No, denial is not the name of a river in Egypt. It has, and still is, alive and well in many of our most contentious political and scientific concerns. But in order to combat denial, one must be aware of what’s in the denialist’s toolbox. Here are the hammers, screwdrivers, and saws used to construct the denialist platform.
Harm Reduction
Hospitals are noisy places. What with the alarms and the interruptions to take medications or check your blood pressure, pulse, or blood sugar. It is challenging for patients to get any real rest. Short of a medically induced coma, is there anything to be done? A new study offers up a possibility.
As Omicron continues to infect its way across America, let us not forget its viral companion: influenza. How is that working out?
Multiple studies have shown that vaping can help smokers give up cigarettes if they want to quit. But research is beginning to show that vaping may actually incentivize smokers to quit, even when they have no plans to stop.
Let’s face it, Dr. Google remains the Dr. Benjamin Spock of our current generation; 53% of Americans search there for health information. A close runner-up is Mehmet Oz, a cardiovascular surgeon and now influencer – and when he speaks, he moves markets, at least for diets and supplements that often, although not always, have scant if no scientific basis. A new study looks at how we combat or, more appropriately, do not combat the Oz Effect.
Yet another high-quality study has shown that vaping can help smokers permanently give up cigarettes. The media seems not to have noticed. Why?
A recent study suggests that vaping may be linked to erectile dysfunction. The results are alarming if they're valid, though there are several critical reasons to doubt their validity.
“Black pregnant people in the United States experience preterm birth (PTB; a birth before 37 weeks’ gestation) at rates approximately 2 times that of White pregnant people.” And that is a problem because “Black pregnant people are also twice as likely to experience the death of an infant younger than 1 year, a disparity primarily associated with preterm-related causes of death.” This new study has a lot for us to unpack.
Electric vehicles require very large lithium batteries – some even believe Tesla is more a battery than a car company. In any event, as an article in Wired points out, no good deed goes unpunished. What do we do with batteries at the end of their life?
A new study finds that if you vape and then quit, you're more likely to suffer a fracture than if you currently vape. The authors say their results suggest that e-cigarettes pose a risk to bone health. What sense does that make? Very little. Let's take a closer look at the paper.
The CDC recently revised its blood reference value for lead in children. Will this result in better protection for kids from the adverse health effects of lead?
The desire for eternal youth, and relief from the aches and pains of age, remains far more potent than the efficacy of stem cells in regenerating our youth and vigor. Into that breach, we find the modern-day purveyors of hope in a syringe. A new study looks at their suspect marketing. We should, too.