Improving quality of life in self-reported gastrointestinal disorders: An open trial of a food elimination diet guided by the ImmunoBloodprint food sensitivity test

Purpose: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are genuine health problems that have serious consequences on a patient’s quality of life (QoL). IBS is a functional disorder characterized by chronically recurring symptoms, including abdominal pain or discomfort, altered stool frequency and consistency, and abdominal bloating in the absence of structural or biochemical abnormalities. Studies have indicated that symptoms and disability related to IBS and GI disorders correlate with QoL measures. Additionally, those who respond to therapy have an improvement in QoL. Therefore, we explored an open trial of a food elimination diet guided by the ImmunoBloodprint food sensitivity test and its effect on QoL in patients self-reporting an unresolved GI disorder. Methods: Eighty-four subjects aged 18 and above participated in the study. Subjects eliminated all IgG-mediated reactive foods from their diet for 90 days. QoL was assessed with the Irritable Bowel Syndrome-36 (IBS-36) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) at baseline and 30-, 60-, and 90-day follow-up. The data were analyzed with linear mixed models. Results: Subjects had statistically significant improvements in all indicators of QoL according to the IBS-36 and SF-36 from baseline to 90- day follow-up. Conclusions: Subjects with unresolved self-reported GI disorders were able to improve all indicators of QoL in response to eliminating IgG- reactive foods from the diet. Given the inconvenience of keeping track of foods and symptoms to eliminate intolerant foods, a food sensitivity test combined with an elimination diet may be an effective method for improving subjective markers of QoL and health.

Belief into Action Scale: A Brief but Comprehensive Measure of Religious Commitment

Objective: Our goal was to develop a comprehensive measure of religious involvement for those affiliated with monotheistic religious traditions that fully captures the centrality of religion in life. Methods: A convenience sample of female caregivers of those with chronic disabling illness, recruited from North Carolina and California, completed a questionnaire including a new 10-item scale called the Belief into Action (BIAC) scale (possible score range: 10 - 100). Psychometric properties of the BIAC were examined. Results: 231 participants completed the BIAC (87% Christian). The average score was 46.3 (range: 10 - 90). Cronbach alpha was 0.89 (95% CI 0.86 - 0.91) and the intra-class correlation coefficient between two administrations (n = 60) was 0.919 (95% CI 0.869 - 0.951). Convergent validity was demonstrated by high correlations between the BIAC and existing religiosity scales;divergent validity by weak correlations with mental, social, and physical health outcomes;construct validity by high correlations between individual items and total scale score (r’s 0.58 - 0.80);factor analytic validity by a single factor that explained 94.4% of the scale’s variance;and predictive validity by small to moderate correlations with psychosocial outcomes in expected directions. Conclusion: The BIAC is a reliable and valid scale for comprehensively assessing religious involvement in female caregivers affiliated with monotheistic religions, Christianity in particular. Psychometric properties of the scale need to be established in other populations.

A pilot study eliminating immunologically-reactive foods from the diet and its effect on symptomatology and quality of life in persons with chronic migraines and headaches

Purpose: Chronic migraines and headaches are significant public health problems, and their symptomatologies have been positively linked to diet. We explored if individuals suffering from chronic migraines/ headaches who required medication treatment had improvement in symptomatology and subjective ratings of QoL when following an immune-reactive food exclusion diet based on the results of the ImmunoBloodprint test, an IgG-mediated food sensitivity assay. Methods: Thirty-seven subjects, aged 18 and over, took part in the study. Subjects had to eliminate all reactive foods from their diet for 90 days. Migraine intensity and frequency were measured using the MTAQ, and QoL was assessed with the SF-36 survey at base- line and 30-, 60-, and 90-day follow-up. Results: Sub- jects who eliminated IgG-mediated reactive foods from their diet had reductions in migraine symptomatology and had improvements in nearly all indicators of QoL, according to the SF-36, from baseline to 90-day follow-up. Conclusions: Subjects were able to improve their migraine symptoms and QoL in response to eliminating IgG reactive foods from the diet. This test may represent a strategy to help mediate chronic migraine symptomatology without the use of medication.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation: potential treatment for co-occurring alcohol, traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorders

Alcohol use disorder （AUD）, mild traumatic brain injury （mTBI）, and posttraumatic stress disorder （PTSD） commonly co-occur （AUD ＋ mTBI ＋ PTSD）. These conditions have overlapping symptoms which are, in part, reflective of overlapping neuropathology. These conditions become problematic because their co-occurrence can exacerbate symptoms. Therefore, treatments must be developed that are inclusive to all three conditions. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation （rTMS） is non-invasive and may be an ideal treatment for co-occurring AUD ＋ mTBI ＋ PTSD. There is accumulating evidence on rTMS as a treatment for people with AUD, mTBI, and PTSD each alone. However, there are no published studies to date on rTMS as a treatment for co-occurring AUD ＋ mTBI ＋ PTSD. This review article advances the knowledge base for rTMS as a treatment for AUD ＋ mTBI ＋ PTSD. This review provides background information about these co-occurring conditions as well as rTMS. The existing literature on rTMS as a treatment for people with AUD, TBI, and PTSD each alone is reviewed. Finally, neurobiological findings in support of a theoretical model are discussed to inform TMS as a treatment for co-occurring AUD ＋ mTBI ＋ PTSD. The peer-reviewed literature was identified by targeted literature searches using PubMed and supplemented by cross-referencing the bibliographies of relevant review articles. The existing evidence on rTMS as a treatment for these conditions in isolation, coupled with the overlapping neuropathology and symptomology of these conditions, suggests that rTMS may be well suited for the treatment of these conditions together.

Vitamin D Status, Autonomic Nervous System Activity, and Cardiometabolic Risk

Vitamin D and its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are currently a topic of investigation. The objective of this study was to explore the association between vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) and a cardiometabolic risk score (CMRS) derived from markers of cardiac autonomic nervous system activity, vascular dynamics, and body composition, using an innovative non-invasive technology. We found that individuals who were vitamin D sufficient ((25(OH)D) ≥ 30 ng/ml, n = 51), compared to those who were vitamin D insufficient (<30 ng/ml, n = 44), had significantly higher heart rate variability (as measured by time and frequency domain variables) and lower photoplethysmography analysis markers and CMRS. These outcomes show that vitamin D insufficient subjects had reduced cardio protective parasympathetic nervous system activity, increased endothelial dysfunction, and hence were at greater cardiometabolic risk, implying vitamin D may play a meaningful role in CVD.