This piece of information from John Cannell is very important. This is solid information and help from the Vitamin D council. I advise everyone to use this because of its accuracy and decreased expense. In the last two weeks patients have come to me complaining that the test in their lab completely covered by insurance in the past is now $600 most of which is not covered by insurance.
The Vitamin D Newsletter
December 28, 2008
The Vitamin D Council is happy to announce that we have partnered with ZRT Laboratory to provide an inexpensive, $65.00, in-home, accurate, vitamin D [25(OH)D] test. The usual cost for this test is between $100.00 and $200.00.
If you read this newsletter, you know about our interest in accurate vitamin D testing. In the next few weeks, you may read about the Vitamin D Council's quest for accurate vitamin D blood tests in the national media. Before we partnered with ZRT, we verified, repeatedly, that ZRT provides accurate and reliable vitamin D tests and that their method corresponds very well to the gold standard of vitamin D blood tests, the DiaSorin RIA.
Our ZRT serviceis not just inexpensive, it means no more worrying about your doctor ordering the right test or interpreting it correctly. You buy the test kit on the internet or by phone, a few days later the kit comes in the mail, you or a nurse friend do a finger stick, collect a few drops of blood, and send the blotter paper back to ZRT in the postage paid envelope provided with the kit. A week later you get results back in the mail and know accurate 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels of you and your family.
For every test you order,ZRT will donate $10.00 to the Vitamin D Council. Please read the new page hyperlinked below on our website as it both explains the procedure and how to order the test.
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health/deficiency/am-i-vitamin-d-deficient.shtml
Executive summary: keep your family's 25-hydroxy-vitamin D blood test above 50 ng/ml, year around. Most adults need at least 5,000 IU per day, especially this time of year. Most children need at least 1,000 IU per day per every 25 pounds of body weight. Bio Tech Pharmacal provides high quality and inexpensive vitamin D. Currently Bio Tech Pharmacal is providing vitamin D for numerous scientific studies. To see their prices and for ordering, click the hyperlink below.
http://www.bio-tech-pharm.com/catalog.aspx?cat_id=2
As a gift to our readers for the New Year, Thorne publications have provided a free download to a basic paper aboutvitamin D. I wrote it earlier this year for educated lay people as well as health care practitioners. Please read this paper carefully, your family's well-being, even lives, may depend on you understanding it.
http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/13/1/6.pdf
Seasons Greetings
John Cannell, MD
vitamindcouncil.org
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Shared and Distinct Genetic Variants in type 1 and Celiac Disease
Click the video to pause play. This video is 2:04 minutes in duration and took 12 seconds to load over a DSL connection. You will need the latest version of the Free QuickTime Player to view it. Additional help for Mac users.
Shared and Distinct Genetic Variants in Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease. N Engl. J Med 359;26, December 25 2008
For years evidence seemed to suggest that these two immunologic diseases were related. And now they are. The implication is that we are now opening new biologic pathways in which to think of disease while developing new insight into possible therapies.
Never again will we look a patient with one or the other clinical labels without considering the implications of the presence of the other disorder. Prevention, reversal and even the concept of cure begins to twirl like tinsel in the wind and ornaments on the tree of science.
The greatest achievement so far in this Century as the ability to connect the dots in like situations to instantly double the knowledge base of science in any disease. This is so fun. The best is yet to come.
Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. It’s your time.
Shared and Distinct Genetic Variants in Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease. N Engl. J Med 359;26, December 25 2008
For years evidence seemed to suggest that these two immunologic diseases were related. And now they are. The implication is that we are now opening new biologic pathways in which to think of disease while developing new insight into possible therapies.
Never again will we look a patient with one or the other clinical labels without considering the implications of the presence of the other disorder. Prevention, reversal and even the concept of cure begins to twirl like tinsel in the wind and ornaments on the tree of science.
The greatest achievement so far in this Century as the ability to connect the dots in like situations to instantly double the knowledge base of science in any disease. This is so fun. The best is yet to come.
Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. It’s your time.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Three Wise Women 3
Click the video to pause play. This video is 2:04 minutes in duration and took 12 seconds to load over a DSL connection. You will need the latest version of the Free QuickTime Player to view it. Additional help for Mac users.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Three Wise Women 2
Click the video to pause play. This video is 2:14 minutes in duration and took 11 seconds to load over a DSL connection. You will need the latest version of the Free QuickTime Player to view it. Additional help for Mac users.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Three Wise Women 1
Click the video to pause play. This video is 2:14 minutes in duration and took 15 seconds to load over a DSL connection. You will need the latest version of the Free QuickTime Player to view it. Additional help for Mac users.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
L-Arginine and Osteoarthritis
The nitric oxide pathway is how l-arginine works its magic. Science has been working hard to find ways enhance known properties of the l-arginine for better success in reversing disease and controlling symptoms.
