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Drug company-funded statin studies shown to be highly biased and unreliable

In previous posts, such as here and here, I have focused on the apparent ability of pharmaceutical companies influence research, the journals that publish this research and treatment guidelines. There are many ways that drug companies can do this, including the funding and design of studies. In fact, back in July I focused on a […]

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More evidence that vitamin D is linked to better physical function in the elderly

At the end of April, I wrote about research which assessed the relationship between vitamin D status and physical function in a group of elderly individuals [1]. Briefly, the results of this study found that lower vitamin D levels were found to associated with lower muscular strength and physical function in both men and women. […]

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Doctors question the use of statins in the elderly

In previous posts I’ve expressed a distinct lack of enthusiasm for cholesterol-reducing statin drugs. These medicaments are very much in vogue as a result of their much-touted ability to reduce the risk of ‘cardiovascular’ conditions such as heart disease and stroke. However, a better measure of the effectiveness of a ‘preventive’ treatment such as statin […]

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Older (and cheaper) drugs found to be better for diabetics

Back in May, I wrote about the relatively new diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia) and, specifically, the then new research which linked it with a substantially increased risk of heart disease [1]. By coincidence, rosiglitazone was also the focus of attention of a review conducted by a scientific group known as the Cochrane Collaboration. The research […]

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Another less-than-impressive study trumpets the ‘benefits’ of statins

It seems like a week doesn’t go by without more yet more research coming to light which paints the cholesterol-reducing drugs known as ‘statins’ as wonder drugs. The latest example of such research was published earlier this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine [1]. The study was an analysis of individuals aged 65 or […]

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Shoddy science used (again) in an attempt to discredit low-carb eating

Last Friday’s blog featured a study presented recently at an American Diabetes Association symposium. It found that in a group of individuals with type 2 diabetes, a low-carb diet led to statistically significant reductions in weight, as well as blood sugar and triglyceride levels compared to a low-fat diet. In this blog, I also attempted […]

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Adding fluoride to water supplies is bad for our teeth

The practice of adding fluoride to water started some 60 years ago, and is widely held by dentists and public health experts to have been a major factor in the improvement in dental health seen in individuals living in areas where water fluoridation is practiced. However, as I have written before, the science shows that […]

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What’s so unhealthy about ‘going to work on an egg’?

Driving this morning I was listening to the radio and learned that the British Egg Information Service has been banned from resurrecting the ‘go to work on an egg’ ad campaign to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the ‘British Lion’ mark that adorns eggs here in the UK. Apparently, the Broadcasting Advertising Clearance Centre […]

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Sunscreen dubbed ‘snake oil’ by American lawyer

Here in the UK most parts have enjoyed a hot and sunny weekend. Yesterday, I spent a good portion of the day out in the sun, and there was a distinct whiff of sunscreen in the air. But it wasn’t coming from me: For some years now, I’ve been wary of using this form of […]

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Diabetes drug linked with adverse effects on health – again

Back in December, I wrote a post which focused on the apparent ability of pharmaceutical companies to divert our attention away from what is really important (health) to what are often referred to as ‘surrogate’ outcomes such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels. The problem here is that while it is often assumed that, say, […]

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