International journal of Complementary and Internal Medicine

Effects of Glycemic Index on Neuroplasticity, Systemic Inflammation and Epigenetic Longevity in Man and Animals

Orien L Tulp — 2025-06-13

The pathophysiologic sequelae of systemic inflammation is a common observation in obesity and T2DM and contributes to the stigmata of the comorbidities linked to the disorder. Multiple factors contribute to the systemic inflammation, including elements of lifestyle, dietary macronutrient, micronutrient, and caloric intake, genetic predisposition, and the magnitude of the excess body fat accretion. The interaction between epigenetic metabolic factors and the above contributors remains unclear but include the quantity, type and glycemic index of the carbohydrates consumed. Carbohydrates with a high glycemic index contribute to greater excursions in glycemic and insulinogenic parameters, increase the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and contribute to neuronal dysregulation and epigenetic senescence in man and animals.

Narrative Review of Vitamin D and its Health Enhancing Potential in Older Sarcopenic Adults with or at Risk for Osteoarthritis

Ray Marks — 2025-06-13

Background: Sarcopenia, a well-established aging correlate impacting muscle and bone mass deficits induces widespread and seemingly intractable and progressive negative impacts on health and longevity in all parts of the world, especially, among older adults with chronic health conditions.

Aim: The first aim of this article was to examine, summarize, synthesize, and report on the health condition osteoarthritis and its impact and sarcopenic attributes. A second was to uncover if vitamin-D may avert this age associated muscle strength and mass declines in older cases with osteoarthritis. A third was to provide directives for researchers or professionals who work or are likely to work in this realm in the future.

Methods: All English language relevant publications detailing the possible efficacy of vitamin D as an intervention strategy for minimizing sarcopenia in osteoarthritis cases as published between 2020-2025. Relevant articles were carefully examined and those meeting the review criteria were carefully read, and described in narrative form.

Results: Collectively, these data reveal vitamin D is a powerful steroid like compound that is required by the body to help many life affirming physiological functions, including optimal muscle and bone mass processes, but its deficiency may seriously impact the health status and well being of the older adult and others, especially those suffering from sarcopenia.

Conclusion: Since vitamin D is not manufactured by the body directly, ensuring those older adults at high risk for multiple disabling osteoarthritis disease outcomes have access to safe vitamin D exposures may expect clients will benefit physically as well as mentally.

Integrative medicine in the recovery of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome

Tomás Trevisan — 2025-06-10

Introduction: The pandemic caused by COVID-19 in early 2020 impacted public health worldwide. In addition to the disease itself, there are long-lasting symptoms that characterize the Acute Post-COVID-19 Syndrome, which involves a wide spectrum of symptoms and directly affects the quality of life of patients, being integrative and complementary practices, important allies in the restoration of health in these cases.

Objective: To measure the impact of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) intervention, through the Gonzalez protocol, in patients with acute post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Methods: The present study is characterized by a series of cases of patients who presented sequelae of COVID-19 in whom consecutive sessions of TCM techniques were performed through the Gonzalez protocol (acupuncture, moxibustion, bloodletting and cupping) and the impact was measured using the tools Verbal Analog Scale (VAS) for the intensity of reported symptoms, WHOQOL-bref for quality of life and pulse and tongue analysis according to TCM for energetic evaluation.

Results: After the end of the sessions there was a drop in mean VAS from 7.6 to 2.4 (p=0.035) and a perception of improvement in patients' quality of life. There was a change in the characteristics of the tongue throughout the treatment, which started with a purple color becoming pink with a whitish tartness at the end, and the pulse remained constant during the sessions.

Conclusion: The use of TCM practices was successful in reducing persistent complaints caused by COVID infection, positively impacting the quality of life of these patients.

