Dr. Joe's E-News - A Diabetes Newsletter

Swine Flu

2009-07-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

Pandemic is on the Way

2009-06-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

June 11, 2009 — The World Health Organization (WHO) has increased the pandemic level to phase 6, the final alert phase, indicating that a global pandemic of influenza A (H1N1) is under way.

According to the WHO, pandemic alert level phase 6 is characterized by "community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region in addition to the criteria defined in Phase 5." Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human transmission of the virus into at least 2 countries in 1 WHO region.

After holding an emergency meeting with its influenza experts, the WHO said it has raised the pandemic warning level from phase 5 to 6, according to a statement sent to health officials. WHO Director Dr. Margaret Chan made the announcement during a press conference today.

Scientific Criteria Met

"The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic," she said. "The scientific criteria for a pandemic has been met."

According to Dr. Chan, further spread is considered inevitable, "but no previous pandemic has been detected so early or watched real time right at the very beginning."

"The virus is stable" and it looks very similar among countries, Dr. Chan said. "We need to continue to check this virus and monitor it. We should never forget...we still have H5N1 in phase 3 pandemic alert status, and this is the first time we have 2 viruses coexisting...it is an extremely unusual situation."

She added that the virus can change the rules without rhyme or reason at any time, and it will be important to see how the virus changes as it returns to the Northern hemisphere in the fall.

The H1N1 virus is of "moderate severity" with most people making a rapid and full recovery often in the absence of treatment, and the number of deaths is small.

She pointed out that pregnant women are at increased risk for complications, and the virus preferentially infects younger age groups, under age 25 years. She added that it is unknown how this virus will behave under conditions in the developing world. The WHO says that it continues to put no restrictions on travel.

Because of the susceptibility of the population, "influenza pandemics are remarkable events," she said, "but we are all in this together."

As of today, the WHO is reporting nearly 30,000 confirmed cases from 74 countries.

Pandemic Level Increase "Not a Surprise"

At a press briefing immediately after the WHO announcement, Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, who assumed the role of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director on Monday, commented on the WHO's decision, stating that the increase to pandemic level phase 6 was "not a surprise" and that it was "expected based on the data."

According to Dr. Frieden, the WHO waited until they were certain that they had documentation that on multiple continents that the virus was being transmitted from person to person in a sustained way and this "basically meets our definition of a pandemic."

The key goals are to determine where the virus is spreading and to reduce its impact, "particularly on those who are most vulnerable — people with underlying health conditions and infants as well in this case," he said.

Also at the briefing, Anne Schuchat, MD, the interim deputy director for science and public health program and director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, noted that there are more than 13,000 confirmed cases reported in the United States.

"There are over 1000 people who have been hospitalized that have been reported to us, and our last update on the counts of death are 27, but we'll be updating that soon and I do, unfortunately, expect that number to rise," she said.

According to Dr. Schuchat, increases in influenza cases above normal levels for this time of year are still being observed in region 1 (New England) and region 2 (New York and New Jersey).

CDC Was Responding as if to Pandemic Already

"People think it is over, but we need to remain vigilant," she said. However, she pointed out that the CDC has been "reacting as though we were in a pandemic already in terms of our intensive efforts to prepare individuals and respond as a nation."

According to Dr. Schuchat, 57% of the cases have occurred in people aged 5 to 24 years, and 41% of hospitalizations were also within that age range. The highest rates of hospitalizations are in children younger than 5 years. Of the hospitalizations, 71% have occurred in people with an underlying condition.

"As we have noted, there's been a disproportionate amount of pregnant women among those who have had infection," she said.

"What this declaration does do is remind the world that flu viruses like H1N1 need to be taken seriously," Health and Human Services Secretary Katherine Sebelius said in a news release today.

"Although we have not seen large numbers of severe cases in this country so far, things could possibly be very different in the fall, especially if things change in the Southern hemisphere, and we need to start preparing now in order to be ready for a possible H1N1 immunization campaign starting in late September," she noted.

Comparison of Different Vitamin D Dosing Regimens

2009-06-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

All these articles were sent to me by my good friend, Norm Shealy MD. There are many sources of changing recommendations on how to use Vitamin D3 in life and here is but a small part of what this excellent physician thinks it is important.

Dr. Joe

Keywords:
AGING, VITAMIN D STATUS, ELDERLY - Vitamin D, Dosing, Dosages

Reference:
"The same annual dose of 292 000 IU of vitamin D(3) (cholecalciferol) on either daily or four monthly basis for elderly women: 1-year comparative study of the effects on serum 25(OH)D(3) concentrations and renal function," Pekkarinen T, Valimaki VV, et al, Clin Endocrinol (Oxf), 2009 May 25; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Dr. Matti Välimäki, M.D, Ph.D., Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, FI-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland. E-mail: matti.valimaki@horcon.inet.fi ).

Summary:
In a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel group study involving 40 women between the ages of 67 and 79 years, daily supplementation with vitamin D 400 IU twice a day was found to be more efficient at raising 25(OH)D(3) concentrations than supplementation with 97,333 IU vitamin D(3) oil, every four months. Both groups of subjects received 1 gram per day calcium. After one year, 100% of subjects in the daily vitamin D group achieved 25(OH)D(3) levels above 50 nmol/L, as compared to 67% in the 4 months group, and 47% in the daily dose group achieved 25(OH)D(3) 75 nmol/L, as compared to 28% in the monthly dose group. Urinary calcium excretion increased in both groups, but no worsening of renal function in either group was found. These results suggest, "In terms of serum 25(OH)D(3) concentrations, 800 IU daily was more efficient than a 97333 IU every four months. However, to incre ase adherence the latter is still worth developing."

Dickering With the Hospital

2009-06-16T12:45:00.001-07:00

Vitamin D May Protect Beta Cell Function in Adults with Latent Autoimmune Diabetes

2009-06-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

Topic: Vitamin D May Protect Beta Cell Function in Adults with Latent Autoimmune Diabetes

Keywords: DIABETES, LATENT AUTOIMMUNE DIABETES, TYPE 1 DIABETES MELLITUS - Vitamin D

Reference: "Protective effects of 1-alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 on residual beta-cell function in patients with adult-onset latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA)," Li X, Liao L, et al, Diabetes Metab Res Rev, 2009 June 1; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Zhiguang Zhou, Diabetes Center, Institute of Metabolism and Endocrinology Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China. E-mail: zhouzg@hotmail.com ).

