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.
Hepatitis C antibody-postive patients need but often don't get confirmatory testing
Hepatitis C infection needs to be confirmed by PCR (RNA or DNA amplification) because antibody levels can remain high for many years after the infection is completely cleared by antimicrobial therapy or innate immunity. This is true for numerous other pathogens as well including Borrelia b. (Lyme disease). A paper just published in The American Journal of Medicine documents that RNA testing for hepatitis C is often not done.
Chronic Lyme disease, post-Lyme disease syndrome and insights from the pathophysiology of sepsis
Chronic Lyme disease, now correctly termed post-Lyme disease syndrome (PLDS), has challenged and confused practitioners and patients unfamiliar with the potential autoimmune sequelae of infection... The principles of managing autoimmunity, triggered by infection or not, entail discernment of the multiple underlying mechanisms contributing to loss of immune tolerance of self-tissue...This must be borne in mind by the clinician managing either autoimmunity triggered by Lyme or other infections
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.
Autoimmune inflammation can elevate serum 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D
I have found that patients with an autoimmune component to their case often have elevated 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D (calcitriol). This is not the 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol metabolite) that we always test to determine vitamin D3 sufficiency. Often with normal and even low vitamin D3 levels, patients with various degrees of active autoimmunity are testing for elevated 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D levels. Now research published in PLOS One (Public Library of Science) shows how autoimmune inflammation and elevated 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D are associated.
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.
Breast cancer risk doubles with calcium channel blockers for hypertension
Breast cancer risk assessment must take into consideration chronic inflammation, which comes to the fore in light of a study just published in JAMA Internal Medicine (formerly Archives of Internal Medicine) offering evidence that use use of calcium channel blockers double the risk for breast cancer.
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.
Breast cancer in younger patients worse with iron deficiency
Iron deficiency may be an important and treatable risk factor that contributes to breast cancer in premenopausal patients.
Iodine deficiency, pregnancy, and autoimmunity
Iodine deficiency is still a serious concern, especially for pregnant women in North America, as reported in a review just published in the journal Thyroid. Despite global improvements since 1990, iodine sufficiency has actually been declining in US adults. Iodine deficiency can be detected with a 24-hour urine collection. Even when supplementation is indicated it must be done cautiously to avoid triggering autoimmune thyroiditis.
Biopsy of breast tumors may spread cancer cells through the acute inflammatory response
A study just published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment demonstrates that it is possible for tumor cells to be spread by the acute inflammatory response to the biopsy procedure. Happily, the authors also show that anti-inflammatory treatment prior to the biopsy can protect against metastasis.
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.
Prof. Y. Shoenfeld talks about ASIA: autoimmune syndrome induced by vaccine adjuvants
Professor Yehuda Shoenfeld of the Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Tel-Aviv University talks on ASIA—autoimmune sydrome induced by adjuvants (used to magnify the immune response to vaccines). He does not argue against the immense benefits of vaccines, but explains briefly why clinicians must be aware of the potential for autoimmune complications in a percentage of the population that may be predisposed. Morever, he discusses how the process in ASIA is relevant also for the loss of tolerance involved in conditions such as environmental and chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, narcolepsy, sick building syndrome, reactions to silicon implants, Gulf War syndrome and others.