Category Archives: Uncategorized

Macular Degeneration Not As Scary As Before

Posted on October 25, 2013 | Comments Off on Macular Degeneration Not As Scary As Before

…thanks to science-based research. Science-Based Medicine blog has the poop. A quote:

In my world of treating patients with retinal disease, a revolution has taken place over the past few years. The most aggressive form of macular degeneration has been transformed from a relentlessly progressive, disabling disease to one which can be tamed with medication. Now, patients diagnosed with exudative macular degeneration can expect stablization and even improvement in vision.

It is a story worthy of a Hollywood movie. Start with a reluctant hero; add controversy, Wall Street, politics, and most important of all, a happy ending.

The article is mostly about game-changing VEGF-binding drugs. VEGF = vascular endothelial growth factor. The one I’ve heard most about is Avastin.

Well worth a read if someone you know has age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).

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Endocrine Groups Agree on Healthy Lifestyle and Diet Choices

Posted on October 17, 2013 | Comments Off on Endocrine Groups Agree on Healthy Lifestyle and Diet Choices

MedPageToday has the poop.

Patients may need help managing metabolic and endocrine disorders with healthy eating and lifestyle choices, and now there’s a comprehensive set of clinical guidelines, issued jointly by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Endocrinology, and the Obesity Society, to assist them.

I lost interest when they recommended avoiding saturated fats. There’s no call for that.

All patients, in addition to receiving an education in nutrition and meal preparation, should engage in 150 minutes or more of physical activity weekly, and learn ways to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, receive adequate sleep, and budget time to relax and reduce stress. Patients should also generally consume a mix of animal and plant proteins and carbohydrates. They should reduce the fat consumed with dairy and animal products, and avoid saturated fats.

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Two key recommendations he noted were that healthy eating with a focus on fresh foods — such as fruits and vegetables — was central to a healthy meal plan, and that there was no evidence to support consumption of vitamin supplements except in deficient populations.

Read the rest.

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Alex Jones’ Infowars On the Chase Bank Financial Restrictions

Posted on October 16, 2013 | 1 comment

In a recent post, I shared my concern and puzzlement on Chase Bank limiting my access to money in my small business account. Here’s an excerpt from Infowars:

Chase Bank confirmed to Infowars that all business account holders were being subjected to these new regulations. Given that even a relatively small grocery store or restaurant is likely to turnover more than $50k a month in cash payments, this appears to be part of a wider move to shut down businesses who mainly deal in cash. Chase told us customers would have to upgrade to much more expensive accounts to avoid the capital controls, meaning larger corporations will not be affected. The bottom line is that banks think your money is their money and will do everything in their power to prevent you from withdrawing it in large quantities.

Chase Bank has moved to limit cash withdrawals while banning business customers from sending international wire transfers from November 17 onwards, prompting speculation that the bank is preparing for a looming financial crisis in the United States by imposing capital controls.

Read the whole thing.

I don’t know if the federal government put Chase up to this—in preparation for confiscation or a banking collapse—or if it’s just a bad decision within Chase.

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You Must Consider Low-Carb Eating to Suppress Your GERD

Posted on October 13, 2013 | Comments Off on You Must Consider Low-Carb Eating to Suppress Your GERD

Dr. Michael Eades has a new post on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and it’s treatment with carbohydrate-restricted eating versus drugs. A quote: 

Most people who have GERD, have it for the long term. It’s not something that comes and goes. So these folks go on GERD therapy for the long term, and the most prescribed medications for long-term GERD treatment are PPIs, which, you now know, keep stomach acid neutralized for the long term, and, as you might imagine, creates a host of problems.

The scientific literature has shown long-term PPI therapy to be related to the following conditions:

  • Anemia
  • Pneumonia
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Impaired calcium absorption
  • Impaired magnesium absorption
  • Increased rate fractures, especially hip, wrist and spine
  • Osteopenia [thin brittle bones]
  • Rebound effect of extra-heavy gastric acid secretion
  • Heart attacks

Read the rest if you or someone you love has GERD.