Summary: In a randomized study involving 35 patients with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) - a form of slowly progressive autoimmune type 1 diabetes - treatment with vitamin D (1-alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3, 0.5 microg/d), in addition to treatment with subcutaneous insulin, for a period of one year, was found to preserve pancreatic beta-cell function more significantly than treatment with insulin alone. Specifically, while levels of fasting plasma C-peptide (FCP) and plasma C-peptide levels 2 hours after a 75-g glucose load decreased in the insulin-alone group, they remained stable in the insulin plus 1-alpha(OH)D3 group. In addition, while only 22% of patients treated with insulin alone maintained stable FCP, 70% of patients treated with insulin plus 1-alpha(OH)D3 maintained stable FCP levels. Further analysis found that the benefits of 1-alpha(OH)D3 on islet beta-cell function appear to exist only for those subjects with diabetes duration no more than one year. These results suggest that adding 1-alpha(OH)D3 to insulin therapy may prevent pancreatic beta-cell function in patients with LADA. These results support findings from previous in vitro and in vivo studies that have showed vitamin D to be effective in preventing pancreatic beta-cell destruction.

Provided by:
C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Energy Medicine
President Emeritus
Holos University Graduate Seminary
www.holosuniversity.org
www.normshealy.com
www.medicalrenaissance.net

Vitamin D in the Treatment and Prevention of Infectious Diseases

2009-06-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Keywords:
INFECTIOUS DISEASES - Vitamin D

Reference:
"Vitamin D for Treatment and Prevention of Infectious Diseases: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials," Yamshchikov AV, Desai NS, et all, Endocr Pract, 2009; 1-29; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA 30303).

Summary:
In a systematic review of randomized, controlled trials evaluating the effects of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, the authors conclude, "More rigorously designed clinical trials are needed to further evaluate the relationship between vitamin D status and the immune response to infection, and to delineate necessary changes in clinical practice and medical care of patients with vitamin D deficiency in infectious disease settings." The reviewers identified 13 trials that met the study inclusion criteria, out of which 10 were placebo-controlled, and 9 were double-blinded. Results of the studies suggest that vitamin D therapy shows great potential as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of tuberculosis, influenza, and viral upper respiratory illnesses. Adverse events due to vitamin D supplementation were rare. These results suggest that further research investigating the role of vitamin D in the treatment and prevention of infectio us diseases is warranted.

Provided by:
C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Energy Medicine
President Emeritus
Holos University Graduate Seminary
www.holosuniversity.org
www.normshealy.com
www.medicalrenaissance.net

Osteomalacia After Gastric Bypass Surgery

2009-06-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Topic: Pharmacologic Doses of Vitamin D in the Treatment of Patients with Osteomalacia After Gastric Bypass Surgery

Keywords: OSTEOMALACIA, BONE HEALTH, GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY, OBESITY - Vitamin D

Reference: "Osteomalacia with Bone Marrow Fibrosis Due to Severe Vitamin D Depletion Following Gastrointestinal Bypass Surgery for Severe Obesity," Al-Shoha A, Qiu S, et al, Endocr Pract, 2009; 1-16. (Address: Bone & Mineral Research Laboratory, Henry Ford Hospital, 2799 W. Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI, USA).

Summary: In a study involving 5 patients (between the ages of 39 and 60 years) who had undergone gastrointestinal bypass surgery for severe obesity, who had developed severe vitamin D depletion over the course of 17 years post-bypass and were diagnosed with osteomalacia with marrow fibrosis, who were unresponsive to "usual" therapy, experiencing symptoms of generalized bone pain and tenderness, muscle weakness, stooping posture, difficulty walking, and waddling gait due to severe proximal muscle weakness for a period of 2-5 years, treatment with pharmacologic doses of vitamin D (100,000 IU/d ergocalciferol) and calcium carbonate (1-2.5 g/d) was found to significantly improve clinical symptoms and functional status, as well as biochemical indices, BMD and bone histomorphometry. The authors point out that in this population (gastric bypass surgery patients), the clinical presentation of osteomalacia is often mistaken for arthritis, gout, osteoporosis or various other conditions. They also point out that the "usual" recommendations for treatment are grossly inadequate. They conclude, "Gastric bypass surgery predispose to severe vitamin D deficiency and osteomalacia in the absence of pharmacologic doses of vitamin D therapy. Prospective long-term studies are needed to determine the appropriate vitamin D dose required to prevent osteomalacia in such patients."

Provided by:
C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Energy Medicine
President Emeritus
Holos University Graduate Seminary
www.holosuniversity.org
www.normshealy.com
www.medicalrenaissance.net

http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/38298

Vitamin D and Nutritional Rickets

2009-06-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

Keywords: RICKETS, NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY - Vitamin D

Reference: "Early and severe presentation of vitamin D deficiency and nutritional rickets among hospitalized infants and the effective factors," Tezer H, Siklar Z, et al, Turk J Pediatr, 2009; 51(2): 110-5. (Address: Department of Pediatrics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey).

Summary: In a study involving 305 hospitalized children (between 0 and 3 years of age), out of which 6.8% (n=21) were found to have nutritional vitamin D deficiency and rickets, lower vitamin D intake was found among the children with rickets as compared to controls. In addition, the frequency of malnutrition and anemia were higher among children with rickets, as compared to the controls. Out of the 21 children with rickets, 14 were admitted to the hospital for infectious conditions, mostly respiratory tract infections. These results show that rickets due to vitamin D deficiency is still quite common, particularly in infancy. The authors conclude, "To address this problem, a specific attention should be given to women of reproductive age and in the early infancy period. Initiation of vitamin D supplementation could be offered very early (perhaps after the birth) in children with risk factors."

http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/38301

Provided by:
C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Energy Medicine
President Emeritus
Holos University Graduate Seminary
www.holosuniversity.org
www.normshealy.com
www.medicalrenaissance.net

Pregnancy and Vitamin D

2009-06-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

The Vitamin D Newsletter
June, 2009

This is a periodic newsletter from the Vitamin D Council, a non-profit trying to end the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency. If you are not subscribed, you can do so on the website.

This newsletter is not copyrighted. Please reproduce it, post it on Internet sites, and forward it to your friends and family. Dana Clark, our underpaid but superb webmaster, will post this newsletter on the website.

