Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients articles from January 2003

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients archives from January 2003

Letter from the publisher.
January 1, 2003... My wife, Deborah, and I recently attended the American College for Advancement in Medicine meeting held in November in Phoenix. We were very favorably impressed by the extent and quality of the presentations made -- at one time ACAM lectures...

William Crook, MD remembered.(Obituary)
January 1, 2003... William G. Crook, MD, passed away on October 19, at the age of 85. To many of us in the field of "alternative medicine," Dr. Crook was a mentor and a role model. He was a passionate man who worked tirelessly to improve the public health,...

New recommendations to prevent High Blood Pressure issued.
January 1, 2003... The National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) has updated its recommendations to prevent hypertension (high blood pressure). New recommendations include adequate intake of potassium and an eating pattern rich in fruits,...

Wine drinkers less likely to get common cold: study.
January 1, 2003... Many studies have found that a small to moderate amount of alcohol can reduce the risk of heart problems. Now, Spanish researchers report that wine drinkers are less likely than teetotalers to come down with the common cold. Dr. Miguel A....

New information for people with Tourette Syndrome.
January 1, 2003... The Association for Comprehensive NeuroTherapy (ACN) has just released "Finding Triggers for Tics," new information for people suffering with Tourette Syndrome. Sheila Rogers, head of the non-profit ACN says, "The incidence of Tourette...

ICIM (formerly GLCCM) update: international college of integrative medicine (ICIM) offers new agenda for discerning docs.
January 1, 2003... No more same old, same old at ICIM! That was the clear message repeated throughout the one-and-a-half hour tele-conference call in which ICIM's new Board of Directors participated. Why another Board meeting just weeks after the close of the...

Breathing. (Shorts).
January 1, 2003... In his book The Tao of Natural Breathing, Dennis Lewis explains the physiological and emotional effects of breathing and provides breathing practices that promote healing and self-awareness. The average breathing rate for adults who are awake...

Colloidal silver. (Shorts).
January 1, 2003... Silver's anti-microbial properties have long been recognized, according to a Wall Street Journal article. For centuries, food was stored in silver containers to slow spoilage. Before penicillin, silver compounds were used to treat some burns...

EMPOWER asthma management program for children. (Shorts).
January 1, 2003... The Mind-Body Wellness Center (Meadville, PA), under the direction of Dr. Barry Bittman, began its EMPOWER asthma management program for children in Spring 2000. The program follows the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program's...

Field burning particulate pollution & asthma. (Shorts).
January 1, 2003... For people with asthma, fine-particle pollution caused by fires, can be deadly. A recent documented case, reported in US News & World Report (September 3, 2001), occurred in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in September 2000. The day after clouds of smoke...

Germ exposure & asthma risk. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A Swiss study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine (September 19, 2002), found that children who live on farms have lower incidence of hay fever and allergy-related asthma than children who also live in rural areas but not on...

Heavy metals in fertilizer. (Shorts).
January 1, 2003... Hazardous waste from air pollution control devices, steel mills, pulp and paper mills, nuclear fuel processors, foundries, aluminum manufacturing, mining, and coal-fired power plants is being used as soil fertilizer in the US. This practice,...

Natural air purifiers. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) found that certain plants improve indoor air quality by absorbing some of the chemicals released from floor coverings, building materials, cigarette smoke, paints, adhesives and other...

Secondhand tobacco smoke. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... In one out of four US homes, children are regularly exposed to burning cigarettes, pipes, and/or cigars and to smoke exhaled by a parent. This secondhand tobacco smoke is known to increase a child's risk of lower respiratory tract infections...

Water privatization. (Shorts).
January 1, 2003... World leaders and civil society representatives who attended the 10th Stockholm Water Symposium in August 2000, expect that two-thirds of the worlds' population will be living with water shortages or scarcity by the year 2025. According to an...

Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology review and commentary.
January 1, 2003... Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology is the term describing the unity of mental, neurological, hormonal and immune functions with its many potential applications. PNIE addresses the influence of the cognitive images of the mind (whatever its elusive...

Intravenous magnesium for childhood asthma. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Thirty patients (aged 6-18 years) with moderate to severe acute exacerbations of asthma that had failed to respond to three administrations of nebulized bronchodilators were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, an infusion of...

Herbal treatment of influenza. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... An extract of black elderberries and raspberries (Sambucol[R]) has been shown to inhibit the replication of 7 different strains of influenza virus in vitro. To determine whether this preparation would also have an effect in viva, 27 individuals...

Bromelain for sinusitis. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Fifty-nine patients with acute or chronic sinusitis were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, either bromelain (Ananase; 2 tablets, 4 times per day for 6 days) or placebo. Conventional therapy, including antibiotics,...

Melatonin: what is the appropriate dose for insomnia?. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... In a double-blind crossover study of persons over age 50 years, 15 individuals with normal sleep patterns (controls) and 15 who had decreases in sleep efficiency received, in random order, a placebo and 3 melatonin doses (0.1, 0.3, and 3.0 mg)...

Preventing migraine with coenzyme Q10. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Thirty-one patients (ages not specified) with a history of episodic migraine were treated, in open-label fashion, with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) at a dose of 150 mg/day for 3 months. The number of attacks per month and the number of headache days...

Counteracting cyanide poisoning with hydroxocobalamin. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... This review article discusses the value of vitamin B12 (in the form of hydroxocobalamin) as a treatment for acute cyanide poisoning. The United States is at risk of experiencing a cyanide disaster from industrial accidents, hazardous material...

Preventing sunburn with tomato paste. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Nineteen healthy volunteers (aged 22-67 years) ingested either 1) 40 g/day of tomato paste (providing approximately 16 mg/day of lycopene) along with 10 g of olive oil or 2) olive oil alone (control group) for 10 weeks. At the beginning of the...

Case of the month: viral pneumonia. (Literature Review & Commentary).
January 1, 2003... A middle-aged woman presented to the office with a 3-week history of cough, fever, myalgia, fatigue, and shortness of breath. The patient reported that a chest x-ray, done early in the course of the illness, was suggestive of pneumonia. She had...

Andrographis for colds and sinus infection. (Phytotherapy Review & Commentary).
January 1, 2003... One of the best-proven herbs for fighting winter infections is Andrographis. In fact, this herb is my preferred treatment for colds, influenza and acute bacterial sinusitis. I usually combine it with Echinacea root and have found that this...

Psychogenic cough & asthma and Chinese Medicine. (Chinese Medicine Update).
January 1, 2003... Keywords: Psychogenic cough, psychogenic asthma, Chinese medicine, Chinese medical psychiatry Psychogenic cough refers to a cough which has no apparent physical cause but emotional and psychological problems are likely causes. It is...

Web page potpourri: a column devoted to informative alternative health resources on the internet.
January 1, 2003... Autism Info http://www.autisminfo.com/ Autisminfo.com is an impressive website. The site can be a little overwhelming at first, but it's a treasure-trove of information on diet, medical intervention, behavioral therapies, and...

High altitude adaptation, coca use and health in the andes. (Medical Anthropology).
January 1, 2003... Traditional people living at high altitudes are subject to respiratory, metabolic and other physiological stress. Today, Olympic athletes seek out high altitude locations to train to help increase their lung capacity and cardiac output. In...

The war on cancer.
January 1, 2003... The response to last month's column on Cytoluminescent Therapy (CLT) has been overwhelming and positive. Many people are interested in going to Ireland for this treatment but understandably have questions about it. This month, I will try to...

Alternative treatments for "hyperactive airways".
January 1, 2003... This disease affects more than 16 million Americans every year, and the number is increasing at a very disturbing rate. (1) Ten to twelve percent of all American children under age eighteen are affected by this disease. (2) It is twice as...

