The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:1-3) -- quoted by The Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 4:18Satan can afflict the body by the mind -- for these two are so closely bound together that their good and bad estate is shared between them. If the heart be merry the countenance is cheerful, the strength is renewed, the bones do flourish like an herb. If the heart be troubled, the health is impaired, the strength is dried up, the marrow of the bones wasted, etc. Grief in the heart is like a moth in the garment, it insensibly consumeth the body and disordereth it. -- Richard Gilpin (1625-1700)
Combined Interactive Contents for The Web Edition of Biblical Counsel: Resources for Renewal
http://www.lettermen2.com/combtoc.html
Many of the healthcare topics on this webpage are beyond the scope of this bibliography. However, all of the topics in BIBLICAL COUNSEL: RESOURCES FOR RENEWAL are related to truth and life, both temporal and eternal.
The purpose of this summary research index is twofold. First, it shows that health and life are interrelated/interconnected/complementary with all things: truth, faith, hope, the will, loving relationship with God and man, trust in God, heart, mind and body, education, knowledge, emotions, freedom, and so forth, and so on.
One of the characteristics of God is that he is Truth. Truth is defined as that which is Absolute and Unchanging: Eternal. Therefore life is associated with Truth. Or, in other words, Eternal Life and Absolute Truth are connected.
It follows that both healthcare with a good outcome, and the reform of the healthcare system, depend upon compliance with Absolute Truth, that obedience to Truth gives Life, both temporal and eternal. The Christian ethic is the highest ethical standard known to mankind. Christianity is the only religion in the world that provides a solution to the problem of evil, sin, and death, yet the flesh (fallen man's ego), has always struggled against it.
In other words, this chapter summary is showing, first, that the answers to our broken healthcare system are spiritual, and not political or economic. It could be said "we get the healthcare we deserve." (1 Samuel 12:14,15, Psalm 106:41, Isaiah 32, Calvin's Commentary on Isaiah) "In 2011, approximately 1.06 million abortions took place in the U.S." The estimated annual number of iatrogenic deaths in the United States is 750,000 (Bolen, N. Martin, C. Dean). That would be a total of 1,810,000 unnecessary deaths per year.
Second, the chapter summary shows the little known risks and dangers of modern healthcare to patients, whether they be the reader, loved ones, or friends.
The documentation for each subject in the summary is given within parenthesis. Included are individual authors, corporate authors, books, and articles. Under "see also" will be found cross-references to other subjects in this summary and to topical listings of annotated bibliography found in the larger work, BIBLICAL COUNSEL: RESOURCES FOR RENEWAL.
We are gratefully for the resources of The People's Pharmacy Radio Program, and for their ongoing work. Many of their resources have been cited here.
The serious reader is encouraged to do a non-specific search of the entire webpage, from beginning to end. A summary is limited to main points. Much more information will to be found by browsing.
However, this webpage and the larger work should never be thought of as comprehensive. It only points the way to what is available. Research findings, articles, and books become available online daily. We encourage the reader to search online to find the latest information on topics of special interest.
Notice also that "there is a culture of cover-up in medicine that has been very effective at keeping mistakes [and much other medical information -- compiler], secret." (Health Affairs, April, 2011). Some of the information here is shocking. The reader may lapse into denial when it is realized that those whom we trust our lives to are failing so badly. But "follow the money" and it is apparent that Cains are found fighting with the Abels in healthcare, a conflict we have all experienced in the workplace.
It is important to read on to educate oneself. Knowing the facts could literally save the life of one of the estimated 750,000 iatrogenic deaths annually. Educating oneself could also prevent medical errors, unnecessary procedures, procedures that are risky or harmful, drug interactions, overtreatment, and so forth, and so on. It even could prevent medical bankruptcy.
Medical errors are not the only serious concerns. There is abortion (most of which are performed by healthcare workers), euthanasia, fraudulent biopsies, official clinical guidelines that have been "edited" to be incomplete, misleading (often based on opinion rather than scientific fact), and intended to "churn" business, a corporate business model that places profit above patient well-being, "paper-thin" healthcare insurance, poor health because of socio-economic position caused by incompetent and corrupt political economy policy, bureaucratic blocks, lack of accountability among corporate executives who have no medical training, lack of accountability among healthcare practitioners, organized crime, corruption, and so forth, and so on.If a physician that feels not what you feel, shall yet upon your speeches and other evidences, tell you that he is confident your disease is not mortal, nor containeth any cause of fear, you may rationally be much encouraged by his judgement . . . (your faithful pastor), is able to pass a far sounder judgement of your life or death than yourselves can do, for all your feeling; for he knows better what those symptoms signify. -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
The challenge that corporate healthcare in America is unable to meet is "how to maintain ever-increasing compensation for healthcare [shareholders and medical professionals, including dentists -- compiler], while the population becomes healthier."
Absolute Truth is interconnected with life, both temporal and eternal. (Ecclesiastes 7:12)
For whoso findeth me findeth life,
and shall obtain favour of the Lord.
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:
all they that hate me love death. (Proverbs 8:35,36)Sanctity of Life is the basis of Western Civilization. In the Abortion Holocaust [in euthanasia, and in the related breakdown of healthcare in the United States -- compiler], we are witnessing the destruction of Western Civilization. -- D. James Kennedy (1930-2007)
A few examples of this interconnectedness of health and life with truth, and with all things, are as follows:
- Truth and life (John 14:6, 1 John 1:1, Colossians 2:8-10, Proverbs 8:35,36, Deuteronomy 30:15, Revelation 1:8).
See also: Eternal life, immortality, Heaven.
As was explained above, one of the characteristics of God is that he is Truth. Truth is that which is absolute and unchanging. Therefore we associate Truth with Life, temporal and eternal. If healthcare is to have a good outcome, then it must be based upon Truth. Healthcare must be, of course, that which is right for the patient.- Knowledge (Proverbs 1:7, Colossians 2:2-10, Hosea 4:6,7).
See also: The sum of saving knowledge, Knowledge of god and virtue.- The will (Psalm 106, Jeremiah 14:15-16, Jeremiah 31:18, Jeremiah 31:11, Daniel 12:10, Isaiah 48:17-19, Matthew 6:10,13, Matthew 7:21, Luke 22:42, John 7:16b-18, John 14:21,23, R. Baxter, T. Boston, Findlay, Luther).
See also: Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death.
Good will verses ill will.
- Faith (John 14:6).
See also: Justifying faith.- Hope (Psalm 119:114, John 11:25b, John 11:26a, John 14 -- John 16, Romans 8:28, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Colossians 1:27, 1 Timothy 1:1b, 1 Peter 1:3-5a, Hebrews 6:18).
See also: Hope.- Love (Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Galatians 5:22, Ornish, Siegel, Wolf/Bruhn).
See also: Forgiveness of sin, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Loving and obeying god, The love and justice of god, Oneness, Filial love (love toward parents).- Human relationships (Romans 6:23, Luke 8:49, Psalm 38, 1 John 3:15, Psalm 135:6, Psalm 133:1, Proverbs 3:7,8, Bruhn/Wolf, H.M. Jones, Kennedy, Ornish, Wolf/Bruhn).
See also: Reconciliation of relationships, Loving and obeying god, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death.- Relationships and reconciliation of relationships.
Spiritual relationships: (Psalm 16:11, Galatians 5:22, John 14:6, Adolph/Bourne, Amundsen, Finley, Foxe, Gibson, Gross, Lawrence, Lloyd-Jones, McMillen, Ornish, Owen, Payne, Siegel, Storms, Thomson/McMain/Scott, Warfield).
See also: Forgiveness of sin, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, The love and justice of god, Oneness.
- Trusting God (Jeremiah 17:7, 2 Corinthians 1:9,10, Psalm 118:8,9, Deuteronomy 8:3, Psalm 22:3-5, Psalm 37:3, Isaiah 50:10, Hebrews 2:15, Matthew 19:26, Psalm 118:9, Isaiah 51:13, Luke 22:42, Hebrews 13:5. Trusting in men instead of trusting in God results in incompetence and corruption).
See also: Trusting god.- Obedience (S. Davies).
See also: Loving and obeying god, Discipleship, Self-denial.- Emotions (Childre/Martin, Ornish).
See also: Emotions and health.- Joy (Galatians 5:22).
See also: Joy.- Peace (Galatians 5:22),
See also: Fruit of the holy spirit- Freedom (John 8:31,32).
See also: Freedom with responsibility to god, The theology of freedom, Freedom: a gift of the grace of god, Political and economic freedom, Taxation, property, and liberty.The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality, but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact. (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21b; Ecclesiastes 9:3b; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; Ephesians 2:1-3; Titus 3:3-5) -- Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990). See John Calvin's Commentary on Isaiah Chapter 33 [Isaiah 33:1-66].
Anthropologists tell us that one-third of all human beings who have lived on this planet have died at the hands of their brothers -- that fully one-third of the human race have died through war, violence, crime, and sudden death at the hands of another human being. -- D. James Kennedy (1930-2007) and List of Wars and Anthropogenic Disasters by Death Toll, Wikipedia
Abortion was the 20th century's biggest single killer of mankind worldwide, far surpassing any other cause: disease, war, governments, natural disasters, and so forth. See: "Biggest Killers of the 20th Century." Notice that abortion is not included in this diagram. The absence of information says something about the depravity of mankind (Jeremiah 17:9,10), and about the suppression and repression of truth. (Hosea 4:6,7)
The number of abortions performed worldwide in the last 50 years is estimated to be 1 to 2 billion. But try to document this fact elsewhere online.
The total abortions worldwide for the 20th century may be interpolation from available data. The calculation does not factor in incremental increases in world population since 1900. Worldwide there are an estimated 43.8 million abortions annually (2008 figures, Guttmacher Institute) X 100 years = 4.38 billion killings worldwide in the 20th century. This is compared to 1.97 billion estimated deaths worldwide for non-communicable diseases the reported biggest killer worldwide of the 20th century. Comparison may also be made with figures for genocide.
Number of Abortions -- Abortion Counters
"The most accurate set of abortion counters on the web. Number of abortions in U.S. and worldwide; Number of abortions since 1973; Number of abortions this year; U.S. Abortion clock; Worldwide abortion clock; Number of abortions due to rape or incest; Planned Parenthood abortion count."
http://www.numberofabortions.com/All we want are the facts, ma'am. All we know are the facts, ma'am. -- Sergeant Joe Friday, Jack Webb (actor and producer), in "Dragnet," a radio, television, and motion picture series. (Urban Legends Reference Pages)
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. (Exodus 15:26b)
The sum of it is, that if the Israelites were tractable and, obedient to God, He on the other hand would be kind and bountiful to them. And it is an implied rebuke, that they might know whatever troubles they experienced, to be brought upon them by their sins. He proposes the Egyptians to them as an example, whose rebellion they had seen punished by God with such severe and heavy calamities. I am the Lord that healeth thee, is immediately added in confirmation, as if he had said, that the Israelites were liable to the same plagues which had been inflicted on the Egyptians, and were only exempt from them because God performed the office of a healer. And truly whatsoever diseases afflict the human race, we may see in them, as in so many mirrors, our own miseries, that we may perceive that there is no health in us, except in so far as God spares us. We are also taught in this verse that this is the rule of a good life, when we obey God's voice and study to please Him. But because the will of God was soon after to be proclaimed in the law, He expressly commands them to give ear to His commandments, and to keep His statutes.. . . . Let it suffice that God's law is commended under many names, to take away all pretext of ignorance. -- John Calvin commenting on Exodus 15:26
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (James 5:14,15)
And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. (Exodus 23:25)
Christ is the most tender-hearted physician. He hath ended his passion but not his compassion. He is not more full of skill than sympathy, He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). Every groan of the patient goes to the heart of the physician. -- Thomas Watson (1620-1686)
So treat this Holy Spirit, as thou wouldst one from whose prescription thou art in a continual course of physic, and none have skill but he. For when thou comest to die, his cordials must alone support, for none of any other's making will do thee any good. It is these, and these alone, must comfort, and carry thee to heaven. -- Thomas Goodwin (1600-1680)
When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. -- John Muir (1848-1914)
*Baxter, Richard (1615-1691), The Saint's Everlasting Rest: Baxter's Practical Works, Vol. 3, ISBN: 187761128X 9781877611285. A Christian classic.
"Third in the four-volume set. Includes The Saint's Everlasting Rest; Treatise of Self-Denial; The Life of Faith; Obedient Patience, and many more. Over 1000 pages." -- GCB
"This is the greatest treatment on Heaven ever to appear! . . ." -- Wilbur M. Smith.
The Saints' Everlasting Rest, (singly) Richard Baxter, edited by Benjamin Fawcett
"Discusses the nature, excellencies, design, rejection, necessity, of the Saints' rest. Calls us to live the heavenly life now." -- GCB
http://www.ccel.org/b/baxter/everlasting_rest/saints_rest.html
Boston, Thomas (1676-1732), The Shortness of Human Life. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive. Available (THE WORKS OF THOMAS BOSTON, VOL. 11), on the Puritan Hard Drive. Available (THE WORKS OF THOMAS BOSTON, VOL. 11), on Reformation Bookshelf CD #6.
Bouma, Hessel, III, Christian Faith, Health and Medical Practice, ISBN: 0802803695 9780802803696.
Ellens, J. Harold, God's Grace and Human Health, ISBN: 0687153263 9780687153268.
*Finley, Martha (aka Martha Farquharson, 1828-1909), Book 2: Elsie's Holidays at Roselands, ISBN: 9781888306323 1888306327.
"When Elsie's father becomes ill, she takes on the job of nurse-companion, and all goes well until Elsie, because it is the Sabbath, as a matter of conscience refuses to read to him from a secular book. The battle of wills that ensues nearly causes first her father's death, and then Elsie's. Lonely Elsie -- punished, ostracized, and then abandoned by her father -- turns to her heavenly Father for comfort and assurance. Will her father realize that Elsie's obedience to God must be paramount, and submit himself to the same Divine Authority?" -- Publisher
On an even more serious note, one moral of this story is the broader life and death struggle between Truth and Falsehood (See: Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], Epistemology of theology, the theory of knowledge, and Christian scholarship.) The consequence of conflict of will is death of the "One," or war of the "Many" (see Rushdoony, THE ONE AND THE MANY: STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF ORDER AND ULTIMACY. Conflict of will (see Will and recalcitrance, Rebellion and lawlessness: wickedness, demonic possession, abnormal behavior, insanity, mental illness, mental retardation,) may begin when one individual (see The doctrine of man [human nature, total depravity],) or the corporate body (see Corporate faithfulness and sanctification), tries to usurping authority over others (see Power, Authority) -- tries to control and possess the other (see Tyranny, Slavery, our systems of enslavement, economic enslavement.) The means of control may be either outward or occult (see The occult, spiritism, witchcraft), deceit, repression or suppression of the truth, replacing moral and ethical absolutes with relativism (see Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Medical ethics, Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], unfaithfulness to the highest ethical standards (see The ten commandments: the moral law, The holy bible), Heresy and apostasy (apostacy, old english), Spiritual adultery [spiritual whoredom/harlotry,] (see Idolatry, syncretism, Jeremiah and lamentations,) invocation of the demonic, Oaths, ensnaring vows, promises, and covenants, bonds with the ungodly Carnality and flesh pleasing: desires, pleasure, Justice, judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord,) attempts to take authority over another politically or by mental malpractice (see Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, making up their own rules (see Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality],) ignoring or changing constitutional or creedal documents, unjust laws for the accumulation of wealth and power, indebtedness, disenfranchisement, (see denial of freedom,) Priestcraft, pharisaism, soul-stealing, possessiveness, physical seduction and whoredom, political economic or sexual enslavement (see Sexual relationship,) and so forth, and so on.
This abuse, this soul-violence, quenches the Holy Spirit (see Owen, God's Presence With a People the Spring of Their Prosperity; With Their Special Interest in Abiding in Him.) If either side is immovable, then death is the consequence (see Soteriology, atonement, The blood of christ, Hell, and Heaven.)
How are conflicts of will resolved? By submission to the Absolute Truths of God's word, the great common denominator, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
All this bears a strain of the Gospel (see Book-length presentations of the free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, The westminster confession of faith.)
Book 2: Holidays at Roselands
http://archive.org/details/holidaysatrosel00finlgoog
Holidays at Roselands (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14280
Mantle Ministries (Elsie Dinsmore Series and Mildred Series)
http://www.mantlemin.com
*Flavel, John (1630-1691), The Fountain of Life Opened up, or, A Display of Christ in his Essential and Mediatorial Glory. Available (JOHN FLAVEL'S WORKS), on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"If my pen were both able, and at leisure, to get glory in paper, it would be but a paper glory when I had gotten it; but if by displaying (which is the design of these papers), the transcendent excellency of Jesus Christ, I may win glory to him from you, to whom I humbly offer them, or from any other into whose hands providence shall cast them, that will be glory indeed, and an occasion of glorifying God to all eternity. It is not the design of this epistle to compliment, but to benefit you; not to emblazon your excellencies, but Christ's; not to acquaint the world how much you have endeared me to yourselves, but to increase and strengthen the endearments between Christ and you, upon your part." -- John Flavel
"Wherein the impetration [1. to obtain by entreaty 2. to entreat; to ask for -- compiler] of our redemption by Jesus Christ is orderly unfolded, as it was begun, carried on, and finished by his covenant-transaction, mysterious Incarnation, solemn call and dedication, blessed offices, deep abasement, and super-eminent Advancement. In all which the great supernatural mystery of the wisdom and love of God, in his . . . salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ, is distinctly explicated, . . . as well as generally applied for the winning of unbelievers to him, and the confirmation of all that do believe in him." -- Publisher
The Fountain of Life
http://archive.org/details/TheFountainOfLife
The Fountain of Life
http://www.ccel.org/flavel/fountain/flavfoun.txt
Gibson, James E., Healing Wisdom From the Bible: Spiritual Guidance, Inspiration, and Comfort for Everyday Life, ISBN: 044021016X 9780440210160.
"This important book harnesses the healing powers of one of our oldest and most inspiring guides. Whether it's dealing with anger or dealing with each other, overcoming family conflicts or achieving happiness, Gibson uses Scriptures to provide enlightening and practical solutions." -- Publisher
Heimburger, Douglas C, Whatever Happened to sin and the Soul in Medicine?
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), The Doctor Himself and the Human Condition, ISBN: 0906747082 9780906747087.
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), Healing and the Scriptures, ISBN: 0840790112 9780840790118.
"The ten chapters in this book are excerpts from messages given by the Doctor to medical students and practicing M.D.'s. The subjects covered are many, among which are: The Supernatural in medicine, On treating the whole man, The doctor as counselor, Fullest care, Medicine in modern society, Body, mind, and spirit, How to combat the demonic, Identifying psychosomatic illnesses, and The moral law. . . ." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), The Life of Peace: Exposition of Philippians 3 and 4, [Philippians 4] ISBN: 0801056780 9780801056789.
"This volume follows THE LIFE OF JOY which is on Philippians 1 and 2, thus completing the study on the Book of Philippians. Examples of expository excellence!" -- GCB
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), The Supernatural in Medicine, ISBN: 0851119425 9780851119427.
*Lockyer, Herbert, All the Promises of the Bible, ISBN: 0310281318.
"A devotional expositional compilation of all the promises [about 3,300 of the approximate 8,810 promises -- compiler], that are found in Scripture." -- Publisher
"Lockyer's in-depth look at the scope of God's promises arranges them in categories that cover the full array of human concerns, from the spiritual to the material and the corporate to the personal. As you come to understand God's promises and how they apply to every aspect of your life, you'll gain a trust in God that will sustain you through the worst of times and be your source of rejoicing in the best.
"Dr. Herbert Lockyer was born in London in 1886, and held pastorats in Scotland and England for 25 years before coming to the United States in 1935. In 1937 he received the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Northwestern Evangelical Seminary. In 1955 he returned to England where he lived for many years. He then returned to the United States where he continued to devote time to the writing ministry until his death in November of 1984." -- Publisher
McColley, D., Physical and Spiritual Care of the Terminally ill.
Merritt, James, God's Prescription for a Healthy Christian, ISBN: 0896935396 9780896935396.
*Pascal, Blaise (1623-1662), and A.J. Krailsheimer (translator), Pensees, ISBN: 0140446451 9780140446456.
"In his short lifespan, Pascal invented the prototype of the computer (la machine arithmetique), started the first public passenger service in Paris, mastered a physics problem re the vacuum, expounded his scientific and mathematical studies with such an order of brilliance that it was considered by no means inappropriate to compare him with Aristotle, engaged in vituperative and extremely effective theological polemics with the Jesuits -- and, finally, in spite of appalling ill-health and pain, attained a serene relationship with God and with his fellows, in the process producing one of the great literary masterpieces of all time, viz., the PENSEES. This volume is a work of Christian apologetics before which the most skeptical mind, indulgent flesh, and arrogant spirit, stand utterly defenseless. Not too shabby an achievement in thirty-nine years and two months!" -- Reader's Comment
*Storms, C. Samuel, Healing and Holiness: A Biblical Response to the Faith Healing Phenomenon, ISBN: 087552446X 9780875524467.
"J.I. Packer says 'Sam Storms' book . . . impresses me as soundly Biblical in its perspective and pastorally wholesome in its thrust. Not everyone will love him for writing in these terms, but everyone will benefit from weighing his arguments. I commend HEALING AND HOLINESS most heartily.' Praised by Dr. Ed Payne, founder of the Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine. Dr. Storms sheds light on a topic clouded by controversy, and examines the Biblical teaching on suffering, divine healing, and holiness." -- GCB
See also: The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Forgiveness of sin, Unforgiveness, Reconciliation of relationships, Eternal life, immortality, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Prayer, Bible promises, Loving and obeying God, The holy spirit, Small groups as healing agents, Biblical counsel by subject, Soul-violence, The free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, the covenant of eternal salvation, Book-length presentation of the free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come, Women's health, Bad relationships a cause of disease and death, and so forth, and so on.
Justifying Faith
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr1cha.html#justfaith
Rebellion and Lawlessness: Wickedness, Demonic Possession, Abnormal Behavior, Insanity, Mental Illness, Mental Retardation
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrrappd.html#rlinsane
Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:20-22)Satan can afflict the body by the mind -- for these two are so closely bound together that their good and bad estate is shared between them. If the heart be merry the countenance is cheerful, the strength is renewed, the bones do flourish like an herb. If the heart be troubled, the health is impaired, the strength is dried up, the marrow of the bones wasted, etc. Grief in the heart is like a moth in the garment, it insensibly consumeth the body and disordereth it. -- Richard Gilpin
David describes the symptoms of a broken heart quite literally in Psalm 38. It is thought to have been written followed Shimei's stoning and cursing of David in 2 Samuel 16:5-14.
[Psalm 38] Verse 3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger. Mental depression tells upon the bodily frame; it is enough to create and foster every disease, and is in itself the most painful of all diseases. Soul sickness tells upon the entire frame; it weakens the body, and then bodily weakness reacts upon the mind. . . .
Verse 8. I am feeble. The original is "benumbed, "or frozen, such strange incongruities and contradictions meet in a distracted mind and a sick body -- it appears to itself to be alternately parched with heat and pinched with cold. Like souls in the Popish fabled Purgatory, tossed from burning furnaces into thick ice, so tormented hearts rush from one extreme to the other, with equal torture in each. A heat of fear, a chill of horror, a flaming desire, a horrible insensibility -- by these successive miseries a convinced sinner is brought to death's door. And sore broken. Crushed as in a mill, pounded as in a mortar. The body of the sick man appears to be all out of joint and smashed into a palpitating pulp, and the soul of the desponding is in an equally wretched case; as a victim crushed under the car of Juggernaut, such is a soul over whose conscience the wheels of divine wrath have forced their awful way. I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Deep and hoarse is the voice of sorrow, and often inarticulate and terrible. The heart learns groanings which cannot be uttered, and the voice fails to tone and tune itself to human speech. When our prayers appear to be rather animal than spiritual, they are none the less prevalent with the pitiful Father of mercy. He hears the murmur of the heart and the roaring of the soul because of sin, and in due time he comes to relieve his afflicted.
The more closely the preceding portrait of an awakened soul is studied in the light of experience, the more will its striking accuracy appear. It cannot be a description of merely outward disorder, graphic as it might then be; it has a depth and pathos in it which only the soul's mysterious and awful agony can fully match. . . .
Verse 10. My heart panteth. Here begins another tale of woe. He was so dreadfully pained by the unkindness of friends, that his heart was in a state of perpetual palpitation. Sharp and quick were the beatings of his heart; he was like a hunted roe, filled with distressing alarms, and ready to fly out of itself with fear. The soul seeks sympathy in sorrow, and if it finds none, its sorrowful heart throbs are incessant. My strength faileth me. What with disease and distraction, he was weakened and ready to expire. A sense of sin, and a clear perception that none can help us in our distress, are enough to bring a man to death's door, especially if there be none to speak a gentle word, and point the broken spirit to the beloved Physician. As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. Sweet light departed from his bodily eye, and consolation vanished from his soul. Those who were the very light of his eyes forsook him. Hope, the last lamp of night, was ready to go out. What a plight was the poor convict in! Yet here, we have some of us been; and here should we have perished had not infinite mercy interposed. Now, as we remember the lovingkindness of the Lord, we see how good it was for us to find our own strength fail us, since it drove us to the strong for strength; and how right it was that our light should all be quenched, that the Lord's light should be all in all to us. . . .
Verse 10. My heart panteth. The verb which David here uses signifies to travel or wander hither and thither, but here it is taken for the agitation or disquietude which distress of heart engenders when we know not what to do. According as men are disquieted in mind, so do they turn themselves on all sides; and so their heart may be said to turn round, or to run to and fro. John Calvin
Verse 15. David committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, and so in patience was able to possess his soul. Hope in God's intervention, and belief in the power of prayer, are two most blessed stays to the soul in time of adversity. Turning right away from the creature to the sovereign Lord of all, and to him as our own covenant God, we shall find the richest solace in waiting upon him. Reputation like a fair pearl may be cast into the mire, but in due time when the Lord makes up his jewels, the godly character shall shine with unclouded splendour. Rest then, O slandered one, and let not thy soul be tossed to and fro with anxiety. -- C.H. Spurgeon commenting on Psalm 38 in The Treasury of DavidFeelings come and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving . . . my warrant is the Word of God; naught else is worth believing; So, though my heart and flesh should fail, for want of some sweet token . . . I'll put my trust in Him alone, whose word cannot be broken. -- Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Adolph, Harold P., with Dave Bourne, "Holyistic" Attitudes: God's Prescription for Your Good Health, ISBN: 0929292162: 9780929292168.
Adolph, Harold P., with Dave Bourne, Stop Making Yourself Sick: A Physician Explores the Connection Between Spiritual Health and Physical Health, ISBN: 0896933253 9780896933255.
Belgum, David Rudolph, Guilt: Where Religion and Psychology Meet.
Belgum, David Rudolph, Hypocrisy and Mental Health (1962). Available in MORALITY AND MENTAL HEALTH.
Brandt, Henry, The Struggle for Inner Peace, revised edition, 128 pages, ISBN: 0882072455 9780882072456. Alternate title: THE STRUGGLE FOR PEACE.
"Challenges the mental health model of human life. Argues for the biblical process of humbling self-discovery that leads to Christ's grace: 'The struggle for peace is just that -- recognizing and dealing with the sin that causes your problem.' Dissects the sin issues within emotions, bending of truth, and psychosomatic problems. Life's pressures and temptations can become opportunities for growth in godliness rather than occasions of continuing in sin." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
Cantor, Carla, and Brian Fallon, M.D., Phantom Illness: Recognizing, Understanding, and Overcoming Hypochondria.
"In many minds, the term 'hypochondriac' is synonymous with crank, malingerer, and fraud. However, hypochondriacs are not, in fact, pretending to be sick. Their complaints may be exaggerated, but their pain and suffering are real.
"In her compassionate book, Carla Cantor offers hope to those who suffer from this debilitating disorder. As one who has struggled with bodily preoccupations and fear of disease, she shares what she has learned on the road to recovery. Through extensive interviews with physicians and compelling stories of men and women disabled by illness phobias and incomprehensible symptoms, Cantor helps to erase the stigma of hypochondria.
"Medicine's generally dismissive attitude toward this condition has left patients shuttling from emergency rooms to specialists to medical laboratories, for hypochondria is a significant challenge to the health care system. But a growing number of health professionals are trying to identify hypochondriacal patients and to figure out the underlying causes of their pain.
"PHANTOM ILLNESS summarizes the latest theories on the origins and nature of the disorder; describes treatments, including medication, behavior therapy, and psychotherapy; and offers a diagnostic test so that readers can determine whether they are abnormally concerned about their health. Once they understand the tangled history of this malady and its prevalence, readers may be more accepting of the tendency toward hypochondria in themselves or in someone they love." -- Publisher
Cousins, Norman, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient, ISBN: 0393041905 9780393041903 0393326845 9780393326840.
"This book revolutionized the way Americans think about health and healthcare. Diagnosed with a life-threatening and incurable condition, Cousins checked himself out of the hospital and basically healed himself with laughter, rest and Vitamin C. A few years later, he recovered from a major heart attack on his own and wrote about that, too.
"These books jump-started the whole field of mind-body medicine. Hundreds of books have followed in its tradition, including mine, THE ART OF GETTING WELL: MAXIMIZING HEALTH WHEN YOU HAVE A CHRONIC ILLNESS. ANATOMY OF AN ILLNESS holds up well. I just re-read it and it's still relevant.
"Not everything here will apply to most readers, because Cousins was a major cultural figure with many physicians among his friends. Not everyone would have his self-confidence or his sources of support. But his ideas and his approach are more needed than ever today." -- David Spero, RN, www.art-of-getting-well.com
Cousins "describes his battle with cancer and how he laughed his way to recovery. His hypothesis and the subject of many studies suggests that there are positive effects to be gained from laughter as a great tension-releaser, pain reducer, breathing improver, and general elevator of moods. It sounds miraculous, is not proven, but studies continue. Groups such as the International Conference on Humor and many hospitals use positive emotion rooms and humor carts. In short, humor therapy is valuable and it helps us through difficult or stressful times."
Cramer, Raymond L., The Psychology of Jesus and Mental Health.
Dean, Chuck, NAM VET: Making Peace With Your Past, ISBN: 0967937108 9780967937106.
"Dean is executive director of Point Man International, a non-profit support organization dedicated to healing war wounds of Vietnam veterans. He was among the first combat troops to be sent to Vietnam.
"This book is a shocker. Listen to these statistics: More Vietnam veterans have committed suicide since 1975 than were killed in the war itself. The divorce rate of Nam vets is 90 percent. One out of four combat veterans make less than $7000 a year." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
"Veterans are entering the 21st century, and for many, Vietnam has never ended. Why do so many suffer from flashbacks, depression, rage, substance abuse, and nightmares? Author and Vietnam veteran Chuck Dean has helped thousands find peace and spiritual healing." -- Publisher
Point Man International Ministries (800) 877-VETS
http://www.pointmanintl.org/
*Geisler, Norman L., The Christian Ethic of Love, ISBN: 031024921X 9780310249214. Alternative title: THE ETHIC OF CHRISTIAN LOVE, and THE CHRISTIAN LOVE ETHIC. Completely revised by Dr. Geisler in 2012, and forthcoming 2019.
"Argues that love is an absolute which everything can be measured against. Found this a good response to the situational ethics . . . This book had a great influence on my thinking. . ." -- Reader's Comment
"Jesus summarized our entire moral duty in two commands: Love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-40). Taking these words seriously, this book constructs the whole Christian Ethic on life-and-death issues in terms of these commands. This book was first published in 1973 as THE CHRISTIAN ETHIC OF LOVE." -- Publisher
Horwitz, Allan V., Jerome C. Wakefield, and Robert L. Spitzer (Foreword), The Loss of Sadness: How Psychiatry Transformed Normal Sorrow Into Depressive Disorder, ISBN: 9780195313048 0195313046.
"Depression has become the single most commonly treated mental disorder, amid claims that one out of ten Americans suffer from this disorder every year and 25 percent succumb at some point in their lives. Warnings that depressive disorder is a leading cause of worldwide disability have been accompanied by a massive upsurge in the consumption of antidepressant medication, widespread screening for depression in clinics and schools, and a push to diagnose depression early, on the basis of just a few symptoms, in order to prevent more severe conditions from developing. In THE LOSS OF SADNESS, Allan V. Horwitz and Jerome C. Wakefield argue that, while depressive disorder certainly exists and can be a devastating condition warranting medical attention, the apparent epidemic in fact reflects the way the psychiatric profession has understood and reclassified normal human sadness as largely an abnormal experience. With the 1980 publication of the landmark third edition of the DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS (DSM-III), mental health professionals began diagnosing depression based on symptoms -- such as depressed mood, loss of appetite, and fatigue -- that lasted for at least two weeks. This system is fundamentally flawed, the authors maintain, because it fails to take into account the context in which the symptoms occur. They stress the importance of distinguishing between abnormal reactions due to internal dysfunction and normal sadness brought on by external circumstances. Under the current DSM classification system, however, this distinction is impossible to make, so the expected emotional distress caused by upsetting events -- for example, the loss of a job or the end of a relationship -- could lead to a mistaken diagnosis of depressive disorder. Indeed, it is this very mistake that lies at the root of the presumed epidemic of major depression in our midst. In telling the story behind this phenomenon, the authors draw on the 2,500-year history of writing about depression, including studies in both the medical and social sciences, to demonstrate why the DSM's diagnosis is so flawed. They also explore why it has achieved almost unshakable currency despite its limitations. Framed within an evolutionary account of human health and disease, THE LOSS OF SADNESS presents a fascinating dissection of depression as both a normal and disordered human emotion and a sweeping critique of current psychiatric diagnostic practices. The result is a potent challenge to the diagnostic revolution that began almost thirty years ago in psychiatry and a provocative analysis of one of the most significant mental health issues today.
"Allan V. Horwitz is Professor of Sociology and Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Rutgers University. He is the author of many articles and a number of books on various aspects on mental illness, including THE SOCIAL CONTROL OF MENTAL ILLNESS, THE LOGIC OF SOCIAL CONTROL, and CREATING MENTAL ILLNESS. Jerome C. Wakefield is University Professor and Professor of Social Work at New York University, and he has also taught at the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and Rutgers University. He is an authority on the intersection between philosophy and the mental health professions and the author of many articles on diagnosis of mental disorder." -- Publisher
"Depression is the mental health problem of our generation. In this important and penetrating book, Horwitz and Wakefield show that psychiatry no longer clearly differentiates between normal sadness and depressive disorder. A must read for anyone who wants to understand how so much 'depression' has become medicalized." -- Peter Conrad, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Brandeis University, and author of The Medicalization of Society
"With superb scholarship and crisp prose, Horwitz and Wakefield examine the fatal flaw at the core of depression diagnosis. This book describes, with devastating clarity, why the DSM went off track and how the resulting scientific train wreck slows research and distorts our experience of our own sadness. If the DSM was based on biology, this book would signal a new beginning." -- Randolph Nesse, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, and author of Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine
"Not another hackneyed anti-psychiatry polemic, THE LOSS OF SADNESS is a brilliant analysis of how mental health professionals can avoid pathologizing normal, emotional responses to life's stressors while accurately identifying those suffering from genuine depressive disorders. Erudite and engagingly written, THE LOSS OF SADNESS is destined to have a major impact on our field." -- Richard J. McNally, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Remembering Trauma
*Justice, Blair, Who Gets Sick: How Beliefs, Moods and Thoughts Affect Health, ISBN: 0960537678 9780960537679.
"This is a revised, expanded edition of the 1988 classic that won a prestigious Ben Franklin Award for the best book on health. It was one of the first to give the public an understanding of how beliefs and attitudes affect the body.
"Blair Justice, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology and a longtime researcher in mind/body medicine at the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, School of Public Health, where he also served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. A clinical psychologist, he is the author of numerous papers in the scientific literature and five other books (two with his wife, Dr. Rita Justice). His most recent book (1998) is A DIFFERENT KIND OF HEALTH: FINDING WELL-BEING DESPITE ILLNESS. His 1988 book, WHO GETS SICK: HOW BELIEFS, MOODS AND THOUGHTS AFFECT HEALTH has been published in four languages. A revised, expanded edition was published in 2000. Dr. Justice is a Visiting Scholar at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Dr. Justice works once a week at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center helping patients cope. He and his wife are avid hikers and mountain climbers, along with their Tibetan dogs Tashi and Bodhi. Blair and Rita do animal assisted therapy volunteer service at Methodist Hospital at the Texas Medical Center. -- Publisher
"This book tells it like is, no holds barred. Anyone who has Chronic Fatigue Immune Deregulation Syndrome (CFIDS), Fibromylagia, Gulf War Syndrome, MS, etc., this is a must have for their bookshelf and reference library. Our thoughts become images thus resulting in chronic illnesses passed on to generations. One might think themselves sick and become sick. The scary part is that it is all true. What we think, we become. -- Reader's Comment
Lawrence, Roy, Christian Healing Rediscovered: A Guide to Spiritual, Mental, Physical Wholeness, ISBN: 0877846219 9780877846215.
"Christian resources of worship, the power of the resurrection, the extent of salvation, and possible sources of suffering are given insightful, Biblical, practical treatment; well balanced approach to the interrelationships of spiritual, emotional, and physical health." -- Mark Branson
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), The Life of Peace: Exposition of Philippians 3 and 4, [Philippians 4] ISBN: 0801056780 9780801056789.
"This volume follows THE LIFE OF JOY which is on Philippians 1 and 2, thus completing the study on the Book of Philippians. Examples of expository excellence!" -- GCB
*Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), Spiritual Depression, ISBN: 0551025492 9780551025493.
"A physician turned preacher deals with the scriptural causes of spiritual depression and show how it may be cured. Aims at developing an effective, healthy Christian life." -- Cyril J. Barber
"Believing that Christian joy was one of the most potent factors in the spread of Christianity in the early centuries, Lloyd-Jones not only lays bare the causes that have robbed many Christians of spiritual vitality, but also points the way to the cure." -- Publisher
Martin, Mike W., From Morality to Mental Health: Virtue and Vice in a Therapeutic Culture, ISBN: 0195304713 9780195304718.
"In this wide-ranging, accessible book, Mike W. Martin asks: are we replacing morality with therapy, in potentially confused and dangerous ways, or are we creatively integrating morality and mental health? According to him, it's a little bit of both. He surveys the ways in which morality and mental health are related, touching on practical concerns like love and work, self-respect and self-fulfillment, guilt and depression, crime and violence, and addictions. Terming this integrative development "the therapeutic trend in ethics," Martin uses examples from popular culture, various moral controversies, and draws on a line of thought that includes Plato, the Stoics, Freud, Nietzsche, and contemporary psychotherapeutic theories. Martin develops some interesting conclusions, among them that sound morality is indeed healthy, and that moral values are inevitably embedded in our conceptions of mental health. In the end, he shows how both morality and mental health are inextricably intertwined in our pursuit of a meaningful life. This book will be of interest to philosophers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and sociologists, as well as the general reader." -- Publisher
McMillen, S.I., None of These Diseases, ISBN: 080075719X 9780800757199.
Revised and expanded in 2000 by D.E. Stern. "This epochal work, when first published in 1963, drew attention to the Biblical teaching on health and the care of the body. Now updated with information on modern diseases, it is even more valuable than when it broke new ground two decades ago." -- Cyril J. Barber
"Good insights into the relation between your attitudes and your physical health." -- Robert B. Somerville
Mowrer, Orval Hobart, Morality and Mental Health, 669 pages, online version (OCoLC)590215904.
*Ornish, Dean, Love and Survival: The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy, ISBN: 0060930209 9780060930202.
"Many people know Dean Ornish as the doctor who proved that symptoms of heart disease can be reversed with a regimen of a low-fat diet, exercise, and stress reduction. In LOVE AND SURVIVAL, he concentrates on the less tangible aspects of a healthful life. Through anecdotes and dozens of scientific studies, Ornish demonstrates that personal intimacy and other aspects of emotional well-being -- all the elements that make up what we call 'love' -- are as important to our physical condition as to our mental health. Not only do these positive emotions motivate us to make better lifestyle choices, Ornish argues, they also have a powerful direct effect on our bodies, giving us stronger immune systems, better cardiovascular functioning, and longer life expectancies. But the benefits of opening our hearts to others go beyond curing our bodies of disease; it's also the first step toward healing our entire lives." -- Publisher
*Sibbes, Richard (1577-1635), The Bruised Reed, ISBN: 0851517404 9780851517407. A Christian classic. Available (THE WORKS OF RICHARD SIBBES) on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"Richard Sibbes, one of the most influential figures in the Puritan movement during the earlier years of the seventeenth century, was renowned for the rich quality of his ministry. THE BRUISED REED shows why he was known among his contemporaries as 'the sweet dropper.'
