In the News

Global Hypertension Experts Launch First-of-its-Kind Online Resource

Nordic Naturals Unveils New Labels for Professional Products

Dr. Fuhrman Crowdfunds Groundbreaking Nutritional Research

New regulatory mechanism discovered in cell system for eliminating unneeded proteins

Effects of Resistant Starch Linked to Changes in Fat Metabolism in Humans

Publication Of Clinical Trial Data For New Snoring Therapy

Functional Neuromodulation Initiates North American Study of Deep Brain Stimulation for Alzheimer’s Disease

First of its Kind Botanical Formula Shows Promise for Incurable Breast Cancer

New Research Shows Prostate Cancer Testing Prevents 17,000 Men from Developing Advanced Prostate Cancer

Joint Effort To Provide Supplements And Personal Care Products To Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment

Global Hypertension Experts Launch First-of-its-Kind Online Resource

The Power Over Pressure steering committee today announced the launch of the world's first online resource created to help healthcare professionals improve diagnosis and develop solutions for treatment-resistant hypertension, an urgent and growing public health issue that affects 120 million people worldwide. Developed by global hypertension experts and endorsed by the American Society of Hypertension and the European Society of Hypertension, this new, free resource is available at PowerOverPressure.com.

"Despite focused efforts and the introduction of multiple new therapies, the percentage of hypertension patients resistant to treatment has increased by 62 percent in the last 20 years – making it critical for physicians across all disciplines who care for these patients to work together to improve patient outcomes," said Suzanne Oparil, MD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics, director of the vascular biology and hypertension program in the division of cardiovascular disease at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the United States and co-chair of the Power Over Pressure Steering Committee.

"PowerOverPressure.com was designed to be the one-stop comprehensive digital location for everything related to treatment-resistant hypertension, including educational guides, slide sets, and other valuable tools to help physicians more quickly identify people with treatment-resistant hypertension and optimize their care plans through current and emerging treatment approaches."

Patients with treatment-resistant hypertension, defined as persistently high blood pressure despite treatment with three or more antihypertensive medications, have a three-fold increase in risk of cardiovascular events compared to individuals with controlled high blood pressure. It is often caused by multiple factors including lifestyle and underlying conditions, making its management complex and potentially requiring the involvement of hypertension specialists.

Diagnosing treatment-resistant hypertension is a process of elimination, and several factors must be considered before a patient with presumed treatment-resistant hypertension can be classified as truly treatment-resistant.

At PowerOverPressure.com healthcare professionals have access to a systematic, step-wise approach to evaluate, diagnose, and manage treatment-resistant hypertension. This approach can be used to help confirm the diagnosis of treatment-resistant hypertension, as well as identify areas for hypertension treatment optimization. The approach focuses on:

• Confirming the accuracy of blood pressure measurement
• Optimizing pharmacotherapy and adherence
• Addressing lifestyle barriers to blood pressure control
• Considering referral to a specialist

Because the management of treatment-resistant hypertension patients often requires a multi-disciplinary approach, the online resource was designed to help establish community support among physicians and patients through downloadable tools and materials including:

• A primer that highlights key educational topics in treatment-resistant hypertension, such as the magnitude of the problem, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and current and emerging management approaches
• Educational resources to foster peer-to-peer best practice sharing

Treatment-resistant hypertension has a significant impact on patients emotionally and has a profound impact on their everyday lives. A recent global survey of more than 4,500 patients with uncontrolled hypertension, conducted through the Power Over Pressure program, found an alarming 65 percent of people with treatment-resistant hypertension reported that high blood pressure remains their most serious health concern. Eighty percent of patients with treatment-resistant hypertension reported that their high blood pressure has had a negative impact on their overall peace of mind and six out of ten patients (60 percent) admitted to being very worried about having a stroke as a result of their high blood pressure.

