Page 31 - Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments in Psychiatry

The Comprehensive Medical Exam in Psychiatry | 31

(Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device (American College
2011). CPAP therapy is associated with sustained long-term relief
from the symptoms of depression for patients with OSA
(Schwartz 2007).

Low Cholesterol
Low serum cholesterol—defined as 160 mg/dL (4.5 mmol/liter)
or lower—appears with regularity on blood test results, yet may
be overlooked as a contributing factor for anxiety or depression.
Amongst other tasks, cholesterol is needed to modulate
serotonin transporter activity in cellular membranes (Scanlon
2001).
Low cholesterol, which can occur naturally regardless of diet or
lifestyle, has been linked to violent death (e.g., suicide and
accidents). Men with chronically low cholesterol levels show
consistently higher risk of having depressive symptoms
(Steegmans 2000). In healthy young adult women, low
cholesterol is inversely associated with trait measures of
depression and anxiety (Suarez 1999).
Common CAM treatments for low cholesterol include
increasing dietary intake and cholesterol supplements such as
those found at http://soniccholesterol.com.

The Koran Algorithm

The problem of overlooked medical ailments in psychiatric
populations is so significant that in 1988 the California
legislature debated and passed Assembly Bill 1877, which
mandated an exploration into a means of reducing the risk of
missed medical conditions. Lorrin Koran, MD, of Stanford
University was tasked with leading the development of a
corrective procedure. The results of his team’s work were
reported to the California Department of Mental Health and local
mental health programs in 1991 as the Medical Evaluation Field
Manual (available at http://goo.gl/kXIuS).