"If you have ever been (or are) discouraged in any way this is a book that will bring great encouragement and joy!" -- Publisher
"Sibbes never wastes the student's time, he scatters pearls and diamonds with both hands." -- C.H. Spurgeon
"A poor peddler came to the door . . . and my father bought of him Sibb's BRUISED REED . . . It suited my state . . . and gave me a livelier apprehension of the mystery of redemption and how much I was beholden to Jesus Christ . . . Without any means but books was God pleased to resolve me to himself." -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
"Speaking of the preacher's need to suit his reading to the varying conditions he finds within, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says in his PREACHING AND PREACHERS:
'You will find, I think, in general that the Puritans are almost invariably helpful . . . I shall never cease to be grateful to one of them called Richard Sibbes who was balm to my soul at a period in my life when I was overworked and badly overtired, and therefore subject in an unusual manner to the onslaughts of the devil. In that state and condition . . . what you need is some gently, tender treatment for your soul. I found at that time that Richard Sibbes, who was known in London in the early seventeenth century as 'the heavenly Doctor Sibbes', was an unfailing remedy. His books THE BRUISED REED and THE SOUL'S CONFLICT quieted, soothed, comforted, encouraged and healed me.'
"This is one of the best Puritan books to read if you are feeling down or depressed or if you are facing struggles and trials. It is also very useful if you are struggling with assurance. Great encouragement for Christians here!" -- Publisher
The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax, A. Beith (introduction, 1878)
http://archive.org/details/bruisedreedands00sibbgoog
Siegel, Bernie S., Love, Medicine and Miracles: Lessons Learned About Self-Healing From a Surgeon's Experience With Exceptional Patients, ISBN: 0060919833 9780060919832.
Includes bibliography.
Ubel, Peter A., You're Stronger Than You Think: Tapping Into the Secrets of Emotionally Resilient People.
This is a biography, document, and internet resource.
Vander Goot, Mary, Healthy Emotions: Helping Children Grow, ISBN: 0801093031 9780801093036.
"This book is about the normal emotions of normal children. Its purpose is to help adults deal with children's emotions effectively." -- GCB
See also: The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Joy, Humor, Psychosomatic illness, Stress, Grief, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Praise, Forgiveness of sin, Reconciliation of relationships, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Prayer, Depression, Love and counseling problems, Soul-violence, The Battle for the mind, Mind control, Depression, The regulative principles of worship, Praise, Joy, Sleep, and so forth, and so on.
Illness Anxiety Disorder (Hypochondriasis)
"Illness anxiety disorder, sometimes called hypochondriasis or health anxiety, is worrying excessively that you are or may become seriously ill. You may have no physical symptoms. Or you may believe that normal body sensations or minor symptoms are signs of severe illness, even though a thorough medical exam doesn't reveal a serious medical condition."
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/illness-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20373782
Justifying Faith
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr1cha.html#justfaith
The most important relationship is, of course, vertical, between the individual and God.
The second most important relationship is horizontal, between the individual and society.
How the individual handles these relationships determines the outcome of their life, both temporal and eternal, and is interrelated with all other spheres of life.Strong conflict of will can lead to death. If either side is immovable in a conflict of will, then disease and death are the result. See the didactic fiction of Martha Finley, BOOK 2: ELSIE'S HOLIDAYS AT ROSELANDS.
How are conflicts of will resolved? By mutual submission to the absolute truths of the Word of God. Some will see here strains of the Gospel message of salvation, the means of Grace. Man's total depravity showcases the Holiness of God and his everlasting Righteousness, eternal life in the perfect holiness of God the Father and God the Son, the transforming power of sacrificial love, and on and on.Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death is certainly something that is seldom talked about. Yet it could be the most important listing in the chapter [ELSIE'S HOLIDAYS AT ROSELANDS]. There have been countless examples throughout my life supporting this conclusion. Only recently a neighbor in her 70's shared that she had been in excellent health until the age of 50, when aging parents became dependent upon her for care. They lived nearby, she cared for them on a daily basis. But there was conflict between them. She has since had five heart surgeries, and she suffers from constant back pain that is inoperable. -- compiler
How ironic that Cain, the very first man born of a woman, murdered his brother, while so many modern men believe that humans are "basically good." The biblical account of Cain slaying his brother Able, is a most telling example of the utter depravity of fallen man. -- compiler
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. (She probably hoped that this was the Messiah. Alas! how often are parents' hopes deceived. It was not "a man -- the Lord" who had come to Eve's bosom, but a man of sin, a child of the wicked one.) And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. (Her second child she called "Vanity," and yet he was precious in the sight of the Lord. What mistakes we make about our children.) And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. (Can had no faith, and he had no eye to the blood of atonement: Abel had both. These should be main points in all our religious duties.) And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Wroth not with himself as he ought to have been, but with his brother and with God.)
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. (It is sin which blocks the way.) And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother?
And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? (We shall either be our brother's keeper or our brother's murderer. If we do not labour to save others, we shall be guilty of their blood.)
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. (He makes no confession of his sin, but only murmurs at his punishment. We know many whose minds are in a similar state. They cavil at hell, but they persevere in sin.) Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
This ancient record of the first murder is used by John as a picture of the action of the unregenerate in all time. Love marks the children of God, and hate is the sure ensign of the heirs of wrath. Thus writes the beloved apostle. (Genesis 4:1-15) -- C.H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon's Devotional Bible, p. 10Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. (1 John 3:15)
For the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23), [both the first death, or temporal death, and the second death or eternal separation from God after the Final Judgement] -- compiler
To be in conflict with God's will is to be a causative agent of disease and death. Sin is a conflict of will that leads to death. (Romans 6:23)The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality, but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact. (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21b; Ecclesiastes 9:3b; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; Ephesians 2:1-3; Titus 3:3-5) -- Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990). See John Calvin's Commentary on Isaiah Chapter 33 [Isaiah 33:1-66].
Anthropologists tell us that one-third of all human beings who have lived on this planet have died at the hands of their brothers -- that fully one-third of the human race have died through war, violence, crime, and sudden death at the hands of another human being. -- D. James Kennedy (1930-2007) and List of Wars and Anthropogenic Disasters by Death Toll, Wikipedia
The first half of the 20th century has been the bloodiest times in history. If all the people of the United States were to perish in a nuclear war, the number dead would be less than those who have perished by violence during the first half of the 20th century. -- Howard Mumford Jones
Abortion was the 20th century's biggest single killer of mankind worldwide, far surpassing any other cause: disease, war, governments, natural disasters, and so forth. See: "Biggest Killers of the 20th Century." Notice that abortion is not included in this diagram. The absence of information says something about the depravity of mankind (Jeremiah 17:9,10), and about the suppression and repression of truth. (Hosea 4:6,7)
The number of abortions performed worldwide in the last 50 years is estimated to be 1 to 2 billion. But try to document this fact elsewhere online.
The total abortions worldwide for the 20th century may be interpolation from available data. The calculation does not factor in incremental increases in world population since 1900. Worldwide there are an estimated 43.8 million abortions annually (2008 figures, Guttmacher Institute) X 100 years = 4.38 billion killings worldwide in the 20th century. This is compared to 1.97 billion estimated deaths worldwide for non-communicable diseases the reported biggest killer worldwide of the 20th century. Comparison may also be made with figures for genocide.
Number of Abortions -- Abortion Counters
"The most accurate set of abortion counters on the web. Number of abortions in U.S. and worldwide; Number of abortions since 1973; Number of abortions this year; U.S. Abortion clock; Worldwide abortion clock; Number of abortions due to rape or incest; Planned Parenthood abortion count."
http://www.numberofabortions.com/Based on current trends, one in three women in the U.S. will have an abortion, according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute. The majority of women older than 17 who obtained an abortion reported a religious affiliation. The highest proportion (43 percent) identified themselves as Protestant. Twenty-seven percent of women having an abortion identified themselves as Catholic, and eight percent as a member of another religion; . . . Thirteen percent identified themselves as "born-again" or evangelical, three-fourths of whom were Protestant. -- Rachel K. Jones, Jacqueline E. Darroch, and Stanley K. Henshaw, "Patterns in the Socio-economic Characteristics of Women Obtaining Abortions in 2000-2001," Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Volume 34, Number 5, September/October 2002
The Christian life is not a matter of the tongue but of the inmost heart
And this is the place to upbraid those who, having nothing but the name and badge of Christ, yet wish to call themselves "Christians." Yet, how shamelessly do they boast of his sacred name? Indeed, there is no intercourse with Christ save for those who have perceived the right understanding of Christ from the word of the gospel. Yet the apostle says that all those who were not taught that they must put on him have not rightly learned Christ, as they have not put off the old man, who is corrupt through deceptive desires [Eph. 4:22,24], [Ephesians 4:22,24]. Therefore, it is proved that they have falsely, and also unjustly, pretended the knowledge of Christ, whatever they meanwhile learnedly and volubly prate about the gospel. For it is a doctrine not of the tongue but of life. It is not apprehended by the understanding and memory alone, as other disciplines are, but it is received only when it possesses the whole soul, and finds a seat and resting place in the inmost affection of the heart (1 Cf. III. ii. 36, note 53). Accordingly, either let them cease to boast of what they are not, in contempt of God; or let them show themselves disciples not unworthy of Christ their teacher. We have given the first place to the doctrine in which our religion is contained, since our salvation begins with it. But it must enter our heart and pass into our daily living, and so transform us into itself that it may not be unfruitful for us. The philosophers rightly burn with anger against, and reproachfully drive from their flock, those who when they profess an art that ought to be the mistress of life, turn it into sophistical chatter. (Seneca, Moral Epistles cviii. 23; xlviii. 4, 12 [LCL Seneca, III. 244; I. 316 i, 3S0 f.]). With how much better reason, then, shall we detest these trifling Sophists who are content to roll the gospel on the tips of their tongues when its efficacy ought to penetrate the inmost affections of the heart, take its seat in the soul, and affect the whole man a hundred times more deeply than the cold exhortations of the philosophers! -- John Calvin in Institutes of the Christian Religion, (McNeill/Battles edition), 3.6.4 and contextChristians continued to be the most persecuted group across the globe in 2016. It is estimated that 90,000 Christians were killed worldwide for their faith in 2016. "And hundreds of millions more were not allowed to practice their faith." -- Christians the Most Persecuted Group in World for Second Year
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15)
And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. (1 John 2:25)
There are some persons who are so rebellious, so perverse, so deceitful, so destructive, so recalcitrant, the incompetent and corrupt "Cains," that they are a danger to the innocent "Abels," and destructive to society. Besides personal prayer for protection and deliverance, they must be brought to justice by arrest, conviction, sentencing, and punishment. Sometimes it is necessary to wait for them to die. -- compiler
Word: "disease"; Meaning; "disturb"; Sample location: "Luke 8:49" -- from the "Glossary," 1599 Geneva Bible, Tolle Lege edition
DISEASE, n. Dizeze. [dis and ease].
1. In its primary sense, pain, uneasiness, distress, and so used by Spenser; but in this sense, obsolete.
2. The cause of pain or uneasiness . . . disorder; any state of a living body in which the natural functions of the organs are interrupted or disturbed . . . The first effect of disease is uneasiness or pain, and the ultimate effect is death. . . .
3. A disordered state of the mind or intellect, by which the reason is impaired.
4. In society, vice; corrupt state of morals. Vices are called moral diseases. A wise man converses with the wicked, as a physician with the sick, not to catch the disease, but to cure it.
5. Political or civil disorder, or vices in a state; any practice which tends to disturb the peace of society, or impede or prevent the regular administration of government.
The instability, injustice and confusion introduced into the public councils have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have every where perished. -- 1846 edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language
DISEASE, v.t. dizeze.
1. To interrupt or impair any or all the natural and regular functions of the several organs of a living body [i.e. robbing a neighbor of sleep -- compiler]; to afflict with pain or sickness to make morbid . . .
2. To interrupt or render imperfect the regular functions of the brain, or of the intellect; to disorder; to derange.
3. To infect; to communicate disease to, by contagion.
4. To pain; to make uneasy. -- 1828 edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English LanguageThe futility of relying on medicine to cure the ills created by social and physical environments. . . (Dubos)
The biggest predictor of health is socio-economic status, and not necessarily any of the indicators flushed out by screenings and diagnosis. The most important health risk are revealed in your answers to two questions. 1. Are you comfortable in your socio-economic status? 2. Are you satisfied in your job? [Notice this is the problem of healthy relationship, put in general terms. Is the individual oppressed in any or all of the different spheres of society? For example, in societies with resources, the greater the gap between the poor and the wealthy, the more ill health there is among the poor. -- compiler] -- Nortin Hadler, MD, Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in Worried Sick
He joined God's power with his will [God's -- compiler], to the intent that we should not separate them, and hereby he willeth God's people to depend on his power which he confirmeth by examples. -- Psalm 135:6 annotation, 1599 Geneva Bible
The fool hath said in his heart,
There is no God.
They are corrupt,
they have done abominable works,
there is none that doeth good. (Psalm 14:1)
See the Theological Notes: "Mankind's Guilty Knowledge of God" at Romans 1:29 and the note at Psalm 14:1 in The Reformation Study Bible.The Treasury of David, Psalm 38, C.H. Spurgeon
http://archive.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps038.phpBad relationships may begin when one person tries to usurping authority over another, tries to control and possess them. The means of control may be either outward or occult: deceit, repression or suppression of the truth, possessiveness, soul stealing, enslavement, attempts to take authority over another politically or economically, occult practices, sorcery, witchcraft, mental malpractice, whoredom, indebtedness, and so forth, and so on goes the catalog of sin. -- compiler
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. (Proverbs 3:7-8)
There is documented research proving the thesis that child abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, or spiritual, etc.) results in disturbances in learning, and disturbances in adjusting emotionally and socially, regardless of "differences in age, sex, race, gender, IQ, or socioeconomic status."
In other words, the implications are that abuse has the effect of making it difficult for a child to learn (grow in knowledge of the truth and understanding, have an open mind, be teachable), and of making it difficult to relate to the world (relationships, spouses, family, church, workplace, government), regardless of the child's innate capabilities and gifts. So, even the gifted child, if abused, will in later life suffer, however subtle, learning disabilities, blocks, blind spots, or abnormal behaviour. "If a parent and child love each other, then the parent can teach the child anything." But emotional scars can be as hard to heal as chronic disease.
"Physically abused and nonabused children were compared on child-completed measures of depression, hopelessness, self-esteem, and locus of control. Results indicated that, in comparison with nonabused controls, abused children evidenced more depressive symptoms, heightened externality, lower self-esteem, and greater hopelessness about the future. Group differences in depressive symptomatology were not accounted for on the basis of differences in age, sex, race, gender, IQ, or socioeconomic status."
Depressive Characteristics of Physically Abused Children, Denise M. Allen and Kenneth J. Tarnowski
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2926018
The Effects of Violence in the Home on Children's Emotional, Behavioral, and Social Functioning. A Review of the Literature
http://ebx.sagepub.com/content/6/2/94.abstractThou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
*Amundsen, Darrel W., The Anguish and Agonies of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
"Spurgeon's last years of physical suffering must be seen through the grid of the Down-Grade Controversy Down-Grade Controversy (begun in 1887). Early in this controversy he commented that he had "suffered the loss of friendships and reputation, and the infliction of pecuniary withdrawments and bitter reproach. . . . But the pain it has cost me none can measure."
To a friend in May 1891 he said, "Goodbye; you will never see me again. This fight is killing me."
The Anguish and Agonies of Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Free PDF file.
http://ebookbrowse.com/the-anguish-and-agonies-of-charles-spurgeon-pdf-d56778188
Bruhn, John G. and Stewart Wolf, The Roseto Story: An Anatomy of Health, ISBN: 0806114916 9780806114910.
"Roseto is a small Italian-American community in east-central Pennsylvania. This fifteen-year study drawing on medical histories, physical examinations, and laboratory tests, compared a large sample of Rosetans to inhabitants of two neighboring communities, Bangor and Nazareth, and followed up this research with a sociological study of the three communities.
"Despite a greater prevalence of obesity in Roseto, and despite similar dietary, smoking, and exercise habits and similar ethnic and genetic background, the inhabitants of Roseto were relatively immune to heart disease at the beginning of the research in 1963. They were also strikingly tenacious in adhering to Old World values and customs. Family relationships were very close and mutually supportive, and this cohesive quality extended to neighbors and to the community as a whole. When these traditional values and relationships were abandoned by the rising generation, the death rate from heart disease climbed toward the American norm. The study concluded that unconditional interpersonal support counteracts life stress and thus preserves life.
"John G. Bruhn is Adjunct Professor of Sociology at Northern Arizona University and Adjunct Professor of Health Sciences at New Mexico State University. He is a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, a World Health Organization Fellow, and a John E. Fogarty Health Sciences Fellow." -- Publisher
Childre, Doc Lew, and Howard Martin, The HeartMath Solution: The Institute of HeartMath's Revolutionary Program for Engaging the Power of the Heart's Intelligence, ISBN: 0062516051 9780062516053 006251606X 9780062516060.
"The Intelligent Heart. Access the power of your heart's intelligence to improve your focus and creativity, elevate your emotional clarity, lower your stress and anxiety levels, strengthen your immune system, promote your body's optimal performance, and slow the aging process." -- Publisher
"THE HEARTMATH SOLUTION may easily be written off as a book too eccentric for widespread public consumption, and that's unfortunate. The title's a bit misleading -- it's not about cardiac care and it's not about calculus, but rather how 30 years of research have shown that the heart's 'intelligence' affects emotions and physical health -- especially when it comes to handling stress -- and specifically what you can do to balance heart rhythms, reduce stress hormones, and boost your immune system. Yes, it sounds complicated, especially when you read that cardiologists worked with physicists and psychiatrists to develop the HeartMath program. But it's worth brushing off your skepticism and exploring the concepts in the Solution, as many employees of Fortune 500 companies have already done.
"The 'intelligence' that the authors focus on refers to both the heart's 'brain,' or the 40,000 neurons found in the heart (the same number in the brain itself), and the intuitive signals the heart sends, including feelings of love, happiness, care, and appreciation. When such positive emotions are felt, they 'not only change patterns of activity in the nervous system; they also reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol.' When there's less cortisol, there's more DHEA, the so-called fountain of youth hormone known to have anti-aging effects on many of the body's systems.
"The HeartMath Solution outlines 10 steps for harnessing the power of the heart's intelligence, including ways to manage your emotions and keep energy levels high. One of the most important is the 'Freeze-Frame' technique for calming the nervous system, improving clarity of thought and perception, and boosting productivity (which is one of the many appealing features for those Fortune 500 companies). Each step includes references to data proving its effectiveness, with handy summaries of the key points to remember at the end of each chapter. This is a book that takes a bit of scientific understanding and a lot of time to wade through, but one that could help you prevent stress from ruling your existence." -- Erica Jorgensen
"Is the heart the missing link in the mind-body connection? By combining age-old philosophy with modern science, Childre and Martin make a compelling case for the idea that good health is really a triumph of heart, not mind, over matter. Citing the Institute's research on the heart's role in human health, they demonstrate that the so-called metaphorical condition of the heart -- which has long been associated with love, wisdom, courage, and happiness -- may play as important a role in mental well-being as its physical function. The HeartMath solution lies in developing what Childre and Martin call the core heart feelings (such as love, Forgiveness of sin, appreciation and care), which trigger physiological responses resulting in less stress, better brain function and a stronger immune system. Although this book is about the heart, it's written with cool intelligence and intelligibility for the head. Despite slightly off-putting names (Freeze-Frame, Cut-Thru and Lock-In), the relaxation exercises, which are being taught at corporations and at schools, are simple to do, although perhaps already too familiar to anyone who has tried other kinds of meditative techniques. Nevertheless, in presenting a clear argument for following one's heart, this book certainly breaks new ground in the holistic approach to health." -- Publishers Weekly
"Ancient cultures believed that the heart rather than the brain was the seat of emotions, vestiges of which are still apparent in descriptive phrases such as 'broken hearted,' 'cold hearted,' and many others. Recent research confirms the existence of complex communication links between these two organs as well as other systems responsible for maintaining homeostasis, and unanticipated electrical energy pathways that may mediate these activities. This book describes cutting edge approaches that can not only tune into such conversations, but also reduce stress and promote physical and mental health by influencing the dialogue." -- Paul J. Rosch, President, The American Institute of Stress
"HeartMath has had a profound influence on the lives of patients, staff, and administrators at our hospital. Specific health problems such as hypertension and arrhythmias have improved in several patients through interventions with HeartMath tools. Communication and creativity among staff members trained in these tools has taken a quantum leap. They have noticed a completely different way of looking at problems and interacting with those around them." -- Bruce Wilson, M.D., Former Director, University of Pittsburgh Heart Institute, Chairman, Medical Education Committee, Columbia Hospital, Milwaukee, WI
*Davies, Samuel (1723-1761, editor), et al., The Godly Family: A Series of Essays on the Duties of Parents and Children, ISBN: 1877611735 9781877611735.
"Gary Ezzo has collected 16 essays and sermons from 17th and 18th century pastors on ordering a godly home. The book is divided into four section: 1) The Importance of Family Religion, 2) The Duties of Parents, 3) The Duties of Children, 4) The Eternal Family. . . . All of these have been retypeset and updated for easier reading." -- Publisher
"The necessity and excellence of family religion / by Samuel Davies -- The great duty of family religion / by George Whitefield -- A plain and serious address on the important subject of family religion / by Philip Doddridge -- Parental duties illustrated / by Samuel Worcester -- The duties of parents towards their children / by Henry Venn -- Disciplining children / by Arthur Hildersham -- On the method of instructing children / by Henry Venn -- Four sermons on the religious education of children / by Philip Doddridge -- Blessings consequent upon parental fidelity / by Thomas Houston -- The duties of children to their parents / by Samuel Stennett -- The duties of children / by Henry Venn -- Heaven considered as a family / by Samuel Stennett."
Dean, Carolyn, Death by Modern Medicine, 379 pages, ISBN: 0973739207 9780973739206.
"Carolyn Dean, MD, ND is a powerful and clear writer who exposes the deep corruption in our medical and food industries with passion and conviction. She backs up her outrageous claims with deeply researched citations from the standard medical literature and government databases. She shows that despite medical error being underreported by a factor of 20, it is STILL the number ONE cause of death in America (and almost surely Canada). Hospital error, hospital-acquired infection, adverse drug reactions, nursing homes, all come in for their share of the total death toll. Why this atrocity is allowed to continue unabated and unnoticed is a question we all have responsibility for." -- Reader's Comment
Death by Medicine
This is an 18,491 word article in Life Extension magazine that includes many of the statistics from the 2001 study included in Dean's book. Documented with 151 endnotes.
"Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analyzed and combined ALL of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine. That has now changed.
"A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking. These researchers have authored a paper titled Death by Medicine that presents compelling evidence that today's system frequently causes more harm than good.
"This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
"The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5)
"We placed this article on our website to memorialize the failure of the American medical system. By exposing these gruesome statistics in painstaking detail, we provide a basis for competent and compassionate medical professionals to recognize the inadequacies of today's system and at least attempt to institute meaningful reforms."
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_01.htm
Desbois, Patrick, and Paul A. Shapiro (foreword), The Holocaust by Bullets: A Priest's Journey to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of 1.5 Million Jews, ISBN: 0230617573 9780230617575.
"In this very personal and affecting account of his gradual discovery of the events of the Holocaust in the Ukraine Patrick Desbois, a French priest, gives us a widened perspective of the extraordinarily complex manipulation of the local population by the Nazis, who forcibly requisitioned Ukrainian citizens of all ages to assist in the killings. In village after village, more than 60 years after the horrific events, the inhabitants, many of whom had been children at the time, came forward to bear witness. From the many interviews in the text, it is clear that the personal trauma of forced involvement in the mass executions has never diminished. And indeed, the stories of what they saw takes one's breath away. This is a significant addition to the history of the Holocaust that sheds new light on events in the Nazi occupied areas of the former USSR." -- Lynn H. Nicholas, author of Cruel World: The Children of Europe in the Nazi Web and The Rape of Europa: Europe's Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War
Dubos, René J., Mirage of Health, Utopias, Progress, and Biological Change, ISBN: 0813512603 9780813512600.
"Dubos in MIRAGE OF HEALTH points out 'the futility of relying on medicine to cure the ills created by social and physical environments.' (p. 235)
"Dubos makes it clear that the doctrine of specific etiology (that is the notion that all medical problems can be traced to a certain, physical cause) has contributed more to medicine in the last century than probably any other idea. Yet Dubos also stresses the limitations of this mindset. He emphasizes that with physical ailments, there are many causes at work and it is difficult or impossible to determine the most significant among these. By emphasizing the multitude of factors that determine our health, Dubos makes it clear that balance with our environment is of utmost importance to maintenance of health." -- Reader's Comment
*Finley, Martha (aka Martha Farquharson, 1828-1909), Book 2: Elsie's Holidays at Roselands, ISBN: 9781888306323 1888306327.
"When Elsie's father becomes ill, she takes on the job of nurse-companion, and all goes well until Elsie, because it is the Sabbath, as a matter of conscience refuses to read to him from a secular book. The battle of wills that ensues nearly causes first her father's death, and then Elsie's. Lonely Elsie -- punished, ostracized, and then abandoned by her father -- turns to her heavenly Father for comfort and assurance. Will her father realize that Elsie's obedience to God must be paramount, and submit himself to the same Divine Authority?" -- Publisher
On an even more serious note, one moral of this story is the broader life and death struggle between Truth and Falsehood (See: Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], Epistemology of theology, the theory of knowledge, and Christian scholarship.) The consequence of conflict of will is death of the "One," or war of the "Many" (see Rushdoony, THE ONE AND THE MANY: STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF ORDER AND ULTIMACY. Conflict of will (see Will and recalcitrance, Rebellion and lawlessness: wickedness, demonic possession, abnormal behavior, insanity, mental illness, mental retardation,) may begin when one individual (see The doctrine of man [human nature, total depravity],) or the corporate body (see Corporate faithfulness and sanctification), tries to usurping authority over others (see Power, Authority) -- tries to control and possess the other (see Tyranny, Slavery, our systems of enslavement, economic enslavement.) The means of control may be either outward or occult (see The occult, spiritism, witchcraft), deceit, repression or suppression of the truth, replacing moral and ethical absolutes with relativism (see Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Medical ethics, Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], unfaithfulness to the highest ethical standards (see The ten commandments: the moral law, The holy bible), Heresy and apostasy (apostacy, old english), Spiritual adultery [spiritual whoredom/harlotry,] (see Idolatry, syncretism, Jeremiah and lamentations,) invocation of the demonic, Oaths, ensnaring vows, promises, and covenants, bonds with the ungodly Carnality and flesh pleasing: desires, pleasure, Justice, judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord,) attempts to take authority over another politically or by mental malpractice (see Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, making up their own rules (see Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality],) ignoring or changing constitutional or creedal documents, unjust laws for the accumulation of wealth and power, indebtedness, disenfranchisement, (see denial of freedom,) Priestcraft, pharisaism, soul-stealing, possessiveness, physical seduction and whoredom, political economic or sexual enslavement (see Sexual relationship,) and so forth, and so on.
This abuse, this soul-violence, quenches the Holy Spirit (see Owen, God's Presence With a People the Spring of Their Prosperity; With Their Special Interest in Abiding in Him.) If either side is immovable, then death is the consequence (see Soteriology, atonement, The blood of christ, Hell, and Heaven.)
How are conflicts of will resolved? By submission to the Absolute Truths of God's word, the great common denominator, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
All this bears a strain of the Gospel (see Book-length presentations of the free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, The westminster confession of faith.)
Book 2: Holidays at Roselands
http://archive.org/details/holidaysatrosel00finlgoog
Holidays at Roselands (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14280
Mantle Ministries (Elsie Dinsmore Series and Mildred Series)
http://www.mantlemin.com
Fitzpatrick, Elyse M., and Jody Hogan (foreword), Because He Loves me: How Christ Transforms our Daily Life, ISBN: 158134905X.
"Simply speaking, love changes people. Christians, then, by definition, should exhibit the greatest transformation of all because, rightly understood and cherished, God's love makes them increasingly more like the One who has lavished his love on them.
"This truth is meant to tell believers who they are, their purpose and destiny, and how to faithfully persevere in their struggles against all opposition. But sometimes people lose sight of this. BECAUSE HE LOVES ME restores that vision, reminding Christians of their true identity as beloved children of God-adopted by the Father, espoused to the Son, and empowered by the Holy Spirit." -- Edward T. Welch, Counselor and Faculty Member, Christian Counseling and Education Foundation
*Foxe, John (1516-1587), and Thomas Freeman (prefatory material), John Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable (unabridged). Alternate title: THE UNABRIDGED ACTS AND MONUMENTS ONLINE or TAMO (HRI Online Publications, Sheffield, 2011). Available from: http://www.johnfoxe.org. Implemented by the Humanities Research Institute, University of Sheffield, England, and published by HRI Online Publications, Sheffield, 2011, Version 2.0, ISBN: 9780954260864. A Christian classic.
"You can browse and compare the unabridged texts of the four editions of this massive work published in John Foxe's lifetime (1563, 1570, 1576, 1583). Each edition changed significantly as Foxe sought to incorporate new material, answer his critics, and adjust its polemical force to the needs of the moment. . . .
"TAMO is both an instrument of scholarship and a tool for anyone who wants to explore this remarkable work, a milestone in the history of the English printed book and a signal achievement of its printer, John Day."
John Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable, ISBN: 0197262252 9780197262252.
"This CD-ROM combines readable and printable images of 2,200 pages of text and woodcut engravings from the 1583 edition, the last for which Foxe was personally responsible."
Other editions: Acts and Monuments or Foxe's Book of Martyrs, 1554, 1843-49 edition, 8 volumes. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
" 'No book ever inflicted a wound so deep and incurable on the Romish system of superstition and bloody persecution . . . it was placed in . . . all churches and chapels throughout the kingdom, by order of Queen Elizabeth.' (Smith, Select Memoirs, p. 245). Contains much information not found in any of the liberally edited and severely shortened editions of this classic work which are in print today. Covering martyrs from the early church through to Foxe's day, it was one of the most influential books of the sixteenth century! It overflows with faith building testimony of the power of God to overcome the most cruel and barbarous acts of human depravity and demonic cruelty. 6890 pages. A very rare set, now back in print after 150 years!" -- Publisher
"After the Bible itself, no book so profoundly influenced early Protestant sentiment as the BOOK OF MARTYRS. Even in our time it is still a living force. It is more than a record of persecution. It is an arsenal of controversy, a storehouse of romance, as well as a source of edification." -- James Miller Dodds, English Prose
"When one recollects that until the appearance of the PILGRIM'S PROGRESS the common people had almost no other reading matter except the BIBLE and FOX'S BOOK OF MARTYRS, we can understand the deep impression that this book produced; and how it served to mold the national character. Those who could read for themselves learned the full details of all the atrocities performed on the Protestant reformers; the illiterate could see the rude illustrations of the various instruments of torture, the rack, the gridiron, the boiling oil, and then the holy ones breathing out their souls amid the flames. Take a people just awakening to a new intellectual and religious life; let several generations of them, from childhood to old age, pore over such a book, and its stories become traditions as individual and almost as potent as songs and customs on a nation's life." -- Douglas Campbell, The Puritan in Holland, England, and America
"If we divest the book of its accidental character of feud between churches, it yet stands, in the first years of Elizabeth's reign, a monument that marks the growing strength of a desire for spiritual freedom, defiance of those forms that seek to stifle conscience and fetter thought." -- Henry Morley, English Writers
"John Foxe was a prince among believers. He had his printing press on a cart, and had often to print at night, moving his press before dawn to escape capture and burning at the stake. He never faltered in his purpose to leave a voluminous written witness to the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep His saints in love and peace." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
Text Encoding Initiative (TEI), John Foxe's Book of Martyrs Variorum Edition Online
http://www.tei-c.org/Activities/Projects/jo01.xml
Ganz, Richard (editor), Thou Shalt not Kill: The Christian Case Against Abortion, ISBN: 0870004069 9780870004063.
"Collected essays dealing with various facets of the struggle against abortion." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
*Geisler, Norman L., The Christian Ethic of Love, ISBN: 031024921X 9780310249214. Alternative title: THE ETHIC OF CHRISTIAN LOVE, and THE CHRISTIAN LOVE ETHIC. Completely revised by Dr. Geisler in 2012, and forthcoming 2019.
"Argues that love is an absolute which everything can be measured against. Found this a good response to the situational ethics . . . This book had a great influence on my thinking. . ." -- Reader's Comment
"Jesus summarized our entire moral duty in two commands: Love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-40). Taking these words seriously, this book constructs the whole Christian Ethic on life-and-death issues in terms of these commands. This book was first published in 1973 as THE CHRISTIAN ETHIC OF LOVE." -- Publisher
*Graglia, F. Carolyn, Domestic Tranquility: A Brief Against Feminism, ISBN: 0965320863 9780965320863 1890626090 9781890626099.
"It is the definitive refutation of modern feminism. At 418 pages, including endnotes, it is a comprehensive exposé of the modern feminist movement; if the reader is not persuaded by the extensive evidence Graglia presents, he (she!) is most likely devoted to the ideology of feminism in a way which cannot be shaken by overwhelming, cogent evidence." -- Andrew Sandlin
The Coup de Grace to Feminism, Rev. P. Andrew Sandlin
http://www.chalcedon.edu/cgi-bin/PrintPage.asp?REF=/report/99may/sandlin1.shtml
Gurian, Michael, Nurture the Nature: Understanding and Supporting Your Child's Unique Core Personality, ISBN: 078798633X 9780787986339.
"Negative stress, in contrast, is something we need to be very careful about, especially with our children. In the most general terms, as experts at the University of Maryland Medical School wrote recently, 'When these symptoms persist, you are at risk for serious health problems. This kind of stress can exhaust your immune system. Recent research demonstrates that 90 percent of illness is stress-related.' When stress goes beyond the stimulating (positive stress) and becomes debilitating (negative stress), symptoms fall into three categories: physical, emotional, and relational." -- Publisher
Resist the Latest Parenting Fads, Says New Book NURTURE THE NATURE Encourages Parents to Determine Their Child's Core Personality
"Increasingly, the minds of our children are growing up to be antisocial. Children diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder now number in the millions. As the Carnegie-Mellon survey notes, our primary social response to the new antisocial nature of children has not been to rethink how we raise them, but rather to expand punishment and incarceration systems. A Department of Justice study reports that at our present rates of incarceration, one in twenty babies born in the United States today will spend some part of life incarcerated. As of 2004, 1 in every 138 U.S. residents was in prison."
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/NewYearNewYou/story?id=3119291&page=1
Hackett, David A., Allied Forces. Supreme Headquarters. Psychological Warfare Division. Intelligence Team., The Buchenwald Report, ISBN: 0813317770 9780813317779 0813333636 9780813333632 0827604998 9780827604995.
Extreme evil may be an excellent negative guide to correct theology, the righteousness which is of God, redemption, and immortality.
"After their liberation in April 1945, the inmates of Buchenwald told their stories to a special team of U.S. Army intelligence officers. One of the most important and unique documents of the Holocaust, this priceless eyewitness account was nearly lost forever and appears here in published form and in English for the first time." -- Publisher
Holt-Lunstad, Julianne, Timothy B. Smith, and J. Bradley Layton, Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review, PLoS Medicine, July 2010.
"Data across 308,849 individuals, followed for an average of 7.5 years, indicate that individuals with adequate social relationships have a 50 percent greater likelihood of survival compared to those with poor or insufficient social relationships. The magnitude of this effect is comparable with quitting smoking and it exceeds many well-known risk factors for mortality (e.g., obesity, physical inactivity)."
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000316
*Howie, John (1735-1793), The Scots Worthies. Biographia Scoticana: or, A Brief Historical Account of the Lives, Characters, and Memorable Transactions of the Most Eminent Scots Worthies . . . Also, an Appendix, Containing a Short Historical Hint of the Wicked Lives . . . of the . . . Apostates and . . . Persecutors in Scotland . . . 2nd edition, corrected and enlarged, 1781. A Christian classic. Available (PDF and MP3 audio files) on the Puritan Hard Drive. Available (PDF file) on Reformation Bookshelf CD #1, #10. Available (22 MP3 audio files) on Reformation Bookshelf CD #1-30 and at AudioSermons.com.
"Most commonly known as SCOTS WORTHIES, this edition contains Howie's footnotes (defending the Covenanters), and Howie's appendix titled 'The Judgment and Justice of God' (which chronicles God's judgments upon Reformation apostates and those who persecuted the Covenanters). It is the only edition in print which contains both these sections intended for publication by the author (as later editors often removed either one or both of these parts of this book). BIOGRAPHIA SCOTICANA covers the history of 'noblemen, gentlemen, ministers and others from Mr. Patrick Hamilton, who was born about the year of our Lord 1503, and suffered martyrdom at St. Andrews, Feb., 1527, to Mr. James Renwick, who was executed in the Grass-market of Edinburgh, Feb. 17, 1688. Together with a succinct account of the lives of other seven eminent divines, and Sir Robert Hamilton of Preston, who died about, or shortly after the Revolution.' This is one of our best history books (over 700 pages), covering all of the major Scottish Reformers. Howie summarizes his book as follows: 'The design of the following was to collect, from the best authorities, a summary account of the lives, characters, and contendings, of a certain number of our most renowned SCOTS WORTHIES, who, for their faithful services, ardent zeal, constancy in sufferings, and other Christian graces and virtues, deserve honourable memorial in the Church of Christ; and for which their names have been, and will be savoury to all the true lovers of our Zion, while Reformation principles are regarded.' Furthermore, the momentous nature of the struggles chronicled in this book are succinctly noted when Howie writes: 'the primitive witnesses had the divinity of the Son of God, and an open confession of Him, for their testimony. Our reformers from Popery had Antichrist to struggle with, in asserting the doctrines of the Gospel, and the right way of salvation in and through Jesus Christ. Again, in the reigns of James VI. and Charles I., Christ's REGALIA, and the divine right of Presbytery, became the subject matter of their testimony. Then, in the beginning of the reign of Charles II. (until he got the whole of our ancient and laudable constitution effaced and overturned), our Worthies only saw it their duty to hold and contend for what they had already attained unto. But, in the end of this and the subsequent tyrant's reign, they found it their duty (a duty which they had too long neglected), to advance one step higher, by casting off their authority altogether, and that as well on account of their manifest usurpation of Christ's crown and dignity, as on account of their treachery, bloodshed, and tyranny . . . which may be summed up. The Primitive martyrs sealed the prophetic office of Christ in opposition to Pagan idolatry. The reforming martyrs sealed His priestly office with their blood, in opposition to Popish idolatry. And last of all, our late martyrs have sealed His kingly office with their best blood, in despite of supremacy and bold Erastianism. They indeed have cemented it upon His royal head, so that to the world's end it shall never drop off again.' Moreover, the importance of this book can be clearly seen when Johnston, in TREASURY OF THE SCOTTISH COVENANT, reports that, Walter Scott refers to Howie as 'the fine old chronicler of the Cameronians'. . . Howie's book has been for upwards of a century a household word, occupying a place on the shelf beside THE BIBLE and THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.' Written for God, country and the covenanted work of Reformation. Stirring history!" -- Publisher
An alternative edition that also contains the appendix, Biographia Scoticana: or, A Brief Historical Account of the Lives, Characters, and Memorable Transactions of the Most Eminent Scots Worthies, Noblemen, Gentlemen, Ministers and Others . . . With an Appendix, Containing a Short Historical Account of the Wicked Lives and Miserable Deaths of Some of the Most Bloody Persecutors in Scotland, 1836.
An Appendix, Containing a Short Historical Hint of the Wicked Lives and Miserable Deaths of Some of the Most Remarkable Apostates and Bloody Persecutors in Scotland From the Reformation to the Revolution
This is the Appendix to THE SCOTS WORTHIES. BIOGRAPHIA SCOTICANA, 2nd edition, corrected and enlarged, 1781.
http://archive.org/details/biographiascotic28272gut
See also: A CLOUD OF WITNESSES FOR THE ROYAL PREROGATIVES OF JESUS CHRIST BEING THE LAST SPEECHES AND TESTIMONIES OF THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED FOR THE TRUTH IN SCOTLAND SINCE . . . 1680 and JOHN FOXE'S BOOK OF MARTYRS. ACTES AND MONUMENTS OF MATTERS MOST SPECIALL AND MEMORABLE. Available from: http://www.johnfoxe.org. Implemented by the Humanities Research Institute, University of Sheffield, England, and published by HRI Online Publications, Sheffield, 2011, Version 2.0, ISBN: 9780954260864.
