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Latest News
These excerpts are from a variety
of sources, so beware of sensationalism. We have done our best to use
reputable resources, but can not be held responsible for their content. You can
find the Full Articles via the links provided.
We admit that we've featured News items that are more
sympathetic to our cause, but they seem to get little voiced in the media.
We also realise and accept our own bias.
Some Acupuncture Articles on the BBC's site
The Channel 4
programme on the 6/4/06
The UK has the highest incidence of
asthma and allergies in the world. Numbers
have trebled in the last 20 years. Although
asthma is better recognised today, diagnosis
and management can be poor depending on
where you live and the services available.
Allergies have been referred to as the
21st century epidemic. They account for 6%
of all GP consultations, with a third of the
population affected at some time in their
lives.
Changes in our environment and
lifestyle have been blamed:
- increased air pollutants
- overuse of antibiotics and other
drugs
- reduced exposure to bacteria in
infancy
- inadequate vegetables and fruit
- overexposure to domestic
allergens.
How To Beat Your Kid's Asthma explores
the challenges of controlling your child's
asthma through preventative means.
http://www.channel4.com/news/microsites/D/dispatches2006/index.html
The programme was
revelatory on the one hand and disappointing
on the other. The upside is that - now the
information is out there, no longer can the
NHS ignore the obvious allergic associations
with asthma and repeatedly fail to provide
supporting information on this. It may also
nudge the argument that all asthma is
allergy related (which I happen to agree
with), it's just that in some the triggers
are more obvious.
Not that TV is the most
reliable source of information, but if it
means that those that need the information,
then all the better.
The down side was that
clearly the programme failed to live up to
it's title - 'How to
beat your kid’s asthma' remained
within the the realms of allergy tests that
are known to be unreliable and avoidance,
which is certainly a helpful way forward,
but it still doesn't solve the underlying
problem - allergies (IMHO). The accepted
dependence on steroid inhalers was rather
worrying and one wonders if the long term
effects of these are explained to both child
and parent. Also, the distinct lack of
consideration of any complementary health
approaches that could address the underlying
cause, so some may want to consider some
other options;
Believe it or not, there are various
factors (including body fluids) that can cause a person to be allergic to
his or her partner. It’s a case of knowing the trigger factors, and avoiding
them.
THE subject of sex in the context of allergy is frequently ignored
because of sensitivity in openly discussing such issues. Thus, some partners
continue to suffer silently without really knowing the causal factors for
the allergic symptoms associated with their sexual activity.
The allergy symptoms may be localised with severe itch and inflammation
in the genitals, but may be present as itchy rashes in the skin throughout
the body or as respiratory distress.
Unfortunately allergy problems caused by intimacy between partners are
often viewed as psychological and usually left unresolved or dealt briefly
with anti-itch medication.
Sorry link for full article is lost!
Pressure is mounting on the
British government to overturn the unpopular ban on the
anti-anxiety herb, Kava Kava. Research published today in
September 2004, to coincide with
Herbal Medicine Awareness Week (3-10 September), reveals
that most British herbalists believe that patient care has been
compromised by the ban in January 2003.
The survey, organised by the
National
Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), found that three
quarters of herbalists used Kava Kava prior to the ban by the
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Seven out of ten herbalists (70%) said that patient health had
been jeopardised following the government action. Kava Kava was
banned due to reported links of liver toxicity in Germany and
Switzerland. These cases involved self-prescribed concentrated
extracts rather than the safe traditional use of Kava Kava as
prescribed by qualified medical herbalists. The British
government drew no distinction and banned the use of the herb
outright.
The herb is most frequently
used to treat anxiety, insomnia and pain caused by long-term
illness. Unlike over-the-counter extracts, herbalists prescribe
the use different parts of the plant, and only after a full
consultation. Herbalists believe Kava Kava is a valuable
addition to the arsenal for the treatment of mental health
conditions, the theme of this year's
Herbal
Medicine Awareness Week.
Full article on -
National
Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH)
Vioxx was withdrawn last year
after a study concluded it could double the risk of a heart attack or
stroke. This week, a US jury found Merck negligent in the death of a man who
used it and awarded his widow £141m. Mark Harvey said he was currently
filing cases to the New Jersey courts.