Here’s a scientific report supporting Dr. Eades’ clinical experience. Carbs were reduced to 20 grams a day.

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Should You Bank Your Child’s Umbilical Cord Blood?

Posted on October 11, 2013 | Comments Off on Should You Bank Your Child’s Umbilical Cord Blood?

I don’t know. I’ve never seriously considered it. But Clay Jones at Science-Based Medicine has.

A fairly recent addition to the long list of choices that [new] parents are burdened with, thanks to a push from reputable organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as private companies looking to turn a profit, is what to do with the blood in their newborn infant’s umbilical cord.

Currently the most commonly-chosen option remains to simply leave it in there. In that case, it will be discarded along with the mother’s placenta or even occasionally eaten although that is a topic for another post perhaps. Another option is to have blood from the umbilical cord donated to a public cord blood bank. These have been popping up all over the place and public banking is currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics whenever possible. The final option, which is by far the most controversial (and expensive), is paying to have the umbilical cord blood banked privately for personal use by the donating child or a family member.

Read the whole enchilada.

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“Peanut Butter Alzheimer’s Test Not Passing the Sniff Test”

Posted on October 11, 2013 | Comments Off on “Peanut Butter Alzheimer’s Test Not Passing the Sniff Test”

Ivan Oranksy has the details at MedPageToday. Good headline!

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Read This If You Worry About Mercury In Fish

Posted on October 9, 2013 | Comments Off on Read This If You Worry About Mercury In Fish
Ughh

Ughh

An article at ScienceDaily suggests concern about mercury poisoning from fish consumption is overblown. Fish didn’t contribute much at all to blood mercury levels in pregnant UK women. Fatty cold-water fish are good source of omega-3 fatty acids that are linked to health of mom and her spawn. But they also contain mercury. A snippet:

Speaking about the findings, the report’s main author, Professor Jean Golding OBE, said:

‘We were pleasantly surprised to find that fish contributes such a small amount (only seven per cent) to blood mercury levels. We have previously found that eating fish during pregnancy has many health benefits for both mother and child. We hope many more women will now consider eating more fish during pregnancy. It is important to stress, however, that pregnant women need a mixed balanced diet. They should include fish with other dietary components that are beneficial including fruit and vegetables.’

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What About Cancer Treatment Centers of America?

Posted on October 9, 2013 | Comments Off on What About Cancer Treatment Centers of America?

Since watching some of their TV ads, I’ve had doubts about CTCA. Dr. David Gorski took the time to do his own investigation of them. Let’s just say he’s not a raving fan. A quote:

In many ways, CTCA is the very epitome of “integrative medicine,” and I don’t mean that in a good way. (Actually, there is no good way to be the epitome of “integrative medicine,” which “integrates” pseudoscience and quackery with real medicine.) Then, late last year, it was revealed that Richard Stephenson, the founder of CTCA, is also one of the primary funding sources for Freedom Works, a right-wing Tea Party organization that was a major player in the 2012 elections. It was an interesting little tidbit in that it is yet another reminder that the tendency towards medical woo is not limited to the stereotypical crunchy granola-eating left wing fringe.

I have no reason to doubt any of Dr. Gorski’s points.

Read the whole enchilada. You’ll also see mention of PBS’s infomercials for Daniel Amen and Mark Hyman.

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London 2012 Olympic Athletes Had Worse Teeth Than Average, Perhaps Due to High Carbohydrate Consumption

Posted on September 30, 2013 | Comments Off on London 2012 Olympic Athletes Had Worse Teeth Than Average, Perhaps Due to High Carbohydrate Consumption

BBC has the story:

The beaming smiles of gold-medal winners Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah are some of the defining memories of London 2012.

But a team at University College London says many competitors had dental problems.

“Our data and other studies suggest that, for a similar age profile, the oral health of athletes is poor. It’s quite striking,” said lead researcher Prof Ian Needleman.

He said eating large amounts of carbohydrates regularly, including sugary energy drinks, was damaging teeth.

Impaired immune system function associated with hard training may also play a role.

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