|
October 2, 2000 Research Update |
James Bogash, D.C. Mesa, AZ
info@lifecarechiro.com
www.lifecarechiro.com
Amitriptyline Effective Prophylaxis for Headache in Childhood
There are two interesting things in this article. First, headaches in children are becoming prevalent enough to warrant research studies on eliminating them. We must ask ourselves why children are now more likely to suffer from headaches. The second issue is the long term introduction and use of pharmaceutical drugs in children. Our younger generation is being raised to believe that taken drugs for our "health" is okay. I've seen many children in my office with complaints of headache that resolve very quickly without the need for medications.
Headache 2000;40:539-549 Amitriptyline at 1 mg/kg per day reduces the frequency and severity of headaches in children, according to results of a prospective, open-label trial. Dr. Andrew D. Hershey and colleagues, from Children's Hospital Medical Center, in Cincinnati, Ohio, recommend this prophylactic medication as one component of a comprehensive biobehavioral approach to the treatment of childhood headaches. Dr. Hershey's group concludes that amitriptyline is a well-tolerated medication that can be used on a relatively limited time basis as part of a comprehensive approach for treatment of migraine and tension headaches in children.
Natural Immunity to Measles Stronger Than Vaccination
Certain concerns with the widespread use of vaccinations are coming to light. There are issues previously mentioned in these newsletters with the links between chronic health complaints and certain vaccines. Now, we are starting to see that the body's immunity after measles infection is stronger than one derived from vaccination. Some researchers are concerned that this reduced immune response with vaccination could have the potential for a devastating infection sometime in the future.
J Med Virol 2000;62:91-98 Sera from Nigerian women who have acquired natural immunity to the measles virus has the capacity to neutralize many more wild-type strains than sera from Luxembourgian vaccinees. "With an increasing proportion of mothers being vaccinated the number of infants susceptible to resistant wild-type viruses may increase dramatically," they suggest, at least until the infants are old enough to be vaccinated themselves.
Diet Influences Childhood Asthma Risk
This is really no big surprise. Staying away from pro-inflammatory diets high in animal proteins and eating less saturated and hydrogenated oils and more fruits and vegetables can have an impact on almost any disease afflicting humans.
Thorax 2000;55:775-779 Eating at fast food outlets and having a diet particularly low in milk and vegetables are among factors that increase the risk of "wheezy illness" in children. Univariate analyses showed that a family history of asthma, a positive skin test result and a history of eating at fast food outlets were significant risk factors for wheezy illness. This was also true of the lowest intakes of milk, vegetables, fiber, and certain nutrients, including vitamin E and calcium. They conclude that diet in childhood is "an important influence in determining the expression of wheezy illness," and that a change in diet may have "been a determinant of the worldwide increases in asthma and allergies."
Resection of Corrugator Supercilii Muscle Relieves Migraine
A small muscle typically cut with plastic surgery around the eyes was shown to lower incidence of migraines in patients. The question here is; were these patients truly sufferring from a migraine, or were they tension headaches?? I cannot begin to guess how many patients have come into my office saying they have migraines, and yet no one has ever touched their necks.
Plast Reconstr Surg 2000:106:428-433 A chance finding in the aftermath of cosmetic surgery may lead to a cure for as many as 80% of migraineurs. Specifically, Dr. Bahman Guyuron and colleagues from Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, have discovered a strong correlation between the removal of the corrugator supercilii muscle and the elimination or significant improvement of migraine headaches. Almost 80% of these patients reported elimination or improvement of the migraine headaches immediately after surgery, with follow-up averaging 47 months. He believes that the branch of the trigeminal nerve that penetrates the corrugator supercilii is "pinched" by the muscle, initiating the cascade of biochemical events that leads to the migraine. "We have compelling evidence to prove this theory," he said. "Botox injection works on a good number of patients with migraine headache. The only commonality between Botox injection and the surgical procedure is elimination of muscle function." He added, "What's amazing is that the percentage of patients who respond to Botox, about 80%, is very similar to the results we saw following surgery." Dr. Guyuron and his colleagues have begun a prospective study to confirm their results. Patients will be screened with a Botox injection into the corrugator supercilii muscle. If their results hold up, "doctors will consider this as a modality," Dr. Guyuron said. "Considering that the procedure requires only a few days of recovery and that the surgery itself is only about a half-hour procedure, it really is going to be a justifiable situation," he concluded.
Linoleic Acid Supplementation Could Help Type 2 Diabetics
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) has been known to act as a PPAR-gamma ligand for many years know, just like the new drugs used to treat diabetes, but without all the side effects (remember...troglitazone was pulled off the market because of potential for liver failure). Costs of CLA are also much, much less than its pharmaceutical mimics.
Type 2 diabetics who consumed 6 g of the dietary supplement per day for 8 weeks had a lower body mass index, lower triglyceride levels and improved serum insulin levels at the end of the study period than controls, according to preliminary research findings presented here this week at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society. In a meeting abstract, she and her group note that conjugated linoleic acid binds to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, the same targets that allow thiazolidinediones to reduce insulin resistance and enhance insulin action in humans. It has been shown to lower postprandial glucose and hemoglobin A1c levels in laboratory animals.
Dairy foods and bone health: examination of the evidence
This is an excellent summary regarding the strong dogmatic belief that milk is good for us. Reading the article carefully, it suggests that, the stronger and more reliable the study, the less likely dairy products were to protect our bones. Now, add in the factor that dairy is a very common allergen and is loaded with hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals, why do so many Westerners insist on its use?? AJCN -- Abstracts: Weinsier and Krumdieck 72 (3): 681 http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/72/3/681
Soy protein attenuates bone loss in perimenopausal women
In keeping with the previous article, switching from dairy products to a soy based diet may have some strong health benefits. To date, most of the evidence suggests the the strongest benefits from soy are derived from the whole food, not from concentrates in supplements. AJCN -- Abstracts: Alekel et al. 72 (3): 844 http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/72/3/844