Mr Harvey, from Hugh James
Solicitors in south Wales, said they were currently acting for about 100 UK
cases, and a decision on whether they would be heard in the US was likely in
the next four to six months. "The American courts have been reluctant to
allow their busy courts to be filled with foreign nationals - in this case
we think there is a difference," he said.
"We take the view that all of
the research and testing was in the US and the case should be heard in their
backyard.
Latest on Vioxx on the BBC site
Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim
Bolen - Monday, July 4th, 2005
"Big Pharma" won a major victory in Rome, Italy today. Vitamins and
minerals, for over-the-counter sale will be phased out, almost completely,
in every country on Planet Earth. The "German Model" of health care will now
be the law of the land - in every land.
Below is a press release from Diane Miller JD of the National Health Freedom
Coalition, detailing the action. Diane is in Rome at the meeting.
Press Release - National Health Freedom Coalition: Codex Full Commission
adopts Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements in final
form July 4, 2005, Rome Italy. by Diane Miller JD.
Minutes ago the full Commission of Codex Alimentarius adopted in final form,
the Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements. This adoption
is the Step 8 adoption, the final stage of adoption for the international
Codex guidelines. The Codex Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements guidelines
are now official and no longer in draft form.
The Commission, attended by over 85 of the 171 Codex countries, adopted the
guidelines by consensus method. There was brief discussion before adoption
taking in comments from a small number of countries and two NGOs.
To read the whole article, click on the URL below:
http://www.quackpotwatch.org/opinionpieces/viamins to be banned
worldwide....htm
Chinese Medicine for Allergies
For some of the
50 million allergy sufferers, Chinese medicine may offer an option,
researchers say. The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases
reports allergies are the sixth-leading cause of chronic disease in the
United States, costing the healthcare system $18 billion annually.
Chronic sinusitis alone affects nearly 35 million Americans. Researchers at
the institute say acupuncture and
Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Treatment may provide a drug-free
solution. NAET allows the body to rid
itself of its allergic response by rebalancing the body, they explain. The
system involves a combination of chiropractic techniques, kinesiology and
acupuncture. It aims to balance and strengthen the immune system to cease
the body's over-reactions to pollen and other allergens, they say.
Source
United Press International
Acupuncture Page
NAET Page
by
JENNY HOPE, Daily Mail
07:38am 10th June 2005
Do ctors
have warned that the painkiller ibuprofen can raise the risk of
having a heart attack.
A
study by British researchers suggests regular use of the drug
increases the chances of an attack by almost a quarter.
Other painkillers in the same family of anti- inflammatory drugs
- used by millions of arthritis patients - are even more
hazardous, raising the risk by up to 55 per cent, according to
the study.
Researcher
Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox, who is also a GP, said the
findings meant there should be an investigation into the safety
of all this group of painkillers.
Ibuprofen is one of
the most popular over-the-counter painkillers available from
pharmacists and supermarkets - with 46 tons sold here each year.
Sales of Nurofen have risen 15 per cent in the past year.
Increasing
risk
"We have identified
an increasing risk, which rises with the dosage of ibuprofen and
the time it is used," said Professor Hippisley-Cox. "We want to
see this study followed up."
However, she did
not recommend that people stop taking it.
The latest study
was undertaken after concern raised last year over a range of
anti-inflammatory drugs called Cox-2s used by 1.4 million
Britons.
A safety review by
European regulators found these painkillers were linked with an
increased risk of heart disease and stroke, and those at high
risk were advised not to take them.
The research -
published in the British Medical Journal - identified 9,218
patients aged 25 to 100 in England, Scotland and Wales who had
suffered a heart attack for the first time during a four-year
period.
Researchers looked
at whether they had been prescribed non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen,
diclofenac, naproxen, Celebrex (celecoxib) and Vioxx (rofecoxib).
They also took into
account risk factors for heart attack such as age, obesity and
smoking, as well as looking at whether there was existing heart
disease.
Patients taking
NSAIDs in the three months before their heart attack had a
greater risk than those who had not taken the drugs for three
years.
The results showed
the risk of heart attack increased by 24 per cent in those
taking ibuprofen and by 55 per cent in those on diclofenac.
The new generation
of anti-inflammatory drugs Cox-2s was also linked to higher
rates of firsttime heart attacks.