The secret of losing weight without exercise.
January 1, 2003... The Secret of Weight Loss Without Exercise According to preliminary clinical studies, most people who can't lose weight under normal conditions often have chronic, low-grade, undiagnosed infections. The body's response is to protect itself...

Two cases of asthma.
January 1, 2003... Asthma is often a debilitating condition for patients, and it can be a very difficult condition for the physician to treat without the aid of prescription drugs. The incidence of asthma is on the rise in the increasingly polluted cities of the...

Aspartame-induced dyspnea and pulmonary hypertension.
January 1, 2003... Abstract Unexplained shortness of breath represents an increasing clinical challenge. The frequency and severity of dyspnea in patients with reactions to widely-used aspartame products, coupled with a pertinent fatal case of pulmonary...

New applications in identifying platelet markers of chronic illnesses.
January 1, 2003... Professor Bernard Lorentz, PhD, HMD, Gras, Austria, was a colleague and friend of Professor Guenther Enderlein from the early 1950's until his death in 1968. Professor Lorentz was a frequent visitor to Enderlein's laboratory in Aumuehle,...

Attention deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder.
January 1, 2003... Abstract Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that is prevalent in many children today. It is reaching epidemic portions and the current conventional medical treatment and management of the disorder offers limited...

The fluoride controversy continues: an update -- part 2.
January 1, 2003... In Part 1 of this three-part series, we reviewed studies showing that the fluoridation of drinking water has not lived up to its promise in terms of reducing dental decay. We discussed the continuing support for water fluoridation from the US...

Correction notices. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... An advertisement by Maxam Nutraceutics for its nutrition products that appeared in the November 2002 issue of this magazine stated that the products were "developed at Harvard Medical Center." Harvard University has informed us that this claim...

Eat Right for Your School. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: Bravo for Dr. Gaby's reminder that the emperor is wearing no clothes (Nov issue, p134). In the back-and-forth that may result from this discussion of what my former students have chidingly called Eat Right for Your School or Be...

Eat Right for Your Social Security Number. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: Reading Dr. Gaby's most recent editorial ("Eat Right for Your Social Security Number") reminded me of one of Lyndon Baines Johnson's lesser known aphorisms: "While you need an architect and a carpenter to build a barn, just about...

Nanobacteria Do Exist and actively participate in the Calcification of Arterial Plaque. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: Response to November 2002 issue and Elmer M. Cranton's letter "Alleged Nanobacteria Do Not Cause Calcification of Arterial Plaque." The cause of pathological calcification, including atherosclerosis, dental pulp stones and...

A response to Dr. Kajander's letter. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: I continue to stand by what I wrote in my earlier letter, to which Dr. Kajander has responded. There are no scientific data in any of his references to refute what I wrote. Nanobacteria as a causative agent remains an unproven...

Calcium supplementation detrimental to long-term survival. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: A recent article in TLfDP extolled the virtues of calcium for health (Calcium Revisited, B. Gervang and N. Plummer, TLfDP, Nov. 2002). While it goes without question that calcium is an essential mineral, the following needs to be...

Waiting to get thirsty is to die prematurely and very painfully. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: Heinz Valtin, MD an emeritus professor at Dartmouth Medical School, has ventured the opinion that there is no scientific merit in drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day and not waiting to get thirsty before correcting...

Wheat sprayed with pesticides in most breads and prepared foods. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: Has anyone ever looked into the connection between pesticides and moldecides sprayed on grains and the foods to which people, particularly children, are allergic? I was given a drug 30 years ago which caused a nervous breakdown. I...

FDA reconsiders safety and effectiveness of dental amalgam. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: It's the issue that won't go away: the potential health risk from mercury amalgam fillings. The FDA, which is supposed to protect us from unsafe substances and devices, has made some questionable moves lately. The Dental Division...

