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Measles Outbreak, Fake News and Mass Hysteria

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Measles Outbreak, Fake News and Mass Hysteria

by Jeffrey Dach MD

Darla Shine, Wife of a Trump Administration Official, found herself labeled as “anti-vaccination” in the center of a media storm this week after she made a few comments on social media about “bringing back childhood diseases” like measles, . (1-7)(27) 

Virtually every major news outlet ran vicious anti-Darla Shine “hit-piece” articles which defamed her character, her husband’s character, and offered opposing “Pro-Vaccination Material” for the discerning consumer. Header image: Measles virus diagram and  Electron Microscopy courtesy of Human Viruses.

Search Engine Results Couldn’t Be Rigged, Could They ?

In addition, Google search engine results have obviously been manipulated to preferentially show  pro-vaccination search results when entering key words such as “Darla Shine” and “measles”.  Welcome to the new world of internet censorship.  Next, we can expect Facebook to start censoring speech by blocking users who question vaccine safety.   If vaccines are so safe and effective, why do they keep changing them?  And why does the Federal Vaccine Court keep paying out Billions of dollars in compensation for vaccine injuries?

Primary and Secondary Vaccine Failure

Of course, we can expect a measles outbreak every year or so, simply because measles vaccine immunity wanes gradually over time, rendering the vaccinated population susceptible to wild type measles infection.(8)   For example, Dr Gregory Poland, world expert on measles vaccine, wrote an article in Vaccine 2012, saying measles outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations occur because of primary and secondary vaccine failure.(36)

“Thus, measles outbreaks also occur even among highly vaccinated populations because of primary and secondary vaccine failure, which results in gradually larger pools of susceptible persons and outbreaks once measles is introduced [8]. This leads to a paradoxical situation whereby measles in highly immunized societies occurs primarily among those previously immunized” [8].(Quote Gregory Poland)(36)

Similar measles outbreaks have been documented in other highly vaccinated populations in other countries such as Israel(9), Nigeria (10), Korea(22), Czech Republic (23), Australia (24), and Japan (25) involving the vaccinated as well as unvaccinated. (9,10)(22-25)

Longer Term Protection with Wild Type Measles

Dr Jan Smeta says in 2017 PLOS, that natural infection with wild type measles confers longer term protection than live measles vaccine, and vaccine immunity wanes gradually over time.  Mother’s  who had wild type measles may pass antibody protection to the newborns, however, mothers who had the live attenuated measles vaccine can not do so.  Their babies are unprotected.(23)

“coverage against measles, which in the Czech Republic, over the long term, exceeds 95%…Natural infection provides longer term protection than vaccination.  Post vaccination immunity decreases in time.  Passive immunity may be compromised in newborns of vaccinated mothers.”(23)

As Dr Poland mentions, if the problem is vaccine failure, then the solution is to design a better vaccine, not to remove the religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions by legislative mandate.  Removing vaccine exemptions does not address the issue of primary and secondary vaccine failure which is responsible for recurring outbreaks even in highly vaccinated populations.

Whipping Up Hysteria and Fear to Remove Exemptions

However, in spite of this obvious problem of measles vaccine failure, the media is whipping up measles hysteria to push for legislation to remove vaccine exemptions.  Fear makes people surrender their constitutional right to medical freedom, reluctantly agreeing to be coerced into medical procedures they would otherwise decline.

Conspiracy Theory ?

Of course, the media is merely trumpeting the Pro-Vaccine agenda of Big Pharma.  That is a given, and to be expected. However, call it a conspiracy theory, but isn’t it a little bit suspicious that the push for vaccine mandates is orchestrated by the Big Pharma vaccine makers who contribute heavily to state congressional bodies.  Isn’t it a bit suspicious that Big Pharma stands to pocket billions from their vaccines, with no incentive to make them safe, since Big Pharma was removed from liability in 1986 by The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA).  Isn’t is it a bit suspicious that vaccines are not required to undergo the same type of placebo controlled trials as all other drugs ? Isn’t is it a bit suspicious that vaccine makers are exempt from liability for vaccine adverse side effects?  Instead, the vaccine damaged child must seek compensation in the federal vaccine court, fighting for years against a team of adversarial federal attorneys.

Adverse Effects of Measles Vaccine

This is a good place to ask the question, how safe is the attenuated live virus measles vaccine?  This brings up the question of reported adverse events. Here is a quote from the NVIC (National Vaccine Information center)

“As of November 30, 2018, there have been more than 92,844 reports of measles vaccine reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths following measles vaccinations made to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), including 457 related deaths, 6,902 hospitalizations, and 1,736 related disabilities.”(28)

Deaths: 2 measles vs. 127 vaccine

According to Dr Alvin Moss, there have been 2 deaths linked to wild type measles in the last 15 years, yet there here have been 127 deaths linked to the measles vaccine.(29)  Dr. Alvin H. Moss, M.D. testified at the West Virginia Senate Education Committee on Saturday, March 18, 2017. Dr. Moss is a physician and professor in the Center for Health Ethics & Law department at West Virginia University​. Jump to very end of video where Dr Moss discusses 2 reported deaths from measles compared to 127 reported deaths from measles vaccine (reported in VAERS) during same time period.(29)

If you accept Dr Alvin Moss’s statistics, then the live measles vaccine is responsible for 63.5 times more deaths than the wild type measles virus.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out.  The risk/benefit ratio comes out in favor of the wild type virus, not the vaccine.

Live Polio Vaccine Discontinued

This same thing happened with the live polio vaccine which was discontinued (in the US) in 2000 because the vaccine was causing more cases of polio than the wild type polio virus itself.(37)  Perhaps it is time to think about discontinuing the live attenuated measles vaccine for this same reason.  If the measles vaccine is causing 63.5 more deaths than the wild type measles virus, why not just declare victory and stop vaccinating for measles?

Vaccine Associated Measles

Since the measles vaccine is a live virus vaccine, vaccination itself may cause a disease indistinguishable from measles, with shedding of virus.(11) (31,32)   In 1999, Dr Ari Bitnun reported a case of a child who died after a measles vaccination from “Measles inclusion body encephalitis”.   This child’s illness was caused by vaccine strain virus as confirmed with DNA sequencing of the virus particle.(35)

“We report a case of measles inclusion-body encephalitis in an apparently healthy 21-month-old boy 8.5 months after measles-mumps-rubella vaccination. He had no prior evidence of immune deficiency and no history of measles exposure or clinical disease. . . . The nucleotide sequence in the nucleoprotein and fusion gene regions was identical to that of the Moraten and Schwarz vaccine strains. . . . On hospital day 51, the patient died after ventilatory support was withdrawn. . . . An immunologic evaluation of this patient was prompted by the diagnosis of MIBE. ”(35)

Although the measles vaccine may cause an illness indistinguishable from wild type measles, there has never been a documented case of measles vaccine strain virus transmissible from one human to another human.  The vaccine virus has been attenuated which prevents transmission from one human to another.(12)

Vitamin A for Measles

Vitamin A deficiency is associated with mortality from  measles, and most serious measles cases are preventable with adequate levels of vitamin A. (38) (19) You might think while bashing Darla Shine, CNN or Newsweek would mention the importance of Vitamin A supplementation to help with rapid recovery (without complications) from the wild measles virus and from the vaccine strain virus.  None of them mentioned it.

Conclusion: The Medical Information War is in Full Gear.  Which side will you be on?  The side of the “Sheeple”, succumbing to mass media hysteria, and surrendering your right to medical freedom? Or the side of “Constitutional Free Choice”, reserving your right to choose of your own free will?

Link to this article

Articles with related interest:

Aluminum in Vaccines Cause Autism

Which is Greater threat Measles or Measles Vaccine?

Measles and Somalis in Minnesota

Financial Kickbacks to Pediatricians is Illegal and Harms Children

HPV Vaccine the Greatest Scandal of Our Time

The Failure of Global Polio Eradication

Jeffrey Dach MD
7450 Griffin Road Suite 190
Davie, Florida 33314
954-792-4663

References

1) Wife of White House communications director pushes false anti-vaccination claims   By Kate Sullivan, Debra Goldschmidt and Ben Tinker, CNN

2) Darla Shine, Wife of Top Trump Official Bill Shine, Goes on Pro-Measles, Anti-Vax Rant ‘Bring back our #ChildhoodDiseases,’ wrote the former Fox News executive’s wife, ‘they keep you healthy & fight cancer.’ Surprise: she’s dangerously wrong.
Tanya Basu 12:16 PM ET

3) Wife of Trump Aide Criticizes CNN Coverage of Measles Outbreak as ‘Fake Hysteria’ in Anti-Vaccination Message By Jenni Fink On 2/13/19 at 12:20 PM

4) Wife of White House communications chief goes on anti-vaccine tirade   Former TV producer Darla Shine spreads conspiracy theories about measles outbreak on Sabrina Siddiqui Wed 13 Feb 2019 21.31 EST

5) Wife of Trump Administration Official Claims Measles Can Cure Cancer by Katie Herzog • Feb 13, 2019 at 11:34 am

by Katie Herzog • Feb 13, 2019 at 11:34 am

6) In anti-vaccine rant, wife of top Trump aide says it’s time to ‘bring back our childhood diseases’

7) Wife of Trump Aide Criticizes CNN Coverage of Measles Outbreak as ‘Fake Hysteria’ in Anti-Vaccination Message By Jenni Fink On 2/13/19 at 12:20 PM

8) Measles by Suzanne Humphreys

Mass vaccination can stop endemic disease outbreaks by removing wild virus transmission and circulation in the community, but does NOT induce permanent immunity in the vaccinated. It is well known and agreed upon, that because the measles vaccine gives a subclinical case of measles by injection, that the vaccine interrupted wild measles transmission. That is why we have low levels of wild measles today. The same applies to the oral poliovirus vaccine, which also carried enough risk so as to be discontinued in the USA.

Today with two measles vaccines to over 95% of the USA children and repeat vaccines later in life, we are left with:

Vaccinated mothers who do not protect their young infants like naturally immune mothers did, and thus a MORE vulnerable infant population.[23]
A number of susceptibles in highly vaccinated populations that far exceeds the number of adolescent and adult susceptibles in the pre-vaccine era.

Why? Because of primary and secondary vaccine failure; something that prominent vaccinologists write about.[24]

Today the measles outbreaks in the USA are blamed on the vaccine refusers, despite the fact that half of the cases from the California Disneyland outbreak were of “unknown” vaccination status and 18% were fully vaccinated[25].

A paper from 2011 by Shi[52] looked to see the genetic variation in wild type measles viruses and they found it is becoming significant enough to be thinking of the “new golden era of vaccines” and to ramp up the current vaccines and bring in some new ones in order to get around the growing problem of antigenic drift among highly vaccinated populations.

Shi came right out and said of the 14 out of 16 cases that were fully vaccinated who were tested:

“These data suggest that the 16 patients from whom the 16 measles strains were isolated were susceptible to wild-type measles virus infection, perhaps resulting from the mutations of the wild-type measles virus.”

Today, all clinical cases of measles in vaccinated people are genotyped, and if the virus in the infected person is a vaccine virus, that case is struck from the record.

measles mortality had declined by over 98% in the United States by the time the first vaccine was introduced

 

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9) Avramovich E, Indenbaum V, Haber M, et al. Measles Outbreak in a Highly Vaccinated Population — Israel, July–August 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2018;67:1186–1188.

On August 6, 2017, the Israeli Defense Force Public Heath Branch (IDFPHB) was notified of two suspected measles cases. IDFPHB conducted an epidemiologic investigation, which identified nine measles cases in a population with high measles vaccination coverage. All measles patients had signs and symptoms consistent with modified measles (i.e., less severe disease with milder rash, fever, or both, with or without other mild typical measles symptoms).

10) Herd Immunity”? A dishonest marketing gimmick
BY J.B. HANDLEY June 8, 2018

==========================================

22) Kang, Hae Ji, et al. “An increasing, potentially measles-susceptible population over time after vaccination in Korea.” Vaccine 35.33 (2017): 4126-4132.

