Townsend Letter: The Examiner of Alternative Medicine back issues from October 2007:
Letter from the publisher.
Oct 01, 2007; ... <Pre> "Ronald McIver says he was just prescribing opioids to pain sufferers. The D.E.A. thought otherwise--and now he's in jail for 30 years." Tina Rosenberg "When Is a Pain Doctor a Drug Pusher?" The New York Times Magazine, June 17, 2007 </Pre> I had been enjoying a weekend ...
Study: aspirin may prevent miscarriages.
Oct 01, 2007 ... A study underway at the University of Utah's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology aims to see if aspirin can reduce the rate of miscarriage. Laurie Lesher, a research coordinator for the department, said about 15% to 31% of pregnancies nationwide end in miscarriage. ...
Study finds Western-style "meat-sweet" diet increases risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007 ... A new study finds that the more "Western" the diet--marked by red meat, starches, and sweets--the greater the risk for breast cancer among postmenopausal Chinese women. According to researchers who conducted the analysis at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Harvard University, ...
Strides in cancer research demand better clinical trial testing.
Oct 01, 2007 ... Cancer research and drug development are yielding more sophisticated candidate therapies, but investigators' methods to test them haven't kept pace, according to researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. That could explain why so many experimental drugs fail in the final large ...
Radish phytochemical may be a potent inducer of detoxification enzymes.(MIBITC)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007 ... A unique radish phytochemical, MIBITC, has a potency that rivals sulforaphane, a phytochemical found in broccoli, according to research findings reported in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. The study, conducted by researchers at Standard Process Inc.[R], a whole food ...
eMindful now offering complementary and alternative medicine classes earning CME credits via live, online classes.(continuing medical education)
Oct 01, 2007 ... At the forefront of offering Internet-based complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) using virtual classroom technology, eMindful.com is the first in the nation to offer complementary and alternative medicine courses that allow participants to earn Continuing Medicine Education (CME) ...
Hand marking linked to Down Syndrome: human hand expert creates new forum on the Single Transverse Palmar Crease, or Simian Line.(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2007 ... Kenneth Lagerstrom, a human hand expert with over 30 years experience, has created a new forum at forum.humanhand.com that outlines and discusses possible connections between Down Syndrome and Single Transverse Palmar Crease, or Simian Line. This common hand anomaly has also been ...
National survey reveals women rarely talk to doctors and pharmacists about how drugs can affect them uniquely.(Survey)
Oct 01, 2007 ... A majority of American women always or frequently read the labels of their prescribed or over-the-counter medications to see if they might work differently in women, but few discuss this issue with their doctor or pharmacist, according to a new survey released today by the Society for ...
Study finds medical errors more prevalent among children's care: innovative children's hospitals using safety tools from aviation to cut mistakes.(LifeWings)
Oct 01, 2007 ... According to a recent study in the New York Times, "Medication Errors Are Studied," 12% of children undergoing surgery experience some sort of medication error. This error rate is significantly higher than the five-percent risk associated with all adult patients. Medication errors often ...
Concerned by weaknesses in the FDA's new rules for dietary supplements, Consumerlab.com acts to "raise the bar on quality".(Food and Drug Administration)
Oct 01, 2007 ... Disappointed by the lack of quality standards within the FDA's newly released Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for dietary supplements, ConsumerLab.com (CL) has announced two initiatives today intended to "raise the bar on quality." The first is the publication of a free online index to ...
Prenatal manganese and behavior problems.(Shorts)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Prenatal exposure to excessive manganese appears to increase the risk of behavior problems, according to a study by Jonathon Ericson and colleagues (Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2007 Mar-Apr;29[2]:181-7). Manganese is an essential trace mineral, used in the activation of several metabolic ...
Thimerosal-containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders.(Shorts)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Vaccine safety data from the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) National Immunization Program (NIP) provides no evidence that thimerosal (a mercury-containing antiseptic used as a preservative) causes autism, according to a 2004 Institute of Medicine report. Following the IOM's lead, ...
Acupuncture for female infertility.(Shorts)
Oct 01, 2007; ... A December 2002 review article by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical Center and The Institute of East-West Medicine (New York, New York) supports the use of acupuncture in treating female infertility. Acupuncture reduces stress. Stress is a recognized contributor to infertility. In ...
Normal childbirth.(Shorts)
Oct 01, 2007; ... With the increased use of medical interventions and cesarean sections, fewer US women with low-risk pregnancies have access to a normal childbirth. By definition, hospitals are for sick people who need medical intervention. The one exception is the healthy woman with a low-risk pregnancy ...
Dioxin exposure & Chlorella pyrenoidosa.(Shorts)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Japanese researchers are studying dioxin transfer from mother to infant and its inhibition through the use of Chlorella pyrenoidosa supplements. Dioxins are fatsoluble compounds, some of which cause birth defects, cancers, and diverse health problems. These chemical compounds travel up the ...
Fluoride in bottled water.(Shorts)
Oct 01, 2007; ... People who buy bottled water need to be aware that the FDA approved fluoridation of bottled water in November 2006. Earlier in the same month, an American Dental Association (ADA) e-mail alert stated that "fluoridated water should not be mixed into concentrated formula or foods intended ...
Depression and pregnancy.(Shorts)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Depression during pregnancy is often "under-recognized and under-treated," according to Dr. Veronica O'Keane, perinatal psychiatrist at King's College London. "There is a myth that depression doesn't happen in pregnancy but postnatal depression probably started in pregnancy in about 50% of ...
Exercise and postpartum depression.(Shorts)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Recognizing that exercise has antidepressant effects, British researchers Amanda J. Daley, PhD, Christine MacArthur, PhD, and Heather Winter, MD, reviewed medical literature for studies that focused on exercise and postpartum depression. They found two small randomized controlled trials, ...
Cervical cancer and vaccines.(Shorts)
Oct 01, 2007; ... The cervical cancer death rate has declined by 80% in the US over the past 50 years, according to an article by Mona Saraiya, MD, and colleagues (Obstetrics & Gynecology. February 2007). The overall incidence rate was 8.5 per 100,000 (95% CI 8.4-8.7) in 2002. (Women who live in ...
Cause and treatment of chronic mercury intoxication in Hong Kong children.(Chelation Corner)(Case study)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Case Studies In Dr. Paul Lam's private pediatric clinic in Hong Kong, children are treated for a number of ailments, all related to chronic mercury intoxication. Aside from multiple medical problems, the most common symptoms seen in those children are recurrent feeding problems, ...
Could evening primrose oil decrease the need for cesarean sections?(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Seventy-one pregnant Filipino women who were nearing term were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, one capsule of evening primrose oil (EPO) three times per day (dose per capsule not specified) or placebo for one week. The mean Bishop score (a measure used to determine ...
L-arginine beneficial in preeclampsia.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Sixty-one pregnant women with preeclampsia (mean gestational age, 29 weeks) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, L-arginine (1 g three times per day) or placebo until delivery, in addition to conventional therapy (intravenous magnesium sulfate, antihypertensive ...
Nutritional supplement prevents preeclampsia.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Sixty pregnant Indonesian women with low antioxidant status (defined as a low blood superoxide dismutase level) at eight to 12 weeks of gestation were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, a preparation containing 13 micronutrients (combination group) or to be part of a ...
Selenium supplementation prevents postpartum hypothyroidism.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... One hundred fifty-one pregnant women (mean age, 28 years) who were positive for thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies were randomly assigned to receive, in single-blind fashion, 200 mcg/day of selenium (as selenomethionine) or placebo, beginning after 12 weeks of gestation (mean, 12.7 weeks) ...
Fish oil and brain development.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Ninety-eight pregnant Australian women were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 4 g/day of fish oil (providing 1.1 g/day of eicosapentaenoic acid and 2.2 g/day of docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) or placebo (olive oil) from 20 weeks' gestation until delivery. Seventy-two of ...
Lactobacillus acidophilus douche for bacterial vaginosis.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Forty women with a clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis were treated daily for six days with a douche containing Lactobacillus acidophilus ([10.sup.9] colony-forming units per ml). The strain of acidophilus used was not mentioned, but it was said to be of human origin. Prior to ...
Trace element supplements beneficial for burn victims.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Twenty-one patients (mean age, 35 years) with burns on a mean of 45% of body surface area were randomly assigned to receive daily intravenous infusions of either 1) zinc (37.5 mg), copper (3.75 mg), and selenium (375 mcg), administered in 250 ml of 0.9% saline over 12 hours; or 2) saline ...
Coenzyme Q10 for statin-induced muscle pain.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Thirty-two patients treated for hyperlipidemia with an HMG CoA-reductase inhibitor (statin) who had drug-induced muscle pain (with or without muscle weakness or muscle fatigue) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 100 mg/day of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) or 400 IU/day of ...
A quick fix for acute bladder infections.(Healing with Homeopathy)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Oct 01, 2007; ... The Myth of the Slow Cure Wherever we travel, once we identify ourselves as homeopaths, we receive the same comment about our healing art: "Wonderful medicine, but it takes a long time to work, doesn't it?" It is true that healing through homeopathy can be gradual in some ...
Nutraceuticals that prevent spontaneous abortion and miscarriage.(Therapeutic Nutrition)
Oct 01, 2007; ... For women at risk, adding chlorophyll-rich foods and wheat germ can reduce the odds of neonatal intracranial hemorrhages, spontaneous abortions, and miscarriages. Effects of Vitamin K Deficiency Named by a Danish scientist in 1935 who uncovered a link between low ...
Berberine-containing herbs and pregnancy.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Berberine-containing herbs, such as goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) and barberry (Berberis vulgaris), are traditionally said to be contraindicated in pregnancy. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983 is one such source of this information. (1) In most earlier texts or articles, it is not ...
Blue cohosh in pregnancy.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)(Case study)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Maternal ingestion of blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) in late pregnancy has been associated with four documented cases of perinatal adverse events. The first case occurred after a normal labor, where a female infant was not able to breathe spontaneously and sustained CNS ...
Black cohosh and breast cancer risk: benefit shown.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Controversy exists over the use of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa or Actaea racemosa) in the context of breast cancer. There are basically two concerns. The first is whether a woman with an existing oestrogen-sensitive breast carcinoma can safely use black cohosh. The second concern is ...
Six relaxation tips for pregnant women (and everyone!).(Web Page Potpourri)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Here are six approaches that can make the difference between a stressed out, forehead-wrinkling, back-aching day and true serenity, whether you are pregnant or not: * Exercise in the water * Eat greens * Share music * Seek sunlight ...
War on cancer.
Oct 01, 2007; ... This past June, I attended the 2007 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). There were about 30,000 attendees at this 43rd annual meeting, held in Chicago. A total of 21,188 presentations were offered: plenary lectures, clinical science symposia, oral and educational ...
"Doctornauts," a proposal to accelerate medical discovery and rectify the "rape of patients' rights": interview with Stephen L. DeFelice, MD.(Townsend's New York Observer)(Interview)
Oct 01, 2007; ... <Pre> Over and above our national fear and suspicion of clinical research, we have an inexplicable national complacency about medical discovery itself. For example, it is almost a rule to read or hear about such messages in the media as, "an effective new gene therapy has been ...
Preventing menopause.
Oct 01, 2007; ... Menopause is typically described as a normal function of life. Women are told that there is nothing that can be done about it and to accept it and go on. Women are reassured that menopause is nature's way of protecting them from childbirth later in life. They are encouraged to embrace this ...
Common complaints and disorders of pregnancy.(Medical condition overview)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Most problems experienced during pregnancy are a result of the immense hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, and the shift in weight distribution that happens as a result of sudden weight gain. Backache, digestive discomfort, fatigue, swelling, and mood changes are almost inevitable ....
Vaccination: an updated analysis of the health risks--Part 1.(Report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... A major controversy is brewing in the United States as people question whether the vaccines we give to children are safe and effective. In this three-part series, we explore the vaccine controversy to help separate the myths from the facts. We have conducted an extensive review of the ...
Lead toxicity effects in growing rice plants: germination, seedling vigor, and biochemical changes in rice plants.(Report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Abstract Exposure of two salt-sensitive rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars (viz. Ratna & Jaya) to varying concentrations (500 [micro]M & 1000 [micro]M) of Pb2+ in the growth medium have been examined with special reference to germination, seedling vigor, and nitrate reductase(NR) ...
