March 1, 2001 Research Update

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

The protective effect of childhood infections

This is a nice editorial reviewing the importance of childhood infections in developing a healthy and balanced immune response in children. Remember that, on top of antibiotics and a more sterile environment not giving an infant's Th1 response a chance to develop and mature, vaccinations are leading to a unbalanced, overdeveloped Th2 response. This has the potential to lead to such problems and allergy and asthma. The authors in this article do make a serious mistake, however. They suggest that science come up with some way to mimic the body's response to infections through vaccination or passive immunotherapy. I just have to shake my head at the arrogance of science and medicine when it comes to trying to improve on nature. bmj.com Johnston and Openshaw 322 (7283): 376 http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/322/7283/376>/a>

original article that editorial was based upon: bmj.com Abstracts: Illi et al. 322 (7283): 390 http://bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/322/7283/390

Drug company fined for excessive hospitality

Do I really need to comment on this?? All decisions for patient care should be made with one question in mind: Will this benefit my patient? This decision should be unadultered with memories of extravagent trips, daily lunches at the office, free continuing education seminars and ads seen everywhere imaginable. Pharmaceutical marketing to the public SHOULD NOT have an impact on prescribing habits. Every doctor should review the evidence from an independent and unbiased source to determine its safety and effectiveness. Maybe you could actually consider the lack of gigantic advertising budgets for nutriceutical companies a good thing--the physician then relies on medical research and personal experience to make recommendations to their patients. bmj.com Sheldon 322 (7283): 382b http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/322/7283/382/b

Fury as Australia appoints former industry lobbyist to drugs watchdog

Does anyone see a pattern here? We cannot rely on our government to make decision for our health. It comes down to an educated physician willing to take the time to explain and justify therapies to you, and personal responsibility. You need to find a physician that you are comfortable with. A health coach. We cannot continue to look to governmental regulatory bodies as unbiased sources of information on the safety and effectiveness of the things we put into our bodies. bmj.com Zinn 322 (7283): 383a http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/322/7283/383/a

Patient education to encourage graded exercise in chronic fatigue

I firmly believe that fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue are intimately related, and both are a result of the upregulation of the immune system. Where this upregulation comes from and what perputates it may vary, but the end results are the same. This study demonstrates that exercise is beneficial in reducing the symptoms of CFS. Exercise is known to have anti-inflammatory effects, and also reduces the damaging effects of stress hormones on our bodies. bmj.com Abstracts: Powell et al. 322 (7283): 387 http://bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/322/7283/387

Radiography of the lumbar spine in patients w/ low back pain

I would rarely recommend X-rays to a patient with low back pain in the absence of certain red flags or trauma. A vast majority of patients improve without ever having radiographs taken. The interesting aspect of this article is that patients who did receive radiographs had higher utilization of medical care and were also more satisfied with their care. I firmly believe that this indicates a very poor communication between doctors and patients in regards to LBP. It is possible that general practitioners are generally unfamiliar with treatment and causes of LBP and thus have a hard time communicating and educating the patient. bmj.com Abstracts: Kendrick et al. 322 (7283): 400 http://bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/322/7283/400

Supplementation of Atherogenic Diet w/ B vitamins

This study was done in monkeys to determine whether the addition of B vitamins to an atherogenic diet (one promoting hardening of the arteries) to lower homocysteine levels would change the level of plaquing that occurs. The B vitamins did not change the outcome in regards to vascular health. Before we come to the erroneous conclusion that B vitamins will not lower our risk of heart disease, we need to consider a few things. These monkeys were fed a very unhealthy diet that raised their cholesterol levels almost 5x the baseline readings. Is it surprising that these poor creatures continued to have poor vascular health??? And remember, treating and preventing vascular disease is a global approach, and adding B vitamins (preferably by adding whole grains) is just one aspect of this approach. Circulation -- Abstracts: Lentz et al. 103 (7): 1006 http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/7/1006

M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis as one cause of Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease has the potential to be a devasting autoimmune disorder where the body attacks its own GI tract. Like many other chronic diseases, much emphasis has been placed on finding an infective etiology to the onset of this disease. This overall supports this infective cause, and ties it very nicely to multiple causes of the disease. The interesting thing about functional medicine is that many of the therapies are similar--achieving optimal health is achieving optimal health, regardless of the cause that got the patient sick in the first place. Synergy Abstract http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/journals/processfree2.asp?contentid=apt%2E2001%2E3&filetype=abstracts&article=89782

Meta-analysis of smooth muscle relaxants in irritable bowel syndrome

This article describes a benefit to drugs affecting the smooth muscles of the GI tract in irritable bowel. My concern with therapies such as this are many. Primary among them is that IBS is one of those GI conditions that responds very well to functional medicine; primarily because alterations in flora and diet are major contributors to the syndrome. So, if we have a patient with unhealthy flora in the GI tract and we slow down the transit time in the gut, those bad bacteria now have even longer to act on things that they should not be acting on. Pathogenic bacteria can unconjugate estrogen that the liver is trying to get rid of and send it back into the system. They can act on undigested carbs and proteins and lead to putrefaction. Remember, fixing the problem is ALWAYS the best answer...covering up symptoms only leads to further problems. Synergy Abstract http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/journals/processfree2.asp?contentid=apt%2E2001%2E3&filetype=abstracts&article=89785

Non-H. pylori flora during acid-suppression: in gastric juice and mucosa

This is a wonderful article looking at a problem many have commented on for years--hydrocholoric (stomach) acid is supposed to be there!! It serves many functions, including activation of other enzymes, digestion of proteins, absorption of certain nutrients, and in the case of this study: protection. Stomach acid serves as a barrier to infection from bacteria, and drugs that block the suppression of stomach acid can lead to an overgrowth of potentially harmful bacteria. Synergy Abstract http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/journals/processfree2.asp?contentid=apt%2E2001%2E3&filetype=abstracts&article=89773