A new meta-analysis (a study combining lots of studies together) published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) indicates that the supplements Glucosamine&Chondroitin may not be clinically effective.  It involved looking at pain levels and imaging data ("radiographic joint space") from 3803 people with knee or hip osteoarthritis who were followed 22 months or more.  Either the supplements were compared to a control group (placebo) or each other.  After statistical analysis of all the data, the results did not show any clinically significant benefits of using these supplements. According to the article, principle researcher Dr. Peter Juni, M.D., Division Head of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland stated, "None of the two supplements we evaluated appeared to have any clinically relevant benefit in terms of pain relief that could be detected by patients with knee or hip arthritis." Now, there are limitations to this analysis, different doses of these supplements, different qualities and forms of these supplements, etc so I would still strongly recommend you talking to your pharmacist, primary care physician, and any other care providers about these or any or supplements.  Either way, according to the article, Dr. Andrew Sherman, M.D., Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine notes, "Since there appears to be no negative consequence to taking these supplements (except cost) there appears to be no harm in doing so." Final Thoughts: I know many people out there swear by these supplements, both in and out of the health care field so the choice is ultimately yours.  To me, the take-home message here is (1) be careful and (2) be educated about supplementation.  Always be informed.  Until the next Glucosamine & Chondroitin study... Article available at: http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=643238 Original study (pdf) available at: http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c4675.full.pdf Dr. Schwartz San Diego Psychologist www.integrative-health.net ...read more

     Although it is not new evidence that therapy can be effective for children and adolescence, a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that single-episode (30min) talk therapy sessions for kids in the ER for violent injuries can drastically reduce future incidents of violence.      The article reports that the original study centered around a program called SafERteens which "involved more than 700 kids aged 14 to 18 who had visited an emergency department in Flint, Mich., from noon and 11 p.m. any day of the week between September 2006 and September 2009.      Results showed that "after three months, participants in the therapist arm showed a 70 percent to 76 percent reduction in violence, including peer aggression, compared with the controls."  Most strikingly, the article points out that that the authors (headed by Maureen A. Walton, Ph.D., research associate professor, department of psychiatry, Addiction Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) concluded "for every 10 kids seen, a single 30-minute intervention would prevent one violent episode in the future."      I think this is an extremely significant conclusion indicating the effectiveness of psychotherapy in our society to reduce teen violence and alcohol abuse.  Furthermore, although it may cost at cost to the hospitals etc, it is likely that it may reduce cost in the long run as a result of overall teen violence. Article available at: http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=641797 Original study available at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/304/5/527 Dr. D San Diego Psychologist www.integrative-health.net ...read more

A recent article summarizes a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology indicating that overall picture of cardiac care has improved overtime in the U.S.  This included factors ranging from people becoming more aware of heart attack symptoms, quicker visits to the ER/Hospital, better pharmaceutical care, hospital procedure outcomes, less mortality. According to the article, Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a cardiology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, noted, "These findings show the substantial efforts to provide physicians and hospitals with detailed feedback on performance coupled with targeted quality improvement efforts are producing measurable and meaningful benefits to cardiovascular disease patients." Article available at: http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=641040 Original study located at: http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/short/56/4/254  (Journal Access Needed) Dr. D www.integrative-health.net ...read more