Jan
14
2013

Treat The Cause, Not The Disease

By | Allergies, Anti-aging medicine, Gastrointestinal Disease, Infectious Disease, Medical Condition, Vitamins and supplements

At an anti-aging conference the topic of one of the talks was: treat the cause, not the disease. Traditionally, in Western medicine the doctor listens to the patient’s complaints, examines the patient, does some tests and then comes up with a diagnosis. Meanwhile a specific treatment regarding this diagnosis is then developed and a cure is expected. When there is no treatment success, it is disappointing or frustrating to both the patient and the physician. With anti-aging medicine a different approach is suggested with the principal “treat the cause, not the disease”. It is noteworthy that with this approach the doctor can incorporate all of the aspects that play a role with regard to the causes.

Dr. Magaziner: “Treat the cause, not the disease”

Dr. Allan Magaziner gave a lecture regarding this topic at the 20th Annual World Congress On Anti-Aging And Regenerative Medicine in Las Vegas (Dec. 12 to 15, 2012). His talk was entitled “Treat the Causes, Not the Disease…With a Patient-Centered, Integrative Approach”. He explained that there are 12 different categories that need to be taken into account when it comes to delineating causes of an illness in a patient, which he called the “diagnostic dozen”.
1.      Is there oxidative stress?
2.      Is there nutrient imbalance?
3.      Is digestive absorption optimal?
4.      Are there food intolerances?
5.      Is there mitochondrial dysfunction?
6.      Are the hormones and neurotransmitters functioning properly?

More points to consider

7.      Is the patient under excessive stress?
8.      Are there specific electromagnetic field disturbances in the body and would biofeedback be helpful?
9.      Is the body’s toxic burden so high that it requires detoxification treatment?
10.    Has there been environmental exposure to heavy metals?
11.    Are genetic factors making the patient more vulnerable to disease?
12.    Is the immune system weakened and are there signs of inflammation or chronic infection?

Treat The Cause, Not The Disease

Treat The Cause, Not The Disease 

BPA from plastic bottles can cause cancer

A point often overlooked is that life in the 21st century has become more complex. That is to say, we are exposed to various degrees of pollution, such as lead and mercury, but also to BPA from plastic bottles. 93% of Americans, Dr. Magaziner said show measurable levels of BPA in urine. Surprisingly, research showed that many years of exposure to BPA causes breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men!
Specifically, Dr. Magaziner gave an example of a 3-year-old boy with autism with a full discussion of all the diagnostic factors. Notably, conventional medicine treats autism by giving the children special educational programs and speech therapy on the one hand. On the other hand, the physician refers the patient to a physiotherapist to treat their gait problems. That is to say, typically an autistic child does not respond to this approach.

Autistic children often have heavy metal toxicity

In this case, when Dr. Magaziner saw this autistic child, he ordered blood tests that showed heavy metal toxicity. In particular, he ordered several chelation treatments to remove the heavy meals. The child had a leaky gut syndrome, had chronic yeast infection and a gut dysbiosis. It is important to realize that the doctor addressed all of these problems separately. Surprisingly, within a few weeks there was improvement of the child’s condition. First, his balance problems disappeared. Secondly, in addition, there was improvement of his attention span, concentration and memory. Thirdly, the child also started taking an interest in what was happening around him.

A girl with Crohn’s disease

Dr. Magaziner discussed another case, namely a 13-year-old girl that presented with Crohn’s disease. The girl had blood in her stools and had terrible bowel cramps. Conventional medicine including steroid therapy had failed to show improvements. Going through the diagnostic dozen revealed several important positive findings that were unknown before. As a result, attention to these factors led to a complete cure. Important findings in this girl were food sensitivities that could be pinpointed with a battery of blood tests involving IG-G, IG-A and IG-E antibodies to various food groups.

