Blood pressure - How low is too low?

During a national television programme to test the health of the nation some years ago, there was much lecturing and finger-wagging. At one point, the highly knowledgeable medical expert stated that even a blood pressure of 120/80 was too high and that a lower BP of 110/70 or less was desirable for least risk of cardiovascular disease. Although this view is now more or less official doctrine nowadays this still has to be challenged.

Are we producing a nation of the "worried well"? The simple fact of life is that the vast majority of us have BPs of about 120/80, so how can this be unhealthy? Well, it is not unhealthy, that's for sure. If BP is much less than 120/80 there is no doubt that your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke decline a little more; but at what cost?

I recall a very interesting study (no reference, sorry) in which the mental gymnastics of subjects was tested. Researchers discovered that the participants with the higher blood pressures out-performed the ones with the lower BPs! Now, if you are an over-trained athlete or a patient on blood pressure lowering medication, you will appreciate what I mean when I go on about "Brain Fog".

Low blood pressure means less blood to the brain and therefore poor mental function. In the over 65's, being on blood pressure medication is associated with an 8-fold increase in motor vehicle insurance claims! Fix one problem with a pill and cause a whole lot more further down the line. This is myopic medicine.

To get blood pressure consistently less than the optimum BP for daily functioning, it is necessary to either be unwell, or to be on blood pressure reducing medication. I am not aware of any research that proves that blood pressure drugs will extend life or improve quality of life for subjects with moderately raised BP (if you can call it that) - say, 130/85. The small reductions in cardiovascular risk are not worth the associated risks.

The better strategy for maintaining good cardiovascular health is not to get all worked up if BP is a few points over 120/80 - that will just push it higher. Relax! Work on your diet, exercise daily, take a few key supplements and get on with life with the knowledge that your brain is pumped and primed for a good day's work!

Waiting lists and Retirement

"I don't think I've read in your newsletters anywhere that people shouldn't be just worried about the increased waiting lists for health treatment in the public sector they should be worried about the government running out of money to the point that care for the ill will fall back on those closest to those who are sick.

The people who are reading your newsletter are likely to find themselves dependant on their own family for care in old age if they don't have private medical cover that's if they don't find out sooner in having to care for their parents, govt will simply raise the benchmark to qualify for state funded care as more and more people queue up due to increased failing health. If they think its bad now just wait till the generations that have grown up on junk food en masse require ongoing healthcare at a younger and younger age".

Wayne
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Gary Moller comments:
This issue about who is going to care for you in your old age is one of the leading reasons for promoting a natural approach to health care. With the tsunami of Baby-Boomers hitting old age and the younger generations already suffering diseases that were once associated with being old, Wayne is quite right to be very concerned. The present healthcare setup is unsuitable for dealing with modern ailments. Blowouts in waiting lists and budgets are going to get much, much worse.

I agree with Wayne; if you don't think we have a problem, read my newsletter "will you be caring for your grandchildren?".

Question: What will you be doing during your old age?


Wayne recommended health insurance. I do not have private health insurance and do not encourage it because I think this is part of the problem (more about this in a later blog).

In the meantime, the best we can do is adopt the lifestyle of a free range creature as compared to that of the domesticated and pampered type. This means regular outdoors exercise, good food and cultivating a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. It also means instilling similar practices and attitudes in our children.

Should I immunise my children and should I have the free influenza vaccine at work?

Hi Gary,
my work have just advised me that they will be offering free 'flu vaccinations.

Last year i did not get the flu, or a bad cold, and this year I am taking the supplements that you have been suggesting.

Will the vaccination have more probable benefits than costs?

"R" (NZ)

And:
"What's your take on immunizations? When the boys were born we had a doctor who was also a homeopath and he discouraged immunizations. I know he told us that the vaccines don't always work but they do hinder the development of the immune system so that if a person actually contracts the disease it can be much harder to treat.
We didn't avoid them completely. We've had the kids get the same immunizations I did, smallpox and polio. It seemed to me that those were both diseases that had once been very widespread and quite serious. But we backed away from measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, mumps and hepatitis B.

Some years back our original doctor moved away and the next one, not surprisingly, has a much more "mainstream" view of immunizations and has been after us to have the kids get the complete set. I'm not at all persuaded by his arguments for any of them except hepatitis B which does seem to be a pretty serious condition.

"R" (USA)
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Gary Moller comments:I knew that this topic could not be avoided! The two "R's" have forced my hand. While I am not an expert on this matter, I am a parent and have followed the immunisation debate for a long time and agonised over the pros and cons again and again. I should add that I have participated in the Flu vaccine campaigns when they first came out, offering free shots to the companies that my business was contracted to provide corporate health programme to.

All four of my children have had minimal vaccinations, including the recent NZ$200+ million meningococcal B vaccination programme. Despite my children being theoretically in the high risk demographics for this terrible disease.

Here is how I understand things: All vaccines contain tiny amounts toxic metals, principally mercury and aluminium. These are highly toxic to the nervous system, particularly the developing brain. Other organs, including the pancreas which produces insulin, is extremely sensitive to mercury. Deposits of aluminum are thought by some experts to remain as an irritant in tissues and disturb the immune and nervous system for a lifetime.

While it may be claimed that a vaccine contains "safe" or "trace" amounts of these toxic substances, we know that these metals are extremely toxic and they accumulate principally in fatty tissue, including the brain. While a single dose may, in fact be "safe" the effect is similar to what happens with x-ray imaging: The doses are cumulative and the average child may have 30, 40 or more shots of metal-laden vaccine by age 5. Besides; what really is "safe". We know that a small percentage of the population is very sensitive to mercury and what say your child is one of them?

Being cumulative, we must take into account exposure to these toxic metals from all sources, including contaminated foods, water and even cooking utensils and amalgam fillings. While no single source may be "unsafe" the sad fact is exposure from all sources can add up to being pretty damn scary!

Here is a calculator to work out how much cumulative mercury you and your children have been exposed to from vaccinations: http://www.909shot.com/Issues/HgCalculator.htm

We must also take account the synergistic interaction with other heavy metal contaminants, principally lead, and their cumulative effects on sensitive organs including the brain. Once in the body, these are not easy to get rid of and the health effects can be devastating. Incidentally, the non toxic metal magnesium is known to be a weak heavy metal chelator - freeing them so that they can be expelled from the body.

While we may not be able to do anything about many sources of contamination, it just makes good sense to reduce exposure to the "controllable sources" of contamination, including vaccinations.

Do vaccines per se cause harm, or is it the metal ingredients?
As you would gather from the above, I believe there is cause for parental concern about the metals that are found in vaccines and in increasing amounts from environmental contamination. I am not convinced that the vaccines themselves are the main risk of causing adverse effects. Having said this, there is a girl (Now a grown woman) living not far from us who is in a permanent vegetative state as a consequence of the MMR vaccine and the first patient ever assigned to me after graduating was in a wheel chair after the small pox vaccine prior to her big OE got into her spinal cord.

Should you vaccinate your child?
This is a really tough one for parents and one we agonise about constantly. In each case it is a matter of assessing the risks and making the appropriate decision. In our case, we have decided that a good diet, a warm home, good oral hygiene, hand washing, regular dental care, lots of sunlight and exercise and exposure to bugs early in life offset the risks of not being vaccinated. We prefer not to risk the brains of our children from excessive toxic metal contamination. This strategy has served us well for 24 years.

We ensured that each child received their mother's antibodies via her breast milk and we took every opportunity to expose our kids to childhood bugs including measles, mumps and chickenpox. The sooner a child is exposed to these the better. If a child's friend had chickenpox, we asked if our child could visit to play.

If, as adults, they decide to undergo vaccination for this or that, then that is their choice which we have given them. In one of our daughter's cases, she received several vaccinations when she enrolled in the army. That was her choice and the risk was presumably minimal, since she was a grown woman by then with a mature nervous system and robust immune system.

What about the free annual flu vaccine?Your first defense against influenza is a strong immune system and a vaccine should not be used to make up for the lack of one. This means (for adults measures such as):

• A fresh wholefoods diet that is rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and natural anti-oxidants.
• Plenty of natural vitamin A from natural concentrated sources including animal organs, cod liver oil, grass fed butter and free range egg yolk (Incidentally many of these are the wrongly labelled "unhealthy" foods!). Stay away from synthetic vitamin A.
• Ensuring that you enter winter with optimal vitamin D levels and ensuring that your winter diet is rich in high vitamin D foods (Generally the same foods that are rich in vitamin A).
• Taking herbal and nutritional supplements that augment natural immunity such as olive leaf extract and vitamin C 
• Taking about 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day
• Getting optimum sleep
• Avoiding excess stress that leaves you wasted
• Not over-exercising

There was a time I had the annual flu vaccines. I won't any more. I will add that I have been in great health since changing my lifestyle, including work and diet and that includes getting out in the sun which I had previously avoided. Most notably, I no longer get hammered by the bugs the kids seem to bring home from school every 2nd week.

