September 21, 2000 Research Update

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

Asthma Death Rate Decrease Attributed to Improved management

While this is good news, we need to look deeper into what this means. First, the rates of asthma are increasing almost as rapidly as diabetes in our population. Next, "control" of asthma dictates a reliance on pharmaceutical drugs with significant side effects. I would much rather prefer the term "suppress" to indicate that once the drugs are removed, the conditions that initially caused the airway hyperresponsiveness are still present. There are many natural, healthy ways to deal with asthma without the dependency of pharmaceuticals.

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2000;85:121-127 The asthma death rate dropped 4% in the United States in 1997, most likely due to improved disease management. "The decrease of asthma deaths in children less than 15 years of age is most significant, falling from 191 in 1996 to 154 in 1997, which is the greatest decrease in any single year since 1971," said author R. Michael Sly, MD, head of the Section of Allergy and Immunology at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. "However, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was the eighth leading cause of death at 5 through 14 years of age in 1997. Asthma accounts for almost all of the deaths in this category in this age group," he said.

Childhood Health Problems Associated With Disease in Adulthood

This article stresses the importance of keeping our kids healthy. The lifestyles and diets of children today are horrendous and we really need to start setting good examples as adults and parents so that the children can enjoy health all their lives.

Major childhood health problems appear to increase the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and arthritis in adulthood, Dr. Mark D. Hayward reported Sunday at the American Sociological Association meeting in Washington, DC. "The odds of having chronic lung problems are over four times greater for those reporting infectious diseases as a child [compared with] people who were healthy as a child," Dr. Hayward told Reuters Health. Childhood infectious diseases such as scarlet fever, pneumonia, measles, and tuberculosis are strongly associated with the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adulthood, he added. In adults who reported childhood noninfectious conditions, such as anemia, scoliosis, or heart murmurs, the researchers found a higher incidence of cancer, arthritis or rheumatism. "The risk of developing all major fatal conditions — except diabetes — as an older adult are elevated if you have had a major childhood health problem," Dr. Hayward said. He added that this risk remains even when factors such as education and income are considered.

Court Says Pharmacists Need Not Warn of Side Effects

With this information in mind, remember this...it's YOUR body and the ultimate responsibility lies with you. Doctors are human, too and can make mistakes or make poor judgement calls. You and your doctor should work as a TEAM, with the ultimate goal of your own ideal health.

Pharmacists do not have a legal duty to warn customers of potentially adverse reactions to prescription drugs, a Texas appeals court ruled last week. The decision overturns a verdict in a case involving the death of a boy who died after taking the antidepressant desipramine. His family sued Wal-Mart Stores Inc., charging their son's death was caused by an adverse reaction to the drug, which is not recommended for use in children. Based on a jury verdict that Wal-Mart was partially responsible for failing to properly warn of the potential side effects of the drug, a trial court assessed damages of just over $1 million. In overturning the ruling, the state appeals court said that no Texas law imposes an obligation to warn patients of a drug's potential side effects. Nationally, a majority of courts have held that a pharmacist is under no obligation to warn customers of potentially harmful side effects, the court noted. The exceptions, it said, have been in cases where there are contraindications, suggesting a potential problem with a drug.

Rickets Reemerging in United States

This bone weakening disease was practically eradicated in children many decades ago but its prevalance is once again increasing. This article suggests that the reason for this is due to the increase in breastfeeding, and suggests supplementing breast fed infants with Vit D. Even more important is for the nursing mothers to maintain a high level of Vit D rich foods, and allow themselves and their new infants some sunlight exposure during the day; an important factor for Vit D.

J Pediatr. 2000;137:143-145,153-157 Two articles in the August issue of the Journal of Pediatrics draw attention to an emerging epidemic of a crippling childhood disorder that was nearly eliminated in the early part of the 20th century. The condition, nutritional rickets, usually results from a dietary deficiency of vitamin D. This impairs the body's ability to absorb calcium from the diet, resulting in poor bone development. If rickets occurs in infancy or early childhood, the weak bones can become severely deformed, occasionally resulting in the need for major surgery. Using data from physician surveys and the North Carolina Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, the researchers noticed that the new cases of rickets occurred as the incidence of breast-feeding in the area increased. They also noted that local pediatricians frequently neglected to recommend vitamin D supplements for breast-fed babies. It's ironic, Dr. Welch says, that "in an era of expensive, high-tech medicine, a serious disease is reappearing because of neglect of a decades-old intervention that costs pennies a day, is completely safe, and 100% effective."

