Heart and Vascular Disease: Is cholesterol the culprit?

February 4, 2010

Institute For Medical Wellness Healthy Living Report

Heart and Vascular Disease: Is cholesterol the culprit?

For those of you who have had an Institute For Medical Wellness full history and physical, along with complete lab testing, you have had the honor of hearing my speech on cholesterol and heart disease. For those of you who have not, what are you waiting for??

Just kidding.....

Regardless of what you hear from the media, government, insurance companies, or other less than stellar pundits, cholesterol does NOT cause heart disease.

Let me repeat myself.

Cholesterol does NOT cause heart disease.

As with most government-industry partnerships in our country, the advice they have given us about cholesterol is just plain wrong. Now, don't take home the wrong message. It is still important to measure your cholesterol levels. In fact, I prefer to use a more sensitive type of cholesterol test, to better stratify your risk of disease. But the key is not to lower your cholesterol, but whether you need to, and if so, how you lower your cholesterol in the safest and most effective manner.

More on the above is part of our yearly wellness plan physical, which is structured for real life results, instead of the propaganda, fear tactics and rhetoric you hear from the government-insurance partnerships. There are many so called experts out there. Make sure you choose your experts wisely, as not everyone fits into the same mold.

For information on what some of the more likely risks of vascular and heart disease, please visit here, for a very informative article.
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Healthcare Reform Update:

Speaking of heart and vascular disease...................

There are many healthcare reform advocates who complain and complain again about our healthcare system. We spend too much! There are too many uninsured. Healthcare should be government run or non-profit! We should use Canada as a model for our healthcare system, after all, healthcare is free up there, and no one is turned away!!

To all the people who claim Canada has better healthcare than the United States, I highly recommend you read the following article, about a Canadian Premier, would be a state governor?? in the USA, who will be undergoing heart surgery later this week. Now I do not live in Canada, and for all I know, their doctors and hospitals may be wonderful. A Canadian Premier should be able to attest to the fact that his country's healthcare system can provide all the necessary care for its citizens.

So what I am getting at??

The Canadian Premier is having his heart surgery in the United States !!!

What does that tell you?

I'll speak for myself instead. When a high ranking elected official of a nation with a government run healthcare system, crosses the border into our country to obtain healthcare, I would say that our doctors and hospitals, stuck in a flawed system, is still the best place to receive the most advanced care in the world!!!
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Interesting Article:

Autism article retraction..

I need to reread this article again. I would advise anyone who has lingering questions on the safety of vaccines to also read this article. On my first read through, I became angry. If a doctor fudged data to help a legal case against a vaccine manufacturer, the doctor should have his license revoked, at a minimum. The study results suggesting an autism link to a vaccine set up an enormous fear of vaccines in general, that may have been unfounded. Parents are always looking to protect their children. Prior to the perceived autism link, vaccines were considered a parent's duty to protect their children. That all changed when the fear of autism arose. Talk about unintended consequences!!

I have seen many vaccines come and go. Most vaccines that have been around for ten years or more are safe for use. Postmarketing surveillance of vaccines has taken many vaccines off the market. But the vaccine fight will not end with the apparent autism retraction. There are still other factors we need to think about before getting a vaccine. Even if an autism link is proven false, other factors such as chemicals and preservatives in vaccines, spacing of vaccines in infants, and proper regulation of the vaccine production will always be an issue. That is why, regardless of the above autism retraction, I only recommend vaccines once they have been available long enough to prove their safety and efficacy.
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Healthy Weight Program Update:

One of the unique aspects of our Healthy Weight Program is our use of a private shared internet document. This document allows for increased communication between our office and you. The document is used for food diaries, diet and nutrition articles, as well as links to other research and helpful dietary information. My hope is that each Healthy Weight Program enrollee, with the use of this document, will learn enough about proper nutrition, that this will be the last weight program they need to enroll in.
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Wellness Network Update:

Just a reminder. Everyone enrolled in a Wellness Program can receive one therapeutic massage at half price. That is $35 for a one hour massage, and $50 for an hour and a half.
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Institute For Medical Wellness New Offers:

Our supplement of the month for February 2010 is Revitalize. Revitalize is our once daily multivitamin that contains an abundance of vitamins and minerals, along with small amounts of antioxidant, and liver detoxifying herbs. Revitalize comes in a bottle of 90 capsules, with most people taking 1-3 a day. I find that one a day is sufficient for most, and also allows the bottle to last for 3 months. Through the end of this month, Revitalize will be available for $5 off its regular price. For more information on Revitalize and the other supplements we offer, please visit here.

To Good Health!

Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com

Swine Flu - Should we be worried?

August 21, 2009

Swine Flu- Should we be worried?

