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Vitamin D may reduce risk of death from
COVID-19 by 64 percent

 

With the overwhelming amount of information (or disinformation!) out there concerning COVID-19 and the vaccinations now available, it can be frustrating trying to wade through the often-conflicting claims by health experts. At Bargas Wellness, we are dedicated to ensuring our patients have the best information possible, based on the latest scientific data, in order to make the best health decisions for you and your family. Several new study results have been recently released regarding the efficacy of the coronavirus vaccine and its duration of immunity. It appears that the vaccine is incredibly effective in preventing COVID-19 infection, including the new variant strains. There is also data to support the hope that immunity will not be short-lived. After reviewing this new data in-depth, I have a high level of confidence in the vaccine's efficacy and safety, and recommend that my patients who have not already been infected with the coronavirus get the vaccine when it becomes available to them. 
 
Aside from the importance of receiving a vaccine, I also want all of my patients to know about a treatment for COVID that reduced the risk of ICU admission by 82 percent and the risk of death by 64 percent in people who’ve already been hospitalized for a severe COVID-19 infection.

Vitamin D does just that. It’s also cheap, has no known side effects or risks, and is readily available around the world. 
study published at the end of January provides evidence that overwhelmingly supports the hypothesis that vitamin D lowers the risk of COVID-19 infection, severity, and death. 

Here are the highlights of the findings:
  • One hundred ten participants (11.8 percent) were admitted to the ICU. Of 551 patients treated with calcifediol at admission, 30 (5.4 percent) required the ICU, while 80 of 379 (21 percent) of nontreated patients required the ICU. Calcifediol treatment reduced the risk of ICU admission by 82 percent.
  • Baseline 25(OH)D levels were inversely correlated with ICU admission. Patients with 25(OH)D levels ≥20 ng/mL had a 55 percent lower risk of ICU admission than patients with 25(OH)D levels ≤20 ng/mL.
  • Treatment with calcifediol reduced COVID-19 mortality by 64 percent—even after adjustment for 25(OH)D levels, age, gender, and comorbidities.
  • Patients who died had significantly lower baseline 25(OH)D levels (9.5 ng/mL) vs. patients who survived (14 ng/mL).
  • Obesity increased the risk of ICU admission by 2.55-fold. Previous research has shown that vitamin D deficiency is much more common in obese individuals. 
If you would like to learn more about how Vitamin D can help reduce the severity of COVID-19, or to be tested for vitamin deficiencies, give us a call today at 405.607.4445 to schedule your appointment. 
 
In the meantime, be well! 
 
Dr. Bargas



To learn if Integrative Cardiology and Functional Medicine might be right for you,
take our free health assessment, or call 405.607.4445
to schedule your appointment with Dr. Bargas. 

 

Bargas Wellness launches online store for products approved by Dr. Bargas


We want to welcome you to our NEW online store.

Get 10% off your first order of any online store products with code WELCOME10* Shop our recommended bundles and more!

Shop the full store here - if you don't already have an account, you can sign up for one here. All products within the online store have been approved by Dr. Bargas.

USE CODE WELCOME10 AT CHECKOUT

Use the code WELCOME10 at checkout in order to get 10% off your total order for your first order in our new store.
 



Eating more refined grains increases risk of heart attack, early death

A new study published in The British Medical Journalby researchers including SFU health sciences professor Scott Lear found consuming a high number of refined grains, such as croissants and white bread, is associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular disease, stroke and early death.

The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study has been examining diets from diverse populations in low-, middle- and high-income countries around the world. Over 16 years of analysis of 137,130 participants in 21 countries, including Canada, the researchers found the intake of refined grains and added sugars have greatly increased over the years.

Grains were categorized into three groups: refined grains, whole grains and white rice. Refined grains included goods made with refined (e.g. white) flour, including white bread, pasta/noodles, breakfast cereals, crackers, and bakery products/desserts containing refined grains. Whole grains included whole grain flours (e.g. buckwheat) and intact or cracked whole grains (eg. steel cut oats).

The study found that having more than seven servings of refined grains per day was associated with a 27 per cent greater risk for early death, 33 percent greater risk for heart disease and 47 per cent greater risk for stroke.

 

Learn more about the study here. 

  Bargas Wellness offers patients state-of-the-art nutritional testing to help us find the root cause of health issues. Call 405.607.4445 today to schedule your appointment with Dr. Bargas and determine if nutritional testing may be right for you.

Dr. Bargas explains why exercise is essential to heart health

Bargas Wellness's founder and chief medical officer, Royce L. Bargas, DO, IFMCP, explains the importance of exercise to a healthy heart:




 

Follow us on Facebook: @bargaswellness

 


Sleep Deprivation: A Deeper Dive Into Clinical Screenings, Mitochondrial Impact, and Therapeutic Interventions 

Sleep is essential for mental, physical, and emotional well-being. In addition, adequate sleep promotes healthy immune function by bolstering the body’s response to stress, helping to fight off possible infection, and potentially minimizing the risk of illness. Even with the demonstrated value of sleep, nearly one-third of adults in the United States report short sleep, or sleeping less than seven hours per night. An increasing trend of self-reported short sleep notably started in 2013, and this trend was more pronounced among African-American and Hispanic adults. In 2018, however, the National Sleep Foundation’s survey suggested a potentially positive trend. While sleep duration reporting was consistent with previous results, sleep quality showed some improvement, with an increased number of people feeling well-rested.

While there are indications that more US adults have an increased awareness of sleep’s benefits for better health, for some patients, sleep quality and habits are not ideal, and they may feel tired throughout their day. And fatigue isn’t the only consequence of a poor night’s sleep. Adults who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to report 10 chronic health conditions, including depression, arthritis, diabetes, and asthma.

Understanding a patient’s sleep quality is an important part of clinical screening to ultimately help a patient adopt healthy sleep habits and to address health concerns associated with a sleep dysfunction. 
 

Read more about the study here. 

If you would like to discuss how to get to the root cause of your sleep issues, call 405.607.4445 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Bargas.

 
Learn more about Integrative Cardiology and Functional Medicine here.

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Bargas Wellness
3839 S. Boulevard St., Suite 100
Edmond, OK 73013
405.607.4445
www.bargaswellness.com 

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BargasWellness · 3839 S Boulevard Ste 100 · Edmond, OK 73013-5580 · USA

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