Study Shows Chinese dietary supplement Xuezhikang Lowers Risk of Heart Attack

October 30, 2008

The traditional Chinese remedy known as Xuezhikang can drastically improve the recovery of patients after a heart attack- — including by lowering the risk of repeat attacks – according to a study conducted by researchers from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Xuezhikang is derived from red yeast rice, which is sold over-the-counter and has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine as a treatment for circulatory disorders. But study co-author David M. Capuzzi emphasized that the Xuezhikang used in his experiment is not the same as over-the-counter red yeast rice.

"People in the United States should know that the commercially available over-the-counter supplement found in your average health food store is not what was studied here," Capuzzi said. "Those over-the-counter supplements are not regulated, so exact amounts of active ingredient are unknown and their efficacy has not been studied yet."
"I do not recommend that people use such over-the-counter preparations since these have not been tested for safety and effectiveness," he said.

Researchers conducted the study on 3,986 men and 884 women in China who had survived a heart attack but still had high cholesterol. The participants discontinued the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs for the study period, which averaged 4.5 years, and were instead assigned to take either a Xuezhikang capsule or a placebo two times per day.
Those taking Xuezhikang had a 45 percent lower risk of repeat heart attacks compared with those taking the placebo. Their rate of procedures to clear blocked arteries (such as bypass surgery or angioplasty) was reduced by one-third, as was their risk of death from cardiovascular causes or their risk of death in general. Their risk of death from cancer was reduced by two-thirds.

"It’s very exciting," Capuzzi said, "because this is a natural product and had very few adverse side effects, including no abnormal blood changes."

From http://www.chinesemedicinetimes.com/forum/showthread.php?t=516

Keywords: red yeast, cholesterol, angioplasty, artery, placebo, David M. Capuzzi, Thomas Jefferson University, American Journal of Cardiology

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It Takes Both Yolk And Shell To Make An Egg

October 26, 2008

As a young man seeking enlightenment, in the demanding and naive manner of a spiritual seeker with both a taste for God and a sense of entitlement, I protested at my spiritual advisor’s suggestion that I engage seriously in the practice of meditation.

Sitting on the zafu pillow, attempting to allow my thoughts to drift away and simply experience the stillness of the Divine, seemed an exercise in futility. As I focused on my breathing, as instructed, the details of work and relationships and the image of the enchiladas I was planning for dinner rushed into the emptiness. The practice seemed pointless. And sitting on the floor in a semi-lotus position made my back hurt.

I asked my teacher why she couldn’t simply tell me what it was that I needed to learn from the meditation practice. I asked why she couldn’t simply tell me what I needed to know in order to be enlightened. Her answer has stayed with me for decades.

She explained that enlightenment was like the yoke of an egg…

Read the complete article by Roger Joslin…

Keywords: meditation, spirituality

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Alternative Fertility Treatments

October 24, 2008

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Brits Get Treats, Americans Get Tricks From Food Companies, Says Nutrition Action Healthletter

October 21, 2008

b>Pumpkin, Annatto, Strawberry Color Foods There, Synthetic Petrochemicals Fill In Here/b>br/>WASHINGTON—British consumers enjoy products made by General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft and McDonalds that are free of synthetic food dyes, but American customers lack such royal treatment, according to the October issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter. Despite evidence linking food dyes to hyperactivity and other behavior problems in children, companies continue to use the controversial dyes in American product lines while substituting natural colorings in the United Kingdom.

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Physical Decline Caused By Slow Decay Of Brain’s Myelin

October 20, 2008

During this year’s baseball playoffs, Chicago White Sox outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., 38, threw a picture-perfect strike from center field to home plate to stop an opposing player from scoring. The White Sox ultimately won the game by a single run and clinched the division title. Had Griffey been 40, it could be argued, he might not have made the throw in time.

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Walk this way

October 14, 2008

You might think of it as Zen hiking — or perhaps as a kind of transcendental trekking. • A practice known as walking meditation, which has long been a part of many Buddhist and other traditions, can add a meditative component to walks in mountains, deserts or parks. • We’re not talking here about just tooling along, randomly contemplating the wonders of nature. • True walking meditation, say those who practice it, is a focused technique that can be every bit as powerful as formal, sitting meditation.

Read the complete article by Doug Kreutz…

Keywords: meditation, walk

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Vioxx risk lingers at least 1 year after using drug

October 13, 2008

Analysis: Painkiller doubles risk of cardiac troubles, death for lengthy time

A doubled risk of heart attack, stroke and death persisted at least a year after people stopped taking withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, according to an analysis of long-term data from the study that led drugmaker Merck & Co. to stop selling the drug.

The analysis, published online Tuesday by the British medical journal The Lancet, also appears to show the higher risk started soon after patients began taking Vioxx, though the study notes a small sample size precludes a definitive finding on this issue.

Read the complete article…

Keywords: naproxen, ibuprofen, cardiovascular, stomach, bleeding, complications, pfizer, celebrex, merck, vioxx

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Walking in grace: Hospital labyrinth offers place of calm

October 13, 2008

Members of the Jackson community and Jackson-Madison County General Hospital gathered outside the new hospital tower Sunday to dedicate The Labyrinth, a space for meditation and prayer.

The twisting, circular paths of concrete are surrounded by benches, flowers and bushes, creating a peaceful resting place in one corner outside the building.

"The labyrinth is a very appropriate symbol because the hospital is a place of prayer and a work of healing," said Jan Boud, vice president of communications and human resources at the hospital. "Throughout the ages, God has moved people to set aside places for worship and prayer."

Read the complete article by MARIANN MARTIN of jacksonsun.com …

(Photo by DEVIN WAGNER /The Jackson Sun)

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Bone Mass Density Loss and Antidepressants: Another Tough Break for SSRI Users?

October 13, 2008

Dr Ellison is associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and clinical director of the geriatric psychiatry program at McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass.

When I was recently asked by a patient about the link between osteoporosis and SSRIs, I dimly recalled this topic’s emergence in a medical journal in 2007, its subsequent meander through several newsletters, and its gradual return to the bottom of my mental risk-assessment checklist.

I asked several colleagues whether they had added bone mass density (BMD) loss to the pantheon of practice-altering medication risks we have learned to consider when prescribing antidepressants, or even to the list of disturbing and more or less common experiences (eg, sexual dysfunction, sweating, nightmares, myoclonus, apathy, discontinuation syndrome, hyponatremia, bradycardia/hypotension) that taint SSRI benefits for some patients. My informal inquiry and review of the literature suggested that a column on this topic would be timely.

Osteoporosis—the development of bone porosity—results from the deterioration of bone tissue that predisposes to low-trauma fractures, especially of the hip, spine, or wrists.

Read the complete article by James M. Ellison, MD, MPH…
Psychiatric Times. Vol. 25 No. 11

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