A Press Release by prnewswire.com on my Earthing Case Study was sent out recently and I want to share it with you!

WHITTIER, Calif., March 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A novel study by a Southern California cardiologist has shown for the first time that Planet Earth's own natural energy has the potential to help reduce high blood pressure.

The study tested the lifestyle concept of grounding, also known as Earthing − the discovery that contact with the Earth's natural, subtle electric charge can lower pain and stress.  You can ground yourself by spending time barefoot outdoors on natural surfaces, like grass, soil, gravel, stone, and sand, and indoors using special conductive mats and patches while sitting or sleeping.

The study, appearing in the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, involved 10 participants with various degrees of hypertension and trouble controlling blood pressure. Multiple measurements over several months while they were grounded resulted in significant improvement of blood pressure and better control, in many cases well within that time frame. 

The participants slept grounded and grounded themselves for several more hours during the day.  Subjectively, they reported better sleep, more calmness, and less aches and pains. 

According to the Earthing Institute, an online resource for grounding information, grounding restores a healing energetic connection with the Earth lost over time due to human lifestyle, such as living/working elevated off the ground and wearing synthetic soled shoes that block the Earth's energy underfoot.  

Grounding may improve blood pressure in a variety of ways:  

- A calming effect on the nervous system.

- A normalizing effect on the stress hormone cortisol.

- Reduction of inflammation and pain.

- Better sleep.

- Improved blood flow.

The study was inspired by anecdotal feedback describing a lowering of high blood pressure after people start grounding.  

"The objective was to test the validity of such reports by measuring blood pressure among grounded hypertensive patients over time," says integrative cardiologist Howard Elkin, M.D., who practices in Whittier and Santa Monica, California.  "The study, although small in size, gives a glimpse as to the possibility that grounding may be a simple lifestyle strategy for improving blood pressure. Obviously, larger studies are needed to definitively validate such an effect for hypertensive patients. This is a first step."

Hypertension carries serious health risks, including heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease, and affects some 75 million American adults (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Source: www.earthinginstitute.net 
Dr. Elkin's office, 1-562-945-3753, https://www.heartwise.com/ 
To view the study, click here.  Read additional grounding research, here   
Questions on grounding, info@earthinginstitute.net 

Grounding Patients With Hypertension Improves Blood Pressure: A Case History Series Study

I’m generally a true fan when it comes to new medical devices, especially as they relate to cardiovascular disease. If you happened to hear the hoopla surrounding the new mitral valve clip (MitraClip), you might walk away believing this was the best thing since sliced bread. After all, a device that can be inserted via the groin, thereby avoiding open heart surgery in a very sick population would be gladly welcomed.

The COAPT trial was recently reported in the prestigious New England of Medicine. But one has to dig deeper to comprehend the seemingly positive results. 

COAPT leaves out a lot of details. Take the cost of the device. It’s $30,000 . But nothing was mentioned about the cost of hospitalization, operating room time, anesthesia and physician’s fees.

The only doctors quoted were those involved in the actual study. There was barely mention of a different trial that showed no significant benefit. Furthermore, very few patients with heart failure actually benefit from this device. Oh, and by the way, the study was funded by the clip’s maker, Abbot.

There are literally millions of people living with severe heart failure with limited options. If this devise was affordable and there was valid  comparison  data, who wouldn’t hail this advance? But it’s simply too premature to tout the clip’s efficacy. 

Read Original Article HERE

Europe does not wholly endorse the stringent Blood pressure (Bp) guidelines recently released in late 2017 by both the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) . The European guidelines are a bit more pragmatic. Their primary goal is to get the systolic Bp below 140 mm Hg.

I concur that getting all patients below 140 mm Hg should be a first goal. Sure getting everyone below 130/80 might be ideal but at what cost? and with how many meds? Furthermore, such guidelines could be detrimental to the elderly and infirm.

Guidelines have their place, but they don't replace sound medical experience and judgment.

