MAY 2022 NEWS
Featured topic: coronavirus
On Science-Based Medicine,
David Gorski posted:
“The '12% efficacy' myth from the ‘Pfizer data dump’: The latest slasher stat about COVID-19 vaccines.” The myth incorrectly uses all respiratory infections in subjects rather than confirmed COVID cases.
“’Coronophobia’: How antivaxxers and pandemic minimizers pathologize fear of disease.” “…in the age of the pandemic it has been disturbing to see how many doctors who consider themselves so very reasonable, science-based, and even—dare I say it?—provaccine have found those pre-COVID-19 narratives compelling. Implying that those who have an overwrought fear of a vaccine-preventable disease must have a diagnosable mental health condition, such as an anxiety disorder like a phobia, is just another example.”
“The ABIM [American Board of Internal Medicine] vs. medical misinformation: better late than never?”
Jonathan Howard posted:
“Supposedly silenced scientists and Dr. Rick Bright.” “Contrarian doctors don’t want discussion and debate. That’s why they ignore silenced scientists like Dr. Rick Bright…CDs don’t really care about scientists who have actually been silenced. Instead, by focusing on their critics’ manners, they seek to divert the spotlight from their repeated underestimation of the virus and successful campaign to ensure tens of millions of children and young adults contracted it before they were vaccinated.”
“Methodolatry and COVID.”…demanding impossible RCTs [randomized controlled trials] while rejecting the perfectly good studies that have already been done is the entire point for those who spread fear about vaccines and fetishize ‘natural’ immunity.”
“Vaccines don’t save lives.” “Vaccines don’t save lives, vaccination does. A vaccine rotting in a freezer doesn’t help anyone, and sadly, millions of vaccine doses have done just that. The consequences have been horrific. A recent analysis estimated that over 300,000 lives could have been saved had every eligible adult been vaccinated in the USA. Misinformation is one of the leading causes of death and suffering in America today… Fostering basic critical thinking skills and countering medical misinformation is a vital undertaking.”
“Ayn Rand, Objectivists, and COVID.” “Healthcare workers are leaving medicine after coming under attack due to the type of disinformation spread by Objectivists. That’s ironic.”
On Respectful Insolence, “Orac” posted:
“NIH funding lies as disinformation.” “It’s depressing to see formerly respected academics spread lies about the NIH funding process in order to undermine trust in COVID-19 public health science.”
“Martin Kulldorf promotes an old antivax narrative about “natural immunity.”
“Dr. Richard Amerling of AAPS goes full Godwin on COVID-19.”
“Radical COVID-19 antivax sentiment is metastasizing to childhood vaccines.”
May 20 – Jonathan Jarry wrote “Steve Kirsch and the seduction of simplicity.” “An entrepreneur decided to invest money into researching off-patent drugs against COVID-19. Why did that lead him to the anti-vaxx movement?”
Other topics
Best of the blogs, May – on Science-Based Medicine,
David Gorski:
Wrote “Columbia University finally cuts ties with America’s Quack Dr. Oz.” “Decades after Dr. Oz pioneered ‘integrating’ quackery into medicine and after many years of promoting diet scams and quackery on a nationally syndicated daily television show, Columbia University appears finally to have had enough and has quietly downgraded his status. What took so long?” Edzard Ernst also discussed the story.
Harriet Hall:
Discussed “Pain Reprocessing Therapy.” “Can the level of pain in 2/3 of patients with chronic low back pain be reduced by psychological treatments that help patients reconceptualize their pain as non-dangerous? These results would be very exciting if true, but they are suspect for the reasons given. I sincerely hope PRT will be validated by further research, but I can’t recommend it on the basis of present evidence.”
Wrote “Plenity – a new weight loss pill.” It is “designed to create a sense of fullness…Conclusion: No miracle drug, but modestly helpful…So far, effectiveness has been shown in only one placebo-controlled trial. Diet and exercise must be continued. It doesn’t work well for everyone: 6 out of 10 users lost at least 5% of their body weight; the other 4 didn’t. It appears to have fewer side effects than other weight loss products. Not a way to achieve ideal weight, but probably worth trying for patients who understand that it is only an aid and not a final solution.”
Steven Novella:
Posted “Homeopathy and pre-registered trials.” “Preregistering clinical trials is a great idea, but we have to actually track registration.”
Edzard Ernst:
Posted “If you suffer from asthma, stay away from so-called alternative medicine (SCAM)!”
Asked, “Is removal of dental amalgam a good idea?” “As dental amalgam removal does not seem risk-free, it is perhaps unwise to remove these fillings at all. Patients who are convinced that their amalgam fillings make them ill might simply benefit from assurance.”
Wrote “Is TENS [transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation] an effective therapy for pain?” The authors of a review (“concluded that there was moderate-certainty evidence that pain intensity is lower during or immediately after TENS compared with placebo and without serious adverse events. This is an impressive review, not least because of its rigorous methodology and the large number of included trials. Its results are clear and convincing.” The cited reference is: Johnson et al. BMJ Open. 2022 Feb 10;12(2):e051073 Paper.
Discussed a meta-analysis of the safety of acupuncture. Since most controlled trials of acupuncture did not discuss adverse effects, the conclusion of the authors that acupuncture is safe is unfounded.
Wrote “The European Parliament's pathetic attempt to dabble in integrative medicine.” “Unified standards? But what about high or perhaps just scientific standards? What about first doing the research and then making claims about CAM or TCIM or however you decide to call it?...I also seriously doubt that the forum for discussion on Integrative and Complementary Medicine will bring clarity and rationality to this debate. If they really wanted a debate, they would need to include a few critical thinkers; can anyone recognize one on the list of speakers? I cannot! I fear the aim of the group and their meeting is to mislead us all into thinking that CAM, TCIM, etc. generate more good than harm without ever delivering the evidence for that assumption.”
Posted “A new trial of osteopathic visceral manipulation generated a positive result – but is it credible?” The study had a “tiny sample size,” the A+B vs B trial design, “which will inevitably generate a positive result,” and “questionable ethics” (since the treatment was implausible). “The present trial merely suggests that the placebo effect associated with VM is powerful (which is hardly surprising for a therapy like VM).”
Wrote “Acupuncture against obesity? No, I don’t think so!” The study actually employed electroacupuncture. The set-up of this study is ideally suited to introduce a proper placebo treatment. All one has to do is to not switch on the electrical stimulator in the control group. Why did the researchers not do that?” A more likely conclusion of the study is that “The extra attention of the EA treatment motivated obese patients to eat less...”
Posted “More bad news for German homeopaths.”
May – Harriet Hall wrote “Misconceptions about vitamins for Skeptical Inquirer.
May 4 – The FDA issued warning letters to companies illegally selling CBD and delta-8 THC products Press release. “Delta-8 THC has psychoactive and intoxicating effects and may be dangerous to consumers…The warning letters address the illegal marketing of unapproved delta-8 THC products by companies as unapproved treatments for various medical conditions or for other therapeutic uses…It is extremely troubling that some of the food products are packaged and labeled in ways that may appeal to children.”
May 23 – Alba wrote “Behind the dangerous DIY baby formula recipes on social media.” “The problem is that there’s broad medical agreement that homemade versions of baby formula come with serious health risks. Both the US Food and Drug Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics have issued warnings against making infant formula at home because DIY versions don’t offer the correct nutrients and don’t provide enough of them.”