Integrative medicine最新文献

This case report presents a 46-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who sought to discontinue glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs) therapy while maintaining her weight and metabolic health. Her desire to reduce medication dependency, combined with her apprehension about potential metabolic regression following discontinuation of the drug, highlights a challenge often faced by patients managing chronic conditions, and the value of naturopathic adjunctive therapies to support these individuals in their wellness goals. This report details a comprehensive intervention strategy combining probiotics, nutrient supplementation, and lifestyle modifications to address her concerns. Over an 8-week period post-GLP-1 RAs therapy discontinuation, she maintained weight loss, improved glycemic control and lipid profile, demonstrated improvements in micronutrient levels, and experienced improvements in her quality of life. This case contributes to the growing body of evidence suggesting that targeted naturopathic interventions can play a supportive role in managing T2DM and mitigating the reliance on pharmacotherapy without compromising health outcomes.

Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by vulvar pruritus, pain, dyspareunia, and architectural changes, including significant and permanent scarring and deformity of the vulva if left untreated. Untreated VLS significantly increases the risk of invasive squamous cell carcinoma, even in asymptomatic patients. However, there is an overall paucity of preclinical and clinical research on VLS. Although the disease is becoming more commonly recognized, it is often under- or misdiagnosed and its prevalence is likely underestimated. While the exact underlying etiology is still unknown, VLS is most likely an autoimmune disorder within the background of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers. The skin and gut microbiomes also appear to be involved. The first line treatment for VLS, ultrapotent topical corticosteroids, helps relieve symptoms and reduce the risk of architectural changes and vulvar cancer. The second-line medications and treatments with more limited evidence of efficacy include topical calcineurin inhibitors, topical hormones, platelet-rich plasma, and fractional CO₂ laser therapy. Surgical intervention may also be required. Additionally, some VLS patients and practitioners report improvements with diet and lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements, low-dose naltrexone, botanical medicines, and other integrative treatments, although clinical research on these integrative therapies for VLS is generally lacking. This review aims to describe VLS in adult women, summarize the recently published literature, and provide a clinical overview that includes evidence-based integrative therapies.

As documented now in several of my editorials, the primary causes of the chronic disease pandemic are the toxic metals, metalloids, and chemicals polluting the environment. The entire population is exposed and there are no control groups. Clinical efficacy requires recognizing how much of a patient's disease burden is due to toxins. In this editorial I propose a novel approach to assessing toxin load in the general population: determine who is exposed, use conventional laboratory tests to determine the amount of damage from the toxins, and finally, work with the patient to decrease exposure, measure specific toxins when appropriate, and increase toxin elimination.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with prolonged dysregulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory immune pathways resulting in chronic inflammation, which alters the functional status and quality of life. The present study aimed to assess the short-term effect of yoga therapy on systemic inflammatory markers and quality of life among RA patients.

Methods: The study included one hundred RA patients aged 18-60 years and randomized into yoga (n = 50) and control (n = 50) groups. A structured yoga therapy was given for 12 weeks along with their regular disease-modifying antirheumatic medications (DMARDs). During the study period, all the participants were allowed to continue their daily lifestyle and diet.

Results: After 12 weeks of intervention, the yoga group reported a significant decrease in interleukin-6 (IL 6) (P < .001), C-reactive protein (CRP) (P < .01), rheumatoid factor (RA factor) (P = .02), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (P = .05), compared to the control group. Furthermore, compared to the control group, yoga participants showed significant improvement in functional status and disease activity, which included the assessment of DAS-28 (to assess the disease activity) (P < .001), patient global assessment (P < .001), and reduced Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score (pain intensity assessment) (P < .01). The secondary outcome was the quality of life (SF-36 questionnaire), which showed significant improvement post-intervention (P = .05).

Conclusion: The present study has demonstrated that short-term yoga therapy could lower systemic inflammatory markers by maintaining immune homeostasis to improve the functional status and quality of life in RA patients.

Introduction: GLP-1 medications are widely used for weight loss in patients with and without type 2 diabetes. However, limited research exists on their effects in non-diabetic patients, particularly concerning mitochondrial function. This case report investigates the potential of altered mitochondrial dysfunction as a cause of side effects of GLP-1 medications in patients without type 2 diabetes.

Case presentation: The patient, a 43-year-old female with a BMI of 32, presented with hypoglycemia and persistent migraines with auras after Ozempic and Mounjaro injections.

Outcomes: The patient changed her diet to include 90 grams of protein and frequent small meals throughout the day. She took CoQ10, D-ribose, vitamin B complex, and acetyl-l-carnitine, to address the migraines, and this also improved the mitochondrial function. The patient reported balanced blood sugar after changing her diet; her migraines improved and did not return after taking supplementation.

Conclusion: This case report emphasizes the need for awareness and monitoring of potential mitochondrial side effects from GLP-1 injections in patients without type 2 diabetes. Nutritional and supplemental interventions effectively managed the patient's symptoms and emphasized the need for tailored interventions in patients using GLP-1 medications. Further research is needed to understand how GLP-1 injections impact mitochondrial function.

Environmental radiation is one of the key causes of the increased prevalence of infertility among couples. This type of radiation can be ionizing or non-ionizing. While ionizing radiation is known to cause sterility in both males and females, the role of low-energy non-ionizing radiation is still debated. This article will discuss the various types of environmental radiation and its consequences on male and female fertility. Recent studies suggest that continuous exposure to low-energy, non-ionizing radiation might also result in infertility. The sources of this type of radiation are generally man-made, including mobile phones, television broadcasts, radio, radars, etc. The ever-increasing use of these devices in our daily lives has introduced a new type of pollution called electropollution. The mechanisms of action by which electropollution causes infertility are still being investigated. In males, prolonged exposure to this type of radiation might negatively impact sperm parameters, such as count, motility, morphology, and viability. The evidence for female infertility caused by non-ionizing radiation is still evolving.