MARCH 2025 NEWS

Featured topic: political developments

On Science-Based Medicine,

David Gorski:

Posted “Misinformed refusal: What antivaxxers are really promoting when they invoke ‘informed consent’.”
Wrote “’Make America Healthy Again’: the new Lysenkoism.” “Trofim Lysenko was a Soviet scientist whose dogmatic science denialism led to mass famine when his ideas were applied to agriculture. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a lot like Lysenko in his science denial. Will his results be as disastrous?”

Steven Novella:

Wrote “David Geier hired to study vaccines and autism.” “David Geier is not a doctor or a scientist (and in fact was charged with practicing medicine without a license). He often works with his father Mark Geier, who is a doctor. The pair have a history of publishing horrible fatally flawed studies of vaccines. They are the kings of the ‘dumpster divers.’ They have also promoted dubious treatments for their fake causation…It seems pretty clear that the study itself and whatever outcome it produces will simply become more anti-vaccine fodder. It will be used to undermine public confidence in vaccines and be used to worsen the health and safety of Americans.” Geier was also discussed by:
- “Orac” on Respectful Insolence. “…If the goal is to produce a crappy or fake study to provide scientific ‘evidence that vaccines cause autism, RFK Jr. would have been hard pressed to find a better minion to carry the study out than David Geier.”
- Lena Sun and Fenit Nirappil (Washington Post)
- Andrea Love on ImmunoLogic. “David Geier is NOT a vaccine skeptic. Stop calling him that. He’s anti-vaccine.”

On Beyond the Noise, Paul Offit:

Discussed “The 'medical freedom' movement.”
Wrote “RFK Jr. and ‘radical transparency’.” “RFK Jr. recently praised the CDC for listing perceived conflicts of interest by its advisory board. Now, Mr. Kennedy, it’s your turn.”

Edzard Ernst posted:

“With RFK Jr. in charge, the US dietary supplement industry is about to cash in.” “To me, it seems that the MAHA are as uninterested in the evidence regarding efficacy and safety (quite possible they know how flimsy it is) as they are keen on the promotion of quackery.”
“The US is fast becoming a country of unreason - and Europe is ready to host the fleeing scientists.” “Thanks to Trump and his administration, US science is descending into chaos. Federal grants are being frozen, Scientists are getting fired and are leaving the US in droves, the NIH is under threat, crucial meetings are being postponed indefinitely and anti-science increasingly dominates the agenda of the White House…Several universities in Europe and elsewhere have also reacted; they are busy putting programmes in place to receive scientists who are fleeing the US. The consequence will inevitably be a significant ‘brain drain’ that will haunt the US for decades to come.”
“RFK Jr. continues to sprout utter nonsense.” Claims of risks of cell phones were discussed.

March 5 – Carolyn Johnson and Joel Achenbach (Washington Post) published “NIH reels with fear, uncertainty about future of scientific research.” “The Trump administration’s orders have created more turmoil and damage at the National Institutes of Health than was previously known.”

March 7 – Dan Levine and Leah Douglas (Reuters) wrote “US CDC plans study into vaccines and autism.” “…despite extensive scientific research that has disproven or failed to find evidence of such links.”

March 7 – Berkeley Lovelace Jr. (NBC News) wrote “CDC posts 'conflict of interest' database on vaccine panel members.” “Arthur Caplan…said the database could be used to sow doubt about the advice given by ACIP, giving a false appearance that members have strong ties to the industry — a belief, he said, long held by Kennedy. Caplan said, it's nearly impossible to find anyone with this kind of expertise who doesn't have an apparent conflict of interest. Often, he said, they are the ones overseeing research done by drugmakers, but don’t own stocks in companies.” In a related article, Pien Huang (NPR) wrote “RFK says most vaccine advisers have conflicts of interest. A report shows they don’t.” “Sowing doubts on the integrity of vaccine policymaking could lead to fewer people getting routine vaccines…It also hampers the development of new and better vaccines that could have led to a healthier future…”

March 9 – Roni Caryn Rabin and Nicholas Nehamas (New York Times) wrote “Chaos at the V.A.: inside the DOGE cuts disrupting the veterans agency.” “Although the Veterans Affairs Department is better known for the health care it provides, conducting scientific research is one of the agency’s core missions, offering veterans early access to cutting-edge treatments that are still in clinical trials… some 200 research staff members involved in 300 or more trials were at risk of being cut off during the first 90 days following the federal hiring freeze, threatening to disrupt trials providing treatment to some 10,000 veterans if no action is taken.”

March 10 – Carolyn Johnson and Joel Achenbach (Washington Post) wrote “NIH to terminate or limit grants related to vaccine hesitancy and uptake.”

