Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients back issues from April 2005:
Dr. Walter D. Sturm, BEd, DAcu, PhD, HMD: November 23, 1994-July 5, 2004.(In Memoriam)(Obituary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Walter was a big bear of a guy with a heart of gold. "The boss"--he loved life, lived it very full, and has without question left his mark on this planet. He was kind and passionate in a Walter sort of way. He pushed boundaries and accepted challenges, and to paraphrase another famous ...
William Donald Kelley, DDS, MS (1925-2005).(In Memoriam)(Obituary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... William Donald Kelley, DDS, MS, one of the most significant figures in the history of alternative cancer treatments, passed away on January 30, 2005, at the age of 79. The cause of death was congestive heart failure. He had a long history of heart problems, with severe rhythm disturbances, ...
Bone loss & acidity.(Shorts)
Apr 01, 2005; ... In a 1968 article for The Lancet, A. Wachman and D.S. Bernstein proposed the theory that the body draws minerals from the bones to neutralize acid or alkaline challenges to blood pH. Recent studies have indicated support for their theory. The typical Western diet emphasizes acid-forming ...
Bisphosphonate warning.(Shorts)
Apr 01, 2005; ... In December 2004, Novartis released a warning concerning two of its bisphosphonate drugs: Zometa (zoledronic acid) and Aredia (pamidronate disodium). Zometa and Aredia are specifically indicated for cancer-induced hypercalcemia, osteolytic bone metastases, and moderate to severe Paget's ...
Calcium supplements & bioavailability.(Shorts)
Apr 01, 2005; ... In marketing nutritional supplements, manufacturers often promote the superiority of their product by focusing on the supplement's bioavailability and ease of absorption. In a Journal of Nutrition article, Robert P. Heaney, MD, of Creighton University's Osteoporosis Research Center (Omaha, ...
Drug-induced osteoporosis.(Shorts)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Some pharmaceutical drugs are known to cause bone loss. In November 2004, Depo-Provera Contraception Injection became the latest to join the list that also includes glucocorticoid medications, chemotherapy drugs for prostate and breast cancers, and SSRI antidepressants. The new black-box ...
Exercise & osteoporosis.(Shorts)
Apr 01, 2005; ... To create and maintain healthy bones, people must engage in physical activity. Mechanical stress, such as walking, stair climbing, weight-lifting, or hard physical labor, apparently causes calcium phosphate crystals in the bone to produce tiny electric currents. This piezoelectric effect ...
Ipriflavone.(Shorts)(use to treat osteoporosis)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Ipriflavone (7-isopropoxyisoflavone) is a synthetic isoflavone derivative, used as a prescription treatment for osteoporosis in Italy, Japan, Argentina, and other countries. According to research (mostly from overseas), ipriflavone can inhibit bone breakdown, increase osteoblast activity, ...
Nutrition & bone health.(Shorts)
Apr 01, 2005; ... In their article, "Nutrition in Bone Health Revisited: A Story Beyond Calcium" (American College of Nutrition, 2000), Jasminka Z. Ilich, PhD, RD, and Jane E. Kerstetter, PhD, RD, say that the body needs more than calcium and vitamin D to keep bones healthy. Dietary calcium has been shown ...
Bone mineral density & fracture risk.(Shorts)
Apr 01, 2005; ... A commentary in the British Medical Journal that cites a meta-analysis by Deborah Marshall and colleagues highlights some of the problems with using bone mineral density measurements as the sole determinant for antiresorptive therapy. In the meta-analysis (British Medical Journal, 18 May ...
Osteoporosis screening guidelines.(Shorts)(Brief Article)
Apr 01, 2005; ... In September 2002, a US Preventive Services Task Force determined that it had enough clinical data on effective treatments for reducing fracture risk to make its first recommendations concerning osteoporosis screening. An earlier task force, in 1996, found no reason to recommend for or ...
Vitamin K, Crohn's disease, and osteoporosis.(Literature Review & Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Vitamin K status and rate of bone resorption were measured in 44 patients (mean age, 36.9 years; mean disease duration, 10.5 years) with Crohn's disease in clinical remission and 44 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Vitamin K status was determined by measuring the serum concentration ...