"While some patients who suffer from presumed treatment-resistant hypertension might achieve blood pressure control with an antihypertensive drug regimen, some particularly difficult-to-treat cases may remain uncontrolled despite maximal drug therapy," said Roland Schmieder, MD, professor of internal medicine, nephrology and hypertension and head of the clinical research center hypertension and vascular medicine at the department of nephrology and hypertension of the University Hospital Erlangen in Germany, and co-chair of the Power Over Pressure Steering Committee.

"It can be an extremely frustrating and expensive condition to manage for both physicians and patients. It is our goal that PowerOverPressure.com becomes the premier resource for supporting best practices to improve diagnosis accuracy and actively treat this growing, high-risk patient population."

Nordic Naturals Unveils New Labels for Professional Products

Classification system provides solutions for dosing and product selection

The Nordic Naturals® Professional Line of fresh, pure, and effective omega-3 products, enjoyed by health care professionals globally, rolls out a brand new look this month – one that offers increased functionality and appeal. The classic product formulations that define Nordic Naturals award-winning omegas remain the same, but labels for these products now contain various new features, including a classification system that will better assist practitioner and patient alike.

Nordic Naturals Professional Products labels now include:

• "True Triglyceride Form" seal to guarantee that triglyceride form products offer 70 percent better absorption than ethyl ester form products, providing better results and omega-for-dollar value
• EPA and DHA amounts-per-serving clearly indicated for dosing convenience
• Support Functions prominently displayed to help with product selection
• "Clinical Research" seal to identify products featured in published research studies
• Colored Bars correspond to product classification for quick identification

Practitioners can now easily select products based on five classifications that are color-coded for ease, convenience and display:

• Maintenance Support (blue) includes non-concentrate omega-3s and blends
• High-Intensity Support (yellow) includes concentrated omega-3s with a minimum of 1100 mg of EPA+DHA per serving
• Targeted Support (red) includes concentrated omega-3s with high levels of either EPA or DHA for targeted health needs
• Condition-Specific Support (green) includes concentrated omega-3s that deliver high levels of EPA and DHA, with condition-specific nutrients added
• Pediatric Support (orange) includes unique delivery options and dosing tailored to children

According to Keri Marshall, MS, ND, Nordic Naturals Chief Medical Officer, "These labels have been developed with input from professional health care practitioners in mind. With more than 40 professional products, our new label design will make dosing and product selection convenient for the practitioner, and ensure the best possible experience for patients."

Dr. Fuhrman Crowdfunds Groundbreaking Nutritional Research

New York Times Best-Selling Author Launches Campaign

Author of Eat to Live and PBS host, Joel Fuhrman, MD, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on whenyouwish.com/health. The campaign is raising money to establish The Nutritional Research Foundation, a non-profit foundation dedicated to applying rigorous scientific study to exploring some of the most debated topics in the relationship between nutrition and health.

"What if it were true that heart disease and heart attacks could totally disappear? What if it were true that adult diabetes and strokes could easily be prevented? What if we could win the war on cancer? The power of superior nutrition to not just prevent, but even reverse disease, is real," said Dr. Fuhrman.

The NRF's first study will examine the incidence of cancer in a large cohort of 10,000 individuals who remain on a high nutrient density diet for a 10-year period, and compares them to their national cohorts on a standard American diet over that same time period.

"We will strive to scientifically prove out what many already believe about diet's impact on health and finally put the debate over nutrition to rest, so that everyone can be armed with the knowledge to lead longer, healthier lives," said Dr. Fuhrman.

Dr. Mehmet Oz called Dr. Fuhrman's book Eat to Live a "medical breakthrough" in its revolutionary capacity to change people's lives. NRF research could prove historic if it statistically proves the causal correlations between nutrition and our largest health threats in the modern world.

Similar to debates over the environment, there is not currently unanimous consensus in the scientific and medical communities on nutrition's role in health and wellness. Incontrovertible scientific evidence of disease prevention and reversal would have global and historic implications.

