While largely ineffective medications for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease have gotten a great deal of press, an “orphan” disease – sickle cell disease – is in a similar situation. It is a devastating disease, and there seems to be a gene treatment on the horizon, one that comes with risks and benefits. How do patients calculate what to do?
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Answer: It could be. Stress kills. Rarely, but not never. And then there is anxiety, which subsumes a host of related diagnoses. The terms are often co-mingled, with the latter tending to diffuse the dangers of the former. Let’s take a deeper look.
It seems like a bit of common sense: the higher the viral load – in this case of COVID – the greater chance you have to transmit the disease to another. As it turns out, one of the ways we may characterize “infectivity” is when viral load peaks. Omicron infections peak later, and that has clinical implications.
Cato Institute's Dr. Jeffrey Singer, in an opinion piece in USA Today, writes that for years we've been buying and using an ineffective, potentially dangerous decongestant. Why? Just another futile attempt to restrict access to illegal drugs, in this case, methamphetamine. With phenylephrine off pharmacy shelves, the ACSH advisor explores what this means.
It's irrelevant whether you like turkey or not because someone is going to be handing you a plate of it very soon. And after the meal, there's a good chance that you'll get sleepy. But will the cause of your drowsiness be the turkey, the booze, or your brother-in-law's tedious commentary about his golf game?
I have previously authored many articles about per- and polyfluroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” and the misinformation and lack of scientific credibility surrounding them. However, Europe has outdone the U.S. on the absurdity of their proposed regulations on these chemicals. On February 7, 2023, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) proposed to ban all PFAS, which would affect more than 12,000 chemicals. To do this, they used a definition of PFAS so broad that it includes almost any chemical that contains fluorine [1]. What is going on?
Today, there is simply too much known in far too many diverse fields for any person to hold it all in their brain. This means that, no matter how smart one might be, there are times when we have to push the “I believe” button and simply accept the statements of others. The problem is that these others are too often wrong, the topic is too often very important, and the statements made are too wildly disparate. We feel we must choose, yet we don’t know how.
To handshake or not to handshake, that is the question. As COVID-19 has moved from a pandemic to an endemic disease, should we greet each other with a shake of hands, fist bump, or just eye contact and walk quickly away? Handshaking has devolved into a cultural debate rather than the scientific issue of disease transmission. Is handshaking, a form of surface transmission, something to fear?
For woodworkers, the table saw stands as both a revered tool and a potential danger. One saw, SawStop, uses an innovative technology to prevent the saw from cutting more than wood. The feds are now considering mandating this technology, provoking a web of industry interests and regulatory hurdles.
It's easy to lose sight of the visceral fear and uncertainty that pervaded the early days of the pandemic.
With each iteration, AI becomes both student and teacher, trapped in an echo chamber of its own creation.
From Wendy's ill-fated foray into dynamic pricing to the prices of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, the line between innovation and exploitation grows increasingly blurred.
What is it about humans that enables us to enjoy watching harm being inflicted on others? With the football season a few months away, perhaps a greater understanding of neurological harm associated with the game’s repetitive brain trauma is warranted. And maybe we should do something rather than just sit by and watch?
For those few of you who don't know, April 8th is Dog Farting Awareness Day. If ACSH doesn't spread awareness of this vital event, our mission is sadly gone. But fear not. If this doesn't get us back on track, then nothing will.
In a recent New York Times essay, a professor of anesthesia and pain management recently protested the Drug Enforcement Administration's opioid manufacturing quotas and micromanagement of doctors treating their patients' pain. At a time when DEA S.W.A.T. teams frequently raid doctors' offices for "inappropriate" prescribing, the professor's essay demonstrated boldness. Unfortunately, the professor's reform proposals were much less bold.
The standard argument for restricting patient access to pain medications is that these drugs frequently lead to addiction. A large body of research contradicts that claim, though it's doubly absurd when directed at people afflicted by terminal (and often very painful) illnesses. They sometimes have only weeks or months to live, yet they're denied pain medicine in the name of fighting opioid dependence. Such absurdity has to stop.
Xolair, an antibody asthma drug, was recently approved for severe food allergic reactions. It is not the first biological drug to treat multiple conditions. But it is the first to treat severe food allergies - a growing problem.
The recent cases and legislation addressing the destruction of IVF embryos prompts revisiting past cases involving “child murder” in a medical context. Some cases turn on what is in the best interests of the child, while others pivot on the importance of preserving a child’s life, even if it involves terminating the life of another. Sometimes, religion gets involved. And this presents a conundrum.
Today's lineup promises a delightful array of topics, from ancient smartphones to outrageously priced sweaters. So grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and let's get reading
Doulas acting as patient advocates during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care may be a way to address poor health outcomes and health disparities. The evidence is compelling enough to warrant a closer look.
A recent study published in Nature suggests that the key to a longer, healthier life is not achieved by stuffing our faces around the clock. Instead, starving ourselves for a bit might be the ticket to turning back the clock on aging. What is the science behind this hunger game? Is fasting the ultimate cheat code for defying time?
The New York Times recently delved into a societal debate concerning the terminology used to describe unintentional deaths caused by drugs, particularly opioids. This discourse revolves around the distinction between labeling such deaths as overdoses versus poisonings, a seemingly subtle yet significant choice that carries implications for policy and perception.
On March 26th, the Supreme Court will convene to determine the availability of the abortion drug mifepristone. The cases also challenge the state’s right to regulate the health and safety of its constituents (its ‘police power’). But that’s not all that’s at stake.
The issue of reproductive rights, calls for informed citizenship, urging understanding of pivotal issues, particularly those under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court. The approval of Mifepristone involves medical advancements, legal complexities, and the enduring tension between societal norms and legislative restrictions.
Negativity's grip on the news scene
Death by paperwork
JFK's tale through a surgeon's call
In social media's grip
A new month, a new chemical to fear. Such is the business plan of the Environmental Working Group, an organization that I've been saying unflattering things about for years. Why? Because it usually deserves it. Let's look at a just-released EWG video, which shows the kinds of tricks those guys have been using (and fooling us with) forever.
As the top editor of the journal Science, Thorp's inclusive view of scientists might be well-intentioned. But the crux of the matter lies in the difference between understanding and explaining the world (the scientist's realm) and applying that knowledge in the real world (the domain of application specialists).
Pagination
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