OXYGEN THERAPIES

OXYGEN THERAPIES A) HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY (HBOT)

by Charles Wile, MD

{According to a lecture by Jason Sonners at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) Module VIII conference, in Charleston, S.C. on 10/29/2022:} Oxygen is our primary nutrient. Without oxygen we won’t survive for more than several minutes. There are several principles that are necessary for understanding the physiology of oxygenation. With a GRADIENT, atoms, electrons, ions (charged particles), and molecules move-diffuse from a higher concentration to a lower concentration until an equilibrium is achieved. The rate of diffusion is relative to the size of the gradient. The atmosphere of Earth contains 21% oxygen everywhere. The PRESSURE-weight of air is variable: At sea level the pressure of the air is “1- atmosphere”. With ascending up a mountain or by flying to 18,000 feet above sea level, the pressure differential is ½-atmosphere. With descending down below the sea to 33 feet, the pressure differential is 2-atmospheres. At sea level our blood is approximately 100% saturated with oxygen– almost all is carried– (bounded)– by our red blood cells (RBCs). Normal pulse oximetry measures the normal range @ 96% to 100%. Our bodies will shunt our blood flow to the “working tissues” as a function of need: eg. to our gut after eating or to our legs if we need to run to escape a threat. Other than the oxygen saturation of our RBCs, oxygen is also carried directly in the plasma as a function of pressure. {Consider a bottle of seltzer: at rest, a bottle of plain-water and a bottle of seltzer-water appears to be identical. However, once the seltzer-water bottle is opened, the pressure-dissolved carbon dioxide gas becomes released and the gas bubbles from the water as a function of the gradient: fast at first, and then slowing as it approaches equilibrium.} Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) bypasses using RBCs to carry oxygen in the blood stream. For example, blood at 1-atmosphere will carry 3 ml of oxygen per liter of plasma. And, with HBOT pressure, the plasma can carry 60 ml of oxygen per liter of plasma. Therefore, if there is tissue damage– with damage to the capillaries and an inability of RBCs to traverse the damaged tissues, freefloating oxygen in the plasma, with the quantity enhanced by HBOT, can maintain cellular functioning and promote healing– {the added oxygenation will also stimulate an angiogenic effect for healing repair.} HBOT is both safe and effective for a range of treatments. The “trick” is to match the intensity of the therapy– the pressure and duration of HBOT– to the severity of the problem. And, there are many protocols that have been developed and that are still under investigation to identify optimum treatments. If there is an inflammatory response, there is a loss of the tissue-oxygenationgradient which triggers a cascade of problems which interfere with a healing response. HBOT increases the free-floating arterial pressure of oxygen: the pO2. Our cells require 40 – 50 mmHg of oxygen. Capillary oxygen pressure is sufficient at room air: with 21% concentration of oxygen at a “normal” (sea level—1 atmosphere) pressure resulting in a pO2 of 50 mmHg. By using 100% oxygen at 1 atmosphere of pressure, the pO2 is increased to 75 mmHg. There is an exponential increase of the pO2 with increasing pressure: eg. at 1.3 atmospheres the pO2 is 246, and at 1.5 atmospheres the pO2 is 437.5. HBOT is currently used to prevent and treat “the bends” associated with under-sea diving, and a total of 14 FDA recognized medical conditions, including wound healing. However, there are 150+ offlabel conditions where HBOT can be beneficial: eg. to stimulate angiogenesis, mitogenesis, neurogenesis, fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis, boost stem-cells, for antibiotic synergy, and others. The “Hallmarks of Aging” are analogous to the “Hallmarks of Disease”. There is a concept called “hormesis”– creating a little stress to stimulate an adaptive/resilience response. HBOT can be used to create an hormetic response for mitochondrial and cellular repair/healing, and for decreasing senescent cells and increasing telomere lengths, which helps to reverse the pillars of chronic illness. Rather than using HBOT as a last-resort in a treatment protocol, HBOT should be considered as the cornerstone in order to start a healing protocol. With very few exceptions, eg. a pneumothorax, HBOT can be used to benefit a healing protocol. The “magic” of HBOT comes from the cumulative effects of hyper-oxygenation followed by a RELATIVE HYPOXIA over time: it is not a “one-and-done” therapy. There is a healing response timedelay for HBOT to trigger signaling-responses to take effect, eg. stimulating stem-cell mobilization and activation. Whereas chronic hypoxia is detrimental, the intermittent relative hypoxia of HBOT is beneficial– (that is: after leaving the hyperoxia in the chamber). This is the so-called “hyperoxiahypoxia paradox”. External environmental oxidation depletes our anti-oxidant systems. Whereas, internal oxidation increases our antioxidant systems. The hyper-oxygenation-induced increased mitochondrial ATP energy production, with its corresponding natural increase in free-radicals, is counteracted by also stimulating our anti-oxidation molecules and enzymes, eg. glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and others. We need to consider that HBOT should be a non-specific therapy, like administering an extra-dose of a vitamin. The use of 100% oxygen is not always needed in order to be beneficial. The hyperbaric chamber can be used with room air with a pressure of 1.3 atmospheres, resulting in an increased cellular oxygenation by 30%. The relative hypoxia, on exiting the chamber, can also promote beneficial metabolic cascades. A specific protocol for chamber usage, therefore, depends upon the individual and the problem being addressed. Here’s an example of an HBOT prescription: the chamber is set at 100% oxygen and 1.3 atmospheres, for 60 to 90 minutes, and used 4 to 6 times per week, for 6 to 10 weeks. Although chamber usage has been around for several hundred years, use of this treatment is still in its infancy. Also, when using oxygen to treat a medical problem, such as COPD and emphysema, the use is typically constant and persistent, perhaps only varying in the concentration of the oxygen delivered. [When I was using oxygen in the Emergency Department 40+ years ago up until about 10 years ago, the rule-of-thumb was: “oxygen for everybody all the time”. Now, because of concerns about oxygen toxicity, the use of oxygen in the ER is guided by a finger-tip plethysmographic monitoring of the PO2.] It is important to be flexible in our thinking as we learn more. {We always need to consider the risk-benefit ratio when evaluating any treatment.} There is a big difference when using oxygen to enhance fitness-performance and for wellness: because here the use of oxygen is intermittent and briefly transient. Thus, the risks associated with using oxygen this way seem to be mitigated by the extended health benefits. OZONE THERAPY { According to a lecture by Phillip Mollica, DMD at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) Module VIII conference, in Charleston, S.C. on 10/29/2022:} Low-dose ozone is non-toxic, safe, effective, and economic with minimal to no side-effects. Pure ozone (O3) is never used for therapy. Ozone therapy is always a mixture of oxygen and ozone (O2/O3). Ozone is negatively charged– meaning it has an electron available to donate. Please remember: “the poison is in the dose” {Paracelsus}. Ozone therapy uses the principle of hormesis. For example, ozone can be used to improve and accelerate wound healing. A little ozone-stress triggers the healing cascades. With disease and injury, the tissues are dysregulated and the ecology is imbalanced. Ozone therapy helps to disinfect tissues, activate RBC metabolism (via 2,3-DPG), activate enzymatic antioxidation, and scavenge free radicals. Ozone has anti-inflammatory effects, and upregulates the production of nitric oxide (NO) used to dilate blood vessels in order to improve the micro-circulation and to stimulate angiogenesis. Ozone will activate immunocompetent cells to release cytokines (such as interleukens and interferons), and help to modulate the immune system. Our environment is filled with biotoxins– (such as heavy metals, pesticides, plastics, solvents, and others)– which cause an imbalance of anaerobic organisms in our microbiome. Anaerobiosis causes vascular and lymphatic congestion, which causes the tissues to shift towards a more acidic terrain, which is a part of chronic diseases. Oxygen based ATP-energy metabolism is balanced by naturally produced antioxidants, such as glutathione. Anaerobic metabolism– that is: fermentation– not only produces less ATP-energy, but also free radicals are over-produced, which leads to oxidative-stress and tissue injury. Ozone is produced when a source of energy– such as lightning, ultraviolet radiation, waterfalls, ocean movement– breaks stable oxygen O2 into a highly reactive singlet oxygen, which then combines with stable O2 oxygen to create reactive O3 as peroxides. Because pathogens don’t have antioxidant protective enzymes in their cell membranes, our white blood cells naturally produce ozone-peroxides for protection during a bacterial infection in order to punch holes in the micro-organism’s membranes, in order to kill the infecting organisms. Also, WBCs produce ozone for programmed cell death– apoptosis. Exogenous antioxidants, such as vitamin C and vitamin E, act within our cells to balance the innate production of ozone. Endogenous antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase and SOD, are also produced within our cells to balance the innate production of free radicals– reactive oxygen species (ROS). Small doses of ozone gently stimulate– or “shock”– and upregulate our multivaried biological protective responses. Since infections are positively charged, they attract the negatively charged ozoneperoxides. Since gaseous ozone is a biological precursor, it instantly goes into solution, and then it is transformed into oxygen and water, with the singlet oxygen producing peroxides which do the work. Thus, one should never fear an air embolism when gaseous ozone is injected into the body. Ozone creates a cascade of secondary reactions that stimulate immune activation and recruit growth factors for healing. The rule-of-thumb: “start low and go slow” applies to ozone therapy. High quality equipment is required to produce a precise concentration of ozone when it is bubbled into distilled water, where it becomes “trapped” within the structure of the water. {Ref. The Longevity company for quality ozone generators.} Typically one desires to produce an ozone concentration of 25 to 30 ug/ml, varying up to 40 to 60 ug/ml. And, for example, when an infection has been controlled, the dose may be reduced to a 10 to 20 ug/ml concentration. The distilled water becomes maximally concentrated in about 6 minutes. It can be stored as an ice cube, and, when refrigerated, it maintains its potency for 3 days. While ozone concentrations remain the same, treatments vary by the route and the frequency of administration. Here are some examples of how (O2/O3) ozone therapy can be used: a) ear insufflation using ozonated water with a fan for about 5 minutes, for an external ear infection; b) limb bagging with gaseous ozone to treat skin ulcers; c) directly injecting gaseous ozone into and/or around warts; d) injecting ozone mixed with procaine– “prolozone”– into knees or into trigger points. Procaine is added to minimize an associated burning sensation. e) Rectal insufflation of gaseous ozone to manage ulcerative colitis, cancers, and HIV. f) Ozone can be mixed with a person’s own blood and injected IM as an “auto-vaccine” for herpetic lesions, or when they are experiencing symptomatic allergies, and repeated in a week. g) Ozone can be simply used IV in a 50-50 mixture using the patient’s blood and ozone {by using a self-contained kit from Germany which avoids using a plastic bag and heparin}. It can also be irradiated with UV light, and followed with IV vitamin C. h) Ozonated olive oil is also great for helping with healing. One should avoid using ozone in the eyes and the lungs because these tissues have poor antioxidant systems. However, using ozone gas with nasal prongs while mouthbreathing is OK. {Also, Ref. The American Academy of Ozone Therapy.}

