Q: Im considering having my own stem cells injected into me to improve physical and mental problems that I am having post-COVID-19 infection. What do you think?
James D., Huntington, N.Y.
A: Theres been a lot of talk about using what are called autologous stem cells (your own) to fight off COVID-19 long-haul symptoms, as well as to treat everything from torn ligaments to Alzheimers disease. None is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The only stem-cell-based products that are FDA-approved come from blood-forming stem cells (hematopoietic progenitor cells) derived from cord blood and theyre for treating disorders involving production of blood (the hematopoietic system). A list is at fda.gov; search for Approved Cellular and Gene Therapy Products.
In fact, stem cell/regenerative medicine treatment scams are so prevalent that this spring the FDA finally told manufacturers and marketers that they had to comply with regulations on human cell and tissue products. Unfortunately, a June report from Pew Trust found compliance by the companies and enforcement from the FDA to be anemic.
What the report did find was that more than 700 clinics in the U.S. offer unapproved stem-cell and regenerative medicine interventions for conditions such as Alzheimers, muscular dystrophy, autism, spinal cord injuries and, most recently, COVID-19. They also found post-injection infection happens frequently and is likely because of sloppily manufactured products and failure to properly screen for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C.
If youre considering stem-cell treatment, the FDA urges you to ask the clinic for the following info before getting it even if the stem cells are your own:
Proof the FDA has reviewed and approved the treatment. Have your primary care doc confirm the information.
If the clinic is claiming it has an FDA-issued Investigational New Drug application number, ask for it and ask to review the FDA communication acknowledging the IND.
Stem-cell treatment has great potential, but when used for unapproved therapies outside a clinical trial, its risky (and expensive). To search for a trial, go to clinicaltrials.gov.
Q: My doctor says my high blood pressure puts me at increased risk for dementia. I think hes just trying to get me on one more med. Is there really a connection?
Lacie R., Sacramento, Calif.
A: Dementia means that you have cognition problems that cause trouble with memory, thought and everyday tasks. That could result from mini- or regular strokes, and we know that high blood pressure increases your stroke risk. In fact, one Harvard study found that high blood pressure increases a mans risk of stroke by 220 percent; another found that each 10 mmHg rise in systolic pressure (the top number) boosts your risk of ischemic stroke by 28 percent and of hemorrhagic stroke by 38 percent.
Even if your high blood pressure doesnt trigger a stroke, it can lead to impaired cognition and dementia. The 2018 SPRINT-MIND trial found that intensive control of high blood pressure (getting the top number below 120) lowered the risk of mild cognitive impairment by 19 percent compared with standard blood pressure control. Now, a new study in the journal Hypertension indicates that certain antihypertensive medications ACE inhibitors and ARBs (and angiotensin II receptor blockers) can cross the blood-brain barrier and lower dementia risk. Tracking almost 13,000 people for three years, the researchers found that folks taking those meds showed less memory loss than folks taking other sorts of antihypertensive medications.
You dont indicate how high your blood pressure is, but if it is only slightly elevated you may be able to bring it down through changing your diet, losing weight if you need to and exercising for 30 to 60 minutes five days a week. If it is above 125 (top number) or above 85 (bottom number), a combo of those self-care techniques and medication may be the safest choice. But either way, bringing your blood pressure to around 115/75 will protect your brain, as well as your heart, kidneys and eyes.
Contact Drs. Oz and Roizen at sharecare.com.
