Geographic distributions of MC in the U.S
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Geographic distributions of MC in the U.S
Hi, I found this interesting that the states of highest incidence were in the hot climates. Does dehydration play an important role? Why me, I live in a New England. Did many years of taking a thaizide contribute to the MC? Not only did it remove water it depleted many electrolytes, potassium, magnesium and zinc. The site is " Geographic distributions of microscopic colitis and inflammatory disease in the United States" www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22374913. Jon
I just read something about IBS patients react more in warm weather wondering does that include MC.....it was on Heather's IBS site saying that heat placed on the gut helps, but that does not mean you are better in warm weather....in fact IBS symptoms are worse in warm, muggy weather. Oh brother, I live in Southwest Florida. 
Everything will be ok in the end, if it's not ok, it's not the end.
Hi Jon,
I notice that study was done by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. Unfortunately, while the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America is very good at collecting money to support UC and Crohn's disease, they know precious little about MC, and I dispute their claims about the distribution of MC. Clearly, their data are skewed.
If you want to see how I can make that claim, just click on the ClustrMaps image that's displayed at the bottom right of each page of this discussion board, to see an enlarged version. That little widget displays the total number of visitors to this site. As you can see, the distribution of viewers who come to this discussion board clearly contradicts the claims made in the article about the demographics of MC.
In that image, each larger dot size represents an increase by a multiple of 10. Look at the list of states, to see how they rank. The authors got California and Florida right (because those are high-population states), but they missed all the rest. How could they overlook Texas and New York, yet they are near the top of the list? Look at how far down the list New Mexico and Nevada are ranked (because those are low-population states).
It appears to me that rather than being concentrated in the South and Southwest (as the article claims), the numbers are concentrated in all of the primary population centers of the country. Rather than the numbers being low in the Northeast, for example (where the article claimed they are minimal), as a region, the number of viewers of this board are the highest. That suggests that the distribution of MC in this country is merely a function of the general population density, rather than being somehow connected to various regions for other reasons. IOW, wherever you find the most people, you will find the most MC.
Clearly, CCFA doesn't know beans about MC. But that's just my opinion, of course.
Tex
I notice that study was done by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. Unfortunately, while the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America is very good at collecting money to support UC and Crohn's disease, they know precious little about MC, and I dispute their claims about the distribution of MC. Clearly, their data are skewed.
If you want to see how I can make that claim, just click on the ClustrMaps image that's displayed at the bottom right of each page of this discussion board, to see an enlarged version. That little widget displays the total number of visitors to this site. As you can see, the distribution of viewers who come to this discussion board clearly contradicts the claims made in the article about the demographics of MC.
In that image, each larger dot size represents an increase by a multiple of 10. Look at the list of states, to see how they rank. The authors got California and Florida right (because those are high-population states), but they missed all the rest. How could they overlook Texas and New York, yet they are near the top of the list? Look at how far down the list New Mexico and Nevada are ranked (because those are low-population states).
It appears to me that rather than being concentrated in the South and Southwest (as the article claims), the numbers are concentrated in all of the primary population centers of the country. Rather than the numbers being low in the Northeast, for example (where the article claimed they are minimal), as a region, the number of viewers of this board are the highest.
That suggests that the distribution of MC in this country is merely a function of the general population density, rather than being somehow connected to various regions for other reasons. IOW, wherever you find the most people, you will find the most MC. Clearly, CCFA doesn't know beans about MC. But that's just my opinion, of course.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Jon, I think your expectations are way way too high, near impossible...A cure to eliminate it
Given the role of genetics in people with IBD's, the damage is done.
We can't reverse or fix that to eliminate MC
IMO, the best we can hope for is milder symptoms. And that people do not spend long periods with chronic symptoms.
In the past week I leant that both my grandmothers did not tolerate dairy.
And my grandfather had digestive issues in his 50's
That confirmed to me that there were issues in the genetics on both sides of my parents in regards to food intolerances back in the 1930's.
