Para-Buster

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Getting Rid of Mercury?

Getting Rid of Mercury?
Provided by: DrWeil.com

Q: I'm hoping to get pregnant soon, but I've always eaten a lot of fish and I'm worried about the effect mercury from fish will have on my baby. Is there a way to get rid of mercury? -- Shelly V.

A: I've been getting a lot of questions about this issue since the FDA and EPA warned women of reproductive age to limit their consumption of many varieties of freshwater fish and some types of ocean fish. The mercury comes from emissions from coal-fueled power plants that pollute the air and end up in the water - and in the fish.

During pregnancy, mercury from fish you've eaten can get into the bloodstream of the fetus and harm the developing nervous system, which can lead to learning disabilities, developmental delays, and other serious health problems. Dental amalgams containing mercury used to fill cavities have also spurred concerns that escaping vapors may cause health problems (although many studies in the U.S. and abroad have found no evidence that this amounts to a public health risk).

You first might want to be tested to see if your mercury levels are high enough to cause concern. It is normal to find trace amounts of mercury in the body, and a test may show that you don't have anything to worry about.

A study published in the Center for Disease Control's Nov. 5, 2004, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showed that only about six percent of U.S. women of childbearing age have blood mercury levels above safe limits.

Your physician can test your blood for mercury, and home tests are available to analyze your hair for mercury (although I can't vouch for their accuracy).

The conventional medical method for removing heavy metals (including mercury) from the blood is called chelation therapy. It involves intravenous injections of EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid), a synthetic amino acid. EDTA grabs onto chelates (heavy metals and minerals in the blood), allowing them to be excreted in the urine. Another intravenous agent used by some physicians for mercury detoxification is called DMPS.

An oral chelating agent called Succimer (also known as DMSA) is FDA-approved for treatment of lead poisoning (particularly in children) and is now being used by some physicians to remove mercury from the body. When used for lead poisoning, the drug combines with the metal in the blood stream and then both are removed from the body by the kidneys.

The most common side effects include diarrhea, loose stools, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting and skin rash. If you take this drug, be sure to report any symptoms you develop to your doctor.

Beyond that, despite insubstantial evidence, some health practitioners who offer mercury detoxification recommend supplements such as cilantro tincture, chlorella algae powder, garlic, as well as various amino acids to rid the body of mercury.

A 1999 Korean study did show that garlic juice reduced mercury toxicity in rat embryos, but I know of no evidence suggesting that it works in humans. I've seen two studies indicating that cilantro can speed excretion of mercury, but I understand that the effect here is weak. Eating foods rich in vitamin E has also been recommended.

This may protect against mercury toxicity, but I know of no evidence showing that it helps the body eliminate mercury.

You can lower your mercury levels over time (months, I'm afraid) by avoiding shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, all which have unacceptably high levels of mercury.

Stick to wild Alaskan salmon, which may be more expensive than other types of fish, but is good for you and low in mercury. I also recommend sardines, herring and black cod (sablefish).
Andrew Weil, MD

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Thursday, May 25, 2006

Do Clean Teeth Promote Heart Health?

Do Clean Teeth Promote Heart Health?
Provided by: DrWeil.com

Q: What does dental health have to do with heart disease? I've heard that gum infections raise your heart disease risk. True? -- Maxtrina

A: Yes, recent research suggests that the bacteria that cause gum infections can also lead to or worsen atherosclerosis, the arterial disease that leads to heart attacks and strokes. A new study published in the February 8, 2005 issue of the American Heart Association journal Circulation found that people with the highest level of the bacteria that cause gum disease also had the worst atherosclerosis. The study confirmed the long-suspected connection between gum disease and heart disease.

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City recruited nearly 660 older men and women for their study. They compared levels of oral bacteria to ultrasound measurements of the thickness of the carotid arteries that carry blood to the brain. They found that the association between oral bacteria and atherosclerosis existed only when they looked at the specific bacteria that cause gum disease, not all the bugs found in the mouth.

Infections that lead to gum disease usually are long-standing. The researchers explained that if the causative bacteria aren't eliminated or reduced, they trigger an inflammatory response that promotes a gradual thickening of artery walls throughout the body.

