Open Thread: The Floor is Yours
I’m taking a few weeks away from the blog. So today, an open thread with a request for suggestions on topics that you feel have been unexplored by the blog. Let me (and the other contributors) know the questions you have and what subjects you want to see addressed. Or use this to comment on anything else, SBM-related. The floor is yours....
Do you need to drink electrolytes?
Electrolyte drinks are very popular - but are they necessary?
Homeopathy: Magical thinking, not medicine
The Science-Based Medicine blog was established way back in 2008. Since that time, contributors to this blog have been sounding the alarm about the harmful effects of pseudoscience and conspiracy theories related to health. Few people in positions of authority heeded these warnings or recognized the severity of the threat over the next decade. Sometimes we as health professionals were even mocked...
Pycnogenol – Does maritime pine bark extract live up to the hype?
Prescribed medicines are somewhat resistant to fads. Marketing can certainly drive demand and use, but long-term use tends to be driven by effectiveness. Some medicines used routinely today are decades old (e.g., penicillin for strep throat) because nothing better has been identified. Other drugs may be used for decades, only to largely disappear as newer, more effective treatments are introduced (I’m thinking...
FDA poised to reshape the cold remedy aisle
The FDA is proposing to order the removal of phenylephrine from oral cough and cold remedies.
#Oatzempic – The viral oat-based alternative to Ozempic?
Can the Oatzempic diet deliver Ozempic-like weight loss?
Widespread Use of Dietary Supplements Linked to Liver Damage
Millions of Americans are taking herbal remedies that may be toxic to the liver.
Elderberry (What is it good for)
Accumulated evidence does not demonstrate that elderberry has meaningful beneficial effects.
Post Hoc Bias in Medicine
We are more likely to use an ineffective treatment after slight symptom improvement, even when the changes are coincidental.
Cannabis use and cardiovascular disease
New research suggests that cannabis use may be harmful and could be causing cardiovascular disease.