Vioxx - which was
withdrawn last year - increased the risk by 32 per cent while
Celebrex - which has also been linked to heart and artery
problems although it remains on the market - increased the risk
by 21 per cent.
Millions of men and
women take ibuprofen regularly, many having turned to it as an
apparently safer alternative after the Cox-2s scare.
It is prescribed to
many of Britain's eight million arthritis victims, who may take
up to eight tablets a day totalling 2,400mg.
Commonly
used for headaches and period pain
It is also commonly
used by those with headaches, period pain, back pain and
rheumatism, although the maximum recommended daily dose is half
that for prescription patients.
Full Article
Anti-Inflammatory
Painkillers Damage Intestines
A small American study has dealt another blow to the use of non steroidal
anti inflammatory drugs, otherwise known as NSAID's. These are aspirin based
NSAID's and not to be confused with paracetamol or codeine based
painkillers.
The dangers of these standard prescription
drugs were already renown for causing gastro intestinal complications in the
form of irritation, ulceration and bleeds to the stomach and gut and were
set to be replaced by a new generation of anti inflammatory drugs known as
COX -2 inhibitors.
COX-2s were designed specifically to overcome the deadly side effects of
NSAID's. Then a series of studies linked them to heart disease and one in
particular - Vioxx, was withdrawn from the market. More on that
here. The others are
under review and doctors being advised to limit their prescribing of these
in the meantime.
In the recent study more than 70 percent of patients who took NSAID's such
as ibuprofen for more than three months suffered damage to their small
intestines, U.S. researchers reported in January 2005.
Dr. David Y. Graham of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and
colleagues studied 21 patients taking a range of NSAID's. They compared them
to 20 patients taking acetaminophen, an unrelated painkiller, or nothing.
"Small-bowel injury was seen in 71 percent of NSAID users compared with 10
percent of controls," they wrote in Monday's issue of the journal Clinical
Gastroenterology and Hepatology. (Hepatology - the study of liver function &
dysfunction).
"We have always known that NSAID's can cause potentially deadly stomach
complications, but the extent of the impact on the small intestine was
largely unknown until now," Graham added.
Arthritis pain is incurable but can be treated with a range of drugs,
including NSAID's such as aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen; acetaminophen; or
the newer drugs called COX-2 inhibitors. NSAID's work very well but damage
the stomach and intestine. They are blamed for 16,500 deaths a year in the
United States alone, Graham said.
Risk versus Benefit
"Anybody who takes aspirin or (other) NSAID's for a year has a 1 to 4
percent risk of serious gastrointestinal complications," Graham said in a
telephone interview.
"If the drugs didn't have such benefits, we'd have taken them off the market
some time ago."
Acetaminophen, sold generically and also under the brand name Tylenol, does
not work for many patients, Graham said.
In December the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory telling
doctors to limit their prescribing of other COX-2s, including Pfizer's
Celebrex and Bextra.
Also a study published in December indicated that an over-the-counter NSAID
called naproxen might also raise the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Graham's team used an endoscopy camera in a capsule to examine the
intestines of their volunteers. Although people taking NSAIDs frequently
suffer stomach pain or anaemia, none of the volunteers in this study had any
symptoms.
"We saw some ulcers and we saw lots of erosions," Graham said.
Some experts have recommended using antacid drugs in the form of 'proton
pump inhibitors' (PPIs) to reduce the damaging effects of stomach acid in
NSAID patients. But PPIs do not affect the small intestine, Graham said.
Instead, he said, an older drug called misoprostol can help protect the
stomach lining.
"It is the only drug approved to reduce the rate of bleeding," Graham said.
A U.S. government study published last month found that acupuncture
can help to further relieve arthritis pain in the knee in patients getting
more standard treatment.
The American Gastroenterological Association estimates that more than 30
million Americans take over-the-counter or prescription drugs for headaches
and arthritis.
Full Article at
Reuters Health News
Further details of the study -
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Alternative therapies
win NHS backing
Government watchdog breaks new ground by giving cautious endorsement of some
complementary medicines in treating multiple sclerosis:
The role of complementary therapies such as fish oils, reflexology and t'ai
chi in treating disease are recognised for the first time in official NHS
guidance published today.