To avoid this, you need regular dental checkups so that any gum disease can be identified and treated promptly. When infections are found, the treatment is deep cleaning of the gums often followed by local antibiotics to eliminate bacteria. And, of course, it is vital to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss daily to avoid the buildup of small amounts of food that attract and nourish bacteria. You might also ask your dentist about electric toothbrushes that have been clinically shown to treat gingivitis more effectively than regular tooth brushes.

Incidentally, another recent study found that people who brush their teeth after every meal tend to remain slimmer than those who don't brush as often. Japanese researchers discovered this effect when they compared the lifestyle habits of nearly 14,000 people whose average age was the mid-forties. They concluded that tooth brushing is a good health habit that could play a role in preventing obesity. The study was published in the Journal of the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity.

Andrew Weil, MD

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Autism and Mercury Detoxification

Autism and Mercury Detoxification

P. Kane, Ph.D. and J. Mercola, D.O.

What is DMSA and Why Don't We Recommend It?

DMSA is a FDA currently approved drug. It is a mixed disulfide in which each of the sulfur atoms is in disulfide linkage with a cysteine molecule forming water soluble chelates which increases the urinary excretion of lead.


There are a number of physicians who have started to use DMSA to remove the mercury from children with autism. The dose used for mercury detoxification is much lower than that for lead and some children seem to have received benefit from this approach.

A time released DMSA has been suggested for 7 days on, 7 days off or 3 days on, 4 days off for an extended period of time (up to 6 months).
However, some natural medicine clinicians have some serious concerns about the use of DMSA.

There have been cases of:

  • seizures
  • increased self-stimming
  • and compromised central nervous system function in some children

DMSA and Mercury Redistribution To The Brain
It appears that DMSA and lipoic acid can create tissue redistribution of mercury as decreasing Hg levels in the kidney (the organ accumulating Hg most abundantly) increases Hg concentrations of Hg in blood, brain, lung, heart, muscle and liver (Gregus et al).
Natural medical physicians throughout the US have reported MS symptoms in adults and intractable seizures in pediatric patients with high dose and extended use of DMSA (2, 3-dimercaptosuccinic acid), Chemet or Succimer.

Other Problems With DMSA
Extended use of DMSA can cause mild to moderate neutropenia with increased SGOT, SGPT, Platelet count, Cholesterol, Alkaline Phosphatase and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN). Adverse reactions to DMSA include ataxia, convulsions, rash, nausea, diarrhea, anorexia, headache, dizziness, sensorimotor neuropathy, decreased urination, arrhythmia, infection. Zinc excretion doubles during the administration of DMSA. Patients must be kept hydrated as renal function can be compromised.
For the above described reasons in all good conscious we can not recommend the use of DMSA for the treatment of mercury toxic pediatric patients.
Approaching the fragile brain architecture of young children with autism, PDD and seizure disorders brings about tremendous responsibility in protecting the children from invasive interventions that risk alteration in brain function.

DMPS Recommended Chelating Agent
The physicians who support the use of DMSA claim that they do not use DMPS because it is an unapproved drug and the cost.
Both of these concerns are not valid as DMPS has undergone phase one and two FDA trials and has been approved for use distribution in bulk form by compounding pharmacists. Phase 3 trials were not completed due to lack of funding.
The medical literature favors DMPS over DMSA as the drug of choice. Challenge doses of DMSA to determine heavy metal load are often unremarkable as DMSA is a weak chelator. DMPS yields clinically useful spills of mercury and other heavy metals into the urine.
Dose for dose DMSA costs much less than DMPS. But since the DMPS is only used once per month, the total cost is actually significantly lower than DMSA which must be used 28 times per month.







Hair Analysis For Diagnosis and Treatment
First, a determination must be made if, in fact, there is a heavy metal burden and if so specifically which heavy metals are involved such as aluminum, mercury, lead or others.
This is the reason why hair analysis is a recommended initial screen. At this time we only advise two labs for this determination. Trace Elements in Austin, Texas and Analytical Research in Arizona.
Both of these labs do not wash the hair samples prior to analysis. This is a key factor to proper interpretation of the other nontoxic minerals.
Other labs would likely give proper heavy metal results, but the interpretation of the other minerals is key to an effective supplementation program. Chelation removes other minerals aside from mercury and these must be replaced properly if one wished to avoid complications.


