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Dr Mark Hyman Claims
#1
Dr Mark Hyman Claims
I have his book The Blood Sugar Solution. I think he is an amazing doctor. In his book he writes about cases that were cured of Diabetes and even states after weight loss some no longer had sleep apnea. Then I heard on line an interview yesterday where he again stated a very obese man lost considerable weight and no longer had sleep apnea. What do you all think about this statement? Is this really possible? To be sleep apnea cured would be awesome. Yes, I need to loose about 70 pounds to be normal healthy weight. I'd be happy at 50lbs off.
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#2
RE: Dr Mark Hyman Claims
To be frank, I think the doc is full of beans. You cannot cure someone of diabetes by losing weight. You can improve their blood glucose levels over time, in some cases, to normal, but they will always have diabetes. As one gets older, one becomes more insulin resistant as a natural course. So what happens to these "Miracle cures" over time? What happens if the patient gains weight back? Does he "catch" diabetes in the way one catches a cold? Much of what is true about that can also be said of sleep apnea. It is not a cure, it is simply controlling the condition. If he claims it is a cure, he is a snake oil salesman and a charlatan!
As always, YMMV! You do not have to agree or disagree, I am not a professional so my mental meanderings are simply recollections of things from my own life.

PRS1 - Auto - A-Flex x2 - 12.50 - 20 - Humid x2 - Swift FX
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#3
RE: Dr Mark Hyman Claims
There have been anecdotical instances where individuals who had sleep apnea prior to having bariatric surgery no longer had sleep apnea after losing weight after bariatric surgery.

I had bariatric surgery 19 months ago as of July 16th. As a result of my surgery, I lost approximately 130 lbs. I had sleep apnea prior to surgery. I still had sleep apnea post surgery. Dont-know

In my case, genetics were against me. Oh-jeez
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#4
RE: Dr Mark Hyman Claims
(07-12-2012, 11:57 AM)mjbearit Wrote: To be frank, I think the doc is full of beans. You cannot cure someone of diabetes by losing weight. You can improve their blood glucose levels over time, in some cases, to normal, but they will always have diabetes. As one gets older, one becomes more insulin resistant as a natural course. So what happens to these "Miracle cures" over time? What happens if the patient gains weight back? Does he "catch" diabetes in the way one catches a cold? Much of what is true about that can also be said of sleep apnea. It is not a cure, it is simply controlling the condition. If he claims it is a cure, he is a snake oil salesman and a charlatan!

While I do not considered myself "cured" I no longer have active diabetes as a result of my weight loss surgery called the Duodenal Switch. I WAS on an insulin pump (type 2) and my BMI pre-op was a 35.2.

My surgery was the 24th of Jan 2011. On Feb 1st, 2011 (about 2 weeks later) I took my insulin pump off and haven't used it since. Last time I took insulin was the 11th of Feb 2011. My pre-op hba1c was 8.2, currently it is 5.4 (non-diabetic range). Controlled by diet and exercise alone.

And they are doing the DS on those under a 30 BMI in Europe because it does put diabetes in remission.

The DS has a type 2 remission rate of 95-95%
The RNY (gastric bypass) and the VSG (vertical sleeve gastrectomy) has a type 2 remission rate of 85-95%.

And it's NOT the lost weight that "cures" the diabetes as many who go into surgery come out of the hospital a day or so after the WLS off ALL diabetic meds. And yet they have yet to lose weight.

They have yet to figure out the switch that WLS does to diabetes but it does put it into remission.

However, *I* will never use the word cured as I always felt, once a diabetic, always a diabetic.

Yesterday I was in my PCP's office and a new nurse, who did not know my history asked if I was diabetic...I said yes. She goes, then you must be prediabetic to not be on any medications...I said no, that 18 months ago I was insulin dependent.

My current BMI is 20.9 but I was OFF insulin at a 34.8 BMI.

As for sleep apnea, MANY lose their cpap afterward...my husband was not one of the "lucky" ones but his settings had to be adjusted. His father was rail thin and had OSA.

