Is defending science-based medicine worth it?

Pseudoscience, denialism, fake news, and disinformation about health are a bigger problem than ever, thanks to social media. As doctors and scientists join lay defenders of science on social media, will they be willing to pay the price in terms of harassment? Or will they decide it's not worth the hassle? And what about our fellow docs who think that it's beneath...

/ January 20, 2020

What do veterinarians think about complementary and alternative medicine?

A survey of veterinarians shows that belief in at least one CAM modality is more than twice as common as skepticism.

/ January 17, 2020

Legislative Alchemy 2019: Naturopaths gain licensure in two states, try for authority to grant vaccination medical exemptions

Thanks to the magic of Legislative Alchemy, Idaho and New Mexico licensed naturopaths as primary care doctors in 2019. Naturopaths are also seeking the authority to grant medical exemptions to vaccination and prescribe drugs in several states.

/ January 16, 2020

Probiotics Online

Probiotics still don't live up to the hype, and online information is mostly misleading.

/ January 15, 2020

New Regenerative Medicine Center

Neil Riordan donated big bucks to a school of naturopathy for a Center for Regenerative Medicine named after him. Both Riordan and the treatments offered in his new center are questionable.

/ January 14, 2020

Contrary to what we are frequently told, we are not “losing the war on cancer” (2020 edition)

The narrative we hear from the media (and, of course, from alternative medicine mavens) is that we are "losing the war on cancer." It's actually not true. As the latest statistics from the American Cancer Society show, the mortality rate from cancer has been declining for decades.

/ January 13, 2020

Seizure Medications Safer Than Previously Thought for Breastfed Babies

A new study, recently published in JAMA Neurology, further supports the safety of breastfeeding while taking medications for epilepsy. But there are a couple caveats to be aware of.

/ January 10, 2020

Do dietary supplements affect the survival of cancer patients?

Do dietary supplements offer advantages or risks to breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy?

/ January 9, 2020

The Harm of Antivaccine Misinformation

Anti-vaccine misinformation has a body count.

/ January 8, 2020

The Parasympathetic State

The claims for an essential oil mixture, Vibrant Blue Parasympathetic, are devoid of science. They are a mixture of pseudoscience, misrepresentation, lies, and imagination.

/ January 7, 2020