Comment from a VET

"I wish Congress had to live with VA benefits."

The VET who made this comment to me is the very one who so graciously donated to our organization in support our work so that we could establish our Veteran's Special Resources Project.

I wish members of Congress would try this out for a few months, even Bush and Chaney should try it too. All of them should also give up their fat benefit and retirement packages paid for by tax payer money, and level the playing field with the citizens.

If we get a real president in the next election, serving "by, of and for the people", it's possible we might have a change. After all, universal health care doesn't come with garnishing wages as proposed by Mrs. Clinton.

Our vets really need our support, the war doesn't.

Veterans not entitled to mental health care, U.S. lawyers argue
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Veterans have no legal right to specific types of medical care, the Bush administration argues in a lawsuit accusing the government of illegally denying mental health treatment to some troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The arguments, filed Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco, strike at the heart of a lawsuit filed on behalf of veterans that claims the health care system for returning troops provides little recourse when the government rejects their medical claims.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is making progress in increasing its staffing and screening veterans for combat-related stress, Justice Department lawyers said. But their central argument is that Congress left decisions about who should get health care, and what type of care, to the VA and not to veterans or the courts.

A federal law providing five years of care for veterans from the date of their discharge establishes "veterans' eligibility for health care, but it does not create an entitlement to any particular medical service," government lawyers said.

They said the law entitles veterans only to "medical care which the secretary (of Veterans Affairs) determines is needed, and only to the extent funds ... are available."

The argument drew a sharp retort from a lawyer for advocacy groups that sued the government in July. The suit is a proposed class action on behalf of 320,000 to 800,000 veterans or their survivors.

"Veterans need to know in this country that the government thinks all their benefits are mere gratuities," attorney Gordon Erspamer said. "They're saying it's completely discretionary, that even if Congress appropriates money for veterans' health care, we can do anything we want with it."

The issue will be joined March 7 at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti, who denied the administration's request last month to dismiss the suit. While the case is pending, the plaintiffs want Conti to order the government to provide immediate mental health treatment for veterans who say they are thinking of killing themselves and to spend another $60 million on health care.

The suit accuses the VA of arbitrarily denying care and benefits to wounded veterans, of forcing them to wait months for treatment and years for benefits, and of failing to provide fair procedures for appealing decisions against them.

The plaintiffs say that the department has a backlog of more than 600,000 disability claims and that 120 veterans a week commit suicide.

In his Jan. 10 ruling that allowed the suit to proceed, Conti said federal law entitles veterans to health care for a specific period after leaving the service, rejecting the government's argument that it was required to provide only as much care as the VA's budget allowed in a given year. A law that President Bush signed last week extended the period from two to five years.

In its latest filing, however, the Justice Department reiterated that Congress had intended "to authorize, but not require, medical care for veterans."

"This court should not interfere with the political branches' design, oversight and modification of VA programs," the government lawyers argued.

They also said the VA "is making great progress in addressing the mental health care needs of combat veterans." Among other things, they cited a law passed in November that required the department to establish a suicide-prevention program that includes making mental health care available around the clock.

The VA has hired nearly 3,800 mental health professionals in the last two years and has at least one specialist in post-traumatic stress disorder at each of its medical centers, the government said.

Since June, government lawyers said, the VA has had a policy that all veterans who seek or are referred for mental health care should be screened within 24 hours, that those found to be at risk of suicide should be treated immediately, and that others should be scheduled for full diagnosis and treatment planning within two weeks. A new suicide-prevention hot line has been responsible for "more than 380 rescues," the lawyers said.

Erspamer, the plaintiffs' lawyer, was unimpressed.

"Nowhere do I see any explanation of what kind of systems they have in place that deal with suicidal veterans," he said. "There's no excuse for not spending the money Congress told them to spend on mental health care and leaving $60 million on the table when people are going out and killing themselves."

E-mail Bob Egelko at begelko@sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/05/MNQLUQ4IS.DTL
This article appeared on page A - 8 of the San Francisco Chronicle

More Problems with Psych Drugs and Docs

Worth commenting because it is likely these docs on antidepressants may be doing more than making medication errors. It is also good to see the report because for so long all these errors were reported to be done by professional nurses.

The drug company naming confusion pandemonium cannot but add to the fray.

Depression in Young Doctors Tied to Medication Errors

FRIDAY, Feb. 8 '08(HealthDay News) -- Medical residents who are depressed are about six times more likely to make medication errors than those who aren't depressed, says a study that looked a 123 pediatric residents at three children's hospitals in the United States.

Researchers found that 20 percent of the residents were depressed, and 74 percent were burned out. During the study period, the residents made a total of 45 medications errors, and those who were depressed made 6.2 times more medication errors than those who weren't depressed.

There didn't appear to be any link between higher medication error rates and burnout. The study was published online Feb. 7 in the British Medical Journal.

These findings suggest that doctors' mental health may play a more significant role in patient safety than previously suspected, the study authors said. In addition, the high burnout rate among residents in this study -- consistent with other studies -- indicates that methods of training doctors may cause stress that harms residents' health.

The researchers did note that their data was collected before work hour limits were implemented for medical residents in the United States.

More needs to be done to study and improve the mental health and working conditions of doctors, the study authors concluded.

Each year in the United States, as many as 98,000 patients die due to medication errors, and the stress of resident training, including lack of sleep and leisure time, are among the most commonly cited reasons for such errors, according to background information in the study.

While it may seem logical to link medication errors to depression and burnout among doctors, these study findings are not conclusive, researchers from Scotland's University of Aberdeen noted in an accompanying editorial.

Large, prospective trials need to be conducted to pinpoint the factors that cause medication errors, they wrote.

More information
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about medication errors.
Copyright © 2008 HealthDay.

"DID DRUG TRIAL DATA MASK SUICIDE RISK?"

An inappropriate analysis of clinical trial data by researchers at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) obscured suicide risks associated with Paroxetine, a profitable antidepressant for 15 years, suggest court documents released last month.

Not until 2006 did GSK alert people to raised suicide risks associated with the drug, marketed as Paxil and Seroxat.

Internal GSK memos & reports suggest GSK had trial data showing the 8-fold increase in suicide risks from the drug as early as 1989.

New Scientist 2Feb08

Long Live Vitamin E

Vitamin E could help determine how long we live. People with low levels of the nutrient decline more rapidly, researchers have found.

In a study of 698 men and women aged over 65, those with low serum levels of vitamin E showed a decline in physical abilities over a three-year period compared with those with higher levels.

Researchers believe that vitamin E, an antioxidant, prevents damage to our DNA, muscles and neurones.

Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2008; 299: 308-15

Arguing for the sake of the argument, yet ignoring the facts

The NYT writer, Tara Parker-Pope, seems to be self-annointing herself as an expert in the health benefits of vitamins and other supplements. As a result she contends that - in concordance with MSM and BigPharma/FDA marching directives - no one with cancer should be taking supplements.
As a writer, not an expert or an investigator, Parker-Pope derails anyone who seems to disagree with her report on the findings or a skewed study, really one that is only a analysis of 'selected'studies utilized to prove a specific point. That in itself is an exceptionally clear indication of bias.
Not unusual for the NYT, as I understand lately, they have fallen off their once repected high horse, and are just another USA Today style rag.
This isn't a surprise because the NYT travel writer recently spewed out all the hype on the Silver Valley in N. Idaho that developers don't want you to know - it's that the Silver Valley is a toxic nighmare, one you can't cover up by moving dirt.
One NYT reader comments below on Parker-Page's reference

I would take anything that the Tufts University CV research team has done with a large grain of salt. My experience is they are more interested in getting a trial published than reporting quality information. They take prior trials do a Meta-Analysis and leap to conclusions which they've done with statins in the past. It is inherently hard combine large numbers of trials with different populations and designs etc.. and get a quality result. However, they will hang their hat on it.

Healthy recipe or just for corporate profit -

Original Dannon yoghurt had nothing but milk and cultures, with fruit or other real food based flavors coffee, lemon, honey, vanilla). That's it, only natural and health promoting.

Over the years and several corporate owners later, here's what you have.

From the ingredient list of Dannon strawberry light Activia - 4 ounce serving, about 50 cents a package +/-

Cultured grade A non fat milk, strawberries, inulin, water, contains less than 1% of fructose, corn starch, modified corn starch, natural flavor, kosher gelatin, carmine (for color), sodium citrate, malic acid, sucralose

Contains the active cultures L.Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus and Bifidobacterium

Activia Light has 35% less calories and 50% less sugar than Regular lowfat yogurt.