In the last 3 years, an increasing amount of research suggests that some of the damage done by Vitamin D deficiency is done in-utero, while the fetus is developing. Much of that damage may be permanent, that is, it can not be fully reversed by taking Vitamin D after birth. This research indicates Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy endangers the mother's life and health, and is the origin for a host of future perils for the child, especially for the child's brain and immune system. Some of the damage done by maternal Vitamin D deficiency may not show up for 30 years. Let's start with the mother.

Incidence of Gestational Vitamin D Deficiency:

Dr. Joyce Lee and her colleagues at the University of Michigan studied 40 pregnant women, the majority taking prenatal vitamins. Only two had levels of >50 ng/ml and only three had levels > 40 ng/ml. That is, 37 of 40 pregnant women had levels below 40 ng/ml and the majority had levels below 20 ng/ml. More than 25% had levels below 10 ng/ml.

Lee JM, Smith JR, Philipp BL, Chen TC, Mathieu J, Holick MF. Vitamin D deficiency in a healthy group of mothers and newborn infants. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2007 Jan;46(1):42-4.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111482/0/>

Dr. Lisa Bodnar, a prolific Vitamin D researcher, and her colleagues at the University of Pittsburg studied 400 pregnant Pennsylvania women; 63% had levels below 30 ng/ml and 44% of the black women in the study had levels below 15 ng/ml. Prenatal vitamins had little effect on the incidence of deficiency.

Bodnar LM, Simhan HN, Powers RW, Frank MP, Cooperstein E, Roberts JM. High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in black and white pregnant women residing in the northern United States and their neonates. J Nutr. 2007 Feb;137(2):447-52.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111483/0/>

Dr. Dijkstra and colleagues studied 70 pregnant women in the Netherlands, none had levels above 40 ng/ml and 50% had levels below 10 ng/ml. Again, prenatal vitamins appeared to have little effect on 25(OH)D levels, as you might expect since prenatal vitamins only contain 400 IU of Vitamin D.

Dijkstra SH, van Beek A, Janssen JW, de Vleeschouwer LH, Huysman WA, van den Akker EL. High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in newborns of high-risk mothers. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2007 Apr 25.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111484/0/>

Thus, more than 95% of pregnant women have 25(OH)D levels below 50 ng/ml, the level that may indicate chronic substrate starvation, that is, they are using up any Vitamin D they have very quickly and do not have enough to store for future use. Pretty scary.

Effects on the Mother:

Caesarean section:

The rate of Caesarean section in American women has increased from 5% in 1970 to 30% today. Dr. Anne Merewood and her colleagues at Boston University School of Medicine found women with levels below 15 ng/ml were four times more likely to have a Cesarean section than were women with higher levels.
Among the few women with levels above 50 ng/ml, the Caesarean section rate was the same as it was in 1970, about 5%.

Merewood A, Mehta SD, Chen TC, Bauchner H, Holick MF. Association between vitamin D deficiency and primary cesarean section. J Clin Endocrinol Metab.
2009 Mar;94(3):940-5.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111485/0/>

Preeclampsia:

Preeclampsia is a common obstetrical condition in which hypertension is combined with excess protein in the urine. It greatly increases the risk of the mother developing eclampsia and then dying from a stroke. Dr. Lisa Bodnar and her colleagues found women with 25(OH)D levels less than 15 ng/ml had a five-fold (5 fold) increase in the risk of preeclampsia.

Bodnar LM, Catov JM, Simhan HN, Holick MF, Powers RW, Roberts JM. Maternal vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of preeclampsia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Sep;92(9):3517-22.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111486/0/>

Gestational Diabetes:

Diabetes during pregnancy affects about 5% of all pregnant women, is increasing in incidence, and may have deleterious effects on the fetus. Dr.
Cuilin Zhang and colleagues at the NIH found women with low 25(OH)D levels were almost 3 times more likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy.

Zhang C, Qiu C, Hu FB, David RM, van Dam RM, Bralley A, Williams MA.
Maternal plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and the risk for gestational diabetes mellitus. PLoS ONE. 2008;3(11):e3753.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111487/0/>

Bacterial Vaginitis:

Dr. Lisa Bodnar and her colleagues found pregnant women with the lowest 25(OH)D level are almost twice as likely to get a bacterial vaginal infection during their pregnancy.

Bodnar LM, Krohn MA, Simhan HN. Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with Bacterial Vaginosis in the First Trimester of Pregnancy. J Nutr. 2009 Apr 8. <http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111488/0/>

Effects on the child:

Before we talk about maternal Vitamin deficiency's effect on the fetus, remember that children need lots of Vitamin D. In fact, seventeen experts, many world-class experts, recently recommended:

"Until we have better information on doses of vitamin D that will reliably provide adequate blood levels of 25(OH)D without toxicity, treatment of vitamin D deficiency in otherwise healthy children should be individualized according to the numerous factors that affect 25(OH)D levels, such as body weight, percent body fat, skin melanin, latitude, season of the year, and sun exposure. The doses of sunshine or oral vitamin D3 used in healthy children should be designed to maintain 25(OH)D levels above 50 ng/mL. As a rule, in the absence of significant sun exposure, we believe that most healthy children need about 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily per 11 kg (25 lb) of body weight to obtain levels greater than 50 ng/mL. Some will need more, and others less. In our opinion, children with chronic illnesses such as autism, diabetes, and/or frequent infections should be supplemented with higher doses of sunshine or vitamin D3, doses adequate to maintain their 25(OH)D levels in the mid-normal of the reference range (65 ng/mL) - and should be so supplemented year round (p. 868)."

That's right. Healthy children need about 1,000 IU per 25 pounds of body weight and their 25(OH)D levels should be >50 ng/ml, year round.

Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Willett W, Zasloff M, Hathcock JN, White JH, Tanumihardjo SA, Larson-Meyer DE, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Lamberg-Allardt CJ, Lappe JM, Norman AW, Zittermann A, Whiting SJ, Grant WB, Hollis BW, Giovannucci E. Cod liver oil, vitamin A toxicity, frequent respiratory infections, and the vitamin D deficiency epidemic. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2008 Nov;117(11):864-70.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/112045/0/>

What about fetuses, what happens to them later in life if their mother is deficient? Eight years before the above recommendations, Professor John McGrath of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research theorized that maternal Vitamin D deficiency adversely "imprinted" the fetus, making infants more liable for a host of adult disorders. Research since that time has supported McGrath's theory. Consider, for a minute, what it must be like for John McGrath, to know that maternal Vitamin D deficiency is causing such widespread devastation, to know it could be so easily treated, but to also know he must wait the decades that will be required to deal with the problem.