The cautious and still only partial endorsement of the possible benefits
from such treatments in easing the symptoms of multiple sclerosis comes from
the government's clinical watchdog for England and Wales, the National
Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice).
Complementary treatments are widely used by patients with the progressive,
incurable disease. Even this small step by Nice is a significant recognition
of the avenues pursued by patients desperate to find relief from pain,
fatigue and other symptoms.
It is understood that another clinical guideline expected soon - for
treating depression - will also acknowledge a place for complementary
therapy.
Copyright © 2003 The Guardian.
Full Article
Meditation Lowers Children’s Blood Pressure
Twenty minutes of daily
meditation appeared to help reduce blood pressure in 12 year olds and likely
reduce risk of cardiovascular problems later in life, new research
indicates.
In contrast, similar group received instruction about how to prevent high
blood pressure through diet and exercise actually experienced an increase in
blood pressure over three months.
These findings demonstrate that meditation may have a "potential beneficial
impact" on healthy kids, say the researchers, led by Dr. Frank A. Treiber of
the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.
Previous research demonstrates that people who have practiced meditation for
a long time typically have lower blood pressure than those who don't
meditate.
Experts have become increasingly interested in kids' blood pressure, since
high blood pressure is thought to have its roots in childhood, and is linked
to a high risk of future cardiovascular health problems.
During the meditation, students practiced a beginners technique, in which
they focused on their breathing, sitting upright with their eyes closed.
They were told that if their attention wavered, they should acknowledge the
distraction and focus again on their breathing. They practiced one 10-minute
meditation session at school and one at home after school.
After three months of meditation, students' systolic blood pressure - the
top number in a blood pressure reading - decreased by 2 or 3 points. If
maintained over time, this small decrease in systolic pressure could reduce
the risk of dying from stroke or heart problems in adulthood by nearly 13
percent, the authors write in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
Among non-meditators, systolic blood pressure actually appeared to increase
by 1 to 4 points.
Previous research has shown
that meditation can also decrease school absence and behaviour problems
among teenagers, Treiber and his colleagues note.
"Implementation of (meditation) programs in the school setting is not only
feasible but may also be desirable because of their impact on school-related
conduct as well as possible impact on future health," they write.
Meditation Page
In a striking difference between novices and monks,
the latter showed a dramatic increase in high-frequency brain activity
called gamma waves during compassion meditation. Thought to be the signature
of neuronal activity that knits together far-flung brain circuits, gamma
waves underlie higher mental activity such as consciousness. The novice
meditators "showed a slight increase in gamma activity, but most monks
showed extremely large increases of a sort that has never been reported
before in the neuroscience literature," says Prof. Davidson, suggesting that
mental training can bring the brain to a greater level of consciousness.
Using the brain scan called functional magnetic resonance imaging, the
scientists pinpointed regions that were active during compassion meditation.
In almost every case, the enhanced activity was greater in the monks' brains
than the novices'. Activity in the left prefrontal cortex (the seat of
positive emotions such as happiness) swamped activity in the right
prefrontal (site of negative emotions and anxiety), something never before
seen from purely mental activity.
The study will be published next week in Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences. "We can't rule out the possibility that there was a
pre-existing difference in brain function between monks and novices," says
Prof. Davidson, "but the fact that monks with the most hours of meditation
showed the greatest brain changes gives us confidence that the changes are
actually produced by mental training."
That opens up the tantalizing possibility that the brain, like the rest of
the body, can be altered intentionally. Just as aerobics sculpt the muscles,
so mental training sculpts the grey matter in ways scientists are only
beginning to fathom.
By SHARON BEGLEY
More on Meditation
Schizophrenia could be linked to an allergy to gluten,
a protein found in wheat and other grains, according to scientists.
Gluten intolerance, known as coeliac disease, can erupt at any age but
mostly affects people between the ages of 30 and 45, often causing weight
loss, diarrhoea and fatigue.
"A history of coeliac disease is a risk factor for schizophrenia," the
researchers wrote in an article for the British Medical Journal.
The scientists recommended a gluten-free diet to treat coeliac disease and
said some clinical trials had shown that cutting out cereals also alleviated
symptoms of schizophrenia.
The study, a collaboration between Johns Hopkins medical institutions in the
United States and Denmark's Aarhus Universities and Aarhus Psychiatric
Hospital, tested 7,997 schizophrenic patients in a Danish psychiatric unit.