MY issue isn't the apnea but hypoxia that went with it, the base of my tongue blocked my throat which was extremely small...had jaw surgery (LeFort/SSRO) to deal with that.

Liz
Impact of Different Bariatric Surgical Procedures on Insulin Action and β-Cell Function in Type 2 Diabetes
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/3/514.full




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#5
RE: Dr Mark Hyman Claims
I don't see it as a cure but a treatment. Much like CPAP is a treatment for sleep apnea, so is weight loss. Same goes for diabetes. Weight loss and/or change of diet is a treatment, not a cure.

I snored just as loud when I was just above recommended weight as I do now with the much more than recommended weight.

If the cause of the sleep apnea is the weight, then, yes, of course losing weight would successfully treat it. But to say that everyone could be cured by losing weight is very wrong and is unethical. Because fat in the throat is not the only cause of sleep apnea.
PaulaO

Take a deep breath and count to zen.




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#6
RE: Dr Mark Hyman Claims
(07-12-2012, 04:38 PM)PaulaO2 Wrote: I don't see it as a cure but a treatment. Much like CPAP is a treatment for sleep apnea, so is weight loss. Same goes for diabetes. Weight loss and/or change of diet is a treatment, not a cure.

I snored just as loud when I was just above recommended weight as I do now with the much more than recommended weight.

If the cause of the sleep apnea is the weight, then, yes, of course losing weight would successfully treat it. But to say that everyone could be cured by losing weight is very wrong and is unethical. Because fat in the throat is not the only cause of sleep apnea.

Even if losing weight doesn't cure sleep apnea, I don't think it is unethical to recommend losing weight, if along with weight loss, you are also treating the sleep apnea with xPap therapy. Furthermore, treating sleep apnea with XPAP therapy often helps one to lose weight, which can't hurt anyone, even if it doesn't end up curing OSA.

Take my case, for example. Outside of feeling more refreshed since starting APAP, I have found it MUCH easier to adhere to a weight loss program. (I have lost 20 lbs since getting my S9 on May 7th) One of my weight loss goals is to put my sleep apnea into remission (NOT CURED). Since my OSA is mild (AHI=12 in sleep lab where I slept 70 percent on my back), I really believe OSA remission is an attainable goal with weight loss and sleeping on my side (I am doing that now, 100 percent of the time). However, even if weight loss doesn't result in remission of my OSA, where I can stop APAP, there is a better chance, perhaps, that by continuing treatment of my OSA, I can finally attain a remission in my weight problem and keep the weight off.


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#7
RE: Dr Mark Hyman Claims
I did not mean to say Dr Hyman claims all will be cured he did not say cured, he said no longer had sleep apnea in a case. He did not say if all loose weight all will be "cured" of Diabetes and or sleep apnea. However....my thinking is that even if I am pre-Diabetic or not at risk at all, if I can control my glucose and insulin resistance daily, then it is almost as good as remission or a cure because the side effects of the disease are not likely to happen to me. Kidney problems etc and all the health risks caused by the disease. BUT unfortunately Medicare does not see it that way. They refuse to pay for test strips because my diagnosis code is NOT Diabetic. They don't do preventative medicine. I have had totally good A1c numbers and not Diabetic or pre but it all depends on my faithfulness to my diet. I have never crossed over into type 2 as far as I know, but I am currently still at risk for heart disease and stroke and all such risky diseases. My cholesterol went from 183 to 255 when I went off my mostly vegan diet. I do think what we eat is a huge factor in our health. Sadly, few doctors ever ask us what we eat. As for sleep apnea, it is my neck size, not my tongue or throat. I think I might be able to control it and not need a machine IF and I say "IF" I ever loose enough weight. I guess I am saying if I can control the numbers I should be able to ward off the serious concequences of the disease. I also was walking my pregnant dog and that helped N.ow I don't go for walks anymore. Too hot right now anyway. This doctor and a few others are not charlatins, they are telling it like it is. Traditional medicine does not help people very much if at all. You can reverse diabetes type 2 and get off Insulin. If you no longer need it, whatever the reason, you are in better shape. Yes, Hyman is full of beans as is Furhman, because that is a key food they want us to eat a lot of.....beans and greens. What regular traditional doctor have you known has ever treated with good foods and gotten a patient to reverse Diabetes? Furhman, Hyman and Barnard have many. When on their diet I experienced it for myself. My cholesterol dropped a slot and my A1 was totally normal non risk number. It didn't take long either. For me, what I chose to eat made all the difference. I think Metformin makes a person more Diabetic and more insulin dependent. I never needed it and refused it. I still do not need it. My morning fasting glucose is never higher than 112, which I know they say is pre-Diabetic. they changed the numbers a while back. If I wait until I fast at least 8hrs it is always under 100. As for Insulin? I want an Insulin response test. My glucose could be great but insulin wacky for all I know.
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#8
RE: Dr Mark Hyman Claims
BabyDoc, if you read what I wrote, I said (bolding is my emphasis) "But to say that everyone could be cured by losing weight is very wrong and is unethical." I did not say losing weight was not good advice. Losing weight is good for everyone, no matter if they have a weight related condition or not. I have not lost weight since starting CPAP but have instead steadily gained. But, as with all things, my OSA is not the only cause of my weight gain just as I am sure your CPAP use is not the only cause of your weight loss. Your adherence to a diet plan is a major part of your success.