ONDAMED and Lyme disease

The physician used ONDAMED, an electro-diagnostic tool to normalize abnormal electromagnetic fields in the gastrointestinal region.
Perhaps the most impressive case was a patient with Lyme disease. Traditional medicine has very little to offer to such a patient and often the patient will go on to develop a fibromyalgia like arthritic condition leading to chronic disability. The patient responded to a combination treatment consisting of such various things as Curcumin, vitamin D3, cinnamon, CoQ10, D-Ribose, L-Carnitine, magnesium and zinc to help various enzymatic reactions regarding the anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, the patient received  intravenous vitamin C to strengthen the Detox system. All of this helped to detoxify the patient and support the adrenal gland function.

Additional cases of Lyme disease

In addition, Dr. Magaziner gave 10 treatments of ONDAMED involving various frequency settings to assist the body in its recovery. The patient had a complete recovery from severe Lyme disease!
Dr. Magaziner was also one of the speakers in a company sponsored evening about the use of ONDAMED in the treatment of Lyme disease. He presented a total of 7 cases of Lyme disease where ONDAMED was successful in treating this difficult to cure condition! The common denominator in these cases was that various low-grade infections lingered on and other environmental factors weakened the immune system further. ONDAMED helped to strengthen the immune system together with detoxification treatments.

“Treat the cause, not the disease” is true even when multiple causes are present

There is nothing magic about the new approach of treating patients.  Proactive medicine treats the cause of the patient’s illness while conventional medicine focuses on symptomatic treatment of a disease. Often there are several causes that can hide behind a diagnosis and exist parallel in a patient. With treatment of all these causes the patient recovers and regains full health.

Nov
01
2008

A Study About Parents’ Concerns Regarding Childhood Vaccinations

By | Infectious Disease, Lung Disease, Prevention

In the October issue of the medical journal Pediatrics researchers published a study where 3,924 parents had been interviewed in a National Immunization Survey. 28% of the parents either delayed the vaccination because of concerns or refused vaccination of their child altogether. A multivariate analysis was performed that shed more light on this. There was a probability of about 2.35-fold (compared to parents who had no concerns) that one of the following factors was responsible for this: parents who would delay a vaccination had on average 2 or more children (4.3-fold more likely to delay than parents with one child) and unmarried mothers also were more likely to delay (probability 2.14-fold). Parents had a probability of 2.68-fold to refuse a vaccination when the child was 25 to 35 months old when compared to those with a child younger than this. The varicella vaccine, which is a live attenuated vaccine, was mostly the reason given when parents were unsure as to whether to give permission for vaccination or when they refused to give consent.

In contrast, reasons for delays of vaccination were that the child was ill and the vaccination was given at a later date when the child had recovered. The reason that parents decided not to delay or not to decline vaccination was that they discussed their concerns with the health care provider and they felt now informed and assured that vaccination was the right thing to do. The authors felt that the study emphasized how important it is to inform the parents of the science behind vaccinations.

A Study About Parents’ Concerns Regarding Childhood Vaccinations

A Study About Parents’ Concerns Regarding Childhood Vaccinations

Comments: The study did not review the fears of mercury poisoning with the preservative thimerosal, which is still contained in the vaccines of many countries and has been shown to be particularly devastating in autistic children and children with learning disabilities.

Pediatrics. 2008;122:718-725

Last updated December 18, 2014

Oct
01
2008

Go Easy On Tempra And Tylenol In Young Kids

By | Asthma, Infectious Disease, Prevention

With cold and flu season around the corner, the medicine shelf will fill up with remedies that provide symptomatic relief for those who caught a bug. Children who have an elevated temperature will very likely receive over the counter medication such as Tempra drops or Tylenol for children. These preparations have been around for decades, and parents are usually confident that they are harmless.
A Lancet article points out that there are certain risks associated with them, and the most sensitive age group are the youngest children. A study documented that the mother’s use of paracetamol (identical to acetaminophen or Tylenol) during pregnancy can be associated with the development of asthma in 6 to 7 year old children. More recently 205,487 children in the age group of 6 to 7 were included in a survey. The children were from 73 centers in 31 countries. In the analysis of data the use of paracetamol in the first year of life was checked against the risk of asthma symptoms once the children were 6 to seven years old. Paracetamol use in the first year of life also played a role in the increased risk of rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema.

