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June 18, 2004 Research Update |
James Bogash, D.C. Mesa, AZ
info@lifecarechiro.com
www.lifecarechiro.com
Zinc for severe pneumonia in very young children: double-blind placebo-controlled trial
To me, this is another no brainer. Zinc supplementation is very safe and very inexpensive. In this study it reduced the hospital stay by one day and the duration of pneumonia by one day. The cost of the zinc in this study was probably under $5 (exchange rate for hospital = $45) and saved many hundreds if not thousands of dollars in hospital charges. But once again, do not look for zinc supplementation in a hospital near you soon.
The Journal : Back Issues
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Gastrointestinal bleeding after the introduction of COX 2 inhibitors: ecological study
This is a very interesting article. When the COX-2 selective inhibitors were first released, I was seeing many patients come in that were prescribed this class of drugs, most inappropriately (was only supposed to be used in patients at high risk of GI complications). However, the number has dropped off to almost zero. This once blockbuster class of drugs seems to be falling to research that is finally showing that it is not all that effective as a pain med, and it's side effect profile is really nothing to brag about, either. And all this coupled with the fact that this is a very expensive class of drugs compared to other NSAIDs. This article notes that, with the 41% increase in NSAID use (due entirely to the increased use of COX-2 inhbitors), a 10% increase in hospitalization rates for upper GI bleeds was seen. Sell your Pharmacia stock...
bmj.com Mamdani et al. 328 (7453): 1415
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Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency Among Healthy Adolescents
The results of this study are a little surprising (24% of kids were deficient), but I can assume that our demonizing of sunlight is much to blame. There have been many studies lately pointing to deficiencies of Vit D in almost every age group. The thing to consider here is that every single cell of the body has a receptors for Vit D even though we may not yet know the full breadth of what this vitamin does. But I can guarantee, even with what little we know, that chronic, widespread deficiencies of Vit D will lead to increased rates of MS, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med -- Abstracts: Gordon et al. 158 (6): 531
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A Randomized Controlled Trial to Change Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns in a Community
Okay. Pediatric journals print studies that show that educating a provider to lower antibiotic use in ineffective. Does anyone else out there have any idea how to reign in the antibiotic overuse? This is not just a matter of creating antibiotic resistant bacteria. This deals with the larger problem of destroying off normal flora and thereby losing their protective and beneficial effects on our health.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med -- Abstracts: Doyne et al. 158 (6): 577
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Incidence of High-Strain Patterns in Human Coronary Arteries--Assessment With Three-Dimensional Intravascular Palpography and Correlation With Clinical Presentation
I thought this was interesting. We are starting to get pretty ingenious with our cardiovascular imaging (and opening up cans of worms in regards to exactly how well we are really "treating" CVD). With this type of ultrasound imaging the physician can actually tell if the plaque is deformable or not. The deformable plaques are much more likely to rupture and lead to heart attacks. Interestingly, these plaques also correlated with CRP levels...
Circulation -- Abstracts: Schaar et al. 109 (22): 2716
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Proinflammatory effects of copper deficiency on neutrophils & lung endothelial cells
I do not like to look at a "one deficiency-one outcome" situation because I think that almost every condition (with few exceptions) is multi factorial and a wholistic approach needs to come from multiple angles. However, sometimes research comes out that does remind us of the importance of individual nutrients. To me, this article would support the inclusion of both whole grains as well as a good quality multivitamin.
Proinflammatory effects of copper deficiency on neutrophils and lung endothelial cells - Immunol Cell Biol, Vol 82, Issue 3, ..
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Prevalence and Features of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
This article suggests a prevalence as high as 8% of PCOS which puts it as the most common endocrine abnormality of reproductive aged women in the US. PCOS has been linked very strongly to insulin resistance. This link seems to come from elevated insulin affecting 15,20 lyase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen. So, elevated insulin slows conversion to estrogen, essentially rising levels of testesterone, which messes up the ovulation process. The problem is that PCOS has traditionally been treated with oral contraception, which is know to worsen insulin resistance. Another perfect example of how we can actually screw the body up worse if we try to override human physiology instead of balance it.
JCEM -- Abstracts: Azziz et al. 89 (6): 2745
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Fructose Reduces Circulating Insulin and Leptin, Attenuates Postprandial Suppression of Ghrelin, and Increases Triglycerides in Women
This has been a tough one to explain. Research has shown that fructose (as in high fructose corn syrup) has little effect on insulin levels. This would, at first glance, make it seem a-ok from a dietary standpoint. But most functional medicine practioners have recommended avoiding it for a long time now. This article starts to shed some light on the harms of this dietary factor. Basically, fructose does not effect insulin, but it does affect leptin and ghrelin in a negative way. Lower leptin levels were seen (remember that leptin speeds up metabolism and suppresses hunger) and higher ghrelin levels (ghrelin will stimulate appretite) in the participants fed high fructose diets. This could definately lead to weight issues.
JCEM -- Abstracts: Teff et al. 89 (6): 2963
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Range of Neurologic Disorders in Patients With Celiac Disease
Celiac disease (allergy the the gluten portion of certain grains such as wheat) is one of those conditions that exemplifies the problem with mainstream medicine. While specialities are common, this is not how the body works. Here we have a gastroenterological problem wreaking havoc on the neurological system. I still recall a patient I had several years back. He was diagnosed with dermatatitis herpatiformis 10 yrs prior to coming into my office. This condition is strongly associated with celiac disease. Did his doctor recommend a gluten free lifestyle? No. Gave him dapsone (used for leprosy) and told my patient that a gluten free diet was too difficult. My patient willingly went on a gluten free program with only the mere mention that this would be best for him. I think he always knew this was best but was never told this. How much damage was done to his neurological system in the 10 years before he went on a gluten free diet? Incidently, ADD/ADHD was one of the conditions noted in this article as being related to CD.
Pediatrics -- Abstracts: Zelnik et al. 113 (6): 1672
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Low Maternal Dietary Intakes of Iron, Magnesium, and Niacin Are Associated with Spina Bifida in the Offspring
This is one of the reasons I tell patients that the pharmaceutical prenatals are general some of the poorest quality and most expensive vitamins I've ever seen. Some of them are so blatantly poor as to only contain folic acid, iron and calcium. Most are nothing more than a basic support. Few contain biotin, magnesium and niacin. I don't think there are ANY that contain all three. They are based on a pharmaceutical model--not a model of healthy pregnancy. They should all be tossed in the garbage where they belong (care to know how I really feel?).
nutrition.org -- Abstracts: Groenen et al. 134 (6): 1516
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Xylooligosaccharides and Fructooligosaccharides Affect the Intestinal Microbiota and Precancerous Colonic Lesion Development in Rats
I can't wait for my next game of Scrabble. Is the board even long enough for "xylooligosaccharides?" Anyway, fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are pretty well known for their ability to beneficially affect the intestinal flora and the health of the cells of the colon. This study in rats further supports this, but also finds that xylooligosaccharides were more effective than FOS. Both are naturally found in fruits and veggies.
nutrition.org -- Abstracts: Hsu et al. 134 (6): 1523
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