Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death. Each year it kills more than 5 million people around the world, 480,000 in the US alone. And for every person who dies, about 30 more have serious illnesses caused by smoking. On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers. Anyone who… read more "Smoking Cessation and the Affordable Care Act"
Is the Ebola Crisis a Reason to Skip RCTs?
In a recent “Perspective” article in The New England Journal of Medicine, three physicians (Drs. Cox, Borio, and Temple) make a strong case for not letting the rush to save Ebola patients tempt us to deviate from good science and skip the randomized controlled trial (RCT). Their arguments cut to the essence of… read more "Is the Ebola Crisis a Reason to Skip RCTs?"
Food Faiths and Diet Religions
The parade of diet fads is unending; they will continue to proliferate as long as humans have to eat. They have created a hellish world in which every food component is a potential demon: fat, gluten, carbs, sugar, wheat, salt, etc. Diet gurus, both professional and amateur, are always… read more "Food Faiths and Diet Religions"
Decoding Food Labels
It is only natural for food companies to present their products in the best light so people are more likely to buy them. If they can give the impression that their foods are healthy, low in calories, and low in added sugar, it’s to their advantage. But food labels can… read more "Decoding Food Labels"
Smokey the Bear Medicine and Prevention
When I was an intern, we used to joke that we were practicing “Smokey the Bear” medicine: stamping out forest fires. Patients would wait until a spark of disease had developed into a dangerous flame, and then they’d expect us to deal with it. We were mostly doing disaster control,… read more "Smokey the Bear Medicine and Prevention"
Colloidal Silver, Smurfs, and Ebola
Colloidal silver is back! It competed in the ring of science and was thoroughly clobbered. If it had any dignity, it would have stayed down for the count and admitted defeat; but like some bizarre whack-a-mole or zombie it keeps stumbling back to its feet, wanting to fight again. This… read more "Colloidal Silver, Smurfs, and Ebola"
Evidence: “It Worked for My Aunt Tillie” Is Not Enough
Evidence means different things to different people. Even quacks and their victims claim to have evidence that their treatments work. Sometimes that evidence consists only of testimonials from satisfied customers or from personal experience. “I tried X and I got better.” “I know Y works because it cured my Aunt… read more "Evidence: “It Worked for My Aunt Tillie” Is Not Enough"
Incidentalomas: Too Much Information Can Hurt You
Incidenta-what? An incidentaloma is an unexpected abnormality accidentally found on medical imaging studies done for an unrelated reason. It typically leads to further diagnostic tests, sometimes invasive ones like biopsies and surgery, and it almost always turns out to be something harmless. It would have been better not to know… read more "Incidentalomas: Too Much Information Can Hurt You"
Who’s Crazy Now? DSM-5 and the Classification of Mental Disorders
What does it mean to be crazy? We use the word loosely. In casual conversation we might say “He’s crazy” or “That’s insane!” but that doesn’t mean we really think the person is certifiable. Sometimes all it means is “He doesn’t agree with me.” What does it take to be… read more "Who’s Crazy Now? DSM-5 and the Classification of Mental Disorders"
The Health Benefits of Moderate Drinking
A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread–and ThouBeside me singing in the Wilderness–Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!” – The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Alcoholic beverages have always inspired strong opinions pro and con. Omar Khayyam included wine in his vision of Paradise; Carrie… read more "The Health Benefits of Moderate Drinking"