Lifecare Chiropractic
James Bogash, D.C.
1830 S. Alma School Rd
Bldg 7, Ste 135
Mesa, AZ 85210
(480) 839-CARE (2273)
Research Updates July 25, 2005
***Decreased Circulating Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha in Postmenopausal Women during Consumption of Soy-Containing Isoflavones***
Remember that the latest and greatest class of medications to hit the market are the "biological agents," such as the TNF-alpha blockers like Remicade and Enbral. But I have serous long term concerns with this approach, as TNF-alpha is one of our body's ways of dealing with cancer cells. Well, instead of blocking the action of TNF-alpha, how about the novel concept of less of it in the first place? We already know that lowering insulin levels can lower TNF-alpha levels, but now we see a whopping 66.7% reduction in circulating TNF-alpha levels after 10 weeks with use of a soy drink. Lets compare. TNF-alpha blockers: probably increase risk of cancer, infections, TB, blah, blah, blah. About $1K/month. Soy: protects against high cholesterol, lowers risk of breast and endometrial cancer, protects bone, some people allergic. About $35/month. Look on your rheumatologists face: priceless.
***Clomid vs Metformin as the First-Line Treatment for Ovulation Induction in Nonobese Anovulatory Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome***
Here's the deal. I personally think most, if not all, cases of PCOS are related to insulin resistance. Most likely via high insulin levels inhibiting 15,20 lyase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen, so testosterone levels rise and inhibit ovulation. So, really, the PCOS is just one other symptoms of a time bomb ticking in your body. What do we do in mainstream medicine? Diffuse the time bomb? Of course not. We ignore it and look at the more important issue--what to due with all that pesky smoke coming off the fuse. So ob/gyns ignore the insuline resistance and try to force ovulation with Clomid. Should be malpractice, but unfortunately is the standard of care. So this study looks at using Metformin (not at all my preferred method for insulin resistance treatment) vs Clomid and finds that actually treating the underlying problem (what an innovative approach!!!) results in much better results. Don't expect change anytime soon though...
***Sunlight and Reduced Risk of Cancer: Is The Real Story Vitamin D?***
Ready for everything you thought you knew to get turned upside down? Sunlight increases survival in early stage melanoma. "What??" you say. That demonic, cancer causing, avoid at all costs and wear SPF 100 to get the mail sunlight? When it comes to physiology, I always boil it down to a common question: What were we designed for? Picture 100,000 years ago. Do you think our bodies were designed to be out in the sun for long periods of time? I think most would agree that the answer is yes. And remember, back then you couldn't live in northern Canada with light skin and hop on a America West flight to head south for the winter--you stayed in the geographical region your body had adapted to. So, in today's society, every arrow is pointing to Vit D deficiency at massive levels--as high as 75% of the population deficient by some estimates. So, should it really surprise anyone that sunlight production of Vit D should protect against cancer?
***Peppermint oil in irritable bowel syndrome***
This one is more of an FYI. Peppermint has always been known to have a calming effect on diarrhea. This study suggest that peppermint oil should be the first line of treatment for diarrhea predominant IBS.
***Is Population-Wide Diuretic Use Directly Associated With the Incidence of End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States?***
Well now, doesn't this just open up an awful can of worms? Over the past few years we've had evidence suggesting that the diurectics should absolutely be the first line of defense for patients with high blood pressure over newer, more expensive drugs. So many physicians are now switching patients back to good old fashioned diuretics. As with any other time we use medication, a dark side seems to be coming to play. Given that this is a dark topic for a very, very common condition and the ramifications are huge, this is one that will get shoved under the table for decades. This is a perfect time to relate a patient experience. Had a female pt in my office about one week ago. She's been a patient for several years and has kept a pretty advanced insulin resistance in check with lifestyle, but had been faultering the past few months. A blood pressure check revealed 180/80--not exactly safe, by any means. We had a conversation about medication vs aggressive lifestyle changes and she did not want meds. Staying in close contact with her over the next few days, she called be FOUR days later and was below 140. There's no drug on the market that would've done that for her.
***Association of Helicobacter pylori Infection With Morbid Obesity***
Those who have been reading the Updates for years now know that I feel H. pylori is merely an opportunistic infection (possibly even normal flora) that rises up with health conditions are not optimal. I think that destruction of this bacteria with a triple therapy regimine will ultimately show to be a bad idea on several fronts. So, natually, I hesitate to provide articles that support my being right, but...
***Oxidized LDL induces mitochondrially associated reactive oxygen/nitrogen species formation in endothelial cells***
We're back to my future book "Mitochondrial dysfunction as the root of all chronic disease." Not quite sure if that title is going to catapult the book to the New York Times bestseller list, though. Anyway, I have mentioned many times before that cholesterol does not do damage to our vessels until it gets damaged, usually through inflammation or oxidative stress. Now we are starting to identify the pathway by which this oxidized LDL particle creates damage to the vessel wall. And guess what comes to the forefront. You guessed it--mitochondrial induced oxidative stress. Mammalian health and disease is such an incredible, connected labyrinth. So, natural apporaches to lower the risk of CVD. Do they act by protecting the LDL molecule or protecting the mitochondria from iniating the damage caused by oxLDL? Most likely the answer is both.
***The melatonin-cytokine connection in rheumatoid arthritis***
I must say that this one caught my eye. There has been much research lately into how much melatonin protects the brain from oxidative stress, but like any natural compound, there is a potential downside. Melatonin has an ability to upregulate the immune system. While this may be a good thing for someone with a suppressed immune system, it may be a bad thing for someone with a Th1 dominated autoimmune condition--in this article rheumatoid arthritis. I know that I, for one, will no longer recommend melatonin if there is any concern for autoimmune conditions. Interesting to note, though, is the vit D, sunlight and melatonin connection. Sunlight suppresses melatonin production and stimulates vit D production. Might this interaction somewhere play a role as well? Picture today's typical office job--indoors most of the day with little vit D production (which is known to protect against some autoimmune disorders) and maybe elevated melatonin levels at inappropriate times of the day. This may be a recipe for disaster.
***Body weight, body composition, and bone turnover changes in patients with spondyloarthropathy receiving anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha treatment***
While, as mentioned above, I am not a fan of the TNF-alpha inhibitors, this article does once again show the strong link between inflammation and bone health. Use of TNF-alpha blockade three times in 6 weeks resulted in increased bone density of 5.6% at the spine in one year with a 50% reduction in urine markers of bone turnover within 3 months. Move over Bessie!!
***Physician Awareness of Celiac Disease***
The incidence of celiac disease has been slowing increasing, most likely due to a combination of higher levels of gluten from nitrogenous fertilizers and a cross reactivity with candida albicans (levels of which will increase with antibiotic use). This study puts the incidence at .7%, but it has been found to be much higher, on the range of 2%. Given that patients with celiac disease have a higher overall mortality rate, the ignorance of physicians to celiac disease is not acceptable.
Dr. James Bogash, D.C.
1830 S. Alma School Rd, Bldg 7, Ste 135, Mesa, AZ 85210
(Alma School Road, just south of the Superstition Freeway/Highway 60)
Chiropractic Health Care for Chandler, Mesa and Tempe Arizona
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