Health Evaluation for William B McRae

Females who have been abused are more sensitive to life's stresses many years after the original abuse event(s).  This elevated stress response can lead to adrenal exhaustion.

The adrenal glands produce hydrocortisol, the major natural anti-inflammatory steroid in the body.  Without enough circulating cortisol there may be a tendency to become easily inflamed.

Adrenal insufficiency can lead to a host of problems, including a weakened immune response, anxiety and panic attacks.

Lupus is one of the auto-immune diseases, caused by a hyperactive ("hypervigilant") immune system that attacks a person's own protein as if it were foreign matter.  One reason for this is poor adrenal function.  Adrenal steroids modulate (slow down) the immune system: when there is not enough of these steroids the immune system goes berserk.

Healthy and regular eating habits support adrenal function.

Those regularly engaged in exercise and hobbies are less likely to suffer from adrenal problems.

Research shows that chronic inflammation is a major cause of premature aging: The cumulative damage caused by chronic inflammation often occurs without any apparent signs or symptoms, but gradually causes severe skin deterioration and accelerated skin aging.

July, 2011: Following a detailed review of more than 7,000 clinical studies covering links between diet and cancer, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has declared, "Processed meats are too dangerous for human consumption.  Consumers should stop buying and eating all processed meat products for the rest of their lives."

Processed meat products are usually manufactured with a carcinogenic ingredient known as sodium nitrite.  This is used as a color fixer by meat companies to turn packaged meats a bright red color so they look fresh.  Unfortunately, sodium nitrite also results in the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines in the human body.  And this leads to a sharp increase in cancer risk for those who eat them..

Changing one's diet to include more nutritious and balanced foods can also help with diet related problems such as problems with sleeping.  Lack of sleep in itself can cause memory lapses and cognitive deterioration.  A healthier diet which helps with sleeping problems may therefore have a knock-on effect and also help to improve poor memory.

Various dietary deficiencies can cause endolymphatic hydrops (excess fluid) in the inner ear.

Up to 50% of all people with leg artery disease have diabetes; for them, controlling both conditions is crucial.  Diabetes increases your risk for leg artery disease fourfold, and accounts for nearly half of all amputations in the U.S.  that aren't related to accidents.

Diabetes makes hardening of the arteries much more dangerous (especially in the feet and toes) through several different mechanisms, and it's still not fully understood which ones matter most.  People with diabetes are prone to nerve damage in the legs and feet, which means they often may overlook minor injuries.  This, combined with poor circulation that slows wound healing, can cause small wounds to develop into more serious infections.  Diabetes also makes people more likely to develop blockages in smaller vessels far from the heart, and those blockages tend to be more widespread and harder to treat.

Circulatory irregularities can cause excess fluid in the inner ear.

In cases of peripheral vascular disease, the arteries narrow and there is a marked reduction of blood flow especially to the fingers and toes.

Some patients suffering from OSA fall asleep in a nonstimulating environment, such as while reading something uninteresting or in a quiet room.  Others may fall asleep in a stimulating environment, such as during business meetings, while eating, and even while having sex.

So-called "drowsy driver syndrome", which some believe is responsible for many automobile accidents, may result from OSA.  Drivers may fall asleep at the wheel or suffer from a lack of alertness because of sleep deprivation.  Decreased alertness places the person at risk in a variety of potentially hazardous situations.

Patients rarely complain about frequent awakenings due to obstruction, but it does occur.

The frequent arousals caused by OSA and the inability to achieve or maintain the deep stages of sleep can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness and nonrestorative sleep.  Patients often complain of waking up feeling like they had not slept at all, and often feel worse after taking a nap than before napping.

Sleep apnea manifests itself in most people as loud snoring interrupted by periods of obstructed breathing or breath holding.  If you snore, it may be a symptom of a more serious disorder called obstructed sleep apnea (OSA).  People with OSA almost always snore heavily, because the same narrowing of the airway that causes snoring can also cause OSA.  Snoring may actually attribute to OSA as well, because the vibration of the throat tissues which occurs in snoring can cause the tissue to swell.

One study showed that an average adult female is 6 times more sensitive to stress if she was sexually molested as a child.

Not only can poor attention to detail be a sign of stress, but so can its exact opposite, being a perfectionist.

