Mad In America

This article will be quite controversial to allopathic physicians who only treat illness with FDA-approved medications. However, some psychiatrists are more attuned to off-label or alternative treatments.

Several vitamin deficiencies have been linked to mental health issues. Here are some notable ones:

1. **Vitamin B12**: Deficiency can lead to cognitive decline, memory issues, and mood disturbances such as depression.

2. **Folate (Vitamin B9)**: Low levels are associated with depression and increased risk of mental disorders.

3. **Vitamin D**: Deficiency has been linked to depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders.

4. **Omega-3 Fatty Acids**: While not a vitamin, low levels can contribute to depression and cognitive decline.

5. **Vitamin B6**: Important for neurotransmitter synthesis; deficiency can lead to irritability and depression.

Maintaining a balanced diet rich in these vitamins can help support mental health. If you suspect a deficiency, it's advisable to consult a healthcare professional.

The Shamanic View of ‘Mental Illness’: Birth of a Healer

There is a distinct difference between 'healers' and physicians. Some physicians are healers. They call themselves "alternative medicine" or "integrative medicine".  

Relate topics:

Will Denial Make DSM’s Validity Problem Go Away?

The Drug-based Approach to Mental Illness Has Failed

Billions of Dollars Later, Neuroscientists Still Struggling to Address Mental Health Crisis

Scores of Papers by Top NIH Neuroscientist Eliezer Masliah Fall Under Suspicion

Masliah appeared as an ideal selection. The physician and neuropathologist conducted research at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) for decades, and his drive, curiosity, and productivity propelled him into the top ranks of scholars on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. His roughly 800 research papers, many on how those conditions damage synapses, the junctions between neurons, have made him one of the most cited scientists in his field. His work on topics including alpha-synuclein—a protein linked to both diseases—continues to influence basic and clinical science.

After Science brought initial concerns about Masliah’s work to their attention, a neuroscientist and forensic analysts specializing in scientific work who had previously worked with Science produced a 300-page dossier revealing a steady stream of suspect images between 1997 and 2023 in 132 of his published research papers. (Science did not pay them for their work.) “In our opinion, this pattern of anomalous data raises a credible concern for research misconduct and calls into question a remarkably large body of scientific work,” they concluded.

Following an investigation, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has made findings of research misconduct against Eliezer Masliah, M.D., due to falsification and/or fabrication involving re-use and relabeling of figure panels representing different experimental results in two publications. NIH will notify the two journals of its findings so that appropriate action can be taken. NIH initiated its research misconduct review process in May 2023 after it received allegations from the HHS Office of Research Integrity (ORI) that same month. NIH began its investigation phase in December 2023, concluded its investigation of these allegations on September 15, 2024, and notified HHS ORI of its findings.

Dr. Masliah joined the agency in the summer of 2016 as director of the Division of Neuroscience (DN) at the National Institute on Aging and an NIH intramural researcher investigating synaptic damage in neurodegenerative disorders. He has published numerous papers as an NIH intramural researcher. Currently, Dr. Masliah is not serving in the capacity of director of the NIA DN.

These findings alert those who depend upon peer-reviewed articles that are always subject to questioning and challenge.  That is the scientific method.

Capitalism Is Driven by Mental Illness

Beyond Pharmacare

Targeted: For Those Who Hear Voices, the ‘Broken Brain’ Explanation Is Harmful

Psychiatric Diagnoses Don’t Explain ‘Why’—Only ‘How’

Microbes and Mental Illness

Nearly a Third of Adolescents Getting Mental Health Treatment, Federal Survey Finds

The full Biblio is below.

Blogs Archives - Page 2 of 189 - Mad In America

Sleep is integral to cardiovascular health

Sleep is integral to cardiovascular health1,2. 

A possible relationship with poor or inadequate sleep cycles and the effect of poor sleeping habits may contribute to acute myocardial infarction.

Yet, the circuits that connect cardiovascular pathology and sleep are incompletely understood. It remains unclear whether cardiac injury influences sleep and whether sleep-mediated neural outputs contribute to heart healing and inflammation. 

