August 2011 Archives

By Sarah A  LoBisco, ND

IT'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TIME FOR TOP READS.......

Pull up your laptop, grab your chamomile tea, click on your classical music, and enjoy my summaries on some of the biggest headlines in health from August! You can get the full summary here.

HIGHLIGHTS

THE STATIN STORY CONTINUES:

According to Dr. Fryhofer of Medscape:

As many as 10% of patients on statin therapy suffer muscle-related adverse effects. There are several proposed statin-induced mechanisms:

• Decreases in cholesterol content of skeletal muscle membranes making them unstable and thus more prone to injury;
• Depletion of coenzyme Q10 with subsequent deleterious effects on mitochondrial function; and
• Reduced bioavailability of isoprenoids (farnesyl pyrophosphate and geranyl pyrophosphate), which can lead to cell death in vitro.^[9]

Risk is highest for women, older patients, patients on high statin doses, people with a family history of statin intolerance, and patients on multiple medications.

Genetics can also play a role, as well as which statin:

A recent study showed carriers of the SLCO1B1 gene polymorphism had increased risk for muscle-related statin adverse effects. The greatest risk was seen in patients on simvastatin, whereas the risk for patients on pravastatin was almost negligible.^[11]

Bringing us to highlight number one:

Simvastatin 80mg: FDA Warning (Medscape)

In early June 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a drug safety communication on the 80-mg dose of simvastatin because of an increased risk for muscle toxicity. Medscape interviewed Amy Egan, MD, MPH, Deputy Director for Safety in the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products at the FDA, regarding these warnings and their impact. Doctors are encouraged to use different brands, not dose past 40mg and consider it's interactions with other medications.

References:

Sandra A. Fryhofer, MD. Switching From Simvastatin 80 mg: How to Shop for Statins: The Simvastatin Saga: Review of the FDA Drug Safety Warnings. Medscape Today. Accessed August 17, 2011. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/747821_2

Michael O'Riordan. FDA Restricts Use of Simvastatin 80 mg. Medscape Today. Posted: 06/08/2011

BLOOD SUGAR, STATINS, & DIET

In my July Top Reads, I gave references to how statins could contribute to diabetes. (YICKS: achy muscles and blood sugar problems).

This month, a study demonstrated how diet can affect diabetes, actually, reverse it!

Reversing Diabetes 2 with Diet (diabetologia)

Conclusions/interpretation: Normalisation of both beta cell function and hepatic insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes was achieved by dietary energy restriction alone. This was associated with decreased pancreatic and liver triacylglycerol stores. The abnormalities underlying type 2 diabetes are reversible by reducing dietary energy intake

DOCTOR SARAH, DO I REALLY NEED SUPPLEMENTS??? I EAT WELL!!

I'll refer to an older and wiser mentor to many:

You don't need supplements if you eat a healthy diet? True or false? (Dr. Hyman)

It is true ONLY if you work and live outside, breathe only fresh unpolluted air, drink only pure, clean water, sleep nine hours a night, move your body every day, and are free from chronic stressors and exposures to environmental toxins. Then you don't need vitamins.

Today, even with our "enriched food," more than 92 percent of Americans are deficient in one or more vitamins. That doesn't mean they are receiving less than the amount they need to get for optimal health. That means they receive less than the MINIMUM amount necessary to prevent deficiency diseases. In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers found that 6 percent of those tested had serious vitamin C deficiency and 30 percent were borderline low. A USDA survey showed that 37 percent of Americans don't get enough vitamin C, 70 percent not enough vitamin E, almost 75 percent don't get enough zinc, and 40 percent don't get enough iron. I would say that 100 percent of us don't have enough of the basic nutrients to create optimal health or give ourselves a metabolic tune up.

Read more on TOP READS on the value of supplementing! J

AND, FINALLY....WHAT ABOUT GERD???

TWO (2) things:

A reference on the link between the use of GERD Medications and Cancer

Relieve GERD, Get Cancer (Arch Surg)

CONCLUSIONS: Medically treated patients with mild or absent GERD symptoms have significantly higher odds of adenocarcinogenesis compared with medically treated patients with severe GERD symptoms. This finding may explain the failure of the current screening paradigm in which the threshold for primary endoscopic examination is based on symptom severity.

