Featured topic: coronavirus
On Science-Based Medicine, Jan Bellamy:
Posted “'Health Freedom' group promotes legislation negating masks, other public health measures.” “National Health Freedom Action is promoting state legislation that would block enforcement of public health measures (e.g., mask wearing and social distancing) during epidemics and other emergencies. The organization and its allies embrace junk science and have successfully passed laws protecting quacks.”
David Gorski:
Wrote “In the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, can we trust the CDC and FDA any more?”
Discussed “The confluence of antivaccine beliefs and conspiracy theories in COVID-19 denial.” “I once coined a term, the central dogma of alternative medicine, to describe the belief that we have near-total control over our health through lifestyle, such as diet, activity, exercise, and a Secret-like belief that wishing makes it so. Antivaxxers and COVID-19 deniers share that mystical, magical belief system in which they are healthy entirely because of their choices, and they (and their children) are not at risk of horrible outcomes due to infectious disease because of their choices…” “…if you’re a COVID-19 denier, it must be the CDC, big pharma, pro-vaxxers who want a vaccine (enter Bill Gates again!), the government (who wants to control you), and others suppressing the ‘truth’…Conspiracy theories are also a major impediment to controlling childhood disease, addressing climate change, and, right now, remain one of the most intractable barriers, if not the most intractable barrier, to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Clay Jones:
Posted “ZShield: Unproven Protection from SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Especially for Kids.” “The manufacturers of ZShield appear to be choosing comfort and ease of use/customer preference over effectiveness in the design of products that they are selling to the general public. It’s dangerous to promote what is essentially an untested medical device with such low likelihood of preventing the spread of COVID-19. And the degree to which they’ve contorted the available scientific studies and expert recommendations to give the appearance of legitimate protection is wrong.”
Steven Novella:
Discussed the FDA decision on oleandrin (an extract from Oleandra). Since an investigation of oleandrin as a drug had been authorized, it cannot be sold as a dietary supplement.
Wrote about “Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2.”
On Respectful Insolence, “Orac” posted:
“China is forcing people to use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) quackery to treat COVID-19.”
“It’s September. That must mean it’s time for fear mongering about the flu vaccine.” “In the end, what we have here from ‘Dr.’ Mercola is nothing more than a Gish gallop of cherry picked studies and observations without context designed to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the flu vaccine.”
“Brucellosis: The latest and (maybe) silliest COVID-19 conspiracy theory yet!”
“No, the rush for a COVID-19 vaccine is not turning provaccine advocates into antivaxxers.”
“Barbara Loe Fisher: Using COVID-19 to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about all vaccines.” “…COVID-19 is nothing more than a convenient tool for Fisher to promote her message of fear mongering about vaccines and playing the persecuted martyr for her refusal.”
September 1 – Heather Murphy (New York Times) wrote “These scientists are giving themselves D.I.Y. [do it yourself] coronavirus vaccines.” “But critics say that no matter how well-intentioned, these scientists aren’t likely to learn anything useful because their vaccines are not being put to the true test of randomized and placebo-controlled studies. What’s more, taking these vaccines could cause harm — whether from serious immune reactions and other side effects, or offering a false sense of protection.”
Other topics
Best of the blogs, September – on Science-Based Medicine, Jann Bellamy:
Posted “FDA warns companies selling illegal hangover remedies.” “The FDA recently warned seven companies not to claim that their dietary supplements can prevent, treat, or cure a hangover, because only FDA-approved drugs can make such claims. The agency also warned that NAC [N-acetyl-L-cysteine], a popular supplement ingredient, cannot legally be used in dietary supplements.” Other ingredients discussed include dihydromyricetin (DHM) from Japanese Raisin Tree, prickly pear cactus, and activated charcoal.
Scott Gavura:
Posted “Turmeric for osteoarthritis: Promising but modest effects.”
