George, Simply, my confidence is partly based on a new understanding that Exatest is a fully automated process, specimen to printout, based on impeccable science and automated instrumentation, equivalent to the sophisticated materials testing of my engineering world, and partly, admittedly, a strong desire to have confidence in it. Solving the riddle of afib is like any failure analysis, and neeby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi, Ian, sorry to be late - I read your note, of course, but had to stop and think (the hard part) if I had anything useful to add. Thanks, Peggy, for directing Ian to CR 61.* Hans helped write that account in 2002. I had been blessed with continuous NSR since January of that year, and 9 1/2 years later it's still NSR (with three brief exceptions, the last one 1 1/2 years ago following a suby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
From 'The Salt Solution', pp. 64 -68. (Boynton, McCarty, Moore. 2001): Salt: The Calcium Thief Years ago, researcher Ailsa Goulding dramatically demonstrated how salt can damage bones. (etc.) A. Goulding, D. Campbell. Journal of Nutrition 113, No.7 (July 1983): 1409 - 1414 Potassium: The Bone Saver Like diuretic drugs, potassium helps your body remove excess salt -- so it's noby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
In '09 my Exatest report ratios were indeed ratios* - i.e., potassium level divided by sodium level etc. Since then, every Exatest report we've analyzed (5?), their "ratios" have not been ratios at all, looking more like a "malfunction of the operator"? Didn't the Exatest operator know the definition of ratio? or know how to divide? or how to work a calculator?by Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks, Liz and Marian - From Dr. David Brownstein's newsletter: (http://w3.newsmax.com/newsletters/brownstein/salt.cfm) -- "For nearly everyone, a low salt diet does NOT lower blood pressure." -- "Despite what you may have heard, a low salt diet will NOT significantly help you lower your blood pressure!" -- "It's true. Even in those individuals with high blby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Lynda - Your question can't be answered without knowing the magnesium level. Why not provide all values in one place - that would be most helpful. Below is Exatest's results format as used in 2009. If your format is the same, or similar, you could just fill in the blanks with your numbers -- and please correct the ref. ranges if they've changed. Erling Intracellular levels:by Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi John - Digoxin is truly The Medicine from Hell*, and might indeed be the principal source of your woes. It works by inhibiting activity of the myriad sodium/potassium pumps in the cardiac muscle cells' outer membrane, which lowers the cells' voltage. This increases calcium within the cells which increases strength of the the heartbeat, but: while this might be a useful effect in endby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Carol and all! - "the fact that we're paranoid does not mean that they're not out to get us!" Wow, picking up from where we left off seven years ago, and remembering when Jackie did her important CR Session 24 on atrial fibrosis (http://www.afibbers.org/conference/session24.pdf), and we were excited that this was perhaps the light at the end of the tunnel of the AF conundrby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Eight years ago, in January '03, Hans published a brilliant play in three acts: The LAF Cycle or The Theory of Everything (LAF and the Hormone Connection: ). In the play aldosterone has the lead role, a hormone that causes kidneys to re-absorb sodium into the blood stream, consequent to sodium having been lowered by the hormones ANP and BNP (the "Big Pee"). The play does not revealby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ah Liz, there is indeed concrete proof that a less than optimal cellular K:Na ratio will encourage arrhythmia via slowing of the Na/K pumps, with consequent lowering of cell membrane voltage and shortening of the atrial action-potential's refractory period. And of course the cellular ratio is strongly influenced by the dietary ratio. That is the science. But of course, even in a "loneby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi, Jackie and all - Expanding a bit on your good comments while hoping to be useful, not too boring, and not too wrong: Conversion of 'inactive' T4 (levothyroxine, e.g. Synthroid, etc.) to active T3 (triiodothyronine) requires the enzyme 5'-deiodinase. Since magnesium is required in "over 300 enzymatic reactions", odds are it's required in this one. T3 stimuleteby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
>"I don't know what a group like this can do to elucidate that mystery..." What? Well I never... Oh, Hi Ian - You wrote: "I've by no means as yet exhausted all detailed possibilities/permutations/interactions..." (a daunting task!). Bruce Lipton, PhD, cell biologist and leading proponent of the quantum revolution in biology: "Biomedical scientists have beby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello! From Ron Rosedale, MD's 1999 seminar talk Insulin and Its Metabolic Effects: (http://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?f=10&i=1&t=1) "Let's talk about osteoporosis. You take a bunch of calcium. The medical profession just assumes that it has a homing device and it knows to go into your bone. What happens if you have high levels of insulin and you take a bunch of calcby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
From Ron Rosedale, MD's 1999 seminar talk Insulin and Its Metabolic Effects: (http://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?f=10&i=1&t=1) "Let's talk about osteoporosis. You take a bunch of calcium. The medical profession just assumes that it has a homing device and it knows to go into your bone. What happens if you have high levels of insulin and you take a bunch of calcium? Numby Erling - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
Thank you, Jackie! Its important to know the downside of PPI use - their effects beyond that of reducing gastric acid - so thanks for this article: Proton Pump Inhibitors are Associated with Focal Arrhythmias (http://innovationscrm.com/showarticle.aspx?id=79). It leaves little doubt that PPIs are not just associated with, but may indeed promote cardiac arrhythmia. Interestingly, the researchersby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Zach, Well, you sure have had a confusing and frustrating time with this! Were you originally prescribed Bystolic (nebivolol, a beta blocker) because of high blood pressure? If so, there could be an important connection with the arrhythmia - whatever it's name: The vast majority of high BP results from a low cellular potassium-to-sodium ratio (K:Na)*, resulting in low cell membrane potby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi all, In attempting to get a useful handle on the relationship between pH, cell voltage, and AF, its been helpful to revisit CR Session 66: Possible Role for Acid-Base Balance and recent related BB topics: <> <> <>, also relevant information in The High Blood Pressure Solution (R. D. Moore, MD, PhD. 1993, 2001) and Healing is Voltage (J. Tennant, MD. 2010). The pH/voltage relationship doeby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Lynn, Sure, why not? Puzzling over the sodium/potassium relationship over the past several months has made it seem pretty clear (to me): A high salt meal will cause a spike in serum and cellular sodium, lowering potassium, probably lowering the cardiac cells' 'membrane potential' (voltage), causing increased calcium release from the 'sarcoplasmic reticulum', which encouby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Digitalis/digoxin is a 'cardiac glycoside'. They work via inhibition of the sodium-potassium pumps, thus increasing cellular calcium, thus encouraging AF. "Cardiac glycosides are used therapeutically mainly in the treatment of cardiac failure. These effects are caused by the ability to increase cardiac output by increasing the force of contraction by increasing intracellular calciby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Lynn, Your comment on digitalis caught my attention, too. If you haven't already done so, I recommend reading Hans Larsen's article on digoxin (digitalis), truly "the medicine from hell": . Perhaps I'm wrong in assuming that the highly diluted homeopathic dose is intended to have the same effect as if undiluted? Digitalis is definitely pro-arrhythmic! It is in a clasby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
William, Thanks for your excellent post. Please read Hans Larsen's article on digoxin being "the medicine from hell": . Digoxin's function is to inhibit the sodium-potassium pumps in the cardiac cells' membranes, thereby lowering the cell membrane voltage, thus allowing more calcium into the cell and a stronger heartbeat (a 'positive inotropic' agent). Somehowby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is by opening of voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs). If the voltage is low, calcium release is slowed, resulting in slowed depolariization of the cardiac muscle cells (phase 0 of the 'cardiac action potential' ). The cells' voltage is generated by the Na/K pumps in the cell membrane. This leads back to sodiumby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jackie, This brief article is about the current research focus of Donald M. Bers, Ph.D., so your questions are at the "cutting edge" of the science. Much of the heartbeat's electrolyte dance is by 'active transport' of calcium, requiring Mg-ATP. Dr.s Seelig and Rosanoff go into magnesium's essential role in calcium regulation very well in 'The Magnesium Factorby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
McHale, Well, it is kind of interesting to think about. The sarcoplasmic reticulum*(SR) is a structure within the muscle cells where calcium is 'sequestered' (stored) between contractions, and released momentarily to trigger contraction of the cell. My understanding is that excessive calcium release is potentially pro-arrhythmic. So if paraxanthine (metabolite of caffeine) causes an inby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
Aspartame is an 'excitotoxin' "Excitotoxicity is the pathological process by which nerve cells are damaged and killed by excessive stimulation by neurotransmitters such as glutamate and similar substances . This occurs when receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate (glutamate receptors) such as the NMDA receptor and AMPA receptor are overactivated. Excitotoxins likeby Erling - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
Mellanie, Well, you've just described the problem exactly: "they have to be careful to recommend only evidence-based medicine, things that have been proven in clinical trials or randomized controlled studies." So how long must a suffering AF patient wait for this "evidence based medicine", the "clinical trials" or "randomized controlled studies" to prby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
: GOT GOAT'S MILK? What does goat's milk give you that cow's milk doesn't? In many parts of the world, goat's milk is preferred to cow's milk. Even in the United States, the goat is gaining popularity. Goats eat less and occupy less grazing space than cows, and in some families the backyard goat supplies milk for family needs. Goat's milk is believed to be morby Erling - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
: GOT GOAT'S MILK? What does goat's milk give you that cow's milk doesn't? In many parts of the world, goat's milk is preferred to cow's milk. Even in the United States, the goat is gaining popularity. Goats eat less and occupy less grazing space than cows, and in some families the backyard goat supplies milk for family needs. Goat's milk is believed to be morby Erling - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
Matt, My thought for you is to compress what took me 6+ years of puzzling and hit-and-miss applying to achieve a cure (for me in the 90s it was strictly DIY). Quite obviously, whatever it was that had been 'progressing' during that time was neither permanent nor irreversible (Mg deficiency fibrotic remodeling of the atrial myocardium, resolved by Mg dependent fibrinolytic enzymes is myby Erling - AFIBBERS FORUM
INSULIN AND ITS METABOLIC EFFECTS Presented By Ron Rosedale, MD at Designs for Health Institute's BoulderFest Seminar, August 1999 Let's talk about a couple of case histories. These are actual patients that I've seen; let's start with patient A. This patient who we will just call patient A saw me one afternoon and said that he had literally just signed himself out of the hospital AMby Erling - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM