Category Archives: Integrative Medicine

Personalized medicine has taken a big step forward with the launch of non-profit n-Lorem Foundation, which will create patient-tailored antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics for people with rare diseases at no cost to the patients. This comes at the same time as custom gene therapies for rare disease patients are being developed, including some combined with CRISPR. As a result, more peopleeven those with ultra-rare diseasescould finally have access to treatments.

The process of developing these treatments is still burdensome and expensive. Only a few patients will benefit at first. But this concept has only been a dream until now, with most of these patients being completely shut out of the typical drug development process. Whats more, the scientists and sponsors pioneering these approaches are hoping to create blueprints for the treatment of ultra-rare diseases in general.

One of the goals is to create a replicable protocol, said Simon Frost, the father of Annabel Frost, a child who suffers from the ultra-rare disease alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC). We want to do it for our disease, and then take that process and give it to more patients across many more diseases. Frost, who is CEO of Tiber Capital Group, has been in discussions with multiple labs and investigating several approaches, including ASOs, gene editing, and gene therapy.

The blueprint for the ASO-based approach was a made-to-order treatment for a child with Battens disease, a rare neurodegenerative disorder. In 2018, Timothy Yu, a doctor at Boston Childrens Hospital, sequenced the genome in then six-year-old Mila to diagnose the condition. It turned out Mila had a retrotransposon which had inserted into her CLN7 gene. That aberration was blocking normal protein production by that gene.

Yus team then created a tailor-made ASO, which they called milasen, to mask the mutation in Milas genome, as detailed last year in the New England Journal of Medicine. It took about one year from sequencing to delivery of the therapy. Then, nine months after her treatment began, Milas doctors reported being hopeful about her prognosis, although they noted that she may already have experienced substantial effects from the disease. Hundreds of people, including parents and researchers, have since reached out to Yu to try and have this process replicated. Yus lab is reportedly developing several more personalized oligos, including ones for a rare form of epilepsy and ataxia-telangiectasia, which is a neurological disease.

Addressing the challenges

The demand for more custom ASOs is intense. But there are many issues standing in the way of such therapies.

ASOs are at the point where the investment in the technology has paid off commercially, said Art Krieg, an expert in oligonucleotide therapeutics as well as founder and chief scientific officer of Checkmate Pharmaceuticals. And now Tim Yu has shown the process for making customized ASOs. The questions is whether you can standardize that and could companies find it profitable to develop those therapies. Further, ASOs only block mutations and need to be given for life.

n-Lorem is funded with $1.5 million from Ionis (formerly Isis) Pharmaceuticals, another $1.5 million from Ioniss founder and former CEO Stanley Crooke and his wife Rosanne Crooke (a researcher at Ionis), $1 million from Biogen, and additional funds from other donors. Crooke started Ionis in 1989, as a pioneer in RNA-targeted therapeutics. Today, the company has three drugs on the market and more than 30 in development for a wide range of conditions. Biogen is partnered with Ionis on several of these.

Biogen declined to comment for this article, but sent this statement: Antisense oligonucleotides have been a game changer in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and we believe they could hold promise in tackling other diseases. So, we are pleased to help support the establishment of n-Lorem Foundation and their mission to provide advanced, experimental RNA-targeted medicines free of charge to patients with ultra-rare diseases.

I knew we could do this and I knew there was a need, said Crooke, who started working on n-Lorem two years ago. But he also realized it was going to be challenging. The patients need a full genomic workup, and you need an investigator who can submit the IND and oversee it, he said. One major development that convinced Crooke the concept was feasible was the 2014 establishment of the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN), a research study funded by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund. The UDN comprises clinical and research experts from across the U.S. who work to solve medical mysteries. As of 2019, 12 UDN clinical sites were open.

While UDN will be a key source of qualified patients, Crooke says n-Lorem will not be restricted to those. We announced the launch last week, and we already have six proposals for patients to treat. But patients need a confirmed genetic diagnosis and treating physicians. Then they must submit a proposal to treat to n-Lorems Access to Treatment Committee.