Antioxidants: some good news finally.(Literature Review & Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Some 13,017 French men and women (aged 35-60 years) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, a daily nutritional supplement or placebo for a median of 7.5 years. The supplement provided daily 120 mg of ascorbic acid, 30 IU of vitamin E, 6 mg of beta-carotene, 100 mcg of ...
Glutamine for childhood diarrhea.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
Apr 01, 2005; ... One hundred twenty-eight (128) otherwise healthy children (aged 6-24 months; mean, 12.6 months) with acute diarrhea were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, oral glutamine (0.3 g per kg of body weight per day) or placebo for 7 days, in addition to standard therapy. The ...
Vitamin E for hayfever.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
Apr 01, 2005; ... One hundred-twelve people (aged 18-70 years) with seasonal allergic rhinitis were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 800 IU/day of vitamin E or placebo, in addition to their regular anti-allergy treatment, during the pollen season (March through May, 2002). The mean ...
Can eating tomatoes keep you young?(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
Apr 01, 2005; ... A water-soluble, low-molecular-weight fraction from tomato paste, when present at a concentration of 8% of the total incubation mixture, inhibited the formation of advanced glycation end products after incubating protein with either glucose or fructose. The inhibitory effect of the tomato ...
Lithium-induced psoriasis treated with inositol.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Fifteen patients with psoriasis who were taking lithium were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 6 g/day of inositol or placebo for 10 weeks. After a 4-week washout period, each patient received the alternate treatment for an additional 10 weeks. The severity of ...
Saving time and money on colonoscopies.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
Apr 01, 2005; ... People over the age of 50 are advised to undergo periodic colonoscopy, as a screening test for colon cancer. Most people who have a colonoscopy in the United States are sedated for the procedure, whereas in most other countries it is done without sedation. The advantages of a sedation-free ...
Red lenses relieve migraines.(Literature Review & Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Thirty-three patients with a history of migraines associated with photophobia were given specially made red-tinted contact lenses to insert during acute attacks. Thirty-one patients experienced rapid pain relief, of whom 26 had complete relief. For most patients, improvement began within 5 ...
In god we trust, all others show data: a reply to the NCI director's "challenge vision"--Part 2.(The War on Cancer; National Cancer Institute )
Apr 01, 2005; ... Predictions of Cure [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a 2004 article, Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, the director of the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) boldly asserted that cancer would be vanquished by 2015. But where does he think the new breakthrough treatments are ...
IOM report on CAM highlights a decade of change.(Pathways to Healing; complementary and alternative medicine)(Institute of Medicine)
Apr 01, 2005; ... In mid-January the prestigious Institute of Medicine released a 330-page report called Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States. The work of a 17-member committee, based on five public hearings plus an extensive search of the literature, this report will influence US ...
Persistent organic pollutants.(Health Risks and Environmental Issues)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Why is cancer mortality increasing in the United States? Why is the incidence of diabetes, asthma, allergies, and arthritis climbing? Why are birth defects, learning disabilities, behavior problems, neurological and muscular disorders escalating? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Post-menopausal osteoporosis & Chinese medicine.(Chinese Medicine Update)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Keywords: Chinese medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, gynecology, menopause, osteoporosis ********** Numerous clinical trials have been carried out over the last 20 years on the effects of Chinese medicine on osteoporosis. In general, these studies show that Chinese ...
Vitamin K and bone health.(Therapeutic Nutrition)
Apr 01, 2005; ... For many years after its discovery in 1935, vitamin K was recognized only as a necessary cofactor in the production of prothrombin, a precursor to thrombin, which is a necessary component of the coagulation cascade. A synthetic form of vitamin K was subsequently created by the ...
Depression and osteoporosis.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief Article)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology describes the unity of mental, neurological, hormonal and immunological functions, addressing the impact of cognitive images of the mind (whatever its elusive definition) on the central nervous, endocrine and immune systems. It encompasses biofeedback and ...
