n late 2011, the Swiss government's report on homeopathic medicine represents the most comprehensive evaluation of homeopathic medicine ever written by a government

The Swiss government has a long and widely-respected history of neutrality, and therefore, reports from this government on controversial subjects need to be taken more seriously than other reports from countries that are more strongly influenced by present economic and political constituencies. When one considers that two of the top five largest drug companies in the world have their headquarters in Switzerland, one might assume that this country would have a heavy interest in and bias toward conventional medicine, but such assumptions would be wrong.  In late 2011, the Swiss government's report on homeopathic medicine represents the most comprehensive evaluation of homeopathic medicine ever written by a government and was just published in book form in English (Bornhoft and Matthiessen, 2011). This breakthrough report affirmed that homeopathic treatment is both effective and cost-effective and that homeopathic treatment should be reimbursed by Switzerland's national health insurance program. 

The Swiss government's inquiry into homeopathy and complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments resulted from the high demand and widespread use of alternatives to conventional medicine in Switzerland, not only from consumers but from physicians as well. Approximately half of the Swiss population have used CAM treatments and value them. Further, about half of Swiss physicians consider CAM treatments to be effective. Perhaps most significantly, 85 percent of the Swiss population wants CAM therapies to be a part of their country's health insurance program. 

It is therefore not surprising that more than 50 percent of the Swiss population surveyed prefer a hospital that provides CAM treatments rather to one that is limited to conventional medical care. 

Beginning in 1998, the government of Switzerland decided to broaden its national health insurance to include certain complementary and alternative medicines, including homeopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, anthroposophic medicine, and neural therapy. This reimbursement was provisional while the Swiss government commissioned an extensive study on these treatments to determine if they were effective and cost-effective. The provisional reimbursement for these alternative treatments ended in 2005, but as a result of this new study, the Swiss government's health insurance program once again began to reimburse for homeopathy and select alternative treatments. In fact, as a result of a national referendum in which more than two-thirds of voters supported the inclusion of homeopathic and select alternative medicines in Switzerland's national health care insurance program, the field of complementary and alternative medicine has become a part of this government's constitution (Dacey, 2009; Rist, Schwabl, 2009). 

The Swiss Government's "Health Technology Assessment" 

The Swiss government's "Health Technology Assessment" on homeopathic medicine is much more comprehensive than any previous governmental report written on this subject to date. Not only did this report carefully and comprehensively review the body of evidence from randomized double-blind and placebo controlled clinical trials testing homeopathic medicines, they also evaluated the "real world effectiveness" as well as safety and cost-effectiveness. The report also conducted a highly-comprehensive review of the wide body of preclinical research (fundamental physio-chemical research, botanical studies, animal studies, and in vitro studies with human cells). 

And still further, this report evaluated systematic reviews and meta-analyses, outcome studies, and epidemiological research. This wide review carefully evaluated the studies conducted, both in terms of quality of design and execution (called "internal validity") and how appropriate each was for the way that homeopathy is commonly practiced (called "external validity"). The subject of external validity is of special importance because some scientists and physicians conduct research on homeopathy with little or no understanding of this type of medicine (some studies tested a homeopathic medicine that is rarely used for the condition tested, while others utilized medicines not commonly indicated for specific patients). When such studies inevitably showed that the homeopathic medicine did not "work," the real and accurate assessment must be that the studies were set up to disprove homeopathy... or simply, the study was an exploratory trial that sought to evaluate the results of a new treatment (exploratory trials of this nature are not meant to prove or disprove the system of homeopathy but only to evaluate that specific treatment for a person with a specific condition). 

After assessing pre-clinical basic research and the high quality clinical studies, the Swiss report affirmed that homeopathic high-potencies seem to induce regulatory effects (e.g., balancing or normalizing effects) and specific changes in cells or living organisms. The report also reported that 20 of the 22 systematic reviews of clinical research testing homeopathic medicines detected at least a trend in favor of homeopathy.* (Bornhöft, Wolf, von Ammon, et al, 2006) 

The Swiss report found a particularly strong body of evidence to support the homeopathic treatment of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections and Respiratory Allergies. The report cited 29 studies in "Upper Respiratory Tract Infections/AllergicReactions," of which 24 studies found a positive result in favor of homeopathy. Further, six out of seven controlled studies that compared homeopathic treatment with conventional medical treatment showed that homeopathy to be more effective than conventional medical interventions (the one other trial found homeopathic treatment to be equivalent to conventional medical treatment). All of these results from homeopathic treatment came without the side effects common to conventional drug treatment. In evaluating only the randomized placebo controlled trials, 12 out of 16 studies showed a positive result in favor of homeopathy. 

