September 19th, 2011 by Harriet Hall, M.D. in Health Tips, Opinion
Tags: Diet, Dr. Oz, Evidence, Exercise, John Cloud, Journalism, Low Carb, Low Fat, media, Misconceptions, Myths, Nutraceuticals, Nutrition, Overindulge, Science And The Media, Science Based Medicine, Science Reporting, Supplements, Time, Wight Gain
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Here on SBM we have frequently had cause to criticize the media for poor science reporting and for spreading misinformation. Among many other individual offenders, we have criticized Dr. Oz for promoting alternative medicine on his TV show and gullibly promoting guests who pretend to talk to the dead and pretend to heal people with carnival sideshow tricks. We tend to be negative and critical because somebody has to do it, but it’s not pleasant. For once, I have some good things to say.
The September 12 issue of TIME magazine was a Special Nutrition Issue. The cover featured pictures of food and the title “What to Eat Now: Uncovering the Myths about Food by Dr. Oz.” It devotes 7 pages to an article by him entitled “The Oz Diet: No more myths. No more fads. What you should eat — and why.” This is followed by a 5 page article by John Cloud “Nutrition in a Pill? I took 3000 supplements over five months. Here’s what happened.” Both articles have a rational, science-based perspective without any intrusions of woo-woo.
Oz on What to Eat
Oz acknowledges that the science of nutrition is not simple and that much of what we once believed has been discarded in the face of new knowledge. He debunks a number of popular misconceptions about diet. Most of what he says is consistent with scientific evidence and with mainstream diet advice. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
September 19th, 2011 by KerriSparling in Opinion
Tags: A1C, Blood Sugar, Chronic Disease, Complications, Diabetes, Disease, Emotional Health, Glucose Meter, Glucose Tabs, Lancets, Living with a disease, Moderation, Needles, Nourishment, Pain, Syringes
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What I’ve learned in the last twenty-five years with type 1 diabetes:
- Some of what “they” said is wrong. It just is.
- There are times when “they” make a good point, and it’s up to us as patients to figure out what information we react to.
- The needles don’t hurt as much now as they did then. Lancets have become smaller and sharper, syringes can make the same claim. Insulin pump sites, once they’re in, usually go without being noticed. Same goes for Dexcom sensors. (But “painfree” is a misnomer and so subjective that medical device advertisers had best just steer clear of that word entirely. All needles pinch at least a little bit.)
- Progress isn’t always shown in tangible technological examples. Sometimes progress is being able to look at a blood sugar number without feeling judged by it. Or to look in the mirror without wishing you were different.
- There is life after diagnosis.
- Diabetes is sometimes funny. It has to be. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
September 18th, 2011 by Shadowfax in Opinion
Tags: AMA, Balanced Budget Act, Doctor Shortage, Emergency Department, Health Resources and Services Administration, Howard Dean, IMG, International, Medical Graduates, Medical School, Medical School Enrollment, Primary Care, Residency Training Slots
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Howard Dean wrote an op-ed defending the use of foreign international medical graduates:
Today, young physicians with degrees from international medical schools face skepticism from some in the American medical community. That strikes me as misinformed thinking, given the large number of international medical school graduates practicing in the United States, alongside American medical school graduates, and given that the American medical system depends on them to fill the growing doctor shortage.
The federal Health Resources and Services Administration predicts there will be a shortage of approximately 55,000 physicians in the United States by 2020. We simply can’t build the capacity to meet our growing needs for skilled physicians — especially given budgetary constraints on schools receiving government subsidies. Even if the new medical schools now in the planning stages all come to pass, they won’t turn out enough primary care physicians to meet urgent needs in urban and rural communities.
I actually don’t have a lot to say about the IMG thing, I have worked with and hired many IMG’s and their skill and quality vary as much as US graduates. But this whole argument seems to miss the central point regarding the projected physician shortage. The supply of new medical graduates is not the choke point, under the current state of affairs. The choke point is the number of residency training slots. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Movin' Meat*
September 18th, 2011 by ChristopherChangMD in Opinion, Research
Tags: Allergy, Annals of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, Capnia, Carbon Dioxide, CO2, Headaches, Nasal Allergy, Nasal Discomfort, perennial allergic rhinitis, Research, Side Effects, Study, Symptom Relief, Teary eyed, Treatment
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MSNBC reported recently that a shot of carbon dioxide gas into the nose can help with allergies based on preliminary findings funded by Capnia, a company that makes the product.
Upside:
Symptoms of nasal allergies improved within 30 minutes.
No liquid is involved… just carbon dioxide gas.
Downside: Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog*
September 17th, 2011 by John Di Saia, M.D. in Opinion, True Stories
Tags: Botox, Botulinum Toxin, Canada, Great Britain, Myobloc, Northwest Pharmacy, Pharmacy, Review, Shipping, Temperature, Warning
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Looking to obtain a break on my practice’s botulinum toxin of choice (Myobloc) I yielded to curiosity and ordered from a Canadian Pharmacy…Northwest Pharmacy.com. I figured we would try to break the price point of this popular product. Thankfully I used my credit card.
Botulinum toxin must be kept cold to retain its potency. We traditionally receive this product on dry ice and have never had much of a problem with effectiveness. I was promised by the pharmacy rep that this product would arrive cold within 2-5 days of shipping. Only after I gave her my credit card information did she share with me that the product would be coming from Great Britain. This was not welcome news. I was reassured that the product would be cold and usable.
The product arrived Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*