Hip fractures affecting the elderly - the chicken or the egg?

In my previous articles about hip fractures which are leading causes of injury leading to death among the elderly, I omitted to discuss one very important question: "Did the fall cause the fracture, or was it the fracture that caused the fall?"

In most cases we will probably never know. A spontaneous fracture of the hip may happen when an osteoporotic person does a slight, slip, stumble or sudden movement. The next thing you know, he or she is lying prostrate on the floor and you have a medical emergency on your hands. Preventing these injuries, be they spontaneous, or be they from a fall is the name of the game. This starts with ensuring that the environment is free of hazards like loose mats, poor lighting and cats or dogs wandering underfoot! Refer to my earlier article and navigate the link to the ACC website for resources about this.

Prevention also means ensuring that bones, muscles, balance and reflexes are kept in tip-top condition regardless of age. The keys are: a nutrient rich diet, plenty of sunlight, regular exercise including agility drills and keeping medications to a minimum.



Osteoporosis and the general frailty often seen in old age can creep up slowly. This can be despite a mostly active life, if one or more of the ingredients such as adequate dietary minerals or vitamin D are not quite sufficient to maintain bone strength. All that it then takes is an illness or injury that stems activity for a few months, or confines the elderly person to sunless rooms and/or a deficient diet and the dyke can burst - a fractured hip for example.

Desperate Housewives is an interesting programme to watch because of the procession of pre-osteoporotic women that parade up and down the fictional Lysteria Lane in their flash convertibles. They are so thin. Ant-like in appearance. Even their facial bones are thinning! They can't be doing enough chewing. I look and wonder how these emaciated stars could ever be role models to the impressionable world? What hope is there for these fragile people when old age catches up with them?

Whether the fall caused the fracture or the fracture caused the fall, the fracture was a long time in the development and the consequences are exactly the same. We must concentrate on prevention.

How Medication Causes Anaemia in Senior Citizens

Anaemia should be considered a critical health concern for everyone over the age of 50. This is especially so for those who are taking prescription drugs, because many have a side effect that you'll never see mentioned on the label: the impairment of essential vitamin and nutrient absorption.

Red blood cells deliver oxygen from the lungs to the tissues throughout the body. Anemia occurs when the red blood cell count becomes depleted, resulting in fatigue, weakness, and hair loss in extreme cases. The two primary causes of anaemia are iron-poor blood (often triggered by menstruation or internal bleeding), and a deficiency in two critical vitamins: folic acid and vitamin B-12. Getting good amounts of these nutrients is very important for seniors because as we age our ability to absorb vitamins from food diminishes. Consequently, our tendency to develop anaemia rises.

Unfortunately this absorption problem is just the first link in a chain of events that adds up to a health issue that's far more serious than simple fatigue.

Many prescription pharmaceuticals interfere with the absorption of nutrients. For instance, drugs that inhibit stomach acids have been shown to significantly decrease absorption of vitamin B-12; one of the primary vitamins needed to prevent anaemia.

Other medications that are known to play a role in nutrient depletion are among the most frequently prescribed medications on the market. Antibiotics, anti-depressants, anti-inflammatories, blood pressure medications, cholesterol- lowering drugs, estrogen, and tranquilizers can all strip valuable vitamins and minerals from the body. When any of these drugs are combined - especially in an older patient - the risk of developing anemia rises.

And now it seems that this chain of events is being rushed along more quickly than ever. Did you know the average American senior receives 25 prescriptions annually - a 100 percent jump in just four years! So as the over-medication of seniors grows at an alarming rate, we see two serious problems becoming even greater health threats:

• The wider variety of drug intake creates conflicting side effects (and as know, many doctors treat drug side effects with other types of drugs), and
• These potent drug mixes rob patients of the very nutrients they need most when fighting an illness.

