The years I’ve spent learning the medical trade have made me recognize how usually financial ideas can permit one to know its complicated and contradictory conduct.
For instance, I imagine lots of the inconsistencies in medical ethics (e.g., “moms have an absolute proper to abort their kids” and “moms can not refuse to vaccinate their kids as a result of it endangers their youngster’s life”) might be defined by merely acknowledging that no matter makes cash is deemed “moral.”
Gross sales Funnels
The gross sales funnel idea is essential to understanding the trendy medical trade. This methodology entails initially focusing on a broad viewers after which regularly narrowing right down to costlier services or products for the captured clients. There are sometimes two overlapping gross sales funnels in drugs:
The primary funnel entails prescribing innocuous medicine to many individuals after which promoting more and more costly prescribed drugs to deal with issues. For instance, this usually happens with medicines given to women, resulting in dangerous penalties.
Observe: Sources for the above graph might be present in this article about the dangers of SSRI antidepressants.1
The second funnel entails framing preventative drugs as screening people for potential well being dangers after which utilizing these outcomes to justify promoting medical providers like drug prescriptions. As these screenings turn out to be normalized, the trade expands the vary of providers supplied, usually resulting in overdiagnosis and overtreatment. As an illustration, pointers for “protected” blood stress and levels of cholesterol have been repeatedly lowered,2 therefore placing extra folks on medicines.
Observe: The folly of this method is highlighted by a trial that discovered eradicating on common 2.8 non-essential medicine from the aged at one facility triggered their 1-year dying fee to go from 45% to 21%.3
DEXA Scams
One frequent means mass screenings are carried out is by giving many sufferers X-rays after which funneling these with irregular imaging into being handled. For instance, girls over 50 get mammograms each two years to detect breast most cancers early. Nevertheless, research present these screenings usually lack total profit as a result of fast-growing cancers are often not caught early, whereas false positives are frequent and ceaselessly result in dangerous therapies.
Observe: Many medical specialists rely upon repeatedly performing the identical billable service (e.g., vaccinating a baby, performing a feminine pelvic examination, or studying a mammogram).
One other frequent common screening apply for ladies is dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans, which measure bone density as an indicator of bone power. The outcomes are in comparison with the common bone density of a 30-year-old, producing a T-score. Medical college students study {that a} T-score of 0 to -1 is regular, -1 to -2.5 signifies osteopenia, and -2.5 or worse signifies osteoporosis, prompting pressing remedy.
Nevertheless, contemplating pure age-related bone density loss, most people can have decrease bone density than a 30-year-old. Thus, the present method to managing osteoporosis acknowledges inevitable bone loss with age and focuses on prevention, as regaining bone density later in life is difficult.
How dependable are DEXA scans? Outcomes differ considerably based mostly on machine, operator, and measured bones, with research displaying a 5% – 6% distinction4 in bone density. This variation can alter T-scores by 0.2 – 0.4, resulting in misdiagnoses of osteoporosis.
Is repeated scanning essential? A examine of 4124 older girls5 discovered no further helpful info gained from repeating DEXA scans over 8 years. But, pointers suggest scans each 1-2 years, with Medicare overlaying one each 2 years, regardless of prices starting from $150 to $300 per scan.
Do DEXA scans precisely predict fracture danger? Whereas typically predictive, research present discrepancies between scan outcomes6 and noticed bone power beneath a microscope. Moreover, scans usually underestimate power loss in intentionally weakened bones.
Observe: I lately discovered from Dr. Mercola {that a} quicker and extra correct methodology of diagnosing bone power (which doesn’t expose sufferers to ionizing radiation) is starting for use in Europe.7 REMS expertise works by sending ultrasound waves8 into the bone after which analyzing the spectrum created to evaluate the well being of the bones.
