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Sponsored Journal Article
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Probiotic improves symptomatic and viral clearance in Covid19 outpatients: a randomized, quadruple-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
Gut Microbes is an open access journal which publishes research on intestinal microbiota, gastrointestinal, liver and cardiac disease, cancer, and irritable and inflammatory bowel conditions. The intestinal microbiota plays a pivotal role in human physiology. Characterizing its structure and function has implications for health and disease, impacting nutrition and obesity, brain function, allergic responses, immunity, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer development, cardiac disease, liver disease, and others. Gut Microbes provides a platform for presenting and discussing cutting-edge research on all aspects of microorganisms populating the intestine.
2022
Abstract
Covid-19 is a disease of the lungs, which differentially affects those it infects. There are currently no therapies that have been approved for use in Covid-19 patients. However recent evidence has highlighted a possible link between the gut and the lungs, known as the gut-lung axis indicating a new avenue for investigation. Previous trials on probiotics have indicated a role in infections such as cold and flu highlighting a possible role in Covid-19 infection. This randomised control trial of 300 Covid-19 patients aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of a probiotic known as AB21 containing several strains of Lactoplantibacillus plantarum and Pediococcus acidilactici. The results showed that after 30 days, the rate of remission from Covid-19 was higher in those who were given the probiotic, which was regardless of age, sex, confounding metabolic illness, viral load, and days from symptom start. Symptom duration and viral load were also reduced with probiotic use. Higher amounts of Covid-19 associated immune activity and lower biomarkers of inflammation were also reported following probiotic use. Probiotic use was shown to be safe during Covid-19 infection. It was concluded that the use of AB21 in Covid-19 patients was safe and associated with increased viral and symptom resolution compared to placebo, possibly driven by immune alterations via the gut-lung axis. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to seriously consider the use of this probiotic to stimulate immune activity and aid viral and symptom resolution in patients suffering from Covid-19.
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2.
Revolutionising the Treatment of Mental Health with Nutrition
Ben Brown hosts the Positive Health Podcast. He specialises in nutrition and functional medicine and produces regular content for the podcast, speaking to industry leaders on a wide variety of topics. The podcast can be found on www.scientificwellness.com, a site which aims to connect people with free evidence-based health information focusing on natural and lifestyle medicine for chronic disease prevention and the promotion of optimal health.
2022
Abstract
This podcast features Prof Julia Rucklidge, a Clinical Psychiatrist and Director of Mental Health and Nutrition at the University of Calgary in New Zealand. She is one of the leading voices in the field of Nutritional Psychiatry and she has researched a diverse array of mental health disorders and their link with nutrition including areas such as ADHD, anxiety and stress in children and adults plus following natural disasters and more. In this podcast Dr Rucklidge discusses micronutrient deficiency in the global population and dives into her research using broad spectrum micronutrient therapy for ADHD and also PTSD after natural disasters. It is a fascinating insight into the management of mental health issues today and how it could be improved, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Efficacy of telemedicine for the management of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Kuan, PX, Chan, WK, Fern Ying, DK, Rahman, MAA, Peariasamy, KM, Lai, NM, Mills, NL, Anand, A
The Lancet. Digital health. 2022;4(9):e676-e691
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Plain language summary
Digital health interventions (DHIs) have the potential to transform the diagnosis, monitoring, and management of chronic cardiovascular conditions. Many DHIs are widely deployed in health systems across the world, with adoption rapidly increasing in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The aim of this study was to provide an updated synthesis of evidence on the effectiveness of telemedicine in the management of cardiovascular diseases. This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of seventy-two studies with a total of 127,869 participants, of whom 82,818 (65%) were males and 45051 (35%) were females. Results showed reduced cardiovascular-related mortality and hospitalisation for patients with heart failure who received combined remote telemedicine monitoring and consultation compared with usual care. Authors conclude that the findings of their study suggest a definite role for telemedicine in the management of heart failure, particularly in early treatment optimisation, but the value is less clear for long-term management strategy and other cardiovascular diseases. Thus, future research should focus to address the application of these technologies to unselected populations and longer-term effectiveness.