More validation is emerging for the furin protease (“furin”) hypothesis I posited in this blog: The Furin Protease Connection: From SARS CoV-2 and Anthrax, to Diabetes and Hypertension and that is now available as a pre-print publication here. Considering furin protease inhibitors Scientists are validating furin inhibition as a possible pathway to addressing COVID. And in this Medical News Today…
Potential good news for those with high blood pressure… taking antihypertensive medication, including ACE-inhibitors and ARBs, does not seem to increase the risk of more severe COVID-19 infection. This is based on a collective meta-analysis of group data from Wuhan, China reported in the European Heart Journal. This had previously been a potential concern since…
Last week, the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, retracted two COVID-19-related papers. One of those papers had reported on negative effects of hydroxycloroquine as a potential treatment option, leading to much controversy over the use of the drug. The reason for the retraction? Surgisphere Corporation, the company providing the underlying database of information that was…
Food label regulations have been temporarily loosened by the FDA in response to supply disruptions reported by the food industry. What does this mean for consumers? Importantly, consumers should know that food manufacturers are allowed to make formulation changes, including omissions or substitutions, of ‘minor’ ingredients without making note of those changes on the label.…
ApoE4 is known for increasing the risk for dementia. New analysis of UK data suggests that it may also increase the risk for more severe outcomes from COVID-19 – double that of those with the ApoE3 gene variants. This finding held true independently of pre-existing dementia, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. More research is…
Good news, and perhaps why so many of us experience COVID-19 without symptoms: Cross reactive immunity
New Frontiers in Functional Medicine® Podcast Sponsors Dr. Kara Fitzgerald is eternally grateful to our sponsors who, by blogging, podcasting and advertising with us, enable me and my team to devote energy and time to writing and publication. Episode 84: Sponsored | Dr. Victoria Albina shares how clinicians use CBD for anxiety and stress in…
New Frontiers in Functional Medicine® Podcast Sponsors Dr. Kara Fitzgerald is eternally grateful to our sponsors who, by blogging, podcasting and advertising with us, enable me and my team to devote energy and time to writing and publication. Biotics Research Corporation utilizes “The Best of Science and Nature” to create superior nutritional supplements, available exclusively…
Biosensors that provide realtime feedback on health-related parameters are considered profoundly useful tools for optimizing health status and encouraging adherence to healthier activities. A new wearable device now does this for vitamin C. The device contains the enzyme ascorbate oxidase, which on contact with vitamin C (ascorbic acid) changes the electrochemical current flow. Given the…
From the folks that brought us Specialized Pro-resolving Lipid Mediators (SPMs), comes a new peer-reviewed paper that highlights the potential for SPMs in addressing pro-inflammatory cytokine production and cytokine storm in COVID-19. SPMs stimulate macrophage-mediated clearance of cellular debris and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. They also promote anti-viral B cell antibodies and other white blood…