Linked here is a press release indicating the progress made in osteoarthritis, one of the important chronic diseases that have no conservative treatment. There are nonprescription and prescription medications that can help pain but the ultimate therapy is joint replacement.
My College roommate Clifford W. Colwell Jr, MD, and good friend (he wrote the forward to my book!) has worked on the problem of cartilage and in his Christmas card said he is gaining insight into why the “secret” of cartilage is such a tough nut to crack.
Progress is happening on all fronts in the medical world. This is lots more fun for the doctors as well as you.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Good Glucose Control is Good for Your Health and Your Heart
Click the video to pause play. This video is 1:09 minutes in duration and took 12 seconds to load over a DSL connection. You will need the latest version of the Free QuickTime Player to view it. Additional help for Mac users.
A great deal of attention has been given to the prospect that it you try to “get to goal” on the Hemoglobin A1c measurement with your diabetes management you may trigger a heart attack or stroke in the process.
In an article reviewed by my professional organization, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, that has not found to be a risk when you seek good glucose control of your diabetes. The article is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Secondly there was a report issued by the FDA as Guidance for Industry entitled "Diabetes Mellitus — Evaluating Cardiovascular Risk in New Antidiabetic Therapies to Treat Type 2 Diabetes ." This document may be downloaded.
Additionally and simultaneously, The American Diabetes Association, American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association released a joint position statement concerning diabetes and cardiovascular disease that can be downloaded by following this link.
A great deal of attention has been given to the prospect that it you try to “get to goal” on the Hemoglobin A1c measurement with your diabetes management you may trigger a heart attack or stroke in the process.
In an article reviewed by my professional organization, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, that has not found to be a risk when you seek good glucose control of your diabetes. The article is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Secondly there was a report issued by the FDA as Guidance for Industry entitled "Diabetes Mellitus — Evaluating Cardiovascular Risk in New Antidiabetic Therapies to Treat Type 2 Diabetes ." This document may be downloaded.
Additionally and simultaneously, The American Diabetes Association, American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association released a joint position statement concerning diabetes and cardiovascular disease that can be downloaded by following this link.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Bisphenol A
Click the video to pause play. This video is 1:09 minutes in duration and took 16 seconds to load over a DSL connection. You will need the latest version of the Free QuickTime Player to view it. Additional help for Mac users.
Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and bisphenol A (BPA)
More information coming out of the FDA about the plastic in bottles and other containers is not making anyone feel better.
We heard about the use associated with heart disease possibly related but now there is more about BPA and diabetes.
Data from the NHANES study, a long standing health study in the US found BPA in the urine of patients with heart disease and diabetes. The relationship doesn’t mean cause but it still concerning more and more people.
Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and bisphenol A (BPA)
More information coming out of the FDA about the plastic in bottles and other containers is not making anyone feel better.
We heard about the use associated with heart disease possibly related but now there is more about BPA and diabetes.
Data from the NHANES study, a long standing health study in the US found BPA in the urine of patients with heart disease and diabetes. The relationship doesn’t mean cause but it still concerning more and more people.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Autonomic Neuropathy
Click the video to pause play. This video is 10:09 minutes in duration and took 40 seconds to load over a DSL connection. You will need the latest version of the Free QuickTime Player to view it. Additional help for Mac users.
Autonomic Neuropathy
Autonomic neuropathy is relatively common in my world of medical care. 50% of those who come to my office have it because they have diabetes. Many people don’t know they have autonomic neuropathy because they are unaware that they have the symptoms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomic_nervous_system
This is Wikipedia’s anatomy of the autonomic nervous system and it is defined by dysfunction of one or two of the nerves of the system. These nerves act in a “Yin and Yang”, acting in a push and pull fashion against each other normally. When the relationship becomes dysfunctional, one of the two nerves dominates and causes symptoms.
What are the symptoms? For starters in such a wide ranging set of nerves working in multiple areas can have multiple actions. The two nerves are called Parasympathetic and Sympathetic nerves and their actions work on the alpha and beta function that dominates each nerve.
The list is,
Excess sweating or markedly decreased sweating.
Tears may diminish and eyes become dry.
Blood pressure makes wild swings up and down.
Delay in stomach emptying.
Severe constipation.
Uncontrolled diarrhea.
Can’t urinate.
Can’t control urination.
Decreased pulse, increased pulse.
Pupil dilates, pupil contracts.
