It is a real pleasure to see, and be a part of, the return of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Naturopathic Medicine (IntJNM) and to share with you the mission statement for this journal. Taking the lead from its prior incarnation as a web-based journal, IntJNM will continue to publish relevant material for both naturopathic clinicians and researchers. The ultimate goal of IntJNM is to enrich the profession by providing a constructive forum for debate and education. IntJNM seeks to encourage a collectively built, experiential, and evidentiary clinical practice that will both hone and extend our system’s unique, eclectic, and unified medical practice.

We are interested in receiving and publishing original research studies, but also are keen to hear of any unusual cases that occur directly in clinical practice, or for that matter common cases that strike you as important or interesting in some way. The material that IntJNM will publish includes case reports and series, primary research (e.g. clinical trials, observational studies, and lab-based work), and secondary/synthesis/review work on topics directly relevant to naturopathic medicine. If you find a topic interesting and relevant, then rest assured that your colleagues will as well. Please take the opportunity and the time to educate the rest of us.

The articles written for IntJNM and submitted for peer-review lie at the heart of any appeal this journal may have. Without quality publications, there is no educational message, no stimulation for new clinical application, and a weak development of our body of knowledge. I think you will agree with me that the articles in this issue are worthwhile, engaging, and fully within the spirit of the journal’s mission. These publications are a testament to authors who are dedicated to providing rigorous literature review, novel research, insightful analysis, and direction for clinical practice and future research.

My thanks to Dr. Don Warren for providing his perspective and support in the guest editorial he has provided. We need to hear from our well-respected elders and want readers to benefit from their depth of experience and clinical wisdom. To all those with the desire to share clinical pearls or any other insights on clinical practice or other issues of relevance, please be in touch, we want to hear from you.

It is a delight to be able to publish some of the primary research that is being conducted by naturopathic physicians. Clearly the North American colleges that both educate NDs and actively support growth in the evidence base of naturopathic medicine are fostering high-quality research. This is research that has relevance to healthcare overall, and has direct and immediate significance to naturopathic clinical practice.

The chart review provided by Dr. Chinnock and colleagues starts with an explanation of how cortisol dysregulation and DHEA levels may contribute to glucose control. The retrospective analysis, conducted at the Helfgott Research Institute and NCNM, is valuable in that it provides information on salivary cortisol excretion patterns from a group of patients who are either diabetic or prediabetic. Importantly, three distinct patterns of cortisol dysregulation are identified; and it is interesting to note that fasting blood glucose did not appear correlated with any of these patterns identified. The limitations to this review and chart reviews in general are well characterized, and I only hope that this line of investigation can be continued with well-controlled and prospective studies to further explore the findings discussed here.