Everything you need to know about COVID-19 testing
A very useful write-up on COVID-19 testing from the IFM
Kara Fitzgerald, ND, received her doctor of naturopathic medicine degree from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. She completed the first Counsel on Naturopathic Medicine-accredited post-doctorate position in nutritional biochemistry and laboratory science at Metametrix Clinical Laboratory under the direction of Richard Lord, PhD. Her residency was completed at Progressive Medical Center, a large, integrative medical practice in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Fitzgerald is the lead author and editor of Case Studies in Integrative and Functional Medicine and is a contributing author to Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine and the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)’s Textbook for Functional Medicine. With the Helfgott Research Institute, Dr. Fitzgerald is actively engaged in clinical research on the DNA methylome using a diet and lifestyle intervention developed in her practice. The first publication from the study focuses on reversal of biological aging and was published 04-12-2021 in the journal Aging. She has published a consumer book titled Younger You as well as a companion cookbook, Better Broths and Healing Tonics and has an application-based Younger You Program, based on the study.
Dr. Fitzgerald is on the faculty at IFM, is an IFM Certified Practitioner and lectures globally on functional medicine. She runs a Functional Nutrition Residency program, and maintains a podcast series, New Frontiers in Functional Medicine and an active blog on her website, www.drkarafitzgerald.com. Her clinical practice is in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
Additional publications
“COVID toes” seen in children
Dermatologists are reporting an increase of a skin symptom affecting extremities such as hands and feet.
New Global Clinical Trial Tracker for COVID-19 Research
A great resource for tracking the evolution of new clinical trials related to COVID-19. Drill down by intervention type, trial status, and more.
New IgG/IgM Antibody Test for COVID-19 Webinar REPLAY
Join Dr Kara Fitzgerald and Dr Brent Dorval PhD, KBMO Diagnostic’s Chief Scientific Officer, to learn about KBMO’s new COVID-19 Antibody Test. Dr. Dorval previously served as an advisor on the WHO Vaccines and Diagnostics Committee.
Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment from the the Chinese front lines
In my recent podcast with Dr. John Chen, PharmD, PhD, Dr. Chen pointed us in the direction of this invaluable Handbook put together from the experience of staff at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Even though our understanding of Sars-CoV-2 continues to evolve, this is still a useful starting point for…
New IFM Resources for COVID
Excellent resources from the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), regularly updated, including foundational and straightforward strategies to support sleep and stress, ways to boost immunity, and virus-specific nutraceutical and botanical agents. From the IFM: “IFM is creating a series of position papers for practitioners on how to help their patients prevent and treat infection and…
Sponsored | Episode 81: Optimizing Metabolism by Fueling the Microbiome: Biotics new MetabolicBiome™ Plus Program from Dr. Alex Vasquez
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…
Low serum potassium in COVID-19 and thoughts on interventions
In a study of 175 COVID-positive patients in collaboration with Wenzhou Hospital in China, nearly all were identified as having hypokalemia (low serum potassium), likely due to the mechanisms of COVID-19 on ACE2 receptors and the renin-angiotensin system.
Hypovitaminosis D: An underlying factor in influenza, ARDS mortality. What about COVID19?
There has been quite a bit of kerfuffle about the workhorse nutrient vitamin D. We are getting pinged daily on whether it should be used or avoided in the COVID19 pandemic. I believe this question was fueled by a recent write-up mentioning an in vitro study showing that D can up-regulate certain cytokines.
Zinc’s relationship with viruses and chloroquine
Zinc is needed to slow viral RNA replication and it also regulates inflammatory cytokines. Anosmia and ageusia, as reported in COVID-19 and also common symptoms of flu, are classic signs of zinc defficiency.