Mack, Wayne A., Maximum Impact: Living and Loving for God's Glory, ISBN: 9781596382046 159638204X.
Mack, Wayne A., Personal and Interpersonal Problems.
Mack, Wayne A., You can Resolve Interpersonal Conflicts, ISBN: 0801061032 9780801061035.
Marshall, Stephen (1594?-1655), The Sinne of Hardnesse of Heart: The Nature, Danger, and Remedy of it. Opened in a Sermon, Preached to the Honorable House of Commons, July 28. 1648. being the day of their solemne monethly fast. By Stephen Marshall, B.D. minister of Gods Word at Finchingfield in Essex. Published by order of that House, 1648. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
*Ornish, Dean, Love and Survival: The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy, ISBN: 0060930209 9780060930202.
"Many people know Dean Ornish as the doctor who proved that symptoms of heart disease can be reversed with a regimen of a low-fat diet, exercise, and stress reduction. In LOVE AND SURVIVAL, he concentrates on the less tangible aspects of a healthful life. Through anecdotes and dozens of scientific studies, Ornish demonstrates that personal intimacy and other aspects of emotional well-being -- all the elements that make up what we call 'love' -- are as important to our physical condition as to our mental health. Not only do these positive emotions motivate us to make better lifestyle choices, Ornish argues, they also have a powerful direct effect on our bodies, giving us stronger immune systems, better cardiovascular functioning, and longer life expectancies. But the benefits of opening our hearts to others go beyond curing our bodies of disease; it's also the first step toward healing our entire lives." -- Publisher
*Spurgeon, C.H. (1834-1892), Faith's Checkbook. Alternate title: THE CHEQUE BOOK OF THE BANK OF FAITH: BEING PRECIOUS PROMISES ARRANGED FOR DAILY USE (1893), ISBN: 0938453025.
"A promise from God may very instructively be compared to a check payable to order. It is given to the believer with the view of bestowing upon him some good thing. It is not meant that he should read it over comfortably and then have done with it. No, he is to treat the promises as a reality, as a man treats a check. He is to take the promise and endorse it with his own name by personally receiving it as true." -- C.H. Spurgeon
"In the Preface of his devotional volume containing 365 brief, experimental comments on the promises which Spurgeon has chosen, the renowned preacher tells us that so many of these promises are true because they were fulfilled in his own experience during a time of 'wading in the surf of controversy,' and also when 'sharp bodily pain succeeded mental depression, accompanied both by bereavement, and affliction in the person of one dear as life. Never were the promises of Jehovah so precious to me as at this hour.' Thus it was to help other sufferers that Spurgeon prepared this comforting book." -- Publisher
Faith's Checkbook, a daily devotional by C.H. Spurgeon
http://archive.org/details/thechequebookoft00purguoft
*Thomson, John Henderson (editor), John McMain, and David Scott (introduction) A Cloud of Witnesses for the Royal Prerogatives of Jesus Christ Being the Last Speeches and Testimonies of Those who Have Suffered for the Truth in Scotland Since, 1680. Alternate title: THE FIFTEENTH EDITION, ENLARGED AND CORRECTED: A CLOUD OF WITNESSES, FOR THE ROYAL PREROGATIVES OF JESUS CHRIST: OR, THE LAST SPEECHES AND TESTIMONIES OF THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED FOR THE TRUTH IN SCOTLAND, SINCE THE YEAR 1680: WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING THE QUEENSFERRY PAPER; TORWOOD EXCOMMUNICATION; A RELATION CONCERNING MR. RICHARD CAMERON, MR. DONALD CARGIL, AND HENRY HALL; AND AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO WERE KILLED WITHOUT PROCESS OF LAW, AND BANISHED TO FOREIGN LANDS: WITH A SHORT VIEW OF SOME OF THE OPPRESSIVE EXACTIONS, ISBN: 0873779231. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"With the Testimonies of John Nisbet the Younger, John Nisbet of Hardhill, Robert Miller, Thomas Harkness, &c. A Letter of John Semple's and of Archibald Stewart's. The Paper found upon Mr. Cameron at Airsmoss, and an Acrostick upon his name. The Testimony of John Finlay in Kilmarnock. The Epitaphs upon the Grave Stones of Mr. Samuel Rutherford, Mr. John Welwood, and the noble Patriots who fell at Pentland-hills, &c.
"Also includes THE TESTIMONY OF SOME PERSECUTED PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL, UNTO THE COVENANTED REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, AND TO THE PRESENT EXPEDIENCY OF CONTINUING TO PREACH THE GOSPEL IN THE FIELDS, AND AGAINST THE PRESENT ANTI-CHRISTIAN TOLERATION IN ITS NATURE AND DESIGN, &C. GIVEN IN TO THE MINISTERS AT EDINBURGH, BY MR. JAMES RENWICK, UPON THE 17TH JAN. 1688. AND MR. RICHARD CAMERON'S LAST SERMON; PREACHED ON KYPE WATER IN EVANDALE, JULY 18TH, 1680, THREE DAYS BEFORE HE WAS KILLED AT AIRS-MOSS. (Pittsburgh: Printed for David Reed, by Eichbaum & Johnston, 1824), 1884 edition.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1,2)
"Presbyterian Covenanter martyrs of Scotland, their last speeches and testimonies. The first edition appeared in 1714, and as more material was collected it was added to the 15 editions that were printed over the next 100 years.
"An amazing book compiled to show how -- and especially why (from their own dying testimonies) -- the Covenanters suffered, bled and died. These brave martyrs for Christ laid the foundation for liberty and truth in both church and state. They have much to say to us today . . . . Though the issues and ferocity of persecution (by the Popes, prelates, and Erastians) were more obvious during the times covered in this book, the message to contemporary Christians could not be clearer: we are involved in a life and death struggle. Few books are this moving or this edifying -- a real treasure! (658 pp., 1884 ed.)." -- Publisher
The 1871 edition was praised by Spurgeon.
A Cloud of Witnesses
https://archive.org/details/cloudofwitnesses00thom
A Cloud of Witnesses, 1871 edition, free online e-text.
http://books.google.com/books?id=4vMCAAAAQAAJ&dq=thomson+a+cloud+of+witnesses&ie=ISO-8859-1
*Van der Kolk, Bessel A., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma, ISBN: 9780670785933 0670785938 9780143127741 0143127748.
"An astonishing amount of information on almost every aspect of trauma experience, research, interventions, and theories is brought together in this book, which . . . has a distinctly holistic feel to it. The title suggests that what will be explored is how the body retains the imprints of trauma. However, it delivers much more than this, delving into how the brain is impacted by overwhelming traumatic events, and is studded with sections on neuroscience which draw on the author's own numerous studies as well as that of his peers. In addition, it investigates the effects of adverse childhood attachment patterns, child abuse, and chronic and long-term abuse. . . . This book is a veritable gold mine of information." -- European Journal of Psychotraumatology
"Dr. van der Kolk . . . has written a fascinating and empowering book about trauma and its effects. He uses modern neuroscience to demonstrate that trauma physically affects the brain and the body, causing anxiety, rage, and the inability to concentrate. Victims have problems remembering, trusting, and forming relationships. They have lost control. Although news reports and discussions tend to focus on war veterans, abused children, domestic violence victims, and victims of violent crime suffer as well. Using a combination of traditional therapy techniques and alternative treatments such as EMDR, yoga, neurofeedback, and theater, patients can regain control of their bodies and rewire their brains so that they can rebuild their lives. The author uses case histories to demonstrate the process. He includes a resource list, bibliography, and extensive notes. This accessible book offers hope and inspiration to those who suffer from trauma and those who care for them. It is an outstanding addition to all library collections." -- Medical Library Association, Consumer Connections
Wilder-Smith, A.E., The Basis of True Fellowship, an audio file.
Wolf, Stewart, and John Bruhn, The Power of Clan: The Influence of Human Relationships on Heart Disease, new edition, ISBN: 0765804492 9780765804495.
"The notion that the quality of our social relationships may have a profound effect on our health and longevity has a long history but a short scientific past. A much publicized study that set out to show an association between social cohesion in the community and coronary heart disease mortality was begun in 1962 by Drs. Bruhn and Wolf. Their focus was on the town of Roseto, a cohesive and relatively stable Italian-American community in Pennsylvania. There the death rate from heart attacks was substantially lower than that of nearby towns. However, Roseto has changed over the years and so have its mortality statistics.
"THE POWER OF CLAN is a sequel to THE ROSETO STORY: AN ANATOMY OF HEALTH (1979). It includes the results from a follow-up survey that was done in collaboration with the Center for Social Research at Lehigh University. The authors intended to document the changes in Roseto as its people have adapted to an American lifestyle that is characterized by individualism, competitiveness, and materialism. One of the authors, Stewart Wolf, virtually acted as a participant-observer, contributing to a vivid and lively account of these changes that is supported by many anecdotes and an additional 22 pages of photographs. The book includes many tables showing demographic and health characteristics of Rosetans and their controls, and discusses potential mechanisms linking social change to increased death rates from myocardial infarction. This wealth of information provides a rich source of hypotheses and should encourage the development of sound psychometric instruments to test more rigorously the link between mutually supportive attitudes, cooperation, and health outcomes.
"THE POWER OF CLAN will stimulate and revive discussion on the effects of personal relationships on health. We are reminded of the work by J.J. Groen that urged us to adopt a more comprehensive approach to our understanding and, ultimately, control of coronary heart disease in both women and men." -- Gerdi Weidner
"Stewart Wolf was really one of the pioneers of psychosomatic medicine," noted Paul Rosch, president of the American Institute of Stress, in The Lancet. "His book on stress and hypertension is still considered a classic in the field . . . He was a marvelous cultured person who was able to bring a broad background in the humanities to his approach to patients and to teaching." -- Publisher
See also: The sovereignty of god, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Glory in iniquity, the temptation of vainglory, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, Repentance the key to salvation and change, Justification, Justifying faith, Reconciliation of relationships, Eternal life, immortality, Prayer, Intercessory prayer, Forgiveness of sin, Unforgiveness, Abuse, dysfunctional families, Resentment and bitterness, Rebellion and lawlessness: wickedness, demonic possession, abnormal behavior, insanity, mental illness, mental retardation, Parenting, Women and parenting, Child abuse and pedophilia, Sexual relationship, Covetousness, greed, and selfishness, Emotions and health, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Abuse, Child abuse and pedophilia, Adultery, Anger,
Churches that abuse, Unfaithful reformed ministries, Priestcraft and soul-stealing, Secret societies, ungodly alliances, voluntary associations, Tyranny, The counter-reformation, Problem solving in marriage, Feminism, Fear and anxiety, Depression, Stress, Spiritual aspects of health, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Emotions and health, The history of martyrs, A redneck resolution against self-destruction, Psychosomatic illness, Pseudo-christian movements: a selection of works, The occult, Unforgiveness, Persecution, Envy, jealousy, Rebellion and lawlessness: wickedness, demonic possession, substance abuse, abnormal behavior, insanity, mental illness, mental retardation, Hostility and violence, War, Suicide, Soul-violence (the whole catalog of sin), House churches, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system,
The free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, the covenant of eternal salvation, Book-length presentations of the free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, The blood of christ, Justifying faith, Forgiveness of sin, Sanctification, Reconciliation of relationships, Justice, judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord, and so forth, Healing of the mind, Prayer, Bible promises, Loving and obeying God, Small groups as healing agents, and so on.
TCRB5: 276-279, 1137, 1138, 2003, 2004, 2210, 2211, 4102
Angry People 'Risking Heart Attacks,' Michelle Roberts
"In the two hours immediately after an angry outburst, risk of a heart attack increased nearly five-fold, and risk of stroke increased more than three-fold, the data from nine studies and involving thousands of people suggests."
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-26416153
Brain, Mind and Body in Healing From Trauma, The People's Pharmacy Radio Program, show 980, February 7, 2015.
"To help people heal from trauma, the best approaches find ways to reconnect brain and body with a feeling of safety. . . .
"We often associate the term 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder' with military veterans. Indeed, war creates many traumatic experiences, but it is not the only source of reactions that may cause people to shut down or blow up. Car, train or plane crashes, a life-threatening illness episode, family violence, or other events can create a dysfunctional reaction that may be largely out of conscious awareness.
"Treating PTSD
"One of the world's leading experts on PTSD explains how such reactions are rooted in the body's response to threat, and how it can be successfully treated. . . .
"Dr. van der Kolk is co-director of the Complex Trauma Treatment Network of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, established by Congress to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children, their families and communities. His website is http://www.BesselvanderKolk.com
"His book is THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE: BRAIN, MIND AND BODY IN THE HEALING OF TRAUMA (2014)."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/02/04/show-980-brain-mind-and-body-in-healing-from-trauma/
Childhood Sexual Abuse, Gender, and Depression Among Incarcerated Youth, Angela R. Gover, University of Florida Center for Studies in Criminology and Law
http://ijo.sagepub.com/content/48/6/683.abstract
Depressed Adolescents Face Increased Heart Disease Risk, Will Boggs, MD
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/10/us-health-kids-depression-heart-idUSKCN0QF24320150810
Classic Christian Fiction by Martha Finley
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr11ch.html#cfbmf
Depressive Characteristics of Physically Abused Children, Denise M. Allen, Kenneth J. Tarnowski
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2926018
The Effects of Violence in the Home on Children's Emotional, Behavioral, and Social Functioning: A Review of the Literature
"I find this very interesting and think it has application to myself and most everyone I have known over the years. There is documented research proving the thesis that child abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, or spiritual, etc.) results in disturbances in learning, and disturbances in adjusting emotionally and socially, regardless of 'differences in age, sex, race, gender, IQ, or socioeconomic status.'
"In other words, the implications are that child abuse has the effect of making it difficult for a child to learn (grow in knowledge of the truth and understanding, have an open mind, be teachable), and of making it difficult to relate to the world (relationships, spouses, family, church, workplace, government), regardless of the child's innate capabilities and gifts. So, even the gifted child, if abused, will in later life suffer, however subtle, learning disabilities/blocks/blind spots or abnormal behavior. 'If a parent and child love each other, then the parent can teach the child anything.' But emotional scars can be as hard to heal as chronic disease.
" 'Physically abused and non-abused children were compared on child-completed measures of depression, hopelessness, self-esteem, and locus of control. Results indicated that, in comparison with non-abused controls, abused children evidenced more depressive symptoms, heightened externality, lower self-esteem, and greater hopelessness about the future. Group differences in depressive symptomatology were not accounted for on the basis of differences in age, sex, race, gender, IQ, or socioeconomic status.'
"This thesis certainly is connected with the question of who we associate with and the impact of good and evil on our lives.
"So, it could be of interest, directly or indirectly, to practically every person I know, or have known." -- compiler
http://ebx.sagepub.com/content/6/2/94.abstract
Healthy Connections
"Humans are sociable creatures, by and large. New research techniques allow scientists to analyze our networks of family, friends and acquaintances. How do the friends of our friends affect our emotions -- and our health?
"Guest: Nicholas Christakis, MD, Ph.D., is a professor at Harvard University with joint appointments in the Departments of Health Care Policy, Sociology and Medicine. He is the author, with James Fowler, Ph.D., of CONNECTED: THE SURPRISING POWER OF OUR SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HOW THEY SHAPE OUR LIVES."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2010/12/11/794-healthy-connections/
How Abuse Changes a Child's Brain, Brandon Keim
"The brains of children raised in violent families resemble the brains of soldiers exposed to combat, say psychologists."
http://www.wired.com/2011/12/neurology-of-abuse/
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
"The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) is the world's premier trauma organization dedicated to trauma treatment, education, research and prevention. Through this organization, professionals share information about the effects of trauma, seeking to reduce traumatic stressors and their immediate and long-term consequences."
http://www.istss.org/
National Center for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
"The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was created within the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1989, in response to a Congressional mandate to address the needs of veterans with military-related PTSD. Its mission was, and remains: To advance the clinical care and social welfare of America's veterans through research, education, and training in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders. This website is provided as an educational resource concerning PTSD and other enduring consequences of traumatic stress."
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/
National Stroke Association
Learn the signs of stroke.
http://www.stroke.org/
Rebellion and Lawlessness: Wickedness, Demonic Possession, Abnormal Behavior, Insanity, Mental Illness, Mental Retardation,
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrrappd.html#rlinsane
Reconciliation of Relationships
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr2chb.html#reconorel
The most important relationship is, of course, vertical, between the individual and God.
The second most important relationship is horizontal, between the individual and society.
How the individual handles these relationships determines the outcome of their life, both temporal and eternal, and is interrelated with all other spheres of life. Learn more about these interrelationships at the following website.
Repentance the key to Salvation and Change
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr2cha.html#rtktsac
Justification
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr6ch.html#jstfctn
The Shorter Catechism With Scripture Proofs (Carlisle, PA [P.O. Box 621, Carlisle 17013, USA]: The Banner of Truth Trust).
Arguably the greatest tract ever created, all factors considered.
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
Westminster Shorter Catechism Project: Body of Divinity Contained in Sermons Upon the Assembly's Catechism by the Rev. Thomas Watson
http://www.shortercatechism.com/resources/vincent/wsc_vi_001.html?page_id=205
Westminster Shorter Catechism Project
"Click on any of the individual questions below to get the answer and Biblical references, as well as links to works by John Flavel, Thomas Watson, Thomas Boston, James Fisher, and John Whitecross, and others."
http://www.shortercatechism.com/
See also: The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), (The Westminster Standards), and Related Works: A Study Guide
http://www.lettermen2.com/suggest.html
Social Interaction Helps Heart
"Recent research suggests that social relationships have a profound impact on longevity. Investigators analyzed nearly 150 human trials and concluded that isolation and loneliness are as dangerous as well-established risk factors such as smoking, physical inactivity and obesity."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2010/09/02/social-interaction-helps-heart/
Stressful Relationships may Raise Risk of Death, Shereen Jegtvig, May 26, 2014
"Conflicts, especially, were associated with higher mortality risk regardless of whom was the source of the conflict," the authors write. 'Worries and demands were only associated with mortality risk if they were related to partner or children. . . .'
"People who always or often experienced worries or demands because of their partners had double the risk of dying compared to those who seldom had those experiences."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/26/us-relationships-stress-death-idUSKBN0E61PD20140526
U.S. Abortion Statistics
"In 2011, approximately 1.06 million abortions took place in the U.S." [56 million American babies from 1973 to 2014, annual rate continues at 1.2 million babies a year].
http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/
The Wrong Relationship Cause of Health Problems, Karl Loren
A secular site.
"There are AGREEMENTS between you and this person -- usually unspoken, but at some time you shared a common moral code on something that was important to both of you. . . . If someone close to you is violating one or more parts of this moral code, YOU will be the one to get sick. This is serious business . . . ."
http://www.oxygentimerelease.com/A/Therapies/p1.htm
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22)
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. (Proverbs 15:13)
The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat. (Proverbs 15:30)
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 15:7)
And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:22,24)Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 10:20)
Feelings come and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving . . . my warrant is the Word of God; naught else is worth believing; So, though my heart and flesh should fail, for want of some sweet token . . . I'll put my trust in Him alone, whose word cannot be broken. -- Martin Luther (1483-1546)
To have our names written in heaven is the greatest mercy, and first, and chiefly, and only for itself to be rejoiced in; which so puts the estimate of all inferior mercies, that further than they refer to this they are not to be the matter of our joy. -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
*Brooks, Thomas (1608-1680), Heaven on Earth: A Treatise on Christian Assurance, ISBN: 0851513565 9780851513560. A Christian classic. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"All saints shall enjoy a heaven when they leave this earth; some saints enjoy a heaven while they are here on earth. That saints might enjoy two heavens is the project of this book." -- Joseph Caryl.
Burroughs, Jeremiah (1599-1646), Saint's Treasury Holding Forth 1. The Incomparable Excellency and Holiness of God, 2. Christ's All in All 3. The Glorious Enjoyment of Heavenly Things by Faith 4. The Natural Man's Bondage to the law, and the Christian's Liberty by the gospel 5. A Preparation for Judgement. and Libertinism, wherein is proved that: Society is the genus of a church, not congregations, A national church under the New Testament, The visible church is God's Temple, The infallible note of a true church, Learning is needful for the discharge of the ministry, Toleration of all religions is contrary to God's Word, No communion with the wicked in their sin, etc. Delivered in two sermons, 1653. Alternate title: THE SAINTS TREASURY: BEING SUNDRY SERMONS PREACHED IN LONDON. A Christian classic. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
Burroughs, Jeremiah (1599-1646), The Saints Treasury: Being Sundry Sermons Preached in London (1654)
http://archive.org/details/saintstreasuryb00burrgoog
*Davies, Samuel (1723-1761), The Divine Government the Joy of the World. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"Expands upon the reign and rule of King Jesus and the great blessings that this entails." -- Publisher
The Divine Government the Joy of the World, Samuel Davies
http://books.google.com/books?id=q2msGwAACAAJ&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), Enjoying the Presence of God, ISBN: 0892837578 9780892837571.
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), Joy Unspeakable: Power and Renewal in the Holy Spirit, ISBN: 085476514X 9780854765140.
"The world is not going to pay much attention to all the organized efforts of the Christian church. The one thing she will pay attention to is a body of people filled with a spirit of rejoicing. 'When the Holy Spirit is operating, this is the inevitable result, a joy which is unspeakable and full of glory,' so writes 'the Doctor!' J.I. Packer states that 'anyone who is spiritually alive will gain enormously from this magisterial and challenging recall to the inner realities of true Christian experience'." -- GCB
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), Life of Joy: An Exposition of Philippians 1 and 2, [Philippians 2] ISBN: 0801056586 9780801056581.
"In his own inimitable style the author deftly weaves exegetical and theological insights with practical applications. Though these sermons were first preached in 1947 and 1948 they still speak to us today and address us in our present critical situation." -- GCB
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), The Sovereign Spirit: Discerning His Gifts, ISBN: 0877886970 9780877886976.
"This is the sequel to JOY UNSPEAKABLE and contains scriptural examinations of the gifts of the spirit. 'The Doctor,' heralded as perhaps the greatest expository preacher of the 20th century, never ceases to gain the well-earned attention of GCB members. If you have read JOY UNSPEAKABLE already, you will want this one!" -- GCB
*Lockyer, Herbert, All the Promises of the Bible, ISBN: 0310281318.
"A devotional expositional compilation of all the promises [about 3,300 of the approximate 8,810 promises -- compiler], that are found in Scripture." -- Publisher
"Lockyer's in-depth look at the scope of God's promises arranges them in categories that cover the full array of human concerns, from the spiritual to the material and the corporate to the personal. As you come to understand God's promises and how they apply to every aspect of your life, you'll gain a trust in God that will sustain you through the worst of times and be your source of rejoicing in the best.
"Dr. Herbert Lockyer was born in London in 1886, and held pastorats in Scotland and England for 25 years before coming to the United States in 1935. In 1937 he received the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Northwestern Evangelical Seminary. In 1955 he returned to England where he lived for many years. He then returned to the United States where he continued to devote time to the writing ministry until his death in November of 1984." -- Publisher
Love, Christopher (1618-1651), The Soul's Cordial, 1653. Alternate title: THE SOULS CORDIALL IN TWO TREATISES. I. TEACHING HOW TO BE EASED OF THE GUILT OF SIN. II. DISCOVERING ADVANTAGES BY CHRISTS ASCENSION. BY THAT FAITHFULL LABOURER IN THE LORDS VINEYARD MR. CHRISTOPHER LOVE, PASTOR OF LAWRENCE JURY, THE THIRD VOLUME. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"Part one is titled "Teaching How To Be Eased of the Guilt of Sin" and consists of 191 pages. Part two, "The Saints Advantage, By Christ's Ascension," deals (in 194 pages) with our Lord's words comforting 'his disciples both against their fears of persecution in the world, as also against their sorrows.' (p. 1). Many subjects are touched upon, including numerous very helpful practical applications following from the assurance of the believer's freedom from the guilt of sin, the truth of Christ's ascension, and the comfort and joy that both these topics bring to the followers of the Lamb. Indexed." -- Publisher
*Spurgeon, C.H. (1834-1892), Jesus Christ Himself. (Ephesians 2:20) A sermon by C.H. Spurgeon delivered on Lord's-day morning, December 9, 1877, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, Sermon no. 1388.
"Beyond all argument or miracle, Jesus Christ Himself is the proof of His own Gospel. And as He is the proof of it, so, Beloved, He is the marrow and essence of it. When the Apostle Paul meant that the Gospel was preached, He said, Christ is preached, for the Gospel is Christ Himself! If you want to know what Jesus taught, know Him! He is the incarnation of that Truth of God which by Him and in Him is revealed to the sons of men. Did He not, Himself say, I am the way, the truth, and the life?
"You have not to take down innumerable books, nor to pore over mysterious sentences of double meaning in order to know what our great Teacher has revealed. You have but to turn and gaze upon His countenance, behold His actions and note His spirit and you know His teaching. He lived what He taught. If we wish to know Him, we may hear His gentle voice saying, Come and see. Study His wounds and you understand His innermost philosophy. To know Him and the power of His Resurrection is the highest degree of spiritual learning. He is the end of the Law and the soul of the Gospel -- and when we have preached His Word to the fullest, we may close by saying, Now, of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum -- we have an High Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens." -- C.H. Spurgeon
http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols22-24/chs1388.pdf
See also: The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Praise, Thanksgiving, gratitude, The Heart and the Mind, the Mind/Body Relationship, Healing of the mind, Happiness, holiness, The promises of Christ, Eternal life, immortality, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Bible promises, Living and obeying God, Holy spirit, Fruit of the spirit, Music, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 982-985, 1123-1125, 1359-1363, 1667, 1926-1930, 1934, 3900, 4175, 4206
Nave's Topical Bible -- Joy
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Concordances/naves-topical-bible/ntb.cgi?number=T2891
Words of Christ Appearing in The Web Edition of Biblical Counsel: Resources for Renewal
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrrappa.html
*Bonham, Tal D., Humor: God's Gift, ISBN: 0805457208 9780805457209.
"You will laugh while you read this book, but more important than that, you may decide that laughter can be a life-style." -- Calvin Miller
Bonham, Tal D., The Treasury of Clean Children's Jokes, ISBN: 080546364X 9780805463644.
Bonham, Tal D., The Treasury of Clean Church Jokes, ISBN: 0805463631 9780805463637.
"This book offers hundreds of hilarious stories, puns, and riddles that are appropriate for any audience. All jokes are conveniently listed by subject for quick reference or preparation on the run. Good for speakers, teachers, preachers, and jokesters." -- Publisher
Carlson, Ron, Common Sense, Nonsense, or Church Sense: Hilarious, Hard-Hitting Stories Full of God's Truth, ISBN: 1892435071 9781892435071.
Cousins, Norman, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient, ISBN: 0393041905 9780393041903 0393326845 9780393326840.
"This book revolutionized the way Americans think about health and healthcare. Diagnosed with a life-threatening and incurable condition, Cousins checked himself out of the hospital and basically healed himself with laughter, rest, and Vitamin C. A few years later, he recovered from a major heart attack on his own and wrote about that, too.
"These books jump-started the whole field of mind-body medicine. Hundreds of books have followed in its tradition, including mine, THE ART OF GETTING WELL: MAXIMIZING HEALTH WHEN YOU HAVE A CHRONIC ILLNESS. ANATOMY OF AN ILLNESS holds up well. I just re-read it and it's still relevant.
"Not everything here will apply to most readers, because Cousins was a major cultural figure with many physicians among his friends. Not everyone would have his self-confidence or his sources of support. But his ideas and his approach are more needed than ever today." -- David Spero, RN, www.art-of-getting-well.com
Cousins "describes his battle with cancer and how he laughed his way to recovery. His hypothesis and the subject of many studies suggests that there are positive effects to be gained from laughter as a great tension-releaser, pain reducer, breathing improver, and general elevator of moods. It sounds miraculous, is not proven, but studies continue. Groups such as the International Conference on Humor and many hospitals use positive emotion rooms and humor carts. In short, humor therapy is valuable and it helps us through difficult or stressful times."
Ingram, William Ray, and Charles Goodman, Church Humor Digest, ISBN: 0916693155 9780916693152.
Siegel, Bernie S., Humor and Healing, ISBN: 1564550702 9781564550705.
Some Pretty Funny Stuff
http://www.freemaninstitute.com/funnyIndex.htm
Adolph, Harold P., with Dave Bourne, Stop Making Yourself Sick: A Physician Explores the Connection Between Spiritual Health and Physical Health, ISBN: 0896933253 9780896933255.
Charnock, Stephen (1628-1680), The Sinfulness and Cure of Thoughts. In PURITAN SERMONS 1659-1689: BEING THE MORNING EXERCISES AT CRIPPLEGATE, ST. GILES IN THE FIELDS, AND IN SOUTHWARK BY SEVENTY-FIVE MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL IN OR NEAR LONDON WITH NOTES AND TRANSLATIONS BY JAMES NICHOLS. (2:386-420)
The Sinfulness and Cure of Thought, Biblical Sanctification, a sermon by Stephen Charnock. Available in Charnock and M'Cosh,
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF STEPHEN CHARNOCK (1865),
The Sinfulness and Cure of Thought, Biblical Sanctification
http://digitalpuritan.net/stephen-charnock/
Dallas, Joe, Desires in Conflict: Answering the Struggle for Sexual Identity, ISBN: 0736912118 9780736912112.
"This book offers a workable approach to sexual and emotional sanctification illuminating the power of God's Grace at work in the sincerely repentant soul." -- GCB
Joe Dallas operates Genesis Counseling in Orange County, California, and is president of Exodus International, an organization that has helped countless thousands out of homosexuality. For more information write to the "Truths That Transform" radio program and ask for the "Joe Dallas Actions Sheet."
Dunbar, Helen Flanders, Emotions and Bodily Changes: A Survey of Literature on Psychosomatic Interrelationships, 1910-1953, ISBN: 0405074263 9780405074264.
Dunbar, Helen Flanders, Mind and Body: Psychosomatic Medicine, ISBN: 0394436210 9780394436210.
*Justice, Blair, Who Gets Sick: How Beliefs, Moods and Thoughts Affect Health, ISBN: 0960537678 9780960537679.
"This is a revised, expanded edition of the 1988 classic that won a prestigious Ben Franklin Award for the best book on health. It was one of the first to give the public an understanding of how beliefs and attitudes affect the body.
"Blair Justice, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology and a longtime researcher in mind/body medicine at the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, School of Public Health, where he also served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. A clinical psychologist, he is the author of numerous papers in the scientific literature and five other books (two with his wife, Dr. Rita Justice). His most recent book (1998) is A DIFFERENT KIND OF HEALTH: FINDING WELL-BEING DESPITE ILLNESS. His 1988 book, WHO GETS SICK: HOW BELIEFS, MOODS AND THOUGHTS AFFECT HEALTH has been published in four languages. A revised, expanded edition was published in 2000. Dr. Justice is a Visiting Scholar at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Dr. Justice works once a week at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center helping patients cope. He and his wife are avid hikers and mountain climbers, along with their Tibetan dogs Tashi and Bodhi. Blair and Rita do animal assisted therapy volunteer service at Methodist Hospital at the Texas Medical Center. -- Publisher
"This book tells it like is, no holds barred. Anyone who has Chronic Fatigue Immune Deregulation Syndrome (CFIDS), Fibromylagia, Gulf War Syndrome, MS, etc., this is a must have for their bookshelf and reference library. Our thoughts become images thus resulting in chronic illnesses passed on to generations. One might think themselves sick and become sick. The scary part is that it is all true. What we think, we become. -- Reader's Comment
McMillen, S.I., None of These Diseases, ISBN: 080075719X 9780800757199.
Revised and expanded in 2000 by D.E. Stern. "This epochal work, when first published in 1963, drew attention to the Biblical teaching on health and the care of the body. Now updated with information on modern diseases, it is even more valuable than when it broke new ground two decades ago." -- Cyril J. Barber
"Good insights into the relation between your attitudes and your physical health." -- Robert B. Somerville
See also: The heart and the mind, the mind/body relationship, The sovereignty of god, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, Covetousness, greed, and selfishness, Stress, Persecution, The counter-reformation, Hostility and violence, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Depression, Fear and anxiety, Worry and anxiety, Homelessness, Loneliness, Conspiracy, corruption, organized crime, and so forth, and so on, through the catalog of sin.
The Christian life is not a matter of the tongue but of the inmost heart
And this is the place to upbraid those who, having nothing but the name and badge of Christ, yet wish to call themselves "Christians." Yet, how shamelessly do they boast of his sacred name? Indeed, there is no intercourse with Christ save for those who have perceived the right understanding of Christ from the word of the gospel. Yet the apostle says that all those who were not taught that they must put on him have not rightly learned Christ, as they have not put off the old man, who is corrupt through deceptive desires [Eph. 4:22,24], [Ephesians 4:22,24]. Therefore, it is proved that they have falsely, and also unjustly, pretended the knowledge of Christ, whatever they meanwhile learnedly and volubly prate about the gospel. For it is a doctrine not of the tongue but of life. It is not apprehended by the understanding and memory alone, as other disciplines are, but it is received only when it possesses the whole soul, and finds a seat and resting place in the inmost affection of the heart (1 Cf. III. ii. 36, note 53). Accordingly, either let them cease to boast of what they are not, in contempt of God; or let them show themselves disciples not unworthy of Christ their teacher. We have given the first place to the doctrine in which our religion is contained, since our salvation begins with it. But it must enter our heart and pass into our daily living, and so transform us into itself that it may not be unfruitful for us. The philosophers rightly burn with anger against, and reproachfully drive from their flock, those who when they profess an art that ought to be the mistress of life, turn it into sophistical chatter. (Seneca, Moral Epistles cviii. 23; xlviii. 4, 12 [LCL Seneca, III. 244; I. 316 i, 3S0 f.]). With how much better reason, then, shall we detest these trifling Sophists who are content to roll the gospel on the tips of their tongues when its efficacy ought to penetrate the inmost affections of the heart, take its seat in the soul, and affect the whole man a hundred times more deeply than the cold exhortations of the philosophers! -- John Calvin in Institutes of the Christian Religion, (McNeill/Battles edition), 3.6.4 and contextKeep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
The mind from vanity, the understanding from error, the will from perverseness, the conscience clear of guilt, the affections from being inordinate and set on evil objects, the thoughts from being employed on bad subjects; and the whole from falling into the hands of the enemy, or being the possession of Satan: great diligence had need be used in keeping it, since it is naturally so deceitful and treacherous; a strict eye is to be kept upon it; all the avenues to it to be watched, that nothing hurtful enters, or evil comes out; it is to be kept by all manner of means that can be thought of, by prayer, hearing, reading, meditation; and, above all, by applying to Christ for his grace and Spirit to sanctify, preserve, and keep it. Or, above all keeping, keep thine heart; though other things are to be kept, and care taken of them, as kingdoms and cities, and towns and families, and treasures and riches; yet the heart above all: for out of it [are] the issues of life; of natural life: it is the seat of it, from whence all actions of life are derived; it is, as philosophers say, the first that lives, and the last that dies; and it is the seat of spiritual life the principle of it is formed in it; from whence all spiritual and vital actions flow, and which lead unto and issue in eternal life: as is a man's heart, such is his state now, and will be hereafter; if the heart is quickened and sanctified by the grace of God, the man will live a life of faith and holiness here, and enjoy everlasting life hereafter: and if the heart is right, so will the actions of men be; they are regulated and denominated by it; they will then spring from right principles, and be directed to right ends, and performed with right views; great care therefore should be taken of the heart, since so much depends upon it, and it is so well known to God the searcher of it. -- John Gill (1697-1771), commenting on Proverbs 4:23A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. (Proverbs 15:13)
The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat. (Proverbs 15:30)
There are 40,000 neurons found in the heart (the same number in the brain itself). (Childre/Martin)
The most tremendous judgment of God in this world is the hardening of the hearts of men. -- John Owen (1616-1683)
Satan can afflict the body by the mind -- for these two are so closely bound together that their good and bad estate is shared between them. If the heart be merry the countenance is cheerful, the strength is renewed, the bones do flourish like an herb. If the heart be troubled, the health is impaired, the strength is dried up, the marrow of the bones wasted, etc. Grief in the heart is like a moth in the garment, it insensibly consumeth the body and disordereth it. -- Richard Gilpin
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:2,3)
David describes the symptoms of a broken heart quite literally in Psalm 38. It is thought to have been written followed Shimei's stoning and cursing of David in 2 Samuel 16:5-14.
[Psalm 38] Verse 3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger. Mental depression tells upon the bodily frame; it is enough to create and foster every disease, and is in itself the most painful of all diseases. Soul sickness tells upon the entire frame; it weakens the body, and then bodily weakness reacts upon the mind. . . .
Verse 8. I am feeble. The original is "benumbed, "or frozen, such strange incongruities and contradictions meet in a distracted mind and a sick body -- it appears to itself to be alternately parched with heat and pinched with cold. Like souls in the Popish fabled Purgatory, tossed from burning furnaces into thick ice, so tormented hearts rush from one extreme to the other, with equal torture in each. A heat of fear, a chill of horror, a flaming desire, a horrible insensibility -- by these successive miseries a convinced sinner is brought to death's door. And sore broken. Crushed as in a mill, pounded as in a mortar. The body of the sick man appears to be all out of joint and smashed into a palpitating pulp, and the soul of the desponding is in an equally wretched case; as a victim crushed under the car of Juggernaut, such is a soul over whose conscience the wheels of divine wrath have forced their awful way. I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Deep and hoarse is the voice of sorrow, and often inarticulate and terrible. The heart learns groanings which cannot be uttered, and the voice fails to tone and tune itself to human speech. When our prayers appear to be rather animal than spiritual, they are none the less prevalent with the pitiful Father of mercy. He hears the murmur of the heart and the roaring of the soul because of sin, and in due time he comes to relieve his afflicted.
The more closely the preceding portrait of an awakened soul is studied in the light of experience, the more will its striking accuracy appear. It cannot be a description of merely outward disorder, graphic as it might then be; it has a depth and pathos in it which only the soul's mysterious and awful agony can fully match. . . .
Verse 10. My heart panteth. Here begins another tale of woe. He was so dreadfully pained by the unkindness of friends, that his heart was in a state of perpetual palpitation. Sharp and quick were the beatings of his heart; he was like a hunted roe, filled with distressing alarms, and ready to fly out of itself with fear. The soul seeks sympathy in sorrow, and if it finds none, its sorrowful heart throbs are incessant. My strength faileth me. What with disease and distraction, he was weakened and ready to expire. A sense of sin, and a clear perception that none can help us in our distress, are enough to bring a man to death's door, especially if there be none to speak a gentle word, and point the broken spirit to the beloved Physician. As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. Sweet light departed from his bodily eye, and consolation vanished from his soul. Those who were the very light of his eyes forsook him. Hope, the last lamp of night, was ready to go out. What a plight was the poor convict in! Yet here, we have some of us been; and here should we have perished had not infinite mercy interposed. Now, as we remember the lovingkindness of the Lord, we see how good it was for us to find our own strength fail us, since it drove us to the strong for strength; and how right it was that our light should all be quenched, that the Lord's light should be all in all to us. . . .
Verse 10. My heart panteth. The verb which David here uses signifies to travel or wander hither and thither, but here it is taken for the agitation or disquietude which distress of heart engenders when we know not what to do. According as men are disquieted in mind, so do they turn themselves on all sides; and so their heart may be said to turn round, or to run to and fro. John Calvin.
Verse 15. David committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, and so in patience was able to possess his soul. Hope in God's intervention, and belief in the power of prayer, are two most blessed stays to the soul in time of adversity. Turning right away from the creature to the sovereign Lord of all, and to him as our own covenant God, we shall find the richest solace in waiting upon him. Reputation like a fair pearl may be cast into the mire, but in due time when the Lord makes up his jewels, the godly character shall shine with unclouded splendour. Rest then, O slandered one, and let not thy soul be tossed to and fro with anxiety. -- C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) commenting on Psalm 38 in The Treasury of DavidSubmit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (James 4:7,8)
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6,7)
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! -- The Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:22,23)Grant, O Almighty God, since thou hast counted us worthy of enjoying the privilege of daily listening to thy word, that it may not find our hearts of stone and our minds of iron, but may we so submit ourselves to thee with all due docility, that we may truly perceive thee to be our Father, and may be confirmed in the confidence of our adoption, as long as thou perseverest to address us, until at length we enjoy not merely thy voice, but also the aspect of thy glory in thy heavenly kingdom, which thine only begotten Son has acquired for us by his blood. -- Amen. -- John Calvin, Calvin's Commentary on Ezekiel
Charnock, Stephen (1628-1680), The Sinfulness and Cure of Thoughts. In PURITAN SERMONS 1659-1689: BEING THE MORNING EXERCISES AT CRIPPLEGATE, ST. GILES IN THE FIELDS, AND IN SOUTHWARK BY SEVENTY-FIVE MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL IN OR NEAR LONDON WITH NOTES AND TRANSLATIONS BY JAMES NICHOLS. (2:386-420)
The Sinfulness and Cure of Thought, Biblical Sanctification, a sermon by Stephen Charnock. Available in Charnock and M'Cosh,
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF STEPHEN CHARNOCK (1865),
The Sinfulness and Cure of Thought, Biblical Sanctification
http://digitalpuritan.net/stephen-charnock/
Childre, Doc Lew, and Howard Martin, The HeartMath Solution: The Institute of HeartMath's Revolutionary Program for Engaging the Power of the Heart's Intelligence, ISBN: 0062516051 9780062516053 006251606X 9780062516060.
"The Intelligent Heart. Access the power of your heart's intelligence to improve your focus and creativity, elevate your emotional clarity, lower your stress and anxiety levels, strengthen your immune system, promote your body's optimal performance, and slow the aging process." -- Publisher
"THE HEARTMATH SOLUTION may easily be written off as a book too eccentric for widespread public consumption, and that's unfortunate. The title's a bit misleading -- it's not about cardiac care and it's not about calculus, but rather how 30 years of research have shown that the heart's 'intelligence' affects emotions and physical health -- especially when it comes to handling stress -- and specifically what you can do to balance heart rhythms, reduce stress hormones, and boost your immune system. Yes, it sounds complicated, especially when you read that cardiologists worked with physicists and psychiatrists to develop the HeartMath program. But it's worth brushing off your skepticism and exploring the concepts in the Solution, as many employees of Fortune 500 companies have already done.
"The 'intelligence' that the authors focus on refers to both the heart's 'brain,' or the 40,000 neurons found in the heart (the same number in the brain itself), and the intuitive signals the heart sends, including feelings of love, happiness, care, and appreciation. When such positive emotions are felt, they 'not only change patterns of activity in the nervous system; they also reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol.' When there's less cortisol, there's more DHEA, the so-called fountain of youth hormone known to have anti-aging effects on many of the body's systems.
"The HeartMath Solution outlines 10 steps for harnessing the power of the heart's intelligence, including ways to manage your emotions and keep energy levels high. One of the most important is the 'Freeze-Frame' technique for calming the nervous system, improving clarity of thought and perception, and boosting productivity (which is one of the many appealing features for those Fortune 500 companies). Each step includes references to data proving its effectiveness, with handy summaries of the key points to remember at the end of each chapter. This is a book that takes a bit of scientific understanding and a lot of time to wade through, but one that could help you prevent stress from ruling your existence." -- Erica Jorgensen
"Is the heart the missing link in the mind-body connection? By combining age-old philosophy with modern science, Childre and Martin make a compelling case for the idea that good health is really a triumph of heart, not mind, over matter. Citing the Institute's research on the heart's role in human health, they demonstrate that the so-called metaphorical condition of the heart -- which has long been associated with love, wisdom, courage, and happiness -- may play as important a role in mental well-being as its physical function. The HeartMath solution lies in developing what Childre and Martin call the core heart feelings (such as love, Forgiveness of sin, appreciation and care), which trigger physiological responses resulting in less stress, better brain function and a stronger immune system. Although this book is about the heart, it's written with cool intelligence and intelligibility for the head. Despite slightly off-putting names (Freeze-Frame, Cut-Thru and Lock-In), the relaxation exercises, which are being taught at corporations and at schools, are simple to do, although perhaps already too familiar to anyone who has tried other kinds of meditative techniques. Nevertheless, in presenting a clear argument for following one's heart, this book certainly breaks new ground in the holistic approach to health." -- Publishers Weekly
"Ancient cultures believed that the heart rather than the brain was the seat of emotions, vestiges of which are still apparent in descriptive phrases such as 'broken hearted,' 'cold hearted,' and many others. Recent research confirms the existence of complex communication links between these two organs as well as other systems responsible for maintaining homeostasis, and unanticipated electrical energy pathways that may mediate these activities. This book describes cutting edge approaches that can not only tune into such conversations, but also reduce stress and promote physical and mental health by influencing the dialogue." -- Paul J. Rosch, President, The American Institute of Stress
"HeartMath has had a profound influence on the lives of patients, staff, and administrators at our hospital. Specific health problems such as hypertension and arrhythmias have improved in several patients through interventions with HeartMath tools. Communication and creativity among staff members trained in these tools has taken a quantum leap. They have noticed a completely different way of looking at problems and interacting with those around them." -- Bruce Wilson, M.D., Former Director, University of Pittsburgh Heart Institute, Chairman, Medical Education Committee, Columbia Hospital, Milwaukee, WI
*Bernard of Clairvaux, and J.M. Houston (editor, abridger), The Love of God and Spiritual Friendship, ISBN: 0880700173 9780880700177. A Christian classic.
"Houston provides his readers with a careful introduction to the times of Bernard and his importance in the history of the Christian church. He then furnishes a carefully edited version of this greatest devotional treatise on the love of God . . ." -- Cyril J. Barber
Bernard, of Clairvaux (Saint, 1090(1)-1153), Saint Bernard on the Love of God (1884)
http://archive.org/details/saintbernardlove00bernuoft
On Loving God, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
http://www.ccel.org/bernard/loving_God/loving_God.html
*Flavel, John (1628-1691), Keeping the Heart, ISBN: 1573580775. A Christian classic. Alternate title: A SAINT INDEED OR THE GREAT WORK OF A CHRISTIAN OPENED AND PRESSED. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"One of the most endearing Puritan works.
This "is an extensive treatment of Proverbs 4:23, Keep thy heart, for out of it flow the issues of life. This book has been completely retypeset and updated for easier reading; and there is also a helpful introduction and added study guide which makes this book suitable for study by individuals and groups. -- Publisher
Flavel, John, A Treatise on Keeping the Heart. Selected From the Works of the Rev. John Flavel. The style adapted to the present state of improvement (1813)
http://archive.org/details/treatiseonkeepin00flav
On Keeping the Heart, John Flavel
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/epl-10/web/flavel-keeping.html
*Welch, Edward T., Blame it on the Brain? Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience, ISBN: 0875526020 9780875526027.
"Dr. Welch has a Ph.D. in psychology as well as theology degrees, and has been a counselor for years. His doctoral work was on brain physiology, so BLAME IT ON THE BRAIN is the fruit of 20 years of reflection on the subject.
"Welch wonders if the brain 'has been given too much credit.' (p. 12). Many have held the brain responsible for some bad behavior: 'My disease did it!' (p. 13). While the observations of the rapidly expanding field of brain sciences can be very helpful, when interpreted through a biblical lens they can be put in a more modest and helpful perspective. How do these discoveries illustrate biblical truths that can be applied to people's lives? Instead, too often sin problems are mislabeled as solely brain problems, and thus the true cause is left unaddressed. (p. 25)
"Four very practical principles emerge from this approach to mind-body issues: 1. The brain cannot by itself 'make' a person sin. (p. 49f). 2. Each person's abilities (brain strengths and weaknesses) are unique. (p. 53f). 3. Brain problems can expose heart problems. (p. 56f). 4. Sinful hearts can lead to physical illness; upright hearts can contribute to good health. (p. 58f)
"In part two of the book these principles are then concisely but thoughtfully applied to a series of examples. First are apparently physical issues: Alzheimer's disease (p. 67f), and head injury (p. 85f). Next are more psychiatric issues: depression (p. 115f), 'A.D.D.' (p. 131f), homosexuality (p. 151f), and alcoholism. (p. 183f)
"Welch's treatments of these problems abound with practical, sensitive insight. In the process he clearly defines the deeper issues at stake: what is the soul?; what is the body?; what is sin?
"For me, a crucial component of the book is the section on the mind-body relationships, especially pp. 43-48. Welch is careful to distinguish the heart from the body, but without separating them. Drawing upon rich Trinitarian analogies, he is careful to outline a model that seeks not to over-emphasize either the duality or the unity. This understanding enables us to try to distinguish between sin and sickness. As Welch ably defines it: 'any behavior that does not conform to biblical commands or any behavior that transgresses biblical prohibitions proceeds form the heart and is sin.' (p. 43). Conversely, 'any behavior that is more accurately called a weakness proceeds from the body and is sickness or suffering.' (p. 44). We are to repent of sin. But things that reflect only our creaturely limitations are not immoral, but proceed from our fallen bodies.
"The example Welch uses of hallucinations is illustrative. The Bible does not prohibit them, so we can not admonish someone for experiencing them. We are called to compassion for them. The hallucination may have been caused by a prior sinful choice, and the hallucinatory may respond to them with sin, but the hallucination itself is not sinful. A helpful chart on p. 45 lists out some examples of body problems (broken bones, mental retardation, feelings of depression, hallucinations) and heart (mind) problems (anger, pride, drunkenness). Of course, many problems involve both the body and the heart or mind, and in unequal and obscured proportions. How do we separate out the differences? And why is it helpful to try?
"Each summer during high school and college I worked in a nursing home. The changes I witnessed in particular residents after being away from them for almost a year were often shocking and tragic. I think of a seemingly kind and affable man named D., who in a few months seemed to transform into an unrecognizably profane and lewd bore. Welch demonstrates convincingly that such brain or body problems as D.'s Alzheimer's can expose what is in the heart. The brain appears to have led the person into bad behavior, when it is more accurate to say that the brain problem allowed certain otherwise hidden parts of their heart to be uncovered. Welch contends, 'In some case brain problems function like truth serum for the heart.' (p. 58)
"Welch's treatment of the subject is fairly comprehensive but far from exhaustive. Questions of application remain. If meds can only, at their best, address the body issues and not the heart, how do we know which needs addressing? Welch addresses this in a wise, but frustratingly brief section in pp. 125-127. Adopting Welch's guidelines is easy enough, but applying them to real life situations, I know from experience, is another matter. What about the person who meets some but not all of the criteria listed on p. 127 (they are over forty; have had no prior history of problems with depression; are taking prescription drugs, etc.)? This is not a flaw in Welch's treatment of the topic, just a limitation of its brief explication here.
"I have known a person, for example, who had his first bout with depression at age 62. But it was extremely serious. He became despondent and delusional and was checked into a residential treatment facility. His case meets the first of the two criteria listed by Welch, but not the last two. Clearly, his depression was triggered by some circumstances in his life (some the direct result of some horrible choices, others not). Yet, just as clearly it seems that the depression, while largely originating from his sinful behavior, now had a physical component. His medications, while wrought with multiple serious side effects, did seem to successfully contribute to his ability to function. Yet, if I were given a decision making role in his 'treatment,' I would want to somehow know: were the drugs really helpful, or was it their placebo effect? And if they did reduce his anxiety, is that all necessarily good? Did he not need discomfort to drive him to make changes in his absolutely horrendous behavior? And if so, how much and what type of discomfort?
"Anyway, Welch's book wrestles with some deep issues and presents them in a lucid and readable format." -- Raymond Cannata
" 'What is needed is not necessarily more sophistication in understanding the brain. Instead, what is needed is a more in-depth and practical examination of Scripture that is relevant to these questions.' (pp. 19-20). In this chapter, he remains resolute in affirming the supreme authority of God's Word in understanding and applying the deluge of information which our secular society is bent on giving us. . . .
'Heart and body are both two and one. They are two in that the body cannot be reduced to heart or spirit, and heart cannot be reduced to body. But they are mutually independent. They need each other. Human life cannot even be imagined without both the inner and the outer person. . . .' (p. 47)
"In chapters 4 and 5, we read about legitimate brain dysfunctions which are the result of Alzheimer's disease (and dementia) or serious head injury stemming from an accident. Here, Welch wants the reader to understand that there are indeed cases where the brain can suffer illness or injury to the extent that the behavior and mental capacity of the individual will be directly affected. He is quick to point out that though these conditions may harm the outer man, they do not necessarily mean that the inner man will also begin to dissipate.
"In chapters 7 and 8, we read about psychiatric problems such as depression and attention deficit disorder (ADD) which may or may not be the result of the brain's alleged deficiencies. . . . He is also quick to point out that the depression or ADD may be the result of a spiritual problem and that the care of the individual and their relation to God ought to factor in the treatment every bit as much as medicinal treatments.
"In chapters 9 and 10 we read about two areas of human behavior which the brain is often held responsible for -- homosexuality and alcoholism. In both cases, Welch is insistent that the brain cannot the cause of one's sinful behavior. As he says so plainly, " 'The ultimate cause of sin is always the human heart,' (p. 169). He argues that when these behaviors are seen as proceeding directly from the brain's activity, then the connection that exists between human beings as morally accountable agents and a holy and righteous God is severed. What needs to take place is repentance from such sinful behavior in light of the promise of God's gracious provision of forgiveness which can be found in Jesus Christ. Though these sins present particularly strong forms of bondage, God's mercy can break even their stronghold." -- Daniel Mark Donovan
Wilson, Bruce C., and Doc Lew Childre, The Heartmath Approach to Managing Hypertension: The Proven, Natural way to Lower Your Blood Pressure (Heartmath), ISBN: 9781572244719 1572244712.
"High blood pressure is a national epidemic. It's a silent killer, a dangerous condition that affects one in four Americans, most of whom have no idea they are at risk for higher rates of heart disease, stroke, and other life-threatening problems. Conventional treatments for hypertension involve drugs, and these can have considerable side effects and may not be ultimately succeed in getting those numbers down. Fortunately there are many things that people with hypertension can do to reverse the condition and improve their health. The researchers at the renowned HeartMath Institute have researched techniques for managing stress and hypertension for more than fifteen years. Now, at last, their highly effective techniques for regulating blood pressure safely and effectively are available to readers in this simple and easy-to use format. Using a series of unique techniques like the Freeze Frame and the Heart Lock-In, this book allows you to literally regulate your blood pressure at the source -- the heart level -- and reduce the stress that causes your high blood pressure. In as little as ninety days, you can "reset" your baroreceptive systems and lower blood pressure levels. The approach is drug-free safe, effective, and clinically validated.
"From the leaders of the renowned HeartMath Institute comes this application of the HeartMath techniques for natural, drug-free management of hypertension: Engage the heart to bring emotions, body, and mind into balance, and help lower high blood pressure.
"Doc Childre is the founder and chairman of the scientific advisory board of the Institute of HeartMath, the chairman of HeartMath LLC and the chairman and CEO of Quantum Intech. He is the author of seven books, including Transforming Anger, Transforming Stress, Transforming Anxiety, and The HeartMath Method.
"Bruce C. Wilson, MD, is a cardiologist who gives lectures and teaches seminars on the HeartMath tools for stress reduction and better health. He helped develop the HeartMath Health Care Division." -- Publisher
"Written in an understandable and interesting style, this book explains breathwork in a modern way with modern research. I was recommended the HeartMath technique by my dentist to reduce my parasympathetic response so my major dental work would heal better. HeartMath techniques effect the whole body and offer those who suffer from staying in their 'flight or fight' nervous system a way to easily access their 'feed and breed' one more often." -- Reader's Comment
See also: Psychosomatic illness, The love and justice of God, The incarnation of our lord (the deity of the lord jesus christ), Fruit of the holy spirit, Love and truth, Bad relationships a cause of disease and death, Reconciliation of relationships, Love and obedience, Healing of the mind, Mind control, Rest, Sleep, and so forth, and so on.
Connecting the Heart and Mind, Part 1 of 2, a sermon by Ravi Zacharia
"God designed the heart and mind to work together. But it's not always easy to do that. As Christians, how do we connect both?"
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/let-my-people-think/listen/connecting-the-heart-and-mind-part-1-of-2-232393.html
Connecting the Heart and Mind, Part 2 of 2, a sermon by Ravi Zacharia
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/let-my-people-think/listen/connecting-the-heart-and-mind-part-2-of-2-232394.html
Marks of a Right Heart Before God, J.C. Ryle
"4) A right heart is a PURIFIED heart (Acts 15:9; Matthew 5:8). It loves holiness, and hates sin. It strives daily to cleanse itself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1). It abhors that which is evil, and cleaves to that which is good. It delights in the law of God, and has that law engraved on it, that it may not forget it (Psalm 119:11). It longs to keep the law more perfectly, and takes pleasure in those who love the law. It loves God and people. Its affections are set on things above. It never feels so light and happy as when it is most holy; and it looks forward to heaven with joy, as the place where perfect holiness will at length be attained."
http://www.jcryle.info/2016/10/7-marks-of-right-heart-before-god.html
The Mysterious Matter of Mind
"In the end I conclude that there is no good evidence, in spite of new methods, such as the employment of stimulating electrodes, the study of conscious patients, and the analysis of epileptic attacks, that the brain alone can carry out the work that the mind does. I conclude that it is easier to rationalize man's being on the basis of two elements than on the basis of one."
http://www.custance.org/Library/MIND/chapter5.html
Worship: A Clue to Meaning in Life, Ravi Zacharias
"Man is by nature a religious entity. He finds objects or persons to worship and will ultimately reflect that object. It is for this reason that authentic worship is pivotal for the Christian's life. True worship pulls together my conscience, heart, mind, imagination, and will. When these coalesce in unified expression, life finds its meaning."
https://www.christianbook.com/worship-clue-to-meaning-in-life/ravi-zacharias/pd/DA21549-CP?event=ESRCG
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. (Psalm 73:26)Heart disease is the third leading cause of death among women aged 25-44 years, the 2nd leading cause of death among women aged 45-64 years, and the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older. -- ScienceDaily, Jan. 11, 2008
Dean, Carolyn, MD, ND, The Magnesium Miracle: Discover the Essential Nutrient That Will Lower the Risk of Heart Disease, Prevent Stroke and Obesity, Treat Diabetes, and Improve Mood and Memory, ISBN: 9780345494580 034549458X.
"More than seventy-five years ago, medical scientists declared magnesium to be an essential nutrient, indispensable to life. When this mineral is part of your diet, you are guarding against -- and helping to alleviate -- health threats such as heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, depression, arthritis, and asthma. But while research continues to reaffirm magnesium's irreplaceable contribution to good health, many Americans remain dangerously deficient.
"In THE MIRACLE OF MAGNESIUM, Dr. Carolyn Dean, an authority on this mineral who has used it with dramatic success in her own practice, explains the vital role that magnesium plays in the control of many serious ailments -- from painful muscle spasms and bladder problems to traumatic brain injury and complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Inside you will discover:
*Nissen, Steven, MD, and Mark Gillinov, MD, Heart 411: The Only Guide to Heart Health You'll Ever Need, ISBN: 9780307719904 0307719901.
"The definitive guide to heart health from two of America's most respected doctors at Cleveland Clinic, the #1 hospital for heart health in America. Are you one of the eighty-two million Americans currently diagnosed with cardiovascular disease -- or one of the millions more who think they are healthy but are at risk? Whether your goal is to get the best treatment or stay out of the cardiologist's office, your heart's health depends upon accurate information and correct answers to key questions. In HEART 411, two renowned experts, heart surgeon Marc Gillinov and cardiologist Steven Nissen, tackle the questions their patients have raised over their decades of practice: Can the stress of my job really lead to a heart attack? How does exercise help my heart, and what is the right amount and type of exercise? What are the most important tests for my heart, and when do I need them? How do symptoms and treatments differ among men, women, and children? Backed by decades of clinical experience and up-to-the-minute research, yet written in the accessible, down-to-earth tone of your trusted family doctor, HEART 411 cuts through the confusion to give you the knowledge and tools you need to live a long and heart-healthy life." -- Publisher
Ozner, Michael D., The Great American Heart Hoax: Lifesaving Advice Your Doctor Should Tell you About Heart Disease Prevention (But Probably Never Will), ISBN: 9781933771540 1933771542.
"Addressing the importance of preventative measures over uncertain surgeries, this groundbreaking study reveals the secret to cardiovascular health. Illustrating the disturbing realities about the heart industry and how undependable bypass surgery can be, this survey argues the alternative -- know the majority of people can employ much simpler methods, such as a change in diet, to achieve better results. Also featured is a 12-step program to improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease, including dieting advice, tips on exercise and stress management, methods for controlling cholesterol and blood pressure, and recommended vitamins and medicines.
"Michael Ozner, MD, is medical director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Institute of South Florida and a clinical assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He is the author of THE MIAMI MEDITERRANEAN DIET. He lives in Miami." -- Publisher
"HEART HOAX is horrifying because it reveals many troubling facts about America's cardiac surgery industry. As a longtime medical advocate and critic of our healthcare system, I've known that too many heart surgeries are being performed in America; I just didn't know how many too many! In his book, Dr. Ozner reveals that, of the more than 1.5 million angioplasties and coronary bypass surgeries performed annually in the U.S., fully 70-90 percent are not only unnecessary, but are also detrimental -- and in some cases, even cause death. I knew that many diagnostic tests expose patients to radiation, but I didn't know that the 64-slice CT scan -- so often used to detect clogged arteries -- gives a patient the equivalent of the radiation from FIVE HUNDRED X-RAYS. And while I had known that the simple cholesterol test, which doctors routinely use as a predictor of cardiac risk, does NOT give the full picture, I did not know that it correctly predicts risk IN ONLY 40 percent of cases -- AND that there is another blood test (which doctors normally do NOT use), which can correctly predict cardiac risk in 90 percent of patients. All of these facts -- and more -- add up to what Dr. Ozner refers to as the GREAT AMERICAN HEART HOAX. The truth, writes Dr. Ozner, is that invasive cardiologists HAVE KNOWN many of these 'dirty secrets' for years, but have chosen to ignore them, in the unholy goal of 'following the money.'
"So, why do I say that this book is also empowering? Because, the exposé takes up only one part of the book. In the second half, Dr. Ozner gives us the 'good news,' by laying out his solution: a 10-step prevention program he has used successfully with his patients for nearly 30 years. It combines the Mediterranean Diet -- with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and healthy fats -- with nutritional supplements, exercise, stress reduction, and lots more. After reading this book, you will know how to prevent a heart attack and, if you have already had one, how to greatly reduce your chances of ever having another." -- Reader's Comment
Sinatra, Stephen T., and James C. Roberts (introduction), The Sinatra Solution: New Hope for Preventing and Treating Heart Disease, ISBN: 1591201608 9781591201601 1591201586 9781591201588 9781591202165 1591202167.
"Dr. Stephen Sinatra is the preeminent metabolic cardiologist." Joe Graedon, "The People's Pharmacy," Show #553.
Dr. Sinatra prescribes the following nutriceuticals for heart health: Magnesium, Co Q-10, Acetyl L-Carnitine, D-Ribos, fish oil, B Vitamins (a good B multi-vitamin), and Vitamin C.
"There's new hope for preventing and treating heart disease. If you suffer from heart disease, Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra has the solution you've been looking for: Maximize the amount of oxygen your heart extracts from your bloodstream by accelerating the rate at which your cells convert nutrients to energy. This can be achieved by following Dr. Sinatra's energy-enhancing nutritional approach. This approach focuses on the supplemental use of three amazing bioenergetic nutrients: Coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, and D-ribose. The synergistic combination of these nutrients essentially charge up every body cell to function at optimal capacity. So, not only will you experience renewed heart health with all that energy, you'll also gain a greater sense of overall well-being.
"Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., is a board-certified cardiologist, a certified bioenergetic psychotherapist, and a certified nutrition and anti-aging specialist. At his practice in Manchester, Connecticut, Dr. Sinatra integrates conventional medicine with complementary nutritional and psychological therapies to help heal the heart. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and is the author of several books, including OPTIMAL HEALTH, HEARTBREAK AND HEART DISEASE, HEART SENSE FOR WOMEN, and EIGHT WEEKS TO LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE." -- Publisher
"Dr. Stephen Sinatra has been an outspoken leader among physicians in the country on raising awareness of the relationship of supplements to cardiac health, especially Carnitine and Coenzyme Q-10. He has continued his campaign to raise awareness among physicians and the public, bringing nutrition, a real understanding of physiology and the generation of energy necessary for cardiac function back into the discussion of heart disease and cardiac rehabilitation. For too long medical discussions have centered only on which pharmaceutical drug might one use to reduce symptoms after the damage has occurred . . . and still, at most medical conferences, that is all that is discussed. Dr. Sinatra's preventive cardiology gives you an understanding of what it takes to keep your heart and circulation functioning at the 'prime of life' level well into your advanced age. He has a holistic and compassionate understanding of all of the factors that make for a 'sick heart' from dietary influences to environmental toxins, to the impact of unavoidable stress on our lives, and how we choose to deal with it.
"Dr. Sinatra is also a contagious optimist, and a brilliant doctor. You will learn a lot from his book, and he writes as he speaks, very personably, very warm. I, as a physician, seize every opportunity I can to hear him speak, and quote his advice to my patients often.
"Modern medicine is not really on the side of us staying healthy. We have to take responsibility for this ourselves. We have to learn from the masters who are generous enough to deeply study preventive medicine and give us the tools we need to heal and treat ourselves. This book is one of those indispensable tools." -- Dr. Tedde Rinker, Anti-Aging Physician, Redwood City, California, www.stress-medicine.com
Sinatra, Stephen T., Jan Demarco Sinatra, and Roberta Jo Lieberman, Heart Sense for a Woman: Your Plan for Natural Prevention and Treatment, ISBN: 0452282713 9780452282711.
Heart disease presents different symptoms in women than in men. Because of gender specific symptoms it can go unrecognized in women. It has been said that within the next decade (written in 2005), gender specific physicians will become commonplace in healthcare.
"In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Stephen Sinatra reveals why heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America today. HEART SENSE FOR WOMEN shatters the myths that keep this a hidden epidemic and outlines a prescriptive plan for natural prevention and treatment. In this valuable resource, women will discover:
Tricoci, P. (Pierluigi), J.M. Allen, J.M. Kramer, R.M. Califf, and S.C. Smith Jr., Division of Cardiology and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, Scientific Evidence Underlying the ACC/AHA [American College of Cardiologists/American Heart Association -- compiler] Clinical Practice Guidelines, JAMA. 2009 Feb 25;301(8):868-9.
"ACC provides exclusive benefits and services designed specifically for cardiologists, including advocacy, education and access to information." -- from the ACC website
"More than a million people get an angioplasty, stent, or bypass surgery each year. How many of these costly procedures are really essential?"
"RESULTS: Among guidelines with at least 1 revision or update by September 2008, the number of recommendations increased from 1330 to 1973 (+48 percent) from the first to the current version, with the largest increase observed in use of class II recommendations. Considering the 16 current guidelines reporting levels of evidence, only 314 recommendations of 2711 total are classified as level of evidence A (median, 11 percent), [emphasis added, that is, only 11 percent of the ACC/AHA recommended guidelines provided to cardiologists were based upon solid scientifically evidence -- compiler] whereas 1246 (median, 48 percent) are level of evidence C [medical opinion -- compiler]. Level of evidence significantly varies across categories of guidelines (disease, intervention, or diagnostic) and across individual guidelines. Recommendations with level of evidence A are mostly concentrated in class I, but only 245 of 1305 class I recommendations have level of evidence A (median, 19 percent).
"CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations issued in current ACC/AHA clinical practice guidelines are largely developed from lower levels of evidence or expert opinion. The proportion of recommendations for which there is no conclusive evidence is also growing. These findings highlight the need to improve the process of writing guidelines and to expand the evidence base from which clinical practice guidelines are derived."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19244190?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Wilson, Bruce C., and Doc Lew Childre, The Heartmath Approach to Managing Hypertension: The Proven, Natural way to Lower Your Blood Pressure (Heartmath), ISBN: 9781572244719 1572244712.
"High blood pressure is a national epidemic. It's a silent killer, a dangerous condition that affects one in four Americans, most of whom have no idea they are at risk for higher rates of heart disease, stroke, and other life-threatening problems. Conventional treatments for hypertension involve drugs, and these can have considerable side effects and may not be ultimately succeed in getting those numbers down. Fortunately there are many things that people with hypertension can do to reverse the condition and improve their health. The researchers at the renowned HeartMath Institute have researched techniques for managing stress and hypertension for more than fifteen years. Now, at last, their highly effective techniques for regulating blood pressure safely and effectively are available to readers in this simple and easy-to use format. Using a series of unique techniques like the Freeze Frame and the Heart Lock-In, this book allows you to literally regulate your blood pressure at the source -- the heart level -- and reduce the stress that causes your high blood pressure. In as little as ninety days, you can "reset" your baroreceptive systems and lower blood pressure levels. The approach is drug-free safe, effective, and clinically validated.
"From the leaders of the renowned HeartMath Institute comes this application of the HeartMath techniques for natural, drug-free management of hypertension: Engage the heart to bring emotions, body, and mind into balance, and help lower high blood pressure.
"Doc Childre is the founder and chairman of the scientific advisory board of the Institute of HeartMath, the chairman of HeartMath LLC and the chairman and CEO of Quantum Intech. He is the author of seven books, including Transforming Anger, Transforming Stress, Transforming Anxiety, and The HeartMath Method.
"Bruce C. Wilson, MD, is a cardiologist who gives lectures and teaches seminars on the HeartMath tools for stress reduction and better health. He helped develop the HeartMath Health Care Division." -- Publisher
"Written in an understandable and interesting style, this book explains breathwork in a modern way with modern research. I was recommended the HeartMath technique by my dentist to reduce my parasympathetic response so my major dental work would heal better. HeartMath techniques effect the whole body and offer those who suffer from staying in their 'flight or fight' nervous system a way to easily access their 'feed and breed' one more often." -- Reader's Comment
Wolf, Stewart, and John Bruhn, The Power of Clan: The Influence of Human Relationships on Heart Disease, new edition, ISBN: 0765804492 9780765804495.
"The notion that the quality of our social relationships may have a profound effect on our health and longevity has a long history but a short scientific past. A much publicized study that set out to show an association between social cohesion in the community and coronary heart disease mortality was begun in 1962 by Drs. Bruhn and Wolf. Their focus was on the town of Roseto, a cohesive and relatively stable Italian-American community in Pennsylvania. There the death rate from heart attacks was substantially lower than that of nearby towns. However, Roseto has changed over the years and so have its mortality statistics.
"THE POWER OF CLAN is a sequel to THE ROSETO STORY: AN ANATOMY OF HEALTH (1979). It includes the results from a follow-up survey that was done in collaboration with the Center for Social Research at Lehigh University. The authors intended to document the changes in Roseto as its people have adapted to an American lifestyle that is characterized by individualism, competitiveness, and materialism. One of the authors, Stewart Wolf, virtually acted as a participant-observer, contributing to a vivid and lively account of these changes that is supported by many anecdotes and an additional 22 pages of photographs. The book includes many tables showing demographic and health characteristics of Rosetans and their controls, and discusses potential mechanisms linking social change to increased death rates from myocardial infarction. This wealth of information provides a rich source of hypotheses and should encourage the development of sound psychometric instruments to test more rigorously the link between mutually supportive attitudes, cooperation, and health outcomes.
"THE POWER OF CLAN will stimulate and revive discussion on the effects of personal relationships on health. We are reminded of the work by J.J. Groen that urged us to adopt a more comprehensive approach to our understanding and, ultimately, control of coronary heart disease in both women and men." -- Gerdi Weidner
"Stewart Wolf was really one of the pioneers of psychosomatic medicine," noted Paul Rosch, president of the American Institute of Stress, in The Lancet. "His book on stress and hypertension is still considered a classic in the field . . . He was a marvelous cultured person who was able to bring a broad background in the humanities to his approach to patients and to teaching." -- Publisher
See also: Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, The heart and the mind, the mind/body relationship, Hypothyroidism, Depression, Stress, Exercise, Rest, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Healthcare horror stories, and so forth, and so on.
Angry Outbursts Harm the Heart, May 16, 2013
"Research has suggested that hostility and anger increase the risk for heart disease. A new study published in the American Journal of Cardiology confirms that losing your temper could trigger a heart attack."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/05/16/angry-outbursts-harm-the-heart/
Angry People 'Risking Heart Attacks,' Michelle Roberts
"In the two hours immediately after an angry outburst, risk of a heart attack increased nearly five-fold, and risk of stroke increased more than three-fold, the data from nine studies and involving thousands of people suggests."
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-26416153
Antibiotics and Sudden Death, May 18, 2012
"A little known fact is that the class of antibiotics called macrolides (including clarithromycin and erythromycin as well as azithromycin), can increase the risk for serious irregular heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death. These dangerous arrhythmias have been noted in the medical literature for more than a decade. For reasons that are not entirely clear to us, doctors thought that azithromycin did not share this class effect. . . .
"this study gives a glimpse at another secret that many health professionals prefer to keep under wraps: a surprising number of drugs can cause serious heart rhythm abnormalities. These arrhythmias can lead to stroke or sudden death. These medications are taken by tens of millions of Americans every day! . . ."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/05/18/antibiotics-and-sudden-death/
Are Your Vitamin D Levels bad Because of BPA and Phthalates?
"When vitamin D levels are low, people are at greater risk of dying prematurely. Could common environmental chemicals be contributing to lower vitamin D levels in the population? A new study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (Sept. 20, 2016) suggests that exposure to BPA and phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) may be a bigger problem than previously thought."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/09/22/are-your-vitamin-d-levels-bad-because-of-bpa-and-phthalates
CDC Issues Alarming Report on Diabetes Statistics, June 12, 2014
"The CDC has announced worrisome statistics regarding diabetes. In 2012, 9 percent of American adults had the disease, which increases the risk of cardiovascular complications such as kidney failure, stroke or heart disease and premature death.
"An estimated 29 million of us now have diabetes, although at least one in four have not been diagnosed with it. An additional 86 million are at risk of developing diabetes. That means one in three adults are currently considered pre-diabetic."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/06/12/cdc-issues-alarming-report-on-diabetes-statistics/
Chocolate as a Cost-Effective way to Fight Heart Disease, June 7, 2012
"Australian researchers estimate that investing about $40 a year in dark chocolate could be a cost-effective strategy for reducing the risk of heart disease. This conclusion is the result of a complex mathematical model based on data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study and from the medical literature. Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids that can relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure, help prevent blood clots and lower insulin resistance."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/06/07/chocolate-as-a-cost-effective-way-to-fight-heart-disease/
CoEnzyme Q10 Fights Heart Failure, December 20, 2012
"The antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 has been promoted for years as a way to treat heart failure. Studies gave conflicting results, but a new meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials shows modest benefit in the ejection fraction, a measure of how well the heart pumps blood."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/12/20/coenzyme-q10-fights-heart-failure/
CoQ10 has Heart Benefits, June 24, 2013
"Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinol, is a natural compound made by the body. It is essential for mitochondria, the energy factories of our cells.
"Statin-type drugs deplete this crucial nutrient and many doctors now recommend it for patients on such medications (Nutrition Reviews, March, 2013). A new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology in May showed that Coenzyme Q10 reduced heart failure mortality by about half. The lead author encouraged his cardiology colleagues to add Coenzyme Q10 to standard heart failure therapy."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/24/coq10-has-heart-benefits/
Depressed Adolescents Face Increased Heart Disease Risk, Will Boggs, MD
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/10/us-health-kids-depression-heart-idUSKCN0QF24320150810
Drug Dangers, May 19, 2012
"We'd like to imagine that the drug the doctor prescribed will do exactly what it should and not have any negative consequences. But that is probably an unrealistic expectation. Medications such as the arthritis drug Vioxx and the antibiotic Zithromax can have dangerous effects on the heart. How can we find out about the potential adverse reactions associated with our medicines?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/05/19/858-drug-dangers/
Fasting for a Healthy Heart, April 7, 2011
"Fasting on a regular basis is encouraged by many religions. New evidence from Utah suggests that it may have physical as well as spiritual benefits. The researchers questioned 200 people undergoing angiography to detect heart disease. The patients, mostly Mormons, were asked about fasting. Those who reported fasting once a month were 58 percent less likely to have diseased coronary arteries than those who did not."
[American College of Cardiology, April 3-5, 2011]"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/04/07/fasting-for-a-healthy-heart/
The Great Cholesterol Myth
"What is the optimal diet to reduce your risk of heart disease? (And why don't you need to worry about the cholesterol in your breakfast eggs?) Our guests give surprising -- but evidence-based -- advice on healthy living."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/03/09/895-the-great-cholesterol-myth/
Heart-Healthy Choices, March 2, 2013
"Some 7,500 Spaniards volunteered for a study that has shown quite clearly that the Mediterranean diet can save lives. In fact, those consuming a Mediterranean diet with either extra-virgin olive oil or walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds providing extra fat were 30 percent less likely to die of a heart attack during the study than those assigned to a low-fat diet."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/03/02/894-heart-healthy-choices/
How to Mobilize the Immune System to Fight Cancer
"So how can the immune system recognize cancer and put up protection against it? Immunologists are coming up with new treatments that can help mobilize the immune system to get cancers under control. Learn how they work, and why they might even work better than surgery, chemotherapy or radiation for certain types of cancers."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/03/24/show-1029-how-to-mobilize-the-immune-system-to-fight-cancer/
Hypertension Heresy: Are we Overtreating High Blood Pressure? August 15, 2012
"Physicians have come to believe that aggressive treatment of patients with high blood pressure will lead to better outcomes.
Everything changed on August 15, 2012, when the Cochrane Collaboration published its analysis: "Benefits of antihypertensive drugs for mild hypertension are unclear." The Cochrane Collaboration represents the highest level of scientific scrutiny of available studies. The experts who analyze the data are independent and objective and have come to be regarded as the ultimate authority on the medical interventions they evaluate. As far as we can tell, there is no better organization for assessing the pros and cons of pharmaceutical and alternative therapies than Cochrane."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/15/hypertension-heresy-are-we-overtreating-high-blood-pressure/
Is Your Pain Reliever Causing an Irregular Heart Rhythm? July 20, 2011
"The subjects in the Danish study were matched with 325,918 control patients to compare the use of pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), ketoprofen (Orudis), meloxicam (Mobic) and naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn, etc.). The investigators reported that, "In this large population based case-control study, we found that patients starting treatment with non-aspirin NSAIDs were at increased risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter compared with those not using NSAIDs. The relative risk increase was 40-70 percent -- equivalent to approximately four extra cases per year of atrial fibrillation per 1,000 new users of non-selective NSAIDs and seven extra cases per year of atrial fibrillation per 1,000 new users of COX 2 inhibitors. The risk appeared highest in older people."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/07/20/is-your-pain-reliever-causing-an-irregular-heart-rhythm/
Keeping Your Heart Healthy, October 20, 2012
"When it comes to heart disease, wouldn't prevention be better than cure? One of the country's leading cardiologists, Dr. Steve Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, tells us how we can keep our hearts healthy."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/10/20/877-keeping-your-heart-healthy/
A Little Exercise is Better Than None
"A new meta-analysis of 33 studies of exercise and coronary heart disease risk shows that people who exercised 150 minutes a week did lower their risk by about 14 percent compared to those who sat on the couch. People who exercised even more -- 300 minutes a week -- lowered their risk by about 20 percent. But the most important finding from this study is that people who exercised at all, even though they might not have gotten half an hour a day, were able to reduce their risk of heart disease too. According to the authors, their study offers support to the adage, "some physical activity is better than none." The biggest improvement was among people who went from no physical activity to exercising just 10 or 15 minutes a day, an amount that is well within reach for most folks."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/08/04/a-little-exercise-is-better-than-none/
Munching on Sugary Treats Adds to Cardiovascular Risk, February 6, 2014
"Sugar is turning out to be more dangerous than previously thought. That's the conclusion of a large epidemiological study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. More than 30,000 people were questioned in detail about their health and their diets between 1988 and 2010. Approximately 11,000 adults were included in a study that linked mortality to diet. The conclusions are pretty chilling. As added sugar makes up a greater proportion of the diet, the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke climbs. People who got 25 percent or more of their calories from sugar, whether in soft drinks, desserts, or candy or cereal, were almost three times more likely to die during the study from cardiovascular causes. For those eating 2,000 calories a day, 25 percent translates into 500 calories from sugar or roughly 31 teaspoons."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/02/06/munching-on-sugary-treats-adds-to-cardiovascular-risk/
National Stroke Association
Learn the signs of stroke.
http://www.stroke.org/
Old-Fashioned Drug Colchicine Shows Promise as a Treatment for Pericarditis, April 3, 2014
"A medicine that was used by the ancient Egyptians is finding a new use for heart inflammation. Colchicine is derived from crocuses, and the pharaohs were using it to treat sore, swollen joints. In modern times, it has been used to ease the pain of gout."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/04/03/old-fashioned-drug-colchicine-shows-promise-as-a-treatment-for-pericarditis/
Open-heart Profiteering?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/06/eveningnews/main552636.shtml
Quick Expert Treatment Best for Stroke, January 27, 2011
"Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. right after heart attacks and cancer. Survival often depends upon early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Where you are treated can also make a difference. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that some medical centers are better equipped to treat strokes than others. People who go immediately to a hospital that has a specialized stroke center are more likely to get brain-preserving care in a timely fashion. Although the overall death rates are not dramatically different with other hospitals, outcomes were statistically significant. Ultimately, though, getting prompt care is the most important factor in a good stroke outcome, so getting to a hospital quickly is paramount." [JAMA, online Jan. 25 2011]
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/01/27/quick-expert-treatment-best-for-stroke/
Save a Person's Life: The Fourth Sign of a Stroke
https://boingboing.net/2016/03/16/save-a-persons-life-the-f.html
Should you be Worried About Salt or sat fat for Your Heart?