Add to that the issues mum had when she was pregnant with me, it wasn't a case of if I got an IBD, it was when.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Hi Gabes, I will never give up on a cure. When, I was dx with FSH muscular dystrophy, I was told by the doctor there is no treatment or cure. My response to him was " How did I develop large quads and hamstrings working out everyday if I have this disease". But what happened to start the muscle loss? Many doses of a antibiotic before and after dental work and extreme stress. So what came first the chicken or the egg. I believe it was the MC. Why, because the medical definition of dystrophy is "defective and faulty nutrition, especially in the muscular dystrophies". Recently, a study from France revealed the first treatment of FSHD. It is a diet based treatment with antioxidant foods and supplements. Currently, I am taking the supplements and adding more antioxidant foods and have noticed a increase in strength. I have reached ninety minutes on my stationary bike at the highest resistance with no recovery time. But, what I have found attending FSHD support groups is that everybody wants a magic pill. Nobody wants to change their diet. The MC uses up allot of energy fighting the inflammation and when there is no energy from the diet the body will catabolize muscle for the energy. In reading posts on this site many people experience fatigue and low energy levels. One common issue is that in both MC and FSHD, is "Sugar". I have talked to many people with FSHD that complain that they feel weak after drinking a can of soda or eating a dessert. Researchers in FSHD have implicated retro-virus and retro genes that exist in our germlines for the possible cause of the genetic mutation. HIV is one of the diseases cause by a retro virus. Jon
IMO, the best we can hope for is milder symptoms. And that people do not spend long periods with chronic symptoms.
I hear you Gabes. My dad had a horrible gut. He would pat his painful tummy with his hand. He lived on Maalox for years. He likely had undiagnosed H. Pylori, and also had colon cancer late in life. My maternal grandmother coughed exactly the way I do. She called it choking. She lived on Mylanta. I have two sisters and both have been on PPIs for years.
In the past week I leant that both my grandmothers did not tolerate dairy.
And my grandfather had digestive issues in his 50's
That confirmed to me that there were issues in the genetics on both sides of my parents in regards to food intolerances back in the 1930's.
Add to that the issues mum had when she was pregnant with me, it wasn't a case of if I got an IBD, it was when.
I hear you Gabes. My dad had a horrible gut. He would pat his painful tummy with his hand. He lived on Maalox for years. He likely had undiagnosed H. Pylori, and also had colon cancer late in life. My maternal grandmother coughed exactly the way I do. She called it choking. She lived on Mylanta. I have two sisters and both have been on PPIs for years.
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
DJ,
My mum has just stopped taking PPI, nexium, after being on them constantly for five years.
She has been gluten free for 2 months, and takes the half dose of H2 blocker (ranitidine ) each night.
There has been no gastric reflux.
Feeling better after ditching the gluten, she is pondering whether to go dairy free.
After my informative chats, she is also keen to avoid soy.
We are having low inflammation/low histamine meals.
Jon,
I admire your passion!!!
I don't have faith in the current medical systems of our countries to come up with the 'goods' to be able to eradicate haywire immune system / gut orientated symptoms/issues etc
While ever the treatment(s) for IBD and immune system conditions increase the profit for big pharma, there is limited scope for the right type of studies to actually occur, never mind occurring and being accepted by the medical fraternities
My mum has just stopped taking PPI, nexium, after being on them constantly for five years.
She has been gluten free for 2 months, and takes the half dose of H2 blocker (ranitidine ) each night.
There has been no gastric reflux.
Feeling better after ditching the gluten, she is pondering whether to go dairy free.
After my informative chats, she is also keen to avoid soy.
We are having low inflammation/low histamine meals.
Jon,
I admire your passion!!!
I don't have faith in the current medical systems of our countries to come up with the 'goods' to be able to eradicate haywire immune system / gut orientated symptoms/issues etc
While ever the treatment(s) for IBD and immune system conditions increase the profit for big pharma, there is limited scope for the right type of studies to actually occur, never mind occurring and being accepted by the medical fraternities
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Hi Gabes, I agree with you about the medical community. That is why I have gone to holistic medicine and always research any supplements they recommend because they tend to suggest way to many. But, while attending a medical conference a Boston researcher stated that " in forty years all babies will be tested for DNA defects. The first page of the report will list the defects and the second page will list the foods to avoid in order not to trigger the defect. When, I get my hair analysis report they always recommend save foods and foods to avoid." Another researcher from the same hospital stated that " we are born will ten to twelve defects ". A genetic counselor told me that now they can remove the the FSHD DNA defect after the cells start to grow outside of the womb and then implant the defect free cells. So, it may be possible in the future to have a child born with no defects passed on from past generations. This procedure is covered by some insurance plans. Jon
"Amen" to that.Gabes wrote:While ever the treatment(s) for IBD and immune system conditions increase the profit for big pharma, there is limited scope for the right type of studies to actually occur, never mind occurring and being accepted by the medical fraternities
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Jon,
I agree with your thoughts about the future. The public will demand that, whether Big Pharma likes it or not, and whether the medical establishment embraces it or not. IMO, there's little question that at some point in the (probably distant) future, dietary intervention will prevent autoimmune-type diseases from ever developing (that's a corollary of my own personal theory of how autoimmune disease develops).
