February 7, 2008 DIABETES STUDY STOPPED DUE TO DEATHS

For decades, researchers believed that if people with diabetes lowered their blood sugar to normal levels, they would no longer be at high risk of dying from heart disease. But a major federal study of more than 10,000 middle-aged and older people with Type 2 diabetes has found that lowering blood sugar actually increased their risk of death, researchers reported yesterday. The researchers announced that they were abruptly halting that part of the study, whose surprising results call into question how the disease, which affects 21 million Americans, should be managed. Among the study participants who were randomly assigned to get their blood sugar levels to nearly normal, there were 54 more deaths than in the group whose levels were less rigidly controlled. The patients were in the study for an average of four years when investigators called a halt to the intensive blood sugar lowering and put all of them on the less intense regimen. The results do not mean blood sugar is meaningless. Lowered blood sugar can protect against kidney disease, blindness and amputations, but the findings inject an element of uncertainty into what has been dogma — that the lower the blood sugar the better and that lowering blood sugar levels to normal saves lives. Medical experts were stunned. “It’s confusing and disturbing that this happened,” said Dr. James Dove, president of the American College of Cardiology. “For 50 years, we’ve talked about getting blood sugar very low. Everything in the literature would suggest this is the right thing to do,” he added.

Dr. Irl Hirsch, a diabetes researcher at the University of Washington, said the study’s results would be hard to explain to some patients who have spent years and made an enormous effort, through diet and medication, getting and keeping their blood sugar down. They will not want to relax their vigilance, he said.

“It will be similar to what many women felt when they heard the news about estrogen,” Dr. Hirsch said. “Telling these patients to get their blood sugar up will be very difficult.”

This is continuing evidence that medical science is not an exact science, if it can be considered a science at all. 

February 5, 2008 LIMITED EVIDENCE ON BEST TREATMENTS FOR PROSTATE CANCER

The benefits and risks of various treatments for localized prostate cancer are difficult to assess due to the lack of high-quality evidence, according to an Annals of Internal Medicine article published early online.  The systematic review, undertaken for the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, evaluated the literature through November 2007.  Among its conclusions:

• The evidence is especially scant with regard to men whose disease was detected by PSA.
• The lack of data from high-quality trials "remains the main barrier to well-informed decision making."
• Despite their widespread use, such treatments as intensity-modulated radiation therapy, androgen deprivation, and cryotherapy have not been assessed in randomized trials.

February 4, 2008 SUGARY SOFT DRINKS, FRUCTOSE, INCREASE RISK OF GOUT IN MEN

High consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fructose may increase the risk for gout in men, BMJ reports.  More than 46,000 male health professionals aged 40 to 75 completed food-frequency questionnaires at baseline and every 4 years thereafter. During 12 years' follow-up, 1.6% developed gout.  After multivariable adjustment, gout risk rose significantly with increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks. Compared with men who consumed less than one sugary soft drink a month, those consuming five to six drinks a week had a 29% increased risk; one a day, a 45% increase; and two or more daily, an 85% increase. Risk also rose with increasing consumption of other high-fructose products, such as fruit juice, apples, and oranges.

January 29, 2008 CAFFEINE MAY AFFECT CONTROL OF GLUCOSE IN TYPE 2 DIABETES

A study reported in Diabetes Care found that consuming 500 mg of caffeine daily (about 4 cups of coffee) daily might impair glucose controls in type 2 diabetics.  The study included 10 coffee drinkers whose diabetes was controlled with diet, exericse and oral medications.  On day 1 participants took 250mg of caffeine or placebo pills at both breakfast and lunch and on day 2, took the opposite.  They consumed no other caffeine during the study.  The average daytime glucose level was significantly higher in the caffeine group than the placebo group.  The authors reported their concern that caffeine makes diabetes more difficult to treat and results in more complications. 

January 12, 2008    TREATING A DISEASE THAT MAY NOT EXIST?       