The Swine Flu, now known as the H1N1 flu has already hit our area, and so far has been no worse than the normal seasonal flu. This may be due to the outbreak beginning in the spring, as the weather was warming up. The flu is always at its peak in the winter months, so a springtime start to a flu helps to slow its spread. There are different theories on why the winter months are worse for the flu. One theory I believe has to do with Vitamin D and our immune system. Vitamin D, which our bodies manufacture in response to strong sunlight, is at it highest level during the summer months and at its lowest level during the winter months. Higher Vitamin D levels have been shown to enhance our immune systems abilities to fight off infections, including influenza. So flu's generally hit when our Vitamin D levels are at our lowest level, in the winter months.

There are many questions yet to be answered about this potential outbreak.

1) Is this flu similar or different to the 1918 version?

Some scientists believe the H1N1 flu is similar to a 1918 flu outbreak that killed 50-100 million people worldwide. But, if you ask 5 experts on this subject, you will probably get 7 different answers. What we do know, is that the virulence of the H1N1 flu may be higher than seasonal flu as it is much more capable of reproducing in lung tissue, and thus responsible for the increased hospitalization rates due to pneumonia.

I am waiting on data from the southern hemisphere, where the winter season should be more conducive for the H1N1 virus. If the flu is causing widespread hospitalizations and deaths, moreso than the normal "flu", then I will take it a bit more seriously. Until then, I am cautiously waiting for more true data that I can analyze.

2) Is the government hysteria over this flu warranted and are they giving any recommendations to decrease its spread?

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control), has issued guidelines for businesses and employers to respond to the anticipated 2009-2010 flu season and can be found here. These guidelines deal with workplace recommenddations to reduce the spread of the H1N1 flu. Again, I am waiting on data from the southern hemisphere, where the winter season should be more conducive for the H1N1 virus. If the flu is causing widespread hospitalizations and deaths, moreso than the normal "flu", then I will take it a bit more seriously. Until then, I am cautiously waiting for more true data that I can analyze.

Never letting a potential crisis go to waste, our government has contracted with pharmaceutical companies to ramp up production of an H1N1 vaccine.

I recently came across a quote from the late Robert Novac, which sums up my views on government involvement in healthcare issues.

"Always love your country — but never trust your government!"

There are many more questions I must answer before advising on the need for the H1N1 vaccine, including:

3) Is the vaccine safe?

This question has not been answered because it has not been thoroughly tested. The swine flu vaccine of 1976, caused more problems than the flu did. The British government, aware of those issues, recently wrote a letter to neurologists to be on alert for Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare nerve disorder which could be triggered by the vaccine. The 1976 swine flu vaccine caused an eight-fold increase in Guillain-Barre cases in the United States, which at its worst can cause respiratory failure and even death. More information about this government letter can be found here.

4) Is the vaccine effective?

Again, this question has not been answered because it has not been thoroughly tested.

5) Are there side effects, and if so what are they?

Again, this question has not been answered because it has not been thoroughly tested.

The World Health Organization, has posted some information on their website as it relates to side effects. One part in particular concerns me, and the quote is as shown:

"Since new technologies are involved in the production of some pandemic vaccines, which have not yet been extensively evaluated for their safety in certain population groups, it is very important to implement post-marketing surveillance of the highest possible quality. In addition, rapid sharing of the results of immunogenicity and post-marketing safety and effectiveness studies among the international community will be essential for allowing countries to make necessary adjustments to their vaccination policies."

Does the word guinea pig strike a chord?

6) Does the vaccine benefit my patients?

Again, this question has not been answered because it has not been thoroughly tested. I am not anti-vaccines, nor am I anti-pharmaceutical companies. I do my best to research each vaccine and company and make my own independent opinion. However there are some physicians who do not like flu vaccines. To present an anti-vaccine physicians opinion, please visit the following website.

7) Are we to ASSUME that this flu season will be better or worse than in previous years?

Have you ever heard the saying, never assume anything, or you could make an -ass- out of -u- and -me-.

8) Do we trust the pharmaceutical companies to produce a safe and effectice vaccine on short notice?

I'll leave you to decide if you have faith in the pharmaceutical companies. I have received the seasonal flu vaccine each of the past fifteen years, and other than some male pattern baldness, have not had any adverse effects. But this is not the seasonal flu vaccine. This is a new vaccine that is being rushed to market. And to increase production in a quick fashion, the vaccine manufacturers are using experimental additives. More on the additives can be found here. This sounds an awful lot like Congress and the Senate trying to rush through health reform without thinking about the consequences. My solution is to first give this new vaccine to all of our elected officials and politicians. Why not use them as the guinea pigs for once?

I prefer to practice medicine on facts, not on fear or emotion. A little extra time spent talking, researching and thinking, can prevent and even cure many problems. So are there other
ways to protect yourself from the flu or from its complications, until we find out more about the swine flu vaccination?

