Search Results for: dementia

by Bianca Garilli, ND, USMC Veteran Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been shown to be a major cause of death and disability in the US, contributing to approximately 30% of all injury-related deaths.1 TBIs can be caused by myriad of events including motor vehicle crashes, falls, and sports-related injuries.1-2 In children and teens, 70% of concussions are related to sports related injuries, while in the elderly falls are the most common cause of concussions.2-3 Previous research has indicated an association…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Dementia has become one of the major causes of disability and dependency in older people and is considered a worldwide public health priority.1 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 50 million people globally suffer from this cognitive decline syndrome, with nearly 10 million new cases occurring annually.1 Although common in today’s society, dementia is not a guarantee, nor a normal part of the aging process. It typically affects older adults leading to symptoms associated with…

by Mark Houston, MD and Sara Gottfried, MD Abstract. Hypertension is the most common and modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Rather than a disease, hypertension is a manifestation of an abnormal vascular system. Therein is both the problem and opportunity: we need a systems biology approach to address the root cause of hypertension and reduce our patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease. In 2017, new guidelines lowered the criteria for the diagnosis of hypertension from 140/90 to 130/80. As more patients…

by Sara Gottfried, MD and Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP Introduction We’re just starting to understand the full spectrum of toxic threats to the human body, including obesity. What’s clear is that the body doesn’t know what to do with our myriad exposures to toxins. They clog the liver, then get stored in fat, and ultimately back up into the brain. Since the brain is almost two-thirds fat (the fattiest organ in the body), it makes sense that it’s likely the…

by Sara Gottfried, MD  Introduction Anxiety is on the rise, and it occurs more commonly in women compared with men. Identifying anxiety in patients, performing root cause analysis, and collaborating on natural solutions beyond a pill-for-every-ill requires clinicians to practice both the art and science of medicine. Fortunately, the biological underpinnings of anxiety involving the gene/environment interface, along with a growing evidence base of natural remedies, provide a strong foundation for us to help our patients. One of the most…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP, USMC Veteran Sleep disorders in military veterans are common, yet their role in chronic illness is frequently overlooked. A study published in Sleep brings attention to this important subject: “The National Veteran Sleep Disorder Study: Descriptive Epidemiology and Secular Trends, 2000–2010” was a serial, cross-sectional study that reviewed sleep disorder trends in veterans who were treated in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) over a period of 11 years.1 In total, 9,786,778 patient visits were included…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP, USMC Veteran Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a lipoprotein encoded by the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene located on chromosome 19; this protein is primarily responsible for transporting and metabolizing cholesterol and other lipids.1 Although expressed in various tissues throughout the body, the highest ApoE concentrations are found in the liver, kidney, spleen, adrenal, adipose tissue, and the brain or central nervous system (CNS), where it is predominately involved in neuronal maintenance, growth, and repair.1,2 There are…

by Sara Gottfried, MD My granny blinked behind her glasses as she drove us to her home after school, trying to conceal her panic. It was 1975. I was 7 years old, and she was 50. Granny wasn’t sure where to turn her Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme next. The distance between the school bus stop and her home was only 5 miles, but we were lost. When my grandmother’s memory and then her personality drained out of her due to Alzheimer’s…