IHP March 2015

clinic profile

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MANAGING THE BRAIN/HEART CONNECTION

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MARCH 2014

Nothing’s Hotter Than Hemp Looking Back – Looking Forward: InsideOut Health Solutions the Halifax Naturopathic Health Centre

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contents

FEATURES 22

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US Declares War on Global Tuberculosis Epidemic Clinic Profile Updates

Revisiting InsideOut Health Solutions and the Halifax Naturopathic Health Centre

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The Brain Heart Arteries Connections

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Nucleotide related therapy as a novel approach

Uses in Alzheimer’s Disease and Hepatitis C

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Nothing’s Hotter Than Hemp

50 The Healing Power of Fat Tissue

36 DEPARTMENTS 9 12

Publisher’s Letter Bits and Bites

Industry and Research News

24 Gallery

In-Cam Symposium

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Product Profiles

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Exit Strategy

Three powerful Natural Health Supplements

find us on

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publisher’s letter

The Evolution of IHP

W

elcome to the redesigned Integrated Healthcare Practitioners. You will probably notice many changes inside – and there are many more excit-

ing changes to come.

We have built a dedicated readership over the past seven years, and intend to keep serving that core audience with plenty of articles focusing on research and contributing to the knowledge and evolution of integrative healthcare. We will keep running research papers – but shorter, simplified versions – with the full, referenced versions available on your tablet and our website. This makes all the articles more accessible and meaningful while still serving as a “journal.”

We also aim to expand that readership – by providing interesting, lively discussion and engaging information for alternative healthcare practitioners in a wide range of specialties.

As always, your participation is welcome. Call us, talk to us, check out our social media pages and keep reading Canada’s best resource for Integrated Healthcare Practitioners.

Olivier Felicio Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

MARCH 2015 • Volume 8 Issue 1 Founder, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Olivier Felicio

Circulation

Managing Editor Dale Sproule

Rive Gauche Media 1235 Bay St., suite 400; Toronto, Ontario, M5R 3K4 Email: circulation@ihpmagazine.com

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Advertising Olivier Felicio

Contributors

Adina Currie, Rochelle Fernandes, Irina Lytchak, Leonard Taylor

(416) 203-7900 x 6107 olivier@rivegauchemedia.com Published by IHP Magazine

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Paris

President Olivier Felicio General Manager Melanie Seth General Customer Care Manager Lucy Holden Subscription Rates

Canada $80 (gst included) for six issues International $120

Canada Post Canadian Publication Mail Agreement Number 4067800 The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement and any and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not of the publisher. The publisher is not liable to any advertiser for any misprints in advertising not the fault of the publisher and in such an event the limit of the publisher’s liability shall not exceed the amount of the publisher’s charge for such advertising. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in all or part, without the express written permission of the publisher. ihp magazine is pleased to review unsolicited submissions for editorial consideration under the following conditions: all material submitted for editorial consideration (photographs, illustrations, written text in electronic or hard copy format) may be used by ihr Media Inc. and their affiliates for editorial purposes in any media (whether printed, electronic, internet, disc, etc.) without the consent of, or the payment of compensation to, the party providing such material. Please direct submissions to the Editor, ihp magazine.

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cover story

The Brain Heart Arteries Connections

by Leonard Taylor

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A

fter the leaves had turned their million autumnal shades of red and yellow, but before the first snows had fallen, a study appeared in the pages

of the journal Public Library of Science (PLOS) One. It contained details on research being conducted by scientists at the Ottawa Heart Institute and the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) – disclosing that they had uncovered a new pathway by which the brain uses an unusual steroid to control blood pressure.

The study, which also suggests new approaches for treating high blood pressure and heart failure, could eventually lead to new treatments for hypertension and heart failure.

“This research gives us an entirely new way of understanding how the brain and the cardiovascular system work together,” said Dr. John Hamlyn, professor of physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, one of the principal authors. “It opens a new and exciting way for us to work on innovative treatment approaches that could one day help patients.”

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cover story

“Now that we understand the role of ouabain, we can begin working on how to modify this new pathway to help people with cardiovascular problems.”