New regulatory mechanism discovered in cell system for eliminating unneeded proteins

A faulty gene linked to a rare blood vessel disorder has led investigators to discover a mechanism involved in determining the fate of possibly thousands of proteins working inside cells.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists directed the study, which provides insight into one of the body's most important regulatory systems, the ubiquitin system. Cells use it to get rid of unneeded proteins. Problems in this system have been tied to cancers, infections and other diseases. The work appears in today's print edition of the journal Molecular Cell.

Researchers demonstrated how a protein named Glomulin binds to a key component of the regulatory system. Investigators showed not only where Glomulin binds but also how binding shuts down a biochemical cascade that tags unnecessary proteins for dismantling.

The findings highlight a potential new approach for future studies aimed at developing treatments for glomuvenous malformations, which are associated with mutations in the gene for making the Glomulin protein. The malformations, which are often present at birth, result in veins that cause discolored raised skin lumps that are sometimes painful and disfiguring.

"The findings suggest it might someday be possible to treat disorders resulting from defects in proteins that shut off the ubiquitin system by finding an alternative mechanism for turning the pathway off. The way Glomulin works represents a new way of controlling one of the most important regulatory systems at work in cells. We believe Glomulin may represent the tip of the iceberg. There could be many proteins that work in this fashion," said Brenda Schulman, PhD, a member of the St. Jude Department of Structural Biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. She is the study's senior and corresponding author.

Cells rely on this ubiquitin system to keep proteins in balance. As part of the ubiquitination process, a small protein is passed from one enzyme to the next like a baton in a relay race until it reaches a protein complex known as the cullin RING ligase. There, the small protein is transferred to a waiting target protein, marking it for destruction.

In this study, researchers showed that Glomulin disrupts ubiquitination by "glomming" onto and masking the spot on the cullin RING ligase where the tagging process is completed. The binding site is on the RBX1 protein, a component of the cullin RING ligase. While Glomulin derives its name from the disease, researchers showed the name also aptly describes Glomulin's molecular function.

The study builds on earlier work from the laboratory of James DeCaprio, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston. DeCaprio, a coauthor of this study, and his colleagues reported that Glomulin regulates cullin RING ligases by binding to the RBX1 protein. They also reported that Glomulin does not bind to the related RBX2 protein.

In this latest study, St. Jude scientists used X-ray crystallography to determine the structures involved in Glomulin's interaction with RBX1 and another component of the cullin RING ligase. "This was one of those 'ah-ha' moments," Schulman said. "Seeing the structure told us almost immediately how Glomulin disrupts the ubiquitination process."

Additional tests showed that Glomulin binds tightly to the surface of the RBX1 protein. The binding prevents the enzyme carrying the kiss-of-death protein tag from delivering its cargo. The structure also suggests how Glomulin mutations associated with glomuvenous malformations prevent the protein from binding to RBX1.

Researchers showed that Glomulin disrupts ubiquitination by binding to the same spot on the cullin RING ligase where the enzyme carrying the ubiquitin protein must bind to complete the process. The location is on the RBX1 protein, which is part of the larger protein complex.

"RBX1 regulates potentially thousands of different proteins within the cell. Glomulin represents a new way of regulating this entire class of RBX1 associated proteins," said David Duda, PhD, a scientist in Schulman's laboratory and the study's first author. Glomulin is the first protein made by a cell shown to block a site like the one on RBX1.

Effects of Resistant Starch Linked to Changes in Fat Metabolism in Humans

Ingredion Incorporated, a leading global provider of ingredient solutions, today announced the results of a new independent clinical trial published in the September 2012 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. The principal investigator was M. Denise Robertson, PhD from University of Surrey (Guildford, United Kingdom) and the funding was provided by Diabetes UK. The study showed that the consumption of HI-MAIZE resistant starch improves certain aspects of fatty acid metabolism within adipose (fat) tissue in study participants.

