Artesunate comes from qinghaosu, the sweet wormwood bush (Artemisia annua). It’s a fast-acting antimalarial drug discovered by Chinese scientists in the early 1970s.
Artesunate is often referred to as the most efficient malaria parasite killer ever discovered.
Continue reading Artesunate: a potent antimalarial treatment
A survey of more than a thousand people trying to quit smoking reveals those treatments most commonly used and most often perceived to be effective.
I listed them here with a brief comment on the scientific support.
It’s in the early stages of development, but might replace drugs like Viagra (sildenafil) in coming years.
At the recent American Urology Association meeting Dr. Arnold Melman, from the Department of Urology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York reported the results in 11 men who received a transfer gene called hMaxi-K.
This was a “phase 1” safety study to see if there were obvious side effects and record any response to the doses used. At the higher doses, two volunteers reported a positive response and no adverse effects.
Dr. Melman thinks gene therapy might also be effective for over-active bladder.
To be continued.
12/4/06 11:37 JR
The Food and Drug Administration issued a statement in April that no sound scientific studies support the medicinal use of marijuana for treatment. This lead to a seemingly endless list of editorials and articles assailing the FDA for political bias – here, here, here, here, and here.
You get the message.
Back on earth…
Continue reading An alternative delivery system for tetrahydrocannabinol
A study in northern India shows that milk fortified with specific micronutrients lowers the risk of diarrhea and acute lower respiratory illness in children.
Here’s a list of what was added to the milk.
Continue reading Adding micronutrients to milk reduces diarrhea and respiratory illness in children
Our very unscientific survey suggests so far that the second most commonly requested entry to this site is marijuana. Believe me, I’m looking.
In the mean time, here’s a “little known fact” about marijuana from Medical Marijuana ProCon.org.
Continue reading A little known fact in the marijuana debate
There’s one hospital in Sweden where anthroposophic medicine is practiced. Here is a study of its effect in 60 women who received conventional breast cancer treatment with and without anthroposophic care.
Continue reading Quality of life in women with breast cancer receiving anthroposophic care
This review concludes that spinal manipulation and acupuncture are not cost-effective for low-back pain.
Here are the “money” quotes from this UK study.
Continue reading Cost-effectiveness of spinal manipulation and acupuncture for low-back pain
An article in a recent issue of AARP The Magazine (and online) makes trivial and misleading recommendations for treating impotence (aka: erectile dysfunction [ED]).
Continue reading Trivial complementary recommendations to manage erectile dysfunction
I hate these negative headlines, but there seems to be no upside to the latest survey results on obesity among Americans.
Want to know more?
Continue reading Most obese Americans don’t try to lose weight, and those that try, fail!
High blood levels of the amino acid called homocysteine are thought to increase the risk for heart disease by damaging the lining of blood vessels and increasing blood clotting.
Despite this, the American Heart Association doesn’t recommend widespread use of folic acid to lower homocysteine blood levels.
Does this make sense?
Here’s the latest information.
Continue reading Measuring the effect of folic acid on homocysteine and the risk of heart disease
“More than half of women who treat their symptoms of menopause take soy supplements or herbal products as part or all of their therapy.” states The New York Times, which reported on a recently published article in the journal Menopause.
However, the women in this online survey generally felt illinformed about proper doses and use of herbal products.
Continue reading Use of soy and herbals to treat menopausal symptoms
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a “chronic pain illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances.” Approximately 3% to 6% of the U.S. population have FM, with women at greatest risk.
Successful treatment often requires combined therapies, and the results of this study in the The Mayo Clinic Proceedings support acupuncture in this regard.
It”s illegal for supplements to be promoted as a “treatment” for a disease. They can “support” health, or “boost” the immune system, or use other vague claims. But before any product can legally state that it can treat a specific disease it must pass US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for drugs.
The dietary supplements listed below have crossed the line by claiming to treat cancer, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and seizures.
Continue reading Advertising claims for more dietary supplements “cross the line”
The Centers for Disease Control has just published the latest data on the prevalence of diabetes in the US.
Is it any wonder that so many CAM therapies are studied in people with diabetes?
A quick listing of CAM entries for diabetes on this blog is provided below. Or, click the button on the right sidebar to see all of the diabetes entries.
A natural substance in red wine, known as resveratrol (RSV), offsets the unhealthy effects of a high-calorie diet in mice and significantly extends their life span, according to an article published in The International Herald Tribune, and in The Washington Post.
In this study, mice fed the high-calorie diet became “tubby,” while those who got the high-fat diet plus RSV did not. The full study is online at the journal, Cell. (Vol 127, #4, November 16, 2006)
What are the implications?
This is the question being studied by Dr. Lirio Covey at the Smoking Cessation Program at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.
Continue reading Should ADHD treatment be combined with smoking secession treatment?
Who says we”re not making progress in Iraq.
Here, from the outpatient Clinic of Dermatology and Venereology in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, are the results of a study of 25 patients with rosacea.
Here are the highlights of the discussion on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and probiotics during the recent American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology meeting, thanks to Medical News Today.
Continue reading Status of TCM and probiotics to treat asthma
The entry on breast cancer at Wikipedia asserts, “Folate intake counteracts breast cancer risk associated with alcohol consumption” This is based on research at the Mayo Clinic in 2001.
New data dispute that conclusion.
Continue reading Does folate lower your risk of breast cancer?