Someone a while back presented a study in which sleep apnea patients actually burned more calories during untreated sleep than they do during sleep with xPAP.

SBT, dieting will not cure your diabetes potential. It is keeping it at bay, not curing. A cure, at least the way I see it, is that the condition is gone. Diet control of pre-diabetes is not curing. It is a treatment. If you stopped that treatment, your risk of diabetes increases. Just like if I stop taking my hypertension meds, my well-treated blood pressure will sky rocket. The medication has not cured my hypertension, it is treating it. While that doctor, whoever he is, may have stated it happened in one case, if he is important enough (like Dr. Oz and "Dr." Phil), then people are not going to hear the "in this single case". They will only hear and will only retain that losing weight cures sleep apnea.

As someone else has said, the only cure for sleep apnea is death.
PaulaO

Take a deep breath and count to zen.




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#9
RE: Dr Mark Hyman Claims
I went on a weight loss program and ended up losing 80lbs. During the weight loss period I was monitored by my sleep Dr. and he slowly lowered my pressure setting as my weight went down until I was at the lowest pressure setting for a while. He then had me take another sleep study and it came up normal saying my sleep apnea was gone. Even after this I still snored and felt more comfortable sleeping when using my cpap. As of today I gained most of the weight back and sleep test confirmed treatment is needed.
So yes I can say that weight loss can help, if not cure at least it can help lower pressure settings.
PS I have been using cpap for better than 15 years.
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#10
RE: Dr Mark Hyman Claims
So far I am not Diabetic and I got my A1c into totally normal range. So I guess I think if I eat right and by that I mean avoiding the typical American diet, and eating more vegan, I will never be Diabetic anymore than my sister or any other family member. Regardless if you say controlling or whatever, If no risk is present, I think I will be ok. I only lost 20lbs at my best normal range A1c. I can't comment on the influence this doctor has over others. The three mentioned have been doctors for many years and have many case studies where the goal to reach reversing Diabetes and even sleep apnea was achieved. If people just stopped eating High fructose corn syrup, took pro-biotics, took multi vitamins and never ate foods they can't pronounce and are not natural, they still would benefit. I know a woman who complained of severe upper left quadrant pain and finally gave up diet soda and it went away. I do think she needs to get a work up and see a doctor. Her kids are sick all the time and I think may be Gluten sensitive. In a current video, her daughter age 7 is clearly overweight with a big belly. Often vitamin deficiencies are overlooked and the reason for many problems including depression, that no meds or a psychiatrist can fix because it only needs more B12 or vitamin D. I do think Hyman offers a lot of good advice. take what you want and leave the rest. I have had doctors tell me vitamins are not necessary if I eat a balanced diet. Supplements not necessary? I do not agree.
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