Be prepared to have many well cherished medical beliefs crushed by mountains of scientific research. Professor Steven Novella, MD from the Yale School of Medicine offers an informative series of lectures on Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us from the Great Courses.
Clinicians, epidemiologists, and scientists conduct studies to determine if these medical practices have any benefit. Ineffective treatments include: homeopathy, echinacea (for colds), magnets, and antioxidants. In other cases an accepted medical practice such as chelation therapy - Web MD is used inappropriately as a treatment outside the approved guidelines. Anti-vaccine advocates are debunked - Public Health because children develop the symptoms before getting the vaccine. The professor notes that the original person attacking the measles vaccine was also attempting to profit from an alternative vaccine.How to spot a fraud: The treatment is not typically done by standard medical practice. The evidence for the efficacy is mixed. Negative results are followed by special pleading saying that there was something deficient in the study. Evidence for support is by anecdote or testimonial. A standard treatment is being used outside its approved use. The treatment is not offered in the United States but at a convenient location close to the border. New scientific discoveries are monetized before the effects are fully understood (eg: Radithor - Oak Ridge Associated Universities - an over the counter radioactive oral medicine).
There is a long line of people willing to extract cash for treatments that don't work or may be harmful. This series of lectures can arm the listener with the tools to make better health decisions. I highly recommend it.
Medical Myths 1 min.
What used to be fraud is now alternative medicine - 15 min.
Science-based medicine beyond integrated medicine - 22 min.
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