Another critical issue is the FDAs response. Crooke said he has already approached regulators and they are supportive. But n-of-1 trials like these raise special issues. In an editorial that accompanied the Yu teams report in NEJM, FDA regulators point out the many challenges to evaluating n-of-1 drugs what are the differences between treating one, ten, or thousands of patients? they asked.

But they also acknowledge that the field is moving ahead rapidly. Academic clinicianinvestigators now have the capacity to rapidly uncover specific mutations and pinpoint the putative mechanisms leading to certain rare disease phenotypes. Various ASOs or other compounds can be produced by third parties, and investigators can evaluate them using in vitro assays or animal models, the regulators wrote. FDA is holding a workshop in March on individualized therapies to try and advance thinking around this topic.

Ioniss long experience with ASOs should help in this regard. There are several generations, or classes, of ASOs that the company has developed over the last 30 years. Many years ago I began putting together integrative safety databases about the different classes of ASOs we have developed, Crooke says. Each class has generally similar properties, but they also have important differences such has ligands that work in different organs. Ionis has published on these databases and the properties they reveal, as well as providing the FDA access to the databases. That doesnt mean, however, that researchers will be able to predict all the effects of any ASO in any patient.

Finally, there is the question of cost, which is a particular boondoggle for rare diseases. We know this is feasible but we want to reduce the costs as far as we can, Crooke says. n-Lorem and Biogen are both already working on processes to further cut costs, But we will need to raise even more money to help more patients, he added. Patients shouldnt have to be on the internet raising funds for this.

While hes aware of the challenges, Crooke said hes feeling optimistic. Ive been overwhelmingly impressed with the commitment and advice weve gotten from physicians, experts on antisense and clinical trials,and others. He also hopes more modalities, besides ASOs will be able to work with n-Lorem and start similar endeavors. Im hopeful a gene therapy company can join us or do the same thing, he noted.

Gene therapy too

While there is nothing equal to n-Lorem yet, other researchers are already pursuing customized gene therapies, even for patients who have mutations that are very rare or that are not correctable with standardized gene therapy.

Monkol Lek, for example, is a geneticist at Yale who has been working on a gene therapy for a single patient with an ultra-rare mutation in a muscular dystrophy gene. There are more than 30 types of muscular dystrophy, and some are caused by mutations that affect different genes or varying sections within those genes. Lek himself has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (MD). When he was first diagnosed, he remembers hearing over and over again that there were no treatments for his condition.

That was enough to inspire Lek to leave a career in IT while in his 20s and obtain degrees in physiology, bioinformatics, and genetics. Soon after he arrived at Yale in 2018, Lek met Rich Horgan, founder of the non-profit Cure Rare Disease, and whose younger brother Terry has a type of MD. Lek analyzed Terrys genomic data, and found he is missing the dystrophin genes promoter region, which needs to be activated in order for that protein to be made. Terry is also missing part of exon 1, which is also necessary to generate the production of dystrophin.

While they originally considered using ASOs, Rich Horgan and Lek realized that wasnt feasible because rather than needing to turn off a gene, they needed to turn on a gene, or at least its promoter.

One twist in this particular case is that people have two alternative versions, or isoforms, of this promoter and exon 1one set in muscle cells and another in brain cells. With that in mind, Lek is using a modified version of CRISPR called no-cut CRISPR to introduce a transcription activator attached to the Cas9 enzyme to turn on the brain-specific set, and thus make up for the deficit in muscle. He uses an AAV and CRISPR activation construct as well as guide RNA to direct the CRISPR to the right spot in the DNA.

Lek has already tested his putative therapy on Terrys cells and successfully corrected the mutated gene in the lab. Next, the treatment will be tested in mice. However, Lek is also exploring the possibility of an n-of-1 clinical trial in which the therapy would only be tested in Terry or anyone with his specific mutation.

Rich Horgans Cure Rare Disease group is now leading new projects for two boys with different forms of Duchenne MD as well as a patient with the limb girdle form of the disease.

Frost, meanwhile, is still investigating the best options for treating his daughter Annabel. His family has spent $250,000 so far and he expects it will cost another $250,000 to $500,000 to reach proof of concept. Annabels mutation is in ATP1A3, a gene that is associated with at least 12 different rare diseases (See table). However, Annabels specific mutation is very rare. Were not sure yet how many of these other conditions would be treated by the same transgene, but it could be a large proportion, Frost said.