Caffeine-generated temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) and bruxism. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: Balance is essential for nervous system homeostasis. Imbalance of one nervous system creates an imbalance of the other. (1,2) During a course of caffeine anaphylaxis, caffeine generates the "fight or flight response," and acts like...

Help free Alan Yurko. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: In February I sent many of you a letter in behalf of Alan Yurko. Some excerpts appear in this letter. Subsequently, Alan has written by hand to each and every one of you. Alan has informed me that a few of you have contributed...

Magnetic spa therapy: bringing the healing waters of lourdes into the home. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: Magnetic therapies have been around for millennia. The earth itself is a huge magnetic field, and everything on it is in that field. The earth's field and that of its resident plants and animals contain electromagnetic frequencies...

When being anemic and eating blue corn may prevent cancer. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: I had started a letter on the subject that cancer is a modern plague and had completed a page when I read the Ralph Moss, PhD report on the same subject in the November 2002 issue of the Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients. ...

Why medicare has not developed a basic means for detoxification. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: I have read and reread Dr. Collin's editorial in the November issue and each time it seems stranger. The conclusion that I have come to is that for some reason there is a lack of understanding of the big picture in medicine. Most...

Urgent appeal from an orthomolecular psychiatric survivor: vitamin access threatened globally. (Letter is the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: On the back wards, where the sun doesn't shine, time is measured in the burning of cigarettes. Drugged zombies pace listlessly past the peering eyes of hospital staff who observe the pathetic scene from the other side of the...

William Crook, MD & Candidiasis. (Letters to the Editor).
January 1, 2003... Editor: Thank you for notifying me of Dr. Crook's passing on Sunday, October 20, 2002. Please extend my deepest sympathy to Billy Crook's family. He will be fondly remembered by everyone who knew him personally as a kind and generous human...

American Association of Oriental Medicine goes to Washington.
January 1, 2003... The American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM) has partnered with Avery Management Group (AMG) (last June) to represent the profession in taking the next step in the field's evolution with a permanent base of operations inside the...

Doctors launch healthy eating campaign in America's least healthy states.
January 1, 2003... Mississippi, West Virginia and Tennessee top the list of unhealthy states, says the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). The group released its list of top 10 unhealthiest states in October, kicking off a month-long healthy...

Priority one's Bio Vegetarian[TM].
January 1, 2003... One of the most useful tools in my medical practice is a supplement which enhances the immune system, Bio Vegetarian[TM], manufactured by Priority One. I have found that Bio Vegetarian[TM] can make the difference between health and illness in...

Wisconsin state medical board imposes harsh sanctions against Chelation physician. (Editorial).
January 1, 2003... In a proposed settlement, the State of Wisconsin ordered a chelation physician to return to medical school, retake and pass the licensing exam for graduating medical students, have all charts under review by a non-chelating physician, desist...

Big bad bugs are back. (Book Corners).
January 1, 2003... Infection Protection: How to Fight the Germs That Make You Sick by Ronald M. Klatz, MD, DO, Robert M. Goldman, MD, DO, PhD with Catherine Cebula HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 10 East 53rd Street, New York, New York 10022 USA Hardcover, 2002,...

Medical pearls of wisdom. (Book Corners).
January 1, 2003... Useful Insights for Diagnosis, Treatment, Public Health by H.J. Roberts, MD Oversized quality paperback, reprints of original research, references, index, 783 pages Palm Beach Institute for Medical Research, P.O. Box 17799, West Palm...

Natural remedies for winter's Ills. (Book Corners).
January 1, 2003... Sinus Survival by Robert S. Ivker, DO Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons, 200 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10016 USA; www.putnam.com/putnam 1995, 3rd Edition, Revised and Expanded Softcover, $13.95US/$18.95CAN, 343pp. We...

Changing our perceptions. (Book Corners).
January 1, 2003... A Matter of Dignity Changing The World Of The Disabled by Andrew Potok Bantam Books, 1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 USA; ISBN 0-553-80215-1; 305 pages A solitary figure expertly navigates his kayak over the waters of a...