Establishing Metabolic Stability Prior To Detoxification
One must be relatively healthy to sustain the process of detoxification. Once metabolic stability is established physicians often find that gentle biological interventions clear heavy metal burdens without the need for medication that holds the potential risk of negative side effects or merely redistribution of heavy metals.

Clearing heavy metals may be approached by first reestablishing the mineral base, supporting biliary function/ digestion, insuring the patient is properly hydrated (children with autism are frequently dehydrated), and most importantly supporting hepatic function and metabolism
Adults with heavy metal toxicity generally have significant suppression of omega 6 arachidonic acid and a significant elevation of very long chain fatty acids (Kane) as the cellular impact of heavy metals burdens block receptor sites such as G proteins and ultimately suppress the beta oxidation of lipids and cellular respiration.

Children with autism consistently present with an elevation of very long chain fatty acids.However, red cell lipid levels of arachidonic are variable, elevated in some patients while deeply suppressed in others.

Dietary Fat Intervention Must Be Considered
Administration of fish oils suppresses omega 6 and structural lipids and this will suppress the production of arachidonic acid. To balance fat metabolism it is crucial to stabilize omega 6 fatty acids and arachidonic acid before introducing omega 3 lipids.

Patient outcomes may be compromised if one uses fish oils prior to omega 6 fatty acids. The omega 6 fatty acid of choice would be evening primrose oil. Additionally, supporting the digestion of fats with bile salts and lipase is frequently required to maximize fat absorption and digestion.

Japan and Mercury Exposure Example
The impact of Hg upon human health was brought to light in the mid-50s with the Minamata disaster in Japan. As noted in the documentary 'Message to Minamata to the World' the impact of mercury is devastating, most prominently to the CNS. Interestingly, autistic behavior can observed in the documentary of Minamata children in original footage after the disaster.

In 1993 Kane found an interesting correlation in the literature between autism and mercury with the occurrence of autism presenting in adulthood occurring in Japan. The presentation of autism in these individuals was linked to ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, the most common urea cycle defect. Damage to this enzyme can occur with exposure to mercury.
Low levels of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) leads to states of hyperammonemia, seizures and stroke. The enzyme OTC controls ammonia, critical issues in states of epilepsy and autism.

The often spacy, confused behavior 'brain fog' that is frequently observed in these disorders may be attributed states of hyperammonemia as ammonia reaches the brain.

Suggested treatment of mildly suppressed levels of OTC includes sodium benzoate and phenylacetate. However, Kane and other clinicians have observed positive clinical usefulness of Ca/Mg butyrate, digestive intervention targeted to biliary flow, appropriate buffers, and stabilization of electrolytes and the trace mineral base.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

NCI Issues Cancer Trends Progress Report: 2005 Update

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, today released Cancer Trends Progress Report: 2005 Update. The report summarizes our nation?s progress against cancer in relation to the Healthy People 2010 targets developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This online report, first issued in 2001 as the Cancer Progress Report, is released every other year. The revised and expanded report is intended for policy makers, researchers, clinicians, and public health service providers, offering updated national trends data and a variety of new features.
New additions to this year?s report include:
Quick tutorial to make navigation and downloading of materials within the report as simple as possible
Prevention measures: e.g., ?Doctors? and Dentists? Advice to Quit Smoking?; ?Pesticides?; and ?Dioxins?
Treatment measures: ?Breast Cancer Treatment? and ?Colorectal Cancer Treatment?
Updated ?Trends-at-a-Glance? snapshot
Links to state- and county-level data
Data, graphs, and slides that are easy to download
Links to Healthy People 2010 materials
Custom report features
Open text search capability
Fully accessible to persons with disabilities The Cancer Trends Progress Report: 2005 Update can be viewed online at http://progressreport.cancer.gov/. General questions about the report may be directed to progressreporthelp@mail.nih.gov.
For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI Web site at http://www.cancer.gov or call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4 CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
Provided by National Institutes of Health on 12/22/2005

