The stem cell hard sell: The Medical Board of California is forming a task force to determine how to regulate physicians offering stem cell therapies.
For-profit stem cell clinics selling unproven and downright quacky stem cell therapies have proliferated over the last several years, with federal and state law seemingly powerless to stop them. Recently, the FDA and FTC have shown signs of acting to crack down on them. Now, the Medical Board of California is forming a task force to determine how to regulate physicians offering...
Legislative Alchemy 2018: naturopathic licensing and practice expansion shutout?
Naturopathic doctors pushed for licensing and practice expansion in 16 states in 2018. Looks like they are in for a complete shutout.
Italy’s Antivaccine Government – The Attack on Experts Continues
Anti-vaccine Italian government fires its entire Health Council. This is unfortunately part of a bigger trend against expertise and reality-based policy.
Reader’s Digest Promotes Prevagen
Reader's Digest is advertising a memory aid, Prevagen, that has been tested and shown not to work. Shame on them!
Addressing the epidemic of antivaccine misinformation
Last week, Dr. Gorski was on vacation. However, part of his vacation involved spending a couple of hours with two of his heroes, meeting new pro-science advocates, and talking vaccine hesitancy and the antivaccine movement.
CDC Warns Against Honey Pacifier Use After 4 Texas Infants Develop Botulism
Experts are warning caregivers and healthcare professionals about pacifiers filled with raw honey after four infants in Texas were diagnosed with botulism. They are probably right. And you should probably listen.
Can DNA testing predict your response to drugs?
Can your genes really predict how you will metabolize certain medications? The FDA has approved the first direct-to-consumer test that claims to do this. How meaningful are the findings?
Chinese Researcher Reports First Gene-Edited Babies
A Chinese scientist announces first gene-edited babies, setting off a discussion of the science and ethics of using CRISPR on humans.
Should Evidence-Based Medicine Be Replaced by Interpersonal Medicine?
An opinion piece in the New England Journal of Medicine complains about the limitations of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and recommends a new approach they call "interpersonal medicine." In my opinion, good clinical medicine is already interpersonal medicine; there is no need for something new.
Afflicted and the Tragedy of Fake Illnesses
Afflicted is a documentary following the lives and treatments of people "diagnosed" with illnesses not recognized by science. Conversely, it could also be seen as a documentary illustrating the risks and harms of alternative medicine.
Don’t Blame the Patient