McGrath J. Does 'imprinting' with low prenatal vitamin D contribute to the risk of various adult disorders? Med Hypotheses. 2001 Mar;56(3):367-71.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111489/0/>

Schizophrenia:

Dr. Dennis Kinney and his colleagues at Harvard published a fascinating paper last month on the role of maternal Vitamin D deficiency in the development of schizophrenia, in support of Dr. McGrath's theory. As they point out, the role of inadequate Vitamin D during brain development appears to "overwhelm" other effects, explaining why schizophrenia has so many of the footprints of a maternal Vitamin D deficiency disorder, such as strong latitudinal variation, excess winter births, and skin color.

Kinney DK, Teixeira P, Hsu D, Napoleon SC, Crowley DJ, Miller A, Hyman W, Huang E. Relation of schizophrenia prevalence to latitude, climate, fish consumption, infant mortality, and skin color: a role for prenatal vitamin d deficiency and infections? Schizophr Bull. 2009 May;35(3):582-95.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111490/0/>

Autism:

I'll say not more other than to point out Scientific American ran a lengthy article last month on my autism theory but the editors insisted that the author not cite me or my paper, because I'm "not a scientist."

What If Vitamin D Deficiency Is a Cause of Autism?
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111491/0/>

Mental Retardation:

The only evidence that Vitamin D deficiency is a common cause of mental retardation is from researchers at the CDC who found mild mental retardation is twice as common among African Americans as whites and the politically correct explanation - socioeconomic factors - cannot explain it. If latitudinal studies of mild mental retardation exist, I am unable to locate them.

Yeargin-Allsopp M, Drews CD, Decoufle P, Murphy CC. Mild mental retardation in black and white children in metropolitan Atlanta: a case-control study.
Am J Public Health 1995;85(3):324-8.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111492/0/>

Drews CD, Yeargin-Allsopp M, Decoufle P, Murphy CC. Variation in the influence of selected sociodemographic risk factors for mental retardation.
Am J Public Health 1995;85(3):329-34.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111493/0/>

Of course, you are a racist if you believe these studies. In fact, a number of writers have told me their editors will not allow writers to discuss these studies in their stories. I'm glad these studies were conducted by researchers at the CDC although I worry about their political longevity at the CDC after reporting such findings.

I'll mention one other fact, at my peril, and that is the fact that a very smart man, President Barack Obama, was born in the late summer (August) and has a brain that developed in a womb covered in white skin, during the spring and summer, in the subtropics (Latitude 21 degrees North), during an age before sun-avoidance was the mantra (1961). Make what you want to of that fact. My point is that whites living at temperate latitudes may have a huge developmental advantage over blacks, an advantage that begins immediately after conception, an advantage that has nothing to do with innate genetic ability and everything to do with environment.

Newborn Lower Respiratory Tract Infection:

Newborn babies are vulnerable to infections in their lungs and women with the lowest 25(OH)D level during pregnancy were much more likely to have their newborn in the ICU being treated for lower respiratory tract infections. Drs. Walker and Modlin at UCLA recently presented reasons why viral pneumonia is probably only one of many pediatric Vitamin D deficient infections.

Karatekin G, Kaya A, Salihoğlu O, Balci H, Nuhoğlu A. Association of subclinical vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection and their mothers. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Apr;63(4):473-7.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111070/0/>

Walker VP, Modlin RL. The Vitamin D Connection to Pediatric Infections and Immune Function. Pediatr Res. 2009 Jan 28.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/112040/0/>

Birth weight:

While conflicting results exist on the effects of maternal Vitamin D deficiency and birth weight, the majority of the studies find an effect.
Furthermore, the studies are comparing women who have virtually no intake to women who have minuscule intakes. For example, women who ingested around 600 IU per day were more likely to have normal weight babies compared to women whose intake was less than 300 IU per day. One can only wonder what would happen if pregnant women had adequate intakes? Drs. Scholl and Chen, at the Department of Obstetrics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, concluded pregnant women need 6,000 IU/day, not the 400 IU/day contained in prenatal vitamins.

Scholl TO, Chen X. Vitamin D intake during pregnancy: association with maternal characteristics and infant birth weight. Early Hum Dev. 2009 Apr;85(4):231-4. <http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111494/0/>

Diabetes:

My old nemesis, cod liver oil, when given during pregnancy, resulted in children who were three times less likely to develop juvenile diabetes before the age of 15. Of course this was back when cod liver oil had meaningful amounts of Vitamin D (these Norwegian mothers were taking cod liver oil in the 1980s).

Stene LC, Ulriksen J, Magnus P, Joner G. Use of cod liver oil during pregnancy associated with lower risk of Type I diabetes in the offspring.
Diabetologia. 2000 Sep;43(9):1093-8.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111495/0/>

Seizures:

Newborns frequently have seizures and those seizures are almost always due to low blood calcium. This problem is so common that many newborns are given a prophylactic injection of calcium. In 1978, researchers found such hypocalcemia can easily be prevented by giving Vitamin D. Sadly, standard treatment remains, not Vitamin D, but calcium and an analogue of activated Vitamin D; such analogues do not correct Vitamin D deficiency. The fact this was known in 1978, and routinely ignored by obstetricians since then, should give you pause. Do not think science will solve the Vitamin D problem.
Science simply points the way, activists must change the practice.

Fleischman AR, Rosen JF, Nathenson G. 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol for early neonatal hypocalcemia. Occurrence in premature newborns. Am J Dis Child.
1978 Oct;132(10):973-7.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111496/0/>

Heart Failure:

Idiopathic infant heart failure is often fatal. Of course, idiopathic to
whom: the idiot cardiologists who do not recognize severe infantile Vitamin D deficiency. Luckily, for 16 infants, Dr. Maiya, Dr. Burch and colleagues at the Great Ormand Street Hospital for Children, are not among those idiots.

