Edzard Ernst

50 years ago, my very 1st paper was published: “Evaluation of hypercoagulability in septic abortion”

Edzard — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:09:20 +0000

It’s hard to believe: my very 1st paper was published exactly 50 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterdy! It was a busy time with lots of distractions: at the time, I was preparing for my finals at the medical school, playing in jazz clubs 2-4 times per week, and having a rather […]

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Want to stay healthy? Then, please, ignore the advice from Trump and his allies!

Edzard — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:44:16 +0000

Trump and his allies have produced many claims that experts have flagged as false, misleading, or dangerously unscientific. Below is a (probably incomplete) selection: In April 2020, Trump suggested during a press briefing that scientists explore whether injecting or “bringing disinfectant inside the body” could treat COVID‑19. Medical experts immediately warned that this would be […]

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The Nazis and Homeopathy: Ideology, Support, and Legacy

Edzard — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:02:47 +0000

The Nazi’s endorsement of homeopathy during the Third Reich was a complex fusion of pseudo-science, ideology and pragmatic policy. Homeopathy was deemed to align ideologically with National Socialism’s völkisch worldview and, foremost, it was considered to be practical: It had pure German (“Aryan”) origins. It was considered to be natural. It was inexpensive. It was […]

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Who are the world’s greatest charlatans?

Edzard — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:36:05 +0000

The field of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) is densely populated with dubious individuals who a rational thinker might call charlatans. But who is the greatest charlatan of them all? The choice is plentiful. I am sure that – like me – many readers will have their own favourites in this respect. Yet such lists are, […]

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The damage Trump is inflicting on science and medicine is immeasurable

Edzard — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:42:04 +0000

I have repeatedly warned that Trump and his cronies are systematically destroying science and medicine in the US and beyond. Recently, I looked into Medline to see what other experts are publishing on this issue. I did not expect to find much and was surprised that a plethora of articles are now available that discuss […]

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AI chatbots far too often issue poor or even harmful health advice

Edzard — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:31:16 +0000

A BMJ Open study found that five popular AI chatbots gave problematic medical advice about half the time, with nearly 20% of answers judged highly problematic. The main concern is not just outright errors, but that the chatbots often sound confident while giving incomplete, misleading, or hard-to-check guidance. Researchers from the US, Canada, and the […]

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When Peer Review Took a Holiday: The eCAM Retraction Scandal

Edzard — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:54:29 +0000

Science is supposed to be self-correcting. Papers get reviewed, checked, challenged – and only then published. That’s the idea, anyway. But the practice often looks different. Between 2022 and 2024, that system didn’t just creak a little, it fell over rather dramatically. At the centre of the mess was a Hindawi journal with the reassuringly […]

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Is Trump’s circle normalising perjury?

Edzard — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:56:42 +0000

Perjury is the criminal act of intentionally lying while under oath in a legal proceeding, where the lie concerns a material fact capable of influencing the outcome of the case. It is treated as a serious offense because it directly undermines the legal system’s core requirement: truthful testimony. If people can lie under oath without […]

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Use of So-Called Alternative Medicine in the Management of Breast Cancer

Edzard — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:26:39 +0000

Innovations in both the surgical and medical management of breast cancer over the past few decades have led to reductions in treatment-related morbidity and increases in overall survival. Despite these advancements in surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, endocrine therapy, and immunotherapy, a subset of patients continues to choose so-called alternative medicine (SCAM). The objective of this study was […]

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Donald Trump’s increasing vulgarity, is it a sign of his mental decline?

Edzard — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:50:10 +0000

George Washington: “The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing… is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises it.” Spencer W. Kimball: “Profanity is the effort of a feeble brain to express itself forcibly.” William W. Purkey: “Profaneness is a brutal […]

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