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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 30
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
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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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President Olivier Felicio General Manager Melanie Seth General Customer Care Manager Lucy Holden Subscription Rates
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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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