MARCH-APRIL 2015 NEWS

March – The National Health and Medical Research Council of the Australian Government published an Information paper (40 page pdf file) reviewing the effectiveness of homeopathy. It concluded that “there are no health conditions for which there is reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective.”

March – Another paper has concluded that glucosamine and chondroitin are not effective in dealing with osteoarthritis (Yang et al., Arthritis Rheumatol. 67, 714-723 (2015) Abstract), in agreement with earlier reviews. An updated Quackwatch article includes the new findings.

March – Shelley and others analyzed the content of websites of Canadian chiropractic associations and colleges (Focus Altern. Complement. Ther. 20, 13-22 (2015) Paper). “Website content claimed that chiropractic is capable of addressing a wide range of health issues,” not just problems with the back. In commenting on the study, Ernst said that “at least in Canada, there is very little evidence that chiropractic is about to become an ethical and evidence-based profession.”

March – A review by Rahnema and others (Andrology 3, 150-155 (2015) Abstract) dealt with the problem of designer steroids, anabolic-androgenic steroids synthesized from other steroids “and chemically modified with the intent to circumvent controlled substances laws.” These are present in some dietary supplements, and have the potential for severe side effects.

March – A review and meta-analysis by Cho and others (Pain Pract. 15, 279-291 (2015) Paper) found “encouraging but limited evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for acute postoperative pain after back surgery.”

March – Another review of acupuncture concluded that it “seems to be at least as effective as conventional drug preventative therapy for migraine” (Da Silva, Headache 55, 470-473 (2015) Abstract).

March – In contrast to the previous items, McGeeney argued that “Acupuncture Is All Placebo and Here is Why” (Headache 55, 465-469 (2015) Abstract). “Sixteen logical traps are identified which together explain most of the false reasoning behind the alleged effect of acupuncture.”

March – A review by de Souza and others (J. Altern. Complement. Med. 21, 129-140 (2015) Abstract) concluded that mindfulness meditation may be useful in treating smoking, though the studies to date are lacking in sufficient experimental details.

March 1 – Bailey and others examined the relationship between multivitamin-multimineral supplement use and the risk of cardiovascular disease (J. Nutr. 145, 572-578 (2015) Abstract). A benefit was found in the case of women using the supplements for more than three years.

March 4 – A review dealing with low back pain concluded that “acupuncture provides short-term clinically relevant benefits for pain relief and functional improvement compared with no treatment or acupuncture plus another conventional intervention” (Liu et al., Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. 2015, 328196 Paper).

March 5 – As reported by Dyer (BMJ 350, h1234 (2015) Excerpt), “A study by University of Toronto researchers looking at homeopathic treatment of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been criticised in a letter signed by 90 scientists and doctors. They say they are concerned that ‘the mounting of such a study by a highly reputable researcher at a top notch university will be used by homeopaths to justify diverse aspects of their practice, including steering patients away from evidence-based treatments’.”

March 5 – In a blog entry in Science-Based Medicine, Bellamy introduces readers to a new site, "Naturopathic Diaries: Confessions of a Former Naturopath", created by Britt Marie Hermes. As described by Hermes, “Naturopathic medical beliefs include pseudoscientific ideas like vaccines cause more harm than good, any disease can be successfully treated with homeopathy, alternative cancer therapies are safe and effective, and nutrition can cure mental illness. These beliefs are dangerous and their promotion is unethical.” Hermes also began writing for Science-Based Medicine, with a March 13 entry entitled "ND Confession, Part 1: Clinical Training Inside and Out", describing her training at Bastyr University. She notes that “the quantity and quality of the training provided by Bastyr University is scant, lacks the application of medical standards of care, and includes pseudoscientific diagnostic methods and treatments of real and fake diseases.” There was little opportunity to examine and treat actual patients.

March 15 – A New York Times Story by C. Rubin profiled Vani Hari, known as Food Babe. Hari has been criticized for scientifically inaccurate statements and exaggerated risks of food additives: “Scientists splutter with frustration that to Ms. Hari, the word ‘chemical’ is always a pejorative and that she yells fire about toxins but ignores that fruits and vegetables are full of naturally occurring toxins, and that the dose makes the poison.” An earlier Science-Based Medicine Blog by D. Gorski (Dec. 8, 2014) also discussed Hari’s statements.

March 14 – According to a review and meta-analysis by Didari and others (World J. Gastroenterol. 21, 3072-3084 Paper), “The results demonstrate the beneficial effects of probiotics in IBS [irritable bowel syndrome] patients in comparison with placebo.”

March 15 - Talaei and Pan reviewed the “Role of Phytoestrogens in Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes” (World J. Diabetes 6, 271-283 (2015) Paper). They concluded that “Taken together, the current evidence from different study designs is complex and inconsistent. Although the widespread use of phytoestrogens could not be recommended yet, habitual consumption of phytoestrogens, particularly their intact food sources like soy and whole flaxseed, could be considered as a component of overall healthy dietary pattern for prevention and management of T2D.”

March 19 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “is warning consumers not to rely on asthma products labeled as homeopathic that are sold over-the-counter (OTC)” Safety Alert. The alert notes asthma is a serious condition and can result in life-threatening attacks requiring emergency care. There are safe and effective conventional medicines for treating it. (Homeopathic products contain no active ingredients and cannot provide benefits for any condition.)