Posted in Misc | Comments Off on OXYGEN THERAPIES

Aasmund Has Been Cancer Free for 4.5 Years with Integrative Cancer Therapy

Recently I interviewed Aasmund from Norway, on his cancer fighting journey. I am very happy to report that 10 years after his initial lymphoma diagnosis, he has been cancer free for 4.5 years. He now lives a normal life in Norway as an IT engineer with his partner and 2 beautiful children.

Interview on Rumble:https://rumble.com/embed/v1nt9y9/?pub=1iq9nn

 

Please note that I have been suspended or severely restricted on major social media (for sharing scientific research data and my medical understanding and experience of Covid-19). We just set up an account on Rumble and WeMe.
WeMe: www.mewe.com/i/richardcheng

Aasmund was athletic in his late 20s when he was diagnosed of an aggressive form of mediastinal large cell lymphoma 10 years ago in 2012 without any warning. He was shocked and severely depressed as anyone else would react the same. He was given standard chemo + radio therapy, from which he developed sever side effects. In one of the PET-CT exams, he was told the principle of PET-CT was to inject radio-labeled glucose solution. Cancer cells will pick up a lot more (can be up to 50-200 times more) glucose than the surrounding normal cells and will show on on the PET-CT scan. As the doctor casually explained the mechanism to him (yes, PET-CT has been a standard cancer diagnostic tool for decades), Aasmund was smart enough to think: well, if cancer cells like sugar, what if I cut off sugar from my diet? Aasmund is the first patient ever who thought this way. Out of the many cancer patients, I have never heard any other patient thinking this way. Often even after I explain in detail of how cancer cells depend largely on glucose for survival, many patients still don’t want to believe. So when I heard this from Aasmund around 7-8 years ago, I was impressed. Aasmund immediately started web search and sure enough he found out about cancer metabolic research.  It’s around this time, that Thomas Seyfried’s Cancer as a Metabolic Disease book was published. (I have this book translated and published in China several years ago. I also organized several international conferences in Shanghai with Dr. Seyfried as the main guest).  Aasmund discovered several experts in the field and also contacted me.  He started restricted ketogenic diet-based (R-KD) cancer therapy.

Aasmund with his daughter, ~2016

He recovered quickly from the side effects of chemo + radiation and felt good on R-KD and nutritional supplements. His lymphoma gradually decreased in size from the original 10 cm down to 2-3 cm after 2-3 years later. Aasmund immediately started web search and sure enough he found out about cancer metabolic research.  It’s around this time, that Thomas Seyfried’s Cancer as a Metabolic Disease book was published.  Aasmund discovered several experts in the field and also contacted me.

He started restricted ketogenic diet-based (R-KD) cancer therapy.  He recovered quickly from the side effects of chemo + radiation and felt good on R-KD and nutritional supplements. His lymphoma gradually decreased in size from the original 10 cm down to 2-3 cm after 2-3 years later. but the residual 2-3 tumor stayed there and wouldn’t shrink any further. He consulted me again and I suggested adding high dose Vit C IV (HDIVC) and glycolysis inhibitors.

After some trouble to get a central venous line in place, finally he got a central line placed from a Helsinki hospital in Finland. He received HDIVC 5 days a week as well as  intravenous glycolysis inhibitors. He tolerated these well without significant side effects. However he noticed a nodule on his left neck gradually growing which later turned out to be Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His hospital insisted on chemo + radiation again. Aasmund received about 8-9 months later, by March of 2018, the enlarged lymph node in the left neck has also disappeared (on PET-CT).

In the 4.5 years since then, He’s been living a normal life without any medical treatment nor any sign of tumor, he felt good and energetic. He continues his ketogenic diet, although he does enjoy some carbs on the weekends. He continues to take nutritional supplements.

Between 2016 and 2018, in a period of about 2 years, I sent several emails to Aasmund but without response. I got worried that something might have happened to him. But in late 2018 or 2019, one day I received an email from Aasmund telling me everything is fine and that he changed his website and email. I felt really thrilled and I remember my eyes even got wet when I heard this good news. I was really really happy for him and his family. Thank God, nothing bad happened to him.

I was scheduled to present at a national Cancer conference in Beijing. I told Aasmund’s story to the conference president who kindly extended invitation to Aasmund to attend the Beijing cancer conference in 2020. But then Covid-19 disrupted everything. I got into a super busy mode ever since.

I wish Aasmund and his family best of luck!

Posted in Misc | Comments Off on Aasmund Has Been Cancer Free for 4.5 Years with Integrative Cancer Therapy

WSJ: Rethinking the Origins of Inflammatory Diseases

Comment: The Wall Street Journal published an article titled “Rethinking the Origins of Inflammatory Diseases” by Dr. Shilpa Ravella of Columbia University on Oct. 6th, 2022. This article examines gaps in the medical community’s understanding of Covid-19. Much of what Dr. Lavera wrote is now well known in the literature, but remains largely unaccepted by mainstream medicine and incorporated into medical practice. What’s interesting about this article is that the Wall Street Journal published it. The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc. are some of the major news outlets that typically do not publish articles that are harshly critical of mainstream medicine​. Sure enough, if you read the entire article, you’ll see that what she wrote was actually pretty mild and only scratched the surface of the core of the health problems plaguing us today.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/rethinking-the-origins-of-inflammatory-diseases-11665068467

Posted in Misc | Comments Off on WSJ: Rethinking the Origins of Inflammatory Diseases

The Global Virus-Only C19 Policy is Unscientific, not in the Best Interest of Public Health

A key point of my presentation at the Tokyo International Symposium of Nutritional Medicine (1):

The hard and undisputable facts show: the global C0vid-19 policies focusing on the virus only are incomplete, unscientific, and not aligned with the best interest of public health.

ttps://www.newagemedicine.net/

Posted in Misc | Comments Off on The Global Virus-Only C19 Policy is Unscientific, not in the Best Interest of Public Health

H2O2 (2%) inhalation to treat 96 cases of pneumonia safely and effectively

Covid-19 pandemic sweeping through the entire Planet Earth leaving nowhere untouched, causing tremendous damages. We have been promoting many known and existing antiviral agents available to us even before Covid-19 outbreak. These natural antiviral agents include vitamins C, D3, zinc, and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide has been known for more than 200 years and has been clinically used (including intravenous administration) for over 100 years.

Back in 2004, in a study 96 cases of pediatric mycoplasma pneumonia patients, several Chinese doctors reported the safe and effective use of 2% hydrogen peroxide ultrasound inhalation.

观察超声雾化吸入2%双氧水配合治疗儿童支原体肺炎的临床疗效.方法:96例支原体肺炎患儿分为A,B 2组,均采用阿奇霉素口服,B组同时使用2%双氧水漱洗及超声雾化.结果:治疗1~6个疗程后,B组患儿治疗时间及疗效均优于A组.结论:儿童支原体肺炎配合超声雾化可明显提高临床疗效,并可作为支原体预防.

[1]章奕, 陈康, 赵志红. 超声雾化吸入2%双氧水佐治儿童支原体肺炎[J]. 中国康复, 2004, 19(3):1. 10.3870/j.issn.1001-2001.2004.03.026

Posted in Misc | Comments Off on H2O2 (2%) inhalation to treat 96 cases of pneumonia safely and effectively

How to Live a Healthier, Happier & Longer Life?

Announcing the Y-Fountain Anti-Aging

Lecture Series

A healthier, happier, and longer life is only possible with the priority on the prevention, treatment and potential reversal of chronic diseases, followed by specific anti-aging targeted therapeutics.

Aug 13th (this Sat), 9pm

 Zoom (ID: 332 511 4061; Passcode: 999999)

A healthier, happier & longer life is the eternal dream of the mankind. But all of us mortals want a quick fix: to enjoy all the “sins” (e.g., smoking and drinking, staying up late playing mahjong), and then expect to pop a miracle pill to rid us of all the illnesses and live a long life. Where there is a market need, there is a “solution”. The market is full of profit-driven “smart” businesses and unscrupulous “scientists” trying to sell you a miraculous longevity pill.

A “Healthier, happier, longer life” is not just a miracle longevity pill. You pay for it and you “sacrifice” for it: you need to “sacrifice” (change your unhealthy habits and unhealthy lifestyle). Abundant research, life experience and common sense tell us that the vast majority of us are not able to reach the biological limits of our life (estimated to be ~125 years of age) because most of us suffer from chronic diseases, which greatly cut short of our expected lifespan.

A healthier, happier and longer life starts with the prevention, treatment and reversal of the common chronic diseases first. Dr. Cheng, in the upcoming Lectures Series (How to Live a Healthier, Happier & Longer Life), will share with you his experience and learning of the past 40+ years. Please note this is a public English lecture series.

Initiated, organized and sponsored by:

  1. The Y Fountain Inc, a San Francisco-based biotech firm, pioneering in developing anti-aging drugs and nutraceuticals using cutting edge technology.
  2. Richard Cheng, M.D., Ph.D.
    • Board certified anti-aging specialist
    • President, Cheng Integrative Health Center (www.DrWLC.com), with offices in Columbia, SC, USA and Shanghai, China
    • Editorial Board Member, Orthomolecular Medicine (orthomolecular.org)
    • Executive Editor, Orthomolecular Medicine Education Service (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1dbpz2xB3jhAAyjvLn2yOQ).
Posted in Misc | Comments Off on How to Live a Healthier, Happier & Longer Life?

Bone Health and Osteoporosis, an Orthomolecular Perspective

by Richard Z. Cheng, M.D., Ph.D., Thomas E. Levy, M.D., J.D.

Summary: Osteoporosis, like most other disease, is caused by not just Vitamin D deficiency, but by many other factors. But the central dogma has been promoting just prescription drugs and calcium supplements. This strategy sounds simple and straight, unfortunately not only they don’t work, they may even be harmful to you.  There is a rich body of data in the literature that show lifestyle, nutrition, toxin and hormonal balance (or lack thereof) have an impact on bone health and osteoporosis. A brief summary of these research data is presented here.  The practical management of osteoporosis, and other chronic diseases, should incorporate these aspects for optimal results.

The recent issue of NEJM published an article showing Vit D supplementation does not improve osteoporosis. 1 Forbes magazine immediately jumped the gun: Stop Taking Vitamin D Already! 2

Vitamin D is more than just a vitamin, it is more like a hormone with pleiotropic effects on human, including immune boosting effects to fight against Covid-19. Declaring to stop taking Vit D based on just one negative study is not only unscientific, it’s against common sense.  (I will not discuss the study design issues, as Dr. Bill Grant will offer his critique of NEJM’s poor study design soon). There have been many clinical studies on Vit D3 and Covid-19 in the last 2 years, including a special collection of Micronutrients for Viral Infections – Reference Bibliography by International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine, 3 and several such papers on Orthomolecular Medicine News Service including a recent review by Dr. Bill Grant. 4 Have the author and editor of the Forbes article either not been updated on the Vit D research or is there something else?

Prescription drugs and calcium supplements have no significant benefits on osteoporosis.

Earlier this year, a meta-analysis published on JAMA found that bisphosphonates, a major class of prescription osteoporosis drugs offer very few benefits to osteoporotic patients. 5 Another meta-analysis on JAMA showed calcium supplements do not offer significant help to osteoporosis. 6

Calcium supplements increase your risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

To make matters worse, calcium supplements not only do not improve your health, but may actually increase your risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancer, as reported on a recent study. 7

There are actually many studies in the literature demonstrating the increased risks of calcium supplements, as elegantly summarized by Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D.8 9

Prescription drugs and calcium supplements are not helpful and may be even harmful.  So, are osteoporosis patients doomed?

Not at all. There is a rich body of evidence in the medical literature showing that osteoporosis is a multifactorial disease, and a healthy lifestyle, toxin overload (hence detoxification), optimal nutrition and hormonal balance are effective in improving not only osteoporosis but your overall health. I’ll summarize these findings below. 8

Highlights of some of the relevant research:

  • Vitamin C and Osteoporosis:
    • Increased oxidative stress (= inflammatory response) in the bone is accompanied by an increase in C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP can accurately predict fracture risk in older women with osteoporosis.10
    • Increased other inflammatory markers are also closely associated with increased fracture risk. 11
    • High-dose vitamin C can significantly reduce CRP and many other markers of inflammation. 12
    • Vitamin C stimulates the development of osteoblasts.13 14
    • Vitamin C is necessary for the synthesis of progenin (class III), which is required for the growth of osteoblasts. 15
    • Dietary vitamin C, which is negligible compared to any form of vitamin C supplementation, does not reduce fracture risk.16
    • Elderly osteoporosis patients with a history of fractures had significantly lower levels of vitamin C than those without a history of fractures.17
    • Supplementation with vitamin C, but not calcium, significantly increased bone mineral density in all bones.18
    • In ovariectomized mice, vitamin C prevents bone loss.19Vitamin C significantly accelerates fracture healing (PMID: 11510911).
    • Vitamin C significantly improves the strength of healed fractures.20
  • Magnesium deficiency and osteoporosis:
    • Magnesium is a natural calcium antagonist.21 22
    • Magnesium dissolves calcium deposits in soft tissues.23
    • Magnesium deficiency leads to an increase in intracellular calcium. 24
    • Magnesium increases bone density and reduces fractures.25
    • Magnesium reduces all-cause mortality.26 27
    • Usual supplemental doses have no toxic side effects.
  • Vitamin K deficiency and osteoporosis:
    • Inhibits ectopic calcification by activating proteases such as osteocalcin and matrix Gla proteins.28
    • Helps dissolve deposited calcium.29
    • Neutralizes warfarin (warfarin can cause ectopic calcification). 30
    • Reduced fracture risk. 31
    • Improves bone quality. 32
    • Reduces cardiac and all-cause mortality. 33
    • At any dose tried, there was no apparent toxicity. 34
  • Vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis
    • A normal level of vitamin D ensures that the body gets enough calcium from the diet.
    • The role of vitamin D goes far beyond the metabolism of bone and calcium.
    • Vitamin D regulates about 2000 genes. 35
    • Deficiency of vitamin D leads to osteoporosis. 36
    • Too much vitamin D exacerbates osteoporosis. 37
    • During bone growth and development, it plays an important role in bone density. 38
    • Reduced all-cause mortality at therapeutic doses of vitamin D. 39 40
  • Estrogens and Osteoporosis:
    • Reduce coronary calcium deposition. 41
    • The higher the E2, the lower the CAC score. 42
    • Inhibits a calcification-promoting protease. 43
    • Estrogen deficiency leads to an increase in cytokines that promote inflammation. 44
    • Reduction of fracture risk in patients with osteoporosis. 45
    • Estrogen deficiency increases all-cause mortality. 46
    • Estrogen deficiency promotes metabolic syndrome. 47
  • Androgens and Osteoporosis:
    • Testosterone deficiency is a well-established fracture risk factor. 48
    • With calcium channel blocking function. 49
    • Prostate cancer patients often have low testosterone levels (PMID: 22068548).
    • Testosterone levels are inversely proportional to coronary calcium index. 50
    • Testosterone deficiency increases all-cause mortality. 51 52
  • Thyroid hormones and Osteoporosis:
    • Thyroid hormones have a significant effect on the metabolism of cells throughout the body. 53
    • Early skeletal development and the highest bone mass (Peak Bone Mass) have essential roles. 54
    • Both high and low thyroid function increase fracture risk. 55
    • TSH has a direct (non-thyroid-related) bone-protecting function. 56 57
    • Both too high and too low thyroxine independently increased all-cause mortality. This includes subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism. 58 59
    • Thyroid hormones status should be a part of routine medical examination, and should be checked regularly (at least annually), especially in the elderly population.
  • Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) and Osteoporosis:
    • Some EFAs have calcium channel blocking capabilities. 60 61
    • Numerous EFAs have been shown to protect bone mineral density. 62 63
    • Blood EFA levels are inversely related to all-cause mortality. 64
    • Not toxic, may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in large quantities.
  • Calcium Supplements Are Not Only Unhelpful, They Are Harmful: Chronic Hypercalcemia Is Common in Adults, and Calcium Supplements Promote Coronary Calcium
    • A more recent study (2017) showed that calcium supplementation has no effect on osteoporosis. 6
    • One-third of Americans over the age of 45 have CT-detected arterial calcification. 65
    • Coronary heart disease is positively associated with osteoporosis. 66
    • Aortic calcification is positively associated with osteoporosis (PMID: 16704561). 67
    • Calcium supplements promote coronary calcium deposition.
    • A recent 10-year large study of 5448 subjects in the United States found that calcium supplementation was 22% more likely to be positive for CAC (coronary calcium index) than those who did not. CAC has been generally recognized as a reliable predictor of atherosclerotic plaque burden, coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality. 68 69 70
    • A recent (2022.6) meta-analysis once again showed that calcium supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. 7
  • Significant calcifications outside the bones: indicating calcium excess
    • Ectopic calcifications are very common in cancer.
    • Using the latest MRI, 22 of 23 prostate patients were found to have prostate calcification. 71
    • Excessive intracellular calcium is associated with cancer:
    • The relationship between intracellular calcium and cancer is well established. Higher intracellular calcium concentration increases cancer cell growth and metastasis. 72 73 74
    • Conversely, a drop in intracellular calcium reduces cancer cell metastasis. 75
    • Women with the highest scores on a bone density test had an increased risk of breast cancer. 76
    • Calcifications are usually seen on mammography in patients with breast cancer. 77
    • Calcium and calcium channel blockers (CCBs. Also known as calcium ion antagonists, which have the effect of reducing intracellular calcium ions).
    • Calcium channels are proteins on the cell membrane that selectively allow calcium to enter and leave the cell.
    • CCBs were originally used to treat high blood pressure (which has a vasodilatory function), but are now used for a variety of diseases.
    • The only serious side effect of CCBs is excessive calcium antagonism, resulting in vasoconstriction disorders and hypotension.
    • The hypotensive and other therapeutic effects of CCBs can only be demonstrated on the basis of increased intracellular calcium. Although different CCBs have other different effects, their main function is to block calcium channels. Therefore, we can conclude that any disease for which CCBs are effective is due to the increased intracellular calcium ion concentration affected by the disease.
    • In addition to high blood pressure, CCBs are also effective against the following conditions:
    • Coronary spasm (PMID: 21389642);
    • Angina pectoris (PMID: 23016717):
    • Anti-atherosclerotic (PMID: 22653165);
    • Pulmonary hypertension (PMID: 20543192);
    • Raynaud’s phenomenon (PMID: 21704799);
    • Acute Brain Injury (PMID: 22854593).
    • Epilepsy (PMID: 19303743);
    • Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuritis (PMID: 23206755):
    • Alzheimer’s Disease (PMID: 21925266):
    • Parkinson’s disease (PMID: 22387374):
    • Osteoporosis (PMID: 21881574):
    • CCBs reduce all-cause mortality (PMID: 10323641; 10922432; 15716708; 19451836).
    • Further evidence that increased intracellular calcium leads to increased intracellular oxidative stress (toxicity):
    • CCBs can prevent methylmercury-induced nerve damage in rats (PMID: 8882354);
    • The use of CCBs is inversely related to the occurrence of prostate cancer (PMID: 23280547);
    • CCBs reduce intracytoplasmic iron accumulation and further increase the increase in intracellular oxidative stress. The accumulation and increase of intracellular iron are also important factors in the carcinogenesis of cells (PMID: 21860702).

To put these altogether, we recommend an integrative management of osteoporosis to include at least the following:

  1. Healthy lifestyle
    1. Sufficient sleep, exercise, outdoor activities and relaxation
    2. Nutrition rich anti-inflammatory healthy diets to include low carbohydrates, sufficient proteins and healthy fats; minimize processed foods and synthetic food additives, agricultural chemicals, antibiotics and hormones, and other environmental pollutant.
  2. Nutrition: In addition to what’s described above, macro- and micro-nutrients play a significant roles in the prevention and reversal of bone health and osteoporosis, as reviewed in 78. Broad spectrum optimal vitamins and micronutrients, esp. vitamin C, D3, K2, and magnesium, as these nutrients require each other for optimal effects, as described in 79.
  3. Toxins and detox. Environmental toxins are major category of root causes to our health.
  4. Hormonal balance. Monitoring the status of the thyroid, adrenal and sex hormones and balance if indicated, is another under-recognized area in medicine today.

References:

  1. LeBoff, M. & et al. Supplemental Vitamin D and Incident Fractures in Midlife and Older Adults | NEJM. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2202106.
  2. Salzberg, S. Stop Taking Vitamin D Already! Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2022/08/01/stop-taking-vitamin-d-already/.
  3. Medicine, C. S. for O. Micronutrients for Viral Infections – Reference Bibliography. ISOM https://isom.ca/micronutrients-viral-infections/.
  4. Grant, W. B. Vitamin D’s Role in Reducing Risk of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Incidence, Severity, and Death. Nutrients 14, 183 (2021).
  5. Deardorff, W. J., Cenzer, I., Nguyen, B. & Lee, S. J. Time to Benefit of Bisphosphonate Therapy for the Prevention of Fractures Among Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Intern Med 182, 33–41 (2022).
  6. Zhao, J.-G., Zeng, X.-T., Wang, J. & Liu, L. Association Between Calcium or Vitamin D Supplementation and Fracture Incidence in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA 318, 2466–2482 (2017).
  7. Park, J.-M. et al. Calcium Supplementation, Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases, and Mortality: A Real-World Study of the Korean National Health Insurance Service Data. Nutrients 14, 2538 (2022).
  8. Levy, T. Death By Calcium (New, First Edition): Levy, Thomas E., MD, JD: 9780615889603: Amazon.com: Books. https://www.amazon.com/Death-Calcium-First-Thomas-Levy/dp/0615889603/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=death+by+calcium+by+dr+thomas+levy&qid=1659629175&sprefix=death+by+calcium%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-1.
  9. Levy, T. & 成长. 隐形杀手—补钙剂(中文版): 补钙无助于骨质疏松, 反而促进血管硬化, 心脏病(中文版)。 (Kindle Publisher, 2017).
  10. Nakamura, K. et al. C-reactive protein predicts incident fracture in community-dwelling elderly Japanese women: the Muramatsu study. Osteoporos Int 22, 2145–2150 (2011).
  11. Lacativa, P. G. S. & Farias, M. L. F. de. Osteoporosis and inflammation. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metabol 54, 123–132 (2010).
  12. Mikirova, N., Casciari, J., Rogers, A. & Taylor, P. Effect of high-dose intravenous vitamin C on inflammation in cancer patients. J Transl Med 10, 189 (2012).
  13. Carinci, F. et al. Effect of Vitamin C on pre-osteoblast gene expression. Arch Oral Biol 50, 481–496 (2005).
  14. Choi, K.-M. et al. Effect of ascorbic acid on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and differentiation. J Biosci Bioeng 105, 586–594 (2008).
  15. Maehata, Y. et al. Type III collagen is essential for growth acceleration of human osteoblastic cells by ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, a long-acting vitamin C derivative. Matrix Biol 26, 371–381 (2007).
  16. Sahni, S. et al. Protective effect of total and supplemental vitamin C intake on the risk of hip fracture–a 17-year follow-up from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. Osteoporos Int 20, 1853–1861 (2009).
  17. Martínez-Ramírez, M. J. et al. Vitamin C, vitamin B12, folate and the risk of osteoporotic fractures. A case-control study. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 77, 359–368 (2007).
  18. Morton, D. J., Barrett-Connor, E. L. & Schneider, D. L. Vitamin C supplement use and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. J Bone Miner Res 16, 135–140 (2001).
  19. Zhu, L.-L. et al. Vitamin C prevents hypogonadal bone loss. PLoS One 7, e47058 (2012).
  20. Alcantara-Martos, T., Delgado-Martinez, A. D., Vega, M. V., Carrascal, M. T. & Munuera-Martinez, L. Effect of vitamin C on fracture healing in elderly Osteogenic Disorder Shionogi rats. J Bone Joint Surg Br 89, 402–407 (2007).
  21. Fawcett, W. J., Haxby, E. J. & Male, D. A. Magnesium: physiology and pharmacology. Br J Anaesth 83, 302–320 (1999).
  22. Anghileri, L. J. Magnesium, calcium and cancer. Magnes Res 22, 247–255 (2009).
  23. Steidl, L. & Ditmar, R. Soft tissue calcification treated with local and oral magnesium therapy. Magnes Res 3, 113–119 (1990).
  24. Fox, C., Ramsoomair, D. & Carter, C. Magnesium: its proven and potential clinical significance. South Med J 94, 1195–1201 (2001).
  25. Ryder, K. M. et al. Magnesium intake from food and supplements is associated with bone mineral density in healthy older white subjects. J Am Geriatr Soc 53, 1875–1880 (2005).
  26. Woods, K. L. & Fletcher, S. Long-term outcome after intravenous magnesium sulphate in suspected acute myocardial infarction: the second Leicester Intravenous Magnesium Intervention Trial (LIMIT-2). Lancet 343, 816–819 (1994).
  27. Shechter, M., Hod, H., Rabinowitz, B., Boyko, V. & Chouraqui, P. Long-term outcome of intravenous magnesium therapy in thrombolysis-ineligible acute myocardial infarction patients. Cardiology 99, 205–210 (2003).
  28. Theuwissen, E., Smit, E. & Vermeer, C. The role of vitamin K in soft-tissue calcification. Adv Nutr 3, 166–173 (2012).
  29. Schurgers, L. J. et al. Regression of warfarin-induced medial elastocalcinosis by high intake of vitamin K in rats. Blood 109, 2823–2831 (2007).
  30. Price, P. A., Faus, S. A. & Williamson, M. K. Warfarin causes rapid calcification of the elastic lamellae in rat arteries and heart valves. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 18, 1400–1407 (1998).
  31. Shiraki, M., Shiraki, Y., Aoki, C. & Miura, M. Vitamin K2 (menatetrenone) effectively prevents fractures and sustains lumbar bone mineral density in osteoporosis. J Bone Miner Res 15, 515–521 (2000).
  32. Saito, M. [Effect of vitamin K on bone material properties]. Clin Calcium 19, 1797–1804 (2009).
  33. Geleijnse, J. M. et al. Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study. J Nutr 134, 3100–3105 (2004).
  34. Pucaj, K., Rasmussen, H., Møller, M. & Preston, T. Safety and toxicological evaluation of a synthetic vitamin K2, menaquinone-7. Toxicol Mech Methods 21, 520–532 (2011).
  35. Wacker, M. & Holick, M. F. Vitamin D – effects on skeletal and extraskeletal health and the need for supplementation. Nutrients 5, 111–148 (2013).
  36. Bolland, M. J. et al. Vitamin D insufficiency and health outcomes over 5 y in older women. Am J Clin Nutr 91, 82–89 (2010).
  37. Masterjohn, C. Vitamin D toxicity redefined: vitamin K and the molecular mechanism. Med Hypotheses 68, 1026–1034 (2007).
  38. Pekkinen, M., Viljakainen, H., Saarnio, E., Lamberg-Allardt, C. & Mäkitie, O. Vitamin D is a major determinant of bone mineral density at school age. PLoS One 7, e40090 (2012).
  39. Semba, R. D. et al. Relationship of 25-hydroxyvitamin D with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in older community-dwelling adults. Eur J Clin Nutr 64, 203–209 (2010).
  40. Schöttker, B. et al. Strong associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations with all-cause, cardiovascular, cancer, and respiratory disease mortality in a large cohort study. Am J Clin Nutr 97, 782–793 (2013).
  41. Weinberg, N. et al. Physical activity, hormone replacement therapy, and the presence of coronary calcium in midlife women. Women Health 52, 423–436 (2012).
  42. Jeon, G.-H. et al. Association between serum estradiol level and coronary artery calcification in postmenopausal women. Menopause 17, 902–907 (2010).
  43. Osako, M. K. et al. Estrogen inhibits vascular calcification via vascular RANKL system: common mechanism of osteoporosis and vascular calcification. Circ Res 107, 466–475 (2010).
  44. Das, U. N. Nitric oxide as the mediator of the antiosteoporotic actions of estrogen, statins, and essential fatty acids. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 227, 88–93 (2002).
  45. de Villiers, T. J. & Stevenson, J. C. The WHI: the effect of hormone replacement therapy on fracture prevention. Climacteric 15, 263–266 (2012).
  46. de Padua Mansur, A. et al. Long-term prospective study of the influence of estrone levels on events in postmenopausal women with or at high risk for coronary artery disease. ScientificWorldJournal 2012, 363595 (2012).
  47. Mauvais-Jarvis, F., Clegg, D. J. & Hevener, A. L. The role of estrogens in control of energy balance and glucose homeostasis. Endocr Rev 34, 309–338 (2013).
  48. Torremadé-Barreda, J. et al. [Testosterone-deficiency as a risk factor for hip fracture in eldery men]. Actas Urol Esp 37, 142–146 (2013).
  49. Oloyo, A. K., Sofola, O. A., Nair, R. R., Harikrishnan, V. S. & Fernandez, A. C. Testosterone relaxes abdominal aorta in male Sprague-Dawley rats by opening potassium (K(+)) channel and blockade of calcium (Ca(2+)) channel. Pathophysiology 18, 247–253 (2011).
  50. Mearini, L. et al. Low serum testosterone levels are predictive of prostate cancer. World J Urol 31, 247–252 (2013).
  51. Fukai, S. et al. Plasma sex hormone levels and mortality in disabled older men and women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 11, 196–203 (2011).
  52. Grossmann, M. et al. Low testosterone levels as an independent predictor of mortality in men with chronic liver disease. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 77, 323–328 (2012).
  53. Boelaert, K. & Franklyn, J. A. Thyroid hormone in health and disease. J Endocrinol 187, 1–15 (2005).
  54. Williams, G. R. Actions of thyroid hormones in bone. Endokrynol Pol 60, 380–388 (2009).
  55. Wojcicka, A., Bassett, J. H. D. & Williams, G. R. Mechanisms of action of thyroid hormones in the skeleton. Biochim Biophys Acta 1830, 3979–3986 (2013).
  56. Sun, L. et al. Genetic confirmation for a central role for TNFα in the direct action of thyroid stimulating hormone on the skeleton. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110, 9891–9896 (2013).
  57. Ma, R., Morshed, S., Latif, R., Zaidi, M. & Davies, T. F. The influence of thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies on osteoclastogenesis. Thyroid 21, 897–906 (2011).
  58. Tseng, F.-Y. et al. Subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with increased risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in adults. J Am Coll Cardiol 60, 730–737 (2012).
  59. Ceresini, G. et al. Thyroid status and 6-year mortality in elderly people living in a mildly iodine-deficient area: the aging in the Chianti Area Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 61, 868–874 (2013).
  60. Ye, S., Tan, L., Ma, J., Shi, Q. & Li, J. Polyunsaturated docosahexaenoic acid suppresses oxidative stress induced endothelial cell calcium influx by altering lipid composition in membrane caveolar rafts. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 83, 37–43 (2010).
  61. Pages, N. et al. Brain protection by rapeseed oil in magnesium-deficient mice. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 85, 53–60 (2011).
  62. Farina, E. K. et al. Plasma phosphatidylcholine concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids are differentially associated with hip bone mineral density and hip fracture in older adults: the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. J Bone Miner Res 27, 1222–1230 (2012).
  63. Moon, H.-J., Kim, T.-H., Byun, D.-W. & Park, Y. Positive correlation between erythrocyte levels of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and bone mass in postmenopausal Korean women with osteoporosis. Ann Nutr Metab 60, 146–153 (2012).
  64. Pottala, J. V., Garg, S., Cohen, B. E., Whooley, M. A. & Harris, W. S. Blood eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids predict all-cause mortality in patients with stable coronary heart disease: the Heart and Soul study. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 3, 406–412 (2010).
  65. Guzman, R. J. Clinical, cellular, and molecular aspects of arterial calcification. J Vasc Surg 45 Suppl A, A57-63 (2007).
  66. von der Recke, P., Hansen, M. A. & Hassager, C. The association between low bone mass at the menopause and cardiovascular mortality. Am. J. Med. 106, 273–278 (1999).
  67. Bagger, Y. Z. et al. Radiographic measure of aorta calcification is a site-specific predictor of bone loss and fracture risk at the hip. J. Intern. Med. 259, 598–605 (2006).
  68. Anderson, J. J. B. et al. Calcium Intake From Diet and Supplements and the Risk of Coronary Artery Calcification and its Progression Among Older Adults: 10-Year Follow-up of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). J Am Heart Assoc 5, e003815 (2016).
  69. Jacobs, P. C. et al. Coronary artery calcium can predict all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events on low-dose CT screening for lung cancer. AJR Am J Roentgenol 198, 505–511 (2012).
  70. Kiramijyan, S. et al. Impact of coronary artery calcium progression and statin therapy on clinical outcome in subjects with and without diabetes mellitus. Am J Cardiol 111, 356–361 (2013).
  71. Bai, Y. et al. Susceptibility weighted imaging: a new tool in the diagnosis of prostate cancer and detection of prostatic calcification. PLoS One 8, e53237 (2013).
  72. Gudermann, T. & Roelle, S. Calcium-dependent growth regulation of small cell lung cancer cells by neuropeptides. Endocr Relat Cancer 13, 1069–1084 (2006).
  73. Kaufmann, R. & Hollenberg, M. D. Proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) and calcium signaling in cancer. Adv Exp Med Biol 740, 979–1000 (2012).
  74. Ryu, S. et al. Suppression of miRNA-708 by polycomb group promotes metastases by calcium-induced cell migration. Cancer Cell 23, 63–76 (2013).
  75. Lin, Q. et al. Reactive astrocytes protect melanoma cells from chemotherapy by sequestering intracellular calcium through gap junction communication channels. Neoplasia 12, 748–754 (2010).
  76. Zhang, Y. et al. Bone mass and the risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women. N Engl J Med 336, 611–617 (1997).
  77. Holmberg, L. et al. Mammography casting-type calcification and risk of local recurrence in DCIS: analyses from a randomised study. Br J Cancer 108, 812–819 (2013).
  78. Martiniakova, M. et al. The Role of Macronutrients, Micronutrients and Flavonoid Polyphenols in the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis. Nutrients 14, 523 (2022).
  79. Cheng, R. Z. A Hallmark of Covid-19: Cytokine Storm/Oxidative Stress and its Integrative Mechanism. http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v18n03.shtml (2022).
Posted in Misc | Comments Off on Bone Health and Osteoporosis, an Orthomolecular Perspective

How to Live a Healthier, Happier and Longer Life?

Dr. Richard Cheng, M.D., Ph.D. will start a series of regular online interactive presentations, sharing with you his 4o+ years medical experience on 

How to Live a Healthier, Happier and Longer Life.

 

We need both the general and the specific anti-aging medicine measures to live a healthier, happier and longer life.

The dream to live a healthier, happier and longer life dates back at least to the beginning of recorded civilization.  The vast majority, if not all, of us do not die at the end of natural lifespan, but die of chronic diseases.

Common chronic diseases cut short our lifespan by an estimated ~40 years or so. If one does not suffer from any diseases, one is expected to live to ~120 years of age, then dies of “true natural aging”.

So anti-aging medicine is about the study, prevention, treatment and reversal of chronic diseases. If we can prevent, reduce or slow down this chronic disease driven aging process, then we can extend life-expectancy beyond an average of ~80 years, up to ~120 years. I consider this as the general anti-aging medicine.

The specific anti-aging medicine is the effort to “tweak” our “natural aging process” to extend the estimated natural aging beyond 120 years, once we succeed in preventing chronic diseases to achieve expected lifespan of ~120 years.

We need both the general and the specific anti-aging medicine measures to live a healthier, happier and longer life.

Most, if not all, chronic and acute diseases are due to multifactorial causes. Take Covid-19, an acute viral infection, for example. It’s well known that most people contracted Covid-19 show no or mild symptoms.  Only a very small percentage of patients develop severe disease.  Why?

Whether you develop Covid-19 disease and how severe are your clinical symptoms depend more on your immunity.

The Balance of Covid-19 Virus and Your immunity

determines Your Clinical  Disease

Posted in Misc | Comments Off on How to Live a Healthier, Happier and Longer Life?

Reversal of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques, Another Case

Ms. FCD, 60 years of age, came to our service,~6 months ago at the end of 2021, with diagnoses of:

  1. Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques (Fig. 1).
  2. Hyperlipidemia
  3. Thyroid Nodules

I advised her to go on low carb/ketogenic diet, exercise, nutritional supplementation including high dose Vit C, niacin, Vit D3, Vit K2,  magnesium, other antioxidants and mitochondrial nutrients and special amino acids (mostly in our TotoCell Nutrition package).  She later confessed that she did only low carb diet (not the more complete ketogenic diet) and did take the nutritional supplements, but at lower doses of what I recommended.  A repeat ultrasound exam ~6 months later, June 2022, did not show those plaques. Ms. F said the examining doctor looked hard in the same area where those plaques were seen back in 2020, but she couldn’t find them this time.

We have reversed several cases of carotid atherosclerosis as well as coronary atherosclerosis with plaques and stenosis, with a similar approach.

Top Figure. Ultrasound, Dec. 9th, 2020. Left carotid plaque (0.2 x 0.18 cm).

Center Figure, Ultrasound, June 11th, 2022, No carotid plaques seen.

Bottom Figure, front page of the recent report showing the examining date.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Misc | Comments Off on Reversal of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques, Another Case

Expert Panel Discussion: Hydrogen peroxide in the prevention of Covid-19

Open and Free to Public

Over 4,000 hospitalized patients and 89 healthcare staff used hydrogen peroxide on a daily basis during the peak season of Covid-19 season (Apr. 2021 – Dec. 2021). None of the 4,000+ patients got Covid-19.  None of the 89 staff got Covid-19, except one  who discontinued the use of hydrogen peroxide! Drs. Amoah and Ayettey reported.

Expert Panel Discussion: Hydrogen peroxide in the prevention of Covid-19, with a Q&A session.

Date and time: 11 am June 9th EST
Zoom: Meeting ID: 849 9827 7125; Passcode: 328134

You and your guests are welcome to participate and interact with the experts with your questions. 

Experts:

  • Dr. Albert Amoah, Emeritus Professor and former dean, University of Ghana Medical School. Author of the HP clinical report (1).
  • Dr. Seth Ayettey, Professor and former dean, University of Ghana Medical School. Author of the HP clinical report (1).
  • Dr. Thomas Levy, Board Certified Cardiologist and author of HP book (2).

Host of the Expert Panel Discussion:

  • Dr. Richard Cheng, Board Certified anti-aging physician.

Many safe, effective and inexpensive antiviral agents have been ignored for one reason or another. Hydrogen peroxide (HP) is one of them.  Knowing the availability of these agents and their practical utility may protect us from the current and future unknown viral infections.

Drs. Amoah, Ayettey and their team recently reported that “daily and regular hydrogen peroxide use protects HCW (healthcare workers) from COVID-19 and curtails nosocomial spread of SARS-CoV-2” (1).

Dr. Levy published his book on hydrogen peroxide for viral infections, Rapid Virus Recovery, in 2021, with over 600 citations, which reviewed and analyzed for us the safety, effectiveness, biological mechanisms and the potential practical uses of hydrogen peroxide (2).

About the Experts:

  • Dr. Albert G.B. Amoah is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics and a Consultant Physician at the University of Ghana. He holds the MB.ChB degree from University of Ghana and  PhD degree from the University of Surrey, UK. Among his distinguished achievements is the setting up of a National Diabetes Management and Research Center, a centre of excellence for multi-disciplinary diabetes care, training and research in Ghana. He has a membership of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and fellowships of the West Africa College of Physicians, the Ghana College of Physicians  and the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
  • Dr. Seth Ayettey graduated MB; ChB from the University of Ghana Medical School in 1974 and PhD from Cambridge University in 1978. He served as Chair of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Ghana Medical School from 1981 to 1997, Dean of that school from 1998 till 2000, and first Provost of the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana from 2000 to 2004. He taught Anatomy for 37 years, retiring 2015. Four years of his teaching and research life were spent at the Tulane University Medical Center as a Visiting Professor. Dr. Ayettey has contributed a great deal to knowledge of the structural basis for the excitation-contraction coupling in the specialized and the general myocardium of the mammalian heart. His recent effort, together with his team in Ghana, has been in researching hydrogen peroxide protection against COVID-19.  Dr. Ayettey is also a pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. Three of his children are in medical science – Hannah, a senior specialist in oncology; Mary, a senior specialist in periodontology; and Ruth, a specialist in OBGYN: They are part of the hydrogen peroxide research team.
  • Thomas E. Levy, M.D., J.D. is a board certified American cardiologist and internist and is a prolific author. Among his many books is Rapid Virus Recovery, a book on hydrogen peroxide with over 600 scientific citations (2, 3). He is also an inductee of the Orthomolecular Medicine Hall of Fame (4).
  • Richard Z. Cheng, M.D., Ph.D. is an NIH-trained and board certified American anti-aging  physician. Dr. Cheng is also an inductee of the Orthomolecular Medicine Hall of Fame (5).

A brief history of Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a well-known antiseptic, used extensively to disinfect surfaces and instruments. But not many people realize that hydrogen peroxide is a molecule that exists everywhere in our body with very important biological functions.  Hydrogen peroxide was discovered over 200 years ago in 1818. In 1856, hydrogen peroxide was discovered to be present in human body. In 1888, hydrogen peroxide was for the first time reported to be efficacious in treating numerous diseases, including scarlet fever, diphtheria, nasal catarrh, acute coryza, whooping cough, asthma hay fever and tonsillitis. Intravenous hydrogen peroxide was first reported in 1920 during WWI/Spanish flu for influenza pneumonia. Medical interest on hydrogen peroxide began to slow down in the 1940, when attention shifted to the development of new prescription drugs. In 1960s, hydrogen peroxide was found to have a protective effect on myocardial ischemia. Intravenous infusion of hydrogen peroxide has been studied and promoted for the treatment of various diseases including cancer, skin diseases, polio and bacteria-related mental illness, even in pain relief (5).

Covid-19 Pandemic swept through and turned the entire world upside down with a virus that’s previously unknown to the mankind (at least most of us).  Without specific drugs and vaccines for this new virus (SARS-Cov-2), the world panicked and millions of lives and billions upon billions dollar lost as a result.

We share this world with many microorganisms including bacteria and viruses, some of these may cause human diseases. Despite the human stockpile of antibiotics for bacterial infections, there are very few antiviral drugs.  There is no drug that is effective against all viral infections. Antiviral drugs and vaccines specific to a new virus take a long time to develop. As we have witnessed first hand that Covid-19 vaccines took a year to roll out, which set a world record.

Covid-19 is not over yet, Monkey pox is lurking around the corner. Epidemics/Pandemics are on the rise (6).

Here are few questions that all of us should think about:

  1. What have we learned from the global management of Covid-19 pandemic?
  2. Are you prepared for the next epidemic/pandemic?
  3. When the next epidemic/pandemic hits, what are you going to do?
  4. What about other known viral infections, such as common cold and viral pneumonia? Don’t we have other safe and more effective remedies?

 

References:

  1. Amoah AGB, Sagoe KW, Quakyi IA, Ayettey-Anie HNG, Ayettey-Adamafio MNB, Ayettey Brew RNA, Newman-Nartey M, Nartey NO, Brightson KTC, Kessie G, Ayettey AS, Konotey-Ahulu FID. Further observations on hydrogen peroxide antisepsis and COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers and inpatients. J Hosp Infect. 2022 May 17:S0195-6701(22)00149-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2022.05.007. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35594985; PMCID: PMC9113766.
  2. https://www.medfoxpub.com/medicalnews/product/RVR/Rapid-Virus-Recovery-No-need-to-live-in-fear/
  3. https://isom.ca/profile/thomas-levy/
  4. https://isom.ca/profile/richard-cheng/
  5. Armogida M, Nisticò R, Mercuri NB. Therapeutic potential of targeting hydrogen peroxide metabolism in the treatment of brain ischaemia. Br J Pharmacol. 2012 Jun;166(4):1211-24. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.01912.x. PMID: 22352897; PMCID: PMC3417441.
  6. Cheng RZ (2020) Protected Population Immunity, not a Vaccine, is the Way to Stop Covid-19 Pandemic. J Clin Immunol Immunother 6: 025.
Posted in Misc | Comments Off on Expert Panel Discussion: Hydrogen peroxide in the prevention of Covid-19