CT Scans Increase Children’s Cancer Risk, Study Finds
I heard this report on NPR and found the story. We’ve discussed the perils of radiation here, and here among other posts. CT’s were also mentioned by the Panel on Preventative Medicine featured in the Newsletter here. Obviously, sometimes CT’s are utterly necessary, but need to be considered carefully especially in children, Undergoing CT scans…
Read MoreNo More Physicals?
We’ve discussed the Less Is More trend in traditional medicine over the last year. I have a sort of synopsis in this newsletter, with links though I’ve written numerous posts on the topic. June 2, 2012 Let’s (Not) Get Physicals By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL FOR decades, scientific research has shown that annual physical exams — and…
Read MoreHormone Replacement Inadvisable
To file under “First Do No Harm,” the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force issues guidelines stating that postmenopausal women should not be taking hormone replacement to ward off dementia, bone fractures or heart disease. Indeed, the data have shown that women on hormone replacement have an increased risk of dementia. They refrain from issuing the…
Read MoreCalcium Supplements Shown to Increase Heart Attack Risk
New study showing that supplemental Calcium increases heart attack risk by 30% That’s a huge amount! The study was done to see if the added Calcium provided heart benefits in addition to alleged bone improvement. So, weight bearing exercise and kale for everyone!! The issue seems to be that dietary Calcium from food provides…
Read MoreIt's Official: PSA Testing Does More Harm Than Good
As readers of this blog or my newsletters (and here) know, this has been a topic for a few years, but now it’s official. The money quote is this ” Most important, the task force found that, at best, one man in every 1,000 given the P.S.A. test may avoid death as a result of…
Read MoreWarning Issued on Bone Drugs by FDA
( I will get to some posts on acupuncture issues tomorrow, I promise! I just had to add this post. This is a topic I’ve covered before and it falls into a category I call “Beware of the Block Buster Drugs.”) FDA issues an analysis that suggests caution in the long-term use of the drugs. …
Read MorePossible BPA Breast Cancer Link
This is an animal study on BPA, a plastic used in cans, bottles and also in some ATM receipts. It shows an increase in density in breast tissue in monkeys, which can be a precursor to Breast Cancer. It’s a bit of a reach, but I’m glad to see some effort going into Breast Cancer…
Read MoreChemicals Everywhere, What Are They Doing To Us?
A comprehensive take down of the problems with Bisphenol by Nicholas Kristoff in the NYTimes. I will excerpt some of it here, but the whole article is worth reading. Quite chilling. The experts recommend no receipts from ATM’s, (easy enough), no microwaving in plastic (easy enough), but no canned foods (more difficult!!) I discussed…
Read MoreNYTimes Book Review: How Doctors and Patients Do Harm
If you would like to go to whole interview with this doctor, click on the title. I excerpt only a small portion. How Doctors and Patients Do Harm How Doctors and Patients Do HarmBy TARA PARKER-POPE Christopher T. Martin Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society. Just how broken is the…
Read MoreGenentech Tries New Tack on Shelved Breast Cancer Drug Avastin
Genentech Tries New Tack on Shelved Breast Cancer Drug Avastin This is an article from the San Francisco Chronicle about “a new kind of study” Genentech is going to try with it’s discredited drug, Avastin. They will be looking for a DNA profile of patients who have responded to the drug. I bring this to…
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