Regular monitoring of Metabolic Syndrome required for Effective treatment

Metabolic syndrome is becoming increasingly common. The causative factors are the combination of insulin resistance and central obesity.

The need of early diagnosis and treatment is imperative.

For effective treatment of metabolic disease, several tests are essential to treat and monitor the individual using evidenced-based medicine tests.

The tests and parameters confirming Metabolic Syndrome as set out by the International Diabetes Federation are as follows:

BMI greater than 30kg/m²
plus any two of the following four factors:
1)  Raised triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)
2)  Reduced HDL cholesterol :
< 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L) in males
< 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L) in females
3) Raised blood pressure –
systolic BP ≥ 130 or diastolic BP ≥ 85 mm Hg or previously diagnosed hypertension
4) Raised fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L), or previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practitioners should use the above tests to regularly monitor the progress of treatment advices e.g. pharmaceuticals and/or best quality vitamin and supplements.

Further recommendations for treating ADHD

Misuse of Ritalin is increasing exponentially in Australia according the Australia Data from Poisons Information Centre who reported a 210% increase in ‘Intentional exposures’; ingestion for overdose or recreational reasons rather than therapy.

Professor Louise Newman and co-author Dr Adrian Dunlop have advised that there is also over-diagnosis of ADHD and over prescribing of ADHD drugs especially Ritalin. This contributes to increased rate of poisoning, deliberate overdoses and is further associated with suicide behaviour. Professor Newman also confirmed that some parents are taking their child to a doctor to get the drugs for their own personal use. These actions further highlight the gravity of the problem.

Surely, these findings point to the need of better diagnosis protocols for mainstream conventional care and also a requirement of better treatment regimes for ADHD.

This is also an indication that treatment for mild forms of ADHD should include Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies which include lifestyle advice and food and nutrition advice, which are undeniably important components in the treatment of ADHD.

Why dried plums/prunes can help astronauts, cancer patients, radiation workers and victims of nuclear accidents

Dried plums or prunes are often lauded as effective food and nutrition advice as prunes are rich in potassium, fibre and antioxidants. Thus, regular intake of prunes may help lower your risk of chronic disease. Now a complementary medicine research study from Bone and Signaling Laboratory of NASA’s Ames Research Center has shown that consuming dried plums can protect from radiation bone loss. Radiation bone loss can occur from:

• Radiation therapy after hip replacement
• Anticancer treatment
• Victims of nuclear radiation disasters e.g. Hiroshima cohort
• Long-duration spaceflight

The study revealed that lab mice which ate prunes were protected from the bone-damaging effects of gamma ionising radiation. Gamma radiation is used to treat cancer patients. Therefore, these findings may indicate that prunes could help prevent radiation bones loss conditions and may be useful as an Integrative healthcare solutions i.e. potential best quality vitamin and nutraceutical supplements or pharmaceutical derived drug leads.

However further extensive research is required to determine the active component in dried plums that contribute to reducing bone loss, mineral density and a potential osteoprotective treatment.