Depression, osteoporosis and the HPA axis.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis)
Apr 01, 2005; ... The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis is a very complicated control system mediating stress reactions in which glucocorticoids suppress autonomic, endocrine, immunological and psychological responses to stressful stimuli. There are marked clinical, physiological and biochemical ...
Depression, osteoporosis and inflammatory dysfunction.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Depression is a major health problem with 13-20% of the population having depressive symptoms at any given time and [congruent to]5% experiencing major depression. Related pathological processes include ischemia, neoplasia, necrosis, apoptosis, infection, and inflammation. The latter is ...
Major depression and osteoporosis.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Although pathogenesis of bone loss in major depressive disorder is still debated, studies of bone loss in nonpsychiatric medical disorders have found an association between the activation of osteoclastic (bone resorption) cells and elevation of proinflammatory cytokines. Bone mineral ...
Stress and osteoporosis.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Overproduction of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 is associated with age-related arthritis, osteoporosis, periodontal disease, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, certain cancers, frailty, and functional decline. In 119 adult dementia-caregivers, mean age 71, 6-year ...
Sleep disorders and osteoporosis.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Questionnaire data from 1,506 community-dwelling men and women age 55-84 found 83% had [greater than or equal to]one of 11 medical conditions and nearly 1/4 elderly (age 65-84) had [greater than or equal to]four conditions. Depression, heart disease, bodily pain and memory problems were ...
Depression and fractures.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief Article)
Apr 01, 2005; ... In 1,150 female and male distal forearm fracture cases and 2,331 controls age [greater than or equal to]45, previous fractures since age 45 were associated with a 5-year adjusted odds ratio of 1.48 per previous fracture (95% CI 1.20-1.84). Factors reducing risk for second fractures ...
Proinflammatory cytokines and negative emotions.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Negative affect and lack of supportive interpersonal relationships loom large in the picture of modulation of immune dysregulation. Immune dysregulation may be one core mechanism for a spectrum of conditions associated with aging, including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, ...
Valerian: a safe and effective herb for sleep problems.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Recent publications appear to have answered several important questions for valerian root: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Does valerian impair cognitive function or cause excessive sedation? * How does its efficacy compare to benzodiazepine drugs? * ...
Anxiety: new options for herbal treatment.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... A clinical trial was recently conducted in France to assess the benefits of a combination of extracts of hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) and Californian poppy (Eschscholtzia californica) together with magnesium versus placebo in the treatment of mild to moderate anxiety disorders. (1) A ...
Blue cohosh and perinatal stroke.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... A recent edition of the New England Journal of Medicine contained a case report of a baby who had a stroke, possibly because its mother drank blue cohosh tea to induce labor. (1) A female infant weighing 3860g was born at just over 40 weeks' gestation to a healthy 24-year-old woman. The ...
Artemisia annua: herbal use vs isolated active.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... The species of wormwood known as Artemisia annua has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of fevers and malaria for many centuries. The active antimalarial compound known as artemisinin was isolated by Chinese researchers in the early 1970s. Since then research has ...
Promising insights into cystic fibrosis.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Cystic fibrosis is a serious genetic disease (autosomal recessive) frequently seen in Caucasian people. It is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene). (1) The CFTR protein programmed by this gene mainly functions as a channel or pore ...
Food may not provide sufficient micronutrients to avoid deficiency.
Apr 01, 2005; ... Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs) is a new term that replaces the familiar US Recommended Daily Allowances (US RDAs). RDIs are based on a population-weighted average of the latest RDAs for vitamins and minerals for healthy Americans over 4 years old. RDIs are not recommended optimal daily ...
Geopathic stress and crib death (SIDS).(Excerpt)
Apr 01, 2005; ... (Adapted in part from The Infant Survival Guide: Protecting Your Baby from the Dangers of Crib Death, Vaccines, And Other Environmental Hazards, by the late Lendon H. Smith, MD, with Joseph Hattersley, MA, Petaluma, California, Smart Publications, 2000. Chapter 2.) Geopathic ...