HEART FAILURE

For decades, researchers have known

found a new link between the brain and

“Digoxin is in the same chemi-

that the brain controls the activity of the

increased blood pressure, namely, a lit-

cal class as ouabain – but the

heart and the diameter of the peripheral

tle-known steroid called ouabain (pro-

body makes its own ouabain,

arteries via the nervous system. Electrical

nounced WAH-bane).

whereas digoxin is a derivative

impulses from the brain travel to the heart

This new study is the first to identify a

of foxglove that has been used

and the arteries via a network of nerves

particular pathway by which the brain reg-

for I don’t know how many

known as the sympathetic nervous system.

ulates the diameter of the arteries via

centuries. It’s used in heart

This system is essential for daily life, but is

ouabain in the bloodstream, and causes an

failure to increase the activity

often chronically over active in patients with

increase in contractile proteins in the arter-

of the heart – and get the

high blood pressure or heart failure. In fact,

ies. This new humoral “chronic” pathway

blood pumping. It’s not much

many drugs that help with hypertension and

acts together with the more “acute” sympa-

used anymore because it’s not

heart failure work by decreasing the activity

thetic nervous system pathway to control

that effective. We have better

of the sympathetic nervous system. However,

the function of arteries and thereby contrib-

drugs now that regulate longer

these drugs often have serious side effects,

utes to high blood pressure.

as well. That is a different situ-

such as fatigue, dizziness, depression and

ation though – high blood

erectile dysfunction.

“Now that we understand the role of ouabain (EO), we can begin working on how

pressure than heart failure.

“A lot of the medications we used in the

to modify this new pathway to help people

Even if some of the mecha-

past to block the sympathetic nervous

with cardiovascular problems,” said Dr.

nisms may be similar.”

system interfere with the acute regulation,”

Blaustein. “The potential for this is big.” Dr.

– Dr. Frans Leenen

says Dr. Frans Leenen, Director of

Blaustein, who has been doing research on

Hypertension at the Ottawa Heart Institute,

the substance since 1977, said medications

and a principal author of the study. “These

that block ouabain’s effects might improve

drawbacks have led to the search for novel

the lives of people with hypertension and

ways to inhibit sympathetic nerve action

heart failure.

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while causing fewer problems for patients.”

Dr. Leenen explains that there are new

Working with an animal model of hyper-

drugs being tested in clinical studies that

tension, Dr. Leenen in collaboration with Dr.

can specifically block the Angiotensin II/EO

Hamlyn and Dr. Mordecai Blaustein, professor

effect in the brain. He says these newer drugs

of physiology and medicine at the UM SOM,

are just starting phase two trails. They

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basically prevent “that resetting in the brain of the sympathetic nervous system to a higher level, leaving the acute regulation intact. Once these drugs have been tried in healthy

CHRONIC HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

volunteers – the phase one trials are done and the drugs

“In the past, high blood pressure was a common cause

are determined safe, with no major side effects, one moves

of heart failure. Now this is much less common,” say Dr.

to what’s called phase two A studies – small scale studies in

Leenen. “Now heart failure is more due to heart attacks

this case of people with high blood pressure. This develop-

which destroy the heart muscle and that’s quite a different

ment may not have come directly out of our study, but they

kind of thing. I rarely see anybody anymore with high

are building on each other and that’s the way to look at it.

blood pressure induced heart failure. In North America

I am actually collaborating with one of the discoverers of

anyway – of course you can’t extrapolate that throughout

this new drug class,” says Leenen.

the world.

The research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of

“We have to come up with better strategies to prevent

Health Research, the National Institutes of Health, and the

the blood pressure from going up in the first place. So this

University of Maryland School of Medicine. The paper,

is separate from heart failure issues, because chronic high

“Neuroendocrine Humoral and Vascular Components in the

blood pressure results in a much broader consequence –

Pressor Pathway for Brain Angiotensin II: A New Axis in Long

and for that you really have to understand what the mecha-

Term Blood Pressure Control,” is available on the The

nisms are. And so in the past we would say whatever

University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) website

happens in the brain would be all about the sympathetic

(www.ottawaheart.ca), as is a video of Dr. Frans Leenen

nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system is

explaining the meaning of these recent findings.

crucial for acute second-to-second regulation of your blood

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute is Canada’s

pressure in the biospheres of the brain that control the

largest and foremost heart health centre dedicated to

acute regulation of EO that’s crucial for survival or living.

understanding, treating and preventing heart disease. UOHI

You have people who don’t have an effective sympathetic

delivers high-tech care with a personal touch, shapes the

nervous system anymore and they can barely stand because

way cardiovascular medicine is practised and revolutionizes

the blood pressure would drop into their boots. When you

cardiac treatment and understanding. It builds knowledge

stand up there’s a potent reflex that prevents the blood

through research and translates discoveries into advanced

pressure from going down. So when you stand up you have

care. UOHI serves the local, national and international com-

to think about gravity impacting on your body and if

munity and is pioneering a new era in heart health.

nothing happened, all the blood would pool in your legs.”

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