"Words can be powerful," a phrase often heard when words are hurtful or convey a misunderstood meaning. A transcultural study shows that language is indeed powerful. And is not virtually, but truly, an evolutionary force.
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The food crazies are now warning us about a new "threat": fruit. One of them, a physician, says that modern fruit has been bred to contain 100 times more sugar than ancient varieties, so therefore it's not a healthy snack. Let's see what Angela Dowden, a real nutritionist, has to say about this.
Can we forget past misdeeds? If you have done the crime (and the time) are you forgiven? Or do you continue to carry that baggage? Forgetting is a topic journalists and hospital credential committees have been grappling with for some time.
Evidence consistently shows diet soda isn't harmful. Why does the media insist we quit drinking it?
The Lancet reports on a polypill containing aspirin, blood pressure medicine and a statin. For a large at-risk population, it reduced major cardiovascular events by 20 to 33% ... and for about $1.25 a month.
Oklahoma now has 572 million extra dollars, thanks to a judge's ruling that Johnson & Johnson was partly responsible for the so-called opioid crisis. Other states will follow and J&J will cough up a bunch of money, regardless of whether the company did anything wrong or not. Other companies will be hit as well. Meanwhile, ponder these questions: Why would any company sell opioids from now on? And what will this mean for you?
New York Times journalist Eric Lipton, who defended the indefensible by offering support to a group of virulent anti-vaxxers and scam artists known as Moms Across America, is a scourge on public health. The national newspaper recently demoted Jonathan Weisman, a deputy editor based in Washington, DC, for displaying poor judgment. Lipton should face the same fate.
Does our immune system act as a defensive barrier, or a translator of different worlds? Is there a mismatch between our genetic heritage and our current environment? And can being less "clean" make us more healthy? Let's find out.
In the most common type of pancreatic cancer, the abnormal cells contain highly fragmented mitochondria. New research suggests that they can serve as a novel target in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Consolidation in healthcare is not limited to hospitals or pharmacies. Medical practices are consolidating, too. But more worrisome is the arrival of private equity. They are predators hollowing out companies (like Toys R Us, leaving the shell to be cleaned up by others). Is that what we want for medical practices?
Florida recently declared a statewide emergency because of outbreaks of hepatitis A. The viral infection has hit many other states as well. Here's a little info about the virus, and perhaps some clarification of its name. There are five different hepatitis viruses (A to E) that affect humans. How does one keep track? Maybe this will help.
A story making headlines claims that this fast-food chain is using chemicals that could give you cancer. Ignore them. If you need something to worry about, then focus on possibly getting food poisoning from one of its burritos.
Mass homicides are horrific tragedies. Society must do whatever's possible to understand them fully, so as to prevent them. But people also need to separate the data from the myths and the social, political and moral narratives that often form around crime.
Amazing, recent progress in prostate cancer research has encouraged many experts (including this writer) to expect that this type of cancer will be cured -- or at least adequately controlled -- within their lifetimes. "I’m glad I had this cancer," states Dr. Paul Lange, "for it made me a more empathetic physician."
Should we think of obesity as a disease or lifestyle choice? While it seems it's a matter of splitting hairs, it really is another skirmish in an age-old debate: fate versus free will.
The protection of intellectual property is one of the biggest challenges facing the technology industry. Somewhat hostile foreign powers, like China, are actively stealing it. What can the United States do to protect its own IP? ACSH interviewed Patrick Kilbride, Senior VP of the Global Innovation Policy Center, seeking answers.
Much of the country is experiencing a nasty summer heat wave. So, be sure to stay cool and hydrated -- and take comfort in the fact that Americans are more likely to die in winter than in summer. From the relative safety of our air-conditioned offices, we have been toiling away, ensuring that evidence-based science gets into the hands of the media. Here's where we appeared in recent days.
The opioid crisis has its villains, physicians, Big Pharma and illicit fentanyl. But an economic lens points to another driving force: Trade policy?
Nomenclature -- the "art" of naming organic chemicals -- is crazy making. Some chemical names are simple. Some are complex. What's more, saying the names of some chemicals makes you sound like a fourth grader. (And if that's not enough of a pull to get you to read this, there's a contest, too!)
The press reports global estimates of 7 million premature deaths associated with air pollution. That's despite dramatic improvements in air quality. How clean is clean enough?
Not all worrisome infectious diseases target humans. Some target animals and the consequences can be devastating, not just for local ecosystems but for the economy. Such diseases should be monitored as potential agents of bioterrorism.
Just as the Roman roads helped the Visigoths run roughshod over Southern Europe, cancer’s invasion of distant organs exploits literal veins and arteries. This has implications for treatments and cures.
Patients with diabetes frequently have damaged nerves, resulting in neuropathy and a muted immune response. Scientists have found linkage of the two.
Proposed guidelines for physicians from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommend screening everyone over the age of 18 for drug use. Mind you, that's without having evidence of benefit or harm. Can the reasoning "it can't hurt" be an acceptable justification for the move?
Why is everyone always above average? Hint-we are poor judges of our ability. Chemophobia is challenging to discuss, but it does drive 100% natural marketing. Are hospital administrators and their salaries growing at such a high rate that they are the cause of high prices? The graph says yes, the truth is a bit more nuanced. Finally, with all the concern about a replication crisis and the integrity of science, you would think that writing a paper debunking other research would be easy; you would be wrong.
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