Category: Clinical Trials
2023: The year that the evidence-based medicine (EBM) paradigm was weaponized against vaccines and public health
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been a very useful paradigm for assessing evidence in medicine. However, like any other framework, it can be misused, particularly when fundamentalist EBM methodolatry leads to its inappropriate application to questions for which it is ill-suited, a misuse that has been weaponized against public health during the pandemic.
Make Acupuncture Great Again
Calling a losing study a win. Making acupuncture great again.
Yet Another Alzheimer’s Drug
A third drug either FDA approved or showing clinical benefit for Alzheimer's disease confirms that the world of AD treatment has changed forever.
The effects of vitamin D supplementation on major cardiac events
A large randomized controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation generates good data to show there is likely no benefit.
RFK Jr. resurrects an old antivax half-truth about “saline placebos” in randomized controlled trials of vaccines
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has resurrected the antivax claim that the childhood vaccine schedule has never been tested in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a saline placebo controls (and therefore the vaccine schedule is unsafe). This is an old and deceptive antivax half-truth that ignores both what constitutes a scientifically valid placebo and the ethical requirements for RCTs.
Pegcetacoplan, a new treatment for macular degeneration
FDA approves a new treatment for macular degeneration: the good, the bad, and the disappointing.
Evidence-based medicine vs. basic science in medical school
Last week Dr. Vinay Prasad wrote a Substack arguing that medical students should learn the principles of evidence-based medicine before basic science.This is a recipe for amplifying the main flaw in EBM that science-based medicine was meant to correct, and Dr. Prasad's arguments would have been right at home on an integrative medicine blog. [Note ADDENDUM.]
Peter Gøtzsche teams with an antivaxxer to exaggerate the harms of COVID-19 vaccines
Peter Gøtzsche, formerly leader of the Nordic Cochrane Center, has teamed with Maryanne Demasi to write a systematic review of the "harms" of COVID-19 vaccination. Besides accepting the highly dubious methodology behind one study, their preprint is yet another example of how EBM can be corrupted to promote antivax ideas.
Part of a Complete Breakfast
Infection control. When one adheres to compliance it is effective. Like masks and COVID 45.
Courage
If I were King of the Vaccines. Some thoughts on influenza vaccine, hospitalization, death and courage.