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telemedicine has been increasingly integrated into chronic disease management through remote patient monitoring and consultation, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting effectiveness of telemedicine interventions for the management of patients with cardiovascular conditions. METHODS In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library from database inception to Jan 18, 2021. We included randomised controlled trials and observational or cohort studies that evaluated the effects of a telemedicine intervention on cardiovascular outcomes for people either at risk (primary prevention) of cardiovascular disease or with established (secondary prevention) cardiovascular disease, and, for the meta-analysis, we included studies that evaluated the effects of a telemedicine intervention on cardiovascular outcomes and risk factors. We excluded studies if there was no clear telemedicine intervention described or if cardiovascular or risk factor outcomes were not clearly reported in relation to the intervention. Two reviewers independently assessed and extracted data from trials and observational and cohort studies using a standardised template. Our primary outcome was cardiovascular-related mortality. We evaluated study quality using Cochrane risk-of-bias and Newcastle-Ottawa scales. The systematic review and the meta-analysis protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021221010) and the Malaysian National Medical Research Register (NMRR-20-2471-57236). FINDINGS 72 studies, including 127 869 participants, met eligibility criteria, with 34 studies included in meta-analysis (n=13 269 with 6620 [50%] receiving telemedicine). Combined remote monitoring and consultation for patients with heart failure was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular-related mortality (risk ratio [RR] 0·83 [95% CI 0·70 to 0·99]; p=0·036) and hospitalisation for a cardiovascular cause (0·71 [0·58 to 0·87]; p=0·0002), mostly in studies with short-term follow-up. There was no effect of telemedicine on all-cause hospitalisation (1·02 [0·94 to 1·10]; p=0·71) or mortality (0·90 [0·77 to 1·06]; p=0·23) in these groups, and no benefits were observed with remote consultation in isolation. Small reductions were observed for systolic blood pressure (mean difference -3·59 [95% CI -5·35 to -1·83] mm Hg; p<0·0001) by remote monitoring and consultation in secondary prevention populations. Small reductions were also observed in body-mass index (mean difference -0·38 [-0·66 to -0·11] kg/m2; p=0·0064) by remote consultation in primary prevention settings. INTERPRETATION Telemedicine including both remote disease monitoring and consultation might reduce short-term cardiovascular-related hospitalisation and mortality risk among patients with heart failure. Future research should evaluate the sustained effects of telemedicine interventions. FUNDING The British Heart Foundation.
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Obesity: tackling the causes of the causes
The BMJ Opinion provides comment and opinion written by The British Medical Journal's international community of readers, authors, and editors.
2021
Abstract
This article analyses the responsibility of society systems’ structures towards the obesity epidemic - and how strongly a shift in the government responses is required to tackle this issue. Our “obesogenic” environments hinder the population from accessing healthy lifestyle and dietary patterns, while portraying obesity as an individual’s lack of personal willpower. By challenging the current views on obesity, this article proposes that new policies must be created to eliminate inequalities and to provide long-term solutions to the root causes of obesity, deeply entrenched across all aspects of society.
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Nutrition, immunity and COVID-19
BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health aims to present the best available evidence of the impact of nutrition and lifestyle factors on the health of individuals and populations. The journal will present robust research on the key determinants of health including the social, economic, and physical environment, as well as lifestyle and behaviour. It will explore dietary factors, exercise and healthcare interventions and technologies, which aim to maintain and improve health and wellbeing and to prevent illness and injury.
2021
Abstract
Written and published during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, this article provides an in-depth overview of how the immune system works, while analysing the factors that negatively impact its optimal functioning (i.e., micronutrients deficiency, ageing, obesity). The study focuses on assessing the role that specific nutrients play in supporting the immune system response, with a particular interest in the antiviral defences. Moreover, the interconnection between the gut probiotic bacteria and the immune system is also analysed - and how a healthy microbiota seems to be protective against respiratory tract infections.
