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 'anecdotal'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:52:42 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028454&cid=t_171041_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F13%2Fapproaches-to-knowledge-2-interview-with-nathaniel-b-jones%2F This is the second article of a two-part interview with Dr. Brian Jones.  Dr. Jones has a PhD in exercise science and is a full-time professor at the University of Louisville where he teaches both undergrad and graduate courses.  He approaches his classes from a scientific standpoint with an emphasis on critical thinking. In a nutshell, what is science?  Does science really prove anything? Science is a process. It is a system for evaluating information based on formulating a hypothesis, carefully testing that hypothesis through data collection and analysis, and revising the hypothesis. If the hypothesis withstands the researcher’s attempt to falsify it then it tentatively stands supported by the research. Nothing in science is ever truly “proven” correct. Scientific fa... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028454 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:25:51 +0100 5028454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828818&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2FUC_bmIC_gTY%2Ftranscript-bihari-video.html 00:00 to 02.26—Dr. Bihari gives his background and credentials. Dr. Bihari: My medical training started at Harvard Medical School. I graduated in 1957. Then I trained in Internal Medicine at one of the Harvard teaching hospitals in Boston, Beth Israel, and then in Neurology at Massachusetts General in Boston. Then I went to the National Institutes of Health for two years doing brain physiology—brain research. I did another residency training in Psychiatry in New York, at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and then, over the following five or six years, I got very involved in working in Drug Addiction. By 1974, I was the City Addiction Commissioner.  I ran all the programs that the city funded for addicts. Then in 1978, the governor and the mayor met, when the governor took over man... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828818 Mon, 16 May 2011 04:44:17 +0100 4828818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753631&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2FUYaLr7t3Gp8%2Fhonest-medicine-is-now-available-for-the-kindle.html By popular demand, my book, HONEST MEDICINE: Effective, Time-Tested, Inexpensive Treatments for Life-Threatening Diseases, is now available for the KINDLE. It took a long time—and about 100 hours of work by my dear friend Mark—but it is finally ready. And it looks great!! (Why it took so long to prepare is another story—for another posting. But please trust me, it did!) So, please tell all your ebook-savvy friends, sons, daughters, nieces, nephews and other relatives: You can download HONEST MEDICINE for Kindle for $8.99. MOBI files (the kind of file the KINDLE uses) can be viewed on Kindles (both handheld and computer-based), as well as on smartphones and ipads. Thanks so much for telling everyone you know who owns a KINDLE or other device about HONEST MEDICINE's arrival as an ... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753631 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:55:01 +0100 4753631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622290&cid=t_171041_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F21%2Fpsychologists-still-seek-prescription-privileges-no-new-news%2F This story caught my eye only because of its headline, Psychologists seek authority to prescribe psychotropic medications. Really? I thought… I never heard that before. Oh, wait a minute, I have. Because the last time I checked, psychologists have been seeking prescription privileges for something like 16 or 17 years, maybe longer. In all of that time, they’ve only gained them in two states. Was another state joining New Mexico and Louisiana? Was there a renewed push for this service because of a sudden demand for prescriptions from those who have a mental illness? In other words, for this new article that appeared in the Washington Post (but was actually written by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a healthcare policy organization) — what’s newsworthy about this story?... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622290 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:39:31 +0100 4622290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464460&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2FtSqrVrjzB2k%2Fhoffman.html On February 8th, I was interviewed by the wonderful integrative physician and author, Ronald Hoffman, MD, on his New York radio show, “Health Talk.” Frankly, I knew that Dr. Hoffman would do a great interview: I had read his books and loved them. And as a matter of fact, I myself had interviewed Dr. Hoffman for HonestMedicine.com, after his book, How to Talk with Your Doctor came out. I was introduced to him by his co-author, Sidney Stevens, a friend of mine, who thought that Dr. Hoffman would provide me with a great interview. He did. (Click here to listen to that interview.)After that interview, Dr. Hoffman and I became friends, and I asked him to write a testimonial for my book, which he graciously did. When HONEST MEDICINE was published, I knew that I wanted to be interviewed by... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464460 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 04:13:38 +0100 4464460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405823&cid=t_171041_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F27%2Fphrenology-examining-the-bumps-of-your-brain%2F The next time you say, “so and so should have her head examined,” remember that this was literally done in the 19th century. Phrenology, as it became known, is the study of brain function. Specifically, phrenologists believed that different parts of the brain were responsible for different emotional and intellectual functions. Furthermore, they felt that these functions could be ascertained by measuring the bumps and indentations in your skull. That is, the shape of your skull revealed your character and talents. Viennese doctor and anatomist Franz Josef Gall originated phrenology, though he called it cranioscopy. He was correct in saying that brain function was localized (this was a novel idea at the time), but unfortunately, he got everything else wrong. When Gall was young, he not... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405823 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 12:01:01 +0100 4405823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309669&cid=t_171041_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F03%2Fis-science-dead-in-a-word-no%2F A few weeks ago, Jonah Lehrer wrote a somewhat dumbed-down and sensationalistic article for The New Yorker entitled, The Truth Wears Off: Is there something wrong with the scientific method? In it, Lehrer cites anecdotal evidence (and a little data) to support the proposition that perhaps the scientific method — how we scientifically validate our hypotheses with data and statistics — has gone horribly awry. But what Lehrer failed to note is that most researchers already know about the flaws he describes, and diligently work toward minimizing the impact of those issues. The scientific method isn’t broken. What Lehrer is describing is simply science at work — and working. The best response to this essay comes from ScienceBlogs writer PZ Myers, Science is not dead. In... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309669 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:39:15 +0100 4309669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285173&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F5smNnuczGvI%2Fhmonamazon.html For over a year, I have been busy writing my book, HONEST MEDICINE: Effective, Time-Tested, Inexpensive Treatments for Life-Threatening Diseases. It has been wonderful, terrible, exhausting—and ultimately, life-changing time. And now it is published--and on Amazon.com! The idea for HONEST MEDICINE started germinating in 2002, when my husband Tim was in the hospital with a non-healing post-surgical head wound caused when his suture line wouldn't heal. His doctors performed 8 surgeries to try to get his skin to heal. Nothing worked.  Then, through a friend and colleague, Dr. Carlos Reynes, I found Silverlon, a different kind of wound-healing system. Just hours after placing Silverlon on Tim’s head, his skin started to heal. I was elated. (You may read about our experience here.)�... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285173 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:38:56 +0100 4285173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018177&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Faspartame-facts-vs-fiction%2F2010.09.30 If you believe everything you read on the Internet, then is seems that a chemical found in thousands of products is causing an epidemic of severe neurological and systemic diseases, like multiple sclerosis and lupus. The FDA, the companies that make the product, and the “medical industrial complex” all know about the dangers of this chemical, but are hiding the truth from the public in order to protect corporate profits and avoid the pesky paper work that would accompany the truth being revealed. The only glimmer of hope is a dedicated band of bloggers and anonymous email chain letter authors who aren’t afraid to speak the truth. Armed with the latest anecdotal evidence, unverified speculation, and scientifically implausible claims, they have been tirelessly ranting about the evils o... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018177 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:00:22 +0100 4018177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577357&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E5%2FeCzXKjcAzsY%2FBERKSON%2520on%2520BIHARI.mp3 Last Sunday, the world lost a truly wonderful man: Dr. Bernard Bihari, a medical hero, and one of my personal heroes, as well. Dr. Bihari was the genius who discovered that a very low dose of naltrexone, a drug that had been approved at a higher dose by the FDA for another purpose entirely, could help people with some of the most difficult-to-treat diseases. Thanks to Dr. Bihari, tens of thousands (some say hundreds of thousands) of people with multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, HIV/AIDS and even cancer are now living better lives. Many are symptom-free. Dr. Bihari had the highest of credentials: a Bachelors degree from Cornell, and his MD degree from Harvard. But he never lost sight of his true mission: to lessen the suffering of real people. And that he did.I’ve been... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577357 Wed, 19 May 2010 04:30:45 +0100 3577357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3566661&cid=t_171041_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F14%2Fdrunk-online-shopping%2F Do you engage in drunk online shopping? You apparently are not alone. Alcohol decreases our inhibitions, and removes that rational switch that normally intercedes between our emotional selves and a particular behavior. That’s why people drink in social situations — it makes it easier to engage in social activities without worrying about what others think of you or over-analyzing the situation. Ki Mae Heussner has the story about drunk shopping online, over at ABC News. Drunk shopping is when you’ve had a little bit to drink, your inhibitions are down, and you decide to make a purchase or two that maybe you didn’t really need. There hasn’t been any research done on this phenomenon yet, but we do have anecdotal evidence that drunk shopping online is something m... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3566661 Fri, 14 May 2010 17:40:26 +0100 3566661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3003823&cid=t_171041_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F11%2F17%2Fthe-psychology-of-terrorism%2F Terrorism is not a particularly new problem — it’s been a part of the world since civilization first organized. Despite how old it is, what we know about terrorist motivations and psychology is fairly limited. There isn’t a whole lot of empirical, scientific research on this topic (although there is an abundance of theory and anecdotal reports). But luckily, psychologists are slowly changing that, according to an article in the American Psychological Association’s monthly magazine, Monitor on Psychology. One researcher, John Horgan PhD at Pennsylvania State University, found that people who are more open to terrorist recruitment and radicalization tend to: Feel angry, alienated or disenfranchised. Believe that their current political involvement does not give them... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3003823 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:00:03 +0100 3003823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814379&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2FtxGQOP5CxHU%2Ffree-ebook-now-available-for-international-ldn-awareness-week-the-faces-of-low-dose-naltrexone.html Honest Medicine is proud to announce that The Faces of Low Dose Naltrexone, a free 116-page EBOOK, is now available for download. The Faces of LDN is a special resource book, created in honor of International LDN Awareness Week (ILDNAW) (October 19-25), to give the media and the public a more comprehensive, in-depth picture of the LDN Story than we could possibly give in our ILDNAW Press Release. The Story of Low Dose Naltrexone is, indeed, impressive. Approved in the 1980s by the FDA in a much higher dose for the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, naltrexone has been used for many years at 1/10 the dosage to treat a wide array of illnesses, all with impaired immune systems: e.g., Multiple Sclerosis, HIV, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, Lupus and Fibromyalgia. LDN is also ... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814379 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:29:46 +0100 2814379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734040&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2Fhim8rit3iok%2Finternational-ldn-awareness-week-october-1925th-2009.html an old drug a controversial treatment successful across a range of diseases linked by immune system dysfunction BUT YOU won't hear of it, and YOU won't be offered it   On October 19th, patients, physicians and researchers alike will convene at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, for the Fifth Annual Conference on Low Dose Naltrexone.   October 19th will also kick off the First International LDN Awareness Week – a concerted push to get the word out through the media, about thousands of patients with autoimmune diseases who are benefitting from the off-label use of one inexpensive generic drug protocol, low dose naltrexone (commonly referred to as LDN).    It is estimated that thousands of patients worldwide are now enjoying improved health due to LDN. Most learn ... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734040 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:38:58 +0100 2734040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441278&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E5%2FTu8aBkZ07B4%2FBERKSON.mp3 It is my honor to introduce you to Dr. Burt Berkson, one of the few physicians I believe to be a true visionary. In this interview, you will hear the true story of Dr. Berkson's successful use for over thirty years of Alpha Lipoic Acid to regenerate livers and other organs. It is also the story of the unfortunate link between money-driven medicine and medical research. Dr. Berkson’s story originates in the mid to late 1970s, just as the shift from true scientific research to pharmaceutical-company based (and pharmaceutical-company-controlled) research was beginning to take place. This is the story of an inexpensive, very effective treatment which initially received support from the National Institutes of Health, but was, in the end, abandoned, because no pharmaceutical company would take... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441278 Fri, 22 May 2009 20:29:24 +0100 2441278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306973&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2Fnxc_BBh1qCE%2Fjulia-schopicks-anecdotal-series-six-articles-.html This article contains links to 37 articles I’m hoping patients will share with their doctors -- especially with those doctors who refuse to prescribe "anecdotal" treatments, such as Low Dose Naltrexone and Silverlon. Each of these 37 articles describes some aspect of the financial connections between physicians and researchers, and Big Pharma. 7) ♦ Is It Possible Some Doctors Still Don’t “Get” the Extent of Big Pharma’s Financial Ties to “Standard of Care” Research? --In this article, I give more evidence of Big Pharma’s duplicity, including a really interesting section from Dr. John Abramson’s book, Overdosed America, describing how Big Medicine -- and medical research -- lost its way, and became inextricably tied to Big Pharma and to the profit motive. In this... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306973 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:29:00 +0100 2306973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240719&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E5%2F0Ov6Nvpb2fk%2FBERKSON.mp3 It is my honor to introduce you to Dr. Burt Berkson, one of the few physicians I believe to be a true visionary. In this interview, you will hear the true story of Dr. Berkson's successful use for over thirty years of Alpha Lipoic Acid to regenerate livers and other organs. It is also the story of the unfortunate link between money-driven medicine and medical research. Dr. Berkson’s story originates in the mid to late 1970s, just as the shift from true scientific research to pharmaceutical-company based (and pharmaceutical-company-controlled) research was beginning to take place. This is the story of an inexpensive, very effective treatment which initially received support from the National Institutes of Health, but was, in the end, abandoned, because no pharmaceutical company would take... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240719 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:07:51 +0100 2240719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240718&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2Fdf-rDdMnNHA%2Fburt-berkson-md-phd-talks-with-honest-medicine-about-his-work-and-our-medical-system-the-interview-t.html I know that several people have already listened to my interview with Dr. Burt Berkson and have found him to be truly inspirational. My decision to transcribe the interview (a very time-consuming process!) began because I wanted my 92-year old Mom to be able to hear it. I knew she would love it: She has been a fan of using innovative treatments, ever since she was 11 years old, when her own mother’s life was saved by going to Germany in the 1920s to receive a treatment -– radiation –- which was not yet available in the US. Since my Mom is now hard of hearing, I knew it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for her to listen to it. Hence, the transcript that follows. I hope that others of you who are hard of hearing, as well as those without good computer speakers -- and others,... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240718 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:04:30 +0100 2240718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240720&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2FlJEwz2gyZ1Y%2Fpharmaceutical-news-by-press-release-or-low-dose-naltrexone-study-doesnt-make-the-news.html In the article, “Statins (Crestor) for Everyone?”, I wrote about how the AstraZeneca-funded JUPITER study (JUPITER stands for “Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin”) made a case for putting many more people on statins, especially on AstraZeneca's own Crestor. In the article, I pointed out several troubling facts, including that studies funded by pharmaceutical companies are much more likely to have positive results than those that are not industry-funded, and that many of the “news stories” about the JUPITER study reported “the facts” of this study, almost word for word, as they appeared in AstraZeneca’s press release.  In her November 14, 2008 Columbia Journalism Review article, "Science Reporting by ... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240720 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:32:59 +0100 2240720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2522923&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2FrBhA4KCgJQM%2Fthe-integrative-health-care-solution-a-2part-series.html ♣ Part 1 -- For Tom Daschle and Barack Obama: Advocating the Integrative Healthcare Solution -- discusses WHY so many experts are now saying that best answer to our healthcare system is Integrative Healthcare, which is a combination of conventional and alternative medicine. ♣ Part 2: Seven of Honest Medicine's Articles / Audios Advocating Integrative Healthcare   (Source: HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future) HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2522923 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:49:31 +0100 2522923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2131288&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F522231727%2Fjulia-schopicks-anecdotal-series-six-articles-.html This article contains links to 37 articles I’m hoping patients will share with their doctors -- especially with those doctors who refuse to prescribe "anecdotal" treatments, such as Low Dose Naltrexone and Silverlon. Each of these 37 articles describes some aspect of the financial connections between physicians and researchers, and Big Pharma. 5) ♦ Is It Possible Some Doctors Still Don’t “Get” the Extent of Big Pharma’s Financial Ties to “Standard of Care” Research? In this article, I give more evidence of Big Pharma’s duplicity, including a really interesting section from Dr. John Abramson’s book, Overdosed America, describing how Big Medicine -- and medical research -- lost its way, and became inextricably tied to Big Pharma and to the profit motive. In this ar... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2131288 Sun, 25 Jan 2009 05:02:22 +0100 2131288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2094767&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F508606794%2Ffor-tom-daschle-and-barack-obama-part-2-seven-of-honest-medicines-articles-audios-advocating-integra.html This article, published by the National Brain Tumor Foundation, gives my very personal account of how Silverlon, an FDA-approved, but non-“standard of care” treatment, healed my husband Tim’s non-healing suture line, eight months after his 2001 brain tumor surgery. For eight months, until I found -- and convinced his doctor to let me use -- Silverlon on Tim’s head, his doctors’ invasive, though “standard of care,” treatments (i.e., repeated surgeries) only made the problem worse. I wrote this article in an attempt to inform both doctors and patients about this FDA-approved treatment for non-healing wounds. I hope that my article also serves as a reminder that all conventional treatments may not work equally well for all patients; and that, in fact, some standard of care trea... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2094767 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:12:08 +0100 2094767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2094768&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F508583754%2Ffor-tom-daschle-and-barack-obama-part-1-advocating-the-integrative-healthcare-solution-1.html Healthcare Reform is in the air. Tom Daschle’s “house parties” have met, and people are posting their ideas all over the Internet. There’s lots of discussion on websites such as www.change.org and www.health.org. And on www.change.org, people are voting for their favorite issues; several relate to healthcare. Many of us are very hopeful that, when all is said and done, we will finally have Integrative Healthcare, with a combination of conventional medicine and so-called “alternative” medicine – what Dr. Ronald Hoffman has called “Intelligent Medicine.” In her December 31st Huffington Post column, “Resolving to Care: Integrative Health Care Reform,”  health writer/advocate Alison Rose Levy wrote that hopefully, “the coming healthcare reform under the Obama adminis... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2094768 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:46:32 +0100 2094768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1974962&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F460078197%2Fstatins-crestor-for-everyone-or-could-diet-and-nutritional-supplements-and-diet-do-the-job-better.html This study concluded that “C-reactive protein concentration . . .  was inversely and significantly associated with concentrations of retinol, retinyl esters, vitamin C, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, lycopene, and selenium. . . . ” It also concluded that these results looked promising and that further study would be warranted. 2)    "Low circulating vitamin B(6) is associated with elevation of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein independently of plasma homocysteine levels." Published in 2001 in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation. 3)    "Alpha tocopherol supplementation decreases serum C-reactive protein and monocyte interleukin-6 levels in normal volunteers and type 2 diabetic patients."  Published in 2000 in Free Radica... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1974962 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:47:45 +0100 1974962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1914550&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F426611380%2Fdavid-servan-schreibers-new-book-gets-slammed-by-the-new-york-times-for-being-anecdotal.html When I began reading Dr. Abigail Zuger’s New York Times review of Dr. David Servan-Schreiber’s latest book, Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life,  I was at first amused when she compared it to “the finest in nighttime infomercials” that hawk (I’m really quoting her here!) kitchen gadgets and acne preparations. But my amusement soon wore off. I was familiar with Dr. Zuger’s writings, and with Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s, so I immediately knew where she was going with this. This was, to quote Margo Channing ("All About Eve"), “going to be a bumpy ride.” If a bumpy ride was what I really wanted, I was not to be disappointed by Dr. Zuger’s stinging assessment of this very important book. But, truthfully, I would have preferred a fair and balanced review. You see, Dr. Zuger has a well... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1914550 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:10:49 +0100 1914550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901360&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F426611380%2Fdavid-servan-schreibers-new-book-gets-slammed-by-the-new-york-times-for-being-anecdotal.html When I began reading Dr. Abigail Zuger’s New York Times review of Dr. David Servan-Schreiber’s latest book, Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life,  I was at first amused when she compared it to “the finest in nighttime infomercials” that hawk (I’m really quoting her here!) kitchen gadgets and acne preparations. But my amusement soon wore off. I was familiar with Dr. Zuger’s writings, and with Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s, so I immediately knew where she was going with this. This was, to quote Margo Channing ("All About Eve"), “going to be a bumpy ride.” If a bumpy ride was what I really wanted, I was not to be disappointed by Dr. Zuger’s stinging assessment of this very important book. But, truthfully, I would have preferred a fair and balanced review. You see, Dr. Zuger has a well... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901360 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:25:33 +0100 1901360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1894861&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F426611380%2Fdavid-servan-schreibers-new-book-gets-slammed-by-the-new-york-times-for-being-anecdotal.html When I began reading Dr. Abigail Zuger’s New York Times review of Dr. David Servan-Schreiber’s latest book, Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life,  I was at first amused when she compared it to “the finest in nighttime infomercials” that hawk (I’m really quoting her here!) kitchen gadgets and acne preparations. But my amusement soon wore off. I was familiar with Dr. Zuger’s writings, and with Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s, so I immediately knew where she was going with this. This was, to quote Margo Channing ("All About Eve"), “going to be a bumpy ride.” If a bumpy ride was what I really wanted, I was not to be disappointed by Dr. Zuger’s stinging assessment of this very important book. But, truthfully, I would have preferred a fair and balanced review. You see, Dr. Zuger has a well... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1894861 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:57:14 +0100 1894861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1713871&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F368372407%2Ffinancial-ties-between-big-pharma-and-the-medical-establishment-36-selected-articles-published-between-2005-and-2008.html CONCLUSIONS: This case-study review of industry documents demonstrates that clinical trial manuscripts related to rofecoxib [Vioxx] were authored by sponsor employees but often attributed first authorship to academically affiliated investigators who did not always disclose industry financial support. Review manuscripts were often prepared by unacknowledged authors and subsequently attributed authorship to academically affiliated investigators who often did not disclose industry financial support. 