Search results

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) cited a new toxicology study that linked PM2.5 air pollution with the growth of lung cells having “pre-existing oncogenic variants” that could promote lung cancer in mice. Because “the light is better underneath the lamppost,” there is an epidemiologic predilection for ascribing blame to the pollutants for which we have the most data, like PM2.5

It should come as no surprise to anyone trying to get or fill a prescription for a controlled substance that our drug laws are nuts. But you probably don't fully appreciate how nutty they really are. This article just scratches the surface of the nut. But that's still plenty.

An FDA expert panel just recommended unanimously that one type of birth control pill should be sold over the counter. Drs. Jeffrey Singer and Josh Bloom argue in their opinion piece in Reason Magazine that the FDA should not only approve the so-called "mini-pill" but allow other types of oral contraceptives to be sold OTC as well – something that is permitted in 100 countries around the world.

The two long-term drivers for weight loss and control are your basal metabolic rate, the number of calories you burn while your carcass is at rest, and your muscle tissue’s ability to perform and sustain physical activity for extended periods moving your carcass. Both are dependent on the amount of muscle tissue you have developed through conditioning or granted through genetics. So, before you decide to withdraw from your 401K to pay for your hit of Wegovy or Ozempic or any other miraculously pitched expensive weight loss drug, you need to consider some basic physiology.

“Every hour, across the world, around 742,000 freshly hatched male chicks are born. A few hours later…” they are killed. The males are obviously of no value to the egg-laying sector of the egg economy; and of no value to the meat-producing sector, where their slow weight gain makes them an “inefficient” source of meat. Could there possibly be lessons in the global annual slaughter of 6.5 billion male chicks?

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently released its Strategic Plan for 2023-27. Most strategic plans are full of fluff and are meant only to check an administrator’s to-do box and end up sitting in a file drawer, never to see the light of day again. This plan is no exception, lacking a clear vision for a path to take on the nation’s agricultural threats. For this to happen, leadership must be held accountable for the agency’s progress.

Eat to beat it – disease, that is.
I can’t walk and chew gum – multi-tasking
Win-win, low price and high quality
The best of our technology disappears

In February, 2021, the CDC published its mask mandate in the federal register requiring a person to “wear a mask while boarding, disembarking or traveling on any conveyance into or within the United States.” Exemptions were provided for specific medical conditions. Several plaintiffs suffering anxiety disturbances from masking  (which was not exempted) sued the CDC in Florida district court for exceeding its statutory authority (and for other issues). The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and is on appeal. The case directly addresses the powers of the CDC to act during public health emergencies in interstate transport and commerce.

A record of bias and incompetence disqualifies the The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) from further roles in creating public policy for treating patients in pain.

Cutting the dose of Tylenol in opioids makes the drugs safer. Why? Pharma company Johnson & Johnson is developing a drug that could reduce liver damage caused by Tylenol — which J&J also sells.

Spring brings new growth and new hopes. COVID infections continue, as do vaccine-driven hopes for relief. The White House announced that COVID-19 national and public health emergencies (PHE) will expire on May 11, but a Lancet editorial pronounced that the pandemic is “far from over.” We have been tracking its progress for three years - It’s time to take stock and go out on the shaky limb of prediction.

There's considerable ongoing research to develop analgesic medications that don't have the liabilities of NSAIDs and opioids. Many potential drugs are in various stages of development. Most will fail. This multi-part series will examine drugs in development and their potential utility. First up is VX-458, a Phase III candidate from Vertex.

The use of dicamba, an herbicide, has become an extremely contentious issue in some farm states. It has been accused of “tearing apart the fabric of rural life.” The issues surrounding dicamba present a fascinating study on modern agriculture and problems that arise when technological advances impact farming choices and basic livelihood.

From an evolutionary view, becoming alarmed over dangerous situations is adaptive. Our fight-or-flee response has been honed over the millennium. Now, our prompt and focused attention on alarming information has been used by media – old, main, or social – to capture our eyes and ears (and wallets). What might science tell us about our increasingly alarming media diets? For that, let's first turn to hospitals.

To reduce swab testing for COVID, the ultimate goal is to have dogs able to perform rapid, large-scale, non-invasive screening, with antigen testing necessary only for confirmation after positive dog screening results.

A new study took as its premise, “Many cancer survivors prefer clinicians who understand or share their culture,” and evaluated how often cancer survivors delayed care based on their income and race. Let’s consider what was found.

Sepsis, an overwhelming infection, remains among hospitals’ most difficult conditions to identify and treat. Algorithms within electronic medical records have been developed to help clinicians. So how is this real-world A.I. of medicine working out? Just a bit better than a coin toss.

Accelerated approval is intended to get needed drugs to patients, but there are sometimes distortions and complications in the process that should be addressed.

Drug shortages mean that many patients are getting the second or third choice of a medicine, increasing the likelihood that the drug will be ineffective or only suboptimally effective, or have unwanted side effects. Reciprocity of approvals between the U.S. and certain other countries could help to address that.

Last year's omnibus appropriation bill passed by Congress made a good start with cybersecurity standards for internet-connected medical devices. But it's only one tiny piece of a large and complex puzzle.

Reflecting on the possible causes of his Parkinson's Disease, Fox recently told CBS News that he "did some damage" and that alcohol or chemical exposure could have contributed to – or even caused – his condition. While Fox’s comment is only speculation, a similar incident is not: in 1976, a young chemist inadvertently injected himself with a toxic impurity in a drug he made in his lab. It caused an unprecedented case of Parkinson's.

The New York Times’ “Well” section recently published an article entitled, “What Dentists Wish You Knew,” which listed five points. We found them to be a somewhat odd and incomplete collection.  We list the Times' offerings, with our commentary and some bonus suggestions of our own.

COVID is still killing more than 1,000 Americans a week; long COVID causes prolonged misery; and a new, more transmissible subvariant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is spreading.

Welcome to another thoroughly worthless edition of the J-Man Chronicles, where you will learn absolutely nothing while at the same time being offended, grossed out, or hopefully both.

Our drug laws are almost supernaturally stupid. Part of this, aside from that they're largely made by morons, is the lack of knowledge of even basic chemistry, which could, at least, introduce a little sanity to the process. Here's a bit.