The authors of the Swiss government's report acknowledge that a part of the overall review of research included one review of clinical research in homeopathy (Shang, et al, 2005). However, the authors noted that this review of research has been widely and harshly criticized by both advocates and non-advocates of homeopathy. The Swiss report noted that the Shang team did not even adhere to the QUORUM guidelines which are widely recognized standards for scientific reporting (Linde, Jonas, 2005). The Shang team initially evaluated 110 homeopathic clinical trials and then sought to compare them with a matching 110 conventional medical trials. Shang and his team determined that there were 22 "high quality" homeopathic studies but only nine "high quality" conventional medical studies. Rather than compare these high quality trials (which would have shown a positive result for homeopathy), the Shang team created criteria to ignore a majority of high quality homeopathic studies, thereby trumping up support for their original hypothesis and bias that homeopathic medicines may not be effective (Lüdtke, Rutten, 2008). 

The Swiss report also notes that David Sackett, M.D., the Canadian physician who is widely considered to be one of the leading pioneers in "evidence based medicine," has expressed serious concern about those researchers and physicians who consider randomized and double-blind trials as the only means to determine whether a treatment is effective or not. To make this assertion, one would have to acknowledge that virtually all surgical procedures were "unscientific" or "unproven" because so few have undergone randomized double-blind trials. 

In my view, for a treatment to be determined to be "effective" or "scientifically proven," a much more comprehensive assessment of what works and doesn't is required. Ultimately, the Swiss government's report on homeopathy represents an evaluation of homeopathy that included an assessment of randomized double blind trials as well as other bodies of evidence, all of which together lead the report to determine that homeopathic medicines are indeed effective. 

The next article will discuss further evidence provided in this report from the Swiss government on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of homeopathic care. 

--- REFERENCES: 

Bornhoft, Gudrun, and Matthiessen, Peter F. Homeopathy in Healthcare: Effectiveness, Appropriateness, Safety, Costs. Goslar, Germany: Springer, 2011. http://rd.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-642-20638-2/page/1(This book is presently available from the German office of the publisher, and it will become available via the American office as well as select booksellers in mid- to late-February, 2012.)(NOTE: When specific facts in the above article are provided but not referenced, this means that these facts were derived from this book.) 

Bornhöft G, Wolf U, von Ammon K, Righetti M, Maxion-Bergemann S, Baumgartner S, Thurneysen AE, Matthiessen PF. Effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of homeopathy in general practice - summarized health technology assessment. Forschende Komplementärmedizin (2006);13 Suppl 2:19-29. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16883077 

Dacey, Jessica. Therapy supporters roll up sleeves after vote. SwissInfo.ch, May 19, 2009. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/Therapy_supporters_roll_up_sleeves_after_vote.html?cid=670064 

Linde K, Jonas W. Are the clinical effects of homeopathy placebo effects? Lancet 36:2081-2082. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67878-6. http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673605678786.pdf 

Lüdtke R, Rutten ALB. The conclusions on the effectiveness of homeopathy highly depend on the set of analysed trials. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. October 2008. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.06/015. http://www.jclinepi.com/article/S0895-4356(08)00190-X/abstract 

Rist L, Schwabl H: Komplementärmedizin im politischen Prozess. Schweizer Bevölkerungstimmt über Verfassungsartikel «Zukunft mit Komplementärmedizin» ab. Forsch Komplementmed 2009, doi 10.1159/000203073. (Translation: Complementary medicine in the political process: The Swiss population votes on the Constitutional Article "The future with complementary medicine" http://www.ayurveda-association.eu/files/swiss_referendum_on_cam_-_forschkomplementmed_2009.pdf 

*Although this Swiss government report was just published in book form in 2011, the report was finalized in 2006. In light of this date, the authors evaluated systematic reviews and meta-analyses on homeopathic research up until June 2003. 

By, Dana Ullman, MPH, is America's leading spokesperson for homeopathy and is the founder of www.homeopathic.com. He is the author of 10 books, including his bestseller, Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines. His most recent book is, The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy (the Foreword to this book was written by Dr. Peter Fisher, the Physician to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II). Dana lives, practices, and writes from Berkeley, California. 

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Autism Is A Research Growth Area: No Profit in Finding the Cause

Autism Is A Research Growth Area: No Profit in Finding the CauseFebruary 19, 2012 by admin in Autism, Featured, Science http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2012-02-19/autism-is-a-research-growth-area-no-profit-in-finding-the-cause/ 

The Mind of the Autism Researcher 

Attempts to prove that autism is genetic, physical, or chemical in nature continue unabated. It’s proven to be a most lucrative specialty for researchers. However, the studies that promote the genetics-not-vaccine concept tend to show only the effects of autism. They demonstrate nothing to indicate the actual cause, though they often imply, or even outright state, otherwise. 

