Alternative Medicine Review back issues from March 2004:
A patented double dilemma.(Editorial)(Editorial)
Mar 01, 2004; ... It was midnight, and I was still searching a site for the "black box." I never thought finding something that could save numerous lives would turn into such a difficult task. The black box I was searching websites for was not of the airplane variety, but the one that should be on the ...
Nutrients and Botanicals for Erectile Dysfunction: Examining the Evidence.
Mar 01, 2004; ... Abstract Erectile dysfunction effects 50 percent of men ages 40-70 in the United States and is considered an important public health problem by the National Institutes of Health. Consumers are exposed to a plethora of natural products claiming to restore erection and sexual ...
Therapeutic Applications of Citicoline for Stroke and Cognitive Dysfunction in the Elderly: a Review of the Literature.
Mar 01, 2004; ... Abstract Citicoline (CDP-choline; cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine), a form of the essential nutrient choline, shows promise of clinical efficacy in elderly patients with cognitive deficits, inefficient memory, and early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Citicoline has also been ...
The Role of Chronic Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disease and its Regulation by Nutrients.
Mar 01, 2004; ... Abstract Multiple risk markers for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease act in a synergistic way through inflammatory pathways. This article discusses some of the key inflammatory biochemical risk markers for cardiovascular disease; in particular, the role of three basic ...
Petasites hybridus (butterbur root) extract in the treatment of asthma--an open trial.(Original Research)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Abstract The efficacy and tolerability of a butterbur root extract (Petadolex[R]) for the treatment of asthma was analyzed in a prospective, nonrandomized, open trial. Subjects included 64 adults and 16 children/adolescents treated for two months with the extract, followed by ...
Blocking carbohydrate absorption and weight loss: a clinical trial using phase 2[TM] brand proprietary fractionated white bean extract.(Original Research)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Abstract Background: Phase 2[TM] starch neutralizer brand bean extract product ("Phase 2") is a water-extract of a common white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) that has been shown in vitro to inhibit the digestive enzyme alpha-amylase. Inhibiting this enzyme may prevent the digestion ...
Corrections to Bovine Colostrums: a review of clinical uses; Alternative Medicine Review 2003;8(4):378-394.(Correction Notice)
Mar 01, 2004 ... The following credits were inadvertently omitted: Figure 1. Adapted from: Ebina T, Sato A, Umezu K, et al. Treatment of multiple sclerosis with anti-measles cow colostrum. Med ...
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).(Monograph)
Mar 01, 2004 ... Introduction Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is an important conditionally essential fatty acid (EFA). GLA is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), The fatty acid molecule is comprised of 18 carbon atoms with three double bonds. It is also known as 18:3n-6: ...
Bacopa monniera.(Monograph)
Mar 01, 2004 ... Introduction Bacopa monniera, also referred to as Bacopa monnieri, Herpestis monniera, water hyssop, and "Brahmi," has been used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine for centuries. Traditionally, it was used as a brain tonic to enhance memory development, learning, and ...
Clinical Botanical Medicine.(Book Review)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Clinical Botanical Medicine Eric Yarnell, ND, RH; Kathy Abascal, BS, JD; Carol G. Hooper, MD, MPH Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Larchmont, NY http://liebertpub.com ISBN 0-913113-95-6 Hard Cover; 418 pgs, $99.00 The prescribing and dispensing information compiled between the covers of ...
Long-term citicoline (cytidine diphosphate choline) use in patients with vascular dementia: neuroimaging and neuropsychological outcomes.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Cohen RA, Browndyke JN, Moser DJ, et al. Cerebrovasc Dis 2003:16:199-204. BACKGROUND: Cytidine diphosphate choline (citicoline) has been previously shown to have efficacy in reducing the functional impairments associated with acute stroke. Citicoline is thought to have ...
Reduced risk of Alzheimer disease in users of antioxidant vitamin supplements: the Cache County study.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Zandi PP, Anthony JC, Khachaturian AS, et al. Arch Neurol 2004:61:82-88. BACKGROUND: Antioxidants may protect the aging brain against oxidative damage associated with pathological changes of Alzheimer disease (AD). OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between antioxidant ...
Butterbur, a herbal remedy, confers complementary anti-inflammatory activity in asthmatic patients receiving inhaled corticosteroids.(Abstracts)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Lee D, Haggart K, Robb F, Lipworth B. Clin Exp Allergy 2004;34:110-114. BACKGROUND: The effects of butterbur (BB), a herbal remedy, as add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids in patients with atopic asthma is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effects of BB, given ...