Gas can be caused by stress and the nervous habit of frequent swallowing.

In a study of 34 women with chronic constipation, investigators led by Dr. Anton Emmanuel and colleagues at St.  Mark's Hospital in Middlesex linked emotional distress with changes in the nerve pathway that helps control gut function.  They say the findings suggest a specific path through which psychological factors directly influence the digestive system.

The researchers compared the patients, who had suffered bouts of constipation for an average of 21 years, with a group of women with no history of gastrointestinal illness.  All took standard tests that measure psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression, self-image, social functioning and ability to form intimate relationships.

Women with chronic constipation were more likely than healthy women to report anxiety, depression and feeling less "feminine".  They also found it harder to form close relationships.  [Gut Aug 2001;49: pp.209-213]

Chronic stress causes the production of too much cortisol, which in turn lowers melatonin.

Teeth-grinding is often stress-related.

Research demonstrates that stress can make it more difficult for the body to fight off infection, including periodontal disease.  [Journal of Periodontology July 1999]

An inability to digest onion or garlic may indicate compromised liver function.

No one really is allergic to smoke.  Many people insist that they are allergic to smoke created by cigarettes or cigars, but the truth is that they have having an allergy-like reaction due to other health complications.

If the liver is too congested, blood may not flow easily back to the liver through the hemorrhoidal veins and this might cause swelling of a weakened vein.

In one evaluation of 200 Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia patients it was found that 80% had a significant impairment of liver detoxification function.

Patients suffering from toxic burdens may experience a wide range of symptoms, among them fatigue and poor tolerance for exercise.  These processes have been postulated to be a central factor in the development of CFS.  Oxidative damage to mitochondria and the detoxification process itself is being considered as a fundamental mechanism in the development of CFS.  [1 Bland JS, HealthComm Inc., 1997; Int Clin Nutr Rev 1988;8(4): pp.173-5]

A 'sluggish liver' often contributes to headaches.

High protein intakes may cause extra metabolic stress to be placed on the liver and kidneys.

Acetaldehyde is a toxic substance produced in the body from alcohol and is one of the impurities found in cheap wine and 'moonshine' spirits.  Some researchers believe that an acetaldehyde buildup is the cause of hangovers.  If the liver's detoxification pathways are impaired, aldehydes can, instead of being converted to the next intermediate product, build up to harmful levels and cause damage since they are often more toxic than the original substances from which they are derived.

It is probably the metabolism of methanol to formaldehyde and formic acid that caused the symptoms of the hangover.  Quick methanol metabolizers suffer more.  This is reinforced by the fact that the types of drinks associated with more severe hangovers contain higher levels of methanol.  [Hangovers: Not The Ethanol, Perhaps The Methanol, British Medical Journal, January 4, 1997;14: pp.2-3]

All types of alcoholic drinks contain some methanol, a substance blamed for the worst hangovers.  Whiskey, cheap red wine, fruit brandy and other dark spirits contain the most methanol, sometimes as much as 2% by volume.  Vodka and other clear drinks contain the least.  In the liver, methanol takes 10 times longer than ethanol to break down.

Onion or garlic allergy is often called an 'intolerance' rather than an allergy.  Symptoms may manifest immediately, or be delayed for up to a day.

We may actually be allergic to the very foods we most crave.  By eliminating these foods from our diet for 10-14 days, the cravings may disappear as the withdrawal symptoms cease.

The first part of the body to react to food is often the gastrointestinal tract.  Sometimes mast cells are involved in allergic reactions and release chemicals such as histamine.  If the affected mast cells are in the gastrointestinal tract, a person may suffer vomiting, abdominal pain or diarrhea.

The ear, nose, and throat are common target organs for food allergens.  Congestion or inflammation of the nose (rhinitis), sinuses (sinusitis), and throat (pharyngitis) may be due to airborne irritants and allergens, but food allergy may be the undiagnosed cause of these common problems.

Smoke can aggravate underlying allergies.

The ear, nose, and throat are common target organs for food allergens.  Food allergy may be the undiagnosed cause of sinusitis in some people.

The ear, nose, and throat are common target organs for food allergens.  Congestion or inflammation of the nose (rhinitis) may be due to airborne irritants and allergens, but food allergy may be an undiagnosed cause of this common problem.