A few links below under WHAT'S HAPPENIN'" to my responses on Dr. Oz's Sharecare relating to GERD.

 WHAT'S HAPPENIN' AT THE CLINIC????????

A LOT!

1.    NEXT HEALTH FORUM: OCTOBER 6^th at 6:15pm

Join me and a community of like-minded individuals in an interactive and engaging discussion about the latest topics and issues in integrative, alternative, conventional, and natural medicine. Find out more here.

2.    SHARCARE: GOT GERD?

Follow my latest answers and blogs as a featured expert on Dr. Oz's Sharecare relating to:

·         What you should know about PPIs before taking them.

·         What to do if your prescriptions aren't working.

3.    WOMEN AND MEDICINE: PREVENTION HIGHLIGHTED

Click the link on my homepage to learn about new strategies to increase supportive and preventative care for women. (Issued from the Institute of Medicine).

4.    

W  WHAT ELSE IS ON MY HOMEPAGE?

As usual, I'm always adding new resources to my homepage, so you all have a one stop shop of referrals. Here are some highlights:

  Organic Consumers

·         Organic Trade Association (OTA)

·         Personal Care Products-Don't Put that on Your Face

·         Produce: How Dirty is Yours?

·         Soy Summary 2

 VACCINE RESOURCES:

·         Do Vaccines Work?(The Atlantic)

·         Flu Vaccine Pros and Cons

·         Gardasil and Menctra

·         Hepatitis B Vaccine Side Effects Study

.........UNTIL WE READ AGAIN! J

THE HEART & SOCIAL CONNECTION: HEART ATTACKS & AUTISM

Do you find it as intriguing as I do that the number one cause of deaths in our country , heart disease, is linked to social isolation while the rise in diseases that create social interaction obstacles, such as Alzheimer's and Autism, are becoming more predominant?  Society is changing how we interact, not just through technology and smart phones, but by the environmental and lifestyle choices it presents to mediate our decisions to stay connected, and hence, affect our health.

I do not wish to downplay the importance of diet, genetics, and environmental factors. I'll get to that later. Let me ask you this though: Is the solution to our chronic disease patterns truly a pill to block cholesterol or acetylcholine, or to give our children stimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics? Furthermore, on another note, is it truly related to just one environmental factor? Let's consider the difference here in correlation and causation.

READ MORE HERE

UPDATES:

1. NEW LINKS & RESOURCES ON MY HOMEPAGE

Vaccination Resources

Autism Links

Gluten Free Society

2. LEARN HOW TO BE AN EMPOWERED PATIENT

On her latest Hayhouse Radio Show, Dr. Northrup, discusses how to be an empowered patient. Follow the Hayhouse link on my homepage and find Elizabeth Cohen's book on my recommended reading list

3. ESSENTIAL OIL HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

ALERTNESS: 

Information compiled by Elizabeth Hammond (EODR, Essential Science Publishing)

Essential oils can improve thinking by carrying oxygen to the brain and stimulating brain centers. Fragrances have the power to affect mood, emotions, and our impressions of the people and places around us. Scents can be comforting, enticing, exciting, or depressing and unpleasant. The sense of smell has the ability to cleanse and heal the brain improving mental focus and productivity.

Therapeutic-grade essential oils can be an invaluable for cleansing toxins and heavy metals, such as aluminum, that lodge in the brain and contribute to memory loss and Alzheimer's.

Therapeutic-grade essential oils also trigger areas in the brain (e.g., the amygdala) that relate to the emotions - the parts of the brain that store trauma and pleasure, as well as memory. This is why essential oil therapy assists the release of fears and outdated belief systems. It also explains why smelling the same oil while studying and then while taking an exam helps with recall of information.

Essential oils can improve thinking by carrying oxygen to the brain and stimulating brain centers.