Despite high measles vaccination coverage by a successful national vaccination program, small outbreaks have occurred following the importation from other countries in recent years, even though the circulation of wild measles viruses in Korea has been stopped since 2010 [4], [13].

Such outbreaks have affected mostly unvaccinated people, but they also occurred in adolescents and young adults who had been previously vaccinated against measles [4], [13].

During 2010–2016 in Korea, 36.2% of individuals with confirmed measles infection were unvaccinated, 46.8% were vaccinated previously (10.5% with 1-dose, 36.2% with 2-dose), and vaccination information was not available for 17% of infected individuals (data not shown).

The existence of potential factors underlying vaccine failure, such as waning immunity, was suggested by data generated in previous studies on measles outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations [5], [6], [8], [9].

Several reports have warned that the susceptibility to measles infection may be rising because of waning vaccine-induced immunity over time after vaccination, in the absence of natural boosting by circulating measles viruses [22], [23]. Our data showed good agreement between the incidence of measles and the susceptible age groups (adolescents and young adults) with measles seronegativity observed, suggesting the potential accumulation of measles-susceptible individuals in the population due to waning immunity, which may pose increased risk for measles outbreaks following measles importation from other endemic countries.

Czeck Republic

23) Smetana, Jan, et al. “Decreasing Seroprevalence of Measles Antibodies after Vaccination–Possible Gap in Measles Protection in Adults in the Czech Republic.” PloS one 12.1 (2017): e0170257.

coverage against measles, which in the Czech Republic, over the long term, exceeds 95%

Natural infection provides longer term protection than vaccination
Post vaccination immunity decreases in time
Passive immunity may be compromised in newborns of vaccinated mothers

Czech Republic in 2014, during which 186 laboratory confirmed cases were recorded [13]. The most affected age group was formed by persons aged 34–44 years, which corresponds with our finding of the lowest seropositivity of IgG antibodies [6].

Conclusions   Our results confirm the long-term persistence of high seropositivity rate after natural measles infection. By contrast, seropositivity after vaccination decreases over time. Similarly, the concentrations of specific antibodies in persons with history of measles persist for a longer time period and at a higher level than in vaccinated persons. It shows that natural infection provides better protection than vaccination.

measles might therefore become a disease that can occur more often even in countries with high levels of vaccination coverage, such as the Czech Republic, not only in unvaccinated children, but especially in the adult population.

Australia

24) Gidding, H. F., et al. “Declining measles antibodies in the era of elimination: Australia’s experience.” Vaccine 36.4 (2018): 507.

A number of countries with sustained measles control have now demonstrated that measles-specific IgG antibodies decline with time since vaccination.

Japan

25) Kinoshita, Ryo, and Hiroshi Nishiura. “Assessing age-dependent susceptibility to measles in Japan.” Vaccine 35.25 (2017): 3309-3317.

Routine vaccination against measles in Japan started in 1978. Whereas measles elimination was verified in 2015, multiple chains of measles transmission were observed in 2016. We aimed to reconstruct the age-dependent susceptibility to measles in Japan so that future vaccination strategies can be elucidated.
METHODS: An epidemiological model was used to quantify the age-dependent immune fraction using datasets of vaccination coverage and seroepidemiological survey. The second dose was interpreted in two different scenarios, i.e., booster and random shots. The effective reproduction number, the average number of secondary cases generated by a single infected individual, and the age at infection were explored using the age-dependent transmission model and the next generation matrix.
RESULTS:  While the herd immunity threshold of measles likely ranges from 90% to 95%, assuming that the basic reproductive number ranges from 10 to 20, the estimated immune fraction in Japan was below those thresholds in 2016, despite the fact that the estimates were above 80% for all ages. If the second dose completely acted as the booster shot, a proportion immune above 90% was achieved only among those aged 5years or below in 2016. Alternatively, if the second dose was randomly distributed regardless of primary vaccination status, a proportion immune over 90% was achieved among those aged below 25years. The effective reproduction number was estimated to range from 1.50 to 3.01 and from 1.50 to 3.00, respectively, for scenarios 1 and 2 in 2016; if the current vaccination schedule were continued, the reproduction number is projected to range from 1.50 to 3.01 and 1.39 to 2.78, respectively, in 2025.
CONCLUSION:  Japan continues to be prone to imported cases of measles. Supplementary vaccination among adults aged 20-49years would be effective if the chains of transmission continue to be observed in that age group.

US CDC

26) https://www.cdc.gov/measles/downloads/measlesdataandstatsslideset.pdf

Measles Data and Statistics

Measles in the United States, 2016*
•86 cases reported from 19 states;
4 outbreaks
•97% cases import-associated
•Of the 18 direct importations, 12 were U.S. residents, 6 were foreign visitors
•73% were outbreak-related
•Outbreaks ranged in size from 6 to 32 cases
•Cases among U.S. residents (N=55)
•56% unvaccinated
•18% unknown vaccination status•26% vaccinated

====================================
27) Bring back our #ChildHoodDiseases’: White House communications director’s wife criticizes vaccines.  By Lindsey Bever February 14 at 4:01 PM

28) Measles Overview

As of November 30, 2018, there have been more than 92,844 reports of measles vaccine reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths following measles vaccinations made to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), including 457 related deaths, 6,902 hospitalizations, and 1,736 related disabilities.

Over 50% of those adverse events occurred in children three years old and under.  As of January 2, 2019, there had been 1,258 claims filed in the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) for injuries and deaths following MMR vaccination, including 82 deaths and 1,176 serious injuries.
Evidence has been published in the medical literature that vaccinated persons can get measles because either they do not respond to the vaccine or the vaccine’s efficacy wanes over time19 20 21 22 and vaccinated mothers do not transfer long lasting maternal antibodies to their infants to protect them in the first few months of life.23 24

29) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDhv-...
Dr. Alvin H. Moss, M.D. | Full Testimony (West Virginia Senate Education Committee)

30) Measles Madness: Dr. Brian Hooker’s Statement to WA Legislators
Brian S. Hooker, PH.D., P.E.
SCIENCE ADVISER, FOCUS FOR HEALTH | BIO February 13, 2019

31) Murti, M., et al. “Case of vaccine-associated measles five weeks post-immunisation, British Columbia, Canada, October 2013.” Eurosurveillance 18.49 (2013): 20649.

32) Kaic, Bernard, et al. “Spotlight on measles 2010: excretion of vaccine strain measles virus in urine and pharyngeal secretions of a child with vaccine associated febrile rash illness, Croatia, March 2010.” Eurosurveillance 15.35 (2010): 19652.

33) The Story of Measles’ Sharp Decline by Marco Cáceres Published April 12, 2016 | Vaccination, History

34)  First They Came for the Anti-Vaxxers  By Bretigne Shaffer April 23, 2015

35) Bitnun, Ari, et al. “Measles inclusion-body encephalitis caused by the vaccine strain of measles virus.” Clinical infectious diseases 29.4 (1999): 855-861.Measles_encephalitis_vaccine_strain_Ari_Bitnun_Clinical_infectious_diseases_1999

21 month old dies from measles encephalitis after MMR shot. Measles_encephalitis_vaccine_strain_Ari_Bitnun_Clinical_infectious_diseases_1999 Bitnun, Ari, et al. “Measles inclusion-body encephalitis caused by the vaccine strain of measles virus.” Clinical infectious diseases 29.4 (1999): 855-861.

“We report a case of measles inclusion-body encephalitis in an apparently healthy 21-month-old boy 8.5 months after measles-mumps-rubella vaccination. He had no prior evidence of immune deficiency and no history of measles exposure or clinical disease. . . . The nucleotide sequence in the nucleoprotein and fusion gene regions was identical to that of the Moraten and Schwarz vaccine strains. . . . On hospital day 51, the patient died after ventilatory support was withdrawn. . . . An immunologic evaluation of this patient was prompted by the diagnosis of MIBE. While we cannot ascribe his condition to any classic immunodeficiency syndrome, our findings support the presence of a primary immunodeficiency”

36) Poland, Gregory A., and Robert M. Jacobson. “The re-emergence of measles in developed countries: time to develop the next-generation measles vaccines?.” Vaccine 30.2 (2012): 103.

Thus, measles outbreaks also occur even among highly vaccinated populations because of primary and secondary vaccine failure, which results in gradually larger pools of susceptible persons and outbreaks once measles is introduced [8]. This leads to a paradoxical situation whereby measles in highly immunized societies occurs primarily among those previously immunized [8].

37)  Mutant Strains Of Polio Vaccine Now Cause More Paralysis Than Wild Polio  June 28, 2017  NPR Jason Beaubien

38) Sudfeld, Christopher R., Ann Marie Navar, and Neal A. Halsey. “Effectiveness of measles vaccination and vitamin A treatment.” International journal of epidemiology 39.suppl_1 (2010): i48-i55.

Jeffrey Dach MD
7450 Griffin Road, Suite 190
Davie, Fl 33314
954-792-4663
www.jeffreydachmd.com
www.drdach.com
Heart Book by Jeffrey Dach
www.naturalmedicine101.com
www.bioidenticalhormones101.com
www.truemedmd.com

Click Here for: Dr Dach’s Online Store for Pure Encapsulations Supplements
Click Here for: Dr Dach’s Online Store for Nature’s Sunshine Supplements

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disc.yourwebapps.com/Indices/244066.html
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http://sci.med.narkive.com/covV2Qo2/jeffrey-dach-book-announcment-natural-medicine-101

Disclaimer

The reader is advised to discuss the comments on these pages with his/her personal physicians and to only act upon the advice of his/her personal physician. Also note that concerning an answer which appears as an electronically posted question, I am NOT creating a physician — patient relationship. Although identities will remain confidential as much as possible, as I can not control the media, I can not take responsibility for any breaches of confidentiality that may occur.

Link to this Article

Copyright (c) 2018 Jeffrey Dach MD All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced on the internet without permission, provided there is a link to this page and proper credit is given. See Repost Guidelines.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues of significance. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

Serving Areas of: Hollywood, Aventura, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Davie, Coral Springs, Cooper City, Sunshine Ranches, Hallandale, Surfside, Miami Beach, Sunny Isles, Normandy Isles, Coral Gables, Hialeah, Golden Beach ,Kendall,sunrise, coral springs, parkland,pompano, boca raton, palm beach, weston, dania beach, tamarac, oakland park, boynton beach, delray,lake worth,wellington,plantation

 

Published on February 16th, 2019 by
Jeffrey Dach MD

The post Measles Outbreak, Fake News and Mass Hysteria appeared first on Jeffrey Dach MD.

Neurologist Andrew Zimmerman Fired by DOJ for Change of Opinion

[image error] Neurologist Andrew Zimmerman Fired by DOJ for Changing Opinion

by Jeffrey Dach MD

Pediatric Neurologist and medical expert, Dr Andrew Zimmerman, was instrumental in making the case for the DOJ and Federal Vaccine Court that “Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism”.  Header image courtesy of Dr Andrew Zimmerman and Doximity.

A Remarkable Turnaround

However, in a remarkable turn around June 15, 2007, Dr. Andrew Zimmerman changed his opinion, and told government lawyers that “Vaccines Can Cause Autism” in a subset of children.   Upon hearing Dr Zimmerman’s change in opinion, US Department of Justice attorneys immediately fired Dr Zimmerman as an expert witness. In a fraudulent manner, these same attorneys went on to misrepresent Dr Zimmerman’s opinions in order to to debunk “vaccine cause autism” claims before the court.  Sheryl Atkinson says in her video report:

“Dr. Zimmerman was the government’s top expert witness and had testified that vaccines didn’t cause autism. The debate was declared over….But now Dr. Zimmerman has provided remarkable new information. He claims that during the vaccine hearings all those years ago, he privately told government lawyers that vaccines can, and did cause autism in some children. That turnabout from the government’s own chief medical expert stood to change everything about the vaccine-autism debate.” Quote Sheryl Atkinson Full Measure Vaccine Debate.

