"Health Topics by Category Search Articles Alphabetically - Find information by selecting a letter that corresponds to your question. All [0-9] A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Search Articles by Keyword - Search for a specific topic by typing a keyword in the search box and choosing search. "

"Healthwise Knowledgebase Alternative Medicine provided by Search All Health Topics Search Articles Alphabetically To find information about a specific topic, select the letter that corresponds with the name of the information. All [0-9] A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Search Articles by Keyword To search for a specific topic enter a keyword in the search box and review the results below. "

"University of Michigan Integrative Medicine, an interdisciplinary program, is committed to the thoughtful and compassionate integration of complementary therapies and conventional medicine through the activities of research, education, clinical services and community partnerships. As a healing-oriented approach to medical care, integrative medicine takes into account the whole person (body, mind, spirit and emotion), including all aspects of lifestyle. The vision, mission and values of the University of Michigan Integrative Medicine (UMIM) program reflect our belief that patients and our community are best served when all available therapies are considered in concert with an approach that recognizes the intrinsic wholeness of each individual. It also reflects our belief that the best medicine is practiced in collaboration with a wide variety of healthcare professionals and with our patients. Our vision: To facilitate healing and wellness of mind, body, heart and spirit through clinical services, research and education. Our mission: To provide responsible leadership in the integration of complementary, alternative and conventional medicine. Our values: To live and work in balance with the community, the environment and each other. To touch beyond our reach and see beyond our vision."

"From 1955 to 1990, all infants in East Germany received 600,000 IU of Vitamin D every three months for a total of 3,600,000 IU at age 18 months. With the 400 IU/day recommendation of the American Pediatric Association in mind, I ran across this amazing paper while surfing Medline for Vitamin D. According to this paper, all infants in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) received dangerously high doses of Vitamin D every three months in their doctors office. The policy was in place for 35 years. The first 600,000 IU dose was given at three months and then every three months until the child was 18 months of age. This works out to an average of 6,000 IU per day (actually, for several technical reasons it is not equivalent) for 18 months. The authors collected blood before the dose and then 2 weeks after the quarterly dose to obtain 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)D, and calcium levels on a total of 43 infants. Before the first dose, at 3 months of age, the average infant was extremely deficient (median 25(OH)D of 7 ng/ml). Two weeks after the first dose the average 25(OH)D level was 120 ng/ml, the second dose 170 ng/ml, the third dose, 180 ng/ml, the fourth dose, 144 ng/ml, the fifth dose, 110 ng/ml and after the sixth and final dose, 3.6 million total units, at age 18 months, the children had mean levels of 100 ng/ml. That is, by the 15 and 18 month doses, the children were beginning to effectively handle these massive doses. The highest level recorded in any of the 43 infants was 408 ng/ml at age 9 months, two weeks after the third 600,000 IU dose. Thirty-four percent of the infants had at least one episode of hypercalcemia but only 3 had an elevated serum 1,25(OH)D. The authors reported that all the infants appeared healthy, even the infant with a level of 408 ng/ml, that is, no clinical toxicity was noted in any of these infants."

"This Facts About reviews healthy fats and gives examples of foods to choose from as well as foods to avoid. We provide a guide for selecting an appropriate portion size, and recommendations for incorporating healthy changes into your diet."

"Horseradish Protection Against Cancer and More By Steve Goodman Horseradish: Protection Against Cancer and More Whether it's fighting the flu and respiratory disorders or combating tonsillitis and urinary tract infections, horseradish is a condiment that can help keep you healthy.1-3 Used to treat a wide variety of ailments over centuries, nearly every part of the horseradish plant seems to have some medicinal value. Tea made from its root has been used as an expectorant,1 while tea brewed from its flowers can be used to fight the common cold.3 A poultice can also be made of its roots to externally treat joint discomfort. In addition, raw leaves of horseradish also fulfill a purpose as a natural analgesic and, pressed against the forehead, can eliminate headache pain. Furthermore, an infusion of horseradish has known antibiotic properties,4-6 which have been proven effective against pathogenic fungi.4,5 A perennial plant, horseradish is related to mustard, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables. Despite its long history as a versatile herbal remedy, however, perhaps the most interesting health benefit of horseradish is emerging from recent studies of its anticancer effects."

"Dec. 14, 2009 -- Every cup of coffee a person drinks per day may lower the risk of diabetes by 7%. A new review of research on the link between lifestyle factors, like coffee and tea consumption, and diabetes risk suggests that drinking regular or decaffeinated coffee and tea all lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers say the number of people with type 2 diabetes is expected to increase by 65% by 2025, reaching an estimated 380 million people worldwide. "Despite considerable research attention, the role of specific dietary and lifestyle factors remains uncertain, although obesity and physical inactivity have consistently been reported to raise the risk of diabetes mellitus," write researcher Rachel Huxley, DPhil, of the George Institute for International Health, University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues in the Archives of Internal Medicine. They say several studies have suggested that drinking coffee may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and others have shown that decaffeinated coffee and tea may offer similar benefits, but there has not been a recent review of the research on the issue."