Chronic Stress: The Master Hallmark of Aging

Stephen Sideroff — 2025-06-13

Chronic stress is a pervasive force in modern life, significantly impacting emotional well-being and physical health. This paper explores the profound effects of chronic stress on aging, positioning it as the master hallmark of aging. Chronic stress affects emotional regulation and cognitive functioning. It is also linked to various physical illnesses, including heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, autoimmune symptoms, and contributing to accelerated aging markers. This paper discusses the central role of chronic stress in the psychoneurobiology of aging and the imbalance between the sympathetic arousal and parasympathetic recovery branches of the nervous system, leading to autonomic dysregulation. This dysregulation causes all systems in the body to work harder, generating more wear and tear and toxic waste products and leading to a breakdown in adaptation. The paper identifies the "Four Horsemen of Chronic Stress"— evolutionary mismatch, developmental lessons from childhood, the stress-success association, and conditioned stressors—as key structural factors driving chronic stress and autonomic imbalance. It also examines the impact of chronic stress on the 12 hallmarks of aging. While not presenting an exhaustive review of all the relevant evidence, this paper is focused on establishing the fundamental role of chronic stress in modulating the process of aging, along with a comprehensive model of resilience that incorporates all factors important in restoring and maintaining organismic balance and optimal adaptability and function.

Literature Review and Case Report: Primary/Tropical Pyomiositis of the Gluteus Muscle in Colombia

María José Viera Contreras — 2025-07-10

Introduction: Skin infections can reach deep layers, such as muscle fascia, and are classified into necrotizing fasciitis and pyomyositis. Primary pyomyositis can develop due to hematogenous infection, being rare and its main etiology being S. aureus. The clinical presentation is more common in men and associated with tropical regions.
Case presentation: A 61-year-old diabetic woman presents with a deep infection in the right buttock, with fever and purulent discharge, preceded by a poorly treated ulcer on the finger. The findings suggest necrotizing fasciitis, but primary pyomyositis due to methicillin resistant S. haemolyticus is confirmed, requiring surgical drainage and antibiotic treatment.
Discussion: Pyomyositis is an acute muscle bacterial infection, rarely primary, more common in diabetics. The patient presents a typical clinical course, with risk of systemic complications. Pyomyositis primarily affects large muscles, such as the gluteus, and is mostly caused by S. aureus, but dual infection with coagulase-negative S. may occur.

Effects of the Phytopolyphenol Resveratrol as a Therapeutic Adjunct in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia Management

Orien L Tulp — 2025-07-22

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia are among the most common forms of hemoglobinopathy and life-threatening genetic diseases worldwide, necessitating the need for more effective and cost-effective therapies to treat these disorders. SCD occurs due to a single amino acid substitution of Valine for Glutamic acid in the β-chain subunit to form the sickle cell (HbS) variant. Hydroxyurea (HU) is currently the only disease modifying drug approved for SCD, while advances in gene editing processes have also recently been introduced but their clinical use is not yet widely therapeutically available. HU is a ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor and fetal hemoglobin (Hb F; α2γ2) inducer that can reduce the clinical symptoms and frequency of hospitalizations for SCD, but it falls short of being a curative therapy and must be continued indefinitely in SCD patients. The efficacy of HU in the management of thalassemia and SCD is generally attributed to its limited ability to boost the levels of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F, α2γ2) in RBCs, and provide a partially protective mechanism for the sickle reaction which ultimately damages the blood vessels, thereby contributory to the major pathophysiologic clinical signs and symptoms and decreased lifespan associated with the SCD disorder. Thus, we propose that partial amelioration of SCD hemoglobin (HbS) with fetal hemoglobin via pharmacologic effects of trans-resveratrol (RSV), a naturally occurring
phytochemical, may become a benefit to the patient since HbF is not susceptible to the disordered intracellular VO2-linked hemoglobin (HbS) polymerization often referred to as the sickling reaction during HbS deoxygenation. Accordingly, RSV would thereby limit the subsequent vessel damage due to small vessel occlusion which occurs due to HbS and thus should be able to improve patient outcomes by reducing the magnitude of ROS damage in addition to diminishing the ratio of cells that are susceptible to sickling reactions vs. the sickle-protected fetal-hemoglobin containing cells. In addition, RSV may also provide beneficial impacts on the sickle cell anemia (SCA) by prolonging erytrocyte survival that typically accompanies the disorder. Thus, RSV may also be able to partially correct the effects linked to the globin chain imbalance in SCD patients, while at the same time facilitating oxygen transport to myoglobin in peripheral tissues due to a more favorable oxygen- delivering capacity than is observed in adult hemoglobin. Thus, in conclusion, RSV may be a useful and cost-effective phytochemical adjunct in the treatment of SCD and β-thalassemia, the two major heritable hemoglobinopathies of humans.