Activia Light: 70 Calories, 8 or 9g Sugar (depending on flavor)

Regular Lowfat Yogurt: 110 Calories, 18g Sugar per 4oz

What isn't noted is that it contains some irritating and unnecessary ingredients:
Is the non-fat milk free of hormones? or is it from dry milk powder?
What is the source of inulin and the reason?
Water, is it filtered or fluoride containing tap water?
Fructose - stresses the liver
Corn starch - allergenic
Modified corn starch - most corn is GMO and grown with large amounts of pesticide
Natural flavor - sometimes allergenic
Kosher gelatin - gelatin may be a health risk because of Mad Cow
Carmine - can be an irritant and allergenic to some people
Sodium citrate
sucralose - a chlorinated hydrocarbon first developed as a pesticide

and by the way, calcium requires at least 2% fat milk to be absorbed.

Some researchers have questioned the health benefit of S. Thermophilus.

You can get better benefit from real yoghurt and real cultures. If you don't want to make your own, I suggest Nancy's yoghurt. Nancy's is the kind of yoghurt Dannon used to be, once upon a time...

Yes, the bad news on statins is bad!

UPDATE: It seems always that the statins detractors focus on the depletion of Co Enzyme Q 10 when talking about the harm inflicted by these drugs. I have always contended that, in addition to COQ10,depletion of several B vitamins critical to heart health are damaged, as cam be vitamin A and E.

Another health write I know, also a statin detractor, adds that selenium is a critical immune system mineral that is depleted. This nutrient is much more of a problem for those living in states along the Canadian border, from Dakota to Washington, as the soil in this area is very low in naturally occurring selenium.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Russell Blaylock echoes the same message I have been promulgating for many more years than four. I've even warned against red rice yeast because it has similar side effects because it too is a statin, and the base of one of Big Pharma's cash cows.

For more information or to learn how to lower cholesterol naturally contact us for a customized consultation.

Statin Drugs: Bad News Gets Worse

I’ve been telling you for years what made health headlines this past week: the cholesterol-lowering effect from statins has not been show to be related to a reduction in heart attacks and strokes (my special report "Cholesterol Drugs Are Dangerous" was first published in 2004).

Now we learn that one such drug, Vytorin, simply does not even work for its intended purpose; the reduction of artery plaque. You read that correctly – “does not work.”

The mainstream media can no longer ignore the mounting evidence that these drugs are not a panacea. One study found that for every hundred people taking statins for three years, only one death will be prevented. Other studies hint that the number is far higher – that up to 250 people would have to take statins for at least three years to prevent a single death!

Statins do not seem to benefit postmenopausal women, or anyone without a history of cardiovascular disease. Yet, doctors are prescribing statins for anyone with an elevated cholesterol and for all diabetics no matter their cholesterol level.

The fact that 50 percent of all strokes and heart attacks have absolutely nothing to do with elevated cholesterol levels is a guarded secret. And in addition, these drugs are associated with major complications and side effects like depletion of the body’s essential energy molecule coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which can lead to congestive heart failure, extreme muscle weakness, neurological disorders and even death.

And all statin drugs have been associated with causing or promoting cancer in experimental animals. This is especially important since millions of Americans have been advised to take these drugs for the rest of their lives.

The results of one study were especially frightening: Statin drugs produced significant suppression of vital immune cells called helper T-cells. These cells play a major role in protecting us against cancer and fungal, bacterial and viral infections.

The immune suppression was so powerful that authors of the paper even suggested that statins might be used to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients. The drugs tested in this study included Lipitor, Mevacor and Pravachol.

Chronic immune suppression in these millions would mean that a tremendous number would be at high risk of developing cancer, and those already having cancer would see tremendous growth and spread of their cancers.

A Danish study found that those taking statin drugs long term were 4 to 14 times more likely to develop nerve degeneration leading to difficulty walking and painful extremities.

So, do you still want to take statins? Or would you rather use safe, natural methods to protect your heart? If so, stop believing the cholesterol myth.

Lack of ability interpreting lab studies leads to need of Second Opinion

I admit it! I had years of chemistry and physiology in college. I probably hated it at the time because these classes are also lab classes consuming about twice the time as classroom work.

In the long run I think it has paid off because it has allowed me to develop a method to evaluate lab reports based solely on biochemistry and nutrition. It is a way to pick up body system deficiencies that are constantly overlooked by US health care providers. It is not just an issue in the UK.

This system came out of an interest in a key medical text on laboratory medicine. Aided by an in depth knowledge of how the body works and how it is interconnected, I knew there had to a more exquisite way to apply my detective skills.

In my review of lab work I do not rely on the standard range of results popped out by the laboratory machinery used to process the specimens.

One example of this is the out of range results used for TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). Several years ago the Clinical Endocrinologists lowered this range yet very few labs have made the shift to the new range.

When I ask the many questions I ask, mainly because I use the old-fashioned way, I am able to pinpoint deficiencies because I listen to what a person tells me (symptoms) and put it together, almost like a jigsaw puzzle, with what the lab printout tells me.

Through an educational process I explain the findings to the client, suggest natural treatments to help correct the issue, and help them understand what to ask their doctor, in hopes of improving care and outcomes.

In some instances even the doctor is amazed. I guess they never stop to think of the science, and how to use it as an art.

I suppose, thinking out past November 2008, it might get worse if the Hillary plan to garnish your wages to force health insurance on you is allowed to happen. Hope you are listening very closely to what these stumpers are saying. Along with insurance and drug company control of health care, this would be just one more insult!

Jim Kirwan agrees when he says, "The core of the argument is that what American's need health-CARE, not ACCESS to Health-insurance."

So if you might be looking for that Second Opinion, consider the our service.

Test confusion 'risk to patients'

Many junior doctors do not understand common hospital laboratory tests and are putting patients at risk as a result, biochemists have claimed.

The Annals of Clinical Biochemistry reports that 18% of more than 80 junior doctors surveyed were happy to order a test they could not fully interpret.

The Association for Clinical Biochemistry blamed poor teaching of the subject at medical schools.

The General Medical Council is planning to review its curriculum guidance.

The majority of hospital pathology tests are ordered by junior doctors, but in recent years many medical schools have reduced the amount of time they devote to pathology teaching.

Dr Trevor Gray, from the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, carried out a survey of more than 80 juniors, asking them how they felt about the clinical biochemistry tests they were expected to order on a day-to-day basis.

In 10 out of the 12 common tests listed, some of the juniors questioned said they were not entirely confident about interpreting the results.

In three tests, more than a third of those questioned said they were not confident - and 18% of the doctors said they were happy to order a test which they did not fully understand how to interpret.

Seven out of 10 said they would like more teaching in clinical biochemistry.

Dangerous decisions

Dr Danielle Freedman, from the Association of Clinical Biochemistry, said the results revealed "a national problem".

"It's something that scares me - these are the doctors who are going to be looking after me when I'm older."

She said that errors could be highly dangerous to patients: "If you have someone who has a test which shows they have a low sodium level, further tests need to be done to establish the cause.

"Some junior doctors can order the sodium test, but don't know what to do with the result, and the patient doesn't get the right treatment."

She said that she knew of patients who had been discharged from hospital only to suffer a major heart attack because a key test had not been carried out properly.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is currently preparing to review its guidance on the content of medical education.

"It is essential that the GMC, universities and medical school take note to protect both patients and doctors," Dr Freedman said.

Among those responsible for pathology teaching in UK medical schools is the Royal College of Pathologists, and a spokesman said that it was currently examining what medical students were taught.

"The college has set up a group to review and appraise the new curriculum."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7223227.stm
Published: 2008/02/02 01:02:04 GMT
© BBC MMVIII

Supplmental Anti-oxidants and supplements help in MSM cancer therapy

For so many years, maybe more than I can remember, I have been trying to educate people about the great importance of antioxidants and other nutritional supplements in cancer treatment.

Helpful foods are always included in my list, and even after all these years I am flabbergasted by the ignorance of doctors and nurses who claim that vitamins, supplements, and yes, even broccoli, will interfere with chemo and radiation treatment for cancers.

No where do you hear, in MSM (mainstream medicine), any information about how nutrition is extremely important if you have cancer. You also do not hear that it is ultimately more helpful to utilize nutrition when undergoing chemo and/or radiation.

I feel like The Beatles "Nowhere Man" sometimes when I ponder the thousands of live that have been lost and those who have been harmed by false information circulating in those money makers, known as cancer treatment centers.

My best story is about the cancer care center in Spokane that ofjers candy and chips to people getting assembly line chemo treatments, if they happen to get hungry.

Now comes Ralph Moss, PhD with another report on the benefits of antioxidants in cancer treatment.

Maybe someday those brainwashed med students will be able to think clearly outside the box, for their patient's sake.

And also appreciate our high quality supplements.

Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. Weekly CancerDecisions.com
Newsletter #326 02/03/08
-------------------------------------------------------

ANTIOXIDANTS AND CANCER TREATMENT - TWO NEW REPORTS

There are few issues in cancer therapy so surrounded by confusion as the question of whether or not cancer patients should continue to take antioxidant supplements during radiation treatment.

Prompted by the many questions I receive from clients on this topic, I am now offering two investigative reports on the subject. The first of these - Do Antioxidants Interfere With Radiation Treatment for Cancer? - is designed to help patients make sense of the conflicting information they are likely to encounter on this issue. This 26 page report contains up-to-the-minute information concerning the controversial question of whether antioxidants can safely be taken during radiation treatment, and includes new research data that more clearly identifies which patients are most likely to be affected by potential interactions.

Because the question of antioxidant use is an area of such vital importance to cancer patients, we are also offering this new report packaged with our earlier report on the use of antioxidants during cancer therapy. This combined report, 83 pages in length, offers an exhaustive discussion of the topic, covering the use of supplemental antioxidants during both chemotherapy and radiation.

For further details and information on purchasing either the single or the combined report please scroll down to the end of the newsletter.

NEW STUDY CLARIFIES ROLE OF ANTIOXIDANTS DURING RADIATION TREATMENT

An important paper on the interaction of antioxidants and radiation therapy was recently published in the International Journal of Cancer. Interestingly, despite the significance of its findings, this study has received virtually zero attention from the scientific community or the media.

As background, in April 2005, Isabelle Bairati, MD, PhD, and her colleagues at the Hôtel-Dieu de Quebec Research Centre and the Universite Laval completed a ten-year study on the interaction of antioxidants and radiation therapy. This was hailed as the first placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial assessing the effect of supplementation with antioxidant vitamins during radiation therapy. The study concluded that supplements of synthetic beta-carotene (30 mg per day) or alpha tocopherol (400 IU per day) had a harmful effect on cancer patients. In particular, the authors claimed that the cancer recurrence rate was 40 percent higher among patients who had been randomly assigned to the supplementation arm of the trial. They therefore called on patients and physicians to exert caution in using antioxidants until new evidence could be provided by future trials.

Kedar Prasad, PhD, and other proponents of the concurrent use of antioxidants during cancer treatment criticized the Bairati paper. They were disappointed that Bairati and colleagues had used ordinary alpha tocopherol as their choice of vitamin E when Prasad's previous work had shown that it was not just alpha tocopherol but alpha tocopherol succinate that had the anticancer efficacy. They also felt that natural forms of the vitamin were more effective than synthetic, drug store-type vitamins. But, by and large, the medical world accepted the Bairati trial as definitive proof that antioxidants interfered with radiation therapy. Word spread like wildfire in oncology circles, confirming a long-held belief that antioxidants interfered with standard cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. The take away message, as stated in a Universite Laval press release, was that "Supplements May Speed Up Development of Cancer." Advocates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) were confounded by this large and impressive study.

But now the other shoe has dropped.

In December 2007, Dr. Bairati and her Quebec colleagues published a major modification of their previous conclusions. Further analysis revealed, they said, that the danger of synthetic antioxidants was limited to one particular sub-population: cigarette smokers - specifically, those who continued to smoke during radiation treatment. The authors analyzed the outcome in 540 patients who had been given radiation for head and neck cancers. During the follow-up period, 119 patients had a recurrence of their disease and 179 died. Smokers were the group with the worst
prognosis. However, astonishingly, smoking in the period leading up to or following radiation therapy did not modify the effects of the two supplements. It was only smoking during the course of radiation therapy that led to a statistically significant increase in the risk of a recurrence. It was a large enough increase to skew the statistics for the group as a whole, leading to the erroneous conclusion that antioxidants interfered with radiotherapy in the general patient population.

Statistically, increased risk is generally expressed as a "hazard ratio" (abbreviated HR). In this study, current smokers had an HR of 2.41 for recurrence, in other words more than double the chance of a recurrence compared to the rest of the patient population. The HR for death from any cause was a similar 2.26. But the hazard ratio for dying of their initial head and neck cancer was a whopping 3.38 in patients who got radiation, smoked and also received a single synthetic antioxidant.

"These results could best be explained by the hypothesis that the combined exposures reduced the efficacy of radiation therapy," Bairati and her colleagues now say. "Particular attention should be devoted to prevent patients from both smoking and taking antioxidant supplements during radiation therapy" (Meyer 2007).

According to the National Cancer Institute, 85 percent of head and neck cancers are linked to tobacco use. (Alcohol use further exacerbates this trend.) This has been widely known for years, and so it is shocking that there are still people so hopelessly addicted to tobacco that they not only continue to smoke after they've been diagnosed with head and neck cancer but continue to smoke right through their radiation therapy. It was in this subset of particularly unhealthy individuals that
antioxidants were associated with an increased risk of disease progression. As Bairati and colleagues suggest, such individuals should definitely not compound their problems by then taking a synthetic antioxidant.

But the more important lesson for patients and practitioners is that antioxidants do NOT generally interfere with the effects of radiation therapy, as was previously suggested. They do NOT increase the risk of a recurrence, of death from head and neck cancer, or of overall mortality in the average patient. In this updated study, the harmful effect of synthetic antioxidants was entirely limited to those relatively few
tobacco-addicted patients who continued to smoke during their radiation therapy. Thus, the major premise underpinning oncologists' condemnation of antioxidants during radiation therapy has crumbled, although few seem to have noticed so far.

ANTIOXIDANTS AND CANCER TREATMENT - A CHOICE OF REPORTS

In late 2005 the peer-reviewed journal CA (the American Cancer Society's journal for clinicians working in the field of cancer) published a paper strongly recommending against the use of antioxidants during cancer treatment. In response to this paper we published a detailed report titled Should Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Be Prescribed Antioxidants? This report analyzes the specific arguments raised by D'Andrea and others against the use of antioxidants during cancer therapy and finds that there is scant evidence to support the widespread practice of forbidding antioxidants during cancer treatment.

Because this is a topic of such immediate importance to cancer patients, we are now offering this report packaged with our newly published Do Antioxidants Interfere With Radiation Treatment for Cancer? The combined report, totaling 83 pages, gives an extensive overview of the entire subject, including a detailed, point-by-point rebuttal of the specific arguments put forward against the use of antioxidants during cancer therapy.

Do Antioxidants Interfere With Radiation Treatment for Cancer? received enthusiastic reviews from several prominent clinicians and researchers:

"An excellent article that clearly brings into perspective the issues raised."
-Kenneth A. Conklin, MD, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles

"Excellent and timely."
-Jeanne Drisko, MD, University of Kansas Medical Center

"Superb, very thorough, should convince anyone except those whose minds are closed."
-Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD, FRCP (C)

"A comprehensive rebuttal that is also an excellent review of this complex topic."
-Leanna Standish, ND, PhD, Bastyr University, Seattle

You can purchase the combined report - Do Antioxidants Interfere With Radiation Treatment for Cancer? plus Should Patients Undergoing Radiation and Chemotherapy Take Antioxidants? by clicking here or going to:
https://webssl.cancerdecisions.com/list/optin.php?form_id=29

To purchase the single report Do Antioxidants Interfere With Radiation Treatment for Cancer? please click or go to:
https://webssl.cancerdecisions.com/list/optin.php?form_id=28

MOSS REPORTS

We have Moss Reports on more than 200 different cancer diagnoses. You
can see the full list of reports, view a table of contents and read a
sample excerpt from one of the reports at our Web site,
www.cancerdecisions.com.

We look forward to helping you.

--Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
=======================
References:

Bairati I, Meyer F, Jobin E, et al. Antioxidant vitamins
supplementation and mortality: a randomized trial in head and neck cancer patients.
Int J Cancer. 2006;119:2221-4.

Bairati I, Meyer F, Gelinas M, et al: Randomized trial of antioxidant
vitamins to prevent acute adverse effects of radiation therapy in head
and neck cancer patients. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:5805-5813.

Bairati I, Meyer F, Gelinas M, et al. A randomized trial of antioxidant
vitamins to prevent second primary cancers in head and neck cancer
patients. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005;97:481-488.

Meyer F, Bairati I, Fortin A, et al. Interaction between antioxidant
vitamin supplementation and cigarette smoking during radiation therapy in
relation to long-term effects on recurrence and mortality: A
randomized trial among head and neck cancer patients. Int J Cancer. 2007 Dec
4;122(7):1679-1683

Digital TV, more EMF and your health

Often one really gets the complete story because the underlying agenda is to sell you on some covert agenda.

As an example, it looks like the US Fish and Wildlife agency did a bit of research on the effects of coming digital TV, and they presented it to Congress.

I am sure you did not hear it from any of the local and network talking news heads, or read it in even the New York Times. Yes, I am picking on the NYT these days because they aren't acting to address the toxic problems in the Silver Valley (Kellogg, ID). They would rather rely on the January 18th tourism article, making the area seem to be the new outpost for more celebrities.

