June 17th, 2010 by Steve Novella, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, Research
Tags: Anti-Virals, BMJ, Bribes, British Medical Journal, CDC, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, Conflict of Interest, Dr. Margaret Chan, Family Medicine, Flu Vaccine, Full Disclosure, GBS, General Medicine, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, H1N1, Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine, Kickbacks, Mike Adams, Natural News, Non-Conflicts, Pandemic, Primary Care, Public Awareness, Public Health, Public Safety, Ties To Industry, True Transparency, Vaccine Conspiracy, WHO, World Health Organization
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On June 11, 2009, Dr. Margaret Chan, the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), declared that the H1N1 flu that was then spreading around the world was an official pandemic. This triggered a series of built-in responses in many countries, including stockpiling anti-viral medications and preparing for a mass H1N1 vaccination program.
At the time the flu was still in its “first wave” and the fear was that subsequent waves, as the virus swept around the world, would become more virulent and/or contagious –- similar to what happened in the 1918 pandemic. This did not happen. At least our worst fears were not realized. The H1N1 pandemic, while serious, simmered through the winter of 2009-2010, producing a less than average flu season, although with some worrisome difference. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
June 16th, 2010 by Davis Liu, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: AP, Associated Press, British Medical Journal, Dr. Abraham Verghese, Dr. Richard Baron, Family Medicine, General Medicine, Healthy Lifestyle, Internal Medicine, Limiting Radiation Exposure, New England Journal of Medicine, Overtesting, Overtreatment, Physician Payment, Primary Care Doctors, Primary Care Shortage, Stanford Medical School, Staying Well, Too Many Tests, Too Much Testing, Unnecessary Testing, Unnecessary Treatment
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The Associated Press has been running a fantastic series of must reads with the latest article highlighting the consequence of too many imaging studies, like X-rays and CT scans, which are the biggest contributor to an individual’s total radiation exposure in a lifetime. Americans get more imaging radiation exposure and testing than people from other industrialized countries.
Reasons for doing too many tests include malpractice fear, patient demands for imaging, the difficulty in obtaining imaging results from other doctors or hospitals, as well as advanced technologies, like coronary angioplasty, which have increased radiation but avoid a far more invasive surgery like heart bypass. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Healthcare Crisis*
June 15th, 2010 by GarySchwitzer in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: CBS News, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences, Dr. Gail Wyatt, Drug Hype, Email Spam, FDA Vote, FDA-Approved Drugs, Female Sexual Problems, Flibanserin, Food and Drug Administration, Gary Schwitzer, Greed, HealthNewsReview.org, HSDD, Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, Internet Drug Sales, Low Sex Drive, Medscape, Merrill Goozner, Online Drug Marketing, Pharmaceutical Solution, Prescription Drugs, Relationship Problems, Sexual Health, The New View Campaign, UCLA, University of California-Los Angeles, Vague Diagnosis, Women's Health
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This week the FDA will vote on flibanserin, the much-talked-about drug for women with the condition called hypoactive sexual desire disorder or — because everything in sexual health needs an acronym like ED or PE — HSDD.
On the eve of the FDA vote, CBS last week ran still another story about flibanserin. This drug has received so much news coverage, you’d think it cures cancer.
And CBS did little more than promote the hype even more, saying FDA approval “could translate into a $2 billion market in this country alone” and then failing to challenge the disease-mongering estimate of “10 percent to 30 percent of women” with this condition. It all just goes along with the drug company’s efforts to build a demand before the drug is even approved. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog*
June 15th, 2010 by Medgadget in Better Health Network, News, Research
Tags: Brain Surgery, Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks, Cranial Cavity, Endoscopic Surgery, Eyelid Incision, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Less Invasive, Midline Brain Tumors, Neurosurgery, Pneumocephalus, Resection, Skull, Transpalpebral Orbitofrontal Craniotomy
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In the continuing effort to make surgery less invasive, physicians at Johns Hopkins Hospital are operating on the brain through a tiny incision in one of the eyelids instead of lifting a large piece of the skull.
Named transpalpebral orbitofrontal craniotomy, the procedure allows for access to the middle and front regions of the brain. The cranial cavity is reached through a hole created by removing a small, half-inch to one-inch-square section of skull bone right above the eyebrow. Endoscopic surgery can then be performed with help of previously obtained CT and MRI data. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
June 15th, 2010 by RamonaBatesMD in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research
Tags: Skin Cancer Prevention, Sunscreen Safety
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I “preach” sunscreen use to my family, friends, and patients. I do this because sunscreen helps prevent skin cancers, but in light of the recent President’s Cancer Panel report on Cancers from Environment ‘Grossly Underestimated’ and concerns by the group Friends of the Environment, I thought perhaps I should look at the safety of the active chemicals/nanoparticles in sunscreens.
You need both UVA and UVB protection. It is the UVA rays that are most responsible for wrinkling and aging the skin. It is the UVB rays that are the most responsible for the sunburn and skin cancer formation.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), sunscreens should ideally be water-resistant, so they cannot be easily removed by sweating or swimming, and should have an SPF of 30 or higher that provides broad-spectrum coverage against both UVA and UVB light. I think it is not worthwhile to purchase any sunscreen with an SPF higher than 55. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