"Carotenoids, found in green leafy vegetables and colored fruits, boost visual performance and may prevent age-related eye diseases, says a new study. The study has been published in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists. To reach the conclusion, authors from the University of Georgia compiled the results of multiple studies on the effects of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin on visual performance. These carotenoids play an important role in human vision, including a positive impact on the retina. After reviewing the various studies, the authors concluded that macular pigments, such as lutein and zeaxanthin do have an effect on visual performance. Lutein and zeaxanthin can reduce disability and discomfort from glare, enhance contrast, and reduce photostress recovery times. They can also reduce glare from light absorption and increase the visual range. "

"High blood levels of leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite, may guard against Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests. "Hopefully, in 10 or 15 years this may be one of many agents that we use to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease," said senior study author Dr. Sudha Seshadri, an associate professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine. "Or it may be one of many markers that we measure in combination to predict risk." But many more studies of different population groups are needed to determine whether leptin can play such a pivotal role in predicting the risk of Alzheimer's, Seshadri said. The research, which was reported in the Dec. 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, was done because "there has been some data relating body weight to the risk of Alzheimer's disease," Seshadri said. "When we looked at animal studies, we found some data to indicate that leptin not only produces a feeling of satiety but also has a beneficial effect on the hippocampus. It was important to see if that was true in humans." The hippocampus is a portion of the brain that plays a role in important aspects of memory."

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An herb used since ancient times to treat liver ailments may help reduce the liver damage caused by some cancer drugs, a study published Monday suggests. In a study of 50 children undergoing chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), researchers found that an herb called milk thistle appeared to reduce treatment-related liver inflammation. The study, published online in the journal Cancer, is the first clinical trial to test the herb in children undergoing chemotherapy, and the investigators caution that more research is still needed. However, the findings are "promising" -- particularly since there is currently no way to help protect the liver from chemotherapy-induced damage, said senior researcher Dr. Kara M. Kelly, a pediatric oncologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York."

"Dec. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Drinking coffee may lower the risk of developing the deadliest form of prostate cancer, according to a Harvard Medical School study. In research involving 50,000 men over 20 years, scientists led by Kathryn Wilson at Harvard's Channing Laboratory found that the 5 percent of men who drank 6 or more cups a day had a 60 percent lower risk of developing the advanced form of the disease than those who didn't consume any. The risk was about 20 percent lower for the men who drank 1 to 3 cups a day, and 25 percent lower for those consuming 4 or 5 cups. The study is the first to associate coffee with prostate cancer, contradicting previous research that's found no link. The difference may be because Wilson and colleagues looked for the first time at the link between coffee and different stages of the disease, instead of grouping them all together. More research is needed to confirm the findings, she said. "

Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea consumption in relation to incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Huxley R, Lee CM, Barzi F, Timmermeister L, Czernichow S, Perkovic V, Grobbee DE, Batty D, Woodward M. Arch Intern Med. 2009 Dec 14;169(22):2053-63. PMID: 20008687 Conclusions Owing to the presence of small-study bias, our results may represent an overestimate of the true magnitude of the association. Similar significant and inverse associations were observed with decaffeinated coffee and tea and risk of incident diabetes. High intakes of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea are associated with reduced risk of diabetes. The putative protective effects of these beverages warrant further investigation in randomized trials.

"Ann Arbor, MI - New laboratory research suggests that the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (Celebrex, Pfizer), might impede the action of "baby" aspirin [1]. Dr Gilad Rimon (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) and colleagues found evidence that this was the case in a dog model and say that "it will be important to determine" whether the same is true in humans. The report was published online December 1, 2009 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Medicine. Celecoxib is the only COX-2 inhibitor to have remained on the market in the US, and doctors who recommend this painkiller often coprescribe a daily low dose of 81 mg of aspirin (known as a "baby" dose) to counteract any possible prothrombotic effects of the coxib, while minimizing potential gastrointestinal toxicity of the aspirin. Senior author of the new work, Dr William L Smith (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), explained to heartwire that previous studies in humans have shown that celecoxib does not interfere with the effect of a standard dose of aspirin (325 mg), but any potential interaction of celecoxib with the lower dose has not been examined. Stagger dosing to avoid any potential problems First, Smith explained that he and his colleagues looked in vitro at celecoxib and found that it binds to one of two available sites on the COX-1 enzyme. "This surprised us," he commented. "It appears to interfere with the ability of some other drugs to affect COX-1, most notably aspirin." Second, in beagles, they administered the dog-equivalent of a baby dose of aspirin in humans and then gave some of the animals the equivalent of 100 mg of celecoxib twice daily in addition. "Celecoxib plus aspirin interfered with the normal effect of low-dose aspirin on platelets," he notes. Smith says this observation obviously requires confirmation in humans, but in the meantime he suggests "getting around the problem" by patients taking the low-dose aspirin at least 15 to 30 minutes before the celecoxib is taken, "because

C-reactive protein concentration and risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and mortality: an individual participant meta-analysis. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 22 December 2009 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61717-7 Interpretation CRP concentration has continuous associations with the risk of coronary heart disease, ischaemic stroke, vascular mortality, and death from several cancers and lung disease that are each of broadly similar size. The relevance of CRP to such a range of disorders is unclear. Associations with ischaemic vascular disease depend considerably on conventional risk factors and other markers of inflammation.

