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Saturday, November 02, 2002
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The Intuitive Manager and Innovation. By: Leland R. Kaiser, PhD Intuition gives birth to innovation. Innovation results in social and organizational change. Highly intuitive managers promote change by sensing "what could be." By contrast, managers with little intuition resist change by reinforcing "what is." In an absolute sense, "what is" is no more real than "what could be." Either reality is equally available at all times to all healthcare... [HeartMath Report]
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8:45:50 PM 
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By Darin Ingels, ND
Healthnotes Newswire (October 31, 2002)—Taking an extract of Ginkgo biloba one day prior to rapidly ascending a mountain may help reduce the severity of altitude sickness, according to a new study in High Altitude Medicine and Biology (2002;3:29–37). This is encouraging for the millions of skiers, mountain climbers, and other high-altitude outdoor recreational enthusiasts who have been limited or unable to participate in these activities due to the debilitating symptoms associated with altitude sickness.
Altitude sickness, also called acute mountain sickness, is a condition that results from the decreased concentration of oxygen in the air at high altitudes. Symptoms may start to occur at any altitude 2,000 meters (6,700 feet) above sea level or higher. Symptoms may include headache, nausea, disorientation, mood changes, dizziness, fatigue, or swelling in the arms and legs. Symptoms usually resolve once a person returns to a lower altitude. Conventional preventive treatment for altitude sickness includes acetazolamide (Diamox®–a diuretic) and dexamethasone (Decadron®–a steroid), but both medications can cause serious side effects. Ginkgo biloba may be an effective, and safer, alternative in preventing altitude sickness.
In this study, 26 people were assigned to receive 180 mg per day of a standardized extract of Gingko biloba or placebo 24 hours before ascending Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The following day, participants were driven from sea level to a height of 4,200 meters (13,650 feet) in 3 hours. Questionnaires were used to evaluate symptoms at sea level and then after reaching the summit.
Overall, 21 of 26 participants developed some degree of altitude sickness (58% of those taking ginkgo and 93% of those taking the placebo). Although the lower frequency of altitude sickness in the ginkgo group was not statistically significant, the ginkgo group had significantly less severe altitude sickness symptoms than did those taking placebo. No adverse effects of treatment were observed in those taking ginkgo.
The effect of ginkgo in reducing the severity of, and possibly preventing, altitude sickness may have been underestimated in this study. Since most mountain climbers ascend mountains more slowly than they did in this study, the effect of gingko during rapid ascension may not be a true reflection of what would occur with typical mountain climbing. However, more research is necessary to determine if gingko would have a greater preventive effect against altitude sickness under normal climbing circumstances.
A cautionary note: Ginkgo biloba has been associated with thinning of the blood. Individuals with blood-clotting disorders and those who are taking prescription blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin®) should not take ginkgo without the supervision of a physician.
Darin Ingels, ND, MT (ASCP), received his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and his Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. Dr. Ingels is the author of The Natural Pharmacist: Lowering Cholesterol (Prima, 1999) and Natural Treatments for High Cholesterol (Prima, 2000). He currently is in private practice at New England Family Health Associates located in Southport, CT, where he specializes in environmental medicine and allergies. Dr. Ingels is a regular contributor to Healthnotes and Healthnotes Newswire.
Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of the Healthnotes® content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Healthnotes, Inc. Healthnotes Newswire is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. Healthnotes, Inc. shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Healthnotes and the Healthnotes logo are registered trademarks of Healthnotes, Inc.
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1:02:42 PM
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By Matt Brignall, ND
Healthnotes Newswire (October 31, 2002)—The effectiveness of St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is comparable to prescription antidepressants for the treatment of mild to moderate depression, according to a report in Phytomedicine (2002;9:468–4) that reviewed previously published clinical trials.
In this review, the authors compiled the results of 34 double-blind clinical trials that included a total of 3,000 people with depression. In placebo-controlled trials, St. John’s wort consistently outperformed the placebo in its antidepressant effect. When St. John’s wort was compared with conventional antidepressant medications like imipramine (Impril®) or fluoxetine (Prozac®), it was found to be either as effective as, or superior to, drug treatment.
The most effective intake level of St. John’s wort was found to be between 500 and 1,000 mg of standardized alcohol extract per day. The most commonly recommended amount of St. John’s wort is 300 mg of standardized extract, three times daily. The effect of St. John’s wort did not appear to vary greatly with differently prepared extracts. There are several different standardized extracts of the herb commercially available.
The incidence of side effects was significantly lower with St. John’s wort than with pharmaceutical antidepressants. Only 1 to 3% of people taking St. John’s wort reported adverse effects, compared with 20 to 50% for the conventional medications.
While the incidence of side effects with St. John’s wort was very low, there is a risk of adverse interactions with other medications. St. John’s wort has been shown to reduce the therapeutic action of many drugs, including warfarin, cyclosporine, and birth control pills. People wishing to take St. John’s wort should first check with their doctor if they are taking any medications.
Depression is a common condition, with an estimated one in four people reporting symptoms at some time in their lives. Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men.
The mechanism of action of St. John’s wort is still under debate. Some research indicates that its benefits, like those of most other antidepressants, are the result of changes in the levels of certain chemical messengers (neurotransmitters). Other studies indicate that the therapeutic effect comes from changes in the production of immune system chemicals known as cytokines.
There has been some debate in the research literature in the past two years about the efficacy of St. John’s wort. Two studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) concluded that St. John’s wort was ineffective for the treatment of depression.