But the chain of events just keeps getting worse. Many mainstream doctors see so many elderly patients who have anaemia that the condition is widely regarded - somewhat lightly - as a normal part of ageing. As a result, when anaemia is diagnosed it often goes untreated. This is a mistake because anaemia dramatically increases the risk of mortality for those with chronic health problems such as heart disease. At the same time, anaemia can also promote cancer, which thrives in a cellular environment that's starved of oxygen.

Anaemia is easily diagnosed with a blood test, so during your next check up, ask your doctor for a test of your red cell blood count - especially if you're feeling unusually fatigued. If you do have an anaemic condition, the next step is to find out the cause. If your doctor downplays anaemia's importance, or if a prescription drug is recommended to address the problem, you should get a second opinion.

As for treating anaemia, you simply can't go wrong with the right nutrition and supplements. High doses of B group vitamins can be helpful, but not necessarily iron supplements. Take a broad spectrum Natural vitamin B supplement twice daily with iron rich food. The best source of iron is from natural dietary sources, plus a supplement from natural sources that steadily restore levels to normal.

The best dietary sources of iron red meat, fish, pork, and poultry, with beef liver and chicken liver having the highest amounts of iron. An additional intake of high quality vitamin C with iron rich food can also help the body absorb iron. Even an orange juice with your meal will help.

Talk to your doctor about discontinuing the use of any drugs that aren't absolutely necessary.

All about sex: The connection between libido and exercise

This is the second of several articles about Libido. While I am not an expert in such matters, here is my understanding of the exercise physiology that works behind the scenes.

Having spent 20 years in the gym industry there has been more than the occasional passing comment from clients that their sex lives have received a boost of energy and enjoyment after commencing a fitness programme. This sure has been the case where couples work out together. Let's look at some of the possible reasons:

A plumber's view of the penis The penis is like a mass of flexible pipes encased in a flexible casing. Blood flows in through the arteries and flows out via the veins. During arousal, the outflow is clamped off, causing the penis to balloon. It's as simple as that. How effectively this happens depends on the blood flow and the tone of the blood vessels. Decreasing cardiovascular health may reduce penile performance because:

• The power of the pump (heart) is insufficient to maintain a strong inflow into the penis.
• Arteries can become progressively clogged like a kitchen sink drain pipe that has had fat poured down it over the years, reducing blood flow
• There may be fewer of the prolific microscopic blood vessels in the flesh (capillaries)
• The blood vessel walls lose tone and flexibility and are therefore less able to fully constrict to cause and maintain an erection.

The urban myth of the sexual stamina of the long distance runner has some merits from a straight analysis of the workings of the body's plumbing. Endurance exercise strengthens the heart, tones the blood vessels and causes a proliferation of capillaries.

Testosterone: The Agressor Hormone A powerful libido factor at work in both men and women is declining testosterone levels with age. Testosterone has a direct effect on libido in both men and women, despite the commonly held belief that this "male" hormone is found only in men. As we all know, men have two brains and it is speculated that testosterone works on both. Testosterone levels peak during one's 20's and progressively declines over the following decades.

Vigorous exercise like sprinting and lifting heavy weights, that build muscle elevates testosterone levels. This applies to both men and women. The converse can be assumed: Deteriorating strength and muscle tone with inactivity will be associated with lowering testosterone levels. So, one way to counter natural reductions in testosterone production with ageing is to do explosive exercise and lift heavy weights.

Those who work out together, stay together Working out together, whether it is a run in the bush, or lifting weights is a bit like an extended foreplay session. Shared experiences - be they fun-filled, exciting, daring or a thrilling achievement like climbing a mountain peak or completing a half marathon - bring couples closer together with a shared exhilaration.

There's just something about hard bodies Its not just the extra testosterone or the better blood flow, or the feeling closer with your partner: Let's face it - a strong, toned body has a certain physical attraction for most and it generally works a lot better.

So here is Dr Sex's workout prescription for lasting libido:

• Do two long, slow endurance workputs per week (rowing, cycling, running, walking, swimming, hiking etc).
• Do a progressive weights lifting programme 2-3 times a week to build muscle.
• Take up an explosive, exhilarating physical activity with your partner like restricted full-contact boxing, karate, judo, netball, indoor soccer, badminton, squash, climbing, sprinting, shot-putting and do 2 times a week.
• Take weekly dancing classes with your partner.
• Make sure that you are having fun together when you are doing these.
• Then, if you have any time and energy left after doing all of the above; make love!

