I.M.120 Helping you to BE YOUR BEST SELF

How I.M.120 can help save your brain.

Sometimes we joke about it, calling it a "senior moment." We take comfort when we see others suffering in a similar manner. In reality, the thought of losing our memory, and with it our personality, indeed the thought of becoming demented is terrifying. To make matters worse, there is no conventional medical treatment that can stop the inevitable progression of dementia leading to our inability to care for ourselves before it takes our life.

WHY BRAINS CORRODE

It simply makes no sense that a merciful creator would invest the essence of our being in an organ (the brain) that is designed to fail before our time on earth is through.

We know that dementia is reaching epidemic proportions in America, where it is less common in other parts of the world, and that it is largely a non-inherited condition. Putting these facts together it becomes clear that dementia is largely the result of environmental forces. In many ways that is good news since environmental forces can be modified. Your brain is designed to last the full span of your life. You should not accept its deterioration as an inevitable consequence of aging.

The first order of business is to identify those modifiable forces and then take action against them in a meaningful way at a time when it can make the most difference.

DEMENTIA STARTS EARLY

One of the greatest challenges of dementia is that the seeds are planted fully 20 years before the symptoms begin. By the time we start to lose our car keys or forget the name of our favorite sales clerk, the disease can already be well-established making it more difficult to manage.

Conventional medicine labels this phase of dementia "Mild Cognitive Impairment" (MCI) and considers it a “normal” dynamic of aging. That's simply a gentle way of saying "early dementia" that is less disturbing for the patient to hear. In fact, all forms of Alzheimer's start with mild cognitive impairment and then progress onto total disability.

The conventional approach is to do nothing at this stage but merely monitor symptoms. We feel such a passive approach is fully unacceptable. This is precisely the moment when the greatest effort should be put forth since the disease can be most favorably effective if action is taken early.

We disagree that loss of cognitive function is a “normal” consequence of aging. Preserving optimal brain function throughout the span of life is possible with the correct approach.

HEAVY-METAL

Children are tested for blood lead levels, and with good reason since lead is a known neurotoxin that can cause mental retardation if not addressed. As adults we continue to accumulate toxic heavy metals over the span of our lives. Lead, aluminum, mercury and other heavy metals gradually build in our system since our body has no effective means of eliminating them. These heavy metals silently "rust" our brain without our awareness until significant damage has occurred.

Simply testing the blood is inadequate. Most heavy metals do not float about freely in the blood but rather are stored in the bone, fat, brain and other cells of the body.

Provocative heavy-metal testing is a simple test during which calcium EDTA is given intravenously. This safe substance pulls heavy metals out of the bone and other hiding places and enables it to be tested in a urine sample. The results can give us an indication regarding the total body load of heavy metals. Armed with this knowledge, we can take steps to diminish the heavy-metal burden before damage to the brain occurs. Those same heavy metals are also toxic to the heart and are carcinogenic. By pursuing good brain health you get the added bonus a better cardiac health and diminished cancer risk.

FREE RADICALS

Free radicals are oxygen cells that are lacking an electron. In their search for their missing electron, they slam into other cells causing damage as they rip electrons from them.

The creation of these "reactive oxygen species" (RAS) is a normal occurrence of daily living. Every time we eat, we metabolize the food creating free radicals. Other sources of free radical production include stress, illness, and sleep deprivation.

Fortunately, our bodies are armed with natural antioxidants to neutralize the effect of free radicals. However, as we age these natural defenses weaken. In addition, illness and stress can tilt the balance in favor of the free radicals and away from antioxidants.

Free radicals are especially toxic to to brain cells where they can accelerate cell death. Supporting the brain with antioxidants can protect it from the assault of free radicals.

At I.M.120 we have the ability to do specialize blood testing to assess the level of antioxidant activity in your body. The results can help guide our recommendations regarding antioxidant supplementation.

VASCULAR DEMENTIA

The brain accounts for 20% or more of total blood circulation. The health of brain cells is highly dependent on a vigorous, well oxygenated blood supply. Anything that can harm circulation can ultimately impair memory and lead to dementia. In fact, the second most common form of dementia to Alzheimer's is known as "Vascular Dementia" since it is caused by poor blood flow. Although strokes can certainly cause devastating brain damage, most of vascular dementia occurs through silent loss of capillary health. These are the microscopic arteries that deliver nutrients to individual brain cells. They can die off without notice since they are so small that the loss of any singule capillary is unnoticed. However over time brain cell death can accumulate to the point of imposing impaired memory.

In general, that which is good for the heart and arteries is good for the brain. In some cases simply exercising and avoiding tobacco is not enough. In fact one of the ironies of medicine is that cigarette smokers have a lower incidence of dementia than non-smokers. That paradox is still under study, and certainly your response should not be to take up smoking to ward off dementia, but rather to avoid false comfort simply because you are a non-smoker.

Assessing vascular risk goes far beyond traditional lipid measurements in blood pressure evaluation. Evaluating other blood results for advanced markers of vascular risk, and performing advanced imaging are some of the options available to charge the risk of vascular dementia as well as heart disease.

At I.M.120 we are pioneering the use of the “LIVE 02” treatment as a means of feeding the brain cells ideal oxygen doses. This safe and easy treatment entails gently exercising while you are cycled through periods of low oxygen supply alternating with 100% 02. The result is an opening and clearing of capillaries thus washing the brain cells of toxins and infusing them with energy enhancing oxygen.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Many prescription drugs can either increase the risk of dementia or  accelerate the rate of dementia.

"Anti-cholinergic" drugs, those commonly used to prevent spastic bladder, treat allergies, or manage depression are felt to be contributors to dementia. Anti-anxiety drugs such as alprazolam have also been suspected of increasing dementia, especially when given to the elderly.

We can review your current use of prescription and over-the-counter medications and make recommendations for alternatives.

Although still unproven, there has been suspicion raised regarding the use of statin drugs (such as atorvastatin) to treat cholesterol. In some cases aggressive  lowering of cholesterol can impair production of necessary neurotransmitters and sex hormones. Often there are other non-drug interventions that can reduce your risk without the hazard of using drug therapy.

SURGICAL TRAUMA

It is now widely accepted that cardiac bypass surgery causes brain damage. It's taken many decades for this side effect to be fully appreciated. It has been my clinical experience that there are many occasions where a surgical procedure is followed by a quantum deterioration in brain function. The cause of this correlation remains unclear. It may have something to do with the anesthesia used, or the free radical cascade that occurs as a result of the surgical stress, or the micro vascular compromise in the form of small clots to the brain, or other causes. The point is to avoid any elective surgical procedures. This is especially true for people over 60.

We are now starting to see some adverse neurological consequences from gastric bypass surgery. One can only speculate what the impact of such aggressive gut altering surgery will be as these patients become senior citizens. Nobody has bothered to consider what cutting up the gastrointestinal tract can do to long-term nutritional and brain health.

The take home message is; before you cut, consult with us. In many cases there are functional medical alternatives to surgical procedures such as back surgery, joint replacement, cardiac bypass and others.

HORMONES

No human being should be subjected to living the entire span of their life without a full and healthy complement of hormones. Simply put, the inevitable decline in our sex hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA and others aggressively accelerates all aspects of aging. This includes increasing the risk of dementia.

There appears to be a "window of opportunity" during which hormone replacement is most valuable. For women this window of opportunity happens towards the latter part of their reproductive life, typically in their 40s and extends until approximately six years after their last menstrual period. It is our strong opinion that all women should be on bio-identical hormone replacement therapy prior to the age of 63 based on current research.

There Is growing evidence that such an approach will help to preserve brain fitness. It is a fact that there are sex hormone receptors in the brain and that without an adequate supply of sex hormones the brain simply slows down and does not function as well. This can lead to symptoms such as "brain fog," decreased memory, decreased speed of thought, reduced confidence and compromise of executive function. It also can increase the probability of developing dementia later in life.

Bio-identical hormone therapy, when properly managed, has never be shown to increase breast cancer risk. This false fear has sacrificed an entire generation of women to the ravages of hormone depletion resulting in everything from osteoporosis, to lost sexual health, to brain weakness and dementia.

Men also can enjoy enhanced quality of life, improved physical and mental vitality by implementing properly balanced hormone replacement therapy.

ALCOHOL

Like any drug, the impact of alcohol is dose-dependent. While  2 ounces a day has been shown to be beneficial to life extension and appears to have no adverse neurologic impact, excessive consumption, considered to be greater than 2 ounces daily for women or 3 ounces daily for men, or periodic binge drinking causes brain damage.

TRAUMA

The type of brain trauma that occurs while playing collision sports may be at risk factor for future dementia. Most of us did not play professionally, however for those involved in youth sports such as soccer, hockey, or football, the question remains as to whether or not we are at increased risk. The best defense is to apply risk factor mitigation for all the known variables within our control including reducing heavy metals, robust use of antioxidants, vigorous stimulation of our brains with social and intellectual activity and maintaining optimum cardiovascular health.

In cases of acute brain trauma (car accidents, sports concussions) we recommend support with antioxidant infusions and supplements. (treatment recommendations available at the time of consultation).

EARLY ACTION SAVES BRAINS

Hopefully this information has raised your "dementia I Q" and made you appreciate the fact that preserving memory is not a passive activity. Simply waiting and hoping that our brains do not corrode when we are living at the epicenter of a toxic storm is not adequate.

At I.M.120, we use the early intervention principle to identify and reverse dementia risk factors. When it comes to saving your brain, the earlier you get started the better. Although we certainly encourage early action, there is no such thing as being too old to get started. The action you take today can save your brain tomorrow.

To your best health, 
Dr. Stephen Petteruti