"Why don't all the experts agree about the dangers of salt or sat fat for your heart?
"Saturated fat does not clog the arteries: coronary heart disease is a chronic inflammatory condition, the risk of which can be effectively reduced from healthy lifestyle interventions."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/06/15/show-1083-should-you-be-worried-about-salt-or-sat-fat-for-your-heart/
Social Interaction Helps Heart
"Recent research suggests that social relationships have a profound impact on longevity. Investigators analyzed nearly 150 human trials and concluded that isolation and loneliness are as dangerous as well-established risk factors such as smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2010/09/02/social-interaction-helps-heart/
Stroke, May 7, 2011
"What symptoms signal a possible stroke? Find out how to minimize your risk of a stroke as well as what to do if you suspect one."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/05/07/812-stroke/
Studies Link Cancer Patients' Survival Time to Insurance Status
"But regardless of cancer type, patients with private insurance had a survival advantage."
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/09/16/494139538/studies-link-cancer-patients-survival-time-to-insurance-status
What Should you Know About Controversies in Cardiology? Feb. 24, 2018
"Steven Nissen, MD, is chairman of the Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. He is the co-author, with Mark Gillinov, MD, of HEART 411: THE ONLY GUIDE TO HEART HEALTH YOU'LL EVER NEED." You can listen to previous People's Pharmacy interviews with Dr. Nissen . . . .
"The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association issued guidelines on blood pressure control in 2017 (Hypertension, online Nov. 13, 2017). These cardiology groups recommend that anyone with blood pressure above 130/80 should be considered hypertensive. That means about 46 percent of American adults fall into that category. While not everyone should be prescribed medication to lower their blood pressure into the target range, far more people will be on antihypertensive drugs than previously. What are the pros and cons of this policy?
"Every year, more than half a million people in North America and Europe get a stent in a coronary artery. Most of these patients expect that a stent will significantly improve their quality of life. But a recent study, called ORBITA (for Objective Randomised Blinded Investigation with optimal medical Therapy of Angioplasty), calls this assumption into question (The Lancet, Jan. 6, 2018). This study was unusual because it had a control group of people who received sham angioplasty. The actual stent was no more effective than the placebo at improving exercise. The topic of stents is one of the current controversies in cardiology."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/02/21/show-1111-what-should-you-know-about-controversies-in-cardiology/
Will Higher Bad LDL Cholesterol Help Older People Live Longer?
"Contrary to expectations, no link was found between bad cholesterol and premature deaths. In this older population (people over 60) there was a surprising discovery. The higher the subjects' LDL cholesterol, the longer they lived and the less heart disease they seemed to experience. This is exactly the opposite of what conventional cardiology would have predicted.
"As if the cholesterol and saturated fat problem were not trouble enough, along came a large salt study published in the journal The Lancet (online May 20, 2016). The authors reported that a low salt diet like the one recommended by the American Heart Association (less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day) was associated with an increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and death."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/06/16/will-higher-bad-ldl-cholesterol-help-older-people-live-longer/
Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28-30)Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6,7)
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Word: "disease"; Meaning; "disturb"; Sample location: "Luke 8:49" -- from the "Glossary," 1599 Geneva Bible, Tolle Lege edition
DISEASE, n. Dizeze. [dis and ease].
1. In its primary sense, pain, uneasiness, distress, and so used by Spenser; but in this sense, obsolete.
2. The cause of pain or uneasiness . . . disorder; any state of a living body in which the natural functions of the organs are interrupted or disturbed . . . The first effect of disease is uneasiness or pain, and the ultimate effect is death. . . .
3. A disordered state of the mind or intellect, by which the reason is impaired.
4. In society, vice; corrupt state of morals. Vices are called moral diseases. A wise man converses with the wicked, as a physician with the sick, not to catch the disease, but to cure it.
5. Political or civil disorder, or vices in a state; any practice which tends to disturb the peace of society, or impede or prevent the regular administration of government.
The instability, injustice and confusion introduced into the public councils have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have every where perished. -- 1846 edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language
DISEASE, v.t. dizeze.
1. To interrupt or impair any or all the natural and regular functions of the several organs of a living body [i.e. robbing a neighbor of sleep -- compiler]; to afflict with pain or sickness to make morbid . . .
2. To interrupt or render imperfect the regular functions of the brain, or of the intellect; to disorder; to derange.
3. To infect; to communicate disease to, by contagion.
4. To pain; to make uneasy. -- 1828 edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English LanguageAbolition of individual income taxes would remove substantial stress from American society. Restored personal income would allow individuals to better provide for the needs of their families.
*Adams, Jay E. (1929-2020), The Practical Encyclopedia of Christian Counseling, 202 pages, ISBN: 1889032468 9781889032467.
See the subject "Stress," "Pressure," and so forth, and so on.
"THE PRACTICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHRISTIAN COUNSELING is designed to afford Christian counselors quick reference as well as comprehensive access to the chief principles and practices of biblical counseling. It is called an 'encyclopedia' because a counselor interested in surveying the gamut of those principles and practices will find in this volume a wider variety of subjects than may be located in any other book of biblical counseling. The counseling described here is truly 'Christian' with method and content firmly rooted in careful biblical exegesis. At the same time it is 'practical' because articles consist not merely of definitions and descriptions, but also of application of the material useful to Christian counselors. Although not necessarily the only way these biblical principles can be applied, they are the fruit of years of study and experience in biblical counseling. In short, the book is designed as an aid to the working counselor who needs a quick reference guide. We trust that God will use it to His glory and to the blessing of His people." -- Preface
Some subject include: Abortion | Abuse | Admonition | Adultery | Adversity | Affliction | Aggravation | Anger | Answers | Apology | Assurance | Attitude | Authority | Balance | Behavior | Bizarre behaviour | Breakdown | Christ | Church | Commandments | Confession | Confidentiality | Contentment | Correction | Corruption | Counseling | Crises | Data gathering | Deceit | Dependence | Discipling | Divorce | Doctrine | Drugs | Education | Empathy | Evangelism | Example | Foolishness | Forgetfulness | Forgiveness | Godliness | Gospel | Gossip | Habit | Heresy | Hope | Hostility | How-to | Idolatry | Jesus | Joy | Justification | Legal matters | Legalism | Lying | Marriage | Promises of god | Put on/put off dynamic | Quickening | Radical amputation | Rage | Reconciliation | Referral | Rejuvenation | Repentance | Sanctification | Scripture | Sex | Sin | Teaching | Temptation | Testing | Think list | Thought | Training.
Blaiklock, David A., Release From Tension.
Carlson, Richard, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff -- And it's all Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things From Taking Over Your Life, ISBN: 0786881852 9780786881857. Alternate title: DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF -- AND IT'S ALL SMALL STUFF.
A secular author.
Childre, Doc Lew, and Howard Martin, The HeartMath Solution: The Institute of HeartMath's Revolutionary Program for Engaging the Power of the Heart's Intelligence, ISBN: 0062516051 9780062516053 006251606X 9780062516060.
"The Intelligent Heart. Access the power of your heart's intelligence to improve your focus and creativity, elevate your emotional clarity, lower your stress and anxiety levels, strengthen your immune system, promote your body's optimal performance, and slow the aging process." -- Publisher
"THE HEARTMATH SOLUTION may easily be written off as a book too eccentric for widespread public consumption, and that's unfortunate. The title's a bit misleading -- it's not about cardiac care and it's not about calculus, but rather how 30 years of research have shown that the heart's 'intelligence' affects emotions and physical health -- especially when it comes to handling stress -- and specifically what you can do to balance heart rhythms, reduce stress hormones, and boost your immune system. Yes, it sounds complicated, especially when you read that cardiologists worked with physicists and psychiatrists to develop the HeartMath program. But it's worth brushing off your skepticism and exploring the concepts in the Solution, as many employees of Fortune 500 companies have already done.
"The 'intelligence' that the authors focus on refers to both the heart's 'brain,' or the 40,000 neurons found in the heart (the same number in the brain itself), and the intuitive signals the heart sends, including feelings of love, happiness, care, and appreciation. When such positive emotions are felt, they 'not only change patterns of activity in the nervous system; they also reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol.' When there's less cortisol, there's more DHEA, the so-called fountain of youth hormone known to have anti-aging effects on many of the body's systems.
"The HeartMath Solution outlines 10 steps for harnessing the power of the heart's intelligence, including ways to manage your emotions and keep energy levels high. One of the most important is the 'Freeze-Frame' technique for calming the nervous system, improving clarity of thought and perception, and boosting productivity (which is one of the many appealing features for those Fortune 500 companies). Each step includes references to data proving its effectiveness, with handy summaries of the key points to remember at the end of each chapter. This is a book that takes a bit of scientific understanding and a lot of time to wade through, but one that could help you prevent stress from ruling your existence." -- Erica Jorgensen
"Is the heart the missing link in the mind-body connection? By combining age-old philosophy with modern science, Childre and Martin make a compelling case for the idea that good health is really a triumph of heart, not mind, over matter. Citing the Institute's research on the heart's role in human health, they demonstrate that the so-called metaphorical condition of the heart -- which has long been associated with love, wisdom, courage, and happiness -- may play as important a role in mental well-being as its physical function. The HeartMath solution lies in developing what Childre and Martin call the core heart feelings (such as love, Forgiveness of sin, appreciation and care), which trigger physiological responses resulting in less stress, better brain function and a stronger immune system. Although this book is about the heart, it's written with cool intelligence and intelligibility for the head. Despite slightly off-putting names (Freeze-Frame, Cut-Thru and Lock-In), the relaxation exercises, which are being taught at corporations and at schools, are simple to do, although perhaps already too familiar to anyone who has tried other kinds of meditative techniques. Nevertheless, in presenting a clear argument for following one's heart, this book certainly breaks new ground in the holistic approach to health." -- Publishers Weekly
"Ancient cultures believed that the heart rather than the brain was the seat of emotions, vestiges of which are still apparent in descriptive phrases such as 'broken hearted,' 'cold hearted,' and many others. Recent research confirms the existence of complex communication links between these two organs as well as other systems responsible for maintaining homeostasis, and unanticipated electrical energy pathways that may mediate these activities. This book describes cutting edge approaches that can not only tune into such conversations, but also reduce stress and promote physical and mental health by influencing the dialogue." -- Paul J. Rosch, President, The American Institute of Stress
"HeartMath has had a profound influence on the lives of patients, staff, and administrators at our hospital. Specific health problems such as hypertension and arrhythmias have improved in several patients through interventions with HeartMath tools. Communication and creativity among staff members trained in these tools has taken a quantum leap. They have noticed a completely different way of looking at problems and interacting with those around them." -- Bruce Wilson, M.D., Former Director, University of Pittsburgh Heart Institute, Chairman, Medical Education Committee, Columbia Hospital, Milwaukee, WI
Clowney, E., Biblical Principles of Rest (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation).
Audio cassette WW203 [audio file].
*Finley, Martha (aka Martha Farquharson, 1828-1909), Book 2: Elsie's Holidays at Roselands, ISBN: 9781888306323 1888306327.
"When Elsie's father becomes ill, she takes on the job of nurse-companion, and all goes well until Elsie, because it is the Sabbath, as a matter of conscience refuses to read to him from a secular book. The battle of wills that ensues nearly causes first her father's death, and then Elsie's. Lonely Elsie -- punished, ostracized, and then abandoned by her father -- turns to her heavenly Father for comfort and assurance. Will her father realize that Elsie's obedience to God must be paramount, and submit himself to the same Divine Authority?" -- Publisher
On an even more serious note, one moral of this story is the broader life and death struggle between Truth and Falsehood (See: Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], Epistemology of theology, the theory of knowledge, and Christian scholarship.) The consequence of conflict of will is death of the "One," or war of the "Many" (see Rushdoony, THE ONE AND THE MANY: STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF ORDER AND ULTIMACY. Conflict of will (see Will and recalcitrance, Rebellion and lawlessness: wickedness, demonic possession, abnormal behavior, insanity, mental illness, mental retardation,) may begin when one individual (see The doctrine of man [human nature, total depravity],) or the corporate body (see Corporate faithfulness and sanctification), tries to usurping authority over others (see Power, Authority) -- tries to control and possess the other (see Tyranny, Slavery, our systems of enslavement, economic enslavement.) The means of control may be either outward or occult (see The occult, spiritism, witchcraft), deceit, repression or suppression of the truth, replacing moral and ethical absolutes with relativism (see Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Medical ethics, Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], unfaithfulness to the highest ethical standards (see The ten commandments: the moral law, The holy bible), Heresy and apostasy (apostacy, old english), Spiritual adultery [spiritual whoredom/harlotry,] (see Idolatry, syncretism, Jeremiah and lamentations,) invocation of the demonic, Oaths, ensnaring vows, promises, and covenants, bonds with the ungodly Carnality and flesh pleasing: desires, pleasure, Justice, judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord,) attempts to take authority over another politically or by mental malpractice (see Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, making up their own rules (see Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality],) ignoring or changing constitutional or creedal documents, unjust laws for the accumulation of wealth and power, indebtedness, disenfranchisement, (see denial of freedom,) Priestcraft, pharisaism, soul-stealing, possessiveness, physical seduction and whoredom, political economic or sexual enslavement (see Sexual relationship,) and so forth, and so on.
This abuse, this soul-violence, quenches the Holy Spirit (see Owen, God's Presence With a People the Spring of Their Prosperity; With Their Special Interest in Abiding in Him.) If either side is immovable, then death is the consequence (see Soteriology, atonement, The blood of christ, Hell, and Heaven.)
How are conflicts of will resolved? By submission to the Absolute Truths of God's word, the great common denominator, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
All this bears a strain of the Gospel (see Book-length presentations of the free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, The westminster confession of faith.)
Book 2: Holidays at Roselands
http://archive.org/details/holidaysatrosel00finlgoog
Holidays at Roselands (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14280
Mantle Ministries (Elsie Dinsmore Series and Mildred Series)
http://www.mantlemin.com
Gelet, James, Eric Holmberg, Jerry Johnson, and Apologetics Group, The Marks of a Cult: A Biblical Analysis, DVD, ISBN: 1573411507 9781573411509.
"In today's religiously diverse and relativistic culture, labelling a group a cult may seem extreme to many people, not to mention rude. Even people who believe in absolute Truth and further believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life can get confused about just what constitutes real Christianity. Just why are Baptists properly considered Christians, but Mormons are not? Or why is the Jehovah's Witness religion classified as an anti-Christian cult while Presbyterians or Wesleyans or Pentecostals are simply seen as denominations within the Christian faith?
"With the explosion of different sects that claim to honor and follow Jesus, how does one differentiate between true Biblical Christianity and an aberrant religious movement? Just what are 'the marks of a cult?'
"Join us for a journey into the heart of Biblical revelation and the constant struggle of truth against lies, the apostolic faith against the 'doctrines of demons.'
"This documentary from ApologeticsGroup.com does more than simply point fingers. It explains in great detail the absolute essentials of the Faith, and just how and why Christians can properly and necessarily refer to certain sects as 'cults.' Not only a tool for recognizing and understanding false teaching -- and for reaching people held captive to it -- The Marks of a Cult is also a powerful apologetic on the need for Christians to become more rooted in the Biblical historic faith, with its creeds and confessions, and to be better prepared to give 'a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you'." (1 Peter 3:15) -- Publisher
Gurian, Michael, Nurture the Nature: Understanding and Supporting Your Child's Unique Core Personality, ISBN: 078798633X 9780787986339.
"Negative stress, in contrast, is something we need to be very careful about, especially with our children. In the most general terms, as experts at the University of Maryland Medical School wrote recently, 'When these symptoms persist, you are at risk for serious health problems. This kind of stress can exhaust your immune system. Recent research demonstrates that 90 percent of illness is stress-related.' When stress goes beyond the stimulating (positive stress) and becomes debilitating (negative stress), symptoms fall into three categories: physical, emotional, and relational." -- Publisher
Resist the Latest Parenting Fads, Says New Book NURTURE THE NATURE Encourages Parents to Determine Their Child's Core Personality
"Increasingly, the minds of our children are growing up to be antisocial. Children diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder now number in the millions. As the Carnegie-Mellon survey notes, our primary social response to the new antisocial nature of children has not been to rethink how we raise them, but rather to expand punishment and incarceration systems. A Department of Justice study reports that at our present rates of incarceration, one in twenty babies born in the United States today will spend some part of life incarcerated. As of 2004, 1 in every 138 U.S. residents was in prison."
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/NewYearNewYou/story?id=3119291&page=1
Horwitz, Allan V., Jerome C. Wakefield, and Robert L. Spitzer (Foreword), The Loss of Sadness: How Psychiatry Transformed Normal Sorrow Into Depressive Disorder, ISBN: 9780195313048 0195313046.
"Depression has become the single most commonly treated mental disorder, amid claims that one out of ten Americans suffer from this disorder every year and 25 percent succumb at some point in their lives. Warnings that depressive disorder is a leading cause of worldwide disability have been accompanied by a massive upsurge in the consumption of antidepressant medication, widespread screening for depression in clinics and schools, and a push to diagnose depression early, on the basis of just a few symptoms, in order to prevent more severe conditions from developing. In THE LOSS OF SADNESS, Allan V. Horwitz and Jerome C. Wakefield argue that, while depressive disorder certainly exists and can be a devastating condition warranting medical attention, the apparent epidemic in fact reflects the way the psychiatric profession has understood and reclassified normal human sadness as largely an abnormal experience. With the 1980 publication of the landmark third edition of the DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS (DSM-III), mental health professionals began diagnosing depression based on symptoms -- such as depressed mood, loss of appetite, and fatigue -- that lasted for at least two weeks. This system is fundamentally flawed, the authors maintain, because it fails to take into account the context in which the symptoms occur. They stress the importance of distinguishing between abnormal reactions due to internal dysfunction and normal sadness brought on by external circumstances. Under the current DSM classification system, however, this distinction is impossible to make, so the expected emotional distress caused by upsetting events -- for example, the loss of a job or the end of a relationship -- could lead to a mistaken diagnosis of depressive disorder. Indeed, it is this very mistake that lies at the root of the presumed epidemic of major depression in our midst. In telling the story behind this phenomenon, the authors draw on the 2,500-year history of writing about depression, including studies in both the medical and social sciences, to demonstrate why the DSM's diagnosis is so flawed. They also explore why it has achieved almost unshakable currency despite its limitations. Framed within an evolutionary account of human health and disease, THE LOSS OF SADNESS presents a fascinating dissection of depression as both a normal and disordered human emotion and a sweeping critique of current psychiatric diagnostic practices. The result is a potent challenge to the diagnostic revolution that began almost thirty years ago in psychiatry and a provocative analysis of one of the most significant mental health issues today.
"Allan V. Horwitz is Professor of Sociology and Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Rutgers University. He is the author of many articles and a number of books on various aspects on mental illness, including THE SOCIAL CONTROL OF MENTAL ILLNESS, THE LOGIC OF SOCIAL CONTROL, and CREATING MENTAL ILLNESS. Jerome C. Wakefield is University Professor and Professor of Social Work at New York University, and he has also taught at the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and Rutgers University. He is an authority on the intersection between philosophy and the mental health professions and the author of many articles on diagnosis of mental disorder." -- Publisher
"Depression is the mental health problem of our generation. In this important and penetrating book, Horwitz and Wakefield show that psychiatry no longer clearly differentiates between normal sadness and depressive disorder. A must read for anyone who wants to understand how so much 'depression' has become medicalized." -- Peter Conrad, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Brandeis University, and author of The Medicalization of Society
"With superb scholarship and crisp prose, Horwitz and Wakefield examine the fatal flaw at the core of depression diagnosis. This book describes, with devastating clarity, why the DSM went off track and how the resulting scientific train wreck slows research and distorts our experience of our own sadness. If the DSM was based on biology, this book would signal a new beginning." -- Randolph Nesse, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, and author of Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine
"Not another hackneyed anti-psychiatry polemic, THE LOSS OF SADNESS is a brilliant analysis of how mental health professionals can avoid pathologizing normal, emotional responses to life's stressors while accurately identifying those suffering from genuine depressive disorders. Erudite and engagingly written, THE LOSS OF SADNESS is destined to have a major impact on our field." -- Richard J. McNally, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Remembering Trauma
Howard, J. Grant, Balancing Life's Demands: A New Perspective on Priorities, ISBN: 155513565X 9781555135652.
"An innovative approach that dispenses with stereotypes and seeks instead to review the Biblical teaching on priorities in ways that make sense to harried men and women today." -- Cyril J. Barber
*Justice, Blair, Who Gets Sick: How Beliefs, Moods and Thoughts Affect Health, ISBN: 0960537678 9780960537679.
"This is a revised, expanded edition of the 1988 classic that won a prestigious Ben Franklin Award for the best book on health. It was one of the first to give the public an understanding of how beliefs and attitudes affect the body.
"Blair Justice, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology and a longtime researcher in mind/body medicine at the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, School of Public Health, where he also served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. A clinical psychologist, he is the author of numerous papers in the scientific literature and five other books (two with his wife, Dr. Rita Justice). His most recent book (1998) is A DIFFERENT KIND OF HEALTH: FINDING WELL-BEING DESPITE ILLNESS. His 1988 book, WHO GETS SICK: HOW BELIEFS, MOODS AND THOUGHTS AFFECT HEALTH has been published in four languages. A revised, expanded edition was published in 2000. Dr. Justice is a Visiting Scholar at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Dr. Justice works once a week at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center helping patients cope. He and his wife are avid hikers and mountain climbers, along with their Tibetan dogs Tashi and Bodhi. Blair and Rita do animal assisted therapy volunteer service at Methodist Hospital at the Texas Medical Center. -- Publisher
"This book tells it like is, no holds barred. Anyone who has Chronic Fatigue Immune Deregulation Syndrome (CFIDS), Fibromylagia, Gulf War Syndrome, MS, etc., this is a must have for their bookshelf and reference library. Our thoughts become images thus resulting in chronic illnesses passed on to generations. One might think themselves sick and become sick. The scary part is that it is all true. What we think, we become. -- Reader's Comment
Kelly, William E. (editor), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the War Veteran Patient, ISBN: 0876303866 9780876303863.
"Provides counselors and therapists with a comprehensive blueprint for conceptualizing and treating war veterans' stress disorders. Concludes with the most comprehensive reading list on this subject yet assembled. Excellent coverage." -- Cyril J. Barber
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), The Life of Peace: Exposition of Philippians 3 and 4, [Philippians 4] ISBN: 0801056780 9780801056789.
"This volume follows THE LIFE OF JOY which is on Philippians 1 and 2, thus completing the study on the Book of Philippians. Examples of expository excellence!" -- GCB
*Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), Spiritual Depression, ISBN: 0551025492 9780551025493.
"A physician turned preacher deals with the scriptural causes of spiritual depression and show how it may be cured. Aims at developing an effective, healthy Christian life." -- Cyril J. Barber
"Believing that Christian joy was one of the most potent factors in the spread of Christianity in the early centuries, Lloyd-Jones not only lays bare the causes that have robbed many Christians of spiritual vitality, but also points the way to the cure." -- Publisher
Lush, Jean, and Pam Vredevelt (contributor), Women and Stress: A Practical Approach to Managing Tension, ISBN: 0800716752 9780800716752.
"Jean Lush and Pam Vredevelt examine troublesome emotions and show you how to manage your own 'storage pot' of tension with practical, tried and true methods gained from research, their own experiences, and pertinent case studies." -- Publisher
Petty, James C., When the Money Runs out: Hope and Help for the Financially Stressed, ISBN: 9781935273059 1935273051.
Rassieur, Charles L., Christian Renewal: Living Beyond Burnout, ISBN: 0664246117 9780664246112.
Religious aspects of stress and burnout.
Rassieur, Charles L., Stress Management for Ministers, ISBN: 0664243975 9780664243975.
Rush, Myron, Burnout, ISBN: 0896932427 9780896932425.
"Learn what causes burnout and how it affects believers spiritually. Also here are practical tips for conquering burnout."
Wilson, Bruce C., and Doc Lew Childre, The Heartmath Approach to Managing Hypertension: The Proven, Natural way to Lower Your Blood Pressure (Heartmath), ISBN: 9781572244719 1572244712.
"High blood pressure is a national epidemic. It's a silent killer, a dangerous condition that affects one in four Americans, most of whom have no idea they are at risk for higher rates of heart disease, stroke, and other life-threatening problems. Conventional treatments for hypertension involve drugs, and these can have considerable side effects and may not be ultimately succeed in getting those numbers down. Fortunately there are many things that people with hypertension can do to reverse the condition and improve their health. The researchers at the renowned HeartMath Institute have researched techniques for managing stress and hypertension for more than fifteen years. Now, at last, their highly effective techniques for regulating blood pressure safely and effectively are available to readers in this simple and easy-to use format. Using a series of unique techniques like the Freeze Frame and the Heart Lock-In, this book allows you to literally regulate your blood pressure at the source -- the heart level -- and reduce the stress that causes your high blood pressure. In as little as ninety days, you can "reset" your baroreceptive systems and lower blood pressure levels. The approach is drug-free safe, effective, and clinically validated.
"From the leaders of the renowned HeartMath Institute comes this application of the HeartMath techniques for natural, drug-free management of hypertension: Engage the heart to bring emotions, body, and mind into balance, and help lower high blood pressure.
"Doc Childre is the founder and chairman of the scientific advisory board of the Institute of HeartMath, the chairman of HeartMath LLC and the chairman and CEO of Quantum Intech. He is the author of seven books, including Transforming Anger, Transforming Stress, Transforming Anxiety, and The HeartMath Method.
"Bruce C. Wilson, MD, is a cardiologist who gives lectures and teaches seminars on the HeartMath tools for stress reduction and better health. He helped develop the HeartMath Health Care Division." -- Publisher
"Written in an understandable and interesting style, this book explains breathwork in a modern way with modern research. I was recommended the HeartMath technique by my dentist to reduce my parasympathetic response so my major dental work would heal better. HeartMath techniques effect the whole body and offer those who suffer from staying in their 'flight or fight' nervous system a way to easily access their 'feed and breed' one more often." -- Reader's Comment
See also: The sovereignty of god, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Covetousness, greed, and selfishness, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, Trusting god, Love and obedience, Justice, judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Depression, Fear, anxiety, Worry, Affliction, adversity, trials, suffering, chastisement, Hostility and violence, Grief, Prayer, Reconciliation of relationships, Resentment, Sabbath, Rest, Sleep, Healing, The heart and the mind, the mind/body relationship, Exercise, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 851, 859, 3021, 3022, 3731-3735
America's Number one Health Problem and Job Stress
http://www.stress.org/job.htm
The Brain Fitness Program, DVD (Michael Merzenich)
A PBS documentary.
"This program presents a workout to help viewers get their brains in better shape. The Brain Fitness Program is based on neuro-plasticity, the ability of the brain to change and adapt -- even rewire itself. In the past two years, a team of scientists has developed computer-based stimulus sets that drive beneficial chemical, physical and functional changes in the brain. Dr. Michael Merzenich of the University of California San Francisco and his colleagues around the world have been leading this effort; he brings the research findings, along with a scientifically based set of brain exercises, to PBS viewers in this innovative and life-altering program. Peter Coyote narrates." -- Publisher
http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=2966842&siteID=m4l4q2SmprQ-NDN5uceDVUeJkLbMXBtqIA
Brain, Mind and Body in Healing From Trauma, The People's Pharmacy Radio Program, show 980, February 7, 2015.
"To help people heal from trauma, the best approaches find ways to reconnect brain and body with a feeling of safety. . . .
"We often associate the term 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder' with military veterans. Indeed, war creates many traumatic experiences, but it is not the only source of reactions that may cause people to shut down or blow up. Car, train or plane crashes, a life-threatening illness episode, family violence, or other events can create a dysfunctional reaction that may be largely out of conscious awareness.
"Treating PTSD
"One of the world's leading experts on PTSD explains how such reactions are rooted in the body's response to threat, and how it can be successfully treated. . . .
"Dr. van der Kolk is co-director of the Complex Trauma Treatment Network of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, established by Congress to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children, their families and communities. His website is http://www.BesselvanderKolk.com
"His book is THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE: BRAIN, MIND AND BODY IN THE HEALING OF TRAUMA (2014)."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/02/04/show-980-brain-mind-and-body-in-healing-from-trauma/
Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF)
1803 East Willow Grove Avenue
Glenside, PA 19038
Telephone: 215.884.7676
http://www.ccef.org/
Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation Resources Audio Archives
http://www.wts.edu/resources/login.html/
Classic Christian Fiction by Martha Finley
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr11ch.html#cfbmf
Exploring the Hard Science of Self-Healing
"One way to manage stress is to invoke the relaxation response. How does that work? Studies demonstrate that the relaxation response can change blood sugar, blood pressure, immune system activity, and digestion. What are the implications of this research? Our guest describes how we can optimize our bodies' abilities for self-healing."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/07/26/show-1130-exploring-the-hard-science-of-self-healing/
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
"The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) is the world's premier trauma organization dedicated to trauma treatment, education, research and prevention. Through this organization, professionals share information about the effects of trauma, seeking to reduce traumatic stressors and their immediate and long-term consequences."
http://www.istss.org/
Living in Balance November 28, 2009
Subjects: Stress management, Exercise, Weight loss, Sleep, Healthy eating, Wine, Chocolate, Glycemic load, Social support, etc.
"In stressful times, people often take short cuts that may ultimately undermine their health. They snack on junk or comfort food, skimp on sleep and do without exercise. But this won't help develop the resilience we need to cope with challenges.
"Dr. Tieraona Low Dog is one of the country's leading experts on the evidence base behind herbal medicine and alternative therapies. She has some solid advice on keeping your head and your health, even when adversity strikes. Her Website is www.drlowdog.com."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/11/28/716-living-in-b/
Living in Balance, MP3 download
https://store.peoplespharmacy.com/716-living-in-balance-2-28-09-mp3.html
Medical Debt Among People With Health Insurance, Karen Pollitz, et al., (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation), Jan 07, 2014
"Medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S., contributing to 62 percent of personal bankruptcies in 2007. Most who filed for medical bankruptcy that year were well educated, owned homes, and had middle-class occupations. Three quarters had health insurance." (David Himmelstein, et al., "Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study," The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 122, Issue 8, August 2009)
http://kff.org/report-section/medical-debt-among-people-with-health-insurance-consequences-of-medical-debt/
National Center for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
"The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), was created within the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1989, in response to a Congressional mandate to address the needs of veterans with military-related PTSD. Its mission was, and remains: To advance the clinical care and social welfare of America's veterans through research, education, and training in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders. This website is provided as an educational resource concerning PTSD and other enduring consequences of traumatic stress."
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/
PTSD Resources for Veterans and First Responders
"On average about 7-8 percent of the United States population will have a PTSD diagnosis. Roughly 8 percent of the US population has an SUD [substance use disorder] diagnosis at any given time. These figures jump significantly when correlated to veterans and first responders. Anywhere from 11-20 percent of veterans will be diagnosed with PTSD and 20 percent with PTSD will also have SUD. One in 10 veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who were seen in the VA were diagnosed with a problem with alcohol and/or other drugs. Substance use and mental health needs are often underreported by both the civilian population and the military/first responders. There are a variety of reasons that contribute to this, including shame, guilt, fear of job loss, etc. The reality is that our first responders and veterans are struggling at higher rates than others and need a safe space to receive appropriate treatment."
https://definingwellness.com/resources/veterans-first-responders/
A Resolution That Walmart Stores, Inc. Disprove the Modern Myth That Sunday Work Maximizes Profits
http://http://www.lettermen2.com/wmresol1.html
Spiritual Abuse
Extensive resources.
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/8006-spiritual-abuse
Spiritual Abuse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_abuse
Sound Word Associates Library of Biblical Counselors
http://www.soundword.com/ccon.html
Stress, Suicide, and Female Physicians
"It is estimated that three times as many physicians take their own lives compared to the population at large. Up to 130 commit suicide each year, which is about the size of the Harvard Medical School graduating class.
"This has generally been attributed to the increased stresses doctors are now subjected to, including: Practice pressures and demands that leave little time to attend to family or personal needs, Government regulations that are increasingly restrictive, Third party intrusions and interference, Increase in malpractice litigation and insurance costs, Pressure to practice defensive medicine, Erosion of the doctor-patient relationship, Diminished public image of physicians, Fear of serious injury from a violent patient or protest group, Managing the business aspects of medical practice in a climate of decreasing compensation at the same time expenses continue to escalate, Lack of access to support systems."
http://www.stress.org/pubsmultimedia/essays-and-articles/#sthash.5kUNLRpJ.dpuf
The Temperate Life, Sherman Isbell
http://www.westminsterconfession.org/godly-living/the-temperate-life.php
Warning Signs of Destructive Cults and Satanism
http://www.lettermen2.com/warncult.html
Exercise is more powerful than any wonder drug at preventing disease and promoting optimum health. -- Jordan Metzl, MDExercise is all around good -- giving you the positive effects of increased endorphins and a reduced waistline. It makes your heart stronger by pumping more blood with less effort, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, prevents and controls diabetes, strengthens bones and muscles and controls weight. . . .
To make the walls of your arteries twice as flexible as those of a couch potato, just walk briskly for 30 minutes, five days a week. That's what Hirofumi Tanaka, Ph.D., an associate professor of kinesiology and health education at the University of Texas, advises after tracking the elasticity of people's blood vessels using ultrasound. . . .
With age, blood vessel walls tend to stiffen up like old tires -- the main reason two-thirds of people older than age 60 have high blood pressure. Exercise keeps vessels pliable. Mild exercise also reduces the risk of diabetes, certain cancers, depression, aging of the skin. . . .
Everyone knows cardio exercise is key to slowing the advance of time and how to look younger. More surprising: Strength-training is crucial, too. That's because after their mid-40s, people lose a quarter pound of muscle mass a year, gaining fat in its place.
But, says Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University, "For a couple of decades, you don't have to lose any muscle, if you do the appropriate exercises." Even people well into their 90s can regain muscle, she's found. Just lift weights two or three days a week, for a minimum of 30 minutes.
The payoff: more endurance, stronger bones, less risk of diabetes -- and better sleep and thinking. -- Hirofumi Tanaka, Ph.D., an associate professor of Kinesiology and Health Education at the University of TexasA walk in any season's wood will sing your heart alive. -- John Muir (1848-1914)
When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. -- John Muir (1848-1914)
Hiking twice a week for 3 to 5 hours, along with daily walks of about 45 minutes, has greatly benefited my overall health.
I would highly recommend it to seniors, or to anyone else who can find the time in a busy work schedule.
It seems that it is not only the exercise, but also the "getting away from it all" and the "communing with nature" which is, in part, responsible for the enlivening, rejuvenating, and curative effects.
See the National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps."As little as 5 to 10 minutes of aerobic or anaerobic exercise reduces anxiety."
"Daily exercise is also effective against depression."
John Calvin (1509-1564) described creation as "the theatre of God's glory." Accordingly, Calvin writes, "There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world, that is not intended to make us rejoice." While Calvin made few references to the beauties of Lake Geneva and its surrounding mountains in his writings, he enticed his friend, Pierre Viret, to visit him with the prospect that "we'll take a visit to Monsier de Falais; then, crossing the lake, we'll enjoy the pleasures of the country together at the home of our friends Pommier and Delisle, and we shan't return until Thursday." Preaching on Job 39:22-25, Calvin said, "If a small portion of God's works [in nature] ought to ravish us and amaze us, what ought all his works to do when we come to the full numbering of them?" -- Matthew Miller in A Plea for Pastors to Get Outdoors
Healthy living is not just for women. Men can benefit too! A study of 20,000 male physicians over more than 20 years found that those who maintained a normal body weight, did not smoke, got regular exercise, ate breakfast cereals and a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, and drank moderately were significantly less likely to develop heart failure. Those who followed at least four of these practices had half the lifetime risk of heart failure as those who didn't follow any of them. Heart failure is a serious condition that can be disabling and hard to treat, so it is good to know that it may be preventable. -- Journal of American Medical Association, July 22/29, 2009
Exercise, moving, and sweating helps remove acidic waste from the body as well as improve your breathing patterns.
Bagshaw, Chris (editor), Alan Hinkes (foreword), The Ultimate Hiking Skills Manual, ISBN: 0715322540 9780715322543.
"Tells the keen walker how to get the most out of a day in the hills. It has vital information on dealing with emergencies as well as advice on buying equipments, guidance on maintaining fitness and lessons in route planning and navigation. It is practical and has an appealing style with colour photographs." -- Publisher
Goldman, Connie, and Richard Mahler, Tending the Earth, Mending the Spirit: The Healing Gifts of Gardening, ISBN: 0585271828 9780585271828.
Hinch, Stephen W., Outdoor Navigation With GPS, ISBN: 0899976506 9780899976501.
"For outdoor adventurers who hike, fish, kayak, cross-country ski, or mountain bike in the backcountry, a GPS receiver can help them reach their destination and return safely -- but only if they know how to use it! Here is the guide to getting the most out of a GPS receiver, from basic consumer advice to advanced techniques. It even includes fun solo and team games that utilize GPS. Starting with essential definitions and moving on to creating waypoints, and using your GPS with a computer, this succinct book teaches the basics of navigation and outdoor GPS use. Advanced techniques are covered, such as creating custom maps, and new technologies are discussed, including using GPS-enabled mobile phones, and how to use GPS with Google Earth and Google Maps. With years of experience as a GPS instructor, Hinch is well-versed in all aspects of navigation and GPS use, and he covers them in a jargon-free, easy-to-follow style. . . .
"Stephen Hinch has taught courses in GPS navigation to police and fire personnel, park rangers, search-and-rescue staff, and recreational outdoor enthusiasts since 1998. When he was young, his avid rockhound parents would pack up the family and head out to remote desert locations in search of semi-precious stones nearly every weekend. These desert explorations honed his navigational skills and taught him the importance of not getting lost." -- Publisher
Lichter, Justin, and Shawn Forry, Ultralight Winter Travel: The Ultimate Guide to Lightweight Winter Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking, ISBN: 9781493026104 1493026100.
"ULTRALIGHT WINTER TRAVEL focuses on all of the skills and techniques that winter adventurists would want at their fingertips while in the outdoors. Perfect for winter travelers from beginner to advanced."
Molloy, Johnny, Day and Overnight Hikes, Shenandoah National Park, ISBN: 0897326342 9780897326346.
Moore, Raymond S. and Dorothy N. Moore, Home Made Health: A Family Guide to Nutrition, Exercise, Stress Control, and Preventive Medicine, ISBN: 0849906067 9780849906060 084993172X 9780849931727.
"A dozen medical specialists from various fields acted as advisers for this book. The principles are built on common sense, the Bible, proven research, and the author's own experience. They show how pure water and air, sunshine, sleep, regularity, cleanliness, exercise, and trust in God lead to good health." -- GCB
Potterfield, Peter, Classic Hikes of the World: 23 Breathtaking Treks, ISBN: 0393057968 9780393057966.
"Inspiration and information to help you plan (and dream about), your next big trek.
"This book will help you realize your dreams of hiking among the world's highest peaks and most scenic canyons, discovering wilderness far from the clamor of civilization, encountering rare birds and animals, glorying in sunsets over glacier-clad ranges, and feeling the joy and achievement of hiking some of the world's most spectacular trails.
