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Functional Medicine Articles

12/31/2016

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The Secret Insurance Companies Don't Want You to Know

 
Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S.
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Heart disease: Are surgery and drugs really the only options?
I have always wondered why insurance companies easily cover drugs and surgery.

It would seem logical to me that if the insurance company discovered that there was a successful and medically proven non-drug approach to treating a disease they would love it.
 
Just think, the insurance company would save lots of money if there was a proven solution to diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
 
Then why on earth aren't they interested in doing what is best for the patient, or at least interested in saving money?


If the insurance companies would take the time to study the enormous amount of research on actually fixing folks, I would think they would jump all over it. And I mean actually getting people better instead of pumping them with a truckload of expensive drugs.

As a chiropractor for over 30 years, it never made sense to me that us chiropractors have to fight tooth and nail to get paid for a few chiropractic adjustments while the insurance companies don't blink an eye to paying thousands upon thousands of dollars for, many times, needless back surgeries.

 
Well you won't believe what I discovered from an article published in the Wall Street Journal.
To my utter surprise and something I was totally unaware, is the fact that insurance companies make money on the claims they pay out. You can basically compare it to getting a sales commission for keeping people sick.
"Insurers generally earn a profit by charging a premium on claims they pay", so "they don't necessarily have an incentive to crack down on excess spending" - The Wall Street Journal
Yes, I know that may be a hard pill to swallow (sorry for the pun) but you can read about it yourself and see that what I am sharing with you is correct.
 
For what it is worth this continual income is the essence of their business. There simply is no incentive or motivation to get to the root cause of health problems.
 
Let me quote directly from the Wall Street Journal, "insurers generally earn a profit by charging a premium on claims they pay", so "they don't necessarily have an incentive to crack down on excess spending".
 
So the bottom line is, insurance companies make money on handling the claims they pay for, sort of like a sales commission, but at your and my expense. 
 
You deserve better than that.
 
The only way we will change the face of drug induced medical care is to become super educated on how to fix and solve disease.

References:
 
Winslow R. Study questions evidence behind heart therapies, Wall Street Journal, Dl, Feb. 25, 2009
 
Winstein, KJ, A simple health-care fix fizzles out, WSJ, 2/11/10, Al, A18

The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Grisanti and his community. Dr. Grisanti encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. Visit www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com to find practitioners thoroughly trained in functional medicine. Look for practitioners who have successfully completed the Functional Medicine University's Certification Program (CFMP).  


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12/23/2016

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Low magnesium associated with coronary artery calcification

 
 Michael Jurgelewicz, DC, DACBN, DCBCN
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Magnesium is probably the greatest predictor of all aspects of heart disease. Approximately more than 50% of Americans are deficient in this mineral. Magnesium plays a key role in more than 350 enzymes and is involved in virtually every metabolic process occurring in the body. 
Studies have suggested an association between low serum magnesium levels and cardiovascular disease. Low magnesium intake has also been associated with future risk of hypertension and stroke. Furthermore, numerous studies have shown that low serum magnesium is associated with vascular calcification, but there have been no studies examining a relationship to coronary artery calcification. 


In a new study published in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, researchers analyzed 34,553 participants who underwent coronary multi-detector computed tomography and serum magnesium level measurement from 2010 to 2012 as part of a health examination program. According to the analysis, low serum magnesium was associated with coronary artery calcification after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, eGFR, serum calcium and phosphorus, hs-CRP, current smoking status, alcohol intake and vigorous exercise frequency.
Low serum magnesium was significantly associated with coronary artery calcification for those at low risk for developing cardiovascular disease. This association was significant after adjustment for various risk factors related to cardiovascular disease and was even withheld in groups without risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.
Keep in mind that serum magnesium only represents only 1% of magnesium stores. Magnesium is homeostatically controlled in the serum and measuring serum magnesium levels provides many false negatives. By the time an individual's serum magnesium is low, they are very deficient in magnesium, as the body cannot maintain the serum magnesium levels. RBC magnesium is definitely a better choice and the most accurate test we have. This can be done by most laboratories.
We have seen decades of increased dietary calcium intake in the American population that has not been balanced with an increase in dietary magnesium intake, and as a result the majority of adults have become magnesium deficient. Dietary calcium-to-magnesium ratios have continued to increase and studies are showing that calcium supplements not balanced with magnesium actually contribute to an increase in the risk of heart disease.


To find a healthcare professional certified in functional medicine, go to www.FunctionalMedicineDoctors.com. These are clinicians who have been trained at Functional Medicine University (www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com)

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