Krieg noted that we are not yet at the point where any for profit company will want to develop n-of-1 therapies. It doesnt cost that much to manufacture DNA, and its a fully automated process, he said. It has taken billions of dollars already to get the technology this far and develop applications for some more common diseases. But the overall cost of lifetime treatment is still prohibitive. Right now, I dont know why any company would want to do this, he added. But there will come a time when there are the right incentives and someone will try it.

For families such as Annabel Frosts, these developments are still encouraging, and give them hope that they can help shape the future of the new field of n-of-1 therapeutics. This also supports the idea that more children should undergo whole genome sequencing as soon after birth as possible. With many rare diseases, the damage is compounded the longer the child is untreated. Further, greater understanding of how the full range of possible mutations in any gene impact health, and how that can be treated, will press the field forward.

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Dawn of the Customized Cure - Clinical OMICs News

Facebook/PoliceMelissa Smith is accused of murder in the fatal shooting of her husband, Red Bank Police Officer James "Chip" Smith, in Tennessee.

Melissa Smith is a 37-year-old Tennessee woman who has been charged with first-degree murder after police say she shot and killed her husband, Red Bank Police Officer James Smith, during an argument in a parking lot in the Kodak community of Sevierville, Tennessee. James Smith, 41, who went by Chip Smith, was shot in the abdomen about 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, February 2, 2020, and later died at a nearby hospital, the Sevierville Police Department said.

The Red Bank Police Department said in a statement, Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Smiths family during this difficult time. Officer Smith has many years of law enforcement service. He honorably and faithfully served this agency and community. We want to take this opportunity to ask for everyones support during this very difficult time. Please keep his family, friends and fellow law enforcement family in your thoughts and prayers.

The Sevierville Police Department said officers responded to a shooting at 3099 Winfield Dunn Parkway, a highway rest stop and visitors center, at 7:23 p.m. on Saturday. The officers found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was taken to University of Tennessee Medical Center by the Sevier County Ambulance Service and was pronounced dead, police said. Police said a handgun was recovered at the scene and Melissa Smith was taken into custody.

Heres what you need to know about Melissa Smith and the fatal shooting of Red Bank Police Officer James Chip Smith:

Melissa Smith and James Smith.

Melissa Smith told police she was with her husband at the Old Tennessee Distillery Company for about two hours before the argument and shooting occurred and they had been drinking, according to court documents obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The newspaper reports that officers found Melissa Smith kneeling next to her husband with her hand on his abdomen after the shooting.

Melissa Smith told police she and her husband began arguing in the car after they left the distillery, and James Smith pulled into a parking lot as it escalated, the Times Free Press reported.

The two exited the vehicle and continued to argue until Melissa Smith went back to the vehicle, grabbed a pistol and shot James Smith, the newspaper wrote, citing court documents. Melissa Smith admitted to shooting James Smith with the pistol, according to court records. A .380 semi-automatic pistol was found at the scene.

Melissa Smith and James Chip Smith had been married since August 17, 2002, according to Melissas Facebook page.

The couple has a 14-year-old son together, according to Melissa Smiths Facebook page. They live in Soddy-Daisy.

FacebookMelissa and James Smith.

Chip Smith was arrested on domestic violence charges in 2007 while he was a detective with the Soddy-Daisy Police Department, according to an article in The Chattanoogan from the time.

According to a complaint obtained by The Chattanoogan, James Smith and his wife got into an argument that led to a physical confrontation. Police said Melissa Smith confronted her husband on a marital issue and he grabbed her and threw her across a bed onto their child, the news site reported.

Mrs. Smith said her husband was on top of her and began strangling her with his hands around her neck. She said they began screaming and hitting each other, the news site wrote. Mrs. Smith said she ran into another room and called 911 on her cell phone. She said her husband grabbed the phone from her and hung it up. She said he pushed her down on a couch, but she was able to get away. Officers said they saw injuries to the right side of Mrs. Smiths neck as well as injuries on her left arm.

The case was dismissed in January 2008.

Melissa Marlow Smith works at CHI Memorial Integrative Medicine Associates, a family medical practice in Chattanooga, according to her Facebook profile. It is not clear what her job at the medical practice is.