"Peter Potterfield has selected the great hikes of the world from personal experience, having hiked and photographed hundreds of trails to arrive at this selection. The adventures described range from weekend overnights to four-day hut trips to epic journeys that take a few weeks out and back. None requires technical mountaineering skill. Features include details on trail conditions, levels of difficulty, best seasons, approach strategies, hazards, and maps. Hikes include: John Muir Trail, California; Wonder Lake to McGonagall Pass, Alaska; Tour de la Vanoise, French Alps; Kungsleden, Swedish Lapland; K2 Base Camp; Grand Canyon rim to rim; Mount Kilimanjaro; Cerro Fitz Roy, Argentina; and Shackleton's Crossing, South Georgia. 115 illustrations.
"About the Author
"Award-winning author Peter Potterfield is the author of High Himalaya, In the Zone, and other books. The former editor and publisher of MountainZone.com, his work appears in Condé Nast Traveler, Outside, Backpacker, and Reader's Digest. He lives in Seattle." -- Publisher
Reader's Digest Association, Scenic Walks of the World. Alternate title: "READER'S DIGEST SCENIC WALKS OF THE WORLD." Box set of 6 DVDs, February 12, 2008, run time: 570 minutes, ISBN: 9781594643330 1594643334.
Contents:
1. Our Dramatic Planet (c. 70 min.)"The awesome Grand Canyon. New Zealand's world-renowned National Park of Tongario. The Great Wall of China. The paths of the Incas. The rugged Appalachian Trail. Some sights are best captured on foot, and Reader's Digest takes you there. Gaze in wonder at glistening glaciers, ancient forests, pristine coasts and magnificent panoramic landscapes. Venture off the beaten path to witness sights tourists seldom see, sights you will never forget, and will want to revisit again and again." -- Publisher
2. Romance With Nature (c. 67 min.)
3. Historic Pathways; The Great Wall of China (c. 120 min.)
4. Wonders Sacred and Mysterious; Wonders of Man's Creation (c. 140 min.)
5. Incredible Journeys, part I and II (c. 124 min.)
6. Incredible Journeys, part III (c. 64 min.).
Stewart, Gwen Nyhus, The Healing Garden: A Place of Peace: Gardening for the Soil, Gardening for the Soul, ISBN: 0973308508 9780973308501.
Trails Illustrated, National Geographic, National Geographic Trails Illustrated Shenandoah National Park: Virginia USA, ISBN: 0925873861 9780925873866.
"This map is part of the Trails Illustrated series covering many national parks and forests. These are all sturdy and convenient.
"If you're backpacking, or doing long day hikes, the "Trails Illustrated" map is absolutely essential because the USGS topographic maps are outdated." -- Publisher
*Wenk, Elizabeth, and Kathy Morey, John Muir Trail: The Essential Guide to Hiking America's Most Famous Trail, ISBN: 9780899974361 0899974368.
"Running from Mount Whitney to Yosemite Valley in the Sierra Nevada, the 212 mile John Muir Trail passes through some of the most dramatic mountain terrain in the United States. Each year, thousands of backpackers traverse some or all of the trail, relying on Wilderness Press's JOHN MUIR TRAIL. The completely updated edition of this Sierra classic includes significant information found nowhere else. The new JOHN MUIR TRAIL meticulously describes the entire trail and is written for today's hikers. The book includes GPS coordinates, not only for every junction, but also for every established campsite, bear box, and mountain pass that the trail crosses. The guide has separate descriptions for northbound and southbound hikers; for each direction, a junction chart shows all the trail's ups and downs." -- Publisher
A Little Exercise is Better Than None
"A new meta-analysis of 33 studies of exercise and coronary heart disease risk shows that people who exercised 150 minutes a week did lower their risk by about 14 percent compared to those who sat on the couch. People who exercised even more -- 300 minutes a week -- lowered their risk by about 20 percent. But the most important finding from this study is that people who exercised at all, even though they might not have gotten half an hour a day, were able to reduce their risk of heart disease too. According to the authors, their study offers support to the adage, 'some physical activity is better than none.' The biggest improvement was among people who went from no physical activity to exercising just 10 or 15 minutes a day, an amount that is well within reach for most folks."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/08/04/a-little-exercise-is-better-than-none/
Don't Just Sit There! July 12, 2012
"Sitting may shorten your life. A recent analysis of data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey concluded that if we could reduce the time we spend sitting at work or at home to less than three hours a day we might live as much as two years longer. Watching less than two hours of television daily could also stretch life expectancy by more than a year. A majority of the respondents in the survey sat at least 6 hours a day, and most people also watched TV for more than two hours daily. The authors point out that these estimates apply to Americans as a whole, rather than to individuals. The evidence keeps accumulating, however, that sitting less and moving more is likely to be better for your health. [BMJ Open, July 9, 2012]"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/07/12/dont-just-sit-there/
How Does Being in Nature Make you Healthier? June 2017
"How do humans respond to nature? Why are we wired that way? Williams spoke with neuroscientists and forest rangers from Japan and Korea to Utah to find out about the emerging science of immersion in nature. The more we pay attention to our electronic screens, it seems, the more we need to take in sky and horizons, running water or blowing breezes. Find out if you should go for a walk after listening to the show or perhaps plan a camping trip soon.
"Florence Williams is a journalist and contributing editor to Outside magazine. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic and elsewhere.
"Her books include BREASTS: A NATURAL AND UNNATURAL HISTORY and her most recent, THE NATURE FIX: WHY NATURE MAKES US HAPPIER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE CREATIVE. She hosts a podcast for Audible, Breasts Unbound. Her website is www.florencewilliams.com."
How to Find Time to Exercise
"Experts agree that exercise is crucial for good health, especially when it comes to preventing chronic diseases. Movement helps every bodily system function better. . . .
"Dr. Jordan Metzl says it doesn't have to take a lot of time to get enough exercise to benefit both your body and your mind. Short bursts of intense activity could be just as good as longer, sustained periods of moderate activity. In some case, the high intensity intervals may be even better. He also recommends working non-exercise activity into your day, like taking the stairs or walking the dog."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/01/18/show-1106-how-to-find-time-to-exercise/
Living in Balance, November 28, 2009
Subjects: Chocolate, Exercise, Glycemic load, Sleep, Social support, Stress management, Weight loss, Wine, etc.
"In stressful times, people often take short cuts that may ultimately undermine their health. They snack on junk or comfort food, skimp on sleep and do without exercise. But this won't help develop the resilience we need to cope with challenges.
"Dr. Tieraona Low Dog is one of the country's leading experts on the evidence base behind herbal medicine and alternative therapies. She has some solid advice on keeping your head and your health, even when adversity strikes. Her Website is www.drlowdog.com."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/11/28/716-living-in-b/
The Number of Steps per day, not Speed, is Linked to Mortality Rate, Aimee Cunningham, March 24, 2020
"A new study of nearly 5,000 people finds an association between the total number of steps per day and the risk of dying for any reason. Among the 655 participants who took fewer than 4,000 steps per day, the mortality rate was 76.7 per 1,000 people per year. (In distance, 4,000 steps is roughly 3 kilometers.) But among the 1,727 people who managed 4,000-7,999 steps per day, the death rate plummeted to 21.4 per 1,000 people.
"It got even better for the next group: Among the 1,539 people taking 8,000 to just under 12,000 daily steps, the annual death rate was 6.9 per 1,000 people, researchers report online March 24 in JAMA."
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/number-steps-per-day-not-speed-linked-mortality-rate
Your Exercise Prescription for Good Health, April 5, 2014
"Exercise is more powerful than any wonder drug at preventing disease and promoting optimum health." -- Jordan Metzl, MD
"Guest: Jordan Metzl, MD, is a nationally known sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. He completed his fellowship in sports medicine and dance medicine at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital. He is the author of THE ATHLETE'S BOOK OF HOME REMEDIES and THE EXERCISE CURE. His website is: http://www.drjordanmetzl.com/."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/04/05/942-your-exercise-prescription/
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)The Treasury of David, Psalm 121, C.H. Spurgeon
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. (Psalm 121:3)
http://archive.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps121.php"He [David] concludes, by stating, that as he is protected by the power of God, he enjoys as much security and quiet as if he had been defended by all the garrisons on earth. Now, we know, that to be free from all fear, and from the torment and vexation of care, is a blessing to be desired above all other things. . . . In short, David boasts that the protection of God alone was sufficient, and that under it he sleeps as securely, although destitute of all human guardianship, as if he had had many to keep watch and ward continually over him, or as if he had been defended on all sides by a great company. Let us therefore, learn from his example, to yield this honor to God -- to believe, that although there may appear no help for us from men, yet under his hand alone we are kept in peace and safety, as if we were surrounded by a great host." -- John Calvin commenting on Psalm 4:8
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. (Isaiah 60:1)
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. (Ephesians 5:14)
Watchfulness is more important for the Christian soldier than any other. In temporal battles soldiers fight against men who need sleep the same as themselves, but the saint's enemy, Satan, is always awake and walking his rounds. Since the devil never sleeps, the Christian puts himself in grave danger by falling asleep spiritually -- that is, by becoming secure and careless. Either the unregenerate part of his nature will betray him, or grace will not be alert to discover the enemy and prepare for the assault. Satan will be upon him before he is awake enough to draw his sword. You should be aware that the saint's sleeping time is Satan's prime tempting time.
Even a fly dares to creep on a sleeping lion; unless he wakes up, there is nothing to fear. The weakest temptation is strong enough to foil a Christian who is napping in security. While Samson slept, Delilah cut his locks. While Saul slept, his spear was taken from his side and he was none the wiser. A drunken Noah slept and his graceless son took pleasure in seeing his father's nakedness. Eutychus slept, nodded, and fell from the third loft, and was taken up for dead. Thus the Christian sleeping in false security may be taken by surprise. He may lose much of his spiritual strength -- be robbed of his spear or armor (graces, I mean)-- or have his nakedness uncovered by graceless men, and bring shame to his profession.
Sleep steals upon the soul as quietly as it does on the body. The wise virgins fell asleep along with the foolish ones, though not so soundly. Take heed that you do not indulge yourself in laziness; stir yourself to action, as we tell someone who is drowsy to stand up and walk around. Yield to idleness and sloth and they will grow upon you; busy yourself in your Christian duties and spiritual drowsiness will flee. -- William Gurnall in The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare, May 25, Stand, Do Not SleepThe sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. (Ecclesiastes 5:12)
Sleep is not to be understood as implying slothfulness, but a placid labor, to which true believers subject themselves by the obedience of faith. . . . The faithful, on the other hand, although they lead a laborious life, yet follow their vocations with composed and tranquil minds. -- John Calvin commenting on Psalm 127:2 and context
Rest is often all that is needed to heal the body. It allows the body to concentrate its healing functions. If we do not feel well, then the first thing we should do is rest.
Therefore, getting an adequate amount sleep, on a regular basis, prevents disease, as well a healing it once it gets a foothold.
Practicing good sleep hygiene is a must for good health.O ye saints, how you should love the Word, for by this you have been converted. . . . Tie it about your neck, write it upon your hand, lay it in your bosom. When you go let it lead you, when you sleep let it keep you, when you wake let it talk with you. (Proverbs 6:21-22). You that are unconverted, read the Word with diligence; flock to where it is powerfully preached. Pray for the coming of the Spirit in the Word. Come from your knees to the sermon, and come from the sermon to your knees. -- Joseph Alleine (1634-1668)
Chronic poor sleep, particularly if it begins after a severe illness, injury, or emotional trauma, may be a sign of sleep apnea. Typically the patient no longer feels refreshed when awakening in the morning and may awaken at about the same time every night, or may complain of only being able to sleep four or five hours or less at a time, night after night. If this is the case, then one should seek medical care. Treatment is available.
Buchman, Dian Dincin, Complete Guide to Natural Sleep, ISBN: 0517222388 9780517222386.
"Learn about the many influences upon sleep ability and quality; from the influence of foods and natural substances to solutions to typical problems. Unlike many titles on insomnia, this also considers problems specific to different age groups, providing charts and solutions which go beyond dietary adjustments." -- Midwest Book Review
"This self-help guide to getting the proper rest includes a thorough discussion of sleep needs, obstacles, and natural solutions for all ages. Divided into three parts, the first is devoted to adults, ranging from teenagers to advanced age. The second part of the book is devoted to children and their unique sleep problems, with a special section on infants -- whose parents are probably sleep-deprived! Lastly the book includes safe, nondrug, natural therapies to achieve sleep regardless of your age or sleeping problem.
"I wasn't terribly hopeful when I purchased this book that I was going to find any new information in it. After all, I had spent countless sleepless nights for the past two years researching my mysterious new sleep disorder and I thought I had read about or tried every "natural" remedy out there . . .
"Thank God I gave it one more go and bought this book!
"While it does contain lots of info you've probably found in other sources, the author includes extensive information on a subject I had never read about -- homeopathic tissue salts. These amazing little compounds have worked wonders!!! The charts in the book make it easy to match your specific sleep symptom with a salt that should give you relief.
"After a week and a half of experimenting with different salts, I think it's safe to proclaim I may be cured!!!
"If you're suffering from a chronic sleep problem, I highly recommend getting this book and then running down to your healthfood store to buy the tissue salt that matches your symptom. (You'll need the book because the packaging on the individual salt probably won't even mention anything about sleep problems.)
"The one that did the trick for me -- Kali Carbonicum -- said, "for pain and feeling of weakness in the lower back." The people at the healthfood store are liable to be a bit clueless about these salts, too.
"Anyway, hope this information was of some help." -- Reader's Comment
Charnock, Stephen (1628-1680), The Sinfulness and Cure of Thoughts. In PURITAN SERMONS 1659-1689: BEING THE MORNING EXERCISES AT CRIPPLEGATE, ST. GILES IN THE FIELDS, AND IN SOUTHWARK BY SEVENTY-FIVE MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL IN OR NEAR LONDON WITH NOTES AND TRANSLATIONS BY JAMES NICHOLS. (2:386-420)
The Sinfulness and Cure of Thought, Biblical Sanctification, a sermon by Stephen Charnock. Available in Charnock and M'Cosh,
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF STEPHEN CHARNOCK (1865),
The Sinfulness and Cure of Thought, Biblical Sanctification
http://digitalpuritan.net/stephen-charnock/
Clowney, E., Biblical Principles of Rest (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation).
Audio cassette WW203 [audio file].
*Dement, William C., and Christopher Vaughan, The Promise of Sleep: A Pioneer in Sleep Medicine Explores the Vital Connection Between Health, Happiness, and a Good Night's Sleep, ISBN: 0440509017 9780440509011.
"Sleep better, live longer with the groundbreaking information and step-by-step program in this revolutionary book.
"Healthful sleep has been empirically proven to be the single most important factor in predicting longevity, more influential than diet, exercise, or heredity. And yet we are a sleep-sick society, ignorant of the facts of sleep -- and the price of sleep deprivation. In this groundbreaking book, based on decades of study on the frontiers of sleep science, Dr. William Dement, founder and director of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center, explains what happens when we sleep, when we don't, and how we can reclaim the most powerful -- and underrated -- health miracle of all.
"Taking us on a fascinating tour of our sleeping body and mind, Dr. Dement reveals the price we have paid for ignoring sleep -- an epidemic of heart disease, 33 percent of traffic-fatigue-related accidents, and immeasurable mental and psychological disadvantages. And he offers a hands-on prescription for vibrant good health and longevity, including . . . self-tests to determine how much sleep you really need . . . the role of prescription and over-the-counter sleeping aids . . . the latest research on how sleep affects the immune system . . . how to combat insomnia, snoring, and jet lag . . . plus information on sleep disorder clinics nationwide, Websites, and more." -- Publisher
Edlund, Matthew, The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone is not Enough: A 30-day Plan to Reset Your Body, ISBN: 9780061862762 0061862762.
"Explains the importance of sleep and rest in every person's life and lays out a month-long plan to get readers on the right track to a more rested regimen, one that will lead to better overall health." -- Publisher
Goldberg, Philip, Natural Sleep: How to get Your Share, ISBN: 0553128922 9780553128925.
Includes bibliography and index.
Linde, Shirley Motter, and Louis M. Savary, The Sleep Book, ISBN: 0060652497 9780060652494.
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), The Life of Peace: Exposition of Philippians 3 and 4, [Philippians 4] ISBN: 0801056780 9780801056789.
"This volume follows THE LIFE OF JOY which is on Philippians 1 and 2, thus completing the study on the Book of Philippians. Examples of expository excellence!" -- GCB
*Maas, James B., David J. Axelrod, Barbara R. Hogan, and Jennifer Bloomin, Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind for Peak Performance, ISBN: 0060977604: 9780060977603.
"Do your eyelids feel heavy during afternoon meetings? Do you sleep extra hours on weekend mornings? Do you use caffeine to stay alert? An alarm to get out of bed?
"These are all symptoms of sleep deficiency -- signals that you are operating below your peak performance and beneath your mental capacity. Despite popular perceptions, sleep is not a luxury -- it is a necessity. More than seventy million Americans are sleep-deprived, and make crucial business and personal decisions in an impaired state. In POWER SLEEP, Dr. James B. Maas, a pioneer of sleep research at Cornell University, has created an easy, drug-free program to improve your body and mind for an alert and productive tomorrow. In POWER SLEEP, you'll find:
Soth, Connie, Insomnia: God's Night School, ISBN: 0802726542 9780802726544.
See also: Stress, Exercise, The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Prayer, Emotions and health, Praise, Forgiveness of sin, Reconciliation of relationships, Depression, Love and counseling problems, Soul-violence, The Battle for the mind, Mind control, Hypothyroidism, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 3376-3382
TETB: "Sleep"
Sleep Solutions
"Medicare-approved Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility (IDTF) providing healthcare services to any patient, anytime, anywhere."
http://www.sleep-solutions.com/
SleepNet
http://www.sleepnet.com
Talk About Sleep
http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/
Wake up Australia: The Value of Healthy Sleep
"In the United States, the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research in 1993 identified priorities for a national sleep health agenda and called for action from Congress to recognize sleep-related problems as an important public health issue by:
"The general population believes vaccinations are totally effective, totally safe, and everyone has to have them. The truth is, however, they are not totally safe and effective, and not mandatory.
"Vaccinations are not absolutely mandatory. There are three types of exemptions available to parents: Medical, Religious, and Philosophical. . . . Most states allow at least two of the three."Over my lifetime I have recovered from Maleria and Tick bite fever, lived among and have been exposed to people in refugee camps suffering from tuberculosis, cholera, hepatitis B and diphtheria, polio, and survived the Asian Flu pandemic, the Hong Kong Flu pandemic, the HIV/Aids pandemic and the Swine Flu pandemic. I am well aware of medical risks and realities . . . [Montagnier]
"Professor Luc Montagnier, French virologist and Nobel Prize winner, predicted a potential outcome of mass vaccinations, he said:" Mass vaccinations are a scientific error as well as a medical error. It is an unacceptable mistake . . .The first flu vaccines in use will be nasally-administered Flumist [Swine Flu outbreak of 2009 -- compiler], which utilizes 'live' viruses. Flumist-vaccinated individuals will shed viruses for 5 days following inoculation and are likely to spread the virus to family members. This will predictably accelerate infection rates. Look for health authorities to liken an upsurge in flu cases to the late-season return of the 1918 Spanish flu rather than viral shedding from the nasal-instilled vaccine." -- Bill Sardi in "The American Flu Charade" (see link below)
Before anyone gets a COVID-19 shot, they should verify that the health care providers administering the vaccine have access to epinephrine and antihistamines in the event of a reaction. Anyone who does experience an anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine will be advised to skip the second dose. (March 2021) -- "Volunteers Describe Covid Vaccine Side Effects"
Cave, Stephanie, and Deborah Mitchell (contributor), What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Children's Vaccinations, ISBN: 0446677078 9780446677073.
"This book encourages parents 'to be equal partners with doctors in deciding which vaccines their children should get and when they should get them.' The way this book achieves this goal is by offering important medical information in easy to understand terms. WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU . . . provides detailed info on the various vaccines currently required/suggested by state and federal governments; reviewing in depth the history of the diseases and related vaccines, ingredients used to make and preserve the vaccines, background studies and recent research available on a variety of the vaccines, and also a risk/benefit analysis per vaccination. What this book offers (that your doctor's office may not), is a look at both sides of the vaccination issue, and gives YOU a well-rounded resource package so you can best decide when/what vaccines to give your child. Factors that can influence your decision include any known allergies, reactions to previous vaccinations, family history of autoimmune diseases and more. Also a help to parents is a list of precautions parents can take when their children get vaccinated, and also a recommended schedule (that differs from the government's), for childhood vaccinations. This alternative vaccination timeline allows you to operate within the guidelines of the government mandate that all children receive a certain number of shots prior to entering school, but attempts to spread out the vaccinations for minimum exposure to risk and negative side effects. Did you know many vaccines used today include ingredients such as mercury, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol (a main ingredient in antifreeze), and more? Would you consume those poisons? Of course not, but vaccine manufacturers (and the CDC and FDA), seem to think it's okay for our kids to receive these poisons ad nauseam. Fortunately, each of today's required vaccinations come with a mercury-free alternative, but many doctors are still using those with mercury, and you must request the safer alternative. Research and vaccination injury reporting systems indicate possible and/or obvious links to multiple adverse effects including irreparable diseases and death, but many doctors, educators and government institutions refuse to consider those possibilities, as it may endanger the successful mass-vaccination programs currently employed in this country. Included in this book is a discussion of the possible exemptions available to parents, which may include religious, medical or philosophical, depending upon the state in which you live. If you're not willing to trust this author's approach, there's a list of multiple resources at the end of the book allowing you to do your own research and form your own further educated opinion.
"Stephanie Cave, M.D., is a family practitioner in Baton Rouge who specializes in children with autism and related disorders. She has been featured on CNN regarding children and vaccinations and testified in Congressional hearings in July 2000." -- Publisher
Sylvia Engdahl, Sylvia Engdahl, Vaccines, ISBN: 9780737741506 0737741503 9780737741513 0737741511.
Williamson, Stanley, The Vaccination Controversy: The Rise, Reign, and Fall of Compulsory Vaccination for Smallpox, ISBN: 9781846310867 1846310865 9781846310874 1846310873.
See also: The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, Correct diagnosis, Medicine as social control, Prevention of disease, Medical ethics, Healthcare reform, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 1811, 1505
The American flu Charade: News Media Maintains Undeserved Public Confidence in flu Vaccination Program -- Millions of Doses of flu Vaccine may go Unused This Season, Bill Sardi
"The first flu vaccines in use will be nasally-administered Flumist which utilizes 'live' viruses. Flumist-vaccinated individuals will shed viruses for 5 days following inoculation and are likely to spread the virus to family members. This will predictably accelerate infection rates. Look for health authorities to liken an upsurge in flu cases to the late-season return of the 1918 Spanish flu rather than viral shedding from the nasal-instilled vaccine.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi124.html
Avoid flu Shots, Take Vitamin D Instead, Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD
"Randomized controlled trials are the most reliable way to determine the efficacy -- and safety -- of a given treatment. No randomized trials show that flu shots reduce mortality from influenza or flu-related pneumonia. Some do show that the flu vaccine is somewhat effective in preventing influenza. In one widely quoted study, 1838 volunteers age 60 and over were randomized to receive a flu shot or placebo (a shot of saline). The flu shot reduced the relative risk of contracting (serologically confirmed, clinical) influenza by a seemingly impressive 50%. The incidence of influenza in the unvaccinated people in this study was 3%. In the vaccinated group it was 2% (JAMA 1994;272:1661 -- 5). Flu shots reduced the absolute risk of contracting influenza by a meager 1% (not 50%, as the "relative risk" portrays it). In actuality, for every 100 people that have a flu shot only one will benefit from it -- this, in medical parlance, is the "number needed to treat" (NNT) in order to achieve any benefit from the treatment. A flu shot provides no benefit for the other 99 people -- 2 of them will get influenza anyway -- and all 100 risk being harmed by the vaccine."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller27.html
Citizens for Healthcare Freedom
http://www.citizensforhealthcarefreedom.org/
Dark Secrets of the Medical and Military Industrial Complex
"Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. uncovers the dark secrets behind vaccines, the CIA, the assassinations of his uncle and father, and the corruption of the medical establishment and military/industrial complex."
https://rumble.com/v2dgz2o-dark-secrets-of-the-medical-and-military-industrial-complex.html
Is the Covid Vaccine Safe and Effective? Russell L. Blaylock, MD, June 27, 2021
"When it was suggested that these findings -- i.e., the deficiencies in safety testing as well as the ongoing appearance of potentially harmful signals (medical problems) that were detected -- should be published in the medical and scientific literature, proponents of the vaccines stated that this information should be kept out of journals as it would discourage further vaccination acceptance by the public. Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine proponent, suggested that we should withhold this information until we get a lot more data because we don't want to 'scare people.' So, I would ask Offit -- just how many people have to continue dying or becoming medical cripples for life before you decide to stop this atrocity?
"If Mr. Kincaid wants to trust Pfizer, Moderna, J&J or AstraZeneca, so be it. But we all deserve informed consent -- that is, full knowledge as to what is known about these vaccines, the dangers, the risks, and especially that there are safe alternatives that have shown almost 100 percent protection when used prophylactically -- such as ivermectin. That ivermectin has had such a profound beneficial effect on infected patients, at every level of seriousness (very few deaths and quick recovery) indicates that no vaccine is even necessary. Certainly, vaccine passports, forced vaccinations for employment or school attendance, and especially talk of mandatory vaccinations, should be immediately ended.
"With all the proof that Dr. Anthony Fauci was openly working with the CCP and PLA, and worse, that he repeatedly and publicly defended the Communist Party of China, should raise suspicion that not only was the release and distribution of this virus worldwide by China designed as a bioweapon against the West, but that we must also consider the real possibility that the ultimate weapon is the vaccine. If this is indeed true, then promoting the vaccines would be the actual betrayal, even if inadvertent, in that it aids China in destroying any resistance by the Western nations to eventual Chinese communist rule of the world."
https://haciendapublishing.com/is-the-covid-vaccine-safe-and-effective-by-russell-l-blaylock-md/
Is This the Worst Excuse for Vaccine Failure Yet? Joseph Mercola, May 26, 2022
"Many data sources reveal that COVID-jabbed individuals are now getting COVID-19 at far higher rates than the unjabbed. Death rates, both for COVID and other causes, have also risen in tandem with the number of shots administered."
https://www.theepochtimes.com/why-those-under-60-are-more-likely-to-die-if-jabbed_4492774.html
Dispelling Vaccination Myths
http://chetday.com/vaccinationmyths.htm
Don't get Jabbed: Powerful Video on 'Killer Vaccine' That Needs to be Watched by Everyone, JRickey Productions, July 29, 2021
https://www.globalresearch.ca/video-people-get-jabbed-watching-video-they-beyond-saving/5751364
Flu Shot Fell Short for Seniors This Year, March 10, 2013
"The CDC has analyzed the flu vaccine for this year and found that it was only about 27 percent effective for people over 65. Of course, these are precisely the folks who most need the protection that a flu shot might offer.
"Even worse, the most virulent strain of influenza virus that caused problems this winter, the H3N2, was hardly affected by the vaccine at all. The match was good, but the shot was only 9 percent effective at preventing H3N2 among the elderly."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/03/10/flu-shot-fell-shoryt-for-seniors-this-year/
How bad is the flu? How Good is the Shot? January 12, 2013
"If the match between circulating flu and vaccine is so very good this year, why are so many people still getting sick? Well, the dirty little secret that is never mentioned when people are urged to get their shot is that flu vaccines are far from 100 percent effective. When researchers have reviewed the medical literature for influenza immunization studies published between 1967 and 2011, they've concluded that effectiveness ranges from 16 percent at the bottom to 76 percent at the top with "pooled efficacy" of about 59 percent (The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Jan. 2012). "
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/01/12/how-bad-is-the-flu-how-good-is-the-shot/
How Effective is a flu Shot? October 26, 2011
"Of those top-notch investigations, there were 10 randomised, controlled trials that could be analyzed for overall efficacy. What Dr. Osterholm and his colleagues found was that together, the benefit was 59 percent. In other words, 41 percent of the people who got a flu vaccine experienced no protection against influenza.
"In our opinion that's disappointingly low. If your toaster only toasted your bread a little more than half the time you would demand your money back. Perhaps even more disheartening is the observation that there were no good trials for children between the ages of 2 and 17 or adults over the age of 65. Those are precisely the groups that are most vulnerable to complications from influenza."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/10/26/how-effective-is-a-flu-shot/
*National Vaccine Information Center
"MedAlerts offers an alternative to the official VAERS search engine, CDC Wonder. Both are built from the government's raw data, but MedAlerts has a better user interface, more powerful search capabilities, and more extensive reporting, making it the best VAERS search facility."
https://medalerts.org/
National Vaccine Information Center
"The general population believes that vaccinations are totally effective, totally safe and everyone has to have them. The truth is, however, they are not totally safe and effective, and not mandatory.
"Vaccinations are not absolutely mandatory. There are three types of exemptions available to parents: Medical, Religious, and Philosophical. . . . Most states allow at least two of the three."
For more information on the myth of 'No shots, no school' visit:
http://www.909shot.com
Or call: National Vaccine Information Center: 1-800-909-SHOT.
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
https://vaers.hhs.gov/
Vaccine Information Resource Center
http://www.mercola.com/2001/aug/18/vaccine_myths.htm
Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated: Guess who is Sicker? May 4, 2017
A pilot study of 666 homeschooled six to 12-year-olds from four American states published on April 27th in the Journal of Translational Sciences, compared 261 unvaccinated children with 405 partially or fully vaccinated children, and assessed their overall health based on their mothers' reports of vaccinations and physician-diagnosed illnesses. What it found about increases in immune-mediated diseases like allergies and neurodevelopmental diseases including autism, should make all parents think twice before they ever vaccinate again:
• Vaccinated children were more than three times as likely to be diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum (OR 4.3)http://info.cmsri.org/the-driven-researcher-blog/vaccinated-vs.-unvaccinated-guess-who-is-sicker
• Vaccinated children were 30-fold more likely to be diagnosed with allergic rhinitis (hay fever) than non-vaccinated children
• Vaccinated children were 22-fold more likely to require an allergy medication than unvaccinated children
• Vaccinated children had more than quadruple the risk of being diagnosed with a learning disability than unvaccinated children (OR 5.2)
• Vaccinated children were 300 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder than unvaccinated children (OR 4.3)
• Vaccinated children were 340 percent (OR 4.4) more likely to have been diagnosed with pneumonia than unvaccinated children
• Vaccinated children were 300 percent more likely to be diagnosed with an ear infection than unvaccinated children (OR 4.0)
• Vaccinated children were 700 percent more likely to have surgery to insert ear drainage tubes than unvaccinated children (OR 8.01)
• Vaccinated children were 2.5-fold more likely to be diagnosed with any chronic illness than unvaccinated children
The Very Real Prospect of Victory Over Communism, December 10 2020
"We discussed: . . . . the nauseating governmental and mainstream media propaganda regarding the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine; the numerous reasons why we should not take the vaccine; and many other topics."
https://andrewcarringtonhitchcock.com/2020/12/10/ach-1404-dr-peter-hammond-the-very-real-prospect-of-victory-over-communism/
What are Hospitals Trying to Hide? February 8, 2014
"Whatever your stance on the politics of healthcare insurance, everyone agrees that high healthcare costs are a problem. One patient was shocked to learn that his emergency treatment with anti-venom for snakebite came to nearly $90,000."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/02/08/934-what-are-hospitals-trying-to-hide/
Which Supplements can you Trust? April 15, 2013
"We were appalled to read the research published in JAMA Internal Medicine (online Feb. 11, 2013), showing wide variations in compounded and OTC vitamin D pills. The scientists found that potency ranged from 9 percent to 146 percent of the dose listed on the label.
You are right that the FDA does not have the resources to check the quality of most supplements. You mention USP, the United States Pharmacopeia. This nongovernmental scientific organization has set quality standards for medicines for nearly 200 years."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/04/15/which-supplements-can-you-trust/
White Coat Conspiracy Covers up Medical Tragedy, April 29, 2013
"I used to think that doctors were the innocent victims of ambulance-chasing attorneys and litigious patients. I now realize that physicians have also contributed to any malpractice crisis that exists, because as a group they cover up mistakes all the time."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/04/29/code-of-silence-covers-up-medical-tragedy/
Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 11, 2011
"Most (but not all), pharmacists routinely tell patients that generic drugs are identical to brand name medications. That is hardly surprising. This is what pharmacy students are told during their education process. It is also what the FDA states on its website:
A generic drug is identical -- or bioequivalent -- to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use. Although generic drugs are chemically identical to their branded counterparts, they are typically sold at substantial discounts from the branded price."Now we don't know about you, but when we see the word 'identical' we assume that means exactly the same as. Here is how Dictionary.com defines the word 'identical':
Will the flu Shot Protect you From Influenza Infections This Year? September 30, 2013
"Last year's flu vaccine was an especially good match for the influenza viruses that were circulating during the epidemic. Experts had anticipated correctly which strains would predominate and there was a 92 percent match with what actually showed up. In theory, this should have provided superb protection.
"In reality, however, when the CDC did its post-season analysis, it found that the vaccine was only about 27 percent effective for people over 65. This is a high-risk group that is more vulnerable to flu complications such as pneumonia.
"Worse, the most virulent form of the flu last year, H3N2, was hardly deterred by vaccination. Only 9 percent of vaccinated older people were protected from this bug."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/09/30/will-the-flu-shot-protect-you-from-influenza-infections-this-year/
Will Vaccines Protect us Against New Variants? [of COVID, March 2021]
"Here's what I would like to see [Joe's Dream]. First, we need rapid COVID tests that are as reliable as pregnancy tests. Every household in the country should have access to such tests. They should provide easy-to-interpret, accurate results within 10-15 minutes.
"As soon as COVID is detected, pills should be widely available in every pharmacy in the country. They should be able to snuff out COVID-19 before the virus does damage or becomes infectious. If people are treated early with medications that cure the virus and prevent spread, we would be on our way to true recovery.
We know of one drug under development that might be promising. It has been called EIDD-2801, MK-4482 or molnupiravir. You can listen to Dr. Ralph Baric (the Coronavirus Hunter) describe it on our podcast.
"Older drugs that are already available should be tested with the same resources and enthusiasm that was directed towards vaccine discovery."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/will-vaccines-protect-us-against-new-variants
Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. (Psalm 91:9,10)
This was encouragement to Spurgeon during the cholera outbreak of 1854,Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before Him. (Job 13:15)
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and If he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:13-16)
And he said unto me, My Grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. [1]Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may [2]rest upon me.
Therefore I take [1]pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. -- Paul quoting The Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9,10)
12:9 [1] He concludeth, that he will only see his miseries against the vain brags of the false apostles, and therewith also excuseth himself, for that by their importunity, he was constrained to speak so much of these things as he did: to wit, because that if his Apostleship were subverted his doctrine must needs fall.
12:9 [2] That I might feel the virtue of Christ more and more: For the weaker that our tabernacles are, the more doth Christ's virtue appear in them.
12:10 [1] I do not only take them patiently and with a good heart, but also I take great pleasure in them.-- 1599 Geneva Bible NotesBut we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. (2 Corinthians 1:9,10)Word: "disease"; Meaning; "disturb"; Sample location: "Luke 8:49" -- from the "Glossary," 1599 Geneva Bible, Tolle Lege edition
DISEASE, n. Dizeze. [dis and ease].
1. In its primary sense, pain, uneasiness, distress, and so used by Spenser; but in this sense, obsolete.
2. The cause of pain or uneasiness . . . disorder; any state of a living body in which the natural functions of the organs are interrupted or disturbed . . . The first effect of disease is uneasiness or pain, and the ultimate effect is death. . . .
3. A disordered state of the mind or intellect, by which the reason is impaired.
4. In society, vice; corrupt state of morals. Vices are called moral diseases. A wise man converses with the wicked, as a physician with the sick, not to catch the disease, but to cure it.
5. Political or civil disorder, or vices in a state; any practice which tends to disturb the peace of society, or impede or prevent the regular administration of government.
The instability, injustice and confusion introduced into the public councils have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have every where perished. -- 1846 edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language
DISEASE, v.t. dizeze.
1. To interrupt or impair any or all the natural and regular functions of the several organs of a living body [i.e. robbing a neighbor of sleep -- compiler]; to afflict with pain or sickness to make morbid . . .
2. To interrupt or render imperfect the regular functions of the brain, or of the intellect; to disorder; to derange.
3. To infect; to communicate disease to, by contagion.
4. To pain; to make uneasy. -- 1828 edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English LanguageWithout a due sense of predestination, we shall lack the surest and the most powerful inducement to patience, resignation, and dependence on God under every spiritual and temporal affliction. How sweet must the following considerations be to a distressed believer:
1. There most certainly exists an almighty, all-wise, and infinitely gracious God. 2. He has given me in times past, and is giving me at present (if I had but eyes to see it), many remarkable intimations of his love to me, both in a way of providence and grace. 3. This love of his is immutable; he never repents of it nor withdraws it. 4. Whatever comes to pass in time is the result of his will from everlasting. 5. Consequently, my afflictions were a part of his original plan, and are all ordered in number, weight, and measure. 6. The very hairs of my head are (every one), counted by him, nor can a single hair fall to the ground but in consequence of his determination. 7. Hence, my distresses are not the result of chance, accident, or a fortuitous combination of circumstances, but 8. The providential accomplishment of God's purpose, and 9. Designed to answer some wise and gracious ends. 10. Nor shall my affliction continue a moment longer than God sees meet. 11. He who brought me to it has promised to support me under it and to carry me through it. 12. All shall, most assuredly, work together for his glory and my good. 13. Therefore, The cup which my heavenly Father has given me to drink: Shall I not drink it? -- a passage from Jerome Zanchius' book Absolute Predestination, quoted by John W. Robbins in "Providence and Thanksgiving," Trinity Review, November 2006You need not be cast down by sickness. The eternal part of you is safe and provided for, whatever happens to your body. You may well look calmly on death. It opens a door between you and your inheritance.
You may well not sorrow exclusively over the things of the world -- over partings and bereavements -- over losses and crosses. The day of gathering is before you. Your treasure is beyond reach of harm. Heaven is becoming every year more full of those you love, and earth more empty. Glory in your inheritance. It is all yours if you are a children of God. "If we are children, then we are heirs." (Romans 8:17a) -- J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)Many blessings are promised to our outward man, here in this life; and hereafter it is to be made a glorious and incorruptible body, like unto the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ: it is to be clothed with light and crowned with rays, never more to suffer injuries without or diseases within. -- Ezekiel Hopkins
Adams, Lane, How Come it's Taking me so Long to get Better? ISBN: 084231511X: 9780842315111.
Adolph, Harold P., with Dave Bourne, "Holyistic" Attitudes: God's Prescription for Your Good Health, ISBN: 0929292162: 9780929292168.
Adolph, Harold P., with Dave Bourne, Stop Making Yourself Sick: A Physician Explores the Connection Between Spiritual Health and Physical Health, ISBN: 0896933253 9780896933255.
Fintel, William A., and Gerald R. McDermott, A Medical and Spiritual Guide to Living With Cancer: A Complete Handbook for Patients and Their Families, ISBN: 0849935040: 9780849935046.
Johnson, Paul, Conquering Cancer: An Invitation to Hope, ISBN: 0310537819 9780310537816.
"This book tells the person with cancer just what he or she can expect at each stage of diagnosis and treatment, explores medical discoveries that gives people real hope of recovery from cancer, and includes excerpts from Dr. Paul Johnson's cancer diary and selected readings on a dozen topics designed to build a cancer patient's confidence." -- Publisher
"A doctor with 40 years service in medicine, a weekly medical radio program . . . now offers hope to those suffering with cancer. If you have cancer or know someone who does GET THIS BOOK." -- GCB
Margotta, Roberto, and Paul Lewis (editor), The Story of Medicine: Man's Struggle Against Disease -- From Ancient Sorcery to Modern Miracles of Vaccines, Drugs, and Surgery, ISBN: 0600600920 9780600600923.
McMillen, S.I., None of These Diseases, ISBN: 080075719X 9780800757199.
Revised and expanded in 2000 by D.E. Stern. "This epochal work, when first published in 1963, drew attention to the Biblical teaching on health and the care of the body. Now updated with information on modern diseases, it is even more valuable than when it broke new ground two decades ago." -- Cyril J. Barber
"Good insights into the relation between your attitudes and your physical health." -- Robert B. Somerville
Merritt, James, God's Prescription for a Healthy Christian, ISBN: 0896935396 9780896935396.
Ryle, J.C. (1816-1900), Thoughts on Sickness for Invalids and Their Friends.
Watson, David, Fear no Evil: One man Deals With Terminal Illness, ISBN: 0802725406 9780802725400.
