by admin | Nov 7, 2020 | Osteoarthritis, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage of the joints breaks down, bone spurs form, the synovial linings become inflamed, and the ligaments around the joint calcify. All of these pathological changes combine to cause joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. The breakdown of the joint also means that it does not function properly. The arthritic joint may “lock up,” “give out,” or simply not be able to move through its normal range of motion. Early in the disease, the pain of osteoarthritis may be brought on by movement. Later, the pain is more or less constant with severe pain flares.
Initially, the treatment for osteoarthritis is pain medications, exercise, braces, and physical therapy. Joint injections may be helpful for 4 to 6 weeks, but recent research suggests that repeated steroid injections may break down cartilage and speed up joint destruction. Unlike treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, there are no disease-modifying treatments for osteoarthritis. The disease tends to get worse over time until surgery is required. Joint replacement surgery is usually the treatment of last resort.
Since osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, a reasonable approach to therapy is to try to rebuild or regenerate the joint tissues. This would not only stop the disease progression of osteoarthritis but perhaps even heal the damaged joint. For this reason, regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, is drawing the attention of many scientists who are looking for alternative therapeutic treatments for osteoarthritis.
Researchers tested the ability of mesenchymal stem cells to relieve pain and treat the damage of osteoarthritis. More specifically, they used the exosomes that the mesenchymal stem cells produce. Exosomes are tiny packets of substances like RNA and peptides that support tissue growth and repair. Exosomes contain most of the molecules that make mesenchymal stem cells helpful.
The scientists found that giving exosomes from mesenchymal stem cells to animal subjects with experimental osteoarthritis had some remarkable effects. Not only did the stem cell-derived treatment substantially reduce pain in the rats with osteoarthritis, but microscopic and molecular evidence also showed that the exosomes were able to repair cartilage in the affected joints. This is truly impressive when you consider that other treatments for osteoarthritis only reduce symptoms—they do not repair cartilage or stop the progression of the disease.
While this work will need to be replicated in human clinical studies (and that work has already begun), this is an exciting finding for the millions of Americans who struggle with osteoarthritis.
Reference: He, L., He, T., Xing, J. et al. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes protect cartilage damage and relieve knee osteoarthritis pain in a rat model of osteoarthritis. Stem Cell Res Ther 11, 276 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-020-01781-w
by admin | Nov 4, 2020 | Health Awareness
Millions of Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses every year, and thousands die. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent falling ill from food poisoning. While at home and dining out, here are seven ways you can minimize the risk of foodborne illness.
Avoid Cross-Contamination
Raw meat, fish, and poultry can have harmful bacteria. While it can be cooked out for safe consumption, it’s important not to allow these foods to come into contact with other, ready-to-eat foods or their handling environments. Store your meat and fish separately from your produce, both at home and while grocery shopping. Use different knives and cutting boards when handling produce versus meat or fish, and wash your hands in between.
Check the Package
Food that’s past its expiration date is more likely to get you sick. Be mindful of the dates listed on the packages for perishable items, including how many days you have to use products after opening them. If anything seems off, such as taste, texture, odor, or color, play it safe and dispose of it. Never eat anything from a package with a broken seal or bulging container, as this could indicate the presence of harmful bacteria.
Boost Kitchen Cleanliness
Always start meal prep with freshly washed hands. Even if you’re just having a quick snack, it’s always a good idea to kill any germs with warm water and soap, or hand sanitizer in a pinch. Disinfect your countertops regularly, and pop your sponge in the microwave for two-minute intervals to kill any bacteria.
Wash Your Fruit & Vegetables
Using a clean produce brush, thoroughly rinse any fresh fruit or vegetables before cooking or consumption. Never use any cleaning agents or soaps on food, however, as doing so could get you sick. Avoid washing poultry, meat, or eggs, as doing so could cause bacteria to spread.
Store Foods at the Proper Temperature
Keep your freezer at 0 degrees F, and your refrigerator at 40 degrees F. Always get perishable items in the refrigerator as soon as possible after coming home from the grocery store. Many condiments, such as mayonnaise, must also be refrigerated.
