Posted onFebruary 24, 2022|Comments Off on COVID-19 Link Dump: Did the Queen Take Ivermectin? COVID as STI, Long COVID Risk Factors, Ivermectin Failure?
Is O2 saturation of 80-85% good enough without intubating some folks? 91 = heart rate.
Oral ivermectin 400 mcg/kg daily for five days did not prevent progression to severe disease, defined as a requirement of supplemental oxygen at achieve oxygen saturation of at least 95%. The study included ~250 folks on ivermectin versus the “standard care” comparison group. The definition of an adequate oxygen saturation level is a matter of debate among physician experts. Where I work, you’re generally not going to be admitted to the hospital or given supplemental oxygen if your O2 sat is under 92. Other physicians or institutions worry if your O2 sat is 94% or less, and define “severe” COVID-19 as having an O2 sat 94% or less.
The study authors conclude: In this randomized clinical trial of high-risk patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, ivermectin treatment during early illness did not prevent progression to severe disease. The study findings do not support the use of ivermectin for patients with COVID-19.
Posted onFebruary 23, 2022|Comments Off on Yet Another Study Supports the Life-Preserving Effect of the Mediterranean Diet
Cardiovascular diseases include heart attacks and strokes. Those are major killers. So it’s good to know about dietary habits that counteract the threat.
Examining a variety of diet quality methodologies will inform best practice use of diet quality indices for assessing all-cause and CVD [cardiovascular disease] mortality.
Objective
To examine the association between three diet quality indices (Australian Dietary Guideline Index, DGI; Dietary Inflammatory Index, DII; Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, MIND) and risk of all-cause mortality, CVD mortality and non-fatal CVD events up to 19 years later.Design
Data on 10,009 adults (51.8 years; 52% female) from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study were used. A food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate DGI, DII and MIND at baseline. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CI of all-cause mortality, CVD mortality and non-fatal CVD events (stroke; myocardial infarction) according to 1 SD increase in diet quality, adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking, physical activity, energy intake, history of stroke or heart attack, and diabetes and hypertension status.Results
Deaths due to all-cause (n = 1,955) and CVD (n = 520), and non-fatal CVD events (n = 264) were identified during mean follow-ups of 17.7, 17.4 and 9.6 years, respectively. For all-cause mortality, HRs associated with higher DGI, DII and MIND were 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89, 0.99), 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.15) and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.89, 0.98), respectively. For CVD mortality, HRs associated with higher DGI, DII and MIND were 0.93 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.99), 1.10 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.24) and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.82, 0.98), respectively. There was limited evidence of associations between diet quality and non-fatal CVD events.Conclusions
Better quality diet predicted lower risk of all-cause and CVD mortality in Australian adults, while a more inflammatory diet predicted higher mortality risk. These findings highlight the applicability of following Australian dietary guidelines, a Mediterranean style diet and a low-inflammatory diet for the reduction of all-cause and CVD mortality risk.
Posted onFebruary 14, 2022|Comments Off on Low-Calorie Mediterranean Diet May Healthier Than High-Protein Non-Mediterranean?
One of many ketogenic salads
Researchers compared three low-calorie diets and concluded that the Mediterranean option was the healthiest. The study at hand today is way too small to be considered anything but a pilot study. So results may not be replicable on a larger scale. I’d like to know how compliant study subjects were with the protocol, because 700 calories a day for six weeks is quite a challenge.
Comparison of short-term hypocaloric high-protein diets with a hypocaloric Mediterranean diet: Effect on body composition and health-related blood markers in overweight and sedentary young participants
Highlights
A hypocaloric Mediterranean diet provides all the necessary nutrients.
The hypocaloric Mediterranean diet reduces body mass and fat mass and maintains fat-free mass.
The hypocaloric Mediterranean diet is beneficial on metabolic and inflammation/muscle- damage indices.
Hypocaloric high-protein diets with and without whey supplementation reduce body mass and fat-free mass but not fat mass.
