The University of Utah School of Medicine has published a review looking at the popular supplement, glucosamine, and its efficacy in comparison to celebrex, placebo, and the combination of glucosamine-condroitin.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20525840Ann Rheum Dis. 2010 Aug;69(8):1459-64.“Clinical efficacy and safety of glucosamine, chondroitin
I just came across two interesting abstracts concerning supplements for osteoarthritis. I will review each in its own post. The first one, Phys Sportsmed. 2010 Jun;38(2):71-81, is titled,“A potential role for avocado- and soybean-based nutritional supplements in the management of
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/business/11ghost.html?_r=1&ref=healthSeptember 11, 2009 Ghostwriting Is Called Rife in Medical Journals, By DUFF WILSON and NATASHA SINGER Following up on a previous blogpost (http://ksparrowmd.blogspot.com/2009/04/corruption-between-drug-companies-and.html) about the common practice of drug companies facilitating and, at times, even doing the research studies for
A fascinating article from Wired magazine (http://www.wired.com/medtech/drugs/magazine/17-09/ff_placebo_effect) addresses the curious problem that the placebo effect seems to be increasing in clinical trials and has torpedoed the launch of several new medications. Any new drug coming to market needs to demonstrate
An article in the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) published yesterday, April 1, was widely reported on the radio and today in the NYTimes and other publications http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/health/policy/02journal.html?_r=1&ref=health.A group of physicians and physicians groups are advocating for the
After I started my medical acupuncture practice 10 years ago, I was struck by something within my first year. I noticed that many of my patients were on antidepressants, and many of them had gained 30 pounds on them. Why
In yet another depressing instance of profit motive undermining patient well-being we are presented with the story of a private company, “Coast Independent Review Board”, charged with overseeing the safety of new drugs and medical devices (An Overseer of Trials
In yet another depressing instance of profit motive undermining patient well-being we are presented with the story of a private company, “Coast Independent Review Board”, charged with overseeing the safety of new drugs and medical devices (An Overseer of Trials