However, the scientists stressed the result reflected only a small
proportion of cases since both diseases were rare.
Last year, a study found a link between parental age and schizophrenia.
Drug use has also been cited as a potential trigger for the mental illness.
--Reuters
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1050036.htm
More on Allergy & Intolerance
Babies delivered
by Caesarean section are at more than twice the risk of developing food
allergies than children born naturally, experts have warned.
They are also significantly more likely to suffer diarrhoea and may be at
increased danger of asthma later in life.
Researchers say this is because, unlike babies born naturally, they do not
acquire beneficial bacteria as they pass down the birth canal that help
protect them against disease.
Asthma link
Previous
research has suggested that children who react to eggs are more likely to go
on to develop asthma. Dr Sibylle Koletzko, who led the study published in
the Archives of Disease in Childhood, said: 'We found a remarkably higher
rate of sensitisation to food allergens in infants born by Caesarean
section.
"Allergy to eggs, which was the main allergen in our study, has been shown
to be positively associated with the later development of asthma.
NAET Treatment & Allergy Page
"Many cancer patients have turned to an integrated
approach to managing their health, finding complementary therapies such as
acupuncture, aromatherapy, reflexology and massage therapy extremely
therapeutic." stated Prince Charles. The site was the Royal College of
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the event was a conference hosted by
five major charities. Other observations by the Prince included: 80% of
cancer patients surveyed try alternative therapies after diagnosis and 75%
of patients would like to see complementary services made available through
the UK's National Health Service. He stated "'It seems to me that we need to
devote more time and resources to researching and developing integrated
approaches to health care... We must commission and produce research that
looks at the efficacy of complementary medicine while reflecting what
patients are using today."
(www.princeofwales.gov.uk)
Pat Sidley -
Johannesburg
The law seeks to regulate the practice and practitioners in
much the same way as doctors and other health practitioners are
now. An interim council will be set up within three months to
begin the process of finding healers, setting standards,
categorising the different types of healers, and beginning the
process of registration—and, by definition, exclusion.
The Traditional Health Practitioners Act seeks to protect the
public (an estimated 80% of black people in South Africa use the
services of traditional healers) by ensuring good standards,
proper training, and ethical behaviour. A rough estimate is that
the country has around 20 000 traditional practitioners, many of
whom are unlikely to have learned the practice in a traditional
setting, whereby skills are passed down through the generations.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/329/7469/758-b?ecoll
The World Health Organization has released "a new set of guidelines for
national health authorities to develop context specific and reliable
information for consumer use of alternative therapies."... "WHO supports
traditional and alternative medicines when these have demonstrated benefits
for the patient and minimal risks," said Dr. Lee Jong-wook, Director-General
of WHO. "But as more people use these medicines, governments should have the
tools to ensure all stakeholders have the best information about their
benefits and their risks." Concerns have increased about risk to alternative
health users. Adverse drug reactions, suspect or counterfeit products, and
injury by unqualified practitioners are noted as areas of concern. "For
example, a study performed by the National Research Institute on
Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Norway reported cases of
pneumothorax caused by unqualified acupuncturists. In addition, there have
been reports of paralysis caused by unqualified manual therapists." Failure
to inform medical doctors about use of alternatives is also noted as a
concern.
WHO guidelines include suggestions for "Policies governments
could put in place," "Health system structures and processes that would help
promote better quality and safety" and "Questions consumers should ask."
(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2004/pr44/en/index.html)
A prescription
painkiller used by an estimated 400,000 people in Britain has been withdrawn
worldwide by its makers after it was found to double the risk of heart attacks
and strokes.
Health officials said
the news of the withdrawal of Vioxx, or rofecoxib, should be made public
"without delay". The patients at risk are those who have taken the drug for 18
months or more.
Vioxx was launched five
years ago when it was heralded as a safer alternative to established drugs, such
as aspirin, for pain and inflammation. It is the most widely used drug in its
class in Britain.
It is used for the
treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and for acute pain. It has
been a boon to people, particularly the elderly, who found it hard to tolerate
aspirin and similar drugs.
The use of the drug in
the National Health Service was approved by the National Institute for Clinical
Excellence in July 2001.
