for Neurosciences, said the time criteria are outdated and deprive many patients of interventions that have been shown to both save and restore lives. “Using time is antiquated. It does not give us valuable information, such as whether the brain beyond the blood clot is viable,” Dr. Liebman said. His comments came during his presentation at the Capital Institute for Neurosciences annual
Conference in Atlantic City. Current guidelines say the intravenous clot-busting medication, tPA, should be given within four and a half hours of the onset of symptoms. Endovascular interventions, such as those with mechanical retrieval devices, should be given within eight hours. But Dr. Liebman, in his presentation, described several case studies of patients who
were treated beyond the time window and who experienced profound improvement. One case involved a 54-yearold woman with what Dr. Liebman described as a life-ending stroke who experienced facial droop and double vision and who arrived at the hospital unconscious. She was beyond the time window but Dr. Liebman proceeded with a stent-retrieval device that is navigated through
DMG: Was It Ali’s Secret Weapon? Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest professional boxing champions of all times. But like most people, when he turned 34 he started getting flabby, short-winded and lethargic. His handlers were concerned he’d lose to some of the younger and more-fit boxers he was scheduled to fight. So his handlers called in Dr. Richard Passwater, PhD, a cel-
ebrated sports nutrition specialist who was known for using nutritional intervention to help whip aging athletes back into shape, including key team members of the aging Washington Redskins football team. For Ali, Dr. Passwater prescribed an exotic nutrient supplement from Russia, then called “Vitamin B-15”, but which is now known simply as DMG.
What You Eat Can Make You Look Really Younger saturated fat. Lighten up on salt. Salt leaves you bloated and can raise your blood pressure, which over time can damage your kidneys, eyes, and brain. Limit sodium to 2,400 milligrams – about 1 teaspoon of table salt – throughout your entire day; less if you already have high blood pressure. Load up on colorful, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Your goal: Aim for five to nine servings a day. Vitamin C has been found to keep your skin younger looking, and a 2010 study found eating yellow and green vegetables were linked with fewer wrinkles. Also resveratrol, an antioxidant found in wine and grapes, has been found to reduce the risks of cancer and premature aging. Oily fresh fish like salmon has also been linked to a youthful appearance. Chock full of protein, which can maintain firm skin tone, oily fish also contains omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, which your body needs but doesn’t produce naturally.
plement, because it’s all-natural and is found in plants, food crops and is even made by the liver in the human body. DMG, which stands for dimethylglycine, has been demonstrated through more than 40 years worth of clinical research to dramatically improve the nutritional environment of the cells, tissues and organs of the human body so you can function at more youthful levels, no matter how old you are!
clock, Dr. Liebman said a diagnostic test, CT Perfusion, can be used to determine if brain tissue is viable and the patient would benefit from treatment to remove the clot and restore blood flow. Dr. Erol Veznedaroglu, director of the Capital Institute for Neurosciences, said the guidelines are based on outdated data and are “negligent. We are withholding life-saving therapy to patients and people are dying.” Dr. Liebman also described the newest treatments now being used to treat arteriovenous malformations, or AVMs, and aneurysms. He said multiple interventions now exist, and so patients with brain emergencies should be treated by physicians with access to the full armamentarium of treatments. “You want to be treated using the intervention that is best for the patient and not best for the doctor or hospital,” he said.
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As you already know, a healthy diet is good for you. But even better, it can slow the aging process and keep your face looking fresher. Here are a few healthy-diet ideas to maintain, or recapture, that youthful glow. One of the biggest culprits in premature aging is sugar, at least according to research published in the journal Age earlier this year. In a study of 670 people between the ages of 50 and 70, researchers found that for every increase in blood glucose levels of one millimole per liter, the subjects looked five months older, reports MyHealthNewsDailys.com. Lost your sweet tooth? Manage your sugar consumption. Avoid refined sugars and opt for natural sugars in fruits. If you crave something sweet, try natural sugar alternatives, such as Stevia or xylitol. Also go easy on high-fat meat, high-fat dairy and baked goods, which, besides not doing your skin any favors, can clog your arteries with
As Dr. Passwater tells the story “At age 34, Ali was having trouble training for his Apr. 30, 1976 bout with Jimmy Young in Landover, Md. He was sluggish, unmotivated and getting a little flabby. I was contacted by one of his associates, Gene Kilroy. A blood test revealed he was low in iron, but not yet anemic. “Chelated iron, multivitamins rich in the B-vitamins and extra antioxidant vitamins quickly normalized his blood chemistry. But it wasn’t until I put him on ‘Vitamin B-15’ (i.e., DMG) that he fully regained his stamina and drive.” Ali went on to win his bout with Young. And during an internationally televised interview in Ali’s dressing room just before his May 24, 1976 bout with Richard Dunn from London, the champ held up a bottle of “B-15” to show the world his “secret weapon.” What’s more, in 1978, after five consecutive boxing victories over younger boxers like Young, Dunn, Norton, Evangelista and Shavers, the National Medical Bulletin reported openly that Ali was taking the substance. Shortly after its usage became widespread throughout the 1970s, the FDA moved against DMG and — what else is new? — banned its usage. And for nearly 20 years DMG became impossible to obtain in the US. But in 1994 when Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act), DMG was once again allowed to be sold as a nutritional sup-
the groin to the patient’s brain and the site of the blood clot. The device creates a channel through the clot, restoring blood flow, and then the clot is removed. He showed video of the patient fully mobile and well after the procedure. He described several other cases, including a 62-year-old man who could not move one side of his body. Hours after the intervention, given beyond the window, the patient was able to move all his arms and speak fluently. “I feel certain these endovascular treatments greatly helped these patients,” Dr. Liebman said. “We must re-think this criteria so more people will benefit from the emergency stroke treatments we have today.” Dr. Liebman disputes that time alone can determine if the injury to the brain can be reversed. Instead of relying on the
The Public Record • April 25, 2013
In a presentation that challenges current thinking on emergency stroke care, a leading neurosurgeon has said the length of time between the onset of stroke symptoms and arrival at the hospital no longer should be the only criteria to determine whether to proceed with interventions. Dr. Kenneth M. Liebman, director of Neurosurgical Critical Care at the Capital Institute
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Stroke Treatment Criteria ‘Antiquated’