       

Pfizer says it's real.  Then again, they have an incentive to believe fibromyalgia exits.  Some doctors agree and others disagree.  The one thing we can't dispute is the pain.  But patient advocacy groups and doctors who specialize in fibromyalgia, the Lyrica approval is a milestone. They say they hope Lyrica and two other drugs that may be approved this year will legitimize fibromyalgia, just as Prozac brought depression into the mainstream. other doctors — including the one who wrote the 1990 paper that defined fibromyalgia but who has since changed his mind — say that the disease does not exist and that Lyrica and the other drugs will be taken by millions of people who do not need them.  As diagnosed, fibromyalgia primarily affects middle-aged women and is characterized by chronic, widespread pain of unknown origin. Many of its sufferers are afflicted by other similarly nebulous conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome.  Because fibromyalgia patients typically do not respond to conventional painkillers like aspirin, drug makers are focusing on medicines like Lyrica that affect the brain and the perception of pain.  Advocacy groups and doctors who treat fibromyalgia estimate that 2 to 4 percent of adult Americans, as many as 10 million people, suffer from the disorder.  Those figures are sharply disputed by those doctors who do not consider fibromyalgia a medically recognizable illness and who say that diagnosing the condition actually worsens suffering by causing patients to obsess over aches that other people simply tolerate. Further, they warn that Lyrica’s side effects, which include severe weight gain, dizziness and edema, are very real, even if fibromyalgia is not.  Despite the controversy, the American College of Rheumatology, the Food and Drug Administration and insurers recognize fibromyalgia as a diagnosable disease. And drug companies are aggressively pursuing fibromyalgia treatments, seeing the potential for a major new market.

The diagnosis of fibromyalgia itself worsens the condition by encouraging people to think of themselves as sick and catalog their pain, said Dr. Nortin Hadler, a rheumatologist and professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina who has written extensively about fibromyalgia.

“These people live under a cloud,” he said. “And the more they seem to be around the medical establishment, the sicker they get.”

January 10, 2008 DR. DRUG REP

Interesting article found in the NY Times on November 25, 2007 is actually a good addendum to the article about psychiatrists from January 9.  This was written by a psychiatrist: "On a blustery fall New England day in 2001, a friendly representative from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals came into my office in Newburyport, MA, and made me an offer I found hard to refuse.  He asked me if I would like to give talks to other doctors about using Effexor XR for treating depression.  He told me that I would go around to doctors' offices during lunchtime and talk about some of the features of Effexor.  Wyeth would provide slides and even pay me to train.  I would be paid $500  for a one hour lunch and learn talks at doctors' offices or $750 if I had to travel an hour."  He saw some studies showing that Effexor was slightly more effective than the prozacs, paxils and zolofts of the world.  He relates a story where one doctor at the learning session had given talks about Neurontin being effective for bipolar disorder.  He doctor was skeptical because he had tried prescribing it for his bipolar patients and did not find it effective.  He wondered if this doctor's positive opinion was influenced by the money he was paid for the talks.  The long article goes on to say that he started giving the talks and felt uncomfortable because he felt like a drug rep rather than the doctor that he was.  Plus as more data came out comparing effexor to other drugs, the remisson advantage was only 5% and not the 10% reported by Wyeth.  When he realized that patients in the study population first took the other drugs and were found resistant to them, this gave effexor an inherent advantage.  Plus after giving a talk to a doctor, he found out that this doctor had seen a number of cases where his effexor patients developed high blood pressure and disputed his statistics.  He realized that he was minimizing risks and exaggerating positive effects, all because he was being paid.  His ethics and morals won out and he quit.  He lost $30,000 in easy income, but felt better about himself in the process. 

January 9, 2008 PSYCHIATRISTS TOP LIST IN DRUG MAKER GIFTS

As states begin to require that drug companies disclose their payments to doctors for lectures and other services, a pattern has emerged.  Psychiatrists earn more money from drug makers that any other specialty.  Vermont officials disclosed that drug company payments to psychiatrists more then doubled in 2006, an average $45,692, to 2005, $20,835. 

January 9, 2008 SOY NUTS SEEM TO HELP WOMEN'S BLOOD PRESSURE

Substituting a half cup of soy nuts for other types of protein in a healthy diet may help lower a postmenopausal woman's blood pressure.  For four weeks, 60 women average age 53 followed a low cholesterol diet that provided 30% energy from fat, 15% protein and 55 % carbohydrates.  Then researchers divided them into two groups for an 8 week test.  The first group followed the same diet without soy.  The second group ate a half cup of soy nuts while reducing other protein.  When hypertensive women were on the soy diet, they averaged a 9.9% reduction in systolic blood pressure (top number) and a 6.8 % reduction in diastolic pressure.  Those with normal blood pressure also reduced their readings by 5.2 and 2.9%.  This was published in The Archives of Internal Medicine.  Hypertensive women also lowered their levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol. 