Allergy & Asthma Relief. (Book Corners).
January 1, 2003... The Whole Family Guide to Natural Asthma Relief by C. Leigh Broadhurst, PhD with Vladimir Badmaev, MD Avery/Putnam, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 USA; www.penguinputnam.com Softbound, ISBN 1-58333-123-9; c.2002, 170...

New York state office of Professional Medical Conduct: are its policies and performance becoming a political liability? - Summaries of articles.
January 1, 2003... In the summer of 2001, the Townsend Letter began a series of articles about the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC), the state medical board that disciplines New York physicians for substandard care. To date, this series has consisted...

News and views hot off the wire: all physicians seeking a patient-productive challenge, here it is!
January 1, 2003... At the October, 2002 conference hosted by ICIM (International College of Integrative Medicine) the Board of Directors under the leadership of President Dr.Terry Chappell, voted approval of the formation of a Blue Ribbon Task Force devoted to...

The case of a challenging adolescent with failing grades. (Healing with Homeopathy).
January 1, 2003... 131 - 3rd Ave., North Edmonds, Washington 98020 USA Phone 425-774-5599 Fax 425-670-0319 www.healthyhomeopathy.com New Case Format In this column we have always rewritten our original cases in narrative format to make...

Portrait of a healing muse: Eileen Hadidian.
January 1, 2003... San Francisco Bay Area musician Eileen Hadidian is one of a growing number of professional musicians across North America who have recently become interested in bringing what they call "healing music" into a health care setting. In her...

Highly effective treatments for pain and fatigue. (New Column).
January 1, 2003... Dear Readers This column is dedicated to the memory of Drs. William (Billy) Crook and Janet Travell, two dedicated pioneers in this field Welcome to our first column on effective treatment approaches for fatigue and pain. The goal and...

The Quantum Repatterning Technique[TM]: assessing immunological unresponsiveness in prolonged viral illness. (Quantum Medicine Update).
January 1, 2003... The Quantum Repatterning Technique[TM] (QRT) provides specific tools for identifying precisely what is taking place in the weakened or disordered physiology associated with unresponsiveness of the immune system. By relying on the brain's...

Medicinal properties in whole foods: an apple a day keeps... lung cancer at bay?
January 1, 2003... "Functional foods," "nutraceuticals," "designer foods" and "medicinal foods" are terms that describe foods, and key ingredients isolated from foods, that have non-nutritive or tertiary functional properties. Researchers, healthcare...

Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Warm Needle method in the Treatment of Post-Cervical-Cancer Bladder Numbness after Radical Surgery. (New Column).
January 1, 2003... Keywords: Chinese medicine, acupuncture, warm needle, post cervical cancer radical surgery bladder numbness Warm needle therapy is an acupuncture technique in which dried and pounded Folium Artemisiae Argyii (Ai Ye, or mugwort) is attached...

Calendar.
January 1, 2003... DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 11: INDIA EXPEDITION with Helena Kriel. CONTACT: Linda or Christy at 888-437-4077 or 435-647-5988; http://www.thefourwinds.com; fourwinds@thefourwinds.com JANUARY 9-18: AYAHUASCA HEALING RETREAT in the Amazon Forest of...

Yeast vulvo vaginitis. (Women's Health Update).
January 1, 2003... Overview Vaginal infections are responsible for an estimated 10% of all visits by women to their health care practitioners. There are three general categories of vaginitis; hormonal, irritant and infectious. Hormonal vaginitis includes the...

Nutritional influences on illness: food sensitivities as a cause of bronchial asthma.
January 1, 2003... 4751 Viviana Drive, Tarzana, California 91356 USA Phone 818-996-0076 New findings are revealing that asthma is more than simply a disorder of the respiratory system; a mucosal defect in distant locations may be an etiology. For...