See Original Article Here https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/hypertension/73384

I've never been a fan of energy drinks. There is just something inherently unnatural and contrary to vibrant health when one needs to down such drinks to either stay awake or avoid an energy crash. Reports of the ill effects of these drinks are not new, but, attached, is a recent study linking these drinks to cardiac and blood pressure changes. It appears from this small study that such deleterious effects may not be merely related to the caffeine content. Those consuming energy drinks had a distinct electrical abnormality on EKG, commonly referred to as prolongation of the QT interval. Such electrical abnormalities carry potential risk, as dangerous rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias) can result, leading to loss of consciousness and even sudden death. FYI, there are many medications that can increase QT interval, placing patients at cardiac risk.
Again, this is a small study involving young healthy adults. Additional limitations include absence of a true placebo group. Despite these study limitations, the results are of interest, especially when you consider the popularity of energy drinks. Hopefully such interest will garner additional and larger studies to address the true effect of these drinks on the electrical system of the heart. In the meantime, I would clearly dissuade older individuals or those with hypertension or other underlying cardiac conditions to avoid consuming these drinks until we have more information regarding their impact on heart health. ~ your Medical Advocate! - H.E.

Written in Response to Article: Check it out HERE

https://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/64812

I just returned from an incredibly informative 2 day conference, CONTROVERSIES & ADVANCES IN CARDIOLOGY given by Cedars Sinai Medical Center. The latest and greatest in both the invasive and non-invasive aspects of my specialty were brilliantly presented by renown cardiologists.. What's particularly exciting to me is how Artificial Intelligence and the entire spectrum of the digital world is making a difference in patient care. The focus needs to be on HEALTH rather than just providing health care. Virtual reality systems are being set up in hospitals so that patients in pain can engage in a 3-D program,rather than stare at the blank walls, The results are quite promising.

Statins are still the buzz word. The new thinking is that anyone undergoing a coronary artery scan with a calcium score greater than 1 needs to be on a statin ,or whatever it takes to get the Ldl (lousy cholesterol) to a level less than 70. Now as an integrative cardiologist, I don't really buy that (at least in regard to the patients I see). Ldl cholesterol is but one piece of he pie. But I get it, Most cardiologists base their decision making on the conclusions of large randomized trials. The problem is that not all patients fall into a certain class. Some are truly committed to making lifestyle changes. 
Stay tuned!

There has been this ongoing debate about percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), be it balloons and/or stents. Is it truly being overused ? As cardiologists, are we too quick to jump to intervention ? As an interventionist,I can say without a doubt that in the throngs of a heart attack OR unstable angina( known as Acute Ischemic Syndromes) that prompt intervention is life saving. But what about those with chronic symptoms who are clinically stable? We've known from previous studies that such patients do fine on medical therapy. Enter the recent ORBITA trial. This was a small study comprised of 200 patients with clear-cut blockage in a coronary artery.All patients underwent intensive medical therapy for 6 weeks. In the 2nd phase of the study, they were randomized to undergo the real deal (stenting of the affected artery) or a sham procedure in which the artery was left alone.(without the patient's knowledge) The outcome in both groups was the same. There was no difference in symptoms of chest pain , or differences in exercise stress testing..

So should we leave behind a significant blockage that we discover by invasive testing vs. stent it since we are already there? Are we too quick to bring patients to the cardiac cath lab? What constitutes optimal medical therapy anyway? With multiple drugs come multiple risks and costs. Fortunately in my office we offer EECP which is a FDA approved treatment for coronary artery disease. This is a great adjunct to those on medical therapy.

The bottom line is that there are too many variables that this study fails to address. Expect to hear a lot of debate about this trial in the coming weeks and months.

Read Original Article Here

http://www.cardiobrief.org/2017/11/02/small-trial-raises-big-concerns-that-pci-in-stable-angina-is-just-a-placebo/

For months I've been speaking and blogging about the benefits of a high healthy fat diet. I've gone on record disagreeing with the recent advisory statement by the AHA who decried the use of saturated fat (including coconut oil) in our diet. Their statement was based on studies dating from the 60's.But old science is not necessarily good science. Released last week in the prestigious British journal the LANCET, are the findings of the PURE study.This was a huge study from 18 countries in 5 continents over a 7 year period.A significant survival advantage was noted in those following a high fat diet. Yes, that even included the often maligned saturated fat.

Those consuming the highest level of fat had a reduced risk of fat of 23%. On the other hand, the higher the carbohydrate intake, the greater risk of total mortality.

Isn't it time to embrace new ideas based on new data?

View Original Article HERE

https://www.drperlmutter.com/powerful-new-study-confirms-high-fat-diet-is-best/