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Consumer Health Digest #21-08
February 28, 2021
Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by William M. London, Ed.D., M.P.H
http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/william-m-london., with help from Stephen Barrett, M.D
http://www.quackwatch.org/10Bio/bio.html. It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; news reports; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. Its primary focus is on health, but occasionally it includes non-health scams and practical tips. To subscribe, click here
http://lists.quackwatch.org/mailman/listinfo/chd_lists.quackwatch.org.
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No evidence spinal manipulation helps for non-musculoskeletal disordersAn international group of 50 researchers participated in the Global Summit on the Efficacy and Effectiveness of Spinal Manipulation Therapy (SMT) for the management of non-musculoskeletal disorders. All but six of the researchers agreed with the overall conclusion of the literature review:
*** Our systematic review included six randomized clinical trials (534 participants) of acceptable or high quality investigating the efficacy or effectiveness of SMT for the treatment of non-musculoskeletal disorders. We found no evidence of an effect of SMT for the management of non-musculoskeletal disorders including infantile colic, childhood asthma, hypertension, primary dysmenorrhea, and migraine. This finding challenges the validity of the theory that treating spinal dysfunctions with SMT has a physiological effect on organs and their function. Governments, payers, regulators, educators, and clinicians should consider this evidence when developing policies about the use and reimbursement of SMT for non-musculoskeletal disorders.
Of the participating researchers, 45 had a PhD, had expertise as a chiropractor or in chiropractic research, and were actively involved in research at an academic or educational institution. Three others were chiropractors with a strong publication and scientific editorial record but who did not have a PhD. Two others were early career researchers with expertise in chiropractic and pseudoscience.
[Côté P. The global summit on the efficacy and effectiveness of spinal manipulative therapy for the prevention and treatment of non-musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review of the literature
https://chiromt.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12998-021-00362-9. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 29:8, 2021]
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Medical license of vaccine fearmonger Ken Stoller revokedThe Medical Board of California has revoked the medical license of Kenneth Paul Stoller, M.D., for writing baseless medical exemptions from school vaccine requirements. The revocation order
https://quackwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2021/02/revocation_2021.pdfconcerned ten children who had not qualified for medical exemptions under the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/should-not-vacc.htmlor American Academy of Pediatrics
https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/immunizations/Pages/Immunization-Schedule.aspxguidelines. The board noted:
Stoller was not the treating physician for any of them—the parents brought them in expressly to buy medical exemptions.
Stoller did not ask for any child’s medical records or consult any child’s treating physician.
The cost of the exemptions ranged from $400 to $600 per child.
Stoller estimated that he had issued about 500 such exemptions between 2016 and 2019, using a similar protocol for each request.
Stoller has promoted the false notion that vaccines cause autism. He has also promoted hyperbaric oxygen to treat autism
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/health_and_science/hearing-officer-clears-former-santa-fe-doctor-of-medical-child-abuse/article_66204093-c15b-54ab-bd6a-ca460098109d.html even though supportive evidence for this is lacking. Stoller’s lawyer has announced that he intends to appeal the board’s decision.
[Reiss D. Dr. Ken Stoller medical license revoked – baseless vaccine exemptions
https://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/dr-ken-stoller-medical-license-revoked-baseless-vaccine-exemptions/. Skeptical Raptor, Feb 21, 2021]
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Essay calls for countering anti-science attacks on biomedicineA recent essay by Peter Jay Hotez, an American scientist, pediatrician, and health advocate, compares the White House disinformation efforts in 2020 with the “relentless attacks on science and scientists during Stalin’s Great Purge” and the ascendancy of Lysenkoism and other pseudoscientific theories. The essay faults the Trump administration for
(a) downplaying the severity of COVID-19,
(b) falsely attributing COVID-19 deaths to comorbidities to artificially reduce actual disease mortality rates,
(c) aggressively promoting nonpharmaceutical interventions,
(d) hyping the use of hydroxychloroquine, and
(e) making scientifically unsubstantiated claims about herd immunity. The essay warns that a triumvirate of “medical freedom” initiatives in the U.S., Russian disinformation, and right-wing extremist groups in Western Europe are accelerating mistrust in vaccines and COVID-19 prevention.
The essay also calls for the formation of a U.S. government interagency task force and an expansion of international efforts to dismantle anti-science attacks on biomedicine.
[Hotez PJ. Anti-science kills: From Soviet embrace of pseudoscience to accelerated attacks on US biomedicine
https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001068. PLOS Biology, Jan 28, 2021]
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Dietary-supplement companies warned about mental health claimsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered 10 companies to stop selling dietary supplements with illegal claims that they can cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent depression and other mental health problems.
[FDA warns 10 companies for illegally selling dietary supplements claiming to treat depression and other mental health disorders
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-warns-10-companies-illegally-selling-dietary-supplements-claiming-treat-depression-and-other. FDA news release, Feb 19, 2021] The warnings were issued to Enlifta LLC
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/enlifta-llc-612253-02182021, Lifted Naturals
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/lifted-naturals-612216-02182021, Mountain Peak Nutritionals
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/mountain-peak-nutritionals-612219-02182021, SANA Group LLC
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/sana-group-llc-612256-02182021, Wholesome Wellness
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/wholesome-wellness-612257-02182021, Dr. Garber’s Natural Solutions
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/dr-garbers-natural-solutions-612226-02182021, ProHealth Inc.
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/prohealth-inc-612227-02182021, Blossom Nature LLC
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/blossom-nature-llc-612263-02182021, FDC Nutrition Inc.
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/fdc-nutrition-inc-612264-02182021, and Native Remedies doing business as Silver Star Brands
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/native-remedies-dba-silver-star-brands-612268-02182021.
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FDA criticized for inadequate protection of consumers from tianeptine.Consumer Reports (CR) has found “significant shortcomings” in the FDA’s enforcement efforts regarding illegal dietary supplements containing tianeptine
https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplement-products-ingredients/tianeptine-dietary-supplements, an opioid-like drug that is classified as a controlled substance in some countries. CR’s articles note:
*** Poison control centers have received 883 tianeptine-related calls since 2015.
*** At least four people have died after using tianeptine.
*** Nearly two dozen users have reported hospitalization and other adverse effects.
*** Records show the FDA is aware of dozens more deaths and adverse effects outside the U.S.
*** Adverse effects tend to be underreported.
The FDA waited at least nine months to alert the public about the risks of tianeptine despite alarming reports of harm in 2017 and 2018.
Consumers Union recommends establishing a dietary-supplement registry to which companies would be required to submit to the FDA a marketed supplement’s name, its ingredients, and the company’s contact information. Such information would enable the FDA to start enforcement actions quickly when illegal ingredients are listed. To achieve this, Congress would need to give the FDA more enforcement authority.
[Felton R. An illegal dietary supplement named tianeptine is being sold to Americans, and the FDA knows it
https://www.consumerreports.org/dietary-supplements/tianeptine-illegal-dietary-supplement-is-being-sold-and-the-fda-knows-it/. Consumer Reports, Feb 4, 2021; and Felton R. The FDA waited 9 months to warn the public on tianeptine, a supplement ‘worse than heroin’
https://www.consumerreports.org/dietary-supplements/fda-waited-9-months-to-warn-public-on-tianeptine-supplement-worse-than-heroin/. Consumer Reports, Feb 24, 2021]
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Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Consumer Advocate
287 Fearrington Post
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Telephone: (919) 533-6009
http://www.quackwatch.org (health fraud and quackery)
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