Be that as it may, along with tourism comes sprawl and more cell and DTV towers.

In the mid 90s I was out researching the facts behind the health effects of EMF, including cell towers and the proposed move to digital. The telecoms and broadcasters didn't want you to know some of the things I discovered, and more likely not, they don't want you to know now.

Yes, EMF and Digital does and will further effect health; yours and the rest of all living things.

You can read what the Fish and Wildlife biologist told Congress here:
http://www.c-a-r-e.org/pdfs/May%202007%20Washington%20DC/Manville%20DC.pdf

And you can ponder on the New England issue with disappearing bats, the birds and the bees here: http://groups.google.com/group/mobilfunk_newsletter/browse_thread/thread/7a4b006fb3c51008

Some of the information is what I have believed and found to be factual in the last decade or so.

Funny how the Russians have known it since 1940, and the US Navy did not want you to know for decades until the problems with sonar and whales came to light.

More on the dangers of Chantix

24 May 2008, more about Chantix: see posts of May 2008, More about smoking...

Now, on Ground Hog Day (2-2-08), surfacing from underground as if looking for a way to hide from this shadow, Chantix gets another blow.
I certainly believe that this new process at the FDA, what I refer to as 'faster track' because drug companies pay more than before to hurry their drug to market WITHOUT PROPER TESTING!, does nothing to protect the public. And you can blame Congress for this as it was their short sighted action that saw PAC $$$ as the prize, not public health and safety.
If you are looking for safe ways to stop smoking let us know as we can provide you with information about more sensible ways to stop smoking.

FDA warns about Pfizer anti-smoking drug By Kim Dixon, Fri Feb 1, 08

Pfizer Inc's anti-smoking drug Chantix appears increasingly likely to be linked to serious psychiatric behavior, including suicide, U.S. regulators said on Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that after an analysis of cases of depression, suicidal thoughts and other unusual behavior in patients on the medication, the evidence appears stronger of an association with Chantix.

"We've become increasingly concerned as we've seen there are a number of compelling cases that truly look as if they are the result of exposure to the drug," Bob Rappaport, a director in FDA's unit that oversees Chantix, told reporters on a conference call.

Pfizer, the world's biggest drugmaker, had already updated its label to reflect the latest findings. Earlier this month it changed the label to more prominently warn that patients taking Chantix have experienced suicidal thoughts and other psychiatric behavior.

FDA officials said on Friday they had asked Pfizer to make that change.

The agency also said there was rising evidence of a causal link, an assertion Pfizer has denied.

Some cases "strongly appear to be related" to Chantix, Rappaport said.

Pfizer officials have maintained there is no evidence of a causal link, and said only that in some cases an association could not be excluded. The reports could also be confounded by symptoms of nicotine withdrawal itself, Pfizer has said.

"A causal relationship has not been established. At the same time, we can't exclude it," Ponni Subbiah, Pfizer vice president for medical affairs, said in an interview on Friday.

FDA officials said they have received nearly 500 reports of suicidal behavior and thinking, and 39 completed suicides. Most of these cases occurred in the United States.

About 4 million people in the United States have used the drug since its 2006 approval. Chantix had sales of $280 million in the fourth quarter of 2007.

FDA officials said they would continue their analysis, calling it an evolving issue.

Under rising scrutiny about drugs' safety risks, the FDA has in recent months begun alerting the public earlier when it spots potential safety issues.

The FDA in November issued an "early communication" on Chantix, saying it would analyze reports of suicidal thoughts and other unusual behavior.

Chantix works by tinkering with molecules in the brain to produce some of the pleasing effects of nicotine to ease withdrawal symptoms.

The FDA said the drug is effective but that patients should talk to their doctors about this new safety information. Patients should report to doctors any history of mental illness and be alert to changes in behavior.

(Reporting by Kim Dixon, Editing by Carol Bishopric, Toni Reinhold)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.

Last updated at 12:33pm on 21st January 2008
Now several days have passed and more news is out regarding the dangers of Chantix -
however, there are other older medical treatments and safe, natural remedies to help you achieve your goal of stopping the tobacco habit.

Widow claims father-of-two was driven to suicide by 'quit smoking' drug

A widow claimed yesterday that a drug designed to help smokers quit may have played a role in her husband's suicide.

Father-of-two Wayne Marshall, 36, was found hanged shortly after completing a 13-week course of Champix, which it is feared may have depressive side effects.

His death is the second in the UK to be linked to the newly-licensed drug.

Mr Marshall's widow Emma said he was prescribed the drug by his GP last August to help him quit his 20-a-day habit, but quickly went downhill, cutting himself off from his family and friends.

Father-of-two Wayne Marshall, 36, was found hanged shortly after completing a 13-week course of Champix, which it is feared may have depressive side effects

Mr Marshall, a welder, from Rossington near Doncaster, died in November. Last month, an inquest in Doncaster recorded a verdict that he killed himself.

Mrs Marshall, 28, said she believed the drug had played a part in his death and has reported the case to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

"I don't want anybody to go through what myself, his children and his family and friends are facing," she said. "It is horrendous.

"People need to think about going on this drug, particularly if they have a history of depression.'

After her husband's inquest, Mrs Marshall, a distribution coordinator, discovered Champix has been linked to depression.

Mrs Marshall, who said her husband had once before attempted suicide when he was a teenager, had moved out of the couple's home a month before the tragedy.

His previous attempts to give up smoking had failed, but he did not smoke while taking Champix. He became quiet and withdrawn, however, and one day she found him sobbing uncontrollably.

"I don't understand how he went downhill so quickly," she said. "He was not the type of person who needed picking up but his whole personality changed. He closed himself off completely from everybody.

"These tablets did seem to be working. It was just his moods."

He had finished the drug course a week before she last saw him, but had started smoking immediately.

"He was more positive than when I saw him previously," she said. "Never ever could I have dreamt he would have done something like that."

Last October, TV editor Omer Jama, 39,was found dead at his home in Bolton.

He slashed his wrists weeks after starting a course of Champix. Mr Jama had just booked a foreign holiday and had no history of depression.

The European Medicines Agency last month ordered improved warnings to patients over the twice-daily prescription medicine following reports it could lead to depression.

Figures from the MHRA show one patient has taken his life while on the drug, two others have attempted suicide and there have been 60 other "suicidal-type suspected adverse reactions" reported.

About 200,000 patients have been prescribed the drug in the UK since December 2006 and it was approved by the Health Service last July.

An MHRA spokesman said Champix, which is made by Pfizer, was being closely monitored. He said: "Giving up smoking can be very stressful. The side effects are suspected. It does not necessarily mean the drugs caused the reaction."

Originally posted 1/1/08:
Art Bell fell for the dangers of Chantix
Last night I was listening to Art Bell who raved about the wonders of Chantix in helping him stop smoking. Art Bell is known to be a pharmaceutical MSM type of guy, and I am sure his comments, without any opposing view will drive many of his listeners down to the corner doctor to get this drug. New Year type resolution thing you know!

For those who don't know, the smoking habit and nicotine overload along with additive chemicals plied into cigarettes by the tobacco industry, withdrawing from tobacco habits is as or more difficult than heroin withdrawal. My experience in chemical dependency treatment has shown me that heroin withdrawal is a very horrible situation. Helping people get off tobacco is pretty tough as well.

The chemistry of this latest synthetic chemical drug might make it addictive. I would be very cautious, just based on the fact that there are NO longterm studies.

I also wonder about the interference with acetylcholine and its role in nerve transmission.

CHANTIX® tablets contain the active ingredient, varenicline (as the tartrate salt), which is a partial agonist selective for a4b2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes.

Varenicline, as the tartrate salt, is a powder which is a white to off-white to slightly yellow solid with the following chemical name: 7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,10-methano-6H- pyrazino[2,3- h][3]benzazepine, (2R,3R)-2,3-dihydroxybutanedioate (1:1). It is highly soluble in water.

Not for those with renal problems -
Varenicline is known to be substantially excreted by the kidney, and the risk of toxic reactions to this drug may be greater in patients with impaired renal function.

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/chantix_ad.htm

Wonder drug for smokers linked to seven deaths in Britain

By RACHEL ELLIS, Daily Mail (UK)
30th December 2007

More than 1,300 people who have used the drug Champix and have reported possible side effects

A new anti-smoking 'wonder drug' taken by nearly a quarter of a million Britons is feared to be linked to the deaths of seven people.

Their cases are included in a dossier featuring more than 1,300 people who have used the drug Champix and have reported possible side effects, ranging from headaches, nausea and vomiting to heart disorders and suicidal thoughts.

When Champix was launched a year ago it was hailed as the most effective weapon in the fight to give up smoking.