A final piece of advice: Use it, or lose it! Every organ in the body (male or female), be that brain, penis, muscles, bones or heart; responds to how it is being used by strengthening those functions that receive the most use, while reducing the functions that recieve the least. So, if your penis is going the way of the vestigial Appendix, you now know what you have to do - give it a regular workout like any other muscle 2-3 times a week.

The next article is about nutrition. In the meantime, start working on the fitness, if you are not already.

The Myth of Osteoporosis - Book Review

It is the NZ Osteoporosis Foundation’s claim that 56% of all women over the age of 60 will have an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime. If that is the case then where are all these people and fractures? They are very dodgy stats, grossly inflated, and based on things like small changes in vertebral shape, the inclusion of all fractures including accidents in the age groups. Amazingly, there has never been an assessment of fracture rates in NZ – these stats are based on an epidemiological study done in Dubbo NSW. People are being frightened into questionable bone mineral denisty tests and, ultimately, onto preventive medications that are of questionable effectiveness and safety.

New Zealand author and health researcher, Gillian Sanson, is now a recognised international expert on osteoporosis. Gillian began her journey of discovery when routine bone density tests revealed a disturbing rate of low bone mineral density in her family, yet no there was no unusual occurence of fractures in her family. How could this be?

Her book, "The Myth of Osteoporosis", is written for the lay person. She asks and offers answers to many pertinent questions such as: "Where are all those post-meonpausal women with osteoporotic fractures?" "Are we being conned?" I wonder. And,"Are bone mineral density tests accurate; or are they causing anxiety where there is little or no cause for concern?" "Do osteoporosis drugs do more harm than good?" "Why; despite our huge consumption of dairy foods, is osteoporosis such an issue?"

I believe that the drugging of millions of women worldwide with biphosphenate drugs may become one of the worst medical scandals in history and this book confirms that something may be amiss. Gillian Sanson is onto something. Why terrorise and drug millions of women when the jury is still out about the safety and effectiveness of these drugs? Besides: There are already more effective and safe interventions like exercise, sunlight and nutrition.

This book is compelling reading and I recommend it as compulsory reading for all women who are the primary target of what is a money making machine of immense proportions, persuasion and of doubtful benefit.

For more information about osteoporosis and related health issues and to order the book go here.

Fossy Jaw - jawbone death, bone decay, or jaw rot

"As potent inhibitors of osteoclast activity, the nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates might retard skeletal repair processes associated with trauma to or infection of the oral mucosa that involves the underlying bone. Since the jawbones are in constant use and are characterized by active remodeling, bisphosphonates might accumulate there preferentially, resulting in concentrations that exceed those found elsewhere in the skeleton. "
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Gary Moller comments:
Losing your jaw is not pleasant. More to the point: horrific!

While this is the most commonly reported side-effect of these anti-osteoporosis drugs, I think this is only one of many possible adverse side effects that are coming to the fore. This class of drugs may be causing damage to arterial walls and kidney leading to early onset of cardiovascular disease of various forms and even dementia. Rather than preventing fractures, the longterm result may be more fractures and poor healing because the poor victim is left with old bone that does not heal.

These drugs have an estimated 1/2 life of 10 years, so if a user stopped today it could be as long as 20 years before the drug is completely eliminated.

Its not worth the risk taking these things. If you are diagnosed by a bone scan or blood test as having osteoporosis or close to it here is my advice:

• Challenge the accuracy of the test because these tests are more often unreliable than reliable.
• If you are small, the odds are the bone density test will have you with a low bone mineral density which is probably dead wrong.
• If you have been unwell or in hospital for any reason and your blood calcium levels are high (A reason for putting you on these drugs) and you are given a biphosphenate don't take it.
• Blood calcium goes through the roof if you are deprived of sunlight and unable to exercise - its a normal thing.
• Read Gillian Sanson's book about the Myth of Osteoporosis first.

Instead of taking these awful drugs that also cost a fortune:

• Insist on getting your vitamin D levels tested. If below 120 then:
• Get some sunlight on your back and tummy and thighs 3 times a week for about 10 minutes. Failing that, find a sunbed and get a few minutes that way (No burning and no excessive tanning please).
• Repeat the vitamin D test about 3 months later to see how you are going.
• Take a multi mineral like Calcium Complete daily and take cod liver oil.
• Cut right down on dairy and refined grains and eat your veges, especially ones like brocolli and cabbage.
• Walk briskly daily, do housework, dig the garden and lift light weights above your head.