Hypocaloric high-protein diets with and without whey supplementation are adverse on metabolic and inflammation/muscle-damage indices
Abstract
Objectives
The aim of the present study was to compare the short-term effects of a hypocaloric Mediterranean diet and two high protein diets, with and without whey protein supplementation, on body composition, lipidemic profile, and inflammation and muscle-damage blood indices in overweight, sedentary, young participants.
Methods
Thirty-three young, overweight, male and female participants (mean ± SD age: 22.8 ± 4.8 y; body mass: 85.5 ± 10.2 kg; body fat percentage: 34.3% ± 8.1%) were randomly allocated to three different hypocaloric (−700 kcal/d) diets: a Mediterranean diet (MD; n = 10), a high-protein diet (HP; n = 10) diet, and a high-protein diet with whey supplementation (n = 10). The intervention lasted 6 wk. Body composition and biochemical indices were evaluated 1 wk before and after the nutritional interventions.
Results
Body and fat mass were decreased in the MD and HP groups (−3.5% ± 1.1% and −5.9% ± 4.2% for body and fat mass respectively in MD, and −1.7% ± 1.2% and −2.0% ± 1.8% for body and fat mass respectively in HP;P < 0.05), with no significant decline of fat-free mass observed in the MD group. The MD group’s diet beneficially altered the lipid profile (P < 0.05), but the HP and HPW groups’ diets did not induce significant changes. Subclinical inflammation and muscle-damage indices significantly increased in the HP and HPW groups (7.4% ± 3.5% and 66.6% ± 40.1% for neutrophils and CRP respectively in HP, and 14.3% ± 6.4% and 266.6% ± 55.1% for neutrophils and CRP respectively in HPW; P < 0.05) but decreased in the MD group (1.8% ± 1.2% and −33.3% ± 10.1% for neutrophils and CRP respectivelyc; P < 0.05). Energy intake of carbohydrates and proteins were significantly related to the changes in body composition and biochemical blood markers (r = −0.389 and −0.889; P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Among the three hypocaloric diets, only the Mediterranean diet induced positive changes in body composition and metabolic profile in overweight, sedentary individuals.
I’ve got to get something off my chest, so buckle up for an overdue rant.
I can’t begin to describe the disdain and contempt I have for highly-credentialed MD’s with large platforms who are suddenly jumping on the Team Reality about COVID-19.
…
If we are getting out of this mess it won’t be due to MDs. They’ve abdicated their roles because most no longer are in practice for themselves and must rely on CMS [Medicare] dollars. Whoever pays the salary makes the rules.
It’s not only “highly-credentialed MD’s” who deserve disdain and contempt.
It’s not just a list. Steve tells you why they made the cut. See also his list of top corporate misinformation spreaders, if you dare. The article is a concise summary of who’s to blame for the mismanagement of this pandemic. (Or was it managed precisely how our overlords wanted it?)
“Your neighbor reported you for dissing Fauci! On your knees NOW, kulak!” Photo by Somchai Kongkamsri on Pexels.com
The United States remains in a heightened threat environment fueled by several factors, including an online environment filled with false or misleading narratives and conspiracy theories, and other forms of mis- dis- and mal-information (MDM) introduced and/or amplified by foreign and domestic threat actors. These threat actors seek to exacerbate societal friction to sow discord and undermine public trust in government institutions to encourage unrest, which could potentially inspire acts of violence. Mass casualty attacks and other acts of targeted violence conducted by lone offenders and small groups acting in furtherance of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances pose an ongoing threat to the nation. While the conditions underlying the heightened threat landscape have not significantly changed over the last year, the convergence of the following factors has increased the volatility, unpredictability, and complexity of the threat environment: (1)the proliferation of false or misleading narratives, which sow discord or undermine public trust in U.S. government institutions; (2) continued calls for violence directed at U.S. critical infrastructure; soft targets and mass gatherings; faith-based institutions, such as churches, synagogues, and mosques; institutions of higher education; racial and religious minorities; government facilities and personnel, including law enforcement and the military; the media; and perceived ideological opponents; and (3) calls by foreign terrorist organizations for attacks on the United States based on recent events.