These findings are significant because research has shown that impairment in fatty acid metabolism within fat cells cause excess fat storage in muscles, liver and the pancreas, which directly causes insulin resistance, a major biomarker for prediabetes. The findings also help explain how fat metabolism contributes to the development of prediabetes. The US Centers for Disease Control has estimated that nearly 80 million American adults have prediabetes.

This study showed a clear stimulatory effect on the expression of adipose tissue genes for three important enzymes [hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL)] after HI-MAIZE resistant starch consumption. HSL levels in study participants increased by 85 percent, LPL levels by 171 percent and ATGL levels by 71 percent versus the control. This study is also the fifth clinical study demonstrating improved insulin sensitivity (decreased insulin resistance) with HI-MAIZE resistant starch. Importantly, these effects are independent of changes in caloric intake, body weight and exercise.

According to Dr. Christine Pelkman, Clinical Research Manager for Ingredion, "In many ways, metabolism can work against us in a vicious cycle. Improper storage of fat causes insulin resistance, which leads to more storage of fat, and more storage of fat further escalates insulin resistance. The primary recommendation to improve insulin sensitivity (and decrease insulin resistance) is to lose weight.

However, according to a recent article in Health Affairs, a journal focusing on health care and public policy6, even when people are diagnosed with prediabetes, the percentage who commit to permanent lifestyle change, weight loss and maintenance of weight loss remains relatively low. The exciting news from this study is that HI-MAIZE resistant starch can give people an additional tool with which they can improve their insulin sensitivity and break the cycle."

For additional information, including a list of foods containing HI-MAIZE resistant starch, where to buy HI-MAIZE resistant starch for home cooking, visit hi-maize.com. For the latest research updates on the nutritional benefits of resistant starch from high-amylose corn, visit resistantstarch.com.

Publication Of Clinical Trial Data For New Snoring Therapy

Theravent Advanced Nightly Snore Therapy - reduces snoring by 76 percent in successful users

Ventus Medical announces the publication of clinical trial data for its new Theravent Advanced Nightly Snore Therapy in Sleep Diagnosis and Therapy, a medical journal for sleep.

The randomized, controlled trial of 49 patients demonstrated that successful users of Theravent averaged a 76 percent reduction in snoring as assessed using a decibel meter. Additionally, bed partners in the study reported a statistically significant reduction in snoring duration and volume. The study also found that the level of snoring reduction was on average about five times that of nasal strips.

"The results of this rigorous study demonstrate very significant improvements in snoring. As a sleep physician, I am delighted and relieved that there is finally a practical snoring treatment that truly works. Theravent should be a welcome option for 45 million snorers in the US and their bed partners who suffer from the effects of snoring," said Philip Westbrook, MD, co-author of the study and Chief Medical Officer of Ventus Medical. "Theravent represents an important, clinically proven option for healthcare providers to recommend to their patients who snore."

Functional Neuromodulation Initiates North American Study of Deep Brain Stimulation for Alzheimer’s Disease

First Patient Implanted in ADvance Study

Functional Neuromodulation Ltd has initiated the ADvance Study in the US and Canada to assess deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease. ADvance will evaluate the safety and potential clinical benefit of DBS of the fornix (DBS-f), a major inflow and output pathway in the brain’s memory circuit. Research suggests this is an area affected early in the development of Alzheimer’s. The first ADvance patient enrolled has been successfully implanted.

ADvance is a randomized double-blind controlled trial initially involving 20 people aged 55-80 with mild Alzheimer’s disease. The trial will compare the effects of DBS turned on to those observed with the system turned off. The patients will undergo regular physiological, psychological and cognitive assessments for 12 months at which time those patients in the off group will be eligible to have the system activated. Brain imaging measures of changes in glucose metabolism and the size of key structures involved in memory will also be assessed at multiple time points.

