FDA has approved and expanded the age indication for Zoster Vaccine Live, (Zostavax, Merck) for the prevention of herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, in adults ages 50 years and older. Zostavax was first approved in May 2006 for the prevention of shingles in individuals aged 60 years and older. Zostavax is the only shingles vaccine licensed for use in the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 3 people will experience shingles in their lifetime and nearly 1 million cases of shingles occur each year, and the incidence and severity of shingles increase with age. Zostavax is not indicated for the treatment of shingles or postherpetic neuralgia, or for the prevention of chickenpox. Zostavax is contraindicated for individuals who are allergic to any of its ingredients, including gelatin or neomycin; have a weakened immune system; or take high doses of steroids. It is also contraindicated for individuals who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Vaccination with Zostavax may not result in protection of all vaccine recipients. Zostavax is currently on back order.

Data from a recent 52-question survey of 2,000 primary care physicians conducted by Holistic Primary Care-News for Health & Healing and Signet Research, shows very encouraging signs that conventionally trained physicians – including many who identify as “mainstream” – have begun to incorporate nutrition, stress management, and many other non-pharmaceutical alternatives into their practices. Nearly 80% of respondents are conventionally trained MDs, the other 20+% being naturopaths, osteopaths, nurses, chiropractors and other health care professionals. Two-thirds of the survey respondents self-identified as “primarily conventional” in their practice style; a robust 29% identified as “integrative/mixed,” while 7% identified as fully “holistic.” Nearly 90% of respondents are taking some sort of nutraceuticals or natural products, and over half prefer to buy organic foods. In general, practitioners are more comfortable with relatively well-established supplement categories like multivitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics.

Sita Ananth, MHA has co-authored ACOs and Integrative Healthcare, published online in early February for Hospitals and Health Networks, the American Hospital Association magazine. The article reads: “Integrative health care can help accountable care organizations (ACOs) reduce costs and improve health.” The authors reference a U.S. study of integrative health care that found that “clinical and cost utilization over a seven-year period showed a 60.2 percent reduction in hospital admissions, 59 percent reduction in hospital days, 62 percent decrease in outpatient surgeries and procedures, and 85 percent reduction in pharmaceutical costs when compared with conventional medicine alone.”

On February 17, Bastyr University kicked off a new Center for Health Policy and Research. The center will be led by Gregory Goode, chief of staff to Bastyr president Daniel Church, PhD. The vision for the new center has 3 elements:
• Encourage active participation in public affairs through thoughtful citizenship and public service. • Provide a forum for nonpartisan, critical discussion of all topics relating to health. • Serve to build community and integrate the disciplines of natural medicine through education, discussion and connection. The ceremony coincided with an on-site meeting of the board of directors of the Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium (IHPC) for which the multi-disciplinary Bastyr, alone among the institutions with a naturopathic medical program, is a Partner in Health. William Reddy, LAc, helped kick off the Bastyr Center with a talk on the role of health reform on the acupuncture and Oriental medicine field. Bastyr has engaged considerably in integrative care policy action historically. The university’s founding president, Joseph Pizzorno, ND served on the White House Commission on CAM Policy and its former policy leader Pamela Snider, ND played key roles in both the language in the NCCAM mandate and the development of the National Policy Dialogue to Advance Integrated Health Care.

Most years the Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ), the supplement industry’s pricey monthly ($1,195/year), focuses an issue on the business of integrative medicine and the practitioner marketplace. The most recent iteration, the November- December 2010 issue of the 48 page resource, opened with a chart estimating that integrative medicine (IM) services and revenues are now 2% of the $2.5 trillion in national healthcare expenditures. NBJ estimated a doubling in integrative practitioner service and supplement revenues from roughly $25 billion to nearly $50-billion from 1999-2010. In addition, a chart estimated these revenues by practitioner type for the year of 2009.

Practitioner Types IM Service Revenues Supp. Sales Supp. Mkt Share*
Chiropractic $18, 010 $430 20%
Traditional Chinese Medicine $5,300 $430 20%
Acupuncture $4,550 $150 7%
Massage Therapy $14,79 $100 5%
Naturopathy $2,690 $440 21%
(Integrative) MDs $160 $240 11%
Osteopathy $370 $50 2%
Nurses $110 $60 3%

* Chart is only part of that published and does not include all categories so figures do not add up to 100%. Dollar values are in millions. Source: Nutrition Business Journal, Volume 15, No. 11/12; Nov-Dec 2010; page 3.

A study from the Netherlands entitled “Patients Whose GP Knows Complementary Medicine Have Lower Costs and Live Longer” was reported in mid-2010 by researchers Peter Kooreman and Erik Baars. A selection from the abstract follows: “… Using a data set from a health insurer, this paper documents that patients whose GP has additional training in anthroposophic medicine, homeopathy, or acupuncture have substantially lower health care costs and lower mortality rates. The lower costs result from fewer hospital stays and fewer prescription drugs. Since the differences remain once we control for neighborhood specific fixed effects at a highly detailed level, the lower costs and longer lives are unlikely to be related to differences in socio-economic status. Possible explanations are selection (e.g. people with a low taste for medical interventions might be more likely to choose CAM) and better practices (e.g. less over treatment, more focus on preventive and curative health promotion) by GPs with knowledge of complementary medicine.” In one example, patients 75 and older seeing a doctor with anthroposophical training spend over 1000 Euros less per year on health care. Over all, costs are roughly 7% less for patients of general practitioners with CAM practices, compared with those practicing conventionally, or 170 Euros per person per year. The overall conclusion: “The results provide strong evidence of substantially lower costs for general practitioners who have additional training in complementary medicine.”

Older adults (60 years and older) are needed to participate in a food survey study at the University of Guelph, run out of the lab of Alison Duncan, Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences. The study involves one study visit of approximately 45-60 minutes to fill out a questionnaire. A cookbook gift will be provided. This study has received approval from the University of Guelph Human Research Ethics Board (REB#10SE012). If you are interested, please contact 519-824-4120 Ext 58081 or mvella@uoguelph.ca.

Nordic Naturals announced that to date their fish oils have been used in 14 published studies by independent research institutions such as Stanford University, Cedars- Sinai medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital. The 14 published studies show a full range of application including support for cardiovascular health, behavior/mood, blood sugar, brain health, circulation, bronchial health and the natural anti-inflammatory response. Thirty additional studies using Nordic Naturals oils are currently underway. JoarOpheim, CEO and founder of Nordic Naturals noted that “many of these studies are funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), which requires rigorous documentation for purity, potency, and stability of the oils used….Our fish oils exceed both medical and pharmaceutical standards with unsurpassed quality and assurance.” Abstracts for these and additional studies can be viewed at www. omega-research.com.

UAS Laboratories was featured in the January 2011 issue of Finance Monthly. In its “Feature Deals of the Month” department, the magazine noted that UAS Labs recent developments include winning a 2010 Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Enhancement of the Year in North
American probiotics market and the acquisition of APN Labs, a nutraceutical contract manufacturer offering condition- specific probiotic blends. The company’s president, Dr. S.K. Dash, was quoted: “Significantly, UAS Labs ensures a strong scientific validation for its products through nearly 200 studies as individual, collaborative, and sponsored efforts between the industry and academia.”

Seroyal has announced its sponsorship of the 2010-11 Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND) Graduate Assistance Program (GAP). Designed to help support graduates of naturopathic medicine, GAP provides numerous product, business, marketing and insurance resources to help with the transition of setting up a naturopathic practice. In addition to the sponsorship, Seroyal also offers OAND and GAP members an unequalled continuing education program. Graduates and practitioners alike are able to learn from internationally-recognized experts in natural medicine.