The first clinical trial, published in 2001, found that nearly three times as many people taking St. John’s wort had complete recovery compared with those taking placebo. However, because the overall number of people who had symptomatic relief after taking St. John’s wort was low (14%), the authors concluded that it should not be recommended for people suffering from depression. Most effective pharmaceutical treatments for depression have a 50% or greater response rate in clinical trials. Also notable about this study was the fact that only 5% of the people taking placebo had symptomatic improvement, a number much lower than the 30% usually seen in this type of study. The low placebo response rate suggests that the participants selected for this trial were "poor responders" (i.e., unlikely to respond to any treatment).
In the second of the trials, published earlier this year, people taking St. John’s wort actually had slightly less benefit than those taking the placebo. Also in this trial, the drug sertraline (Zoloft®) did not result in significant benefit compared to the placebo. As both St. John’s wort and sertraline have been found to be superior to placebo for the treatment of depression in many other trials, there appear to have been significant differences in the design of this study compared to previously published reports.
It is not surprising that there is considerable variability in the results of clinical trials assessing St. John’s wort for depression. Psychological symptoms are notoriously difficult to rate objectively in clinical research, resulting in an over or underestimation of clinical response. Also, many people suffer from treatment-resistant depression, and will thus be unlikely to respond to either active treatment or placebo in clinical research.
Because of the inherent difficulty in designing clinical trials that evaluate treatments for depression, clinical reviews like the one published in Phytomedicine are useful for helping to see the big picture. Despite the negative reports from JAMA, the bulk of the evidence to date strongly indicates that St. John’s wort extract is a viable treatment option for people with mild to moderate depression. The favorable side effect profile, along with the relatively low cost of the herb, makes it a sensible first line treatment for many people with depression.
Matt Brignall, ND is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Bastyr University. He works at the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center, where he specializes in complementary medicine approaches to cancer. He has been published in several journals, including Alternative Medicine Review, Coping With Cancer, and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Brignall also teaches clinical nutrition at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. He is a regular contributor to Healthnotes, Healthnotes Newswire, and the Healthnotes Quick!Reference series.
Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of the Healthnotes® content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Healthnotes, Inc. Healthnotes Newswire is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. Healthnotes, Inc. shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Healthnotes and the Healthnotes logo are registered trademarks of Healthnotes, Inc.
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1:02:14 PM
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By Alan R. Gaby, MD
Healthnotes Newswire (October 31, 2002)—Ginger is an effective treatment for the nausea and vomiting commonly associated with pregnancy, or “morning sickness,” according to a report in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (2002;8:89–81). In this double-blind study, 77% of pregnant women who received a syrup containing ginger experienced a significant improvement in nausea, whereas only 20% of those receiving a placebo improved. In addition, 67% of the women in the ginger group stopped vomiting within six days of starting treatment, compared with only 20% of those in the placebo group.
Twenty-six women who were experiencing nausea, with or without vomiting, during the first trimester of pregnancy, were randomly assigned to ingest a tablespoon of ginger syrup (containing 250 mg of ginger per tablespoon) or a placebo four times per day for two weeks. During that time, the women graded the duration and severity of their nausea and vomiting on a ten-point scale. An improvement of at least four points on this scale was considered clinically significant.
This is not the first study to show that ginger is an effective treatment for the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. However, it is the first such study to use ginger in liquid form. Ginger syrup may be preferable to ginger powder in capsules, because women suffering from nausea and vomiting may have an easier time holding down the liquid form.
The amount of ginger used in the new study (250 mg four times per day) is the same as that used in previous studies of women with morning sickness. This amount was chosen because it is similar to the amount of ginger that has been safely consumed on a daily basis by some populations around the world.
Ginger contains compounds (called mutagens) that cause chromosomal mutations in test tube studies, and other compounds (called antimutagens) that prevent the development of such mutations. The ingestion of mutagens during the first trimester of pregnancy could, in theory, increase the risk of birth defects. It is possible that the antimutagens in ginger would cancel the effect of the mutagens, but it is not known whether such interactions actually occur when people take ginger. Therefore, it seems prudent for pregnant women not to consume more than 1,000 mg of ginger per day. No increase in birth defects has been observed in any of the research studies nor in any of the populations where ginger is used daily as a condiment.
Other nutritional treatments that have been used successfully to treat morning sickness include vitamin B6, vitamin K in combination with vitamin C, and extracts of animal adrenal tissue. Women experiencing nausea or vomiting during pregnancy should consult a healthcare practitioner before taking any of the supplements mentioned in this article.
Alan R. Gaby, MD, an expert in nutritional therapies, testified to the White House Commission on CAM upon request in December 2001. Dr. Gaby served as a member of the Ad-Hoc Advisory Panel of the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine. He is the author of Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis (Prima, 1994), and co-author of The Natural Pharmacy, 2nd Edition (Healthnotes, Prima, 1999), the A–Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions (Healthnotes, Prima, 1999), Clinical Essentials Volume 1 and 2 (Healthnotes, 2000), and The Patient’s Book of Natural Healing (Prima, 1999). A former professor at Bastyr University of Natural Health Sciences, in Kenmore, WA, where he served as the Endowed Professor of Nutrition, Dr. Gaby is the Chief Medical Editor for Healthnotes, Inc.
Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of the Healthnotes® content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Healthnotes, Inc. Healthnotes Newswire is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. Healthnotes, Inc. shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Healthnotes and the Healthnotes logo are registered trademarks of Healthnotes, Inc.
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1:01:43 PM
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© Copyright
2002
Rick@Leaders.net.
Last update:
12/1/2002; 9:34:11 AM.
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