Conclusion: The Government’s top expert witness for the vaccine/autism debate had a remarkable turnaround in his opinion more than ten years ago, yet Government lawyers in the DOJ working for the “Federal Vaccine Court” suppressed this information, and continued to misrepresent his old opinion.   If this isn’t an example of “Criminal Fraud in the DOJ”, I dont know what is.

Link to this article

Articles with Related Interest:

Aluminum Adjuvants in Vaccine can Cause Autism

Which is Greater Threat Measles or Measles Vaccine ?

Financial Kickbacks to Pediatricians is Illegal and Harms Children

Autism-and-aluminum-adjuvants-in-vaccines

HPV Vaccine the Greatest Scandal of Our Time

The Failure of Global Polio Eradication

Jeffrey Dach MD

7450 Griffin Road

Davie, Fl 33314

954-792-4663

References:

1) Link to Dr Andrew Zimmerman’s Affidavit Septermber 2018

2) Video on Full Measure Vaccine Debate

3)

Dr. Andrew Zimmerman’s full Affidavit on alleged link between vaccines and autism that U.S. govt. covered up

Dr Andrew Zimmerman, pediatric neurologist and expert witness for the DOJ, and Federal VAccine Court has been the key medical expert to support their claim that vaccines do not cause autism. However, Dr Zimmerman has recanted and now hold the expert opinion that yes, in a subset of children, vaccines can cause autism. His opinions change is documented in his sworn affidavit (Link here to affidavit). Immediately after informing DOJ Lawyers of his change in opinion, he was fired as an expert witness and silenced. (Video here)

4) http://fullmeasure.news/news/cover-st...

The Vaccination Debate

By Full Measure Staff Sunday, January 6th 2019

5)  FULL MEASURE: January 6, 2019 – The Vaccination Debate

Today we investigate one of the biggest medical controversies of our time: vaccines. There’s little dispute about this much– vaccines save many lives, and rarely, they injure or kill. A special federal vaccine court has paid out billions for injuries from brain damage to death. But not for the form of brain injury we call autism. Now—we have remarkable new information: a respected pro-vaccine medical expert used by the federal government to debunk the vaccine-autism link, says vaccines can cause autism after all. He claims he told that to government officials long ago, but they kept it secret. Full Measure is a weekly Sunday news program focusing on investigative, original and accountability reporting. The host is Sharyl Attkisson, five-time Emmy Award winner and recipient of the Edward R. Murrow award for investigative reporting.

6)  AUTISM RESEARCH FOUNDATION

N of One Connecting people who care with research that matters

Andrew Zimmerman Scientific Advisor

Dr. Andrew Zimmerman serves as a scientific advisor to N of One. Dr. Zimmerman has been seeing and caring for autistic patients for over three decades at such prestigious institutions as John Hopkins Kennedy Krieger Institute and Mass General Hospital in Boston. In addition to having cared for thousands of autistic patients, he is an accomplished and highly-regarded researcher having published over 70 peer-reviewed papers.

7)  Developmental Regression and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in a Child With Autism  Jon S. Poling, MD, PhD, Richard E. Frye, MD, PhD, John Shoffner, MD, and Andrew W. Zimmerman, MD

Jeffrey Dach MD

7450 Griffin Road, Suite 190

Davie, Fl 33314

954-792-4663

www.jeffreydachmd.com

www.drdach.com

Heart Book by Jeffrey Dach

www.naturalmedicine101.com

www.bioidenticalhormones101.com

www.truemedmd.com

Click Here for: Dr Dach’s Online Store for Pure Encapsulations Supplements

Web Site and Discussion Board Links:

jdach1.typepad.com/blog/

disc.yourwebapps.com/Indices/244066.html

disc.yourwebapps.com/Indices/244067.html

http://sci.med.narkive.com/covV2Qo2/jeffrey-dach-book-announcment-natural-medicine-101

Disclaimer

The reader is advised to discuss the comments on these pages with his/her personal physicians and to only act upon the advice of his/her personal physician. Also note that concerning an answer which appears as an electronically posted question, I am NOT creating a physician — patient relationship. Although identities will remain confidential as much as possible, as I can not control the media, I can not take responsibility for any breaches of confidentiality that may occur.

Link to this Article

Copyright (c) 2018 Jeffrey Dach MD All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced on the internet without permission, provided there is a link to this page and proper credit is given. See Repost Guidelines.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues of significance. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

Serving Areas of: Hollywood, Aventura, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Davie, Coral Springs, Cooper City, Sunshine Ranches, Hallandale, Surfside, Miami Beach, Sunny Isles, Normandy Isles, Coral Gables, Hialeah, Golden Beach ,Kendall,sunrise, coral springs, parkland,pompano, boca raton, palm beach, weston, dania beach, tamarac, oakland park, boynton beach, delray,lake worth,wellington,plantation

Published on January 9th, 2019 by
Jeffrey Dach MD

The post Neurologist Andrew Zimmerman Fired by DOJ for Change of Opinion appeared first on Jeffrey Dach MD.

Stress Fractures from Wheat Gluten Sensitivity

[image error]

Stress Fractures from Wheat Gluten Sensitivity, Two Cases

by Jeffrey Dach MD

A 22 year old female came to see me for repeated stress fracture in her feet involving the metatarsal bones.  A previous doctor, a rheumatologist,  prescribed Fosamax, a bisphosphonate drug for low bone density on a DEXA scan.  Lab testing showed markedly elevated anti-gliadin antibodies indicating severe gluten sensitivity.  This patient was placed on a wheat free diet. Above image shows stress fracture of mid femur due to wheat gluten sensitivity. Courtesy of Lee,et al “Surgical Treatment of the Atypical Femoral Fracture” Hip & pelvis 2018

Second Case

A 55 year old golfer stepped in a hole at the golf course and suffered a transverse fracture of the mid femur.  After surgical repair with rod and nail, the orthopedic surgeon told him he sustained a “stress fracture” .  Lab testing showed massively elevated anti-gliadin antibody levels indicating severe gluten sensitivity.  This patient was eating wheat products daily.

Wheat Sensitivity and Malabsorption

In the most severe form of wheat gluten sensitivity called Celiac Disease, malabsorption due to inflammation in the gut lining is fairly common. The immune response to wheat gluten actually causes loss of the brush border of the small bowel, a form of enteric atrophy.  This leads to calcium malabsorption and stress fracture in these patients.   Malabsorption of other nutrients such as Iron, B12, and triglycerides may also be present and reveal the underlying gluten (wheat) sensitivity.

in 2008, Dr Olmos did a systematic review of the medical literature finding more than 400 articles reporting the association of celiac disease with metabolic bone alterations.(16)  Dr Olmos says:

“Thus, our systematic review identified a great number of papers (>400) recognizing the association between CD and bone metabolic alterations. This body of evidence strongly suggests that CD should be considered as one of the leading conditions predisposing to bone damage.”(16)

Treatment with Gluten Free Diet

Both patients were treated with Gluten-Free (wheat free) Diet, As well as calcium, magnesium, vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2 supplements with no further fractures reported. Link to this Article

Jeffrey Dach MD

7450 Griffin Road Suite 180

Davie, Fl 33314

954-792-4663

Articles with  Related Interest:

Wheat Gluten and Celiac Disease Part One

References

1) Tins, Bernhard J., et al. “Stress fracture of the pelvis and lower limbs including atypical femoral fractures—a review.” Insights into imaging 6.1 (2015): 97-110.February 2015, Volume 6, Issue 1, pp 97–110 |

2) Thakur, Amit, et al. “Femoral Neck Fatigue Fracture as the First Manifestation of Celiac Disease: A Case Report.” IJSS 2.10 (2016): 13.Femoral Neck Fatigue Fracture as First Manifestation of Celiac Disease Thakur Amit IJSS 2016

Young individuals with fatigue fractures are often a result of the repetitive athletic activity. Military recruits, distance runners, and dancers are commonly affected and are at an increased risk of developing stress fractures in the hip. We report a case of fatigue fracture of the femoral neck in a 20-year-old software professional as the first presentation of celiac disease. The skeletal manifestation of celiac disease is rare (0.6%). The case was managed with in situ fixation with cannulated screws and gluten free diet. The patient was pain free with no evidence of osteonecrosis, nonunion, or any other complication at 1-year follow-up.

3) Rubinstein, A., et al. “Bilateral femoral neck fractures as a result of coeliac disease.” Postgraduate medical journal 58.675 (1982): 61-62.Femoral Neck Fatigue Fracture as First Manifestation of Celiac Disease Thakur Amit IJSS 2016

4) Selek, Ozgur, Kaya Memisoglu, and Alev Selek. “Bilateral femoral neck fatigue fracture due to osteomalacia secondary to celiac disease: Report of three cases.” Archives of Iranian medicine 18.8 (2015): 542.Bilateral femoral neck fatigue fracture due to osteomalacia secondary to celiac disease Selek Arch Iranian med 2015

5) Rastogi, Ashu, et al. “Celiac disease: a missed cause of metabolic bone disease.” Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism 16.5 (2012): 780.

6) Topal, Erdem, et al. “Vitamin and mineral deficiency in children newly diagnosed with celiac disease.” Turkish journal of medical sciences 45.4 (2015): 833-836.Vitamin and mineral deficiency in children newly diagnosed with celiac disease Topal Erdem Turkish j med sci 2015

Materials and methods: The files of patients diagnosed with celiac disease in our Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic from June 2008 to

June 2013 were reviewed retrospectively.

Results: A total of 52 pediatric patients diagnosed with celiac disease via serology and duodenal biopsy and who fulfilled the study

criteria were enrolled in the study. The mean diagnosis age of the patients was 8.5 ± 3.9 years and 33 (63.5%) of the patients were female.

Vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc, and iron deficiencies were determined in 27 (51.9%), 4 (7.7%), 7 (13.5%), 35 (67.3%), and 18

(34.6%) patients, respectively, at the time of diagnosis. Vitamin D deficiency was observed more frequently in patients with growth

retardation at the time of application (P = 0.02).

Conclusion: Vitamin D, zinc, and iron deficiency are frequently observed in pediatric patients with celiac disease at the time of diagnosis.

Therefore, serum vitamin D, zinc, and iron levels should be checked in all children diagnosed with celiac disease.

7) Capriles, Vanessa D., Ligia A. Martini, and José Alfredo G. Arêas. “Metabolic osteopathy in celiac disease: importance of a gluten-free diet.” Nutrition reviews 67.10 (2009): 599-606.

Reduced bone mineral density (BMD) is frequently found in individuals with untreated celiac disease (CD), possibly due to calcium and vitamin D malabsorption, release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and misbalanced bone remodeling. A gluten-free diet (GFD) promotes a rapid increase in BMD that leads to complete recovery of bone mineralization in children. Children may attain normal peak bone mass if the diagnosis is made and treatment is given before puberty, thereby preventing osteoporosis in later life. A GFD improves, but rarely normalizes, BMD in patients diagnosed with CD in adulthood. In some cases, nutritional supplementation may be necessary. More information on therapeutic alternatives is needed.

8) Krupa-Kozak, Urszula. “Pathologic bone alterations in celiac disease: etiology, epidemiology, and treatment.” Nutrition 30.1 (2014): 16-24.Pathologic bone alterations in celiac disease Krupa-Kozak Urszula Nutrition 2014

9) Xing, Yanming, and Sarah L. Morgan. “Celiac disease and metabolic bone disease.” Journal of Clinical Densitometry 16.4 (2013): 439-444.

10) Stein, Emily M., et al. “Abnormal skeletal strength and microarchitecture in women with celiac disease.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 100.6 (2015): 2347-2353.

11) Yang, Yu-Xiao, et al. “Long-term proton pump inhibitor therapy and risk of hip fracture.” Jama 296.24 (2006): 2947-2953.’

