Finding Pieces of the Puzzle
June 4th, 2010 — metametrixAn Interview Featuring Dr. Todd LePine
Terry Pollock, a senior clinical consultant at Metametrix Clinical Laboratory, spoke with Dr. LePine after one of his recent lectures at the laboratory. Listen to their conversation and learn Dr. LePine’s approach in his clinical practice, and how he's “Finding Pieces of the Puzzle” while evaluating complex patients with multiple complaints.
Dr. Todd LePine is board certified in Internal Medicine with advanced training and experience in Integrative Functional Medicine. Utilizing a variety of scientifically based Integrative Medical approaches, he endeavors to transform and heal both mind and body.
The following quote from his Web site at www.drlepine.com gives us some insight into his thoughts on Functional Medicine:
"Functional Medicine offers a paradigm shift in how we look at “disease” and is defined as “the field of health care that employs assessment and early intervention to improve physiological, emotional/cognitive, and physical function. The focus on “function” in this approach to health is intended to bring questions of purpose and design back into medical practice and to acknowledge that root level, highly interconnected, multi-system imbalances must be transformed to improve and optimize health.”
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Part 7 - With so many tests available to clinicians, I can't help but think how overwhelming it can be for them to determine which one is the best for their patients. My conversation with Dr. Crinnion led me to ask for his suggestions on testing for toxic exposure, and his answer might surprise you. He indicated that there are two "genres" of toxicity testing. One that measures the levels of specific toxins in the body, and another that measures the metabolite of the toxins in the body.
Part 6 - The endocrine system is another major target of environmental compounds. Did you know this system directly affects fertility and reproduction? Dr. Crinnion shares a story about the research Dr. Theo Colborn did, where she showed that the decline of the animal population in the Great Lakes area was due to persistent, man-made chemicals being transfered from one generation to the next. The result was offspring that were unable to reproduce!
Part 5 - So, have you ever heard the term "Fathead?" The brain is one of the largest fatty organs in our body, so it's not so far from the truth. Dr. Crinnion says that many environmental toxins are fat-soluble and easily pass the blood/brain barrier. This makes our brains an easy target, and toxins are often stored there.
Part 4 - We take a deeper look into how toxins affect the immune system this week. Dr. Crinnion says immunotoxicity is usually the first problem that shows up in a person’s history, typically manifesting itself as allergies or asthma. Do you know of anyone, especially adults, that are suddenly experiencing allergy problems?
In this third installment of my conversation with Dr. Walter Crinnion, we consider the function of the mitochondria, those "cellular power plants" that provide most of our cell's supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
What happens to this energy producer when toxins enter the scene? After all, we're exposed to over 80,000 chemicals each day. It turns out that your immune, neurologic, and endocrine systems take a big hit, and you start complaining of fatigue. And you're not alone. Dr. Crinnion says that over 80% of his patients complain of fatigue at the top of a list of ailments. Listen in on this fascinating discussion as he peels back the layers of this story. You'll be amazed at how your body systems are reacting due to toxins affecting the mitochondria.
This is the second installment of my conversation with Dr. Walter Crinnion on toxicity and the environment. He is a wellspring of information on this subject, and he answers the question about the need for testing in this week's podcast. After all, if we all have toxins present in our bodies, why test? I was also curious to know if there were certain health or living situations in which he thought one should be tested. Look for the link below to hear what he had to say.
Part 1 - With so much in the news today about toxicity and the environment, it's hard to ignore the chatter and and how it affects our health. Time to ask someone in the know. I recently had the opportunity to interview Dr. Walter J. Crinnion, an environmental health specialist, on the importance of understanding our toxic burden and how it can affect our health. He had plenty to say. The floodgates have been opened...