#1 among factors contributing to heightened threat risk:
The proliferation of false or misleading narratives, which sow discord or undermine public trust in U.S. government institutions:
For example, there is widespread online proliferation of false or misleading narratives regarding unsubstantiated widespread election fraud and COVID-19. Grievances associated with these themes inspired violent extremist attacks during 2021. [Huh?]
Thank God the threat expires at 1400 hrs June 7, 2022. How will I ever sleep at night until then.
Never forget, comrades, that our governments and gov’t institutions can do no wrong. So don’t criticize them or you may be visited by the FBI. Or worse.
Are you willing to consider that most everything you learned about Abe Lincoln in school is wrong? Or would that be too mind-blowing? Reading Ilana Mercer’s article be the start of your red-pilling adventure:
Today is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Familiar Lincoln idolaters will gather to celebrate the birth, on Feb. 12, 1809, of the 16th President of the United States, and finesse his role in “the butchering business”—to use Prof. J. R. Pole’s turn-of-phrase. Court historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is sure to make a media appearance to extol the virtues of the president who shed the blood of brothers in great quantities, and urged into existence the “American System” of taxpayer-sponsored grants of government privilege to politically connected corporations.
On publication, in 2002, of the book “The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War,” the “Church of Lincoln” gave battle. The enemy was the author, Thomas J. DiLorenzo, who had exposed Lincoln lore for the lie it was — still is. DiLorenzo had dared to examine the “Great Centralizer’s” role in sundering the soul of the American federal system: the sovereignty of the states and the citizenry.
Remember, the victors of war write the history books.
Steve Parker, M.D.
PS: I’ve not studied this aspect of American history in detail. DiLorenzo’s book has been on my “to be read” list for 15 years. One of these days….
Posted onJanuary 30, 2022|Comments Off on COVID-19 Link Dump: Rapid Diagnostic Tests, Ivermectin Works, Vax Adverse Effects, Life Insurance Doesn’t Pay for Suicide, Senator Johnson’s COVID-19 Panel, Kirsch Interviews Healthcare Workers
Do some nurses really call remdesivir, “run, death is near”?
Many drugstores and others in the U.S. are now selling over-the-counter home testing kits for “diagnosis” of COVID-19. My wife brought home a sack full of them (Flowflex made in China) for ~$8 a pop. Three months ago, CVS was selling a home test kit for $40. The Flexflow box said it was “accurate,” but not how accurate. How should these and other “rapid” diagnostic tests be used? Dr Paul Drain offers advice in NEJM: Rapid Diagnostic Testing for SARS-CoV-2
This is not easy reading unless you’re smart or have medical background.
Prophylactic ivermectin significantly reduced infections, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19 in Brazil. But that would never work here, right?
Background: Ivermectin has demonstrated different mechanisms of action that potentially protect from both coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and COVID-19-related comorbidities. Based on the studies suggesting efficacy in prophylaxis combined with the known safety profile of ivermectin, a citywide prevention program using ivermectin for COVID-19 was implemented in Itajaí, a southern city in Brazil in the state of Santa Catarina. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of regular ivermectin use on subsequent COVID-19 infection and mortality rates.
In the absence of contraindications, ivermectin was offered as an optional treatment to be taken for two consecutive days every 15 days at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg/day.