According to her Facebook page, she was born and raised in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, and graduated from Soddy-Daisy High School in 2000, two years before she and Chip Smith married.

Chip Smith is also from Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, and graduated from Chattanooga State Community College, according to his Facebook page.

The Red Bank Police Department said in a statement posted to Facebook about the death of James Smith that they, lost an outstanding officer and friend yesterday.

James Chip Smith and his son.

The department said, He also served several other law enforcement agencies and communities including the Soddy-Daisy Police Department and Chattanooga Police Department. As a law enforcement officer, he devoted himself to protecting the citizens of these communities. For those that ever met him or know him, they know that he was kind and always willing to do anything to help you. His loss will leave a void at our agency and the law enforcement community.

Chattanooga Police told the Times Free Press, they are ready to provide any patrol or special coverage needed by Red Bank Police Department as they grieve the loss of their officer and friend.

The Hamilton County Sheriffs Office said in a statement, We are saddened by the loss of a fellow officer in such tragic circumstances. Our hearts go out to Chief Seymour and our brothers in blue at the Red Bank Police Department during this very difficult time. Chip has served his community for many years as both a volunteer fireman and law enforcement officer. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

On Facebook, the Hamilton County Emergency Medical Service wrote, Chip was both an on duty and off duty friend to many of us here at HCEMS, and we are devastated by the news of his death. Chip was also a well known individual in the Soddy Daisy community, and he will be mourned by many. Godspeed Brother.

Melissa Smith is being held at the Sevier County Jail, according to police. Smith was booked into the jail at 1 a.m. on February 2. She was charged with first-degree murder and carrying a weapon while under the influence, according to online jail records.

She is being held in $1 million bail and has a March 2 court date scheduled on the weapon charge and a March 20 court date on the murder charge. It is not clear if she has appeared before a judge already.

Smith could not be reached for comment by Heavy and it is not known if she has hired an attorney who could speak on her behalf.

The Sevierville Police Department said in a statement, The investigation is ongoing and no additional information is available at this time.

READ NEXT: Recent College Grad Shot Dead While Driving with Boyfriend

Read more:
Melissa Smith: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know - Heavy.com

Your thoughts make up your feelings. So, the amount of time you spend on a thought, be it happy or unhappy, is going to affect your feeling and mood. Feeding unhappy thoughts can make you unhappy. Unhappiness causes discomfort, which in the long run leads to diseases.

Staying happy is important to stay stress-free and disease-free

Some of the most common diseases like obesity, diabetes, PCOD and thyroid are related to poor lifestyle. A poor lifestyle is a combination of poor eating habits, lack of exercise, smoking, drinking alcohol regularly and irresponsibly, chronic stress, anxiety and lack of sleep. According to lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho, one thing which is common in people with lifestyle is unhappiness. Unhappiness, he says, is the major cause of most lifestyle-related diseases. It is important to understand that happiness is something which you cannot seek from outside or from someone else and should come from within.

As part of a live session on Facebook, Luke says that unhappiness causes discomfort. Too much of discomfort ultimately leads to development of a disease. "Unhappiness comes from unhappy thoughts. Your thoughts are everything," says Luke.

Do not unnecessarily feed unhappy thoughts as they can make you feel stressed and uncomfortablePhoto Credit: iStock

The idea is to understand that even one happy unhappy or negative thought can make you feel uncomfortable and stressed, and ultimately affect your health negatively.

Also read:Can Stress And Anxiety Cause Hair Loss? Know Types And Ways To Hair Fall

Your thoughts make up your feelings. So, the amount of time you spend on a thought, be it happy or unhappy, is going to affect your feeling and mood.

"You are going to experience both happy and unhappy, jealous or angry, positive or negative thoughts. What matters is how much attention you pay to each of these thoughts," Luke explains.

Happiness exists independently of circumstances and conditions. As mentioned above, it comes from within and is not dependent on anything or anyone. So, a boss' feedback, an increment letter or a perfect life partner are not factors that are going to make you happy.

Happiness cannot have conditions. Conditioning it with a certain amount of money or any other kind of gain is going to make you miserable and prone to diseases.