That alone should tell us what’s become of most autism research: it’s a growth area. Autism research has become very much the same as Big Pharma-based medicine. In fact, much of it is funded by pharmaceutical corporations. 

To find a disease cause and solution to prevent disease isn’t profitable. However, to find even the most minuscule physical, genetic, or chemical change in someone with an existing disease means that even more money can be squeezed out of the research funders like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), agencies funded by taxpayers. Anything that leads away from causes and focuses on the physiochemical effects of autism always leads to more questions and more research funds. 

Gaia Health recently documented an autism study demonstrating that it shows the opposite of what is claimed. The authors attempt to demonstrate that physical changes in the brains of autistics shows that vaccines could not be the cause. In reality, the study shows a close parallel between those changes and autism’s development. That fact, though, could not be mentioned. It would likely have resulted in the researchers’ funding sources drying up. Study: White Matter Changes in Autism 

A recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry(1) says that children defined as high risk for developing autism become autistic because of changes in the brain’s white matter, and that autism can be predicted in advance based on MRIs showing such changes. This is all fine and dandy—but it says precisely nothing about what causes these changes. 

This study has a continuing medical education couse associated with it on MedPage Today. Passing the related test of two simple questions provides the reader, who is presumed to be a doctor, with .25 CME units. The doctor can easily collect these training credits within a few minutes, never leaving the comfort of home or office, or more significantly, without even having to bother reading the study itself. No thought process is required to determine whether the study holds any validity. The single-page course simply summarizes and regurgitates the study’s claims with no attempt to analyze whether it’s meaningful. 

The result of this is sure to be yet more MRI tests on infants, which will, of course, further increase the cost of medicine and will likely produce no benefit to children—unless yet another toxic drug is considered helpful. Study: Genetic Changes in Autism 

Another study, published in PLoS Genetics(2), states that functional mutations in the SHANK2 gene, resulting in changes in synapses, are associated with some, but not all, autism. A functional mutation is not a birth defect. It is caused by something. 

However, the study researchers weren’t interested in what causes the SHANK2 gene to be damaged. They were quite satisfied with the idea that the damage was just spontaneous. One would have thought that the researchers would at least be curious about what causes these changes—but apparently curiosity that doesn’t bring in big financial payments has been bred out of researchers. 

Their interest was only in the idea where the finding indicates that several genes acting in combination must be associated with autism. Author Bergeron states: 

There are so many combinations that might be important. We still have a lot of work to do at the genetic level. 

Wow! Those researchers may have found a mother lode of research grants for all the follow-up research that they can now claim should be done. Just imagine the money that’s going to be made by Big Pharma in vaccines or drugs to treat the broken SHANK2 genes. Obviously, finding the cause of those broken genes would interfere with the profits to be made in attempts to fix them. Study: Brain Activity Changes in Face Recognition 

A study published in Nature Neuroscience(3) claims that functional MRIs can examine the fusiform gyrus, a part of the brain believed to focus on face identification, and that it will be able to study people—specifically, autistics—who are too unresponsive to cooperate in such studies. Author J.D. Gabrieli told the Simons Foundation: 

Functional brain studies have been limited to the most high-functioning individuals, because we had to use active tasks that required following instructions. This method may open ways to look at the many autism patients who cannot follow task instructions. 

Thus, this study has been performed to pave the way for yet more studies of autistic people. Whether it might actually benefit them is … well, that doesn’t seem to be the issue. The Third Rail of Medical Research 

There exists just one thing that autism researchers won’t touch: the cause. It’s the third rail of medical research. Autism has developed into a huge money-maker for modern medicine and its supporting agencies. Big Pharma is now selling drugs to send autistic kids to oblivion and further damage their brains. Doctors have a huge group of children whose parents are conditioned to take them back over and over again for tests and treatments, none of which help. Agencies and charities have organized to promote awareness of the condition and, in most cases, to promote the well-being of the top-line managers’ pay. Researchers and medical journals all help feed into this newly profitable condition. None of them actually help. For that, you must leave the modern medical system and find alternatives. 

If the cause of autism were officially found. The focus would be on prevention. But then, none of this enormous pool of money could be tapped by any of these groups. Their bottom line is benefited by putting on blinders to the most likely cause, vaccines. To that end, they’ve established a PR campaign to convince the public—not to mention their own members—that vaccines aren’t the cause of autism and that autism isn’t truly a new disorder, but one that was previously unrecognized. Of course, as most parents of autistic children can state without reservation, there is no possibility that what’s happened to their children could ever have gone unnoticed. 