The citrus-derived flavonoid naringenin exerts uterotrophic effects in female mice at human relevant doses.(Abstracts)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Breinholt VM, Svendsen GW, Dragsted LO, Hossaini A. Pharmacol Toxicol 2004:94:30-36. Garage administration of the citrus flavonoid naringenin, 3',4,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavanon for 4 consecutive days, to immature female mice (postnatal day 17-20) at 4 or 100 mg/kg b.wt ....
Helicobacter pylori eradication to prevent gastric cancer in a high-risk region of China: a randomized controlled trial.(Abstracts)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Wong BC, Lam SK, Wong WM, et al. JAMA 2004;291 187-194. CONTEXT: Although chronic Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with gastric cancer, the effect of H pylori treatment on prevention of gastric cancer development in chronic carriers is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine ...
Vitamin D intake and incidence of multiple sclerosis.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Munger KL, Zhang SM, O'Reilly E. et al. Neurology 2004;62:60-65. BACKGROUND: A protective effect of vitamin D on risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been proposed, but no prospective studies have addressed this hypothesis. METHODS: Dietary vitamin D retake was examined directly ...
Grape seed extract inhibits advanced human prostate tumor growth and angiogenesis and upregulates insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3.(Abstracts)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Singh RP, Tyagi AK, Dhanalakshmi S, et al. Int J Cancer 2004:108:733-740. Dietary intake of many fruits and vegetables has been shown to be associated with reduced risk of cancer. We investigated the in vivo efficacy of grape seed extract (GSE, patented as Traconol) against ...
Melatonin in patients with reduced REM sleep duration: two randomized controlled trials.(Abstracts)(Rapid-eye-movement)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Kunz D, Mahlberg R, Muller C. et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004;89:128-134. Recent data suggest that melatonin may influence human physiology, including the sleep-wake cycle, in a time-dependent manner via the body's internal clock. Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep expression is ...
Dietary pectin and calcium inhibit colonic proliferation in vivo by differing mechanisms.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Umar S, Morris AR Kourouma F, Sellin JH. Cell Prolif 2003:36:361-375. Diet plays an important role in promoting and/or preventing colon cancer; however, the effects of specific nutrients remain uncertain because of the difficulties in correlating epidemiological and basic ...
Clinical efficacy of kava extract WS((R)) 1490 in sleep disturbances associated with anxiety disorders. Results of a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Lehrl S. J Affect Disord 2004:78: 101-110. BACKGROUND: The aim of the present trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of kava special extract WS((R)) 1490 in patients with sleep disturbances associated with anxiety, tension and restlessness states of non-psychotic ...
Statins lower plasma and lymphocyte ubiquinol/ubiquinone without affecting other antioxidants and PUFA.(Abstracts)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Passi S, Stancato A, Aleo E, et al. Biofactors 2003; 18:113-124. It has been shown that treating hypercholesterolemic patients (HPC) with statins leads to a decrease, at least in plasma, not only in cholesterol, but also in important non-sterol compounds such as ubiquinone ...
Plasma levels of antioxidant vitamins C and E are decreased in vascular parkinsonism.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Paraskevas GP, Kapaki E, Petropoulou O, et al. J Neurol Sci 2003:215:51-55. Oxidative stress is an important mechanism of cell death in Parkinson's disease (PD) and brain ischemia. Vitamins C, E and A are important antioxidants and deficiency of these agents has been implicated ...
Friedreich's ataxia: disease mechanisms, antioxidant and coenzyme Q10 therapy.(Abstracts)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Cooper JM, Schapira AH, Biofactors 2003;18:163-171. Mitochondria clearly play a central role in the pathogenesis of Friedreich's ataxia. The most common genetic abnormality results in the deficiency of the protein frataxin, which is targeted to the mitochondrion. Research since ...
Treatment of anxiety, tension and restlessness states with kava special extract WS 1490 in general practice: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind multicenter trial.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Gastpar M. Klimm HD. Phytomedicine 2003:10:631-639. The efficacy and tolerability of 150 mg/d kava special extract WS 1490 were investigated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind multicenter study in patients suffering from neurotic anxiety (DSM-III-R diagnoses ...
Glucosamine: a review of its use in the management of osteoarthritis.(Abstracts)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Matheson AJ, Perry CM. Drugs Aging 2003;20:1041-1060. Glucosamine occurs naturally in all human tissues. It stimulates the synthesis of glycosaminoglycan, proteoglycan and hyaluronic acid, although the precise mechanism of action remains to be established. Formulated as ...
Preeclampsia is associated with a decrease in plasma coenzyme Q10 levels.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Teran E, Racines-Orbe M, Vivero S, et al. Free Radio Biol Med 2003:35: 1453-1456. Preeclampsia is a common (approximately 7% of all pregnancies) disorder of human pregnancy in which the normal hemodynamic response to pregnancy is compromised. Despite many years of intensive ...
