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 'gary'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:57:39 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181768&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0FaWo2NWsUM%2F By Sallie JamesLast week I blogged about Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) proposal to devote $20 billion of the Export-Import Bank’s funds to promoting manufacturing exports, and why that was a bad idea. But I realize that my recent call to “X Out the Ex-Im Bank” will be facing some very entrenched interests in Washington, and some well-funded lobby groups. The Bank has historically attracted bipartisan support, and a renewal of its charter sailed through the House Committee on Financial Services earlier this year. The Washington establishment loves this program. My friend and long-time Ex-Im Bank supporter Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics published a critique a few weeks ago of my analysis, and calls for a doubling of Ex-Im’s authorization cap (f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181768 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:03:53 +0100 5181768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130865&cid=t_309456_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fpartners-health-care-acquiring-neighborhood-health-plan-800-pound-gorilla-and-fig-leaf Partners Health Care (the dominant provider network in Greater Boston) and Neighborhood Health Plan (a local mostly-Medicaid HMO) just announced that the former intends to acquire the latter, and maintain it as a separate operating entity.  No money will change hands between the parties, but an unspecified amount of money will be given by Partners as grants to community health centers where NHP members receive much of their health care services. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130865 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:19:17 +0100 5130865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118644&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-nih-to-hold-a-course-on-medicine-in-the-media%2F2011.08.11 The NIH is doing it’s best to get science writers on the right track when it comes to responsible health reporting by holding an annual course on Medicine in the Media. The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) presents a free annual training opportunity to help develop journalists’ and editors’ ability to evaluate and report on medical research. The course curriculum builds on the best of prior years’ offerings to create an intensive learning experience with hands-on application. When I read about the course on Gary Schwitzer’s tweet stream, I got really excited and started scouring the NIH course site to listen to some of the fabulous speakers in the 2011 course, which just finished in July. I was disappointed to discover (more&#823... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118644 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:00:30 +0100 5118644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096874&cid=t_309456_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fim-proud-of-bennet%2F Last year, at my first Friends for Life (FFL) conference, I bumped into Gary Scheiner in the exhibit hall. He told me that they play basketball in the activity center in the evenings. I didn’t have any of my basketball gear (contact lenses, ankle braces, etc) but wanted to give it a try. It was so much fun. This year I made sure to pack some basketball clothes. George and Cherise covered my co-hosting duties for DSMA Live on Thursday night, and I got to enjoy some basketball. It was a blast! We were able to round up a handful of grown-ups and a bunch of athletic younger folks, and we ran full-court ball for about an hour and a half. Rick Philbin is a basketball stud, and the guy is in amazing shape. He pretty much does whatever he wants to on the court, and there’s not much a... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096874 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:41:32 +0100 5096874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086167&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-we-want-in-health-news-is-often-not-what-we-need%2F2011.08.01 News of the World wasn’t read by 15 percent of the British public because it told people what they should know. It got there by giving them what they wanted: stories about the peccadilloes of the rich and famous, accounts of the gross incompetence of government and of course, pictures of naked ladies. Setting aside the fact that News of the World is no more, its publishers and editors knew how to sell the “news.”  As free online news replaces print, every click, every page view, every second of viewing per page is tracked in the fierce competition for ad dollars, and so the selling of news increasingly influences its reporting.  Titles, format and content are tweaked by editors to “optimize the metrics.” Reporters succeed and fail based on their ability to write articles that a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086167 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 22:00:46 +0100 5086167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997765&cid=t_309456_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F07%2Ftype-1-university-recommended%2F Early in the year (holy smokes, how time flies!) I shared some news about a new tool that Gary Scheiner was putting together called Type 1 University. Since that time I have tried a few of the classes, and I loved them. Gary lives with type 1 diabetes himself, is an exercise physiologist and a Certified Diabetes Educator.  All of that mixed together means that, for most people, he totally gets it.  I also think he has a gift for explaining things in a way that make sense and that can be used in the real world.  While Gary knows a lot of “doctor talk”, that’s not the language he speaks. Gary has been successful in finding many ways to overcome the challenge of location when teaching people about diabetes.  As long as I’ve known him, he’s used technology to... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997765 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:00:16 +0100 4997765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934457&cid=t_309456_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fcouch-potato-quantified-self-journey-must-be-defined-and-encouraged I’ve been interested in the growing population of folks who self-track objective data for health purposes.  The phenomenon is referred to either as personal informatics or the Quantified Self.  Both concepts have a following and both are intimately tied into the value of connected health.  Connected Health adds value in two fundamental ways:  self–care and just-in-time care.  In both cases, objective, quantified data is a criti read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934457 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:38:22 +0100 4934457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841438&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvbqsKqjQGkY%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonPolitico reported earlier today that iconic crooner Willie Nelson has endorsed former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson for president. Johnson came to be known as “Governor Veto” for axing nearly half of all the bills sent to him by the legislature, and I am  starting the rumor rumors are already circulating that Nelson will record a new song, to the tune of his hit “To all the girls I’ve loved before,” celebrating that fact. We cannot confirm that the lyrics will go something like this: To all the bills I’ve axed before That traveled in and out my door I’m mad they came along I dedicate this song To all the bills I’ve axed before To all the bills that made me laugh I kept the wheat and axed the chaff Inane legislation Explains my gre... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841438 Wed, 18 May 2011 12:59:55 +0100 4841438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789254&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F05%2F05%2Finfant-mortality-rates-increase-with-vaccines%2F In the just published (May 4, 2011) online journal article, “Infant mortality rates regressed against number of vaccine doses routinely given: Is there a biochemical or synergistic toxicity?” in Human and Experimental Toxicology, authors Neil Z Miller and Gary S Goldman state: “Nations that require more vaccine doses tend to have higher infant mortality rates.” That statement is based upon a study of the infant mortality rate (IMR) in numerous nations that require infant vaccinations.  Although the authors agree that clean water, increased nutritional measures, better sanitation, and easy access to health care contribute the most to improving infant mortality rates, they found that vaccines were not a predominate factor in infant survival, but probably contribute to Sudden Infan... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789254 Thu, 05 May 2011 16:46:44 +0100 4789254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780295&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Frgl-wP5da0Q%2F By George Scoville “Given America’s large-scale, long-term nation-building mission in Afghanistan, another chapter remains unfinished.” “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to refer to a government whose intelligence service assists military efforts by al Qaeda and the Taliban against U.S. troops in Afghanistan as an ‘ally.’” “Terrorists are not superhuman.” “Physicians must either make up for this shortfall by shifting costs to those patients with insurance — meaning those of us with insurance pay more — or treat patients at a loss.” Is America in a libertarian moment? Tuesday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780295 Tue, 03 May 2011 14:51:15 +0100 4780295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762750&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoAmWM9B0Sjo%2F By George Scoville Gary Johnson: the anti-Trump. Interventionists to the left. Interventionists to the right. There ain’t no such thing as free… parking. Vermont has a new universal health care proposal on the table. Michael Cannon joined WAMU’s The Diane Rehm Show (Washington, DC) yesterday to discuss the plan with a panel of other experts: Thursday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762750 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:18:33 +0100 4762750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758741&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fer8WI4V0fNA%2F By David BoazOn NPR, Mara Liasson tells Melissa Block that we’re in a “libertarian moment” in politics: BLOCK: And Ron Paul appears to be running. Again, he got a lot of devoted followers on the Internet last time during the 2008 bid, not so many votes in the primary. So this time around, is he a significant addition to the Republican field or more of an asterisk? LIASSON: Well, I don’t think he’s a huge factor in terms of the nomination. In the 2008 GOP primary, he got only about 6 percent of the Republican vote. However, as you said, he does have a devoted following, lots of libertarian-leaning young people. He can raise millions of dollars online in a single day in one of his famous money bombs. So he brings energy to the party, and the Republican Party bas... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758741 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:02:33 +0100 4758741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723810&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fannouncing-a-health-journalist-toolkit-to-help-get-the-facts-straight%2F2011.04.16 Beyond just evaluation and constructive criticism of news stories, we want to reach out to help journalists. We know they often struggle with reporting on the costs of treatments, tests, products and procedures. It’s reflected in the facts: after 5 years and nearly 1,500 stories reviewed, we don’t like to report that more than 70 percent of stories fail to adequately address the costs of the stuff they’re covering. So we talked with journalists and others to assemble our first stab (and that’s all it is – a first stab) at an online list of resources to help journalists explore the costs of health care products and approaches. There are some links to websites, names, email addresses and phone numbers. This is just one of many primers and resources offered on ou... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723810 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:00:27 +0100 4723810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626985&cid=t_309456_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F03%2F873%2F The first session I went to was called “Government Relations 101″. Sounded perfect to me – as I had no clue what I was getting into. Kim and I sat next to each other and listened to a great, high level, presentation about the JDRF and Government Relations. At some point during the talk, Gary Hall Jr. was mentioned.  Yeah, 10 time Olympic Medalist Gary Hall Jr.! Everyone looked over to the left, and there he was – sitting but a row in front and a couple seats over from us! After the session was over, Kim and I went to chat with him.  He was so down to earth, and there advocating just like the rest of us.  He wasn’t big bad superstar Gary – he was just Gary, a guy with type 1 diabetes doing whatever he could to help make a difference. By the time that s... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626985 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:11:34 +0100 4626985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592400&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcoffee-and-stroke-another-study-the-media-got-wrong%2F2011.03.14 Here we go again. Headlines across America blaring lines like, “Coffee may reduce stroke risk.” It was a big study, but an observational study. Not a trial. Not an experiment. And, as we say so many times on this website that you could almost join along with the chorus, observational studies have inherent limitations that should always be mentioned in stories. They can’t prove cause and effect. They can show a strong statistical association, but they can’t prove cause and effect. So you can’t prove benefit or risk reduction. And stories should say that. USA Today, for example, did not explain that in its story. Nor did it include any of the limitations that were included in, for example, a HealthDay story, which stated: “The problem with this type of stu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592400 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:00:45 +0100 4592400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560273&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fibuprofen-parkinsons-study-few-news-organizations-report-on-it-accurately%2F2011.03.08 We’re delighted to see that USA Today, Reuters, and WebMD were among the news organizations that included what an editorial writer said about an observational study linking ibuprofen use with fewer cases of Parkinson’s disease. All three news organizations used some version of what editorial writer Dr. James Bower of the Mayo Clinic wrote or said: “Whenever in epidemiology you find an association, that does not mean causation.” “An association does not prove causation.” “There could be other explanations for the ibuprofen-Parkinson’s connection.” Kudos to those news organizations. And some praise goes to the journal Neurology for publishing Dr. Bower’s editorial to accompany the study. His piece is entitled, “Is the answer... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560273 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:00:43 +0100 4560273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560249&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOrBan6QDHlc%2F By David BoazAt the Britannica Blog I write: Many commentators have seen a shift to the right in American politics over the past two years — the reaction to spending, bailouts, and Obamacare; the rise in conservative self-identification in polls; the 2010 elections. But there’s another trend going on as well. I described it in 2009 as a “civil liberties surge.” And this week there’s new evidence. A new study from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds long-term growth in support for legal abortion, gun rights, marijuana legalization, and gay marriage. The graphs on all these topics from Pew are pretty impressive, as is another one from the General Social Survey included in the Britannica post. I go on to note: These new poll results should be no surprise. Pa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560249 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:06:57 +0100 4560249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544945&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7DYMODlxezk%2F By Michael F. CannonJudge Roger Vinson of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida has just responded to the Obama administration's "motion to clarify" his prior ruling, which declared ObamaCare unconstitutional and void.  That "motion to clarify" essentially asked Vinson, "Didn't you really mean that we can keep implementing ObamaCare while we appeal your ruling?"  Today, Vinson answered, "No." The attorneys representing the plaintiffs, who include Florida and 25 other states, argued that the administration's "motion to clarify" was actually a veiled request to have Vinson stay (i.e., set aside) his original order blocking implementation.  Vinson agreed, and therefore treated the Obama administration's "motion to clarify" as a motion to stay, which he granted.  Vin... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544945 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:32:21 +0100 4544945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540565&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-science-should-override-celebrity%2F2011.03.02 Dr. Barron Lerner has written a book about breast cancer: “The Breast Cancer Wars: Hope, Fear, and the Pursuit of a Cure in Twentieth-Century America.” And he’s written a book about celebrity patients: “When Illness Goes Public: Celebrity Patients and How We Look at Medicine.” He wed the two topics in a blog post on the New York Times health blog entitled “Suzanne Somers, Cancer Expert.” Excerpts: “Earlier this week, NBC’s “Dateline” devoted an entire hour on Sunday evening to allow the actress Suzanne Somers to express her rather unconventional beliefs about cancer. It is not the first time a major media outlet has given air time to Ms. Somers, whose journey into the medical realm has been featured on a variety of news prog... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540565 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 20:00:58 +0100 4540565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517168&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffaces-of-medical-error-the-story-of-michael-skolnik%2F2011.02.24 I was very sad and quite angry after watching a powerful video this weekend entitled ”The Faces of Medical Error: From Tears to Transparency.” It’s the story of Michael Skolnik. His mother, Patty, gave me the video when I met her recently. Michael had what may have been unnecessary brain surgery in 2001 and died three years later. The Skolniks worked on this video as part of an educational campaign on medical error, and they created an organization now named Citizens for Patient Safety. Here’s a trailer to the video: You can also watch a Today Show segment that profiled the Skolniks from a few years ago: While much of the message is about medical errors and malpractice, the Skolniks also promote a message of the “critical need for shared decision-making.&#... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517168 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:00:53 +0100 4517168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495202&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-negative-medical-studies-are-good%2F2011.02.18 This is a guest column by Ivan Oransky, M.D., who is executive editor of Reuters Health and blogs at Embargo Watch and Retraction Watch. One of the things that makes evaluating medical evidence difficult is knowing whether what’s being published actually reflects reality. Are the studies we read a good representation of scientific truth, or are they full of cherry-picked data that help sell drugs or skew policy decisions? That question may sound like that of a paranoiac, but rest assured, it’s not. Researchers have worried about a “positive publication bias” for decades. The idea is that studies showing an effect of a particular drug or procedure are more likely to be published. In 2008, for example, a group of researchers published a New England Journal of Medicin... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495202 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:20:24 +0100 4495202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470411&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-video-poem-medical-tests-and-what-normal-means%2F2011.02.12 I’ve written a few times about Veneta Masson, a nurse practitioner who wrote in Health Affairs and the Washington Post about her decision to forego further mammograms despite the fact that she was in a higher-risk category. Veneta is also a poet. She sent me a video animation of her poem “Reference Range,” which I’m pleased to share with you. I think the poem and the video are beautiful, touching on important issues of how meaningless numbers and scores may be, subject to misinterpretation. She writes: I see no cause for alarm. “Is it normal?” you ask. Normal’s a shell game you seldom win. *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470411 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 17:00:04 +0100 4470411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450293&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhos-getting-antidepressants-and-why%2F2011.02.08 Reuters Health reports that more than a quarter of Americans taking antidepressants have never been diagnosed with any of the conditions the drugs are typically used to treat, according to new research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. An excerpt: “We cannot be sure that the risks and side effects of antidepressants are worth the benefit of taking them for people who do not meet criteria for major depression,” said Jina Pagura, a psychologist and currently a medical student at the University of Manitoba in Canada, who worked on the study. “These individuals are likely approaching their physicians with concerns that may be related to depression, and could include symptoms like trouble sleeping, poor mood, difficulties in relationships, etc.,” she added... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450293 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:00:43 +0100 4450293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4438912&cid=t_309456_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F05%2Fsjt%2F Over at the new Law & Mind Blog, several Harvard Law students have been blogging about about system justification theory.  In the first post on the topic (copied below), third-year student Rachel Funk summarizes a chapter by Gary Blasi and Situationist Contributor John Jost (forthcoming in Ideology, Psychology, and Law, edited by Situationist Contributor Jon Hanson). * * * In System Justification Theory and Research: Implications for Law, Legal Advocacy, and Social Justice, Gary Blasi and John Jost outline a model of social psychology they call system justification theory (SJT). According to Blasi and Jost, in addition to the well-established theories of ego justification (that is, our psychological need to think well of ourselves) and group justification (our psychological need to ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4438912 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 15:24:45 +0100 4438912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433101&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fconfronting-the-empty-cradles-of-infant-mortality%2F2011.02.03 I have gushed praise for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for a long time. (Disclosure: I cut my teeth in journalism as a Journal Company employee way back in 1973. No ties since 1976.) As a mid-market newspaper facing all of the same hurdles as other newspapers, it consistently demonstrates tenacity and creativity in tackling vital healthcare issues in this country. The latest: A project called “Empty Cradles: Confronting Our Infant Mortality Crisis.” While there is a great health/medicine/science team in place at the Journal Sentinel, I believe that much of the credit goes to the top — to editor Marty Kaiser, who clearly understands that healthcare issues are among the most important his paper can report on in serving public needs. Kaiser writes: “The Journal Sen... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433101 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 23:00:29 +0100 4433101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433290&cid=t_309456_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F02%2Frisk-of-death-doubles-for-early-stage-ovarian-cancer-patients-who-are-not-checked-for-lymph-node-metastases%2F University of California Davis Cancer Center and California Cancer Registry researchers determined that the risk of death doubles for those women with apparent early stage ovarian cancer who are not checked for lymph node metastases. A team of University of California (UC) Davis Cancer Center and California Cancer Registry researchers determined that more than a quarter of women [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433290 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:40:46 +0100 4433290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4429021&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbook-review-why-we-get-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it%2F2011.02.02 Journalist Gary Taubes created a stir in 2007 with his impressive but daunting 640-page tome Good Calories, Bad Calories. Now he has written a shorter, more accessible book Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It to take his message to a wider audience. His basic thesis is that: - The calories-in/calories-out model is wrong. - Carbohydrates are the cause of obesity and are also important causes of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and most of the so-called diseases of civilization. - A low-fat diet is not healthy. - A low-carb diet is essential both for weight loss and for health. - Dieters can satisfy their hunger pangs and eat as much as they want and still lose weight as long as they restrict carbohydrates. He supports his thesis with data from the scientific litera... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4429021 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:00:44 +0100 4429021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419142&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprizes-for-prostates-have-a-psa-test-get-game-tickets%2F2011.01.30 We’ve seen it before. A couple of years ago, I wrote about Roswell Park’s Prostate Club for Men offering “Prizes For Prostates” — Buffalo Sabres hockey tickets or Buffalo Bills football tickets among other awards for men who showed proof that they talked to their doctor about prostate cancer. Now a bunch of Georgia radiotherapy centers and the Morehouse School of Medicine are among those promoting the “Georgia Prostate Cancer Coalition” and luring men in for PSA blood tests by offering them Atlanta Hawks basketball tickets. They also promote this misleading statistic: “One in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.” No explanation is given of what lifetime risk means. And no explanation is given of how many of th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419142 Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:00:57 +0100 4419142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399523&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprevention-magazine-pushes-non-evidence-based-heart-screening%2F2011.01.26 The February issue of Prevention magazine has an article entitled “Surprising Faces of Heart Attack” profiling “three women (who) didn’t think they were at high risk. Their stories are proof that you could be in danger without even knowing it.” No, their stories are not proof of that. The story is about three women in their 40s. The story varyingly states that the three should have had the following screening tests: – Advanced cholesterol test, carotid intimal medial thickness test ( CIMT) – Advanced cholesterol test and stress echocardiography – Cardiac calcium scoring and CIMT  There’s an accompanying piece: ”7 Tests You’re Not Having That Could Save Your Life.” I asked one of our HealthNewsReview.org medical edit... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399523 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:00:11 +0100 4399523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4386271&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-peddling-of-genetic-tests%2F2011.01.22 In a recent issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), journalist Ray Moynihan wrote: “Beware the fortune tellers peddling genetic tests.” (Subscription required for full access.) Excerpts: “For anyone concerned about the creeping medicalisation of life, the marketplace for genetic testing is surely one of the latest frontiers, where apparently harmless technology can help mutate healthy people into fearful patients, their personhood redefined by multiple genetic predispositions for disease and early death. … Again a tool that’s proved useful in the laboratory has escaped like a virus into the marketplace, incubated by entrepreneurs, lazy reporters, and the power of our collective dreams of technological salvation, this time in the form of personalised medici... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4386271 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 23:00:22 +0100 4386271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355718&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpsychiatric-diagnosis-and-the-dsm-5-controversy%2F2011.01.16 I’ve followed in bits and pieces — sometimes for Shrink Rap, sometimes because the issues fill my email inbox, sometimes because there’s no escape. Oh, and lots of the players have familiar names. In the December 27th issue of Wired magazine, Gary Greenberg writes a comprehensive article on the debates around the revision of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) upcoming revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) entitled “Inside the Battle to Define Mental Illness.” Do read it. Here’s an excerpt: I recently asked a former president of the APA how he used the DSM in his daily work. He told me his secretary had just asked him for a diagnosis on a patient he’d been seeing for a couple of months so that she could bill the insur... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355718 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4355718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4352711&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-cybersecurity-an-internet-id-for-all-americans%2F2011.01.15 From CBS News: President Obama is planning to hand the U.S. Commerce Department authority over a forthcoming cybersecurity effort to create an Internet ID for Americans, a White House official said here today. It’s “the absolute perfect spot in the U.S. government” to centralize efforts toward creating an “identity ecosystem” for the Internet, White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt said. That news, first reported by CNET, effectively pushes the department to the forefront of the issue, beating out other potential candidates including the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. The move also is likely to please privacy and civil liberties groups that have raised concerns in the past over the dual roles of police and intel... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4352711 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 21:00:00 +0100 4352711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337936&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fkomen-cancer-and-colbert-lawsuits-for-the-cure%2F2011.01.12 Comedian Stephen Colbert, who says he is “a huge supporter of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation,” nonetheless took a sarcastic swing at the organization this week “for spending almost a million dollars a year in donor funds to sue…other groups” for using the phrase “for the Cure” in their promotions. We blogged, “Who owns pink ideas or cure slogans? Welcome to the Charity Brawl” back in August after the Wall Street Journal (to our knowledge) first reported the story. Then in December, the Huffington Post reported that “Komen has identified and filed legal trademark oppositions against more than a hundred of these Mom and Pop charities, including Kites for a Cure, Par for The Cure, Surfing for a Cure and Cupcakes for a Cur... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337936 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:00:12 +0100 4337936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331179&cid=t_309456_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F01%2Ftype-1-university%2F Are you an “insulin user who wants focused, expert information that is relevant to your daily life?” (from their press release).  You might be interested in a new project that Gary Scheiner recently launched called Type-1 University. Gary is looking to overcome some of the challenges that keep many of us from taking advantage of the education available (busy schedules, travel, parking, out-of-pocket costs, and not knowing what’s out there).   Type-1 University (T1U) addresses some of those challenges by providing interactive education available online. The syllabus continues to grow, but already has some great topics: Mastering Pump Therapy Advanced Carb Counting Blood Glucose Control During Sports & Exercise Weight Loss for Insulin Users Getting the Most from You... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331179 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:00:27 +0100 4331179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318334&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-autism-vaccine-fraud-the-difference-one-journalist-can-make%2F2011.01.06 The BMJ’s statement this week that the 1998 article by Andrew Wakefield and 12 others “linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent” demonstrates what a difference one journalist can make. Journalist Brian Deer played a key role in uncovering and dismantling the Wakefield story. (Of course, others recently have said something similar about The Daily Show comedian Jon Stewart’s role in focusing on the health problems of 9/11 first responders.) CNN’s Anderson Cooper had a segment worth watching, including a new interview Cooper conducted with Wakefield via Skype: Unfortunately, journalism played a key role in promoting Wakefield’s claims. The “Respectful Insolence” blog referred to one journalist as “CBS’ resident anti-vaccine pro... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318334 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:00:16 +0100 4318334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4302857&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-pr-puffery-a-year-end-review%2F2011.01.01 Healthcare journalists are buried under a mountain of public relations material sent to them every day of every week of every month. I don’t even work in a traditional news setting, yet I’ve made it onto the distribution lists of countless PR people. The picture on the left shows a pile of video news releases sent to one TV health news reporter over a relatively short time span. Here’s my year end look at just some of what was sent to me this year. Imagine what the New York Times, USA Today, the TV networks, and others receive. I get countless emails from PR people offering interviews with their experts on: • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — including an offer of an interview with a “celebrity trainer” who claims to have trained Julia Roberts, Cindy... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4302857 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:00:41 +0100 4302857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4298622&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbecoming-a-savvy-healthcare-consumer-a-difficult-science%2F2010.12.29 Dr. Kent Bottles is in the midst of a very thoughtful multi-part blog post under the heading, “The Difficult Science Behind Becoming a Savvy Healthcare Consumer.” Part I examined “the limitations of science in helping us make wise choices and decisions about our health.” Part II explores “how we all have to change if we are to live wisely in a time of rapid transformation of the American healthcare system that everyone agrees needs to decrease per-capita cost and increase quality.” Both parts so far have addressed important issues about news media coverage of healthcare. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4298622 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:00:30 +0100 4298622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285188&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdKwOiFEc0bU%2F By David BoazOn his “700 Club” program this week, Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson endorsed the decriminalization of marijuana. He says, “We’ve got to take a look at what we’re considering crimes. I’m not exactly for the use of drugs, don’t get me wrong, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kinda thing it’s just, it’s costing us a fortune and it’s ruining young people. Young people go into prisons, they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That’s not a good thing.” Check out the video: Robertson’s comments come a few days after other conservatives, including Ed Meese and Gov. Rick Perry, have joined to encourage new conservative thinking about who should... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285188 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:18:55 +0100 4285188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277924&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2F_NMEvPClYuA%2F A former member of British Parliament told his peers that the United States should hire admitted military hacker Gary McKinnon which is just stupid. According to The New Internet the former member of Parliament believes that McKinnon can stop future releases of confidential information with Wikileaks – the only problem with that is the information [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277924 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:18:18 +0100 4277924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265739&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fintensity-modulated-radiation-therapy-imrt-for-cancer-how-lucrative-is-it-for-doctors%2F2010.12.17 I’ve been traveling in Europe, including giving a talk at the Salzburg Global Seminar on involving and informing patients in healthcare decisions. In that presentation, I talked about promotion of a newer form of cancer radiation therapy called intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). So I want to point out that while I’ve been away the Wall Street Journal published an important piece on this very topic under the headline “A Device to Kill Cancer, Lift Revenue.” An excerpt: Roughly one in three Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with prostate cancer today gets a sophisticated form of radiation therapy called IMRT. Eight years ago, virtually no patients received the treatment. The story behind the sharp rise in the use of IMRT—which stands for intensity-modulat... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265739 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:00:35 +0100 4265739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230158&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-journal-retractions-a-transparency-issue%2F2010.12.05 Interesting case study raised by the Retraction Watch blog. A 2009 journal article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) – promoted in a news release by the journal and picked up by many news organizations — has now been retracted by the authors. But the journal issued no news release about the retraction — an issue of transparency that the RW blog raises. And you can guess how much news coverage the retraction will get. And this was all over a molecule that could supposedly “make breast tumors respond to a drug to which they’re not normally susceptible” — as the RW blog put it. But it was also a molecule, RW points out, that wasn’t even in clinical trials yet. He or she who lives by the journal news release risks one... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230158 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 16:00:18 +0100 4230158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214111&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-journals-do-peer-reviewers-get-worse-with-experience%2F2010.11.29 Interesting post by the Retraction Watch blog, pointing to an interesting paper published last week in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. An excerpt from the blog post: Over 14 years, 84 editors at the journal rated close to 15,000 reviews by about 1,500 reviewers. Highlights of their findings: …92% of peer reviewers deteriorated during 14 years of study in the quality and usefulness of their reviews (as judged by editors at the time of decision), at rates unrelated to the length of their service (but moderately correlated with their mean quality score, with better-than average reviewers decreasing at about half the rate of those below average). Only 8% improved, and those by very small amount. How bad did they get? The reviewers were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in which a change of ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214111 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:00:30 +0100 4214111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4200563&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fplaying-doctor-profile-of-a-medical-ghostwriter%2F2010.11.24 Dr. Carl Elliott writes about ghostwriting in the December issue of The Atlantic magazine, “Playing Doctor: How to spin pharmaceutical research.” He profiles a young scientist (“David”) who became a ghostwriter about 10 years ago. Excerpts: “Ghostwritten articles surface again and again in litigation (in cases concerning Vioxx, Fen-Phen, Zyprexa, Premarin, Neurontin, and Zoloft, to mention just a few). Years before the Avandia scandal, GlaxoSmithKline paid $2.5 million to the State of New York to settle a lawsuit alleging that it had concealed studies suggesting an increased risk of suicidal behavior in children and teenagers taking Paxil, most notoriously in an article “authored” by Dr. Martin Keller of Brown University. One 2003 study in The Brit... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4200563 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 23:00:19 +0100 4200563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183295&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fits-cold-and-flu-season-snls-hibernol%2F2010.11.19 Thanks to former student Allison Miller for reminding me about this clip from the Saturday Night Live (SNL) archives: *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183295 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:00:54 +0100 4183295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167957&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Flung-cancer-ct-scan-marketing-spreads-across-the-country%2F2010.11.15 Last week, after the National Lung Screening Trial results were released, David Sampson, American Cancer Society director of medical and scientific communications, wrote that “our greatest fear was that forces with an economic interest in the test would sidestep the scientific process and use the release of the data to start promoting CT scans. Frankly, even we are surprised how quickly that has happened.” And, yes, the marketing has even hit fly-over country in the Twin Cities, with this ad appearing in the Sunday Minneapolis Star Tribune in the “A” section: Of course, no where in the ad will you read about the potential harms of such scans, the false positive rate, what happens when you get a false positive (unnecessary followup testing and perhaps unnecessary t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167957 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:00:34 +0100 4167957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164640&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2F2wLeP9rjp8A%2F So in the last few days another Autism Advocate, Andrew Ackner has been on AspieWeb attempting to justify admitted underage pornography downloader Dr. Nick Dubin’s perverted sexual exploits as research – and then throwing insults and a tizzy fit when I disagree with him.  I’m finding it really disgusting how Autism Self advocates are jumping [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164640 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:36:25 +0100 4164640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159221&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkAivM-Ud-r0%2F By Caleb O. Brown As governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson succeeded in eliminating New Mexico’s budget deficit, cutting the rate of growth in state government in half, and privatizing half of the state prisons. During Johnson’s term, New Mexico experienced the longest period without a tax increase in the state’s history. He vetoed 750 bills in eight years, more than all other governors combined. The Economist dubbed him “America’s boldest governor” — and that was before he took on drug prohibition. He discussed drug policy and other issues at the Cato Institute November 1, 2010 at a Cato on Campus forum. Subscribe to Cato’s YouTube Channel. Gary Johnson and Drug Policy is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liber... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159221 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:37:19 +0100 4159221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151754&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2_LpnFvihk4%2F By Tim LynchArnold Schwarzenegger’s days as governor of California are almost over—so he made a stop at one of the late nite shows and made news by saying, “You want to smoke pot?  Who cares?” Well, Mr. Governor, as you well know, it is a federal crime to smoke marijuana.  People get arrested and jailed for smoking marijuana.  And you, Mr. Governor, could have done something about the war against cannabis because there was this ballot initiative called Prop. 19 in your state that would have made it legal for adults to smoke marijuana in private.  Instead of fighting for Prop. 19, you opposed it!  Apparently, you have decided to place yourself on both sides of the marijuana question—preserve penalties for use, but proclaim your opposition to penaltie... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151754 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 21:20:53 +0100 4151754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151792&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-doctors-are-paid-less-unnecessary-prescriptions-drop%2F2010.11.09 Take medical uncertainty. Add financial incentive to treat. Voila! Increased utilization. Now take away financial incentive to treat. Guess what you get? MedPageToday explains, in the case of hormone therapy for prostate cancer: Medicare accomplished what clinical guidelines and evidence-based medicine couldn’t: it reduced unnecessary use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in prostate cancer. Inappropriate use decreased by almost 30% from 2003 to 2005, following enactment of the Medicare Modernization Act, which lowered physician reimbursement for ADT. Appropriate use of ADT did not change during the same time period, according to an article in the Nov. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. “Our findings suggest that reductions in reimbursement may influence the de... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151792 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:00:48 +0100 4151792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133713&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fscreen-everyone-for-pancreatic-cancer-what-about-evidence-and-harm%2F2010.11.03 Continuing this week’s spontaneous theme (we didn’t make the claims and write the stories) of runaway enthusiasm for various screening tests by some researchers and journalists, HealthDay news service has reported on a study published in the Oct. 28 issue of the journal Nature that they say “provides new insight into the genetics of pancreatic cancer.” In the story, they let one of the researchers get away with saying, almost unchallenged: “What’s important about this study is that it’s objective data in support of why everyone should be screened for pancreatic cancer.” Mind you, this was a study that looked at tissue from just seven patients. The story continued with its breathless enthusiasm for the pancreatic cancer screening idea: &#822... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133713 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:00:41 +0100 4133713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4121853&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffree-aneurysm-screening-just-another-kmart-blue-light-special%2F2010.10.30 Kmart, Medtronic, and a bunch of specialty medical groups are sponsoring a campaign called “Find the AAAnswers” — the “AAA” standing for abdominal aortic aneurysm. It’s clever marketing for Kmart’s pharmacy business, since the screenings are being offered throughout the Fall at more than 900 Kmart pharmacies. And it’s not bad business for the specialty medical groups, either, as Larry Husten wrote on his Cardiobrief blog: …the expenses of the program and the coalition are entirely underwritten by Medtronic, which sells abdominal stent grafts used to repair AAAs, and the members of the coalition include organizations like the Peripheral Vascular Surgical Society, the Society for Vascular Surgery, and the Society for Vascular Ultrasound, ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4121853 Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:00:10 +0100 4121853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105667&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-secret-sign-of-aging-international-disease-mongering%2F2010.10.25 Just five days ago we wrote about an American journalist’s observations of medicalization of one problem sometimes observed after menopause: Vaginal atrophy. Today we see that this disease-mongering trend has popped up in Australia as well. This should be no surprise. Such campaigns are usually led by multinational pharmaceutical companies and their advertising and public relations agencies. What caught our eye was an article on a women’s health foundation website — a foundation that posts a pretty thin excuse for why it won’t tell you its source of funding. Its article on vaginal atrophy uses classic disease-mongering language: “Ask a woman over the age of 50 about the ‘signs of ag[e]ing’ and she’ll most likely lament about grey hairs, wrin... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105667 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:00:43 +0100 4105667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082087&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdollars-for-doctors-investigative-public-service-journalism%2F2010.10.19 An historic piece of journalism was published today. Six news organizations partnered on the “Dollars for Docs” project — ProPublica, NPR, PBS’s Nightly Business Report, the Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe and Consumer Reports. They examined $258 million in payments by seven drug companies in 2009 and 2010 to about 18,000 healthcare practitioners nationwide for speaking, consulting, and other tasks. This webpage can be your gateway to the project, with links to a database searchable by doctor’s name or by state, and links to the journalism partners’ efforts: Boston Globe “Prescription for Prestige” The Harvard brand, unrivaled in education, is also prized by the pharmaceutical industry as a powerful tool in promoting drugs. Its allure is evid... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082087 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:00:21 +0100 4082087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077592&cid=t_309456_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FyEG2mI_la8Y%2F For those who like to keep track of the revolving door between industry and regulators, it is worth noting that Gary Buehler, who for many years ran the FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs, is joining Teva Pharmaceuticals as vp for regulatory strategic operations. Teva, of course, is the world’s biggest supplier of generics. The move comes just a few months after Buehler was reassigned to run the FDA’s Office of Pharmaceutical Science after FDA commish Margaret Hamburg complained publicly about a backlog of generic drug approvals (back story). The backlog went from 891 in fiscal year 2005 to 1,912 in fiscal year 2010, although Buehler was known inside the FDA to battle for funding for reviewers. To cope, the agency continues to explore the notion of imposing user fees on generi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077592 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:54:18 +0100 4077592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077463&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2F11mV6O4X5es%2F In an example of some of the stupider sides of advocacy long time autism rights advocate Joe Mele is defending Dr. Nick Dubin who was recently arrested by the FBI for being a pervert.  For those that do not yet Dr. Nick Dubin a long time autism self advocate was recently arrested by the FBI [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077463 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 04:50:12 +0100 4077463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077247&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprofessional-boundaries-is-it-okay-for-a-friend-to-treat-a-friend%2F2010.10.17 I just finished reading Dr. Gary Small’s book, The Naked Lady Who Stood On Her Head. In the final chapter of the book, Dr. Small talks about his mentor, friend, and father figure who’s mentioned throughout the book. The mentor approaches him on the golf course, where they meet to talk, and says he needs psychotherapy and Small is the man to do it. The author is surprised, hesitant, and a bit uncomfortable with the demand (it comes as more than a request.) His wife likens it to the need for a plumber or a dentist, and Dr. Small takes on the task. The mentor calls all the shots: Where the meetings will be, what pastry they will eat, the form of his payment. The author initially misses the diagnosis and uses this as an example of how one can be blinded. So is it okay for a friend... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077247 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 18:00:00 +0100 4077247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4065365&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Findustry-influence-is-an-infection-international-criticism-of-pfizer-funded-journalism-workshops%2F2010.10.13 Next week, the National Press Foundation offers an “all-expenses-paid, educational program on cancer issues” for journalists, with all expenses paid by Pfizer. I’ve written several times about my criticism of this approach. The National Press Foundation has offered to let me speak at next week’s event or at a subsequent all-expenses-paid program for journalists on Alzheimer’s disease also underwritten by Pfizer. I’m unable to attend either event because of prior commitments, but suggested to NPF that they ask Merrill Goozner to speak instead. He’s right in Washington, has written and lectured about conflicts of interest in healthcare, and was available. Goozner told me he has not been contacted. So, since I can’t attend and since critical voi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4065365 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:00:15 +0100 4065365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4065475&cid=t_309456_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FerRhdya4ya0%2F Quick note: I will be speaking at the UCLA Technology & Aging Conference on Friday, October 29th, in Los Angeles. Please drop me a line or introduce yourself if you are planning to attend. The Schedule features many good sessions, including one on Brain Fitness: Description: Growing scientific evidence suggests that such strategies as physical and mental exercise can improve brain health and cognitive performance. This session will review the latest research supporting brain fitness methods, highlight new cognitive training devices, and discuss the challenge of determining the effectiveness of these technologies. Speakers: Bill Reichman (Baycrest), Steven Aldrich (Posit Science), Gary & Rita Considine (Garri Productions), Alvaro Fernandez of (SharpBrains). Moderator: Gary Small (U... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4065475 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:30:46 +0100 4065475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4053290&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmammogram-parties-have-a-mammogram-get-flowers-and-chocolates%2F2010.10.09 The Chicago Tribune reports on mammogram marketing tactics being used across the U.S. — some of it apparently to “woo women back to the imaging room” after confusion over conflicting advice about breast cancer screening. Yes, the tactics include “mammogram parties” offering chocolate fondue, massages, beauty consultations, wine, cheese, roses, and weekend-getaway spa packages. But there’s another side to this, the Tribune reports: Simply inviting women to “mammogram parties,” could send the wrong message, said Lynne Hildreth, department administrator of women’s oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. …”Mammograms are a medical test, and to treat it like a haircut overlooks that there are very real risks,” said Hild... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4053290 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 23:00:08 +0100 4053290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040795&cid=t_309456_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F33h3HL2Lq1Q%2F Gary Douglas has not had a good week. First, he saw an $8 million damage award for winning a case against Merck over its Fosamax osteoporosis med set aside, with his client asked to choose between starting a new trial or accepting $1.5 million instead. Then, he was sanctioned for saying all sorts of things that ticked off US District Court Judge John Keenan who, nonetheless, levied a rather modest $2,500 fine, partly because other lawyers, even some adversaries, wrote letters attesting to his veracity. But why was he sanctioned? He was a bad boy. Keenan writes Douglas referred to another trial when he should not have done so. He attacked the FDA during his summation over the way the agency is funded. He characterized the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry for having an “incestuous r... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040795 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:06:10 +0100 4040795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036790&cid=t_309456_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FzRjTTh4vKtw%2F (Editor’s Note: what follows is an excerpt from Dr. Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan’s new book, The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head: A Psychiatrist’s Stories of His Most Bizarre Cases) CHAPTER TEN Brain Fog Summer 1990 Gigi and I had moved to Studio City, about a forty-minute commute to UCLA. On weekends, we often went to the movies at Universal CityWalk, a replication of Los Angeles within Los Angeles. Why people couldn’t just walk down the real streets of Los Angeles made no sense to me, yet there we were, on a Friday evening, eating ice cream and strolling down a simulated street. We had just seen Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new sciencefiction film about a construction worker who undergoes a false memory transplant that takes him on an imaginary trip to Mars. But... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036790 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:05:41 +0100 4036790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031239&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-quantified-self-tools-for-knowing-your-own-mind-and-body%2F2010.10.05 I’ve been a fan of the Quantified Self project for a long time, and now a TED Talk describing their mission just became available: *This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031239 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:00:23 +0100 4031239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031162&cid=t_309456_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fburn-surgeon-dr-gary-purdue-killed-motorcycle-crash%2F Prominent Texas burn surgeon Dr. Gary Purdue was killed when the motorcycle he was driving crashed into a car yesterday morning in north Dallas. Purdue was chief of the Burn Unit at Parkland Memorial and was past President of the American Burn Association. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031162 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 02:14:42 +0100 4031162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4025617&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-american-cancer-societys-hype-prostate-cancer-screening-clearly-saves-lives%2F2010.10.02 Dr. Otis Brawley has taken the gloves off on prostate cancer screening. Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS), makes some powerful statements about controversies in prostate cancer screening in a new YouTube video that is billed as the first of a series that the ACS will post on discussions with its officials. Key nuggets from this video — not surprising to anyone who has followed this debate or Brawley’s past comments — include these quotes: “I’m very concerned. There’s a lot of publicity out there – some of it by people who want to make money by recruiting patients – that oversimplifies this – that says that ‘prostate cancer screening clearly saves lives.’ That is a lie. We don’t know ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4025617 Sat, 02 Oct 2010 21:00:16 +0100 4025617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4001685&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-affordable-care-act-whats-not-being-reported-about-preventive-screening-benefits%2F2010.09.25 One part of the health care law that took effect this week is widely reported as “establishing a menu of preventive procedures, such as colonoscopies, mammograms and cholesterol screening, that must be covered without co-payments.” For example, one of my local papers, the [St. Paul, Minnesota] Star Tribune, wrote: “Some people will no longer have to pay for copays, coinsurance or meet their deductibles for preventive care that’s backed up by the best scientific evidence.” (emphasis added) That phrase should always include a huge asterisk, like the one hung on Roger Maris’ 61st home run. The best scientific evidence according to whom? Time magazine reports, “Procedures, screenings and tests that are considered ‘preventive’ will be determ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4001685 Sat, 25 Sep 2010 22:00:26 +0100 4001685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993912&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-did-it-take-the-new-york-times-five-weeks-to-correct-its-alzheimers-test-assertion%2F2010.09.21 I have a lot of catching up to do after being in Europe for just 4 days. But I can’t let this one go by without comment. In fact, this issue was one of the first ones raised by German journalists I met with in Dortmund this week. Don’t think people around the world don’t notice the good AND the bad in American health/medical/science journalism — especially by The New York Times. The Times took a long time (five weeks) to comment on what critics — including me, Paul Raeburn, Charlie Petit and many other journalists (including Times’ ombudsman Arthur Brisbane) — wrote about Gina Kolata’s August 10 piece on a “100% accurate” Alzheimer’s test. But [on September 16th] the paper published a correction. (more…) *This... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993912 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:00:27 +0100 3993912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965409&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Feating-a-food-based-approach%2F2010.09.14 The science of nutrition is changing and not in the way you might expect. After years of “reductionist” thinking — where food has been viewed as the sum of its parts -– a call to treat food as food has been sounded. No more poring over nutrition labels to calculate grams of fat or chasing down the latest go-to chemical –- be it vitamin E, fish oil or omega-3. Instead we are being asked to call a potato a potato and a piece of steak — well, a piece of steak. If you haven’t heard about this sea change yet, you are not alone. The food science industry that markets “food products” for our consumption has done a good job giving their laboratory creations a semblance of health with phrases like “low fat” and “high in vitamin C.” For our part, the medical community i... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965409 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:00:27 +0100 3965409 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3961813&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmammography-wars-an-important-discussion-to-keep-alive%2F2010.09.12 This is a thoughtful “sounding board” piece in the New England Journal of Medicine this week: Lessons from the Mammography Wars. It is so important to keep this discussion alive. The miscommunication that took place last November of what the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force tried to convey, and the complicity of some news organizations in adding to that confusion, provide lessons from which we simply must learn to do better. *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3961813 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 03:26:23 +0100 3961813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946452&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fjamas-breast-and-ovarian-cancer-article-getting-the-facts-straight%2F2010.09.08 Journalist Andrew Holtz has been a colleague for longer than probably either one of us wants to remember. He is currently one of our story reviewers on HealthNewsReview.org. In fact, he was one of the reviewers on four stories we analyzed last week on the same study. He thought there were some important take-home messages that rose above the walls of our formal systematic review, so he wrote this guest blog post, and we thank him for it: The Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association included an article that is likely to have a strong influence on the advice given to women who have a very high risk of breast and ovarian cancer linked to mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Of the four stories we reviewed, only the AP report scored well on our review criteria. I kno... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946452 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:00:38 +0100 3946452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3933080&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FynRut6Tk9w8%2F By Michael F. CannonEvery year, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust produce the leading survey of employee health benefits.  Yesterday, KFF and HRET issued their survey of health benefits in 2010 with a news release that begins: Family Health Premiums Rise 3 Percent to $13,770 in 2010… Premiums rose by just 3 percent?  