The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Stroke' Category

Benefits of reducing salt intake: Reality sets in

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

salt1The NIH Committee on the Consequences of Sodium Reduction… reports it might be time to entertain second thoughts on the importance of salt restriction.

It was just a matter of time. (more…)

Risk of death due to sugar-sweetened drinks

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

imagesDuring EPI/NPAM 2013 — Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions — researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston, reported that drinking large amounts of sugary beverages was associated with an increase in body-mass index (BMI), which in turn was linked with BMI-related deaths from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. (more…)

More dangers of pot smoking reported

Wednesday, February 6th, 2013

MarijuanaTwo more research studies warn against having a cavalier approach to cannabis.

First, researchers at University of Sydney, in Australia, determined the prevalence of recent alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis use in young persons presenting for mental healthcare. (more…)

Risks of chewing khat in people with acute coronary syndrome

Wednesday, August 15th, 2012

Khat (Catha edulis) is a shrub from northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, with stimulant effects similar to but less intense than cocaine or methamphetamine.

Researchers at Hamad General Hospital, in Doha, Qatar, studied its effects in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) — a condition associated with insufficient blood flow to the heart.

As you read this summary it might be useful to consider that addicts can detox from drugs in New York.

(more…)

Contaminated and adulterated herbals

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence and they aren’t sanguine. (more…)

Consumer alert: Reumofan Plus

Monday, June 4th, 2012

FDA is warning consumers that Reumofan Plus, marketed as a natural dietary supplement for pain relief and other serious conditions, contains several active pharmaceutical ingredients not listed on the label that could be harmful.

Here’s what we know. (more…)

Talk therapy for patients following stroke

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Researchers in the UK studied whether motivationalinterviewing (aka talk therapy) might benefit mood and mortality poststroke. (more…)

Finally, sanity in the salt wars

Monday, January 9th, 2012

For decades, politicians like Mayor Michael Bloomberg of NYC have tried to get Americans to eat less salt.

Now Scientific American asks, “But if the US does conquer salt, what will we gain?”

Answer: bland french fries. (more…)

Antioxidants and the risk of stroke in women

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

Eating antioxidant-rich foods may reduce the risk of stroke.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, in Stockholm, Sweden, examined the association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and stroke incidence in 2 groups of women. (more…)

Do diet soft drinks predispose to obesity?

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

During the American Diabetes Association 71st Scientific Sessions, researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio reported on (abstract 0062-OR) the relationship between drinking diet soft drinks and long-term changes in waist circumference. (more…)

New view of the risks of sodium intake on health and disease

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

After more than 2 decades of warning us about the evils of too much salt in the diet, an international group of researchers looked for an association between estimated urinary sodium and potassium excretion (surrogates for intake) and cardiovascular events in patients with established cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus. (more…)

Stroke as an opportunity for the chiropractic profession

Friday, November 25th, 2011

Dr. Donald Murphy is Clinical Director of the Rhode Island Spine Center and a member of the Clinical Faculty at Brown University School of Medicine and the Postgraduate Faculty of 4 chiropractic schools.

Here’s his perspective on cervical manipulation, stroke, and what does it mean for the chiropractic profession. (more…)

Another reason to stop smoking

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Researchers at The Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio, determined the effect of smoking in noncardiac surgical patients. (more…)

Mercury exposure and the risk of cardiovascular disease

Saturday, October 1st, 2011

Exposure to methylmercury from eating fish is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers in the US looked for a relationship between mercury exposure and coronary heart disease, stroke, or total cardiovascular disease. (more…)

Review: Broad benefits with the Mediterranean diet

Monday, September 26th, 2011

A couple of years ago, researchers at the University of Florence, in Italy, reviewed the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the risk of death and the occurrence of Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s diseases.

Now, they’ve updated their findings. (more…)

Lower risk of diabetes with the Mediterranean diet

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Researchers in Spain report the results of the PREDIMED-Reus Nutrition intervention study. (more…)

Eat breakfast!

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Researchers at the Royal Children’s Hospital, in Victoria, Australia looked for an association between skipping breakfast and cardiometabolic risk factors in adulthood.

They’ve come across a finding that’s particularly interesting. (more…)

The role of soy isoflavones in menopausal health

Friday, July 15th, 2011

The beneficial effects of soy protein, soy isoflavones, and their metabolites on women’s health are unclear.

So, the North American Menopause Society convened a seminar of experts in the field. (more…)

TENS for patients using ankle-foot orthosis following stroke

Saturday, June 25th, 2011

Orthosis is a device applied to a human limb in order to control or enhance movement or prevent bone movement or deformity. An example is shown in the photo.

Researchers at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, in The Netherlands, evaluated whether community-dwelling chronic stroke patients wearing an ankle-foot orthosis would benefit from changing to functional electrical stimulation of the peroneal nerve. (more…)

Coffee and the risk of death in women with cardiovascular disease

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Studies of the association between coffee drinking and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease have reported conflicting results.

Researchers in Boston assessed the association between filtered caffeinated coffee mortality during up to 24 years of follow-up in women with cardiovascular disease from the Nurses’ Health Study. (more…)