Managing Cardiovascular Diseases (May 2015) Townsend Letter, Alternative Medicine Magazine

From the Townsend Letter
May 2015

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Managing Cardiovascular Diseases
Ramblings of a Maniacal Frenetic: Pragmatic Reflections on Helping Patients Understand Their Illnesses and Treatments
by John Parks Trowbridge, MD, FACAM
Diplomate, American Board of Clinical Metal Toxicology

Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

What More Is There To Learn?
Absolutely everything. The practitioner has three essential tasks. First, to learn what needs to be known about diagnosing and treating the conditions he/she holds himself out to treat. Second, to establish and oversee proper treatment programs. And third, to effectively explain to the patient and family "what it is and how we're treating it," as often as needed.

Reflecting on a lifetime career of treating "all comers," including those with cardiovascular diseases of all kinds (including two patients who were removed from the heart transplant list, due to startling improvements), I find myself struggling to offer comments of value to other practitioners. Most everyone knows the first and second tasks quite well, at least well enough to achieve basic improvements for patients. What matters, then, might be efforts to learn just a little more about how to explain the situation to the patient and family. My methods have been successful on many levels, with patients from all backgrounds, with all conditions, and at all levels of presenting severity.

As we strive to learn better to take care of our patients, let us strive also to learn better how to make what we do make sense to those whose world depends on our "doing it right."

If you doubt the relevance of these concepts I've presented … just try them! See whether patients are more receptive to your ideas of diagnosis and treatment. See whether they are more compliant – and whether they continue for maintenance programs moving them toward years of more robust health and longer, more rewarding, and vital independent and comfortable living. If you don't try them in your practice but instead ignore that they have any value, may you be blessed by this wonderful quote from Founding Father Benjamin Franklin: "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain – and most fools do."

Enough of my foolishness.

© 2015 John Parks Trowbridge

Notes
1.   Samsel A, Seneff S. Glyphosate's suppression of cytochrome p450 enzymes and amino acid biosynthesis by the gut microbiome: pathways to modern diseases. Entropy. 2013;15(4):1416–1463.
2.   Seelig M. Magnesium Deficiency in the Pathogenesis of Disease: Early Roots of Cardiovascular, Skeletal, and Renal Abnormalities. Springer; 2012.
3.   Shahid A, Wilkinson K, Marcu S, Shapiro CM, eds. STOP, THAT and One Hundred Other Sleep Scales. New York: Springer-Verlag; 2012:317–318.
4.   Bircher J. Towards a dynamic definition of health and disease. Med Health Care Philos. 2005;8:335–341

Dr. Trowbridge respectfully dedicates this article to the memory of his recently deceased friend and supportive colleague of more than 30 years, Jimmy F. Howell, MD, professor of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine for over 50 years and one of the distinguished pioneers in vascular surgery. Dr. Howell joined senior colleague H. Edward Garrett in performing the first successful coronary artery bypass operation in 1964. While director of the Vascular Surgery Training Program at Baylor and the Methodist Hospital in Houston, he oversaw the education of numerous leading national and international vascular surgeons. Dr. Howell graciously shared the podium at our 1996 public chelation celebration, "The Rumble in Humble: Heart Surgery and All that JAZZ!"

John Trowbridge John Parks Trowbridge MD, has been certified since 1985 as a chelation diplomate by the American Board of Clinical Metal Toxicology, for which he has served as secretary. A fellow of the American College for Advancement in Medicine, he has served as director, officer, or president of several varied medical and lay associations. Popular as a professional and public speaker, he coauthored Bantam's bestselling The Yeast Syndrome, along with books on chelation and other topics and over 4 dozen CDs and DVDs. An interview published in the just-released book Chelation and Other Detox Methods to Save Your Life! presents chelation perspectives gathered over 32 years of offering this superb treatment. He provides a broad array of integrative medical therapies for challenging illness and injury problems at his solo practice, Life Celebrating Health in Humble (Houston), Texas: jptlch@earthlink.net, 800-FIX-PAIN, www.healthCHOICESnow.com.

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