Here we report that in humans and mice, monocytes are actively recruited to the brain after myocardial infarction (MI) to augment sleep, which suppresses sympathetic outflow to the heart, limiting inflammation and promoting healing. After MI, microglia rapidly recruit circulating monocytes to the brain’s thalamic lateral posterior nucleus (LPN) via the choroid plexus, where they are reprogrammed to generate tumor necrosis factor (TNF). In the thalamic LPN, monocytic TNF engages Tnfrsf1a-expressing glutamatergic neurons to increase slow-wave sleep pressure and abundance. 

Proposed interconnection between inflammation of myocardial infarction and sleep

Disrupting sleep after MI worsens cardiac function, decreases heart rate variability, and causes spontaneous ventricular tachycardia. After MI, disrupting or curtailing sleep by manipulating glutamatergic TNF signaling in the thalamic LPN increases cardiac sympathetic input which signals through the β2-adrenergic receptor of macrophages to promote a chemotactic signature that increases monocyte influx. 

Poor sleep in the weeks following acute coronary syndrome increases susceptibility to secondary cardiovascular events and reduces the heart’s functional recovery. 

In parallel, insufficient sleep in humans reprogrammes β2-adrenergic receptor-expressing monocytes toward a chemotactic phenotype, enhancing their migratory capacity. Collectively, our data uncover cardiogenic regulation of sleep after heart injury, which restricts cardiac sympathetic input, limiting inflammation and damage.

Long COVID is a Brain Injury

Recent research utilizing ultra-high-field MRI scans has identified microstructural abnormalities in the brainstems of COVID-19 survivors. These findings suggest a neuroinflammatory response that may explain the persistent symptoms of long COVID, such as breathlessness and brain fog. These findings highlight similarities between long COVID and traumatic brain injury, emphasizing the need for further investigation into shared inflammatory pathways and potential treatment strategies.

Brainstem Damage

Brain Stem Structural Abnormality

MRI shows brain microstructural changes after mild COVID-19

Ultra-high field (7 Tesla) MRI scans have uncovered microstructural abnormalities in the brainstems of COVID-19 survivors, persisting for months after hospitalization12. These changes, primarily localized in the pons and medulla regions, are consistent with a neuroinflammatory response2. The abnormalities were more pronounced in patients who experienced longer hospital stays, higher disease severity, and more prominent inflammatory responses during acute illness2. This groundbreaking imaging technique allows researchers to examine brainstem nuclei in living participants, providing unprecedented insights into the long-term neurological effects of COVID-193.

Severe Long Covid Inflammatory Reaction

MRI study spotlights the impact of long COVID on the brain

Symptoms

Persistent symptoms associated with brainstem damage in long COVID patients include breathlessness, fatigue, brain fog, and difficulties with blood pressure regulation12. These symptoms are believed to result from inflammation in areas of the brainstem responsible for controlling vital functions such as breathing and heart rate23. Interestingly, the symptom profile shares similarities with functional neurological disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, and persistent post-concussive syndromes4. Research has shown that abnormalities in the medullary reticular formation, a region central to breathing control, may explain the long-lasting respiratory symptoms experienced by some patients

Brain Injury Parallels

Recent studies have uncovered striking similarities between long COVID and traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly in terms of neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Research using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging has revealed BBB disruption in patients with long COVID-associated cognitive impairment, commonly referred to as brain fog1. This BBB dysfunction is reminiscent of the vascular disruption observed in TBI cases.

The inflammatory response in both conditions appears to share common pathways:

Sustained systemic inflammation leading to increased production of cytokines and reactive oxygen species

Increased BBB permeability allows cytokines to penetrate the brain2

Activation of microglia and astrocytes, potentially interfering with neurotransmitter production

Possible persistence of viral antigens or autoantibodies contributing to chronic immune system activation2

These shared inflammatory mechanisms may explain why individuals with a history of both COVID-19 and TBI tend to experience more severe and prolonged symptoms3. The cumulative effect of neuroinflammation from previous brain injuries combined with the inflammatory impact of COVID-19 could create a "perfect storm" for persistent neurological symptoms34. This connection underscores the importance of considering a patient's history of brain trauma when assessing and treating long COVID symptoms.

Long COVID is a Brain Injury

Pfizer Batch Code Starting with "E" Means "Everyone is Potentially at Risk"

Early batches of C19 vaccines were contaminated with DNA and other impurities.  New batches may offer more safety.