March 24 – Gina Kolata (New York Times) wrote “'Chaos and confusion' at the crown jewel of American science.” “Senior scientists at the National Institutes of Health fear that research on conditions like obesity, heart disease and cancer will be undermined by President Trump’s policies.”

March 24 – Lauren Weber and Caitlin Gilbert (Washington Post) published “Health benefit company co-founded by Dr. Oz could be a conflict of interest.” “Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services again has a potential conflict, this time regarding a business he co-founded with his son, say ethics experts, lawyers and health-care analysts.”

March 25 – Thomas Edsall (New York Times) wrote “It’s hard to imagine a more sweeping agenda to make Americans less healthy.” “No one can claim to be ‘making American healthier’ while simultaneously increasing the toxins in our air, food and water.”

March 26 - Apoorva Mandavilli, Margot Sanger-Katz and Jan Hoffman (New York Times) reported “Trump administration abruptly cuts billions from state health services.” “The Department of Health and Human Services has abruptly canceled more than $12 billion in federal grants to states that were being used for tracking infectious diseases, mental health services, addiction treatment and other urgent health issues. The cuts are likely to further hamstring state health departments, which are already underfunded and struggling with competing demands from chronic diseases, resurgent infections like syphilis and emerging threats like bird flu.”

March 26 - Carl Zimmer and Apoorva Mandavilli (New York Times) published “H.H.S. scraps studies of vaccines and treatments for future pandemics.” “The idea that we don’t need further research to learn how to treat health problems caused by coronaviruses and prevent future pandemics because ‘Covid-19 is over’ is absurd.”

March 27 – Cheryl Stolberg and Christina Jewett (New York Times) wrote “10,000 Federal health workers to be laid off.” “’In the middle of worsening nationwide outbreaks of bird flu and measles, not to mention a fentanyl epidemic, Trump is wrecking vital health agencies with the precision of a bull in a china shop, said Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat who has been a leader on health issues in Congress…’Converting C.D.C. to an agency solely focused on infectious diseases takes us back to 1948 without realizing that in 2025, the leading causes of death are noncommunicable disease,’ said Dr. Anand Parekh, who served in the health department during the Obama administration and is now the chief medical adviser at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington.”

March 28 – Dan Diamond and Dan Keating (Washington Post) reported “Trump promised scientific breakthroughs. Researchers say he’s breaking science.” “In his presidential campaign last year, Donald Trump vowed to supercharge U.S. scientific research efforts, pledging to ‘unleash the power of American innovation’ to combat cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases. But Trump has instead unleashed cuts and chaos that are paralyzing ongoing research, prompting layoffs and threatening America’s perch as a global scientific leader, researchers and scientists warn.”

March 28 – Christina Jewett and others (New York Times) wrote “Top FDA official resigns, citing Kennedy’s ‘misinformation and lies’.” “’It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies, Dr. Marks wrote to Sara Brenner, the agency’s acting commissioner. He reiterated the sentiments in an interview, saying: This man doesn’t care about the truth. He cares about what is making him followers.’…’Undermining confidence in well-established vaccines that have met the high standards for quality, safety and effectiveness that have been in place for decades at F.D.A. is irresponsible, detrimental to public health, and a clear danger to our nation’s health, safety and security,’ Dr. Marks wrote.” A similar story was reported by Dan Diamond (Washington Post).

March 28 – Ja’han Jones (MSNBC) reported “Scientists say fluoride in public water is good. Utah just banned it.” “The legislation appears to be the product of health misinformation and a decline in trust in scientists since the Covid pandemic, fueled in part by conspiracy theorists like Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.”

March 29 – Matt Hongoltz-Hetling (New York Times) wrote “The story of a woman who fell prey to the medical freedom movement.”

March 31 – Benjamin Mueller (New York Times) reported “Trump administration has begun a war on science, researchers say.” “Some 1,900 leading researchers accused the Trump administration in an open letter on Monday of conducting a ‘wholesale assault on U.S. science’ that could set back research by decades and that threatens the health and safety of Americans. The letter’s signatories, all of them elected members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, warned of the damage being done by layoffs at health and science agencies and cuts and delays to funding that has historically supported research inside the government and across American universities…It also accuses the administration of ‘engaging in censorship’ by, among other things, ‘blocking research on topics it finds objectionable, such as climate change, or that yields results it does not like, on topics ranging from vaccine safety to economic trends’.”

Other topics

On Science-Based Medicine,

Kiarash Aramesh:

Discussed “Islamic medicine and the biopolitics of antiscience in Iran.”