Derek Turnbull dies aged 79

"Derek Turnbull, QSM, athlete, farmer. Died aged 79

Derek Turnbull, a Southland farmer was the subject of a book called The Fastest Old Man in the World. This veteran of veteran athletics held age group world records for the 800m, 1500m, 10,000m, cross-country and the marathon.

But running was always "just a hobby" for Turnbull, who started athletics at Southland Boys High School. He was in his own words "well down the track" in New Zealand open athletics."
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Gary Moller comments:

I first met Derek when I travelled with the first New Zealand team to compete at a world veteran's athletics championships. That was in 1977 and the Games were in Gothenberg, Sweden. I was the team's first aider and trainer. That was an amazing experience with three athletic stadia in full use for a week. It was a big event and I got to meet many of my childhood sporting heros, like the mighty Al Oerter, who were still going great.

Derek was the young boy of the team and I don't think many of us quite knew how good he was. My main recollection was the look of shock (or was it disbelief) on the faces of the entire team, including Derek, after he cleaned up just about every event he contested. Derek was a sensation!

When you look at him, he is the perfect athlete - a cross between a greyhound and a hare. The perfect body type for running.

A lesson we can all take from Derek is the fact that most of his training was intuitive: No rigid training schedules; Derek ran according to how he felt and this was mostly over farmland, thus sparing his muscles and joints. This is at the heart of his longevity as a runner.

I last met Derek earlier this year while I was running a workshop in Invercargill about Lydiard training methods. He had suffered a devastating stroke. While he was looking quite good considering what he had just been through, he was nevertheless clearly unwell. His passing is most premature, given his immense athletic talent, which should have carried him along for many more years.

Derek, we miss you.
(I am presently reading Derek's book "The fastest old man in the world". It is autographed by Derek with the advice "Never give up"). Order the book here; Turnbull website here

technorati tags: derek+turnbull, new+zealand, invercargill, running

Low vitamin D, depression, high blood pressure and the rest

"M" has been suffering excessively high blood pressure, a racing heart, poor energy and depression. In her early 80's she has been consulting her doctor. Other than blood pressure medicine, there has been little else her doctor can do for her.

At my urging over some months, she finally persuaded her doctor to test her vitamin D levels. The results have come back: her levels were just 15 - as good as zero - which means she is seriously deficient and at real risk of numerous ailments including osteoporosis, heart failure and various cancers and nervous conditions!
Optimum vitamin D levels are in excess of 100, so "M" has a lot of work to do. Her Dr has prescribed cholecalcitrol (vit D) and I am encouraging her to get outdoors into the sunshine (If only there was some in Wellington!).

So far, every person that I have had tested for vitamin D who are suffering health problems, such as chronic pain have come back with levels less than 60.

Why on earth don't doctors test for this critical vitamin more often? I just can not understand why not.

I will keep readers posted as to "M's" progress. In the meantime, go get your own levels tested.

Was it worth it? Fosamax

Here is an excerpt from a person who has been taking Fosamax: "After about 6 months I experienced gradually worse joint pain that changed me from healthy and athletic to almost crippled. I can barely walk up a stairs one stair at a time and leaning on the railing. Pain and weakness in my knees and hips, both sides is the main problem.

My bone density has increased, but who would want to live this way? I've gone from hiking and biking to practically needing a wheelchair. I've had to move because I couldn't do the stairs to my second floor apartment. I went off it after about a year and I'm desperately hoping my joint function will return. It hasn't improved yet after 1 month off the drug."
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Gary Moller Comments:
As I said in an earlier article, I predict that these anti-osteoporosis drugs are going to be the largest and worst medical scandal in history. While they may increase bone mineral density in the first few years, they are nothing short of being a slow poison. It is disturbing that the 1/2 life of this drug is about 10 years.

Keep informed of this scandal as it develops by going here and then bookmarking this page.

What is Osteonecrosis of the Jaw ("Fossy Jaw")?

Watch this video and you will understand what all the fuss is about the excessive and totally irresponsible prescribing of Fosamax and other biphosponates to counter the mythical osteoporosis epidemic

Death By Medicine

Gary, Your quote,"The treatment was a success but the patient died" brings to mind my friend Tess who this applies to partly!
Her obitury would read "The treatment was NEVER a success AND the patient died.