In trials, 22.5 per cent of quitters who took the prescription-only drug were still not smoking after a year, compared with 16 per cent of people who used nicotine-replacement therapy and just three per cent who attempted to stop by using willpower alone.

Have you ever suffered side effects from using anti-smoking drugs? Email us in confidence by clicking here

The non-nicotine product works on brain receptors to relieve the cravings and withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting.

Pfizer, the manufacturers of Champix, maintain there is no evidence the drug has dangerous side effects. But the Government's medicines watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has received numerous reports of possible problems.

Earlier this month, the European Medicines Agency ordered a safety warning to be included in the drug's patient information, saying that any Champix users who develop suicidal thoughts should stop their treatment and contact their doctor.

Last night, the MHRA said it was 'monitoring the emerging safety information concerning Champix'.

The seven suspicious deaths – reported to the MHRA by doctors, nurses and patients – were attributed in two cases to heart problems and in one case to vascular disorder. A further three were put down to 'general health problems'. The other reported case was the suicide of 39-year-old Omer Jama, an editor at Sky TV, who slashed his wrists weeks after starting a course of the pills.

Last night, Dr John Griffin, the ex-editor of the medical journal Adverse Drug Reactions, who has been an expert in the safety of medicines for more than 35 years, said: 'Some anti-smoking remedies contain a substance which also has anti-depressant actions. A number of anti-depressants have an effect that causes people who want to commit suicide to do so.

'Any drug with a propensity to increase suicide risk has to be treated very seriously.'

The MHRA figures show that up to December 18 there were 1,335 reports of UK patients taking Champix suffering suspected adverse reactions. Some patients experienced several problems.

The most common reactions were psychiatric problems (748 cases), gastrointestinal disorders (819), nervous-system disorders (511) and heart disorders (70).

In the US, where the drug has been taken by four million people, there were 5,157 complaints about it in just one week – 55 of which involved suicides and 199 suicidal thoughts – and an investigation into the drug was launched.

A spokesman for Pfizer said: 'There is no scientific evidence establishing a causal relationship between varenicline [the active ingredient in Champix] and these reported events. Patient safety is our priority.'

• Omer was 'spaced out' on pills...then he killed himself

Omer Jama was trying to beat a 15-year, 20-a-day smoking habit when he slashed his wrists in October.

The 39-year-old TV editor from Bolton had been taking Champix tablets for four weeks. His family say he had no history of depression and think the drugs may have affected his mental health.

He had split from his wife, but his brother Ali, 41, said: 'He had so much to live for. I thought about the pills straight away.'

Mr Omer's friend Gary Tonge, 39, said his girlfriend suffered irrational behaviour for four weeks while on Champix. 'One minute she'd be crying her eyes out, the next she'd be aggressive so I took the tablets off her and she was back to normal within a week,' he said.

'I asked Omer if he was OK. He said the tablets were making him feel a bit spaced out but he was determined to give up.'

Have you ever suffered side effects from using anti-smoking drugs?

You can check Chantix side effects at rxlist.com in case the doctor never took the time to explain as they are required by law to do.

Safe ways to help you stop smoking naturally are available from our office.

Science Can Sizzle When it Comes to Salt

Obviously we have created a real stir in regard to our recent discussion of Himalayan salt crystals.

Here is an observation, and I have to admit I lean in favor of science on this one -

Himalayn salt is described in the MLM literature that comes with sales information:

Original Himalayan Crystal Salt Elements 100% Pure - Contains 84 "natural" elements needed by the body: hydrogen, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluoride, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicum, phosphorus, sulfur, chloride, calcium, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, germanium, arsenic, selenium, bromine, rubidium, strontium, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium palladium, silver, cadmium, indium, tin, antimony, tellurium, iodine, cesium, barium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, mercury, thallium, lead, bismuth, polonium, astatine, francium, radium, actinium, thorium, protactinium, uranium, neptunium and plutonium.

Here is an interesting definition of cadmium from an epidemiological perspective -

Cadmium is a non-essential heavy metal that occurs in a number of environmental sources, including phosphate fertilizers and the food crops they are used on, industrial byproducts, smelter emissions, and cigarette smoke. Although epidemiological findings have been inconclusive, studies have shown that cadmium can induce prostate tumors in rats, and the element has been found in greater concentrations in cancerous prostate tissue than in normal tissue.

Arsenic is also a promoter of prostate cancer.

You be the judge.

FDA attempts to violate court ruling against it, thirty years ago

If you wish your health freedom to be protected so that you can access proven health care of your choice that helps clear arteriosclerosis more safely and less expensively than the current medical approach you should be speaking with your representatives and senators today!

FDA’s Stealth Attack on Chelation Therapy for Cardio-Vascular Disease
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a Public Health Advisory on Edetate Disodium (EDTA). The advisory reflects FDA’s current analysis of data available concerning this drug. The advisory is meant to alert patients and healthcare professionals about EDTA.

In this relatively innocent looking letter, the FDA is warning hospital pharmacies that there have been 11 deaths associated with di-sodium EDTA since 1971. They indicate that to improve safety and avoid potential medical errors, hospitals may want to consider not carrying di-sodium EDTA. Finally, they hint they may be revisiting di-sodium EDTA’s safety record at some point in time.

They are responding to the death of a child in 2003 year because the physician mixed up di-sodium with Calcium EDTA. Medical errors do take place and the majority of these reported cases. In fact it is known that 450 people die each year from acetaminophen poisoning. With the millions of di-sodium EDTA treatments each year, this product has a better safety record than Tylenol®.

The FDA is, of course, forbidden to regulate the practice of medicine but that doesn’t stop them from pushing the envelope. Every time they have tried, they have lost in court. One of the most important cases was the FDA v. Evers in 1978. Guess what the drug in question was? Yes, di-sodium EDTA. So they never give up even when they have had their hands slapped.

In addition to the public advisory, the FDA is suggesting that they are revisiting the safety of di-sodium EDTA, essential for the treatment of cardiovascular disease to remove calcium from blocked arteries, while encouraging the use of Calcium-EDTA, which cannot remove the calcium plaque because it is already bonded to Calcium.

This is the same agency that refuses to classify the mercury component in dental fillings, which puts between 42 and 57 tons of mercury into people’s bodies every year. The agency that has stated it may be unethical to try to find out whether mercury is “safe” in people’s bodies. Also the same agency that approved Vioxx that killed 50,000 people and approved Viagra that killed well more than 11 people in its first week of use! Yet, they are focused on the safety of di-Sodium EDTA because of potential confusion about treatment.

The American Association for Health Freedom is very concerned about where the FDA may take this. The FDA cannot approve or disapprove of how a legally marketed drug is used by a physician in his practice. The agency approves of what a manufacturer may recommend about uses in its labeling (package insert) and advertising. We are meeting with our team of attorneys to make sure our response to this new threat to this very effective and inexpensive treatment for cardio-vascular disease. We will be working with the physician groups that use di-sodium EDTA to make sure this unnecessary concern the FDA is displaying is not used as an excuse to end this effective and safe treatment.

Don't let flu hit you full force...

One of the very nice things about being a health care professional and having access to the internet is to receive information from others in natural health care who are trying to educate the public in the same manner as we have done for the past twenty years through our various venues.

This is helpful information from another fellow professional with which I agree, although I am for usually more vitamin C and A.

Enjoy!

Flu season is here in force. The next few newsletters will focus on flu prevention and treatment to keep everyone healthy through the winter season.

Preventing the Flu

Adults

Maintain a healthy immune system. Many forms of supplements will fortify immunity so that an attack by viruses will be less successful. If you tend to get acute illnesses easily, then begin a program of immune strengthening. A good herbal and antioxidant immune enhancing supplement will help build the strength of your system. These formulas are usually built around the herb Astragalus, a potent herb for augmenting the body's protective defenses and stabilizing the exterior against invasion by pathogens and physical stresses such as cold and wind. Other supplements have similar immune enhancing properties.

Several species of mushrooms have significant immune stimulating effects. Each contains high percentages of polysaccharides, long chain sugar molecules that regulate immunity. They activate white blood cells and stimulate complements and antibodies. These mushrooms include reishi (ganoderma), maitake (grifola), shiitake (lentinus), polyporus, and tremella. Many preparations of mushroom combinations in tablet, powder, or liquid extract form are available at major health food stores.

Bovine colostrum has the ability to provide antibodies directly and stimulate immune function with its potent combination of lactoferrin that prevents bacteria from reproducing, lysozyme that destroys pathogenic organisms, and cytokines that stimulate immunoglobulin production, as well as the polysaccharides. Colostrum is a superfood that should keep your immune system in peak condition. Take two capsules twice a day through the winter months.

