December 7, 2000 Research Update

James Bogash, D.C. Mesa, AZ
info@lifecarechiropractic.com
www.lifecarechiropractic.com

The Andro Project

I just find this so entertaining. The use of androstenedione supplements (i.e. Mark McQuire) shows no evidence of increasing testesterone levels. On the contrary, many studies have now confirmed that it will raise estrogen levels, can even lower testosterone levels and alters blood lipid levels that may increase a male's risk for heart disease. I've said it many times before...hormones and hormone precursors are not something to "dabble" in without competent physician supervision. The Andro Project: Physiological and Hormonal Influences of Androstenedione Supplementation in Men 35 to 65 Years Old Partic http://archinte.ama-assn.org/issues/v160n20/abs/ioi90828.html

Pregnancy Outcome Following Gestational Exposure to Echinacea

So now we have research outlining the safety of echinacea in pregnancy. It still amazes me that the safety was in question despite hundreds of years of safe use. On the other hand, with only several years of use of many pharmaceuticals that have shown some potential for damage in pregnancy, the "risk vs benefit" idea is used to justify their use. Another good example is vitamin A and pregnancy. Everyone knows to avoid high dose vitamin A during pregnancy (greater than 10,000 IU/day), and yet the number of recorded birth defects from vitamin A (not including retinoic acid) is a mere handful. Pregnancy Outcome Following Gestational Exposure to Echinacea: A Prospective Controlled Study http://archinte.ama-assn.org/issues/v160n20/abs/ioi90857.html

Campylo enteritis, post-dysenteric IBS and increased gut permeability

There is an important message to take home from this article. The damage inflicted on the GI tract following infection can persist beyond one year. I have talked with a GI specialist and an infectious disease specialist that refused to believe that an infection in the GI tract could have long term effects. This idea that the body comes back to homeostasis is WRONG. If we can accept that these changes become ingrained, then we can begin to treat the altered permeablity and upregulated immune cells. Gut -- Abstracts: Spiller et al. 47 (6): 804 http://gut.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/47/6/804

Cytokines in peripheral whole blood in atopic, nonatopic asthmatics

This article touches on the importance of Th1/Th2 cytokine balance. I've actually come up with a good description of these two balances. Th1 is the body's attack system, attacking invaders that make it into the body. Th2 is the defense system, trying to keep things from getting in. A Th2 dominant state will overreact to invaders, thus leading to atopy and asthma. There are natural ways to help balance the Th1/Th2 ratio. Synergy Abstract http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/journals/processfree2.asp?contentid=al%2E2000%2E16&filetype=abstracts&article=78509

Reduction of exercise-induced asthma oxidative stress by lycopene

Lycopene is an antioxidant found in red fruits such as tomatos and watermelon. Lycopene is the substance in tomatos that recent evidence suggests may protect against heart disease and prostate cancer. This study uses an extract containing high levels of lycopene. Remember that the whole food will contain numerous other substances that may very likely increase the effectiveness of the lycopene. Synergy Abstract http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/journals/processfree2.asp?contentid=al%2E2000%2E16&filetype=abstracts&article=78512

Pregnancy W/ Calcium Deficiency Release Lead Faster From Bones

There are two things to consider here. First, it brings to light the fact that lead exposure is high enough in the population to lead to its storage in bones. Next, calcium supplementation is very important in pregnant women who do not consume enough calcium-rich foods.

(article) Pregnant women who don't consume enough calcium in their diets or through supplements show greater increases in lead in their bloodstreams than pregnant women with normal calcium levels, according to a new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study.Bone tissue contains 95% of the body's lead. In pregnant women who get less calcium, the bone tissue turns over, or "demineralizes," more rapidly than bone in other pregnant women and releases locked-up lead into the blood, researchers found.Lead emerges from bone during the second half of pregnancy and might hurt both mothers and their babies, their work showed. The study, which was published in the November issue of the Journal of Epidemiology, also offers new evidence that calcium consumption can minimize bone demineralization in pregnant women.

Statin Plus Niacin Brings CAD Progression to A 'Standstill'

It's amazing that a supplement such as niacin, which has been used for decades longer than any cholesterol lowering medication with less side effects, is still relatively unheard of. The levels of niacin used are several grams per day, and only certain companies offer products with these levels. Side effects of niacin can include liver damage, and niacin should be used only under supervision by a practitioner knowledgeable in its use.

(article) The results of trial evaluating combined therapy in patients with coronary artery disease came as a surprise to researchers. Dr. B. Greg Brown, of the University of Washington, Seattle, reported at the American Heart Association meeting here that the combination of a statin to lower LDL cholesterol and niacin to raise HDL cholesterol "halted disease progression essentially to a standstill." The study was designed to assess the effects of niacin 2 g to 4 g per day, simvastatin 10 mg to 20 mg per day and four antioxidant vitamins — E, C, beta-carotene and selenium — in various combinations. The investigators randomized 160 patients with documented coronary artery disease to one of four treatment arms: niacin plus simvastatin plus vitamins, niacin plus simvastatin plus placebo or placebo. Dr. Brown reported that the combination of niacin and simvastatin resulted in a 70% reduction in clinical events after 3 years of treatment compared with the rate in the rest of the patients. The reduction in events using statins alone is in the range of 25% to 35%, he noted. With simvastatin plus niacin, HDL levels increased 30% over baseline. Dr. Brown pointed out that statins alone increase HDL levels about 7% to 10%. Dr. Brown said that side effects with niacin were not significant, and that 90% of patients on combination therapy were still in the study at the end of 3 years. "With education, you can get virtually all patients to stay on [niacin]...You need to build up doses over a period of 1 to 2 months. Diabetic patients especially have difficulty adjusting."

Epidemic of Type II Diabetes May Occur

This is something I have been saying for several years now. The lack of exercise, the poor dietary habits and the nutrient-poor/highly processed foods are all contributing to this potential epidemic. Every time I see or hear someone talking about increases in lifespan, I wonder if they really understand where our country is headed w/ our health.

(article) The current epidemic of obesity in US children is likely to be followed by a national epidemic of type II diabetes, according to a study from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). In the study of 688 apparently healthy children, conducted by researchers at the UNC-CH schools of nursing, medicine and public health, showed that 7% of the schoolchildren already had 3 of the leading risk factors for heart disease and eventual type II diabetes. Those risk factors, which together are called multiple metabolic syndrome, are high insulin levels, high blood pressure, and either elevated levels of triglycerides or too-low levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL)."That 7 percent doesn't sound like a lot, but when you consider that these children very probably will go on to develop type II diabetes within 10 years, it's frightening," said Dr. Joanne S. Harrell, professor of nursing at UNC-CH and director of the Center for research on Preventing and Managing Chronic Illness in Vulnerable People. "Because we studied healthy, normal kids in five different schools, we think this is a national problem that needs to be addressed on a national level."Harrell presented the findings at the American Heart Association's 73rd Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, Louisiana.