From a 59 year old lady who was active, riding a bicycle, making beautiful craft work soft toys. designing and doing tapestries and knitting she over 5 years became a sad, depressed lady with overwhelming bad health.
She had gall bladder disease but the medical report was misplaced and after 6 mths of recurring attacks it was finally removed via key hole surgery. During that time, her attacks of disabling pain were managed with pethidine injections, which a Dr told me she became addicted to.
From then on things went wrong. Her legs became ulcerated and swollen as did face and neck. they said she had Cushings syndrome. she couldn't walk and became diabetic requiring daily insulin injections and finally died.
The treatment didn't seem to help so they just kept on adding to it.
During the last months of her life she was having 11 different medications daily (22tablets total)
and 10units of insulin daily.
Officially she died from Cushings.
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Gary Moller comments:
I am sorry to hear of your friend's passing and can understand your concern with the treatment she received.

While she officially died of Cushings, every indication is that she really died from the consequences of medical bungling, the complications from surgery gone wrong and over medication.

Cushing's syndrome occurs when the body's tissues are exposed to excessive levels of cortisol for long periods of time. Many people suffer the symptoms of Cushing's syndrome because they take glucocorticoid hormones such as prednisone which she was taking large doses of over a protracted period of time.

Pancreatitis, leading to diabetes is a complication of keyhole surgery to remove the gall bladder. Such surgery should only be attempted by a specialist in the procedure.

The 12 medications that she was on is a nightmare of potential interactions and adverse reactions (I have seen the list).

Here in NZ it has been claimed that medical error, including adverse reactions to drugs, claims over 3,000 lives per year making this the 3rd leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. That the very distant 4th placeholder (Road smashes) gets so much attention while medical error receives so little, is a mystery to me and bordering on being downright scandalous.

With the ageing population and the increasing medicalisation of the healthy, I predict it will not be long before medical error becomes the leading cause of preventable death in the developed world.

Osteoporosis and Active People

Osteoporosis is one of the most widely publicised health problems worldwide and drugs to counter the condition are now one of the most widely prescribed medicines. I am researching the condition and I want to hear from active people, male as well as female, who have been told that they have osteoporosis or are being treated for stress fractures.

If you are an active person and being treated, or have been treated for osteoporosis (weak bones, thin bones, chalky bones, stress fractures) please tell me your story.

Anti-aging Supplements Inquiry

Gary
Can I ask if you have read the above book by Stephen Cherniske?
It is quite fascinating - he talks about taking supplements to assist the body to delay aging, A lot of it really makes sense, but I want to get a 2nd opinion on it as he advised using things like DHEA and other controversial supplements.
I guess I am also suspicious as he works for a company that sells anti aging goodies!
Anyway - any comment will be appreciated!
thanks
JOhn
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Gary Moller comments:
The jury is still out about the supposed anti aging qualities of substances like DHEA, so I can not recommend them at this stage. I also note that Stephen Cherniske is being prosecuted by the regulatory authorities for making excessive claims about his anti-aging products. From the little I have read, he sure does seem to be overstating the claims.

A couple of years ago I attended a lecture by a strikingly young looking professor in gerontology who was supposedly one of the world's experts in aging. He believes that we must die at about 100 years principally because our genetic code becomes too riddled by about that age with errors as an inevitable conseqence of of cell division. He explained that the main reason we die earlier than 100 years (infection and accidents aside) is additional damage to our genetic code that happens mostly from free radicals and radiation that knock it around.

He explained that the best way to prevent premature aging is to ensure that we have plenty of anti oxidants in our bodies and that we minimise exposure to conditions that cause damage to our genetic code. Among other things, this means avoiding old, rancid and burned foods, preventing sunburn, avoiding xrays and not overdoing the exercise. Once our genetic code is damaged beyond a certain point our cells simply cannot do their work and we die and there is nothing we can do about it once the damage is done.

As we get older our bodies change, including our hormones. While we can supplement with artificial hormones, I wonder if this is really necessary in most cases. Surely we should be accepting that our bodies change with time and these changes in hormones are possibly for a reason? Tinkering with one area may adversly affect another. Aging gracefully is a pleasant thought.

Stay young at heart: Smile and laugh with others each day, exercise moderately, have regular sex, eat fresh foods, take some key supplements, have regular medicals, avoid regular drugs use (including prescription ones) unless absolutely needed, get your toes in the dirt or sand, get wet and cold and challenge your brain daily.

