Measles Deaths Surge Worldwide Thanks to Poverty and Anti-Vaccine Propaganda
According to recently released WHO/CDC data on worldwide measles mortality, 2018 marks the second year in a row with a significant increase since the historical low in 2016. And 2019 is shaping up to be even worse. The main reason for this is poverty and lack of access is resource poor regions.
The Apple Heart Study
A recent study involving the Apple Watch raises some interesting points about modern clinical trials. It also has some implications and conclusions about screening for atrial fibrillation (a. fib).
Marianne Williamson Is An Anti-Vaxxer
Spouting classic anti-vaccine tropes is no way to prove you are not anti-vaccine.
Supplements with Multiple Ingredients, Many with No Apparent Rationale
Dietary. supplements frequently have multiple ingredients, often mixtures of vitamins, minerals, and herbs. The rationale for including each ingredient is questionable, to say the least.
Spinning a negative acupuncture study: Same as it ever was
Investigators at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center reported the results of a trial of acupuncture for xerostomia (dry mouth) secondary to radiation therapy for head and neck cancers. It was a negative trial, but investigators still tried to spin it as positive, but with a twist. There was a large difference between results found at M.D. Anderson and the second site in China....
How to make the opioid epidemic worse in Pennsylvania
Two bills are pending in the Pennsylvania legislature - SB 675 aimed at restricting prescription of buprenorphine, and HB 1005 that imposes reporting requirements in cases of suspected drug overdose. Both are a bad idea, and I hope Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf will continue his past trends of vetoing bad bills that will harm his constituents.
Anti-vaxxers try to kill Florida bill ending childhood vaccination religious exemption
Anti-vaxxers and their misinformation campaign may have killed Senate Bill 64, repealing Florida's religious exemption to childhood immunizations, which is being abused by parents. Sen. Laura Book, the bill's sponsor, remains undeterred, citing the high risk of disease outbreaks in Florida.
Virtual Reality Treatment for PTSD
What does the evidence say about using virtual reality to treat PTSD?
Alternative Medicine: Placebos for Pets
A skeptical veterinarian reviews the evidence for alternative medicine for pets, and concludes it's mostly placebos.
Would you pay $1 million to enroll in a phase 1 clinical trial of an “anti-aging” gene therapy?
Libella Gene Therapeutics, LLC made the news last week for announcing a "pay-to-play" trial of its telomerase-based anti-aging gene therapy. What was shocking about the announcement was not that it was a "pay-to-play" trial, given that such trials have become all too common, but rather the price of enrollment: $1 million. Worse, the trial is being conducted in Colombia; the therapy doesn't...
Marianne Williamson Is An Anti-Vaxxer
Spouting classic anti-vaccine tropes is no way to prove you are not anti-vaccine.