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Alzheimer’s Disease has become one of the most frightening conditions known to man because medical science has yet to figure out a treatment. When the medical profession doesn’t know how to treat a condition, experimentation occurs, often with drugs that do more harm than good. In the Public Library of Science Medicine a study found that drugs being used to control aggressive behavior in Alzheimer’s are harming, not helping patients. Researchers looked at 165 Alzheimer’s patients from four U.K. nursing homes to determine the effect of anti-psychotic medication (known as neuroleptics) on their condition. All of the subjects were treated with narcoleptics. The groups were divided in half for a twelve month evaluation. Half continued the neuroleptics treatment. Half were given placebos. The study revealed that verbal acumen was stifled in those receiving medication, and there was no long-term benefit derived in those with mild to moderate symptoms. Verbal deterioration was recorded within 6 months of commencing treatment. The researchers also found evidence that those taking neuroleptics suffered a higher death rate than the placebo group. Head researcher Dr. Clive Ballard said, "It is very clear that even over a six-month period of treatment, there is no benefit from neuroleptics in treating the behavior in people with Alzheimer's disease when the symptoms are mild. For people with more severe behavioral symptoms, balancing the potential benefits against adverse effects is more difficult." Many scientists want to eliminate the use of anti-psychotics as a general treatment for mild behavioral disorders. "The over-prescribing of antipsychotics to people with dementia is robbing people of their quality of life and is a serious breach of human rights,” said Neil Hunt of the U.K. Alzheimer’s Society. The U.K. Alzheimer Society has sponsored research showing that the use of neuroleptics in Alzheimer patients can be reduced by 50% through basic dementia training. Currently, over 60% of U.K. Alzheimer's sufferers are being 'treated' with neuroleptics. Another study conducted at 33 university and hospital clinics and nine doctor's offices in the U.S., set out to assess the effectiveness of antipsychotics Zyprexa, Seroquel and Risperdal. The research attempted to mimic real-life, measuring effectiveness by how long patients took the drug before quitting because they could no longer tolerate the side effect or saw no improvement. On average, patients stopped taking their pills after about eight weeks, about the same duration as those taking a placebo. Many stopped taking their drugs because they were not working and several stopped because of side effects, such as drowsiness, weight gain and confusion. A total of about 82 percent of patients quit their medications. The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reported that Dr. Lon Schneider of the University of Southern California stated that these findings were unexpected. "We thought we would see advantages with the drugs," he said. "From a big-picture point of view ... we are not gaining any effectiveness with these medications." Despite the discouraging results, Schneider said the drugs had a role in treating some of the worst symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The study hinted that some individual patients might benefit from the pills, he said. "The message from this study cannot be that the drugs are not useful, but doctors should change or discontinue medications if patients have side effects or don't improve in a matter of weeks.”, he said. Dr. Claudia Kawas of the University of California, Irvine, who was not involved in the study, predicted that doctors would continue to use the drugs because there were no alternatives. "The behavioral problems of Alzheimer's disease are huge," Kawas said. "To my mind, this study says these are powerful drugs and, if given in high enough doses to do any good, there are going to be side effects." What a sad commentary. Doctors are prescribing drugs that cause very serious side effects because there is nothing else. How short-sighted! How did these drugs get approved in the first place? This is the question consumers need to ask prior to embarking on the use of any drug. So what is one to do? A Preventive Approach is the Key As with any chronic condition or disease, poor nutrition is the underlying cause. In particular, older adults and the elderly experience many drug-induced nutritional deficiencies. Though using supplements alone is not a complete solution, it is the first step to promote health. It is nearly impossible to eat a balanced nutritious diet today since all conventional farming is highly subsidized and forced to cultivate crops the quickest and cheapest way. Farmers have subscribed to the use of highly toxic chemicals, genetically modified seeds, and have abandoned rotating crops for greater efficiencies. Crops are picked months before they ripen and are transported to us from countries throughout the world. By the time the U.S. consumer receives the fruits and vegetables; they have been denatured and over-processed. Research