"FEAR NO EVIL is the conquest of death -- not by looking away from it, nor by being shielded from it, but by facing it squarely and going down into it knowing that for a believer it is the vestibule of glory. Watson died peacefully one month after completing this book." -- GCB
"David Watson candidly shares his journey from "life to life" in a comforting and encouraging manner. With the Lord as his travelling companion, Watson reveals the most important pursuit given to humanity -- to seek God's face." -- Reader's Comment
*Wenhe, Mary, How to Pray for Healing, ISBN: 0800707419 9780800707415.
Wilde, Gary (editor), Bible Promises to Treasure for People in Recovery: Inspiring Words for Every Occasion, ISBN: 0805493905 9780805493900.
Wilde, Gary (editor), Bible Promises to Treasure for Tough Times: Inspiring Words for Every Occasion, ISBN: 155819715X 9781558197152.
See also: Prayer, The promises of Christ, Intercessory prayer, Small groups as healing agents, Bible promises, Sleep, Rest, Loving and obeying God, Hope, Forgiveness of sin, Prayer, Reconciliation of relationships, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Job, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Sexually transmitted diseases, Patient advocacy, Prevention of disease, What your doctor may not tell you, Correct diagnosis, Prescription Drugs With Dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Healing, Women's health, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 1522, 1523, 1539, 1540, 1969, 3397, 4011
Justifying Faith
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr1cha.html#justfaith
Nine (9) Lessons From Sickness
"Come now, and let me show you a few of the lessons which He by sickness would teach us.
"1. Sickness is meant to make us think -- to remind us that we have a soul as well as a body -- an immortal soul -- a soul that will live forever in happiness or in misery -- and that if this soul is not saved, we had better never have been born.
"2. Sickness is meant to teach us that there is a world beyond the grave -- and that the world we now live in is only a training-place for another dwelling, where there will be no decay, no sorrow, no tears, no misery, and no sin.
"3. Sickness is meant to make us look at our past lives honestly, fairly, and conscientiously.
"Am I ready for my great change -- if I should not get better?
"Do I truly repent of my sins?
"Are my sins forgiven and washed away in Christ's blood?
"Am I prepared to meet God?"
https://www.gracegems.org/18/Ryle-%20Sickness.htm
The Sleep Foundation
http://www.sleepfoundation.org
SleepNet
http://www.sleepnet.com
Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 17:21)Fasting is also an ordinance of God to be used for the same purpose and end and is commended to us under the New Testament (Matt. 9:15; 17:21 [Matthew 9:15; Matthew 17:21]; 1 Cor. 7:5 [1 Corinthians 7:5]). And we have examples of it (Acts 13:2,3; 14:23 [Acts 14:23]). Under the Old Testament there were frequent commands for it and examples, chiefly upon occasion of extraordinary afflictions (1 Sam. 7:6 [1 Samuel 7:6]; Neh. 9:1 [Nehemiah 9:1]; Dan. 9:3 [Daniel 9:3]; 10:2,3 [Daniel 10:2,3]; 2 Sam. 12: 16 [2 Samuel 12:16]; Ps. 35:13 [Psalm 35:13]; 2 Sam. 3:31,35 [2 Samuel 3:31,35]; Joel 2:12,13); besides the anniversary great day of atonement (Lev. 16: 29,31 [Leviticus 29,31]), when everyone was to fast on pain of being cut off. There is a prophecy of the same for the times of the New Testament (Zech. 12:12 [Zechariah 12:12]). It was used most on extraordinary occasions, and it is a help to holiness by faith, because it is a meet help for extraordinary prayer and humiliation (Joel 1:14; 2:12 [Joel 2:12]). But the great matter is to use it rightly, as follows. -- Walter Marshall in The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification
By fasting, the body learns to obey the soul; by praying, the soul learns to command the body. -- William Secker
Boston, Thomas (1676-1732), Personal and Family Fasting and Humiliation. Alternate title: A MEMORIAL CONCERNING PERSONAL AND FAMILY-FASTING AND HUMILIATION, PRESENTED TO SAINTS AND SINNERS. Available (THE WORKS OF THOMAS BOSTON, VOL. 11), on the Puritan Hard Drive. Available (THE WORKS OF THOMAS BOSTON, VOL. 11), on Reformation Bookshelf CD #6.
Chambers, Humphrey, and Samuel Man, A Divine Ballance to Weigh Religious Fasts in: Applyed to Present vse, in a Sermon Preached Before the Honourable House of Commons, in S. Margarets Westminster at their Publique Fast, Sept. 27. 1643, James 3:18.
Colbert, Don, Toxic Relief: Restore Health and Energy Through Fasting and Detoxification, ISBN: 1591852137 9781591852131.
"Here is a proven program to cleanse your body in 30 days!
"Your body may be so overwhelmed that it's sending you distress signals: | Learn why you are at risk for suffering from cancer, heart disease and diabetes. | Discover why you don't feel well and why you're always tired. | Examine the Sick Building Syndrome. | Explore spiritual and physical aspects of fasting.
"Dr. Don Colbert provides an easy-to-understand and comprehensive explanation of the toxic battle you're in. He also exposes risk factors and provides alternative solutions for living free from cancer, heart disease, liver disease, diabetes and more. You may be an average American who is overfed and undernourished, which means you are probably toxic, but there is hope. Detoxify your body with Dr. Colbert's medically sound and proven program of juice fasting.
"Deep cleansing your body right down to the cellular level will renew your vitality, restore your energy, reclaim your health, shed toxic fat, lengthen your life and give you a healthy glow you haven't had in years. Let Dr. Colbert escort you to healthier living-body, mind and spirit, and experience toxic relief today!
Get ready to experience powerful relief!" -- Publisher
*Marshall, Walter (1628-1680), The Gospel-Mystery of Sanctification: Growing in Holiness by Living in Union With Christ, ISBN: 189277724X. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
The Reformation Heritage Books edition is a reprint of the 1954 edition set by Oliphants and includes an introduction by Joel R. Beeke. Also includes the author's famous sermon on "The Doctrine of Justification Opened and Applied."
See the WorldCat record for various foreign language editions.
Other editions:
Marshall, Walter, The Gospel-Mystery of Sanctification, ISBN: 1597520543 9781597520546.
"This is by far the best book on the doctrine of Sanctification in print. It was originally written in the 17th century, but has been put into modern English with this edition. This book will help you better understand the Gospel and its power not only for our Justification, but our Sanctification as well." -- Reader's Comment
Marshall, Walter, The Gospel-Mystery of Sanctification, ISBN: 1589600630 9781589600638.
"Here you will read the most closely reasoned defense of scriptural sanctification to be found anywhere. . . . Fourteen directions are given to the reader, all perfected with the aim of explaining to sincere souls what sanctification is, what it is not, and how to attain a holy walk before God. . . ." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
Marshall, Walter, The Gospel-Mystery of Sanctification, Opened, in Sundry Practical Directions: Suited Especially to the Case of Those who Labor Under the Guilt and Power of Indwelling Sin. To Which is Added a Sermon on Justification (1859)
http://archive.org/details/gospelmysteryofs02mars
Miller, Samuel (1769-1850), Personal and Family Piety in Presbyterian Heritage Publications, Library of Presbyterian Heritage Publications and Protestant Heritage Press CD-ROM Library and Library of Presbyterian Heritage Publications and Protestant Heritage Press CD-ROM Library (Dallas, TX [Presbyterian Heritage Publications, P.O. Box 180922, Dallas, 75218]: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1999).
"Miller gives warm exhortations regarding personal and family piety. He describes "The Duty, the Benefits, and the Proper Method of Religious Fasting." He treats "The Importance of Domestic Happiness," and "The Means of Domestic Happiness." An illuminating discussion on the role of women is found in "The Appropriate Duty of the Female Sex.
Palmer, Herbert (1601-1647), The Soul of Fasting, or Affections Requisite in a day of Solemn Fasting and Humiliation According to the Pattern of Neh. 9:5 [Nehemiah 9:5], 1644. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
Spurstowe, William (1605?-1666), England's Patterne and Duty in its Monthly Fasts: Presented in a Sermon, Preached to Both Houses of Parliament Assembled, on Friday the 21. of July, 1643. Being an extraordinary day of publicke humiliation appointed by them, throughout London and Westminster, that everyone might bitterly bewaile his owne sinnes, and crie mightily unto God for Christ his sake, to remove his wrath, and heale the land. Isa. 22:12-14 [Isaiah 22:12-14], 1643.
Various, Robin Jeffs (notes), G.R. Elton, Puritan Fast Sermons, 34 volumes. Alternate title: FAST SERMONS TO PARLIAMENT REPRODUCTIONS IN FACSIMILE WITH NOTES BY ROBIN JEFFS, ISBN: 071913000X 9780719130007 0719130042 9780719130045.
"This remarkable set [the above link apparently is not to the whole set of 34 volumes -- compiler] of rare Puritan sermons comprises facsimile copies of sermons preached before parliament on appointed fast days between 1640 and 1653. These sermons were individually published at the time, but finally issued as a multi-volume set only in 1972. Five hundred (500) sets in facsimile were then printed but complete sets are now extremely rare to find." -- Publisher
See also: Prayer, Intercessory prayer, Evangelistic praying, Evangelism, Christ our example, Prevention of disease, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Physical health, Summary and research index of key information in chapter 8: physical health and healthcare, Rest, Exercise, Sickness, Healing, Ministering to the sick, Obesity, gluttony, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 2710, 3212-3214
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. (Exodus 15:26b)
In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. (Isaiah 30:15a)
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. -- (Mark 9:24)
See the Theological Notes: "Salvation," at Acts 4:12 in The Reformation Study Bible.
The Treasury of David, Psalm 116, C.H. Spurgeon
The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. (Psalm 116:6)
http://archive.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps116.phpDeath and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. (Proverbs 18:21)
"By the using the tongue well or evil, comes the fruit of it either good or bad." -- Geneva Bible NotesIt is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 6:63)
More and more Americans are using The Internet to access health information. A new survey from the Pew Internet Project and California HealthCare Foundation reveals that health is the third most popular topic Americans look for online. Two-thirds of Internet users look for information about a specific condition or problem. More than half of Internet users seek out data about treatments. Over 40 percent check out doctors or other healthcare professionals and over one third of Internet users use the Web to find out more about hospitals and other medical facilities.
The Pew Internet Project has been tracking how people use The Internet for more than a decade. It is striking that eight out of ten Internet users go online for health information. Many are using the Web as a de facto second opinion, according to Susannah Fox, associate director of Digital Strategy for the Pew Internet and American Life Project. -- Susannah Fox, Health Topics
Bailey-Rug, Cynthia, Lessons From the Heart: What Animals Have Taught me About Life and Love, ISBN: 1300991097 9781300991090.
"There is much more to our animal companions than meets the eye. They are far wiser than the casual observer realizes, and can teach humans a great deal about life. In this book, the author details some valuable life lessons she learned from her own pets over the years that have helped her to live a happier, more fulfilling life." -- Publisher
Bailey-Rug, Cynthia, Pawprints on our Hearts, ISBN: 1300987995 9781300987994.
"Animals are God's special gift to humanity. This book will show you the many things that the Bible has to say about animals, such as their purpose on Earth, what they need from human beings, whether or not they go to heaven and more. Personal experiences by the author and pictures of her own pets are included as well. PAWPRINTS ON OUR HEARTS is designed to give you an entirely new perspective on our animal friends -- to help you view them as God does -- and to improve your experiences with our animal companions. May this book bless you and yours!" -- Publisher
Bonar, Horatius (1808-1889), Christ the Healer, ISBN: 0801007127 9780801007125.
*Brown, Colin, Miracles and the Critical Mind, ISBN: 0802835902 9780802835901 0802819699 9780802819697 0853643857 9780853643852.
"This is the fullest and clearest survey of the debate that has yet been written. Dr. Brown's analysis of 19 centuries of discussion is a major enrichment of both apologetics and theology." -- J.I. Packer
Charnock, Stephen (1628-1680), The Sinfulness and Cure of Thoughts. In PURITAN SERMONS 1659-1689: BEING THE MORNING EXERCISES AT CRIPPLEGATE, ST. GILES IN THE FIELDS, AND IN SOUTHWARK BY SEVENTY-FIVE MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL IN OR NEAR LONDON WITH NOTES AND TRANSLATIONS BY JAMES NICHOLS. (2:386-420)
The Sinfulness and Cure of Thought, Biblical Sanctification, a sermon by Stephen Charnock. Available in Charnock and M'Cosh,
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF STEPHEN CHARNOCK (1865),
The Sinfulness and Cure of Thought, Biblical Sanctification
http://digitalpuritan.net/stephen-charnock/
Colbert, Don, Toxic Relief: Restore Health and Energy Through Fasting and Detoxification, ISBN: 1591852137 9781591852131.
"Here is a proven program to cleanse your body in 30 days!
"Your body may be so overwhelmed that it's sending you distress signals: | Learn why you are at risk for suffering from cancer, heart disease and diabetes. | Discover why you don't feel well and why you're always tired. | Examine the Sick Building Syndrome. | Explore spiritual and physical aspects of fasting.
"Dr. Don Colbert provides an easy-to-understand and comprehensive explanation of the toxic battle you're in. He also exposes risk factors and provides alternative solutions for living free from cancer, heart disease, liver disease, diabetes and more. You may be an average American who is overfed and undernourished, which means you are probably toxic, but there is hope. Detoxify your body with Dr. Colbert's medically sound and proven program of juice fasting.
"Deep cleansing your body right down to the cellular level will renew your vitality, restore your energy, reclaim your health, shed toxic fat, lengthen your life and give you a healthy glow you haven't had in years. Let Dr. Colbert escort you to healthier living-body, mind and spirit, and experience toxic relief today!
Get ready to experience powerful relief!" -- Publisher
Cousins, Norman, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient, ISBN: 0393041905 9780393041903 0393326845 9780393326840.
"This book revolutionized the way Americans think about health and healthcare. Diagnosed with a life-threatening and incurable condition, Cousins checked himself out of the hospital and basically healed himself with laughter, rest and Vitamin C. A few years later, he recovered from a major heart attack on his own and wrote about that, too.
"These books jump-started the whole field of mind-body medicine. Hundreds of books have followed in its tradition, including mine, THE ART OF GETTING WELL: MAXIMIZING HEALTH WHEN YOU HAVE A CHRONIC ILLNESS. ANATOMY OF AN ILLNESS holds up well. I just re-read it and it's still relevant.
"Not everything here will apply to most readers, because Cousins was a major cultural figure with many physicians among his friends. Not everyone would have his self-confidence or his sources of support. But his ideas and his approach are more needed than ever today." -- David Spero, RN, www.art-of-getting-well.com
Cousins "describes his battle with cancer and how he laughed his way to recovery. His hypothesis and the subject of many studies suggests that there are positive effects to be gained from laughter as a great tension-releaser, pain reducer, breathing improver, and general elevator of moods. It sounds miraculous, is not proven, but studies continue. Groups such as the International Conference on Humor and many hospitals use positive emotion rooms and humor carts. In short, humor therapy is valuable and it helps us through difficult or stressful times."
Duke, James A., Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs: 13 Vital Herbs You Need to Disease-Proof Your Body, Boost Your Energy, Lengthen Your Life, ISBN: 1579541836 9781579541835 1579543405 9781579543402.
"Dr. Duke is the unchallenged leader in the field of herbs. In Dr. Duke's Dozen, he shares the secrets behind the special herbs on his top-twelve herb list. Not merely the most popular supplements on the market, these herbs are the personal prescription of 'America's herbal laureate' -- and he'll tell you why. Much of Jim Duke's internationally-recognized authority stems from his three decades with the United States Department of Agriculture. He has been much sought-after for features appearing in Time magazine, People magazine, USA Today, The New York Times, among others. Now, Dr. Duke opens the door to his own herbal medicine cabinet providing information, herbal combinations, stories and native lore, and dosages for the 12 herbs he trusts for himself. In Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs, the preeminent herbalist offers valuable guidance for incorporating herbs into the ultimate plan for healthy living." -- Publisher
Duke, James A., The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook: Your Comprehensive Reference to the Best Herbs for Healing, ISBN: 1579541844 9781579541842.
"Truly the world's leading authority of medical plants and herbs, James Duke writes frankly on buying, growing, organizing, and using botanical plants in this book that has already established THE GREEN PHARMACY as the ultimate herbal reference with more than 800,000 copies in print. Dr. Duke has appeared in more than 16 cities, was a guest on CNN, NPR, and "Inside Edition," and was featured in the New York Times and USA Today, turning THE GREEN PHARMACY into a national phenomenon. Practical healing advice and an A-to-Z list of health conditions illustrate the natural way to relieve arthritis, back pain, heart problems, migraines, mood swings, osteoporosis, and many more ailments." -- Publisher
Duke, James A., Herbs of the Bible: 2000 Years of Plant Medicine, ISBN: 1883010667 9781883010669.
*Foster, David Kyle, Sexual Healing: God's Plan for the Sanctification of Broken Lives: A Reference Manual for Ministering to Those Trapped in Sexual sin and Brokenness, ISBN: 0830737154 9780830737154 0830737340 9780830737345.
This is a unique work and the best resource known to the compiler offering biblical counsel for healing sexual brokenness. See: "Foundations" and "Divine Intent for Sexuality" for a biblical explanation of the spiritual significance of sexuality. These two chapters alone make the purchase of the book worthwhile. Includes chapters, study guides, and exercises for Root sources for improper sexual development, Sexual identity confusion, Child sex abuse, Sexual addition, Pornography, Masturbation, voyeurism and exhibitionism, Why people remain in sexual sin and bondage, Failure and self-condemnation, A comprehensive game plan for sexual healing, and so forth.
Includes bibliography and index.
Mastering Life Ministries
http://www.MasteringLife.org
Gibson, James E., Healing Wisdom From the Bible: Spiritual Guidance, Inspiration, and Comfort for Everyday Life, ISBN: 044021016X 9780440210160.
"This important book harnesses the healing powers of one of our oldest and most inspiring guides. Whether it's dealing with anger or dealing with each other, overcoming family conflicts or achieving happiness, Gibson uses Scriptures to provide enlightening and practical solutions." -- Publisher
Griffin, G. Edward, World Without Cancer: The Story of Vitamin B17, ISBN: 0912986190 9780912986197.
"A clear and revolutionary insight into both the science and politics of cancer therapy." -- Dean Burk, Ph.D., Former Head of Cytochemistry, National Cancer Institute
"Mr. Griffin marshals the evidence that cancer is a deficiency disease like scurvy or pellagra aggravated by the lack of an essential food compound in modern man's diet. That substance is vitamin B17. In its purified form developed for cancer therapy, it is known as Laetrile.
"Why has orthodox medicine waged war against this non drug approach? The author contends that the answer is to be found, not in science, but in politics and is based upon the hidden economic and power agenda of those who dominate the medical establishment.
"This is a new edition of the book. It is the most complete and authoritative treatise ever produced on Laetrile. It explains the theory by which Laetrile is believed to work. Case histories are included." -- Publisher
"Mr. Griffin is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he majored in speech and communications. He is a recipient of the Telly Award for excellence in television production.
"He is the founder of the Cancer Cure Foundation and has served on the board of directors of the National Health Federation and the International Association of Cancer Victims and Friends. He is a Contributing Editor for The New American magazine, president of American Media and founder of the Reality Zone." -- Publisher
Cancer Cure Foundation: Free Advice On Over 100 Alternative Treatments For Cancer
http://www.cancure.org/
*Gross, Edward N., Miracles, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare, ISBN: 0801038359 9780801038358.
"Encouraged by GCB to publish this book, Baker Book House has given us a sound and reliable study on such questions as: Are miracles for today? Does anyone have the gifts of healing today? Is tongue speaking an evidence of Spirit-baptism? Can believers be demon-possessed? While everyone may not agree on Dr. Gross' conclusions, this book is, nevertheless, one of the most readable, comprehensive, and thoughtful studies on these subjects of vital concern to Christians today." -- GCB
Kyle, William H. (editor), Healing Through Counseling: A Christian Counseling Center, 1964.
Consists largely of lectures originally given as part of the training program at the Counseling Center, Highgate Methodist Church. Includes bibliographical footnotes and bibliography.
Lawrence, Roy, The Practice of Christian Healing: A Guide for Beginners, ISBN: 0830819606 9780830819607.
"In THE PRACTICE OF CHRISTIAN HEALING, Roy Lawrence guides the reader through the biblical principles and practices he and others have used in years of ministry. Readers will learn about laying on of hands with prayer, anointing with oil, exercising the ministry of deliverance, conducting healing services, pursuing Christian counseling and cooperating with medical professionals. Lawrence also explains how the Bible, prayer, forgiveness, giving, service, fellowship and suffering all play their part in God's healing work in our lives. In addition, Lawrence addresses the tough issues of when healing fails to take place. THE PRACTICE OF CHRISTIAN HEALING shows clearly that Christian healing is not magical or occultish, not limited to special gifts, not dependent on superholiness, not a form of alternative medicine, not faith healing, not weird and not theologically unorthodox. Rather, quite simply, Christian healing is the difference Jesus Christ makes in the body, mind, spirit, and life of those who take Him seriously." -- Midwest Book Review
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), Healing and the Scriptures, ISBN: 0840790112 9780840790118.
"The ten chapters in this book are excerpts from messages given by the Doctor to medical students and practicing M.D.'s. The subjects covered are many, among which are: The Supernatural in medicine, On treating the whole man, The doctor as counselor, Fullest care, Medicine in modern society, Body, mind, and spirit, How to combat the demonic, Identifying psychosomatic illnesses, and The moral law. . . ." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), The Miracle of Grace and Other Messages, ISBN: 0801056365 9780801056369.
"Fourteen (14) sermons published together for the first time as a book. These sermons originally appeared in the periodical The Christian World Pulpit. They cover a wide variety of topics such as hope, discipleship, suffering, sin, the Cross, the Resurrection, and more." -- GCB
*Lockyer, Herbert, All the Promises of the Bible, ISBN: 0310281318.
"A devotional expositional compilation of all the promises [about 3,300 of the approximate 8,810 promises -- compiler], that are found in Scripture." -- Publisher
"Lockyer's in-depth look at the scope of God's promises arranges them in categories that cover the full array of human concerns, from the spiritual to the material and the corporate to the personal. As you come to understand God's promises and how they apply to every aspect of your life, you'll gain a trust in God that will sustain you through the worst of times and be your source of rejoicing in the best.
"Dr. Herbert Lockyer was born in London in 1886, and held pastorates in Scotland and England for 25 years before coming to the United States in 1935. In 1937 he received the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Northwestern Evangelical Seminary. In 1955 he returned to England where he lived for many years. He then returned to the United States where he continued to devote time to the writing ministry until his death in November of 1984." -- Publisher
Martin, Bernard, and A.A. Jones (translator), Healing for You.
Masters, Peter, The Healing Epidemic, ISBN: 1870855000 9781870855006.
"This book traces the origins of the upsurge of healing ministries, then takes each of the main arguments used by healers in support of their methods, and shows how each is mistaken. Important facts are provided about demonology, showing just what demons can and cannot do. It is then proved from Scripture that the sign-gifts have ceased. A chapter describes how James 5 should be implemented in churches today. Two important chapters present the biblical commands that the conscious mind should always be alert and rational for all worship and spiritual service. Included is an assessment of miraculous healing by a leading British doctor who was for many years a professor at Leeds University Medical School, the late Professor Verna Wright. This book has been translated into a number of languages including Chinese and Russian.
"Dr. Peter Masters has been Minister of the Metropolitan Tabernacle (Spurgeon's) in central London since 1970. His weekly television and radio sermons are aired in the UK (Sky-UCB), and in the USA." -- Publisher
McMillen, S.I., None of These Diseases, ISBN: 080075719X 9780800757199.
Revised and expanded in 2000 by D.E. Stern. "This epochal work, when first published in 1963, drew attention to the Biblical teaching on health and the care of the body. Now updated with information on modern diseases, it is even more valuable than when it broke new ground two decades ago." -- Cyril J. Barber
"Good insights into the relation between your attitudes and your physical health." -- Robert B. Somerville
Merck and Company, Merck Manual, ISBN: 0911910182 9780911910186.
" 'For years, THE MERCK MANUAL has been consulted by physicians as a reliable source of basic information and has become a staple of medical publications,' said Dr. Michael DeBakey, director of the DeBakey Heart Clinic at the Baylor College of Medicine, a pioneer in heart bypass surgery and an advocate for putting consumers in touch with quality medical information. The free, interactive version, as an educational tool, helps patients become more informed partners in their health care.
"Examples of the multimedia elements include animations of how the heart functions, video of how an egg is fertilized, and the sound of a fetal heartbeat. Additionally, there is an option to hear the pronunciations of medical terms.
"THE MERCK MANUAL OF MEDICAL INFORMATION -- HOME EDITION was published in 1997 to help the public in its search for medical information. It quickly became a best seller with 2 million copies sold worldwide. Merck and Co., Inc., made available the text-based version free on the Web in March. . . .
"Merck's family of medical references also includes THE MERCK MANUAL OF GERIATRICS, THE MERCK VETERINARY MANUAL, and THE MERCK INDEX (an encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs, and biologicals), all of which are available as books and on CD-ROM. All these references are published as a non-profit service to the scientific community by Merck and Co., Inc. . . ." -- Publisher
Merck Manual
http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_home/appndxs/app5_1.htm
*Michaelsen, Johanna, The Beautiful Side of Evil, ISBN: 0890813221 9780890813225.
"The last 15 years have witnessed an unprecedented explosion of interest in psychic phenomena. Johanna Michaelsen shares an extraordinary story about how she became a personal assistant to a psychic surgeon and witnessed miraculous healings, yet realized the true occultic source behind THE BEAUTIFUL SIDE OF EVIL. Over 235,000 sold!" -- Publisher
"I read this book years ago and never forgot it! I was so inspired by Johanna's courage. The truth about what can happen when one gets involved in the occult without knowledge of the consequences. I have recommended this book to people since then. Truly amazing testimony of the Power of Good vs. Evil!" -- Reader's Comment
A significant work in spiritual discernment. Includes bibliography.
Murren, Doug, and George Barna (introduction), Churches That Heal: Becoming a Church That Mends Broken Hearts and Restores Shattered Lives, ISBN: 1582290709 9781582290706.
"Many churches are struggling to find a way to reach the people of their community. This book reminds us that the focus should be on ministering to the broken. Doug provides practical advice on how to accomplish this. Our local church is in disarray and searching for a new pastor. I found this book to provide some practical insight as to the characteristics that we should strive for in rebuilding our church and selecting a pastor. It should be prayerfully read by every pastor and deacon. It describes the focus that the local church needs to be relevant to the 21st century." -- Reader's Comment
Neal, John W., The Prayer for Help: A Biblical Theological Critique and Reconstruction of the Healing Memories Methodology (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Theological Seminary, D.Min. thesis, 1986).
Includes bibliography.
Payne, Franklin E., Biblical Healing for Modern Medicine: Choosing Life and Health or . . . Disease and Death, ISBN: 0962987611 9780962987618.
"Seeks to offer a comprehensive biblical philosophy of medicine. 'Christians continue to consider that medicine and faith are separate moral categories. This book aims to correct that false conception.' Initial chapters lay out biblical perspectives on life, death, illness, and healing. Subsequent chapters discuss the modern medical profession, financing of medical care, psychology, death and dying, abortion, infertility, birth control, the role of the state and the church in medical issues, and self-help medicine. 'I am convinced that everything that physicians do must be subjected to close scrutiny'." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
Contents: True wholistic medicine: a sound mind and a sound body -- The Bible and the practice of medicine -- Physician, heal thyself? (the goals of medicine) -- Why does medical care cost so much? -- The Trojan horse of Christianity: psychology and psychiatry -- "It is appointed for men to die once" -- Abortion: the killing fields -- Who are my mother and father? -- "World overpopulation" and birth control -- "No admittance, healing in progress" -- Medicine and the civil government -- The church and the practice of medicine -- Health starts with the individual and family -- A Bible study: health, healing, and medicine -- A special message to physicians and medical students.
Robbins, John W. (1949-2008), Pat Robertson: A Warning to America, ISBN: 0940931249 9780940931244.
"One of the distinctive marks of a cult is its reliance on revelation from sources other than the Bible. . . .
"If the Bible's claim is true (2 Timothy 3:16,17); then the claims of the Charismatic movement, the Roman Catholic church, the Mormon church, the Christian Science church, the Muslim religion, the Unification church, and many other religions to have direct revelations and oral messages from God are false. God has given men of God all the information they need in the Bible. It is only men who are not of God who desire such additional 'revelations'.
"The evidence from Scripture that Satan and his ministers can perform miracles is abundant and overwhelming. . . . (Galatians 1:6-9). The final test of a prophet, or of an angel, or of an ordinary preacher, the test that separates the true from the false, is, What does he teach? Moses in Deuteronomy 13 states the doctrinal test; Isaiah repeats it (Isaiah 8:19-20); Christ in Matthew emphasizes it; and Paul in Galatians makes it unmistakably clear. The test is not, Does he perform miracles. . . . (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). It follows that Pat Robertson's claim to have witnessed or performed thousands of miracles is worthless either in establishing his claim to be a prophet or in getting him into Heaven. . . .
"Miracles are the stock in trade of every false religion, Roman, Greek, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Persian. . . .
"Robertson's basic agreement with the cultic positive confession movement is but one more indication of how much he opposes Biblical Christianity. What he advocates, and what the positive confession movement teaches, is indistinguishable from sorcery. . . .
"Contents: The origin and destiny of the charismatic movement, Wesleyanism, American revivalism and the holiness movement, The pentecostal movement, The trend toward rome, The neo-pentecostal, or charismatic movement, The charismatic movement and rome."
Endnotes, Sources, Scripture Index, and Index.
*Sibbes, Richard (1577-1635), The Bruised Reed, A Christian classic. Available (THE WORKS OF RICHARD SIBBES), on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"Richard Sibbes, one of the most influential figures in the Puritan movement during the earlier years of the seventeenth century, was renowned for the rich quality of his ministry. THE BRUISED REED shows why he was known among his contemporaries as 'the sweet dropper.'
"If you have ever been (or are), discouraged in any way this is a book that will bring great encouragement and joy!" -- Publisher
"Sibbes never wastes the student's time, he scatters pearls and diamonds with both hands." -- C.H. Spurgeon
"A poor peddler came to the door . . . and my father bought of him Sibb's BRUISED REED . . . It suited my state . . . and gave me a livelier apprehension of the mystery of redemption and how much I was beholden to Jesus Christ . . . Without any means but books was God pleased to resolve me to himself." -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
"Speaking of the preacher's need to suit his reading to the varying conditions he finds within, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says in his PREACHING AND PREACHERS:
'You will find, I think, in general that the Puritans are almost invariably helpful . . . I shall never cease to be grateful to one of them called Richard Sibbes who was balm to my soul at a period in my life when I was overworked and badly overtired, and therefore subject in an unusual manner to the onslaughts of the devil. In that state and condition . . . what you need is some gently, tender treatment for your soul. I found at that time that Richard Sibbes, who was known in London in the early seventeenth century as 'the heavenly Doctor Sibbes', was an unfailing remedy. His books THE BRUISED REED and THE SOUL'S CONFLICT quieted, soothed, comforted, encouraged and healed me.'
"This is one of the best Puritan books to read if you are feeling down or depressed or if you are facing struggles and trials. It is also very useful if you are struggling with assurance. Great encouragement for Christians here!" -- Publisher
The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax, A. Beith (introduction, 1878)
http://archive.org/details/bruisedreedands00sibbgoog
Siegel, Bernie S., Love, Medicine and Miracles: Lessons Learned About Self-Healing From a Surgeon's Experience With Exceptional Patients, ISBN: 0060919833 9780060919832.
Includes bibliography.
Soth, Connie, Insomnia: God's Night School, ISBN: 0802726542 9780802726544.
*Storms, C. Samuel, Healing and Holiness: A Biblical Response to the Faith Healing Phenomenon, ISBN: 087552446X 9780875524467.
"J.I. Packer says 'Sam Storms' book . . . impresses me as soundly Biblical in its perspective and pastorally wholesome in its thrust. Not everyone will love him for writing in these terms, but everyone will benefit from weighing his arguments. I commend HEALING AND HOLINESS most heartily.' Praised by Dr. Ed Payne, founder of the Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine. Dr. Storms sheds light on a topic clouded by controversy, and examines the Biblical teaching on suffering, divine healing, and holiness." -- GCB
Various, The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook, ISBN: 9781118115428 1118115422.
"THE MERCK MANUAL OF MEDICAL INFORMATION -- HOME EDITION was published in 1997 to help the public in its search for medical information. It quickly became a best seller with 2 million copies sold worldwide. Merck and Co., Inc., made available the text-based version free on the Web in March. . . .
"Merck's family of medical references also includes THE MERCK MANUAL OF GERIATRICS, THE MERCK VETERINARY MANUAL, AND THE MERCK INDEX (an encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs, and biologicals), all of which are available as books and on CD-ROM. All these references are published as a non-profit service to the scientific community by Merck and Co., Inc. . . ." -- Publisher
http://www.merckhomeedition.com/
*Warfield, B.B. (1851-1921), Counterfeit Miracles: The Cessation of the Charismata, Patristic and Medieval Marvels, Roman Catholic Miracles, Irvingite Gifts, Faith Healing, Mind Cure, ISBN: 085151166X (Unicoi, TN: The Trinity Foundation).
"This book is based on a series of lectures on counterfeit miracles that Professor Benjamin Warfield of Princeton Theological Seminary delivered in 1918; they are as relevant and as important today as they were ninety years ago.
"Warfield, one of the most accomplished theologians of the twentieth century, a Professor at Princeton Seminary for more than 30 years, and a prolific systematic theologian, defends and expresses once again the skepticism commanded by Christ in Scripture.
"There are demonic miracles in the modern world; there are unscrupulous impostors; there are weak-minded and gullible churchgoers; there is the power of suggestion; but there are no divine miracles. Divine miracles had a specific purpose, and when that purpose was accomplished, divine miracles ceased.
"The present fascination with miracles, no longer restricted to the superstitions of the Roman Catholic Church-State, but now spread throughout the world by the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, is not a sign of resurgent Christianity, as so many have said, but a sign of resurgent paganism. The sort of religion that pervaded ancient Rome and medieval Rome has returned, just as, and because, Christianity is fading from the modern mind." -- The Trinity Foundation
"Warfield carefully examines the claims of Roman Catholics, Christian Science, and others. Such alleged miracles as tongue-speaking, faith-healing, etc. are considered and catalogued. Then he sets out a carefully worded (does Warfield know any other way to word), defense of the view of Christianity of the nature, function, and cessation of certain spiritual gifts -- and of course he equates this with what the Bible says, and quotes appropriate places." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
"It is well and good to say (with fingers in ears, repeating like a mantra), "Miracles happen every day . . . I've seen them . . . everybody's seen them . . . God never changes . . . etc., etc." But when one gets down to brass tacks, the complete dearth of evidence for -- as an example -- miracles of regeneration or resurrection is embarrassingly obvious. Does anyone think that if Benny Hinn had more to offer than mind-cures, suggestion, and cures of psychosomatic illnesses that he would not FLOOD the airways with footage to prove it? TBN would be ALL MIRACLES, ALL DAY. I was raised in a charismatic home and fully believe that God gives special providences and that our prayers ARE answered. But the special apostolic gifts are, whether you gauge it by quality or quantity, not with us anymore. I understand the worldview of the charismatic; but charismatics need to learn that whether or not the last regenerative miracle was in 70 AD or yesterday actually has no bearing on the truth of Christianity. Warfield's excellent exegesis not only answers questions of charismata that endure to this day, but also reminds us that there is nothing new under the sun. Read this 80 year old tome, change the names, and you have a scathing indictment of the modern practitioners of faith healing. Bravo to a scintillating intellect." -- Reader's Comment
*Wenhe, Mary, How to Pray for Healing, ISBN: 0800707419 9780800707415.
Wilde, Gary (editor), Bible Promises to Treasure for People in Recovery: Inspiring Words for Every Occasion, ISBN: 0805493905 9780805493900.
*Williams, Florence, The Nature fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, ISBN: 9780393242713 0393242714.
"A beautifully written, thoroughly enjoyable exposition of a major principle of human life now supported by evidence in biology, psychology, and medicine." -- Edward O. Wilson
"The author makes a compelling argument for time outdoors. She takes a refreshing approach, including 'forest bathing' (the Japanese custom of a sensory walk in the woods); ecotherapy in Scotland; and how nature can produce the same effects as mind-altering drugs. Thought-provoking and excellent." -- BBC Wildlife Magazine
"Impassioned and thorough exploration of nature's impact on our bodies, psyches and creativity." -- The Irish Examiner
Wolf, Stewart, and John Bruhn, The Power of Clan: The Influence of Human Relationships on Heart Disease, new edition, ISBN: 0765804492 9780765804495.
"The notion that the quality of our social relationships may have a profound effect on our health and longevity has a long history but a short scientific past. A much publicized study that set out to show an association between social cohesion in the community and coronary heart disease mortality was begun in 1962 by Drs. Bruhn and Wolf. Their focus was on the town of Roseto, a cohesive and relatively stable Italian-American community in Pennsylvania. There the death rate from heart attacks was substantially lower than that of nearby towns. However, Roseto has changed over the years and so have its mortality statistics.
"THE POWER OF CLAN is a sequel to THE ROSETO STORY: AN ANATOMY OF HEALTH (1979). It includes the results from a follow-up survey that was done in collaboration with the Center for Social Research at Lehigh University. The authors intended to document the changes in Roseto as its people have adapted to an American lifestyle that is characterized by individualism, competitiveness, and materialism. One of the authors, Stewart Wolf, virtually acted as a participant-observer, contributing to a vivid and lively account of these changes that is supported by many anecdotes and an additional 22 pages of photographs. The book includes many tables showing demographic and health characteristics of Rosetans and their controls, and discusses potential mechanisms linking social change to increased death rates from myocardial infarction. This wealth of information provides a rich source of hypotheses and should encourage the development of sound psychometric instruments to test more rigorously the link between mutually supportive attitudes, cooperation, and health outcomes.
"THE POWER OF CLAN will stimulate and revive discussion on the effects of personal relationships on health. We are reminded of the work by J.J. Groen that urged us to adopt a more comprehensive approach to our understanding and, ultimately, control of coronary heart disease in both women and men." -- Gerdi Weidner
"Stewart Wolf was really one of the pioneers of psychosomatic medicine," noted Paul Rosch, president of the American Institute of Stress, in The Lancet. "His book on stress and hypertension is still considered a classic in the field . . . He was a marvelous cultured person who was able to bring a broad background in the humanities to his approach to patients and to teaching." -- Publisher
See also: The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Forgiveness of sin, Spiritual aspects of health, Joy, cheerfulness, happiness, merriment, Small groups as healing agents, Reconciliation of relationships, Spiritual discernment, The occult, spiritism, witchcraft, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Healing of the mind, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Prayer, Intercessory prayer, Small groups as healing agents, The free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, the covenant of eternal salvation, Book-length presentations of the free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, The promises of Christ, Medical aspects of pastoral counseling, Bible promises, and Women's health, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Prevention of disease, Correct diagnosis, Prescription Drugs With Dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Healthcare reform, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 1538-1541, 4162
Because Healing the Sick is Illegal. . . Gary North
"I firmly believe that there are electrical ways to treat diseases effectively. The best book for laymen that I have read on electrical-magnetic therapies was written by a physician: Robert Becker's THE BODY ELECTRIC, which has been available for quite a while. But this approach to health comes into conflict with the three main accepted medical methodologies: drug, cut, and burn, all of which must be licensed by the state to be medically acceptable. So, the best way to get yourself Rifed is to promote electricity-based cures."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north373.html
Cancer Answer
http://www.canceranswer.com/
Cancer Cure Foundation: Free Advice on Over 100 Alternative Treatments for Cancer
http://www.cancure.org/
Christian Medical Fellowship
http://www.cmf.org.uk/
Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation for Treatment of Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia, Daniel L. Kirsch, Ph.D., Francine Nichols, RN, Ph.D.
"Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- approved, prescriptive, noninvasive electromedical treatment that has been shown to decrease anxiety, insomnia, and depression significantly.