Results: Of the 223,128 citizens of Itajaí considered for the study, a total of 159,561 subjects were included in the analysis: 113,845 (71.3%) regular ivermectin users and 45,716 (23.3%) non-users. Of these, 4,311 ivermectin users were infected, among which 4,197 were from the city of Itajaí (3.7% infection rate), and 3,034 non-users (from Itajaí) were infected (6.6% infection rate), with a 44% reduction in COVID-19 infection rate (risk ratio [RR], 0.56; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.53-0.58; p < 0.0001). Using PSM, two cohorts of 3,034 subjects suffering from COVID-19 infection were compared. The regular use of ivermectin led to a 68% reduction in COVID-19 mortality (25 [0.8%] versus 79 [2.6%] among ivermectin non-users; RR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.20-0.49; p < 0.0001). When adjusted for residual variables, reduction in mortality rate was 70% (RR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.19-0.46; p < 0.0001). There was a 56% reduction in hospitalization rate (44 versus 99 hospitalizations among ivermectin users and non-users, respectively; RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.31-0.63; p < 0.0001). After adjustment for residual variables, reduction in hospitalization rate was 67% (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 023-0.66; p < 0.0001).
Conclusion: In this large PSM study, regular use of ivermectin as a prophylactic agent was associated with significantly reduced COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and mortality rates.
Once Dr David Gorski sees Pierre Kory’s name among the authors, I’m sure he’ll rip this study to shreds.
Don’t forget that the FDA never could have issued Emergency Use Authorizations for vaccines and many current drugs if they admitted there was already a single existing effect therapy or prevention for COVID-19.
Although vaccination is recognized as the cause of death by doctors and the insurance company, it has refused to pay out. The reason is because the side effects of the Corona jabs are known and published. They argue that the deceased took part in an experiment at his own risk.
The insurance company justified the refusal of payment to the family by stating that the use of experimental medication or treatments, including Corona injections, is expressly excluded from the insurance contract. The family’s subsequent lawsuit against the insurance company has been unsuccessful.
The court allegedly justified its ruling as follows: “The side effects of the experimental vaccine are published and the deceased could not claim to have known nothing about it when he voluntarily took the vaccine. There is no law or mandate in France that compelled him to be vaccinated. Hence his death is essentially suicide.” Since suicide is not covered by the policy from the outset, the insurance refuses to budge.
On January 24, 2022 Senator Ron Johnson invited a group of world renowned doctors and medical experts to the U.S. Senate to provide a different perspective on the global pandemic response, the current state of knowledge of early and hospital treatment, vaccine efficacy and safety, what went right, what went wrong, what should be done now, and what needs to be addressed long term. This 38 minute video highlights the 5-hour discussion.
Comments Off on COVID-19 Link Dump: Rapid Diagnostic Tests, Ivermectin Works, Vax Adverse Effects, Life Insurance Doesn’t Pay for Suicide, Senator Johnson’s COVID-19 Panel, Kirsch Interviews Healthcare Workers
Posted onJanuary 27, 2022|Comments Off on Anti-Aging: Glycine and N-acetylcysteine
The following article tempts me to take supplemental glycine and N-acetylcysteine. I also wonder if they would help counteract the cyktokine storm of serious COVID-19.
Cellular increases in oxidative stress (OxS) and decline in mitochondrial function are identified as key defects in aging, but underlying mechanisms are poorly understood and interventions are lacking. Defects linked to OxS and impaired mitochondrial fuel oxidation, such as inflammation, insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction, and aging hallmarks, are present in older humans and are associated with declining strength and cognition, as well as the development of sarcopenic obesity. Investigations on the origins of elevated OxS and mitochondrial dysfunction in older humans led to the discovery that deficiencies of the antioxidant tripeptide glutathione (GSH) and its precursor amino acids glycine and cysteine may be contributory. Supplementation with GlyNAC (combination of glycine and N-acetylcysteine as a cysteine precursor) was found to improve/correct cellular glycine, cysteine, and GSH deficiencies; lower OxS; and improve mitochondrial function, inflammation, insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction, genotoxicity, and multiple aging hallmarks; and improve muscle strength, exercise capacity, cognition, and body composition. This review discusses evidence from published rodent studies and human clinical trials to provide a detailed summary of available knowledge regarding the effects of GlyNAC supplementation on age-associated defects and aging hallmarks, as well as discussing why GlyNAC supplementation could be effective in promoting healthy aging. It is particularly exciting that GlyNAC supplementation appears to reverse multiple aging hallmarks, and if confirmed in a randomized clinical trial, it could introduce a transformative paradigm shift in aging and geriatrics. GlyNAC supplementation could be a novel nutritional approach to improve age-associated defects and promote healthy aging, and existing data strongly support the need for additional studies to explore the role and impact of GlyNAC supplementation in aging.