12) Mulder, Christopher J., Anthony P. Cardile, and Judith Dickert. “Celiac disease presenting as severe osteopenia.” Hawaii medical journal 70.11 (2011): 242.

13) Tahiri, Latifa, et al. “Celiac disease causing severe osteomalacia: an association still present in Morocco!.” The Pan African medical journal 19 (2014).

16) Olmos, M., et al. “Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies on the prevalence of fractures in coeliac disease.” (2008): 46. Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies on the prevalence of fractures in coeliac disease Olmos 2008

Thus, our systematic review identified a great number of papers (>400) recognising the association between CD and bone metabolic alterations. This body of evidence strongly suggests that CD should be con- sidered as one of the leading conditions predisposing to bone damage.

Header image courtesy of:  Lee, Kyung-Jae, and Byung-Woo Min. “Surgical Treatment of the Atypical Femoral Fracture: Overcoming Femoral Bowing.” Hip & pelvis 30.4 (2018): 202-209.

Jeffrey Dach MD

7450 Griffin Road, Suite 190

Davie, Fl 33314

954-792-4663

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Published on January 6th, 2019 by
Jeffrey Dach MD

The post Stress Fractures from Wheat Gluten Sensitivity appeared first on Jeffrey Dach MD.

LDL-Cholesterol Does Not Cause Coronary Artery Disease

[image error] LDL-Cholesterol Does Not Cause Coronary Artery Disease

by Jeffrey Dach MD

My new book on prevention of cardiovascular disease entitled “Heart Book” came out on Amazon in August 2018.  About the same time, an article by Dr Uffe Ravnskov appeared in Expert Review in Clin Pharm entitled, “LDL-C does not cause cardiovascular disease” which summarizes nicely many of the points made in my book. Here is a quote from the conclusion of the article:(1)

The idea that high cholesterol levels in the blood are the main cause of CVD is impossible because people with low levels become just as atherosclerotic as people with high levels and their risk of suffering from CVD is the same or higher. The cholesterol hypothesis has been kept alive for decades by reviewers who have used misleading statistics, excluded the results from unsuccessful trials and ignored numerous contradictory observations…

It is important to emphasize that LDL participates in the immune system by adhering to and inactivating all kinds of microorganisms and their toxic products and that many observations and experiments have incriminated infections as a possible causal factor of CVD , and our results indicate that there may be better methods than cholesterol lowering to prevent atherosclerosis and CVD.(note CVD=cardiovascular disease) (1)

[image error]For more on this, take a look at my new book, “Heart Book” (left image cover).

Jeffrey Dach MD

Articles with Related Interest

Heart Book by Jeffrey Dach MD

References

1) Ravnskov, Uffe, et al. “LDL-C does not cause cardiovascular disease: a comprehensive review of the current literature.” Expert review of clinical pharmacology 11.10 (2018): 959-970. LDL-C does not cause cardiovascular disease Ravnskov Uffe Expert rev clin pharm 2018

Published on November 28th, 2018 by
Jeffrey Dach MD

The post LDL-Cholesterol Does Not Cause Coronary Artery Disease appeared first on Jeffrey Dach MD.

Message from your Heart-Answers for Cardiovascular Disease ICIM March 2019

[image error] Message from your Heart, Answers for Cardiovascular Disease ICIM March 2019

I am excited and look forward to speaking at the upcoming meeting “A Message from your Heart; Answers for Cardiovascular Disease“ with Eric Born, MD Program Chairman and Wendy Chappell, Executive Director, International College of Integrative Medicine. March 6-10, 2019 Philadelphia.  The title of my talk is: “Cardiovascular Disease, Hormones and Coronary Artery Calcium Scores.”

I am honored to be be included in a prestigious group of speakers:  See List of Speakers: Click Here.  For more information and Meeting Registration: Click Here

[image error]As an interventional/vascular radiologist over a 30-year career, I experienced first-hand the shortcomings and failures of the cholesterol-statin dogma. This experience as a radiologist looking at arterial disease forms the basis for my new book available on Amazon entitled “Heart Book”, which explains in detail why conventional cardiology is in crisis. The old cholesterol-statin dogma has been falsified by modern imaging techniques, and has been replaced by a new paradigm with a completely new understanding of the etiology and prevention of coronary artery disease. Even though the seeds of change are planted in their own peer reviewed medical literature, mainstream cardiology is in denial, clinging to the old dogmas of the past. And this is for a very for good reason.

While the cholesterol-statin dogma failed to prevent progression of coronary artery disease, the new paradigm does, and will ultimately make cardiology stenting/bypass procedures obsolete, or much reduced in scale. This could spell the end of procedure-based cardiology. The new tool at the core of this paradigm shift is the serial calcium score, and the realization that interventions which prevent progression of calcium score also serve to prevent progression of coronary artery disease.

Armed with this new knowledge, you will be emboldened to embark on a journey to prevent, and in some cases, regress coronary artery disease in your patient population. This is an important conference which is long over-due. Thanks and credit go to the pioneering and courageous spirit of ICIM which makes “Answers in Cardiovascular Disease” possible. I wouldn’t dream of missing it.

Cardiology Paradigm Shift in One Chart

Left Chart shows less than 15% progression of calcium score (CAC) carries a benign prognosis regardless of starting score, with Myocardial Infarction-free survival near 100%.

Right Chart shows greater than 15% annual progression of calcium score (CAC) carries poor prognosis with reduced survival correlating with starting calcium scores.

[image error]

Above image is  Figure 5 from Hecht 2015 , originally from Raggi 2004. Progression of CAC and Risk of First MI in 495 Asymptomatic Patients Receiving Cholesterol-Lowering Therapy.

(Left Chart) CAC progression of is associated with a benign prognosis irrespective of the baseline CAC, implying stabilization of the atherosclerotic process.

(Right Chart) CAC progression of >15% per year is associated with a poor prognosis directly related to the baseline CAC, implying new plaque formation and inadequacy of treatment. CAC = coronary artery calcium; MI = myocardial infarction.  JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging Volume 8, Issue 5, May 2015  Coronary Artery Calcium Scanning Past, Present, and Future Harvey S. Hecht, Original data from  Raggi Paolo 2004

Paolo Raggi 2004 Study Confirmed by Matthew Budoff 2010

Confirmation with Second Large Study by Budoff 2010. Data from 4,609 consecutive asymptomatic individuals referred by primary physicians for CAC measurement with electron beam tomography, who underwent repeat screening. All cause mortality data.

[image error]

Notice Charts (A) and (B) is from Budoff 2010 appear very similar to the Paolo Raggi 2004 chart Above. Note: Nonprogressors: 15% annual increase in CAC.

Fig 2 From Budoff, Matthew J., et al. “Progression of coronary artery calcium predicts all-cause mortality“JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging 3.12 (2010): 1229-1236.  (A) nonprogressors (Annual Increase (B) outcomes in progressors (Annual Increase >15%) . CAC = coronary artery calcium.

Articles with Related Interest:

Reducing Calcium Score with Aged Garlic

Calcium Score Paradigm Shift in Cardiology

LDL Cholesterol Particle Size, What Gives?

Low Level Endotoxemia LPS Theory of Coronary Artery Disease

Leaky Gut and Low level Endotoxemia

Vitamin K , Is There Anything It Cant Do? Benefits for Calcium Score

Autopsy Studies Show No Correlation

Statin Denialism Internet cult

Jeffrey Dach MD

7450 Griffin Road

Suite 180/190

Davie, Florida 33314

954-792-4663

References:

Header Image Courtesy of ICIM Web Site

Budoff, Matthew J., et al. “Progression of coronary artery calcium predicts all-cause mortality.” JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging 3.12 (2010): 1229-1236.  Progression of coronary artery calcium predicts all-cause mortality Budoff Matthew JACC Cardiovascular Imaging 2010

Raggi, P., et al. “Progression of coronary calcium on serial electron beam tomographic scanning is greater in patients with future myocardial infarction.” The American journal of cardiology 92.7 (2003): 827.

Raggi, Paolo, Tracy Q. Callister, and Leslee J. Shaw. “Progression of coronary artery calcium and risk of first myocardial infarction in patients receiving cholesterol-lowering therapy.” Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 24.7 (2004): 1272-1277.Progression of coronary artery calcium risk of myocardial infarction cholesterol-lowering therapy Raggi Paolo Arteriosclerosis thrombosis vascular biology 2004

Hecht, Harvey S. “Coronary artery calcium scanning: past, present, and future.” JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging 8.5 (2015): 579-596.

Hecht, Harvey S., and Jagat Narula. “Coronary artery calcium scanning in asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus: a paradigm shift.” Journal of diabetes 4.4 (2012): 342-350.

Budoff, Matthew J., et al. “Progression of coronary calcium and incident coronary heart disease events: MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).” Journal of the American College of Cardiology 61.12 (2013): 1231-1239.Progression of coronary calcium and heart disease events MESA Budoff Matthew J Amer Col Card 2013

Arad, Yadon, et al. “Treatment of asymptomatic adults with elevated coronary calcium scores with atorvastatin, vitamin C, and vitamin E: the St. Francis Heart Study randomized clinical trial.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology 46.1 (2005): 166-172.

Mori, Hiroyoshi, et al. “Coronary artery calcification and its progression: what does it really mean?.” JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging 11.1 (2018): 127-142.

Budoff, Matthew J., and John Tayek. “Coronary Artery Calcium Progression: Increasing CAC Is Associated With Increased Events.” (2018): 517-518.

Yeh Y, Nakanishi R, Budoff MJ. Coronary artery disease progression: insights from cardiac CT. Curr Cardiovasc Imaging Rep 2015;8:24–32.

McEvoy, John W., et al. “Coronary artery calcium progression: an important clinical measurement?: A review of published reports.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology 56.20 (2010): 1613-1622.

Henein, Michael, et al. “High dose and long-term statin therapy accelerate coronary artery calcification.” International journal of cardiology 184 (2015): 581-586.

Malguria, Nagina, Stefan Zimmerman, and Elliot K. Fishman. “Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring: Current Status and Review of Literature.” Journal of computer assisted tomography 42.6 (2018): 887-897.

pdf

Tesche, Christian, et al. “Current and future applications of CT coronary calcium assessment.” Expert review of cardiovascular therapy 16.6 (2018): 441-453.

Burge, Mark R., et al. “Management of Asymptomatic Patients With Positive Coronary Artery Calcium Scans.” Journal of the Endocrine Society 1.6 (2017): 588-599.

This body of literature supports the conclusion that CAC testing is a major advance in noninvasive methodology to detect coronary artery disease and to predict future cardiovascular events and death.

serial coronary intravascular ultrasound,

Puri R1, Nicholls SJ2, Shao M3, Kataoka Y2, Uno K3, Kapadia SR4, Tuzcu EM4, Nissen SE5.Impact of statins on serial coronary calcification during atheroma progression and regression.J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015 Apr 7;65(13):1273-1282. CONCLUSIONS:Independent of their plaque-regressive effects, statins promote coronary atheroma calcification. These findings provide insight as to how statins may stabilize plaque beyond their effects on plaque regression.

Shaw, Leslee J., Jagat Narula, and Y. Chandrashekhar. “The never-ending story on coronary calcium: is it predictive, punitive, or protective?.” (2015): 1283-1285.

Link to this article:

Published on November 21st, 2018 by
Jeffrey Dach MD

The post Message from your Heart-Answers for Cardiovascular Disease ICIM March 2019 appeared first on Jeffrey Dach MD.

Finding The Right Thyroid Doctor

[image error]Finding the Right Thyroid Doctor

by Jeffrey Dach MD

Finding the right thyroid doctor is perhaps the single most important step in your road to recovery.  If you are on T4 monotherapy with your local endocrinologist, and doing well, then go no further.  No change is needed.  However, if you have persistent symptoms of a low thyroid condition, and would like to try natural desiccated thyroid, then finding the right doctor might be difficult.  Above header image courtesy of Feature Pics (royalty free)

Many of my patients are referred to me from other health care professionals in the area,  other doctors, chiropractors, pharmacists, herbalists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, holistic health professionals, RN’s, nurse practitioners, midwifes and even the hair stylist !!  So try asking your local ancillary health care professionals who they recommend in the area.

