Innovations, Improvements and Integrity, the cornerstones of CellMate Wellness Systems^TM

March 2001

Contents:
Recent CellMate^TM Innovations
Peer-Review Medical Advisory Board
Research and CellMate^TM Reports
Lowering the Cost of Healthcare with CellMate^TM Reports
Announcing a U.S. Patent for Our CellMate^TM Reports
World of Medical Research
Quick Notes

"Don’t argue with a fool, it’s hard for the bystanders to tell who is who"

Recent CellMate^TM Report Innovations

In keeping with our commitment to be the premier medical reporting service in the world, CellMate Wellness Systems^TM is pleased to announce a number of enhancements that will make our reports more useful. As with all of our improvements, the changes were based upon feedback from our customers and our Medical Advisory Board (see accompanying article).

The changes over the past few months include:

Additional Test Protocols - As reported in our last newsletter, this feature tells you when other tests (i.e., fatty acid, homocysteine, and urine sodium) may be called for to help better ascertain the patient’s health status or improving the treatment protocol.

Lab Reported Out-of-Range Value Synopsis with Drug Affects - A brief synopsis of the meaning attached to lab reported out-of-range values (those greater than 50%) along with a list of drugs, in alphabetical order, that may exacerbate or may have caused the abnormal reading.

Panel Descriptions - Each out-of-balance (Panel Status Deviation over 25%) has an easy to read description.

Contraindicated Foods and Nutrients - In both the Patient Summary and Practitioner Summary pages, lists of foods and nutrients that may further aggravate out-of-balance chemistry are reported.

Repeat Visit Reminders - Each report gives a date reminding your patient (and you) when to come in for a follow-up blood test.

Dietary Suggestions and Diet Plans - 6 different full diets with recipes including High Protein, High Carbohydrates, Acid, Alkaline, Vegetarian, and Balanced plans are included with our test reports.

You can be sure that in the future, CellMate Wellness Systems^TM will continue to be at the forefront of improvements and innovations.

Peer-Review Medical Advisory Board

CellMate Wellness is the only laboratory interpretive reporting system with a Medical Advisory Board. The members are health care practitioners from various disciplines and fields of practice with impressive academic and professional credentials. Our Medical Advisory Board reviews the latest medical research to insure that the information contained in our CellMate™ Reports is the most accurate and up-to-date possible. They also recommend improvements to the CellMate™ Reports.

The CellMate Wellness Systems^TM Medical Advisory Board includes a number of Ph.D.s, the former Director of Nutrition of a renowned cancer institute, and a number of highly respected doctors (M.D.s, D.O.s, D.C.s and N.D.s) from the medical world.

Research and CellMate^TM Reports

Is elevated Uric Acid a risk factor in treating hypertension?

A recent article in The Lancet (August 29, 1998 Vol. 352) related possible mechanisms behind the commonly found phenomena surrounding essential hypertension and raised uric acid levels. It indicated that those individuals with serum uric acid levels between 5.0-6.9 mg/dL had a higher risk for both heart attack and stroke. Those with levels above 7.0 mg/dL were at much higher risk. These levels are within the typical reference range from most labs but would definitely be flagged by a CellMate™ Blood Test Report. Additionally, our Cardiac Marker Panel contains uric acid as one of its elements.

The investigators found that some antihypertensive drug treatment benefits, especially diuretics, were dampened by the presence of elevated uric acid levels. The muting effect became more pronounced as the uric acid level rose.

Can selenium intake reduce the risk of prostate cancer?

A reduction in the risk of prostate cancer among men living in areas with low soil selenium content was reported in The Lancet (September 5, 1998 Vol. 352). Clark and colleagues found a lowered risk of prostate cancer among those taking 200 mcg of selenium per day for 4-5 years. Since the supplementation of selenium was randomized and the study was run under double-blind conditions, the cause-and-effect relation seems quite strong. The authors stated, "Even if the other potential benefits of improved selenium status were disregarded, the evidence available for prostate cancer seems to justify the further assessment of increasing the selenium intake in the population as a priority for public health." The CellMate™ Blood Test Report includes selenium as a nutritional supplement under appropriate conditions specific to the individual.

