functional medicine and nutritional genomics - American Association ...

AAPI’S NUTRITION GUIDE TO OPTIMAL HEALTH: USING PRINCIPLES OF FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE AND NUTRITIONAL GENOMICS
effect persisted for one month, but not 6
months.(24) He did not, however, measure for
improvements in the frequency or severity of fecal
incontinence.
The most compelling recent study, authored by the
late D. Perrins in 2005, evaluated 117 patients
who received HBOT treatments without interruption
for 5 to 15 years in the UK. The authors
followed 703 MS patients treated with HBOT 5 or
more years previously. Pressure and oxygenation
protocols were consistent over the years.
Assessments were made between 2 and 3 years,
then again between 6 and 8 years, with a final
survey being conducted at 11 to 14 years from
the first HBO treatment.
Among this group, 117 people attended clinic
regularly and without interruption for 5 to
17 years. Their findings support that 300+
treatments with low pressure HBOT over 10+
years was required to retard progression of
disability. Five-hundred treatments were more
effective as these patients had even less disability
overall.(25)
Despite these positive findings, three separate
reviews of HBOT and treatment of MS
were performed from 1995 to 2010. All authors
concluded that the use of HBOT for the treatment
of MS was not recommended based on limited
study populations, variable treatment protocols, and
a lack of demonstrated benefit.(20, 21, 22)
Expert opinion on the use HBOT for MS is
controversial. MS is a condition with wide
ranging clinical presentations and outcomes.
Studies of HBOT in the treatment of MS have
used a variety of different treatment protocols,
varying in the amount of pressure and oxygen, the
number of treatments, how long the clients were
followed and the the end-point measured.
It appears that the use of HBOT is unlikely to
significantly affect patients with longstanding
disease, such as chronic progressive MS. Those
advocating the use of HBOT in MS suggest that it
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be used immediately upon diagnosis and
chronically thereafter.
The use of HBOT in MS has not been compared
to the use of interferon, the most recent FDA
approved disease modifying agent. Nor have the
two been studied together. At this time, the use
of HBOT should be considered an adjunct to FDA
approved treatments. Possibly the long term use of
HBOT in combination with immune modifying drugs
would provide patients with the improved
outcomes. Continued study is warranted, focusing
on the long term use of low pressure HBO
therapy in those newly diagnosed or with more
mild disease.
Autism
Clinical Vignette
JS is a 3 1/2 year old boy born to a 27 year
old white female who had an uncomplicated
pregnancy and normal vaginal delivery. JS
experienced normal developmental milestones with
appropriate feeding, sitting up, crawling, social
interaction and expressiveness. At age 2 1/2 he
experienced a flu-like illness with high fever and
diarrhea and was treated with hospitalization, IV
hydration and antibiotics. Over the coming months
JS’s parents noted significant regression of his
prior verbal development, ultimately experiencing
social withdrawal, failure to make eye contact, and
difficulty managing sensory stimulation. He was
diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the
age of 3 1/2.
Review of the Literature and Discussion
Disorders in the development of socialization,
communication, and behavior characterize autism
spectrum disorders (ASD).(1) This
neurodevelopmental disorder may affect up to one
out of 150 individuals in the United States and
the prevalence of autism may be increasing.(2,
3)
The use of a multi-disciplinary team with expertise
in the diagnosis and treatment of ASD is
preferred. This includes a detailed history and
2012