Do not seek happiness from something or someone else. Happiness comes from withinPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:5 Worst Inflammation Causing Foods: Avoid Them To Prevent Diseases

Thus, it is important to decide that you need to be happy by thinking of the things that are going well for you at the moment. It is important for both your physical and mental health.

Pay less attention to unhappy thoughts. Stop feeding them as unhappy thoughts lead to unhappy feelings. Do not expect your happiness from someone else. It is your responsibility and once you decide it, there is nothing that can stop you from being happy, stress-free and disease-free.

Also read:5 Lifestyle Habits That Can Help You Live Longer, Be Disease-Free

(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Integrative Medicine)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Want To Be Disease-Free? This One Lifestyle Change Is All You Need! - Doctor NDTV

World Cancer Day: Processed food, junk food and aerated drinks can increase risk of cancer

World Cancer Day is observed on February 4. Every year, the Union for International Cancer Control organises Cancer Day to raise awareness about cancer, tips for prevention and how to ease suffering for cancer patients. The theme for World Cancer 2020 is "I am and I will". World Cancer Day 2020 theme acknowledges that everyone has the capacity to act in the face of cancer. Cancer is referred to uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancer develops when the body's normal control mechanism stops working. Old cells are unable to diet and they instead grow out of control, forming new and abnormal cells.

A poor lifestyle with lack of exercise, poor diet and sedentary lifestyle is one of the many reasons why more and more people are getting cancer, believes lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho. Following is a list of cancer-causing foods and drinks that you must avoid:

Research has found that the more alcohol you drink, the higher is your risk of developing cancer. Excessive alcohol intake puts you at risk of liver, breast, oesophageal and colorectal cancer. When the body metabolises alcohol, it produces acetaldehyde, which is a chemical compound that may damage DNA, leading to cancer. This World Cancer Day, pledge to limit your alcohol intake and try to get off it in full entirety. Note that no amount of alcohol (not even two drinks in a day) is healthy for your body.

Reduce your alcohol intake in order to prevent cancerPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Is Alcohol Consumption Linked To Heart Disease: Let's Find Out

Processed food is one of the unhealthiest foods you can include in your diet. Processed and packaged food are devoid of any nutrition. They contain high amounts of unhealthy carbs, leading to weight gain and obesity-which is a known risk factor for cancer. Processed meat like sausage, bacon, hot dogs, pepperoni and salami are even more harmful. They are made with chemical preservatives, salting and smoking to increase their shelf life. Studies have found that processed meat can increase risk of colorectal cancer. Celeb nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar says that you should avoid everything that comes in a packet, and this includes everything from soya and kale chips to tomato ketchup, condiments and dips, etc.

Switch to fresh fruits, vegetables, homemade spices and food instead of processed food to reduce your risk of cancer.

Sugary drinks like diet soda and aerated drinks are the ones that cause weight gain and provide you with zero nutrition. These drinks contain artificial sweeteners that have been found to increase risk of cancer. Instead of aerated drinks, have lemon water, coconut water, sugarcane juice or unsweetened fresh fruit juice to reduce your risk of developing cancer.

Avoid aerated drinks to reduce your risk of cancerPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Nmami Agarwal Decodes Health Risks Associated With Sugary Drinks: You Will Be Surprised To Know These

No matter how quick and convenient microwave popcorn are, they are doing more harm to your health than you can imagine. Microwave popcorn bag linings contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which can be carcinogenic. The better alternative is to get fresh corn and prepare popcorn at home. It might take a few extra minutes but can reduce your risk of developing cancer.

Smoking is a lifestyle habit and is cancerous, as you all know. The top most cause of lung cancer in the world is smoking. Apart from cancer, smoking can cause coughing, breathing problems, asthma and a lot of other ailments that can affect your day-to-day functioning and reduce your lifespan. Take professional help if you are unable to quit smoking. Start with reducing one cigarette at a time. There is no tomorrow for quitting smoking.

Hydrogenated oil are commonly used for preserving processed foods and increasing their shelf life. Hydrogenated oils have the capability to alter structure and flexibility of cell membranes throughout the body, increasing your risk of cancer. Avoid foods with trans fats and saturated fats in order to reduce your cancer risk.

