It is that time of year when we present listicles of our top 5 or 10. Here are our most popular articles based on your page views. On behalf of myself and all of our wonderful writers, thank you for all 400,000 reads.
Number 10
The Unintended Entanglement Of Diabetes And Statins
Statins, which are used in treating heart disease, are among the most widely prescribed medications in the U.S. Diabetes is associated with a very high risk of heart disease. So the thinking has been that a pre-emptive statin, before heart symptoms appear, would be beneficial for those patients. But statins accelerate the progression of diabetes. A new study tries to determine their downsides
Number 9
COVID-19, Viral Load And Shedding: An Update
Nearly a year into the pandemic, can we begin to make some definitive statements about the transmission of COVID-19 between individuals, based on a patient’s symptoms or testing? A meta-analysis provides some answers. (Or at least it gets us into the ballpark.)
Number 8
Which Is The Best COVID-19 Vaccine?
As the news cycle brings us more COVID-19 variants and reports of the efficacy of the new vaccines by J&J, Novavax, and AstraZeneca, you have to wonder which vaccine is best and why
Number 7
Deeply Terrible Medical Advice From Deep In The Heart Of Texas
Ever heard of the Hotze Health & Wellness Center in Houston? If not, you're better off. Its founder, Dr. Steven Hotze, has plenty to say about COVID, almost all of it completely wrong.
Number 6
Dementia And Diet: Avoid These 5 Foods To Stay 'Focused And Sharp'?
Can avoiding certain foods reduce your dementia risk? One nutritional psychiatrist seems to think so, but the evidence is much messier than it looks at first glance.
Number 5
All Vaccines Are Not Created Equal: 'Evidence' From A Texas Wedding
A Texas wedding this past April became an unintentional experiment in vaccine efficacy. All 92 guests were vaccinated but COVID disease broke through in six people. Four of them got one of the mRNA vaccines and developed one mild illness. Two got Covaxin, a vaccine developed in India. Both became very ill and one subsequently died. The culprit was the dangerous delta variant.
Number 4
Mandatory COVID Vaccines: Why Forcing People To Get A Shot May Backfire
To speed COVID vaccine uptake and bring the pandemic to an end, some commentators are calling on the government to mandate immunization as a condition for participating in society. This may seem like a reasonable policy, but there's compelling evidence that it could backfire.
Number 3
No, COVID MRNA Vaccine Won't Cause Alzheimer's Or Prion Disease
The coronavirus pandemic has spawned an equally concerning mis- and disinformation pandemic. The latest myth is that mRNA vaccines may trigger prion diseases like Alzheimer's.
Number 2
COVID Vaccines Kill? A Second Look At Scary VAERS Reports
Vaccine skeptics continue to insist that the COVID shots are dangerous. As always, their favorite sources are the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and other similar passive surveillance databases. As cases of supposed vaccine injury are investigated, we come to the reassuring, though admittedly boring, conclusion that COVID-19 jabs pose a low risk to most people.
And our Number 1 most read article of 2021
Farewell E-Cigarettes? FDA Effectively Bans Millions Of Vaping Products
The FDA just took a significant step toward killing the vaping industry. While ostensibly acting to "protect public health," the agency has effectively banned millions of products and made it harder for smokers to give up their deadly habit.