Go Easy On Tempra And Tylenol In Young Kids

Go Easy On Tempra And Tylenol In Young Kids

With these results, parents should resort to the children’s’ Tylenol and Tempra drops only, if fairly aggressive intervention is necessary. Too often over the counter meds are used “just in case he or she is coming down with something”. Symptomatic home remedies in children such as lukewarm baths to bring down an elevated temperature, cool fluids bring relief, and ice packs still have their place in the control of mild febrile symptoms.

The Lancet 2008; 372:1039-1048

Last edited December 3, 2012

Sep
01
2008

Listeriosis Outbreak In Canada

By | Infectious Disease

A rash of Listeriosis cases in Canada has given rise to more public awareness of this illness. The recent presentation became manifest as a food borne illness, has been traced to one food processing company, and the facility is undergoing a thorough clean-up. Even though Listeriosis can present as a food borne illness, it is quite different from the contamination of foods with E. coli (“hamburger disease”) or food borne illness to salmonella contamination. The onset of illness in hamburger disease occurs rather quickly after the food has been ingested and can lead to a serious illness with kidney failure. Listeriosis, which is caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes has a much longer incubation time, in some cases up to 70 days, and it can take much longer till it is detected. It can present like a febrile gastroenteritis (a stomach flu accompanied by a fever) in people who have a weakened immune system. A less common disease picture shows symptoms that look like influenza, but sometimes there can be shock and malfunction of the kidneys. In early pregnancy the infection with Listeriosis can lead to miscarriage, and late in pregnancy the result may either be stillbirth or sepsis in the newborn.

Listeriosis Outbreak In Canada

Listeriosis Outbreak In Canada

Even if the disease in the pregnant patient is mild, it will be almost always fatal for the child in the womb. If Listeria infection is suspected in the case of gastroenteritis, the laboratory should be notified, so the stool or blood specimens are kept and especially examined for Listeria. Foods that carried the bacterium and caused the illness were sandwich meats and ready made sandwiches. Consumers should inform themselves carefully, which food products were affected by recalls and also check packages for expiry dates.

More information on food safety: http://nethealthbook.com/health-nutrition-and-fitness/nutrition/food-safety/

Reference: CBC News and Cohen & Powderly: Infectious Diseases, 2nd ed. 2004 Mosby

Last edited November 5, 2014

Sep
01
2008

Flu Shot Not Reducing Risk Of Death

By | Infectious Disease, Lung Disease, Prevention

We have all been told over and over that influenza vaccination would reduce mortality risk in the elderly. New research from the University of Alberta published in the September issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine by Dr. Eurich and colleagues is revealing that the facts are different. 700 elderly subjects were matched and half were given the Flu vaccine, the other half were not. The study was controlled and matched for a great number of variables to exclude the “healthy user artifact”, which many previous studies had suffered from. The authors critically analyzed previous similar studies and compared them with their findings. They found that there was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of mortality or severity of any Flu that was observed. The previous studies had identified differences, but it was noted that this difference had been due to frailty factors among the non-vaccinated controls and a healthy-user artifact among the vaccinated subjects. Dean Eurich, Ph.D. who is a clinical epidemiologist and assistant professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, pointed out that vaccination rates in the US have increased from 15% to 65% in the last few years. However, he said that hospital admissions or all cause mortality rates have not decreased in a comparable fashion. In addition, he points out that only 10% of all winter time deaths in the United States are related to influenza. This would make the prediction of a cut of death rates from all causes to 50% very unlikely. In his study Dr. Eurich took health records from 6 hospitals in the Capital Health region in Alberta. 12% of patients had died overall and there had been a medium length of hospital stay of 8 days. When 704 patients with community-acquired pneumonia were analyzed who were 65 or older and who had been admitted during the Flu season, half were vaccinated, the other half was not. It depended now on which model was used to analyze the study: vaccinated subjects were about half as likely to die when compared to the unvaccinated patients, a result that was comparable to previous publications. However adjusting for smoking history, sex, functional lung status, severity of the disease, socioeconomic status, prior pneumococcal vaccinations etc. gave a completely different result. Now there was only a 19% relative risk of death in the vaccinated group, which was not statistically significant.