As this presentation shows, it precisely predicts bone density, and moreover, predicts bone power. In brief, this can be a dramatically superior method to Dexa scans, however it faces stiff resistance in america due to how closely invested many already are in performing Dexa scans. For these , extra info might be discovered at EchoLight’s web site.9
Observe: This remark was affirmed in an NPR article.10
Bisphosphonates
As soon as osteoporosis is recognized, the preliminary remedy usually entails beginning a bisphosphonate, which can proceed for 3-5 years relying on the administration methodology. A wide range of elements affect the event of bone.
Two of a very powerful ones are the cells that construct bone up (osteoblasts) and the cells that break bone down (osteoclasts). Bisphosphonates, (e.g., Fosamax or Actonel), focus in bones and inhibit osteoclasts,11 resulting in elevated bone density by shifting the steadiness in direction of bone constructing. Nevertheless, this method faces two main points:
• Bisphosphonates are related to quite a few negative effects,12 reminiscent of abdomen irritation, extreme muscle and bone ache, flu-like signs, osteonecrosis of the jaw,13 uncommon hip fractures, atrial fibrillation, hypocalcemia, fatigue, and kidney issues. Remarkably, the American Dental Affiliation even cautioned its members14 to keep away from engaged on sufferers who’re taking bisphosphonates.
• Bisphosphonates disrupt the physique’s pure bone-building course of, ensuing within the preservation of “previous bone” reasonably than selling wholesome bone formation.
Observe: Along with the bisphosphonates, there are different problematic osteoporosis medicine which additionally goal the osteoclasts.
Bone Transforming
One of many key adaptive processes within the physique is its response to stresses and masses positioned upon it. An often-overlooked marvel of the physique is its continuous reshaping of bones to bear masses optimally. Whereas we seldom take into consideration this course of, its significance turns into obvious in sure eventualities. Think about house journey: astronauts, disadvantaged of gravity’s weight alerts, expertise speedy bone loss,15 posing critical fracture dangers upon returning to Earth.
On this bone-building ballet, osteoclasts play a vital but underappreciated function. They sculpt bones to face up to gravity’s calls for, however when blocked by medicine like bisphosphonates, bones turn out to be denser but extra brittle and fewer versatile.
This underscores a typical subject in drugs: specializing in treating numbers (e.g., decreasing ldl cholesterol) assuming it equates to well being enchancment. Research usually assess advantages by means of worth adjustments (e.g., vaccine-induced antibodies), overlooking precise affected person outcomes (e.g., in Pfizer’s COVID vaccine research,16 antibody manufacturing did not correlate with decreased deaths).
In brief, I’d posit that whereas bisphosphonates could also be efficient at enhancing a DEXA rating, they aren’t essentially good at enhancing bone well being.
What Causes Osteoporosis?
Bone metabolism is intricately linked to numerous key physique processes, making it difficult to pinpoint the first determinants of bone well being. Nevertheless, a number of elements stand out:
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Mobility — Sedentary existence contribute to osteoporosis, highlighting the significance of weight-bearing actions in bone well being.17 Strolling is especially helpful and if finished repeatedly all through life dramatically improves bone well being. |
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Hormones — In a previous article, I mentioned the extreme risks of medicine like Lupron which work by disabling the physique’s manufacturing of intercourse hormones. One of the vital frequent negative effects noticed from them is a big weakening of the bones. In flip, hormonal loss accompanying ageing additionally weakens the bones. |
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Irritation — Continual inflammatory situations enhance the chance of osteoporosis by activating bone-dismantling processes.18 |
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Amino acids — Since one of the vital important parts of bone well being is the elasticity collagen imparts to them (as this enables bone to bend and yield to exterior forces reasonably than shattering) collagen well being is critically vital for bone well being. In trendy society, we are sometimes poor in these amino acids due to widespread abdomen acid deficiency19 (which impairs our capacity to metabolize protein into amino acids) and us predominantly consuming softer cuts of meat which lack the collagen constructing amino acids present in harder elements of meat (e.g., gristle). Observe: Colleagues reminiscent of Dr. Mercola have discovered consuming 30g – 40g of collagen every day sourced from beef knee joints is an optimum amino acid repletion protocol and in a brief time frame considerably improves bone well being (together with usually enhancing a wide range of associated elements reminiscent of one’s top and one’s metabolic well being). |