Maiya S, Sullivan I, Allgrove J, Yates R, Malone M, Brain C, Archer N, Mok Q, Daubeney P, Tulloh R, Burch M. Hypocalcaemia and vitamin D deficiency: an important, but preventable, cause of life-threatening infant heart failure.
Heart. 2008 May;94(5):581-4.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111497/0/>

Weak bones:

Dr. Muhammad Javaid and colleagues at the University of Southampton found that children of Vitamin D deficient mothers were much more likely to have weak bones 9 years later. Dr. Adrian Sayers and Jonathan Tobias of the University of Bristol recently found the same thing when they looked at maternal sun-exposure.

Javaid MK, Crozier SR, Harvey NC, Gale CR, Dennison EM, Boucher BJ, Arden NK, Godfrey KM, Cooper C; Princess Anne Hospital Study Group. Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and childhood bone mass at age 9 years: a longitudinal study. Lancet. 2006 Jan 7;367(9504):36-43.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111498/0/>

Sayers A, Tobias JH. Estimated maternal ultraviolet B exposure levels in pregnancy influence skeletal development of the child. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Mar;94(3):765-71.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111499/0/>

Brain Tumors:

John McGrath's group discovered that children with astrocytomas and ependyomas (brain tumors you do not want your child to have) were more likely to be born in the winter.

Ko P, Eyles D, Burne T, Mackay-Sim A, McGrath JJ. Season of birth and risk of brain tumors in adults. Neurology. 2005 Apr 12;64(7):1317 <http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111500/0/>

Epilepsy:

Three studies have found that epileptic patients are much more likely to be born in the winter. Dr. Marco Procopio of the Priory Hospital Hove in Sussex has written all three. Here is his last one, which summarizes his first two.

Procopio M, Marriott PK, Davies RJ. Seasonality of birth in epilepsy: a Southern Hemisphere study. Seizure. 2006 Jan;15(1):17-21.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111501/0/>

Craniotabes:

Craniotabes is softening of the skull bones that occur in 1/3 of "normal"
newborns. Recent evidence indicates it is yet another sign and sequela of maternal vitamin D deficiency.

Yorifuji J, Yorifuji T, Tachibana K, Nagai S, Kawai M, Momoi T, Nagasaka H, Hatayama H, Nakahata T. Craniotabes in normal newborns: the earliest sign of subclinical vitamin D deficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 May;93(5):1784-8.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/112041/0/>

Cavities:

Dr. Robert Schroth from the University of Manitoba reported that mothers of children who developed cavities at an early age had significantly lower vitamin D levels during pregnancy than those whose children were cavity-free.

Prenatal vitamin D linked to kids' dental health <http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/112042/0/>

Asthma:

The extant data here is conflicting. Two studies have found higher Vitamin D intakes during pregnancy decrease the risk of asthma in later childhood and one has found the opposite. The best review of the issue is by Drs. Augusto Litonjua and Scott Weiss, at Harvard, who conclude that the current epidemic of asthma among our children is related to both gestational and ongoing childhood vitamin D deficiency.

Litonjua AA, Weiss ST. Is vitamin D deficiency to blame for the asthma epidemic? J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007 Nov;120(5):1031-5.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111502/0/>

Furthermore, a very recent study by Dr. John Brehm and the same Harvard group found low Vitamin D levels in asthmatic children were associated with hospitalization, medication use, and disease severity.

Brehm JM, Celedón JC, Soto-Quiros ME, Avila L, Hunninghake GM, Forno E, Laskey D, Sylvia JS, Hollis BW, Weiss ST, Litonjua AA. Serum vitamin D levels and markers of severity of childhood asthma in Costa Rica. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 May 1;179(9):765-71.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/111503/0/>

In case you are wondering, black children are four times more likely than white children to be hospitalized or die from asthma.

Akinbami LJ, Schoendorf KC. Trends in childhood asthma: prevalence, health care utilization, and mortality. Pediatrics. 2002 Aug;110(2 Pt 1):315-22.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/112043/0/>

My experience, both at the hospital and via my readers, is that asthma improves, albeit sometimes slowly, when adequate doses of Vitamin D are taken. However, Vitamin D does not appear to be a cure, like it is in some other conditions. I suspect children with asthma have suffered both gestational and ongoing childhood Vitamin D deficiency that probably altered, perhaps permanently, their immune system.

The Vitamin D Council's Effort:

We recently ran a ¼ page announcement in OB/GYN News and the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG). Unfortunately, the editor of AJOG censored our announcement after its first month but we were able to get the full three month run in OB/GYN News. We also sent a very similar email to 18,000 obstetricians in the US. The total cost to the Council for this campaign was about $12,000.00.

The announcement simply pointed out that the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) recently recommended that all pregnant women have a 25(OH)D blood test because Vitamin D is important for normal fetal development (p. 1145):

"Given the growing evidence that adequate maternal vitamin D status is essential during pregnancy, not only for maternal well-being but also for fetal development, health care professionals who provide obstetric care should consider assessing maternal vitamin D status by measuring the 25-OH-D concentrations of pregnant women. On an individual basis, a mother should be supplemented with adequate amounts of vitamin D3 to ensure that her 25-OH-D levels are in a sufficient range (>32 ng/ml). The knowledge that prenatal vitamins containing 400 IU of vitamin D3 have little effect on circulating maternal 25-OH-D concentrations, especially during the winter months, should be imparted to all health care professionals."

Wagner CL, Greer FR; American Academy of Pediatrics Section on breastfeeding; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition.
Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2008 Nov;122(5):1142-52.
<http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/103031/0/>

As the AAP recommendation came from an official medical body, to medical malpractice attorneys it represents evidence of a "standard of care" for future lawsuits. We also reminded obstetricians that the statute of limitations on malpractice suits does not toll (begin) until the injured party recognizes the injury. That is, the parents of a 5-year-old child diagnosed with autism five years in the future may bring suit against that obstetrician for how the child was treated during his time in the uterus, citing the 2008 AAP's recommendation as a standard of care. Obstetricians are already burdened with numerous lawsuits, but they could decrease the number of suits significantly if they would just take the time to learn about Vitamin D.

Finally, we used our last $12,000 to produce and run the following TV announcement in the Washington, D.C. TV market.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/videos/vitamin-d-and-pregnancy.wmv

What can you do?

Most people want to do good - at least some good - in their lives. The endless pursuit of the God-almighty dollar, better clothes, better houses and better vacations than your neighbors eventually leaves a hole in your soul. Here is an opportunity to fill it.

If you don't feel that soul hole, try a meditation I learned at Esalen Institute in the 1980s and have practiced ever since. Lie on the floor and pretend you are dead in your grave. Feel the worms, smell the rot, sense the finality. Then, when you really feel dead, visualize your gravestone above.
What does it say? "Here lies Robert; he had a big fancy house." "Here lies Vanessa; she wore beautiful clothes and had four face lifts." Here lies Michael; he made a billion dollars." Through this meditation, I realized I want my gravestone to say, "Here lies John, he did something good."

One good thing you can do is simply tell every pregnant woman and women thinking of getting pregnant that she needs to take more Vitamin D, a lot more. Pregnant women need a minimum of 5,000 IU per day and even that dose will not achieve 25(OH)D levels of >50 ng/ml in all women. Why not buy a few bottles of 5,000 IU capsules and hand out the bottles to your pregnant friends. You can get 250 capsules for 15 bucks <http://list.netatlantic.com/t/45820232/75021326/105309/0/> . Forward this email to her. Show her our Pregnancy and Vitamin D public service announcement.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/videos/vitamin-d-and-pregnancy.wmv

If you want to do more, why not get a copy of our Pregnancy and Vitamin D public service announcement (email: webmaster@vitamindcouncil.org; the ad is not copyrighted) and then pay to run it on a TV station in your hometown. You can easily add a caption at the bottom saying this public service announcement is being sponsored by your company, combining a good deed with good business.

Alas, no glory will be yours, at least in this life. No woman will ever thank you for the schizophrenic child she never had, for the trips to the emergency room with a breathless child that she never made, for the repetitive moaning of the autistic child she never endured. Although, she may wonder why her pregnancy was so easy and why her infant is so healthy, alert, active and smart.

John Cannell, MD

Vitamin D Council

L Arginine After a Heart Attack

2009-06-09T16:14:00.001-07:00

My experience is totally opposite with a similar group of patients. We raise the l-arginine and deal with side effects. Diabetes and metabolic control is measured in proved to be meet National targets. Our l-arginine is of the best quality and is a mix of ingredients to sustain time of action as insisted by the Nobel Laureates who achieved their award for the vascular power of l-arginine in 1998.

The cardiologists in Academia most frequently will never use a product such as Proargini9 plus that is designed to include all ingredients necessary sustain the action of l-arginine 24 hours and more. The Academics’ such as Stanford’s John Cook are investigating the l-arginine’s action alone which is for about an hour.

As we develop the data that confirms the strength of ProArgi9 plus in reversing cardiovascular disease and publish it continuously, all these spurious Acdecemic inconsistencies will disappear. It will be your data, not the doctors’. It will encompass all aspects of the product that leaps from the Nobel Prize technology on disease to maintenance of health. It will be of a magnitude the likes of which the world has never seen.

There will be many more poorly done studies that seem to portray the dangers of l-arginine. Don’t go there. Every moment wasted locking back prevents us from moving forward. The physiology of health is exploding; Synergy and all of you are leading the way. There is a lot to do and you are the ones doing it. Try to imagine a world without coronary artery disease, hypertension, and stroke.

We will have the data. We will have the ethnic origins and soon even the genes to tailor the path to health. This is the most exciting phenomenon happening in the world today.

It’s your time,

Dr. Joe

Medical Testing

2009-06-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last week we notified you that this week, June 8-12, we have limited hours and are offering discounts on all the testing we do. Here is more of an explanation of the testing.

Joslin Study on Diabetes Test for Children

2009-06-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MULTIPLE PROMINENT RESEARCHERS AT ADA FIND 1,5-AG DETECTS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS GLUCOSE SPIKES IN ADULTS AND CHILDREN WITH DIABETES;

Reinforces need for testing beyond A1C, provides short term tool for glucose control

June 6, 2009, New Orleans, ADA—New research findings from two prominent research organizations today confirmed that 1,5-AG, the GlycoMark test, accurately identifies potentially dangerous blood sugar spikes in adults and children with Type 1 (insulin dependent) and Type 2 diabetes, while A1C results suggest they are in modest control.

The findings were announced at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions and come out of two independent studies from pediatric endocrinology researchers from the Joslin Diabetes Center who looked at Type I children and young adults, and a team of international researchers sponsored by three major international diabetes organizations who looked at adults with both forms of diabetes from 10 centers worldwide. Each study validates the use of 1,5-AG for identifying patients with glucose excursions in both clinical and research settings.

Joslin’s results were presented at an ADA poster session and are included in the abstract (A-1802-P) entitled, “Utility of 1,5-Anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) in Assessing Glycemia among Youth and Young Adults with Type I Diabetes (T1D) .” The abstract is available online at http://ww2.aievolution.com/ada0901/index.fm?do+abs.viewAbs&abs=6200.

According to lead author, Dr. Sanjeev Mehta, MD, MPH, researcher and pediatric endocrinologist from the Joslin Diabetes Center and Instructor at the Harvard School of Medicine, “The 1,5-AG test informs families about glycemic performance in a shorter period of time than A1C and may help inform decisions about more aggressive measures, such as continuous glucose monitoring.” The test reflected significant hyperglycemic excursions at A1C<8 and indicate a need to learn more about glycemic variability.

Lori Laffel, MD, MPH, Chief of Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Diabetes and Endocrinology from the Joslin Diabetes Center and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard University School of Medicine said, “1,5-AG gives another opportunity to understand the diabetic state in order to optimize control, assess therapies, and look at outcomes.”

“1,5AG is useful for patients with suboptimal glycemic control to assess short term therapeutic or behavioral interventions. For patients in moderate control, it also provides young patients and families with positive reinforcement that therapy is working.”

Also announced today were new findings from international researchers that definitively established the Glycomark test (1,5 AG) as the only blood test to accurately measure dangerous glycemic fluctuations in patients with diabetes that are undetectable by A1C. In the abstract (A-882-P) entitled, “1,5- AnhydroGlucitol (1,5- AG) Concentrations and measures of glucose control and variability in T1DM and T2DM patients,” researchers recommend using 1,5-AG as an adjunct to the hemoglobin A1C test for moderately controlled patients (A1C <8), which represents a change in paradigm for diabetes testing. The abstract can be found online in the ADA abstract compendium: http://ww2.aievolution.com/?do=abs.viewAbstabs=5737.

