Top Docs Press Obama on Integrative Medicine

[Guest guest]

[vitalchoice.com]

 

Top Docs Urge Obama toward " Integrative " Medicine

 

Famed physicians co-sign an essay advocating for lifestyle-based

prevention and natural remedies; US survey shows unconventional

healthcare remains popular

-------------

The Obama administration-in-waiting is being swamped by a flood of

suggestions.

We hope that he acts on some very good ideas published last week in The

Wall Street Journal by four of America's leading medical thinkers and

researchers: Dean Ornish, MD, Andrew Weil, MD, Deepak Chopra, MD, and

Rustum Roy, PhD.

Their main point is that to bring down rates of major diseases ... and

the need for costly interventions ... any effective overhaul of the

healthcare system must tackle the preventable causes of America's major

diseases.

They want Mr. Obama's administration to advocate and support lifestyle

changes - diet and exercise - proven to prevent common, chronic

conditions.

And they want any healthcare reform law to require coverage of all

proven-effective preventive and therapeutic approaches, whether

conventional or " alternative " .

In essence, they advocate for an approach called integrative medicine,

which combines conventional medicine with " complementary and alternative

medicine " (CAM).

CAM is an umbrella term that encompasses such " unconventional "

approaches as vitamins, nutraceuticals, herbs, acupuncture, homeopathy,

chiropractic, yoga, exercise, mind-body techniques, and more.

In support of their position, these well-known practitioners cite the

ineffectiveness of many major, costly therapies for treating heart

disease, and the proven efficacy of much cheaper and simpler preventive

measures, including nutrition, exercise, and stress-relieving practices.

The authors all combine high public profiles with the respect of their

peers:

- Dean Ornish, MD, is clinical professor of medicine at the University

of California and creator of the famed Ornish lifestyle plan, proven to

reverse cardiovascular disease.

- Andrew Weil, MD, is director of the University of Arizona Center for

Integrative Medicine and the author of several bestsellers about

integrative, natural, and anti-aging medicine.

- Deepak Chopra, MD, is guest faculty at Beth Israel Hospital/Harvard

Medical School and the author of more than 50 books on mind-body-spirit

connections.

- Rustum Roy, PhD, is professor emeritus of materials science at

Pennsylvania State University.

Doctors' essay gets to the heart of healthcare reform The essay

published in last Friday's edition of The Wall Street Journal made three

key points (Chopra D et al. 2008):

- " Integrative medicine approaches such as plant-based diets, yoga,

meditation and psychosocial support may stop or even reverse the

progression of coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, prostate

cancer, obesity, hypercholesterolemia and other chronic conditions. "

- " ... if we want to make affordable healthcare available to the 45

million Americans who do not have health insurance, then we need to ...

provide incentives for healthy ways of living rather than reimbursing

only drugs and surgery. "

- " Integrative medicine approaches ... are both medically effective and,

important in our current economic climate, cost effective ... Mr. Obama

should make them an integral part of his health plan ... "

Their second point was reinforced by the results of the US survey

described below, which found that people worried about the cost or

delayed receipt of conventional care were " ... more likely to use

complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) than when the cost of

conventional care was not a worry. " (NIH

2008)

As the four essayists wrote, the promise of dietary changes is powerful:

" A recent study ... found that these approaches may even change gene

expression in hundreds of genes in only a few months. Genes associated

with cancer, heart disease and inflammation were down-regulated or

'turned off' whereas protective genes were up-regulated or 'turned on.' "

This passage referred to a small pilot study co-authored by Dr. Ornish

and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

(Ornish D et al. 2008).

This study involved 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who volunteered

for a three-day intensive residential retreat, followed by an outpatient

phase during which participants spoke with a study nurse weekly by

phone. To control their diets, the participants were provided with all

of their food during the study period.

The lifestyle modifications included these key measures:

Diet, exercise, and stress management

- A whole foods, plant-based, low-fat diet (10% of calories from fat).

- Stress management - 60 minutes per day (stretching, breathing,

meditation, imagery, and progressive relaxation).

- Moderate aerobic exercise (walking 30 minutes per day, six days per

week)

- One-hour group support session per week.

Daily Supplements

- Fish oil - 3 grams (3,000 mg)

- Vitamin E - 100 IU

- Selenium - 200 mg

- Vitamin C - 2 grams / 2,000 mg

- One serving of tofu plus 58 grams (2 oz) of a soy protein beverage

As Dr. Ornish wrote last June in Newsweek, " We found that many

disease-promoting genes (including those associated with cancer, heart

disease, and inflammation) were down-regulated or 'turned off,' whereas

protective, disease-preventing genes were up-regulated or 'turned on.'

