother takes 5,000 IU/day and has a vitamin D level > 40 ng/ml, breast milk contains little vitamin D.

Yes, as I have been saying since 2006, there is a need for “urgent research in the field.”

This month’s edition concludes a brief series on aging. In part four we briefly discuss the reality of anti-aging prospects and methods.

Subscribers will find the ezine in their mailbox on publication. It will be posted in the subscribers’ archive around the same time.

Prostate cancer tends to develop in men over the age of fifty and, although it is one of the most prevalent types of cancer in men, many men never have symptoms and die of other causes. On the other hand, more aggressive prostate cancers account for more cancer-related deaths than any cancer except lung cancer. About two-thirds of cases are slow growing, the other third are more aggressive and fast growing.

The decision to treat a tumor contained within the prostate is a trade-off between the risk and expected benefits, especially quality of life. More and more often physicians and patients are electing to do nothing but wait (and hopefully enjoy life) for slow growing tumors.

The decision to wait is a calculated risk. Urologists look at a number of factors in prostate cancer to decide how to treat (if at all) prostate cancer. These factors include:

• Gleason Score: score given to prostate cancer based upon its microscopic appearance. Cancers with a higher Gleason score are more aggressive and have a worse prognosis. The Gleason scores range from 2 to 10, with 10 having the worst prognosis.
• Core biopsies positive:  usually urologists take 6-12 total biopsies at a time, called cores. The percentage of positive cores varies and often changes over time.
• PSA: a tumor marker that, taken with the other two factors above, may indicate prostate cancer. The higher the score, and the more rapidly it climbs, the worse the prognosis. It usually slowly increases over time in men with low-grade prostate cancer.

All of these factors, along with the presence or absence of cancer spread, change over time and influence whether or not an urologist and patient decide to treat the prostate cancer.

To give you an idea about how this works, if you took 20 men with low risk prostate cancer and do nothing but biopsy them again in a year, about 10% of the men will no longer have any cores positive. That’s right, about 10% of men will no longer have demonstrable cancer. However, most men will have either more cores positive or a higher Gleason score or higher PSA or all three.

This week, Drs. David Marshall, Sebastiano Gattoni-Celli and their colleagues from the Medical University at South Carolina published a study that reported administering vitamin D for a year, measuring cancer markers before and after. The results were astounding.

Marshall DT, et al. Vitamin D3 supplementation at 4,000 IU/day for one year results in a decrease of positive cores at repeat biopsy in subjects with low-risk prostate cancer under active surveillance. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2012.

This study administered 4,000 IU/day of vitamin D for one year to 44 men. The scientists chose 44 men with low risk prostate cancer, so they chose 44 men with  identical Gleason scores of 6, anywhere from 1-6 cores positive (out of 12 possible), and a PSA < 10.

Of the 44 men they followed, 60% showed a decrease in the number of positive cores or a decrease in their Gleason scores, or both. Only 34% showed an increase in the number of positive cores or an increase in their Gleason scores. 6% were unchanged over the year. PSA levels did not go up over the year. The authors classified 60% of the men as “responders” to vitamin D and 40% as “non-responders.”

Fifteen of the 44 men (34%) no longer had any cores positive. However, PSA did not go down so they may or may not still have prostate cancer. It also appeared that baseline vitamin D levels were important because men with higher baseline vitamin D levels had fewer cores positive for cancer and lower Gleason scores.

The authors report that the main problem with the study was the lack of a control group, other than historical groups of men treated conservatively. However, with 60% of the men responding to vitamin D, I wonder if an ethics committee would allow a randomized controlled trial, knowing some men in the control group would be vitamin D deficient.

The “Summary Page” available via the link below provides a listing of drug names and safety labeling sections revised: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/ucm299284.htm

The following drugs had modifications to the BOXED WARNINGS, CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS sections:

• Atacand HCT (candesartan cilextetil/hydrochlorothiazide)
• Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil)
• Sporanox (itraconazole)
• Twynsta (telmisartan/amlodipine)
• Zestoretic (lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide)
• Zestril (lisinopril)
• Benlysta (belimumab)
• Celexa (citalopram hydrobromide)
• Enablex (darifenacin)
• Incivek (telaprevir)
• Janumet (sitagliptin and metformin fixed-dose combination)
• Januvia (sitagliptin)
• Kombiglyze XR (saxagliptin/metformin hydrochloride extended-release)
• Lidocaine in 5% Dextrose Injection
• Magnevist (brand of gadopentetate dimeglumine)
• Revlimid (lenalidomide)
• Reyataz (atazanavir sulfate)
• Treximet (sumatriptan and naproxen sodium)
• Votrient (pazopanib)
• Zometa (zoledronic acid)
• Zmax (azithromycin extended release)

Do not be fooled. The FDA calls them “Safety Labels” which inspires trust. The truth is, they would much more aptly be called “Danger Labels” and you would do well to regard them as such. Remember, all drugs are dangerous. Consume only what you absolutely must and then do so with the utmost care.