Scott Gavura:

Wrote “Cranberry juice, revisited.” “Cranberries are not a groundbreaking panacea as a medicinal product, but there appears to be something there. Recognizing the limitations of the data, cranberries may be effective at preventing UTIs. They have not been shown to be effective in everyone, which increases my skepticism about whether these efficacy findings are real. Having said that, if a patient with recurrent UTIs (not pregnant, institutionalized or with neuromuscular dysfunction) wanted to try cranberries instead of antibiotics, I would be cautiously supportive, noting that cranberries are not a slam dunk and may not be effective.”

David Gorski:

Posted “Paul Thacker relitigates criticisms of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and the Great Barrington Declaration.”
Wrote “Quackery (still) kills: a five-year-old boy dies in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.” “Even as quacks and antivaxxers take over our federal government’s health apparatus, let’s not forget why we need stronger, not laxer, regulation of ‘unconventional’ medical practices…According to a spokesman for the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society: ‘He estimated that thousands of spas, wellness companies and other storefronts are operating hyperbaric chambers in the U.S. without having undergone accreditation, and he said he fears many may not be upholding stringent standards’.”
Posted “The Mercola tapes: One of the wealthiest antivaxxers in the world is scammed.” “Dr. Joe Mercola embraced ‘alternative health’ in the late 1990s, including quackery and antivax, and has since become very wealthy. Lately, he’s fallen under the spell of a psychic grifter and declared himself to be the ‘new Jesus’.”

Jonathan Howard:

Wrote “Dr. Edward Livingston on vaccines & autism: ‘Because of public skepticism, it is not settled science’.”
Posted “A review of 'In Covid's Wake': according to laptop class professors, the heroes of the pandemic were laptop class professors.” “The authors of the Great Barrington Declaration prevented fair and honest discussion by constantly spreading fake information. The authors of a new book don’t care at all.”

Steven Novella:

Posted “Looking back 5 year later – were lockdowns worth it?
Wrote “On Tik Tok, everything is a poison or superfood.”

David Weinberg:

Discussed “The use of placebo controls in clinical trials.”

Edzard Ernst:

Posted “Pain researchers and pain clinician’s perceptions of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM).” “The biggest laugh needs to go to the response rate of this survey: 46 223 people received the questionnaire and 1024 responded to it! This gives a response rate of just over 2%! and seems to indicate that the vast majority of pain researchers are not bothered about SCAM. If that is so, should we not adjust the conclusion accordingly? Perhaps something like this would fit the data much better: These findings highlight the disinterest in SCAM among pain specialists and emphasize that no more research and education tailored to this area are required.”
Discussed “Factors associated with post-COVID cardiac conditions.” “The protection offered by the COVID-19 vaccination regimen was observed beyond the acute phase of the disease, reducing the risk of developing post-COVID cardiac conditions. Public policies encouraging vaccination should be promoted to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections and reinfections.”
Wrote “The impact of Reiki and Therapeutic Touch on sleep quality and health.” “This paper is a good example to show why I have often warned that research of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) is in serious danger to be no longer taken seriously. Scientists and rational healthcare professionals will simply dismiss it outright because it simply is pseudo-research masquarading as the real thing… In case you are interested in a reasonable and evidence-based conclusion about energy healing, here is one I suggest: A review of the evidence shows that energy healing flies in the face of science and is not supported by sound clinical evidence. Energy healing has therefore no place in rational healthcare.”
Posted “Prophetic medicine?” “Alsanad defines PM as medicine ‘based on the teachings and practices of Prophet Muhammad.’ It includes a weird mix of modalities (for instance: spiritual and religious therapy as well as cupping). Would it not be reasonable to demand that each modality of whatever medicine must meet the accepted standards of effectiveness and safety that are applied in conventional medicine? If a therapy demonstrably generates more good than harm, we might consider it for integration into routine care. If not we shouldn’t even be called ‘medicine’! Most of the treatments listed under the PM-umbrella fall into the second category. Therefore PM is arguably not medicine at all. Whether or not a therapy was mentioned by a this or that prophet is utterly immaterial and should really not matter in the age of evidence-based medicine.”
Discussed “Vaccine hesitancy and SCAM [so-called alternative medicine]-use: the anti-scientific mindset.”
Wrote “Spinal manipulation = a placebo treatment?” “…It is largely irrelevant which form of SMT is being used; the outcomes are more or less independent of the technique that is applied. You don’t need to be particularly skeptical to go one step further and conclude that: The perceived effectiveness of SMT compared to other treatments is due to a placebo effect which is likely to be strong with a therapy involving touch, cracking bones, etc. The effects of different types of SMT are all similar because these interventions are little more than theatrical placebos. Since these placebos can cause considerable harm, their risk/benefit balance is not positive. Because their risk/benefit balance fails to be positive, SMT cannot be recommended as a treatment in routine care.”
Posted “Effects of a magnetic therapy patch on pain and gait – YES, IT’S A PLACEBO.” “Alert readers will have noticed that the study has no control group. Others might have remarked that the notion of static magnets of this kind doing anything meaningful to our bodies lacks plausibility. Thus the observed effects cannot possibly attributed to the magnet therapy. Most likely they are due to the considerable attention the volunteers received.”
Wrote “Black seed oil: is there any evidence behind the new craze?” “BSO (also known as black caraway, black cumin or kalonji oil) is derived from the tiny black seeds of Nigella sativa (N. sativa)… Yes, I know: the evidence is not perfect for any of the indications. In addition, there is a problem with low bioavailability. And I am suspicious of any SCAM [so-called alternative medicine] that seems to be effective for an incredibly long list of conditions. At the same time, I have to admit that, collectively, the research on BSO is impressive. As BSO has been used for centuries (as a spice etc.), serious adverse effects seem unlikely. The evidence regarding its effectiveness might not be fully convincing but, in my book, it is encouraging.”
Posted “Effect of Reiki in patients with mental health diagnoses – PURE PSEUDO-SCIENCE FROM THE MAYO CLINIC!” “One might have expected better science from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester; in fact, this is not science at all; it’s pure pseudo-science! Here are some critical remarks:…There is no objective, validated outcome measure. The conclusion that ‘Reiki is feasible‘ has been known and does not need to be tested any longer. The conclusion that ‘Reiki improved positive emotions and feelings and decreased negative measures’ is false. As there was no control group, these improvements might have been caused by a whole lot of other things than Reiki – for instance, the extra attention, placebo effects, regression towards the mean or social desirability. The conclusion that ‘implementing Reiki in clinical practice should be further explored to improve mental health and well-being’ is therefore not based on the data provided. In fact, as Reiki is an implausible esoteric nonsense, it is a promotion of wasting resources on utter BS.”
Wrote “Qi-gong as a therapy for managing premenstrual syndrome?” Ernst found numerous concerns with the study.
Posted “Most treatments for low back pain have not been shown to be effective.” “The findings are in keeping with what we have been discussing at nauseam here: no treatment works really well for back pain. For acute symptoms no so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) at all is efficacious. For chronic pain, spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) have small effects. As SMT is neither cheap nor free of risks, exercise is much preferable. Considering that most SCAMs are heavily promoted for low back pain (e.g. acupuncture, Alexander technique, cupping, Gua Sha, herbal medicine, homeopathy, massage, mind-body therapies, reflexology, Reiki, yoga), this verdict is sobering indeed!”
Posted “Faith healing: US parents were convicted of child-abuse and murder.” The parents refused treatment of their infant daughter for hemolytic disease of the newborn.