.... These genes are the target of many new drugs that are being

developed. Clearly, changing lifestyle is less expensive, and the only

side-effects are good ones. " (Ornish D 2008)

Official US survey shows Americans turning to alternatives

Coincidentally, the latest survey of use of alternative medicine among

Americans was released last month.

This report used data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey

(NHIS), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

while trends were assessed by comparing data from the 2007 and 2002

NHIS.

The survey report - titled Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use

Among Adults and Children: United States, 2007 - found that more than

one-third of adults and nearly 12 percent of children in the United

States use alternatives to traditional medicine (Barnes PM et al. 2008).

And it shows how common acupuncture, herbal remedies, and other

once-exotic healthcare approaches have become:

- Almost 4 out of 10 adults (38%) had used CAM therapy in the past 12

months.

- The most commonly used therapies were non-vitamin, non-mineral natural

products such as herbs and " nutraceuticals " - such as antioxidants,

gingko, and fish oil (17.7%) - and deep breathing exercises (12.7%).

- About one in nine children (11.8%) used CAM therapy in the past 12

months, with the most commonly used therapies being non-vitamin,

non-mineral, natural products (3.9%) and chiropractic or osteopathic

manipulation (2.8%).

- People were more likely to use CAM when they were worried about the

cost of conventional care or delayed receipt of that care.

- Between 2002 and 2007 increased use was seen among adults for

acupuncture, deep breathing exercises, massage therapy, meditation,

naturopathy, and yoga.

The survey found that use of complementary and alternative healthcare

approaches has held steady among adults since the last national survey

in 2002, and that these approaches have become a routine part of

healthcare for many children.

Sources

- Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine

use among adults and children: United States, 2007. National health

statistics reports; no 12. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health

Statistics. 2008.

- Chopra, D, Ornish D, Weil A, Rustum R. " Alternative " Medicine Is

Mainstream. Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Jaunary 9, 2009. Accessed online

at www.djreprints.com.

- Ornish D, Magbanua MJ, Weidner G, Weinberg V, Kemp C, Green C, Mattie

MD, Marlin R, Simko J, Shinohara K, Haqq CM, Carroll PR. Changes in

prostate gene expression in men undergoing an intensive nutrition and

lifestyle intervention. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jun

17;105(24):8369-74. Epub 2008 Jun 16. Ornish D. Changing Your Lifestyle

Can Change Your Genes. Newsweek, June 17, 2008. Accessed online at

http://www.imakenews.com/eletra/go.cfm?z=vitalchoiceseafood%2C330255%2Cb1kJkvww%\

2C2924730%2Cbf0n8N4

[Guest guest]

Glad to see this.

 

But I hope people are remembering that the public has been requested to provide input direct to Obama's Transition Team. http://change.gov/agenda/health_care_agenda/ Click on "submit your ideas" in the blue box. Whatever one may think about this new administration, this request for public input is unique, a first-in-the-history-of-this-country event.

 

If anybody's interested in what I said to them, it's attached. I hope I don't get blasted for being "political", but if my opinions are considered too political for this forum, don't open the attachment.

 

I just hope you all go the site and submit your opinions because I think it's so important we all take advantage of this opportunity to speak our piece in a place where there's some chance they can have some effect, and now, before "reforms" are set in stone.

 

Naomi

 

 

 

-

robert-blau

; SymphonicHealth ; oleander soup ; cancercure ; cancercure2 ; cancercured ; cancer_alternatives ; cancervictory

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 8:48 PM

Top Docs Press Obama on Integrative Medicine

 

 