Stop fluoridation now: new research on fluoride's brain and thyroid toxicity.
Apr 01, 2005; ... Several years have passed since we published a three-part article on water fluoridation entitled "The Fluoride Controversy Continues: An Update" in the Townsend Letter (see the December 2002, January 2003 and February/March 2003 issues). Since that time, new research has emerged that ...
Correction notice.(Correction Notice)
Apr 01, 2005 ... In the Feb/March, 2005 "Best of Naturopathy" issue, we did not acknowledge Allison Siebecker's student affiliation with the National ...
Injectable therapies for pain management.(Letters to the Editor)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Editor: A cover to cover search of the January 2005 issue, which, as stated on the front cover, is supposed to focus on Chronic Pain Management, failed to find any mention of probably the most successful modalities for treating acute and chronic pain of a musculoskeletal nature ....
Evening primrose oil and borage oil.(Letters to the Editor)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Editor: I was a good friend of Dr. David Horrobin from 1971 until his death from cancer early last year. He was an MD and PhD from Magdalen College, Oxford and he was a Fellow of Magdalen College. He formed the medical publication Medical Hypotheses and was Editor-in-Chief. ...
An in-office evaluation of four dietary supplements on natural killer cell activity.(Letters to the Editor)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Editor: Dr. Belanger's article in the Feb/March 2005 issue of the Townsend Letter on testing immune boosting supplements for NK cell activity is to be applauded. He accurately points out the significant differences that can exist between materials tested in the published ...
Food and chemical allergies.(Letters to the Editor)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Editor: Like Alan Hunter, I too have seen a relationship between food allergy, the circulatory system, and body temperature. After eating an allergy-causing food my pulse rate at the wrist will increase by 10 to 20 beats [Coca pulse test]. An electronic pulse meter, however, ...
Preventing and treating osteoporosis with natural medicine.(Editorial)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Osteoporosis affects as many as 30% of post-menopausal women and about 5% of older men in the United States. More than 1.2 million fractures (primarily of the hip, spine or wrist) occur each year as a direct result of osteoporosis. As recently as the late 19th century, osteoporosis was ...
A six-point plan for healthy bones.(BookCorners; Perfect Bones)(Book Review)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Perfect Bones by Pamela Levin, RN Celestial Arts, P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley, California 94707 USA; www.tenspeed.com Softcover, 2002, $16.95, 321 pp. The recent negative reports on estrogen replacement has further confused women who now worry ...
New Guidelines for Fibromyalgia.(BookCorners)(Book Review)
Apr 01, 2005; ... The Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Clinical Case Definition for Practitioners I. Jon Russell, MD, PhD, Editor The Haworth Medical Press[R], 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, New York 13904-1580 USA Softcover, 122 pp., $24.95 Few illnesses present as much ...
How natural can you get?(BookCorners; Rawsome!)(Book Review)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Rawsome! by Brigitte Mars Basic Health Publications, Inc. 8200 Boulevard East, North Bergen, New Jersey 07047 USA; 201-868-8336 Softcover, 2004, $17.95 US/$28.95 CAN, 355 pp. A raw foods diet is not for everyone, but it does have a lot of ...
New encyclopedia for CAM practitioners.(BookCorners)(Book Review)
Apr 01, 2005; ... The Encyclopedia of Medical Breakthroughs and Forbidden Treatments Shoreline, Washington. Medical Research Associates, 2005 $24.95, order at www.medical-breakthroughs.com or 1-800-247-6553 This 8.5 X 11 soft-cover-bound volume is presented in four major ...
New York bills to limit due process abuse by the OPMC vetoed by Governor Pataki.(Townsend's New York Observer)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Last December, George E. Pataki, Governor of New York, vetoed bills passed by the Legislature during the 2004 session that would have safeguarded the due process rights of physicians investigated and charged with misconduct by the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC). ...
The stories bones tell.(Medical Anthropology)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Bones, like most other parts of the body, are as much a product of our culture and evolution as a biochemical accessory. Our bones tell stories about the past and predict the future. And anthropology is the language of this story. In this column, I'll take a look at bone diseases such as ...