ADvance is co-chaired by Andres Lozano, MD, PhD, R.R. Tasker Chair in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at the University Health Network and University of Toronto and Scientific Founder of the company; and Constantine Lyketsos, MD, MHS, Elizabeth Plank Althouse Professor, Johns Hopkins University, and Director, Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center. ADvance is currently recruiting patients at Toronto Western Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix, AZ and the University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration. The study is under institutional review for participation at a few additional leading Alzheimer’s clinical research centers in the US.

ADvance is informed by a pilot study of DBS-f in six Alzheimer’s patients conducted at Toronto Western Hospital by Dr. Lozano and his team. A follow-up paper evaluating the relationship between brain metabolism and clinical outcomes in that study was recently published in Archives of Neurology. That publication reported increased glucose metabolism in key brain networks after stimulation, indicating an increase in neuronal activity and better functional connectivity in areas affected by Alzheimer’s. At one year, this increase in brain metabolism correlated with better outcomes in cognition, memory and quality of life.

“DBS-f delivers stimulation to a critical location in the brain’s memory circuit that seems to enhance activity in the circuit and drive neuronal activity in other brain regions impacted by Alzheimer’s. ADvance will enable us to assess further whether stimulating the brain with DBS-f can drive neural activity in a way that might lead to better clinical outcomes,” commented Dr. Lyketsos, ADvance national co-chair.

“As people are increasingly aware, there is an urgent need for new and better ways to treat Alzheimer’s. DBS is a promising new approach that has a successful track record in a number of other brain disorders,” said Dan O’Connell, Functional Neuromodulation co-founder and CEO. “We have worked closely with a stellar group of scientific, clinical and regulatory experts to design ADvance as a feasibility study to determine if DBS-f could constitute a new circuitry-based approach to treating this devastating disease. We look forward to expanding the study to more leading Alzheimer’s centers in the US.”

First of its Kind Botanical Formula Shows Promise for Incurable Breast Cancer

Years of research provides breast cancer patients with new hope

Triple negative breast cancer is the most aggressive type of breast cancer and carries a very high risk of early -- and deadly -- metastasis. Current treatment for triple negative breast cancer is extremely limited. After completing the initial treatments for this deadly breast cancer, women have no viable options that can help them prevent recurrence and deadly metastasis. A new botanical formula may offer hope for this group of patients.

In a groundbreaking new study, this botanical formula has been shown to:

• inhibit highly aggressive and deadly breast cancer metastasis
• slow cancer growth
• suppress cancer genes
• be safe and non-toxic

Isaac Eliaz, MD, co-author and researcher says, "Patients with triple negative breast cancer die from metastasis. This formula was able to alter the gene expression of highly aggressive metastatic breast cancer, dramatically decrease the metastatic process and slow growth of the primary tumor. Such a formula offers new hope to patients who are struggling to overcome an invasive, deadly disease which has been so difficult to treat. It may be especially important for breast cancer patients who finished conventional therapy, and are sent home without any treatment option that can prevent reoccurrence or spread of the cancer, as is the case with triple negative breast cancer. "

The study was conducted at the Cancer Research Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute, Indiana University Health. The researchers demonstrated that this specialized botanical formula slows highly aggressive triple negative human breast cancer and inhibits breast-to-lung metastasis in mice. Their study was presented at the prestigious annual meeting of the American Academy for Cancer Research and has just been published in the journal Oncology Reports. This is the third peer-reviewed study demonstrating the anticancer effects of this formula.

In this study researchers used a model which mimics the clinical progression of triple negative breast cancer as it develops and metastasizes in patients. They implanted highly invasive, triple-negative human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) in the breast tissue of mice. The tested group was given the formula orally for four weeks; the control group received no treatment.

Results showed that the formula significantly decreased tumor growth and breast-to-lung metastasis. The cancer metastasized to the lungs in only 20 percent of the treated group as compared to 70 percent of the untreated, control group. Furthermore, in the treatment group that did metastasize, the number and size of the lesions was dramatically reduced in comparison to the control group.