[vitalchoice.com]Top Docs Urge Obama toward "Integrative" Medicine Famed physicians co-sign an essay advocating for lifestyle-basedprevention and natural remedies; US survey shows unconventionalhealthcare remains popular ------------- The Obama administration-in-waiting is being swamped by a flood ofsuggestions. We hope that he acts on some very good ideas published last week in TheWall Street Journal by four of America's leading medical thinkers andresearchers: Dean Ornish, MD, Andrew Weil, MD, Deepak Chopra, MD, andRustum Roy, PhD. Their main point is that to bring down rates of major diseases ... andthe need for costly interventions ... any effective overhaul of thehealthcare system must tackle the preventable causes of America's majordiseases. They want Mr. Obama's administration to advocate and support lifestylechanges - diet and exercise - proven to prevent common, chronicconditions. And they want any healthcare reform law to require coverage of allproven-effective preventive and therapeutic approaches, whetherconventional or "alternative". In essence, they advocate for an approach called integrative medicine,which combines conventional medicine with "complementary and alternativemedicine" (CAM). CAM is an umbrella term that encompasses such "unconventional"approaches as vitamins, nutraceuticals, herbs, acupuncture, homeopathy,chiropractic, yoga, exercise, mind-body techniques, and more. In support of their position, these well-known practitioners cite theineffectiveness of many major, costly therapies for treating heartdisease, and the proven efficacy of much cheaper and simpler preventivemeasures, including nutrition, exercise, and stress-relieving practices. The authors all combine high public profiles with the respect of theirpeers: - Dean Ornish, MD, is clinical professor of medicine at the Universityof California and creator of the famed Ornish lifestyle plan, proven toreverse cardiovascular disease. - Andrew Weil, MD, is director of the University of Arizona Center forIntegrative Medicine and the author of several bestsellers aboutintegrative, natural, and anti-aging medicine. - Deepak Chopra, MD, is guest faculty at Beth Israel Hospital/HarvardMedical School and the author of more than 50 books on mind-body-spiritconnections. - Rustum Roy, PhD, is professor emeritus of materials science atPennsylvania State University. Doctors' essay gets to the heart of healthcare reform The essaypublished in last Friday's edition of The Wall Street Journal made threekey points (Chopra D et al. 2008): - "Integrative medicine approaches such as plant-based diets, yoga,meditation and psychosocial support may stop or even reverse theprogression of coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, prostatecancer, obesity, hypercholesterolemia and other chronic conditions." - "... if we want to make affordable healthcare available to the 45million Americans who do not have health insurance, then we need to ...provide incentives for healthy ways of living rather than reimbursingonly drugs and surgery." - "Integrative medicine approaches ... are both medically effective and,important in our current economic climate, cost effective ... Mr. Obamashould make them an integral part of his health plan ..." Their second point was reinforced by the results of the US surveydescribed below, which found that people worried about the cost ordelayed receipt of conventional care were "... more likely to usecomplementary and alternative medicine (CAM) than when the cost ofconventional care was not a worry." (NIH 2008) As the four essayists wrote, the promise of dietary changes is powerful:"A recent study ... found that these approaches may even change geneexpression in hundreds of genes in only a few months. Genes associatedwith cancer, heart disease and inflammation were down-regulated or'turned off' whereas protective genes were up-regulated or 'turned on.'" This passage referred to a small pilot study co-authored by Dr. Ornishand published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(Ornish D et al. 2008). This study involved 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who volunteeredfor a three-day intensive residential retreat, followed by an outpatientphase during which participants spoke with a study nurse weekly byphone. To control their diets, the participants were provided with allof their food during the study period. The lifestyle modifications included these key measures: Diet, exercise, and stress management - A whole foods, plant-based, low-fat diet (10% of calories from fat). - Stress management - 60 minutes per day (stretching, breathing,meditation, imagery, and progressive relaxation). - Moderate aerobic exercise (walking 30 minutes per day, six days perweek) - One-hour group support session per week. Daily Supplements - Fish oil - 3 grams (3,000 mg) - Vitamin E - 100 IU - Selenium - 200 mg - Vitamin C - 2 grams / 2,000 mg - One serving of tofu plus 58 grams (2 oz) of a soy protein beverage As Dr. Ornish wrote last June in Newsweek, "We found that manydisease-promoting genes (including those associated with cancer, heartdisease, and inflammation) were down-regulated or 'turned off,' whereasprotective, disease-preventing genes were up-regulated or 'turned on.'... These genes are the target of many new drugs that are beingdeveloped. Clearly, changing lifestyle is less expensive, and the onlyside-effects are good ones." (Ornish D 2008) Official US survey shows Americans turning to alternativesCoincidentally, the latest survey of use of alternative medicine amongAmericans was released last month. This report used data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey(NHIS), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,while trends were assessed by comparing data from the 2007 and 2002NHIS. The survey report - titled Complementary and Alternative Medicine UseAmong Adults and Children: United States, 2007 - found that more thanone-third of adults and nearly 12 percent of children in the UnitedStates use alternatives to traditional medicine (Barnes PM et al. 2008). And it shows how common acupuncture, herbal remedies, and otheronce-exotic healthcare approaches have become: - Almost 4 out of 10 adults (38%) had used CAM therapy in the past 12months. - The most commonly used therapies were non-vitamin, non-mineral naturalproducts such as herbs and "nutraceuticals" - such as antioxidants,gingko, and fish oil (17.7%) - and deep breathing exercises (12.7%). - About one in nine children (11.8%) used CAM therapy in the past 12months, with the most commonly used therapies being non-vitamin,non-mineral, natural products (3.9%) and chiropractic or osteopathicmanipulation (2.8%). - People were more likely to use CAM when they were worried about thecost of conventional care or delayed receipt of that care. - Between 2002 and 2007 increased use was seen among adults foracupuncture, deep breathing exercises, massage therapy, meditation,naturopathy, and yoga. The survey found that use of complementary and alternative healthcareapproaches has held steady among adults since the last national surveyin 2002, and that these approaches have become a routine part ofhealthcare for many children. Sources - Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicineuse among adults and children: United States, 2007. National healthstatistics reports; no 12. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for HealthStatistics. 2008. - Chopra, D, Ornish D, Weil A, Rustum R. "Alternative" Medicine IsMainstream. Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Jaunary 9, 2009. Accessed onlineat www.djreprints.com. - Ornish D, Magbanua MJ, Weidner G, Weinberg V, Kemp C, Green C, MattieMD, Marlin R, Simko J, Shinohara K, Haqq CM, Carroll PR. Changes inprostate gene expression in men undergoing an intensive nutrition andlifestyle intervention. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jun17;105(24):8369-74. Epub 2008 Jun 16. Ornish D. Changing Your LifestyleCan Change Your Genes. Newsweek, June 17, 2008. Accessed online athttp://www.imakenews.com/eletra/go.cfm?z=vitalchoiceseafood%2C330255%2Cb1kJkvww%2C2924730%2Cbf0n8N4

 

 

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[Guest guest]

No, Naomi, you are not being political at all. This has to do with our health freedoms and I thank you for your post. We must all make our voices heard in any way possible, as the plan to infringe our health rights is very serious. I would urge everyone to take whatever action they deem necessary to help preserve our health freedoms. This year will be crucial.Hugs,oleander soup , "Naomi" <naomilh wrote:>> Glad to see this. > > But I hope people are remembering that the public has been requested to provide input direct to Obama's Transition Team. http://change.gov/agenda/health_care_agenda/ Click on "submit your ideas" in the blue box. Whatever one may think about this new administration, this request for public input is unique, a first-in-the-history-of-this-country event. > > If anybody's interested in what I said to them, it's attached. I hope I don't get blasted for being "political", but if my opinions are considered too political for this forum, don't open the attachment. > > I just hope you all go the site and submit your opinions because I think it's so important we all take advantage of this opportunity to speak our piece in a place where there's some chance they can have some effect, and now, before "reforms" are set in stone. > > Naomi>

[Guest guest]

As I have in the past, I must chime in on this topic. Whether or not the whole "change.gov" thing is real or just a marketing ploy, it must be utilized. Having spent almost a year on the campaign trail I am pretty well versed on the obama admin's plan for universal healthcare and we have much to be concerned about. Partisan feelings aside, universal healthcare is NO friend to those of us who want the freedom to NOT poison, cut or unnaturally alter our bodies. In addition to writing to the obama admin on change.gov, we also need to write to our representatives and let them know that universal healthcare is not the solution and if they support it, we will support their opponents. This may not be especially pertinent for obama, but the 2010 race has already started and about half the senate and the entire house is up for reelection. In 2008 the big pharma companies gave TWICE AS MUCH to obama and the dems as to mccain and the reps. This can't be a good sign for natural medicine. Blessings,Sean. Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T" May" Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:44:51 -0000<oleander soup > Re: Top Docs Press Obama on Integrative Medicine No, Naomi, you are not being political at all. This has to do with our health freedoms and I thank you for your post. We must all make our voices heard in any way possible, as the plan to infringe our health rights is very serious. I would urge everyone to take whatever action they deem necessary to help preserve our health freedoms. This year will be crucial.Hugs,oleander soup , "Naomi" <naomilh wrote:>> Glad to see this. > > But I hope people are remembering that the public has been requested to provide input direct to Obama's Transition Team. http://change.gov/agenda/health_care_agenda/ Click on "submit your ideas" in the blue box. Whatever one may think about this new administration, this request for public input is unique, a first-in-the-history-of-this-country event. > > If anybody's interested in what I said to them, it's attached. I hope I don't get blasted for being "political", but if my opinions are considered too political for this forum, don't open the attachment. > > I just hope you all go the site and submit your opinions because I think it's so important we all take advantage of this opportunity to speak our piece in a place where there's some chance they can have some effect, and now, before "reforms" are set in stone. > > Naomi>