Fluoride Destroys Tooth Enamel: Chemistry Prof

Fluoride is being added to drinking water in a number of locations around the world, and in recent months there have been efforts to extend fluoridation of our drinking water, notably in Ireland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and California.
Although benefits from fluoridated water are certainly not a scientific certainty, there is quite some data on dental fluorosis, brittling of teeth by the action of fluoride, which is generally put down to being a mere "cosmetic problem". Fluoride has also been found by major epidemiological studies to cause skeletal fluorosis, causing an increase in the rate of hip fractures.
A mild case of dental fluorosis - Photo credit: fluoridealert.org / Jeffrey Hamilton
Dr. Gerard F. Judd, a retired chemistry professor from Purdue University has been warning against the use of fluoride, and he backs up his warning with research and data, as well as an understanding of chemical reactions. His proposals on how to take care of our teeth without the use of fluoride are listed in a comment that was posted on a previous post of mine titled: Fluoride - No Thank You!
Thanks to Patricia, who took the trouble of commenting on that article. I think her post is important enough to distribute further.
I would also like to ask you, the readers, to share your own experiences.
- - -
Dr. Judd's research is very impressive. I actually healed myself from harm caused by the dentists using his book. Please read some of the results of his research below, including the dangers of fluoride. The book offers more information on root canals, mercury, etc. Please consider the book for you store. Thank you, Patricia
Letter from Dr. Gerard F. Judd, Ph.D., Chemist, Researcher for 18 years, Professor of Chemistry for 33 yrs.
April 2002
Dear Government Executive and Employee:
We can all stop spending billions for American dental work and research. Let me tell you why: I have learned the real causes of dental cavities and gum infection. People, including you, will now be able to take care of their own dentistry with insignificant cost, and end with perfect teeth. Cavities and gum infections are ended!
A great amount of REPUTABLE DENTAL RESEARCH proves the following:
1. Tooth cavities will be ended simply by rinsing acids off the teeth. ACIDS ALONE EAT THE ENAMEL. THERE WOULD BE NO CAVITIES IN THE WORLD if all people rinsed acids from their teeth promptly. Just sip water, milk or other liquid while eating. Water reacts with acids.
2. Foods and drinks, other than those containing acids, have no action on tooth enamel. SUGARS HAVE NO ACTION ON THE ENAMEL.
3. Bacteria cannot damage the enamel (calcium hydroxy phosphate). There is no such thing as decay of the enamel since bacteria require carbon and hydrogen to live. Billions of human and animal remains show teeth and bones are resistant to earth-bound organisms.
4. Teeth reenamalize when clean. TO MAKE TEETH CLEAN ONE BRUSHES WITH ANY BAR SOAP. Soap washes off in just 2 rinses. What about toothpastes? Glycerine in all tooth pastes is so sticky that it takes 27 washes to get it off. Teeth brushed with any toothpaste are coated with a film and CANNOT PROPERLY REENAMELIZE.
5. Taking calcium and phosphate in the diet results in reenamelization of the teeth, but only when they are clean. Bar soap does a perfect job in cleaning the surface. The enamel thickens and becomes less sensitive. Adenosine diphosphatase furnishes phosphate to teeth.
6. Gums are disinfected by brushing with any bar soap. Not only bacteria and viruses are destroyed promptly by small amounts of soap in water, but also white flies and aphids. Gardeners: Spray 1 tsp of dishwashing soap in 1 gallon of water to kill white flies and aphids.
7. Plaque, a poorly formed crystal stuck to the bottom of the enamel, is prevented and eventually removed by brushing with bar soap. Dental procedures to get the badly formed crystals off dig holes through the enamel. These cavities catch food and cause gum infection.