So, they’ve developed a most magnificent arrangement of patting each others’ backs: 

The doctors get to take absurdly simple CME courses that tell of phony breakthroughs, thus getting that nuisance requirement of continuing education out of the way without stress. Medical websites that take most of their money from Big Pharma can pump out these nonsensical courses, pulling doctors to their sites for the easy ride. Doctors get more and more patients. Medical suppliers get to sell more and more equipment for tests. Big Pharma gets to develop new drugs and find ways to push old ones on autism sufferers. To support it all and give the seal of so-called “evidence based medicine” to these practices, medical researchers produce study after study, all of them focused on anything but finding the cause of autism. 

It’s a cozy arrangement for everyone but the autistic children, their families, and society as a whole. Finding the cause would shut down the researchers’ gushing funding tap, and preventing autism would cut into all arenas of this exploding area of the medical industry. 

Sources: 

(1)Differences in White Matter Fiber Tract Development Present from 6 to 24 Months in Infants with Autism, doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.11091447. (2)Genetic and Functional Analyses of SHANK2 Mutations Suggest a Multiple Hit Model of Autism Spectrum Disorders (3)Anatomical connectivity patterns predict face selectivity in the fusiform gyrus, doi: 10.1038/nn.3001 

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How Safe Is Universal Hepatitis B Vaccination? by Burton A. Waisbren, Sr., M.D., F.A.C.P.

 How Safe Is Universal Hepatitis B Vaccination? by Burton A. Waisbren, Sr., M.D., F.A.C.P.

http://www.waisbrenclinic.com

INTRODUCTION Universal hepatitis B vaccination of infants in the United States, regardless of risk factors, was first proposed by Margolis and his coworkers of the hepatitis branch of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.(1,2) The concept was endorsed and augmented by West and his coworkers at the Merck Sharpe and Dohme research laboratories in West Point, Pennsylvania.(3) The rationale presented for universal vaccination of infants in the U.S. stemmed from the failure of the current strategies for controlling this disease and not from trials that demonstrated the effectiveness or safety of a universal hepatitis B vaccination program.(4,5) In spite of this, universal hepatitis B vaccination is achieving wide spread acceptance among medical organizations and is being vigorously pursued in many sections of the country.(5,6)

To be presented here are four patterns that raise some concerns about vaccinating all babies in the U.S. with the hepatitis B vaccine. The patterns are as follows: The historical pattern of events that followed the introduction of an antirabies vaccine in the late 1800's and of warnings regarding probable occurrence of vaccine complications given by medical scientists during the past 50 years; the pattern revealed by animal experimentation that showed that viruses and viral particles may cause demyelination and autoimmunity in a variety of species; the pattern of autoimmunity and demyelination that has been caused by the hepatitis B infection, itself; the pattern of clinical reports that reveal that demyelination and autoimmunity have appeared in patients vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccines.

Reasonable steps that might be taken to address the concerns evoked by the above patterns will be discussed.

--------------------------------------------------------

Postvaccinal Encephalomyelitis and Warnings by Medical Scientists

Postvaccinal encephalomyelitis has been recognized and accepted as a clinical entity since it first occurred after Pasteur's antirabies vaccine was used. (7) At first the encephalomyelitis was thought to be caused by the nervous tissue in which the virus used for the vaccine was grown. (7) However, postvaccinal encephalomyelitis has appeared in patients who received vaccine grown in duck eggs, so it is now thought that the syndrome is caused by something present in the dead virus.(8) Postvaccinal encephalomyelitis has since been observed after a wide variety of vaccinations.

Within the past 30 years representatives of the medical establishment have discussed and warned about neurologic complications of various vaccines. (9-12) Wilson, in his 1967 monograph regarding vaccine complications, pointed out that there are no insurance policies without premiums and that strict attention must be paid to the premiums exacted by each vaccine.(9) Miller, in 1954, discussed the neurologic sequelae of vaccination and the difficulty of these complications being recognized and accepted. (10) Zuckerman, in an article in 1974 in Nature entitled "Hepatitis Vaccine: A note of caution" pointed out that autoimmunity might well follow the hepatitis B vaccinations because the disease, itself, involved autoimmunity.(11) He suggested, "careful assessment of all vaccine effects on the immune system."(11) As late as 1988, Hilleman, who some call the "father" of hepatitis B vaccine, warned "the message from the hypothetical hepatitis B example is that the administration of antigens or monoclonal antibodies that directly or indirectly raise antibodies that attach to host cell receptors may carry large liabilities even though they might provide a convenient means for preventing viral access to host cells... antibodies attached to cell receptors may invite the same kinds of adverse response that are believed to be responsible for a variety of autoimmune disorders." (12)