January 9, 2008 ANTIBIOTICS NO MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN PLACEBO FOR SINUSES

In a recent study in the UK, 240 adults with acute sinsusitis were randomized to receive amoxicillin, nasal placebo, or oral placebo for one week.  After two weeks, none of the active treatments were superior to placebo in symptom resolution by 10 days.  These results are consistent with other previous studies showing that neither antibiotics or steroids are effective in acute sinusitis.  This was published in Journal Watch. 

January 8, 2008 SURGERY OR CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT FOR DISC HERNIATION?

In one study, 472 US patients with acute lumbar pain (LB) diagnosed with herniated discs were randomized to discectomy or conservative care.  Both groups improved substantially two years later with no difference noted by the treatments. 

January 8, 2008 BUT DOCTOR, WHAT WAS YOUR MARATHON TIME?

Interesting article in the NY Times on 1/3 regarding the physical condition of doctors.  Do they walk the walk or just talk the talk or not talk at all?  If you are an athlete, should you seek doctors who are athletes too?  Can you take a fat overweight doctor seriously?  How can he tell you to diet, exercise and stop smoking when he is the epitome of sickness?  A doctor who is physically active is more likely to provide advice on exercise that will be meaningful to patients.  On the other hand, athletic doctors may be so concerned with their patients remaining active that they may be less likely to take the easy way out and tell an active person who is injured or ill to stop exercising. This is in contrast to a doctor who is unfit, who tells his patient to find another sport, not taking into consideration the motivation and passion the patient has for that sport.  Bottom line: talk to your doctor.  Find out what his lifestyle is like.  For the record, health is my number one priority.  I am a 7 day per week runner (36th year) and I eat to live and not live to eat.  My diet is very important to me.  I encourage the same for my patients, but take into consideration their likes, dislikes and health problems. 

January 8, 2008 STUDY FINDS VACCINE PRESERVATIVE NOT LINKED TO AUTISM

Los Angeles (AP) Autism cases in California continued to climb even after a mercury based vaccine preservative that some people blame for the neurological disorder was removed from routine childhood shots, a study has found.

Researchers from the State Public Health Department found that the autism rate in children rose continuously in the study period from 1995 to 2007. The preservative, thimerosal, has not been used in childhood vaccines since 2001, except for some flu shots.

Doctors said that the latest study added to the evidence against a link between thimerosal exposure and the risk of autism and that it should reassure parents that vaccinations do not cause autism. If there was a risk, the doctors said, autism rates should have dropped from 2004 to 2007.

Dr. Daniel Geschwind, a neurologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the focus should be on exploring possible causes of autism, including genetic links.

“Something else must be at play,” said Dr. Geschwind, who had no connection with the study. “And we need to know what that is if we’re really serious about preventing autism.”

The results of the study are in the January issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry. The study did not explore why autism cases increased.

Officials say one in 150 American children have autism, higher than other estimates. Researchers say it is unclear whether the increase stems from changes in classifying autism or whether the increase is actual.

December 12, 2007 CHIROPRACTIC FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

A study published in the May 2007 issue of the Journal of Human Hypertension, demonstrated in a medically instigated and scientifically controlled research project involving 30 patients, that there is a relationship between high blood pressure and spinal distortions.  The systolic readings (upper number) of blood pressure dropped 17 points. 

December 5, 2007 ANTIBIOTICS AND STEROID SPRAYS NOT EFFECTIVE FOR SINUSITIS

It seems as though every week research studies confirm what chiropractors have been saying for many years.  Just a couple of weeks ago there were stories in the media about antibiotic overuse causing MRSA.  Chiropractors have been telling their patients that antibiotics were being misused and would cause the evolution of antibiotic resistant super-germs.  Now, a new study appearing in today's Journal of the American Medical Association confirms that antibiotics are not effective for sinusitis.  Steroid sprays sometimes are used along with the antibiotics, but the study found they also were no better than dummy drugs, although they appeared to provide some relief for patients with only minor symptoms. The study should lead to a "reconsideration of antibiotic use for acute sinusitis. The current view that antibiotics are effective can now be challenged, particularly for the routine cases which physicians treat," said lead author Dr. Ian Williamson of the University of Southampton in England. 

