Kim Stewart
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.
VIDEOS: P4 Medicine and Systems Biology, by Leroy Hood, PhD
Leroy Hood, PhD, founder of P4 Medicine and Systems Biology has pioneered a new approach to medicine in what he calls P4 medicine – Predictive, Personal, Preventive and Participatory. In this TedxRanier presentation, Hood says “within 10 years, each and every one of you will have a virtual data cloudRead
Genomics Toolbox: Four Full-Text Studies on Using Genomic Sequencing in Your Integrative Medical Practice
In this article, Today’s Practitioner provides four full-text studies and opinion columns to help you organize your own genomics toolbox. Click on the respective title for the complete text document. 1. Nutrigenomics: The Potential to Optimize Chronic Disease with SNP-Based Dietary Recommendations, by Lara Pizzorno, MA, MDiv, LMT, published inRead
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.
Patient Handout on Biochemical Individuality
The following is a free patient handout by John Neustadt, ND, and Steve Pieczenik, MD, PhD. Originally published in Integrative Medicine, a Clinicians Journal, this downloadable information sheet explains to patients how biochemical individuality refers to the unique nutritional needs each person has based on their genetics, lifestyle, and environmentalRead
Case Study: Escharotic Treatment for ECC-positive Cervical Epithelial Neoplasia in Childbearing Years
Podcast: Ending the Confusion Between Genetics and Genomics
The era of genomic medicine has reached a tipping point. Thousands of healthcare professionals in the US and around the world are using the concepts and principles of the “omics” revolution to personalize prevention and treatment strategies. By Joe Veltmann PhD FAAIM DCCN and Roberta (Bobbi) Kline MD FACOG EveryRead
Compelling Research on Vitamin D Supplementation for Blood Pressure Reduction
New genetic research provides compelling evidence that low levels of vitamin D have a causal role in the development of high blood pressure (hypertension). The findings, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (June 26, 2014), suggest that vitamin D supplementation could be effective in combating some cases of hypertension. “In view of the costs and side effects associated with antihypertensive drugs, the potential to prevent or reduce blood pressure and therefore the risk of hypertension with vitamin D is very attractive”, said study leader Professor Elina Hyppönen from the University of South Australia.
Breast Cancer and DNA Repair Capacity: Multivitamin & Calcium Supplements
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women, with over 1 million new cases diagnosed
every year worldwide. Over recent decades, considerable interest has emerged regarding whether vitamins and/or other supplements can lower the risk of BC. However, previous epidemiologic studies that investigated the association between intake of multivitamin and supplements of single vitamins and minerals and BC risk have reported conflicting results. Whether vitamins can actually reduce BC risk is still controversial. This study examined whether multivitamin and calcium use was associated with BC incidence and DNA repair capacity (DRC).
Two Studies with Full Text Downloads on Genetic Variants and Their Health Associations
The following are studies with full text downloads that focus on genetic variants and how they affect serum concentrations of important nutrients, such as lycopene, selenium and others. A Common Variant in the SETD7 Gene Predicts Serum Lycopene Concentrations By Christopher R. D’Adamo, et al published in J. Nutrients, Feb.Read