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COVID19: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Health
Metagenics Institute is a trusted, peer-to-peer, evidence-based educational resource for nutrition and personalized medicine. Its mission is to transform healthcare by inspiring and educating practitioners, and their patients, about personalized lifestyle medicine.
2021
Abstract
Mina Guarneri, MD is a cardiologist and integrative medicine practitioner with a strong interest in the mind-body approach. In this episode, Dr. Guarneri discusses how stress can negatively impact our cardiovascular and immune systems and subsequently our response to Covid-19. She also highlights the benefits that anti-inflammatory dietary strategies, nutraceutical protocols, and positive thinking have on immunomodulation.
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Oral hygiene and COVID-19 is there a link? with Dr. Victoria Sampson
EMS is one of the leading manufacturers of precision medical devices for dental prophylaxis, orthopaedics, and urology.
2021
Abstract
Dr. Victoria Sampson is an award-winning functional dentist whose findings have been published in both the British Dental Journal and Nature in April 2020. Through her work, she unveils the staggering statistics that link poor oral health and gum disease to increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and severe Covid-19 development. Through this interview, we learn how periodontal disease causes systemic inflammation, producing high levels of inflammatory markers which are also elevated in Covid-19 and cardiovascular disease.
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Vitamin D Mitigates COVID-19, Say 40+ Patient Studies (listed below) – Yet BAME, Elderly, Care-homers, and Obese are still ‘D’ deficient, thus at greater COVID-19 risk - WHY?
The British Medical Journal (BMJ) is a global healthcare knowledge provider with a vision for a healthier world. It shares knowledge and expertise to improve healthcare outcomes. They publish more than 70 medical and allied science journals.
2021
Abstract
In this article, the author addresses the need for vitamin D supplementation to better respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. The article highlights the urge to proactively educate the population and to supplement this steroid hormone widely, especially within high risk groups such as the BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities), the elderly, the Carehomers, and the obese.
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Covid-19 and how it affects Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and communities
Race Equality Foundation is an independent charitable organisation established in 1995. It seeks to explore discrimination and disadvantage and use that knowledge to help overcome barriers and promote race equality in health, housing, and social care systems.
2021
Abstract
This publication gathers the available information around the Covid-19 pandemic and how it affects Black, Asians and Minority Ethnic communities. These resources consider the known risks relating to the pandemic, what can be done to address them, the wider determinants, and the knock-on effects on the health and wellbeing of BAME communities. The aim of this analysis is to shed light on the reasons why Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people are disproportionately affected by Covid and to raise awareness in regards to the abrupt racial inequalities that are widely present in our systems.
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10.
Long Covid: could chronic fatigue syndrome be taken seriously at last?
Pharma Technology Focus is the essential reading material for decision-makers in the pharmaceutical industry, bringing you the latest news and analysis in an exciting, interactive format. This digital magazine brings together the latest insights and innovations from across the industry, including new discoveries, R&D and clinical trials, manufacturing technologies and supply chain management, as well as insiders’ views and in-depth analysis of the latest market and investment trends and regulatory changes affecting the industry.
2021
Abstract
Around one in ten patients who recovered from Covid-19 are experiencing post-viral infection symptoms, also referred to as long Covid syndrome. This currently widespread condition seems to mirror symptoms of post-viral myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) aka chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a chronic condition that still struggles to be understood. These symptoms include: extreme tiredness, brain fog, joints ache and flu-like symptoms. While long Covid has already drawn the attention of national institutes for research and is being clinically recognised as a condition, ME sufferers feel neglected and unheard. The article aims to explain how the surge in long Covid research fundings could be a turning point for the ME community too, “even when some patients may feel it’s too little too late”.