December 4, 2007 MACULAR DEGENERATION

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that a diet with high glycemic carbohydrates may contribute to the development of macular degeneration.  The study looked at the dietary habits of adults ages 55-80 and over 8000 eyes and found a correlation so significant that the researchers calculated that about 20% of macular degeneration cases could have been prevented if all the diets had been of low glycemic index.  Glycemic index of food was based on published values with white bread used as the reference.  The bottom line is that again diet is the culprit. 

November 27, 2007 THE BENEFITS OF GARLIC: HOW DOES IT WORK?

We have seen the benefits of garlic for many years, especially in its ability to fight cancer and reduce blood pressure, but we never understood how it worked.  A study just published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers show that eating garlic appears to boost our natural supply of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is actually poisonous at high concentrations — it’s the same noxious byproduct of oil refining that smells like rotten eggs. But the body makes its own supply of the stuff, which acts as an antioxidant and transmits cellular signals that relax blood vessels and increase blood flow.  In this study performed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, researchers added small amounts of liquid garlic to human red blood cells to find that the cells emitted hydrogen sulfide. This ability  to boost hydrogen sulfide production may help explain why a garlic-rich diet appears to protect against various cancers, including breast, prostate and colon cancer, according to the study authors. Higher hydrogen sulfide concentrations might also protect the heart, according to other experts. Although garlic has not consistently been shown to lower cholesterol levels, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine earlier this year found that injecting hydrogen sulfide into mice almost completely prevented the damage to heart muscle caused by a heart attack.  So it may be a good idea to add lots of garlic to your food!

November 23, 2007 DIABETES TOO PREVALENT

There are three types of Diabetes.  Type 1 is diagnosed in childhood and is due to the pancreas not producing enough insulin.  Insulin allows for the absorption of glucose from the bloodstream into the muscles and the liver where it is converted to energy.  Type 2 occurs later in life and is the most common form of diabetes.  The pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to absorb all of the glucose available in the bloodstream.  This is usually as a direct result of obesity and lack of exercise.  The third type is gestational and occurs during pregnancy in women who are not diabetic.  Diabetes affects about 20 million Americans and about 54 million are prediabetic.  There are many risk factors including:

November 6, 2007 EDITORIAL: LET'S GIVE SOME CREDIT

It is about time that we give credit where credit is due.  There was a time that the chiropractic profession took a beating by the AMA and the media.  In the 1970s and 1980s, it received absolutely no respect. This was in part due to the lack of research in the field and it is common for groups such as the AMA to attack the group presenting the greatest threat. Since the chiropractic profession was and still is the largest drugless/holistic profession, the AMA targeted us until a lawsuit against the AMA was won through appeals. The end result was that the AMA had to admit that it conspired to destroy the chiropractic profession.  Things began to change in the 1990s when more research was done, probably to put the final nails in the coffin.  However, lo and behold, the research showed that that the claims chiropractors made over the years might in fact be true.  Chiropractic was shown to not only benefit back and neck pain, but overall health as well.  For the past 112 years of existence, chiropractors have warned their patients about the misuse and abuse of medications and their "side-effects"; about the resulting dangers of abusing antibiotics and producing "super-germs".  For the past couple of years, the newspapers, including the Journal News, have published hundreds, if not thousands of articles regarding the dangerous drugs being removed from the market or blacklisted; How the FDA was shortening the approval process so that drugs could be legalized for public consumption; How the pharmaceutical companies lied or exaggerated the results of studies so that they would receive FDA approval and therefore increase their revenues.  Yet throughout the country, chiropractors have been warning their patients that it was only a matter of time that their claims would be proven and made public.  Now, Staphylococcus Aureus, a bacteria that has always been relatively harmless and abundant in our lives, is now resulting in what is being diagnosed as MRSA, a potentially fatal disease, all because of the abuse and misuse of antibiotics.  With all of the negative press my profession had to endure for many years, it is about time it receives the credit for being the first to expose these problems decades before traditional medicine, the government, and the public knew or believed they existed.  Chiropractors have always preached the importance of a healthy lifestyle involving the reduction of toxins in our environment, the reduction of medications, the importance of exercise, the elimination of pesticides and other chemicals in our foods, the elimination of growth hormones and antibiotics given to animals, the consumption of natural foods and the importance of the lifeline of the human body called the nervous system.  This is not new.  This philosophy has been around for a long time and just because the government and traditional medicine is beginning to adopt them does not mean that they created them.  I am very proud of my profession for withstanding the intense scrutiny over the years by the strongest and most powerful groups and adhering to its philosophies and principles which are now being proven.  Please don't misunderstand.  We are not celebrating over the fact that we were correct because so many lives were lost over the years.  I can only speak for myself when I repeat, let's give credit where credit is due.  The profession deserves it for standing up for its principles. 

Jay H. Schwartz, DC, DIBE

November 1, 2007 CONVERTING TO ORGANIC FOODS

Yes, organic food seems to be healthier than the conventional foods.  Preservatives and pesticides and even antibiotics are in the food we eat and they can be harmful to us.  Some are cancer causing substances and we have all heard about antibiotic resistant bacteria strains as a result of the misuse and abuses of antibiotics. Vegetables and fruit and treated with pesticides and animals, such as chickens are injected with growth hormones and antibiotics.  These chemicals end up causing harm in our own bodies after we ingest these foods.  So how do you convert?  It doesn't have to be all at once.  Start with the following foods:

1. Milk: When you drink milk, you are also drinking hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals.  This is one of the easiest products to switch to---organic milk.

2. Vegetables and Fruit: You don't even have to go to a health food store where the prices are much higher.  The conventional supermarkets are now carrying organic produce.  But be careful and check the labels to be sure they are organic. 

3. Peanut Butter: Kids love peanut butter, however people don't associate chemicals and this staple.  Farmers spray fungicides on their crops because mold is a major problem with the growth of peanuts.  Therefore purchase organic peanut butter.  Many people have allergies to peanuts.  You may want to speak to your doctor about the possibility that the reaction is to the fungicides rather than the peanuts. 

4. Ketchup: 75% of tomato consumption is in the form of processed tomatoes.  Since ketchup is another popular staple, it is important to buy it in its organic form.  Ketchup is high in antioxidants.

October 16, 2007 MARGARINE VS. BUTTER

The debate has gone on for years.  Which one is healthier, butter or margarine?  Depending on the most recent study, one is recommended over the other every few years.  According to an article in today's NY Times, the confusion persists for good reason. Butter, which has been used for thousands of years, is made from animal products, making it high in cholesterol and saturated fat, which have been linked to heart disease.

Margarine is made from polyunsaturated vegetable oils like corn oil, which do not contain saturated fats. Most people assume that makes it heart-healthy. Not exactly. The process of turning polyunsaturated oils into semisolid table spreads creates trans fats, which are just as bad as saturated fats, if not worse.

But most studies and health experts suggest that margarine, selected carefully, can be a safer choice. Because higher levels of trans fat make margarines more solid, it is best to choose those that are liquid or sold in tubs. Many varieties now contain water or liquid vegetable oil instead of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, which can make them virtually free of trans fats. Even better, experts say, is to choose an alternative, like olive or canola oil.

So, the debate rages on.  Although margarine contains less fat and cholesterol than butter, it is not ideal and certainly cannot be considered "health food". 

October 12, 2007 RITALIN USE MAY AFFECT DEVELOPING BRAIN

The use of the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug Ritalin by young children may cause long-term changes in the developing brain, suggests a new study of very young rats by a research team at Weill Cornell Medical College in NYC.  This study is one of the first to probe the effects of Ritalin on the brain.  It is estimated that about 2-18% of American children are affected by ADHD  and Ritalin, a stimulant similar to amphetamine and cocaine, remains one of the most prescribed drugs for the disorder.  These findings, highlighted in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests that doctors must be very careful in their diagnosis of ADHD before prescribing Ritalin.  However, 3 months after the rats stopped receiving Ritalin, their neurochemistry largely had resolved back to the pre-treatment state.  Dr. Theresa Milner of Cornell feels that this study supports the notion that Ritalin should be "used only for a short period of time, to be replaced or supplemented with behavioral therapy".  She went on to say that "we're concerned about longer-term use......it is possible that chronic use of the drug would alter brain chemistry and behavior well into adulthood."

September 23, 2007 BACKPACK OVERUSE

The amount of books these poor children must carry to school is ridiculous and is destroying their spines.  Here are some Backpack tips"

1. The weight of the backpack should not exceed 10% of body weight. 

2. A backpack that hangs more then 4 inches below the wastline will cause your child to lean forward stressing the back.

3. Choose a backpack with many compartments and with wide, padded and adjustable straps.  There must also be a hip strap as well. 

4. Encourage your child to wear the pack over two shoulders and not one, along with the hip strap. 

5. If books are still too heavy, complain to the district.  There are books on CD which are terrific!

September 23, 2007 AUTO-IMMUNE CONNECTION: GLUTEN SENSITIVITY AND THYROID FUNCTION

According to recent studies, more than 1/2 of patients with neurological dysfunction of obscure etiology have elevated antibodies to a protein in wheat.  Only 35% also have evidence of celiac disease--allergy to gluten which is found in wheat, rye, spelt.  The remaining 65% have gluten sensitivity and elevated antibodies in cerebellum or peripheral nerves.  It appears that wheat can directly stimulate an autoimmune response in sensitive individuals.  Numerous pain syndromes and autoimmune diseases can be triggered by gluten intake.  From peripheral neuropathies (damaged nerves) to crippling migraines and balance problems, from acute myocarditis to chronic pancreatitis, gluten can initiate an immune response producing antibodies to specific tissue outside of the intestines.  (Elimination of gluten resolves these problems.  (Journal of Immunology 2007; 1780:6590-95.)

Another common tissue vulnerable to antibody production from wheat ingestion is the thyroid.  Some studies show that as much as 65% of people with celiac disease will also have elevated antibodies to their thyroid (Hashimoto's Disease).  (AJG 2001;96(3).

September 23, 2007 PUT FUN AND NUTRIENTS INTO YOUR CHILD'S LUNCHBOX

From the American Chiropractic Association:  Soups and salads help add vegetables to the meal and make you feel full on less calories. 

1. Soups packaged in boxes often contain less sodium than canned, but your child is much better off if you make the soup yourself. 

2. For a salad to last a few days, don't add dressing or any other ingredients until the day of consumption.  Add fruit, pasta (whole wheat), grilled fish or chicken to spice it up. 

3. Add frozen veggies to tomato soup and put in a thermos.

4. Instead of bread, wrap turkey, hummus and vegetables in a tortilla with a side of apples or grapes. 

5. Use peanut butter with cut apples, pears, bananas, carrots or celery instead of jelly will provide a delicious meal with less sugar and more fiber, vitamins and nutrients.  Try natural peanut butter without hydrogenated oils. 

6. If your child will not eat fruits or vegetables, try cutting them into funny shapes, making nutritious food more appealing. 

7. When buying serving size snacks, choose natural products without high fructose corn syrup or artificial colorings. 

September 23, 2007 SUGARY SOFT DRINKS NOW BACK IN SCHOOLS

So last year with all of the talk about children being obese, the three largest soft drink makers, Coca Cola, Pepsi and Cadury-Schweppes agreed that only water, low fat milk and 100% juice would be offered at elementary and middle schools.  While in High Schools, sport drinks, diet and light juices would be offered.  According to today's NY Times, they were praised for taking such positive action.  After this agreement was arranged and got major publicity, the same soda makers sought a change.  Under the original agreement, only sports drinks and light juices less than 66 calories per 8 oz. were allowed in high schools.  This was quietly amended in April to other drinks as well could be offered if less than 66 calories.  So now the vitamin waters could be offered which contain water, sugar and vitamins thrown in.  What a disgrace!

September 8, 2007 BASEBALL PLAYER INSISTS ON TEAM CHIROPRACTOR

Philadelphia Phillies' pitcher insists on having a team chiropractor to treat and prevent injuries in addition to allowing the human body to function at a higher level.  Click on the following link for the full story:

http://beta.redlasso.com/Community/ClipPlayer.aspx?i=c33ddf9d-767d-4352-9fb8-46e3e9c37cf1

August 29, 2007 NEW EVIDENCE OF ASPARTAME CANCER-RISK (Nutraweet)

According to an article in the June 13 edition of Environmental Health Perspective, a new long term animal study from an Italian cancer institute raises serious safety questions about the artificial sweetener, aspartame, also marketed as NutraSweet and Equal and used in diet drinks and many other foods.  The study found increases in lymphomas, leukemias and breast cancers in rats fed with aspartame.  This new study began exposing the rats to aspartame before their birth.  The study also demonstrated that when exposure begins during fetal life, its carcinogenic effects are increased, especially in females.