Time release Niacin and the treatment of hyperlipidemia in patients with elevated uric acid levels

In a recent issue of Metabolism (September 1998, Vol. 47 No. 9), researchers reviewed a once-a-night, time-release niacin formulation called Niaspan (Kos Pharmaceuticals). They found increased tolerance benefits related to decreasing the LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels while increasing the HDL cholesterol. Since niacin is known to increase uric acid levels, care needs to be given in using it as a treatment modality in hyperlipidemic patients. The CellMate™ Blood Test Report is careful to avoid recommending niacin for patients with elevated uric acid levels and may also flag niacin as a possible contraindicated nutrient.

Estrogen signaling and lipid metabolism

According to Dr. Daniel P. Kelly of Washington University School of Medicine, estrogen signaling may be the reason females process fat more efficiently than males. According to an interview with Reuters Health, Dr. Kelly indicated that estrogen supplementation may be beneficial to postmenopausal females and this may explain why males have a higher incidence of heart disease than females. Using CellMate™ Red Cell Membrane Fatty Acid Test Reports may help in further isolating the fatty acid abnormalities in the patient’s system.

Lowering the Cost of Healthcare with CellMate^TM Reports

Can the CellMate™ Report help to lower the cost of health care in America and increase the overall health of its citizens? Yes it can!

Changing health habits, improving nutritional intake and overall health promotion has been shown to drastically cut health care costs. Fries, Koop, et al, demonstrated in a recent article that not only is it important in providing health care services more efficiently but we need to look at the economic benefits of improving health as well.¹ CellMate™ Reports can help lower the total cost of health care by assisting practitioners in improving the health of their patients.

The first issue is whether health promotion is beneficial. McCormick and Skrabanek argue that by lowering risk factors in cardiovascular disease you don’t affect mortality rates.² Fries, Green, and Levine argue that it isn’t just life extension that we should be looking at, but we should be trying to "extend active life expectancy."³ Numerous other studies have since reported that health promotion is beneficial not only to economic health but to the well-being of the individual.^{4, 5, 6, 7}

The problem with many of the recommendations made by public health authorities is that they are population based, not individualized. For example, lowering cholesterol, while generally an important factor in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, may be ill advised for those with low serum cholesterol (<160 mg/dL).⁸ Also, patient compliance with instructions to modify the patient’s risk factors is an issue. The physician needs a mechanism that helps improve patient compliance with their instructions, whether it is nutritional, lifestyle or the taking of medications. The CellMate™ Report was developed in part to provide that mechanism.

Research shows that increasing the participation of individuals in their health care choices and education, increases compliance. One goal of the CellMate™ Report is to educate the patient on the status of their health and to get them involved in the treatment program recommended by their health care practitioner. By using easy-to-read graphical representations of the data along with detailed explanations behind nutritional supplement recommendations, additional testing required and panel descriptions, the patient feels more comfortable following the proposed treatment and lifestyle changes.

A number of practitioners using the CellMate™ Report reported an increase in patient compliance not only relating to the recommendations in the Report but also with other instructions given to the patient. Evans, Rogers, Peden, et al, showed that educational programs which included prompting through a blood test (cholesterol, in this case) increased (nearly doubled) the frequency of physician counseling visits and increased the likelihood that the patient would follow through on recommended dietary changes.⁹ Using a prompting mechanism such as the CellMate™ Blood Test Report can improve the value and efficacy of any clinical intervention used on the patient and will increase the number of office visits for the patient.

When you consider that the United States spends over $492,444 every second on direct and indirect costs associated with heart attacks and stroke alone, spending $200-500 yearly, per person, to prevent the occurrence of a heart attack makes sound economic sense. Additionally, consider the increase in productivity and active life. Clearly, using CellMate™ Reports makes good economic sense. The government is also in the midst of a major 5-year study to find ways to promote health and lower the cost of health care to senior citizens who will increase in number from 34 million today to an estimated 68 million by the year 2030.¹⁰ The time is ripe to begin the education process and improve the health status of the patient by using the CellMate™ Report.

The direction of health care today is towards health promotion. CellMate™ Reports are on the forefront of that trend. Not only does it make sense clinically, it makes good business sense for the health care practitioner looking for ways to increase income. Let us show you how to use CellMate™ to make your practice grow while helping your patients at the same time. CellMate™ Reports help you to practice more efficiently, effectively, and profitably.
______________________________
¹ Fries JF, Koop CE, Sokolov J, Beadle CE and Wright D: Beyond health promotion: Reducing need and demand for medical care, Health Affairs, March/April 1998, Vol. 17, No. 2, 70-84.
² McCormick J, Skrabanek P: Coronary heart disease is not preventable by population interventions, Lancet, 1988; ii: 839-41.
³ Fries JF, Green LW, and Levine S: Health promotion and the compression of morbidity, Lancet, March 4, 1988; 481-483.
⁴ De Leeum E: Concepts in health promotion: The notion of relativism, Soc Sci Med, 1989, Vol. 29, No 11, 1281-88.
⁵ Hollander RB and Lengermann JJ: Corporate characteristics and worksite health promotion programs: Survey findings from Fortune 500 companies, Soc Sci Med, 1988, Vol. 26, No 5, 491-501.
⁶ Wood D: European and American recommendations for coronary heart disease prevention, Eur Heart J, 19 Suppl A (): A12-9, February 1998.
⁷ Van Horn L and Kavey RE: Diet and cardiovascular disease prevention: what works? Ann Behav Med, 19(3):197-212, Summer 1997.
⁸ Hulley SB, Walsh JMB, and Newman TB: Health policy on blood cholesterol: time to change directions, Circulation, Vol. 86, No. 3, September 1992.
⁹ Evans AT, Rogers LQ, Peden JG, et al: Teaching dietary counseling skills to residents: patient and physician outcomes. The CADRE study group, Am J Prev Med, 12(4):259-65, Jul-Aug 1996.
¹⁰ Department of Health and Human Services, Press release, October 15, 1998.

The World Of Medical Research

Iodine deficiency has quadrupled in the past 20 years.

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism recently reported a disturbing trend in the United States that suggests iodine deficiency is on the rise. Dr. Joseph G. Hollowell of the Center for Disease Control noted that in 1971-74 the percentage of Americans with iodine deficiency was only 2.6% whereas the NHANES III survey conducted between 1988-94 showed the percentage of iodine deficient Americans increasing to 11.7%. The most disturbing data to come out of the study was that iodine deficient pregnant women grew from 1% to 7% in the same time frame. Iodine deficiency has been shown to be a causative factor in "irreversible intellectual deficits."

Co-investigator Dr. Richard Jackson stated "For the last 50 years, physicians in the United States have seen little or no iodine deficiency, however, we cannot assume that it can no longer happen here." Recommendations for iodine (potassium iodide) are included in the CellMate™ 1002-40 Blood Test Report (call for details).

Folate deficiency and heart attack risk

Adding to the ever-increasing mountain of evidence showing that inadequate amounts of folate may be a risk factor in heart disease comes a study indicating that "low levels of folic acid are closely related to the occurrence of acute heart attacks," according to Greek physician Dr. Lampros Michalis. The study went further to state: "We studied the difference in blood levels of cholesterol and vitamins in these three groups of patients and found that blood cholesterol or the subfractions of cholesterol seem to have little association with the incidence of heart attack." The study reported that those diagnosed with coronary heart disease and low levels of folate had a probability of heart attack 1.7 times greater than those with normal folate levels.

Is Tourette’s syndrome caused by a streptococcal infection?

Researchers reported that those children with a genetic predisposition to Tourette’s syndrome may have the symptoms triggered by a streptococcal infection. The report was presented at the 5^th International Congress of Movement Disorders in New York.