People with multiple chemical sensitivities often have multiple food allergies as well.  While reactions to chemicals in the environment are generally quicker and more easily identified, food allergies are usually delayed, making it harder to pinpoint the offending food.  People with MCS are often unaware of hidden food allergies which could be contributing to their overall allergic load.

Food allergies divert some of the immune system's resources away from preventing and dealing with illness.  Thus, continuous consumption of a food which is causing symptoms weakens your immune system.  A weakened immune system enables infections and cancerous growths to develop and take hold.  Many patients report that they suffer from more than one symptom or illness when reintroducing a known food allergen into their diet after a period of abstinence.

Hidden food allergies may contribute to the chronic clenching of teeth.

Several studies demonstrate a strong link between food allergies and Meniere's Disease.

The presence of food allergy is concealed in a variety of diagnoses including irritable bowel syndrome.

High-protein diets may trigger food allergies.  Food allergies often arise when protein is poorly digested and/or particular protein-containing foods are consumed too frequently.

Yellow and/or cloudy urine may be evidence of a water intake deficiency.

Your daily water requirement is based on your ideal weight (not your actual weight), and your ideal weight is calculated from your height and gender.

Caffeine is a mild diuretic.

Renal insufficiency can occur from underperfusion due to dehydration.

Dr. Batmanghelidj, author of Your Bodies Many Cries for Water, believes that in the same way we have a "hunger pain" signal, we also have a "thirst pain" signal in the body, and that it is called dyspepsia (heartburn).

Dehydration may result from the increased urinary frequency brought on by caffeine.

A loss of 4-5% of body weight of fluid decreases the capacity for hard muscular work by 20-30%.

Gout can be caused by dehydration and the use of diuretics such as coffee or alcohol.

The most obvious source of headaches due to hangovers is dehydration caused when alcohol suppresses anti-diuretic hormone.  This hormone normally orders the body to conserve water, but alcohol dulls the command, causing people to lose far more water to urination than they take in with the alcohol.

The body reacts to the open floodgates by borrowing water from other organs, such as the brain.  As a result, the brain shrinks.  While that may not cause pain by itself, the brain has a covering called the dura that is connected to the skull by pain-sensitive filaments.  Deformation of the dura can cause the headaches that come with a hangover.

High blood sugar can cause two problems which affect vision, namely blurred vision and retinopathy – a disease of the back of the eye.  Blurred vision is one of the first signs of elevated blood sugar.  The shape and size of the lens in your eye changes when your blood sugar fluctuates.  This swelling of the lens can cause blurred vision.

If you notice blurred vision, you should have your blood sugar checked.  The acceptable range for fasting glucose is 80-110mg.  If your blood sugar is substantially higher or lower than the acceptable range, contact your doctor.  When your blood sugar is controlled, your vision will return to its previous state.

August, 2011: A study by researchers at Harvard University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the health records and diets of more than 440,000 men and women spanning a period of between 14 and 28 years and found that people who ate 100gm of red meat a day were 19% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

The coldness caused by diabetic hypoglycemia is usually accompanied by weakness and, in severe cases, disorientation and fainting.

It was reported in 2010 that a Chinese study of 19,567 people found a correlation between increased napping and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  Participants reporting frequent naps (4-6 days per week or daily) were 42% to 52% more likely to have diabetes.

August, 2011: A study by researchers at Harvard University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that consuming red meat – in particular, processed meats – can drastically increase one's risk of developing diabetes.

The researchers examined the health records and diets of more than 440,000 men and women spanning a period of between 14 and 28 years and found that people who ate 100gm of red meat a day were 19% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

More importantly, processed meats such as bacon, products made from mince, and cold meats such as ham and salami, had a far greater effect: Just 50gm a day, the equivalent of two slices of bacon, one sausage or one small burger, increases the risk of developing diabetes by 51%.

There is widespread evidence that red meat drastically increases the likelihood of major health problems including heart disease, strokes and some types of cancer.  Until now, however, there has been little evidence that relatively small amounts of processed red meat could increase the chance of diabetes.

Previous research has found that just 100gm of red meat every day – or half a normal size steak – increases the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes by 20%.

Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance are both factors that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  Hyperinsulinemia often predates diabetes by several years.

Lack of sexual desire can be a consequence of diabetes.

If you are diabetic, you are at higher risk of developing infections, including periodontal diseases.  These infections can in turn impair the body's ability to process and/or utilize insulin, creating a vicious circle in which your diabetes may be more difficult to control and your infection more severe than in a non-diabetic.  [Journal of Periodontology November 1999]

A study of 9,600 Americans found that those who ate plenty of legumes were less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes.  Legumes are rich in soluble fiber, which has been shown to help improve insulin resistance, the study authors note.  [Archives of Internal Medicine 2001;161: pp.2573-8].

Mild nasal congestion / stuffy nose can be a sign of mercury toxicity.

Although mercury occurs naturally in the environment, of bigger concern is the mercury that is released into the air through industrial pollution.  When mercury falls from the air into water, it is converted into "methylmercury" by bacteria in the water.  Methylmercury accumulates in streams and oceans where it is absorbed by fish as they feed in these waters.  Mercury levels are highest in older, larger predatory fish.  Larger predatory fish accumulate high levels of mercury by eating smaller fish (that contain mercury) who have eaten even smaller fish (that contain mercury).

Nearly all fish and shellfish contain trace amounts, but some fish contain much more, depending on how big they are, how long they live, what they eat, and where they were caught.  According to an FDA survey, the fish with the highest average levels of mercury are, in order:

(Highest levels of mercury – at least 1 part per million): tilefish (golden bass or golden snapper), shark, swordfish, king mackerel; ("Mid-levels" of mercury – around 1/2 part per million): grouper, orange roughy, marlin, Spanish mackerel, tuna.

Intermittent blurred distance vision is a sign of mercury toxicity.

Heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead and thallium poison the glucose metabolizing catalysts, thus reducing the flow of energy throughout the body.  It is interesting to note that the symptoms of heavy metal poisoning are similar to symptoms associated with hypoglycemia i.e. hyperactivity, mood swings, manic depressive behavior, poor concentration and impulsive and unpredictable behavior.

Kidney disease, including kidney failure, is a possible symptom of mercury toxicity.

This symptom may be one of many associated with mercury toxicity.

Short term memory loss is initially the most common complaint associated with mercury toxicity.

In vitro studies suggest that even low, environmentally relevant exposure levels of mercury, which are not toxic, still contribute to immune dysfunction by interfering with proper lymphocyte functioning.  [Scand J Immunol 50(3): pp.233-241]

People with mercury amalgam fillings who grind their teeth or chew gum can suffer additional mercury release.

Mercury toxicity can cause hair loss.

Based on doctors' estimates, sleep disturbances are experienced by approximately 75% of Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia sufferers.

70% to 100% (different studies show various numbers) of fibromyalgia patients are found to have depression, though many consider that this is more likely to be a result of the muscular pain rather than part of the cause.

A sample of 69 patients with FM underwent a standardized tender point examination and a semistructured psychological interview and completed a set of self-report inventories.  Of the sample, 39 met criteria for depressive disorder and 30 did not.  [Evaluation of the Relationship Between Depression and Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Why Aren't All Patients Depressed? Akiko Okifuji, Dennis C.  Turk, Jeffrey J.  Sherman]

Depression or anxiety may occur as a result of the chronic pain and fatigue, or the frustration felt with this condition.  It is also possible that the same chemical imbalances in the brain that cause fibromyalgia also cause depression and anxiety.  Some 24% of patients suffer from anxiety.

Severe headaches are experienced by 44-56% of fibromyalgia sufferers.

Almost all (98%) of Rheumatoid Arthritis patients report fatigue.  They also report that it is more of a problem than the stiffness and pain.

Raynaud's phenomenon (severe cold hands and feet) affects about 16% of fibromyalgia sufferers.

Stooped posture is an early sign of bone loss.

Regular consumption of caffeinated carbonated beverages has been associated with increased risk of bone fracture both earlier and later in life, yet the contributions of the individual components of these beverages to calcium loss is unclear.  The per capita consumption of carbonated beverages has risen dramatically, making them the preferred beverage of women 20-40 years old, many of whom already have an inadequate daily intake of calcium.

