Month: April 2014
Osteoarthritis Research Review
In May 2013, Harvard Medical School published a report on osteoarthritis in their Women’s Health Watch. In the report, they looked at “on-the-horizon therapies” that could change the way you treat the disease. In the report, Dr. Anonios Aliprantis made statement that should have made doctor’s rethink the way they treat OA. “We’re beginning to understand that osteoarthritis is a disease of the entire joint,” said Aliprantis, director of the Osteoarthritis Center at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Much of the research over the last 20 or 30 years has focused on cartilage as the target. But we’re beginning to realize that there are important changes happening in the bone underneath the cartilage, and in the joint lining itself. As we begin to understand osteoarthritis as a disease of the entire joint, new treatment targets will emerge.”
Collagen, a better framework than calcium alone
It’s been said that graceful aging is about being flexible. One’s ability to respond mentally and physically to life’s obstacles is certainly an asset. However when it comes to bone health, traditional advice on calcium supplementation favors rigidity over agility. Kathy Lund comments on Ian R Ried’s article, A Case for Ending Calcium, and the age-old advice to prescribe calcium alone fails to address the importance of being lithe for long-term bone health.
A Case for Ending Calcium Supplements
Advocacy for the use of calcium supplements arose at a time when there were no other effective interventions for the prevention of osteoporosis. Their promotion was based on the belief that increasing calcium intake would increase bone formation. Our current understandings of the biology of bone suggest that this does
The Miracle of Mycelium from Medicinal Mushrooms
“From an evolutionary and survival point of view, it is safer to avoid that which is poorly understood yet so powerful.” Medicinal Mushrooms fall in this category, as some can save your life and others can kill you. Paul Stamets, Dsc and Health Zwickey PhD writes in a recent commentary
College Students’ Familiarity with CAM Supplements
As parents increasingly turn to complementary and alternative medicine for their children, researchers pondered whether college students were more or less receptive to CAM. Would a history of use at home influence attitudes as they take control of their own health. These study results may surprise you about overall awareness
The Future of Medicine from Dr. Mark Hyman
On May 7th, Functional Forum, a Today’s Practitioner media partner, is taking on the mother of all topics, The Future of Medicine. Functional Medicine and digital health are on the cutting edge of taking medicine forward, and you will hear from some incredible doctors on the leading edge of the health revolution. The featured speaker is Dr. Mark Hyman, who will talk about the following:
What are the drivers of change in medicine?
How can we work to reverse chronic disease?
What role do community and connectivity play in scaling change?
Today’s Practitioner readers can register here to attend the live event in New York or watch live streaming from the comfort of your home or office.
Food: The Vital Adjunct to Cardiovascular Care
By Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC As a cardiac care community, we have certainly become exceptionally adroit at managing heart disease – prescribing statins, treating hypertension, and implanting stents and defibrillators. But we do all this while failing to effectively address the underlying fundamental root cause of atherosclerosis – poor nutrition.
Perspective & Concern about Chinese Herbal Medicine in America
It is estimated by the World Health Organization that 80% of the world population uses herbal medicine. And as healthcare costs rise and incomes decline, many Americans who are not satisfied with western medicine, have turned to alternative and complementary medicine. The authors of this paper cite how Americans are
Brown Algae For Medicine, From Food
Should you consider seaweed-derived therapies for your patients? For millennia, humans have been consuming seaweeds as vegetables and using them as traditional medicines. In modern times, extracted fractions have been found to contain compounds with useful properties as additives to foods and other products and with beneficial bioactivities in a
Iron Improves Women’s Exercise Performance
It is the first time researchers have been able to confirm that iron supplementation has beneficial effects on exercise performance. Dr Sant-Rayn Pasricha from the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health said the findings could have implications for improved performance in athletes and health and general health and well-being in the rest of the population. “It may be worthwhile screening women, including women training as elite athletes, for iron deficiency, and ensuring they receive appropriate prevention and treatment strategies. Athletes, especially females, are at increased risk of iron deficiency potentially, due to their diets and inflammation caused by excessive exercise,” said Pasricha.