Liver support: an evidence-based review & call for research.(Naturopathic Perspectives)
Apr 01, 2005; ... In Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM), practitioners often speak of and employ "liver support." Liver supportive therapies are widely used and incorporate the use of several different forms of natural medicines including herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and organ extracts ....
The homeopathic treatment of fractures.(Healing with Homeopathy)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Fractures often respond extremely favorably to homeopathy, in the form of acute self-care or treatment by a homeopathic practitioner. We have had dozens of patients over the years report that their physicians are impressed at how rapidly healing takes place. The following information is ...
Osteoporosis and dairy, protein, prescriptions and exercise.(Web Page Potpourri)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Healthy People 2010 -- http://www.healthypeople.gov Healthypeople.gov > Search > Healthy People 2010 Publications > Healthy People 2010, Volumes I and II > "osteoporosis" An average of 24% of hip fracture patients aged 50 years and older die in the year following ...
Osteoporosis and bone pain.(Highly Effective Treatments for Pain and Fatigue)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Osteoporosis, or decreased bone density/strength, can worsen with age, inactivity, and hormonal deficiencies (estrogen, testosterone, and DHEA). Currently, the rate of osteoporosis among older women is estimated to be about 29%. Yet only 13% of older women have been diagnosed with the ...
Acupuncture & osteoporosis.(Acupuncture and Moxibustion)
Apr 01, 2005; ... With recent revelations in the news about the possible dangers of long-term Hormone Replacement Therapy, many women are searching for other possible methods of preventing osteoporosis and other degenerative diseases related to hormonal decline after menopause. This article offers treatment ...
The oxygen view of osteoporosis: bone homeostasis is but one face of oxygen homeostasis.(Oxygen Homeostasis)
Apr 01, 2005; ... The human anatomy and physiology evolved under the organizing influence of oxygen. (1-4) Accordingly, oxygen not only provides signaling for all developmental, differentiative, and dying processes, it also serves as the principal nutrient for the body. Viewed in that light, bone ...
Calendar.(Calendar)
Apr 01, 2005 ... MARCH 31-APRIL 3: THE HEART OF MEDICINE--Achieving New Levels of Meaning, Fulfillment, and Effective Healing in Your Practice @ Upaya Conference Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Features Larry Dossey, MD; Marty Sullivan, MD; Jeff Brantley, MD and Susan Head, PhD. Physician dissatisfaction ...
Soy and endometrial effects.(Research Update)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Two recent studies leave us with the need for more information on the effects of soy isoflavones on the endometrium. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Vittorio U, Casini M, Costabile L, et al. Endometrial effects of long-term treatment with phytoestrogens: a randomized, ...
Lactobacilllus does not prevent post-antibiotic yeast vaginitis.(Research Update)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Pirotta M, et al. Effect of lactobacillus in preventing post-antibiotic vulvovaginal candidiasis: A randomized controlled trial. BMJ 2004;Sep 4;329-548-51. Many women and their practitioners think to use lactobacillus in oral and/or vaginal suppositories after antibiotic use, to ...
Calcium-vitamin D supplements effective in preventing bone loss in perimenopausal women.(Research Update)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Daniele N, Carbonelli M, Candeloro N, et al. Effect of supplementation on calcium and vitamin D on bone mineral density and bone mineral content in peri- and post-menopausal women: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Pharmacol Res 2004;50:637-641. Calcium and vitamin D ...
Calendula ointment and radiation dermatitis during breast cancer treatment.(Research Update)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Pommier P, Gomez F, Sunyach M, et al. J of Clinical Oncology 2004;22(8):1447-1453 The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of calendula ointment (Boiron Ltd.) with that of trolamine, a topical nonsteroidal agent for the prevention of radiation-induced dermatitis in ...
Dietary influences on osteoporosis.(Nutritional Influences on Illness)
Apr 01, 2005; ... Osteoporosis has been called one of the most important disorders associated with aging. (1) Far from being an inevitable affliction of the elderly, it is the result of a slow process that is strongly influenced by several dietary factors. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...