The effect of caffeinated and noncaffeinated beverages on urinary calcium excretion was measured in a group of 30 women with an average age of 31 years.  The subjects habitually drank from two to seven 12-ounce cans of carbonated beverages daily; 27 drank predominantly colas.

Though the caffeine in the drinks was primarily responsible for excess calcium excretion, previous studies of the effect of caffeine have shown a compensatory drop in calcium excretion over the 24-hour period following ingestion.  The fact that the small calcium loss from carbonated beverages was offset by reduced excretion later in the day, and the habituation of the subjects to frequent consumption, lead the authors to conclude that the main cause of calcium loss from carbonated beverages was their lack of nutrients needed for bone health.  [Heaney, Rafferty; Am.  J of Clin.  Nutr., August 2001]

Alcohol interferes with the body's absorption of calcium.

People with hypothyroidism can develop osteoporosis if they are taking too much thyroid hormone.

Excess salt and sugar, found in junk foods, leach calcium from the bones into the urine.

Trace minerals are necessary for the transport and absorption of calcium.

When body stores of calcium are low, the body must draw calcium from the bones in order to avoid serious complications.

If a woman is not ovulating she may have lower estrogen and progesterone levels.  Low estrogen levels can increase the activity of osteoclasts (bone breakdown cells) while low progesterone has been shown to increase PMS symptoms and slow bone deposition.  Also, to provide the extra calcium needed when faced with intense stress situation, cortisol can directly stimulate bone breakdown cells.  Unchecked over a long period of time, high cortisol levels can cause you to lose bone faster than you can rebuild it.

Researchers at the University of California devised a study to determine if low levels of vitamin B-12 might be associated with bone loss in older women.  Results showed that women with the lowest levels of B-12 had a significantly higher risk of bone loss and fractures compared to women with the highest levels.  The researchers also noted that for some women, B-12 supplements may help slow the rate of bone loss.

Folate (folic acid) and the B-vitamins involved in homocysteine conversion (such as B12 and B6) may be beneficial in reducing the risk of osteoporosis because high levels of homocysteine are implicated in chronic diseases such as osteoporosis.

According to researchers, women with rheumatoid arthritis have up to double the risk of developing osteoporosis and those who use steroid drugs to help control the arthritis are at an even higher risk of bone loss.  [Arthritis and Rheumatism, March 2000]

High protein intakes may lead to loss of calcium, leading in turn to the development of osteoporosis.

Fluorides destroy collagen, which is the glue that adds strength to the bones.

Blurred vision and diplopia (double-vision) are possible symptoms.

Hunger is a symptom of hypoglycemia.

Endogenous depression – depression originating from within as opposed to being due to external factors – is a known symptom.

Nighttime hypoglycemia may be without symptoms or manifest itself as night sweats, unpleasant dreams or early morning headache.

Temporary forgetfulness is a known symptom of hypoglycemia.

Based on afternoon glucose tolerance testing, many patients with RLS – particularly if they also have spontaneous leg cramps – appear to have hyperinsulinism causing functional 'hypoglycemia' during testing.  In fact, some patients may have an attack of muscle cramps at the same time as their lowest level of plasma glucose.  In an open trial, a group of 350 patients with this type of glucose tolerance curve were placed on a sugar-free, high protein diet along with frequent nibbling and at least one night feeding.  The vast majority experienced a prompt remission or, at least, a striking reduction in symptoms.  [J Med Assoc 60(5): pp.29-31, 1973]

Type 2 diabetes is in the process of being redefined as an autoimmune disease rather than just a metabolic disorder.

Reports of autoimmune markers in MCS patients, like most MCS data, are inconsistent.  Drs. Alan LeVin and Vera Byers in 1992 reported finding anti-thyroid and anti-smooth muscle antibodies among MCS patients, leading to the conclusion that some MCS patients may develop autoimmune disease: The immune systems of MCS patients may generate antibodies to chemicals, or to their own tissues, the latter of which may activate an autoimmune response.  In some cases, MCS could be viewed as a chemically-formed autoimmune disease.  [Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 2): pp.417-436 (1997)]

About 60% of patients with Meniere's disease are found to have antibodies for inner ear proteins.

Prolonged large doses of zinc may, by lowering manganese levels, increase susceptibility to autoimmune reactions.