Gene analysis showed that the formula down regulated (suppressed and reduced) two genes implicated in cancer metastasis -- PLAU (urokinase plasminogen activator, uPA) and CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor-4). These results further substantiate previous cancer cell studies published on this formula, which similarly demonstrated a down regulation of these cancer promoting genes.

Dr. Eliaz says, "The gene analysis performed in this study is very promising. It points to the potential of this formula to reduce the expression of these aggressive cancer genes in breast cancer patients."

This first of its kind formula includes ingredients that have been shown to have powerful anti-cancer properties.

• Medicinal mushrooms Trametes versicolor, Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus linteus reduce cancer growth and invasiveness.
• Extracts from the botanicals Scutellaria barbata, Astragalus membranaceus and Curcuma longa induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) and reduce cancer metastasis.
• The flavonoid, quercetin, reduces cancer cell proliferation and helps suppress tumor growth.
• DIM (3, 3'-Diindolylmethane), an active component of cruciferous vegetables, reduces cancer growth, migration and invasiveness.

"In this study we showed that the formula is not toxic and its oral application significantly suppresses tumor size, and dramatically inhibits breast-to-lung cancer metastasis," says Daniel Sliva, PhD, lead author on the study. "This formula may be considered as a biological therapeutic agent against invasive breast cancer, including aggressive triple negative breast cancer. It can potentially increase survival of breast cancer patients who currently have limited or no treatment options available within conventional oncology."

Extensive research is continuing and human clinical trials are planned.

For more information on the specific breast health formula studied call 707.280.9415, email [email protected], or visit BreastHealthFormula.org.

New Research Shows Prostate Cancer Testing Prevents 17,000 Men from Developing Advanced Prostate Cancer

Study confirms PSA and early detection saves lives

The Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA), representing more than 1,800 urologists, today applauded a newly released study confirming the impact of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing on the early detection of prostate cancer.

The study, published online, and soon to be published in a print edition of Cancer, compared the incidence of advanced prostate cancer at initial diagnosis in 2008 to that seen before the advent of PSA testing (1983-85). Researchers found that without the PSA test, it is likely that more than three times as many men would have presented with advanced disease.

"The results overwhelmingly confirm what urologists, prostate cancer patients and patient advocacy groups have been saying," said Dr. Deepak A. Kapoor, President of LUGPA and Chairman and CEO of Integrated Medical Professionals, PLLC. "Eliminating the PSA test to screen for prostate cancer would result in a public health catastrophe, as potentially tens of thousands of men who could have been cured will present with advanced disease and possibly die needlessly."

Earlier this summer, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) disregarded input from patient advocacy groups and experts in the field in issuing a grade "D" recommendation for PSA-based prostate cancer screening in asymptomatic men. This one size fits all policy places those at greatest risk for prostate cancer – African-Americans and those with a family history of prostate cancer – in a dangerous situation. These patients urgently need to be educated about their risks of developing cancer, and the role that screening could play in early diagnosis and treatment.

"The 10 year survival for prostate cancer has increased from around 50 percent before PSA testing to an astounding 98 percent. We are not detecting more cancer; we are detecting cancer earlier and saving lives," said Kapoor.

The USPSTF has come under fire for questionable recommendations in the past. This is the same organization that attempted to restrict access to mammography screening for breast cancer and suggested that women no longer be taught breast self-examination. Legislation with bipartisan support was introduced in June to reform the USPSTF process, in hopes of ensuring more transparency and accountability regarding the panel and its health recommendations.

LUGPA joins the American Urological Association (AUA) and the American Association of Clinical Urologists (AACU) in support of PSA screening for well-informed men who wish to pursue early diagnosis for a disease that is the second leading cause of cancer death in men.

Please visit LUGPA's website for additional information on PSA screening. To access the full research study, click here.

