http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/Obesity/44170?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-02-07

((This brings up the question: could global warming be a factor in the obesity epidemic??))

Fascinating new research uses masses of data from NHANES to find that current cannabis users have less insulin resistance, smaller waists, and higher HDL, than former or non-users.

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The study in question (Women's Health Study) reaffirmed this association, in this case specifically for postmenopausal females. Certainly other populations are likely to be affected as well.

Nice article here: http://naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?edition=1§ion=3&article=330

Physicians are faced with a basic question when making a prescription of any drug to a patient: “What are the risks and benefits of this recommendation?” When it comes to statin drugs, the benefits have been grossly overstated, while the risks have continually been swept under the rug. That discussion is much longer than the space available in this commentary. Suffice it to say that it is important to point out that while statins reduce the heart attack risk in women, they do not appear to affect overall risk of death, possibly because an increased risk for diabetes cancels out the reduced heart attack risk. So, let me focus on the study at hand and try to make sense of such a high risk for diabetes in postmenopausal women using statins.

http://www.nature.com/news/a-trip-to-the-gym-alters-dna-1.10176

a trip to the gym alters DNA

Francis Brinker ND
1981 NCNM grad, prof at SCNM and U of Az College of Med
Botanical Pharmacokinetic Interactions with Drugs and Botanical Adjuncts
with NSAIDS & Analgesics for Arthritis
Useful Website: http://medicine.iupui.edu/clinpharm/DDIs/table.aspx
**print interaction summary page from moodle
consumer info: http://WWW.DRUGDIGEST.ORG/WPS/PORTAL/DDIGEST
arthritis part of talk at the very end, first part of talk all about drug interactions
interactions with St John's Wort, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Garlic, Peppermint, and as usual Grapefruit
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Sodium bicarbonate in the form of baking soda: cheap medicine for maintaining a favorable acid-base balance in human metabolism. So many things can throw this balance off, that it's silly not to have some baking soda on hand--for any home or field hospital. The article recommends that we stock up with some 25-30 pounds of the stuff. There are some other good ideas in here too.

GENETIC TESTING COULD PREVENT ADVERSE DRUG EFFECTS
more than 50% of pts have variations in 8-10 liver enzymes that affect drug metabolism
Mayo Clinic psychiatry and psychology dept has used genetic testing x2yrs
other clinics and departments are catching on
varying enzyme levels affect how long drug stays in system, how much it builds up with dosing
or how much levels dip between doses
pts who are unresponsive to their meds, or have bad reactions to meds, will be interested in this
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