The reason why patients with liver disease itch is not known, although it is commonly believed that some substances accumulate in the blood as a result of a poorly functioning liver and thus cause itching.  A simple blood test can exclude liver disease as a cause for the itching, as liver enzymes are often elevated with liver involvement.

One of cortisol's undesirable effects is that it contributes to insulin resistance by decreasing the rate of glucose uptake, probably by blocking the insulin receptor.  [J Clin endocrinol Metab 54 (1982): pp.131-8]

A study found that people who do not get enough sleep on a regular basis may become less sensitive to insulin which, over time, can raise the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.  Chronic sleep deprivation (under 6.5 hours per night) had the same effect on insulin resistance as aging.

Preliminary research suggests that insulin resistance may play a role in the development of gout.  Gout is strongly associated with the consequences of insulin resistance i.e. obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes.

Regular screening is highly recommended if your family has a history of cancer.

If you wear corrective lenses or are over 50, eye exams should be performed every two years or so.

If you don't know your cholesterol levels, or haven't had them checked within the past five years, you should consider this simple test.

Preventative health measures are something that many people (and their doctors) often forget.  They become especially important as you grow older.

Persons with diabetes must take extra care to be sure to have thorough, periodic eye exams (at least yearly), especially if early signs of visual impairment are noticed.  Anyone experiencing a sudden loss of vision, decrease in vision or visual field, flashes of light, or floating spots should contact their eye doctor right away.

Regular eye tests are recommended if you are over 40 years old.  The test for glaucoma must be performed by a trained person, either an ophthalmologist or a trained ophthalmic optician.  The test for glaucoma may not be a part of the standard eye test given and should be requested.

Those diagnosed with glaucoma will need to attend regular follow-up appointments during which any perceived loss of vision must be reported.  Those who have had an episode of acute glaucoma should be aware of the early symptoms and consult a doctor immediately should they re-occur.

A history of light, anxious, restless sleep is often evidence of low melatonin levels.

Migraines sufferers often are found to have reduced blood levels of melatonin.

The overuse of pain medication can eventually lead to leaky gut syndrome.

It is likely that both yeast and bacterial overgrowth commonly occur together; overgrowth of either can lead to Leaky Gut Syndrome.

It is likely that both yeast and bacterial overgrowth commonly occur together; overgrowth of either can lead to Leaky Gut Syndrome.

Small bowel parasites may predispose a person to bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.

Fecal and duodenal flora in patients with atopic eczema have been studied.  Evidence of small bowel dysbiosis and subtle malabsorption phenomena was found in the majority of cases.

Immunologic responses to gut flora have been advanced by several authors as being important causative factors of inflammatory joint diseases.  It is well-known that reactive arthritis can be activated by intestinal infections with Yersinia, Salmonella and other enterobacteria.  In some cases bacterial antigens have been found in synovial cells and may enter the circulation because of the increased intestinal permeability associated with the intestinal infection.  Increased intestinal permeability and immune responses to bacterial debris may cause other types of inflammatory joint disease as well.

Some bacterial infections of the small bowel increase passive intestinal permeability.  IBS has been studied in patients with diarrhea, cramps and specific food intolerances.  Abnormal fecal flora has been a consistent finding, with a decrease in the ratio of anaerobes to aerobes, apparently due to a deficiency of anaerobic flora.  Previous exposure to antibiotics – metronidazole in particular – was associated with the development of this disorder.

Type II diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease, accounting for 35% of the new cases each year and 25% of all cases in the U.S.

With about a million glomeruli in each kidney, there is an ample reserve of kidney function, and a person can go many years or even decades without feeling the effects of renal failure.  However, once a glomerulus is damaged, it cannot be repaired.  IgAN progressively destroys these glomeruli.  As more and more glomeruli become scarred and non-functional, the remaining ones start working harder (a process called hyperfiltration), and eventually, as more and more of them fail at an increasingly faster rate, the kidneys no longer have enough function left to perform their task of filtering waste products from the blood.

Patients with impaired renal function filter and excrete less uric acid and therefore become hyperuricemic.  Interestingly, patients with renal failure do not develop gout as frequently as expected, despite their high plasma urate levels.  The explanation for this phenomenon may be that they have not incurred sustained hyperuricemia levels long enough to develop gout.  Only 1% of renal failure patients develop gout but nearly 30% of patients with adult polycystic kidney disease do.

You can increase your cancer risk by eating too much grilled red meat or chicken or even meat pan-fried at a very high temperature.  Meat or chicken that is well-done or burnt appears to be the most problematic.  The worrisome chemicals created by grilling meats are called heterocyclic amines (HAs).  They form during grilling, broiling, or even searing meat in a very hot frying pan – when the very high temperatures break down the amino acid creatinine.  There is also some concern that fats from the meat dripping onto coals create additional chemicals in smoke that may land back on the meat.

It is tragically ironic that after McDonald's CEO apparently dropped dead of a heart attack in 2004, their new CEO was in the operating room with colorectal cancer only 16 days later, and died in January of 2005.

A study of 276 patients with colon cancer links well-done red meat colon cancer.  [Carcinogenesis (Vol. 22, No. 10: pp.1681-84)]

In general, you should see a specialist if you are over 40 and have the following symptoms:

• A change in normal bowel habits towards looser and/or more frequent stools that has lasted for over 6 weeks
• Any bleeding from the rectum.

One study has revealed that every 50 grams of processed meat consumed daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 50%.

A putrefaction dysbiosis is accompanied by an increase in fecal concentrations of various bacterial enzymes which metabolize bile acids to tumor promoters.

British Medical Journal, January 2010: Those with a higher level of vitamin D in their blood are less likely to develop bowel cancer than those with low levels.  A study has concluded that those with the highest levels of the vitamin were at 40% lower risk of developing the disease compared with those with the lowest levels.  Researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, and Imperial College London looked at vitamin D quantities in 1,248 people with bowel cancer and 1,248 controls in the largest ever study of the subject.

Low fiber intakes have been strongly linked to an increased risk for developing colon cancer.

Risk of developing breast and colon cancers is significantly increased in those who spend a lot of time sitting, according to research presented in November of 2011 at the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Negative attitudes such as anger, hostility, distrust, depression and anxiety are often contributing factors.

Men are more likely to suffer from this condition than women.

Depression is emerging as a risk factor for heart disease.  A study of 688 women showed that depression and anger are associated with hardening of the arteries in women, in part through physical and behavioral risk factors such as bad cholesterol levels, obesity and smoking.  [Psychosomatic Medicine, March/April 2001]

Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, reports on a study that has correlated the degree of carotid arterial atherosclerosis with exaggerated response to mental stress in men under the age of 55.  Patients whose blood pressure responses to stressful situations were the strongest were found to have significantly more advanced atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries than those whose blood pressure responses were less salient.

Although researchers are careful not to say that stress causes atherosclerosis, the evidence clearly points to cardiovascular reactivity to stress as an atherosclerotic risk factor of the same magnitude as smoking, hypertension, insulin resistance, and elevated cholesterol levels.  The hypothesis is that, "Frequent and prolonged periods of elevated blood pressure during mental stress may promote mechanical injury to the endothelial lining or cause release of hormones that can promote the build up of plaque." [Circulation Vol. 96, No. 11: pp. 3842-3848]

Moscow scientists stated in October, 2000 that they have shown atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels are formed because of adrenaline, a hormone that releases during stress.

Researchers conclude that chronically high levels of anxiety are a risk factor for the progression of atherosclerosis, especially in men.  [Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2001; 21: pp.136-141]

Experimental studies have demonstrated a correlation between magnesium deficiency and atherosclerosis, but without any clear evidence to determine the mechanisms involved.  Magnesium deficiency may affect the atherosclerosis process through several different mechanisms.

Excessive sugar consumption has been linked to elevated triglycerides and may contribute to atherosclerosis, especially in individuals with elevated insulin levels.

Numerous studies have confirmed premature, accelerated atherosclerosis in SLE patients.  Although the exact cause is not known at this point, atherosclerotic heart disease is a common cause of morbidity and death amongst lupus patients.

Allergy may play a role in bruxism.  It is reported that bruxism is more frequent in those experiencing periods of allergic rhinitis or asthma.

Several studies have found a strong connection between inhalant allergies and Meniere's Disease.