August 16, 2007 DIRECT ADVERTISING OF DRUGS TO THE PUBLIC

An interesting article appears in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.  They studied the effect of the pharmaceutical companies' direct advertising of drugs to the consumers on drug sales. 

"Background Evidence suggests that direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs increases pharmaceutical sales and both helps to avert underuse of medicines and leads to potential overuse. Concern about such advertising has increased recently owing to the withdrawal from the market of heavily advertised drugs found to carry serious risks. Moreover, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been criticized for its weak enforcement of laws regulating such advertising.^"

Results: "Total spending on pharmaceutical promotion grew from $11.4 billion in 1996 to $29.9 billion in 2005. Although during that time spending on direct-to-consumer advertising increased by 330%, it made up only 14% of total promotional expenditures in 2005. Direct-to-consumer campaigns generally begin within a year after the approval of a product by the FDA. In the context of regulatory changes requiring legal review before issuing letters, the number of letters sent by the FDA to pharmaceutical manufacturers regarding violations of drug-advertising regulations fell from 142 in 1997 to only 21 in 2006.

Conclusions Spending on direct-to-consumer advertising has continued to increase in recent years in spite of the criticisms leveled against it."

Editor Note: Obviously, doctors feel pressure by their patients to prescribe the advertised drugs.  

August 9, 2007 NEW EXERCISE GUIDELINES (again!)

It is interesting that over the past 25 years that I have been in practice, many guidelines have changed.  I have always questioned the science of medicine when guidelines have changed over the years.  If it was an exact science like most people believe, then the factual information it provides would never change.  Why?  Because something that is considered a fact is a truth and could never be proved false.  Until a few years ago, the government always recommended aerobic exercise, such as running, walking, swimming and bicycling for a minimum 30 minutes three times per week.  Then a number of years ago, that recommendation was changed to 5 times per week.  Why?  I do not recall the publication, but it was admitted that the only reason the recommendation was 3 times per week was simply because the "experts" felt that if they recommended more, the public would not "buy into it".  Then in 1995, the recommendation was changed to "most, preferably all days of the week".  Now, according to an article in WebMD, "physical inactivity remains a pressing public health issue," note Stanford researcher William L. Haskell, PhD, and his fellow panel members. "Data from 2005 indicate that less than half -- 49.1% -- of U.S. adults met the CDC/ACSM physical activity recommendation."  Haskell suggests that this 1995 message was "too confusing". 

To erase any uncertainty, the new guidelines spell out what you have to do in graphic detail: To be healthy, you must exercise.

You need two kinds of exercise. The first kind is aerobic exercise -- the move-your-butt kind. That means:

• Walk briskly for 30 minutes five days a week, or

• Jog for 20 minutes three days a week, or

• Mix walking and running. For example, walk briskly for 30 minutes twice a week and jog 20 minutes twice a week.

• You can break these activities up into 10-minute segments, but not into smaller segments.

• You can substitute other moderate-intensity activities for walking. But you can't count low-level daily activities -- such as walking from the parking lot to the grocery store or taking out the trash -- as exercise.

• You can substitute other vigorous-intensity activities for running, as long as your heart rate noticeably goes up and you start to breathe fast.

The second kind of exercise is strength training. This means activities -- such as weight lifting -- that use the major muscles of the body. You should do eight to 10 exercises on two different days at least one day apart. These exercises should result in "substantial fatigue after eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise," the guidelines state.

Here's the bad news: This is just the minimum required for health. More is needed to improve fitness, reduce disease risk, and/or prevent weight gain.

Here's the good news: If you get at least the minimum amount of regular exercise, you significantly cut your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, colon cancer, breast cancer, anxiety, and depression. And you very likely slow age-related decline of mental function.

The new guidelines appear in the August issue of the American Academy of Sports Medicine journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Editor Note: I have followed my own recommendations over the years.  I run 7 days per week (which I have been doing since 1972); I workout two to three days per week.  70% of my diet consists of vegetables and fruit.  I get adjusted once per week.  I take megavitamins daily.  My resting pulse rate is 48 bpm.  My blood pressure is 117/78.  Unlike most people my age, I am not on any medication.  I state this not to show off, but to show you that if you commit yourself to health, you will achieve your goal.  It works for everyone and it is never to late to start!