February 2026 – NatWonk – Dr Bier’s Research Reviews

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein: potential adjunct for global risk assessment in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease

February 28, 2026

| Cardiovascular Health, Labs & Statistics

Comment: I incorporate high-sensitivity CRP into every cardiovascular workup because it captures a physiological reality that standard lipid panels miss. As this foundational paper details, hsCRP identifies high-risk individuals—even those with low cholesterol—who are otherwise invisible to standard screening algorithms. It is an unfortunate reality that markers are frequently ignored because there is no FDA-approved […]

Red Meat and Processed Meat – IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans

February 18, 2026

| No Comments

| Cancer, Diet & Nutrition

Comment: The traditional clinical focus on a generic “meat-cancer link” ignores the underlying reality that preserved meats and fresh red meats are entirely different biological entities. While the IARC Working Group found sufficient evidence for processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen—linked to the formation of N-nitroso compounds (NOCs)—the evidence for fresh red meat remains […]

Critical appraisal of the SIBO hypothesis and breath testing: A clinical practice update endorsed by the European society of neurogastroenterology and motility (ESNM) and the American neurogastroenterology and motility society (ANMS)

February 14, 2026

| No Comments

| Gastrointestinal Health, Labs & Statistics

Comment: A central issue with the concept of SIB is the conflict between the biochemical allure of a bacterial explanation for complex symptoms and the physiological reality that our diagnostic tools are structurally incapable of distinguishing between overgrowth and simple transit speed. This clinical practice update from the ESNM and ANMS reveals that the Lactulose […]

Complications of colonoscopy

February 14, 2026

| No Comments

| Gastrointestinal Health

Comment: A fundamental conflict exists between the perception of colonoscopy as a “perfectly safe” routine screening and the dramatic iatrogenic escalation that occurs once a procedure becomes therapeutic. While the corrected data for diagnostic perforation is a negligible 0.03%, this “safety halo” disappears the moment a polyp is identified for removal. The human clinical data […]

Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy and Risk of Stroke: Impact of the Route of Estrogen Administration and Type of Progestogen

February 9, 2026

| No Comments

| Cardiovascular Health, Medications - General Pharmaceuticals, Miscellaneous

Comment: There is an assumption that specific routes of hormone therapy (MHT) offer a safe harbor from cardiovascular risk, yet this systematic review of over 5.5 million women identifies a profound disconnect between biochemical promise and systemic biological reality. While early initiation is frequently justified by observational data, we should recognize that these perceived benefits […]

The risk of ovarian cancer in hormone replacement therapy users: a systematic review and meta-analysis

February 8, 2026

| No Comments

| Cancer, Medications - General Pharmaceuticals

Comment: This article shows an increase in ovarian cancer risk with longer term use of HRT. Both estrogen alone and estrogen-progesterone showed an increase, and the association was stronger in the cohort studies than the case control studies, which are the more robust . Cohort Studies: The 21 cohort studies showed a slightly higher risk. […]

The route of administration, timing, duration and dose of postmenopausal hormone therapy and cardiovascular outcomes in women: a systematic review

February 8, 2026

| No Comments

| Cardiovascular Health, Medications - General Pharmaceuticals

Comment: This systematic review of 33 studies and over 2.5 million women reveals a critical tension between biochemical plausibility and actual clinical outcomes, at least for oral dosing. While observational data suggests early initiation reduces coronary heart disease, we should recognize that some of these findings are likely compromised by Healthy User Bias—where healthier women […]

HbA1c and Risks of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Death in Subjects without Known Diabetes: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

February 8, 2026

| No Comments

| Cancer, Longevity & Mortality, Metabolic Health

Comment: The traditional clinical focus on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) often assumes a benign risk profile until the formal 6.5% diabetic threshold is reached, which is something we in the Naturopathic world know to not be true. This dose-response meta-analysis dismantles that assumption, identifying that every 1% increase in HbA1c is associated with a 3% increase […]

Fasting vs Nonfasting, Dose-adjusted Levothyroxine Ingestion in Hypothyroidism: A Randomized Clinical Trial

February 4, 2026

| No Comments

| Endocrine Health

Comment: For the last 30 years of practice, I have consistently recommended moving thyroid medication—including Desiccated Thyroid Extract (DTE)—to breakfast rather than fasting, often to the shock of conventional endocrinologists. This was based on original trials showing that coingestion with food reduced absorption, a factor I knew we could safely manage by monitoring the dose. […]