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January 13, 2001 Research Update |
James Bogash, D.C. Mesa, AZ
info@lifecarechiro.com
www.lifecarechiro.com
Use and Costs of Medical Care for Children and Adolescents W/ADD
I have always been concerned with long term administration of pharmaceutical drugs to young children. We are creating a society that views drug use very casually, and I have a belief that this may also blur the line between legal and illegal drug use. Pharmaceutical drugs have their place in society, but I believe it should be a minor one; lifestyle and dietary changes have a powerful effect in humans and can manage most conditions. Use and Costs of Medical Care for Children and Adolescents With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v285n1/abs/joc01336.html
Assessment of Laboratories Performing Hair Mineral Analysis
This article is not a glowing overview of hair analysis. I have used hair analysis in the past and have found it to be effective for heavy metal exposure. I would have to admit that using hair analysis for trace mineral status has not shown much promise in the research arena, but for heavy metals I feel it is very effective. I have personally known one of the researchers at Dr. Data labs, and this man is an incredible person to be around and I would not hesitate to call brilliant. His dedication to research and science is exactly what this field needs. Assessment of Commercial Laboratories Performing Hair Mineral Analysis http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v285n1/abs/jsc00020.html
Prospective Study of Pathogen Burden and Risk of MI or Death
A very interesting study that continues to add support to the contibution of an infectious etiology to heart disease. Although this study does not show a link between C. pneumoniae and heart disease, other viruses did prove to be an independent risk factor. As I've said; this just further supports the idea of taking good care of yourself, which will inevitably support healthy immune system function and lower the number of circulating pathogens. Circulation -- Abstracts: Zhu et al. 103 (1): 45 http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/1/45
Blood Donations and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Men
This study does not support the popular belief that iron overload may be a risk factor for heart disease in humans. The fact that women have lower rates of heart disease than men until they stop menstruating has been attributed to loss of iron during menses. One thing to remember...it is oxidized iron that causes the damage. Maintaining healthy antioxidant status may be an important factor if iron overload does prove to be a factor. Circulation -- Abstracts: Ascherio et al. 103 (1): 52 http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/1/52
The renaissance of C reactive protein
This is a nice editorial reviewing current concepts of CRP. Many researchers have been touting the importance of CRP and heart disease risk; the research continues to support this. The importance of this has to do with the fact that CRP is a marker for inflammation and that inflammation is a key factor in the development of many diseases. Keeping inflammation under control is of extreme importance in health. bmj.com Pepys and Berger 322 (7277): 4 http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/322/7277/4
"Normal" blood glucose and coronary risk
This is another nice editorial outlining current concepts in diabetes, heart disease and aging. When blood glucose levels are high enough, they attach themselves to proteins (a process called glycosylation). This damages and irreversibly alters the proteins. Many consider this glycosylation of proteins one of the hallmarks of aging. The common blood test Hb1Ac (glycosylated hemoglobin) checks for this process. bmj.com Barrett-Connor and Wingard 322 (7277): 5
Glycated haemoglobin, diabetes, and mortality in men This is the related research article linking glycosylated hemoglobin and heart disease risk. bmj.com Abstracts: Khaw et al. 322 (7277): 15
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/322/7277/15
Antioxidant Treatment Reduces Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Rats This research article begins to link reactive oxygen species (ROS) to increased blood pressure. ROS are formed normally in the body by the process of making energy, and the body normally gets rid of these rapidly using antioxidants. However, if too many ROS are being produced and/or not enough antioxidants are present, oxidative stress occurs. The ROS then work to lower levels of nitric oxide, a substance that relaxes blood vessels. The bottom line: eats lots of fresh fruits, veggies and take additional antioxidants.
Hypertension 2000;36:957-964 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) appear to upregulate the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms in spontaneously hypertensive rats, and the effect can be reversed by treatment with an antioxidant, according to researchers from the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Nosratola D. Vaziri and colleagues note that spontaneously hypertensive rats have increased ROS, increased NOS expression, and increased NO production. They suggest that ROS may inactivate NO, leading to increased NOS expression through negative feedback regulation of NOS by NO. Lazaroid treatment of hypertensive rats reversed the increase of endothelial and inducible NOS in vascular, renal, and cardiac tissues, but had a minimal effect on the levels of renal and brain neuronal NOS. Lazaroid had limited effect on blood pressure, the expression of NOS isotypes, or urinary nitrate and nitrite excretion. The results "support the role of oxidative stress in the genesis and/or maintenance of hypertension and compensatory upregulation of the expression of endothelial NOS and inducible NOS in spontaneously hypertensive rats," Dr. Vaziri and colleagues conclude.