Many of my patients find me on the internet by searching for natural desiccated thyroid in the local area.  Some will read my newsletter for many years, and eventually call for an appointment and seek treatment.

Call Your Local Compounding Pharmacy

Your local compounding pharmacy is an excellent resource for finding a doctor in your area who prescribes natural desiccated thyroid.  Simply explain to the pharmacist your predicament, and ask them if they can help.  They are usually glad to give you a few names of local doctors who will prescribe NDT. If you don’t have a compounding pharmacy near you, then call a national compounding pharmacy such as Women’s International Pharmacy, 2 Marsh Ct, Madison, WI 53718.  Since they serve the entire nation, they can usually give you the names of a few local doctors who can help.

Narrowing Down the List

Now that you have a list of names, it is important to select a thyroid doctor with a few years experience and expertise.  In other words, if your doctor is an anesthesiologist who decided to change fields and just started out prescribing natural thyroid, perhaps there are other more suitable choices.  If you doctor has more than ten years of experience prescribing natural thyroid then that is usually a good indicator.  If your doctor has a few medical books published on Amazon, that is usually a good indication.

Jeffrey Dach MD

7450 Griffin Road

Suite 180/190

Davie, Florida 33314

954-792-4663

Published on November 15th, 2018 by
Jeffrey Dach MD

The post Finding The Right Thyroid Doctor appeared first on Jeffrey Dach MD.

Paradigm Shift from Levothyroxine to Combination T3 T4 Thyroid

[image error]Paradigm Shift from Levothyroxine to Combination T3 T4 Thyroid

As regular readers of my work will know, one of the errors in mainstream endocrinology is the dogmatic insistence on T4 mono-therapy only.  Only one single medicine, T4 only, may be prescribed to the hypothyroid patient.  This is the (generic) Levothyroxine or (brand name) Synthroid, which is the most prescribed drugs in America with123 million prescriptions in 2016.(1)   About 7% of the population is hypothyroid and needs treatment.  In my opinion, (NDT) natural desiccated thyroid is preferable to T4 monotherapy.  As we will see below, NDT is more robust, more effective and safer than T4 only monotherapy with Levothyroxine.  Above left image shows chemical structure of T3 and T4. courtesy of Failing.com

The Wheels of Change Are Turning

The wheels of change are turning, as illustrated by Angela M. Leung, MD writing  on the “Love-Hate Relationship with T4“ .(1)  This caught my attention because it represents the beginning of a paradigm shift in mainstream endocrinology.

Subset of Patients Are Dissatisfied with T4-Montherapy

With refreshing honesty, Angela M. Leung, MD points out that a subset of patients are dissatisfied with T4 only Monotherapy, and are actively seeking combination T3 and T4 treatment .  Reasons cited are

1) persistent hypothyroid symptoms even though the TSH is in the “normal range” and

2) the possibility of a genetic mutation in the patient called a De-iodinase polymorphism which impairs conversion of T4 to T3 . (1)

Synthetic T3 T4 Combinations

For the “Synthetic Combination” of T3 and T4, Dr Angela Leung  will prescribe both Cytomel (T3) and Levothyroxine(T4) in dosage that replicates the T3:T4 secretion ratio of the human thyroid:

“To best replicate the physiologic ratio of T3:T4 production, the separate prescriptions should be about 1:13-1:20 that of T3 to T4.[20]…A typical formula for a patient on 112 µg of synthetic T4 once daily, the new prescription is 5 µg of synthetic T3 twice daily and 100 µg of synthetic T4 daily.”(1)

[image error]Some Patients Prefer (NDT) Natural Desiccated Thyroid

In another burst of refreshing honesty, Dr Angela Leung actually admits that some patients prefer NDT, which dates back to 1891, and was “grandfathered” in 1938 when the FDA was created.  Since it was “grandfathered-in”, NDT skipped formal new-drug approval by the FDA.(1)

Left Image Figure 1 Show activity of De-Iodinase Enzyme varies according to anatomic location, Courtesy of Gereben B, McAninch EA et al 2015) (4)

Concern About 4:1 T4:T3 Ratio

NDT which contains T4 and T3 in a 4:1 ratio can be regarded as another combination therapy. Although Dr Leung will reluctantly prescribe NDT, she will first try to dissuade the patient by disclosing drawbacks.  Namely,  Dr Leung will argue NDT is suboptimal because the T4:T3 ratio in NDT is 4:1, while the thyroid secretion ratio ranges from 12:1 to 20:1.  Opposing views in support of the 4:1 ratio can be found among prescribers of natural thyroid.  Although the thyroid gland T4:T3 secretion ratio is 12:1, only about 20% of serum T3 comes from thyroid secretion, the other 80% comes from peripheral conversion of T4 to T3.  This means the final serum levels are closer to the 3:1 or 4:1 range of which is found in NDT.   Even though  NDT does not replicate thyroid secretion ratio of 12:1, it does replicate the serum ratio of T4 to T3 (3:1 or 4:1), which in my opinion is more important.

Do the Calculation From Your Own Lab Sheet

Average normal Free T3 is 300  pcg/dl

Average normal Free T4 is 1.0 ng/dl= 1000pcg/dl

FreeT4/Free T3 = 1000/300 = 3.3

The serum Free T4:T3 ratio in the average patient is 3.3:1 a value closer to the 4:1 found in NDT.  Remember, after the thyroid pill is ingested and absorbed, it goes into the circulating blood stream as Free T3 and Free T4.  So, matching the serum T4:T3 ratio is the most logical dosing strategy.

127 Years of Use

In 15 years of clinical practice prescribing NDT to patients and family members the 4:1 ratio in NDT has NEVER been a significant issue, so I would say this is an example of a medical myth, the creation of an “imaginary” objection.  Another thing to think about is this: If there were any significant problems with natural desiccated thyroid requiring a black box warning or removal from the marketplace, it would have happened by now.  Natural Desiccated thyroid has been in use for over 127 years, representing the SOLE thyroid medication available from 1891 until 1955 (64 years),  after which Synthroid entered the marketplace.   For any drug, 127 years of use is a very long track record attesting to safety and efficacy.

Reading the Comment Section

[image error]To give you an idea of the typical results we see every week prescribing NDT, read one of the comments by CM below Dr Angela Leung’s article on Medscape.:

From :CM, Health Business/Administration

“For over 15 years of treatment for hypothyroidism with various T4 medications, I complained about continuation of hypothyroid symptoms, only to be told that my blood work was just fine. I finally found a doctor that was open to treating with dessicated thyroid medication and it completely changed my life. All of my symptoms have resolved. If patients speak, please listen and be opened minded enough to try a different medication instead of treating the lab values and not the patient. There are many people that have and would benefit from dessicated thyroid.” Comment section for (1)

Notice in the above comment, there is no mention of a problem with the NDT T4:T3 ratio which is 4:1.  Left Image Shows  Deiodinase activity varies in different cells…Courtesy of  Figure 2 from Gereben B, McAninch EA et al 2015) (4)

My First Thyroid Patient

My first thyroid patient 15 years ago, was a 70 year old female who had been on Synthroid for 50 years ever since her total thyroidectomy for a “benign cyst” at age 20. An operation, which in retrospect, was probably unnecessary. Three weeks after switching her to NDT natural desiccated thyroid, she came back into the office, threw up her hands and said: “I feel so much better.  Why hasn’t any other doctor done this for me before?“, I said ,“I dont know, Mom.”  My very first thyroid patient was my mother.  Over the years, I have found this type of patient result is typical when switching from T4 mono-therapy to natural dessicated thyroid.

Conclusion:  There is no question the winds of medicine are changing in endocrinology regarding dogmatic insistence on T4 Monotherapy.  However, in medicine, the wheels of change turn slowly, so I wouldn’t hold my breathe waiting for the local friendly endocrinolgist to change their prescribing practices anytime soon.  Thank goodness for that, since other wise, I would have nothing to do.

Jeffrey Dach MD

7450 Griffin Road Suite 180/190

Davie, Florida 33314

954-792-4663

Articles with Related interest:

TSH Suppression Benefits and Adverse Effects

Errors in Modern Thyroid Endocrinology

Which Thyroid Pill is Best, T4, T3 , Natural Desiccated thyroid or Combination?

References:

Love Hate T4 Medscape

1) The Love-Hate Relationship With Levothyroxine by Angela M. Leung, MD, MSc October 25, 2018

DTE has been in use since at least 1891, before the FDA in 1938 was required to begin regulating the efficacy and safety of new medications in the United States.[10] Thus, DTE formulations are considered “grandfathered” drugs, which technically remain FDA-unapproved for thyroid hormone replacement to this day.[10]

comments

Dr. None None| General Practice

10 days ago

Amazing that millions of people have been prescribed calcitonin, T3 and T4 from bovine or porcine glands for well over a hundred years. Just think of all that suffering and ill effects those people were put through before synthetic T4 came to the rescue. This reminds me of ivory tower thinking of ACE inhibitors giving added protection to the kidneys during blood pressure treatment that was completely debunked in recent studies. Btw, animal to human ratios of T3/T4 have no meaning unless one can show conclusive evidence. I wonder how many are worried about the exact proper ratio of estradiol and progesterone of each individual female prescribed birth control pills.

Cindy Myers| Health Business/Administration

6 days ago

For over 15 years of treatment for hypothyroidism with various T4 medications, I complained about continuation of hypothyroid symptoms, only to be told that my blood work was just fine. I finally found a doctor that was open to treating with dessicated thyroid medication and it completely changed my life. All of my symptoms have resolved. If patients speak, please listen and be opened minded enough to try a different medication instead of treating the lab values and not the patient. There are many people that have and would benefit from dessicated thyroid.

Victoria Hamman| Other Healthcare Provider

6 days ago

Interesting that it was not mentioned that Synthroid, along with the dessicated thyroid preperations was also grandfathered in without extensive study. The fact that this was not mentioned indicates bias toward the synthetic version of T4. I know this because I was involved in the marketing of the first generic levothyroxine in the early 90s. Up to that point, the makers of Synthroid had a monopoly. Another thing that is not mentioned is the possibility of using T3 alone, which can be the best way to go when the patient is converting a lot of the administered T4 into Reverse T3 – something that is easily tested for. I was taught by one of the leading docs in the country treating hypothyroidism (at that time) to use the following approximate conversions when evaluating each individual: 0.1mg levothyroxine = 1 grain/60mg dessicated porcine thyroid = 25mcg Cytomel (T3.)

3) Jonklaas J, Bianco AC, Bauer AJ, et al; American Thyroid Association Task Force on Thyroid Hormone Replacement. Guidelines for the treatment of hypothyroidism: prepared by the American Thyroid Association Task Force on Thyroid Hormone Replacement. Thyroid. 2014;24:1670-1751. Guidelines For Treatment Hypothyroidism American Thyroid Association Jonklaas 2014

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4) Gereben B, McAninch EA, Ribeiro MO, Bianco AC. Scope and limitations of iodothyronine deiodinases in hypothyroidism. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2015;11:642-652.

In humans, thyroid hormones are secreted into the circulation predominantly as a prohormone (T4), and only ~20% is secreted as the biologically active T3 form.

These observations, some of which were validated in animal models of levothyroxine monotherapy, challenge the paradigm that tissue levels of T3 and thyroid-hormone signalling can be fully restored by administration of levothyroxine alone. The low serum levels of T3 observed among patients receiving levothyroxine monotherapy occur as a consequence of type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (DIO2) in the hypothalamus being fairly insensitive to ubiquitination. In addition, residual symptoms of hypothyroidism have been linked to a prevalent polymorphism in the DIO2 gene that might be a risk factor for neurodegenerative disease.

