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 'dangerous'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:59:40 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139880&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F16%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-august-16-2011%2F Our society has an unshakeable desire to be “normal.” Whatever normal means. In fact, I have forsaken my own truth at times, because the idea of being normal, problem-free, low-maintenance, unencumbered by illness or age seemed too attractive not to embrace. But the fact is whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, physical or mental illness, financial issues or weight gain, being free of life and all of its abnormalities is near impossible. Why are we trying to hide ourselves in an effort to be perfect and illness free? I realized this after seeing friends I hadn’t seen in a decade. While at first burdened that my life had veered too far from normal (in both my personal and professional choices), I finally had to laugh at myself. I realized that all this pressure t... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139880 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:37:01 +0100 5139880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952990&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F18%2Famericas-mental-health-budget-cuts-poor-training-and-stephanie-moulton%2F Anybody who’s been an administrator in a community mental health system in America in the past three decades knows the drill. During bust times, state governments actually come close to doing a good job with members of society who are at their most vulnerable. Services are — while never fully-funded — well-funded, and for the most part, there’s enough staff to cover the huge need in communities for mental health care for the poor. But when budgets tighten, the first place governors look to cut are social services. High on the list of social services to be cut are mental health services, because they are often people intensive. Nevermind that most of those people are poorly trained “aides” or others who often have little direct education or experience wit... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952990 Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:11:39 +0100 4952990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921424&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcell-phones-and-brain-cancer-evidence-of-a-link-is-limited%2F2011.06.10 If the recent announcement by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that cell phones may cause brain cancer has you worried, you might want to wait a bit before trashing your mobile phone and going back to a land line. Last week, the IARC convened experts from around the world to assess what, if any, cancer threat cell phones pose to the 5 billion or so people who use them. After reviewing hundreds of studies, the IARC panel concluded that cell phone use may be connected to two types of brain cancer, glioma and acoustic neuroma. That sounds mighty scary. But the IARC said the evidence for this conclusion was “limited.” Most studies have shown no connection between cell phone use and brain cancer. In the relatively small number of studies that have observed a connectio... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921424 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:00:11 +0100 4921424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921521&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F09%2Fhow-our-intuitions-deceive-us-part-2-interview-with-daniel-simons%2F In part one of this interview, we began exploring the limits of human perception with Daniel Simons, a Psychology professor and co-winner of an Ig Noble prize.  This conversation is part two of that discussion. Assuming you can name only one, what is one of the most popular myths associated with attention? How about one for memory? We assume that we will automatically notice anything that appears before our eyes, regardless of what else we’re doing.  But, in reality, we’re only aware of a tiny subset of the world around us, and our awareness depends critically on the focus of our attention. Without focusing our attention, we can look without seeing.  We tend to miss unexpected objects and events because they do not attract our attention. And, without our attention, we don&#8... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921521 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:15:05 +0100 4921521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893553&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F04%2Fwhen-should-you-consider-hospitalization-for-depression%2F I wish psychiatrists sent people with depression home with instructions on when to go to the hospital similar to the ones obstetricians give to pregnant women once they reach 37 weeks of gestation: when your contractions last for a minute each and are five minutes apart, start the ignition! “How did you know it was time to go to the hospital?” a friend asked me the other day. “I didn’t,” I replied. “My friends did.” Each psych ward experience is different. And no doctor judges the decision to enter one in the same way. In hindsight, I wonder why my therapist didn’t urge me to commit myself months before I did. I talked about wanting to die most of my hour with her. Because it was all I thought about. That idea, alone, gave me relief. But I ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893553 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 12:02:02 +0100 4893553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803132&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fplavix-and-the-purple-pill-are-they-really-a-dangerous-combination%2F2011.05.10 When the medical press seizes a story, it can become an obsession. Any physician who is reading any journal is aware of the reported interaction between clopidrogel (Plavix) and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs, including Prilosec and her cousins. PPI medicines are not exotic elixirs known only to medical professionals. They are known to any person with a working TV set or who still reads a newspaper, since ads for these drugs are omnipresent. Just google ‘purple pill’ and begin your entrance into the PPI Chamber of Advertising. PPI medicines are highly effective for peptic ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux, although I suspect that most patients on these medications do not have any true indication for them. (Disclosure: I’ve pulled the PPI trigger too quickly on many patients who d... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803132 Tue, 10 May 2011 14:05:51 +0100 4803132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704731&cid=t_101416_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FEbYgSeOQGHs%2F This is a guest post by Maria Rainier, a freelance writer and blogger. _____________________________________________________________________________ While not heavily studied or well-known, Meniere’s disease can be a debilitating, painful, and dangerous condition of the inner ear.  Named after 19th century French physician Prosper Meniere who studied the inner ear, it is a chronic condition most often found with varying symptoms in people in their 40s and 50s but not unheard of in other age groups, even children. Maria Rainier While symptoms may be relieved via various treatment methods, this chronic condition can leave lasting marks on one’s life if left untreated. Causes and Symptoms Although physicians don’t know for sure what causes Meniere’s disease, the most obvious hint is ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704731 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:37:02 +0100 4704731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626925&cid=t_101416_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-research%2Fadhd-and-add-drugs-which-are-dangerous.php Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD affects millions of children around the world. There are numerous prescription drugs that are available for treating the disorder. Adderall, Ritalin and Hypinol are some of the prescription drugs that are available for treating the disorder. Adderall is a drug that comes under the category of psycho stimulants. The drug is used for treating ADHD and some cases depression also. Ritalin is another prescription drug that is used for treating ADHD. Ritalin is also used in the treatment of severe cases of depression in some instances. The formula of Ritalin consists of amphetamine salts. There is one more drug available in the market, Hypinol which is also used in the treatment of ADHD. This drug too belongs to the class of pharmaceutical psycho... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626925 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4626925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464541&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F11%2Fthe-science-of-romance-the-love-drug%2F On the comment box of my post “The Emotional Affair,” Beyond Blue reader Michael wrote: I’m totally confused and caught up in this person. Some years go by without us speaking, but we always come back to each other. Convenience, you say, or possibly hoping for the best. I don’t now. The problem is that I’m hopelessly in love with this person and willing to give up all in every way there needs. But relationships are severely limited. You can justify anything in this world, especially the things you want most. The feeling of love is exceedingly strong and seductive, as is the feeling to be needed and to be loved. So I search spiritually, mentally … If you read all the comments on the affair post and others like “12 Ways to End Addictive Relationships... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464541 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:40:09 +0100 4464541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272673&cid=t_101416_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FmH3wr35tKRU%2F Eating healthy has always been an incredibly important aspect of keeping the body, and mind clean and healthy. Processed foods are the opposite of what foods are intended to do. While processed foods have little to no beneficial qualities due to being treated with a variety of harmful or at best, questionable chemicals. One of the major reasons processed foods are so prevalent despite being dreadfully unhealthy when compared to raw food alternatives is because the Food and Drug Administration treats all food as if it is dead material, with no potential benefits from foods consumption. This is reason enough for the FDA to mandate foods to be ‘purified’ in order to avoid the threat of potential illnesses. Where Did All the Raw Milk Go? Most are not even aware that raw milk has be... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272673 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 07:14:41 +0100 4272673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4206092&cid=t_101416_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fwhen-painkillers-become-dangerous%2F A Recovery Book Americans, it seems, have a history of self-medicating for pain. The high profile and increasingly widespread cases of prescription pain medication abuse that we’re seeing today serve as the latest chapter in America’s long-standing love/hate relationship with painkilling drugs. In this fascinating, informative, and timely book, Dr. Drew Pinsky and other leading experts in the fields of addiction and recovery discuss; why Americans are using drugs such as OxyContin and Vicodin, how American’s used and abused other painkillers in the past, what makes some people vulnerable to addiction, and how to get help for yourself or a family member in trouble with drugs.   When Painkillers Become Dangerous - Shar... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4206092 Sat, 27 Nov 2010 16:15:00 +0100 4206092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151876&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F09%2Fbad-research-texting-health-risks-and-teens%2F I was astounded to read about new survey research from Scott Frank, MD, MS, who — when commenting about his new findings — was widely quoted as saying, “The startling results of this study suggest that when left unchecked texting and other widely popular methods of staying connected can have dangerous health effects on teenagers.” Of course it would indeed be startling if his study had demonstrated a clear causative relationship — you know, like A causes B — between texting and the unhealthy teen behaviors the researchers studied. But of course, this is not what they found. They conducted a survey and, like researchers do, found that a bunch of variables are inter-related. What that relationship exactly is, is anybody’s guess. The headlines say it... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151876 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 01:41:47 +0100 4151876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125062&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F01%2Falcohol-the-most-dangerous-drug-probably-not%2F Researchers using their own classification and rating system in order to try and assess a drug’s overall harmful effects — not to oneself, but to society as a whole too — recently published their findings. Here’s what they found, according to various news outlets: The Most Dangerous Drugs? Alcohol, Heroin and Crack—in That Order TIME – Catherine Mayer Alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack: study New York Daily News Study: Alcohol ‘most harmful drug,’ followed by crack and heroin CNN International Experts: Alcohol More Harmful Than Crack or Heroin WebMD – Tim Locke If you just read the headlines, you’d think the study showed that the most dangerous drug available today is alcohol, based upon clinical or government data. It&#82... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125062 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:30:04 +0100 4125062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045145&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F08%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-october-8-2010%2F When things are going good in our lives, we suddenly have amnesia. We forget the battles we won, the hardships we faced and the pain we endured. Yet, there are occasions like yesterday’s National Depression Screening Day or Mental Illness Awareness Week that help to remind us to not forget. More importantly, it reiterates the importance of helping those who are in their own struggles right now. The top posts this week deal with issues that you or someone you know may be dealing with right now. As we end the week, I hope you’ll read these posts, share it with those you care about, take the tips you’ve learned and pay it forward. As always, I wish you a happy and healthy weekend! Enjoy. Body Image & Self-Esteem: Barb Steinberg On Empowering Your Daughters, Part 2 (Wei... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045145 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 11:13:53 +0100 4045145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987056&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdebunking-fake-diseases%2F2010.09.20 Ever heard of adrenal fatigue? Wilson’s temperature syndrome? If not, there’s a good reason: They exist only on the Internet. The Hormone Foundation, an affiliate of the Endocrine Society, recently issued two fact sheets for patients debunking these so-called conditions, which were “apparently conceived only in an effort to sell products promoted to treat them,” the LA Times reported. No medical evidence supports either faux disease and there are no tests or treatments for them, but patients still try to alleviate them with supplements, some of them potentially dangerous, the Times said. Adrenal fatigue is characterized by such “symptoms” as having salt and sugar cravings and needing coffee to get you through the day, while the man who discovered Wilson&... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987056 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3987056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862009&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffda-warning-industrial-bleach-as-a-cure-for-cancer-and-hiv%2F2010.08.12 On the heels of Scott Gavura’s superb post on dietary supplement regulation in the U.S. and Canada, I bring you one of the most egregious and obscene product cases I have seen in 15 years of teaching on botanical and non-botanical products: Miracle Mineral Solution. Please accept my apologies in advance for not having a scholarly post for you – this is just too unbelievable not to share with science-based medicine readers. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862009 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:00:48 +0100 3862009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3764135&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-medical-misinformation-of-the-huffington-post%2F2010.07.18 This article shows a misunderstanding of journalistic ethics, medical ethics, and medical science. It’s a disaster. And it’s no surprise that it’s in the Huffington Post. While this is a medicine story, my question relates to why an organization with a lot of great front-page news so frequently posts medical articles that are wrong and, sometimes, downright dangerous. Read the article first, then read Dr. Lipson’s analysis. Disclosure: I am an occasional contributor to Science Based Medicine but, like all contributors there, receive no compensation. *This blog post was originally published at Terra Sigillata* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3764135 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:00:57 +0100 3764135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750061&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-cellphones-kill%2F2010.07.13 San Francisco recently passed a law requiring disclosure to consumers of the amount of radiation emitted by cellphones at the point of sale. Research has been inconclusive on whether there is a link between cellphone usage and cancer. More definitive findings could be years away. Understandably the law addresses a universal concern that we all have. We are more fearful of threats we can’t see, smell, hear, taste, or touch. Radon, carbon monoxide, and radiation fit these criteria. Yet, cellphones kill in other ways which are far more immediate, equally as subtle, and just as concerning. This silent epidemic is increasing at an alarming rate. Everyone sees it, but does nothing about it. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Hea... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750061 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0100 3750061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3702937&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwarfarin-for-early-cancer-detection%2F2010.06.27 In cancer treatment, detection of a tumor in an early stage markedly increases the chance of favorable outcomes.   Can the much-aligned blood thinner, warfarin, occasionally help in early detection of cancer? Few pharmacologic agents receive more bad press than warfarin.  Stories, which are too numerous to count, like “Did warfarin kill my father,” can be widely found on Internet forums, search engines, and are often quoted by reluctant patients — whose numerator of bad warfarin experiences is one. It is true that warfarin has a narrow therapeutic window — a small difference between an effective dose and dangerous dose. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Dr John M* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3702937 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0100 3702937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671784&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F17%2Fput-down-your-iphone-while-driving%2F Not only is it dangerous to drive while talking on your mobile phone or iPhone or Blackberry, it’s also not good for your relationship either. So says a professor who thinks that if driving while distracted by your technological gadget is bad enough, imagine what trying to hold up your end of the conversation in your relationship might be. Relationships rely on good, clear communication. Driving relies on good, clear undivided attention and no distraction. The two don’t seem entirely compatible, so it seems to reason the good professor has a point. “In general, cell phone usage while driving might lead to missed relationship stop lights, slow reactions to dangerous relationship circumstances, loss of control of one’s part of the interaction, and interaction mistakes that co... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671784 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:28:19 +0100 3671784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3617835&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-speeding-ambulances-save-more-lives%2F2010.06.01 How fast should an ambulance go? The stereotypical speeding ambulance with lights flashing and sirens blaring is the image that most conjure up. But recent data suggests that transport speed may be overstated. In a fascinating piece from Slate, emergency physicians Zachary F. Meisel and Jesse M. Pines examine that very question. They cite a recent study from the Annals of Emergency Medicine, which concluded that a fast transport speed didn’t necessarily save lives. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3617835 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:00:49 +0100 3617835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3610315&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fpvc-free-21-companies-that-dont-use-the-toxic-plastic%2F photo: Thinkstock Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is found in an astonishing array of everyday items – home siding, school supplies, car interiors, medical tubing, and many more common products – but when PVC production produces dioxins, the most toxic substances in the world and a known cause of cancer. The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics singles out companies, like Nokia, that have stopped using PVC in the production of their goods, but it’s not only electronics producers that are moving away from the deadly plastic. Microsoft, Honda, Walmart, Target and Nike have all started shifting production away from PVC. A representative from the Vinyl Institute, an industry trade group, thinks that the move away from PVC is a mistake, and that no one will find a plastic better than P... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3610315 Fri, 28 May 2010 16:09:17 +0100 3610315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440882&cid=t_101416_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2F1jJoiJJwjsk%2F           One of the most interesting diseases I have come across in nursing is esophageal varices.  These are swollen veins in the lining of the lower esophagus near the stomach.  They are usually caused by liver failure, cirrhosis or other conditions that result in reduced blood flow through the liver.  This reduced blood flow causes blood to back-up into veins in the esophagus and stomach forming varices.  Swollen veins in the esophagus or stomach resemble the varicose veins that some people have in their legs.  The enlargement causes the walls of the veins to stretch and become fragile.  Because the veins in the esophagus are so close to the surface of the esophagus, swollen veins in this location can rupture and cause dangerous bleeding.            Esophageal ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440882 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:15:02 +0100 3440882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2967269&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9EFrsxlKdi4%2F In 2006, Congress passed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. One provision of the law authorizes the federal government to civilly commit anyone in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons whom the attorney general certifies to be “sexually dangerous.” The effect of such an action is to continue the certified person’s confinement after the expiration of his prison term, without proof of a new criminal violation. Six days before the scheduled release of Graydon Comstock — who had been sentenced to 37 months in jail for receiving child pornography — the attorney general certified Comstock as sexually dangerous. Three years later, Comstock thus remains confined in a medium security prison, as do more than 60 other similarly situated men in the Eastern District ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2967269 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:07:43 +0100 2967269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688658&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2043 Conclusion This selection of slides shows that much of the stuff taught in degrees in herbal medicine poses a real danger to public safety and to public health. Pittilo’s idea that imposing this sort of miseducation will help safety is obviously and dangerously wrong. The Department of Health must reject the Pittilo recommendations on those grounds. Follow-up (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688658 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:24:29 +0100 2688658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670815&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2007 Conclusion Recent events show that the halcyon days for alternative medicine are over. When the Pittilo report first appeared, it was greeted with derision in the media. For example, in The Times Alice Miles wrote “This week came the publication of the Report to Ministers from the Department of Health Steering Group on the Statutory Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Other Traditional Medicine Systems Practised in the UK. Otherwise known as twaddle.” In the Independent, Dominic Lawson wrote So now we will have degrees in quackery. What, really, is the difference between acupuncture and psychic surgery? People will no doubt continue to use it and that is their right and their responsibility. But if the government w... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670815 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:45:35 +0100 2670815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660725&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fdangers-of-young-surgeons.html The effects of the Eurpoean working time directive and been creeping in for some years. I wrote about it in 2006Ten to fifteen years ago, the average orthopaedic surgeon would have had approximately 36,000 hours hands-on experience before he was appointed to a consultancy. Dr Andrew O’Brien, a specialist registrar in orthopaedics will have had approximately 8000 hours experience when he becomes a consultant.In a nutshell (nutcase you might prefer) the new consultant will have three hundred per cent less experience than his older colleagues. So the next time you go into hospital make sure your consultant is aged at least fifty.Surgical training crisisSo, the next time you are in the anaesthetic room, awaiting surgery, make sure that the surgeon doing the operatoin is not young. If he is, ... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660725 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:04:00 +0100 2660725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2639619&cid=t_101416_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fv6_Mt7KOWXY%2F It always amazes me when I hear that someone has died of a disease that is pretty much preventable. If there is a vaccine or other method for protecting yourself, why put yourself at risk? And yet that’s just what some folks do by failing to either get information, shots, or treatment right away when they first get sick. According to Web MD, fewer than half of the people in the U.S. are familiar with some of the more popular dangerous diseases, such as: • Flu. Most Americans don’t know that flu is the biggest killer of all vaccine-preventable diseases. • Hepatitis B. Only 40% of Americans say they know about this major cause of liver cancer and liver disease. • Pneumococcal disease kills 4,500 U.S. adults each year — yet only 20% of Americans know much about it. �... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2639619 Sun, 26 Jul 2009 11:57:11 +0100 2639619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613856&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1899 Jump to follow-up .The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) is the first place I asked to see teaching materials that were used on its homeopathy “BSc” course. The request was refused, and subsequent internal appeals were refused too, Clearly UCLAN had something to hide. An appeal to the information commissioner took almost two years to be judged, but the case was won. The eventual decision by the Information Commissioner rejected all the grounds that UClan had used to evade the Freedom of Information Act. UClan appealed against the judgement and I still haven’t got the stuff but that hardly matters now, because the course in question shut its doors. In any case, plenty of stuff from similar courses has leaked out already. Meanwhile, in September 2008,... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613856 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:21:41 +0100 2613856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2610924&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1899 .The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) is the first place I asked to see teaching materials that were used on its homeopathy “BSc” course. The request was refused, and subsequent internal appeals were refused too, Clearly UCLAN had something to hide. An appeal to the information commissioner took almost two years to be judged, but the case was won. The eventual decision by the Information Commissioner rejected all the grounds that UClan had used to evade the Freedom of Information Act. UClan appealed against the judgement and I still haven’t got the stuff but that hardly matters now, because the course in question shut its doors. In any case, plenty of stuff from similar courses has leaked out already. Meanwhile, in September 2008, UCLAN announced an in... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2610924 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:21:41 +0100 2610924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556183&cid=t_101416_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FDBUWikQrC_I%2F Fats are bad for you. We know that for a number of reasons. Namely, that a high fat diet makes you fat (duh) and it can also causes diabetes and heart trouble. Now, the National Institutes of Health says that a diet high in fat adds a risk of getting pancreatic cancer. One source says that pancreatic cancer ” will strike more than 42,000 Americans this year and kill more than 35,000.” Eating more saturated fats upped your cancer risk by 36 percent. Image: sxc.hu. Share and Enjoy: Post from: Blisstree Fatty Diet and Pancreatic Cancer (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556183 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:52:23 +0100 2556183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2522999&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1812 Here is a short break from the astonishing festival of chiropractic that has followed the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) v Simon Singh defamation case, and the absurd NICE guidance on low back pain. Singh’s statement already has over 10000 signatories, many very distinguished, Sign it now if you haven’t already. And getting on for 600 separate complaints about exaggerated and false claims by chiropractors have been lodged with the General Chiropractic Council and with Trading Standards offices. Click to sign The BCA has exposed the baselessness of most of chiropractic’s claims more effectively than any sceptic could have done. The University of Westminster is seeing the light? It is only recently that the University of Westminster suspended entr... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2522999 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:09:31 +0100 2522999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469635&cid=t_101416_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fj0C5THIXlJo%2F In this study of 25 people, researchers found that people didn’t have those risky behaviors if they had caffeine every night (equaling 1 to 2 cups of coffee every 2 hours from midnight to dawn) while awake for three straight days. Half the group received a caffeine gum that provided them with the coffee equivalents and the other half received a placebo gum; neither group knew what they were chewing. Each day, in the mid-morning, the participants were given a computerized behavioral risk test: Participants who received the placebo were unchanged from baseline on the cost/benefit ratio of the BART at 51 hours of sleep deprivation, but showed a significant increase in risk-taking by 75 hours. The caffeine group remained unchanged from baseline at either 51 or 75 hours of wakefulness and... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469635 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:49:27 +0100 2469635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464189&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F08%2Fturning-guilt-into-good%2F The most powerful line in Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner” is this: “And that, I believe, is what true redemption is, Amir jan, when guilt leads to good.” My regrets are different from the narrator of “The Kite Runner.” I didn’t watch my friend get raped because I was too afraid of standing up to the bully. But I’m very aware of the holes in my heart from those times I didn’t do the right thing. Out of fear. Out of selfishness. Out of desperation. Out of loneliness. Last weekend, when I was knee deep into the pee pool (kids’ pool), an 18-month-old fell over into the pool from the side, and he wasn’t wearing any floaties to keep him buoyant. His dad spotted him face down in the pool and was on his way to scoop him ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464189 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:16:50 +0100 2464189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452539&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1661 Jump to follow-up Latest from ABC News (Australia) Parents guilty of eczema baby manslaughter There have been emotional scenes at a Sydney court where a homeopath and his wife were found guilty of the manslaughter of their baby daughter. Thomas Sam and his wife Manju Sam were convicted over the death of their nine-month-old Gloria. Thomas and Manju Sam leave the NSW Supreme Court (AAP: Paul Miller, file photo) The baby girl had severe eczema and died of septicemia in 2002. After a four-week trial the Supreme Court jury took less than two days to reach its decision. The Crown argued the couple did not seek conventional medical treatment for their child, instead treating her with homeopathic drops. The defence argued the couple were not warned about how sick the child was by med... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452539 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:28:45 +0100 2452539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414821&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1466 This study is no more informative than the infamous Spence (2005) ’study’ of the same type, which seems to be the only thing that homeopaths can produce to support their case. There is an excellent analysis of the Northern Ireland ’study’ by Andy Lewis, The Northern Ireland NHS Alternative Medicine ‘Trial’.  He explains patiently, yet again, what constitutes evidence and why studies like this are useless. His analogy start ” . . . the Apple Marketing Board approach the NHS and ask for £200,000 to do a study to show the truth behind the statement ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’. The Minister, being particularly fond of apples, agrees and the study begins.” 16.30 Social enterprise and whole systems integrated care.  Dee Ky... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414821 Sun, 17 May 2009 07:18:25 +0100 2414821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414883&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F15%2F10-more-stress-busters%2F Awhile back I shared with you 10 of my stress busters. But lately I’ve needed 20. So here are 10 more. 1. Avoid stimulants and sugar. Here’s the catch-22: the more stressed you get, the more you crave coffee and doughnuts, pizza and Coke. But the more coffee, Coke, doughnuts, and pizza in your system, the more stressed you get. It’s not your imagination. When you are stressed and have low levels of serotonin, your brain produces cravings for sugar and simple carbohydrates, which primes the beta-endorphin system to want more and more. The same with caffeine. It’s a powerful drug that affects a number of neurochemicals in your brain, which means it produces withdrawal symptoms that can make you very very very very irritable. 2. Compare and despair. The last thing you ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414883 Fri, 15 May 2009 18:00:27 +0100 2414883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365006&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1372 Jump to follow-up It seems that bits of good news don’t come singly. First honours degrees in acupuncture vanish, Now a big chain of shops selling Chinese herbs and acupuncture has gone into administration. It seems that, at last, people are getting fed up with being conned out of their hard-earned money Herbmedic Barking A local [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365006 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:37:52 +0100 2365006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313539&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F07%2F8-ways-to-keep-going%2F A woman who lives with chronic pain said to my mom the other day, “You can’t sit around and wait for the storm to be over. You’ve got to learn how to dance in the rain.” That’s a perfect description of living with depression, or any chronic illness. But what do you do on the days you don’t think you can take the pain anymore? When you want so badly to be done with your life … or at least be done with the suffering? What do you do when anxiety and depression have spun a web around you so thick that you’re convinced you’ll be trapped forever in those feelings? I’ve compiled a few tools for moving past that harrowing darkness, suggestions on how to emerge from a place of panic, and techniques on how to dance in the rain. 1. Escape ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313539 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:08:20 +0100 2313539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2308084&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1329 In March 2007 I wrote a piece in Nature on Science degrees without the science.  At that time there were five “BSc” degrees in homeopathy. A couple of weeks ago I checked the UCAS site for start in 2009, and found there was only one full “BSc (hons)” left and that was at Westminster University. Today [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2308084 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:12:35 +0100 2308084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2217362&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1196 Recently I wrote a piece for the National Health Executive (”the Independent Journal for Senior Health Service Managers”), with the title Medicines that contain no medicine and other follies. In the interests of what journalists call balance (but might better be called equal time for the Flat Earth Society), an article appeared straight after mine, [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2217362 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:36:36 +0100 2217362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2022034&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D526 Shortly after I published my editorial in the New Zealand Medical Journal, Dr Who?, I was delighted to get a letter from someone who had trained in chiropractic and seen it all from the inside. Sadly this wonderful letter had to be removed within a few weeks of posting it because its [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2022034 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:07:03 +0100 2022034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1997017&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D454 Jump to follow-up It’s hard enough to communicate basic ideas about how to assess evidence to adults without having the effort hindered by schools. The teaching of quackery to 16 year-olds has been approved by a maze of quangos, none  of which will take responsibility, or justify their actions, Consider, for example, Edexcel Level 3 [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1997017 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:57:36 +0100 1997017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947844&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D351 Today brings a small setback for those  of us interested in spreading sensible ideas about science.  