Pfizer Batch Code Starting with "E" Means "Everyone is Potentially at Risk"

Look for "E"

"Five lots had high outliers for death (i.e., EL0140, EL9261, EL3248, EN9581, and EJ1686); four for serious (EK4176, EK5730, EH9899, and EJ1685), and five for ALL SAEs (EK5730, EH9899, EK4176, EK9231, and EJ1685). These vaccinations were the first to be distributed in December 2020 and early 2021."

Jabbed? Keep Your Records and Search Your Batch
Pfizer’s lots or batches have been evaluated and studied for variation in risk by Schmeling, Manniche, and Jablonowski. All three studies have concluded the earlier batches were more lethal and the variation in risk was considerable from lot to lot. Now Jablonowski and Hooker report:
"Five lots had high outliers for death (i.e., EL0140, EL9261, EL3248, EN9581, and EJ1686); four for serious (EK4176, EK5730, EH9899, and EJ1685), and five for ALL SAEs (EK5730, EH9899, EK4176, EK9231, and EJ1685). These vaccinations were the first to be distributed in December 2020 and early 2021."

A search of 'How Bad is My Batch' revealed that 1266 (26.4%) of the 4790 Pfizer batches at at least one death reported in VAERS. Of the top 100 batches with the highest crude deaths, 96% started with the letter “E.” When lethality or percent of fatal adverse reports was searched, 55% started with “E.”

Read on Courageous Discourse: https://shorturl.at/Ijlqz

hashtag#MFScholar

Navigating the Post-Election Healthcare Landscape

 Will you. vote Democratic or Republican?

Does it matter?  Health Train Express has analyzed your choices.

Yes, there are significant differences between the healthcare platforms of Democrats and Republicans in the United States. Here are some key distinctions:

### Democrats

1. **Universal Coverage**: Many Democrats support initiatives aimed at achieving universal health care coverage, often advocating for a single-payer system or expanded public options like Medicare for All.

  2. **Affordable Care Act (ACA)**: Democrats typically aim to strengthen and expand the ACA, which includes provisions for protecting individuals with pre-existing conditions and expanding Medicaid in states that have opted for it.

3. **Regulation of Pharmaceutical Prices**: They often support measures to lower prescription drug prices and increase transparency in health care costs.

4. **Public Health Investments**: Democrats generally emphasize the importance of investing in public health and preventive care.

### Republicans

1. **Market-Based Solutions**: Republicans tend to favor market-oriented approaches, promoting competition among private insurers and reducing government involvement in health care.

2. **Repeal/Modification of the ACA**: Many Republicans have sought to repeal or modify the ACA, arguing that it leads to increased costs and reduced choices for consumers.

3. **Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)**: They often promote HSAs as a way for individuals to save for medical expenses with tax advantages, encouraging consumer-driven health care.

4. **Less Regulation**: Republicans typically advocate for less regulation of the healthcare industry, believing that this will lead to lower costs and greater innovation.

### Summary

In summary, Democrats generally support more government involvement and regulation in health care to ensure broader coverage and lower costs, while Republicans emphasize market-driven solutions and personal choice with less government intervention.

The post-election landscape has the potential to bring changes to organizations across the healthcare ecosystem, from healthcare services providers to pharma and biotech, necessitating immediate strategic considerations. These potential shifts—as well as how executives and investors can stay ahead of them—will be front and center in this important webinar convened by the healthcare-focused advisory team at FMG Leading.

Join our esteemed panel of healthcare leaders for a glimpse of what’s ahead and the strategies that foster institutional change readiness, including:

• Identifying and analyzing performance drivers, as well as institutional strengths and gaps, to help focus collective energies and investments
• Properly equipping and preparing the key leaders and teams who play an outsized role in expediting scale
• Embedding a growth mindset—and the ability to execute it— into organizations already contending with healthcare’s pressing challenges
• Elevating the importance of growth among those whose primary purpose is tied to care delivery and clinical outcomes
• Accelerating scalability post-M&A or integration through proven people-focused strategies 

Although there are radical differences these proposals face congressional approval and there are challenges ahead for some of these ideas. Some of these ideas are radically different.  Because there are serious differences and disagreements the upcoming election is open to a guess given the close analysis of the impending election within the bounds of statistical accuracy.

If you have an opinion please vote.

Navigating the Post-Election Healthcare Landscape | Fierce Healthcare

Pill Puncher | Your Easy Solution for Opening Medication

The Sunday Morning Extra

The most efficient tool for opening medicine blister packs

Are you tired of struggling to open medicine blister packs? Thanks to Pill Puncher, you won't have to stress anymore. Our inventive and user-friendly device eliminates the frustration associated with medication management, allowing you to access your pills more easily and without hassle. When you use it, you can cut, remove, and dispense your pill all at once.

But that's not all - we also allow for the white labeling of our blister pack openers. 

Pill Puncher | Your Easy Solution for Opening Medication

No more dropping pills as they shoot out of the blister pack. No more broken pills.

This is especially useful for aged patients who may have tremors and a weak grip.

Vaccine Induced Paralytic Syndrome

Guillain-Barre syndrome

Over each year the number of new vaccines expands and is applied to large populations including, newborns, children, adults, and pregnant mothers. With each shot, there is an opportunity for immune system misadventure. If there is an off-target immune attack on the neurological system a variety of severe debilitating syndromes can result. One of the most dreaded vaccine-induced paralytic diseases is Guillain-Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) was previously considered a rare disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. This damage causes muscle weakness, tingling, numbness, and sometimes paralysis and loss of control over the bowel and bladder.

The Mayo clinic gives this terrifying advice for potential GBS patients on its website:

Nasal & Throat hygiene become the new norm in a post-COVID world, Q&A

Nasal & Throat hygiene become the new norm in a post-COVID world, Q&A 131 - America Out Loud News

In an article in America Out Loud News, Peter McCullough MD, cardiologist, is never reticent about creative thinking and looking for treatments that are unusual and tend to not be recommended by experts who follow paradigms and cookbook treatments the safest alternatives other than continuing vaccinations for COVID

Many others, including Robert Malone, MD, and Steven Hirsh experts were criticized, canceled, and ridiculed by physicians and others.

CofixRx Nasal Spray was developed by a board-certified anesthesiologist with the assistance and advisory information of seven other physicians. They also worked with a compounding pharmacist and pharmaceutical-grade manufacturer. It contains Povidone-Iodine and a mucoadhesive. Povidone is a well-known antiseptic used for preoperative sterilization of skin. The mucoadhesive is a polysaccharide solution. The initial formula was tested at Utah State University Institute of Antiviral Research and found to have amazing (95% or greater) antiviral properties against SARS-CoV-2, Delta, Omnicron, Influenza, Rhinovirus (common cold), RSV, and HRV 14. The spray lasts for hours in the nasal passages because of another special characteristic of the product’s ingredients. The ingredients also create a polysaccharide solution, which is a mucoadhesive. The mucoadhesive does three things. It creates a physical barrier to prevent viruses, bacteria, and allergens (like pet dander, pollen, mold spores, etc.) from adhering to and irritating the mucous membrane. Then, it allows the povidone-iodine to NOT get absorbed for hours, keeping it on the surface of the nasal passages where it does the best. Finally, it provides a moisturizing effect when combined with Vitamin D3.

There are some unanswered questions about what this spray does to the normal bacteria in the nose and throat, and for how long patients can use this spray.

Those figures exceed the effectiveness of masking and vaccination. It also prevents infection from other viruses...Influenza, Rhinovirus (common cold) RSV and HRV14.

James Bragman, DOFACP, is a board-certified member of the American Board of Internal, Geriatric, and Sports Medicine and has been working with CofixRx since its inception. He is a Full Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine and an Assistant Clinical Professor at Michigan State University. 

Change Healthcare, owned by UnitedHealth Group has Massive Security Breach

Change Healthcare, owned by UnitedHealth Group has a Massive Security Breach

HIPAA (the Health Information Protection and Privacy Act) a federal mandate is an overriding regulation protecting patient personal information for all health care transactions. It provides penalties to organizations or persons who expose patient information.  Its jurisdiction is over hospitals, clinics, insurance companies or whoever has access to patient data.

It amounts to a classified system, not unlike that of the U.S. government, and the Department of Defense.

When a breach occurs the entity whose data was breached must notify patients and/or hospitals about the breach and when it occurred. Steep penalties and fines can be assessed.

 Matthew Phelan Senior Science Reporter For Dailymail.Com elaborates:

It's being called the largest-ever breach of protected patient health information by a government-regulated medical company in America's history.

Change Healthcare, owned by UnitedHealth Group, fell victim to a cyberattack eight months ago, but revealed on Thursday that 100 million people had been impacted.