Vitamin C at 2-4 grams per day prevents inflammation and maintains the body's vigilance against infection. Vitamin A is essential to immune function and mucous membrane integrity. Take a supplement of 10,000-25,000 IU of vitamin A derived from fish oil that also includes vitamin D (400 IU). Zinc has potent immune protective effects. Take 25 mg zinc per day, but if you continue zinc for an extended period of time you will also need to take copper to prevent a deficiency (10:1 ratio of copper to zinc). Get a supplement that contains both.

Immune supplements for adults
Mushrooms (reiki, mitake, shiitake)
Colostrum – 4 capsules
Vitamin C – 2-4 grams
Vitamin A – 10,000-25,000 IU with 400 IU vitamin D
Zinc – 25 mg with copper 2 mg
Influenzinum is a specific homeopathic preventive for the flu. You can begin taking Influenzinum (9C, 12C, or 30C) if you are exposed to the flu. Take one dose each week for four weeks at that time, or you can take it once a week for four doses during the flu season.

The flu, like other respiratory viruses is spread through droplet transmission from human to human. You can minimize your exposure by not shaking hands. Frequent hand washing will also prevent you from inadvertently inoculating viruses into your nose and eyes. Simply avoiding touching your nose, mouth, and eyes during flu season will also help reduce your exposure. Of course, as common courtesy everyone should cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze to prevent transmission of viruses.

Get plenty of sleep, eat well. Eat warm foods during the winter. Soups and stews are excellent sources of concentrated nutrients. Exercise regularly despite the cold weather. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables for their vitamin and antioxidant content. Stay warm and avoid getting chilled.

Immune System Supplements for Kids

Children can take a few simple, specific supplements to maintain a strong and vital immune system during the fall and winter months when colds and flus predominate

An omega-3 fat supplement in the form of fish oil capsules, DHA from algae (Neuromins), or cod liver oil will establish healthy cell membranes that prevent inflammation and resist toxins and attack by pathogens. 200 mg of DHA or one teaspoon of cod liver oil for each 50 pounds of body weight is an appropriate dose.

Vitamin E will ensure that fatty acids are maintained at optimum efficiency once they are absorbed into cells. In addition, vitamin E has anti-inflammatory effects and increases resistance to infection. Use only natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol), not the synthetic form (dl-alpha-tocopherol). A mixed tocopherol form of vitamin E is best because children need the gamma as well as the alpha forms. An appropriate dose is 100 mg for children under two and 200 mg for children aged 2-12.

Vitamin A is needed for proper mucous membrane function. It is essential for the growth and repair of body tissues, and for efficient digestion of protein. Vitamin A promotes good eyesight, strong bones and teeth, and a vital immune system. White blood cells, T-lymphocytes, and every cell in the important mucosal barriers of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary tracts require vitamin A.

A diet containing significant amounts of fat will help ensure adequate vitamin A intake. Whole milk products, butter, and free range eggs will help maintain necessary levels of this important nutrient. Use organic sources. For those who may not be getting enough vitamin A, a supplement is essential.

The recommended daily amount (RDA) of vitamin A is 1,000-2,000 IU for children, depending on their age (1,000 at one year of age, 2,000 by age nine). Primitive diets probably maintained 10 times that amount. One egg contains 300 IU, one cup of whole milk or whole milk yogurt contains about 225-250 IU of vitamin A. One tablespoon of butter contains 350 IU of A. The amount of vitamin A may vary by the season and the feed of the animals.

Most children would benefit from a vitamin A supplement derived from fish oil. One tablespoon of cod liver oil contains at least 3,000 IU of A. Proper dosage is one teaspoon per 50 pounds of body weight. Several studies have also shown that vitamin A supplements during viral illnesses promote rapid recovery and prevent complications. Children can take 1,000 to 10,000 IU of vitamin A derived from fish oil without any problem.

Zinc stimulates immune function, prevents infections, and acts as a cofactor in many enzyme reactions, including the creation of antioxidants. Normal dosage is 10-20 mg. per day. If zinc supplementation is continued over a prolonged period of time, it should be given in conjunction with copper in a ratio of ten to one to prevent copper deficiency.

Vitamin C has anti-inflammatory effects, antioxidant activity, and antibiotic qualities. A daily supplement of vitamin C during the winter months will round out the immune system prevention program. Use 500 mg for children under 3 years old and 1,000 mg for older children.

The easiest way to give supplements to children is through powdered sources mixed in a blender with fruit, fruit juice, yogurt or milk (rice milk for younger children and children with milk sensitivities), and honey (for children over 12 months old). Capsules can be opened and dumped into the blender. Children can chew oil-based supplements in soft gels or you can stick a pin into them and squirt out the contents onto something they will eat.

Randall Neustaedter OMD

Infection Control Nightmare Decades Old, No Sign of Remission

The issue of over use of antibiotics leading the charge toward higher infection rates in hospital and community has been heartily debated for decades. While there seems to be no end in sight, especially prescribing antibiotics for almost every ill in a time when many antibiotics fail, this study does suggest some helpful methods.

Handwashing is without a doubt one of the best methods for preventing cross contamination. Gels, however, do contain a high alcohol content which is drying to the skin. Unlubricated dry skin leads to cracks in the skin and an opportunity for bacteria to pierce this protective layer. Many commercial products used for moisturizing skin contain harmful chemicals that ultimately fail to keep the skin well lubricated. This group includes many so called natural products sold in health stores.

Trimmed nails are an issue too. One Spokane hospital established this rule several years ago. When I worked in ICU we had nail brushes provided along with the soap, mostly iodine based products were popular at that time.

Cell phones do attract bacteria because of the ionizing effect of EMF/ELF.

Cleaning methods are also a factor, as are the old standards in chemically based cleaning.

I believe the housekeeping component is an area needing to be addressed.

There are in fact excellent cleaning products available that are not chemically based. These products have shown effectiveness in reducing infection rates and preventing reinfection.

And of course there is the scientifically based utilization of pure therapeutic essential oils which do not become resistant to bacteria.

I am still waiting for the day when I receive more than one or two inquires about my protocols using these protective oils.

Hand gels alone may not curb infections
By TIMBERLY ROSS, Associated Press Writer
Wed Jan 30, 2008

Doctors and nurses on the go often skip soap and water in favor of an alcohol-based hand gel, thinking the quick-acting goo will kill bacteria on their hands and curb the spread of infection. It turns out that's not enough.

In a Nebraska hospital, medical workers nearly doubled their use of the alcohol-based gel, but their generally cleaner hands had no bearing on the rate of infections among patients.

The doctor who studied the problem pointed to many villains: Rings and fingernails that are too long and hard to clean, poor handling of catheters and treatment areas that aren't sanitized.

"Hand hygiene is still important, but it's not a panacea," said Dr. Mark Rupp, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He led the study at the adjoining Nebraska Medical Center.

The results of his study appear to contradict hospital guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that say better hand hygiene — through frequent washing or use of hand gels — has been shown to cut the spread of hospital infections.

The spread of infection-causing germs in U.S. hospitals is a huge health problem, accounting for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths each year, according to the CDC. These include drug-resistant staph, urinary tract infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia, among others.

"There are many factors that influence the development of hospital-acquired infections. It would be naive to think that a single, simple intervention would fix this problem," Rupp said.

His study appears in the January issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

Research has shown alcohol-based hand gels are more effective, faster and easier to use than soap and water. The findings of the new study were based on 300 hours of hand hygiene observations of nurses and doctors in two comparable intensive care units over a two-year period.

More gel dispensers were put in the units, and usage rose from 37 percent to 68 percent in one unit and from 38 percent to 69 percent in the other. Compliance for hand washing of any kind in most hospitals is estimated to be about 40 percent, according to experts, although some hospitals do better.

Every two months, bacteria samples were taken from health workers' hands, which were found to be cleaner when using the alcohol gel.

The infection rates in both ICUs were "relatively low," the study said. And researchers found "no significant relationship" between rates of hand gel use and infections among patients. In fact, in one unit the infection rate rose when the hand gel was widely available and its use promoted.

Rupp found the results surprising. However, he said hospital-borne infections cannot be stopped by better hand hygiene alone because infections aren't limited to person-to-person contact.

He suggested hand gels be combined with other measures, such as better cleaning of hospital units, proper insertion and maintenance of catheters, and doctors prescribing antibiotics only when necessary so more drug-resistant bacteria don't pop up.

He also said hospital workers shouldn't wear rings and should trim their fingernails even more than the CDC recommendation of no longer than a quarter of an inch. Rupp said bacteria showed up when nails extended just beyond the fingertip.

Mike Bell, who deals with infection control at the CDC, said that while he didn't agree that hand gels do little to reduce infection, Rupp was right to say they were just one part of the solution.