Probiotics Reduce Pouchitis Relapses

More and more evidence on the benefits of probiotics appears every day. I truly believe that if all courses of antibiotics were followed up with a high quality probiotic, the incidence of many chronic diseases would drop.

Gastroenterology 2000;119:305-309,584-585 Highly concentrated oral bacteriotherapy (probiotics) prevents flare-ups of chronic pouchitis, which affects as many as 50% of patients who undergo surgery for ulcerative colitis. The study, conducted by Dr. Paolo Gionchetti and colleagues from the University of Bologna, Italy, included 40 patients with chronic pouchitis who were randomized to high-dose probiotics or placebo. The study medication, VSL#3, consisted of 3-g bags containing 300 billion viable lyophilized bacteria per gram of several bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus salivarius. Throughout the 9 months of treatment, 85% of the probiotic group remained symptom-free, the researchers report. In contrast, all 20 subjects in the placebo group relapsed within 4 months. Within 4 months of stopping treatment, all patients in the probiotic group also relapsed. The results of the study suggest that it is possible "to prevent relapses of chronic intestinal inflammation by manipulating the intestinal microflora," Dr. Gionchetti told Reuters Health. "The positive results further support the role of intestinal microflora on the pathogenesis of irritable bowel disease," he said. He also noted that the use of probiotics may help reduce the need for antibiotics.

Garlic and Cardiovascular Disease

This is a nice summary article reviewing the benefits of garlic on certain conditions of the cardiovascular system.

nutrition in Clinical Care 3 (3), 145-152 The goal of this review is to evaluate the current status of knowledge concerning cardiovascular effects of allium derivatives from garlic and to identify potential areas of future research. To date, the cardiovascular actions most studied include lipoprotein metabolism, hypertension, thrombosis, and antioxidant capacity. There are also some preliminary findings suggesting that garlic may lower elevated serum levels of homocysteine. Epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory studies have reported that garlic contains many biologically and pharmacologically active compounds. The majority of studies show that garlic lowers total serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol; inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase or squalene epoxidase appears to be the major mechanism. Lowering of blood pressure likely results from inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme activity. Antithrombosis effects may be related to inhibition of adenosine deaminase. Antioxidant effects may be related to the inhibition of lipoxygenase. The published studies in their aggregate suggest that appropriate usage of allium derivatives from garlic may potentially play a role in the maintenance of optimal cardiac function. Further research is needed to examine the structure-function relationships of the various allium derivatives of garlic, the amounts in foods and supplements required for efficacy, and the possible effects of combining garlic with other nutrients and medications. The mechanisms of action of allium derivatives on various aspects of cardiac function require further clarification.

Higher Use& Intro of New Drugs Cause Increased Drug Spending

Rember all those studies saying the the American public is more interested in taking better care of themselves and using natural alternatives?? Well, I for one think those reports are wrong and many people still rely on pharmaceuticals for "answers" to their health problems.

Drug Benefit Trends 12(7):7-8, 2000 Pharmacy benefit costs are rising largely because of higher utilization: more people are taking prescription medicines and taking them for a longer period. Price inflation, by contrast, has had a relatively minor effect on the trend of increasing expenditures for drugs, according to Merck-Medco's Drug Trend 2000 Report, "Managing Pharmacy Benefit Costs -- New Insights for a New Century." Other reasons for utilization increases include an aging population; new medical guidelines that call for earlier or more aggressive treatment of certain diseases; the enthusiastic reception given by patients and physicians to new drugs that have either modest or significant therapeutic advances; direct-to-consumer advertising; drugs with more convenient dosage forms or fewer side effects; and more health care being delivered on an outpatient basis, which means that drugs are covered under the pharmacy benefit plan, rather than in hospitals or physicians' offices where drugs are covered under the medical plan.

All but one of the remaining children experienced only minor reactions, including fever, local reactions, and/or lethargy, during the 7 days following immunization.