March 28 - Yu and others reviewed the use of acupuncture for treatment of angina pectoris (BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 15, 90 (2015) Paper). Although the data appeared to suggest a benefit, “the quality of the trials involved in this study was low. Large and more rigorously designed trials are needed to confirm the potential benefits and adverse events of acupuncture.”

March 29 - A revised version of a Book Review, by Moran and Lubetkin, was published on Cancer Treatment Watch. The review deals with “One Man Alone: An Investigation of Nutrition, Cancer, and William Donald Kelley,” by Nicholas Gonzalez. Based on previous work of Kelley, Gonzalez devised a cancer treatment regime including pancreatic enzymes, coffee enemas, and nutritional supplements. There was little or no scientific rationale and evidence for these approaches. The authors analyzed 50 cases presented by Gonzalez as evidence of the success of Kelley’s approach, and found that none of them satisfied criteria needed to be considered as compelling evidence of success. Later, Gonzalez’s methods were subjected to a clinical trial that showed no evidence of effectiveness.

April - Semwal and others published a review of Garcinia cambogia, whose active ingredient hydroxycitric acid (HCA) is marketed for weight loss (Fitoterapia 102, 134-148 (2015) Abstract). Some studies report beneficial effects for weight loss, but others do not. Safety concerns have been raised concerning products containing HCA, but since these contained other ingredients it is not certain whether HCA itself was the problem.

April - Jorde and Grimnes published “Vitamin D and Health: The Need for More Randomized Controlled Trials” (J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 148, 269-274 (2015) Abstract). In general, randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplements have been negative. The authors propose that this may be because the subjects “were not vitamin D deficient at inclusion; and second, most studies have been too small.” Several large studies are ongoing and may give more definitive answers.

April – Burke reviewed the use of red yeast rice for elevated cholesterol (Curr. Atheroscler. Rep. 17, 22 Abstract). Although several small studies suggest the products may be beneficial, in some cases they contain chemicals identical to statin drugs; thus, “physicians and patients should be wary regarding their use.”

April 11 – A Cochrane review (CD000518 (2015)) of balneotherapy (or spa therapy) for rheumatoid arthritis was published by Verhagen and others. The therapy is defined as “bathing in natural mineral or thermal waters…using mudpacks or doing both.” The conclusion was that “Overall evidence is insufficient to show that balneotherapy is more effective than no treatment, that one type of bath is more effective than another or that one type of bath is more effective than mudpacks, exercise or relaxation therapy.”

April 13 – Barrett published a Chirobase critique of the NutriMost Fat Loss System, promoted by some chiropractors. The method employs “nonsensical” concepts of the causes of obesity and how it can be treated using “energetic resonant frequencies.”

April 16 – A review by Yang and others (Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. 2015, 143858 (2015) Paper) concluded that “Acupuncture therapy is effective for the dry eye patients, partly better than artificial tear treatment.”

April 17 – S. Barrett submitted to the Food and Drug Administration, which was holding hearing on regulation of homeopathy, his Comments on the subject. Noting that “homeopathy is senseless and its survival in today's marketplace is the result of political maneuvering rather than scientific validity,” Barrett provided eight recommendations for how the FDA should regulate homeopathic products.

April 19 – The Medical Student Section of the American Medical Association (AMA-MSS) has prepared a resolution dealing with the ethical promotion of medical information in the media Doctors in Oz Blog. The resolution is in response to studies showing that many products recommended on the Dr. Oz show and The Doctors are not supported by scientific evidence.

April 20 – Esteghamati and others published “Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Treatment of Obesity: A Critical Review” (Int. J. Endocrinol. Metab. 13, e19678 (2015) Paper). The authors discussed “the efficacy and safety of the more commonly used CAM methods for the treatment of obesity, namely herbal supplements, acupuncture, and non-invasive body-contouring.” They found that “The evidence supporting the effectiveness and safety of these methods is either lacking or point to a negligible clinical benefit, barely surpassing that of the placebo.”

April 20 – Wider and others reported an updated Cochrane review (CD002286 (2015)) on feverfew for preventing migraine. This review adds one new study, which “adds some positive evidence to the mixed and inconclusive findings of the previous review. However, this constitutes low quality evidence, which needs to be confirmed in larger rigorous trials.”

April 20 – An update Blog post, “Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Cancer – the Evidence So Far,” has been published by Cancer Research UK. Summarizing, “at the moment there isn’t enough reliable evidence to prove that cannabinoids – whether natural or synthetic – can effectively treat cancer in patients, although research is ongoing around the world.”

April 21 – Yet another study has shown no connection between vaccines and autism (Jain et al., JAMA 313, 1534-1540 (2015) Paper). The authors looked at children with older siblings diagnosed with autism (and thus at increased risk due to genetic factors). For these (as well as for those with unaffected older siblings), the MMR vaccine did not increase the risk of autism. The study is discussed in an Editorial by King (pp. 1518-1519) and in a News story.

April 29 – Levinovitz published “An Alternative-Medicine Believer’s Journey Back to Science” in Wired.com. The story describes Jim and Louise Laidler’s pursuit of alternative medicine treatments for their son with autism, only to realize that there were no miracles, and their best approach was to work with science-based treatments. Steven Novella presents critiques of other aspects of alternative medicine.

April 29 – A case report by Brancheau and others suggest that “a combination of cinnamon supplement and statin can cause hepatitis” (Am. J. Case Rep. 16, 250-254 (2015) Paper).