From eNewsletter 3/24/2021
DID YOU KNOW that some doctors are finally coming around to the idea that LDL cholesterol is not the overriding factor in all-cause mortality and heart attack risk for those on statin medication? A study from Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows apolipoprotein B (apoB) and non-high-density-lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol - but not low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol - are associated with increased risk for all-cause mortality and heart attacks in patients taking statins. "Many doctors are brainwashed into thinking the only thing they should look at, just to keep LDL cholesterol down," the lead author states. "Any patient that comes to a doctor for evaluation should look not only at LDL cholesterol but non-HDL cholesterol and apoB, if its available - that is the take-home message."
UPDATE - COVID-19 Vaccine Information We updated this document Monday March 22nd.
Virus Prevention And Treatment Vaccines will minimize COVID-19 related mortality and hospitalizations, but SARS-CoV-2 is not going away, as evidenced by its ever-mutating variants. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 is not the only virus we fight. There are influenza (flu), norovirus (stomach flu), adenovirus (common cold), and four other coronaviruses (common cold), among others.We highly recommend continuing your immune support. For more information, refer to our Prevent and Fight Viruses 2.0 Protocol.
COVID-19 Condition Monograph For those interested in conventional and integrative treatments for COVID-19 with over 250 references, this is our COVID-19 Condition Monograph.
Post-COVID Syndrome The official diagnosis for post-COVID syndrome (PCS) are symptoms that last for 12 weeks or more. If you, a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor is suffering from PCS, diligently following our Post-COVID Syndrome Action Plan for purchase, or free to paid members, can bring measurable improvement.
PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT Steve and Bonnie: It's been a while since we've commented on pressing public health issues that do not involve the pandemic.
Baby Food
The failure of the FDA to regulate heavy metals in baby food, even by companies that provide organic offerings, is of the utmost concern. There is too much to cover in this update, but keep an eye out for our recommendations once we gather more data.
Falling Risk
A study in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety found that the percentage of adults 65 and older who were prescribed a fall- risk-increasing drug climbed to 94% in 2017, a significant leap from 57% in 1999. The research also revealed that the rate of death caused by falls in older adults more than doubled during the same time period.
Glucocorticoid Steroids
Even low doses of steroids are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a large study from PLoS Medicine. The findings of our study highlight the importance of treating patients with the minimal effective dose of steroids for the shortest duration of time, while appropriately, promptly and regularly monitoring cardiovascular risk.
Metformin
While Metformin has been a success for those with blood sugar disorders, it does not come without its drawbacks. A study in Scientific Reports states that Metformin can create mitochondrial dysfunction through negative genetic expression. Being that mitochondria provide energy for cellular activity, preventive measures to counteract this should be taken, especially if one has fatigue as a side effect.
Migraine Relief
The FDA has cleared the first noninvasive multichannel brain neuromodulation system to treat acute migraine pain. The Relivion system, from Neurolief, is an adjustable headset that delivers modulated pulses of electric current through adaptive output channels around the head to six branches of the occipital and trigeminal nerves. It is Cloud-enabled and linked to a mobile phone app. The device is designed to learn over time and to provide personalized therapy for individual patients, the company says.
Organic
The worldwide NutriNet-Santé study has found an association between higher concentrations of organic food and a lower risk of breast cancer, lymphoma, obesity, overweight, and metabolic syndrome. Simply, people who eat more organic foods have “lower levels of pesticides in their urine,” according to the lead researcher in International Journal of Epidemiology. This translates to lower rates of disease.
Pain Relievers
The FDA announced some of the most commonly used pain and fever medications could be harmful to pregnant women and their unborn babies, if taken 20 weeks or later into their pregnancies, as they can cause fetal kidney problems. These include both prescription and over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen, commonly known by the brand names Advil and Aleve. They also include diclofenac, celecoxib and aspirin above 81 mg.
Prescription Genetic Screening
Researchers in a study from British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology are suggesting that doctors perform genetic testing on all patients before prescribing medications. Such preemptive measures would help millions receive the ideal medication for them in a more timely manner and reduce side effects.
Reflux Medication
Added to the laundry list of side effects from the reflux medication class known as proton pump inhibitors, two very important items were added by the FDA to the serious risk category: hypocalcemia and parathyroid hormone disorders. This makes sense because these medications block mineral absorption, like calcium.
A study from JAMA Pediatrics found that giving children PPI reflux medication is associated with an increased risk of asthma.
Stevia
An in-depth study in Food and Chemical Toxicology supports the lack of carcinogenicity for steviol glycosides, the active sweetness in stevia, showing again its safety for human consumption.
Vitamin D
On the heels of a German study suggesting that all persons over 50 years of age should take vitamin D supplements because it would reduce cancer deaths 13% and save $300 million per year, researchers translated those numbers to the United States and purported vitamin D would add 870,000 years of life per year and $1.5 billion annual savings.
Remember folks, this is just in those over 50 years of age to prevent cancer, nothing else! And yet, according to a study from Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the prescription of potentially inappropriate medications to older adults is linked to increased hospitalizations, and costs patients more than $450 per year.
Does it not feel criminal that vitamin D supplementation is not a mandatory public health measure?
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