SEPTEMBER 2021 NEWS
Featured topic: coronavirus
On Science-Based Medicine,
Jann Bellamy posted:
“Courts should not order hospitals and physicians to order ivermectin against their will.”
“Dr. Joseph Ladapo of ‘America’s Frontline Doctors’ is now in charge of public health in Florida.” “He has no expertise in public health, epidemiology, virology, or infectious diseases, yet he has, over and over, scorned the advice of those who do.” “Orac” also discussed the appointment on Respectful Insolence.
Daniel Freedman posted:
“Peer review of a VAERS dumpster dive.” Data in the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) must be used carefully, since the reported events are not necessarily caused by the vaccine. A new study on the rate of myocarditis after the COVID-19 vaccine was highly flawed. “The study provides a lot of important lessons on what not to do. Don’t do research in an area that is outside of your expertise without help from someone more experienced. Don’t ignore important disclaimers on the CDC’s dataset. Don’t post your methodologically-flawed study on a preprint server when you fail to find a journal. Consider that the problem is with your analysis, not the journals.” David Gorski (September 13 and September 20) and Jonathan Howard provided additional comments on the study.
David Gorski posted:
“Astroturf and think tanks manufacturing doubt about COVID-19 public health interventions.” “The embrace of antimask and antivaccine views by the right wing is due to more than just clever reaching out by antivaxxers. There’s a big money astroturf machine encompassing various ‘think tanks’ behind it.” Gorski noted an op-ed he and Gavin Yamey wrote on the subject for BMJ.
“State medical boards vs. COVID-19 misinformation, an update.” “The disinformation epidemic about COVID-19 has pushed state medical boards to consider disciplining physicians who promote COVID-19 disinformation. How would that work? What are the obstacles? Is it even possible? It should be, but it will be messy and complicated.”
Jonathan Howard posted:
“The vaccine versus the virus: an update.” “The virus is more dangerous than the vaccine for adolescents and young adults. Pro-vaccine doctors must share this fact.”
“The pro-vaccine test.” “Passing the pro-vaccine test should be extremely easy. It only requires someone to acknowledge and share basic facts when opining on children and the vaccine.”
“Lions led by donkeys, 1917.” “Those who sent unprotected children into classrooms filled with COVID-19 must be remembered for more than their unparalleled capacity for self-pity, inglorious oppression fantasies, and juvenile trolling of public officials.”
On Respectful Insolence, “Orac” posted:
“On 'reasonable' apologists for the antivaccine movement.”
“Ivermectin is the new hydroxychloroquine, take 6: More fraud?” “Ivermectin has been hyped without good evidence as a highly effective treatment for COVID-19. One major ‘positive’ ivermectin study was shown to be likely fraudulent. Now others are looking dicey.”
“Florida Sen. Manny Diaz wants to ‘review’ all vaccine mandates.” “This was always the endgame for the antivaccine movement, and COVID-19 might just make it happen in some states, thanks to the embrace of antivaccine and antimask ‘freedumb’ by Republican politicians.”
“In which Orac experiences schadenfreude over Ben Garrison's COVID-19.”
“It’s always about the grift.” “Hawkers of ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and other “miracle cures” for COVID-19 are just like snake oil salesmen going back to time immemorial. Sure, many, if not most, of them believe in their quackery, but it’s also always about the grift.”
Edzard Ernst posted:
“Homeopathic treatment for COVID-19: a case of scientific misconduct and/or irresponsible behavior?” “The possibility that the outcomes are not causally related to the homeopathic treatment seems to have escaped the authors. The harm that can be done by such an article seems obvious: fans of homeopathy might be misled into assuming that homeopathy is an effective therapy for COVID infections and other serious conditions. It is not hard to imagine that this error would cost many lives.”
September 9 – A Joint Statement from the American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, and American Board of Pediatrics supported an earlier statement from the Federation of State Medical Boards that “providing misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine contradicts physicians’ ethical and professional responsibilities, and therefore may subject a physician to disciplinary actions, including suspension or revocation of their medical license.” The joint statement said “We also want all physicians certified by our Boards to know that such unethical or unprofessional conduct may prompt their respective Board to take action that could put their certification at risk…We are particularly concerned about physicians who use their authority to denigrate vaccination at a time when vaccines continue to demonstrate excellent effectiveness against severe illness, hospitalization and death. We all look to board-certified physicians to provide outstanding care and guidance; providing misinformation about a lethal disease is unethical, unprofessional and dangerous.”
September 14 – Jenkins wrote “The gospel of Sherri Tenpenny: COVID-19 misinformation meets Christian nationalism for Religion News.
September 29 – Press-Reynolds wrote “YouTube announced a crackdown on anti-vaccine content, but 2 people from the 'Disinformation Dozen' are still on the platform” for Insider.
Other topics
Best of the blogs, September – on Science-Based Medicine,
Harriet Hall:
Reviewed Edzard Ernst’s book “So-Called Alternative Medicine for Cancer.”
Clay Jones:
Posted “Deadly alkaline water case highlights problems with bottled water regulations.” The focus of the post is on safety, but it also deals with the pseudoscientific nature of various water products (with antioxidants, oxygen, etc.).
Steven Novella:
Discussed “Gene edited vs. genetically modified.”
On Respectful Insolence, “Orac”:
Wrote “Tom Chivers and ‘reasonable’ apologia for science denial.”
Posted “The Republican Party is now undeniably the antivaccine party.”
Edzard Ernst:
Posted “Another death by acupuncture.” “This is the first case report of fatal bilateral pneumothoraces after electroacupuncture reported in the English literature.”
Wrote “More evidence to show that acupuncture is a placebo treatment.” A review claimed that acupuncture might be beneficial for treatment-related symptoms in breast cancer patients. However, “A subgroup analysis of the data indicated that acupuncture showed no significant effects on any of the treatment-related symptoms compared with the sham acupuncture groups. In other words, this paper confirms what has been discussed repeatedly on this blog...: Acupuncture seems to be a placebo therapy!”
Discussed a pilot study of homeopathy for irritable bowel syndrome. “The study has no control group, therefore the outcome cannot be attributed to the treatment but is most likely due to a mixture of placebo effects, regression towards the mean, and natural history of IBS.”
Wrote “Homeopathic treatment for diabetic polyneuropathy? No, I don’t think so.” Ernst concluded, “The findings of this study confirm that homeopathy is a useless treatment.”
Discussed a study of osteopathy for fibromyalgia. “The new study is by far the most rigorous one to date. This means, I think, that the best available evidence confirms that, in the management of FM, osteopathy is a placebo therapy.”
Posted “Cannabis for chronic pain: a new systematic review.” “The bottom line, I think, seems to be that cannabis works but the effect is not very powerful, while we have treatments for managing chronic pain that are both more effective and arguably less risky. So, its place in clinical routine is debatable.”
Wrote “Diagnostic tests regularly used by chiropractors and osteopaths are of dubious value.” A review (Nolet et al. Chiropr Man Therap. 2021 Aug 26;29(1):33 Paper) found that “Reliability of manual palpation tests in the assessment of LBP [low back pain] patients varies greatly. This is problematic because these tests are commonly used by manual therapists and clinicians. Little is known about the validity of these tests; therefore, their clinical utility is uncertain.”
Posted “Many naturopaths, homeopaths, and chiropractors are a risk to public health.” The 2017 National Health Interview Survey found that patients of these practitioners were less likely to receive flu vaccinations, presumably because “these practitioners tend to advise against vaccinations.”
Wrote “Kneipp therapy: popular but not truly evidence-based.” “Kneipp therapy consists of hydrotherapy, exercise therapy, nutritional therapy, phototherapy, and ‘order’ therapy (or balance). Kneipp therapy remains popular in Germany where whole spa towns live off this concept.” Concerning a new review, “I am somewhat concerned about their conclusions. In my view, they are far too positive: almost all studies had significant flaws which means their findings are less than reliable; for most indications, there are only one or two studies, and it seems unwarranted to claim that Kneipp therapy is beneficial for numerous symptoms on the basis of such scarce evidence. My conclusion would therefore be quite different: Despite its long history and considerable popularity, Kneipp therapy is not supported by enough sound evidence for issuing positive recommendations for its use in any health condition.”
Posted “Mesotherapy: What is it? Does it work? Are there risks?” “Mesotherapy is a treatment where fine needles or a high-pressure ‘gun’ are used to inject vitamins, enzymes, hormones, plant extracts, etc. into the skin of a patient…So, is mesotherapy a treatment that might be recommended? Its effectiveness remains unproven. It can cause serious adverse effects. It is by no means cheap. I think these facts answer the question fairly well.”