Be Cautious When Dining Out
Although restaurants must serve safe food to their patrons, missteps can still happen. Try to avoid any foods which could have raw egg, such as Caesar salad dressing, as the ingredient may harbor salmonella. Dine-in restaurants that have received satisfactory ratings from the board of health, and don’t eat anything that seems undercooked or spoiled. Make sure any leftovers are refrigerated within two hours to prevent them from spoiling.
Practice Road Trip Safety
If you’re packing perishable food for a long trip, be sure to keep it safely stored in a cooler with ice packs. Also, keep it in the cabin of the car with the air conditioning on if the weather is warm, instead of in the trunk.
To see more helpful health awareness blogs, please visit stemedix.com/blog.
by Stemedix | Nov 2, 2020 | Integrative Medicine
Integrative medicine is an approach to health management with a focus on healing, instead of diseases and their symptoms. It combines mental, physical, and spiritual approaches to restore the body’s natural balance and promote overall health. The overarching belief behind integrative medicine is that physiological imbalances are what lead to illness. By regaining equilibrium, health can be achieved. Many may also seek functional medicine as another holistic approach to managing their condition. Here are five benefits of integrative medicine.
It Encompasses the Mind, Body, and Spirit
Oftentimes, patients find themselves seeking care from several different specialists to address multiple symptoms. With integrative medicine, practitioners focus on how the mind, body, and spirit all work together and contribute to overall health. They consider how symptoms can all be interrelated and assess the entire patient to uncover root causes. In the pursuit of restoring balance, they’ll also examine lifestyle factors that could be barriers to health, such as injuries that make exercise challenging or cultural dietary practices.
It Encourages a Therapeutic Partnership
Certain conditions may not be able to be cured, but the symptoms can be managed effectively. Integrative practitioners take on a new role by partnering with their patients, offering guidance for treatment options, and collaborating to determine the best action plan for condition management. They may also offer lifestyle adaptations to ease symptoms during flare-ups, thus meeting the patient where they’re at during any given time. The potential for optimal outcomes is therefore increased.
It Takes a Personalized Approach
Not all patients experience symptoms in the same ways, and not everyone has the same individual factors that can influence health. With traditional medicine, most patients will be prescribed the same medicine for the same condition, which overlooks these variations. On the other hand, integrative medicine practitioners tailor treatment plans to meet each patient’s specific circumstances. They stay up-to-date with emerging therapies and peruse new literature to explore potential treatment options for all of their patients. To better understand the people for whom they provide treatment, they may ask many questions, thus learning more about family health history, environmental factors, and other specifics.
It Leverages Numerous Therapies
In conventional medicine, there may only be a handful of treatment modalities prescribed for specific conditions. Most often, medications are recommended to manage symptoms. In integrative medicine, all appropriate therapies may be explored, starting with the least invasive and the most affordable. Even practices that encompass mental elements, such as yoga and meditation, may be considered. Most practitioners prescribe evidence-based treatments, but patients who are interested in exploring other alternatives won’t be dissuaded from doing so as long as there’s no risk to their health.
For more information on the benefits of integrative medicine and the options available, please contact a Care Coordinator at 800-531-0831 or submit a contact form today.
by admin | Oct 30, 2020 | COPD, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition that makes it hard for patients to breathe. In COPD, small airways in the lungs thicken and lose their elasticity. People with COPD have shortness of breath, especially during physical activity. Patients with severe COPD may experience a more challenging quality of life. COPD patients may experience several exacerbations a year which require a stay in the hospital.
Patients with COPD typically need one or more inhalers a day. These inhalers help to open airways and, in some cases, decrease lung inflammation. Patients who also have bronchiectasis may need to take an oral antibiotic every day. During a COPD exacerbation, patients usually must receive powerful steroid treatments intravenously, routine breathing treatments, and supplemental oxygen.