The rest is here:
Stemming the tide of stem-cell treatment scams - Houston Chronicle
- Drug Prototype Promising in Treatment of Pulmonary Disease - Medscape - April 20th, 2024
- Man Paralyzed In Surfing Accident Regains Ability to Walk After Stem Cell Treatment - The Inertia - April 20th, 2024
- Medical breakthrough: 8-year-old boy first in New York to receive FDA-approved gene therapy for rare inherited blood disorder - WABC-TV - April 20th, 2024
- Stem Cell Treatment Helped A Man Who Was Paralyzed From The Neck Down To Stand On His Own - Bored Panda - April 20th, 2024
- UM, CUHK jointly hold symposium on stem cells and regenerative medicine - gcs.gov.mo - April 20th, 2024
- Paralysed patient now able to walk as stem cell therapy shows promising results - WION - April 15th, 2024
- Andrew Steele Sees Aging as the Root of Disease - Worth - Worth Magazine - April 15th, 2024
- The astonishing effect of stem cell implants - as groundbreaking treatment 'transforms' life for those with brain damage ... - Daily Mail - April 15th, 2024
- Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products Including Stem Cells - FDA.gov - April 13th, 2024
- This Startup Wants To Be OpenAI Of Stem Cell Therapy, Targets $250B Market - Forbes - April 13th, 2024
- Brain-cell transplants are the newest experimental epilepsy treatment - MIT Technology Review - April 3rd, 2024
- Global Regenerative Medicine Market to Touch Valuation of USD 472.95 Billion by 2032, at 25.86% CAGR: Astute ... - Yahoo Finance - April 1st, 2024
- Explosive Growth Projected for Stem Cell Market, Expected to Surpass $37 Billion by 2030 As Revealed In New... - WhaTech - April 1st, 2024
- Integrating New Therapies With Autologous Stem Cell Transplant in Myeloma - Targeted Oncology - April 1st, 2024
- New tool provides researchers with improved understanding of stem cell aging in the brain - Medical Xpress - March 30th, 2024
- The ISSCR announces 2024 election results - EurekAlert - March 28th, 2024
- Exosomes and Stem Cells Are the Future of Anti-Aging - NewBeauty Magazine - March 28th, 2024
- Charles River Extends Gene Therapy Alliance with NUS Medicine - Contract Pharma - March 22nd, 2024
- Exciting opportunities in stem cell technology and regenerative biology in Indian healthcare industry - Express Healthcare - March 22nd, 2024
- Charles River Announces Extension of Gene Therapy Manufacturing Alliance with NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine - Yahoo Finance - March 22nd, 2024
- Opinion: The revolutionary sickle cell therapies - MSN - March 22nd, 2024
- 10 Years of Kansas Regenerative Medicine Center - KSAL - March 22nd, 2024
- BioCardia and StemCardia Announce Biotherapeutic Delivery Partnership - Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology - March 17th, 2024
- Cynata Therapeutics' breakthrough in regenerative medicine - Finance News Network - March 17th, 2024
- New Positive Data Presented on Briquilimab Conditioning in Patients with Fanconi Anemia - GlobeNewswire - March 17th, 2024
- Novel 3D stem cell therapy to treat critical limb ischaemia - Drug Target Review - March 15th, 2024
- Breaking Boundaries: Pharmicell's Bold Vision for Healthcare Transformation and Monumental Growth - The Worldfolio - March 15th, 2024
- CuSTOM Organoid Research Evolving From Tool to Treatment - Research Horizons - Research Horizons - March 15th, 2024
- BioCardia and StemCardia Announce Partnership to Deliver Cell-Gene Therapy for Remuscularization of Heart - Cath Lab Digest - March 15th, 2024
- Calidi Biotherapeutics and City of Hope Announce Funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine ... - Business Wire - March 13th, 2024
- Iron restriction keeps blood stem cells young, researchers find - Phys.org - March 13th, 2024
- Vitamin A could have a key role in both stem cell biology and wound healing: Study - Medical Dialogues - March 9th, 2024
- Trends in Stem Cell Transplantation Refusal for Myeloma Treatment - Targeted Oncology - March 7th, 2024
- Stem Cell Therapy Market (CAGR) of 31.1%, Future of Market Size Emerging Technologies and their Impact on ... - Taiwan News - March 7th, 2024
- This Swedish startup wants to reduce the cost, and controversy, around stem cell production - TechCrunch - March 6th, 2024
- Advancing stem cell therapy: The regulatory process to get to clinical trials - The Economic Times - March 6th, 2024
- Transitioning from traditional surgical methods to the innovative use of stem cells - pharmaphorum - March 6th, 2024
- 'Mini organs' are grown from human stem cells taken during the late stages of pregnancy for the first time - m - Daily Mail - March 6th, 2024
- Stem cell transplant cures man of HIV and leukemia, one of five to achieve full remission - Fox 28 - March 3rd, 2024