Harriet Hall:
Wrote “Taopatch offers everything…except science.” Taopatch is “a 16-mm patented nanotechnology wellness device ‘scientifically proven to provide immediate and long-lasting relief, physically, emotionally, and mentally’.” “Their explanation of how it works is not credible. The words sound like science, but are pure pseudoscientific gibberish. I won’t waste any time trying to explain what is wrong with it…It can be difficult to distinguish between stupidity and malice, but I’m inclined to suspect the people selling Taopatch are deliberately and cynically foisting expensive placebos on naïve customers.”
Reviewed the new book “Anti-vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement,” by Jonathan Berman.
Posted “Plexus: MLM strikes again.” The article discusses multilevel marketing (MLM) in general, and Plexus, a marketer of dietary supplements, in particular.
Reviewed Edzard Ernst’s book “Chiropractic: Not All That It’s Cracked Up to Be.” “This book is an excellent, comprehensive reference for all things chiropractic. It provides solid facts to correct widespread misinformation. It provides evidence that should answer any question a reader might come up with. It doesn’t tell readers what to think, but it provides the tools to help them think clearly for themselves.”
Steven Novella:
Wrote “Where are we with CBD” [cannabidiol]. “The existing evidence is showing that there are serious drug-drug interaction (mostly because of changes to liver enzymes), and there are potentially serious side effects in certain populations. In addition, beneficial effects are mostly small and/or dubious…Although it’s probably too late, we should hit the pause button on cannabinoids until proper research has a chance to play itself out. A ‘what’s the harm’ approach here is not appropriate. Appeal to anecdote is more likely to cause harm than good. Let the science happen.”
Edzard Ernst:
Posted “Doctor Mathias Rath: an example of the worst excesses of the alternative therapy industry?”
Wrote “Reasons why ineffective treatments can appear to be effective.”
Discussed a review on whether integrative medicine reduces prescribed opioids for chronic pain. “My reading of the RCTs [randomized controlled trials] – the only type of study that might give a reliable answer to the question posed- is that they do not show a opioid-sparing effect of CAM use, particularly if we eliminate those studies that tested treatments which are not truly CAM. In any case, as I have said several times before, the way to avoid over-prescribing opioid is not through using more therapies of doubtful effectiveness but through prescribing less opioids.”
Posted concerning a study of laying on of hands for osteoarthritis pain. “Its findings are surprising and lack scientific plausibility…Whenever we are faced with a surprising finding based on a seemingly rigorous trial, it is wise to realise that there is a plethora of possible explanations and that speculations are usually not very helpful. There is always a danger of a clinical trial producing false or misleading findings. This could be due to a plethora of reasons such as error, undetected bias or confounding, fraud, etc.”
Wrote concerning keto-flu, a side effect of the ketogenic diet. It is “a syndrome of transient symptoms generally reported as occurring within the first few weeks of adhering to the diet. These symptoms can feel similar to the flu and are caused by the body adapting to a new diet consisting of very little carbohydrates.”
Continued his “Heedless Homeopathy” series (see August news) with Part 4, discussing remedies that “originate from human tissues or materials,” such as “Sigmoid Colon.”
Posted “Black salve: Practitioners who employ or recommend it are irresponsible to the extreme.” Black salve has been used by alternative practitioners for skin cancer and also is being promoted for other skin conditions. “Due to its erosive nature, black salve burns away the tissue with which it comes into contact. Numerous case reports of the resulting deformations have been published…black salve is not of proven efficacy as a treatment of any condition. It is well documented to cause much harm. Its use should be discouraged.”
Discussed “Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of homeopathy. A new study from Germany.” “...this is not a scientific study but a clever marketing coup!...WHERE THERE IS NO EFFECTIVENESS, THERE CAN ALSO BE NO COST-EFFECTIVENESS!”
Reported on a study indicating that “Neither spinal manipulation nor spinal mobilization is effective treatments for chronic low back pain.” He noted some limitations to the study, but “Despite these limitations, this study certainly is a valuable addition to the evidence. It casts more doubt on spinal manipulation and mobilisation as an effective therapy for LBP and confirms my often-voiced view that these treatments are not the best we can offer to LBP-patients.”
September - A review (Li et al. J Affect Disord. 2020;274:1102-1112 Abstract) found that “Tai Chi has a positive effect on improving sleep quality.”
September – Claudia Wallis discussed intermittent fasting in Scientific American. “In humans, studies have shown that various forms of IF can be effective ways to lose weight, control blood sugar and lower blood pressure. There are hints that the more stringent forms—those with longer or stricter fasts—offer additional benefits. ‘But to be honest, a lot of the benefits that we see in animals are not really translating to humans,’ says Krista Varady, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago. ‘It's not a magic diet’.”
September 7 – Tareq Yousef wrote “There’s no evidence that blue-light blocking glasses help with sleep” for The Conversation. “Ophthalmologists generally agree that there is ‘a current lack of high-quality clinical evidence to support a beneficial effect with blue‐blocking spectacle lenses for reducing eye fatigue, enhancing sleep quality or preserving macular health in the general population’…For now, this is another pseudoscience market that’s taken advantage of its consumer base — anyone who uses computers…For now, keeping our eyes off screens at night and taking frequent breaks from screens is what will contribute most to our eye health and sleep hygiene.”
Additions to previous months
November 27, 2019 – Jonathan Jarry wrote “The genetic astrology of naturopath Ben Lynch” for the McGill Office for Science and Society. Lynch’s book “Dirty Genes” gives quizzes that readers use to assess impaired functions of genes such as MTHFR. “Take-home message: Ben Lynch is a naturopath who wrote a book, Dirty Genes, in which he claims that seven genes can either be born dirty or get dirty, and that these dirty genes cause all sorts of illnesses; Lynch takes basic concepts in genetics but oversimplifies them in an attempt to get you to buy a wide range of supplements.”
February 29, 2020 – Abdelhamid and other reviewed omega-3 fatty acids for prevention of cardiovascular disease (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;3(2):CD003177 Abstract). “There is little evidence of effects of eating fish. EPA [eicosapentaenoic acid] and DHA [docosahexaenoic acid] reduce triglycerides. EPA, DHA and ALA [alpha-linolenic acid] may be slightly protective of some heart and circulatory diseases.”
July 21 –Marks and Hahn published “Identifying the risks of unproven regenerative medicine therapies” (JAMA. 2020;324(3):241-242 First paragraph). Regenerative medicine includes the use of stem cells. “Overall, the safety and efficacy of regenerative medicine products outside a narrow range of indications have yet to be demonstrated… these products, whether autologous or allogeneic, are not inherently safe and may be associated with serious adverse consequences…Unapproved regenerative medicine therapies are concerning precisely because they have not been treated as what they are: investigational therapeutics for which evidence for safety and efficacy is not available…in addition to consulting with their primary health care clinician, prior to considering cellular therapies, patients should ask if the therapy is approved by the FDA. If it is not, they should ensure that an active Investigational New Drug application is on file with the FDA, and they should expect to review and sign an informed consent. Patients and their families also should not expect to be charged for investigational products they receive.”
August – Golzarand et al. reviewed Garcinia cambogia supplements for use in obesity (Complement Ther Med. 2020 Aug;52:102451 Abstract). Garcinia contains as active ingredient hydroxycitrate. “Our results suggested that Garcinia cambogia supplement had a significant effect on the body weight, BMI [body mass index], PFA [sic; should be PFM, percentage of fat mass], and WC [waist circumference] as compared with the placebo.” “However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to the substantial heterogeneity between studies.” Moreover, “there are some concerns about the safety of Garcinia cambogia,” with reports of liver damage.
August – Zamil and others published “Acne related to dietary supplements” (Dermatol Online J. 2020 Aug 15;26(8):13030 Paper). Supplements linked to acne include vitamins B6/B12, iodine, whey protein (often used in bodybuilding), and “muscle building” supplements that can be adulterated with anabolic-androgenic steroids.
August 7 – A review found benefits of polyglucosamine (derived from chitosan) for weight loss (Perna et al. Nutrients. 2020 Aug 7;12(8):2365 Paper).
August 17 – The Society for Science-Based Medicine is becoming part of the Center for Inquiry. The Science-Based Medicine blog continues to be owned by the New England Skeptical Society.