Experiments In Animals That Lead To Concerns about the Hepatitis B Vaccine

Experiments done on animals in the past 60 years have yielded data that add to the concerns about present day viral vaccines. These experiments have shown that polypeptide chains of the types found in viruses that are homologous or nearly homologous with myelin can cause demyelination and have shown that viruses, themselves, can cause demyelination.(13)

The experiments started in 1956 when Rivers showed that myelin injected into monkeys caused demyelination.(14) Wakesman expanded these studies and developed an experimental model in which myelin and adjuvant consistently caused demyelinating disease in mice and rabbits.(15) This has been widely accepted as a model for demyelinating diseases in humans and is called experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). (16) Stohlman found that a DNA virus called JHM could cause demyelination in mice. (17) Oldstone then presented experimental evidence that autoimmunity in humans was caused by polypeptides in viruses that were homologous to those in human tissue. (18) Fujinami and Oldstone produced EAE in rabbits with proteins from hepatitis B virus that had polypeptides in it that were homologous with myelin.(19) Ziegler produced EAE in rabbits with the Swine Flu Vaccine and adjuvants.(20)

Westall and Root-Bernstein presented data that suggested a syndrome they called Multiple-Antigen-Mediated-Autoimmunity (MAMA) could occur in animals and humans. (21) They postulated that the MAMA Syndrome was operative in postvaccinal encephalomyelitis as well as in EAE.(21) Root-Bernstein hypothesized that this syndrome could occur in humans if four conditions were met. The first was demonstrated homology between an antigen and host tissue. The second was the presence simultaneously, of more than one antigen. The third was complementarity between the antigens shown to be present. The fourth was the additional presence of a bacterial adjuvant. As will be discussed later, all of these requirements can be tested for as a possible explanation for post hepatitis B vaccine reactions.

Finally, the HLA patterns of experimental animals has been shown to influence their susceptibility to experimental demyelinating diseases.(22)

Hepatitis B Infection Causes Autoimmunity and Demyelination

Another group of patterns regarding the consideration of universal hepatitis vaccination, without factoring in risk factors that have been largely ignored, are those revealed by the findings that the infection, itself, causes autoimmunity and demyelination. In 1977, London first reported that autoimmune disease was caused by circulating immune complexes caused by viral antibody association.(23) In 1987, Tsukada reported demyelinizing neuropathy associated with the hepatitis B infection.(24) Discussions and case reports regarding autoimmunity occurring with the hepatitis B infection have been presented by Vento et al and McFarlane et al.(25,26) As early as 1976, Zuckerman cautioned that since autoimmunity is involved in the pathogenesis of hepatitis B infections that it might be augmented by a hepatitis B vaccination.(11)

Reports Of Demyelination and Autoimmunity After Hepatitis B Vaccination

Clinical experiences since the general release of hepatitis B vaccines suggest that clinical counterparts of the animal studies and autoimmunity that occurs after the hepatitis B infection occur after hepatitis B vaccination. The first report of demyelination after the hepatitis B vaccination was that of Ribera and Dutka in 1983. The complication was transient.(27) The authors stated inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathies after both viral diseases and vaccinations have been widely reported.(27) They emphasized the necessity of continued surveillance of the use of hepatitis B vaccine.(27) I have noted seven cases of a neurologic picture resembling multiple sclerosis (MS) after hepatitis B vaccination. (28) In 1987, Fried et al reported uveitis that occurred in a 20-year-old nurse after a booster dose of hepatitis B vaccine.(29) They pointed out that there is a higher than normal level of hepatitis B antibodies in some uveitis patients. They postulated that these antibodies combined with surface antigens in the vaccine could form a disease producing immune complex.(29)

Shaw et al reported a post marketing surveillance study regarding neurologic events after the hepatitis B vaccine in 1988. (30) An estimated 850,000 individuals had received the vaccine by the time of their study. They found ten cases of Bell's palsy, nine cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, five cases of lumbar radiculopathy, three cases of brachial plexus neuropathy, five cases of optic neuritis, and four cases of transverse myelitis. They concluded, on the basis of the controversial epidemiologic methods used to study the Swine Flu epidemic of 1976, that the risk of the vaccine was outweighed by the prophylactic benefits in "high risk groups."(30,31) However, even using these methods, they concluded that the demyelinating disease, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, occurred more often in individuals who had been vaccinated than in the general population.(30) In 1988, Biron et al reported a case of myasthenia gravis that occurred after anesthesia and a hepatitis B vaccination.(32) They postulated that the autoimmune disease was due to the "challenge" to the immune system by the vaccine.(32) In 1989, Goolsby reported a case of erythema nodosum that occurred after recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. (33) In 1991, Herroelen et al reported on two patients who developed symptoms of increasing demyelination after a vaccination of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. (34) He mentioned that their HLA patterns might be a contributing factor. Seven hundred reports of adverse reactions to the hepatitis B vaccine were sent in to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting Systems (VAERS) between October 1990 and September 1991.(35) This system was set up via the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. Sixteen percent of these reports were of damage presumed to be to the myelin of the nervous system. There were 21 cases of facial paralysis and six cases of MS. Eighty-two of the complications occurred in patients who received plasma derived vaccine and 18 occurred in those who received recombinant vaccine. (35) This difference can be explained by the fact that at the time the VAERS were examined, the recombinant vaccine had just come into general use. In 1990, in the World Health Organization Drug Information Bulletin two cases of optic neuritis and one case of Guillain-Barre Syndrome were reported to be among the 200 reports of adverse reactions that were reported by the Australian National Regulatory Body. (36) One patient had vertigo and diplopia attributed to demyelination eight months after the vaccination.(36)