Great news!  Last year, KFF/HRET guesstimated that the average cost of family coverage could hit $14,539 in 2010.  Working families saved hundreds of dollars! Not so fast, says KFF/HRET.  The main reason premiums rose less than expected is that “businesses have been shifting more of the costs of health insurance to workers through … deductibles and other cost-sharing,” said KFF president and CEO Drew Altma... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3933080 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:35:21 +0100 3933080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914997&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fspinal-fusion-device-from-revolutionary-advance-to-public-health-alert%2F2010.08.30 There are many stories journalists could report on about conflicts of interest and questions about evidence in the treatment of low back pain, perhaps especially with spinal fusion. We talked about many of these with journalists from the American Society of News Editors in a workshop at the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making in Boston in May. John Fauber of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel hammers one of these issues, looking at how Medtronic’s Infuse product “went from revolutionary advance to public health alert.” Here’s his story on MedPageToday: “Spinal Fusion Device: A Bone of Contention for FDA.”  His entire series entitled “Side Effects: Money, Medicine and Patients” is indexed on the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel website. Th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914997 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:00:22 +0100 3914997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3907600&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fokay-with-your-surgeon-tweeting-during-your-operation%2F2010.08.26 Why are so many stories so unquestioning about these runaway surgical Twitter practices? Just look at this frame grab from a Google search showing all of the stories (so far) on one hospital team’s surgical Twitter exploits. One story stated: “Senior hand fellows…when not actively involved in the surgery, sat at a laptop just outside the operating suite and tweeted real-time updates during the procedure, according to a hospital press release. According to the Twitter feed, expert teams of hand surgeons rotated in and out of the operating room throughout the surgery.” Oh, phew, their hands were tweeting when their hands weren’t operating! I might rather that my surgeons — even when not actively involved in the operation and when rotating out of the OR &#8... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3907600 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:00:02 +0100 3907600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3907780&cid=t_309456_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fr3X_-REYm-Q%2F We spend a fair amount of time on this site tracking the controversy over continuing medical education and the extent to which industry may unduly influence the physician mindset. For the second year running, though, a drugmaker - it happens to be Pfizer - is underwriting an extensive seminar on cancer issues for journalists that is organized by the National Press Foundation. Here are the basics: the NPF is awarding 15 fellowships to journalists who will attend a four-day session in October on cancer issues that will be presented by several experts (you can read more here). The idea, says Bob Meyers, the NPF prez and a former editor and reporter for The Washington Post, is to give journalists a chance to learn needed info about complex subjects, especially at a time when media resources ar... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3907780 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:12:01 +0100 3907780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3895889&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwarning-labels-for-health-journalism%2F2010.08.23 I’ve seen the very clever journalism warning labels pictured and offered on TomScott.com. Many good friends and contacts wrote me about this, some urging HealthNewsReview.org to produce its own — and we may. Of the many great labels offered, this one is perhaps my favorite: *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3895889 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:00:26 +0100 3895889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885507&cid=t_309456_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FkXTq6_F5BUw%2Fcwd-friends-for-life---epic-sizer.php I walked into the Richard Rubin Keynote (opening session) with an overflowing breakfast plate and my shoulder bag full of diet sodapop.  After only a step or two into the room I was stopped in my tracks by the sheer size of this thing.  I had no idea.  No. Idea.I could not even see the people on the other side of the room.  They were lost over the horizon.  There were THREE giant TV screens to broadcast the podium.  THREE SCREENS!  I was very full of emotion being surrounded by so many people all deeply entrenched in diabetes.  Everyone there was either a person with type 1 diabetes, a parent of a child with type 1 diabetes, family member of someone with type 1 diabetes, or a caregiver for someone with type 1 diabetes.  Type 1 diabetes, type 1 d... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885507 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100 3885507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880859&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-york-times-lou-gehrig-may-not-have-had-lou-gehrigs-disease%2F2010.08.18 This was one time when the headline was okay, but the story that followed had our heads spinning. “Study Says Brain Trauma Can Mimic Lou Gehrig’s Disease” is a story that was troubling on a number of fronts. It reported on a study which at the time had not yet been published suggesting that some “athletes and soldiers given a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis…might have been catalyzed by injuries only now becoming understood: concussions and other brain trauma.” To be clear — and please don’t anyone miss or miscontrue this point — this is an important and fascinating area of research. But the story did not exhibit the best of health/medical/science journalism: 1. It was based on a study of 3 people. (The ALS Association says th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880859 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:00:38 +0100 3880859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3868889&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2FoPkymntJV0c%2F So I did a lot of thinking on what is behind the Free Gary Movement.  Its sure not an Autism Rights issue not only myself but many prominent US and UK based Autism self advocates have stated this.  So I got to really thinking…. what is behind this? Then I got thinking about the history [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3868889 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 19:37:14 +0100 3868889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845100&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fretraction-watch-a-new-niche-blog-to-follow%2F2010.08.08 Ivan Oransky, M.D., executive editor of Reuters Health, somehow found time a few months ago to launch his first blog, Embargo Watch — with the tagline: “Keeping an eye on how scientific information embargoes affect news coverage.” Now, as evidence he either doesn’t sleep or has roots in Transylvania, Oransky the Impaler launches a new blog, Retraction Watch along with partner Adam Marcus. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845100 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:00:37 +0100 3845100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3822919&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpower-of-the-press-news-story-prompts-journal-study-changes%2F2010.08.04 In an unusual move, a journal has actually gone in and changed a previously-stated conclusion of a previously-published paper. This follows a Reuters Health story that raised questions about the study. Reuters reports: “A journal editor has scrubbed a line supporting the use of a L’Oreal-Nestle tanning pill from the conclusion of a company-sponsored study. The edits come days after a Reuters Health story about serious shortcomings in the report. Dr. Tanya Bleiker, editor of the British Journal of Dermatology, which published the study, told Reuters Health this week by e-mail she had changed the conclusion of the report, with the permission of the authors, and added the researchers’ financial conflicts. Half of them were employees of Laboratoires Inneov, a joint venture be... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3822919 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:00:45 +0100 3822919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3807393&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-global-burden-of-diseases-whos-healthier-on-the-planet%2F2010.07.31 My friend and colleague Bill Heisel, one of our news reviewers, also works at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. He wrote to me that this group: “… has launched a major global health survey to measure the impact of more than 300 diseases or injuries and more than 40 risk factors. This is the most ambitious global health measurement project in two decades. And when people answer the survey, they will be providing information that will directly shape the final outcome of the research because ‘disease burden’ is partly objective but partly subjective.” And his pitch to anyone to take the 15-minute, anonymous, online survey is this: “With unprecedented money and attention pouring into global health effort... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3807393 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:00:26 +0100 3807393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3795022&cid=t_309456_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F28%2Fsmile-open-your-eyes-love-and-go-on%2F Today marks the 2nd anniversary of Libby’s death from ovarian cancer at the age of 26. Although the family healing process continues, we celebrate Libby’s life formally on this day to honor her memory, and remind ourselves that life is precious and should not be taken for granted. Today marks the 2nd anniversary of Libby’s [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3795022 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:00:47 +0100 3795022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794772&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fminnesotans-get-more-lower-back-mris-why%2F2010.07.27 Kudos to Christopher Snowbeck and the St. Paul Pioneer Press for digging into new Medicare data to report that the state the newspaper serves is out of whack with the rest of the country in how many expensive MRI scans are done on Minnesotans’ bad backs. Snowbeck artfully captures the predictable rationalization and defensive responses coming from locals who don’t like what the data suggest. Because what they suggest is overuse leading to overtreatment. So here’s one attempt a provider makes to deflect the data: “The Medicare billing/claims data, which this report is generated from, would not capture conversations between a patient and provider that may have addressed alternative therapies for lower back pain,” said Robert Prevost, a spokesman for North Memor... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794772 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:00:39 +0100 3794772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3786987&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Farticle-boasts-new-birth-centers-luxury-hotel-amenities%2F2010.07.25 Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune headline: “Buffalo birthing center has the latest amenities.” And here’s an excerpt: Starting in August, new mothers will have a chance to multi-task in style in Buffalo, Minn. The local hospital is unveiling its new birth center, where every patient room will be equipped with an iPod docking station, a flat-screen TV and DVD player, a soaking tub, rocking chair and refrigerator — oh, and a place for the baby to sleep, too. Buffalo Hospital has spent $7.1 million to turn its old labor and delivery unit into a state-of-the-art facility to appeal to a new generation of patients. At maternity wards around the country, that increasingly means catering to patients and families as if they’re at “a luxury hotel,” ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786987 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:00:31 +0100 3786987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767253&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fdandelion101-gary-mckinnon-follower-cleary-an-idiot%2F So I’ve been having a talk with a follower of the Free Gary movement on twitter, and clearly there are either an idiot or drank too much Kool Aid.  During my conversation with dandelion101 on twitter this person made some really stupid arguments to support Gary McKinnon in fighting his punishment for hacking into the [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767253 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:00:04 +0100 3767253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3762900&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fone-critics-take-on-the-multigrain-scam%2F2010.07.17 Freelance journalist and author Suzanne Schlosberg wrote because she was so upset over a New York Times story, “The Chip That Stacks Adds a Multigrain Twist,” that she wanted us to review it. I thought anyone who feels so strongly about something should review it herself. So she did. Here is Suzanne’s guest post: ************************** I was flabbergasted when I read this New York Times piece on Procter & Gamble’s new entry into the potato-chip market: multigrain Pringles. The story accepts at face value P&G’s misleading marketing pitch — that “multigrain” is equivalent to “healthy.” When I sent a link to my nutritionist friend Cynthia Sass., M.S., R.D., she replied: “Did you notice it says ‘advertising&#82... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3762900 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:06:23 +0100 3762900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753823&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftoo-much-journalistic-enthusiasm-again-for-the-artificial-heart%2F2010.07.14 Here we go again. And believe me, as one who’s covered the artificial heart experiments of the 1980s, I feel like I’ve been through this countless times before — but so have health news readers. Another entrepeneurial team announces hopes for its artificial heart device and some news coverage trumpets the company’s announcement:                         But this was in The New York Times! Now, granted — it’s in a “Global Business” section. But we don’t see why that removes the need for more scrutiny, for independent perspective, and for a better discussion of evidence. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753823 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:00:27 +0100 3753823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746740&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2F7-under-the-radar-healthcare-changes%2F2010.07.12 Kaiser Health News proves its value once again with an under-the-radar story covering some items you won’t see in many other news sources. An excerpt: “…several lesser-known provisions also take effect in coming months that could have a lasting impact on the nation’s health care system. These provisions include eliminating patients’ co-payments for certain preventive services such as mammograms, giving the government more power to review health insurers’ premium increases and allowing states to expand Medicaid coverage to low-income adults without children. While these changes might not have gotten at lot of attention, they could help build support for the law in the run-up to the contentious mid-term elections.” Their list: • Prevention For Less... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746740 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:00:29 +0100 3746740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740827&cid=t_309456_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FfsvLQ4i0GJM%2F Gary Douglas may have beat Merck in an important Fosamax trial last month, but can he beat sanctions for his behavior during closing arguments? The attorney, who helped Shrley Boles win $8 million in compensatory damages (back story here), was chastised in a stinging order by US District Court Judge John Keenan for a variety of alleged shenanigans during his recent summation. “During the trial of this hard fought case, Mr. Douglas repeatedly acted in an inappropriate manner before the jury and made several improper and/or factually incorrect arguments in summation after having been admonished,” Keenan writes in an order. Such as? Douglas claimed the FDA has an “incestuous” relations with drugmakers and offers cursory reviews and expedited approvals “in exchang... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740827 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:49:00 +0100 3740827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729875&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Findustry-sponsored-medical-education-should-big-pharma-buy-doctors-lunch%2F2010.07.06 “Appetite for Instruction: Why Big Pharma should buy your doctor lunch sometimes” is the headline of an article on Slate.com that has upset many readers. I’m not terribly upset about it because it just seems too naive and misinformed to get upset about. The final line of the piece tells you all you need to know about the tone of the column: “Ousting commercial support is creating a huge chasm in medical education, leaving doctors not only hungry but also starved for knowledge.” A number of online comments were posted in reaction to the piece. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729875 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:00:39 +0100 3729875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3723287&cid=t_309456_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Funiversity-pennsylvania-health-system-named-malpractice-suits-veterans-radiation-care%2F The University of Pennsylvania Health system has been named in five federal lawsuits over the care provided by its radiation oncology team at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Hospital. The complaints stem from the allegedly inadequate care given by Dr. Gary Kao and others in using brachytherapy to treat prostate cancer. Veterans filing lawsuits include Richard Mitchell, James Armstrong, John Berry, Barry Lackro, and Donald Pepper. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3723287 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 15:45:18 +0100 3723287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718656&cid=t_309456_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrdlc.dreamhosters.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fdisney-day-3%2F Tuesday, June 22, 2010: On the morning of our 3rd day, the kids woke up and went swimming at the hotel pool. I appreciated the extra moments of silence and slept a little longer. When they came back and dried up, we went to have a meal at a local Chinese buffet that Kristen/Gary recommended. Normally, buffets are Continue reading Disney: Day 3 (Source: Cancer, life, and me) Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718656 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:00:32 +0100 3718656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714410&cid=t_309456_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrdlc.dreamhosters.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fdisney-day-2%2F Monday, June 21, 2010: Woke up this morning coughing, but in a good way. The stuff in my lungs had been breaking up in my sleep, and into the morning. I could breathe easier. I also woke up hungry, so I ate a sandwich I never got around to yesterday. When we got to Disneyland, I told the Continue reading Disney: Day 2 (Source: Cancer, life, and me) Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714410 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:00:34 +0100 3714410 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3710558&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-male-menopause-story-journalists-all-over-the-map%2F2010.06.29 An article on the Knight Science Journalism Tracker comments on German media coverage of the “Is there male menopause?” question. An excerpt: One study, but very different types of headlines: “‘Male Menopause’ discovered” and “Men have no Menopause.” Both types of headlines are based on one study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which analyzed 3219 European males between 40 and 79. Blood samples provided testosterone levels and questionnaires (!) asked about the “general, sexual, physical, and psychological health.” What the scientists found was nothing more and nothing less than a correlation between a low testosterone level and three clinical symptoms (”decreased frequency of morning erection, decreased fr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3710558 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:01:05 +0100 3710558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3710756&cid=t_309456_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrdlc.dreamhosters.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fdisney-day-one%2F Sunday, June 20, 2010 (Pre-dawn): Everyone in the hotel room was asleep, including me. Then, sometime around 3AM, I woke up harshly. The first sensation was a burning, sour, choking feeling in my throat. Crap, I’m vomiting. GET UP! NOW! So I rushed to the bathroom and puked. Not a drop spilled, by the way. My pillow, the bed, Continue reading Disney: day 1 (Source: Cancer, life, and me) Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3710756 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:00:06 +0100 3710756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706880&cid=t_309456_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrdlc.dreamhosters.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fdisney-road-there%2F Saturday, June 19, 2010: Woke up this morning and finished up the last few bits of packing that I had left to do. This mainly translated to matching gadgets with their chargers. We were on the road around 1PM when I realized it – the minivan we were in had no auxiliary audio input (the little headphone jack)! Continue reading Disneyland – The road there (Source: Cancer, life, and me) Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706880 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:00:42 +0100 3706880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3703085&cid=t_309456_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrdlc.dreamhosters.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fback-from-vacation%2F I was in the Buena Park/Anaheim area this past week. Telly, Lexi, Gary, Kristen, Garen, and I went to Disneyland and California Adventure. Gary and Kristen are professional Disney-goers and they were planning on going themselves but offered to get us tickets so that we could join them. We couldn’t pass up the gift. I think Continue reading Back from vacation (Source: Cancer, life, and me) Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3703085 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 03:13:46 +0100 3703085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3702936&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-news-consumers-tired-of-misinterpreted-studies%2F2010.06.27 People aren’t dumb. Even if — or maybe especially if — news stories don’t point out the limitations of observational studies and the fact that they can’t establish cause-and-effect, many readers seem to get it. Here are some of the online user comments in response to a CNN.com story that is headlined, “Coffee may cut risk for some cancers“: * “I love how an article starts with something positive and then slowly becomes a little gloomy. So is it good or not? I’m still where I was with coffee, it’s all in moderation, it ain’t gonna solve your health woes.” * “The statistics book in a class I’m taking uses coffee as an example of statistics run amuck. It seems coffee has caused all the cancers and cures them ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3702936 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:00:31 +0100 3702936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695568&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffemale-cosmetic-genital-surgery-should-it-be-done%2F2010.06.24 I seem to be asked more often these days if I do vulva reduction surgery. I’ve even been asked if I “refresh” vaginas (in which I refer them to their gynecologist.) I’m happy it’s a extremely small part of my practice. I’m also happy to see that the current issue of Reproductive Health Matters is taking a close look at cosmetic surgery, especially female cosmetic genital surgery. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695568 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3695568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683617&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpsa-screening-not-recommended-ny-daily-times-still-doesnt-care%2F2010.06.21 Headlines every day in the New York Daily News are luring men in as part of a mass prostate cancer screening campaign that the American Cancer Society not only does not endorse, but its chief medical officer recommends against. Yet the paper brags that it’s beginning its second decade of this non-evidence-based campaign. Sample headlines: • Doctors urge New York men to take advantage of free, city-wide PSA testing • What you don’t know can kill you. Get a FREE prostate cancer test. It can save your life • Bring dad in for FREE prostate cancer test across the city on Father’s Day and • Don’t skip the PSA test! My prostate cancer is treatable because simple test caught it early (written by a Daily News staffer). (more…) *This blog post was orig... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683617 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:20:34 +0100 3683617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662673&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-news-how-big-medical-conferences-try-to-control-it%2F2010.06.14 In recent days, news readers/viewers/listeners have been bombarded with news from the big American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago. But how does some of this stuff become news? Read an excellent post by an excellent reporter, Ron Winslow of the Wall Street Journal, to see some of the crazy, ugly sausage-making that goes on in the manipulation of the media. In the example Winslow raises, what may be packaged as news really isn’t ”new” — which is often the case. *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662673 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:00:23 +0100 3662673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3648762&cid=t_309456_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrdlc.dreamhosters.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fon-health-and-other-stuff%2F Health status: Eh, same ol’, same ol’. Which is to say, generally crappy, but not terrible. Back pain is still always around, but the severity has diminished a bit. Pain scale-wise (1=no pain, 10=worst pain ever), I’d say it’s gone from a solid 8-9 to a solid 6+. I’ll take it. My weight is the same, Continue reading On health (and other stuff)… (Source: Cancer, life, and me) Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3648762 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:36:43 +0100 3648762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3632266&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmammography-and-jack-blacks-boob-saver-5k%2F2010.06.04 This video has been available for months, but I just saw it for the first time. I suspect many women would get a chuckle from seeing the always buffed, ripped, and jacked comedian Jack Black partially disrobe to put his breast in a mammography machine — or as he calls it, the “Boob Saver 5K.” *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3632266 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:00:34 +0100 3632266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3621681&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-journalism-gems-you-shouldnt-miss%2F2010.06.02 A couple of health journalism gems you shouldn’t miss just because they were published over the holiday weekend: Natasha Singer of the New York Times had an important piece, “When Patients Meet Online, Are There Side Effects?,” about privacy concerns when social networking sites like CureTogether.com and PatientsLikeMe.com offer online communities for patients and collect members’ health data for research purposes. John Fauber of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel published another in his “Side Effects” series on conflicts of interest in healthcare. This one was about doctors vouching for the drug Multaq for treating atrial fibrillation without ever having seen all of the data. The Minneapolis Star Tribune began a “Too Much Medicine” series. Heal... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3621681 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:00:47 +0100 3621681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577511&cid=t_309456_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdr-radz-on-the-aacd-meeting%2F Two weeks ago, I attended the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s annual meeting in Dallas. Traffic is up, people are happy, and the positive atmosphere I noticed in January and February has continued. It’s especially good to see because there are more dentists at the AACD meeting who focus on elective procedures in their practices. The  temperature showed that things in even cosmetic dentistry are looking up. When you see patients coming back for elective services, it indicates consumer confidence and a positive trend. The one piece of technology that I saw (and had already purchased) was Discus’s new diode laser, the NV,  that’s extremely small and cordless. The booth was crowded, but I took my friends over to show them because I  am so pleased with my NV laser. It’s gr... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577511 Wed, 19 May 2010 13:41:56 +0100 3577511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542678&cid=t_309456_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F07%2Fmind-over-money-nova-pbs-video%2F Below the jump you can watch an outstanding and fascinating  video episode, “Mind over Money,” by PBS’s NOVA, that asks the question “Can markets be rational when humans aren’t?” and that includes significant segments describing some of the work by Situationist friend Jennifer Lerner. (We’ve placed the (52 minute) video after the jump because it plays automatically.) * * * * * * For more detailed information relevant to the episode, you can click on the following links. The Disposition Effect Trust your gut when trading stocks? Do no such thing, argues David Adler, producer of “Mind Over Money.” The Deciding Factor A new study at Harvard is exploring how emotions affect our decisions, whether we like it or not. TV Program Descrip... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542678 Fri, 07 May 2010 04:01:42 +0100 3542678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522703&cid=t_309456_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2F30%2Fstories-of-data-driven-lives%2F Does data drive your life? For some people, measuring and tracking themselves is a self-exploration process. Many stories can be found at The Quantified Self (where I am a blogger). One of the founders of Quantified Self, Gary Wolf of WIRED Magazine, just wrote this article in the New York Times Magazine called The Data-Driven Life. CureTogether is mentioned twice in the article – yay! Here is an excerpt: Trackers focused on their health want to ensure that their medical practitioners don’t miss the particulars of their condition; trackers who record their mental states are often trying to find their own way to personal fulfillment amid the seductions of marketing and the errors of common opinion; fitness trackers are trying to tune their training regimes to their own body types an... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522703 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:17:26 +0100 3522703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3456670&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuodjCxa6MFE%2F By Justin LoganAs a non-expert who’s been reading a fair bit lately on public opinion and war, I’m struck by how essentially no scholars working on voter behavior seem to believe the sort of Civics 101 story about democracy and the marketplace of ideas.  In fact, the idea that voters carefully weigh evidence and arguments and come to independent judgments about national policies appears to be held by exactly nobody. The University of Michigan’s Trevor Thrall and others have argued that partisan political identity played an extraordinarily important role in forming people’s views on the Iraq war.  In a very important recent book, Adam J. Berinsky pours cold water on the conventional wisdom view that voter preferences on domestic and foreign policy should be analyze... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3456670 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:51:01 +0100 3456670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440759&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fyou-know-youre-unwell-if-%25e2%2580%25a6-you-order-an-email-bride%2F If Gary welcoming his email bride, Olga, to his Las Vegas apartment doesn’t give you the creeps, we don’t know what will. According to the National Geographic Channel’s “Inside” show, International Marriage Brokers result in as many as 16,000 unions every year. Post from: BlissTree You Know You're Unwell If…You Order an Email Bride (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440759 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:00:53 +0100 3440759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3412622&cid=t_309456_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FePg-3tnGHHI%2Ftubes-unblocked-after-essure-reversal.html Jennifer M. blogs about her Essure tubal reversal by Dr. Berger and how a hysterosalpingram (HSG) showed both tubes to be unblocked. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3412622 Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:15:01 +0100 3412622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3398885&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5a0uNjv8T7E%2F By Justin LoganThe U.S.-Israel relationship has been in the news a lot lately.  First, Israel humiliates the American Vice President by announcing an expansion of settlements in East Jerusalem during his trip to that country.  Then, Gen. Petraeus states in congressional testimony [.pdf] that the Israel/Palestine imbroglio “foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel,” which in turn creates a dynamic where “Al Qaeda and other militant groups exploit that anger to mobilize support.” For those with interest in the subject, Robert Wright’s piece on the New York Times’ website may be of interest.  Wright looks at how chauvinistically Gary Bauer, Max Boot, and Abraham Foxman define “pro-Israel” and writes I... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3398885 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:50:01 +0100 3398885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3363685&cid=t_309456_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F14%2Fis-psychiatry-a-science%2F In a nearly 6,000-word essay, Louis Menand asks the question of the hour in the March 1 edition of The New Yorker. Menard lays out in excruciating detail the questions revolving around psychiatry these days, including the recent research into drug trials that suggests that some of the science psychiatry is founded upon is sometimes … Well, how shall we put it? Lacking. But it is a thoughtful piece that just doesn’t review two recent books — Gary Greenberg’s Manufacturing Depression and Irving Kirsch’s The Emperor’s New Drugs — but provides a fairly balanced set of observations and valuable historical insights about these never-ending arguments that seem to pervade psychiatry (and psychology and mental disorders in general). Questions such as: What is the basi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3363685 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:10:22 +0100 3363685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354518&cid=t_309456_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fdesign-challenge-a-word-with-our-cde-judge-gary-scheiner.html As you all hopefully know, the 2010 DiabetesMine Design Challenge is ON. We opened for entries last Monday. I’m excited about community voting this year (y’all get to choose the competition finalists). I’m equally delighted to have such a wonderful panel of expert judges whose role will be to determine the winners from your list of [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354518 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:00:05 +0100 3354518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342893&cid=t_309456_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwIIVCswS7LE%2F The move comes just after FDA commish Margaret Hamburg complained out loud about a backlog of generic drug approvals. And so the agency has moved Gary Buehler, who directs the Office of Generic Drugs, to the Office of Pharmaceutical Science. And OPS director Keith Webber will run the OGD until a permanent OGD head is found, The Pink Sheet writes. In a speech last month to the Generic Pharmaceutical Association annual meeting, Hamburg noted that the “unprecedented spike” in applications exceeded the agency’s review abilities. The backlog went from 891 in fiscal year 2005 to 1,912 in fiscal year 2010, according to OGD data presented at the meeting. Hamburg hopes negotiating user fees with generic drug makers will solve the problem (back story). Whether removing Buehler, who... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342893 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:48:01 +0100 3342893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283775&cid=t_309456_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fchecking-in-with-kris-freeman-type-1-diabetic-going-for-olympic-gold.html This year, and among the thousands of ueber-athletes striving for Gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics, there’s one ueber-diabetic. His name is Kris Freeman, and he’s a star cross-country skier, poised to break the USA’s decades-old “Olympic medal drought” in that sport — and also the first-ever athlete with Type 1 diabetes to compete in [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283775 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:00:23 +0100 3283775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283496&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2010%2F02%2F18%2Folympic-athletes-with-diabetes%2F Filed under: Type 1, PersonalitiesAfter a diabetes diagnosis you're often angry and frustrated. Immediately, people begin setting limits for you, telling you what you can and can't do. Olympic skier Kris Freeman, who has type 1 diabetes, never listened to his critics. After being diagnosed in 2000 at age 19, his doctors told him that he would not be able to compete at an Olympic level. He could ski, but he wouldn't be able to keep his blood sugar stable for the 50-kilometer cross country race. Immediately, he began experimenting with different tools to maintain keep his blood sugar levels normal during competition. He now wears a small insulin pump to manage his diabetes. His determination paid off. He's a 13-time U.S. National cross-country champion who is competing in his third... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283496 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3283496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3271013&cid=t_309456_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F13%2Fsillysaturday-17-social-media-stats-per-second%2F more about “Garys Social Media Count“, posted with vodpod Some time ago I saw the above Real Time Social Media Stats Counter at Heidi Allen Online (see here), the blog of Heidi Allen. The live stats meter is actually from Gary Hayes at Personalize Media (see post: Garys Social Media Count). You can find the embed code [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3271013 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:49:24 +0100 3271013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204798&cid=t_309456_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fdr-steve-hansen-leads-mormon-medical-group-haiti%2F Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steve Hansen lead a group of doctors including Drs. Chuck Peterson, Gary Garner, and Craig Nelson from the Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in a week-long medical mission to Haiti. Lacking any formal aid group organization they dubbed themselves Doctors Without Names. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204798 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:02:17 +0100 3204798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189126&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaxTtFN283XA%2F By Chris Moody Gene Healy on today’s election in Massachusetts: “If Republican Scott Brown wins the Massachusetts special election Tuesday, the Bay State will have its first GOP senator since the era when disco was king. And Brown will have the much-derided Tea Party legions to thank.” Why opportunistic politicians need to stop using times of crisis for their own ends and let the next one go to waste. George W. Obama? “Bush’s successor—who actually taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago—is continuing much of the Bush-Cheney parallel government and, in some cases, is going much further in disregarding our laws and the international treaties we’ve signed.” Can Google beat China? Cato’s Timothy B. Lee tackles the questi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189126 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:02:39 +0100 3189126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167091&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQeZ2wnw7yrk%2F By Tad DeHavenThe board game Monopoly first took off during the Great Depression. A different game has become popular during today’s Great Recession. In this game, politicians race against high unemployment to create jobs in order to save their own. The players (politicians) have unlimited tax and borrowing authority, and can call upon friendly economists to help them maneuver. The players even get to keep score, although the media can penalize shoddy scorekeeping. Ultimately, voters will decide which players win and lose in the fall elections. Okay, I’m being facetious. But as politicians continue to throw trillions of dollars at the economy in a vain effort to create jobs, and the media continues to go along with it by obsessing over meaningless job counts, the entire spectacle has b... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167091 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:50:01 +0100 3167091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3115242&cid=t_309456_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fwayback-wednesday-wheres-the-physical-activity.html Today, I’m revisiting a guest post from ‘legendary’ diabetes educator Gary Scheiner for two reasons: 1) this is the time of year when we most need this essential reminder about gettin’ our exercise, and 2) well, because I just love Gary (who’s also the author of the exceptional book Think Like a Pancreas, btw) and [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3115242 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:00:33 +0100 3115242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096969&cid=t_309456_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdr-gary-radz-on-6-month-smiles%2F We have started working with 6 Month Smiles’ short-term orthodontics. We have in the last two months started six cases, and we’re very excited about the results. Patients are excited, too. Even though the system uses conventional orthodontic wires and brackets, because they are tooth colored, adults patients accept it because they aren’t obvious and offer treatment time that’s less than a year. I took the 6 Month Smiles course by Dr. Ryan Swain from NY. The two-day course was perfect for my assistants and me, and it was right here in Denver. Between the flash drive information that I came home with and the course itself, I had everything necessary to get started. One thing that helped us get up and running fast is that we had Invisalign certification, so we were updated on recent o... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096969 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:24:06 +0100 3096969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039911&cid=t_309456_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdr-gary-radz-on-digital-impressions%2F First of all, there are three companies providing digital impressions – Cadent iTero, 3M, and Sirona. Anyone looking to invest in digital imaging should compare contrast the pluses and minuses of each brand. Two other companies are looking to get into the market with this technology, so keep that in mind, too. In a very short time, digital dental impressions have become the obvious future of what we’re going to be doing in the industry. Be sure to look for the technology at big exhibits and shows so that you can learn about its capabilities and limitations. We’ve had iTero in my downtown Denver dental office for over a year and a half, and we’ve had tremendous success with it. Consistently, patients are very impressed. There’s always a “wow” factor with new technology, which ... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039911 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:06:05 +0100 3039911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3036011&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fmckinnon-step-closer-to-extradition%2F Hacker with Aspergers Syndrome – a form of Autism Gary McKinnon is one step closer to extradition to the United States from the UK.  UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson has refused to hear an appeal from McKinnon’s lawyers.  The appeal claimed that extraditing McKinnon to the United States from the UK would violate his civil [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3036011 Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:41:09 +0100 3036011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989244&cid=t_309456_113_f&fid=36504&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicalRecordShow%2F%7E3%2FeHIgYejngTI%2F I want to preface this with something I should have said a long time ago: All posts reflect my own opinions, not those of anyone I’ve had the good fortune to learn from, work with, and otherwise spend time around. It could hardly be otherwise with my own blog. But addressing folks in healthcare, you’ve got to be a bit careful. IT folks get it, but in healthcare we’re not all individuals, much as we’d like to think otherwise. We are born from a very old profession, and that means being tied like nobody’s business to colleagues, training academies, membership societies, support staff, patients, and public opinion. Say the wrong thing, and you step on some toesies of other bees in the hive. And that’s a problem, when it comes to innovation. So That’s ... The EMR/EHR Show: Making Your Electronic Medical Records Really Work blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989244 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:57:40 +0100 2989244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2985000&cid=t_309456_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrdlc.dreamhosters.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fwere-outta-there%2F We moved out of our apartment this past weekend. The week or so before that was spent packing, cleaning, and trashing/donating most things we forgot we even had. Our official last day is November 21, but just about all of our belongings are now moved. I’m now coming to you live, from my same couch, but on the floor of my bro-in-law Gary’s house. He’s going through a loan modification process on his home. In the meantime, he and his family are in an apartment. He knew of our situation, and called me recently and offered us his home, rent-free (while the bank takes it time figuring out the home loan), as a place to stay. My wife and I thought it would be a good idea, and help to catch up with our debt. Best case scenario: Gary’s loan modification goes well and he keep... Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2985000 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:22:53 +0100 2985000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902925&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fmckinnon-extradition-halted-for-review%2F UK based hacker with Autism, Gary McKinnon has had his extradition to the United States halted for review.  The UK Home Secretary halted McKinnon’s extradition to review new medical evidence on McKinnon’s mental health.  McKinnon has admitted to and is charged with hacking into US Military Computer Systems.  According to McKinnon’s mother her son is [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902925 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 08:45:41 +0100 2902925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2881304&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fmckinnon-pentagon-hacker-extradition-aspergers%2F The autistic hacker who hacked into the US Military, NASA and other goverment agencies will most likely be extradited to the United States for his crimes withing 14 days.  Gary McKinnon is suicidal according to his mother, who claims that the extradition of his son would be a cruel and excessive punishment.  Gary McKinnon [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2881304 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:54:31 +0100 2881304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2872092&cid=t_309456_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FVSuIHQ-8LfI%2Fnew-tubal-reversal-videos.html The newest and most informative videos about tubal ligation reversal on YouTube.com come from the staff and patients of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. They have created over 40 videos about all aspects of tubal reversal surgery and the journeys of the couples who travel to Chapel Hill from all over the world in their quest to have children even after a tubal sterilization. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2872092 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:22:10 +0100 2872092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828418&cid=t_309456_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2F5rJt9eB98nU%2Fnewly-dx-week-think-like-a-pancreas.php A bunch of years back I spent some time working at an ISP (Internet Service Provider).  