According to a press release “The BMJ Group is to begin publishing a medical journal on acupuncture from next year, it was announced today (Tuesday 11 November 2008). This will be the first complementary medicine title that the BMJ Group has [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947844 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:57:50 +0100 1947844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1945422&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F446779537%2Fthe_opposite_of_regret_is.html More and more people express regrets for failed finances. They regret they started late, worked too little, spent too much, failed to plan, or trusted the wrong people. How do you let go of regret? Not much I hope. Why so? Research shows how regret stops mental growth,  triggers potentially dangerous chemicals and shuts out any new shoots of opportunity that could be yours. Think of regret as the dam for fresh flowing waters finances, or sudden roadblocks across well travelled highways opportunities. Can you see regret now from your brain’s perspective? The opposite of regret that stops your progress, is ... that begins to rejuvenate your situation.   Because of our unique mix of intelligences, answers differ for different people, but your brain can transform regret int... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1945422 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:54:30 +0100 1945422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1853935&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D258 We know all about the sixteen or so universities that run “BSc” degrees in hokum. They are all “post-1992″ universities, which used to be polytechnics. That is one reason why it saddens me to see them destroying their own attempts to achieve parity with older universities by running courses that I would regard as plain [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1853935 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:33:59 +0100 1853935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837786&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D257 Jump to follow-up Alfred Joseph Clark FRS held the established chair of Pharmacology at UCL from 1919 to 1926, when he left for Edinburgh.  As well as his classic scientific works, like The Mode of Action of Drugs on Cells (1933) he also felt strongly about the fraud perpetrated on the public by patent medicine salesmen.  [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837786 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:12:11 +0100 1837786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825567&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F24%2Fdavid-blaines-hanging-around-upside-down%2F Illusionist David Blaine has been hanging around, upside down for the past couple of days. You can find him at the swinging in the breeze above the Wollmann ice rink in Central Park, New York. Its a stunt that requires a great deal of endurance, focus, and might I add, stupidity. Medical, hanging up side down for long periods of time is simply not a good idea. It can mess with the heart and cause the blood pressure to rise. There’s increased risk of brain haemorrhage, seizures, and blindness because of all the blood pooling in the brain and skull. It can also cause breathing problems - with the diaphragm upside down, the intestines will be exerting pressure on the lungs, making breathing more difficult. And of course, there’s less blood, and therefore oxygen, going to the le... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825567 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:16:27 +0100 1825567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1764447&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D253 The publication of Gilbey’s paper and my editorial in the New Zealand Medical Journal (NZMJ) led to a threat of legal action by the NZ Chiropractors’ Association Inc for alleged defamation.  After publishing a defiant editorial, the editor of the NZMJ offered chiropractors the chance to put their case. In the last issue of NZMJ [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1764447 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:11:54 +0100 1764447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1760355&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D252 After the announcement that the University of Central Lancashire (Uclan) was suspending its homeopathy “BSc” course, it seems that their vice chancellor has listened to the pressure, both internal and external, to stop bringing his university into disrepute. An internal review of all their courses in alternative medicine was announced shortly after the course  closure.   Congratulations [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1760355 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:07:16 +0100 1760355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1764448&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D252 After the announcement that the University of Central Lancashire (Uclan) was suspending its homeopathy “BSc” course, it seems that their vice chancellor has listened to the pressure, both internal and external, to stop bringing his university into disrepute. An internal review of all their courses in alternative medicine was announced shortly after the course  closure.   Congratulations [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1764448 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:20:14 +0100 1764448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734446&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D249 Jump to follow-up The first major victory in the battle for the integrity of universities seems to have been won. This email was sent by Kate Chatfield who is module leader for the “BSc” in homeopathic medicine at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). from Kate Chatfield… Dear All, It’s a sad day for us here at UCLan [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734446 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:20:16 +0100 1734446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720678&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D248 On 18th August I was surprised and delighted to get a letter from a young man who qualified at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic. His experiences in many ways justified what I said in my editorial, Dr Who?,, and in some cases went further. His inside knowledge is precisely what is needed. It will be [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720678 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:24:33 +0100 1720678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717883&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D247 My original piece on Integrative Baloney@Yale was posted on May 16th, after I got back from a visit there. The talk I gave there included a short video. My movie, Integrative baloney@Yale, was made entirely from clips taken from Yale’s own YouTube movies which showed something approaching three hours of its “1st [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717883 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:11:16 +0100 1717883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1652774&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D240 This, I fear, is pure plagiarism, Robert Shrimsley’s piece in today’s Financial Times was so funny that it just begged to be quoted. Here it is. Surely this is a call to action. The news that Radovan Karadzic has been hiding out as some kind of homeopath has confirmed all prejudices about alternative medicine. [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1652774 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:31:58 +0100 1652774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1625572&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F07%2F15%2Fthey-might-not-be-crab-fishing-but-these-jobs-sure-are-dangerous%2F Okay, honestly, I was a little surprised to see the list of jobs below. These, my friends, are listed as the Unhealthiest Jobs in America, based on nonfatal injuries and illnesses that caused workers to miss at least one day of work in 2006. The jobs I thought would be more risky (construction work, heavy truck driving) could barely touch the others. Interested? Take a look: 1. Laborers and Freight / Stock / Material Movers (Okay, lots of heavy lifting involved, so no surprise here). 2. Office/Administrative Workers (Huh?!?) 3. Sales Staff (Again, huh?!?) 4. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 5. Nursing Aides / Orderlies / Attendants 6. Janitors & Housekeepers (I thought this would have ranked higher) 7. Construction Workers (Also would have thought this would rate higher) 8. Nur... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1625572 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:22:58 +0100 1625572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1561528&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D239 During the last year, there has been a very welcome flurry of good and informative books about alternative medicine. They are all written in a style that requires little scientific background, even the one that is intended for medical students. CAM, Cumming | Trick or Treatment | Snake Oil Science | Testing treatments [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1561528 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:47:08 +0100 1561528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1532074&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D235 A report has appeared on Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine. The report is written by people all of whom have vested interests in spreading quackery. It shows an execrable ability to assess evidence, and it advocates degrees in antiscience It would fail any examination. Sorry, Prof Pittilo, [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1532074 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:05:15 +0100 1532074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1516400&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fanimal-researcher.html The BBC's science and technology magazine Focus has a feature on the "most dangerous jobs in the world." They include HazMat teams, snake venom farmers, vulcanologists--and animal researchers. From the story (no link available) that includes what has happened to our friend and co-author of The Animal Research War, P. Michael Conn:While most animal rights activists campaign against testing peacefully, extremist factions use intimidation tactics to scare scientists into stopping their research. Mlchael Conn, whose includes research on primates, got first-hand experience when he attended a job interview at the University of South Florida (USF). Alter an online posting stated that "killing a vivisectionist is justifiable," he was met at the airport by extremists wearing a t-shirts which read, ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1516400 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:53:00 +0100 1516400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1494744&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D233 We have often had cause to criticise Boots Alliance, the biggest retail pharmacist in the UK, because of its deeply unethical approach to junk medicine. Click here to read the shameful litany. The problem of Boots was raised recently also by Edzard Ernst at the Hay [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1494744 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:35:46 +0100 1494744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1394104&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D227 Times Higher Education has published a league table showing that the University of Westminster is head of the league table for the number of courses in quackery. With fine timing, I just acquired the slides for their lecture on "vibrational medicine". See a selection of them. It seems that Amethyst; the 'Transmutator' . . .emits high Yin energy so transmuting lower energies and clearing and aligning energy disturbances . . .". This is part of a vocational "Bachelor of Science" degree. It is beyond parody. You couldn't make it up. (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1394104 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:16:15 +0100 1394104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1387089&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D228 This blog, along with many others, has had plenty to say about the Prince of Wales’ unconstitutional meddling in public affairs. The lovely description, Quacktitioner Royal, was coined by NHS Blog doctor. The Times published a letter from Edzard Ernst and Simon Singh on April 16th. In their forthcoming book, Trick or Treatment? Alternative [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1387089 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:47:42 +0100 1387089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252695&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D220 This afternoon I went to the Coliseum to see a revival of Jonathan Miller’s 1986 production of the Mikado. It was beautifully staged. The well-known patter song of Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner of Japan, begged for a version that deals with anti-science (original here). The serious post will come later. [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252695 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 08:16:44 +0100 1252695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1238293&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D219 This is the third post based on a recent trip to North America (here are the first and second) One aspect of the endarkenment, the Wal-Mart model of a university, is very much the same in the US as in the UK. At one US university, an excellent scientist offered the theory that an alien spacecraft [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1238293 Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:36:35 +0100 1238293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1218443&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpodcast.cbc.ca%2Fmp3%2Fsundayedition_20080204_4624.mp3 Thursday 24 Jan. The original reason for going to North America was an invitation from the Toronto Secular Alliance and Center for Inquiry. The talk for them was given a lot of publicity, for example here and here and from the totally admirable Orac. Toronto seems to be no worse than anywhere else when it [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1218443 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:07:16 +0100 1218443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1197585&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D216 This is the first of a several posts that have arisen from a visit to North America. One thing that the trip led to was an interest in how HR departments influence science -if you have a story about that, please email me. Following the media publicity that surrounded the lecture in Toronto, I [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1197585 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 05:12:43 +0100 1197585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1142877&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D215 As I have often said, you don’t need to be a scientist to see that most alternative medicine is bunk, though it is bunk that is supported and propagated by an enormously wealthy industry.. There were two good examples this week, John Sutherland, who was until recently professor of English literature at UCL, understands it very [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1142877 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:24:23 +0100 1142877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1122598&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D213 Happy new year. not least to the folks at the homeopathy4health site .  They are jubilant about a “proof” that homeopathic dilutions could produce effects. albeit only on wheat seedlings. But guess what? After some questioning it was found that they hadn’t actually read the paper. Well I have read it, and this is the [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1122598 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:21:40 +0100 1122598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1075309&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D209 The press releases (STOP PRESS) Uhuh, here we go again. All over the media we see headlines like “Honey ‘beats cough medicine’ “. Take for example, the Daily Telegraph, where Ben Farmer writes “Honey is better at treating children’s coughs than an ingredient used in many over-the-counter medicines, according to new research”. That is NOT what the [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1075309 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:40:29 +0100 1075309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1070455&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D209 Uhuh, here we go again. All over the media we see headlines like “Honey ‘beats cough medicine’ “. Even the normally reliable James Randerson in the Guardian fell for it. But this is what the research paper itself says (DM refers to the standard ‘cough suppressant’ dextromethorphan, which is already known to be ineffective). “honey was significantly superior [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1070455 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:47:53 +0100 1070455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1090750&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D209 The press releases (STOP PRESS) Uhuh, here we go again. All over the media we see headlines like “Honey ‘beats cough medicine’ “. Take for example, the Daily Telegraph, where Ben Farmer writes “Honey is better at treating children’s coughs than an ingredient used in many over-the-counter medicines, according to new research”. That is NOT what the [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1090750 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:43:31 +0100 1090750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1070456&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D208 Well, guess what turned up in a brown envelope this morning. A copy of the Society of Homeopaths’ Newsletter It makes interesting reading, not least when the homeopaths’ discussion group are abuzz with talk of the demise of homeopathy “The Society is urging its members to be cautious when responding to phone calls and e-mails following [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1070456 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:56:26 +0100 1070456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1040378&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D202 Here is an interchange of letters from the BMJ. George Lewith says more money should be spent by the government on research on alternative medicine. Well, only if it is spent properly, and that is not what has happened in the past. In all probability spent in this way would be [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1040378 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:45:49 +0100 1040378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1033177&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D200 If you read nothing else on the topic, read Ben Goldacre’s best ever piece, A Kind of Magic? (Guardian, 16 Nov 2007). This started as response to “In defence of homeopathy” in the same newspaper on 13 November. On the same day, the Lancet carried a rather more academic piece by Goldacre “Benefits [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1033177 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:54:59 +0100 1033177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1031299&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D200 If you read nothing else on the topic, read Ben Goldacre’s best ever piece, A Kind of Magic? (Guardian, 16 Nov 2007). This started as response to “In defence of homeopathy” in the same newspaper on 13 November. On the same day, the Lancet carried a rather more academic piece by Goldacre “Benefits [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1031299 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:16:35 +0100 1031299 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1021495&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D197 This was not written by me, but by a homeopath, in an email that has been circulating recently. It comes from the editor of hpathy.com, not one of the bigger players in the homeopathic fantasy business. Serious panic seems to be setting in. One amusing aspect is the description of the “huge and systematic campaign”. [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1021495 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:54:11 +0100 1021495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1002600&cid=t_101416_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D191 Trust Boots Boots the Chemists (now Alliance Boots) is a very big business in the UK. There have 1,450 pharmacies in the UK and employ over 100,000 people. I posted the item below a while ago, on the old Improbable Science page. I thought it deserved a bit more publicity, for the following reason. I mentioned [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1002600 Sun, 04 Nov 2007 07:39:42 +0100 1002600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=970348&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D172 Remember Kate Birch? She was the homeopath who was caught out recommending homeopathic treatment for malarie prevention (”Homeopathy is more effective that any western medication”). Still worse she advocated homeopathic cures for malaria at a clinic in Tanzania”. The follow up to that outrageously wicked claim is posted here. Imagine my amazement when Kate Birch [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=970348 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:43:40 +0100 970348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=943226&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D171 Many people now have written about the disgraceful and dangerous claims by homeopaths to be able to prevent and cure malaria. My contribution was “Homeopathic ‘cures. for malaria: a wicked scam” One of the best contributions was on the Quackometer blog, The Gentle Art of Homeopathic Killing. But the post has vanished! Quackometer’s ISP has [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=943226 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:46:49 +0100 943226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=926442&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D169 A paper published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal, October 2007, has been reported widely. In the same issue there was a commentary by Edzard Ernst. They show the astonishingly poor evidence than herbal treatments work, despite the fact that they have been around for thousands of years. They looked at 1330 [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=926442 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:41:25 +0100 926442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914849&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D167 At a meeting of the West Kent PCT board, on 27 September 2007, it was decided to withdraw all funding for homeopathy from the end of this financial year. This means the end for the Tunbridge Wells Homeopathic Hospital.. Congratulations to Dr James Thallon (Medical Director of the West Kent PCT) who done a good job [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914849 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 22:32:06 +0100 914849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914851&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D165 21 September 2007 Channel 4 News reported on the pressure to save money by stopping NHS funding for “unproven and disproved treatments”. Watch the video. The report started badly when the journalist, Victoria Macdonald, said that the bottles of homeopathic pills contained “only natural ingredients”. Wrong They contain NO ingredients. That is just as well perhaps, when you recall [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914851 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 17:17:58 +0100 914851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914852&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D163 A new judgment today from the Advertising Standards Authority . A direct mailing for books by Patrick Holford, a nutritionist, contained a booklet entitled “100%health”. Headline text stated “You don’t swallow junk food. Why swallow junk health advice?” Text in a letter from the “Editor of 100%health”, Patrick Holford, on an inner page [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914852 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 04:09:35 +0100 914852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914853&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D164 Conclusion The complex of homeopathy tested in this study [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914853 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 04:45:51 +0100 914853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914854&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D162 Steven Novella, MD, an academic neurologist at Yale University, runs The Skeptics Guide to the Universe: Your Escape to Reality He is author of Weird Science , a monthly column featured in the New Haven Advocate. He is the co-founder and President of the New England Skeptical Society, Associate Editor [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914854 Sun, 16 Sep 2007 18:00:34 +0100 914854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914855&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D161 It sounds as though Tennessee pharmacist, Larry Rawdon, is in trouble. According to a report in the Tennessean (11 Sept, 2007) “. . . for more than 20 years, the Hohenwald man treated customers at his health-food store with juices and dietary supplements for ailments ranging from obesity to cancer. Some of Rawdon’s patients credit him [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914855 Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:22:33 +0100 914855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914856&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D160 The British Pharmaceutical Conference (2007) staged a debate on “Homeopathy or Allopathy. Which would you choose”. On one side was Felicity Lee (ex Chair of the Society of Homeopaths). I was on the other side. Ben Goldacre was there and he recorded the whole thing. You can listen to it here [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914856 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:47:03 +0100 914856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914857&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D159 I have received today (11 September 2007) a rather threatening letter from Patrick Holford. He says “I am writing to you directly to complain about both your article in The Guardian of 15 August, in which you falsely claim that my advocacy that Vitamin C is better than conventional drugs to treat AIDS is [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914857 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:51:14 +0100 914857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914858&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D158 Curiouser and curiouser. Not only have we the curious case of Dr Marks, but Holford’s CV on his web site, and as submitted to the University of Tesside, has alway said that his degree from the University of York in experimental psychology was taken in 1973 - 1976. But an enquiry to the [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914858 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:49:51 +0100 914858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914859&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D45 Two more high quality trials have failed to show any benefit from alternative medicine. Acupuncture no help for knee osteoarthritis This trial is particularly interesting because osteoarthritis of the knee is the one thing that is always cited as a triumph for acupuncture. It is common to hear people talk about acupuncture as though [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914859 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 11:09:58 +0100 914859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=828071&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F29%2Fcancer-by-the-numbers-cancer-of-the-unknown-primary%2F Filed under: Cancer by the Numbers, Unknown PrimaryCancer is named from the place it originates. This makes a difference on what type of treatments will be effective. Being diagnosed with cancer of the unknown primary (CUP) means that cancer has been found in the body but the place of origin is unknown. If later, the place of origin is found then the type of cancer diagnosis changes from an unknown primary to the specific organ or body area that the disease first began. Some cases of cancer of the unknown primary are unfortunately never found. Physicians will then decide on the best course of treatment based on two factors: The way the cells look under the microscope and which organs are currently involved. Statistics and Prognosis: The exact number of cases of this disease is not known.... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=828071 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 828071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914860&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D44 There was some surprise when the University of Teesside recently appointed as a visiting professor, Patrick Holford, the “media nutritionist” and supplement salesman. This has elicited some indignation from within Teesside as well as without. The CV that was submitted to the University of Teesside in support of his appointment at Teesside included the following glowing [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914860 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:23:56 +0100 914860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914861&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D43 A recent post, Homeopathic “cures” for malaria: a wicked scam, revealed two more cases of claims to cure malaria with homeopathic funny water. One was the claim of Kate Birch, the vice president of the North American Society of Homeopaths, that “Homeopathy is more effective that any western medication” for treatment of malaria. This is so dangerous [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914861 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:42:02 +0100 914861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914862&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D42 On 21 August 2007, the Taxpayers’ Alliance produced a report that “compiled Britain’s first ever list of university “non-courses” – university degrees that lend the respectability of scholarly qualifications to non-academic subjects – and calculated their annual cost to students and taxpayers.” In this they list 400 degree course, at 91 institutions in the UK, which [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914862 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:19:38 +0100 914862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914863&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D39 There is no nutrional “therapist” whose doings have been the butt of more attention on the web. Ben Goldacre has been through his writings in meticulous detail. “Patrick Holford - “Food Is Better Than Medicine” South Africa Tour Blighted By HIV Claim” is particularly rivetting. The Holfordwatch web site is a mine of [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914863 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:49:12 +0100 914863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914864&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D38 This article appeared on 15th August 2007, on the Guardian Science web site. This article spans the topics of both IMPROBABLE SCIENCE and GOOD SCIENCE. The full entry is on DC’s Goodscience, where comments can be left. (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914864 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:23:02 +0100 914864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914865&cid=t_101416_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D24 Homeopathy doesn’t poison your body, it poisons your mind Often that is true. Not always though. Homeopathy is worse than just a cultural poison if you die of malaria as a result of advice from a homeopath. The Newsnight TV programme exposed the fact that many UK homeopaths advise homeopathic pills for prevention of malaria. This [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914865 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 07:51:18 +0100 914865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=690004&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F06%2F22%2Ftype-1-smokers-at-risk-for-severe-hypoglycemia%2F Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Lifestyle, ResearchMy family is no stranger to severe hypoglycemic episodes. With four type 1 diabetics living busy, active lives, serious low blood sugars have resulted in pleading cries to "please drink the o.j., now!" ... to emergency glucagon kits, calls to 911, even a cast for broken bones. Whether or not consciousness was lost, episodes of severe hypoglycemia rattle the family cage. It is scary to witness your loved one out of control both physically and mentally. Beyond mental confusion, severe hypoglycemia can even trigger seizures or coma. A study published this month in Diabetes Care reveals type 1 diabetics who smoke have a 2.6-fold increase in severe hypoglycemic episodes. The study examined 537 participants enrolled in the Wisconsin Epidemiologi... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=690004 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 690004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682752&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F06%2F18%2Fdiabulimics-dangerously-drop-pounds-by-skipping-insulin%2F Filed under: Type 1, Childhood Health experts are witnessing a dangerous trend among type 1 diabetic teens and young women -- they are running high blood sugars to spark weight loss. Not officially cited as a medical condition, 'diabulimia' is a relatively recent term coined to describe the rising numbers facing this compulsion. One expert studying 'diabulimia' estimated up to one-third (450,000) type 1 diabetics have intentionally short-changed or skipped insulin to yield weight loss. Insulin delivers glucose to the body's cells. Without insulin, the body starves. Run high blood sugars and you lose weight fast. But the side effects are devastating. Ann Goebel-Fabbri, a clinical psychologist at Boston's Joslin Center for Diabetes, stated type 1 individuals with 'diabulimic' behavior exper... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682752 Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 682752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=548571&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F04%2F17%2Fthought-for-the-day-the-facts-on-fish%2F Filed under: All Cancers, Research, Diets, Thought for the DayEver wonder what fish to eat, what fish to avoid, what fish is healthy, what fish is cancer-causing? I do. I'm looking into this whole fish thing. And while my search for information is in no way exhaustive and my findings are far from conclusive, I have found some interesting fishy facts and figures.Think about this:Fish definitely has health benefits. It's low in fat, high in protein, and rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Americans love this. How do I know? Because on average, each of us eats a record 16.6 pounds of fish every year. Our intake of shrimp and salmon has doubled, in fact, since 1994.Fish definitely has its drawbacks too. Headlines repeatedly warn us of dangerous contaminants in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Don't forget ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=548571 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 548571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=521806&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F04%2F04%2Fdiabetes-and-pot%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Drugs, Opinion, SupportA new study found smoked marijuana to be safe and effective at treating peripheral neuropathy, which causes great suffering among diabetics. Diabetic nerve disease, or "peripheral neuropathy," is the most common complication of diabetes, affecting up to 62% of Americans with diabetes. This type of pain is caused by damage to the nerves and can make patients feel like their feet and hands are on fire, or being stabbed with a knife. This type of pain responds poorly to conventional pain medications -- even addictive, dangerous narcotics. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, a majority of patients had a greater than 30% reduction in pain after smoking marijuana. For many, that level o... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=521806 Wed, 04 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 521806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=509317&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F29%2Fmy-friend-jeff-the-trucker%2F Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Research, Opinion, ServicesAbout a year ago, I met a guy named Jeff Mather. Well, we never met, personally. But we spoke many times over the phone about diabetes and how it has affected our paths in life. Jeff had lost his job, the one he had for over 10 years. The job he wanted to have since he was a little kid. According to Federal Safety Guidelines, if a trucker takes insulin - they are no longer safe to drive across state lines. Jeff wrote letters every day. He posted to online forums. He contacted politicians and pleaded to every diabetic organization in existence to get him back on the road. And sure enough - his perseverance paid off. He took his predicament all the way from Washington D.C to National Public Radio. The story on NPR includ... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=509317 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 509317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=477903&cid=t_101416_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fmore-from-madwives.html Unexpected cord prolapseWe digress from MTAS for a moment to take another quick look at the Independent Midwives, or “madwives” as Dr Crippen prefers to call them.These are the people who believe in home births and whose minds are closed to any argument, however rational, that suggests that home births are dangerous.All doctors have medical negligence insurance either through private companies such as the Medical Protection Society or, for some in the hospital service, from the Crown. Dr Crippen has never been sued. Yet. I do not know what tomorrow’s post will bring. I am human. I take comfort from that fact that if I do make some dreadful mistake at least the victim of that mistake will be properly compensated.There are plenty of insurance companies that will insure doctors. It is p... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=477903 Fri, 16 Mar 2007 23:36:00 +0100 477903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=485756&cid=t_101416_109_f&fid=35044&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadultaddstrengths.com%2F2007%2F02%2F24%2Fdrunken-jedi-trailer-trash%2F A light saber is a dangerous thing in the wrong hands. Via Laughing Squid (Source: Adult ADD Strengths) Adult ADD Strengths blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=485756 Sat, 24 Feb 2007 09:19:38 +0100 485756