21) Reporting mortality findings in trials of rofecoxib for Alzheimer disease or cognitive impairment: a case study based on documents from rofecoxib [Vioxx] litigation, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), BM Psaty and RA Kronmal, April 16, 2008. (The entire article may be found o... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1713871 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:01:36 +0100 1713871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1682918&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F355757972%2Fhow-calling-lifesaving-treatments-anecdotal-discourages-curiosity-in-our-doctors.html In my previous posting, “Four Lifesaving Medical Treatments: Not So ‘Anecdotal,’ After All,” I described four treatments that doctors routinely call “anecdotal,” but that, in my opinion, don’t deserve this negative label. Their common elements are impressive: 1) They have all been in existence for many years. 2) All have benefited hundreds, sometimes thousands, of very sick patients with life-threatening illnesses. 3) All have medical practitioners and patient advocates who openly champion them. 4) No one is making large amounts of money from these treatments -- especially when compared to the money that is made from the treatments championed by Big Pharma. 5) Because they lack clinical trials to prove their efficacy, doctors call them “anecdotal,” and therefore often o... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1682918 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:23:15 +0100 1682918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1679305&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F355757972%2Fhow-calling-lifesaving-treatments-anecdotal-discourages-curiosity-in-our-doctors.html In my previous posting, “Four Lifesaving Medical Treatments: Not So ‘Anecdotal,’ After All,” I described four treatments that doctors often call “anecdotal,” but that, in my opinion, don’t deserve this negative label.  Their common elements are impressive: 1) They have all been in existence for many years. 2) All have benefited hundreds, sometimes thousands, of very sick patients with life-threatening illnesses. 3) All have medical practitioners and patient advocates who openly champion them. 4) No one is making large amounts of money from these treatments -- especially when compared to the money that is made from the treatments championed by Big Pharma. 5) Because they lack clinical trials to prove their efficacy, doctors call them “anecdotal,” and theref... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1679305 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:28:46 +0100 1679305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1469631&cid=t_171041_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F05%2F27%2Fparty-school-rankings-a-biased-self-fulfilling-prophecy%2F The Princeton Review publishes annual “Best of…” college lists based upon a now-online survey of students at each college. They describe the survey process as: The Princeton Review survey asks students 80 questions about their school’s academics / administration, campus life, student body, and themselves. Tallies for this edition’s rankings are based on surveys of 120,000 students (about 325 per campus) at the 366 schools in the book (not at all schools in the nation) during the 2006-07 and / or previous two school years. Which all sounds fine and good, until you read the fine print: Our survey is qualitative and anecdotal rather than quantitative. In order to guard against producing a write-up that’s off the mark for any particular college, we sen... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1469631 Tue, 27 May 2008 13:44:32 +0100 1469631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454297&cid=t_171041_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F293955769%2Ffour-lifesaving.html Those of you who are followers of HonestMedicine will remember about the terrible time my husband Tim had after his second brain tumor surgery (his first recurrence in 10 years) in 2001. You read about how: • Tim’s suture line wouldn’t heal for 8 months, continually bursting open • His wound became infected and leaked cranial fluid off and on for the entire 8 months • His neurosurgeons performed 8-9 additional surgeries (all of which failed),  in hopes of finally finding two pieces of skin that would hold together • In desperation, his neurosurgeons took chunks of skin from other parts of Tim’s body and grafted them onto his head, in hopes that the grafts would “take,” and that his skin would finally heal. (This, too, failed.) • Several times, his doctors put... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454297 Tue, 20 May 2008 14:37:52 +0100 1454297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252418&cid=t_171041_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2F23%2Fmartha-frankels-gambling-addiction%2F Gambling can become pathological (not “addicting,” a loaded term that has its own history and meaning directly connected to a substance or alcohol), as researchers have long known. In fact, it’s been in the diagnostic bible for mental health professionals, the DSM, for decades — it’s called pathological gambling disorder, and it doesn’t differentiate where the gambling takes place (online or off). In fact, if you go back to 1996, you’ll discover that the creators of “Internet addiction disorder” simply took the symptoms for pathological gambling, renamed it, and asked people who already identified themselves as having some sort of problem with online use if they had this “new” disorder. Ask someone who shops “too much... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252418 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:27:32 +0100 1252418