Liver function test abnormalities in users of aqueous kava extracts.(Abstracts)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Clough AR, Bailie RS, Currie B. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 2003;41:821-829. INTRODUCTION: Hepatic toxicity from manufactured herbal remedies that contain kava lactones has been reported in Europe, North America, and Australia. There is no evidence for serious liver damage in ...
No influence of melatonin on cerebral blood flow in humans.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... van der Helm-van Mil AH, van Someren EJ, van den Boom R, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2003:88:5989-5994. Melatonin has been attributed a role in a number of physiological processes. Changes in distal skin temperature and blood pressure after intake of melatonin suggest that ...
Induction of insulin secretion by a component of Urtica dioica leave extract in perifused Islets of Langerhans and its in vivo effects in normal and streptozotocin diabetic rats.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Farzami B, Ahmadvand D, Vardasbi S, et al. J Ethnopharmacol 2003;89:47-53. The blood glucose lowering effect of Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle) as a medicinal plaint has been noted in old writings such as those of Avicenna. Recently, there has also been other investigators that ...
A combination effect of epigallocatechin gallate, a major compound of green tea catechins, with antibiotics on Helicobacter pylori growth in vitro.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Yanagawa Y, Yamamoto Y, Hara Y, Shimamura T. Curt Microbiol 2003:47:244-249. Since green teat catechins are known to have antimicrobial activity against a variety of microorganisms, their possible effects on Helicobacter pylori in combination with antibiotics were examined. ...
Effect of a standardized grape seed extract on low-density lipoprotein susceptibility to oxidation in heavy smokers.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Vigna GB, Costantini F, Aldini G, et al. Metabolism 2003;52:1250-1257. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of a standardized formulation of a polyphenolic extract of grapes (Leucoselect-Phytosome [LP]) on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) susceptibility to oxidation in a ...
Enteral feeding of premature infants with Saccharomyces boulardii.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Costalos C, Skouteri V, Gounaris A, et al. Early Hum Dev 2003;74:89-96. BACKGROUND: Saccharomyces boulardii (SB) is a yeast that acts both as a probiotic and as a polyamine producer. Probiotics prevent the overgrowth of pathogens in the gut while polyamines enhance intestinal ...
Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate as a novel weapon against autoimmunity and transplant rejection.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Namazi MR. FASEB J 2003;17:2184-2186. Activation of CD4 T cells by antigen-presenting cells is required for the full expression of most autoimmune diseases and allogeneic transplant rejection. The extracellular part of CD4 molecule is composed of four domains, D1-D4. CD4 binds ...
Oral alpha-tocopherol supplementation inhibits lipid oxidation in established human atherosclerotic lesions.(Abstracts)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Carpenter KL, Kirkpatrick PJ, Weissberg P, et al. Free Radio Res 2003:37:1235-1244. BACKGROUND: Much experimental evidence suggests that lipid oxidation is important in atherogenesis and in epidemiological studies dietary antioxidants appear protective against cardiovascular ...
Use of cod liver oil during the first year of life is associated with lower risk of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes: a large, population-based, case-control study.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Stene LC, Joner G; Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Study Group. Am J Clin Nutr 2003:78:1128-1134. BACKGROUND: In Norway, cod liver oil is an important source of dietary vitamin D and the long-chain n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, all of which have ...
Thiamine deficiency in congestive heart failure patients receiving long term furosemide therapy.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Zenuk C, Healey, J, Donnelly J, et al. Can J Clin Pharmacol 2003;10:184-188. OBJECTIVE: To assess the presence of thiamine deficiency in congestive heart failure patients receiving furosemide therapy. DESIGN: Prospective, biochemical analysis of thiamine status was performed in ...
Vitamin E and vitamin C treatment improves fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.(Abstracts)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Harrison SA, Torgerson S, Hayashi P, et al. Am J Gastroenterol 2003:98:2485-2490. OBJECTIVE: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common cause of liver disease. Although usually indolent, this disease can progress to cirrhosis in some patients. There is currently no proven ...
Reduction of C-reactive protein levels through use of a multivitamin.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2004; ... Church TS, Earnest CP, Wood KA, Kampert JB. Am J Med 2003;115:702-707. PURPOSE: Elevated C-reactive protein levels are associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. We examined whether multivitamins reduce C-reactive protein levels. METHODS: We performed a ...
Calendar of events.(Calendar)
Mar 01, 2004 ... March 17-19, 2004: American Academy of Osteopathy Annual Convocation in Colorado Springs, CO. "The Application of Osteopathic Principles in the Management of Chronic Disease." Contact: AAO, 3500 Depauw Boulevard, Suite 1080, Indianapolis, IN 46268. (317) 879-1881. March 26-30, ...