I had the opportunity to take a bunch of training courses. One of my favorite courses was called "Think Like A Router", and it was the class that finally got through to me.  It was the class that made the light bulb "pop" on for me.  All of a sudden I was able to make sense out of so many things that were confusing me at work.When I ran into a diabetes related book with a similar title I was excited!  Even with my high expectations, the book did not disappoint.  In fact, it exceeded my expectations and taught me many things.  Gary Scheiner lives our life.  He has type 1 diabetes (funny story in the book - he was diagnosed in Sugarland, TX.  No joke.)  A Certi... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828418 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0100 2828418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699812&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fwhat-a-snafu%2F For those that don’t know what a SNAFU is, google it – if you do know what it is, you will understand.  This also includes a special note to Gary McKinnon. The Background: Kate contacted me and said she was sick of the lies, and she wanted to let the truth spill out – and her mother [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699812 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:44:56 +0100 2699812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670777&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKWDLblAIeX0%2F One of the obstacles to reducing mortgage foreclosures is that so many of the homes being foreclosured upon are not occupied by their owners.  Approximately 20 percent of homes are vacant investor-held properties, while according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition another 20 percent are occupied by renters. Addressing the issue of renter occupied foreclosures has been one of the harder nuts to crack.  We should have no sympathy for vacant homes purchased purely for speculative gain – the best course of action for those homes is foreclosure, or even better, speculators should be expected to continue paying those mortgages even in the face of losses.   Where homes are currently rented however, it may be in the interest of both the bank and the renter to continue that... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670777 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:28:11 +0100 2670777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660875&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fmckinnon-extradited-hacker-aspergers-pentagon%2F Briton’s High Court rejected Gary McKinnon’s lawyers appeal for a judicial review.  Gary McKinnon who claims to have Aspergers Syndrome hacked into US Military and NASA computers. According to the Strait Times his mother whined, “We are heartbroken. If the law says it’s fair to destroy someone’s life in this way then it’s a bad law.”  [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660875 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:55:59 +0100 2660875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653672&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FH8pZgt742Hs%2F As I have argued elsewhere, Bernanke’s record as both a Fed governor and Chair suggest we be better off with a new Fed Chair come January 2010, when Bernanke’s term as Chair expires. Outside of those who believe the bailouts have saved capitalism, two very reasonable arguments are put forth for keeping Bernanke at the helm:  1) in a time of crisis, the markets need certainty and dislike change; and 2) the alternatives, such as Larry Summers, would be worse.  Both these points have real merit, however I believe in both cases the pros of change outweigh the cons of staying the course with Bernanke.  I will save the “certainty” debate for another time, for now, let’s ask ourselves:  Would Summers really be any worse than Bernanke? Before I make the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653672 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:53:41 +0100 2653672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2591636&cid=t_309456_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fgood-legal-advice-for-genomics.html I have often thought that the laws which currently govern genomics, medicine and direct to consumer products are prettty interesting.Which is why, when we started our medical practices we were going to do an internet distribution of testing and consultation........ This was back in 2005. We sat late up at night in my partners apartment plotting to take over the industry.We aligned some players and then we obtained some legal advice....... After that fateful day in 2005, we realized that this was a buzzsaw we did not want to mess with......Especially in New York, Our Market! So you can imagine my incredulity when we saw 3 companies planning to do precisely what we were advised legally not to do. The mistakes these companies made were exactly the issues we were advised to avoid. We spent a m... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2591636 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:52:00 +0100 2591636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2571051&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fthank-you-usa-military%2F This post is dedicated to Gary McKinnon I would like to dedicate this post to Gary McKinnon, the idiot who thinks that hacking the United States Military forces is an acceptable deed.  I’m sorry you feel the need to act like the crazy lunatic Kim Jung Il.  You need to remember, this is America and you [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2571051 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:33:31 +0100 2571051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512445&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fpentagon-uk-aspergers-autism-hacker-computer%2F The UK based computer hacker that successfully disabled several national security systems at the Pentagon, Gary McKinnon is claiming that Aspergers Syndrome - a form of autism will result in him harming himself if extradited to the United States. Gary McKinnon is a British Hacker who took down several national security systems at the Pentagon.  McKinnonon’s [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512445 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:04:49 +0100 2512445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473195&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5YSZF6r4Fok%2F What is to be done with the nation’s largest financial institutions, 19 of which have been officially designated as “too big to fail?” When thus guaranteed government protection, such institutions can be expected to take excessive risk and generally operate recklessly. Profits on risky ventures remain privatized, while losses become socialized. That is what happens when you bet with other people’s (that is, taxpayers’) money. I have called the system “casino capitalism.” The solution, of course, is to end the policy of “too big to fail.” That will not happen soon, however, and we will likely see the government’s safety net extended to more institutions before there is any prospect for its withdrawal. In the interim, the risk-taking appetite of the large banks must be co... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473195 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:28:12 +0100 2473195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2381446&cid=t_309456_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F30%2Fa-weekly-combination-of-topotecan-docetaxel-produces-clinical-benefit-in-heavily-pretreated-ovarian-cancer-patients%2F Recurrent and metastatic endometrial and ovarian cancers can be notoriously difficult to treat. … Physicians at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University showed that a combination of two chemotherapy drugs not only produced clinical benefit for such patients but were also well tolerated.  The results of this phase II study were published [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2381446 Fri, 01 May 2009 04:42:16 +0100 2381446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2324180&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FKGacz2-SArc%2F So people like Gary McKinnon and Autism Speaks are turning a day to raise awareness into a day to parade around their selfish causes like the morons they are. Yes, I used the word moron.  This perfectly describes Autism Speaks and Gary McKinnon.  If you don’t like it, then don’t read further.Gary McKinnon Gary McKinnon’s Goon Squad [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2324180 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:48:18 +0100 2324180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260219&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FVHRl5ORN7Co%2F This is very local to me, but two people with Aspergers Syndrome have just been awarded the National Merit Scholorship.Jacob Gritter-Dorr, 17, a junior at Lawrence High School in Lawrence, MI and Robert Brindley, 18, a senior at Gobles High School in Gobles, MI were just awarded the national merit scholarship.  According to the courier-leader [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260219 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:32:50 +0100 2260219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2223689&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FFncLHgg6N2g%2F In a huge victory for Autism Rights, Autistic Hacker Gary McKinnon will be extradited to the United States for his attack on United States military computer systems according to UK’s Crown Prosecution Service. In a statement the Crown Prosecution Service said the trial would be best held in the United States, where the bulk of the [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2223689 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:07:12 +0100 2223689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2211939&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2F6MFanKehzRc%2F Two separate influential people have spoken out against the extradition of terrorist Gary McKinnon from the United Kingdom to the United States after he attacked a United States defense computer network in the United States causing it to go down for three days.Autistic hacker, terrorist and moron Gary McKinnon has been throwing a temper tantrum [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2211939 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:18:56 +0100 2211939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2156341&cid=t_309456_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fabolitionist-gary-francione-laments.html Gary Francione, who argues that to be authentic all animal rights believers must be vegan and lead by example (I agree with him on this), is unhappy. He worries that the animal rights movement is falling backwards because of the "humane meat" campaigns that, in his mind, have made carne respectable to consume for some who were once abstainers. As evidence, he points out that the Food Standards Agency in Britain has found that the number of people eating a partly or completely vegetarian diet fell from 9 per cent in 2007 to 7 per cent in 2008. As evidence that the humane meat movement is undercutting animal rights, properly understood, he quotes from an article by former vegetarian Tessie Williams. From his column: The reason for Williams' return to meat: "I see my decision to return to mea... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2156341 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:26:00 +0100 2156341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2125987&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FdUoaES_23Ow%2F Gary McKinnon, a UK based hacker who may have Aspergers Syndrome has through his lawyers states that extraditing him to the United States for hacking into a disrupting United States national security systems - to which he has admitted “could be suicidal”. According to the Enfield Independent Mr. McKinnons lawyers in a last ditch effort to help [...] This is an excerpt from an article on AspieWeb.net, A blog writen by an Autistic Blogger. (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2125987 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:25:04 +0100 2125987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2116552&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2F5An3-LK1l20%2F So earlier this morning someone posted a comment on a post I made earlier about how it upsets me the Gary McKinnon is using his Aspergers as an excuse to to get away with hacking United States Military computer systems, allegedly disabling national security systems and leaving graffiti in the system during the process.  I [...] This is an excerpt from an article on AspieWeb.net, A blog writen by an Autistic Blogger. (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2116552 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:54:27 +0100 2116552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1969222&cid=t_309456_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F_Q5acmemgeQ%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,630,269305,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() Gary Hall, Jr. has decided to retire. He is such an inspiration to every single diabetic out there (including me!) When I heard he got diabetes in 1999, I felt bad for him. But I also knew that diabetes can strike anyone, regardless of health or fitness level. I was plesantly surprised to see Gary talk openly about the disease and even more pleased that he has started a foundation to help raise awareness. Here he was a while back talking with Diabetes Life: Tags: , diabetic, famous people with diabetes, gary hall, medals, olympic athlete, swimmerShare This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1969222 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:34:39 +0100 1969222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1945328&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FtJzkSJDlhbw%2F “Only a Fool,” an online recording posted on MySpace by hacker Gary McKinnon, is in the top five of MySpace videos watched——McKinnon allegedly hacked his way into 97 computers belonging to NASA, the Department of Defense and several branches of the military, and is facing, and fighting against, extradition to the US. According to the Scotsman: Despite struggling from depression, McKinnon posted his self-penned track on MySpace and within 48 hours it had been viewed by more than 100,000 people – taking it to No.5 in the video charts. McKinnon’s melancholy ballad is a tale of survival in the face of great adversity. The chorus features the lyrics: “Don’t stop, don’t say it don’t matter/If it ain’t easy try harder/Only a fool would... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1945328 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 08:16:38 +0100 1945328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1921562&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fopen-letter-to-free-gary-movement%2F To The Free Gary McKinnon Movement, As someone who has Aspergers in the United States I am appaled by your behavior. Your attempt at making Gary McKinnon get away scott free with the crimes that he has admitted too by saying that he has Aspergers he should not be held just as accountable as previous hackers [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1921562 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:49:01 +0100 1921562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1908841&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FZrDI9K1oEL0%2F Shortly after 9/11, Gary McKinnon—a “UFO-obsessed computer hacker”—allegedly hacked his way into 97 computers belonging to NASA, the Department of Defense and several branches of the US military. The European Court of Human Rights has cleared the way for McKinnon, who is British, to be extradited to the US where he would face eight charges of computer fraud. McKinnon appealed this decision and lost, and autism experts, politicians, lawyers and civil rights campaigners have been urging home secretary Jacqui Smith to intervene so McKinnon can be tried in Britain rather than being extradited to the US. Experts including Simon Baron-Cohen, professor of developmental psychopathology at Cambridge University, were commissioned to access McKinnon, who has been recently diag... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1908841 Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:09:32 +0100 1908841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1908049&cid=t_309456_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Faspies-have-a-mental-age-of-10%2F So I have been looking around the news latley for references of Aspergers and I found another person using Aspergers as an excuse for criminal behavior.  Many people are well aware of the story of Gary McKinnon - The Pentagon Hacker.  Well now there is a mother of a child who bombed a cafe in [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1908049 Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:52:37 +0100 1908049