On McGill Office for Science and Society:

Paige Boklaschuk:

Asked “Should you get a full-body MRI to check for cancer?” “No. Perform the tests that are recommended for your demographic and consult your doctor to determine screening tests you would benefit from.”

Joe Schwarcz:

Wrote “Dipping into the science of olive oil.” “A strong argument can be made for substituting extra virgin olive oil for butter, cream and margarine in the diet, although healthwise it is not clear that it is better than other vegetable oils.”
Posted “Eat like a lion?,” discussing the carnivore diet Video with transcript. “What is clear is that the fad is not supported by evidence. Quite the contrary. The lack of fiber increases the risk of colon cancer, imbalances the intestinal microbiome, and can lead to explosive diarrhea. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies red meat as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’ and ‘processed meat as known to be carcinogenic to humans.’ A high meat diet raises LDL cholesterol, the so-called ‘bad cholesterol,’ as well as blood levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a compound linked with cardiovascular risk. Meat also lacks vitamin C, magnesium and potassium, all found in plant foods. Then there is the issue of kidney stones. Too great a protein consumption can lead to both calcium oxalate and uric acid kidney stones…”

March – Rina Raphael (Skeptical Inquirer) wrote “Why you should be more skeptical the next time you read a health news article.

March 10 – Trisha Pasricha (Washington Post) wrote “Probiotics are often a waste of money. Try this instead.” “The American Gastroenterological Association does not recommend probiotics for most digestive conditions… But of the more than 1,000 clinical trials of probiotics, there is vast heterogeneity across experiments — different bacterial strains, different doses and different outcomes being measured. Some take characteristics of the host microbiome into account; others don’t, focusing more on symptoms or other health measures. This creates a confusing research landscape peppered with both positive and negative results. Even when aggregated into meta-analyses, the results are all over the map.”

March 31 - Trisha Pasricha (Washington Post) wrote “What the science says about multivitamins, magnesium, and 7 other supplements.” The other supplements discussed were psyllium, collagen, ashwagandha, iron, greens powders, vitamin B12, and probiotics.

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