"If they don't do everything else right, having clean hands is not enough," he said.

Both Bell and Dr. David Hooper of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston suggested that Rupp's study would have shown a reduction in infections if it was conducted over a longer period.

Hooper said the compliance rate for hand hygiene at Massachusetts General has been about 90 percent for the past several years. The number of drug-resistant staph cases was cut in half and continues to decline, he said.
___

On the Net:

University of Nebraska Medical Center: http://www.unmc.edu/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/

Massachusetts General Hospital: http://www.massgeneral.org/

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.

Drug errors or other?

This is not a nursing or pharmacy only problem. The drug companies need to come up with solid accountability for causing confusion when dreaming up names for their dangerous drugs. Thousands of drugs seem to have confusing generic and trade names as the article states.

Just consider that levaquin is a fluoride based antibiotic, similar to CIPRO, with extremely serious side effects and limited effectiveness. Similar issues surround the drugs listed on the Top 10 Rx sellers; all make the name confusing list.

Drug-name mix-ups hurt patients, getting worse
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
Tue Jan 29, 2008

Dr. Julius Pham's stomach churned when he saw a critically ill heart patient getting an antibiotic instead of a drug to support his blood pressure -- the kind of mix-up that is increasingly common in the United States, according to a new report.

"If you have ever had that sinking feeling that drops to the bottom of your stomach, I had it," Pham, then a critical care physician at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, told reporters. "Unfortunately, the patient did not do well."

A nurse had confused Levophed, which can boost blood pressure, with the antibiotic Levaquin.

The rate of drug name mix-ups has more than doubled since 2004, the U.S. Pharmacopeia said in a report on Tuesday.

The group, which regulates the generic names of drugs and advises pharmaceutical companies, reviewed more than 26,000 records and identified 1,470 unique drugs involved in errors due to similar brand or generic names.

"Together, these drug names contributed to more than 3,170 pairs -- nearly double the 1,750 product pairs appearing on USP's 2004 list," the organization said in a statement.

"According to this report's findings, 1.4 percent of the errors resulted in patient harm, including seven that may have caused or contributed to patient deaths."

The top 10 drugs sold in the United States in 2006 all made the mix-up list, including cholesterol drug Lipitor, heart drugs Toprol and Norvasc, antidepressant Lexapro, stomach acid pill Nexium and asthma drug Singulair.

The USP researchers said 519 facilities reported on 176,409 errors in 2006. "The percentage of harmful errors has remained above 1 percent for more than seven years," they said.

Some errors could be easily remedied if pharmacies separated or otherwise differentiated easily confused drugs, said USP patient safety expert Diane Cousins.

Labels could be applied that use "tall-man" lettering -- for instance the glaucoma drug acetaZOLamide, with the "ZOL" in the middle uppercased, versus acetoHEXamide, a drug used to treat diabetes that has a similar name.

Prescriptions should include simple words such as "for sinus," "for heart," "for high blood pressure," Cousins added.

Some of the mistakes found in the survey:

-- A child got schizophrenia drug Zyprexa instead of allergy drug Zyrtec after a visit to the emergency room. "The patient returned to the ER after fainting, at which time the medication error was discovered," the report reads.

-- A patient incorrectly received bipolar drug Lamictal instead of blood pressure drug Labetalol. A few days later, the patient was hospitalized with elevated blood pressure, nausea and vomiting.

(Editing by Will Dunham and Alan Elsner)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.

Are you in the dark about adverse effects of Gardasil?

Perhaps it is really the Big Pharma-FDA-CDC cartel wanting to keep it that way...

Search for our other Gardasil posts for more information...

Back to basics? It's about time!

A number of years ago a group of doctors in the Seattle are decided to try and get off the insurance-con-game-merry-go-round by going to a cash only system.

These doctors would as well help the patient with needed statements to apply on their own for reimbursement.

The doctors believed they would be able to offer better care and provide more individualized care, and I am sure they were correct.

Now into the 21st Century, we stumble upon a doctor who believes in the real thing, practicing medicine as if the patient should be the focus of care.

This isn't much different than the service I have been providing to people around the world since 1995, as an on-line health detective. Having been a nurse practitioner for more than enough years in a system that promoted "the sick state" made it an easy switch.

I'd like to see more doctors do this and if so, I'd wager on lower costs and better care.

Internet helps doctor get back to basics By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
Mon Jan 28, 7:14 PM ET

Dr. Howard Stark's office is quiet. Very quiet. No patients sit in his waiting room. No receptionist answers the telephone. Stark does not have a receptionist.

Instead, he and his assistant Michele Norris-Bell check e-mail alerts on handheld devices and -- between seeing patients in person -- on a desktop computer.

Stark has moved most of his practice, based in Washington, onto the Internet and he couldn't be happier. Since he started his Web-based service two years ago, he has received 14,000 e-mails.

And yet, he feels more like an old-fashioned family doctor in a small town than a modern, harried physician.

"That's 14,000 phone calls that we did not have to answer and that patients did not have to make," Stark said.

He does not charge for answering an e-mail. "You have to come in one time a year for an annual exam," Stark said.

The rest is free -- prescription refills, quick questions about medication, even questions about unusual stings.

"What do I get? A picture of the scorpion that bit the patient in Belize," Stark laughed. "I said, 'it would have been better to send me a picture of your leg."'

He also gets updates on patients' personal lives.

"People say how impersonal e-mail is. No way. It is so personal because I can hear what is going on with the kids," Stark said in an interview at his otherwise ordinary office.

"It keeps me a lot closer to what is going on with my patients," he added. "I feel like I have taken 21st century medicine back to being more like the old-fashioned physician who knows how your family is doing."

Health experts, the U.S. government, labor unions, employers and average citizens all agree the U.S. health care system badly needs improvement.

SOARING COSTS, LONG WAITS

Costs are soaring and yet the average physician, according to many estimates, spends only about 10 minutes with each patient.

Harried desk staff often double- and even triple-book each appointment slot to make optimal use of the doctor's time and to make sure the overheads are covered.

"They are seeing patients every 10 minutes and from 7 a.m. to 7 at night. They don't even have time to learn how to save time," Stark said.

"The medical profession is being pushed to the edge."

Not in Stark's office, where each patient is allocated at least half an hour per visit.

Stark rents two offices, a waiting room and two examination rooms from his two former partners. He employs only Norris-Bell -- his rent includes the use of technicians to draw blood and do other specialized tasks.

He figures he saves at least $50,000 a year on staff costs alone.

Stark has some other advantages that other doctors lack -- he does not accept any insurance, public or private, although he will help fill out the paperwork that allows patients to claim reimbursement from their insurers. That freed him up to go solo in his practice, and a few well-placed real estate investments allowed him to go part-time.

Using the Internet lets his patients proceed as if he were in the office full-time, however, Stark said.

AIRLINE INSPIRATION

The idea came to him while booking a flight.

"I was sitting here and making a seat assignment to go to Miami. And I said, 'why is it I can make a seat assignment four months in advance and my patients can't book a half-hour appointment?"' he said.

"I started thinking of other things that could be done online."

For instance, written instructions on how to prepare for a colonoscopy, general health tips, or information on Lyme disease.

Stark contacted a couple of friends with Internet experience and they designed DoctorsOnTheWeb (http://doctorsontheweb.net/), a site that lets any doctor do what he is doing. So far, three other doctors have signed up to use the site, he said.

The system works like a bank's Web site. To avoid putting confidential information in e-mails, patients work on a secure server. If Stark wants to contact them, they get an e-mail merely directing them to pick up a message at the password-protected site.

"A lot of my patients, their secretaries see their e-mails," Stark explained.

It allows patients to ask about their health as issues arise, instead of waiting for the annual exam. "If you have any questions, it's so nice to shoot an e-mail," Stark said.

He can direct patients to the emergency room, if appropriate, to see a specialist or set up an appointment for an examination. Stark stresses that he does not make medical decisions based on an e-mail.

But no one has to wait until business hours. "I'll refill your prescription from Barcelona," he said.

How about his lone assistant? Is she overworked?

"I love it. I love it. I love it," Norris-Bell said.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Eddie Evans)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.

Himalayan Salt FAD May Be a Health Risk

Why Celtic Salt is the salt of choice -

The above graphic posted 6/22/11, from www.celticseasalt.com.  High moisture content is another important factor.

Read more here and here, as well as checking out our other articles on pink salt problems from Natural Health News.

UPDATE: 4/2010 -  As volcanic ash spews from Iceland's erupting volcano a new news report from the UK looks at fluoride poisoning and its effect on livestock.  Farmer's are indeed worried because they know that the natural minerals holding fluoride in the rocks and ash spewing from the volcano contain fluoride, and they know fluoride is a cumulative poison.
The Himalayan salt hucksters offer up the fact that the fluoride in this salt, regardless of the amount won't hurt you because it is a "natural" form.
On this very point they are incorrect, and this salt, with its fluoride and other toxic heavy metals, even though they argue this issue of ocean toxicity, is much more harmful than naturally farmed sea salt.