Relaxes or contracts coronary arteries
Impotent
Johnny Cash was the most famous individual I know who spoke openly about his diabetic autonomic neuropathy problems but most individuals dismiss the symptoms by attributing it all to “getting old”.
A good friend with “tough” type 2 diabetes refused to ever get tested, saying “I don’t need that” and “I feel fine”. I felt he was very symptomatic despite his protests. That was over ten years ago and we had a different testing system then. He was found dead in bed a month later by his family while on vacation.
Sudden death is the most feared problem of autonomic neuropathy. When the call comes to increase your heart rate with your cardio exercise to some higher level perhaps you don’t necessarily need to it. Sudden death may occur as the first symptom of autonomic neuropathy, not just heart attacks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSYS
Above is the Wikipedia link to the device we use. I was contacted by the ANSYS Company some time after the device company we used went out of business. The genesis of the device lay in the continued medical understanding of wave form analysis and how it can be used for more than evaluation of cardiovascular disease.
The intellectual start began with Individuals from
Switzerland, Israel, US and India. It was approved by the FDA over a year ago and its use is growing very fast outside the US.
With my involvement early in the course of development, I began using products known to be useful in other neurologic states. We have had very good success when the etiology of this is diabetes. If the neuropathy is due to some other disorder it takes longer and could be as long as 6 months. With diabetes it usually is 6 weeks before normal. As would be expected, Type 2 Diabetes is more common but when neuropathy is present with type 1, it may be more resistant to reversal. Not everyone may recover.
In the last several weeks two young men went to normal after treatment. Both had excessive sweating since grade school and often wondered how they happened to receive such a “blessing” since they had no underlying disorder. One still wonders how his wife could ever have been attracted to him; he was at a “full sweat”, soaking his shirt within minutes of showering.
It finally is their time.
Autonomic Neuropathy
Autonomic neuropathy is relatively common in my world of medical care. 50% of those who come to my office have it because they have diabetes. Many people don’t know they have autonomic neuropathy because they are unaware that they have the symptoms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomic_nervous_system
This is Wikipedia’s anatomy of the autonomic nervous system and it is defined by dysfunction of one or two of the nerves of the system. These nerves act in a “Yin and Yang”, acting in a push and pull fashion against each other normally. When the relationship becomes dysfunctional, one of the two nerves dominates and causes symptoms.
What are the symptoms? For starters in such a wide ranging set of nerves working in multiple areas can have multiple actions. The two nerves are called Parasympathetic and Sympathetic nerves and their actions work on the alpha and beta function that dominates each nerve.
The list is,
Excess sweating or markedly decreased sweating.
Tears may diminish and eyes become dry.
Blood pressure makes wild swings up and down.
Delay in stomach emptying.
Severe constipation.
Uncontrolled diarrhea.
Can’t urinate.
Can’t control urination.
Decreased pulse, increased pulse.
Pupil dilates, pupil contracts.
Relaxes or contracts coronary arteries
Impotent
Johnny Cash was the most famous individual I know who spoke openly about his diabetic autonomic neuropathy problems but most individuals dismiss the symptoms by attributing it all to “getting old”.
A good friend with “tough” type 2 diabetes refused to ever get tested, saying “I don’t need that” and “I feel fine”. I felt he was very symptomatic despite his protests. That was over ten years ago and we had a different testing system then. He was found dead in bed a month later by his family while on vacation.
Sudden death is the most feared problem of autonomic neuropathy. When the call comes to increase your heart rate with your cardio exercise to some higher level perhaps you don’t necessarily need to it. Sudden death may occur as the first symptom of autonomic neuropathy, not just heart attacks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSYS
Above is the Wikipedia link to the device we use. I was contacted by the ANSYS Company some time after the device company we used went out of business. The genesis of the device lay in the continued medical understanding of wave form analysis and how it can be used for more than evaluation of cardiovascular disease.
The intellectual start began with Individuals from
Switzerland, Israel, US and India. It was approved by the FDA over a year ago and its use is growing very fast outside the US.
With my involvement early in the course of development, I began using products known to be useful in other neurologic states. We have had very good success when the etiology of this is diabetes. If the neuropathy is due to some other disorder it takes longer and could be as long as 6 months. With diabetes it usually is 6 weeks before normal. As would be expected, Type 2 Diabetes is more common but when neuropathy is present with type 1, it may be more resistant to reversal. Not everyone may recover.
In the last several weeks two young men went to normal after treatment. Both had excessive sweating since grade school and often wondered how they happened to receive such a “blessing” since they had no underlying disorder. One still wonders how his wife could ever have been attracted to him; he was at a “full sweat”, soaking his shirt within minutes of showering.
It finally is their time.
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