Eric Button, President of GlycoMark said, “Averages can be misleading, and A1C’s can look normal when GlycoMark (1,5-AG) reveals dangerous glucose swings that can go undetected.”In response to the Joslin study findings he said, “There aren’t a lot of studies on children and youth with and without diabetes, and the Joslin study found significant benefit with using 1,5-AG for glucose management for children and young adults with diabetes, and confirms findings from our global study which looked at adults.”

The international research was sponsored by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and took place in 10 research centers worldwide.

Both studies add to the evidence that testing beyond A1C is crucial, and 1,5-AG can be a beneficial adjunct to diabetes testing and suggest that a new paradigm for diabetes management is in order.

Media Contact:
Margie Ross Decter at ADA:
cell- 617-501-5325
email- mrossdecter@enzymeinc.com

###

NEWS FROM GLYCOMARK, INC.
Contact: Margie Ross Decter 617-501-5325 mrossdecter@enzymeinc.com

Embargoed for release until June 6, 2009, 10am CDT

INTERNATIONAL DIABETES STUDY ESTABLISHES GLYCOMARK AS DEFINITIVE TEST FOR BLOOD SUGAR SWINGS IN SEEMINGLY WELL-CONTROLLED PATIENTS

Supports need for testing beyond A1C, creates a new paradigm for care

New Orleans, ADA------- A team of researchers sponsored by three major international diabetes organizations has definitively established that the GlycoMark® test (1,5-AG), a simple blood test used to measure glucose control in patients with diabetes, accurately reveals potentially dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar that are undetectable by other means.

The findings support a need for a new paradigm that includes testing patients with the GlycoMark test for glucose variability in addition to the “hemoglobin A1C” test, which measures average glucose levels. A1C had long been considered the “gold standard” in determining whether patients' diabetes is under control.

The study confirms earlier data and establishes the GlycoMark test as the only blood test proven to detect glycemic variability and hyperglycemic episodes in moderately controlled patients who have Type 1or Type 2 diabetes mellitus-- which affect a total of more than 246 million adults and children worldwide.

The findings were announced on June 6, 2009, at the annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

“These results show that the GlycoMark test provides a much-needed tool to ensure that patients whose blood glucose levels appear to be well-controlled are not experiencing hypo- or hyper-glycemia—or blood sugar swings, especially after meals,” said Eric Button, President of GlycoMark Inc., the New York/North Carolina company that has developed the test, and who is a member of the research team. “Chronic hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes has been associated with increased risk of vascular complications that can lead to stroke, heart attack, and blindness. Severe hypoglycemia can lead to hospitalization. Better testing of glucose control is expected to decrease such risks.”

The widely-used hemoglobin AIC test measures average glucose levels over a two to three-month period. GlycoMark provides a much more sensitive measure of variation over a one to two-week period—thus indicating if blood glucose “peaks and valleys” that comprise the average are minimal or extreme and whether treatment changes are indicated.

The GlycoMark test was proven particularly effective in patients with A1C values of less than 8%—that is, those whose blood sugars were previously thought to be nearing or in control. Studies have found that as many as 40% of type 2 diabetes patients with A1C levels in the moderately controlled range are experiencing dangerous glucose swings and need medical intervention, Button said.

According to diabetes expert Irl Hirsch, Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine: “A1C is helpful in tracking broad glucose targets, but it only tells part of the story because it masks short term glycemic variability.”

“I would become concerned if a patient has an A1C level that is within target, but a GlycoMark score that is abnormal; there may be a risk for life-threatening hypoglycemia and I can immediately explore where therapy changes need to occur. GlycoMark is a critical adjunct to A1C testing and presents a new paradigm for effective diabetes management.”

The study was conducted as a follow on to the 2006-2008 international A1C- Derived Average Glucose (ADAG) study of more than 600 patients from ten research centers worldwide. ADAG is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).

The 2009 study, entitled “Anhydroglucitol concentrations and measures of glucose control and glucose variability” was carried out by: Judith C. Kuenen, MD, of the Department of Endocrinology/Diabetes Center, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; RIkke Borg, MD, of the Steno Diabetes Center, in Copenhagen, Eric A. Button, MS, MBA, of GlycoMark, Inc., Winston-Salem, NC; David M. Nathan, MD, PhD, of the Diabetes Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston; Hui Zheng , PhD, of Harvard Medical School and the Diabetes Center and Department of Biostatistics at MGH; Piet J. Kostense of the Department of Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center and Michaela Diamant, MD, PhD, of the Eli Lilly Company, Inc., in Minneapolis.

The findings are reported in the ADA compendium of research abstracts as: Abstract 882-P.

GlycoMark will present the poster 11:30-1:30 in Poster Hall E and the findings every thirty minutes at Booth 635J.

About GlycoMark

GlycoMark is simple, inexpensive FDA approved non-fasting blood test for monitoring intermediate glycemic control by measuring the levels of a monosaccharide 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) in blood. Multiple published studies in peer-reviewed journals have shown that the 1,5-AG test is a specific index of postprandial hyperglycemia (elevated after-meal glucose levels) and short-term glycemic control – providing a useful complement to A1c testing. GlycoMark is currently used in clinical practices throughout the US and is available at major reference laboratories including Quest Diagnostics, LabCorp, Esoterix, Mayo Medical Laboratories, ARUP Laboratories, and Specialty Laboratories. The test is also available at most major contract research organizations for pharmaceutical research studies. GlycoMark was recently included in the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Global Diabetes Care Guidelines as an emerging tool to measure after-meal glucose levels.

About GlycoMark, Inc.

GlycoMark, Inc. is dedicated to the discovery and commercialization of novel biomarkers for diabetes and is located in New York, New York and Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Vitamin D Absorption

2009-06-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

This Grassroots group is well founded intellectually and academically. They are launching a very good study to find out about the dynamics of vitamin D absorption and many other questions about longer, larger doses of Vitamin D. They are loosely linked with UCSD and many other academic institutions.

