FDA warns public about exosome treatments
The FDA and Nebraska health authorities issued warnings after patients became seriously ill following treatment with exosomes, an unproven, potentially risky and, per the FDA, illegal product being promoted by dubious stem cell clinics.
Decision Against Spelling to Communicate – A Small Victory for Science
Spelling to Communicate is just another form a facilitated communication, an invalid technique that was disproved decades ago but refuses to die.
The Science and Pseudoscience of What We Eat
Dr. Joe Schwarcz sets the record straight about food myths and what the research actually shows.
NCCIH surveys physicians on their recommendation of “complementary health approaches,” with depressing results
The NCCIH recently published a study examining the percentage of US physicians who had recommended "complementary health approaches" to their patients in the last year. The percentages are far higher than they should be.
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).
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.
Marianne Williamson Is An Anti-Vaxxer
Spouting classic anti-vaccine tropes is no way to prove you are not anti-vaccine.