Flu Shot Not Reducing Risk Of Death

There are three consequences of this study according to Sumit Majumdar, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta:

1. For patients: people who have chronic lung diseases such as emphysema (COPD), immune deficiencies, or chronic conditions that make them more susceptible to getting the Flu, should still be vaccinated. Also, health care workers, family and friends of elderly patients who are susceptible to get the Flu should get immunized against influenza. But everybody should also take simple steps like washing hands, avoiding hospitals and contact with sick children during the flu season. Antiviral agents for prevention may be something you should consider; discuss this with your doctor. Keep in mind that the flu vaccine is not as effective as it was made out to be.

2. For vaccine manufacturers: previously, claims of effectiveness have been overinflated. They should consider developing more effective vaccines for the elderly.

3. For policy makers and governments: what has been proven is that hygienic measures such as hand washing and isolation procedures are effective. Also, vaccination of children and health care workers will interrupt the infectious cycle.

From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119747.php

Last edited December 4, 2012

Apr
01
2008

H. Pylori Can Be The Culprit For Indigestion

By | Abdominal Pain, Gastrointestinal Disease, Infectious Disease

Indigestion, heart burn, bloating and stomach discomfort are common problems. Often the reason is simple. Too much food and drink at a party, a plateful of deep fried Buffalo wings or a midnight order of double-pepperoni pizza will contribute to stomach upset and a bad night’s sleep. A few over the counter antacids will come to the rescue. If indigestion is a faithful but miserable daily companion, the excuse of “just having a sensitive stomach” becomes a form of denial and a dangerous form of self diagnosis. Something is wrong, and it is time to seek medical attention instead of over the counter meds. The first line of defense will be prescription drugs called “proton pump inhibitors” (PPI). They are designed to eradicate excessive acid production in the stomach. If symptoms are more severe, e.g. weight loss, a gastroscopy will be necessary. Even though the prevalence of a stomach infection with Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) is declining, about 30% of patients with chronic stomach upsets test positive for an infection with these bacteria. This can cause recurrent stomach pains. In this case it becomes necessary to treat this with a combination of PPI’s and antibiotic medication. Eradication of H.pylori can mean a cure from a stomach ulcer. It also reduces the risk of developing gastric adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer that could have developed out of an untreated gastric ulcer. Just because a person has heartburn does not mean that the condition is due to gastro-esophageal reflux of stomach acid. If after treatment with a PPI the problems of indigestion, heartburn, bloating or stomach aches reoccur, lab tests can give more information. According to a prospective trial conducted by Dr. Delaney and others the H.pylori serology (a blood test) is unreliable, but other H.pylori tests like urea breath test or stool antigen are reliable tests to establish whether a stomach infection with H.pylori is present or not.

H. Pylori Can Be The Culprit For Indigestion

H. Pylori Can Be The Culprit For Indigestion

If the bacterium is present, its eradication with antibiotic therapy will stop the stomach problems in a high percentage of cases with one treatment protocol. What was surprising was that after one year the treatment result of the treatment group with PPI/antibiotic combination was as successful as the control group that was treated with PPI’s alone. It was concluded that in the more severe cases with weight loss, vomiting, or overt bleeding an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy should be performed where a direct H.pylori test from samples is also done. However, in the vast majority of cases with minor symptoms can be treated safely by the general practitioner with PPI’s and follow-up examinations in subsequent visits. Treatment failures can then be referred to a gastroenterologist, if necessary.

