Month: July 2014
Dark Chocolate Improves Walking in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease
This interventional study measured the acute effect of dark chocolate on walking distance autonomy (WDA), artery dilatation and NOX2‐mediated oxidative stress in a population affected by moderate‐severe. Previous studies with antioxidant infusion provided evidence that oxidative stress is implicated in impairing WDA, while its inhibition was associated with maximal walking distance (MWD) improvement. In PAD patients dark but not milk chocolate acutely improved walking autonomy with a mechanism possibly related to an oxidative stress‐mediated mechanism involving NOX2 regulation.
Omega-3 & ALA Fatty Acids May Reduce Lou Gehrig’s Disease Risk
Omega-3 fatty acids may play a role in cutting one’s risk of fatal neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by one third, a new study suggests from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. The research suggests that EFA’s could be part of prevention or integrative therapeutic treatment for ALS. By Kathryn C. Fitzgerald, M.Sc, JAMA Neurology, July 2014.
Citicoline Improves Teen/Adult Attention in Two Trials
In an age where attention spans are short and activity levels are low for teen boys, a new study shows citicoline may improve concentration and motor speed. The randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled human clinical trial conducted by The Brain Institute, at the University of Utah, was presented at the annual AmericanRead
High-Protein Animal Diets as Risky as Smoking for Longevity
High protein diets are more popular than ever for satiety and weight loss. But do they help us live longer? This new study may surprise you. Read commentary from Today’s Practitioner editor on why Got Protein? may need some life-stage instructions and why Micheal Pollan’s advice to eat mostly plants is spot on.
New Theory on Atherosclerosis: Massively Calcified Endosome Death
Inadvertent Stereotyping Leads to Healthcare Disparities
Going to the doctor’s office is a stress-inducing event for many people But for blacks, it can be particularly terrifying, because of something called negative racial stereotyping. And while racial stereotyping may not be intentional, it can seep into a patient’s psyche in ways you might not realize. A first-of-its-kind study by researchers at USC and Loyola Marymount University (LMU) has found evidence that the persistent health disparities across race may, in part, be related to anxiety about being confronted by negative racial stereotypes while receiving healthcare. Black women who strongly identified with their race were more likely to feel anxious in a healthcare setting – particularly if that setting included messaging that promoted negative racial stereotypes, even if inadvertently. Posters can be one source of this negative stereotyping. In light of this research, Today’s Practitioner tracked down some positive messaging on aging that you can download for your office (high-resolution downloads available free for Today’s Practitioner’s registered users). By Cleopatra M Abdou and Adam W Fingerhut, published in the American Psychological Association journal Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, July 21, 2014, Vol. 20.
Naked Mole Rat, “You are My Detox Hero,” by Kara Fitzgerald, ND
There’s no disputing naked mole rats are hideous. They’re beady-eyed, hairless, with massive protruding front teeth. They are so ugly we didn’t want to post their picture on our site for fear of scaring and permanently scarring our readers. But there is a lot we can learn about DETOX from NMRs, says Kara Fitzgerald ND, a speaker at the upcoming DETOX Summit. For instance, “they live forever, feel no pain, and they don’t get cancer,” she says.
NEJM Editorial Advises Against Extended-Release Niacin
By now you’ve heard that niacin is no longer recommended for reducing heart attacks and strokes. After 50 years of being a mainstay cholesterol therapy, niacin should no longer be prescribed for most patients due to potential increased risk of death, dangerous side effects and no benefit in reducing heart attacks and strokes, writes Northwestern Medicine® preventive cardiologist Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., in a New England Journal of Medicine editorial published July 16. The study is no doubt controversial among physicians who rely on niacin for cardiovascular patients. Read the slideshow for a review of the study.
Wet Wrap, a Drug-free Option for Atopic Dermatitis and Eczema
Parents are very reluctant to use steroids on their children’s eczema, which is why they often request alternative therapies. Wet wrapping is one option. From a practitioner perspective, wet wrapping to address atopic dermatitis and eczema seems like a fairly simple and straightforward approach. But does it work? Our slideshow introduces you to Lucie, a two-year old with chronic eczema and how her condition inspired the the largest study ever conducted on wet-wrap therapy. Experts at National Jewish Health in Denver saw a dramatic improvement in symptoms without traditional therapies like antibiotics, steroids or immunotherapy drugs. By Noreen Heer Nicol PhD, Mark Boguniewicz, MD et al, published in J. of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol. 2, Issue 4, July 2014.
Case Study: Escharotic Treatment for ECC-positive Cervical Epithelial Neoplasia in Childbearing Years