Mainstream physicians are still hesitant to recommend low-carb diets because they are usually high in fat, potentially with heart-toxic levels of saturated fats. A recent scientific article supported low-carb eating for heart health.
Carbohydrate restriction shows promise for diabetes, but concerns regarding high saturated fat content of low-carbohydrate diets limit widespread adoption.Objectives
This preplanned ancillary study aimed to determine how diets varying widely in carbohydrate and saturated fat affect cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors during weight-loss maintenance.
Methods
After 10–14% weight loss on a run-in diet, 164 participants (70% female; BMI = 32.4 ± 4.8 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to 3 weight-loss maintenance diets for 20 wk. The prepared diets contained 20% protein and differed 3-fold in carbohydrate (Carb) and saturated fat as a proportion of energy (Low-Carb: 20% carbohydrate, 21% saturated fat; Moderate-Carb: 40%, 14%; High-Carb: 60%, 7%). Fasting plasma samples were collected prerandomization and at 20 wk. Lipoprotein insulin resistance (LPIR) score was calculated from triglyceride-rich, high-density, and low-density lipoprotein particle (TRL-P, HDL-P, LDL-P) sizes and subfraction concentrations (large/very large TRL-P, large HDL-P, small LDL-P). Other outcomes included lipoprotein(a), triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, adiponectin, and inflammatory markers. Repeated measures ANOVA was used for intention-to-treat analysis.
Results
Retention was 90%. Mean change in LPIR (scale 0–100) differed by diet in a dose-dependent fashion: Low-Carb (–5.3; 95% CI: –9.2, –1.5), Moderate-Carb (–0.02; 95% CI: –4.1, 4.1), High-Carb (3.6; 95% CI: –0.6, 7.7), P = 0.009. Low-Carb also favorably affected lipoprotein(a) [–14.7% (95% CI: –19.5, –9.5), –2.1 (95% CI: –8.2, 4.3), and 0.2 (95% CI: –6.0, 6.8), respectively; P = 0.0005], triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, large/very large TRL-P, large HDL-P, and adiponectin. LDL cholesterol, LDL-P, and inflammatory markers did not differ by diet.
Conclusions
A low-carbohydrate diet, high in saturated fat, improved insulin-resistant dyslipoproteinemia and lipoprotein(a), without adverse effect on LDL cholesterol. Carbohydrate restriction might lower CVD risk independently of body weight, a possibility that warrants study in major multicentered trials powered on hard outcomes.
Parker here. These findings are no surprise to me.
Steve Parker, M.D.
PS: The Advanced Mediterranean Diet (2nd Ed.) includes a low-carb option.
Posted onJanuary 20, 2022|Comments Off on Mediterranean Ranked Diet #1 Again
Grapes are a time-honored component of the Mediterranean diet
From CNN:
It’s a winning streak that just won’t quit. For the fifth year in a row, the Mediterranean diet was first across the finish line in the annual race for best diet, according to ratings announced Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.
Coming in a close second, in a tie: The DASH diet, which stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension and emphasizes reducing salt intake; and the flexitarian diet, which encourages being a vegetarian most of the time — but is flexible enough to allow a burger once in a while
All three of these diets reduce or eliminate processed foods, and stress packing your plate with fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
I’m surprised they ranked Atkins as the “Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet.” Looks like we’re getting over our collective phobia about saturated fat. “Keto Diet” ranked #4 in that category.
Now that you’ve blown your New Year’s weight-loss resolution, resolve to do better and try one of my diets! February 1 is a good start date.
Advanced Mediterranean Diet 