Wrote “Past life regression therapy? No, thanks!” “First, it is not evidence-based. Past life regression is based on the reincarnation hypothesis, but this hypothesis is not supported by evidence, and in fact, it faces some insurmountable conceptual problems. If patients are not fully informed about these problems, they cannot provide informed consent, and hence, the principle of autonomy is violated. Second, past life regression therapy has the great risk of implanting false memories in patients, and thus, causing significant harm.”
Dealt with incredible claims for the frequency 582 hz in “The ‘LOVETUNER’: Have a look at this, and you will never again think that Deepak Chopra is a charlatan.”
Posted “Traditional European Medicine: what is it and why do we need it?” “Yes, much of this is dangerous nostalgic nonsense that would lead us straight back into the dark ages.”
September – Hua and others published “A content analysis of marketing on the packages of dietary supplements for weight loss and muscle building” (Preventive Medicine Reports Volume 23, September 2021, 101504 Paper). “Dietary supplements for weight loss and muscle building displayed many marketing claims promising weight loss despite a lack of scientific evidence that such products can be used safely and effectively. Greater FDA regulation of these marketing claims are needed.”
September – Warnick et al. reviewed “Integrative medicine treatments for major depressive disorder” (Int J Psychiatry Med. 2021 Sep;56(5):334-343 Paper). “St. John’s Wort, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, S-adenosyl-L-methionine, and crocus sativus (saffron) have the highest levels of evidence in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression. Acetyl-l-carnitine, l-methylfolate, DHEA, and lavender have a moderate level of evidence in treating depression, whereas Vitamin D, one of the most common supplements in the United States, does not have evidence in treating depression. Of the non-medication-based therapies, exercise, light therapy, yoga, acupuncture, and probiotics have evidence in the treatment of depression…”
September – Khan and others reviewed “Dietary interventions and nutritional supplements for heart failure” (Eur J Heart Fail. 2021 Sep;23(9):1468-1476 Paper). “Coenzyme Q10 may reduce all-cause mortality in HF patients, while a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of incident HF; however, the low certainty of evidence warrants the need for further RCTs to confirm a definite clinical role. RCT data were lacking for several common interventions including intermittent fasting, caffeine, DASH diet, and ketogenic diet.”
September – a review by Tan et al. (Autism Res. 2021 Sep;14(9):1820-1836 Abstract concluded that “Some people believe that modulating bacterial composition in the gut may help reduce autism symptoms, but evidence from human studies suggesting beneficial effects of probiotic, prebiotic, and combination thereof as well as fecal transplants in autism spectrum disorder is limited and inconclusive. Current data should not encourage use of these modalities.”
September 1 – A study of nearly 500,0000 participants indicated that “habitual fish oil supplement use is associated with lower risks of both incident and recurrent fractures” (Mei et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021 Sep 1;114(3):945-954 Abstract).
September 1 – Goldman and others published “Myths and Evidence Regarding Melatonin Supplementation for Occasional Sleeplessness in the Pediatric Population” (Pediatr Ann. 2021 Sep;50(9):e391-e395 Paper). “Unsubstantiated concerns in the past may have limited melatonin's use in children with conditions for which the supplement may support a better sleep pattern and, by doing so, may help to improve quality of life. Melatonin dietary supplements using high quality standards may be provided to children together with cognitive-behavioral therapy after proper sleep evaluation and after improved sleep hygiene, family education, and sleep diary activities have failed to resolve sleep difficulties.”
September 7 – As described in Consumer Health Digest, “NBC4 News in Los Angeles has aired its sixth I-Team report about the activities of Southern California business Superior Health Centers (previously Optimal Health/Straw Chiropractic) run by Philip Straw, D.C. The report described how dissatisfied patients had paid thousands of dollars for bogus neuropathy and arthritis treatments.” Video (6 min).
September 9 – The International Society of Sports Nutrition issued a position stand on sodium bicarbonate and exercise performance (Grgic et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021 Sep 9;18(1):61 Paper). The Abstract lists 10 conclusions.
September 9 – Lua and others reviewed “Complementary and alternative therapies for weight loss” (J Evid Based Integr Med. 2021 Jan-Dec;26:2515690X211043738 Paper). Studies “suggested that spirulina, chitosan, probiotic, EPA + DHA, vitamin D, fiber, and herbal extract supplementation may all provide small reductions in body weight (ranging from 1-10 kg). Interestingly, hypnotherapy and acupuncture reported significantly greater reduction in body weight compared with placebo (p < 0.001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Nonetheless, the evidence is still relatively limited and not encouraging to provide a definitive conclusion due to the methodological shortcomings and the presence of adverse events in chitosan and fiber supplementation.”
September 13 – Macuh and Knap reviewed effects of nitrate supplementation on exercise performance (Nutrients. 2021 Sep 13;13(9):3183 Paper). “Nitrates are an effective ergogenic aid when taken acutely or chronically in the range of ~5–16.8 mmol (~300–1041 mg) 2–3 h before exercise and primarily in the case of exercise duration of ~10–17 min in less trained individuals…Nitrate needs are most likely meet by ingesting approximately 250–500 g of leafy and root vegetables per day; however, dietary supplements might represent a more convenient and accurate way of covering an athlete’s nitrate needs.”
September 15 – Jamie Hale wrote “Examining common obesity myths” for the Center for Inquiry.
September 29 – Knoepfler discussed “Stem cell therapy side effects: infections, tumors, & more.” “Many clinics have said over the years to potential customers that ‘the worst that can happen is that the stem cells won’t work.’ We know this isn’t true and it’s irresponsible.”
September 30 – Perrone wrote “US stem cell clinics boomed while FDA paused crackdowns.” “Hundreds of clinics pushing unproven stem cell procedures caught a big break from the U.S. government in 2017: They would have three years to show that their questionable treatments were safe and worked before regulators started cracking down. But when the Food and Drug Administration’s grace period expired in late May — extended six months due to the pandemic — the consequences became clear: Hundreds more clinics were selling the unapproved treatments for arthritis, Alzheimer’s, COVID-19 and many other conditions.”
Additions to previous months
June, 2020 – Talenezhad and others reviewed “Effects of l-carnitine supplementation on weight loss and body composition” (Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2020 Jun;37:9-23 Abstract). “l-carnitine supplementation provides a modest reducing effect on body weight, BMI [body mass index] and fat mass, especially among adults with overweight/obesity.”
November – A review found “little consistent benefit on serum lipids in response to α-lipoic acid supplementation” (Erickson et al. J Diet Suppl. 2020;17(6):753-767 Abstract).
January, 2021 – A review by Zhang and others (Clin Neuropharmacol. 2021 Jan-Feb 01;44(1):5-8 Abstract) concluded that “Vitamin D treatment is effective to alleviate migraine."
January 28 – Gould and others reviewed “The Influence of Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid, Docosahexaenoic Acid, on Child Behavioral Functioning” (Nutrients. 2021 Jan 28;13(2):415 Paper). “There were no findings of a positive effect of DHA, and 23 instances where the DHA group had worse scores compared with the control group. There was limited evidence that DHA supplementation had any effect on behavioral development, although two of the largest trials with behavioral measures detected adverse effects.”
March – Kikuchi, Tanabe, and Iwahori reviewed tryptophan for mood and emotional functioning (J Diet Suppl. 2021;18(3):316-333 Abstract). The results indicated that “TRP intake may be an effective approach to decrease anxiety and increase positive mood in healthy individuals. On the other hand, the effectiveness of TRP for aggressive feelings was not recognized.”
May 3 – According to a story from STAT, “Six patients with dementia traveled to Mexico last year to be injected with a gene therapy not authorized for use in the U.S., according to the CEO of a Seattle-area startup [BioViva] that wants to accelerate testing of unproven anti-aging medicines and views U.S. drug safety regulations as a hindrance.”
June – Asbaghi et al. published “Effect of Green Tea on Anthropometric Indices and Body Composition in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus” (Complement Med Res. 2021;28(3):244-251 Abstract). “This study revealed the beneficial effects of green tea consumption in reducing body weight, BMI [body mass index], and BF [body fat] in T2DM patients. It should be noted that green tea was effective in long-term intervention, at lower doses of green tea, and in overweight patients.”
August – Tari and others reviewed “The effect of inositol supplementation on blood pressure” (Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2021 Aug;44:78-84 Abstract). “The current meta-analysis, indicated that supplementation with inositol significantly decrease SBP [systolic blood pressure] and DBP [diastolic blood pressure].”
August – Two reviews examined supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids. One concluded that “there is no consistency in the literature that omega-3 has benefits in weight loss or body fat mass in humans” (Delpino et al. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2021 Aug;44:122-129 Abstract). Another concluded that “omega-3 supplementation did not reduce first HF [heart failure] hospitalization or cardiovascular mortality but did significantly reduce recurrent HF hospitalizations, as compared with placebo” (Barbarawi et al. Contemp Clin Trials. 2021 Aug;107:106458 Abstract).