November 6, 2000 Research Update

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

Emerging Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Okay...the research has been out for many years. Long enough for medical journals to be writing summaries. So why are they not becoming the standard of care? Currently, if someone is at risk for heart disease (strong family history, sedentary, overweight) all that is typically run is a lipids panel (cholesterol, triglycerides). As a patient, you need to insist on more important tests as well...homocysteine, CRP, fibrinogen...

Clin Rev Spring:33-38, 2000 Nearly 50 years ago, epidemiologists coined the term "risk factors" to characterize personal traits and living habits that indicate an increased probability of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This simplistic concept provided the means to develop strategies for preventing CVD and its complications. Recently, the term "primordial prevention" has been used to indicate prevention of the modifiable risk factors. Some indicators of risk, including age, male sex, low socioeconomic status, and family history of premature CVD, are not modifiable. For other factors, intervention has been proven to lower CVD risk or is likely to lower CVD risk. Although control or elimination of established risk factors for CVD can markedly reduce the likelihood of coronary heart disease (CHD), approximately half of all patients who have had a CHD event have no major risk factors. ...many potential new markers of CHD are under investigation. It is o! ur purpose to review those emerging risk factors relevant to plaque vulnerability -- markers of inflammation, infection, an atherogenic/prothrombotic state, and genetic factors. Elucidation of new markers provides possible insights into the mechanisms of atherogenesis. In time, these emerging risk factors may lead to further explanation of CHD events and new interventions.

Association of Fibrinogen With Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Speaking of those "new" cardiovascular risk factors.... Circulation -- Abstracts: Stec et al. 102 (14): 1634 http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/14/1634

Psoriasis in Children May Be Triggered by Respiratory Infections

In every other healing art in the world, EXCEPT Western medicine dermatology, skin conditions are related to the gastrointestinal tract. The skin is one of the routes by which the body exudes toxins. Could it be possible that these children who develop psoriasis from respiratory infections were all prescribed strong antibiotics that killed off the normal, healthy flora and affected the function of the GI tract?

(October 6, 2000 MedscapeWire) Although children often contract illnesses such as colds, strep throat, and tonsillitis, it is not well known that these infections are known to trigger psoriasis in some children. In fact, about 20,000 children are diagnosed with psoriasis annually, and many of the cases are attributed to upper respiratory infections. Although these common respiratory infections may trigger psoriasis, they are not the cause. The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, but research has found that heredity plays a role. For example, if one parent has psoriasis, the chance of a child having it is about 10%. If both parents have psoriasis, the chance increases to 50%. One in three people report a family history of psoriasis, but there is no pattern to the inheritance. Children with no apparent family history of the disease can develop psoriasis.

Dietary Deficiencies Linked to Elevated BP in Adolescents of Color

With volumes of research pointing to the importance of our growth years and adult chronic diseases, does anyone really believe that our lifespans are going to increase? If we want to have the most important aspects on our country's health as a whole, we HAVE to focus on the children.

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2000;154:918-922 Adding to the mounting evidence of the effect of diet on hypertension, a new report suggests that among urban minority adolescents, diets deficient in a range of nutrients may contribute to elevated screening blood pressure levels. Dr. Bonita Falkner and colleagues from Thomas Jefferson University, in Philadelphia, collected data on 108 boys and 72 girls between 14 and 16 years of age, 79% African American and 21% Hispanic. All subjects had blood pressure higher than the 90th percentile. Dr. Falkner's group obtained folic acid measurements as an index of fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake, and they obtained a 24-hour food intake recall. "Mean diastolic blood pressure was significantly higher in the low-folate group versus the high-folate group (boys: 72 versus 67 mm Hg; girls: 76 versus 73 mm Hg)," the researchers write. Dr. Falkner's group reports that the intake of potassium, calcium, magnesium, beta-carotene, ch! olecalciferol, vitamin E and all B vitamins was significantly lower in the low-folate group compared with the high-folate group. The investigators note that their findings are consistent with the "dietary benefits on blood pressure level observed in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial." Diet, they believe, may be an approach to "primary prevention of hypertension when instituted at an early age."

Dietary Antioxidants During Cancer Chemotherapy

Some of the best cancer clinics in the world use the best of Western medicine and natural medicine. These clinics many times are very expensive and having waiting lists that most patients would not survive. This is the way we have to go to really beat cancer. Stop spending so much money on developing fantastic and expensive new cancer drugs--nature gave us what we needed; we just need to use it.

nutrition and Cancer 37(1):1-18, 2000 Several studies suggest that dietary supplementation with antioxidants can influence the response to chemotherapy as well as the development of adverse side effects that results from treatment with antineoplastic agents. Administration of antineoplastic agents results in oxidative stress, i.e., the production of free radicals and other reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative stress reduces the rate of cell proliferation, and that occurring during chemotherapy may interfere with the cytotoxic effects of antineoplastic drugs, which depend on rapid proliferation of cancer cells for optimal activity. Antioxidants detoxify ROS and may enhance the anticancer effects of chemotherapy. For some supplements, activities beyond their antioxidant properties, such as inhibition of topoisomerase II or protein tyrosine kinases, may also contribute. ROS cause or contribute to certain side effects that are common to many anticancer drugs, suc! h as gastrointestinal toxicity and mutagenesis. ROS also contribute to side effects that occur only with individual agents, such as doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, and bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Antioxidants can reduce or prevent many of these side effects, and for some supplements the protective effect results from activities other than their antioxidant properties. Certain side effects, however, such as alopecia and myelosuppression, are not prevented by antioxidants, and agents that interfere with these side effects may also interfere with the anticancer effects of chemotherapy.

Tocopherols inhibit cyclooxygenase activity

Science has spent millions (if not billions) of dollars and many years to develop selective COX-2 inhibitors because the traditional nonselective COX inhibitors were too dangerous. And side effects of these drugs are starting to pop up...deaths and heart failure as a warmup.... But nature does make some very safe and VERY selective COX-2 inhibitors!! This article reviews a very specific type of nutrient, gamma tocopherol and its metabolite (tocopherol is Vit E...). PNAS -- Abstracts: Jiang et al. 97 (21): 11494 http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/97/21/11494

Nitric oxide prevents cardiovascular disease

NO has been a major area of research for about the past decade. NO has shown to be a vasodialator effective in lowering BP safely and effectively. But, like many other natural substances, in high levels NO is also dangerous, leading to increased inflammation. Many clinicians are using the amino acid arginine as a source of NO to lower blood pressure naturally. This stude uses NO in mice to protect against dangerous levels of induced cardiovascular risk factors. PNAS -- Abstracts: Ruschitzka et al. 97 (21): 11609 http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/97/21/11609