Guest guest Posted September 28, 2002 Report Share Posted September 28, 2002 This is freaky because I quit smoking to get my implants! ----- Original Message ----- From: " Kathi " <pureheart@...> Sent: Saturday, September 28, 2002 10:22 AM Subject: PATCHING UP > PATCHING UP > > Health Sciences Institute e-Alert > > September 28, 2002 > > Dear Reader, > > Brad successfully kicked a long-time cigarette smoking habit > in June of 1990. As with most everyone who quits smoking, he > was looking forward to improved health in return for his hard > won victory. Instead, just five weeks later, he was diagnosed > with multiple sclerosis. > > Right from the beginning, Brad had a hunch that the sudden > appearance of the MS symptoms was somehow connected to his > break with cigarettes. But when he opened the subject with > his doctor and other healthcare professionals, his hunch was > always dismissed as illogical. I mean, how could there be ANY > downside with kicking the habit, right? > > Then in 1998, Brad picked up a copy of the Wall Street > Journal and read an article about R.J. Reynolds Tobacco > Company scientists who were studying the effects of nicotine > on central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as Parkinson's > disease, Alzheimer's disease, and MS. > > Seems they wouldn't have thought Brad's hunch was so > illogical. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > Central nervous mysteries > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > When Brad read the Wall Street Journal article in '98, he > didn't need to consult any doctors or researchers. He began > using an over-the-counter nicotine patch immediately. The > patch helped improve the mobility in his hands and upper > body, but after a couple of years became less effective and > he stopped using it. He now feels strongly that if he had > started using the patch when he was first diagnosed, he would > have been able to have more control over the symptoms. But he > doubts that the infusion of nicotine could have helped to > significantly change the course of the disease. > > Nicotine therapy. Those are two words I never expected to see > side by side. But there are a number of research projects > currently underway that, if successful, could one day bring > nicotine into the mainstream as a therapy to help control > various CNS disease symptoms. > > I've noticed, however, that MS is mentioned in discussions of > nicotine therapy infrequently. References to Parkinson's > disease, Alzheimer's disease, Tourette's syndrome, attention- > deficit hyperactivity disorder, and depression are the most > common health issues likely to be successfully treated with > nicotine. Brad believes that the complexity of MS may be the > reason it's often left off that list. With Parkinson's > disease, for instance, researchers have a clearer idea about > the mechanism of the disease - where it originates in the > brain, and how it responds to treatments. Comparatively, MS > is an enigma - far more difficult to understand and treat. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > Into the maze > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > So at this point, what is known about nicotine and its effect > on disorders of the central nervous system? > > Start with acetylcholine, a biochemical neurotransmitter that > creates nerve impulses in neurons. For the nervous system and > muscles to function properly, acetylcholine has to find > special receptors in the neurons. One of those receptors is > called a nicotinic receptor, and it responds to both > acetylcholine and nicotine. When nicotine is introduced into > the system, the number of nicotinic receptors increases. > Alzheimer's patients, for instance, are believed to suffer > from a loss of nicotrinic receptors. This impairs nerve > impulses, resulting in memory lapses and problems with other > brain functions. > > More than two decades ago, research at town University > showed that nicotine can also protect neurons against damage > and death. The problem is that nicotine affects a wide > variety of neurotransmitter systems. So while it may be doing > good things in some areas, it also increases blood pressure > and heart rate. This is one reason why quite a bit of > nicotine research is focused on the development of nicotine > formulas designed to be selective in their effects on the > different varieties of nicotinic receptors. > > Which is much easier said than done. It's as if researchers > were electricians, sorting through tens of thousands of > individual circuits, looking for the one that performs a very > specific task, and then trying to enhance that single circuit > without affecting any of the others. But as daunting as that > research might be, it continues in earnest, because if a > synthetic nicotine that targets a single type of receptor can > be developed, it can also be patented. That's why a number of > major pharmaceutical companies are currently devoting huge > resources toward the development of a nicotine drug. > > Something tells me this will not be the last e-Alert on this > topic. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > No smoking > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > If Brad had not successfully quit smoking on that June day in > 1990, he would still have developed multiple sclerosis. He > might have delayed the onset, but eventually it would have > overcome the effect of the nicotine. Which brings us to two > important points emphasized by the handful of researchers who > have been studying nicotine for more than 20 years: 1) > Nicotine may help treat CNS diseases, but it cannot cure > them; and 2) This research should not in any way be taken as > an endorsement of tobacco smoking. Without question, the > negative effects of smoking far outweigh any positive effects > that nicotine might have. > > ...and another thing > > Well, sometimes it happens. > > The September issue of the HSI Members Alert featured an > article titled, " Omega-3 fatty acids: Panacea or poison for > prostate patients? " written by Myers, M.D. The text > refers to the " risks of glucosamine. " Instead, that sentence > SHOULD have read, " risks of chondroitin sulfate. " There is > absolutely no evidence that glucosamine contributes to the > risk or growth of prostate cancer. > > Supplements containing chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, > two essential parts of cartilage, have been shown to slow and > even reverse osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease. > But while chondroitin sulfate may offer hope for arthritis > patients, Dr. Myers has found convincing evidence that it can > trigger prostate cancer growth and cause the cancer to spread > to other sites. > > We apologize to our members and to Dr. Myers for any > confusion created by this error. > > Dr. Myers is the Editor-in-Chief of " Prostate Forum " and the > founder of the American Institute for Disease of the Prostate > in Charlottesville, VA. For more information about his clinic > and publications, call 434-974-1303, or log onto > www.prostateforum.com. > > To Your Good Health, > > > Health Sciences Institute > > Sources: > " Researchers Hope to turn Lemon into Lemonade " Tabitha M. > Powledge, BioMedNet News, 8/21/02 > " Nicotine Therapy Helps Parkinson's " Damian Carrington, BBC > News, 2/21/00 > " A Good Side to Nicotine? New Treatments for > Neurodegenerative Disorders may Emerge " Harvey Black, The > Scientist, 2000 > " All About Multiple Sclerosis " mult-sclerosis.org > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.