That surpassed the previous record-holder for the worst breach of US patient data: a 2015 episode at Anthem Inc. that compromised 78.8 million individuals.

The first official report by Change Healthcare, which manages revenue and payments for medical providers, estimated in July that only 500 people had been compromised.  Now, the scope of the February 21 ransomware attack has spurred Congress to call for lifting the cap on how much a negligent healthcare firm can be fined. Ransomware attacks create a very dangerous method for stealing patient data. It totally blocks users from accessing their own data, stopping all systems in the entity such as patient notes, pharmacy orders, scheduling, and more. The victim's systems are locked and cannot be used unless the entity p says a ransom to unlock the system.

'The healthcare industry has some of the worst cybersecurity practices in the nation,' Senator Mark Warner said, 'despite its critical importance to Americans' well-being and privacy.'

Today, existing legislation provides a ceiling of $2 million per violation for offenders of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).  If passed, these 'commonsense reforms' would also include 'include jail time for CEOs that lie to the government about their cybersecurity,' Wyden added.

These leaders have not implemented strong cybersecurity systems despite the ongoing penalties.  If the Department of Defense has such strong security it should also be available to ensure patient privacy

Change Healthcare's parent company attributed the hack to a 'foreign nation' this past winter.

Anthem was fined $16 million, the largest penalty imposed for a HIPAA violation, but experts worry such a fine would barely deter today's healthcare giants.

Change Healthcare alerted the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on July 19, noting their internal investigation was ongoing.

Industry observers at the HIPAA Journal noted that the big round number of 100 million, issued in Change's update this month, suggests that 'that figure may change.'  'Neither Change Healthcare nor its parent company, UnitedHealth Group (UHG), has confirmed that the file review has been completed,' the journal noted.

But these eye-popping numbers mask the myriad of intimate tragedies created by Change Healthcare's and UHG's allegedly lax cybersecurity, which led to millions of Americans losing their healthcare privacy.  Linda Barbour, a career medical director for several large health insurance firms, told reporters that she had assumed the firm would have contacted her the moment it knew her data was exposed.  Change did not get around to informing Barbour until this month.

HIPAA Compliance

HIPAA is a federal law that applies to healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. These are covered entities. It sets standards for protecting sensitive patient health information, also known as protected health information (PHI). It can also be identified as electronic PHI or ePHI. HIPAA compliance requires that covered entities implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect PHI. This includes measures like access controls, encryption, secure messaging, and training employees on proper data handling procedures.

HIPAA also requires covered entities to notify patients and regulatory authorities in case of a data breach involving PHI. Failure to comply with HIPAA regulations can result in significant fines and legal action.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity refers to the practices and measures organizations use to protect their networks, systems, and data from unauthorized access, theft, and damage. This involves a range of measures like access controls, firewalls, and encryption. It also requires ongoing monitoring and testing to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.

Cybersecurity standards are not limited to the healthcare industry. They are applicable to all industries that handle sensitive data. There are several cybersecurity standards, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, that organizations can adopt to secure their data.

Differences Between HIPAA Compliance and Cybersecurity

While HIPAA compliance and cybersecurity both address data security, they have significant differences. HIPAA compliance focuses specifically on the protection of PHI in the healthcare industry. In contrast, cybersecurity standards are broader and apply to all industries that handle sensitive data.

HIPAA requires that covered entities implement specific administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect PHI. Cybersecurity standards provide guidelines for protecting data but do not prescribe specific measures. Organizations are free to choose the measures that best suit their needs and comply with the standards.

Another significant difference between HIPAA compliance and cybersecurity is the consequences of non-compliance. HIPAA violations can result in significant fines and legal action. In contrast, the consequences of cybersecurity breaches can vary depending on the industry and the severity of the breach.

HIPAA compliance and cybersecurity are both critical components of data security, but they address different aspects of it. HIPAA compliance focuses on the protection of PHI in the healthcare industry, while cybersecurity standards provide guidelines for protecting sensitive data in all industries. Understanding the differences between HIPAA compliance and cybersecurity is crucial for organizations that handle sensitive data to ensure that they implement the appropriate security measures and comply with the relevant regulations. At HIPAA Secure Now, we can help you decipher the difference and ensure that your business is properly protected and compliant.

It becomes apparent that interoperability and electronic health record systems are porous to hackers, foreign or domestic.