Æsculapius, Henry, and Panacea

2 New AIDS Drugs

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:38:00 +0000

The New York Times reports on two new drugs being developed to fight HIV. These drugs are remarkable in that they represent two totally new classes of treatment, each one offering a unique way to battle the disease. Though there are around 20 HIV drugs available, they each fall into one of four broad categories. In essence, there are only four ways to treat HIV infection right now. In the next few months these two new drugs will bring the total up to six. It's remarkable news we should all be incredibly excited about.

Good Ole' Fashioned Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:08:00 +0000

The New York Times has a great article about a peculiar medical problem which required a deft diagnosis to treat. The moral of the story is that there's a place for both old and new-fashioned techniques in medicine. I think we should all take it to heart.

Lunatic M.D.

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 16:44:00 +0000

There's almost nothing to say about this, except it's clear that certain medical schools really need to implement more comprehensive psychological testing of potential applicants, because this dude it a lunatic.

Binge Eating

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:10:00 +0000

CNN reports on binge eating, an increasingly common disorder mostly affecting women. I wonder how much discussion of eating disorders affects the rate of eating disorders. Is there a copycat effect, where people begin to understand their habits as a disorder and so feel more justified in indulging them because they have a disease. Or, I wonder if more frequent reporting on issues like eating disorders results in more people coming forward, admitting they have the disease, and getting treatment. If that was the case, then more frequent reporting would result in a spike in diagnoses of the condition. Can people develop an eating disorder from hearing about it in the media? Can people develop an eating disorder that doesn't key off of society's demands for thin, beautiful women? Is there ever a situation where reporting on something like this is ethically questionable?

It Looks Like a Bong

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:33:00 +0000

Pharmalot reports on Pfizer's attempts to boost lagging sales of Exubera, an insulin inhaler that apparently looks like a bong. I think the problem with a lot of medical blogging is that the pharmaceutical companies end up looking like the bad guys, so it prompts a fair amount of vitriol on the part of bloggers and readers. I mean, I'm sort of happy that Pfizer's product is failing. But, on the other hand, that product represents countless jobs, and most likely a source of revenue for other drugs that might be more popular and save more lives. How can I be so happy at the thought of someone taking the fall for this product?

A Tidbit about Online Medical Advice

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 16:21:00 +0000

Over My Med Body has a quick post about taking medical advice from random people online. I think the old "stranger danger" adage applies here. Unless people online can verify that they are doctors, a service that www.max.md supplies, you should take what they say with a grain of salt.

Missing the Forest for the Trees

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:47:00 +0000

The BBC reports on a recent study indicating that natural contraception, a.k.a. the rhythm method, is as effective as other contraceptives in preventing pregnancies when used correctly. It's articles like this that make me feel like I don't understand journalism at all. These types of stories deserve some analysis, some critical thinking, some consideration of the larger issues at stake. To report that the rhythm method is an effective method of contraception is to fuel a huge international debate that touches on everything from education to religion. How can a news service not include a discussion of how this type of study might affect that debate? Isn't that the whole point of reporting on the study in the first place, to affect the debate?

Dr. Alien

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:06:00 +0000

The Calaveras Enterprise reports on a new technology available for doctors with old or incapacitated patients. A pacemaker/defribillator implanted in 77 year-old Robert Black's chest can transmit data wirelessly to his doctor, who works in an office miles away. This data can provide early warning of potentially fatal heart conditions and allow for more effective, and cheaper, check-ups. While I am 100% for medical advancement, something about this does wreak of scary science fiction movies to me. A wireless device implanted under the skin that transmits data about the patient! What if that information is intercepted by an alien spaceship! Who use it to conquer the world! AHHHHHHHHH!

Evidence-Based Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:45:00 +0000

Time published an articled on evidence-based medicine last week. You can read it here. Medrant's response to that article is posted here. EBM is something I haven't read much about. I guess I always thought that medicine was already evidenced-based. Is that naive of me? I do think that Medrant really hits the nail on the head when he says "The science of medicine represents a series of approximations towards truth." Not only is it an approximation towards a truth for a group, but also towards an entirely separate truth for the individual patient. How does medicine combine the ineffectiveness of a treatment for the population as a whole with the possible effectiveness for the individual? Honestly, I have no idea.

Define 'Harms'

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:12:00 +0000

The BBC posted an article today entitled "Sexualization 'harms' young girls." What the hell does 'harms' mean? Does it indicate the psychological damage that sexualized images in the media do to the female half of the population? Does it take into account the positive images of women in advertising and on television? Is 'harms' a medical term, or does it have a broader meaning? An expert quoted in that article said "We have ample evidence to conclude that sexualization has negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development." Okay, so let me see if I understand this. Sexualized images on television 'harm' girls. Poor education 'harms' girls. Unhealthy eating habits, pollution, life, 'harms' girls. It is exactly this kind of unclear medical reporting that frustrates me to no end. To make generalizations like this, particularly in regards to such an important topic, misleads the public and compromises scientific research. One could argue it 'harms' them.

Stem Cells, What Can't They Do?

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:52:00 +0000

BBC News reports on a new technique for breast augmentation: stem cells. It seems that some Japanese doctors are injecting mixtures of fat and stems cells into the breasts of their female patients. They report significant increases in breast size with an all-natural look and feel. Umm . . . yeah . . . I don't even know what to say.

The Lipstick Sign

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:03:00 +0000

Surgeonsblog has a beautiful post about how doctors respond to optimism in patients. It's nice to know that being positive in the face of grave medical circumstances can be beneficial to your health, and to the mood of your medical professional. I also think the Lipstick Sign is hilariously true.

Havidol

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:23:00 +0000

Satire: the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.