More information about gastritis and H. pylori: http://nethealthbook.com/digestive-system-and-gastrointestinal-disorders/gastritis/

Reference: British Medical Journal 336:623-624 (March 22, 2008)

Last edited November 3, 2014

Mar
01
2008

High Death Rate In India Due To Smoking

By | Cancer, Heart Disease, Infectious Disease, Lung Disease

Dr. Prabhat Jha of the Centre for Global Health Research, Toronto has published research regarding the risk of mortality associated withs smoking in India, involving data from 1.1 million Indian homes. Data of deceased individuals, all of them in the age group between 30 and 69 years of age, showed that 37% of the men and 5% of the women had been smokers, and smoking doubled the risk for both sexes due to medical causes. Smoking did not only rate as a risk for lung and respiratory cancers but also for tuberculosis, vascular and respiratory disease. Smoking as a causal relationship was estimated to be responsible for 1 in 5 deaths in men and 1 in 20 deaths in women. With the population growth in India the number of death in the age group of 30 to 69 related to smoking is estimated to increase by 3% per year. Currently available data suggests that the rate of smoking is high especially among men in India. Data from other nations show, that smoking bans in public places are effective in turning these statistics around. Italy used to be one of the European nations, where smoking in public was common and as a result the exposure to second hand cigarette smoke was not only an inconvenience but a serious health risk. Cardiovascular events like heart attacks showed a decrease among men and women in Italy after the smoking ban in public places was put into effect in 2005. The findings were related to the improved indoor air quality.

High Death Rate In India Due To Smoking

High Death Rate In India Due To Smoking

There was an increase of sales in stop smoking aids like nicotine replacement products. Sales of cigarettes showed a decrease. Giulia Cesaroni from a local health unit in Rome remarked that even a small reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular disease can have enormous public health implications, as coronary artery disease is the leading cause of deaths in Italy. Compared to before the ban heart attack rates of middle aged (35- to 64-years) Italians dropped by 11%, 65- to 74-year-olds had a reduction of 8%, but those in the 75-84 year age group showed no benefit (as coronary artery disease in them likely was irreversible).

More information about:

1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: http://nethealthbook.com/lung-disease/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd/

2. Causes of lung cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/lung-cancer/causes-lung-cancer/

3. Heart attacks: http://nethealthbook.com/cardiovascular-disease/heart-disease/heart-attack-myocardial-infarction-or-mi/

References: The Indian data based on www.nejm.org (February 13, 2008); the Italian study was published in Circulation 2008 (Feb. 11)

Last edited November 3, 2014

Sep
01
2007

Ginseng Lowers Risk For Common Cold

By | Infectious Disease, Lung Disease, Nutrition, Prevention, Vitamins and supplements

In Chinese medicine the ginseng plant has been widely used. Its history in North America seems to be shorter at first glance, as it received more attention only, as Chinese medicine and acupuncture have become popular over the last decades. The Asian variety of ginseng known under its botanical name as Panax ginseng is only one of the species. There is however a variety which is native to the eastern part of the North American continent with the botanical name Panax quinquefolius. The first people using it were various Native American groups. They found it useful for childbirth and fertility. It was also used to help those with shortness of breath.

Ginseng root was considered the more valuable part of the plant, and new research has found that root extracts of the North American ginseng have an influence on the immune system. The substance enhances the production of interleukin and interferon-gamma. The immunomodulary effects which can help in the prevention of respiratory disease have also been studied in clinical trials involving older adults.

It turned out that the likelihood of developing acute respiratory illness was significantly lower in the group that was treated with a standardized formulation of 200 mg ginseng extract twice a day than in a group that did receive placebo or no treatment. It was also observed that the number of patient who had common colds was reduced in those who received ginseng. The absolute risk reduction of recurring common colds was 12.8 % and the total number of days with cold symptoms was 34.5% lower in the treatment group.

Ginseng Lowers Risk For Common Cold

Ginseng Lowers Risk For Common Cold

Long term studies are still outstanding, but based on the interim findings ginseng extract taken in the winter month can be beneficial especially in the older population as a weapon against respiratory illness.

More information on:

1. Preventing the flu: https://www.askdrray.com/fighting-back-against-the-flu/

2. General info on ginseng: https://www.askdrray.com/studies-show-ginseng-works/

Reference: J. Altern. Complement. Med. 2006;12:153-7.

Last edited November 3, 2014

Aug
01
2007

New Cure For Drug Resistant Bacteria At The Horizon

By | Health, Infectious Disease

Drug resistant bacteria (like MRSA, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) have developed in many hospitals and have caused more than 2 million infections in the US alone of which 90,000 people died. Yet so far research regarding this problem has been very slow and unsuccessful. In Canada there was an outbreak of E.coli, which left 14 people severely ill and simultaneously there was a similar outbreak in the US leaving three people dead.

