Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Stem Cell Research Expanding

The largest trial of adult stem cell therapy in heart attack patients has begun at The London Chest Hospital in the UK.
Friday, February 21, 2014

Heart disease is the world’s leading cause of death. Globally, more than 17 million people died from heart disease last year. In the US, over 1 million people suffer a heart attack each year, and about half of them die.

Heart attacks are usually caused by a clot in one of the coronary arteries, which stops the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. If the blockage is not treated within a few hours, then it causes heart muscle tissue to die.

The stem cell trial titled - “The effect of intracoronary reinfusion of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) on all cause mortality in acute myocardial infarction,” or “BAMI” for short – has been made possible due to an $8.1 million award from the European Commission.

A total of 3,000 patients will be involved in the trial to test whether life can be prolonged by administering stem cells from the patient’s own bone marrow. The stem cells are injected into the patient’s heart within 5 days of suffering a heart attack.

“This trial brings together a powerful partnership of European doctors and scientists to solve a fundamental problem of importance to all people,” says Prof. John Martin, fro the University College London. “It will give an answer about whether adult multi-potential stem cells in their natural environment can treat human disease.”


MY TAKE:
Stem cell research is exploding and the potential is limitless. Imaging having an injection of your own stem cells and repairing the damage caused by a heart attack. No more open heart surgery. No more hip and knee joint replacements, or even liver transplants either. Within a few years, I predict most surgeries will be replaced by simple stem cell injections. Soon we will all have our stem cells harvested, cultured, and ready for use as needed.


Stem cell therapy could actually save the health care system in this county by eliminating costly surgeries. However, who stands to lose income if stem cell therapy becomes a reality? Many of those in our current, bloated, ineffective health care system. I believe that the US health care system has systematically blocked stem cell research at every turn. I only hope that they are just delaying the inevitable and are unable to stop this vital research. The truth is stem cell treatment of heart disease has been available in Europe for several years. The study comes on the heels of an existing therapy.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Please follow this research. Israel has a new stem cell “wrap” that can be placed around fractures. The cells absorb into the bone and reduce healing time by 50%, while the wrap dissolves in just 10 days. Don’t be fooled by myths like using unborn fetuses. These urban legends are just propaganda to thwart research. Stem cells work because they are your cells with your DNA blueprint. Don’t allow those that currently profit from your illnesses to delay or prevent your future health.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Food Price Hikes May Affect Those with Type 2 Diabetes

Health Day News – Food prices are linked to blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.
Friday, February 14, 2014

To reach this conclusion, researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) merged information from two giant studies. The first study, by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), gathered blood sugar measures of about 2,400 adults who met the definition of type 2 diabetes. Then they compared those levels to average grocery prices over the previous three months in 35 markets around the United States. Those prices came from the Quarterly Food-at-Home Price Database.

The result – As the costs of healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products climbed, so did blood sugar levels. The reverse was true for unhealthy foods. Falling prices for sugar, saturated fat and total calories were tied to higher blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Those relationships were strongest for low-income consumers.

“Most likely, it’s because people eat less produce and switch to products that are less healthy,” said study author Ilya Rahkovsky, an economist with the USDA’s Economic research Service in Washington, D.C. The study was published in the February 13 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

A December study from the Harvard School of Public Health estimated that healthy eating costs the average person about $1.50 per day more than unhealthy eating. That may not be such a stretch for a middle-class family. However, experts say that kind of price hike may be prohibitive for the poor, forcing them to swap fruits, vegetables and lean proteins for more processed and junk foods.

The new study found that for every increase of roughly 10 cents per pound in the cost of produce, fasting blood sugar climbed 20 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or about 13% of the average fasting glucose level in the study, which was 162 mg/dL.


MY TAKE:
Type 2 diabetes is an epidemic in the United States. Additionally, there are millions of undiagnosed cases. If you meet any of the criteria for metabolic syndrome – overweight, high blood pressure, insulin resistant, low thyroid function, or high serum lipids – you are well on your way to becoming diabetic or you’re already there and just don’t know it.

For centuries, we have fed our poor with cheap grains – wheat, corn, and rice. Refined carbohydrates provide inexpensive calories for fuel but little in the way of micronutrients. Today, the small amount of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in these foods are processed out and then replaced with synthetic chemicals.

The ancient Egyptians were the first to cultivate wheat. Atherosclerosis, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes quickly followed according to archaeological findings. This pattern has continued to accelerate to the present day. It is estimated that by the year 2050, a third of our population will have type 2 diabetes.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Follow this simple formula – eat 3 servings of protein, 5 servings of vegetables, and 2 fruit servings every day. That leaves little room for the grains, starches, and refined carbohydrates. Have your hemoglobin A1c checked through a simple blood test. If you are 5.7 or higher, seek professional support with a qualified nutritionist.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Metabolic Syndrome Linked to Poor Breakfast Habits in Childhood

Researchers in Sweden report a link between the incidence of metabolic syndrome in adults and the kind of breakfasts those adults ate as children.
Friday, January 31, 2014

Studies reported in Medical News Today during 2013 suggested that eating a large breakfast could boost fertility for women with PCOS and lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

In addition, skipping breakfast has been said to increase the appeal of high-calorie foods later in the day. Some studies have even suggested that eating breakfast every day can help to lower body mass index (BMI), though other researchers have disputed this.

Researchers at Umea University in Sweden studied a group of Swedish schoolchildren, asking questions about what they ate for breakfast. Twenty-seven years later, the follow-up checked these same subjects for signs of any metabolic risk factors.

The study found that the people who did not eat breakfast (or who ate an insubstantial breakfast) as children were 68% more likely to have adulthood metabolic syndrome that their peers who ate substantial breakfasts.


MY TAKE:
It is estimated that 34 percent of the U.S. adult population meets the criteria for a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. The high prevalence and spectrum of diseases associated with metabolic syndrome make it the number one public health issue in the this country.

You qualify for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of the following:
  • Waist circumference > 39 inches in males, > 33 inches in females.
  • Blood pressure 130/85 or higher.
  • Fasting blood sugar of 100 or higher.
  • Triglycerides of 150 or higher.
  • HDL less than 40 in males, 50 in females

People with metabolic syndrome are three times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack, and twice as likely to die from these events. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is five times higher in people with metabolic syndrome.

The good news is that this syndrome is preventable and even reversible. Dietary changes, including eating a good breakfast, are a good start. Regular exercise habits and proper nutritional support are also vital.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Assess your current health status. Have fasting blood tests annually. In addition to the tests noted above, check your glycohemoglobin A1c. It will predict the rise in fasting blood sugar years before it gets out of control. Also check thyroid function. The TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) normally ranges from 0.4 to 4.5, but levels above 2.0 are also associated with metabolic syndrome, especially in women. Consult with a qualified nutritionist to reverse the diseases associated with this epidemic in our nation. Finally, make sure your children do not leave home in the morning without a good meal to start their day.