I would urge all of you to get involved with your own Vitamin D sample and join in the project. The more subjects involved the better the outcomes of this study. It’s fun to see your own blood in action. It’s great to be involved. Be a part of something really interesting. It’s your time!
~~~~~

Your most recent vitamin D message is a perfect lead-in to suggesting that people interested in knowing and helping others know about the effects of vitamin D dosages, the serum levels and their associated health benefits should consider enrolling in our D*action study. As we have mentioned before, our study aim is to get the population serum levels to a suggested 40-60 ng/ml and find out what dosages it takes to get people there and, of course, the associated health effects. For anyone of your group who is trying to find the best solution for them, we would encourage them to take part in this international study. Just log on to www.joindaction.org

It is a 5 year prospective study where each 6 months each participant does a vitamin D test (with a blood spot test kit they can do at home; the cost is only $40.00) and enters some health data into an on-line questionnaire.

Since January, we already have over 2000 people enrolled and we'll be adding a very large (10,000) contingent from Japan starting in July.

One of the very interesting things that has already been demonstrated with the group we have is that for a given dose (say 5000 IU/day), the effect on the serum level varies at least 2 fold. We have people whose serum levels at that dose are 30 ng/ml, we have other at the same dose with a serum level of 80 ng/ml. This is true no matter what the dose.

There is considerable variation which is why a 'common' dose is not appropriate. We will be looking at some summary health effects later this year after we have a large enough population who have had 2 tests.

All are invited to participate! (Any other clinics who want to have their members participate are also welcome.) All participation is greatly valued for its help to everyone as well as to individual participants. This group is helping lead this health revolution!

Please feel free to use any part of this memo to your group.

www.joindaction.org

Sunnily yours,

Carole Baggerly
Director
GrassrootsHealth
A Public Health Promotion Organization
www.grassrootshealth.net
carole@grassrootshealth.org

Limited Office Hours & Discounted Procedures

2009-06-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

The office will only be open until 12:30 on June 10th, 11th, and 12th because I will be out of town. During these days the clinic staff will be doing all the procedures at our discounted rates.

EKG - $100
CardioVascular Profilor - $100
Cardiac Neurometer - $100
Peripheral Neurometer - $100
Total Body Analysis - $125
Lateral Vertebral Assessment - $125
Bone Densitometry - $125

Sign up for your appointment now! Or call with questions.

Please understand, if your results necessitate a conversation with the doctor, you will have to schedule a return appointment.

Vitamin D3

2009-06-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joe's E-News videos are in FLV format. Click here for more information.

There was some confusion by the (old) title. When I speak of Vitamin D, I mean D3.

A Return to Healing

2009-05-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is a New Book Announcement from Len Saputo, a good friend and colleague in the world of integrative medicine. I have appeared on his radio show several times and he and I have always shared a concept of the pursuit of health is best for us all.

I have not yet read the book but enthusiastically look forward to it. He will send me a copy soon so then I will be able to tell you more about it.

Help the Vitamin D Council

2009-05-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is from the Vitamin D council. Everyone should subscribe. It’s free!

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

You will learn more good stuff and be so glad you did.

It’s free!

But like National Public Radio which is free to the world, it is not free to put it all together as John Cannell, MD, does for us all. Send him a few dollars, Euros or lira – what ever you trade in. The world will be grateful for it.

For example, with this news letter you will read him saying we really don’t know the correct general dose to take and there is a wide individual response. However, you will read that 5,000 IUs D3 daily is a generally good dose for most situations. This is one reason why I came to the conclusion to do the 5,000 IU Spray D3 when putting together the oral spray.

But that is not enough if you are threatened with Flu! As Dr. Cannell and I say,

Stock your homes pharmacy with several fresh bottles of 50,000 IU capsules of Vitamin D3, a medicine, not a supplement, and if you get this flu, take 2,000 IU per kg of body weight per day for a week. As I weigh 220 pounds, I would take 200,000 IU per day for seven days if I thought I had an infection with a 1918-like influenza virus.

You will also read that 1,000 – 2,000 IU D3 daily may even allow flu virus to replicate to a more ugly/deadly virus and increase the chance of dying! Dying!

This is an era where you need to take charge of your health. You feel better when you do, you will be healthier when you do and you can make many more informed decisions which will keep you very healthy. We haven’t talked about cancer yet….

It’s your time!

Dr. Joe

Synergy Worldwide Northern California Meetings

2009-05-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that every 4th Wednesday there is a meeting in Sacramento at the

Hilton Garden Inn Natomas

2540 Venture Oaks Way
Sacramento, CA 95833
Phone (916) 286-4000

The next meeting is 7:00 pm on Wednesday, May 27.

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

Dr. Joe Prendergast Meeting

The Palo Alto meetings with Dr. Joe are the 4th Thursday of every month at the

Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel
4290 El Camino Real
Palo Alto , CA 94306
Phone (650)-857-0787

The next meeting is 7:00 pm on Thursday, May 28.

Joan
msjoanriggs@msn.com

Vitamin D Spray

2009-05-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joe's E-News videos are in FLV format. Click here for more information.

More information about who to buy the Vitamin D Spray.

FLV Format

2009-05-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joe's E-News videos are in .flv format. Web designers and developers once faced several hurdles getting video onto the web: data-intensive video files that downloaded slowly over low-bandwidth connections, and users having to install special players to view video in pop-up windows. Most people now access the web using high-bandwidth connections, and web designers and developers are standardizing on the Flash video (FLV) format. Video plays directly in the page through Adobe Flash Player, without requiring additional plug-ins. Click here to learn more.

H1N1 influenza from the CDC and NEJM, May 8, 2009

2009-05-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

Although the onslaught of virus seems to have slowed, there is no reason to drop our guard too far just yet. Besides, this virus has some atypical manifestations that may make us not recognize the problem as quickly as we might.

For example one fourth of cases present with diarrhea and another one fourth present with vomiting. The usual “flu” is an upper and lower respiratory presentation. The virus is continuing to rapidly evolve on a DNA basis and the presentation may evolve as well.

Children and teens seem to be most susceptible and older adults less vulnerable to the virus. The ages of between 10 and 18 years were most effected and only 5% were 50 or older. Symptoms included fever in 94%, cough in 92%, sore throat in 66%, diarrhea in 25%, and vomiting in 25%.

The young with disorders as asthma and eczema, as well as other disorders of immunodeficiency seem to be at more risk. All patients given Tamiflu recovered.

What's a BPro (3)?

2009-04-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

What's a BPro?

2009-04-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Swine Flu - Update

2009-04-26T22:05:00.001-07:00

Swine Flu

2009-04-26T17:28:00.001-07:00