Dr. Redinbo, PhD in biochemistry and biophysics, from the University of North Carolinaat Chapel Hill made an astounding discovery in his lab. He tested some of the older medications used for osteoporosis treatment, the biphosphonates clodronate and etidronate, to see whether they would have an effect on stopping the multiplication of these harmful bacteria. Dr. Redinbo’s work was published in the July 13 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Redinbo’s team found that an enzyme, called relaxase, is at the center of the development of antibiotic resistance. When resistance develops, there is a genetic transformation that takes place, like a mini Darwinian selection process where the most resistant bacteria survive and multiply. The resistant bacteria mate with each other and with bacteria that are not yet resistant. This process involves the relaxase enzyme system, some DNA stranding and a strand exchange. In this way new resistant bacteria are formed. Experiments under the supervision of Dr. Redinbo found that this process can be stopped by the phosphate-rich compound, biphosphonates (clodronate and etidronate). Other chemicals were found to not be as effective.

New Cure For Drug Resistant Bacteria At The Horizon

New Cure For Drug Resistant Bacteria At The Horizon

The relaxase system is found in a number of problem bacterial strains, Staphylococcus strains, drug resistant Acinetobacter strains and others. Unfortunately the biphosphonates have some side-effects like stomach soreness and birth defects. The researcher said that he hopes that these drugs and perhaps others with less side-effect will offer new treatments for antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Reference: July 13, 2007 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Last edited December 5, 2012

Apr
01
2007

Quick Test Predicts Sepsis

By | Gastrointestinal Disease, Infectious Disease

One of the big risks for a patient undergoing abdominal surgery has been the threat of peritonitis, which means infection in the abdominal cavity. Apart from pneumonia, which can be another one of those life threatening diseases, peritonitis remains a severe threat even today, as it is accounting for roughly 60% of mortality in the surgical intensive care units. It is not the peritonitis itself that is the killer but the spread of the infection through the blood stream to vital organs. Once the vitals are affected, infection will lead to a general shutdown: multiple organ failure or septic multi-organ dysfunction syndrome known as MODS, which is what kills the patient.
Our ancestors could not control sepsis. Antibiotics had yet to be discovered. Today the main challenge remains a timely detection of sepsis. Once sepsis has overrun the body, even antibiotic treatment comes too late for the patient.
The best methods that are currently available for the detection of sepsis are CAT scans and fine needle aspiration. Both have their shortfalls: the CAT scan may be unavailable and fine needle aspiration can increase the infection risk. One biomarker, the C reactive protein has only a limited use to predict septic MODS, as C reactive protein levels show a sharp increase in the presence of surgical trauma, regardless whether there is infection or not. German research has tested another potential blood sepsis marker, procalcitonin. Unlike the C reactive protein procalcitonin levels are not affected by surgical trauma, but it shows an increase in the presence of bacterial or fungal infection. There is a rapid automated assay for procalcitonin, the Kryptor PCT essay. It can be completed in 20 minutes, which is important, as time is of essence in emergency situations. Among 82 recruited patients with peritonitis, more than half had infections due to E.coli. Nine had fungal infections. Procalcitonin levels were markedly higher in patients who later went on to suffer MODS. All patients in the study were tested within 96 hours of the onset of symptoms. C reactive protein levels were not useful in terms of a predictive value.

Quick Test Predicts Sepsis

Kryptor PCT measures procalcitonin for quick diagnosis of sepsis

The test is useful for two purposes: it helps with the early detection of a septic condition, so treatment can start early. It also identifies patients who won’t develop septic MODS.The sensitivity and the accuracy of the test does not necessarily make it a true “sepsis marker”. Researchers believe that the degree of systemic procalcitonin reflects a weak immune system. The test picks up those patients who are susceptible to severe infections. As a result timely treatments can be started for them right away.

Reference: National Review Of Medicine, March 15,2007, page 3

Last edited December 5, 2012