MAY-JUNE 2015 NEWS

May – The May/June issue of Skeptical Inquirer (Vol. 39, issue 3) was a special issue on “medical misinformation.” S. Novella’s article (pp. 22-24) was entitled "It's Time for Science-Based Medicine." Novella explains why evidence-based medicine must be extended to science-based medicine by including the idea of prior probability. Clinical data that do not take into account that some treatments are scientifically implausible can be misleading. Dorlo and others criticized the World Health Organization in "WHO's Strategy on Traditional and Complementary Medicine," subtitled “A Disgraceful Contempt for Evidence-Based Medicine” (pp. 42-45). Advocates for traditional medicine employ invalid arguments from popularity and from antiquity, and “imply that any reasonable quality standards for health care can be disregarded for the poor.” D. Gorski wrote “Science Sells Out: Advertising Traditional Chinese Medicine in Three Supplements” (pp. 46-48). The supplements did not undergo the usual peer review process for typical content in Science. Gorski wrote, “It is a shameful thing when one of the most widely read general science journals in existence sells out by publishing, in essence, an advertisement for ‘integrating’ a specific kind of pseudoscience into medicine.” T. Patterson wrote “Reams Urine & Saliva Testing: Don’t Waste Your Money” (pp. 53), about a test also called the Reams Biological Theory of Ionization Test (RBTI). The test uses a variety of clinical lab measurements to assess “stress” on different organs as well as numerous deficiencies and other conditions. Patterson finds that the claims made for the test are unfounded.

May – The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has issued a Position Statement (pdf file) on homeopathy. Summarizing, “In light of strong evidence to confirm that homeopathy has no effect beyond that of placebo as a treatment for various clinical conditions, the position of the RACGP is: 1. Medical practitioners should not practice homeopathy, refer patients to homeopathic practitioners, or recommend homeopathic products to their patients. 2. Pharmacists should not sell, recommend, or support the use of homeopathic products. 3. Homeopathic alternatives should not be used in place of conventional immunisation. 4. Private health insurers should not supply rebates for or otherwise support homeopathic services or products.”

May 1 – A study of more than 3000 women older than 55 found that higher dietary intake of antioxidants was associated with reduced risk of breast cancer (Pantavos et al., Int. J. Cancer 136, 2178-2186 (2015) Abstract). (It should be noted that the results cannot be assumed to apply to antioxidant supplements.)

May 6 – Araujo and Worman published “Acute Liver Injury Associated with a Newer Formulation of the Herbal Weight Loss Supplement Hydroxycut” (BMJ Case Rep. 2015, May 6 Abstract). “Hydroxycut is an herbal weight loss supplement that has been linked to liver injury. Over the past decade, the components of Hydroxycut have been modified, yet new cases of liver injury have continued to emerge.” A major component of Hydroxycut is hydroxycitrate, but it is possible that other components are responsible for the dangers.

May 7 – Brondino and others reviewed “Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorders” (Ev. Based Complement. Altern. Med. 2015, 258589 (2015) Paper). The authors noted, “There is no conclusive evidence supporting the efficacy of CAM therapies in ASD. Promising results are reported for music therapy, sensory integration therapy, acupuncture, and massage.”

May 8 – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Warning letter concerning the ZYTO Hand Cradle, which is used to measure galvanic skin response; related software then diagnoses health conditions and makes recommendations for supplements and therapies. In an updated critique on Device Watch, S. Barrett notes that “Skin resistance to an electric current has no value in the diagnosis or treatment of disease.”

May 14 – Li, Qiu, and Qin reviewed the “Efficacy of Acupuncture for Bell’s Palsy” (PLoS ONE 10, e0121880 (2015) Paper). They concluded, “Acupuncture seems to be an effective therapy for Bell’s palsy, but there was insufficient evidence to support the efficacy and safety of acupuncture. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously, because of the poor quality and heterogeneity of the included studies.”

May 18 – According to a Story by M. Perrone, “More than 170 clinics across the country are selling experimental stem cell procedures for dozens of diseases and conditions — a mushrooming industry that has flourished despite little evidence of its safety or effectiveness…academic stem cell researchers have watched in dismay as doctors treat patients with experimental techniques that they say could take years, if not decades, to become sound medicine.”

May 20 – On the Science-Based Medicine blog, S. Novella discussed nootropics, “an emerging class of drugs that are designed to enhance cognitive function.” Marketed as dietary supplements, “Their use as smart pills, however, is dubious from a plausibility standpoint and lacks sufficient evidence. Many ‘smart pill’ products on the market cheat by including a regular stimulant, like caffeine…Current non-stimulant nootropics are likely useless in healthy individuals.”

June 1 – S. Barrett published "A Critical Look at Defeat Autism Now! and the 'DAN! Protocol'." DAN! was a project (closed in 2011) of the Autism Research Institute. The protocol began "with a choice of four general directions. The subsequent choices include chelation therapy and more than 50 dietary supplements, medications, dietary strategies, and other modalities…The ‘DAN! protocol’ as a whole was never validated or even tested, and was untestable. It was derived from observations that were not structured to determine effectiveness. It was a hodgepodge of everything DAN!'s founders speculated might be useful.”

June 15 – While Lyme disease is a genuine medical condition, many individuals suffering from a variety of symptoms are led to believe that they suffer from so-called “chronic Lyme disease” in the absence of convincing evidence of infection. Unconventional practitioners then recommend a variety of “alternative” therapies to these individuals. Lantos and others examined “Unorthodox Alternative Therapies Marketed to Treat Lyme Disease” (Clin. Infect. Dis. 60, 1776-1782 Abstract). They concluded that “The efficacy of these unconventional treatments for Lyme disease is not supported by scientific evidence, and in many cases they are potentially harmful.”

June 24 – A. Levinovitz published "The Problem With David Perlmutter, the Grain Brain Doctor." According to Levinovitz’s analysis, Perlmutter’s claims about the damaging effect of gluten on the brain are unsupported by science. Over the years Perlmutter has marketed of unproven treatments and has “had a long-standing involvement with shady supplement companies.”