But once an autoimmune-type disease develops, much of the damage is not reversible. As Gabes and DJ have already pointed out, the best that can be hoped for is to control the symptoms, stop the disease from progressing, and to try to minimize the chances of additional autoimmune-type diseases developing.
For example, I no longer have active arthritis (controlled by diet changes only), but the damage that resulted from my fingers growing crooked and twisted while the disease was active, is permanent, and those fingers will always be crooked and twisted. I will never have active arthritis again though, as long as I am in control of my diet. If I should slip up, and allow a little gluten into my diet, then the arthritis becomes active again (so clearly it is not "cured", nor will it ever be).
Regarding the extent of permanent damage, at one time (a few years ago), I thought that upon recovery, we would regain virtually all of our capacity for producing the enzymes needed for complete digestion of "normal" foods. Clearly, that isn't happening, because most of us find that we still have to limit the amounts of certain carbs and sugars in our diet no matter how long we have been in remission. If even our small intestine does not return to it's original histology after healing, then surely our colon doesn't, either (regardless of what the pathologists might say, after examining slides from biopsy samples of our intestines).
Tex
I agree with your thoughts about the future. The public will demand that, whether Big Pharma likes it or not, and whether the medical establishment embraces it or not. IMO, there's little question that at some point in the (probably distant) future, dietary intervention will prevent autoimmune-type diseases from ever developing (that's a corollary of my own personal theory of how autoimmune disease develops).
But once an autoimmune-type disease develops, much of the damage is not reversible. As Gabes and DJ have already pointed out, the best that can be hoped for is to control the symptoms, stop the disease from progressing, and to try to minimize the chances of additional autoimmune-type diseases developing.
For example, I no longer have active arthritis (controlled by diet changes only), but the damage that resulted from my fingers growing crooked and twisted while the disease was active, is permanent, and those fingers will always be crooked and twisted. I will never have active arthritis again though, as long as I am in control of my diet. If I should slip up, and allow a little gluten into my diet, then the arthritis becomes active again (so clearly it is not "cured", nor will it ever be).
Regarding the extent of permanent damage, at one time (a few years ago), I thought that upon recovery, we would regain virtually all of our capacity for producing the enzymes needed for complete digestion of "normal" foods. Clearly, that isn't happening, because most of us find that we still have to limit the amounts of certain carbs and sugars in our diet no matter how long we have been in remission. If even our small intestine does not return to it's original histology after healing, then surely our colon doesn't, either (regardless of what the pathologists might say, after examining slides from biopsy samples of our intestines).
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Tex, I had arthritis in my knees and shoulders and severe bone pain in my legs. One month after going g-f the pain was gone. A dental hygenist remarked to me about patients who had bleeding gums. She spoke to to them about going g-f and when they did and returned for the next cleaning the bleeding stopped. Jon
Yep, as I mentioned in the book, a lot of celiacs are diagnosed by alert dentists, who notice the thinning enamel. According to the fossil records, tooth decay and gum disease were virtually non-existent before the neolithic period (when gluten was introduced into the human diet).
Tex
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
agreed - eliminating gluten can reduce/remove symptoms for joints/teeth/gums etc.
as we know from quite a few people that have achieved good remission with the MC, a single event (generally not food related) can trigger the person into full flare.
the 'may be possible' approach to correct defect genes - it may be covered in the US by some insurance plans, but the Intellectual Property arguments are continuing regarding stem cell/genetic modification.
while ever it is a political and who can gain the most profit argument, the important part "Peoples health and wellness" will be buried and lost.
And quite likely, only the upper class income earners (?20% of the population) will be able to afford it.
as we know from quite a few people that have achieved good remission with the MC, a single event (generally not food related) can trigger the person into full flare.
the 'may be possible' approach to correct defect genes - it may be covered in the US by some insurance plans, but the Intellectual Property arguments are continuing regarding stem cell/genetic modification.
while ever it is a political and who can gain the most profit argument, the important part "Peoples health and wellness" will be buried and lost.
And quite likely, only the upper class income earners (?20% of the population) will be able to afford it.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama