FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE BLOG
Includes over 800 monographs reporting on emerging studies in the medical and scientific literature of practical clinical importance, easily searched for content.
Calcium supplementation and abnormal calcium in blood and urine
Calcium supplementation is often recommended without careful determination of individual need and tolerance. Conflicting studies have raised the suspicion of an increase in cardiovascular risk associated with calcium (which may occur when the anti-inflammatory effects of magnesium are opposed). A study just published in the journal Menopause offers evidence that for a significant percentage of women modest calcium supplementation produces abnormally high levels in blood (hypercalcemia) and urine (hypercalciuria).
Antioxidants in excess can increase inflammation and blunt benefits of exercise
Antioxidants, even glutathione, taken in excess can increase rather than ameliorate harmful inflammation...The use of antioxidants must be calibrated with careful consideration of the balance between protective and suppressive effects according to the needs of the individual patient.
Walking in the evening improves cardiovascular markers better than walking in the morning
Walking is beneficial any time of day, but an interesting study published recently in the journal Preventive Medicine demonstrated significantly more improvement in some key cardiovascular lipid and inflammatory markers by walking in the evening versus in the morning.
Thyroid autoimmunity affects cognitive and emotional function
Autoimmune thyroiditis is "associated with cognitive and affective disorders also in the euthyroid [normal thyroid hormone level] state. Thereby thyroid antibodies might play a direct role or indicate an autoimmune process."
Thyroid in heart, metabolism, brain, kidney; vital importance of T3
Thyroid disorders have widespread impact and although subclinical hypothyroidism and low triiodothyronine (T3) syndrome are common they are frequently overlooked in practice.
Benzodiazepines and anxiolytics increase risk for dementia, mortality
Benzodiazepines increase risk for dementia; benzodiazepines, anxiolytics and Z drugs such as Ambien increase risk for mortality. Along the way they can cause morbidities that are harder to treat.
Magnesium: insulin, brain, heart and inflammation
Magnesium may be the critical nutrient most commonly drained by modern environmental stress to suboptimal levels... Recent studies add evidence to its indication for insulin resistance, diabetes, cognitive impairment, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular disease, and neurogenic inflammation.
Cognitive decline: major overlooked causes
Cognitive decline is fueled by that have not received adequate attention but have great practical, clinical significance.
Low 'normal' free T3 thyroid hormone predicts death in older patients even without overt hypothyroid
Low free T3 thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine, FT3), even without overt hypothyroid and still within most 'normal' reference ranges, predicts death from cardiovascular disease and all causes in people over 65 according to a study just published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Hyperexcitable brain syndrome and gluten
Hyperexcitable brain, with potentially severe consequences, is recognized as among the gluten-related autoiimmune neurological disorders... Practitioners should not underestimate the potential severity of gluten-associated neuroinflammation.
Metabolic health status and aging determined by inflammation, not weight
Metabolic health is not reliably determined by weight or BMI (body mass index). Lean individuals can suffer from cardiovascular and other diseases involving metabolism, and evidence has been mounting that supports the notion of a subtype of obesity that is metabolically healthy. Inflammation can determine metabolic health in both obese and non-obese populations.
Alzheimer's disease increased in women by common psychosocial stressors
As study just published in BMJ Open (British Medical Journal) identifies common psychosocial stress as a significant contributor to the development of Alzheimer's disease and other kinds of dementia.
Brain atrophy is promoted by both high and low blood pressure
Brain atrophy, with progressive cognitive impairment, can include among causal factors neuronal loss due to diminished oxygen perfusion. Earlier posts have documented the importance of not over-medicating hypertension. A study just published in JAMA Neurology provides evidence that brain atrophy is promoted by low diastolic blood pressure in addition to hypertension.
Osteoporosis risk is increased by bone marrow fat linked to blood triglycerides
Excess accumulation of bone marrow fat promotes osteoporosis... A study recently published in the journal Radiology offers evidence that bone marrow fat tracks liver and muscle fat, and can be predicted by the level of serum triglycerides.
Dementia risk is increased by even mild anemia
Dementia is afflicting a third of the senior adults in the US according to recent statistics. Anemia, even mild anemia, by diminishing oxygen perfusion in the brain that neurons require to function and survive increases the risk of dementia according to a study just published in the journal Neurology.
Dementia risk increased by higher blood sugar before diabetes
Our results suggest that higher glucose levels may be a risk factor for dementia, even among persons without diabetes.
Vagal nerve activity moderates brain-immune relationships and is measured by heart rate variability
An exciting study with tremendous practical significance was just published in the Journal of Neuroimmunology that shows how vagal nerve activity, which can be measured in the clinic by heart rate variability analysis (HRV), is a key moderator of the brain-immune web and determines the immune and physiological responses to acute stress.