In 1993, Trevisani et al reported a case of transverse myelitis that followed a recombinant vaccination in an 11 year-old girl.(37) Their arguments for a causal link between the vaccination and the transverse myelitis were the temporal association (21 days), the previous report of Shaw's in which the same complication occurred, and no clinical evidence of any other cause of the disease.(37) They pointed out that transverse myelitis was occasionally found in patients with hepatitis B. (37) This suggested to them that there might be antigenic determinants held in common with the capsular antigen of the hepatitis B vaccine and myelin.(37)

In 1993, Nadler et al reported a case of "classic MS," the prodromal of which appeared 10 days after a recombinant vaccination. (38) They stated that the benefits of the hepatitis B vaccination, among the population for "which it is usually recommended," far out weigh any potential risks.(38) In 1990, there was a report in the British Medical Journal of vasculitis related to the hepatitis B vaccination.(39) It was felt to be due to immune complex disease. In 1993, Brezin et al reported visual loss and eosinophilia after a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine.(40)

In 1995, Kaplanski et al reported a case of central nervous system demyelination that occurred in a 37-year-old man two weeks after receiving the third hepatitis B injection.(41) This patient had the same haplotype as the patient reported by Herroelen.(34) They suggested that the hepatitis B vaccination could potentially induce CNS demyelination in patients with HLA, B7, DR2 haplotype, whether or not these patients have a history of MS.(41)

Vautier and Carty in 1994 reported a case of classic rheumatoid arthritis that followed a hepatitis B vaccination.(42) They brought up the fact that the patient was HLA, DR4 positive which would be consistent with both animal and previous clinical reports regarding complications of the hepatitis B vaccine.(22,33,42) Hassan and Oldham reported two cases of reactive arthritis and Reiter's Syndrome that occurred after a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine.(43) They cite a personal communication from the manufacturer that stated that in 11 cases reported to them of reactive arthritis following recombinant hepatitis B vaccine that six had a recurrence of symptoms after a second vaccination.(43)

In 1995, Tartaglina et al reported a case of postvaccinal myelitis that occurred one month after a hepatitis B vaccination.. (44) They suggested that complications of this sort may be under reported because there can be a delay in symptom occurrences.(44) In the case they reported, symptoms did not occur until one month after a single injection of the vaccine. No other cause of the myelitis was shown by a MRI.(44)

DISCUSSION

How might the concerns evoked by the material that has been presented be addressed?

Parents of babies and adolescents who have little chance of being exposed to hepatitis B should be made aware of the potential dangers of the vaccine. A perspective, inclusive, long term follow up study of a large number of individuals who have received the vaccine should be done and the results should be made available to the parents of children who are to be vaccinated. While these admittedly tedious studies are being conducted, databases available through societies such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society might be used to determine if an inordinate number of patients with multiple sclerosis had received a hepatitis B vaccination prior to being diagnosed.

The literally hundreds of individuals who have been reported to VAERS and pharmaceutical companies, who claim to have suffered demyelination and autoimmunity from a hepatitis B vaccine, should be followed up to determine their HLA patterns to ascertain if host factors are partially causative of the complication.(22,33)

A large group of individuals who are to be vaccinated should have before and after determinations by the methods of Zhang, Wucherpfennig and Strominger of the percentage of their T-cells that exhibit antimyelin activity to determine if vaccination does evoke such cells in some individuals with certain HLA patterns.(47,48)

The ability of vaccines when injected with adjuvant into animals to cause EAE should be tested using the methods of Fujinami and Ziegler.(19,20)

