2009’s Top 5 Threats To Science In Medicine

[HuckleB]

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=3201

"As 2009 comes to an end, it seems that everyone is creating year-in-review lists. I thought I’d jump on the list band wagon and offer my purely subjective top 5 threats to rational thought in healthcare and medicine.

Of course, it strikes me as rather ironic that we’re having this discussion – who knew that medicine could be divorced from science in the first place? I thought the two went hand-in-hand, like a nice antigen and its receptor… and yet, here we are, on the verge of tremendous technological breakthroughs (thanks to advances in our understanding of molecular genetics, immunology, and biochemistry, etc.), faced with a growing number of people who prefer to resort to placebo-based remedies (such as heavy-metal laced herbs or vigorously shaken water) and Christian Science Prayer.

And so, without further ado, here’s my list of the top 5 threats to science in medicine for 2009 and beyond:

#1: Congress

..."


------------------------------------------------

It's a scary world out there, with so many imaginary items costumed in pseudo-science.

But I'm not scared!

Cheers!

[Myhrejl]

1. Good article

And slightly disturbing.

[HuckleB]

6. Indeed.

It's also disturbing to see pro-science threads receive unrecs at a place like DU. I thought progressive Democrats were appalled at the anti-science policies of the Bush years. Apparently I was wrong about that.

[TZ]

17. Quite wrong

I wrote a long article about vaccines here a couple years ago. I suspect all the woo woo anti-vax brigade would come out in force to unrec it if I posted it now...

[HuckleB]

21. True enough.

I forgot all about that brigade.

[rollingrock]

2. Quackery?

medical malpractice (from real medical doctors) is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Aug 10, 2009 06:45 PM in Health & Medicine
Deaths from avoidable medical error more than double in past decade, investigation shows

Preventable medical mistakes and infections are responsible for about 200,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to an investigation by the Hearst media corporation. The report comes 10 years after the Institute of Medicine's "To Err Is Human" analysis, which found that 44,000 to 98,000 people were dying annually due to these errors and called for the medical community and government to cut that number in half by 2004...

...In fact, according to Phil Bronstein, who led the investigation, "The annual medical error death toll is higher than that for fatal car crashes," he said in a prepared statement.

www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=deaths-from-avoidable-medical-error-2009-08-10

200,000 deaths per year? Jeez. that is an astounding statistic.
and these are caused by bona fide, licensed medical professionals.

the mainstream healthcare system in the US seems to be full of quacks.

[HuckleB]

4. Thanks for the red herring.

:puke:

Care to explain who studies such things in an attempt to improve care?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

5. Yes, quackery. As in the jackass that argues you can cure cancer with baking soda.

Or the buffoons that say HIV doesn't cause AIDS.

[KittyWampus]

11. Or that you can give a woman estrogen to cure menopause?

[TZ]

13. Link?

Have you learned the difference between a chemical, vaccine and drug yet? BTW, your posts on DU are a shining example of what this article is talking about.
I never heard that estrogen was a "cure" for menopause. Remember, I'm actually a scientist not a Dr. Google.

[blondeatlast]

15. Not a "cure," anymore than insulin is a "cure." do you have a problem with the insulin

I've injected since I was 7?

[TZ]

18. Hed probably tell you

that us evil pharamceutical people have the cure locked up in order to keep selling you insulin. :eyes:

[JackDragna]

8. Even if all those numbers were accurate..

..it still wouldn't even equal the number of people who die from hypertension/heart disease. Engage in hyperbole much?

[HuckleB]

25. True enough.

[TZ]

14. Most people who die of "medical mistakes"

are because they failed to follow directions from their doctor. OR because they had a fatal dangerous herbal/medicine interaction. Non-reporting of supplements is a very common cause of death.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=7506

I can find more links on this if you like.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

19. I'd like to know the percentage of people who die from treating cancer with baking soda

Buffalo nickel says that percentage is higher than people who die from conventional treatments.

[longship]

3. K&R

This is right on target.

Two years ago my sister was trying to treat her lime disease with homeopathy--maybe it should called homeopathetic. Obviously it didn't work since pure water doesn't do a darn thing against lime disease. Eventually, she got the necessary meds when things started getting out of hand.

For more information on these topics, follow the other blog posts on the
Science-Based Medicine blog.

:kick:ed and Recommended.

[SidDithers]

7. Enthusiastically Kicked and Rec'd!...

You post the best stuff :)

Sid

[jgraz]

9. Don't forget the fact that we have a creationist in charge of the NIH.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-ayala-shermer29-2009jul29,0,7595473.story

[blondeatlast]

10. And the M$M is second. Yup. k/r

[KittyWampus]

12. Where are the pharmaceutical corporations and their decision makers and marketers on that list?

[TZ]

16. Pharmaceutical companies are way more trustworthy

Than internet know it alls like you. They do actually practice science. Unlike you, who has a PHD is bullshittery.
Hell, I've met marketers and salespeople who had one science class in HS that know more about medicine than you.
FDA actually does its job. Or is Obama just like Bush?

[nemo137]

20. K&R - I'd like to see more science-based politics, dammit.

[HuckleB]

22. Boy, wouldn't that be nice!

:hi:

[depakid]

23. "...because of the lack of critical thinking taught in schools,

Americans (on average) have a 6th grade understanding of medicine."

It ain't just medicine.

That's what makes guys like this:



and women like this:



So dangerous.

[HuckleB]

24. Very well put!