Along with avoiding these foods and drinks, you also need to be physically active and exercise regularly. Regular exercise can reduce your risk of cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity and weight gain. This World Cancer Day, make more and more people aware of these cancerous foods, drinks and lifestyle habits and do your part in making the world cancer-free.

Also read:World Cancer Day: Follow These Expert Guidelines To Reduce The Risk Of Breast Cancer

(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Integrative Medicine)

(Rujuta Diwekar is a nutritionist based in Mumbai)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

Read more:
World Cancer Day 2020: 6 Cancer-Causing Foods And Drinks That You Need To Quit Now - NDTV News

Washington, D.C.Processed foods are highly correlated with obesity, according to research from George Washington University (GW).

GW researcher Leigh A. Frame, Ph.D., MHS, said in a press release: When comparing the U.S. diet to the diet of those who live in blue zonesareas with populations living to age 100 without chronic diseasethe differences are stark. Many of the food trends we reviewed are tied directly to a fast-paced U.S. lifestyle that contributes to the obesity epidemic we are now facing. Dr. Frame is Program Director for the Integrative Medicine Programs, Executive Director of the Office of Integrative Medicine and Health, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Research and Leadership at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and co-author of the paper.

The rising obesity epidemic in the U.S., as well as related chronic diseases, are correlated with a rise in ultra-processed food consumption, says the press release. The foods most associated with weight gain include potato chips, sugar sweetened beverages, sweets and desserts, refined grains, red meats, and processed meats. Other dietary issues include insufficient dietary fiber intake and an increase in food additives.

Dr. Frame added: Rather than solely treating the symptoms of obesity and related diseases with medication, we need to include efforts to use food as medicine. Chronic disease in later years is not predestined, but heavily influenced by lifestyle and diet. Decreasing obesity and chronic disease in the U.S. will require limiting processed foods and increasing intake of whole vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruits, and water. Health care providers must also emphasize lifestyle medicine, moving beyond a pill for an ill.

See more here:
Processed Foods Highly Correlated with Obesity, Study Finds - WholeFoods Magazine

One organization is aimed at providing an integrative approach to address a patients mind, body and spirit.

PrivaMD, 16986 Robbins Rd., Suite 180, works to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western medicines. Instead of being a sick fix, physicians work to get to the root cause of a patients problem and treat them as a whole person, said Heidi Naperala, PrivaMD CEO and founder.

Were trying to shake up healthcare a little bit, she said.

PrivaMD started in October 2018, and the Grand Haven facility opened in May 2019.

Naperala has worked in healthcare since 2005 and has consulted in the United States and Canada. Naperala said they current healthcare system is broken, filled with patients who have long waits to see a doctor and dont get answers, and physicians who are busy and unable to practice the way they want.

Naperala said they wanted to provide something different, so they met with a panel of patients and perspective clients who helped them create PrivaMD. Naperala explained its the wisdom of Eastern medicine with the benefit of Western medicine technology, and providers can choose what works best for their patient.

Its the best of both worlds, she said.

Four PrivaMD physicians see patients for primary care/family medicine, womens health, functional medicine for women, and pain management/medical acupuncture. Theyre also working to add an additional provider. Two social workers also see patients. Naperala said its a collaborative environment to address the whole patient.

Providers see patients ages 5 and older.

The providers are independent and contract with PrivaMD for practice management. Naperala said the structure allows physicians to focus on getting to know patients and getting to the root cause of issues, while also giving physicians flexibility on who they refer patients to for various services.

Instead of seeing dozens of patients each day, physicians typically see eight patients daily, Naperala said. Appointments usually range from 30 minutes to an hour to provide the physician time to get to know the patient and find the underlying cause of a problem instead of masking the issue with pharmaceuticals.

We dont just pull out a chart, Naperala said. We pull up a chair.

Wellness services are also offered through PrivaMD, and individuals who arent patients can access them. Some of the services offered include IV nutrition therapy, infrared sauna, ionic foot detox, acupuncture, diagnostic testing, health cooking classes, and massages.

While insurance is accepted, Naperala said some patients opt to forego using insurance because of coverage limitations. PrivaMD also offers membership options for clients to receive services.