About two million
people are taking the drug across the world and since its launch about 84
million have used it.
Patients taking Vioxx
were advised to make an early appointment with their GP to seek an alternative
prescription as health officials sought to avoid a panic.
By Celia Hall, Medical Editor -
Daily Telegraph
(Filed: 01/10/2004)
Full Article Here - You will need to register to read it.
NB Vioxx is classed as a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and not
a pain killer as stated in this article - Andrew.
Peter Hain's son Sam was born with
terrible eczema. As a tiny baby, his skin was dry, cracked and so itchy that he
found it difficult to sleep. Before long, he was frequently struggling to
breathe - and it became evident that he also had asthma.
The doctors tried everything -
antibiotic creams, steroid sprays - but nothing seemed to work. Then his parents
took him to a homeopath, who prescribed milk tablets. Almost immediately, the
eczema and asthma disappeared.
His whole health
changed completely," the Leader of the Commons says. "The creams had ameliorated
some of the symptoms for a time, but it was only when he started homeopathic
medicine that the way his body worked changed."
That was 28 years ago,
and Mr Hain has been a supporter of complementary medicine ever since. As well
as using homoeopathy, he has been to see an osteopath to treat back-ache. He
also believes that diet influences the balance of his body, so he avoids
caffeine and red meat. "Complementary therapies, like homoeopathy, get to the
cause - rather than just treating the symptoms," he says. "I know from my own
experience that they work."
In Government, the
Cabinet minister has been campaigning hard behind the scenes for greater access
to alternative treatments on the NHS. He has been pushing at an open door. With
opinion polls showing that 75 per cent of people would like complementary
medicine to be paid for by the state, ministers knew that the policy would be
popular.
It also fits with the
commitment by No 10 and the Department of Health to offer greater choice to
patients in the treatments they receive.
By Rachel Sylvester -
Daily Telegraph
(Filed: 09/10/2004)
Full Article Here - You will need to register to read it.
Scientists are
routinely cherry-picking the results of clinical trials so that they can present
the findings that they want, a study by academics at Oxford University shows.
The research, which
assessed the published results of more than 100 scientific trials, also found
that inconvenient findings were often not disclosed to the public. In several
cases, the stated purpose of the trial was altered as it progressed so that
acceptable findings, rather than inconvenient results, could be published.
The manipulation, which
contravenes official guidelines on reporting medical research, was uncovered by
academics at Oxford University, led by Dr An-Wen Chan, a researcher on clinical
medicine.
Dr Chen warned that the
findings called into question the National Health Service's evidence-based
approach to developing medicine, in which clinical trials are used to determine
whether to introduce new treatments.
"The reporting of trial
outcomes is not only frequently incomplete but also biased and inconsistent with
protocols," said the team. "Published articles, as well as reviews that
incorporate them, may therefore be unreliable and overestimate the benefits of
an intervention."
Suspicion about the
reliability of published medical research, which has been increasing for some
time, has been prompted by concern over the influence of drugs-company funding.
A recent study at the
Yale School of Medicine showed that 80 per cent of clinical trials backed by
drug manufacturers reported positive findings - compared to 50 per cent of those
carried out by independent academics.
Other studies have
shown evidence of a bias against unclear trial results being published in
academic journals, and of positive results being repeatedly published - giving
the impression that a drug is far more effective than it really is.
The Oxford team's
findings, which are published in the latest edition of the
Journal of the American
Medical Association, are based on an assessment of the original paperwork
from more than 100 trials of medical techniques ranging from drug to surgical
methods.
In almost two-thirds of
these cases, the results omitted concerns over potential harmful effects.
Independent researchers were just as prone to bias as those funded by industry.
By Robert Matthews, Science Correspondent for the
Daily Telegraph
(Filed: 30/05/2004) Full Article Here - You will need to
register to read it.
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Nature's pharmacy
It's an ancient Indian cure-all
recently patented in the US to treat AIDS.
Thursday May 30, 2002 -
The Guardian
It is
India's most heavily researched herbal medicine, injected into mice and
force-fed to laboratory rats from Bangalore, to Bombay, to New Delhi.
