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Consumer Health Digest #07-46
November 27, 2007
Current # of subscribers: 11,777
Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by
Stephen Barrett, M.D., and cosponsored by NCAHF and Quackwatch. 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. Donations to help support
this newsletter can be made conveniently through PayPal or Amazon via
http://www.quackwatch.org/00AboutQuackwatch/donations.html###
Report skeptical of common knee-pain treatments.
The Agency for Health Quality and Research (AHQR) has published a
270-page review of three treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee:
viscosupplementation (hyaluronic acid injections into the knee
joint); oral glucosamine and/or chondroitin; and irrigation through a
tubular instrument (arthroscope) inserted into the joint. [Samson DJ
and others. Treatment of Primary and Secondary Osteoarthritis of the
Knee. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 157. AHRQ Publication
No. 07-E012. Rockville, MD: AHQR. Sept 2007.]
http://www.quackwatch.org/06ResearchProjects/oa_knee.pdf The review concluded:
**Viscosupplementation trials generally report positive effects on
pain and function scores compared to placebo, but the evidence on
clinical benefit is uncertain, due to variable trial quality,
potential publication bias, and unclear clinical significance of the
reported changes.
**The Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial, a large,
high-quality, multicenter study found no significant difference
between glucosamine hydrochloride and placebo. Glucosamine sulfate
has been reported to be more effective, but the evidence is not
sufficient to draw conclusions.
**The best available study of arthroscopy found that irrigation with
or without debridement (cleaning out deteriorated tissue) was
equivalent to placebo. However, this trial involved only a single
surgeon at one clinic.
**The three interventions are widely used, yet the best available
evidence does not clearly demonstrate clinical benefit.
**Uncertainty regarding benefit can be resolved only by rigorous,
multicenter, randomized controlled trials. Given the public health
impact of osteoarthritis of the knee, research on new approaches to
prevention and treatment should be given high priority.
###
FTC swats "alternative" hormone replacement products.
Several months ago, the FTC warned 34 Web site operators that it knew
of no reliable scientific evidence to support any claims that natural
progesterone products are safe or effective in preventing
osteoporosis, increasing bone density, or preventing or treating
cancer, heart disease, or other diseases. After finding that all but
seven had modified their sites, it filed complaints against the
remaining seven, six of whom have signed consent agreements. [FTC
charges seven online sellers of alternative hormone replacement
therapy with failing to substantiate products' health claims. FTC
news release, Oct 5, 2007]
http://www.casewatch.org/ftc/news/2007/hrt.shtml The six who settled are:
**Elation Therapy, Inc. / Robert Rutledge: Elation Therapy Natural
Progesterone Cream
**Health Science International, Inc. / David Martin: Serenity for
Women Natural Progesterone Cream
**Progesterone Advocates Network / Shelly Black: Nature's Precise Cream
**Springboard and Pro Health Labs / Lawrence A. Jordan and Stephanie
L. Jordan: ProBalance, ProBalance Plus
**The Green Willow Tree LLC / Robert Burns: Progesta Care Plus,
Restored Balance
**Women's Menopause Health Center / Merilou Barnekow: Preserve
Progesterone Cream, Return to Eden Progesterone Cream
The remaining case is against Syed M. Jafry and his Herbs Nutrition
Corporation, which markets Eternal Woman Progesterone Cream, and
Pro-Gest Body Cream. It is expected to be tried before an FTC
Administrative Law Judge.
###
Chelation clinic owner sentenced to prison for fraud.
Wilson N. Ellis of Hattiesburg, Mississippi was sentenced to six
months in prison and six months of home confinement for submitting
false claims for Medicare payments. He was also ordered to pay
$29,999 in restitution. The indictment states that from 1999 through
2002, he (a) hired doctors to administer chelation therapy at clinics
that he owned, (b) submitted claims using improper codes to disguise
what they did, and (c) used the doctors' provider numbers to submit
claims for treatments performed when the doctors were absent.
http://www.casewatch.org/doj/ellis_indictment.pdf Medicare does not
cover chelation therapy except for certain cases of lead poisoning.
The indictment further states that in some cases, Ellis claimed that
the patients were suffering from lead poisoning even though he knew
or should have known that they were not.
###
Other issues of the Digest are accessible through
http://www.ncahf.org/digest06/index.htmlFor information about the National Council Against Health Fraud, see
http://www.ncahf.org/about/mission.htmlIf you enjoy the newsletter, please recommend it to your friends.
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Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Board Chairman, Quackwatch, Inc.
Chatham Crossing, Suite 107/208
11312 U.S. 15 501 North
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
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Editor, Consumer Health Digest
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