8. Prevention of plaque retards gum pockets. GUM POCKETS are formed as the plaque pushes the gums away from the teeth. GUM POCKETS, from 1 to 8 mm deep, ARE ALSO FORMED BY FLUORIDE, WHICH SEVERS THE PROTEIN MOLECULES ADHERING THE GUMS TO THE TEETH. SOAP PREVENTS GINGIVITIS caused by bacteria which is lodged in the gum pockets.
9. VITAMIN C AND PHOSPHATE help knit the gums back to the teeth. Pressing against the gums with fingers forces adhesive materials from the gums onto the teeth, which helps the process. Abscesses can be offset by holding Cepacol (14% alcohol) in the mouth 5 minutes.
10. 'Receding gum' surgery will end when the GUM POCKETS cease. The very mention of the procedure, which involves transferring flesh from the roof of the mouth to the excised area of the gums, is a heinous and useless procedure which ought to pass into oblivion.
11. REMOVAL OF FLUORIDE FROM DRINKING WATER, PASTES OR GELS SAVES THE ENZYME ADENOSINE DIPHOSPHATASE so it can deliver phosphate to calcium at the tooth surface, RESULTING IN A BEAUTIFUL, SEMI-FLEXIBLE ENAMEL.
12. As stated above, THE GUMS CAN BE RECONNECTED TO THE TEETH BY TAKING VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID) (1 tsp) with Arm and Hammer baking soda (1/2 tsp) in 1 inch of water, letting it fizz and then diluting to 1/2 to 1 cup with water, then drinking. The resulting SODIUM ASCORBATE is non-acid, very pure and a thousand times more soluble than vitamin C. SODIUM ASCORBATE IS MORE REACTIVE THAN ASCORBIC ACID (C) in building connective tissue and antibody structures and more effective in killing some viruses and bacteria.
13. Receding gums and plaque are ended when soap is used for brushing and VITAMIN C IS TAKEN DAILY AS DESCRIBED IN #12.
14. 30% of American youths ages 8-10 have no cavities. 100% of Ugandan youths ages 6-10 have no cavities. What does this tell us?
15. THE REASON UGANDAN YOUTHS HAVE 3 TIMES BETTER TEETH THAN AMERICAN YOUTHS IS BECAUSE they do not consume as many acid foods, have no fluoride in their drinking water, have regular meals rather than sipping acid drinks all day, have more calcium and phosphate in their diet, and have fewer dentists to 'WORK ON' their teeth.
16. DENTAL LITERATURE says 42% OF AMERICANS OVER 65 HAVE NO NATURAL TEETH while 25% OF THOSE OVER 43 HAVE NONE.
17. Dental literature says AMERICANS AGE 43 AVERAGE 32 CAVITIES, those AGE 17 HAVE 13 CAVITIES, blacks and poverty stricken (without calcium and phosphate) have twice this and the native Americans have four times this amount. The NATIVE AMERICAN PLIGHT CAN BE BLAMED ON THEIR POOR NUTRITION, EXCESSIVE FLUORIDATION AND FREE BUT IMPROPER DENTAL CARE.
18. IF FLUORIDATION WERE EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING CAVITIES, NATIVE AMERICANS WOULD HAVE THE LEAST CAVITIES OF ANY GROUP. THEY HAVE HAD FORCED FLUORIDATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 62 YEARS.
19. Spokesmen for national groups are beginning to notice AN ALARMING RISE IN CAVITIES AMONG CHILDREN AND TEENS. Some dentists recommend DENTAL SEALANTS, especially for older teens not previously considered candidates for the treatment. But if sealants are now ordered, AREN'T DENTISTS ADMITTING NO CONFIDENCE IN THE ABILITY OF FLUORIDE TO PREVENT CAVITIES?
20. FLUORIDE in water at I part per million INCREASED TOOTH CAVITIES in four large reliable studies 7.22.45 and 10% (average 21 %). The reason far these increases has to do with the fact that adenosine diphosphatase is destroyed by fluoride and CALCIUM FLUORIDE which slips into the enamel, IS ALIEN TO THE TOOTH COMPOSITE AND MAKES THE ENAMEL WEAK, BRITTLE AND DISCOLORED.
21. THE HEALTH OF AMERICAN TEETH WILL INCREASE TO BE VERY NEARLY PERFECT if the regimen of WATER RINSING, SOAP BRUSHING AND TAKING CALCIUM, PHOSPHATE AND VITAMIN C IN THE DIET is implemented.