Fragrances have the power to affect mood, emotions, and our impressions of the people and places around us. Scents can be comforting, enticing, exciting, or depressing and unpleasant. The sense of smell has the ability to cleanse and heal the brain improving mental focus and productivity.

Therapeutic-grade essential oils can be an invaluable for cleansing toxins and heavy metals, such as aluminum, that lodge in the brain and contribute to memory loss and Alzheimer's. Therapeutic-grade essential oils also trigger areas in the brain (e.g., the amygdala) that relate to the emotions - the parts of the brain that store trauma and pleasure, as well as memory. This is why essential oil therapy assists the release of fears and outdated belief systems. It also explains why smelling the same oil while studying and then while taking an exam helps with recall of information.

4. STAY TUNED FOR AUGUST TOP READS NEXT WEEK:

Here's a sneak peak:

FOOD AND DIABETES:

CONCLUSIONS--Consumption of green leafy vegetables and fruit was associated with a lower hazard of diabetes, whereas consumption of fruit juices may be associated with an increased hazard among women.

(Remember, fruit juice is high in fructose, a sweetener that breaks down to fat in the body, even more than sugar!)

5. NEXT HEALTH FORUM: OCTOBER 6^th at 6:15pm

From the presses:  

Naturopathic Doctor & Functional Medicine Practitioner, Sarah LoBisco, will be hosting her 4th Integrative Health Forum this October.  Dr. LoBisco's vision is to continue to build a supportive and interactive community for health conscious individuals who are interested in integrative and natural medicine.

She views her role as a mediator and as a sounding board for feedback, from a Naturopathic and Functional Medicine perceptive. Dr. LoBisco's forum will continue the theme of open discussion. With her integrative approach and enthusiasm to provide the best possible care for each individual, Dr. LoBisco hopes to spread the Naturopathic Philosophy of treating the whole person with her forum series. "One needs to feel supported and be part of community to not just be absent of disease, but to thrive," she says.

6. MORE ANSWERS AND BLOGS ON SHARECARE

Follow my latest answers and blogs as a featured expert on Dr. Oz's Sharecare

7. PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE FOR WOMEN: IOM STEPS UP TO THE PLATE

Read about the new strategies of preventative health care for women on my homepage.

The greatest risk of administering to your own face is that your work is visible and your skin can be damaged with improper care.

I. Inflammation: Friend or Foe??

Find out in my latest blog.

Here's an excerpt:

In a previous blog, I discussed the process of inflammation, how it contributes to disease processes, and various natural methods on how to turn it down naturally. I also discussed how inflammation in one area of the body affects distant areas. Specifically, how inflammation in the digestive track leaks into the body and settles in joints, organs, and the brain.  However, let me caution you before you start shouting curse words at inflammation. It is not the bad guy it's marketed to be. As a Naturopathic and functional medical practitioner, I have to consider the purpose and cause of symptoms, including inflammation.  

The key point of this article is to show that although inflammation is suffering from a bad rap as the cause of all the modern woes, it's not a good idea to completely shut it down. Politics aside, in the body, moderation is truly the key, especially with quenching out the fire of inflammation.

Inflammation does serve a purpose; it is the body's action response when there is an invader or trauma to the system.

1. My latest Blog is posted!

Learn More about the Mind-Mood-Food-Weight Connection 

Here's an excerpt:

I wrote in a previous blog how the brain can become addicted to food, just like any other substance. Recent evidence is that food is not just about nutrients or calories, but about programming our body for health. In his recent article, Dr. Hyman explains the connection:

Food literally talks to our genes. Food is not just a source of calories, it is also a source of INFORMATION.

The key is to send the right information to your genes by eating whole, real, food -- mostly plants. Specific nutrients or plant compounds bind to receptors in cells, translating messages from the foods we eat or vitamins we take in into instructions that are carried out by our cells through their effect on our DNA.

One study looked at the connection between mood, health, and nutrients. The authors found that fish oil reduced anxiety and also suppressed inflammation in the body. This makes sense considering that fatty acids are vital components involved in brain functioning, neurotransmitter signaling, and controlling inflammatory processes.

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