Hip Fractures

The earlier posting about falls and hip fractures received a very good response from readers. The most recent communication was a call last night from an overseas reader whose mother (In her late 70’s and suffering Alzheimer’s) had suffered a hip fracture from a fall earlier in the day and was now dosed up on morphine recovering from surgery. He feared that this might be the last straw for her: He wanted to do everything he could to help her recovery.

First of all, it must be emphasised that it is not the fall that kills the frail elderly; it is the complications that follow as sure as night follows day, including infections and blood clots that do the killing. If the elderly person survives the initial injury, they tend not to fully regain their past independence and quality of life due to incomplete recovery, poor mobility and worsening of existing ailments, like heart disease. The need for additional medication can complicate recovery and may further dull senses that are already at low ebb, including balance. Several days of complete bed rest alone can knock the stuffing out of an elderly person – let alone the stress of the initial physical trauma, drugs, surgery, medications and any complications!

So; survival, let alone recovery from a hip fracture is a complex challenge that may be further complicated by conditions like Alzheimer’s. Here is the advice that I have for him to consider over the first few weeks in rough order of priority:

• Appoint an assertive Guardian Angel to hover over her to ensure that she gets the best care available. In this case, the Angel is you.
• Reduce the risk of infection. This frail woman is vulnerable to infection because she has a deep wound and her immune system is weak. Anybody with a cold or sniffle should be asked to stay away until fully recovered. Start by washing your own hands and insist that everybody who enters her space does the same before touching her. This should include medical staff (even if they are using disposable gloves) and their equipment (namely, the stethoscope) should be sterilised with alcohol. Research has shown that hospital staff is more diligent with hygiene if a patient’s family ask for such care.
• Prevent blood clots. Express your concern of this risk to her specialist and ask what measures are in place to reduce the risk. Get a physiotherapist appointed within 24 hours to commence passive and active mobilisations at the earliest possible time. This should be at least twice daily to minimise physical wasting from bed rest and to keep the blood in the limbs flowing. Daily flax seed oil and fish oil with vitamin E help keep blood thinned; but talk to her specialist about this first, because any prescription anti-clotting medicines may need to be modified in dose.
• Make sure that she has a proper treatment plan. Every hospitalised patient should have a detailed written treatment plan that shows how all the various resources and services are brought together in a coordinated way to smoothly progress her recovery and bring about her eventual discharge. If there is not one, then ask why. As the treatment plan is updated, planning should commence early to include her post-discharge care.
• Get her onto a Super Smoothie within 2-3 days. The Smoothie should include whey protein and anti-oxidant packed red berries. This should be given twice or more times a day and can be regarded as being her primary nutrition source. Make it up at home and bring it in a thermos and get her to consume it while it is fresh (You can drink any that is left over).
• Include a multivitamin (Nutra-Life Women’s Multi in this case) that contains Vitamin D. (Give 2-4 per day during this period of stress). If necessary, pulverise and add to the Smoothie. If a raw egg is added to the Smoothie (recommended), then administer B Vitamins an hour or so either side because raw egg protein inhibits some of the B uptake.
• Give a joint and cartilage repair formulation as a refreshing drink (Nutra-Life Joint and Cartilage Repair is best because it contains creatine that assists restoring muscle strength and energy levels as well. Although designed for joint repair, these also assist bone healing. Add to a Red Seal effervescent drink and you are covering most bases as well as getting fluids into her.
• Give 1-2 grams per day of additional Calcium to assist bone healing and to reduce further bone loss during bed rest. Again, the tablet can be pulverised and added to the Smoothie. Nutra-Life Phyto Calcium or Calcium Complete will do the job.
• Prepare the home. Ask that an Occupational Therapist be appointed to her case early and arrange for a visit to your home. Plan in advance for caring for her at home. Some modifications may have to be made to the home to improve access and extra help may be required with tasks like bathing. Some financial assistance may be available from agencies like ACC for these modifications and ongoing assistance.
• Look after yourself. In rehabilitation, it is the caregiver who is usually the most neglected person: alcoholism, depression, social isolation, financial hardship and sheer physical and emotional exhaustion are common. Talk to the hospital and social services support services about what can be done to assist you during this period of stress and over the long term. Ask for help and do so often.

Note: All of the nutritional products that are recommended in this article are available from http://www.myotec.co.nz/ and can be delivered just about anywhere on the planet.