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A recent opinion piece in The Economist discusses a very polarizing topic whether patents granted to pharmaceutical companies help or discourage innovation in biomedical research.
Unlike reflexive reactions of many other groups and commentators, who somehow think that it is fair to take intellectual property away from one particular industry, the Economist article recognizes that this is impossible, that is, if we ever want to see a new drug again.

Depression is unlike any other disease. Yes, it is a disease.
It carries a social stigma with it that other diseases do not, as well as an astounding amount of ignorance.
Many people believe that depression is simply a sadness, a character flaw or an inability to deal with normal problems. While these can be contributing factors, they do not constitute clinical depression. It is far, far worse.

Lifestyle changes, including dietary changes, are important for prevention of cardiovascular events (CVD) such as heart attacks (MIs) and strokes. Research in this area is sometimes difficult due to the necessity of assessing participants diets: often this is done by detailed dietary histories or food frequency questionnaires. New research published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that there is an easier way to obtain that information.

Yesterday, the New York City Health Department launched a campaign promoting the benefits of the HPV vaccine in an effort to encourage parents to vaccinate their children. HPV is the most common sexually

Malaria shortens the lives of millions in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions in the tropics globally. While the annual toll of this mosquito-borne killer has been gradually shrinking, thanks to numerous advances in

The latest health news: A malaria drug effective in infants, why physicians are recommending e-cigs to patients, and why you shouldn't worry about a link between psoriasis and certain cancers

NCar docs are ignoring the dire warnings of health officials and politicians by suggesting to their smoking patients to try e-cigarettes to help them quit. Unlike those demagogues, docs have to actually try to help.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition in which the over-production of epidermal (skin) cells build up on the surface of the skin, forming itchy, dry red patches that often causes significant discomfort. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, about 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. And 125 million individuals

The latest health news: Our take on the Ebola outbreak, why your smartphone isn't as smart as it could be, and how Europe is overcoming the antibiotic resistance crisis

We have often written about the antibiotic crisis in which we now find ourselves. The main problem standing in the way of progress in the development of new, effective antibiotics seems to be that it s very expensive, and companies are not incentivized to invest time and money in this area. A blockbuster drug (e.g. Lipitor) has to

If you have noticed the absence of any mention of the ongoing ebola outbreak from us, there is a reason. Unlike many people who have been shooting their mouths off about the infection often contradicting each other we have not had the expertise to address this properly. This has now changed.

An op-ed in the Wall St. Journal by ex-FDA second-in-command, Scott Gottlieb, accuses the regulators of chilling the development of innovative smartphone apps by its precautionary dicta. Could this be true?

All parents of infants, toddlers and young children should be required to read an essay in the Huffington Post by

Chemicals found in moms and kids, screams the headline! There is nothing new. This time, the news comes from an article in the Chicago Tribune written by Michael Hawthorne. News is a stretch, since this has been going on forever, with the same arguments being recycled over and over.

It has been apparent for many years that the age at which girls reach puberty has been declining. For example, in 1920 girls reached puberty at 14.6 years, in 1950 at 13.1, and 2010 at 10.5, according to a report by Medical News Today on a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

New survey reveals that one-third of teens are unaware that HIV is a sexually-transmitted disease (actually, infection, but STD resonates with those at risk). The disease caused by HIV is AIDS. More educational emphasis is needed to stem this ignorance.

About three million Americans less than one percent of the population have celiac disease, an autoimmune digestive disorder in which the consumption of gluten destroys the lining of the small intestine, impairing the

Two new additions to the growing scientific (as opposed to the ideological) literature on reduced-risk nicotine products (e-cigarettes in shorthand) show more clearly their high likelihood of benefiting smokers trying to quit smoking.

Of all the garbage science topics that we routinely cover, among the worst is the concept that miniscule amounts of so-called endocrine disruptors chemicals that supposedly have an adverse impact on human sexual development do anything whatsoever. The plastic component BPA and plastic softeners, phthalates, are the two poster children of the movement, but there are many more.

Dr. J Cuzick from the Queen Mary University of London and international colleagues from several institutions performed a review of studies linking the use of aspirin to decreased risk of several types of cancer and of heart attacks and stroke.

Last week, Oregon joined the ranks of states trying to pass GMO labeling laws, with the proponents of the bill arguing that consumers have a right to know

Hypertension is well-known to be a major risk factor for all types of cardiovascular disease: stroke and heart attack. Now a study seems to show that mid-life HT may also predict cognitive decline later on.

As we have done repeatedly, fellow debunker Michael Shaw has some things to say about Dr. Oz on his web page Shaw s Eco-Logic.
Here are a couple of examples from his piece The Merry Old Land of Oz, which appeared on the HealthNewsDigest site:

Concussions are a major and growing concern among athletes, and have garnered much media attention recently. Two examples include the long-term effects of concussions and new helmets intended to quantify cumulative impacts to the head. However, concussions among children and adolescents have not been as

Catch the latest news on concerns regarding Gilead's $84,000 hepatitis C treatment drug Sovaldi, the declining sales of traditional cigarettes, and why prior authorization could be hurting the health care system