European Abortion Laws

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:30:00 +0000

Above is a diagram outlining abortion laws in various European countries. It comes from an BBC News article describing Portugal's referendum to change its own abortion practices. I believe that the abortion debate in the United States suffers because we don't seriously look at abortion laws from other parts of the world. It's as if we think that the United States is the only country in the world that argues over this incredibly contentious issue. I, for one, think that is ridiculous.

The Healthy Americans Act

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:56:00 +0000

Nothing like health care reform to get your day started off right. The Healthy Americans Act, proposed by Senator Wyden of Oregon, is broken down at Movin' Meat. I'm always a little wary of oversimplifications of complex legal documents, like, you know, health care legislation, but I think that Shadowfax (the esteemed writer of Movin' Meat, and also Gandalf's horse) does a great job. Something about The Healthy Americans Act seems too good to be true. All of our health care woes will be taken care of and we'll save money? Does it make fries? Take a look for yourself and tell me what you think.

An Interesting Image

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 20:25:00 +0000

Grand Rounds 3.20

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 20:10:00 +0000

Tales from the Emergency Room hosts Grand Rounds this week. It's an incredible collection centered around the people behind medicine and health care. Personally, I think that the Grand Rounds is a remarkable achievement each week it comes out. It's inspiring to see medical professionals reach out to each other and share their thoughts and feelings with total strangers. I would actually like to see Grand Rounds widened to include those who are tangential to the medical world, but still could provide insights into its workings. Individuals employed as hospital administrators, health insurance claims analysts, pharmaceutical salespeople could all add to the discussion.

Super Slim Me

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 19:32:00 +0000

Dawn Porter, a size 12 writer, took it upon herself to reach size 0 for a documentary made in conjunction with the BBC. The final report isn't as shocking as I had hoped. I mean, she only eats 500 calories for 8 weeks and she feels miserable the entire time. Isn't that to be expected? I guess I'm skeptical of the ultimate purpose of the documentary. I don't think that most women endeavor to be size 0, I think they just want to be generically skinnier. I also don't think that the majority of either the model population or the population as a whole actually eats the way that Dawn ate. It's certainly a chilling description of the lifestyles of anorexics and bulimics, but does it shed any light on the body image issues facing society as a whole? Starving yourself is a terrible experience. I think we all sort of knew that.

What Do We Know About Anti-Oxidants?

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:18:00 +0000

New Scientist has a long post about the increased popularity of anti-oxidant supplements and the lack of actual research demonstrating their effectiveness. The author claims that most anti-oxidants have not held up in rigorous clinical tests, and therefore should not be treated as magic pills that will extend our lives. I would argue that the real appeal of anti-oxidants is their ease of use. Instead of changing eating or exercise habits, people can simply pop a pill and feel good about their health.

NFIB vs. The Health Care Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 16:39:00 +0000

Man, do I love a good email throw down! Nothing like a slightly aggressive discussion of large-scale social and economic issues that will never be solved by two Internet gadflies.

You know, sometimes I can't even tell if I'm being sarcastic.

doctor@email.md

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 22:53:00 +0000

USA Today columnist Kim Painter examines the growing trend of doctors communicating with their patients via email. It seems this is a trend that hadn't been catching on, given the potential hazards associated with communication over the web. Many doctors were nervous that medical data might become compromised, or that vital information sent over email might not reach them in time. Recently though, doctors are realizing that patients have a similar set of concerns, and will adjust their email habits to make communicating with their medical professional easy and effective. Max.MD is one company that Painter doesn't mention that provides a HIPAA enabled email product along with a .md domain registration, thereby negating the dangers of Internet communication. If you are in medicine, you should take a look at www.max.md to learn about the .md domain.

A Gripping Story at Emergiblog

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 21:27:00 +0000

Having a nurse for a mother certainly helps when you have a sudden seizure.

The Healthy Attitude Towards Food

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 19:02:00 +0000

The BBC reports here about how young people with eating disorders often feel isolated and alone. Research suggests that increased fascination with celebrity and fitness makes bulimia and anorexia greater risks than ever before. I completely believe the BBC's report, and I don't have a problem with the manner in which they've written about the conditions, but I do get frustrated with the medical news establishment as a whole when they address both obesity and anorexia. We're very clear on what an unhealthy relationship with food is, but what is a healthy relationship with food? Who has one? I worry that the health media is appealing to a fictional "healthy" attitude towards eating and exercise that might not actually exist. I have friends who stuff their faces, but also exercise to an almost pathological degree. On the other hand, I have friends who eat incredibly healthily, but are nonetheless overweight. Which of my friends is "healthier"? Is healthy eating about remaining at the middle of the bell curve? But haven't we as a society chosen a relatively unhealthy bell curve? If vegan and vegetarian restaurants are few and far between, what right do we have to suggest that the best way to eat is the "rabbit" diet? See, this is what reading the BBC does to me. It gets me all riled up. Clearly I need a cupcake.

ABC Admits Advertising is Effective

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 19:50:00 +0000

I can't help but feel bad for the author of this article. Basically, he's saying that effective advertising is effective. Great, excuse me while I grab a Kleenex on my way to the Xerox machine. Anyway, I do think that pharmaceutical companies have no need to advertise as much as they do, but then again, you could say the same thing about fast food restaurants. Are their advertisements too effective? Shouldn't we just regulate all advertising? Maybe we should just regulate ABC News authors who write ridiculous stories.

Totally Amazing

noreply@blogger.com (Henry) — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:18:00 +0000

Once again, I'm pretty much at a loss for words regarding this article. Why do I find this type of news so entertaining? Possibly because Reuters gives you almost no pertinent information as to why the doctor stole the hand. I bet it was because he was in love with the stripper, and wanted to give her a gift that no one else could.