U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, recently toured the Grand Haven facility. During the congressmans visit, staff shared their journey and experiences in the healthcare field.

Huizenga credited PrivaMD for innovatively thinking and approach to delivering healthcare.

Huizenga said that although he doesnt believe the Affordable Care Act was the right answer to address healthcare, he believes it started asking the right question about what can be done to change healthcare.

While alternative medicine isnt for everyone, Huizenga said it shouldnt be excluded.

Since opening, PrivaMD continues to see an increase in patients seeing their services. One day last week alone 18 new patients signed up, Naperala said.

In the future, Naperala said plan to grow along the Lakeshore and add additional services for patients.

For more information about PrivaMD, call 616-213-0253 or visit privamd.org.

Continued here:
An integrated approach to healthcare | News - Grand Haven Tribune

Wal-Mart heir Alice Walton announced Wednesday she's establishing a Whole Health Institute to improve health care.

The current system is "a disease care system not health care system," she told members of the Northwest Arkansas Council.

The council, a group of top business, government and education leaders in the region, held its winter meeting Tuesday at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. Walton founded the museum.

Tracy Gaudet, formerly of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, will be the Institute's new director.

In November, Walton hosted a Sages and Scientists symposium at the museum.

Deepak Chopra, best-selling author and pioneer in integrative medicine, and his foundation launched Sages and Scientists in 2010.

"Using the power of convening to address and overcome critical challenges, like well-being, is a key component of the Sages and Scientists mission," Walton said in a news release at the time.

"The symposium is a catalyst for our work to improve global well-being trends and reveal the future of integrative health, humanity and the cosmos," Chopra said in the news release.

Speakers scheduled for the gathering were Rudolph E. Tanzi, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School; Anousheh Ansari, CEO of the XPrize Foundation; Desh Deshpande, chairman of the Sparta Group; Kat Graham, actress, singer, dancer and producer; Paul Tudor Jones, founder of Tudor Investment; and Dava Newman, Apollo program professor of astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Walton, longtime businesswoman and philanthropist, is the chairwoman of the museum's board and board member of the Walton Family Foundation.

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Walton heir to form health institute - Arkansas Online

Question: You have helped me out in the past so I thought Id get your opinion on this. On a recent show, a doctor was talking about which foods to eat and which to avoid. He said that you should be eating nuts, but dont eat cashews, as they are not a nut, but rather a seed, and contain high levels of lectin. I always thought that cashews were a tree nut just like walnuts, etc. Can you shed some light on this for me?

Answer: In this case, Im afraid my opinion would not be worth much. I needed the expertise of horticulturist, Pat Regan, who humbly describes himself as a friend who spends a lot of time pondering plant parts and identification.

Pat explains that the names we commonly use often distort the scientific terms for plant parts. Fruit and vegetable are typically considered the worst abused but nut probably comes in first place, he says.

All true nuts are seeds, but not all seeds are nuts, says Pat.

Kind of like all trees are plants but not all plants are trees?

Absolutely.

So a nut is a type of seed. Got it.

Botanically, he continues, a nut is a dry fruit with one seed and a thick hard shell. Think of acorns, hazelnuts, chestnuts or hickory nuts. On the other hand, cashews come from a fleshy fruit, not a hard shell. They are more like plums, apricots, cherries and olives.

Cashews, says the Integrative Medicine Department at UC Davis, are technically not a nut. Although they grow on trees, they are really seeds that grow from a strange-looking fruit called a cashew apple.

Incidentally, Pat continues, peanuts (a legume), walnuts, almonds and pecans are not true (botanical) nuts, either. Nor are pine nuts, pistachio nuts and Brazil nuts, and yet most would call me a nut for saying so.

As for lectins, these are proteins that occur naturally in most raw plants, including cashews. The good news is that cooking destroys the activity of these proteins one reason why cashews are always sold roasted or steamed.

The other reason is that raw cashews are enclosed in a shell that contains a resin called urushiol, the same rash-causing substance found in poison ivy. Heat inactivates urushiol another reason cashews are always sold shelled and roasted or steamed.