- Stem Cell Therapy Market to Boost USD 137.5 Billion by 2034 and Projected to grow at 32.10% CAGR with increasing ... - Yahoo Finance - March 1st, 2024
- Studies expand use of stem cell therapies - WPLG Local 10 - March 1st, 2024
- Innovative therapy targets and destroys leukemia stem cells - News-Medical.Net - February 27th, 2024
- Unlocking the Potential of Stem Cells: The Medical Revolution of the Century - EIN News - February 27th, 2024
- Pelage Pharmaceuticals Announces $16.75M Series A Financing led by GV to Revolutionize Regenerative Medicine ... - Yahoo Finance - February 27th, 2024
- Say Her Name - Henrietta Lacks, The Real Mother Of Stem - Her Campus - February 27th, 2024
- California Man Free of HIV And Cancer in Astonishing Medical Recovery - ScienceAlert - February 25th, 2024
- $93 million for research into improved health for children, young people and the aged, medical devices, mental health ... - Department of Health - February 25th, 2024
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- Stem Cell Therapy: A Beacon of Hope for Patients with Untreatable Conditions - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Leading Experts in Stem Cell Therapy: A Global Overview - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Can Stem Cells Help Reverse the Effects of Aging? - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Stem Cell Therapy for Cancer: Hope on the Horizon? - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Stem Cells and Autism: A Closer Look at Innovative Treatments - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Regrowth and Restoration: The Science Behind Stem Cell Therapy for Hair - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Brain Recovery: The Role of Stem Cells in Stroke and Cerebral Palsy Treatments - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Turning Back the Clock: The Science of Stem Cells in Anti-Aging - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Insights into cellular therapies for cancer treatment - Drug Target Review - February 22nd, 2024
- The Role of Stem Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis Recovery - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Dr Ernesto Romeros vision transforms immunotherapy regenerative medicine into a global leader in stem cell treatment - Khaleej Times - February 22nd, 2024
- World-Renowned Doctors Leading the Way in Stem Cell Research and Treatment - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Choosing the Best: A Guide to America's Premier Stem Cell Therapy Providers - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Navigating Through the Possibilities of Stem Cell Treatment for Eye Disorders - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Global Leaders in Stem Cell Therapy: Where Excellence Meets Innovation - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Excellence in Stem Cell Treatment: How the US is Pioneering Global Healthcare Solutions - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Clarifying Memory Loss Treatments: The Role of Stem Cells - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
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- Top Stem Cell Clinics in the USA: Pioneering Treatments for Chronic Conditions - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Stem Cells and Autism: Understanding the Potential for Innovative Treatments - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Stopping the awakening of sleeping Acute Myeloid Leukaemia stem cells to prevent disease relapse - University of Birmingham - February 20th, 2024
- City of Hope Achieves Ground Breaking Treatment for Blood Cancer and HIV - Medriva - February 18th, 2024
- Regenerative Medicine Market Size to Worth USD 95 Billion by 2032 - InvestorsObserver - February 18th, 2024
- North America Organoids Market Projected to Reach US$ 5.35 Billion by 2030, Riding on a CAGR of 21.5% - GlobeNewswire - February 18th, 2024
- Chinese team tests lung treatment that may be first to reverse COPD damage - South China Morning Post - February 15th, 2024
- Why leukemic stem cells not harmed by chemotherapy begin to grow and produce AML cells after treatment - Medical Xpress - February 15th, 2024
- Regenerative Medicine Market is Expected to Reach $49.0 Billion | MarketsandMarkets - Yahoo Finance - February 15th, 2024
- Study finds interleukin-24 enhances CAR-T cell therapy's effectiveness against cancer stem cells - News-Medical.Net - February 15th, 2024
- Oldest Patient 'Cured' of HIV Still in Remission 5 Years After Transplant for AML - Medpage Today - February 15th, 2024
- Drug used for cocaine addiction may pave way for new treatment of advanced colon cancer - EurekAlert - February 15th, 2024
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