Salt is vital to health.
Oct 01, 2007; ... Though, today, salt is thought to be harmful to our health, in times past, salt was considered to be the foundation of health and, as such, one of the most valuable commodities on earth. The difference between the harmful "salt" of today and the healthful "salt" of yesterday has to do with ...
Anti-aging and anti-cancer properties of Avemar: a review.(Drug overview)
Oct 01, 2007; ... A substantial decline in immune system function with increasing age--known as immune senescence--raises the risk of serious disease and premature death in middle years and beyond. Immune senescence results in less antibody production in response to immunization shots and to disease-causing ...
Fat burning treasure from the sea.(FucoTHIN)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Whenever I tell someone the story of FucoTHIN,[TM] there is almost always the same reaction. I tell them that the product is a fat burner, and they roll their eyes. After all, there are hundreds of products that tout their ability to burn fat or raise your metabolism. The vast majority of ...
Is long-term use of Wormwood safe?(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2007; ... I read with more than passing interest the item on the steroid-sparing effect of Wormwood in Kerry Bone's Phtyotherapy Review column in the June 2007 issue of Townsend Letter. I am a practitioner (certified nutritionist and herbalist), and I am also a patient with autoimmune disease who, ...
A call for statistical studies.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Oct 01, 2007; ... I am an avid reader of Townsend Letter and enjoy the forward-looking and often groundbreaking reports found within the pages of the journal. It is always a bit amusing when something is finally reported in the mainstream news as a "new" discovery. I can often recall reading reports of ...
A patient's experience with hyperbaric oxygen.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Oct 01, 2007; ... It is encouraging to see how much hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has helped me, because my case is complex (like many others), and each of its components has been very challenging to manage. Those components include the following: ** Variegate Porphyria, an inborn error of ...
A critical response.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Re: Henley DV, Lipson N, Korach KS, Bloch CA. "Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils." New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;365(5):479-485. I commend Henley et al. for their well-conceived laboratory research suggesting a mild estrogen receptor agonism ...
Commentary on reduced folate concentrations among women of childbearing age.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2007; ... The Centers for Disease Control reported on the paradox of decreased serum and red blood count (RBC) folate concentrations in recent years, especially among non-Hispanic white women of childbearing age, despite widespread folic acid supplementation. (1) An unrecognized likely factor ...
Nano-particle chitosan new hope for Lyme sufferers.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Success rarely comes without a price, and treating Lyme disease and related complexes is no different. Often the treatment may be worse than the disease. At our clinic in Mexico, we have been treating Lyme disease for many years. However, it seems the better we get at killing the ...
Nutritional factors in polycystic ovary syndrome.(Editorial)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder of unknown etiology that affects an estimated three percent to 12% of women. It is characterized by various combinations of symptoms including infertility, anovulation, amenorrhea or menstrual irregularities, hirsutism, acne, ...
Rethinking drug use.("Drugs That Don't Work and Natural Therapies That Do" by David Brownstein)(Book review)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Drugs That Don't Work and Natural Therapies That Do by David Brownstein, MD Medical Alternatives Press, 4173 Fieldbrook Rd., West Bloomfield, Michigan 48323; 1-888-647-5616 www.drbrownstein.com ISBN: 978-0-9660882-6-7; Softcover; c. 2006; ...
Birthing made modern: the overuse of medical technology.(Pushed)(Book review)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Pushed by Jennifer Block DaCapo Press, A Member of Perseus Books Group www.dacapopress.com Hardcover, c. 2007, $26.00, 316 pp. In a highly readable journalistic narrative, Ms. Block exposes the inappropriate and often harmful ...
A talk with Jennifer Block, author of Pushed.(Interview)
Oct 01, 2007 ... In writing Pushed, you traveled across the country to witness births. What aspect of maternity care did you find most surprising in your research? I think what is most surprising is that the majority of US women are not having optimal birth experiences. We know from decades of ...
Menopause as illness.("HRT: License to Kill and Maim" by Martin J. Walker)(Book review)
Oct 01, 2007; ... HRT: License to Kill and Maim by Martin J. Walker Slingshot Publications, BM Box 8314, London WC1N 3XX, www.slingshotpublications.com ISBN: 0-9519646-7-4 Softcover; c. 2006, $20, 367 pp. There comes a point in a woman's life when, ...
Building a baby's brain.("Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten: Build a Better Brain and Increase IQ by up to 30 Points" by David Perlmutter and Carol Colman)(Book review)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten: Build a Better Brain and Increase IQ by up to 30 Points by David Perlmutter MD, FACN and Carol Colman Morgan Road Books, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019; www.morganroadbooks.com Hardcover, c. 2006, $23.95 US, $31.95 ...
New book challenges us to accept balding women.(Pathways to Healing)(Breaking the Silence on Women's Hair Loss: A Proactive Guide to Finding Help)(Book review)
Oct 01, 2007; ... We see balding men all the time. We see authoritative men with graying hair, announcing the evening news; we see attractive young men with balding crowns competing in high-pressure sports. We almost never see balding women, and it would be easy to believe that women don't have this ...
A secret handshake and a whisper: an interview with Warren M. Levin, MD.(Interview)
Oct 01, 2007; ... In this age of newly emerging diseases, one would think that very little would be "off topic." However, when it comes to Lyme disease (LD), it appears that there are many things off-topic. Searching for physicians who would speak with me about LD proved to be difficult, to say the least ....
The Unifying Dysox Model of Hormone Disorders and receptor restoration therapy.(Oxygen Homeostasis)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Menstrual and menopausal disorders respond well to non-hormonal oxystatic therapies. For nearly a decade, I have considered those disorders to be caused fundamentally by disruptions of oxygen signaling. (1,2) Oxygen orchestrates the biosynthesis of cholesterol--the queen mother of all ...
Recreating Eden prenatal nutrition.(Optimizing Metabolism)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Introduction An expectant mother has the joy and the responsibility of creating an inner paradise for a life hidden to human eyes. Most mothers take great care to create the best environment they can for their unborn child. This article is meant to equip health care providers to ...
Recommendations on postmenopausal hormone therapy: issued on behalf of the board of the International Menopause Society by Amos Pines, president, David Sturdee, general secretary, Martin Birkhauser, treasurer, Marco Gambacciani, and Nick Panay--February 27, 2007.
Oct 01, 2007 ... The following statement expresses the views of the International Menopause Society (IMS) on the principles of hormone therapy (HT) in the peri- and postmenopause period. Throughout the statement, the term HT will be used to cover all therapies including estrogens, progestogens, combined ...
Wild Kingdom: the law and alternative medicine.
Oct 01, 2007; ... "Your Honor wouldn't recognize the law if the whole goddamn law library fell over on your pointed little head." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thus began attorney Bill Moore's three-day indoor vacation, courtesy of a District Court in Buncombe County, North Carolina. ...
Breast milk and laughter.(Pregnancy and Women's Health)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Patients with atopic eczema often complain of sleep disturbance; levels of blood melatonin in eczema patients are low compared to healthy subjects. Laughter has been shown to increase natural killer cell activity in blood and free radical-scavenging capacity in saliva in healthy subjects ....
Prematurity and stress.(Pregnancy and Women's Health)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... In this study of 1,860 consecutive white women anticipating delivery, 1,513 were included after exclusions for multiple pregnancy, diabetes, refusals, and loss to follow-up. Gestational age was determined by ultrasound and maternal dates; preterm birth was defined as less than 37 completed ...
Pregnancy and stress.(Pregnancy and Women's Health)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... One hundred and seventy pregnant women completed the Holmes-Rahe schedule of recent experiences as part of their prenatal care. Complications of the gestation included premature birth, need for cesarean section, preeclampsia, birth trauma, and low birth weight. The odds ratio for ...
Prematurity and attitudes.(Pregnancy and Women's Health)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
Oct 01, 2007; ... Seven hundred and eighty-six pregnant, employed women were selected from a nationally representative sample of 12,686 adults. Data concerning work status, job title, and other factors affecting pregnancy outcome were obtained from the National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market ...