Steps to enhance your immune system such as stress reduction and an increase in exercise may be beneficial.

Many flu related deaths are caused by a secondary pneumonia infection. Recent evidence has shown that decreased stomach acid, resulting from the use of prescription acid reducers, may increase your risk of pneumonia. Please talk to your physician if you are on one of these medications.

Earlier in this newsletter, I wrote about a benefit of Vitamin D. I have been testing vitamin D levels for many years now, and have found the optimal range for good health and hopefully flu prevention is a Vitamin D3 level of greater than 50 ng/ml. If you have not yet had your Vitamin D level tested, please call our office to schedule. If your Vitamin D level is sub-optimal, summertime sun exposure is a cheap and effective way to increase your levels. It only takes about one hour of daily summertime sun exposure to produce Vitamin D.

If you are unable to get adequate summertime sun exposure, my office sells a Vitamin D3 supplement that is cheap and effective. Call for more details.

In conclusion, it is a personal decision about whether to get a swine flu vaccine. At this point I am not recommending them, although I do recommend the seasonal flu vaccine. Hopefully my shipment of seasonal flu vaccine will arrive and be ready in October. I'll be sure to send out an email alerting everyone when they arrive.

I would also like to thank everyone who has forwarded my newsletters to friends and family. We are adding more readers with every edition.

Let me also wish everyone an enjoyable end to the summer, and to getting as much natural Vitamin D production as you can.


To Good Health!


Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311

www.drhorvitz.com

The Flu

The Flu, otherwise known as Influenza. Influenza usually occurs during the winter and can cause disease among all age groups. Some believe it is just a bad cold. That is a big understatement. Influenza is a serious contagious viral illness that hospitalizes an average of 200,000 people each year, 20,000 of them being children under five years of age. Luckily, most healthy people recover from the flu without complications. Serious illness and death are highest among people 65 years and older and children less than 2 years old. As many as 36,000 people in the United States die from the flu each year.


Now, Do I have your attention??

Influenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms:

• Fever (usually high)- can average 102-104 for 3-5 days.
  
• Headache
• Tiredness (can be extreme)- inability to get out of bed
  
• Cough- can be severe at times
  
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Body aches- makes it unable to function normally
  
• Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults)

So how is Influenza spread?

Influenza is spread primarily through sneezing and coughing. Contaminated objects (hands, phones, shared eating utensils) can also spread the flu. Close contact (within 3 feet) is usually required for transmission. You can spread the virus for up to two days before showing symptoms. Once ill, you'll be contagious for about 5 days. The flu usually lasts 3-7 days for most people, although some symptoms can last for up to 2 weeks.

How can I prevent catching Influenza?



Traditionally, we offer the "flu shot" for prevention. The flu shot contains portions of dead flu virus to which your body forms an antibody response. These antibodies are what give you protection from the flu. You can not contract the flu from the flu shot. Some people do get a reaction the the flu shot, such as low grade fever, headache and mild body aches. This is usually an indication of a good antibody response to the flu shot. Do not get a flu shot if you are allergic to eggs or any other ingredient contained in the flu shot. Most flu shots contain a preservative called thimerosal. Do not get a flu shot if you are allergic to thimerosal. There is a small supply of thimerosal free flu vaccines available. If you are in need of this version please call our office and we will try to obtain it for you.

Other preventative techniques include:

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water
• Use tissue when you cough, sneeze or spit and dispose of the tissue in a covered trash bin

• Keep your hands away from your face-The flu virus enters your body through the eyes, nose, mouth, and possibly even the ears.
• Clean shared space more often such as phone receivers, keyboards, steering wheels and office equipment
• Do not share personal items such as, forks, spoons, toothbrushes and towels
• Avoid crowds
• Avoid people who are sick with respiratory illnesses

Are there any natural ways to prevent Influenza?

There are many other options that are available for prevention and are listed below:

1. Get enough sleep. Your immune system functions much better when you get enough sleep. Most people really need about 8 hours per night for optimal health. If you're body is fatigued, it simply won't be able to fight off the flu virus (or any other infection) very well.

2. Exercise regularly. Exercise helps keep your immune system strong. In fact, a recent study showed that mice who performed mild exercise as soon as they were exposed to the flu virus had much lower death rates. Read about the study here.

3. Avoid sugar. Even small amounts of sugar can significantly impair your immune function, making you more susceptible to a flu infection. A large amount of sugar, such as the amount found in a normal can of soda, hurts your immune function for hours.

4. Drink lots of pure water. Keeping your mucous membranes well-hydrated is a key to helping them fight off viruses. Shoot for about eight 8-ounce glasses per day.