Joint Effort To Provide Supplements And Personal Care Products To Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment

Thorne Research, Inc, a leader in developing and manufacturing pure, high quality nutritional supplements and personal care products marketed through medical professionals, and Helsinn, a rapidly growing pharmaceutical group based in Lugano, Switzerland, today announced the launch of the OncoQOL product line – a portfolio of 13 nutritional supplements intended to support the unique nutritional needs of patients undergoing cancer treatment. The OncoQOL portfolio also includes the DermaQOL product line, with nine personal care products specially formulated to support the skin-care and hair-care needs of patients undergoing cancer treatment. DermaQOL products are manufactured using only high-quality, certified organic ingredients. OncoQOL products, including the DermaQOL product line, are available only through oncologists and other medical professionals in the United States and Canada.

Treatment for cancer often results in nutritionally related undesirable effects, such as weight loss, fatigue, diarrhea, and highly sensitive nerves and skin. The OncoQOL product line is designed to help patients address these and other similar conditions which can deteriorate their quality of life and adversely affect compliance in fully completing their course of treatment.

"For many cancer patients the side effects of treatment have a significant impact on their health and quality of life, often making it difficult for them to continue with their therapy. Our products are designed to meet the unique needs of these patients and are manufactured with the essential levels of purity and consistency that are so important for this population," said Sreenivas Rao, MD, president, OncoQOL.

OncoQOL nutritional supplement products are manufactured using pure, hypoallergenic, highly-absorbable nutrients. All products undergo extensive quality control testing during every phase of the manufacturing process. Although some of their active ingredients have been clinically shown to provide important benefits to cancer patients, OncoQOL products are not intended to treat specific diseases and should not be considered as adjuncts to disease treatment.

Three of the nutritional supplements in the OncoQOL portfolio are: DaxibeQOL, a blend of branched-chain and other essential amino acids known to possibly promote anabolism, weight gain, lean muscle mass, and muscle strength; NutraQOL, a wheat germ extract that may reduce fatigue and helps improve social, physical, and emotional wellbeing; and MucosaQOL, which contains L-glutamine, an amino acid helpful to support healthy mucous membranes of the mouth and GI tract.

"In our practice we see firsthand the challenges that patients face in managing the side effects of chemotherapy and trying to optimize their overall health and diet during treatment. A high fraction of patients take nutritional supplements during therapy, but many commercially available supplements are not designed for people with cancer. Selecting products and managing combinations of supplements is very confusing to patients, and many interact negatively and unpredictably with their cancer treatment. OncoQOL has prepared pure, high quality products designed with our patients' specific needs in mind which reduces the confusion and apprehension of using supportive care products as part of the treatment program," said Lawrence Piro, MD, president and chief operating officer of The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute in Santa Monica, California.

DermaQOL personal care products are manufactured without the use of plasticizers, foaming agents, and preservatives found in many personal care product brands. Three of the products in the DermaQOL portfolio are: DermaQOL Lotion, a silicone-free and sulfate-free blend of unscented organic emollients to hydrate dry, rough skin; DermaQOL Shower Gel, an all-body wash and shampoo specially formulated for sensitive skin; and DermaQOL Cooling Aloe Spray, a moisturizer that provides cooling relief for irritated skin.

"Living with cancer creates many challenges, and treatment can now extend over years. In order to avoid negative interactions, cancer patients should choose products formulated with their needs in mind," said Mary Hardy, MD, medical director, Simms/Mann-UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology.

Patients can access the full range of OncoQOL nutritional supplements and DermaQOL personal care products directly from their physician. Thus far, more than 100 cancer specialists and other health-care providers have signed up to provide these products to their patients.

"OncoQOL represents a huge step forward in helping patients undergoing cancer treatment and their families obtain reliable access to products and information that empowers them to become more proactive in their health challenge. By providing targeted dietary supplements that the consumer and the physician can rely on, OncoQOL is filling a huge void in the cancer supportive care marketplace," said James B. LaValle, RPh, chief executive officer of Integrative Health Resources, LLC, and chair of OncoQOL's Science Advisory Board.