D-ficient? Health Risks You Need to Know About
When it comes to the family of vitamins, vitamin D stands alone. It is the only vitamin the body can produce on its own. That’s because it is actually a hormone. Due to its unique status, vitamin D surpasses all other vitamins in the multitude of health benefits it offers †with new research adding to the list almost weekly.
XMRV-Positive Patient Responses to Ampligen® †40-Week Trial Reported Sep 8 at XMRV Workshop
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. [presented] new clinical data(1) on the possible inter-relationships of XMRV positivity/chronic fatigue syndrome/Ampligen® responsiveness at the 1st International Workshop on XMRV held at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, on September 7 and 8, 2010. CFS is a severe disorder consisting of profound fatigue and a variety of other debilitating symptoms that affects up to 4 million Americans. Recently, DNA was identified from a human gamma retrovirus (XMRV) in 67% of CFS subjects.
HIV-1 infection results in chronic activation of the immune system. It was suggested (Brenchley et al., Nature 2006) to occur through a breakdown of the mucosal barrier and stimulation of immune cells by microbial products. CD14+ monocytes/macrophages secrete soluble CD14 (sCD14), which binds LPS and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the study cited above it was shown that LPS directly stimulates sCD14 production in vivo.
Nutritional and herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders: Systematic review
Over the past several decades, complementary and alternative medications have increasingly become a part of everyday treatment. With the rising cost of prescription medications and their production of unwanted side effects, patients are exploring herbal and other natural remedies for the management and treatment of psychological conditions.
Gut Inflammation in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue and a combination of accompanying symptoms the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Many CFS patients complain of gut dysfunction. In fact, patients with CFS are more likely to report a previous diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common functional disorder of the gut, and experience IBS-related symptoms.
Drs Bennett & Clauw Debate Abandonment of Tender Point Test in Revised FM Diagnostic Criteria
The two experts are Dr. Robert Bennett, MD (retired FM clinician & researcher at Oregon Health & Science University), and Dr. Daniel J Clauw, MD (director of the University of Michigan Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center). The article explains and discusses the new American College of Rheumatology FM diagnostic criteria, proposed recently by Dr. Clauw and 9 other leading rheumatologists to replace the 1990 ACR diagnostic criteria, which require pain on palpation at 11 of 18 tender points.
Evidence of Persistent Infection in Children with ME/CFS from Across the UK
University of Dundee scientists investigating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) in children(1) have found abnormalities in blood cells involved in inflammation. Indicative of a possible viral infection, they are similar to those previously identified in adults with the condition. Samples taken from youngsters contained higher than normal levels of free radicals, molecules which can damage cells, tissues and organs via a process called oxidative stress. Also, a much greater number of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cells, were found to be at the end of their life cycle. The high turnover of neutrophils indicates the body’s need to fight infection.
Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome presented overall lower pain thresholds compared with healthy subjects and patients with chronic low back pain (p<0.05). No significant differences were found between healthy subjects and patients with chronic low back pain.
Seven Strategies for Managing that ‘Fibro Guilt’
Guilt is a common reaction to chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Some people blame themselves for getting CFS or FM, thinking they might have avoided becoming ill if they had lived differently. Other people feel guilty about no longer contributing as they used to, while others lament that they aren’t the spouse or parent they wanted to be. If you experience guilt associated with CFS or FM, what can you do to ease the burden it imposes? Here are seven strategies used by people in our program.
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