MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'andrew'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:57:19 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174621&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F08%2F27%2Fdr-andrew-wakefield-to-speak-at-national-autistic-association-conference-on-autism-and-false-accusations-of-msbp%2F Dr. Andrew Wakefield The National Autism Association is having Dr Andrew Wakefield speak at their forthcoming conference about his new book which is to be released in the spring. While it is not unusual for the NAA to support Dr Wakefield’s work, I was surprised to learn that his proposed talk will be on the subject of the Autism and Munchausen by Proxy (MSBP). Dr Wakefield writes:   “Hoping for Perpetual Sunshine This presentation is the subject of a new book coming out the spring of 2012.  It deals with the hazards of pursuing a diagnosis of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) in children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), particularly those with gastrointestinal (GI) disease and/or dysfunction. Specifically, it reviews the symptomatic presentation of GI disorders ... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174621 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 06:11:30 +0100 5174621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169516&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=35060&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthnewsblog.com%2Fblog%2F825111 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency for the state of New York. In a statement, Cuomo says, "We are communicating with our federal and local partners to track the storm and to plan a coordinated response, and we will deploy resources as needed to the areas expected to be hit the hardest." ABC News reports that the declaration enables the state to activate the "Emergency Management Assistance Compact" and obtain access to federal resources and other resources outside the state of New York. New York's Office of Emergency Management currently has one long detailed page about hurricane preparation here. It provides information about the Saffir-Simpson scales as well as information about preparation, evacuation and inland flooding. Other states including New Jer... HealthNewsBlog.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169516 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 02:00:00 +0100 5169516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159835&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FQexqt8C-1RI%2F A new analysis of more than 1,000 medical journal articles found that relatively few health problems are caused by or clearly associated with vaccines, according to a report released today by the Institute of Medicine. An expert committee reviewed scientific literature on possible side effects and found what it calls convincing evidence that vaccines can cause 14 specific adverse events - such as seizures, brain inflammation and fainting - but concluded that these occur rarely. “What we found is that there is very little evidence that vaccines cause adverse events, and most of the adverse events that there is evidence for tend to be time-limited,” Ellen Wright Clayton, director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University and the IOM committe chair, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159835 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:20:13 +0100 5159835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159220&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F25%2Fthe-situation-of-human-rights%2F Ryan Goodman, Derek Jinks, Andrew Woods,  have recently posted their chapter, “Social Science and Human Rights“   (forthcoming in their edited book, “Understanding Social Action, Promoting Human Rights,” Oxford University Press, 2012) on SSRN * * * Over the last twenty years, the social scientific understanding of human behavior has taken a significant leap forward. Important advances in several fields have increased the complexity and accuracy of prevailing models of individual actors, group dynamics, and communication. Unfortunately, too few of the key insights of that scholarship have been incorporated into the theory or practice of human rights promotion. In this project, we collect research from a broad set of disciplines and analyze its implications for hu... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159220 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 04:01:00 +0100 5159220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139740&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F08%2F19%2Ffamilies-sue-their-lawyers-for-negligence-over-their-mmr-cases%2F The tables have turned on lawyers. The Times reported that three families are taking legal action against their former lawyers, claiming that the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination withdrawn in 1992, caused their children to develop encephalitis and not autism. They are saying that they are suing because they believe that their former lawyers were negligent when they lumped their cases in with more than 1000 other discredited autism and bowel disease claims. The three cases were dropped as part of the class action in 2003 along with all the other cases.   Hannah Devlin Science Correspondent for The Times wrote: Ann Coote, from Bolton, believes that the learning difficulties and epilepsy suffered by her daughter Rachael, 23, are a result of the encephalitis, a swelling of t... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139740 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 06:22:48 +0100 5139740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125923&cid=t_170538_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F12%2Ffda-approves-clinical-protocol-for-additional-phase-1-study-of-tkm-plk1-in-primary-liver-cancer-or-liver-metastases%2F The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the clinical protocol for an additional Phase 1 study of TKM-PLK1 in patients with either primary liver cancer or liver metastases associated with select cancers including ovarian. RNA Interference Nucleic acids are molecules that carry genetic information and include DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Together these [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125923 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:03:27 +0100 5125923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107892&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fk0gsqWimymU%2F A bill in New York to prohibit health insurers from requiring their customers use mail-order pharmacies was criticized by the Federal Trade Commission as a well-intentioned effort that, nonetheless, could have an anti-competitive outcome, according to a letter written by the agency to one of the sponsors of the legislation. The bill has passed both the state senate and assembly, and awaits a signature from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. In explaining its position, the FTC acknowledged that the bill (which you can read here) was designed to increase consumer choice and limit the ability of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, from penalizing consumers who do not purchase their meds from mail-order pharmacies. You may recall that the largest PBMs, including CVS/Caremark, Express Scripts and ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107892 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:09:09 +0100 5107892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096201&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwilderness-medical-society-publishes-prevention-and-treatment-tips-for-altitude-sickness%2F2011.08.05 Led by Andrew Luks MD and his colleagues, the Wilderness Medical Society has published Consensus Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Altitude Illness (Wild Environ Med 2010:21;146-155). These guidelines are intended to provide clinicians about best evidence-based practices, and were derived from the deliberations of an expert panel, of which I was a member. The disorders considered were acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). The guidelines present the main prophylactic and therapeutic modalities for each disorder and provide recommendations for their roles in disorder management. The guidelines also provide suggested approaches to prevention and management of each disorder that incorporate the recommend... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096201 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5096201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062294&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F24%2Fmental-illness-is-not-simply-a-brain-disease%2F Last month, Andrew Brown writing for the UK’s Guardian, noted when Professor David Nutt kept referring to depression as a “brain disease” on a popular UK television program. We commend Andrew Brown for his calling out Professor Nutt in trying to dumb down the portrayal of mental disorders to simply “brain diseases.” Mental disorders remain complex disorders that involve all aspect of a person’s functioning and life — their brain and biology, their psychological makeup and personality, and their social interactions and relationships with others. The cause isn’t just one of these things in the vast majority of people who have a mental illness — the cause is all of these things, in differing proportions. I’ve written about this in th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062294 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:36:25 +0100 5062294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062295&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F24%2Fintegrative-behavioral-couple-therapy-where-acceptance-is-key%2F “There are two sides to every story.” This timeless saying couldn’t be truer when it comes to conflict in a relationship. In fact, it’s how couples therapists Andrew Christensen, Ph.D, and the late Neil Jacobson, Ph.D, start off their 2002 book Reconcilable Differences. Well, actually, they share a third side: their objective take on a couple, which usually includes some truth from both stories. In the late 1990s, Christensen and Jacobson developed a type of couples therapy called integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT), which combines techniques from behavioral couples therapy with new strategies to cultivate acceptance. Recently, Christensen, a professor of psychology at UCLA, and colleagues (2010) published their findings from a five-year study that compared the ef... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062295 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 12:37:14 +0100 5062295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057728&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F07%2F22%2Fmurdochs-vaccine-world%2F This article explains, in my opinion, how the pharmaceutical industry and money interests ‘play the game’. I hope Mr. Newton doesn’t mind my quoting his article, but I could not have said it any better and I certainly don’t want to take his thunder. He’s done a fantastic job, which I applaud, and want to spotlight. First, Newtown sets up the piece with some histrionics: A 2010 exposure of Murdoch’s Times of London revealed that it had published forged documents purporting to show that Iran planned to do nuclear experiments for an atomic weapon, and as Michael Collins at Oped News points out, it was Murdoch’s “drumbeat of misinformation” that helped mislead people into believing that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 9/11 attack, supporting Bush’s in... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057728 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:30:36 +0100 5057728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159032&cid=t_170538_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4562%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dhalf-baked-nonsense-in-the-atlantic Jump to follow-up Reply to David Katz. The Atlantic is an American magazine founded (as The Atlantic Monthly) in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It is a literary and cultural magazine with a very distinguished history. Its contributors include Mark Twain and Martin Luther King. So it was pretty exciting to be asked to write something for it, even with a 12 hour deadline. Sadly though, in recent years, the coverage of science in The Atlantic has been less than good The inimitable David Gorski has explained the problem in Blatant pro-alternative medicine propaganda in The Atlantic. The immediate cause of the kerfuffle was the publication of an article, The Triumph of New-Age Medicine. It was written by a journalist, David Freedman. It is very long and really not very good. It has been decon... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159032 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:38:18 +0100 5159032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960043&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCoYuX5FPRRM%2F Conclusion is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960043 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:07:17 +0100 4960043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921689&cid=t_170538_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F09%2F2011-asco-additional-phase-iii-study-data-support-the-potential-role-of-avastin-in-newly-diagnosed-recurrent-ovarian-cancer%2F Positive results from two bevacizumab (Avastin®) phase III clinical studies were presented at the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting on June 4. The data reported add to the growing body of evidence in support of bevacizumab use to treat recurrent and newly-diagnosed ovarian cancer. Positive results from two bevacizumab (Avastin®) phase III [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921689 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 23:15:13 +0100 4921689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893566&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34786&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrmichelletempest.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Findependent-letter.html This letter was published in the Independent newspaper :Hospital doctors must have a roleYou report that Andrew Lansley is holding out on letting hospital doctors have a role in deciding what care the NHS provides to patients (10 May). Why? Modern medicine increasingly requires vertical integration of treatment, where specialist hospital doctors and GPs work together to provide both acute and chronic health provision. It is not only logical but vitally important that the skill of hospital doctors is not lost.Though the argument against hospital doctors having a role in commissioning is based on a perceived conflict of interest, a recent report in the GP magazine Pulse suggested that 10 per cent of GPs in consortia have declared private healthcare business interests. "Conflict of interest" ... The Psychiatrist Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893566 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 13:51:00 +0100 4893566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159035&cid=t_170538_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4422%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dwilletts-private-university-in-trouble-private-eye-explains Jump to follow-up We live under a highly ideological government. It wishes to privatise everything in sight, not least universities and the National Health Service. Of course they don’t put it that way: they call it “reform”. It’s easier to deal with open ideology than with ideology disguised as social reform, but luckily a 10-year old could see through the weasel words. One example is the raising of tuition fees to £9,000 pa. It costs the taxpayers more than charging £3,000 did. Students obviously lose, and universities probably lose too. It takes a very blind form of ideology to devise a system in which all three parties lose money, for the sake of a principle. No doubt Education Minister David Willetts was moved by the same ideological considerations... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159035 Sat, 28 May 2011 10:47:25 +0100 5159035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862556&cid=t_170538_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FL2NSxYI8gSY%2F Feature post giving a shout-out to the newly created blog Emergency Medicine Ireland. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862556 Wed, 25 May 2011 11:52:56 +0100 4862556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841582&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F18%2Fapa-mental-health-blog-party-2011-roundup%2F Here is our roundup of posts from the Psych Central Blog Network that blogged about mental health today as a part of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Mental Health “Blog Party.” Psych Central is the world’s largest independent mental health network run by ordinary mental health professionals. Each month, over 1.5 million people visit our site from around the world to learn more about better mental health and conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD and anxiety. Psych Central bloggers are some of the most dedicated and passionate people I’ve met in the field of mental health. Some are professionals, some are not, but all share one thing in common — they have a knack for writing about psychology and mental health issu... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841582 Wed, 18 May 2011 14:55:30 +0100 4841582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4744817&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fphysicians-against-dr-ozs-misinformation-a-battle-they-cannot-win%2F2011.04.23 A handful of physicians are collaborating to take Mehmet Oz, MD, to task on what they’re calling outlandish claims and bad medical advice. Their suggestion is to no longer pay attention to that man behind the curtain. David H. Gorski, MD, PhD, at the blog Science-Based Medicine went after Dr. Oz for hosting segments about faith healing and consulting psychics. Dr. Gorski pulls no punches, saying, “Dr. Oz has in some ways imitated Oprah and in some ways gone her one better (one worse, really) in promoting the Oprah-fication of medicine. And this season has been a particularly bad one for science-based medicine on The Dr. Oz Show.” (Dr. Mehmet Oz may be using his “Degree in Thinkology” to come up with some of his show topics.) Val Jones, MD, the woman behind the... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4744817 Sat, 23 Apr 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4744817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734063&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOJ5BsPWZczg%2F By George Scoville Please join us this Thursday, April 21 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern for a book forum and debate on “green energy” policy, following the recent release of the Cato book The False Promise of Green Energy. On Thursday, University of Alabama Professor of Law and Business Andrew P. Morriss (one of the book’s authors) and Center for American Progress Vice President for Energy Policy Kate Gordon will debate the merits of the “green” economic agenda, moderated by Cato Institute Senior Fellow Jerry Taylor. Complimentary registration is required of all attendees by noon TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 20. We hope you can join us in person and for the reception following the event–if you cannot attend in person, we hope you’ll tune in online or on Faceb... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734063 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:29:37 +0100 4734063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719901&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F04%2F16%2Fuk-nurse-gave-vaccine-to-child-without-consent-to-meet-government-goals%2F A UK nurse has been accused of vaccinating a child with the MMR without his mothers consent to hit vaccine targets. The Daily Mail has reported that a Birmingham mother has made an official complaint stating that a nurse at the ‘Pak Medical Centre’ gave her son the MMR without her permission. Robina Siddique told the newspaper that she firmly believes that nurse Rashiela Parekh vaccinated her three year old son purely to meet vaccination targets. Siddique claims that she took her son to the clinic for the DPT vaccination making it very clear at the time that she did not want her son to have the MMR. This was because she felt that it was unsafe. She told the Mail: “I had refused the MMR for my child because I don’t think there is enough research into the long-term implic... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719901 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:38:04 +0100 4719901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704959&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FOvRuuYAAJLA%2F And the revolving door keeps revolving. Former Congressman Bart Stupak, who gained a high profile and occasional notoriety for his watchdog approach toward the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA, has just signed on as a legislative and government affairs partner with Venable, a law firm that has a sizeable practice helping drug and device makers. “I’ve had numerous contacts with Venable partners over the years and am excited about helping my new colleagues and the firm’s clients navigate choppy congressional waters,” says Stupak, a former police officer, Michigan state trooper and nine-term congressman, in a statement e-mailed to us. This will be a decidedly different role for Stupak. As chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704959 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:41:59 +0100 4704959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664104&cid=t_170538_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fphysicians-opting-airport-scans%2F While the Transportation Security Agency is saying the backscatter scans used to check passengers boarding airplanes, many prominent doctors avoid them if at all possible, while others say the risks are minimal. Drs. Andrew Weil, Sanjay Gupta, Karl Bilimoria, and others explain why they choose like they do. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664104 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:25:50 +0100 4664104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615430&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FEl6Lh_WvNNM%2F Welcome to the working week. We hope the weekend was relaxing and fruitful. Now, of course, the time has come to resume the routine of meetings and deadlines. Doing so under rainy skies does this make this a challenge, though, yes? So reach for that cup of stimulation - our flavor today is chocolate raspberry truffle - to lift your spirits. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits to help you along. Have a good day, everyone, and stay in touch… Novartis Wins EU Approval For Gilenya MS Pill (Reuters) FDA Not Ready To Act On Tainted Wipes (MSNBC) Glaxo CEO Says Drugmakers Should Not Leave UK Over Taxes (The Guardian) Xenoport Ends Development Of Heart Drug (Reuters) Mylan Sues FDA Over Ranbaxy Lipitor Generic (Bloomberg News) FDA And EMA Form QBD Pilot Plan (Outsourcing Pharma) Inovio Receives... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615430 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:52:14 +0100 4615430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600515&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3H5iD5cOzT4%2F By John SamplesTwo hundred and sixty years ago, James Madison was born in Virginia. His life was long and eventful, comprising the American Revolution, the writing and ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the founding of political parties, the War of 1812, and the rise of Andrew Jackson. The struggles that would culminate in the Civil War were evident in the last years of his life. Along with his political career, Madison proved to be one of this nation's most insightful and certainly its most influential political theorist. He is often accorded the twin titles of Father of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. No doubt those titles claim too much for him or any other mortal. But according him those titles is not far from the truth. What would surprise Madison about our current consti... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600515 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:46:35 +0100 4600515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4565902&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fniche-science-and-targeted-medicines-vs-magic-bullets%2F2011.03.09 Maybe you read the other day in The New York Times that the pharmaceutical industry has a problem. Big blockbuster drugs like Lipitor are going off patent and the industry leaders don’t have new blockbusters showing promise to replace them. So the big companies search for little companies with new discoveries and they consider buying them. Industry observers think the days of $5 billion-a-year drugs to lower cholesterol or control diabetes may be past for awhile, and the companies will have smaller hits with new compounds for autoimmune conditions and cancer. When I saw my oncologist for a checkup yesterday — the news was good — we chatted about the article and the trend toward “niche science.” We welcomed it. We didn’t think — from our perspective — the wor... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565902 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:30:58 +0100 4565902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4554610&cid=t_170538_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FX62M5exw-jM%2F We echo the ZDOggMD crew's call to IMMUNIZE! (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4554610 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 12:19:58 +0100 4554610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545255&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fj7-yb8Q-oVg%2F Rise and shine, everyone, another shiny day is on the way. What lies in store? Meetings and deadlines, no doubt, and we relate. To cope, we are brewing our mandatory cup of stimulation and invite you to join us. Meanwhile, we will pause to hustle one of the short people off to the local schoolhouse. So here are a few tidbits. Also, please note that we posted some items last night, but placed them above our morning greeting in the event some people did not see them. Have a great day and stay in touch… Traditional Drug Discovery Model Is Ripe For Reform (Nature) McKesson Fights $212M Pricing Fine Levied By Arizona (Courthouse News) Lilly To Outsource Bioanalytical Work (Pharma Times) Eisai To Cut 900 Jobs Over Five Years (Bloomberg News) Panel Told No Guarantees Against Unethical Resea... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545255 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:00:30 +0100 4545255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525033&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-survivorship-and-fear%2F2011.02.26 I had breakfast this morning in Las Vegas with my friend, Dave Garcia. Dave is a pit boss on the graveyard shift at the Belagio Hotel where they made the modern-day “Ocean’s 11″ buddy movie from 1960. Dave is also a 52-year-old chronic lymphocytic leukemia survivor. He reached out to me online and we have been friends since soon after his diagnosis in 2002. Dave is a father of two young kids. He dreams of seeing them grow up. But, understandably, he worries. Some days more than others. Today was his day to see his oncologist and get the latest blood test results. Would his white blood count (WBC) be in the normal range? If so, his third round of treatment was still working. If not, he might be headed to a stem cell transplant, short-term disability, and living in another city... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525033 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:00:36 +0100 4525033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445782&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFl4guIqoS4g%2F By Jason KuznickiIf you follow the news, you might never guess that we're living in a remarkably peaceful era. But we are. The long-term trends say that war is on the decline—combat fatalities, too. If we value world peace, we shouldn't be complaining. We should be figuring out why these things are happening—and asking how we can keep them going. Peace, of course, doesn't often make the news. There's nothing dramatic to report. Peace doesn't explode. It doesn't kill people. It makes for lousy TV. I'm hoping, however, that peace makes a good topic at Cato Unbound. This month's lead essay is by Andrew Mack, director of the Human Security Report Project at Simon Fraser University. If we live in a more secure world, he asks, why is it? Please join us throughout the month for an em... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445782 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:49:54 +0100 4445782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419118&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtSqxfOSNPCQ%2F By Justin LoganI have been following the reporting out of Egypt with the same interest as other onlookers, and I share their ignorance. I know very little about Egypt and do not feel competent to offer predictions, much less advocate for one or the other position on the questions posed to the United States by events in that country. While the events themselves are exhilarating to watch, of equal interest to me has been the parade of American commentators who know nothing about Egypt but nonetheless have been providing copious commentary on the subject.  I thought Andrew Exum’s lament on this phenomenon was particularly righteous.  Watching cable news, Exum reports that he was: absolutely stunned by the willingness of the show’s guests to opine about Egypt without having any a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419118 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:51:52 +0100 4419118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399495&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyhLfQ9Z-SoI%2F By David RittgersIn November, a New York jury found Al Qaeda bomber Ahmed Ghailani guilty on only one of 285 charges for his role in the Kenya and Tanzania embassy bombings. I called it “a good outcome” for a number of reasons, largely agreeing with Ben Wittes. I’ve disagreed with Wittes on lawfare issues before, but he and Chesney are right on this case: (1) the defendant will serve a minimum of twenty years in jail, possibly life; (2) it’s not certain that the military commissions would have allowed evidence obtained by coercion (Charlie Savage also made this point in his article for the New York Times), (3) the conspiracy conviction in civilian court is solid on appeal, but not necessarily so in a military commission (conspiracy is not a traditional law of war violation, and thr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399495 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:02:11 +0100 4399495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399450&cid=t_170538_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fuk-scientists-isolate-gene-cancer-spread%2F Dr. Andrew Chantry and his team have isolated the gene that they claim allows a cancer to become metastatic and spread throughout the body. The gene, known as WWP2, appears to be involved in virtually all cancer spread. The research article is appearing in the journal Oncogene. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399450 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:29:54 +0100 4399450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399527&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdiscussing-immunization-the-injustice-of-interviewing-dr-wakefield%2F2011.01.25 When Dr. Andrew Wakefield was interviewed on ABC’s “Good Morning America” [recently], an injustice occurred. For children, I mean. And it occurred inadvertently, I suspect. But I believe this injustice happens all the time when it comes to children’s health and wellness. What the media covers really changes how we think and feel about protecting and parenting our children. The media’s effort to inform and educate — just like that of physicians and nurses, social workers and ancillary staff, researchers, and students — can get lost and misconstrued. ABC worked hard to inform us of the accusations against Dr. Wakefield with a two-minute introduction by Dr. Richard Besser, a pediatrician and medical editor/correspondent. Yet when the interview was over, ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399527 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:00:46 +0100 4399527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399529&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Feffect-of-autism-vaccine-fraud-not-easily-undone%2F2011.01.24 Eighteen percent of American believe that vaccines can cause autism, 30 percent remain unsure, and 52 percent of Americans don’t think vaccines can cause autism, according to public opinion polling done after research linking vaccines to the condition was reported as fraudulent. While 69 percent of respondents said they had heard about an association between vaccination and autism, 47 percent knew that the original Lancet study had been retracted, and that recently the research is reported as being fraudulent. The poll also found that 86 percent of parents who have doubts about the vaccine said that their children were fully vaccinated, compared to 98 percent of parents who believe vaccines are safe, and that 92 percent of children are fully vaccinated. The poll was conducted... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399529 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4399529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394443&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Famericans-are-quickly-rethinking-the-autism-vaccine-link%2F2011.01.24 Eighteen percent of American believe that vaccines can cause autism, 30 percent remain unsure, and 52 percent of Americans don’t think vaccines can cause autism, according to public opinion polling done after research linking vaccines to the condition was reported as fraudulent. While 69 percent of respondents said they had heard about an association between vaccination and autism, 47 percent knew that the original Lancet study had been retracted, and that recently the research is reported as being fraudulent. The poll also found that 86 percent of parents who have doubts about the vaccine said that their children were fully vaccinated, compared to 98 percent of parents who believe vaccines are safe, and that 92 percent of children are fully vaccinated. The poll was conducted... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394443 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4394443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4389185&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F01%2F23%2Fthe-saga-of-andy-wakefield-continues%2F The recent attacks against Dr. Andrew Wakefield for undisclosed business dealings are the latest battles in an apparent collusion by some segments of Big Pharma, orthodox or allopathic medicine, and governments to take down Andy Wakefield in what will become a failed attempt to preserve the current international vaccine agenda. As the January 13, 2011, New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)Perspective article entitled “The Age-old Struggle against the Antivaccinationists” by authors Dr. Gregory Poland and Dr. Robert Jacobson points out, opposition to vaccination is a long-standing battle. Nothing shows this more clearly and effectively than the book, Horrors Of Vaccination Exposed And Illustrated: Petition To The President To Abolish Compulsory Vaccination In Army And Navy, written in ... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4389185 Sun, 23 Jan 2011 13:21:02 +0100 4389185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377569&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-window-into-cancer-research%2F2011.01.20 Exciting Time with World Renowned Experts from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377569 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:00:10 +0100 4377569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4352714&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F01%2F15%2Fvaccine-damaged-kids-and-the-media-attack-on-dr-andy-wakefield%2F The apparently orchestrated attack on Doctor Andy Wakefield is most interesting.  It’s rather amazing that the British Medical Journal (BMJ), having been around since the mid-eighteen hundreds, would risk tarnishing its reputation with such ghastly stories.  It is fascinating to observe what appears to be an attack that is nothing short of sinister. Perhaps it would be revealing to trace the REAL source(s) behind this witch-hunt––within, or reporting to, BMJ. Parents of vaccine-damaged children are convinced that journalist Brian Deer may not be a ‘lone wolf’ but rather a ‘lackey’ possibly supported by pharmaceutical sources. What is suddenly driving this vendetta against a medical doctor who follows in the professional footsteps of so many martyred heroes like Ignaz Phili... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4352714 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 12:51:38 +0100 4352714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349513&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-patients-are-empowered-by-serious-diagnoses%2F2011.01.14 I am really excited about serving as the emcee for next week’s Personalized Medicine World Conference in Mountain View, California near San Francisco. I also will be the moderator of a panel discussion on patient empowerment. As I prepare, I am interviewing the panelists and their stories are very inspiring. One panelist is Bonnie Addario. Bonnie had been an oil company executive in the Bay Area. She began having chest pain. Was it her heart? No. Was it a nerve problem? No. Doctors were stumped. Bonnie was frustrated, but she was also a woman of action — a “powerful patient.” She went on her own for a full body scan. The news was not good. A lung cancer tumor was wrapped around her aorta and other vessels. It was inoperable. But, fortunately, chemotherapy and radiation shrunk t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349513 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 23:00:49 +0100 4349513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349517&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F01%2F14%2Fvaccine-induced-child-abuse-exposed%2F As the Wakefield saga unfolds, we have seen the lengths pharmaceutical industries and governments will go to in a bid to cover up the truth. However, destroying a professionals reputation is not the only tactic employed to cover up vaccine injuries. Blaming parents of child abuse is another tactic being regularly used. Many parents, who believe that they have been falsely accused of child abuse, are convinced that their child has been injured by a routine childhood vaccination. Yet, many in the medical establishment, however, are less convinced. Instead, they push ahead for police and child protection intervention. Sadly this means that many sick and disabled children enter the care system receiving inadequate medical or educational intervention and carry on to deteriorate. // Profession... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349517 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:59:37 +0100 4349517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331017&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F01%2F10%2Fandrew-wakefield-attack-spells-death-for-these-3-pharma-lies%2F Conclusion Parents realize that their autistic child is sick, needs proper medical help, and there are services and treatments available, which conventional medicine seems to be ignoring if it does not include psychotropic drugs. Treating autism’s other health problems, including bowel syndrome anomalies that Dr. Wakefield identified, apparently is not in the best interest of helping an autistic child. One has to wonder what will happen if it’s determined that the viruses causing autism are the same strains that are in vaccines. vactruth.com (Source: vactruth.com) vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331017 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:06:13 +0100 4331017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331190&cid=t_170538_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F10%2Ftheres-enough-insanity-to-go-around%2F Gun control activists are not just concerned about the criminally insane having guns. (Such diagnoses are too often only made after a shoot-’em-up anyway!) Otherwise sane people can act violently, too, and guns just make things that much worse. When I hear criminals dismissed by news-jockies as “crazy”, “unbalanced”, “off”, I sometimes take on those [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331190 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:21:13 +0100 4331190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322511&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F01%2F07%2Fmedia-vultures-have-another-go-at-andrew-wakefields-research%2F We describe the clinical findings, and gastrointestinal features of these children.” // Wakefield says ‘apparent normality‘. He is not saying of ‘normality’ because he is taking this from the mouths of the parents and other physicians and not his own observation. This is shown later in the study. It is important to remember that Wakefield was not studying the Autism link but bowel disorder link. Wakefield was not and never has been an expert in Autism he was and is a Gastrointerologist. In the section ‘findings’ he states: Findings Onset of behavioural symptoms was associated, by the parents, with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination in eight of the 12 children, with measles infection in one child, and otitis media in another. All 12 children ha... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322511 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:42:50 +0100 4322511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318443&cid=t_170538_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fpromises-to-myself-for-the-new-year%2F First of all, I need to get organized. I’ll get out all my random notes, including my exercise notebook I’ve kept for several years with all of my favorite and most helpful stretches and exercise moves diagrammed. I will make my best effort to perform stretches each day or at least every other day to keep limber and to alleviate some of my pain. If I don’t, I may end up looking like a human question mark. It might be time to buy a couple of new stretchy bands. Scares the beans out of me when the old ones pop. I will continue to clutter up my small home with a giant red exercise ball because it is ideal for maintaining balance and strength. Sitting on it while lifting my small weights, I will do my best not to fall off. Balance is so important. All I need is a fall. Then I’d be “t... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318443 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:26:44 +0100 4318443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318334&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-autism-vaccine-fraud-the-difference-one-journalist-can-make%2F2011.01.06 The BMJ’s statement this week that the 1998 article by Andrew Wakefield and 12 others “linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent” demonstrates what a difference one journalist can make. Journalist Brian Deer played a key role in uncovering and dismantling the Wakefield story. (Of course, others recently have said something similar about The Daily Show comedian Jon Stewart’s role in focusing on the health problems of 9/11 first responders.) CNN’s Anderson Cooper had a segment worth watching, including a new interview Cooper conducted with Wakefield via Skype: Unfortunately, journalism played a key role in promoting Wakefield’s claims. The “Respectful Insolence” blog referred to one journalist as “CBS’ resident anti-vaccine pro... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318334 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:00:16 +0100 4318334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318546&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F3Hn0dIo4xnA%2F More than a decade after he published a paper in The Lancet suggesting a strong link between autism and MMR vaccination, the story of how Andrew Wakefield strung together his conclusions and opinions has been published in BMJ. And the behind-the-scenes story is eye-opening. In an accompanying editorial, the medical journal calls his work a fraud that has greatly damaged public health. “A great deal of thought and effort must have gone into drafting the paper to achieve the results he wanted: the discrepancies all led in one direction; misreporting was gross,” writes BMJ in its editorial, adding that “…Hundreds of thousands of children in the UK are currently unprotected as a result of the scare, and the battle to restore parents’ trust in the vaccine is ongoing.&... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318546 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:38:47 +0100 4318546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314048&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Fandrew-wakefield-the-autism-vaccine-link-and-deliberate-fraud%2F As though Dr. Andrew Wakefield didn’t have enough problems. After his study of 12 (count ‘em — a whole 12!) children was thrown out of The Lancet when its original claim of a link between autism and MMR vaccines didn’t really hold water, now he’s got the BMJ on his case. The problem with the original study came when nobody — and I mean, nobody — could replicate the research. Not Wakefield. Not other researchers. Science demonstrates a strong finding when data is replicable. When nobody can replicate your research, it’s considered an unreliable or extremely weak finding. And in this case, it’s not even that. The BMJ today claimed that Dr. Andrew Wakefield allegedly engaged in deliberate fraud in his original study. “The MMR [measl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314048 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:13:52 +0100 4314048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309608&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpersonalized-medicine-a-2011-resolution-for-you%2F2011.01.04 You are an individual right? To your mom and dad you are/were like no other. Hopefully your family and friends continue to see you as one-of-a-kind. Had you considered your doctor should see you that way too? Not as yet another one with diabetes, or heart disease, or cancer, but as a singular human being with biology that may be different from even the next person through the door with the same diagnosis. This is the age of “personalized medicine” and it will accelerate in 2011. It is our responsibility as patients to ensure the power of this concept is leveraged for us each time we interact with the healthcare system. This is especially true as we manage a serious chronic condition or a cancer. Now, in research and in clinical practice there are refined tests to determine what our spe... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309608 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:00:47 +0100 4309608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309593&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlJ-i99qAM7I%2F By Michael F. CannonNew York’s budget problem is actually a Medicaid problem.  In Sunday’s New York Post, I offer advice to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) on how to fix a budget gap that will grow to $17 billion during his term: Gov. Cuomo can’t fix Medicaid by himself. He needs the help of Congress. There is a solution… Block grants are how President Bill Clinton and a Republican Congress reformed welfare back in 1996, to spectacular success. Welfare reform forced New York to be smarter about welfare spending, just as a block grant would force New York to rededicate Medicaid to its original mission — providing necessary medical care to the truly needy. There’s one place Gov. Cuomo can start on his own: Close the loopholes that allow well-to-do New Yorkers to f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309593 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:00:47 +0100 4309593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275326&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-scam-high-heels-short-skirts-and-dna-samples%2F2010.12.20 Without having one myself, I am pretty familiar with bone marrow transplant as a potential curative and lifesaving approach. After all, it was invented in my hometown of Seattle and I’ve met Dr. Donall Thomas who won a Nobel prize for developing the approach. I have met people who have been given a new lease on life because of transplant, I’ve known people who have died when transplant did not work for them or complications overwhelmed them, and I know many doctors who are transplant experts. I know how finding a perfect match can be hard — especially when the patient in need is part of an ethnic minority. And I have heard the horror stories of matched donors saying no to patients who would die if they didn’t receive a transplant from them. Now comes a story from Massachusetts ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275326 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:00:22 +0100 4275326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272248&cid=t_170538_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fdr-nirav-shah-receives-appointment-york-state-commissioner-health%2F Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo has appointed Dr. Nirav R. Shah to be New York’s next Commissioner of Health. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272248 Sun, 19 Dec 2010 04:16:40 +0100 4272248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237895&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-treatment-with-fewer-side-effects%2F2010.12.07 Treating Cancer Better with Reduced Side Effects from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237895 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:00:53 +0100 4237895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214106&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-transparency-patient-experts-at-medical-conventions%2F2010.11.30 We are invading their home turf. Increasingly, in among the thousands of doctors, scientists, and medical industry marketers at the largest medical conventions you are finding real patients who have the conditions discussed in the scientific sessions and exhibit halls. Patients like me want to be where the news breaks. We want to ask questions and — thanks to the Internet — we have a direct line to thousands of other patients waiting to know what new developments mean for them. I vividly remember attending an FDA drug hearing a few years ago and how there were stock analysts sitting in the audience, BlackBerries poised for the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” on whether a proposed new drug would be recommended for approval. (At that session it was thumbs dow... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214106 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:00:47 +0100 4214106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190225&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F21%2Fthe-new-midlife-crisis-suicide%2F Dan Fields, freelance health writer and former editor in chief of Dr. Andrew Weil’s Self-Healing newsletter, recently sent me a link to his piece for a cool new online publication called “The Good Men Project Magazine.” I was especially intrigued by his exploration of midlife suicide and why the rate is highest among any age group. You can get to his fascinating piece by following this link. I have excerpted a few paragraphs below: In 2007 (the latest year for which statistics are available), people aged forty-five to fifty-four had the highest suicide rate of any age group: 17.7 per 100,000. (The national average was 11.5 per 100,000.) And the rate for fifty-five to sixty-four-year-olds showed the greatest increase from the previous year. Researchers don’t yet know... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190225 Sun, 21 Nov 2010 12:48:57 +0100 4190225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4186907&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Flose-weight-and-save-your-heart%2F2010.11.19 On location at the American Heart Association’s “Scientific Sessions“ meeting in Chicago, Andrew Schorr discusses lowering your risk of heart disease and how weight affects your risk: Lower Obesity and Save Your Heart from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4186907 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 23:00:57 +0100 4186907 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172059&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fheart-smarts%2F2010.11.16 From the American Heart Association’s “Scientific Sessions 2010” in Chicago (November 13-17): Chicago Heart Smarts from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172059 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:00:39 +0100 4172059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159300&cid=t_170538_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fare-you-losing-your-patients-to-other.html Competition has now become a fact of life. It's becoming even more fierce, especially in large cities.Doctors are getting squeezed on all sides. Patients have lots of demands - and thanks to the internet, they are very well informed which means they have lots of questions which need to be answered . Corporate hospitals have huge advertising and marketing budgets; while insurance companies are putting caps on the amounts they are willing to pay - and to add insult to injury, often fail to pay on time.So what can you do ?The tragedy is that there are many skilled, compassionate qualified doctors who sit in their consulting rooms and twiddle their thumbs because they do not have enough patients. When they see their colleagues with full waiting rooms , this causes them major heart burn . They ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159300 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:08:00 +0100 4159300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151788&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsharing-your-health-issues-the-responsibility-of-survivorship%2F2010.11.10 This past weekend Oscar-nominated Hollywood and Broadway actress Jill Clayburgh died at age 66. The cause was chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), which she had been fighting, privately, for 21 years. As you may recall, I, too, have CLL and I was diagnosed at the same age, 45. For me, I am 16 and a half years into that “battle” although, fortunately, I have been feeling very good in the ten years since I received treatment as part of a breakthrough clinical trial. While I have no symptoms and take no medicine I do not consider myself cured. So when someone like Ms. Clayburgh dies of CLL after 21 years, I can’t help but wonder if the disease will shorten my life too, even if I feel good now. That brings up the question of what do we do with the time we have when we know we have had a s... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151788 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:00:19 +0100 4151788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074029&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZOSTOSIYC9k%2F By Walter OlsonThere are many reasons to be glum about the impending coronation of dynastic heir Andrew Cuomo, now leading in the New York governor’s race against a GOP opponent (Carl Paladino) who at first polled decently but has since stumbled. Some fret about the Democrat’s reputation for political hardball: former governor Eliot Spitzer (Eliot Spitzer!) last month called Cuomo the “dirtiest, nastiest political player out there,” which is like being called overdressed by Lady Gaga. Others find Cuomo too much of a camera-chaser as attorney general in Albany, and almost everyone is queasy over his role (as Clinton-era housing secretary) in encouraging risk-taking by federally backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, leading by direct steps to today’s ongoing mortgage crisi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074029 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:07:12 +0100 4074029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074038&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoH04YsEeYK8%2F By David BoazJoshua Green writes in the Atlantic, after discussing the Austrian economists’ views in 1929 on what to do about the not-yet-great depression: Herbert Hoover’s Treasury secretary, Andrew Mellon, offered similar counsel, famously urging Hoover to “liquidate” and “purge the rottenness out of the system.” But this failed to stop the catastrophe. That’s true. And you know, here’s a general rule: Absolutely nothing that a treasury secretary says to a president will affect the real economy if the president ignores his advice and does something else. Hoover didn’t cut federal spending, he doubled it. He established the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. He propped up wages and prices. Indeed, he launched the New Deal. And Green is right: In the fac... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074038 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:25:54 +0100 4074038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055827&cid=t_170538_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F9mHY5I3qG84%2F Brain training does not necessarily mean computerized games. For instance, mediation may be a great tool to train your brain. Different parts of the brain support different functions. One function, central to many of our actions, is “attention”. Attention can be defined as the ability to sustain concentration on a particular object, action, or thought. It can also be defined as the ability to manage competing demands in our environment.connections between neurons, die. In the brain it is supported mainly by neuronal networks in the parietal (yellow in the figure) and frontal (blue in the figure) lobes. What can be done to maintain and boost such a fundamental ability? Dr. Andrew Newberg (Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology and Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvani... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055827 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:05:03 +0100 4055827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040562&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fin-the-hospital-to-rest-and-recover-right%2F2010.10.07 Nobody is in the hospital these days feeling good. Regulations have made it so sick people are hospitalized and not-so-sick people are usually outpatients. People who are horizontal are there to have procedures, take heavy duty meds, rest and, hopefully, get better. Hospitals have increasingly put in sophisticated television systems so you can be in bed and distracted and entertained. But that is not restful for everyone. Here’s an example from this past weekend that stands out: Mark Dantonio, the coach of the Big Ten’s Michigan State Spartan college football team, was diagnosed with a heart attack right after last week’s game. Boom. He was hospitalized. Boom. He had a stent put in to unblock at least one artery. This past Saturday he was still in the hospital resting and recovering,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040562 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:00:45 +0100 4040562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4027157&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fever-google-your-doctor%25e2%2580%2599s-name%2F2010.10.03 Andrew takes you behind the scenes of what health information people are searching for online, and how we know: Popular Health Search: Your Doctor’s Name from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4027157 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 22:00:01 +0100 4027157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4001686&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-medical-dedication-comes-from-personal-pain%2F2010.09.25 The old joke about psychological therapists is they are among the biggest consumers of therapy themselves. Lately, I have been noticing more and more how a significant portion of the people we meet wearing white lab coats have a very personal connection to the medical work they do. For them it is not a job, a meal ticket, or just putting their years of training into practice, it is a mission connected to something in their past, something in their own body, or the health of a loved one. A recent example is Kaiten Kormanik. She is 23 and has had the genetic condition PKU since birth. She has to follow a strict low protein diet or otherwise risk severe negative effects on her brain. If you toured the labs of The Children’s Hospital of UPMC in Pittsburgh you might bump into her as she does ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4001686 Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:00:04 +0100 4001686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3976539&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F17%2Fandrew-papachristos-explains-why-criminals-obey-the-law-video%2F Last fall, the HLS Student Association for Law and Mind Sciences (SALMS) hosted a fascinating talk by Professor  Andrew Papachristos entitled “Why Do Criminals Obey the Law: The Influence of Law and Social Networks on Active Gun Users.”  You can read the abstract for the talk and watch the video below. * * * Our findings suggest that while criminals as a whole have negative opinions of the law and legal authority, the sample of gun offenders (just like non-criminals) are more likely to comply with the law when they believe in (a) the substance of the law, and (b) the legitimacy of legal actors, especially the police. Moreover, we find that opinions of compliance to the law are not uniformly distributed across the sample population. In other words, not all criminals are alik... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976539 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 04:01:00 +0100 3976539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965390&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FT6X_ErgLLGg%2F By Justin LoganI have a post responding to some of the critics of the recent Afghanistan Study Group report (in which I participated) over at at the National Interest.  A snip is below: I am forced to conclude that neither [Joshua] Foust nor [Andrew] Exum understands what strategy is. It is not, pace Foust, induced by piling up mounds of granular operational and tactical detail and then seeing what one can shape out of the pile. Instead, those engaged in strategy must attempt to discern and state clearly the interests at stake (in this case those the United States has in Afghanistan or the region more broadly) and then to attempt to connect the complex chain of ends, ways, and means in order to explain how best to pursue those interests. I thought the report was fairly clear on the task f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965390 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 21:16:04 +0100 3965390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957839&cid=t_170538_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fpromising-early-results-glioblastoma-vaccine-trial%2F Steve Holl was diagnosed with the deadly brain tumor glioblastoma one year ago. But, despite the generally rapidly fatal prognosis of the tumor, he recently walked his daughter down the aisle – after receiving an experimental vaccine in a trial being conducted at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) medical center. The trial is being led there by Dr. Andrew Parsa. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957839 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 22:59:48 +0100 3957839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946452&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fjamas-breast-and-ovarian-cancer-article-getting-the-facts-straight%2F2010.09.08 Journalist Andrew Holtz has been a colleague for longer than probably either one of us wants to remember. He is currently one of our story reviewers on HealthNewsReview.org. In fact, he was one of the reviewers on four stories we analyzed last week on the same study. He thought there were some important take-home messages that rose above the walls of our formal systematic review, so he wrote this guest blog post, and we thank him for it: The Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association included an article that is likely to have a strong influence on the advice given to women who have a very high risk of breast and ovarian cancer linked to mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Of the four stories we reviewed, only the AP report scored well on our review criteria. I kno... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946452 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:00:38 +0100 3946452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942842&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F19892678%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EWhat-Color-Makes-The-Most-Green.htm Could wearing a particular color influence the results obtained by a salesperson? If that salesperson is selling to a buyer of the opposite gender, the answer may be, "Yes!" Comments[...] artigo foi baseado em “What Color Makes The Most ... by Com que cor de roupa você vai vender hoje? | Blog Brasilgraf (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3942842 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:32:07 +0100 3942842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3890477&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftreatment-for-throat-cancer-inspiration-for-michael-douglas%2F2010.08.21 There’s news that Hollywood star Michael Douglas, 65, is undergoing treatment for throat cancer. Reporters say his doctors say he is expected to make a full recovery. But, believe me — when someone is diagnosed with any kind of head and neck cancer, as this is, it’s not an easy go. My first encounter with it was with my friend Bob Moore, a former sales rep for a major pharmaceutical company. He was a positive, yet realistic guy. The disease and the toxic treatment a few years ago eventually took its toll and he passed on. My dear friend Mike Piller, famous as writer and co-executive producer of the Star Trek television series, had a similar diagnosis. He did his research and traveled to the best centers. Surgery and radiation took away part of his jaw and his ability to taste... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3890477 Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:00:30 +0100 3890477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872554&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffacebook-should-hospitals-block-it%2F2010.08.16 A recent piece in the LA Times created quite a kerfuffle in the social health infosphere. The article When Facebook goes to the hospital, patients may suffer detailed some of the issues facing hospitals that have chosen to flirt with Facebook. Stories of nurses posting images of dead patients. Lawsuits and employee rights. An interesting read. It offered up a serving of fresh red meat for those health professionals looking to keep their heads squarely in the sand. A few thoughts: Blocking Facebook won’t stop stupidity. Read Paul Levy’s most recent post on the issue. He reminds us that administrative legislation will not stop ignorance. It’s the messenger, not the medium. As healthcare administration’s most vocal advocate for social adoption, I’d recommend you check out P... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872554 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:00:07 +0100 3872554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865265&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsurviving-aortic-dissection-a-second-chance-at-life%2F2010.08.13 I had not been to Indiana for 42 years. But last week I found myself on a commuter train in Michigan City, Indiana, taking my family on the South Shore Line to Chicago for the day. We were vacationing not far away on the shores of Lake Michigan. The train was crowded so my group of six spread out where there were vacant seats. I found myself sitting with two men, father and grown son, on the way to a day at Wrigley Field and a Chicago Cubs baseball game. Before long the chit-chat turned to my work, and my explanation of Patient Power sparked the telling of an incredible medical story from the older of the two men, a story of good luck and great medical care that has given him a second life. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Hea... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865265 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:00:09 +0100 3865265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3861953&cid=t_170538_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F08%2Finternationally-renowned-hand-surgeon-dr-wp-andrew-lee-returning-hopkins%2F Internationally known hand transplant surgeon Dr. W. P. Andrew Lee is leaving University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and returning to Johns Hopkins Hospital where he attended medical school and trained as a surgical resident. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3861953 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 02:52:26 +0100 3861953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3808666&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Flife-insurance-companies-and-cancer-survivors%2F2010.08.01 I have always heard that Northwestern Mutual Life (“The Quiet Company”) was a grade-A company. And for years I have been happy to have a disability insurance policy and a term life one with them. I got those policies back in the early 1990s, and it was a good thing I did. In 1996 my health changed. I was diagnosed with leukemia. I knew I was very lucky to have insurance in place because, as many told me: “You’ll never get insurance now.” Now fast-forward 14 years, and 10 years after receiving treatment in a phase II clinical trial. I have no evidence of disease and have not had any evidence for nine years. The drug therapy I received in a trial has now been approved by the FDA and in Europe as the standard of care. People are living well with this leukemia and it is extending li... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3808666 Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:00:44 +0100 3808666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3805983&cid=t_170538_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F07%2F30%2Ftwo-weddings-and-an-e-mail%2F My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up. Two Weddings and an E-mail. As some may have heard, Chelsea Clinton is getting married on Saturday in a multimillion-dollar wedding. People have said the event is excessive, especially in these tough times. Others, the U.K. Guardian’s, Paul Harris, observe, after the family scandals she endured, Chelsea deserves an extraordinary wedding, and still others react with a yawn. For a few, the yawn morphs into a sneer. In the comment section of the Guardian, Harris was upbraided for his sycophancy: “You write informed pieces about Detroit and then end up writing this dreadful crap about the Clinton daughter. Were you hoping to be invited?” Another commenter compared Chelsea’s nuptials unfavorably to another president’s daugh... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3805983 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:26:50 +0100 3805983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794759&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEY-vi4QkR_E%2F By Justin LoganAndrew Sullivan points us to this report that Newt Gingrich is going to tell an audience at AEI that the Obama administration is engaging in “willful blindness” and “self-deception” about the threat posed to the United States by Islam.  In the wake of his remarks urging the United States to emulate Saudi Arabian standards of religious freedom, Gingrich has promised to deploy “the lessons of Camus and Orwell” to illuminate our present predicament. “Evading the confrontation with Evil may bring a second Holocaust. The mistakes made by the White House will exact a terrible price.” What’s interesting is that this sort of thing is a long-standing trope in Gingrich’s rhetorical repertoire, although he has reserved it mostly for ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794759 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:24:26 +0100 3794759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780358&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-case-of-the-winkler-county-whistleblowing-nurses%2F2010.07.22 I can’t speak for anyone else who blogs here at Science-Based Medicine, but there’s one thing I like to emphasize to people who complain that we exist only to “bash ‘alternative’ medicine.” We don’t. We exist to champion medicine based on science against all manner of dubious practices. Part of that mandate involves understanding and accepting that science-based medicine (SBM) is not perfect. It is not some sort of panacea. Rather, it has many shortcomings and all too often does not live up to its promise. Our argument is merely that, similar to Winston Churchill’s invocation of the famous saying that “democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried,” science-based medicine is the worst form of medicine except for all the others tha... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780358 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:00:59 +0100 3780358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776367&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FID9mGxbS7LI%2F By Daniel GriswoldAs soon as today, the House may vote on a trade bill that sounds trivial but is in fact quite important: H.R. 4380, the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2010. Without passing judgment on the specific bill, the miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) process has been a quiet trade policy success for almost 30 years. MTBs typically contain hundreds of provisions suspending tariffs on imported goods important to U.S. manufacturers but no longer made in the United States. The most common items included in the bills are parts, specialty manufactured products, and industrial chemicals with long, tongue-twisting names. The suspensions are usually temporary, lasting three years. At least eight such MTBs have been enacted since 1982, most recently in 2006 when Congress... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776367 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:44:12 +0100 3776367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3762884&cid=t_170538_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fkit-carson-master-huntingknife-surgeon%2F Christopher “Kit” Carson is an American hunter, trapper, and frontiersman whose exploits leading John Fremont on his expeditions to the West are now the stuff of myth and legend. What is generally not well known, however, is that Carson was considered to be an expert, although self-taught, surgeon whose advice and treatment was sought throughout the West. Kit Carson Carson’s surgical career started when he assisted on his first amputation at the age of 16, a forearm amputation done on muledriver Andrew Broaddus. He was considered particularly adept at removing Indian arrowheads buried deep in the flesh and taught a technique for removing arrowheads that were still attached to the shaft that counselled grabbing the protruding shaft, pushing it forward until the arrow pier... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3762884 Sat, 17 Jul 2010 22:07:59 +0100 3762884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753802&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fi-nec6ZR6io%2F By Justin Logan"No, really—tell him that. 'Hanging from a lamppost!'" Three weeks ago I observed that Stephen Biddle, a Council on Foreign Relations scholar who previously had emphasized the centrality of Hamid Karzai to the prospects for success in Afghanistan, had coauthored an article in Foreign Affairs on Afghanistan that hardly mentioned Karzai. Now one of the archbishops of counterinsurgency and close Petraeus confidante David Kilcullen appears to have joined the “To Hell with Karzai” caucus as well.  First, in an interview with Doyle McManus of the LA Times, Kilcullen lamented that Karzai “has been treating us as if he’s got us over a barrel,” and suggested that we might want to remind the Afghan president that “he’s a g... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753802 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:55:21 +0100 3753802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746739&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffor-patients-does-the-fda-play-fair%2F2010.07.12 They have a tough job, those government doctors, scientists, and bureaucrats who are charged with assessing the safety and effectiveness of proposed new medical products. As you know, they rely largely on studies presented by the applicants. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the power to not approve a new drug or product or even pull it off the market. Right now it is considering limiting or pulling GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) diabetes drug, Avandia, because of newly discovered data that it may have caused heart attack in some patients –- data mysteriously not shown in GSK’s own studies. If the drug is pulled it will cost GSK billions of dollars in lost revenue but, from the FDA’s point-of-view, it will be protecting the public. And, after all, there are safer diabetes drugs ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746739 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:00:41 +0100 3746739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729943&cid=t_170538_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2FsPMyan6swKk%2F Back in May we reported on a very bizarre document from the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). The UKCP, whose chair Professor Andrew Samuels is vehemently opposed to plans for psychotherapy to become regulated by the Health Professions Council (HPC), produced a critique of the HPC’s system of fitness to practice. It contained all kinds of weird semantic non-arguments, and suggested that asking psychotherapists to undergo criminal record checks would be racist. It also objected to the idea that somebody falsely accused of abuse due to therapist-induced False Memory Syndrome should be able to complain against the therapist. The HPC’s response to the UKCP’s critique has now been leaked to Mental Nurse. (PDF file) In a letter to the UKCP’s Andrew Samuels, the HPC ch... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729943 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:24:42 +0100 3729943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3723306&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fweight-loss-the-horserace-between-low-carb-and-low-fat%2F2010.07.03 Journalist Andrew Holtz, one of our expert reviewers on HealthNewsReview.org, has some fun with a horserace-style look at low-carb versus low-fat diet research on his MDiTV.com site: *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3723306 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 14:00:18 +0100 3723306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3701675&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnavigating-the-new-york-publishing-world-to-help-patients%2F2010.06.26 The book publishing world, largely based in New York City, is in trouble. The fragmentation of the market by electronics large and small has chopped former readers into so many pieces. How can a publisher make a blockbuster buck anymore? The answer may come in translations of Swedish fiction from a newly-found novelist, now dead, to non-fiction ghostwritten for a face everyone knows from the evening news. In a whirlwind face-to-face series of meeting with publishers on a very recent sunny Tuesday in Manhattan, I got a glimpse of their angst and did my best to convince them that a book – yes, even all sorts of electronic versions and in-the-palm-of-your-hand “apps” – could make them boatloads of money and do the right thing for America’s healthcare consumer (just maybe s... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3701675 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 16:00:54 +0100 3701675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699705&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FRuhuV7m-ktM%2F In a move to strengthen standards and burnish images, the trade group for Europe’s drugmakers has released a new ‘leadership statement on ethical practices‘ that calls for limiting samples, tougher guidelines for sales reps, new standards for industry sponsorship of medical meetings so that science is not “overshadowed,” greater disclosure of relationships with patient advocacy organizations and create ethics councils for oversight. High on the list is sampling. The members of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations agreed to limit the practice by creating a “four by two” plan - four packets per doctor and for no longer than two years after the launch of a new drug. Unlike in the US, where samples are often doled out t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699705 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:33:03 +0100 3699705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683868&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FxCj1vD_8dNw%2F Late last month, Novo Nordisk caused a commotion by pulling its diabetes product from Greece after the government instituted substantial price cuts of up to 25 percent on hundreds of medicines, which the Danish drugmaker claims would force it to lose money (see background). Novo relented last week, however, after the Greek government agreed to rollback its price cut (look at this). Nonetheless, the move prompted criticism about the wisdom of such actions, even though Novo did continue to sell certain insulin products (see more here). And now GlaxoSmithKline ceo Andrew Witty has criticized Novo’s decision. In remarks to to Reuters at the annual meeting of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations: “That kind of action isn’t necessarily helpful ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683868 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:09:33 +0100 3683868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3678525&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fend-of-life-planning-and-care-one-family%25e2%2580%2599s-devotion-and-pain%2F2010.06.19 Esther and I went away last weekend for a much needed break from kids, the normal routine, and pets that can wake us up when daylight arrives here in the Pacific Northwest at 5am. We stayed at a quaint bed and breakfast called “The Blue Goose” in the small town of Coupeville, Washington, on Whidbey Island northwest of Seattle. It was restful and, with great sunny weather, rejuvenating. At a bed and breakfast, of course, you typically chat with other people over coffee, egg soufflé, and bran muffins. The experience can be tiresome and too chatty. But sometimes it can be riveting. It was the latter the other morning as we chatted with Diane about health matters and she shared her pain about two episodes in her life. (more…) *This blog post was originally published... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3678525 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:00:03 +0100 3678525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676741&cid=t_170538_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2FXaFtA3Av6WM%2F I’ve just read a fascinating letter by a prominent psychotherapist, attacking the lack of regulation in British psychotherapy which allowed an abusive therapist to carry on practising. The author complains that “the private training institutions of psychotherapy…enjoy unreasonable and excessive independence”, points to “serious defects in the systems of complaint and discipline” and demands that “the feudal arrangements of the psychotherapy world are opened to public scrutiny.” We’ve seen all these problems in the Derek Gale abuse case, in which the lack of accountability among psychotherapy organisations enabled Gale to carry on exploiting vulnerable people. We’ve discussed this at length on Mental Nurse. But this letter isn&#821... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676741 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:11:28 +0100 3676741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3665969&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-you-should-still-see-your-doctor-when-youre-not-sick%2F2010.06.16 Experts say over 100,000 lives a year could be saved in the United States if patients focused more on preventive medicine. What is preventive medicine? What can you do in your everyday life that may make a long-term difference? On this Patient Power program, you will hear from two board certified internists from the UW Medicine Neighborhood Clinics in Western Washington. They will discuss how having an ongoing relationship with a primary care physician who you check in with regularly –- even when you’re well –- gives you the best chance at staying healthy. (more…) (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3665969 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:00:13 +0100 3665969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3652348&cid=t_170538_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fpublic-health-writer-andrew-schneider-discusses-safety-gulf-seafood%2F Health journalist Andrew Schneider has a lengthy article on the testing methods being developed to detect contamination of fish, shrimp, and crab harvested from the Gulf. Scott Smullen of the NOAA maintains the effectiveness of training inspectors to declare food harvests safe by the (we kid you not) use of the whiff test – if it smells like oil it is contaminated and if it smells “okay” then it is safe to eat. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3652348 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:23:23 +0100 3652348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644767&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fclinical-trials-accessing-the-medicines-of-tomorrow-today%2F2010.06.08 Reporting from the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago, empowered patient Andrew Schorr discusses how long it can take before a study is presented at ASCO and the role of clinical trials in giving patients access to the medicines of tomorrow today. What’s Old is New at ASCO from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644767 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:00:55 +0100 3644767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641024&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-dartmouth-atlas-debate-careful-consideration-needed%2F2010.06.07 The worst-kept secret in journalism circles recently was that the New York Times was planning an article critical of the Dartmouth Atlas. Among the main points in the article: • “The mistaken belief that the Dartmouth research proves that cheaper care is better care is widespread.” • “The atlas’s hospital rankings do not take into account care that prolongs or improves lives.” • “Even Dartmouth’s claims about which hospitals and regions are cheapest may be suspect.” • “Failing to make basic data adjustments undermines the geographic variations the atlas purports to show.” The Times has also published the correspondence it had with the Dartmouth team about methodology questions. The Dartmouth team challenges each of these c... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641024 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:00:46 +0100 3641024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635742&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-dartmouth-atlas-debate-consider-criticism-and-comments-carefully%2F2010.06.07 The worst-kept secret in journalism circles recently was that the New York Times was planning an article critical of the Dartmouth Atlas. Among the main points in the article: • “The mistaken belief that the Dartmouth research proves that cheaper care is better care is widespread.” • “The atlas’s hospital rankings do not take into account care that prolongs or improves lives.” • “Even Dartmouth’s claims about which hospitals and regions are cheapest may be suspect.” • “Failing to make basic data adjustments undermines the geographic variations the atlas purports to show.” The Times has also published the correspondence it had with the Dartmouth team about methodology questions. The Dartmouth team challenges each of these c... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635742 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:00:46 +0100 3635742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3632268&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-conventions-more-focus-on-patients-needed%2F2010.06.04 Andrew Schorr, host and founder of Patient Power, discusses the hope of changing the focus from products to patients at medical conventions. Shifting the Focus to Patients at Medical Conventions from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3632268 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:00:55 +0100 3632268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607498&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatient-journalists-health-news-from-the-patients-perspective%2F2010.05.27 My wife and family are alternately happy and unhappy about the prospect of me headed out of town to attend two medical conventions in a row. When they need me they REALLY need me, and when they have plenty else to do, I could be on the moon and they wouldn’t miss me. Oh well, I am off anyway to two parts of the country in rapid succession with the goal of helping patients worldwide. The first stop is the meeting of the American Urological Association and the second is the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. I’ll be in San Francisco and then Chicago to gather medical news for patients. I am a big believer that there should not be a delay in bringing significant medical news to people living with or affected by a medical condition. For me, as a leukemia survivor, I don... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607498 Fri, 28 May 2010 01:00:22 +0100 3607498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595669&cid=t_170538_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2FlG_RqF0EZLY%2F Yesterday Andrew Wakefield, the paediatrician who sparked off the autism-MMR panic, was struck off by the General Medical Council. I work with quite a few autistic kids. Even now, several of their parents insist that the MMR vaccine “must have caused” their child’s autism. I can’t really blame them for it. They’ve had to go through enormous stress and heartache, with no real explanation as to why other than, “the evidence base is mixed, but we think it’s probably a genetic condition”. By comparison, “it’s all down to vaccines” provides a clear explanation and somebody to blame, even if that explanation is completely and demonstrably wrong. What I find less forgivable is the depressingly large number of my nursing colleagues... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595669 Tue, 25 May 2010 15:18:40 +0100 3595669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592405&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FabVrdjLxr9g%2F The doctor who first suggested a link between MMR vaccinations and autism has lost his license to practice medicine in the UK. Andrew Wakefield - whose 1998 study in The Lancet caused vaccination rates to plunge and a subsequent rise in measles - was removed from the UK medical register after being found guilty of serious professional misconduct. For those who may not recall, his findings were eventually discredited and The Lancet, which published the 1998 paper that sparked an international controversy, recently issued a retraction. The UK’s General Medical Council ruled that Walkefield acted dishonestly, and was misleading and irresponsible while carrying out his research. He “abused his position of trust…brought the medical profession into disrepute” in studies h... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592405 Mon, 24 May 2010 15:25:25 +0100 3592405 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585604&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FTidx4d_6HuY%2F Earlier this week Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization, addressed the World Health Assembly in Geneva and brought up the topic of vaccines. She noted some of the successes in addressing the world’s health and development issues and stated that “vaccines are among the best life-saving buys on offer, preventing an estimated 2-3 million deaths per year.” In the next minutes, however, she also addressed the setbacks – occurring when people decide that vaccines are too risky. She counted the problems with measles, pandemic vaccines and polio. In fact, I just finished reading a unique recount of the measles vaccine controversy. Something that wasn’t a paper at all, but a comic strip type account that said it all. I highly you encourage to rea... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585604 Fri, 21 May 2010 14:00:59 +0100 3585604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3656849&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F13514676%2F1hb0i1%2Fneuromarketing%7EUnconscious-Branding-Who-Needs-Facts.htm Few doubt that branding messages can be powerful, but new research shows that even when consumers don’t recall the specific message, their preferences can be shaped to the point where they reject new information that conflicts with their stored brand association. “I don’t know why I like it” Melanie Dempsey (Ryerson University) and Andrew A. Mitchell (University [...] CommentsRoger, Great post. Shazam!!! Got to get those favorable ... by SteveThanks for this Roger. Subconsciously I knew this all along of ... by Dennis Van Staalduinen (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3656849 Fri, 21 May 2010 12:09:39 +0100 3656849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585671&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F20%2Fneither-blame-nor-indulge%2F Andrew Solomon offers this brilliant paragraph in his classic, “The Noonday Demon” about the relationship between medication and therapy, when we should make Herculean efforts to break free from depression or rather lie listless on our beds as victims of a loathsome illness: The conflict between psychodynamic therapy and medication is ultimately a conflict on moral grounds; we tend categorically to assume that if the problem is responsive to psychotherapeutic dialogue, it is a problem you should be able to overcome with simple rigor, while a problem responsive to the ingestion of chemicals is not your fault and requires no rigor of you. It is true both that very little depression is entirely the fault of the sufferer, and that almost all depression can be ameliorated with rigo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585671 Thu, 20 May 2010 16:56:02 +0100 3585671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3563972&cid=t_170538_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3050 This study, of almost 500,000 people in ten European countries, found barely any relationship between intake of fruit and vegetables and cancer risk. This may be disappointing, but it can only harm patients to ignore the evidence when, as in this case, it exists. There are plenty of reasons to eat well, but apparently avoiding cancer is not one of them. It seems to be a bit more complicated than that. Dr Daniel says "IM in the UK is still clouded by complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) detractors owing to an important misunderstanding: IM is not CAM.".  I beg to differ. The content of the course is about alternative as you can get. It included teachers who have advocated the Q-link pendant to "protect" you from evil radio waves. It is not long since Ben Gol... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3563972 Thu, 13 May 2010 20:49:38 +0100 3563972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556156&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F12%2Fan-overmedicated-nation-thats-not-the-real-problem%2F “Our country is over-medicated.” I get that a lot, usually right after I tell someone that I write a mental health blog. Not as a hobby. As my job. Part of me agrees, the part that doesn’t want to get into a long and frustrating conversation, where I explain that it’s really not that simple… That the issue is fairly nuanced and complex. Are some people overmedicated in this country? Yes. Absolutely. I devote a few chapters of my book, Beyond Blue, to describing the dangerous phase in my recovery led by a doctor whom I call “Pharma King.” I was taking something like 16 pills a day, enough to drop my head into my cereal bowl every morning for about three months. And I wasn’t at all uncomfortable with how the nurses at the outpatient psych prog... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556156 Wed, 12 May 2010 10:05:32 +0100 3556156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545500&cid=t_170538_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2FckQr6n6nwOk%2F Since the leaking to Mental Nurse of the UKCP document The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy’s Critique of HPC’s Fitness To Practise System, we’ve just received another leak. This time it’s an e-mail from Professor Andrew Samuels (chair of the UKCP, and coordinator of the leaked document) to his UKCP colleagues. As I’ve said before, the leaked critique of Fitness to Practise is a bizarre document, strongly hinting that it’s racist to do criminal record checks and that people who’ve had their lives ruined by false memory syndrome shouldn’t be allowed to complain about it. The full text of the e-mail is below, but here are the highights: - Professor Samuels admits not showing the document to the UKCP board of trustees prior to submitting it to t... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545500 Sat, 08 May 2010 15:18:21 +0100 3545500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3524329&cid=t_170538_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2F3cvryuqiaNY%2F I’ve acquired possession of a leaked document purporting to be the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy’s critique of the proposal for psychotherapy to become regulated by the Health Professions Council. As I’ve said before, I’m in favour of this happening because the current lack of regulation leaves vulnerable people exposed to fraudulent and abusive therapists. The document describes itself as “co-ordinated by Professor Andrew Samuels, Chair, UKCP”. Professor Samuels was previously caught lying about his role in the Derek Gale abuse case. You know, the sort of case that suggests there’s a genuine need for psychotherapists to come under a proper regulator. The document author isn’t listed, but clicking on “properties” for th... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3524329 Sun, 02 May 2010 10:49:59 +0100 3524329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3502832&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F25%2Fflex-your-moral-muscle-god-can-change-your-brain%2F In his newest book, “After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters,” Anglican bishop and biblical scholar N. T. Wright advises his readers not to cheat on their tax returns. Because that deceitful act may very well carve a neural pathway inside the brain that makes it easier to cheat on other things or people. Scary thought. But the reverse is also true: that the decision to grin and bear a conversation with a boring neighbor on the train–to try ever so painfully to remain patient–also leaves a pathway in the brain that facilitates patience the next time you are confronted with an obnoxious, the-armrest-is-mine train mate. Says Wright: Neuroscience is still in comparative infancy. But already the clear indications are that significant events in your life, incl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3502832 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:40:26 +0100 3502832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3449145&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FZmVSask-1Vk%2Fwhat-can-you-do-when-pharma-says-no.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3449145 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:37:00 +0100 3449145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440779&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBdeYkmvYjd8%2F By Chris EdwardsIn a recent bulletin, I argued that public-sector unions impose various costs and burdens on state and local governments. Here is some more evidence. The chart below shows a scatter plot of the union shares in state/local government workforces and state/local government debt levels as a share of state gross domestic product. Each blue dot is a U.S. state. The variables are correlated — as the union share increases, a state tends to have a higher government debt load. The chart shows the fitted regression line in pink dots (R-square=0.27; F-stat=18; t-stat on the union share variable=4.2). The correlation is likely caused by the fact that unionized government workers are powerful lobby groups that push for higher government-worker compensation and higher governme... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440779 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:59:56 +0100 3440779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429197&cid=t_170538_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2881 Conclusions I’ll confess to feeling almost a little guilty for having appeared to persecute the particular individuals involved in thie episode. But patients are involved and so is the law, and both of these are more important than individuals,  The only unfair aspect is that, while it seems that even the Prince of Wales’ Foundation for Integrated Health has rejected Daniel and Atkinson, that Foundation embraces plenty of people who are just as deluded, and potentially dangerous, as those two.  The answer to that problem is for the Prince to stop endorsing treatments that don’t work. As for the University of Buckingham. Well, despite the right wing maverick Kealey and the ‘anti-evidence’ Miles, I really think they’ve done the right thing. They’ve li... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429197 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:37:46 +0100 3429197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3425152&cid=t_170538_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F31%2Fcould-advising-people-to-eat-less-and-exercise-more-increase-their-risk-of-getting-fatter%2F Some time ago one of my blogs focused on the thoughts of Dr Andrew Wadge - Chief Scientist at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK. The blog specifically focused on his broadside at ‘detox’ regimes. I can understand that someone may be a bit sceptical of such regimes. However, if Dr Wadge [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3425152 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:02:22 +0100 3425152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395366&cid=t_170538_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F4FwyWcXQYpU%2F An FDA advisory panel will hold an unusual meeting today to review a product that was already approved. At issue is whether the agency should reevaluate the Menaflex knee-repair device made by ReGen Biologics, which was approved in December 2009 over repeated objections of some FDA scientists and managers. Why? Outside pressure from lawmakers in New Jersey, where ReGen is based, who lobbied former FDA commish Andy von Eschenbach. The disclosure, along with an unusual letter written by nine FDA staffers to Congress to complain, prompted FDA deputy commish Josh Sharfstein to reconsider the decision, which came after ReGen initially complained of bias against its device by FDA staff two years ago. However, an interesting internal debate broke out among agency staff recently over whether the F... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395366 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:45:04 +0100 3395366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3390903&cid=t_170538_129_f&fid=36191&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.arthritisblog.org%2Fentry%2Fwhat-nobel-prize-winners-bring-for-arthritis-patients%2F I am sure that you have not forgotten the two American scientists Andrew Fire, PhD, and Craig Mello, PhD who bagged last year’s Nobel Prize for their contribution in physiology or medicine. More interesting is the fact that this prize brought joy not only to both these scientists but to many arthritis patients all round the world as well. The development made by these two researchers for providing relief to arthritis patients was really commendable. As we know that various forms of arthritis are based on important genetic component and in such situation the work of Andrew Fire and Mello, which focused mainly on the concept that how the activity of our genes are controlled was really commendable as it would help researchers understanding the root causes and mechanisms of arthritis a... Arthritis Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3390903 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:36:27 +0100 3390903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370602&cid=t_170538_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fargument-against-dtc-genomics-marketing.html Keith Grimaldi and Daniel MacArthur and Andrew Yates and I have a little bit of confusion. I think we are arguing over 2 different points.First, Keith, Daniel and Drew need to go read a paper I authored entitled "In Need of a Reality Check" published in the May 2009 Nature Biotech Journal.I think many people have misunderstood our messages. So to be simple.A. Keep the Medical, Well, Medical.1. Medical Genetic tests that are to be used clinically should have clinical input2. Medical Genetic tests should be regulated according to the laws of each state/country3. DTC Genomic tests come in several flavors. The DTCG Medical tests should be Medical.I have been championing this one for a LONG time. The arguments for this are pretty clear1. Without clinical input, selling medical tests without an ... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370602 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:16:00 +0100 3370602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342636&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4R5zy1TfRvU%2F By Justin LoganLast week I wrote a blog post criticizing Andrew Exum’s views on the philosophy of science.  In fact, I was surprised to see that a doctoral candidate at King’s College held these views at all. Andrew Exum Today Exum posts a perplexing non-response, forswearing any interest in getting involved in the debate…that he brought up in his first post.  Instead, he accuses his critics of getting their “proverbial panties in a twist” and posts a response from a reader that doesn’t defend the views Exum expressed in his first post. I’m not quite sure what to say, other than that this isn’t much of a response.  Note, though, that he obliquely makes the same argument he made last week, criticizing Dan Drezner’s “willingness ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342636 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:54:51 +0100 3342636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322412&cid=t_170538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F01%2Fsuicide-celebrity-and-young-adulthood%2F With the recent spate of celebrity-related suicides — Alexander McQueen (a fashion designer), Andrew Koenig (from the TV series, Growing Pains), and now Michael Blosil, Marie Osmond’s 18-year-old son — it seems like a sad but appropriate time to weigh in on this tragic outcome of untreated (or under-treated) depression, which is the leading cause of suicide. Alicia Sparks, blogging over at Celebrity Psychings, notes recommendations for the media when reporting on suicide, because suicide contagion is a real phenomenon. That is, there is a small but statistically significant increase in suicide deaths after a reported suicide makes the media rounds. Especially when the person who died by suicide is a celebrity. While suicide feels like a very personal and intense situation tha... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322412 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:05:32 +0100 3322412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322344&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FiBX5bsmxHnE%2F By Justin LoganAndrew Exum suggests a “manifesto…for those using quantitative analysis to study war/Hippocratic Oath for Quantitative Analysis in Security Studies” here.  I think there are two different critiques lurking in there, but his presentation of his list muddles them together.  The first critique is mostly about the importance of modesty in social science, but the second seems quite like an assault on the very idea of social science. First, let me put my cards on the table.  I am not a quant or a formal modeler.  (These two approaches are different, but Exum seems to lump them together.)  I have a rudimentary statistics background, and could identify supremely egregious errors in both quantitative and formal model papers if I were locked in a room and threat... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322344 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:23:58 +0100 3322344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290800&cid=t_170538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fj02FZulkWcg%2F By David BoazWe had a spirited forum at Cato on Wednesday on the question “Is There a Place for Gay People in Conservatism and Conservative Politics?” Nick Herbert, who is likely to be part of the British Cabinet in another 100 days, gave a powerful and pathbreaking speech on the Tory Party’s new inclusiveness. In the video below you can find his remarks beginning at about the 3:00 mark, where he says, “I’m delighted to be here at Cato, the guardian of true liberalism.” Andrew Sullivan (24:00) gave a moving and eloquent defense of a conservatism that has a place for gay people, declaring himself “to the right of Nick, a Thatcherite rather than a ‘One Nation’ Tory.” And Maggie Gallagher (39:15) did an admirable job of presenting he... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290800 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:18:14 +0100 3290800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283652&cid=t_170538_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2Ftj516P8NYLE%2F A couple of weeks ago we broke the news that Professor Andrew Samuels, chair of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), had been caught outright lying about his role in the Derek Gale abuse case. Howard Martin, the original complainant in the case that resulted in Derek Gale being struck off by the Health Professions Council, has now written an open letter to David Pink, the chief executive of the UKCP. We are publishing it here on Mr Martin’s behalf: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 16th February 2010 Dear David Pink and the Board of Trustees, This is an open letter to you with regards to Andrew Samuels, his role in the HPC v Gale hearings and his subsequent public statements concerning this matter that have led to media accusations that he is a liar. You are no do... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283652 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:55:43 +0100 3283652