22. Fortunately, we now know the current 'teeth perfecting protocol' of dentistry with fluoridation is flawed. IF THE EARLY ESTIMATES OF 80% TOOTH IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDRENS' TEETH BY AGE 13 WERE TRUE, EACH AMERICAN WOULD NOW HAVE LESS THAN ONE CAVITY. That is far from true. The teeth in America are in a sorry state, AND AT THE PRESENT TIME ARE GETTING WORSE.
23. Numerous top scientists over the past 60 years have discarded the theory that fluoride helps teeth, or is a nutrient helpful to man.
24. TO AVOID FLUORIDE IS TO PREVENT MORE THAN 114 AILMENTS listed with references in a book Good Teeth Birth to Death by Gerard F. Judd, Ph.D.. These 114 MEDICAL SIDE EFFECTS extend all the way from cancer down to headaches CAUSED BY 1 PPM FLUORIDE IN THE WATER. Thirteen of these side effects are proved by a double blind study on 60 patients by 12 physicians, 1 pharmacist and 1 attorney.
25. The mechanism for destruction of enzymes by fluoride has been proven by x-ray studies. Hydrogen bonds are broken by fluoride.
26. Fluoride is the smallest negative particle on the face of the earth. Since the FLUORIDE PARTICLES ARE SO SMALL and so intensely negative, THEY CONNECT WITH THE HYDROGEN BONDS HOLDING THE ENZYME COILS IN PLACE and ruin every enzyme molecule at very low concentration, around 1-3 ppm. These enzymes are often 3,000 or more times the small size of the fluoride. The effect is ruinous.
27. To avoid fluoride is to prevent the destruction of 83 enzymes listed with references in Good Teeth, Birth to Death, by Gerard F. Judd, Ph.D.. FLUORIDE IS A SEVERE BIOLOGICAL POISON. Being intensely negative, it unlatches positive hydrogen bonds in enzymes AND proteins.
28. It is fortunate we have learned fluoride is a nerve poison. FLUORIDE CAUSES CAVITIES. There is not the slightest doubt.
29. Methylmercury formed from amalgams in the body is deadly. It causes brain disease. Fillings made of quartzite and epoxy are a safe substitute.
30. Fluoride harms the economy by MAKING PEOPLE PURCHASE OTHER THAN CITY WATER to avoid it. It also harms the economy by making people dependent on undependable professions that know nothing about it. Ignorance about fluoride and what it does is worldwide.
31. Keep the teeth moist. Teeth that are dry 'craze' (crack). If you chew ice, teeth may crumble. Teeth do have a breaking strength.
32. LOOK IN YOUR MOUTH. Tell the dentist(s) what you want done and get several bids for examination and work. Save your fortunes.
We now know we can cancel the green light given by Harry Truman with the help of Congress TO SUBSIDIZE DENTISTRY. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS BEING WASTED in this regard (Public Law 755, June 24,1948) CAN NOW BE RETURNED TO THE TAXPAYERS.
I hope you will put this information in the hands of your Congress persons so they and we may alert the newspapers, radio and TV stations, magazines, and all other news media as well as their friends, families, and associates about this giant leap in dental technology.
I ask for your feedback on this letter and I would also like you to ask for feedback from the ones you contact. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!
Respectfully yours,Gerard F. Judd, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Chemistry
PARTIAL CREDENTIALS OF DR JUDD -- as of March, 2005 -- 6615 West Lupine, Glendale AZ 853041. Ph.D. from Purdue University.2. Researcher in industry: 18 yrs.3. Prof of chemistry: 33 yrs; retired professor emeritus.4. Fluoride laboratory studies: Linde, Purdue, Wright Field and Phoenix College, 13 yrs.5. Author, revised: Good Teeth Birth to Death, 117 pp. July 1997.6. Author, revised: Chemistry, Its Uses In Everyday Life, 305 pp. July 1997.7. Author, Workbook, Self Quizzes and Laboratory Assignments for Chemistry, Its Uses In Everyday Life, July 16, 1997.8. Author, Chemical Hygiene Plan, 89 pp., 4-23-1998.9. Speaker, writer, radio host, bookseller, age 79, continuing as of March, 2005.10. Fighter for truth in practical uses of chemistry.

