Systematic Review of Homeopathy for Rheumatological Disease
It really makes our job more challenging when otherwise reasonable medical journals publish pseudoscientific nonsense. The European Journal of Rheumatology is considered a respected peer-reviewed journal in the field. I have to wonder if the editors were completely asleep at the switch with this one, or if they may be harboring one or more true-believers (homeopathy remains popular in some corners of...
Antivaxxer Steve Kirsch unknowingly identifies the fatal flaw of an antivax “report” from the McCullough Foundation
Hilariously and without realizing it, antivaxxer Steve Kirsch nailed the essence of why a recent antivax "report" by the McCullough Foundation is nonsense. It's basically a very old tactic for misrepresenting science repackaged for "new school" antivaxxers.
Dr. Vinay Prasad Rose to Power by “Calling For” His Predecessors to do Things. How’s He Doing Now That He’s Had a Chance to Prove His Mettle?
I am calling for Dr. Vinay Prasad to manage the FDA in a mature, professional, competent, transparent manner. That’s just the bare minimum, and yet, he can’t even manage that.
Are Cardiac Calcium CT Scans Useful?
My doctor recently recommended that I get a cardiac CT calcium scan to help stratify my risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). So of course I was interested in how good this scan is, because diagnostic tests to assess risk, especially in those who are asymptomatic, can be tricky. I was happy to discover that the short answer is – yes. These tests...
COVID-19 infection during pregnancy is associated with higher rates of autism and neurodevelopmental diagnoses
A recent study found that infection with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of autism and neurodevelopment disorders. This is yet another reason why vaccination during pregnancy is important.
A Tale of Two Interviews: Martin Kulldorff and James Baker
One science-based and the other wish-based
WWTI Doctors, Trump Based Medicine, and the “Vindication” of Andrew Wakefield
Dr. Vinay Prasad seems poised to stop the "too many too soon" approach and start making Andrew Wakefield's dreams a reality.
Rejecting The Null Hypothesis
In various contexts, for practical, philosophical, and logical reasons, there is a default assumption. In the criminal justice system, for example, someone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Therefore we must act “as if” someone is innocent until the burden of proof is met that they are indeed guilty of the specific crime of which they are accused. In medicine, if someone...
The opposite of “turbo cancer”: COVID-19 vaccines sensitize cancer to immunotherapy
A new preliminary study published in Nature suggests that COVID-19 vaccines might actually boost the immune system to make immunotherapy more effective. If confirmed in followup studies, this result suggests that the vaccines do the opposite of causing "turbo cancer."
Dr. Vinay Prasad Doesn’t Realize He’s The Establishment. It’s His Job to Produce Results for the American Public, Not Fluff Donald Trump.
Because he can masterfully feign concern over evidence and data, Dr. Prasad is the Shohei Ohtani of spreading doubt and mistrust about vaccines. It's no surprise that under his "leadership", diseases are spreading and Andrew Wakefield is taking a victory lap.
The FDA’s Proposed “Black Box” Warning for COVID-19 Vaccines
The real hazard is not the vaccines, but the warning itself