5. Reduce stress. Too much stress has a highly negative impact on your overall health and, over time, it will make you much more susceptible to a flu infection. Studies show that prolonged stress is at least partially responsible for 90% of all illness and disease. Regular exercise and sufficient sleep both help reduce stress levels. Also, meditation is a proven stress-buster that is easy, enjoyable and can be used on a daily basis.

6. Get fresh air every day. During the winter the dry heat from indoor heating systems dries out your mucous membranes and makes you more susceptible to viruses. If you can, during the day, crack open a window or two to give your body some relief.

7. Drink little or no alcohol during flu season. Too much alcohol impairs liver and immune function, which leaves you open to all kinds of infections. Heavy drinkers are especially susceptible to flu infections. Also, alcohol dehydrates your body which is always bad during flu season.

8. Don't smoke... and avoid smoke-filled places. First and second-hand smoke significantly impairs your immune system. It also dries out your nasal passages and paralyzes cilia, the small hairs in your nose and lungs that help keep out viruses.

Once you contract the flu, do not expect to function normally. You should stay home and definitely not try to attend school or go to work. You will put yourself at risk of further complications, and also help to spread the flu throughout your school and work. Your best options are to stay home, drink lots of fluids, water or tea is best. try to keep your fever below 101 with tylenol or ibuprofen, if you are not allergic or sensitive to the medications. Antibiotics are not effective against the flu because the flu is caused by a virus. There is a prescription drug called Tamiflu, that if started within 12-24 hours of flu symptoms, can decrease the length and severity of the flu by a few days.

My personal favorite for preventing Influenza is a combination of the flu vaccine and adequate Vitamin D. My goal is to get Vitamin D3 levels to an optimal range of between 50-70. If you have not yet had your levels checked, please call our office. Here are a few recommended links to articles on how Vitamin D helps to prevent contracting and possibly lessening the duration of Influenza.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/2006-apr.shtml

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/2005-nov.shtml

Finally, we never know when the flu will hit, yet it almost always hits in the winter months. Interestingly, our winter is the southern hemispheres summer. When we are battling the flu, our southern hemisphere neighbors are enjoying the sunshine and good health. Makes you think more about the Sunshine-Vitamin D link and flu prevention theory.

This year, Google launched a flu symptom tracker called Google Flu Trends that it hopes will predict and show when the flu is hitting. It will be interesting to see if they can spot Flu cases before the traditional medical establishment.

Steven Horvitz, D.O.

Board Certified Family Medicine

Founder of The Institute for Medical Wellness

Gardasil Vaccine- Is it right for you??

I have been asked by many patients about the Gardasil vaccine from Merck, so here goes.

Gardasil is a vaccine that has been recommended for females starting at age 12 to protect against certain strains of HPV (human papilloma virus) that if infected, can lead to a higher risk of cervical cancer. Gardasil is the first HPV vaccine to be released in the United States and has been actively and aggressively marketed by Merck. In fact , Merck has been lobbying many state legislatures to make their vaccine a MANDATORY requirement for school.

The vaccine works by getting the body to produce antibodies to certain select strains of HPV, thereby preventing the actual virus infection which could lead to cervical cancer. In theory, that is just what the vaccine could do. In reality, we do not know what will happen. My hope is that the vaccine will work as advertised, but as has happened in the past with vaccines, we find out other effects many years later.

I have attached a few links to this newsletter.

1) From Good Morning America-

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5620282&page=1

2) From the New England Journal of Medicine-

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/359/8/821

3) Also form the New England Journal of Medicine-
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/359/8/861

4) Gardasil website from Merck

http://www.gardasil.com/

What I find interesting from the second link is the discussion of cost effectiveness as a population instead of the effectiveness in an individual. This happens to be a pet peeve of mine. When I am in a room with a patient, I do not think of how treating this patient will affect the population. I am solely considering my individual patient's health and the most cost effective.

It seems that our government and insurance plans are more worried about overall costs than about individual's health. That is just plain and simple wrong and it is not how I practice.

But getting back to Gardasil. My hope is that the vaccine is proven effective long term. Preventing cervical cancer would rank up there with eradicating polio and measles. However the data proving Gardasil's effectiveness is a long way away. I am also waiting for more safety data before I recommend the vaccine. I will, however, administer the vaccine if you believe it is warranted for your own personal or individual needs. Just please refer to more than just the data given by Merck, as their financial interests and your individual health interests may not be compatible.

Steven Horvitz, D.O.

Board Certified Family Medicine

Founder of The Institute for Medical Wellness

For past issues of the newsletter please click here.

8-26-08 ADDENDUM TO ABOVE:

The following is a link to a Judicial Watch report on the Gardasil-FDA Approval process.
http://www.judicialwatch.org/documents/2008/JWReportFDAhpvVaccineRecords.pdf