Yet the sacred neem tree, planted throughout the subcontinent and known
as "the village pharmacy", is virtually unheard of in Britain. Once, in
the late 90s, Azadiracta indica rose to fame briefly when the world's
pharmaceutical giants squabbled over "ownership" of the tree's
health-giving properties. In a row that infuriated environmentalists, 70
patents were applied for - and some granted - on specific genes and
mechanisms associated with the plant. How could anyone own a product of
nature?
Since then, the herb has retreated into relative
obscurity in Europe but in the US, where it is aggressively marketed on
the internet, it has achieved high-fashion status. Supermodel Christy
Turlington includes Neem night cream in her Sundari range of ayurvedic
beauty products, and the tree's seemingly magical qualities have made it
a favourite with second-wave hippies and New Agers. If we believe the
hype, neem can treat anything from diabetes, malaria, psoriasis and
heart disease, to boils, wounds, duodenal ulcers and unwanted
pregnancies.
"Used as a vaginal lubricant," one website claims, "neem
oil is up to 100% effective in preventing pregnancy." In India and the
US, the blurb continues, trials show that neem "reduces fertility in
male monkeys without inhibiting libido or sperm production, making it
potentially the first male birth control pill".
"I've never heard of that," jokes Dr Kartik Chandra
Ray, a West Midlands GP who often prescribes neem at his surgery in
Walsall. "But there is plenty of evidence relating to the other
conditions. It is hard for me to point to specific papers because I base
my medicine on what I have seen. My father was a doctor in India."
Though 70% of his patients are Asian, the remainder
are white and turn to neem when conventional medicine fails. "I
prescribe the leaves to diabetics," he says, "because it helps the
liver, which in turn stimulates the pancreas to secrete more insulin. I
also recommend neem soap for eczema, and neem toothpaste for
gingivitis."
Before penicillin came to India in 1942, Dr Ray
explains, neem was the only antibiotic and is still used to treat
viruses today. "During the epidemic season, from late February to
April," he says, "chickenpox and measles arrive in a big way. For those
already infected, neem produces a soothing sensation. Before infection,
the cooked leaves have a cholagogue effect - they stimulate the liver to
produce folic acid, bile and hormones which boost immunity and stop
people getting ill in the first place."
Ray's claims are backed up by hundreds of clinical
trials, mainly in India, confirming the tree's protective qualities -
particularly against malaria. One active ingredient, irodin A, has been
shown to be highly toxic to strains of malaria that prove resistant to
drugs. In the laboratory, it killed off 100% of the bacillae within 72
hours. Another ingredient, nimbin (found in the tree's bark) is known to
have anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-histamine qualities, while
nimbidin (also in the bark) is anti-bacterial, combats ulcers and acts
as an analgesic.
Andrew Purvis
Thursday May 30, 2002 -
The Guardian -
Complete Article
The Government finds itself in an invidious
situation over the MMR/autism controversy, having painted itself into a
corner by denying parents the option of the single measles vaccine. They,
thus, have no alternative other than to insist the MMR is totally safe -
irrespective of evidence that might emerge to suggest the contrary.
Their difficulty is that this position is
now looking a lot shakier than it did even a year ago. Several further
independent studies have confirmed the association of the syndrome of
regressive autism with chronic bowel disorder that was originally described
by Andrew Wakefield. More recently, research has confirmed the presence of
the measles virus in the gut and spinal fluid of affected children.
This may not constitute "proof" and,
indeed, a former colleague of Dr Wakefield challenged the significance of
these findings in the Lancet a fortnight ago - and he may be right to do so.
None the less, it is beginning to look as if, as neurologist Peter Harvey
points out in the same issue, there is now "a step-by-step cascade of
evidence" linking the MMR vaccine to some cases of autism.
Full Telegraph Article Here - You may need to
register to read it.
Pharmaceutical giants hire
ghostwriters to produce articles - then put doctors' names on them
Antony Barnett, public affairs editor Sunday
December 7, 2003
The Observer
Hundreds of articles in medical journals
claiming to be written by academics or doctors have been penned by
ghostwriters in the pay of drug companies, an Observer inquiry reveals.
The journals,
bibles of the profession, have huge influence on which drugs doctors
prescribe and the treatment hospitals provide. But The Observer has
uncovered evidence that many articles written by so-called independent
academics may have been penned by writers working for agencies which receive
huge sums from drug companies to plug their products.
