Carlos M. Garcia, M.D., is emphatic that he can crack the code for treating Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. “We need to understand the patient,” says the founder of Utopia Wellness in Oldsmar, Fla. “Everyone is different. It takes a couple of weeks, but this is real medicine. The one-size-fits-all cure is a pill that does not work since the patient is the key to success.”
Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease. Research points to a combination of factors, including changes in the brain as we age, plus environmental, genetic, and lifestyle factors. Any of these influences may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s and differ from person to person. However, scientists seem to overlook a variable: what causes these changes to occur at a specific time in one’s life?
Dr. Garcia, a 1982 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, said society is quick to jump to “What is the common thread?”
“That’s vanilla. I’m talking about real medicine – understanding the differences in people. An Aston Martin is different than a Mercedes; yes, both cars, but there are significant differences.”
According to the National Institute on Aging, older age is the most important known risk factor for the disease. The NIA reports the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease doubles about every five years beyond age 65. About one-third of all people age 85 and older may have Alzheimer’s disease. (1)
Researchers believe the brain is key to unlocking Alzheimer’s. Age-related changes in the brain include shrinking, inflammation, vascular damage, free radicals production, and lower energy production within cells.
But that is only one risk factor. Dr. Garcia notes many people live into their 80s and 90s without developing the disease.
“I question science,” Dr. Garcia says, matter-of-factly. “Science is not necessarily bad; it’s valuable. But today’s ‘medicine’ is complaisant. Science-based medicine is bought by doctors who either do not like to think or have not the time to do so.”
As for long-revered journals, which are beyond reproach, here is what their editors state about content: “It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as editor of The New England Journal of Medicine.” (2)
More recently, Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, writes, “The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness.” (3)
“It’s always an uphill fight,” Dr. Garcia adds. “American culture is brainwashed. People believe healthcare is the responsibility of doctors. Then insurance companies, through reimbursement, dictate medical treatment. Patients get the short end of the stick since the insurance representatives, be they doctors, have never interacted with the patient to understand their particular circumstances and thus requirements.”
Scientists are focused on several aspects of Alzheimer’s, including: (4)
- What makes the disease process begin?
- Why do some people with memory and other thinking problems develop Alzheimer’s while others do not?
- How lifestyle, genes, or environmental factors affect Alzheimer’s risk and identifying high-risk people for treatments as soon as possible.
- Differences in Alzheimer’s risk and protection among sexes and racial groups
- Treatment and prevention.
Meanwhile, Dr. Garcia is taking a step back to see the larger picture.
“Today, mainstream medicine wants to marginalize the patient. ‘Thank you for your co-pay.’ But we’re not robots,” he says. “We are individuals – and medicine has to change. The person is the most important tool.”
As he continues to help Alzheimer’s patients, Dr. Garcia notes, “‘Well, you’re getting old’ is not the root cause. Why is it that people have the disease,” he asks. “We look at the body, the diet, social and emotional environments. Detoxing, dietary changes, and future outlook on life can be issues contributing to chronic illness. We can help the brain ‘re-wire’ and make new [neuro] connections by stimulation and oxygenation.”
Dr. Garcia’s Dementia Holistic Treatment Program addresses the diagnosis with a multi-component approach:
- Diet
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
- Detoxification
- Photobiomodulation Therapy
- Chelation Therapy
- Emotional/Psychological Support
As for Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Garcia is confident he can improve daily living conditions and offer a better quality of life. “It was a hypothetical that worked,” he says. “Traditional medicine has a forest-through-the-trees issue – focus on the minutia while ignoring the body and its environment. We have videos of patients that will change your mind about how to treat these diseases.
“In fact, I am looking to treat a Parkinson’s patient for free and document their treatment to prove what I believe will alter this debilitating illness, which afflicts thousands. We reached out to the Michael J. Fox Foundation but have not heard back. But we’re not giving up.”
CITATIONS
(1) What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease? https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-causes-alzheimers-disease
(2) Drug Companies & Doctors: A Story of Corruption. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2009/jan/15/drug-companies-doctorsa-story-of-corruption/
(3) What is medicine’s 5 sigma? http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736%2815%2960696-1.pdf
(4) Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Fact Sheet. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-genetics-fact-sheet