17 MARCH 2019

22
WELLBEING
Kidney 101
Sunday, 17 March 2019
Daily Tribune
Kidney disease often has
no symptoms, and it can
go undetected until very
advanced
Last 14 March, we celebrated
World Kidney Day. This year’s theme
is “Kidney Health for Everyone
Everywhere.” With 850 million people
worldwide now estimated to have
kidney diseases from various causes
and chronic kidney diseases (CKD)
causing at least 2.4 million deaths per
year and ranked as the sixth fastest
growing cause of death, the objective
is to raise awareness of the high and
increasing burden of kidney diseases
worldwide and the need for strategies
for kidney diseases prevention and
management.
As a way of doing my part, I felt
it appropriate to share with you some
basic tips to keeping your kidneys
healthy as well as how to find out if
you may have kidney disease.
Many of the things associated
with a healthy lifestyle will also help
maintain kidney health. Simple things
such as knowing and controlling
your blood pressure, not smoking,
being aware of any risk factors for
diabetes and making sure your blood
sugar is always well controlled. Avoid
taking medicines in excess, such as
anti-inflammatory medication and avoiding
any medications that have not been
prescribed by your doctor. Maintain
healthy salt intake, a healthy diet and
a healthy weight.
Aside from these, there are two
simple tests you may want to discuss
with your doctor on your next visit.
First is a urine test called ACR. ACR
stands for albumin-to-creatinine ratio.
Your urine will be tested for albumin.
Albumin is a type of protein and one
that your body needs. But it should
be in the blood, not the urine. Having
protein in your urine may mean that
your kidneys are not filtering your
blood well enough. This can be a sign
of early kidney disease. If your urine
THE DOCTOR DIARIES
Brian Michael Icasas Cabral, MD
test comes back “positive” for protein,
the test should be repeated to confirm
the results. Three positive results over
three months or more is a sign of
kidney disease.
Another important test is a blood
test to estimate your GFR (glomerular
filtration rate). Your blood will be tested
for a waste product called creatinine.
Creatinine comes from muscle tissue.
When the kidneys are damaged, they
have trouble removing creatinine from
your blood. Testing for creatinine is
only the first step. Next, your creatinine
result is used in a mathematical formula
with your age, race and sex to find out
your glomerular filtration rate. Your GFR
number tells your doctor how well your
kidneys are working.
Along with a thorough history and
physical examination, these tests
help determine what stage of kidney
disease you might have and will be
used by your healthcare provider
in coming up with the appropriate
management plan.
Kidney disease often has no
symptoms, and it can go undetected
until very advanced. If you have a history
of hypertension, diabetes or are over 60
years of age… then remember ACR and
GFR, two easy tests which can tell you if
you have kidney disease. It’s important
to get tested because early detection
and treatment can slow or prevent the
progression of kidney disease.
New form of glutathione
first in Phl
According to clinical studies, Glutathione helps our body stay healthy and maintain
optimum mental and physical function.
With NuWhite, the S-Acetyl Glutathione used in the formulation of the oral beauty
supplement will be the first in the Philippines and will address the lower absorption rates
of Reduced L-Glutathione or GSH.
The new product is more beneficial than any other available glutathione oral supplements
that contain Reduced Glutathione because of its use of Emothion S-Acetyl Glutathione
(SAG), the oral active form of Glutathione or the
effective in-body-form of glutathione.
Emothion SAG directly increases the
levels of GSH in the body and has the highest
and positive effects on oxidative stress, liver
protection, anti-aging and skin health.
This product has been consistency tested
versus qualified commercial GSH, both in
pre-clinical and clinical trials, in order to
provide evidence of its fast and effective
benefits. It is also 100 percent safe and is
FDA-approved.
By far the most innovative glutathione
S-ACETYL Glutathione.
Many of the things associated with
a healthy lifestyle will also help
maintain kidney health.
preparation in the Philippine market today, the
new and improved Nuwhite responds to the most
common problems of oral glutathione products such as bioavailability and absorption and
deals with these to a new extent.
Oxina Cosmetics has created a compact beauty supplement which helps in whitening, antiaging
action, liver protection and detoxification, skin nourishing, healthy immunity as it smoothens
wrinkles, reduces fine lines, firms skin leading to radiance, better metabolism and skin health.
THE hospital’s Center for Neurological Sciences, with the help of HealthSolutions Enterprises Inc., made the initiative which was readily
embraced by the top management led by the Medical Center chief, Dr. Evelyn Reside, and the chief of the Medical Professional Staff, Dr.
Lino Santiago Pabillo.
What’s hot at QMMC
HealthSolutions installs first-ever BARD Arctic
Sun at Quirino Memorial Medical Center
The Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) recently
acquired the latest technology from BARD (a medical
solutions developer based in the United States), for
targeted temperature management.
The hospital’s Center for Neurological Sciences (CNS),
with the help of HealthSolutions Enterprises Inc. (HEI),
made the initiative which was readily embraced by the
top management led by the Medical Center chief, Dr.
Evelyn Reside and the chief of the Medical Professional
Staff, Dr. Lino Santiago Pabillo.
This, to them, is part of QMMC’s commitment to deliver
global standard practices and live by its identity as one
of the brain centers in the country.
BARD Arctic Sun 5000 is a Targeted Temperature
Management (TTM) system that is safe, precise and
reliable in targeting therapeutic treatments, both for
hypothermia (bringing down patient’s core temperature
CNS chairman Dr. Maria Victoria Manuel expressed her delight during the product
demonstration conducted by HealthSolutions Enterprises Inc.
to therapeutic level) or normothermia (maintaining the
normal temperature of neurocritical patients with fever).
