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...
Science-Based Satire: Pacifier Vaporizer Manufacturer Denies Marketing to Infants
Have e-cigarette companies really been marketing to infants? Could this actually be a real product? It's an undeniable fact that children have been targeted in an effort to produce customers for life, but thankfully this is satire. The littlest ones are safe…for now.
What do consumers think about homeopathic remedies?
A new survey gives insights into how consumers view homeopathy, and how they feel about homeopathy once they learn what it actually is.
Scientific Fraud in China
There is a systemic problem with fraud in Chinese medical science. The problem goes all the way to the top.
SeroVital: Dubious Anti-Aging Claims
SeroVital is marketed as an anti-aging remedy that works by raising human growth hormone (HGH) levels naturally with amino acids. The research consists of one preliminary study that measured HGH levels. There is no clinical evidence that it is effective for anything.
Another serious complication from chiropractic cervical manipulation: Vertebral fracture leading to paralysis and death
John Lawlor was an 80 year old man with leg pain. Thinking he was going for physiotherapy, he ended up in the office of Arleen Scholten, a chiropractor. What happened next involved cervical spine manipulation, vertebral fracture, death, and a lack of accountability.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic: NUCCA─The Legacy of HIO
Upper cervical chiropractors continue to offer an atlas adjustment to treat a variety of health problems, despite lack of credible evidence to support such treatment.
Ayurvedic practitioners push for licensing in Colorado
Ayurvedic practitioners' attempt to become licensed health care professionals in Colorado failed an initial review but that is unlikely to stop them from pursuing their goal. Ayurveda is pseudoscience and its practices can be dangerous. Unfortunately, that is no barrier to state licensing.
Herbal Products and Cancer Treatment
Oncologists increasingly are warning their patients away from alternative herbal treatments, and with good reason.