Estimates suggest
that almost half of all articles published in journals are by ghostwriters.
While doctors who have put their names to the papers can be paid handsomely
for 'lending' their reputations, the ghost-writers remain hidden. They, and
the involvement of the pharmaceutical firms, are rarely revealed.
These papers
endorsing certain drugs are paraded in front of GPs as independent research
to persuade them to prescribe the drugs.
Full Article
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Breakthrough cancer drug can kill
It's been just a few short months since Avastin (bevacizumab) was being
hailed as the great new breakthrough drug for cancer therapy. It's the
first drug designed to inhibit angiogenesis, the process by which new blood
vessels develop and carry vital nutrients to a tumour. In other words, the
drug starves the tumour.
The American drug agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), approved
it in February as part of the treatment for cancer of the colon or rectum.
But in just five months of use, doctors have discovered the drug can cause
stroke, heart attacks and angina, and can also double the risk of a fatal
thrombosis.
Not that the drug was ever a day at the beach. When it was approved the FDA
knew the drug could cause fatal stomach perforations, fatal hemorrhage,
hypertension and congestive heart failure.
These new concerns must make Avastin one of the untouchables, but the new
discoveries raise concerns about the efficacy and reliability of the
pre-licensing clinical trials that too often miss adverse reactions that
could even kill the patient.
From the WDDTY E-Newsletter
Healing in Harmony
As some of the post-war
miracle drugs lose their lustre, complementary medicine - once dismissed as
mumbo-jumbo - is gaining ground. Special diets, herbs and massage may never
replace life-saving surgery, but a new partnership is growing between
orthodox and alternative practitioners. Jerome Burne gives a patient's guide
to what to take and who to see
Saturday February 26, 2000
The Guardian
Last autumn, that mouthpiece of the medical profession, the
British Medical Journal, began
publishing a peace treaty. It took the form of a 12-part series on
complementary medicine. This is the same BMJ that 20 years ago declared, in
a dismissive editorial, that alternative medicine "ought to be as extinct as
divination by examination of bird's entrails". The BMJ series was a belated
recognition of a victory by a ragged guerrilla army that, starting far
beyond the medical pale, has gradually marched on the capital and is now
sitting around the tables with the generals of the medical empire,
discussing exactly how many positions it will have in the new government.
Today, every high
street has its health-food shop, and it's hard to open a newspaper or a
magazine without finding a cure that involves mega doses of vitamin C, a
stress-reducing massage or a tincture of St John's Wort. We can buy soya
snack bars that claim to fight off both prostate cancer and the menopause,
eat ginkgo biloba-enriched crisps that boost the flow of blood to the head,
and relax in the evening with a couple of tabs of (perfectly legal) kava
kava.
So how has it
happened? How have the health irregulars - homoeopaths with their weird
belief in minuscule doses, acupuncturists locating undetectable meridians,
and herbalists mired in the Middle Ages - conspired to storm one of the
great professional citadels? Scientific medicine now seems like some fallen
empire. Despite all its pharmacological weaponry and coffers stacked with
gold, it is having to make peace with bands of amiable civilians. What is
this going to do to our health? Is it a good thing, or have we succumbed to
a dreadful delusion?
Part of the
explanation lies with Clara, and the hundreds of thousands like her, who
found that modern medicine wasn't providing what she wanted, so,
sophisticated shopper that she is, took her business elsewhere. A
48-year-old freelance accountant, Clara had gone to her GP complaining of
being tired and irritable. She was working very hard and also putting on
weight. He prescribed hormone-replacement therapy (HRT). Then she developed
irritable-bowel syndrome and was offered steroids. So she went to see the
naturopath, Elizabeth Gray Gibaud, who has a practice at the Hale Clinic in
London, and specialises in "face diagnosis".
Full Article Here
Just getting started - there's plenty more to come, so
call back soon!
Contact Top of Page
Location
Holistic-Centre.org
Ltd
7 Town Lane
Little Neston
NESTON
Wirral
Cheshire
CH64 4DE UK
Tel:
0151-336-6222
Managing Director:
Andrew C. Woodhouse
Neston is on the Cheshire side or the Cheshire/ Merseyside border of the
Wirral,
near to and mid way (10 miles) between Liverpool (Merseyside) & Chester
(Cheshire).
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