Its touchscreen interface quickly guides clinicians to
successfully initiate treatments. It comes with an Arcticgel
Pad which uses a water-based hydrogel that ensures
surface contact and transfers energy effectively to the
patient’s body.
According to QMMC’s chief medical professional
staff Dr. Lino Santiago Pabillo, the hospital regularly
accommodates a high volume of stroke patients. Because
of this, there is a need for innovative equipment that will
help their neurologists and nurses treat patients without
compromise. With better control of the temperature
of patients, the Arctic Sun is expected to improve the
hospital’s current system for treating stroke.
With the help of the Arctic Sun 5000, we now have
a better way of cooling the body which is crucial
in improving chances of recovery and better
outcomes for our patients.
CNS chairman Dr. Maria Victoria Manuel
expressed her delight during the product
demonstration conducted by HEI. “In the past,
we usually had to make do and improvise with
what we have,” she said. “With the help of
the Arctic Sun 5000 by BARD, we now have a
better way of cooling the body which is crucial
in improving chances of recovery and better
outcomes for our patients.”
Dr. Jo Ann Soliven, the proponent and the
center’s stroke specialist, believes “this is a
milestone in Philippine public health system’s
emergency and intensive care delivery. It is a
lifesaving, modern era therapeutic modality
for saving brain tissue not only in post cardiac
arrest but many critical neurologic cases
such as severe stroke, traumatic brain injury
and meningitis, among others. It is already a
standard of care in patients who have a return
of spontaneous circulation after cardiac
arrest (in or out of hospital). We have strong
evidences that show how TTM helps improve
outcomes in the above cases.”
In the Philippines, the BARD Arctic
Sun 5000 is exclusively distributed by
HealthSolutions Enterprises Inc. Log on to
healthsolutions.com.ph/.
Seek first the counsel of
a physician. Likewise,
complement it with balanced
diet and healthy lifestyle
By AJ Bajo and Bea Micaller
Age is just a figure.
Fifty-six but looking like a 34-yearold?
It’s indeed possible.
Through non-drug, non-invasive
technology that activates stem cells in
our body, LifeWave introduces X39 in
the Philippines, an advanced and the
first-ever technology that’s engineered
to activate the inactive stem cells in our
body by just simply patching it anywhere
in the body.
Typically injected, LifeWave, an
innovator in the health and wellness
industry, pioneered a device that need
only to be patched on to our body that
will fuel up the stem cells found in our
core.
“Stem cells are usually injected
especially in Europe and United States;
and they are all very costly with some
priced at P30,000 per dose. (We thought)
to just activate the (already-found) stem
cells in our body, just patch it instead,”
said David Schmidt, LifeWave founder
Patched not injected: Enter X39
and the creator of X39, during the
product launch yesterday.
You are probably raising your
eyebrow at this point of time. Is
this really safe? Is this for all ages?
“It’s very safe (than the injected
stem cells) because when you
inject stem cells there’s always a
chance for rejection. So one of the
things that people do in the United
States is they’ll have stem cells
extracted from the blood, from
the fatty tissue. And then re-inject
it. And when you redirect them to
a different part of the body, they
can still circulate because X39 is
elevating a natural peptide in the
body. So, there’s no risk,” said
LifeWave Inventor and CEO David
Schmidt in an interview with the
Daily Tribune.
The company, however, does not
directly claim medicinal therapeutic
effects from X39 but said that the
technology improves and lessens the
pain of the symptoms of a certain
disease, say, a diabetic person who has
a wound.
“We can’t make that claim [that X39
can really heal a disease]. Because
Copper Peptide and other peptides like
glutathione exist naturally in the body.
All they were doing is restoring its
LIFEWAVE introduces X39, an advanced and the first-ever
technology that’s engineered to activate the inactive stem cells
in our body by just simply patching it anywhere in the body.
levels to where you were when you were
younger,” David Schmidt added.
Also disclaiming it, LifeWave advises
those who want to try and use the
product to seek first the counsel of their
physician. Likewise, complement it with
balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
“Absolutely, I would not want to see
someone use the X39 and think that this
is going to be a cure. If they have healthy
diet, if they exercise, drink
lots of water and get proper
sleep, then they’re going to
get much, much more better
results,” he added.
Is it for all ages? Definitely
not. Only those who 18 and
above may use it, but should
still need their doctor’s
guidance and their parent’s
or guardian’s.
Non-drug technology
provider LifeWave is looking
at tripling the production of
its new stem cell-mobilizing
device, x39, banking on the
increasing demand for the
product barely three months
after it was launched in
January this year.
“We’ve been in business
since 2002, and because our
business was expanding in
2009 we purchased high-speed
manufacturing equipment. Last year,
we made over 17 million patches,”
LifeWave founder, chief executive
officer and inventor of the technology
David Schmidt said.
“When we released x39, it very
quickly became our top product so
now about 30 percent of our product
sales are x39,” Schmidt said without
disclosing actual figures.
About nine of LifeWave’s array
of products are sold in the country,
including patches for enhancing
energy, relieving pain, improving sleep,
managing inflammation, appetite
control, reducing stress and anxiety
and anti-aging.
The products are sold online
or through one of the company’s
distributors. A pack of 30 patches sell
for a range of $89.95 to $149.95.
LifeWave has warehouses in 12
countries including the Philippines,
where it has around 300 member
distributors.
When asked if the company is
looking at expanding its distribution
reach, Schmidt said, “We keep the
distribution exclusive and this is
something our distributors really like.
We don’t private-label or distribute
outside of our network of distributors.”
Still, he said that they are open to
hospital donations.
“The only type of institutions
that we would partner with might
be hospitals. For example, Hospital
Manila here in the Philippines, if they
wanted a donation of x39 or maybe the
Red Cross, we do donations all over the
world. So that people that can’t afford
it can get our product.”