People with COPD are more prone to lung infections, and so they usually receive IV antibiotics for pneumonia. Those who successfully stop smoking can help to prevent further lung damage, however, the inflammation and lung damage persists for a long time. Today, patients are seeking alternative therapies for COPD. Many are discovering regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, that may offer an incredibly promising therapy for COPD.
The lungs have a large number of naturally occurring stem cells that can restore function. For example, mice who lose half their lung capacity from experimental COPD survive, and natural stem cells within the lungs can restore their lungs to a natural state within 5 months. Unfortunately, humans with COPD cannot repair their lungs as quickly and as fully as mice can. This is why researchers are studying the use of stem cell treatment to restore lung function in patients with COPD.
Studies have shown that stem cells have the potential to help improve lung function. Stem cell treatment improved oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, exercise tolerance, and cell injury in early studies.
One review did show that stem cell treatment is “safe and may improve patients’ condition and quality of life; however, larger-scale studies are needed to evaluate efficacy.” More research in humans is needed, but the pre-clinical (aka animal and laboratory) research in this area is quite promising.
Reference: Kokturk N, Yıldırım F, Gülhan PY, Oh YM. Stem cell therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. How far is it to the clinic?. Am J Stem Cells. 2018;7(3):56-71. Published 2018 Aug 1.
by admin | Oct 28, 2020 | Health Awareness, Functional Medicine
Nutrition has long been a well-known factor in overall health, but only recently have researchers begun to uncover just how significant effect eating habits can have on the body. Certain habits, in particular, are linked with poor health outcomes, such as widespread illness. The Western diet is especially problematic.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a startling percentage of the population is obese: nearly two-thirds of adults and one-third of children. This is likely due to a combination of factors, including an increased intake of processed foods, less exercise, and inadequate sleep.
These statistics are cause for concern, especially since diet-related health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes are experienced by roughly half of the population. These chronic illnesses are serious, and in some cases, life-threatening.
Moreover, our diet directly influences our gut health, which plays a critical role in immunity. Thus, when we don’t have the proper balance of gut bacteria, we become more likely to get sick not only on a short-term basis but also later on.
The Trouble with the Western Diet
Research shows more than half of Americans’ daily caloric intake comes from heavily processed products. These foods have ingredients that can have a negative effect on health, including saturated and trans fats, added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and sodium. Examples include potato chips, white bread, frozen pizza, candy, sodas, and snack cakes. These foods are often chosen due to their convenience and affordability.
Yet, there’s a tradeoff: over the long-term, the body’s systems become affected by these eating patterns. For instance, a high-fat, high-sugar diet will reduce the number of healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead systems in the body such as the immune system to malfunction.
Hunter-gatherers, who get their sustenance from natural sources, have a far more diverse collection of microflorae than individuals who follow the Western diet. Without this healthy population of gut bacteria, individuals may be more likely to experience autoimmune conditions, in which the immune system misfires and mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissue.
If you want to find out exactly what your deficiencies and insufficiencies are to avoid any oncoming conditions, you will want to do a comprehensive functional medicine test. These are available to do simply at home and your results will show your exact health blueprint. Genova Diagnostics provides these tests and are available through Stemedix.
While research into the relationship between diet and autoimmune disease is ongoing, the following dietary changes can make positive impacts on your health and help you feel better:
- Eat more plant-based foods. Look for bread and pasta products made with whole grains, along with vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
- Reduce sugar and salt intake. Most Americans consume far too much sodium and sugar. Read the labels on packaged foods to make sure you’re not going over daily recommendations.
- Choose healthy fats. You don’t have to steer clear of fats altogether. In fact, there are health benefits to eating certain types, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Aim to get healthy fats from sources such as nuts, seeds, and plant-based oils.
- Shop wisely. Not all processed foods should be off-limits, either. Just because the food comes in a package doesn’t make it a poor nutritional choice. When grocery shopping, choose foods that are nutrient-dense and have undergone minimal processing. Some options include yogurt, frozen fruits and vegetables, canned beans, nut butter, and hummus.
St. Petersburg, Florida
