{"id":"84833d1f-96be-44e4-a7de-a8128386defb","slug":"methodological-problems-with-population-cancer-studies-the-forgotten-confounding-factors","title":"Methodological problems with population cancer studies: The forgotten confounding factors","authors":["Russell L. Blaylock"],"abstract":"Among clinical physicians it is the population study that is considered to be the “gold standard” of medical evidence concerning acceptable treatments. As new information comes to light concerning the many variables and confounding factors that can affect such studies, many older studies lose much of their original impact. While newer population studies take into consideration a far greater number of confounding factors many are still omitted and a number of these omitted factors can have profound effects on interpretation and validity of the study. In this editorial, I will discuss some of the omitted confounding factors and demonstrate how they can alter the interpretation of these papers and their clinical application. In this paper Dr. Blaylock explores the scientific world of Natural Supplemental Molecular Agents and their effect on multiple metabolic systems and health and longevity. The term, Supplements, has received a bad reputation, and, thus, is regarded as a Pseudoscience. None of the Supplements that people take are regulated by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). Thus, the impression is that they are not rigorously investigated. In some cases that is correct, but there are a large number of well conducted scientific publications that indicate the molecular value of these agents in increasing longevity, lowering blood pressure, controlling diabetes, including a value in a wide variety of disease states. Many of these natural agents have been used for centuries with positive results, but the scientific basis for them was not known until recent experimentation. Natural Supplemental Molecular Agents is a rapidly developing field that will affect all of Medicine. Most physicians know little about nutrition for their patients. The 21st century will see a focus on the Healing and Repair of tissues. It is not enough to do surgery and “let the body heal by itself”. It is obvious that millions of cells pour into an injured site and produce substances that can be both beneficial and harmful to the organism. To support these cells requires large amounts of basic metabolic components that the patient does not receive after the injury or to prevent the consequences of injury. It is crucial for physicians to understand these processes that accompany the inflammatory response, so that the repair can be supplemented with the appropriate molecular agents and to ensure that the repair proceeds in the best way. It is common sense that supplementation of a deficiency in molecular agents needed for repair are key to recovery. Yet do we do this after surgery? No. Patients are on glucose and or saline after surgery and often do not eat for days. How logical is this treatment for a body with millions of cells needing nutritional supplementation? These agents extend from glucose, amino acids, transmitting agents, key ligands, signaling agents, molecules in the energy producing Krebs cycle and the mitochondrial energy chain and a knowledge of the complex set of processes that are released upon injury. Dr. Blaylock has written this paper, which explores the myths that have been propagated about these Natural Supplemental Molecular Agents and quotes many studies that have been done to support his view. There is a bias in the scientific community about Supplements; yet, a high percentage of the public uses them, but without the proper knowledge. Yes, companies profit from these sales. Supplements represent a 60 million dollar business in the USA. In addition, the success of Supplements is a threat to the Pharmaceutical industry and the money it spends on developing drugs with which Natural Supplemental Molecular Agents can compete on a less costly basis. Dr. Blaylock's paper exposes the complexity of developing treatments for many diseases and the necessity of multimodal therapy to impact the outcome whether using standard therapy or Natural Supplemental Molecular Agents. In the end one learns how complex this process of tissue repair is that we face in the 21st century. I believe that this paper will be a landmark publication in science.","thumbnailUrl":null,"publishDate":"2015-05-29T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.4103/2152-7806.157893","categories":["Editorial"],"fullTextUrl":"http://surgicalneurologyint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/6029/SNI-6-93.pdf"}