The hypothesis and studies of Westall and Root-Bernstein that indicate a multifactorial pathogenesis of postvaccinal encephalomyelitis suggest a series of studies that could be done on vaccines and on patients who developed complications after the hepatitis B vaccination.(21) Hepatitis B vaccine and all other vaccines should be tested for the extent of their polypeptide homology with human tissue.(13,21) If significant homology were to be demonstrated, the offending polypeptides could be removed from the vaccine or synthetic vaccines could be produced without them. (49,50) If such a homology were to be demonstrated, it would fulfill the first requirement for the provocative hypothetical MAMA Syndrome of Westall and Root-Bernstein. (21) The second requirement for the MAMA Syndrome is that multiple antigens are present.(21) These could be tested for by serologic studies for the Epstein-Barr Virus and other viruses that already have been indicted in this syndrome.(21) The third requirement that complementarity between antigens must be demonstrated could be tested for by complementarity studies between the hepatitis B vaccine and other antigens uncovered by the aforementioned serologic tests. (51) The fourth requirement that an adjuvant be present could be tested for by serologically determining whether muramyl peptides are present. (52) These peptides are well established adjuvants and are ubiquitous as part of the cell walls of all bacteria.(52)

The above-mentioned studies might well yield information that would not only make all vaccines safer, but could lead to means to prevent postvaccinal autoimmunity by the methods shown to work in animals by Westall and Root-Bernstein and Norga et al.(53,54)

Finally, it should be emphasized that the concerns voiced above in no way denigrate worldwide programs that are attempting to reduce hepatitis B in populations of extremely high risk, both internationally and in the U.S.(55) Certainly, there should be no abrupt stopping of present vaccination programs in the U.S., but it does seem reasonable to develop an informed consent that discloses to parents the potential dangers of the vaccine. Parents then would be able to intelligently decide whether the risk involved justifies their child receiving the vaccination. This might be particularly reasonable in areas of the U.S. in which the incidence of hepatitis B is very low.

What is common in Rheumatoid arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Depression and Osteoporosis?

What is common in Rheumatoid arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Depression and Osteoporosis? These are diseases more prevalent in females; other than the diseases of female reproductive system which make up a large section (that’s the reason we have a different subject of Obstetrics and Gynaecology) there are some diseases which are predominantly found in females.

The statistics of diseases in females is overwhelming -

• Autoimmune diseases affect approximately 8% of the population, 78% of whom are women. Female/Male Ratios in some Autoimmune Diseases are:

  DISEASE	RATIO
  Hashimoto's disease	50:1
  Systemic lupus erythematosus	9:1
  Chronic active hepatitis	8:1
  Graves' disease	7:1
  Type I diabetes	2:1
  Rheumatoid arthritis	4:1
  Scleroderma	3:1
  Myasthenia gravis	2:1
  Multiple sclerosis	2:1

  (From the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Michigan National Bank Building, 15475 Granot Ave, Detroit, MI 48205, (313) 371-8600.)

• A survey conducted by a study released by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that 68% of working women surveyed within the age group of 21 to 52 years were suffering from lifestyle diseases.
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of women across the world - it kills more of them each year than all cancers, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined.
• Unipolar depression, predicted to be the second leading cause of global disability burden by 2020, is twice as common in women.

These diseases are predominantly found in females; some have a link to female gene pattern, others to hormonal changes and some to female body structure while some are linked to the female psyche and lifestyle.

Now in all of the above factors, it is only the psyche and lifestyle which requires more attention as body structure and gene pattern cannot be changed while lifestyle and psyche can be.

Lifestyle diseases characterize those diseases whose occurrence is primarily based on the daily habits of people and are a result of an inappropriate relationship of people with their environment. The main factors contributing to lifestyle diseases include bad food habits, physical inactivity, wrong body posture, and disturbed biological clock. According to a survey conducted by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ASSOC-HAM), 68% of working women in the age bracket of 21-52 years were found to be afflicted with lifestyle ailments such as obesity, depression, chronic backache, diabetes and hypertension.

Women play multiple roles- specially working women who have to balance between work and home resulting in negligence of their own health. Tight deadlines, work pressures, social networking, travel, etc. are just some of the common reasons of an increase in lifestyle ailments like obesity, depression, diabetes, blood pressure, etc. Today women tend to give more importance to their careers rather than their own health. Work pressures lead them to eat more of junk food which leads to obesity and other health related issues. Lack of time forces them to get less amount and poor quality of sleep. A busy lifestyle results in lack of exercise and poor nutrition resulting in iron and calcium deficiency. Irritation and mental depression become a part of their lives which in turn badly affects the hormones that play a vital role in a woman’s body. Hormonal disturbances are increased with stress and then result in ovulation and polycystic ovarian diseases. The study 'Preventive Healthcare and Corporate Female Workforce' also said that long hours and working under strict deadlines cause up to 75% of working women to suffer from depression or general anxiety disorder, compared to women with lesser levels of psychological demand at work. The study cited scientific evidence that healthy diet and adequate physical activity - at least 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five days a week - helped prevent NCDs.