Dental Care Needs For HIV Patients Continue To Rise

OHSU School of Dentistry's Russell Street Clinic sees twice as many HIV patients as it did three years ago, despite a leveling off in the number of new HIV cases and fewer AIDS-related deaths.
People with HIV now are living longer and the number of dental patients treated monthly at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry's Russell Street Clinic continues to grow. In the first five months of 2005, the Russell Street Clinic saw 200 patients with HIV a month - three years ago it saw 100 a month. . HIV-positive individuals require more dental care than the average person, and with the number of people living with HIV expected to grow, the 30-year-old Russell Street Clinic provides an essential service to Oregonians, said David Rosenstein, D.M.D., M.P.H., professor emeritus of community dentistry, School of Dentistry, (www.ohsu.edu/sod), and director and founder of the Russell Street Clinic.
"In the early 1980s when the AIDS epidemic reached Portland - about five years after the Russell Street Clinic opened its door - we were the first and only providers of dental care to HIV-positive patients," said Rosenstein, "and we continue to be the main source of dental care to HIV-positive folks in the Portland area. Even though the rate of HIV infection has stayed the same over the past few years and the death rate from HIV and AIDS has dropped, we are seeing more patients with HIV because they are living longer."
The Russell Street Clinic at 214 N. Russell Street is the state's only Title I provider, under the Ryan White Care Act passed in 1990. Today the clinic provides about $60,000 worth of HIV services each month, compared with about $15,000 three years ago. The Ryan White Care Act provides some reimbursement for the HIV services offered. Recent funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has enabled OHSU to hire outreach workers who help HIV-positive individuals further access dental care in Oregon.
Longtime Russell Street patient Jack Cox, 65, can remember the days when most dentists didn't want to treat HIV patients and access to care was extremely difficult. "In the early days of HIV and AIDS, people drove up to the Russell Street Clinic from way south - Medford, Coos Bay, Eugene -just to have their teeth cleaned," said Cox, who has been coming to Russell Street for 16 years. "David Rosenstein is a real hero to the HIV community."
Individuals with HIV, like Cox, have more dental needs than the average person, said Rosenstein, because their immune systems are compromised, and the antiretroviral drugs they take decrease salivation, increasing the incidence of tooth decay and necessitating more frequent cleanings. The number of methamphetamine and other drug users who've contracted HIV also have increased, though they have different oral health needs, explained Rosenstein.
Cox visits the Russell Street Clinic at least three times a year for cleanings and more if additional oral health care like fillings or root canals are needed. "I think the dentists at Russell Street happen to be the best around," said Cox. "They don't take shortcuts. They take the view that poor people deserve the same health care as rich people.
"I think the reason people keep going to Russell Street is because of the quality of care," added Cox. "Dr. Rosenstein and the other dentists there make it clear that if you take care of the 'easier' health stuff like your teeth, that your immune system has a much better chance of fighting more serious infections. Russell Street has had great heart right from the get-go."
At the end of 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 351,614 people were living with HIV/AIDS in 33 areas in the United States that have a history of confidential name-based HIV reporting -Oregon is not among them. However, the true number of people in the United States living with HIV/AIDS is probably closer to 1 million, according to Avert, an international AIDS charity.
According to Avert, there were an estimated 2,586 people in Oregon living with AIDS by the end of 2003. However, because Oregon does not require reporting of people diagnosed with HIV, and people with HIV do not necessarily acquire AIDS, they are not included in the 2,586 figure. The number of people with HIV in Oregon is unknown.
At the Russell Street Clinic, OHSU School of Dentistry students and faculty care not only for HIV-positive patients, but the homeless, low-income families and migrant workers. A recent Kellogg Foundation grant helps support the training of all dental care providers at Russell Street.
Currently five School of Dentistry faculty see about 2,400 patients annually at the Russell Street Clinic. Fourth-year dental students do part of their clinical rotation there.
Rosenstein's compassion for the poor and mentally ill took root while growing up in Boston on welfare in a housing project. His parents were both physically handicapped and there were gangs in the projects that were hard to avoid. Rosenstein landed in reform school by the time he was 13.
"I always wanted to get out of the projects," he said. After high school, Rosenstein won a full scholarship to Boston University, all while supporting himself working full time loading trucks. He also received degrees from Harvard, University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University.
Now, a leading national consultant for migrant community health centers responsible for writing health policy and setting up review standards for the federal government, Rosenstein could easily turn the day-to-day operation of Russell Street over to someone else, but, he still works at the clinic seeing patients one to two days a week.
"I feel like I'm doing something important and it's helping people," said Rosenstein. "It's about being able to sleep at night because you're doing the right thing."

Provided by Oregon Health & Science University on 6/15/2005

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