One last word about nuts in general, including the not true nuts. They are a good source of protein, micronutrients, healthful fats and disease-fighting antioxidants. And according to the Micronutrient Information Center at Oregon State University, consuming a variety of nuts on a regular basis is associated with a lower risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.

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Quinn on Nutrition: Nuts that are not nuts - TribLIVE

New DelhiThe medical community from India, Asia Pacific and the USA joined the speakers here in New Delhi on Sunday at a two-day conference and workshop over fundamental doctrines of anti-aging.

As many as 300 doctors, including world renowned clinicians and researchers in the field of integrative medicine, participated in the conference to sensitise people on the importance of intermittent fasting and long life.

American Academy of Antiaging Medicine (A4M) with Smart Group conducted Indias first anti aging International conference.

Speaking at the event, Dr. B K Modi,Founder-Chairman, Smart Group said, There is an uncanny similarity between ancient Indian science fundamentals of Anti Aging, it is my earnest wish that India leads this global anti aging era.

I am very glad that doctors in India are taking a keen interest in preventive health. I wish more people discover the benefits of preventive health, and can lead happy & healthy lives, beyond 100, he added.

Dr Modi also announced to create wellness cities in New Delhi and Modipur and Rampur Aby 2025.

A host of converging technologies like artificial intelligence, Robotics, Virtual Reality, Digital Biology, sensors, will clash into 3D printing, blockchain, quantum computing and global gigabyte networks in the near future and it will completely change the dynamics of the healthcare industry and how it will be delivered, said Preeti Malhotra, Chairman, Smart Bharat & Chairman, Organising Committee Smart A4M India Conference.

Preventive healthcare has a profound effect on human longevity, awareness and mental wellbeing. I am very happy that we have been able to bring A4M to India to initiate this conversation, much needed in a country like ours, she noted. (IANS)

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Preventive Health Care is Key to Long Life: Experts at India's First Anti-Aging Conference - India New England

Hossein Derakhshankhah, 1, 2,* Samira Jafari, 1, 2,* Sajad Sarvari, 3 Ebrahim Barzegari, 4 Faezeh Moakedi, 5 Milad Ghorbani, 6 Behrang Shiri Varnamkhasti, 1 Mehdi Jaymand, 7 Zhila Izadi, 1, 8 Lobat Tayebi 9

1Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 2Zistmavad Pharmed Co., Tehran, Iran; 3Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Science, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; 4Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 5Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; 6Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; 7Nano Drug Delivery Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 8Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran; 9Marquette University School of Dentistry, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Zhila Izadi; Lobat Tayebi Email izadi_zh@razi.tums.ac.ir; lobat.tayebi@marquette.edu

Abstract: The advent of porous materials, in particular zeolitic nanoparticles, has opened up unprecedented putative research avenues in nanomedicine. Zeolites with intracrystal mesopores are low framework density aluminosilicates possessing a regular porous structure along with intricate channels. Their unique physiochemical as well as physiological parameters necessitate a comprehensive overview on their classifications, fabrication platforms, cellular/macromolecular interactions, and eventually their prospective biomedical applications through illustrating the challenges and opportunities in different integrative medical and pharmaceutical fields. More particularly, an update on recent advances in zeolite-accommodated drug delivery and the prevalent challenges regarding these molecular sieves is to be presented. In conclusion, strategies to accelerate the translation of these porous materials from bench to bedside along with common overlooked physiological and pharmacological factors of zeolite nanoparticles are discussed and debated. Furthermore, for zeolite nanoparticles, it is a matter of crucial importance, in terms of biosafety and nanotoxicology, to appreciate the zeolite-bio interface once the zeolite nanoparticles are exposed to the bio-macromolecules in biological media. We specifically shed light on interactions of zeolite nanoparticles with fibrinogen and amyloid beta which had been comprehensively investigated in our recent reports. Given the significance of zeolite nanoparticles interactions with serum or interstitial proteins conferring them new biological identity, the preliminary approaches for deeper understanding of administration, distribution, metabolism and excretion of zeolite nanoparticles are elucidated.

Keywords: zeolite, mesoporous, nanostructure, biosafety, biomedical applications

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Biomedical Applications of Zeolitic Nanoparticles, with an Emphasis on | IJN - Dove Medical Press