Q: I have been a subscriber to your newsletter for many years, and now I find myself in a quandry. I am 62 and have been diagnosed with chronic atrial fibrillation. I am aware of my increased risk of stroke and have been taking a baby asprin daily along with vitamin E, ginko biloba, lecithin, fish oil and garlic supplements to keep my blood thin.

Q: I read your article in Nutrition & Healing about policosanol and its effect on cholesterol. In the case of “statin” drugs, one has to take these for the rest of your life. Is this the same for policosanol or does this product cure or normalize cholesterol production after a certain period so that it is no longer necessary to take the policosanol?

Q: Please address the subject of tinnitus in your publication. My M.D. says he knows of nothing we can do. Your thoughts would be of great help…

Q: In the May issue you discussed heavy heel calluses. I have dry, cracked and occasionally bleeding heels which are painful. Have you discussed this in a past issue? Could you give me some natural therapies to try.

What if I told you that one of the most widely known skin irritants– the one that’s causing a rash (pun intended!) of complaints in Europe as part of one of their new “Euro” coins–might actually be the key to relieving the unbearable discomforts of psoriasis? No, I haven’t “lost it,” though I know it sounds hard to believe–especially since there just doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of hope for psoriasis sufferers.

You could say that pregnenolone is “the mother of all steroid hormones.” Our bodies make pregnenolone from cholesterol. From there, it’s metabolized into every steroid hormone you can think of (and probably some you’ve never even heard of): progesterone, cortisol, cortisone, all the estrogens, DHEA, testosterone–and that’s just to name a few.

Hypochondriacs. I’m sure you know at least one. You know who I’m talking about-those people that always seem to be feeling “under the weather.” But they look fine. They sound fine. And their doctors never find anything wrong with them. So, most of the time those doctors-and the rest of us-write it off as being all in the person’s head. Until it happens to you: You start feeling just plain awful and the feeling continues for days, weeks, maybe even months, but your doctor insists there’s nothing wrong. You know you’re not a hypochondriac. No, something is definitely wrong-no matter what everyone else thinks.

How would you like everyone you know to find out how much you weigh? OK, for a select few people, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. But I know most of you are probably at least a little self-conscious about it and would rather not have the number publicized. Now, if you think that would be bad, imagine how you would feel if all of the details of your last Pap smear, your latest prostate exam, your personal conversations with your doctor, and your prescriptions (for antidepressants, tranquilizers, painkillers-whatever) suddenly became public property.

IN THIS ISSUE: Think your medical records are private? Think again.; Uncover and correct the hidden cause of mysterious, undiagnosed illness with herbal “weed-killers” and “fertilizer” ; Pregnenolone: The crucial information that isn’t on the label of this “anti-aging wonder supplement”; Itching and irony: More news on the common skin irritant that may help you erase psoriasis for good!;Heal cracked, painful heel calluses in as little as three months; Tinnitus: Tips worth trying for this troublesome, “incurable” condition; Eliminate your need for statin drugs for good-regulate your cholesterol production with natural alternatives; Coumadin may be here to stay, but you can avoid taking it with safe, natural, blood-thinning alternatives