Re: Trying to shrink a large multi-nodular thyroid goiter

Grizz...The Source Naturals vanadium dose is fine but the chromium dose is only 200 mcgs. Chromium has to be taken at least at 1000 mcgs per day to be effective. This is the orthomolecular dose that works well for diabetes. 

As also happens with diabetes, if you have a bp problems or sticky blood -- take higher dose niacin at 500 mgs three times a day with food. Beware the niacin flush. Another good option is to take the no-flush form -- inositol hexanicotinate. Niacin unclumps and thins the blood safely. It also opens up the capillaries which helps to deliver nutrients to the extremities of the body thus preventing peripheral limb degeneration and neuropathies which is so characteristic of diabetes type 2. Only the niacin form can do this (not niacinamde).

The Coronary Study

Canner's Study (1985) 
Dr. Paul L. Canner, Chief Statistician, Maryland Medical Research Institute, Baltimore, examined the data for the Coronary Drug Project Research Group. About 8000 men were still alive at the end of the treatment trial in 1975. This new study was begun in 1981 to determine if the two estrogen regimens and the dextrothyroxine regimen had caused any long term effects. High dose estrogen had been discontinued because it increased non-fatal myocardial infarctions, low dose estrogen increased cancer deaths and dextrothyroxine increased total mortality, i.e. compared to placebo, Clofibrate and niacin. None of the subjects continued to take the drugs after 1975.

The 1985 follow-up study showed no significant differences in mortality between those treatment groups which had been discontinued and placebo or Clofibrate. However, to the investigator's surprise, the niacin group fared much better. The cumulative percentage of deaths for all causes was 58.4%, 56.8%, 55.9%, 56.9% and 50.6% for low dose estrogens, high dose estrogens, Clofibrate, dextrothyroxine, placebo and niacin, respectively. 

The mortality in the niacin group was 11 percent lower than in the placebo group (P = 0.002). The mortality benefit from niacin was present in each major category or cause of death: coronary, other cardiovascular, cancer and others. Analysis of life table curves comparing niacin against placebo showed the niacin patients lived two years longer. With an average followup of fourteen years, there were 70 fewer deaths in the niacin group than would have been expected from the mortality in the placebo group. Patients with cholesterol levels higher than 240 mg per 100 mL benefited more than those with lower levels.

What is surprising is that the niacin benefit carried on for such a long period even after no more was being taken. In fact the benefit increased with the number of years followed up. It is highly probable the results would have been much better if patients had not stopped taking niacin in 1975. Thus, E. Boyle's patients who remained on niacin for ten years and received individual attention had a 90 percent decrease in mortality. With the huge coronary study this type of individual attention for the majority of patients was not possible. Many dropped out because of the niacin flush, of these many could have been persuaded to remain in the study if they had been given more individual attention. This is very hard to do in a large scale clinical study of this type. Dr. Boyle, in discussions with me, referred to this as one of the defects in the Coronary Drug Study. I would conclude that the proper use of niacin for similar patients should decrease mortality somewhere between 11 and 90 percent after a ten year follow-up, with the reduction in mortality increasing as the safe natural substance which will decrease mortality and increase longevity especially in patients with elevated cholesterol levels.

The National Institute of Health (1985) released the conclusions reached by a consensus development conference on lowering blood cholesterol to prevent heart disease held December 10 - 12, 1984. This was followed by an NIH conference statement, "Lowering Blood Cholesterol to Prevent Heart Disease," Volume 5, No. 7. This statement reports that heart disease kills 550,000 Americans each year and 5.4 million are ill. Total costs of heart disease are $60 billion per year. Main risk factors include cigarette smoking, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. NIH recommends that the first step in treatment should be dietary and their recommendations are met by the orthomolecular diet. But when diet alone is not adequate, drugs should be used. Bile-acid sequestrants and niacin are favoured while the main commercial drug, Clofibrate, is not recommended "because it is not effective in most individuals with a high blood cholesterol level but normal triglyceride level. Moreover, an excess of overall mortality was reported in the World Health Organization trial of this drug." 

Since niacin is effective only in megavitamin doses, 1 gram three times per day, NIH is at last promoting megavitamin therapy. The National Institute of Health asked that their conference statement be "posted, duplicated and distributed to interested staff ". Since every doctor has patients with high blood cholesterol levels, they should all be interested. In fact, if they are not, some of them will be facing litigation from angry wives whose husbands have not been treated with niacin for their elevated cholesterol levels.

Source: http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_cardio.html