Month: February 2020

A Popular Class of Antibiotics May Increase Risk of Birth Defects

A new study in the British Medical Journal has revealed a possible association between taking a popular antibiotic during early pregnancy and major congenital malformations.

/ February 28, 2020

Quackademic medicine update: UC Irvine reneges on promise of scientific rigor

In 2017, UC Irvine promised that the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute would be "rigorously evidence-based". A recent review discovers plenty of pseudoscience.

/ February 27, 2020

Update on Vitamin K Refusal

Vitamin K shots at birth are a safe and effective method for preventing bleeding, but that doesn't stop some parents from refusing.

/ February 26, 2020

Milk and Health: The Evidence

A useful review of all the current evidence about milk and health provides a lot of surprises. It shows that current recommendations are flawed and that much of what we have believed is wrong.

/ February 25, 2020

Quoth RFK Jr.: Vaccines and glyphosate are responsible for the obesity epidemic!

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. published an article claiming that vaccines and glyphosate are responsible for the obesity epidemic. Too bad he cited the work of two longtime antivaccine cranks to support his bogus claim. He's really scraping the bottom of the barrel.

/ February 24, 2020

Quackery in Medical School: Chapman Points

If you want to become a physician in the United States, you have two educational routes available to you: osteopathic and vanilla medical schools. Osteopathic medical school graduates earn a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O) degree, and vanilla medical school graduates earn a Doctor of Medicine (M.D) degree. If you’re wondering what the difference is between the two, the answer is basically...

/ February 21, 2020
DNA Image

“DNA-based” personalized nutrition advice: Not ready for prime time

There are countless vendors offering "personalized" nutrition recommendations, some based on DNA- or microbiome-testing. What does the evidence actually say?

/ February 20, 2020

Public Attitude Toward Science

New Pew research findings show confidence in science remains high, but there are some important caveats.

/ February 19, 2020

Genetics and evolution in cancer

Several new studies were published earlier this month describing the sequencing of over 2,600 cancer genomes. What the results show include what sorts of mutations drive cancer development and how evolution makes cancers so difficult to treat.

/ February 17, 2020

Inappropriate Antibiotic Use is Rampant in U.S. Pediatric Hospitals

A recent study looked at antibiotic use in thousands of hospitalized children and the results weren't great. Too many kids are receiving suboptimal antibiotic prescriptions. One potential solution is an increased focus on, and improved resources for, antibiotic stewardship programs.

/ February 14, 2020