The study looked at 41 children with Tourette’s and found that they had sudden onsets of the symptoms associated with the disease after being infected with strep. The precise mechanism that may be causing this phenomenon is being studied in order to develop treatment protocols.

Are you at risk for Alzheimer’s with elevated homocysteine levels or low serum B₁₂ and folate?

Dr. A. David Smith of the University of Oxford presented findings at the American Medical Association’s 17^th Annual Science Reporters Conference that individuals with homocysteine levels above 14 micromoles/L were 4.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Interestingly, the report indicated an increase in risk for Alzheimer’s in patients with decreased serum B₁₂ and folate (4.3 and 3.3 times,
respectively). No definitive causative relationship was reported and the researchers cautioned against any recommendations derived from the study, but adding homocysteine testing to the battery of tests performed on those at risk may be called for. The CellMate™ Blood Test Report can help interpret results from homocysteine levels.

Can polyunsaturated fats inhibit Helicobacter pylori growth?

A group of researchers from Howard University College of Medicine reported that in laboratory tests, certain polyunsaturated fats can inhibit the growth of Heliobacter Pylori. They tested linoleic acid, olive oil, sunflower oil, fish oil, coconut oil, and palm oil at different concentrations. They found, according to Dr. Duane Smoot, that, "only exposure to 30% olive oil, sunflower oil and fish oil significantly inhibited H. Pylori growth." Previous research has shown that oils rich in polyunsaturated fats have also inhibited bacterial growth in the laboratory. This study may have important implications in the treatment of H. Pylori in patients in the future. Ask how the CellMate™ Red Cell Fatty Acid Test Report can help reveal imbalances in the levels of polyunsaturated fats in your patients.

Doctors need more training in the field of nutrition

According to an article in a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (October 1998:68) a consortium of experts from various fields of nutrition reported that a very low percentage (6%) of medical school graduates receive adequate nutrition training. Dr. Connie Weaver, President of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, stated that, "people want their physicians to be knowledgeable enough to help them sort through the flood of information on nutrition." The CellMate™ Report section on nutrition will help you keep up-to-date on the vastly changing world of nutritional research.

Are Americans vitamin C deficient?

In the latest Journal of the American College of Nutrition (1998;17:366-70) vitamin C deficiency was shown in 30% of 494 people and a further 6.3% were severely deficient. Because of the startling findings, the research team recommended that further study of the US population was in order. Vitamin C is one of the nutritional recommendations in the CellMate™ Blood Test Report.

Announcing a U.S. Patent for Our CellMate^TM Reports

On May 5, 1998, Carbon Based Corporation was awarded patent #5,746,204 by the U.S Patent and Trademark Office for its CellMate™ Report. The patent named inventor, originator and developer of the CellMate™ Report, Mark A. Schauss, who serves as the Director of Clinical Research and Product Development for Carbon Based Corporation, as the sole inventor. This further demonstrates that Carbon Based Corporation has the innovative staff providing the health care practitioner with the premier medical reporting service in the world.

Quick Notes:

• Internet address changes: Our internet domain can be accessed from www.carbonbased.com
• Insurance Billing Forms: Looking for insurance coverage when using our tests and reports? We'll help you with the proper codes and procedures to get the highest level of reimbursement possible.

If you have any suggestions which would allow us to serve you better, or improve the reports, please let us know!

Mission:

"CellMate Wellness Systems^TM mission is to be the premier
medical research reporting service by continuously researching data
and presenting it in an accurate, easy-to-use and cost effective form."

Home | About Us | News | Products | Information & Resources |  Contact Us

CellMate Wellness Systems 785 Southwood Blvd., #1 P.O. Box 4549 Incline Village, NV 89451 Phone: 775-832-8485 Fax: 775-832-8488 Company Information: info@carbonbased.com Web Site Comments: webmaster@carbonbased.com

Copyright © 1996-2002 Carbon Based Corporation. All rights reserved.