September 3rd, 2010 by GarySchwitzer in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Quackery Exposed, Research
Tags: Association Vs. Causation, Cause-And-Effect, Evidence-Based Health Media, Fail To Educate Readers, Health Benefits of Coffee Consumption, Health Journalism, Inaccurate Health Reporting, Java, Media Inaccuracy, Misleading Patients, Observational Studies, Prevention Magazine, Science Journalism, Science-Based Evidence, Statistical Association, Super Foods
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The September issue of Prevention magazine inaccurately headlines the story “4 Ways Coffee Cures.” There’s no solid proof that coffee cures anything — unless some of you cure bacon with java, which I don’t want to know about.
What the story (below) did was to try to present a cute little graphic summary of observational studies that show a statistical association between increasing coffee consumption and fewer early deaths, fewer deaths from heart attack, fewer cases of dementia, and fewer cases of type 2 diabetes.
But such observational studies (they actually never cite the source — I’m just giving them the benefit of the doubt that they’re citing observational studies) CAN’T establish cause and effect, therefore it’s inaccurate for the story to use terms like “cure,” “protective,” and “lowers (or reduces or slashes) your risk.” Besides being inaccurate, such stories fail to educate readers. They mislead.
We ask the editors of Prevention to read and understand our guide “Does the Language Fit the Evidence? Association versus Causation.”
*This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog*
September 3rd, 2010 by Jeffrey Benabio, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, True Stories
Tags: Allergic Contact Dermatitis, Anus, Baby Wipes, Dermatology, Derriere, Dr. Jeff Benabio, Itcy Bottom, Kathon CG, Keratin, MCI/MI, Methylchlorisothiazolinone/Methylisothiazolinone, Moist Toilet Tissues, Moist Towelettes, Pre-Moistened Wipes, Pruritus Ani, Skin Care, Skin Irritants, Skin Rash
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Itchy behinds are part of my everyday. It shouldn’t be part of yours.
Itching on your bottom is usually a minor annoyance, but it can be debilitating. A patient of mine was unable to work because his derrière itching was so intense. A common cause of itching bottom, called pruritus ani, is allergic contact dermatitis.
Places where your skin transitions from outside to inside, such as the lips or the anus, are susceptible to dermatitis because your skin’s barrier is limited in these locations. Without a thick layer of keratin, irritants on the outside easily get into your skin. Moist toilet tissues, such as baby wipes or towelettes, might seem to get you cleaner than old-fashioned toilet paper, but chemicals in the wipes cause a rash in some people. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Dermatology Blog*
September 3rd, 2010 by Lucy Hornstein, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, True Stories
Tags: Bereavement, Death Of A Loved One, Emotional Health, Emotional Support, Emotions, Family Medicine, Family Practice Management, General Medicine, Grief, Mourner's Rights, Psychiatry and Psychology, The Right To Mourn, What Mourners Deserve, When A Loved One Dies
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I seem to have had a run on bereavement recently, in that I’ve had several patients who have lost loved ones. Some have wound up in my office for unrelated complaints, only to have the grief spill out. I’ve become aware of the struggles of others via Facebook.
I’ve found this handout (from Family Practice Management several years ago) to be very useful. I keep copies in my office and hand them out when needed, but it occurs to me that having another way to disseminate this helpful information would be a good idea. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Dinosaur*
September 2nd, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Research
Tags: Ability To Pay For Drugs, ACP Internist, Big Pharma, Consumer Reports, Cutting Healthcare Costs, Drugmaker's Influence On Physicians, Family Medicine, General Medicine, Not Filling Prescriptions, Patients Not Complying, Pharmacology, Physician Drug Prescribing Habits, Prescription Non-Compliance, Primary Care, Splitting Pills
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Patients are pill-splitting more to trim back healthcare costs, according to a poll by Consumer Reports. In the past year, 39 percent took some action to cut costs.
The poll of more than 1,100 people found that 45 percent of people take at least one prescription drug and average four. But 27 percent said they didn’t always comply with a prescription, and 38 percent of those younger than 65 without drug coverage didn’t fill prescriptions at all.
Just over half of patients felt that doctors didn’t consider their ability to pay when prescribing a drug, while nearly half blamed drugmaker’s influence for physicians’ prescribing habits. (HealthLeaders Media)
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
September 2nd, 2010 by Michael Sevilla, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, News, Research
Tags: American Academy of Pediatrics, Athlete's Health, Balance Problems, Confusion, Dayton Daily News, Dizziness, Head Injuries, headache, Loss of Consciousness, Nausea and Vomiting, Neurology, Ohio High School Athletic Association, OHSAA, Sports Medicine, Sports-Related Concussions, Symptoms of Concussion, Younger Athletes
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A study published earlier this week by the American Academy of Pediatrics states that “the number of sport-related concussions is highest in high school-aged athletes, but the number in younger athletes is significant and on the rise.” Why is this? Many believe this is from better recognition of the symptoms and the need to be medically evaluated.
I did a couple of interviews with local TV news to talk about the subject (Video 1 and Video 2). In my research on this subject, I found an article from the Dayton Daily News stating that the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) passed a policy in May 2010:
Any athlete who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion (such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion or balance problems) shall be immediately removed from the contest and shall not return to play until cleared with written authorization by an appropriate health care professional.
In addition, on the OHSAA website there’s an entire section devoted to concussions and head injuries. I have also read that other states have taken similar steps, especially with high school and younger athletes.
If you find the videos in this post helpful, I encourage you to see my other interviews on health-related topics at MikeSevilla.TV
*This blog post was originally published at Doctor Anonymous*