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Minerals — Dietary consumption of minerals reminiscent of boron and manganese20 is essential for bone power, and deficiencies can impair bone well being. Components like abdomen acid deficiency21 and soil depletion contribute to mineral deficiencies. Observe: The widespread deficiency of manganese within the inhabitants is partially as a result of it being chelated from the soil by glyphosate (Roundup).22 Manganese serves a necessary function in constructing collagen, so when it’s poor, it ceaselessly creates systemic ligamentous laxity,23 and in flip hypermobile sufferers reminiscent of these with EDS (who are usually extremely delicate and vulnerable to pharmaceutical accidents) discover a big enchancment of their ligamentous power after a few months of appropriately dose manganese.24 |
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Water fluoridation — Whereas fluoride will increase bone density, it might compromise bone well being and performance. Some research hyperlink fluoride to osteomalacia and elevated fracture danger.25 |
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Pharmaceutical medicine — Medicines like glucocorticoid steroids26 (e.g., prednisone) and opioids can weaken bones27 and enhance fracture danger. Observe: Glucocorticoid induced bone loss is so extreme it’s truly one of many few accredited indications for bisphosphonate remedy.28 |
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Environmental toxins — Publicity to toxins like organophosphates, bisphenol A, nicotine, and heavy metals inhibits bone formation and contributes to osteoporosis.29 |
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Parathyroid adenomas — These tumors trigger extreme secretion of parathyroid hormone, resulting in calcium depletion from bones, bone loss, and a spread of signs. Surprisingly, regardless of being a well known situation, parathyroid adenomas are ceaselessly missed. Figuring out persistently elevated blood calcium ranges can function a key indicator, prompting additional investigation right into a parathyroid adenomas. |
Observe: Chinese language Medication has linked the age-related lack of the kidney’s vitality to bone loss for 1000’s of years. Many attribute this to the kidneys essential function in regulating vitamin D and the blood ranges of the minerals bone consists of (e.g., calcium).
I think their regulation of the physiologic zeta potential (the decline of which is a key reason for ageing) can be key. That’s as a result of zeta potential30 governs the tendency for blood to movement freely or clump collectively, and the laborious exterior bone blood vessels should go by means of makes them extra vulnerable to their blood provide changing into interrupted (e.g., from the bone transferring misplaced).
Conclusion
It is fascinating to comprehend that bone is way over only a structural element; it is a residing tissue with its personal dynamic conduct. Once I’ve had the chance to deal with bone straight, reminiscent of throughout orthopedic surgical procedures, it is evident how completely different it’s from the lifeless bones we sometimes encounter. Sadly, this expertise is uncommon, main many to see bone as inert and unchanging.
The factors I’ve mentioned on this article are based on the significance of recognizing bone’s vitality and understanding how our interactions with it form our well being and longevity. Historic medical traditions, like Chinese language drugs, appreciated this side of bone well being. They noticed it as integral to total well-being, acknowledging its interconnectedness with the physique’s techniques.
By embracing this attitude, we are able to acquire new insights into bone well being and its significance for holistic healthcare. It is my hope that this text sheds mild on the dynamic nature of bones and encourages a deeper understanding of their function in our well being journey.
Creator’s observe: That is an abridged model of an extended article on the topic which discusses the above factors in additional element and lots of others reminiscent of our different most well-liked approaches for enhancing bone well being. That article and its further references might be learn here.
A Observe From Dr. Mercola Concerning the Creator
A Midwestern Physician (AMD) is a board-certified doctor within the Midwest and a longtime reader of Mercola.com. I recognize his distinctive perception on a variety of subjects and I am grateful to share them. I additionally respect his need to stay nameless as he’s nonetheless on the entrance traces treating sufferers. To seek out extra of AMD’s work, make sure you take a look at The Forgotten Side of Medicine on Substack.