5) Lum SM, Nicoloff JT, Spencer CA, Kaptein EM. Peripheral tissue mechanism for maintenance of serum triiodothyronine values in a thyroxine-deficient state in man. J Clin Invest. 1984;73:570-575. Abstract

The present study was undertaken to define the source of endogenous triiodothyronine (T3) production responsible for maintaining serum T3 levels in euthyroid subjects with depressed serum thyroxine (T4) values. After withdrawal from 4 wk of exogenous T3 administration, a 22% decline in serum T3 values (from 129 +/- 6 to 99 +/- 4 ng/dl) was observed in six euthyroid subjects, despite a twofold reduction in serum T4 concentrations (from 7.5 +/- 0.5 to 3.2 +/- 0.5 micrograms/dl). This was accompanied by a nearly twofold increase in serum T3/T4 ratio values (17 +/- 1 to 29 +/- 6) but no significant alteration in reverse T3/T4 ratio values. This phenomenon did not appear to be thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) dependent, since base-line serum TSH values were subnormal. Nor was it dependent on changes in thyroid gland function, since a blunted T3 response to exogenous bovine TSH occurred and pharmacologic doses of iodide did not influence the phenomenon. The finding in three athyreotic subjects that serum T3/T4 ratio values increased from 14 +/- 1 on T4 therapy (mean serum T4, 9.6 +/- 0.8 micrograms/dl and T3, 132 +/- 8 ng/dl) to 40 +/- 2 after withdrawal from 2 wk of T3 administration (serum T4 1.2 +/- 0.1 micrograms/dl and T3 46 +/- 3 ng/dl) provided direct evidence that an alteration in peripheral thyroid hormone metabolism was probably responsible for these findings previously observed in euthyroid subjects. The results of this study support the possible existence in euthyroid man of a peripheral tissue autoregulatory mechanism for maintaining serum T3 values in states of T4 deficiency. Whether this process involves an alteration in the efficiency of T4 to T3 conversion or the rate of T3 clearance is presently unknown.

6) Wouters HJ, van Loon HC, van der Klauw MM, et al. No effect of the Thr92Ala polymorphism of deiodinase-2 on thyroid hormone parameters, health-related quality of life, and cognitive functioning in a large population-based cohort study. Thyroid. 2017;27:147-155. Abstract

7) Butler PW, Smith SM, Linderman JD, et al. The Thr92Ala5′ type 2 deiodinase gene polymorphism is associated with a delayed triiodothyronine secretion in response to the thyrotropin-releasing hormone-stimulation test: a pharmacogenomics study. Thyroid. 2010;20:1407-1412. Abstract

De-Iodinase Poymorphism Thr92Ala-DIO2

8) Bianco AC, Kim BS. Pathophysiological relevance of deiodinase polymorphism. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2018;25:341-346.

To assess new findings and clinical implications of deiodinase gene polymorphism. Deiodinases are enzymes that can activate or inactivate thyroid hormone molecules. Whereas the types 1 and 2 deiodinase (D1 and D2) activate thyroxine (T4) to 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3) via deiodination of T4’s outer ring, D1 and D3 inactivate both T4 and T3 and terminate thyroid hormone action via deiodination of T4’s inner molecular ring. A number of polymorphisms have been identified in the three deiodinase genes; the most investigated and likely to have clinical relevance is the Thr92 substitution for Ala substitution in DIO2 (Thr92Ala-DIO2). There are a number of reports describing the association between the Thr92Ala-DIO2 polymorphism and clinical syndromes that include hypertension, type 2 diabetes, mental disorders, lung injury, bone turnover, and autoimmune thyroid disease; but these associations have not been reproduced in all population studies.

RECENT FINDINGS:

A new report indicates that carriers of the Thr92Ala-DIO2 polymorphism exhibit lower D2 catalytic activity and localized/systemic hypothyroidism. This could explain why certain groups of levothyroxine-treated hypothyroid patients have improved quality of life when also treated with liothyronine (LT3). Furthermore, Ala92-D2 was abnormally found in the Golgi apparatus, what could constitute a disease mechanism independent of T3 signaling. Indeed, brain samples of Thr92Ala-DIO2 carriers exhibit gene profiles suggestive of brain degenerative disease. In addition, African American carriers of Thr92Ala-DIO2 exhibit an about 30% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

SUMMARY:  The finding of deiodinase polymorphisms that can diminish thyroid hormone signaling and/or disrupt normal cellular function opens the door to customized treatment of hypothyroidism. Future studies should explore how the racial background modulates the clinical relevance of the Thr92Ala-DIO2 gene polymorphism.

9) Garber JR, Cobin RH, Gharib H, et al; American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American Thyroid Association Taskforce on Hypothyroidism in Adults. Clinical practice guidelines for hypothyroidism in adults: cosponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Thyroid Association. Endocr Pract. 2012;18:988-1028. Abstract

10) Medicines use and spending in the U.S. A review of 2016 and outlook to 2021. IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science. May 4, 2017. Source Accessed October 15, 2018.

11) Hennessey JV. Historical and current perspective in the use of thyroid extracts for the treatment of hypothyroidism. Endocr Pract. 2015;21:1161-1170.

To describe the history, refinements, implementation, physiology, and clinical outcomes achieved over the past several centuries of thyroid hormone replacement strategies.

METHODS: A Medline search was initiated using the following search terms: bioidentical thyroid hormone, thyroid hormone extract, combination thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) therapy, homeopathic thyroid hormone therapy, and thyroid hormone replacement. Pertinent articles of interest were identified by title (and where available abstract) for further review. Additional references were identified during a review of the identified literature.

RESULTS: A rich history of physician intervention in thyroid dysfunction was identified dating back more than 2 millennia. Although not precisely documented, thyroid ingestion from animal sources had been used for centuries but was finally scientifically described and documented in Europe over 130 years ago. Since the reports by Bettencourt and Murray, there has been a continuous documentation of outcomes, refinement of hormone preparation production, and updating of recommendations for the most effective and safe use of these hormones for relieving the symptoms of hypothyroidism. As the thyroid extract preparations contain both levothyroxine (LT4) and liothyronine (LT3), current guidelines do not endorse their use as controlled studies do not clearly document enhanced objective outcomes compared with LT4 monotherapy. Among current issues cited, the optimum ratio of LT4 to LT3 has yet to be determined, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not appear to be monitoring the thyroid hormone ratios or content in extract preparations on the market. Taken together, these limitations are important detriments to the use of thyroid extract products.

CONCLUSION: The evolution of thyroid hormone therapies has been significant over the extended period of time they have been in use to treat hypothyroidism. Although numerous websites continue to advocate the use of thyroid hormone extracts as a superior therapy for hypothyroidism, none of the most recent guidelines of major endocrine societies recommend thyroid extract use for hypothyroidism.

Adding More T4 Does Not Help -Futile

12) Samuels MH, Kolobova I, Niederhausen M, Janowsky JS, Schuff KG. Effects of altering levothyroxine (L-T4) doses on quality of life, mood, and cognition in L-T4 treated subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;103:1997-2008. Abstract

The brain is a critical target organ for thyroid hormone, but it is unclear whether variations in thyroid function within and near the reference range affect quality of life, mood, or cognition.

Methods:  A total of 138 subjects with levothyroxine (L-T4)-treated hypothyroidism and normal thyrotropin (TSH) levels underwent measures of quality of life (36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Underactive Thyroid-Dependent Quality of Life Questionnaire), mood (Profile of Mood States, Affective Lability Scale), and cognition (executive function, memory). They were then randomly assigned to receive an unchanged, higher, or lower L-T4 dose in double-blind fashion, targeting one of three TSH ranges (0.34 to 2.50, 2.51 to 5.60, or 5.61 to 12.0 mU/L). Doses were adjusted every 6 weeks based on TSH levels. Baseline measures were reassessed at 6 months.

Results:  At the end of the study, by intention to treat, mean L-T4 doses were 1.50 ± 0.07, 1.32 ± 0.07, and 0.78 ± 0.08 μg/kg (P < 0.001), and mean TSH levels were 1.85 ± 0.25, 3.93 ± 0.38, and 9.49 ± 0.80 mU/L (P < 0.001), respectively, in the three arms. There were minor differences in a few outcomes between the three arms, which were no longer significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Subjects could not ascertain how their L-T4 doses had been adjusted (P = 0.55) but preferred L-T4 doses they perceived to be higher (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:  Altering L-T4 doses in hypothyroid subjects to vary TSH levels in and near the reference range does not affect quality of life, mood, or cognition. L-T4-treated subjects prefer perceived higher L-T4 doses despite a lack of objective benefit. Adjusting L-T4 doses in hypothyroid patients based on symptoms in these areas may not result in significant clinical improvement.

13) Leung AM. Levothyroxine dose adjustment resulting in mild variations of serum TSH levels within or near the normal range has no effect on quality of life, mood, and cognition in hypothyroid individuals. Clin Thyroidol. 2018;30:263-265.

14) Peterson SJ, Cappola AR, Castro MR, et al. An online survey of hypothyroid patients demonstrates prominent dissatisfaction. Thyroid. 2018;28:707-721. Online survey hypothyroid patients demonstrates Dissatisfaction with T4 Monotherapy NDT Preferred Peterson Sarah Thyroid 2018

A total of 12,146 individuals completed the survey. The overall degree of satisfaction was 5 (interquartile range [IQR] = 3-8). Among respondents without self-reported depression, stressors, or medical conditions (n = 3670), individuals taking DTE reported a higher median treatment satisfaction of 7 (IQR = 5-9) compared to other treatments. At the same time, the LT4 treatment group exhibited the lowest satisfaction of 5 (IQR = 3-7), and for the LT4 + LT3 treatment group, satisfaction was 6 (IQR = 3-8). Respondents taking DTE were also less likely to report problems with weight management, fatigue/energy levels, mood, and memory compared to those taking LT4 or LT4 + LT3.

CONCLUSIONS:  A subset of patients with hypothyroidism are not satisfied with their current therapy or their physicians. Higher satisfaction with both treatment and physicians is reported by those patients on DTE.

15) Stevens EW, Leung AM. A patient survey of hypothyroid individuals demonstrates dissatisfaction with treatment and with managing physicians. Clin Thyroidol. 2018;30:175-178.

16) Hoang TD, Olsen CH, Mai VQ, Clyde PW, Shakir MK. Desiccated thyroid extract compared with levothyroxine in the treatment of hypothyroidism: a randomized, double-blind, crossover study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;98:1982-1990. Abstract

17) Alexander EK, Pearce EN, Brent GA, et al. Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the diagnosis and management of thyroid disease during pregnancy and the postpartum. Thyroid. 2017;27:315-389. Abstract

18) Levothyroxine prices, coupons and patient assistance programs. Drugs.com. Source Accessed October 15, 2018.

19) Synthroid prices, coupons and patient assistance programs. Drugs.com. Source Accessed October 15, 2018.

15) Tirosint prices, coupons and patient assistance programs. Drugs.com. Source Accessed October 15, 2018.

16) Wiersinga WM, Duntas L, Fadeyev V, Nygaard B, Vanderpump MP. 2012 ETA guidelines: the use of L-T4 + L-T3 in the treatment of hypothyroidism. Eur Thyroid J. 2012;1:55-71. Abstract

17)  Dr. Angela M. Leung is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and an endocrinologist at both UCLA and the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

Jeffrey Dach MD

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Link to this Article

Copyright (c) 2018 Jeffrey Dach MD All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced on the internet without permission, provided there is a link to this page and proper credit is given. See Repost Guidelines.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues of significance. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

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Published on November 9th, 2018 by
Jeffrey Dach MD

The post Paradigm Shift from Levothyroxine to Combination T3 T4 Thyroid appeared first on Jeffrey Dach MD.

Pregnancy Nutrition Preventing Eclampsia with High Protein Diet

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Pregnancy Nutrition Preventing Eclampsia with High Protein Diet

by Jeffrey Dach MD

About 30 years ago, a friend’s wife tragically passed away as a complication of pregnancy.   We may never know the cause, however we were told it was ruptured placenta.  Years later, I sometimes wonder if the underlying disorder was eclampsia or pre-eclampsia, (also called toxemia of pregnancy) with elevated blood pressure, edema (swelling of the extremities) and urinary protein.  This condition is sometimes mistakenly treated with diuretics which only makes things worse.  Above header image courtesy of Debug Lies News.

Eclampsia is a Nutritional Disorder

From reading Jonathan Wright’s newsletter, I learned that eclampsia is a nutritional disorder.(7)   Abundant research in the 1930’s and 1940’s showed low serum protein concentrations in this condition.(1-6) Dr Tom Brewer devised a high protein diet which completely prevents the condition.(8-12) The observations of Dr Maurice Strauss from 1935 are to the point (1):

A low protein diet aggravated the symptoms. It is suggested that the toxaemic condition is related to water retention associated with low plasma protein osmotic pressure and increased venous pressure, and that beneficial results may arise from an increase in the protein intake and administration of accessory nutritional factors.”(1)

A recent article in the New York Times describes a study which found that 4 mg a day of folic acid was useless in preventing pre-eclampsia.(15)

Folate fortification of flour for prevention of neural tube defects (anencephaly, microcephaly, spina bifida etc.) is mandated in 53 countries.  Fortification of flour with folic acid was mandated in the US in 1998, the most successful public health measure in history, with reduction of neural tube defects by 36%.(18-20)   In 2009, Dr Oakley declared this success story a “modern miracle of epidemiology”.(20)

Conclusion : The use of folate in pregnancy prevents neural tube birth defects, and was hailed as one of the greatest public health measures. (20)  However, if eclampsia is a protein malnutrition problem, folate or similar measures that ignore the low serum protein levels cannot be expected to help. Link to this article.

Jeffrey Dach MD

7450 Griffin Road Suite 180/190

Davie, Florida 33314

954-792-4663

Links and References for Eclampsia

1) Strauss, Maurice B. “Observations on the etiology of the toxemias of pregnancy. The relationship of nutritional deficiency, hypoproteinuria, and elevated venous pressure to water retention in pregnancy.” American Journal of Medical Sciences 190 (1935): 811-824.

Abstract : The average plasma protein osmotic pressure in 20 cases of non convulsive toxaemia of pregnancy was 215 mm. ; in 10 cases of eclampsia 175 mm. ; and in 20 normal pregnant women 258 mm. of water: in 15 normal pregnant women on a low protein diet the value was 232 mm. of water. The average venous pressure in normal and non convulsive toxaemic pregnant women was double that of non pregnant subjects. Twenty toxaemic women were found to have had a low protein diet over a number of years. A diet consisting of 260 g. protein, 150 g. carbohydrate and 70 g. fat, with vitamin B1 concentrate and liver extract, produced a diminution in oedema and a gradual disappearance of symptoms in pregnancy toxaemia; in cases so treated there was no fetal mortality. A low protein diet aggravated the symptoms. It is suggested that the toxaemic condition is related to water retention associated with low plasma protein osmotic pressure and increased venous pressure, and that beneficial results may arise from an increase in the protein intake and administration of accessory nutritional factors.-W. J, Griffiths.

2) Dodge, Eva F., and Thomas T. Frost. “RELATION BETWEEN BLOOD PLASMA PROTEINS AND TOXEMIAS OF PREGNANCY: A PRELIMINARY REPORT.” Journal of the American Medical Association 111.21 (1938): 1898-1902.

3) Freis, Edward D., and James F. Kenny. “Plasma volume, total circulating protein, and “available fluid” abnormalities in preeclampsia and eclampsia.” The Journal of clinical investigation 27.2 (1948): 283-289.

4)  Mack, Harold C. “Plasma proteins in toxemias of pregnancy.” The Journal of clinical investigation 30.6 (1951): 609-615.

5) Browne, Francis J. “The aetiology of the toxaemias of late pregnancy.” BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 51.5 (1944): 438-471.

6) Poon, L. C., et al. “First-trimester maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A and pre-eclampsia.” Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology: the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology 33.1 (2009): 23.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between low maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) at 11+0 to 13+6 weeks with subsequent development of pre-eclampsia (PE).

METHODS: UtA-PI and serum PAPP-A were measured in women attending for routine care at 11+0 to 13+6 weeks of gestation. In the population, 156 (1.9%) women developed PE, including 32 (0.4%) in whom delivery was before 34 weeks (early PE) and 124 (1.5%) with delivery at 34 weeks or more (late PE); 7895 (98.1%) women had no PE. Regression analysis was used to examine which of the factors amongst maternal characteristics, log PAPP-A multiples of the median (MoM) and log UtA-PI MoM contributed to the prediction of PE.

RESULTS: The median PAPP-A MoM was 1.002 (interquartile range (IQR), 0.685-1.411) in the unaffected group, 0.555 (IQR, 0.463-0.922) in early PE and 0.911 (IQR, 0.580-1.247) in late PE. Serum PAPP-A was below the 5th centile in 21.9% of early PE and 6.5% of late PE cases. The PAPP-A-related patient-specific risk for PE was strongly influenced by maternal characteristics. There was a significant association between log UtA-PI MoM and log PAPP-A MoM (P=0.001), and the detection rate of screening for PE by maternal variables and UtA-PI was not improved by inclusion of PAPP-A. Regression analysis was used to establish tables that allow modification of the maternal history and PAPP-A-related patient-specific risk for PE by the measurement of UtA-PI.

CONCLUSIONS: Low PAPP-A is a marker for subsequent development of PE. The PAPP-A-related patient-specific risk for PE can be modified by the measurement of UtA-PI.

=============================

7) Nine Ways to Prevent or Treat Specific Illnesses

Sep 30, 2015 | Dr. Jonathan V. Wright’s Articles, Hot Articles, Prevention |

Prevent and Eliminate Toxemia of Pregnancy, (also called “pre-eclampsia” and ‘eclampsia) 100%

Thomas Brewer, MD, Physician, Richmond Health Center, Richmond, California. Research Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Center, Miami, Florida.  Book: Metabolic Toxemia of Late Pregnancy; A Disease of Malnutrition. Charles C. Thomas, Publisher

Brewer reduced incidence of eclampsia and pre-eclampsia to near-zero in every hospital and clinic where he was in charge with one simple measure: high protein diet.

Strauss MB. Observations on the etiology of toxemias of Pregnancy. Amer J Med Sci 1935 (190):811.   Toxemia subsided in women put on a 260 gram protein diet with injections of Vitamin B-complex.

Burke BS. Nutrition studies during pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gyn 1943(46):38   Confirmed nutritional cause of pre-eclampsia, demonstrated protective effects of adequate nutrition on mother, fetus/neonate, and infant.

Puotinen, CJ. “Preventing eclampsia (metabolic toxemia of late pregnancy): an interview with Tom Brewer, MD.” Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Nov. 2004, p. 69+. Academic OneFile, Accessed 23 Sept. 2018.

8) Preventing eclampsia : an interview with Tom Brewer, MD by CJ Puotinen.  Healthy Childbirth Classes, Rochester, NY Empowering Women & Families Through Childbirth Education

An estimated 50,000 women die every year from eclampsia.

Hypertension, severe edema, and protein in the urine are the signature symptoms of eclampsia, which adversely affects the brain, kidneys, liver, and lungs.  eclampsia is an easily prevented nutritional disease.

9)  Preventing Complications with Nutrition  by Amy V. Haas September 1, 2003 Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Midwifery Today, Issue 67, Autumn 2003.

10) The Dr. Brewer Pregnancy Diet Pre-eclampsia

Hamlin, Strauss, Burke, and Ferguson live on through Brewer’s work

Joy Jones, RN

Books

11) Metabolic Toxemia of Late Pregnancy by Brewer, Thomas H. (2004)

12) What Every Pregnant Woman Should Know: The Truth about Diets and Drugs in Pregnancy Paperback – July 26, 1979 by Gail Brewer Sforza (Author)

======================

conventional medicine

13) Lopes, Laudelino Marques, Padma Murthi, and Fabricio da Silva Costa. “Prevention of Preeclampsia.” Journal of Pregnancy 2012 (2012).

14) Khanum, Sabiha, Najma Naz, and Maria de Lourdes de Souza. “Prevention of Pre-Eclampsia and Eclampsia. A Systematic Review.” Open Journal of Nursing 8.01 (2018): 26.

Every pregnant woman needs continuous, timely and supportive care throughout during pregnancy for safe motherhood. The objective of this study was to analyze and evaluate the available medications and techniques for the prevention and treatment of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. The standard methodology of systematic review without meta-analysis was followed and only RCTs and systematic reviews were included in the review. Three electronic data sources (PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, and Cochrane) were searched for studies, published between 1986 and 2016 on the prevention and control of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. 47 studies were finally included in the review, of which 18 were systematic reviews and 29 were RCTs. Technologies and techniques used in the included studies for the prevention and control of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are Magnesium Sulphate, Aspirin, Antioxidant (Vitamin C, E and Lycopene), Calcium supplementation, Chinese Herbal Medicine, physical activities, Nitric Oxide, Marine Food Oils, Low Salt Diet, Garlic, Plasma Volume Expansion, Low-dose Dopamine, Progesterone, Smoking, and Diuretics. Magnesium sulfate appears to be the most effective treatment which reduces the risk of eclampsia by more than 50%. However, its best dose and route are still controversial and need further research. The knowledge and experience of nurses in properly using the protocols and evidence-based interventions are necessary for the wellbeing of pregnant women.

15) Wen, Shi Wu, et al. “Effect of high dose folic acid supplementation in pregnancy on pre-eclampsia (FACT): double blind, phase III, randomised controlled, international, multicentre trial.” BMJ 362 (2018): k3478.

Conclusion Supplementation with 4.0 mg/day folic acid beyond the first trimester does not prevent pre-eclampsia in women at high risk for this condition.

16)  High-Dose Folic Acid Does Not Prevent High Blood Pressure of Pregnancy Some studies suggest that taking high doses of folic acid can prevent pre-eclampsia, but a randomized trial found it did not.

Nicholas Bakalar New York Times

17) Crider, Krista S., Lynn B. Bailey, and Robert J. Berry. “Folic acid food fortification—its history, effect, concerns, and future directions.” Nutrients 3.3 (2011): 370-384.

In the United States, mandatory fortification of enriched cereal grain products with folic acid was authorized in 1996 and fully implemented in 1998

18) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC. “CDC Grand Rounds: additional opportunities to prevent neural tube defects with folic acid fortification.” MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 59.31 (2010): 980.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects that result from the failure of the neural tube to close in the cranial region (anencephaly) or more caudally along the spine (spina bifida) by the 28th day of gestation. Infants born with anencephaly usually die within a few days of birth, and those with spina bifida have life-long disabilities with varying degrees of paralysis. Currently, identified risk factors for NTDs include a mother who previously had an NTD-affected pregnancy, maternal diabetes, obesity, hyperthermia, certain antiseizure medications, genetic variants, race/ethnicity, and nutrition (particularly folic acid insufficiency). In the United States, during 1995-1996, approximately 4,000 pregnancies were affected by an NTD. This number declined to 3,000 pregnancies in 1999-2000 after fortification of enriched cereal grain products with folic acid was mandated. Worldwide, in 1998, approximately 300,000 births were affected by an NTD.

U.S. NTD and blood folate trends. The mandatory fortification of standardized enriched cereal grain products in the United States resulted in a substantial increase in blood folate concentrations and a concomitant decrease in NTD prevalence. The percentage of the population with low serum folate ( (1988–1994) to 36% after fortification, from 10.8 per 10,000 population during 1995–1996 to 6.9 at the end of 2006 (6).