continues to report that those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline or dementia have higher homocysteine levels and are lacking in B vitamins. Vitamins B6, B12, and folate found abundantly in asparagus, beans, spinach and other leafy greens, has been proven to help metabolize homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood and has been identified as an inflammatory marker for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Homocysteine levels are strongly influenced by diet and possibly genetic factors. The dietary components with the greatest effects are folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12, mentioned above. A powerful antioxidant, amino acid N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has also been shown to lower homocysteine levels. One study, reported patients given NAC were able to perform everyday activities better than those taking a placebo. They also outperformed the placebo group in the area of reasoning skills. In another study, subjects aged 60 or older, were followed for more than seven years. Their diets contained high levels of vitamin E in the form of nuts, eggs, spinach, seeds, tomatoes, peaches, blackberries and avocados. This diet was strongly associated with a significant reduction of Alzheimer's risk. Almost two years later another group of people 65 or older were interviewed. Vitamin intake was assessed as well as the prevalence of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Those who took supplements of vitamins C and E combined had a 78 percent lower risk of Alzheimer ’s disease. The omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenioc acid (DHA) has also been shown to decrease risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Participants from the Framingham Heart Study were used to measure the relationship between dementia risk and omega-3 fatty acid levels. Those with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acid had a 39 percent lower chance of developing Alzheimer's disease than the subjects with lower levels. These subjects ate roughly three servings of fish per week, something most people can do. If you are unable to consume three servings per week, fish oil and fish oil capsules are available and provide sufficient amounts of DHA. According to Dr. Lawrence Whalley, “People who eat oily fish or take fish oil supplements score 13 percent higher in IQ tests and are prone to healthier brain aging.” A good place to start is 1-2 grams per day of equal amounts of DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Not only do fish oils improve Alzheimer’s disease and other mental conditions, they have been found to improve Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Schizophrenia and depression. Natural Omega 3 Oils, also known as Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), are vital to the human body because we do not make them internally. Deficiencies in EFA’s are becoming epidemic in our population. If everyone would supplement with at least 1-2 grams of pure, non polluted omega 3 oils (EPA and DHA) there would be significantly less chronic diseases of all kinds such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and obesity to name a few. Scientific literature has been reporting the value of omega-3 fatty acids for years. To net the greatest benefit from fish oils, look for one that contains vitamin E with mixed tocopherols. This combination helps to decrease potential oxidation that may occur from the fatty acids. A study published in the Annals of Neurology found that eating a Mediterranean-style diet, one that's rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables, grains, and fish, could reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease as much as 40 percent. The study, which followed 2,258 elderly Manhattan residents over an average of four years, showed that in addition to following a Mediterranean diet, those who had the most risk reduction also limited their consumption of meat and dairy products and drank moderate amounts of alcohol. The value of nutrition is significantly under-rated and under-appreciated and often goes unrecognized as a simple solution to prevent illness and disease. Unless we begin to clean up our diets and take a preventive approach to illness and disease, we will continue to suffer the consequences of ill-health. Resources:
Keeping you “in the know”… Grill Time For Floridian’s, “grill time” is practically all year long except for an occasional cold snap that keeps us indoors. For serious grill nuts, weather makes no difference. There have been many reports about the dangers of grilling due to carcinogenic compounds produced by high-temperatures and long cooking times. Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) form when a meat is directly exposed to a flame or very high-temperature surface. The creatine-rich meat juices react with the heat to form various HCAs that have been shown to cause DNA mutation, and may be a factor in the development of certain cancers. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) form in smoke produced when fat from the meat drippings ignite or drips on the hot coals of the grill. Various PAHs present in the resulting smoke, adhere to the grilled meat. PAH exposure is also believed to be linked to certain cancers. Since grilling has become the new American male sport, it would be prudent to consider these recommendations that can dramatically reduce the HCAs and PAHs:
Keeping you “in the know”... Resources: The Cancer Project, 2005
In the News Everyone has heard of the sudden tragic death of Tim Russert. Though it is shocking to hear of someone dieing suddenly at such a young age, it’s worth a look at the obvious signs that were looming regarding Russert’s, health. When I heard of his untimely death the first thing that came to mind was a sense of sadness and loss. I wondered if he could have been taking a cholesterol lowering drug, a hypertensive drug and perhaps a diabetic drug due to his physical appearance of being overweight? A few days later, the newspapers reported that Russert had been diagnosed with asymptomatic heart disease, an enlarged heart and diabetes, all of which combined are risk factors for a sudden heart attack. Couple these risk factors with a stressful job and you have just increased your risk a thousand-fold. Chances are, we will not hear much about the details of the use of his prescription drugs to protect his privacy, but there is a high likelihood that he was taking multiple medications to “manage” his conditions. Notice, I stated, “managed”, not heal. These disease conditions do not occur overnight. Arterial plaque and inflammation had been building for decades and this happens due to poor diet, lack of exercise and malnourishment. Dr. Michael Newman, Russert’s personal physician, confirmed Russert died of a massive heart attack that occurred when a clot ruptured in his left anterior descending coronary artery and caused the fatal heart attack. Russert, like many Americans, probably believed he was in relatively good health following his doctors’ orders, taking his medications and exercising. He had also passed a stress test two months ago. Unfortunately, he did not account for the dangers of taking multiple medications and being overweight. Dr. Russell Blaylock, a neurosurgeon and health advocate concludes, “chances are the medicines he was taking to reduce his chances of having a life-ending heart attack, probably statins, weren’t helping him at all.” Statins don’t protect against heart attacks and in fact cause more harm than good. “The number one cause of sudden cardiac death is magnesium deficiency,” Blaylock says. “Cardiac patients and those with diabetes have the lowest magnesium levels of all. These drugs have a history of depleting the body from the very minerals necessary for heart health." Since Russert had both heart disease and diabetes, there is a good chance he was probably deficient in magnesium. A poor diet and stress would have further depleted the magnesium in his body. Dr. Blaylock says, “people who are deficient in magnesium are most likely to have sudden cardiac arrest, and when they do arrest, they are harder to resuscitate. Many can’t be resuscitated.” “Magnesium reduces inflammation in the walls of the arteries and veins and it slightly thins blood,” Blaylock says. “If you do have a clot, magnesium prevents the heart from going into spasm. About half of the people who die from sudden cardiac arrest die from arrhythmia and magnesium prevents that.” Could this situation have been prevented? I would like to think so. Modern medicine failed to preserve this man’s life. Drugs do not heal, but only mask symptoms and barely manage a condition. This is why taking charge of your own health and using a drug-free therapeutic lifestyle approach that supports health and healing is safer and provides a better health outcome. How I wish Tim Russert would have been counseled in a similar fashion. He will be missed. NEWS FLASH A few months ago I reported about how Wyeth and the FDA have attacked the rights of patients, pharmacists and physicians who have chosen the safe and natural alternative solution of bio-identical hormones. We are in a life or death situation at this time. Please click here to learn more about how we can win this battle. Our health and well-being
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Cindy A. Krueger, MPH. Her lectures are engaging, candid, humorous. Edited by: Thomas J. Cline, MBA, President and Editor in Chief of INTEGRITY TALK, The official publication of the International Association of Ethics Trainers. Visit: http://ethicstrainers.com Health Disclaimer: The information provided on this site should not be considered as personal medical advice. Readers should research and consult with appropriate healthcare practitioners on matters related to their personal health and well-being. The information and opinions on this site are believed to be accurate and scientifically sound, based upon the best judgment available to the author. References are noted where appropriate. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright © 2008, Preservion, Inc. All rights reserved Last Updated - July, 2008
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Alzheimer
Drugs…a dismal failure