"Largest-ever meta-analysis finds CRP is unlikely to be causal for CVD December 21, 2009 | Lisa Nainggolan Cambridge, UK - In the largest and most comprehensive meta-analysis to date looking at C-reactive-protein (CRP) levels and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, British researchers conclude that CRP is unlikely to be a causal factor for cardiovascular disease [1]. Although CRP concentration was linearly associated with CHD, stroke, and vascular mortality, as well as nonvascular mortality, statistical adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors "resulted in considerable weakening of associations," note the scientists of the Cambridge-based Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration (ERFC), who report their findings online December 21, 2009 in the Lancet. In an editorial accompanying the paper [2], Drs S Matthijs Boekholdt and John JP Kastelein (Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) say the UK authors "are to be commended for this impressive data set." Although the findings "add weight to the evidence of noncausality" for a role of CRP in the development of cardiovascular disease, "the debate can be resolved only by randomized trials with agents that specifically target CRP, and such compounds are currently under development," say the Dutch doctors. Commenting on the new meta-analysis for heartwire, Dr Paul Ridker (Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA), a long-time advocate of CRP and the lead investigator of the JUPITER trial, said: "Whether or not CRP is 'causal' for heart disease is neither the crucial issue at hand nor relevant for public health. What is crucial is getting international agreement that CRP identifies higher-risk individuals who would not otherwise qualify for a life-saving therapy, and then showing that such individuals clearly benefit from treatment. The new meta-analysis demonstrates the former, and JUPITER demonstrates the latter." "

Endothelial-Vasoprotective Effects of High-Density Lipoprotein Are Impaired in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus but Are Improved After Extended-Release Niacin Therapy. Sorrentino SA, Besler C, Rohrer L, Meyer M, Heinrich K, Bahlmann FH, Mueller M, Horváth T, Doerries C, Heinemann M, Flemmer S, Markowski A, Manes C, Bahr MJ, Haller H, von Eckardstein A, Drexler H, Landmesser U. Circulation. 2009 Dec 21. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 20026785 doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.836346 Conclusions-HDL from patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome has substantially impaired endothelial-protective effects compared with HDL from healthy subjects. ER niacin therapy not only increases HDL plasma levels but markedly improves endothelial-protective functions of HDL in these patients, which is potentially more important.

"Quality of HDL differs in diabetics but improves with niacin therapy December 22, 2009 | Michael O'Riordan Hannover, Germany - A small study published this week hints that the effects of HDL cholesterol differ in healthy patients from those with diabetes mellitus [1]. HDL cholesterol in individuals with diabetes has impaired endothelial protective functions compared with the HDL from healthy subjects, although treatment with extended-release niacin can improve these endothelial protective effects, according to researchers. Publishing their findings online December 21, 2009 in Circulation, lead investigator Dr Sajoscha Sorrentino (Hannover Medical School, Germany) and colleagues write that because recent HDL-raising intervention studies have yielded mixed results, "circulating HDL-cholesterol levels alone likely do not represent an adequate measure of therapeutic efficacy, and indexes of HDL functionality are urgently needed for assessment of the potential of HDL-targeted therapies to exert vasoprotective effects." Speaking with heartwire, senior investigator Dr Ulf Landmesser (University of Zürich, Switzerland), said the results have implications for clinical research. "We have to understand that we can't look only at the HDL levels in the plasma, but we need to look at the quality," he said. "The quality of the HDL is not the same in different patients. This is very important for targeting HDL as a treatment. Second, niacin therapy is a promising way not only to raise HDL but also to improve the quality; it is a good treatment option, especially if the larger outcomes data are positive.""

"The routine prescription of extended-release niacin, a B vitamin (1,500 milligrams daily), in combination with traditional cholesterol-lowering therapy offers no extra benefit in correcting arterial narrowing and diminishing plaque buildup in seniors who already have coronary artery disease, a new vascular imaging study from Johns Hopkins experts shows. In tests on 145 Baltimore-area men and women with existing atherosclerosis, all over age 65, researchers found that after 18 months of drug therapy, reductions in arterial wall thickness were measurably no different between the half who took dual niacin-statin therapy and the rest who remained on statin therapy alone. "

CHART: Statins Reduce Risks: A study of 18,000 people with high levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP, found that the risk of a heart attack or stroke was cut in half among those who took a statin. The study was stopped after two years, but some participants were tracked for up to five years. (Sources: Dr. Paul M. Ridker; New England Journal of Medicine) (pg.A21) A large new study suggests that millions more people could benefit from taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins, even if they have low cholesterol, because the drugs can significantly lower their risk of heart attacks, strokes and death. The study, involving nearly 18,000 people worldwide, tested statin treatment in men 50 and older and in women 60 and older who did not have high cholesterol or histories of heart disease. What they did have was high levels of a protein called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or CRP, which indicates inflammation in the body.