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When an issue arises over a scientific paper, there's a somewhat standard course of action that's used to handle disputes. However, when controversy recently erupted over a paper in the journal Nature, it was handled a different way – and some are wondering why. 

If you ask yourself: "What segment of the population is most increasing its drug intake?" then the best-sellers come into better focus. From there, think ... cholesterol ... heart ... thyroid.

Dr. Andrew Kolodny, the executive director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, has been waging war on prescription pain medications for years. His recently-published piece, "The Opioid Epidemic in 6 Charts," is full of inaccuracies – intentional or otherwise. 

Can it be? What your mother ate when she was pregnant with you is the cause of your binge drinking? According to this study, yes, but she had to be a vegetarian or at least eat "healthy." Alright, consider us officially confused.

Spend enough time with another person, and you begin to pick up their mannerisms. Such behavioral "synchronization" is a mechanism by which we build social cohesion. But what about across species? Turns out, at least as dogs are concerned, researchers found that they are in tune with their owners.

A new study in the British Medical Journal suggests that the majority of new cancer drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency lacked evidence that they improved survival or the quality of life of patients.

Cirrhosis, the final stage of liver disease, is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States. Unhealthy bacteria in the mouth and gut appear to play a role.

The sheer number of baby products on the market can overwhelm any new parent. But the Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on one in particular: the sleep positioner. Officials consider it dangerous to the infant, as its use has been connected to 12 fatalities to date. 

One religious group forecast an apocalypse a few weeks ago. They used the Bible as its source. More recently, a newer religion warned of their apocalypse. But those followers cited Science magazine. 

We get it. The actress hates guns. But please don’t use your high visibility to spread untruths about the medical profession, just to make a political point.

A working group with the American Association for the Advancement of Science released a new report stating that any claim of precision in identifying a specific person from a fingerprint is "indefensible" and has no scientific foundation.

It is hardly news that doctors and patients are battling insurance companies over money. In particular, patients may be forced to try and fail an older cheaper drug before being allowed access to a newer one. American Council friend Robert Popovian, Pfizer's VP of US Government Relations, discussed this issue in his latest editorial in Morning Consult. 

We often come across studies reporting that a diet or food is helpful, but shortly thereafter finding another stating the effect is either non-existent or even detrimental. So what's a person to believe? Strangely, sometimes both claims can turn out to be true – at least that might well be the case for soybeans and breast cancer.

Warning letters by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can be interesting to read. A recent one, from the end of September, is more interesting than most.
The facilities of Nashoba Brook Bakery, located in Concord, MA, were inspected by the FDA and a number of violations were found and documented. Actually, to be clear, Nashoba Brook Bakery was found to be - in one phrase - a hot mess. 

A Detroit mother was sentenced to seven days in jail for failing to comply with a judge's orders to vaccinate her son, as she had agreed to do in her divorce agreement. Falsely claiming a religious exemption, this woman is now a martyr for anti-vaccine propagandists.

In case you're keeping count, the science portion of this year's Nobel Prizes was given to nine scientists, seven of whom are American.

Researchers from Georgetown University recently published a study in the journal Tobacco Control demonstrating the potential to save millions of people from premature smoking-related deaths by switching to e-cigarette use.

When Sovaldi, the first in a family of drugs that cured hepatitis C came out, its maker Gilead came under fire for the price of the drug: $1,000 per pill x 84 pills. Now we have eight more direct-acting antivirals for hep C. They are not only getting better, but also cheaper. Competition in the pharmaceutical industry benefits all of us. 

Researchers from UCLA found that through mice experiments, decaffeinated black tea may promote some form of weight loss, which occurs when chemicals, known as polyphenols, produce changes in the gut bacterium.

A new report from the American Cancer Society says that deaths attributable to breast cancer have decreased by 39 percent, with improvements in mortality rates observed in all races and ethnicities. All told, nearly 323,000 fewer women have evaded the horror of this terrible disease.

The Centers for Disease Control notes that obesity-related cancers now comprise 40 percent of all cancers diagnosed. When scaremongering groups insisted chemicals were the problem, we noted this was happening.

When words like "world-renowned" are used in the medical realm (especially by people selling something, like an unnecessary product or procedure), beware. And then prepare yourself with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Scientists report they have successfully treated hemophilia B by giving sufferers gene therapy. When they infuse a gene for the correct blood-clotting factor, it's taken up by the patient who then can produce it on their own. So they no longer have to inject clotting factor to avoid potentially crippling or fatal consequences.
 
 
 
 
 

Jellyfish have a diverse range of eating interests and locations, much like us. They are also fearsome predators. Interesting, right? Here are a few things about them that you might not have known.
 
 
 

To make progress in this investigation of a suspected sonic attack against American diplomats, the U.S. will Cuba's cooperation. That seemed to be occurring, but no longer. This week Cuban scientists declared that there was no sonic attack at all. Instead, they blamed stress and mass hysteria.