Gender differences exist in patterns of help seeking for psychological disorder. Women are more likely to seek help from and disclose mental health problems to their primary health care physician while men are more likely to seek specialist mental health care and are the principal users of inpatient care.

There is a need to focus our attention on preventive health care. Lack of exercise, poor nutrition, exposure to sunlight and pollutants are the main causes of obesity, malnutrition, hypertension and skin diseases. Excessive intake of alcohol, drug abuse, drug addiction, and internet addiction are also associated with the lifestyle diseases. Over indulgence or interest in internet may lead to internet addiction disorder (IAD), the most modern lifestyle disease. Ignorance about health care may have multiple implications on our health, behavior and attitude. Casual medication and poor compliance of medical advice add to the gravity of lifestyle diseases. Working couples in general and employed women in particular need to be health conscious to be healthy and more productive. They must have a time table with sufficient time for exercise, entertainment and grooming their health and beauty.

Brisk walking for 15 minutes daily may show promising results in obese, diabetics and hypertensive people as it improves blood circulation, removes lactic acid and uric acid, frees-up tight joints, relaxes the muscles, tones-up the body and removes blockages from the blood vessels. Brisk walking is also beneficial for maintaining good health and preventing lifestyle diseases. Some tips found to be beneficial for overcoming majority of lifestyle diseases are:

1. Make a time table for daily activities with sufficient time for exercise and entertainment.
2. Do brisk walking daily for 15 minutes or 10,000 steps or 2-3 kilometers.
3. Practice meditation or Yoga for at least 30 minutes. A
4. Avoid fried food stuffs and junk food. Avoid foods with preservatives and coloring agents
5. Increase intake of fruits, salad, healthy and nutritious diet.
6. Never skip a meal for efficiency and productivity.
7. Have a good night sleep; also try to rest whenever your body demands it.
8. Use proper seat and sit in a right posture at home and at workplace to avoid postural disorders like cervical sprain and backache.
9. Periodic medical checkup.
10. Follow medical advice if you have some health problem in addition to life style disorder.

Testimonial for "H.I.P" aka Homeopathic Immunization Program

Testimonial for "H.I.P" aka Homeopathic Immunization Program http://youtu.be/pKmUGBbGF0M

Homeopathy Halts Cuban Epidemic Better Than Vaccines

Homeopathy Halts Cuban Epidemic Better Than Vaccines  Swamp fever, also known as leptospirosis, is a major problem in Cuba.  Each year, an epidemic of swamp fever plagues the island nation during the flood season when the illness is transferred from rats to people. 

The very serious symptoms of swamp fever include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, jaundice, meningitis, liver failure, renal damage, respiratory illness and in many cases, death. 

Fortunately for Cuba, Big Pharma is not much interested in monopoly control of its healthcare system which leaves the door open for alternative and nontoxic approaches to health to bloom. 

In this environment very open to homeopathy, the Finlay Institute, a Cuban research foundation, worked with Cuban doctors to develop a homeopathic nosode for swamp fever. 

The remedy was based on the homeopathic principle that “like cures like” and was developed and administered on a wide scale as a preventative treatment.  In 2008, 2.5 million people who were most susceptible to the disease were treated with 2 doses of the remedy seven to nine days apart.   The Cuban Ministry of Public Health implemented and managed the operation. 

The results of this effort were nothing short of spectacular. The typical rate of infection when vaccination and antibiotics are used is a few thousand cases per year including some deaths. 

When the homeopathic remedy was used, however, only ten cases of swamp fever were reported among the 2.5 million treated with the homeopathic nosode with no mortality of any hospitalized patients! 

The financial cost to the Cuban government for this astonishingly successful health campaign was only $200,000 compared with the $2,000,000 that would have been incurred for conventional vaccination and antibiotics. 

Not only was homeopathy clearly more effective than vaccines for preventing swamp fever, it was also a much more cost effective solution with no toxic side effects such as is the case with vaccination. 

Homeopathy for epidemics works.  There is no need for toxic and expensive vaccine injections which produce masses of auto-immune compromised children and adults alike in need and dependent upon – more drugs! 

The catalyst for widespread use of homeopathic nosodes as a safe and effective alternative to the ever growing list of toxic vaccines must come from parents, in particular mothers.  Mothers must refuse toxic vaccines for their children and demand this type of safe and effective remedy at a grassroots level as it will never come from the conventional medical establishment which has a strongly invested profit motive for keeping things the way they are. 

Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist 

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/homeopathy-halts-cuban-epidemic-better-than-vaccines/

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