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Medical Interventions Are Overused Worldwide

Akansha Vaswani
Mad in America
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 17:23 UTC
Lack of "right care" causes physical, psychological and financial harm to patients.
Human pills
In a series of papers and comments published in The Lancet, Vikas Saini, and his colleagues provide a framework for thinking about how to address the inequities in the provision of affordable healthcare to people. The analysis addresses inequity in both high-income countries (HICs) as well as low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Their hope is to spark "serious discussions about what kind of health system we want for the 21st century as part of our commitment to universal health coverage." They believe that overuse (the provision of medical services that are more likely to cause harm than good and underuse (the failure to use effective and affordable medical interventions) of medical services takes away from "right care."
"In its simplest definition it (right care) is care that weighs up benefits and harms, is patient-centred (taking individual circumstances, values, and wishes into account), and is informed by evidence, including cost-effectiveness."
In the paper that focuses on evidence for overuse of medical services, the authors Brownlee and her colleagues make a distinction between services that are clearly and universally beneficial when used on the right patient and services that are definitely inappropriate. However, they point out, most services lie within a "grey zone" where the risk-benefit profile varies widely depending on the patient (e.g. antidepressants for adolescents). Moreover, decision making in providing these services is often based on physician assumptions and biases rather than being grounded in client preferences. They report on overuse measured in two ways - directly through registries and medical records and indirectly, through geographical variation in service utilization that is not linked to the populations serviced.

Comment: See also:

A closer look at the myth of cancer screening tests

When It's Time For a Health Check-up, Avoiding Your Doctor Can Save Your Life

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Heart - Black

Study uncovers hidden epidemic of eating disorders in tens of thousands of middle-aged women

Sarah Knapton
Telegraph
Tue, 17 Jan 2017 06:58 UTC
Woman's study

Tens of thousands of women could be silently suffering with eating disorders, a new study suggests
Tens of thousands of middle aged women are suffering from eating disorders in a hidden crisis brought on by divorce, financial problems and bereavement in mid-life, new figures suggest.

It was traditionally thought that eating disorders were most common among the young, but new research from University College London suggests around three per cent of women in their 40s and 50s have a recent eating problem.

In contrast, around one in 100 women between 15 and 30 have been diagnosed with an eating condition, such as anorexia, bulimia or binge eating, although many more may be suffering in silence.

The new study, which questioned 5,300 women in Britain in their 40s and 50s, found that 15 per cent had suffered an eating disorder at some point in their life, and three per cent within the past year. It is the first time that prevalence has been investigated in a population of women in the fifth and sixth decade of life.

"Our study shows that eating disorders are not just confined to earlier decades of life, and that both chronic and new onset disorders are apparent in mid-life," said lead author Dr Nadia Micali, from UCL and the Department of Psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.

Comment: See also:

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People 2

One in five young teenagers losing sleep over social media use


Science Daily
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 22:20 UTC
social media
© fresnel6 / Fotolia
The study findings support growing concerns about young people's night-time use of social media.
One in five young people regularly wake up in the night to send or check messages on social media, according to new research. This night-time activity is making teenagers three times more likely to feel constantly tired at school than their peers who do not log on at night, and could be affecting their happiness and wellbeing.

Comment: See also:

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Syringe

Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons: Aluminum in vaccines is not safe


Globe News Wire
Wed, 21 Dec 2016 16:26 UTC
babies vaccines
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons notes that, because of public concerns that mercury (as thimerosal) in childhood vaccines might be contributing to soaring rates of autism, this component was mostly phased out as a "precaution." Autism rates continued to rise, prompting authorities to assert that autism is not linked to mercury in vaccines and that vaccination policies are safe and appropriate, writes Neil Z. Miller in the winter issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.

At the same time as mercury was being phased out, Miller noted that there was a 25 percent increase in the amount of aluminum in vaccines administered before age 18 months.


Comment: Makes no sense: Remove thimerosol to appease the masses while increasing the amount of an even more dangerous element in vaccines. New Vaccine Revelation - The Neurotoxin Far Worse than Mercury..Aluminum


Aluminum, also a neurotoxin, is used as an adjuvant in vaccines, Miller explains, to induce a stronger immune response. It is contained in hepatitis B, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), pneumococcal (PCV), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and hepatitis A vaccines.

Miller recounts case reports of aluminum toxicity dating back to 1921. He cites concerns of the American Academy of Pediatrics that prolonged use of intravenous feedings that contain aluminum could impair neurological development. He quotes a 2011 article stating that "aluminum is a widely recognized neurotoxin that inhibits more than 200 biologically important functions and causes various adverse effects in plants, animals, and humans."

Comment: More on the neurotoxicity of aluminum:

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Snowflake Cold

Frostbite can occur within minutes: How to take the bite out


Medical Express
Sun, 15 Jan 2017 00:00 UTC
snow, frostbite, extreme cold
Did you know frostbite can occur within minutes?

Keeping fingers and toes warm and dry when you work or play outside is a must in icy weather, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says.

Frostbite occurs when your tissue freezes and ice crystals form inside cells. As these ice crystals thaw, more damage can occur. Older people and young children are especially vulnerable.

Also at high risk: people with diabetes or other medical conditions that affect circulation and those who take certain medicines, such as beta-blockers, which reduce blood flow to the skin. People who have been previously frostbitten are also more susceptible.

But anyone who doesn't dress warmly enough, stays outside in the cold too long, or gets wet can develop frostbite.

Frostbite occurs as the body shifts blood from the extremities to vital organs at the center of the body to maintain its core temperature. Once blood moves away from the fingers, toes and the nose, these parts may lose feeling and color. In some cases, frostbite damage is irreversible, the AAOS notes.

Comment: See also:

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Telephone

Trump's proposed vaccine commission - an interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Meredith Wadman
Science Insider
Tue, 10 Jan 2017 16:20 UTC
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
© Alex Milan Tracy/Sipa USA silentsecond.com/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an outspoken vaccine critic, said today that he was asked by President-elect Donald Trump to chair a "vaccine safety and scientific integrity" commission. (A Trump spokesperson, however, later said that "no decisions have been made at this time" about such a commission.) Kennedy espouses discredited links between vaccines and neurological disorders, including autism. He has also been harshly critical of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommends the childhood vaccine schedule. Scientists and others have fiercely disputed Kennedy's claims.

Science Insider caught up with Kennedy by telephone in an airport flight lounge shortly after he met with Trump in New York City. He made it clear that CDC's vaccine scientists and practices will be a major focus of the commission's work. Excerpts from our interview, which have been edited for brevity and clarity, appear below.

Comment: Also read the interview with Robert F, Kennedy Jr: Mercury, Vaccines and the CDC's Worst Nightmare
For over three decades, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has been one of the world's leading environmental advocates. He is the founder and president of Waterkeeper Alliance, the umbrella group for 300 local waterkeeper organizations, in 34 countries, that track down and sue polluters. Under his leadership, Waterkeeper has grown to become the world's largest clean water advocacy organization.

Around 2005, parents of vaccine-injured children started encountering Kennedy's speeches and writings about the toxic mercury-based preservative thimerosal. They embraced new hope that this environmental champion would finally expose the truth about vaccine injury and win justice for injured children. Kennedy is known for his fierce and relentless brand of environmental activism and his advocacy for transparent government and rigorous science. He is now applying his tenacious energies and sophisticated strategies to exposing the fraud and corruption within the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the pharmaceutical industry. Last month, he launched his new non-profit, the World Mercury Project, with vaccine safety advocates Lyn Redwood and Laura Bono, legends themselves among parents of vaccine-injured children. Autism File executive editor Rita Shreffler spoke with Kennedy about CDC corruption, pharmaceutical industry greed, media malpractice and his vision for the World Mercury Project.


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Health

More mainstream researchers are admitting that Vitamin C can cure cancer

Jack Burns
The Free Thought Project
Sun, 15 Jan 2017 15:58 UTC
vitamin c
© Unknown
Albert Szent-Györgyi discovered the chemical, ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, in the 1930s. One of Vitamin C's chief advocates, who won twice the Nobel (Chemistry and Peace), was Linus Pauling. Pauling advocated for high doses of Vitamin C to treat various illnesses, including cancer, but was ridiculed by doctors and scientists alike when he claimed it could help prevent cancer. In fact, an essay entitled "The Dark Side of Linus Pauling's Legacy", written by psychiatrist and anti-quackery advocate Stephen Barrett, M.D., claimed, "Pauling is largely responsible for the widespread misbelief that high doses of vitamin C are effective against colds and other illnesses."

Barrett scoffed at the notion, even going so far as to conclude, "Pauling's megavitamin claims lacked the evidence needed for acceptance by the scientific community, they have been accepted by large numbers of people who lack the scientific expertise to evaluate them." Going even further, Barrett suggested, "Pauling's irrational advice about supplements continues to lead people astray."

Barrett's conclusions about Pauling's claims on Vitamin C now paint an entirely different picture. According to researchers from the University of Iowa, ascorbate, derived from Vitamin C, was successfully observed increasing hydrogen peroxide levels in cancer cells, which in turn had a toxic result with cancer cells, killing the cancer cells in lab rats yet not damaging normal cells in the process. The researchers concluded that Vitamin C might, indeed, be lethal to some cancers.

Comment: How long until the regular use of Vitamin C for cancer moves into the mainstream instead of being relegated to laboratory studies?

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Bulb

Research confirms Acupuncture is safer & more effective than morphine

Anna Hunt
Waking Times
Thu, 12 Jan 2017 15:47 UTC
Acupuncture
A new study has discovered that acupuncture can be more effective in treating pain than intravenous morphine. In addition, the researchers discovered that acupuncture can work faster in relieving pain and have fewer adverse effects. The study was conducted over a one-year period at the Fattaouma Bourguiba University Hospital in Tunisia. The results were published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

The Side Effects of Morphine Use

Morphine is an opioid pain medication which can have severe adverse effects. These include drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, tired feeling, anxiety and mild itching. Other risks associated with morphine use include misuse, abuse and addiction.

In addition, scientific research has shown that prescription opioids may actually worsen chronic pain. It appears that a holistic alternative to treating pain is much-needed in order to mitigate the dangers of conventional pharmaceutical pain treatment.

Now, a groundbreaking study shows that acupuncture is one of these effective holistic alternatives. Considering the study results, it may perhaps be even more effective than morphine.

Comment: Read more about Why acupuncture works:
More than 3 million Americans receive acupuncture each year, and its use is increasing.1 While there are a variety of acupuncture techniques, those typically used in the U.S. incorporate traditions from China, Japan and Korea and involve penetrating your skin with a thin needle at certain points on your body.

The needle is then stimulated by hand or electrically.2 Acupuncture has been in use for thousands of years around the globe, and it has withstood the test of time because it works to safely relieve many common health complaints.

How it works has remained largely a mystery, but last year researchers revealed a biochemical reaction that may be responsible for some of acupuncture's beneficial effects...

It's likely that acupuncture works via a variety of mechanisms. In 2010, for instance, it was found that acupuncture activates pain-suppressing receptors and increased the concentration of the neurotransmitter adenosine in local tissues.5

Adenosine slows down your brain's activity and induces sleepiness. According to a Nature Neuroscience press release:6
" ... [T]he authors propose a model whereby the minor tissue injury caused by rotated needles triggers adenosine release, which, if close enough to pain-transmitting nerves, can lead to the suppression of local pain."


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Red Flag

'The world's scrapyard for pesticides' - Latin America

Fernanda Sández
buenosairesherald.com
Fri, 30 Dec 2016 15:20 UTC
pesticides
Although agrochemical products, pesticides and genetically modified crops are today part of everyday life for those who live in the countryside, they are relatively new in Argentina. Very few people, apart from environmental activists, question their use. Yet the consequences — in both the short and the long term — of their impact on the health of those living near lands fumigated daily, with products that are forbidden in many countries around the world, are already beginning to emerge.

After years of spralling, obsessive and sometimes overwhelming investigation, journalist Fernanda Sández — in her recent book, La Argentina fumigada — lays bare the links that tie that food industry and agrochemical use to pollution, via insufficient state control, and the increasing numbers of deaths from new diseases as a result of using pesticides.

Conducting her research, Sández visited what she calls "the sprayed small towns" in agricultural provinces such as Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, Chaco and Córdoba, where she listened to alarming testimonies from people struggling in a battle that, as she says, "seems to already be lost but is still worth fighting for."

Comment: Argentina, the country that Monsanto poisoned with agrochemicals

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Life Preserver

Heal strep throat, sinusitis, & infections with oregano tea

Michelle Toole
Healthy Holistic Living
Wed, 26 Oct 2016 15:13 UTC
oregano tea
Drinking oregano tea has long been a tradition in many parts of the world as a home remedy for a number of different ailments.[1] Oregano contains many important compounds including quercetin, eriocitrin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin, apigenin, and rosmaric acid.[2]

Oregano is composed of several phytonutrients such as thymol and rosmarinic acid which have demonstrated to be extremely valuable antioxidants. These antioxidants drastically inhibit oxygen-based damages to cells throughout the human body. Many studies showed that oregano has a stronger antioxidant impact in the body than the two synthetic antioxidants regularly added in processed foods, namely BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and BHA (butylated bydroxyanisole).[3,4]

In a study published in the International Food Journal of Sciences and Nutrition in 2007, it was shown that drinking oregano tea does have antioxidant results as well as resulting in lowered LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.[5]
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