Cost. Published economic evaluations have shown that folic acid food fortification is cost saving in the United States and other countries. A 2008 study estimated that current folic acid fortification produces an annual savings of about $300 million, or $100 for each $1 invested in fortification (9). Fortification also has resulted in substantial cost savings globally. Chile has demonstrated a savings of $11 (in international dollars) for each $1 invested in fortification (10).

19) Folic acid flour fortification Impact on congenital anomaly South American AmJMedGenet Lopez Cameloz 2010

Lopez-Camelo JS, Castilla EE, Orioli IM. 2010. Folic acid flour fortification: Impact on the frequencies of 52 congenital anomaly types in three South American countries. Am J Med Genet Part A 152A:2444–2458.

20) Oakley Jr, G. P. “The scientific basis for eliminating folic acid-preventable spina bifida: a modern miracle from epidemiology.” Annals of epidemiology 19.4 (2009): 226.

Jeffrey Dach MD

7450 Griffin Road, Suite 190

Davie, Fl 33314

954-792-4663

www.jeffreydachmd.com

www.drdach.com

Heart Book by Jeffrey Dach

www.naturalmedicine101.com

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Click Here for: Dr Dach’s Online Store for Pure Encapsulations Supplements

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The reader is advised to discuss the comments on these pages with his/her personal physicians and to only act upon the advice of his/her personal physician. Also note that concerning an answer which appears as an electronically posted question, I am NOT creating a physician — patient relationship. Although identities will remain confidential as much as possible, as I can not control the media, I can not take responsibility for any breaches of confidentiality that may occur.

Link to this article:

Copyright (c) 2018 Jeffrey Dach MD All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced on the internet without permission, provided there is a link to this page and proper credit is given.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues of significance. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

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Spironolactone for Female Acne Safe and Effective

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Spironolactone for Female Acne is Safe and Effective

by Jeffrey Dach MD

My patient, Rebecca lives in Shanghai so we do our follow up called via Skype video conference. On the last call, I asked Rebecca, “how are you doing?”, and she informed me , ” Oh, I’m OK except for these annoying acne breakouts.”  We then launched into a discussion of acne prevention with vitamin B5 and L-carnitine as described in my previous article.

Afterwards, I realized I forgot to mention an old blood pressure drug called spironolactone which also serves as an anti-acne drug by inhibiting testosterone.  We have many patients finding it is helpful in controlling acne.  Usual dosage is 100 mg daily.  Left Image Mona Lisa with Acne courtesy of Leonardo Da Vinci and Paris Louvre Museum..

Dr. Marchbein believes spironolactone should be first-line therapy and standard of care for adult women with acne.  He says:

“even though spironolactone is not indicated as a first-line treatment in the newest acne guidelines. I think we are doing a disservice to our acne patients by not positioning spironolactone as first-line therapy.”(1)

Jeffrey Dach MD

Articles with Related Interest:

Vitamin B5  for Acne

References:

1) Spironolactone safe and effective for adult female acne.  Bob Kronemyer  Jun 23, 2017 Dematology Times.2)Layton, Alison M., et al. “Oral spirono-lactone for acne vulgaris in adult females: a hybrid systematic review.” American journal of clinical dermatology 18.2 (2017): 169-191.

3) Barbieri, J. S., et al. “Frequency of Treatment Switching for Spirono-lactone Compared to Oral Tetracycline-Class Antibiotics for Women With Acne: A Retrospective Cohort Study 2010-2016.” Journal of drugs in dermatology: JDD 17.6 (2018): 632-638.

4) Charny, J. W., J. K. Choi, and W. D. James. “Spirono-lactone for the treatment of acne in women, a retrospective study of 110 patients.” International journal of women’s dermatology 3.2 (2017): 111-115.

5) Kelidari, Hamid Reza, et al. “Spirono-lactone loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel for effective treatment of mild and moderate acne vulgaris: A randomized, double-blind, prospective trial.” Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 146 (2016): 47-53.

6) Grandhi, Radhika, and Ali Alikhan. “Spirono-lactone for the Treatment of Acne: A 4-Year Retrospective Study.” Dermatology 233.2-3 (2017): 141-144.

7) Layton, Alison M. “Top ten list of clinical pearls in the treatment of acne vulgaris.” Dermatologic clinics 34.2 (2016): 147-157.

8) ur Rehman, Habib, et al. “Treatment of Post Adolescent Female Acne with Spirono-lactone and Low Dose Isotretinoin.” National Editorial Advisory Board 29.5 (2018).

9) Carter, David. “Potassium Monitoring in Young Women Taking Spirono-lactone for Acne is Unnecessary.” AJN The American Journal of Nursing 115.6 (2015): 57.

10) Harper, Julie C., et al. “Treating Acne in Adult Women.” Dermatology News® (2018): 12.

11) Bagherani, Nooshin. “Efficacy of topical spirono-lactone in treatment of acne.” Dermatologic therapy 28.3 (2015): 176-176.

12) Schlosser, Bethanee J. “Hormonal Therapy for Acne: Pros and Controversies.” (2017).

13) Diri, Halit, et al. “Comparison of spirono-lactone and spirono-lactone plus metformin in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome.” Gynecological Endocrinology 32.1 (2016): 42-45.

The post Spironolactone for Female Acne Safe and Effective appeared first on Jeffrey Dach MD.

Estrogen Matters New Book Says HRT is Safe and Beneficial

[image error] Estrogen Matters New Book Says HRT is Safe and Beneficial

Book Review by Jeffrey Dach MD

It is always refreshing when a new book comes out saying all the things I have been writing about for many years. “Estrogen Matters” by Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris is one of those books.

Number one, estrogen does not cause breast cancer, and withholding estrogen/progesterone HRT from post-menopausal women is not only associated with serious health risks, but also increased mortality.  Number two, estrogen / progesterone HRT (hormone replacement therapy) prevent heart disease in women. Number three, Breast cancer survivors can safely take estrogen/progesterone hormone replacement without increasing risk for cancer recurrence. The two co-authors make a good team.  Dr Avrum Bluming, an oncologist , reviews the supportive medical literature, and his colleague Carol Tavris, adds the women’s perspective on things.

However the book is not without its errors.  In Chapter 2, in my opinion, the authors make a number of errors, perhaps based on a desire for “political correctness”.  In Chapter 2, the authors disparage the term “bioidentical hormone”, saying it is a marketing term. In a later chapter 8, Dr Bluming corrects this error saying the term “bioidentical” refers to  “prescription hormones having the same molecular structure as those produced naturally by the human body.”  Chapter 2, perhaps written by Carol Tavris, attempts to disparage the 2009 New York Times Op-Ed “The Truth About Hormone Therapy“ by David Brownstein MD, Erika Schwartz MD and Kent Holtorf MD.  This is an excellent piece which is still valid today.  The authors also make the error of denigrating compounded hormone preparations, used successfully by millions of women and prescribed by thousands of fully licensed physicians in the US.  The authors also make the error of suggesting that horse estrogen is somehow superior to human estrogen.  I would say horse estrogen is good for horses, not humans.

Chapter 3 deals with Estrogen and the Heart:  I agree with this very clear message: Women should throw their statin drugs into the garbage can, and instead take estrogen/progesterone HRT for prevention of heart disease.  Yes, Estrogen prevents heart disease in women.   Not only do wholeheartedly I agree with this, I have just written a book which comes to the same conclusion: Heart Book by Jeffrey Dach MD available on Amazon, if I am allowed to indulge in a short commercial for myself.

Chapter Four discusses estrogen HRT as preventive for osteoporosis and subsequent osteoporotic fractures.  Rather than subscribe to the Big Pharma construct of DEXA scans and bisphosphonate drugs, the authors advocate hormone replacement conferring “stronger and more resilient bones”.  In my office, we have actually stopped doing routine DEXA scans, as we have found bone density routinely goes up in our post-menopausal patient population on bio-identical hormone replacement.

Chapter 5 makes the case for estrogen HRT as beneficial for mental functioning, cognition ability, and preventive for onset of dementia in post-menopausal women.

Chapter 6 makes the case for estrogen hormone replacement for breast cancer survivors.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Dr Bluming had done his own study on this topic published in 2008 in the Journal of Clin Oncology (p.20693), finding that estrogen HRT did not increase recurrence rate for breast cancer in women who had been treated and were cancer free.  To his credit, Dr Bluming even recommended post-menopausal Estrogen HRT for his daughter who was a breast cancer survivor.   I have been writing about this for years and found Dr Bluming used many of the same references found in my 2011 book,  Bioidentical Hormones 101.

Chapter 7 discusses Progesterone and Progestins.  The authors inform the reader of the important difference between bioidentical progesterone and synthetic versions of progesterone called progestins.  Progesterone is naturally made by the female ovary, progestins are not. Progestins have been chemically modified to obtain a patent. The chemical structure bears a similarity to progesterone, but has additional side groups added on to make it chemically different.  Progestins do not occur in nature or in the human body.  The 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study used a progestin called medroxyprogesterone (MPA) revealing this progestin to be in fact, a monster hormone which causes breast cancer and heart disease. MPA (medroxyprogesterone) induces breast cancer in laboratory animals with such efficiency, it has become a popular research model for studying breast cancer.  It is astounding our misguided medical system is still prescribing MPA to post menopausal women as hormone replacement.  This is a practice which should be halted.  Dr Bluming’s views on MPA are more forgiving, and declines to warn the reader that MPA is a “monster hormone” which causes cancer and heart disease.

Chapter 7 discussed synthetic forms of estrogen in birth control pills concluding that birth control pills are safe and effective.  I would disagree with this statement, having seen young women with paralyzed limbs after suffering a stroke from blood clots induced by birth control pills.  As an interventional radiologist in the hospital, my job was to do their angiograms.  Young women on birth control pills arrive in my office with a variety of medical complaints induced by the pills.  Their lab reports show low serum B12, high CRP, high cortisol and other derangements.  They are much better after switching to the non-hormonal copper T- IUD, now approved for women of all ages.

In chapter 8, the authors discuss the term “bioidentical hormone”, explaining the difference between estradiol (made by the human ovary) and premarin, made by the horse ovary.  I would disagree with the authors’ opposition to compounded bioidentical hormone preparations.  They instead recommend  “manufactured” FDA approved bioidentical hormone preparations.  I think this is a political statement rather than a scientific one.  The reality is that millions of women are routinely using compounded hormone preparations prescribed by thousands of physicians around the nation.  I am one of these physicians. I find the compounded formulations are superior in many ways to the manufactured products.

Although there is much to laud in the book, I would quibble by mentioning the book omits a discussion of testosterone in women.  Testosterone preparations are available and routinely used by millions of women in as part of their hormone replacement cocktail adding considerable health benefits.

Overall, I liked the book, and I applaud the authors for taking controversial positions in a few areas in opposition to mainstream conventional medicine.  I would however disagree with with their opposition to bioidential compounded formulations, their advocacy of synthetic hormones in medroxyprogesterone (MPA) and in birth control pills, and their advocacy of horse estrogen as superior to human.  In these areas, the authors are quite wrong and lapse into politics rather than science.

Jeffrey Dach MD

7450 Griffin Road Suite 190

Davie, Florida 33314

954-792-4663

Articles with Related Interest:

Bioidentical Hormones Prevent Heart Disease

Bioidentical Hormones for Breast Cancer Survivors

Bioidentical Hormones Prevent Arthritis

Links and References

1)  Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women’s Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives — Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer 1st Edition

by Avrum Bluming (Author), Carol Tavris .  Little, Brown Spark; 1 edition (September 4, 2018)  Avrum Bluming, MD, is a hematologist and medical oncologist

Carol Tavris, PhD, is a social psychologist who has written widely about psychological science.

2)  What is the truth on hormone replacement therapy? Millions of menopausal women shunned it after study claimed it could cause cancer …but now a new book suggests that report was wrong.  A U.S. study claimed HRT carried a significant risk of breast cancer

Before the news made headlines, around one in four British women was taking it

Now a new book claims to have the definitive answer: HRT is safe. By John Naish for the Daily Mail.  Published: 3 September 2018

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