Vioxx selectively inhibits the Cox-2 enzyme, helping decrease
pain and inflammation. It doesn't inhibit the Cox-1 enzyme and
because of this Vioxx has an appeal to many physicians because
it is less likely than some other anti-inflammatory drugs to cause
an ulcer. A new study by the Arthritis Research Center Foundation
in Wichita, Kansas shows that patients using Vioxx had an increased
risk of developing limb swelling (edema), or have an increase in
their blood pressure than patients using Celebrex or other non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The study examined data on 8538
patients taking part in an ongoing study.
Swelling unrelated to arthritis was 23% higher among participants
using Vioxx than among individuals not taking painkillers. Celebrex
and other NSAID users had an 18% increase over participants not
using painkillers.
The possibility of experiencing an increase in blood pressure was
21% higher in patients taking Vioxx versus those taking Celebrex.
The study is published in the June 2004 issue of the Journal of
Rheumatology.
Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.
Vioxx has been linked to many conditions; in one report by the FDA
it increased the risk of nonbacterial meningitis, it has been linked
to an increased risk of heart attack in several studies, an increased
risk of developing congestive heart failure (80% increased risk of
being admitted to a hospital with heart failure over patients taking
Celebrex), and a doubling of the risk of developing a heart attack
If you have a joint problem, consider using any of the following
- Joint Balance, InflamMune, and/or Collagen Repair Formula.
Passive Smoke is Very Dangerous
Passive smoking means that you as a nonsmoker inhale someone
else's cigarette smoke. Scientists in Britain studied a breakdown
product of tobacco smoke in the blood of non-smokers known as
cotinine. People who didn't smoke but had higher blood levels of
cotinine had a 50% increased risk of developing heart disease than
people with low levels. The report is published in this week's early
online edition of the British Medical Journal.
Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.
Some nutrients that may help protect you from all of the toxins
in second hand smoke include the following - Ultimate Detoxification
Formula, Jerry's Greens, Reds Hx, Resveratrol, Aged Garlic,
Homocysteine Reductase, Green Tea Extract, Astaxanthin.
EPA Pollution Alert
The Environmental Protection Agency notified governors of 21
states that the nearly 100 million people living in these states
are breathing unhealthy levels of tiny particles of pollution
spewed into the atmosphere from sources such as cars, trucks,
wood burning stoves, coal-burning power plants, and factories.
The particles are linked to earlier death from heart or lung
disease, chronic bronchitis and asthma. Just partially achieving
the goal of reduced levels could prevent 15,000 premature deaths
each year. Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
were among the states whose governors were notified.
b>Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.
About five years ago I found a study that showed how truck exhaust
when burnt under a heavy load created two of the most carcinogenic
(cancer causing) substances known to science. Compounding the
problem was that these substances were tiny and were not a large
enough particle size to be followed by the EPA at that time. We
are exposed to many toxins not regulated or measured by any agency.
Unfortunately, no one knows how toxic these different pollutants
are when they chemically combine in your body. One study said that
some of the combinations of these pollutants are 10,000 times more
toxic than are the individual components. To safeguard yourself eat
fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and some fresh raw nuts, some
high quality fresh fish. Also incorporate some of the following
into your daily regimen - Ultimate Detoxification Formula, Green
Tea extract high in EGCG, Jerry's Greens, InVite, and Red's Hx.
Strep Bacterial Infection May Trigger Psychiatric Disturbances in Some Children
Doctors from the Institute of Child Health in London report that
40 children seen at their center over a 4 year span had developed
psychiatric and neurological disorders after having a beta-hemolytic
streptococci infection (33 of these children developed the disorders
soon after the infection). The children experienced a wide array
of features including emotional instability, obsessions, compulsions,
depression, aggressiveness, oppositional behavior, disruptive behavior
and attention deficits. Many developed spastic movement disorders.
A number of these children had close family members with movement or
psychiatric disorders. The disorders stopped completely after one
episode in 11 of the children. The other children have developed
chronic conditions or have suffered relapses after additional
infections. Some children may be prone to developing these conditions
after a Strep bacterial infection due to a genetic predisposition.
The report appears in the July 2004 issue of the Archives of
Disease in Childhood.
Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.
Streptococcal infections are being investigated as a link to some
cases of autism, Tourette syndrome, and even some cases of anorexic
eating disorder. A condition known as PANDA (pediatric autoimmune
neuropsychiatric disorder) associated with Streptococcus infection
has been linked to the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder
and other forms of mental illnesses in children. A Yale research
team even connected Streptococcal infections with ADHD.
A Multiple-Vitamin Cuts the Risk of Death from AIDS
Harvard School of Public Health researchers traveled to Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania and enrolled 1,000 pregnant mothers who were
HIV positive into their study. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
They went to this area because of the high incidence of infection
and the high incidence of malnutrition. Malnutrition weakens the
immune system allowing the HIV virus to be more vicious.
The women were given a Multiple-Vitamin, or a Multiple-Vitamin
with a separate preformed (animal derived) Vitamin A (and a small
amount of beta-carotene), a massive dose of Vitamin A, or an
inactive placebo. The Multiple-Vitamin alone cut the risk of death
from AIDS by 27%. It slowed the progression to full blown AIDS by
50%. Vitamin A by itself helped a little but the massive dose of
200,000 IU vitamin A did not help when added to the Multiple-Vitamin.
The study is published in today's issue of The New England
Journal of Medicine.
Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.
There is no doubt that daily supplementation with a high quality
multiple-vitamin supplement saves and/or prolongs lives. Studies
show that simply taking a good multiple-vitamin improves immune
function in middle-aged adults, in the elderly, in diabetics, in
the ill and infirm, and according to this and previous studies in
HIV positive and AIDS patients. When the collective minds of the
physicians, scientists and pharmacists planned and created the
InVite Multiple-Vitamins, there was a massive-cooperative effort
to include nutrients helpful to proper immune function and general
health. Other nutrients that are important to HIV positive and
AIDS patients include Astragalus membranaceus, Maitake Mushroom,
Green Tea EGCG, Resveratrol, Glutathione promoters, and
antioxidants.