The fluoride in volcanic ash is the type defended as safe by the hawkers of Himalayan salt.

D. Telegraph 21.4.10 "FALLING ASH MAY BE GOOD FOR GARDENS" 
Volcano ash is full of elements & nutrients but it depends on the chemical make-up of the ash when it falls on the ground.
If it has high levels of fluorine it can be poisonous to humans & plants. Fluorine (fluoride) from volcanoes has killed livestock in the past.

UPDATE: 3/2010 -
I believe in salt therapies for health, using natural salt caves (found in Europe), the Hungarian salt pipes, salt cleansing and balneotherapy treatments, and generally, natural salt for health.

Salt is also something that is necessary for maintaining good blood pressure and adrenal health. This is NOT the kind of salt in convenience and processed food or salt in grocery store boxed containers.

A decade or so ago I was selling a traditional salt collected by many of the Plains tribes during salt and trading journeys away from their usual and accustomed areas. I am in the process of bringing this salt back for my clients and others because of the mineral content and safety.

I recently reviewed the mineral content of Pink Himalayan salt sold by several natural products companies and wholesale suppliers. I became alarmed when I saw the fluoride content at whopping 192 mg.

Relying on my long-standing relationship with PFPC as a medical advisory board member, I have information that supports my belief that that the recent push for Himalayan salt by Mercola and Swanson's and other should be avoided.

Contact us to order our traditional salt for health.

FROM PFPC, the premiere fluoride information site.

Over the last few years a new scam has emerged in Europe which is rapidly spreading across the world.

It involves ordinary rock salt from the “salt range” in Pakistan being marketed as luxurious and healing “Himalaya Salt”.

It is also sold as “Himalayan Crystal Salt”, “Hunza-Kristallsalz” or natural “Kristallsalz”, “VitaSal”, “AromaLife”, etc..

The scam is currently being introduced in India and the United States.

It will result in very high overall fluoride intake in anyone who follows the various “therapy recommendations”.

What happened?

During the late 1990s recordings started to appear in Germany, featuring a monologue by a self-proclaimed “biophysicist” named Peter Ferreira.

The monologue centered around the “marvelous healing energies” of “Himalaya Salt” (Himalaya Salz) and “living waters” (Lebendiges Wasser) -> mineral or springwaters (“Quellwasser”).

This special salt was allegedly coming from the high mountain regions of the Himalayas, “untouched by human contamination”, containing “84 elements essential to human health”. The tape was copied and passed on by thousands.

The salt was sold at a price much higher than ordinary salt, up to 200 times as much. It was common to see it being sold for 24 Euros per kilogram.

Lectures were organized and a video called “Water & Salt” (“Wasser & Salz”) was shown to packed houses (Zeit & Geist, 2002). A book with the title “Water & Salt - Essence of Life” by Peter Ferreira and Dr. med. Barbara Hendel became a runaway bestseller in 2002 - simply by word of mouth, even spawning a glossy magazine with the same title. [The book is currently being translated into English and slated for release in the US.]

Within months “Himalaya Salt” became all the rage in Switzerland, Austria and Germany, quickly spreading to Denmark, Holland and other European countries.

The European alternative health industry was quick to jump on the bandwagon and an article on “Himalaya Salt” praising its superior qualities to conventional salt became the most-read article on the German site of “Alternative Health” (“Alternative Gesundheit).

“Himalaya Salt” sales are consistently in the Top 10 of “alternative health products”.

Originally marketed on the Internet, there are now countless varieties of products containing “Himalaya Salt” available, including herbal salts, bath salts, facial masks, cosmetic lines, as well as salt lamps and tealights.

Many international websites can now be found praising and selling this “Elixir of Live”, “Fountain of Youth”, or “salt of life”.

The salt comes as fine salt to be used for cooking, or as salt crystals or blocks of salt, to be used for daily “sole” drinks and baths, oral rinses, eye baths, and inhalation therapy.

In addition, the salt is marketed extensively for other uses, and there are now tealights or “salt lamps” (used as natural “ionizers”), a complete cosmetic line including soaps, facial sprays, body lotions, “peeling” lotions, hand creams, steam bath aids, sauna aids, bath salts with rose petals, and shower gels.

Fluoride & Iodine

Ironically, “Water & Salt” proclaimed that iodine and fluoride are “highly toxic” and should never be added to cooking salt (August 4, 2002). This statement immediately seemed odd to a sceptic, as both “toxins”, fluoride and iodine, were also listed among the salt’s “84 natural elements essential for the body”. LINK

The fluoride/iodine issue nevertheless became a cornerstone in the promotional campaign. Valuable books on the un-wanted effects of fluoride (Ziegelbecker) and iodine supplementation (Braunschweig-Pauli) were found in the on-line bookstore of “Wasser & Salz”.

However, W&S failed to inform the public that this very same “Himalaya Salt” may easily possess more fluoride than conventional, artificially fluoridated salt.

Numerous analyses which had been posted on the web by AromaLife AG itself (Switzerland’s biggest distributor of “Himalaya Salt”) - to show that it complied with CODEX regulations - showed this clearly. Click here.

Fluoride in Mineral Water

In addition, the “Water & Salt” people also started to recommend mineral waters which qualified as “living waters”, and handed out “Seals of Quality”.

One such water, Artesia received this recommendation, although containing 1.02 ppm of fluoride - a fact which is aggressively marketed by the company which firmly believes in the proclaimed “fluoride benefits”.

Origin of “Himalaya Salt”

It is claimed that the “magic salt” is coming from the Karakorum (Ferreira, 2002). However, as pointed out by the group TourismWatch (No.28 and No.30) there is no salt mine to be found anywhere in this Himalayan region. Most of the salt was coming from the second largest salt mine in the world, in Pakistan.

After the boom began, it was found that even ordinary road salt was being sold as “Himalaya Salt” by ruthless opportunists.

Public Health Response

The responses by the Public Health Departments in Switzerland and Germany have been on the verge of the comical.

The Swiss “Fluor-und Jodkommission” warned the public against the scam and issued statements of concern about the influx of imported specialty salts such as “Himalaya Salt”.

In 2001, the SEV warned that under no circumstances could this salt “without fluoride and iodine” ever substitute for the Swiss salt.

At no point did it apparently occur to the health agencies to conduct their own analyses on the product!

Applications:

Cooking/Baking

Not only is “Himalaya Salt” marketed as the best alternative to conventional cooking salt - and to be used in all cooking and baking as well as table use - it is also to be sprinkled onto already prepared foods.

New varieties of herbal salts are also now available.

Every morning a teaspoon - sometimes more - of a 26% “sole” solution is added to a glass of mineral water and routinely drunk by millions.

Topical Applications

Salt - Baths

As one of the “best applications” people are advised to bath with this salt once a week, or with “moon baths” during new and full moons. 1 to 1.5 kg is added to 80 - 100 liters of water. Temperature is to be between 35 and 37 degrees celsius for a length of a minumum of 15 to 20 minutes (up to 2 - 3 hours!). At 1 kg in 100 liters, and at a fluoride content of 300 ppm, this is the same as bathing in water fluoridated at 3 ppm.

Not much different than the fluoridated baths which were used with great success by Gorlitzer von Mundy in the treatment of iodine-induced hyperthyroidism (Jod Basedow) for over 30 years!

In addition, people are advised to bath their feet in a 10% salt/water solution, which results bathing the feet in water with a fluoride content of 30 ppm.

Personal Care Products

Daily topical fluoride intake is assured by use of the cosmetic line which includes soaps, facial sprays, body lotions, hand creams, shampoos, steam bath aids, sauna aids, bath salts with rose petals, and shower gels. Complete cosmetic lines are now offered by Aromalife, as well as “Wasser und Salz”.

Inhalation

People with asthma and like-conditions are advised by “health trainers” to add a little “Himalaya Salt” (10%!) to hot water and to inhale this concoction for 10 to 15 minutes with a covered head, three times a day.

Oral Health

People are advised to use this salt for toothbrushing.

One will get “white teeth” and the “dental enamel gets dissolved”, it is claimed...!

Of course it is also advised to rinse the mouth with the same sole which is drunk in the morning.

One is reminded of the incredible feat by Mr. “Dead Doctors Don’t Lie” Dr. Wallach and associated independent distributors who have managed to con people into believing that the “All Natural Tooth Gel” is a “safe natural alternative to fluoride toothpaste”, although the actual label on the toothpaste specifies sodium fluoride as ingredient!

Rainer Neuhaus
PFPC Germany