"A trial treatment in the office or clinic can identify those individuals who readily respond to CES treatment. CES can also be used during psychotherapy sessions and with medications, hypnosis, and biofeedback to decrease patient anxiety."
http://www.stress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Cranial-Electrotherapy-Stimulation-for-Treatment-of-Anxiety-Depression-and-Insomnia.pdf
Depression
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr2chb.html#dprsn
Doctor's Guide to The Internet
http://www.docguide.com/
Dr. Lorraine Day
http://www.drday.com
Dr. Whitaker: Alternative Medicine for Healing
http://www.drwhitaker.com/conditions-concerns/
Exploring the Hard Science of Self-Healing, July 26, 2018
"We have remarkable capacities for self-healing. Learn about the serious research on the connections between our bodies and our minds and how we can put them to work. . . .
"The placebo effect is frequently misunderstood. People sometimes take it to mean that when a placebo makes you feel better, it's 'all in your head.' To them, the placebo effect seems very soft and squishy, unsupported by genuine evidence. On the contrary, improvement from placebo treatments can be shown to be real. Moreover, our expectations also contribute to the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals as well. What should we know about the placebo effect, and how can we put it to good use? What do rigorous scientific studies tell us about the placebo effect? . . .
"Dr. Jeremy Howick is the author of DOCTOR YOU, INTRODUCING THE HARD SCIENCE OF SELF-HEALING. . . .
He is also Director of the Oxford Empathy Program at the University of Oxford. He was recently awarded the British Medical Association Dawkins and Strutt award to pursue research on the health benefits of empathic care. His website is http://www.jeremyhowick.com/"
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/07/26/show-1130-exploring-the-hard-science-of-self-healing/
Free Medicine Foundation
"Established by volunteers, Free Medicine Foundation has helped countless families across the nation completely eliminate or substantially reduce their prescription drug bills. Last year, these programs helped an estimated 7.6 million patients fill more than 11 million prescriptions . . . with an estimated value of over $2.3 BILLION! YOU or a loved one could be part of this year's statistics . . ."
http://www.freemedicinefoundation.com/
Free Medicine Program
"Most drug manufacturers sponsor what's called Patient Assistance Programs. These programs are intended to help those who can't afford their prescription drugs obtain them absolutely FREE!
The ever-changing requirements and the application process to qualify for patient assistance programs are tedious, confusing and very time-consuming. You may contact the drug manufacturer(s) directly to find out more about specific patient assistance program(s). The information is available free of charge. We, at Free Medicine Program found that some people might have difficulty navigating the application process and need help. In addition, a large number of people, including qualified doctors, nurses, social workers, and other health professionals, are not aware that these programs even exist."
http://www.freemedicineprogram.com/index.html
Getting Help With Drug Bills, Newspaper Columns, Pharmacy Q&A February 25, 2009
"You may qualify for assistance from the pharmaceutical companies that make your drugs. Go to www.helpingpatients.org to find out.
"We are sending you our GUIDE TO SAVING MONEY ON MEDICINE for more information about free medications and other tips for saving money such as ordering from legitimate Canadian Websites."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/getting_help_with_drug_bills.php
Hippocratic Oath
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath
How you can get Relief From Chronic Pain, January 13, 2018
"Learn how a skeptical patient whose years of crushing back pain started with a bad fall from horseback reluctantly put Dr. Hanscom's expressive writing advice into practice. What happened next was astonishing. The principles Dr. Hanscom uses in his practice apply not only to back pain, although that is his specialty, but to any form of chronic pain.
"David Hanscom, MD, is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in complex spine problems in all areas of the spine. He has expertise in adult and pediatric spinal deformities such as scoliosis and kyphosis. A significant part of his practice is devoted to performing surgery on patients who have had multiple prior spine surgeries.
"His book is BACK IN CONTROL: A SURGEON'S ROADMAP OUT OF CHRONIC PAIN, 2nd edition."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/01/10/show-1071-how-you-can-get-relief-from-chronic-pain/
Laetrile: Another Suppression Story
http://educate-yourself.org/cancer/laetrileandcancer27jun04.shtml
Mastering Life Ministries
http://www.MasteringLife.org
Mayo Clinic Health Information
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health-information/
Mayo Clinic Health Oasis
http://www.icdri.org/Medical/mayo_clinic_health_oasis.htm
Natural Christian
http://www.livrite.com/nc/
NewsRx.net
NewsRx, a Sugar Hill, Georgia, company, is the world's largest scientific and medical publisher, both in number of titles and articles published each year.
"The company has long been recognized as one of the most prolific news organizations, and was called 'the world's largest producer of weekly health information' by the New York Times News Service."
http://www.newsrx.net/
Pfizer Helpful Answers
"If you need assistance paying for your medicine, Pfizer Helpful Answers may be able to help. Pfizer Helpful Answers is a family of patient assistance programs providing medicines free of charge or at a savings to uninsured and underinsured patients who qualify. Some programs even offer reimbursement support services for patients with insurance."
http://www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com/pages/misc/Default.aspx
Take a Walk in the Woods. Doctor's Orders.
" 'Forest bathing,' or immersing yourself in nature, is being embraced by doctors and others as a way to combat stress and improve health.
Clifford, Amos, Your Guide to Forest Bathing, (Shinrin-Yoku-inspired forest therapy)
"John Muir once said 'between every two pine trees is a doorway leading to a new way of life.' Now Amos Clifford has given us a beautiful and inspiring guide inviting us to seek out the trees and let the healing happen, both for us and for our beleaguered ecosystems. Grab this book and head outside." -- Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix
http://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/
Trust for America's Health
"Georgetown University's Health-Track, which is Pew-funded, continues to raise awareness. Its Website offers downloadable research reports, links to national organizations and updates on local environmental conditions."
http://healthyamericans.org/
Unconventional Cancer Treatments: Index (OTA Report)
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/OTA/ota16.html
University of Michigan Health System
http://www.med.umich.edu/1welcome/index1.htm
Adams, Jay E. (1929-2020), Role-Play and Critique (part 2); Wife Won't Speak; Homosexuality; Wife With Cancer (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation).
Audio cassette JA211 [audio file].
Albers, Gregg R., RCC, Vol. 20: Counseling the Sick and Terminally ill, ISBN: 0849906938 9780849906930.
Albers, Gregg R., RCC, Vol. 24: Counseling and AIDS, ISBN: 0849906954 9780849906954.
*Finley, Martha (aka Martha Farquharson, 1828-1909), Book 2: Elsie's Holidays at Roselands, ISBN: 9781888306323 1888306327.
"When Elsie's father becomes ill, she takes on the job of nurse-companion, and all goes well until Elsie, because it is the Sabbath, as a matter of conscience refuses to read to him from a secular book. The battle of wills that ensues nearly causes first her father's death, and then Elsie's. Lonely Elsie -- punished, ostracized, and then abandoned by her father -- turns to her heavenly Father for comfort and assurance. Will her father realize that Elsie's obedience to God must be paramount, and submit himself to the same Divine Authority?" -- Publisher
On an even more serious note, one moral of this story is the broader life and death struggle between Truth and Falsehood (See: Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], Epistemology of theology, the theory of knowledge, and Christian scholarship.) The consequence of conflict of will is death of the "One," or war of the "Many" (see Rushdoony, THE ONE AND THE MANY: STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF ORDER AND ULTIMACY. Conflict of will (see Will and recalcitrance, Rebellion and lawlessness: wickedness, demonic possession, abnormal behavior, insanity, mental illness, mental retardation,) may begin when one individual (see The doctrine of man [human nature, total depravity],) or the corporate body (see Corporate faithfulness and sanctification), tries to usurping authority over others (see Power, Authority) -- tries to control and possess the other (see Tyranny, Slavery, our systems of enslavement, economic enslavement.) The means of control may be either outward or occult (see The occult, spiritism, witchcraft), deceit, repression or suppression of the truth, replacing moral and ethical absolutes with relativism (see Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Medical ethics, Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], unfaithfulness to the highest ethical standards (see The ten commandments: the moral law, The holy bible), Heresy and apostasy (apostacy, old english), Spiritual adultery [spiritual whoredom/harlotry,] (see Idolatry, syncretism, Jeremiah and lamentations,) invocation of the demonic, Oaths, ensnaring vows, promises, and covenants, bonds with the ungodly Carnality and flesh pleasing: desires, pleasure, Justice, judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord,) attempts to take authority over another politically or by mental malpractice (see Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, making up their own rules (see Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality],) ignoring or changing constitutional or creedal documents, unjust laws for the accumulation of wealth and power, indebtedness, disenfranchisement, (see denial of freedom,) Priestcraft, pharisaism, soul-stealing, possessiveness, physical seduction and whoredom, political economic or sexual enslavement (see Sexual relationship,) and so forth, and so on.
This abuse, this soul-violence, quenches the Holy Spirit (see Owen, God's Presence With a People the Spring of Their Prosperity; With Their Special Interest in Abiding in Him.) If either side is immovable, then death is the consequence (see Soteriology, atonement, The blood of christ, Hell, and Heaven.)
How are conflicts of will resolved? By submission to the Absolute Truths of God's word, the great common denominator, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
All this bears a strain of the Gospel (see Book-length presentations of the free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, The westminster confession of faith.)
Book 2: Holidays at Roselands
http://archive.org/details/holidaysatrosel00finlgoog
Holidays at Roselands (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14280
Mantle Ministries (Elsie Dinsmore Series and Mildred Series)
http://www.mantlemin.com
McColley, D., Physical and Spiritual Care of the Terminally ill.
McMillen, S.I., None of These Diseases, ISBN: 080075719X 9780800757199.
Revised and expanded in 2000 by D.E. Stern. "This epochal work, when first published in 1963, drew attention to the Biblical teaching on health and the care of the body. Now updated with information on modern diseases, it is even more valuable than when it broke new ground two decades ago." -- Cyril J. Barber
"Good insights into the relation between your attitudes and your physical health." -- Robert B. Somerville
Orr, Robert, David L. Schiedermayer, and David B. Biebel, Life and Death Decisions, ISBN: 080105270X 9780801052705.
"Designed to help readers make informed decisions about emotionally charged issues, LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS sorts through the facts, concerns, and options that are integral to each issue. Biblically based and medically reliable, this single volume will help you evaluate the latest medical technologies in the light of Christian ethics." -- Publisher
*Owen, John (1616-1683), The Death of Christ, volume 10 of WORKS, ISBN: 0851510647 9780851510644. Alternate title: SALUS ELECTORUM, SANGUIS JESU: OR THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST. BEING A TREATISE OF THE REDEMPTION AND RECONCILIATION THAT IS IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST; WHEREIN THE WHOLE CONTROVERSY ABOUT UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION IS FULLY DISCUSSED: IN FOUR PARTS; . . . BY JOHN OWEN, D.D. A Christian classic. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive. Available on Reformation Bookshelf CD #20.
"Greatest Biblical apologetic on the specific and limited nature of the atoning work of Christ in print. Contains discussions on Arminianism, the death of death in the death of Christ, Divine justice, and also discusses, in detail, many views of the atonement that certain men and groups held (and still hold)." -- Publisher
"THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST is a polemical work, designed to show, among other things, that the doctrine of universal redemption is unscriptural and destructive of the gospel. . . . Those who see no need for doctrinal exactness and have no time for theological debates which show up divisions between so-called Evangelicals may well regret its reappearance. Some may find the very sound of Owen's thesis so shocking that they will refuse to read his book at all. . . . But . . . there are signs today of a new upsurge of interest in the theology of the Bible: a new readiness to test traditions, to search the Scriptures and to think through the faith. It is to those who share this readiness that Owen's treatise is now offered, in the belief that it will help us in one of the most urgent tasks facing evangelical Christendom today -- the recovery of the Gospel.
"It is safe to say that no comparable exposition of the work of redemption as planned and executed by the Triune Jehovah has ever been done since Owen published his in 1684. None has been needed.
"Owen's interpretation of the texts . . . is sure; his power of theological construction is superb; nothing that needs discussing is omitted, and . . . no arguments for or against his position have been used since his day which he has not himself noted and dealt with. . . . Owen's work is a constructive, broad-based biblical analysis of the heart of the gospel, and must be taken seriously as such. . . Nobody has a right to dismiss the doctrine of the limitedness . . . of the atonement as a monstrosity of Calvinistic logic until he has refuted Owen's proof that it is part of the uniform biblical presentation of redemption, clearly taught in plain text after plain text. And nobody has done that yet." -- J.I. Packer, from the Introduction
"Packer's well balanced definition of Calvinism in the introduction to that volume [John Owen's THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST], is by far the best we have seen in 42 years of intensive reading." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/deathofdeath
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: Being a Treatise of the Redemption and Reconciliation That is in the Blood of Christ; Wherein the whole controversy about universal redemption is fully discussed: In four parts (1792)
http://archive.org/details/deathofdeathinde00owen
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, including J.I. Packer's Introduction by John Owen
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/packer_intro.html
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: Redemption and Reconciliation That is in the Blood of Christ (Limited Atonement), 1 of 33, [audio file]
An audio file reading by Still Waters Revival Books from THE WORKS OF JOHN OWEN. Currently (October 2018), there are 77 readings of John Owen by SWRB and Reformed Baptist of Holland (Michigan), (Thomas Sullivan), at SermonAudio.com available for listening online, downloading as MP3 files, [audio file], and listening on iPhone, mobile phones, and MPE players.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=47081639571
Sharp, William Donald, Medicine and the Ministry: Medical Basis for Pastoral Care.
"This is a useful statement of a modern physician's point of view; it provides a guide for pastors with its wealth of information about physical conditions, emotional states and psychosomatic ailments. It also discusses problems of youth, young adults, sexual deviants, those with troubled marriages, the aged and the dying. . . ." -- Gorman/Matthews
Smith, Robert D., The Christian Counselor's Medical Desk Reference, ISBN: 1889032263 9781889032269.
Terrell, Hilton P. (editor), and Franklin E. Payne (editor), Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine, Volumes 1-4: 1987-1990, ISSN: 1050-3404. Available from Covenant Enterprises, P.O. Box 14488, Augusta, GA 30919-0488.
"The JBEM was founded to bring biblical thinking to bear on medical issues. This book collects the first four years worth of articles, and includes a general index and an index of Scripture references. (A second volume, containing the next 4 years, is forthcoming). Many articles are relevant to matters that come up in counseling ministry, matters about which counselors will want to offer informed advice." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine
http://capo.org/jbem/intro_pa.htm
Wilde, Gary (editor), Bible Promises to Treasure for People in Recovery: Inspiring Words for Every Occasion, ISBN: 0805493905 9780805493900.
See also: Prayer, Bible promises, Loving and obeying God, Intercessory prayer, Praying for the sick, Small groups as healing agents, Ministering to the sick, Hope, Affliction, adversity, trials, suffering, chastisement, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Eternal life, immortality, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Healing, Medical aspects of counseling, Small groups as healing agents, Physiological problems, and Women's Health, Medical ethics, Patient advocacy, and so forth, and so on.
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (James 5:14,15)
Grantham, Rudolph E., Lay Shepherding: A Guide for Visiting the Sick, the Aged, the Troubled and the Bereaved, ISBN: 0817008632 9780817008635.
"Beginning with a look at authority issues and the context for lay ministry, Grantham explores ways the Biblical, humanistic, and broadly spiritual perspectives relate to each other and looks at specific ministries lay people can engage in: crisis intervention, bereavement counseling, hospital/nursing home visiting, etc. Considers, too, the dynamics of healing, how to be an effective listener and to pray with the sick and personal lay evangelism of beneficial and destructive kinds. Appendix includes discussion questions and additional study resources." -- Publisher
MacNutt, Francis, The Prayer That Heals: Praying for Healing in the Family, ISBN: 0340280794 9780340280799 034026411X 9780340264119.
Montgomery, Robert Bruce, Training Elders in a Biblical Philosophy and Practical Methodology of Praying for the Physically Sick.
Packer, J.I. (1926-2020), Gary S. Greig, Kevin Springer, et al., The Kingdom and the Power: Are Healing and the Spiritual Gifts Used by Jesus and the Early Church Meant for the Church Today?: A Biblical Look at how to Bring the Gospel to the World With Power, ISBN: 0830716343 9780830716340.
See also: Prayer, Intercessory prayer, Small groups as healing agents, Spiritual aspects of healing, Small groups as healing agents, Ministering to the sick, Sickness, The aged, The all-sufficiency of christ, Eternal life, immortality, Patient advocacy, Preventing disease, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 13, 38, 439, 1003-1005, 1071, 1072, 1089, 1671, 1783-1785, 2197, 2517, 2816-2841, 3607, 3841, 4082, 4193
MGTP: Prayer (extensive listing)
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have not hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)If a physician that feels not what you feel, shall yet upon your speeches and other evidences, tell you that he is confident your disease is not mortal, nor containeth any cause of fear, you may rationally be much encouraged by his judgement . . . (your faithful pastor), is able to pass a far sounder judgement of your life or death than yourselves can do, for all your feeling; for he knows better what those symptoms signify . . . -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
Truth obeyed, said the Puritans, will heal. The word fits, because we are all spiritually sick -- sick through sin, which is a wasting and killing disease of the heart. The unconverted are sick unto death; those who have come to know Christ and been born again continue sick, but they are gradually getting better as the work of grace goes on in their lives. The church, however, is a hospital in which nobody is completely well, and anyone can relapse at any time. Pastors no less than others are weakened by pressure from the world, the flesh, and the devil, with their lures of profit, pleasure, and pride, and, as we shall see more fully in a moment, pastors must acknowledge that they the healers remain sick and wounded and therefore need to apply the medicines of Scripture to themselves as well as to the sheep whom they tend in Christ's name. All Christians need Scripture truth as medicine for their souls at every stage, and the making and accepting of applications is the administering and swallowing of it. The ability to apply God's truth therapeutically implies the prior ability to diagnose spiritual ill-health, and diagnostic ability is learned as much by discovering and keeping track of one's own sins and weaknesses as by any other means. The frequency with which Puritan pastors lament their own sinfulness should not be dismissed as a trivial cultural convention; it is in fact an assurance to us, as it was to their own first hearers and readers, that they know what they are talking about when they rip up our consciences (their phrase), diagnose our spiritual diseases, and prescribe a regimen of biblical directives for our cure. Their own self-examination and self-acquaintance before God is a large part of the secret of the skill with which they probe hearts, nail sins, and show us how Christ's healing power may rescue us from moral and spiritual evil. -- J.I. Packer
Babbit, Edmond H., The Pastor's Pocket Manual for Hospital and Sickroom.
Belgum, David Rudolph, When it's Your Turn to Decide: A Hospital Chaplain Helps you Make Medical Decisions, ISBN: 0806616164 9780806616162.
Bostridge, Mark, Florence Nightingale: The Making of an Icon, ISBN: 9780374156657 0374156654.
"The common soldier's savior, the standard-bearer of modern nursing, a pioneering social reformer: Florence Nightingale belongs to that select band of historical characters who are instantly recognizable. Homeschooled, bound for the life of an educated Victorian lady, Nightingale scandalized her family when she found her calling as a nurse, a thoroughly unsuitable profession for a woman of her class. As the 'Lady with the Lamp,' ministering to the wounded and dying of the Crimean War, she offers an enduring image of sentimental appeal. In the first major biography of Florence Nightingale in more than fifty years, Mark Bostridge draws on a wealth of unpublished material, including previously unseen family papers, to throw new light on this extraordinary woman's life and character. Disentangling elements of myth from the reality, Bostridge has written a vivid and readable account of one of the most iconic figures in modern history." -- Publisher
*Flavel, John (1630-1691), The Fountain of Life Opened up, or, A Display of Christ in his Essential and Mediatorial Glory. Available (JOHN FLAVEL'S WORKS), on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"If my pen were both able, and at leisure, to get glory in paper, it would be but a paper glory when I had gotten it; but if by displaying (which is the design of these papers), the transcendent excellency of Jesus Christ, I may win glory to him from you, to whom I humbly offer them, or from any other into whose hands providence shall cast them, that will be glory indeed, and an occasion of glorifying God to all eternity. It is not the design of this epistle to compliment, but to benefit you; not to emblazon your excellencies, but Christ's; not to acquaint the world how much you have endeared me to yourselves, but to increase and strengthen the endearments between Christ and you, upon your part." -- John Flavel
"Wherein the impetration [1. to obtain by entreaty 2. to entreat; to ask for -- compiler] of our redemption by Jesus Christ is orderly unfolded, as it was begun, carried on, and finished by his covenant-transaction, mysterious Incarnation, solemn call and dedication, blessed offices, deep abasement, and super-eminent Advancement. In all which the great supernatural mystery of the wisdom and love of God, in his . . . salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ, is distinctly explicated, . . . as well as generally applied for the winning of unbelievers to him, and the confirmation of all that do believe in him." -- Publisher
The Fountain of Life
http://archive.org/details/TheFountainOfLife
The Fountain of Life
http://www.ccel.org/flavel/fountain/flavfoun.txt
Kavar, Louis F., Pastoral Ministry in the AIDS Era: Focus on Families and Friends of Persons With AIDS, ISBN: 0934104077 9780934104074.
*Kuyper, Abraham, In the Shadow of Death: Meditations for the Sickroom and at the Death-Bed, ISBN: 0963255746 9780963255747.
Mitchell, Kenneth R., Hospital Chaplain, ISBN: 0664209467 9780664209469.
"This brief, lively book reveals the typical experience of the hospital chaplain, making clear to both clergy and medical professionals what his role is." -- Gorman/Matthews
Nightingale, Florence, Notes on Hospitals: Two Papers Read Before the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science, at Liverpool in October, 1859 with evidence given at the Royal Commissioners on the state of the Army in 1857, ISBN: 9780486803050 0486803058.
"The founder of modern nursing expressed her revolutionary ideas of hospital reform in these two essays, published in 1859 and presented the previous year at the Social Science Congress. During the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale achieved renown as 'The Lady with the Lamp,' the tireless caretaker of wounded soldiers. Afterward, Nightingale searched Europe for innovations to help the army improve its hospital care. This report of her findings and suggestions had a profound effect on the medical community and reestablished the author as an international healthcare authority. Despite the advances in medical knowledge since Nightingale's era, her common-sense approach continues to form a solid foundation for nursing. In these essays she voices the importance of hygiene -- fresh air and water, cleanliness, proper drainage, and ample light -- as well as ongoing consideration for patients' feelings. Nightingale's ability to effectively articulate her ideas impressed her contemporaries and continues to influence modern readers. This volume serves as a companion to Nightingale's classic of nursing literature, NOTES ON NURSING: WHAT IT IS, AND WHAT IT IS NOT." -- Publisher
*Owen, John (1616-1683), The Death of Christ, volume 10 of WORKS, ISBN: 0851510647 9780851510644. Alternate title: SALUS ELECTORUM, SANGUIS JESU: OR THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST. BEING A TREATISE OF THE REDEMPTION AND RECONCILIATION THAT IS IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST; WHEREIN THE WHOLE CONTROVERSY ABOUT UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION IS FULLY DISCUSSED: IN FOUR PARTS; . . . BY JOHN OWEN, D.D. A Christian classic. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive. Available on Reformation Bookshelf CD #20.
"Greatest Biblical apologetic on the specific and limited nature of the atoning work of Christ in print. Contains discussions on Arminianism, the death of death in the death of Christ, Divine justice, and also discusses, in detail, many views of the atonement that certain men and groups held (and still hold)." -- Publisher
"THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST is a polemical work, designed to show, among other things, that the doctrine of universal redemption is unscriptural and destructive of the gospel. . . . Those who see no need for doctrinal exactness and have no time for theological debates which show up divisions between so-called Evangelicals may well regret its reappearance. Some may find the very sound of Owen's thesis so shocking that they will refuse to read his book at all. . . . But . . . there are signs today of a new upsurge of interest in the theology of the Bible: a new readiness to test traditions, to search the Scriptures and to think through the faith. It is to those who share this readiness that Owen's treatise is now offered, in the belief that it will help us in one of the most urgent tasks facing evangelical Christendom today -- the recovery of the Gospel.
"It is safe to say that no comparable exposition of the work of redemption as planned and executed by the Triune Jehovah has ever been done since Owen published his in 1684. None has been needed.
"Owen's interpretation of the texts . . . is sure; his power of theological construction is superb; nothing that needs discussing is omitted, and . . . no arguments for or against his position have been used since his day which he has not himself noted and dealt with. . . . Owen's work is a constructive, broad-based biblical analysis of the heart of the gospel, and must be taken seriously as such. . . Nobody has a right to dismiss the doctrine of the limitedness . . . of the atonement as a monstrosity of Calvinistic logic until he has refuted Owen's proof that it is part of the uniform biblical presentation of redemption, clearly taught in plain text after plain text. And nobody has done that yet." -- J.I. Packer, from the Introduction
"Packer's well balanced definition of Calvinism in the introduction to that volume [John Owen's THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST], is by far the best we have seen in 42 years of intensive reading." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/deathofdeath
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: Being a Treatise of the Redemption and Reconciliation That is in the Blood of Christ; Wherein the whole controversy about universal redemption is fully discussed: In four parts (1792)
http://archive.org/details/deathofdeathinde00owen
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, including J.I. Packer's Introduction by John Owen
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/packer_intro.html
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: Redemption and Reconciliation That is in the Blood of Christ (Limited Atonement), 1 of 33, [audio file]
An audio file reading by Still Waters Revival Books from THE WORKS OF JOHN OWEN. Currently (October 2018), there are 77 readings of John Owen by SWRB and Reformed Baptist of Holland (Michigan), (Thomas Sullivan), at SermonAudio.com available for listening online, downloading as MP3 files, [audio file], and listening on iPhone, mobile phones, and MPE players.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=47081639571
*Pink, Arthur W. (1886-1952), Comfort for Christians, ISBN: 0585074860 9780585074863.
"A timely work full of consolation. A valuable addition to the other books treating suffering. . . ." -- Cyril J. Barber
"Those shocked into wakefulness by Pink's book on THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD will be amazed at the different tone he displayed in this book. It is heart-warming." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
Comfort for Christians, by Arthur W. Pink
http://www.ccel.org/p/pink/comfort/comfort.html
Platt, Nancy V., Pastoral Care to the Cancer Patient, ISBN: 0398040516 9780398040512.
Power, Philip Bennett, A Book of Comfort for Those in Sickness, ISBN: 0851512038 9780851512037.
"When we are sick we are many times at our weakest. This book is perfect for those who are sick and suffering." -- GCB
Rosenberg, Charles, E., The Care of Strangers: The Rise of America's Hospital System, ISBN: 0801850827 9780801850820.
Rushford, Patricia H., Caring for Your Sick Child, ISBN: 0800752112 9780800752118.
"A practical handbook discussing prevention of illnesses and diseases. Deals alphabetically with a variety of ailments from 'Abdominal Pain' to 'Whooping Cough.' Provides practical counsel on the symptoms, home treatment, and when to call the doctor. Recommended." -- Cyril J. Barber
*Spurgeon, C.H. (1834-1892), Faith's Checkbook. Alternate title: THE CHEQUE BOOK OF THE BANK OF FAITH: BEING PRECIOUS PROMISES ARRANGED FOR DAILY USE (1893), ISBN: 0938453025.
"A promise from God may very instructively be compared to a check payable to order. It is given to the believer with the view of bestowing upon him some good thing. It is not meant that he should read it over comfortably and then have done with it. No, he is to treat the promises as a reality, as a man treats a check. He is to take the promise and endorse it with his own name by personally receiving it as true." -- C.H. Spurgeon
"In the Preface of his devotional volume containing 365 brief, experimental comments on the promises which Spurgeon has chosen, the renowned preacher tells us that so many of these promises are true because they were fulfilled in his own experience during a time of 'wading in the surf of controversy,' and also when 'sharp bodily pain succeeded mental depression, accompanied both by bereavement, and affliction in the person of one dear as life. Never were the promises of Jehovah so precious to me as at this hour.' Thus it was to help other sufferers that Spurgeon prepared this comforting book." -- Publisher
Faith's Checkbook, a daily devotional by C.H. Spurgeon
http://archive.org/details/thechequebookoft00purguoft
Watson, David, Fear no Evil: One Man Deals With Terminal Illness, ISBN: 0802725406 9780802725400.
"FEAR NO EVIL is the conquest of death -- not by looking away from it, nor by being shielded from it, but by facing it squarely and going down into it knowing that for a believer it is the vestibule of glory. Watson died peacefully one month after completing this book." -- GCB
"David Watson candidly shares his journey from "life to life" in a comforting and encouraging manner. With the Lord as his travelling companion, Watson reveals the most important pursuit given to humanity -- to seek God's face." -- Reader's Comment
*Wenhe, Mary, How to Pray for Healing, ISBN: 0800707419 9780800707415.
Wilde, Gary (editor), Bible Promises to Treasure for People in Recovery: Inspiring Words for Every Occasion, ISBN: 0805493905 9780805493900.
Wilde, Gary (editor), Bible Promises to Treasure for Tough Times: Inspiring Words for Every Occasion, ISBN: 155819715X 9781558197152.
See also: Psychosomatic illness, Healing of the mind, Fasting, Healing, Reconciliation of relationships, Medical aspects of pastoral counseling, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Prayer, Small groups as healing agents, Counseling the sick, Healing, Intercessory prayer, Praying for the sick, Medical ethics, Patient advocacy, Healthcare horror stories, Healthcare reform, and so forth, and so on.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. (Proverbs 3:7,8)
*Davis, John Jefferson, The Christian's Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth: Choosing the Best for You and Your Baby From Conception to Delivery, ISBN: 0891073914 9780891073918.
"A needed book! An important book! Nothing else like it from a distinctly Christian position. Covers what to expect, prenatal diagnosis, nutrition and beauty tips, delivery methods, hospital procedures, family size, contraception, infant bonding, breast feeding, and more." -- GCB
Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy: What You Need to Know Before Your Next Visit to the Doctor or Drugstore, ISBN: 9781594864070 1594864071.
"We are pleased to announce a new edition of our book, Best Choices from The People's Pharmacy. BEST CHOICES is filled with natural healing approaches for dozens of common conditions including:
"We also rate prescription drugs so you can get the best buys for your money. BEST CHOICES is packed with remedies that will surprise you, statistics that will shock you, ratings to help assess your treatment options and drug information that could save your life. . . .arthritis high blood pressure constipation insomnia diabetes leg cramps headaches menopause heartburn nail fungus high cholesterol osteoporosis
Graedon, Joe and Teresa Graedon, Dangerous Drug Interactions, ISBN: 0312968264: 9780312968267.s
"What you don't know can hurt you!
"Every time you combine any kind of drug with another -- prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, vitamins, minerals, herbs, alcohol, even food -- you expose yourself to the risk of a potentially hazardous interaction. DANGEROUS DRUG INTERACTIONS can help you navigate the treacherous waters of medicine/vitamin/food combinations with confidence. This life-saving reference includes:
Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, The People's Pharmacy, ISBN: 0312964161 9780312964160.
"This book could save your life or the life of a loved one.
"The FDA isn't protecting you adequately . . . Doctors and pharmacists are making errors . . . over 125,000 people die each year from prescription drug mistakes . . .
"The People's Pharmacy will help protect you and your loved ones from the tragedy of adverse drug reactions. Bestselling authors and brand-name medication experts Joe and Teresa Graedon bring you the most comprehensive guide to commonly used prescription drugs, over-the-counter medication, and other drugstore products. Entirely revised to include the most up-to-date medical research, The People's Pharmacy gives you the power to protect yourself at the doctor's office and in the drugstore. It includes:
Graedon, Joe and Teresa Graedon, The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies, ISBN: 0312981392 9780312981396.
"The Graedons, both respected authors (The People's Pharmacy), and speakers, offer advice on the safe use of home and herbal remedies. The first section combines tested scientific research and accumulated folk wisdom to provide the health consumer with treatment suggestions for common ailments. Also included are possible causes and symptoms for selected conditions, as well as contact information for product manufacturers. The second section lists the 50 most commonly used herbs, including their ingredients and information on usage, dose, adverse effects, and drug interactions. By combining herbal and folk remedies, clearly highlighting dangerous herb-drug interactions, and summarizing consumer issues, the Graedons have created a consumer resource that is entertaining (favorite home remedies include coconut macaroons for diarrhea), and easy-to-use. However, more comprehensive medicinal herb reference resources include the COMPLETE GERMAN COMMISSION E MONOGRAPHS (American Botanical Council, 1998), and the PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES (LJ 3/1/99), among others. Still, this is recommended for smaller public library collections that don't own the other titles." -- Andy Wickens, Univ. of Washington Health Sciences Lib., Seattle
Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, The People's Pharmacy Quick and Handy Home Remedies, ISBN: 9781426207112 1426207115.
"A compilation of reader feedback of remedies, plus a list of 24 foods the authors suggest can help with health problems such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. The foods list includes coffee, blueberries, green tea, beets, and chocolate." -- Publisher
Janse, Allison, and Charles Gerba, The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu: Guerilla Tactics to Keep Yourself Healthy at Home, at Work and in the World, ISBN: 0757303277 9780757303272.
"Allison Janse is a professional book editor and writer who became a Germ Freak soon after the birth of her two children, a hilarious story retold in this book. She lives in Pompano Beach, Florida. Charles Gerba, Ph.D., is an internationally renowned environmental microbiologist who made his reputation a quarter of a century ago by opening scientists' eyes to the dangerous things lurking in our groundwater. His lab created the first test to detect the parasite cryptosporidium in water, changing the way municipalities treat tap water. He is a professor at the University of Arizona where he oversees cutting-edge experiments in the department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science. He has performed thousands of studies on everything from water quality in our homes to urine levels in community pools, from the germs present in airline bathrooms to pathogens in home hot tubs. His quick wit has endeared him to American audiences as Dr. Germ, and he appears regularly on Good Morning America, Dateline, CNN News and 60 Minutes as well as national magazines and newspapers. He lives with his wife in Tucson, Arizona." -- Publisher
Lawrence, Roy, Christian Healing Rediscovered: A Guide to Spiritual, Mental, Physical wholeness, ISBN: 0877846219 9780877846215.
"Christian resources of worship, the power of the resurrection, the extent of salvation, and possible sources of suffering are given insightful, Biblical, practical treatment; well balanced approach to the interrelationships of spiritual, emotional, and physical health." -- Mark Branson
McIlhaney, Joe, and Susan Nethery, 1,001 Health-Care Questions Women ask, ISBN: 0801058104 9780801058103.
"The doctor is in! And Dr. McIlhaney, frequently heard on 'Focus on the Family' broadcasts, has time to provide women with up-to-date answers to their health-care questions. Now in a third edition, this respected resource continues to provide solid medical advice, reliable information about treatment options, and the latest innovations in obstetrics and gynecology." -- Publisher
"Dr. McIlhaney, an experienced OB/GYN, is the only Christian physician to address such a wide range of questions -- from general health concerns to specific situations such as infertility, abortion, and marital sexual relationships. Every aspect of female physical development is discussed in a straightforward, sensitive manner.
"Joe S. McIlhaney Jr., M.D., is president of the Medical Institute for Sexual Health. He practiced medicine, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, for thirty years. Dr. McIlhaney is the author of SEX: WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN KILL YOU and several other books. He and his wife live in Austin, Texas. Susan Nethery has written several books and lives in Milam, Texas." -- Publisher
McMillen, S.I., None of These Diseases, ISBN: 080075719X 9780800757199.
Revised and expanded in 2000 by D.E. Stern. "This epochal work, when first published in 1963, drew attention to the Biblical teaching on health and the care of the body. Now updated with information on modern diseases, it is even more valuable than when it broke new ground two decades ago." -- Cyril J. Barber
"Good insights into the relation between your attitudes and your physical health." -- Robert B. Somerville
Mendelsohn, Robert S., How to Raise a Healthy Child: In Spite of Your Doctor, ISBN: 0345342763 9780345342768.
"This book explodes many of the medical myths that get passed on from doctors to parents (it also explodes the myth of doctor as all-knowing and all-powerful). It also is a source of support for parents who want to avoid constant trips to the pediatrician. Dr. Mendelsohn advocates homebirth, extended breastfeeding and questions many of the standard vaccination practices. A real voice in the wilderness concerning current medical practices!" -- Publisher
Mendelsohn, Robert S., Male [Mal]practice: How Doctors Manipulate Women, ISBN: 0809259745 9780809259748.
"A lot of practical advice is given regarding questions to ask the doctor when he suggests surgery. Includes the chapter 'Fifty Drugs Every Woman Should Think Twice About Before Taking'." -- Publisher
Moore, Raymond S. and Dorothy N. Moore, Home Made Health: A Family Guide to Nutrition, Exercise, Stress Control, and Preventive Medicine, ISBN: 0849906067 9780849906060 084993172X 9780849931727.
"A dozen medical specialists from various fields acted as advisers for this book. The principles are built on common sense, the Bible, proven research, and the author's own experience. They show how pure water and air, sunshine, sleep, regularity, cleanliness, exercise, and trust in God lead to good health." -- GCB
Russell, Rex, What the Bible Says About Healthy Living: Three Biblical Principles That will Change Your Diet and Improve Your Health, ISBN: 0800717686 9780800717681.
"A must read for every Christian who is serious about living a healthy and vigorous life that pleases God." -- Dennis Rainey
Siegel, Bernie S., Love, Medicine and Miracles: Lessons Learned About Self-Healing From a Surgeon's Experience With Exceptional Patients, ISBN: 0060919833 9780060919832.
Includes bibliography.
Sneed, Sharon, and David Sneed, Prime Time: A Complete Health Guide for Women 35 to 65, ISBN: 0849932653 9780849932656.
"This refreshingly upbeat handbook addresses matters of vital concern to women age 35 to 65, and offers practical tips for making those mid years and beyond truly prime time." -- Publisher
Various, Work and Rest in Review (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation).
A 4-tape audio cassette [audio file], series including the following:
Historical/Biblical Perspective on Rest by Mike Bell, audio cassette WW201 [audio file],*Warfield, B.B. (1851-1921), Counterfeit Miracles: The Cessation of the Charismata, Patristic and Medieval Marvels, Roman Catholic Miracles, Irvingite Gifts, Faith Healing, Mind Cure, ISBN: 085151166X (Unicoi, TN: The Trinity Foundation).
How God Measures Vocational Success by James Petty, audio cassette WW202 [audio file], and
Biblical Principles of Rest by David Clowney, audio cassette WW203 [audio file].
See also: Spiritual aspects of health, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Stress, Depression, Emotions and health, Faith, Medical aspects of counseling, Physiological problems, Praying for the sick, Small groups as healing agents, Fasting, Rest, Sleep, Humor, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 1505-1543, 4162
National Stroke Association
Learn the signs of stroke.
http://www.stroke.org/
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
"The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, makes funds available to states that have in place federally approved programs providing health insurance coverage to uninsured children. This program gives each state permission to offer health insurance for children, up to age 19, who are not already insured. SCHIP is a state administered program and each state sets its own guidelines regarding eligibility and services."
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/medicarehealthinsurance/a/schip.htm
Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Maternal and Child Health Programs
http://www.dmas.virginia.gov/ch-home.htm
The Virginia Family Access to Medical Insurance Security Plan (FAMIS)
"Virginia with its Family Access to Medical Insurance Security Plan program, FAMIS is Virginia's program that helps families provide health insurance to their children. Health insurance is important to make sure that kids are able to get all the help they need to grow up healthy. FAMIS stands for Family Access to Medical Insurance Security.
"Working together, we will make sure your children get the high quality health insurance they need."
http://www.famis.org/
According to a study funded by Knoll Pharmaceutical Co, ten percent of Americans may suffer from thyroid disease but most cases go undiagnosed by physicians. Researchers who conducted the study took blood samples from 26,000 visitors to a health fair. Almost 12 percent of the people who participated showed evidence of thyroid disorder and almost 90 percent of them said they were not being treated. Over- or under-production of thyroid hormones can lead to hyper- or hypothyroidism, respectively. Weakness, fatigue, and anxiety are some early signs of thyroid dysfunction. Left untreated, thyroid disease can contribute to cardiovascular disease and interfere with the proper function of major organs. Individuals who exhibited hypothyroidism showed higher levers of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. -- Reuters, Oct. 17, 1997If a reader thinks they may have hypothyroidism, or knows someone who may have hypothyroidism, then the best thing to do is to read Ken Blanchard's book. It is written to both the patient and the physician. The book guides the patient in preparing a medical history that will expose hypothyroidism. Present the medical history to the doctor and request a two week clinical trial of levothyroxine (Synthroid) synthetic T4 hormone replacement. If you feel better during the trial, then that is the diagnosis. Keep in mind that many patients, and those advancing in years, may have sub-clinical hypothyroidism (light cases), and may benefit by hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Adams, Jay E. (1929-2020), A Personal Word to Women, 3 pages. Available in SHEPHERDING GOD'S FLOCK: A HANDBOOK ON PASTORAL MINISTRY, COUNSELING AND LEADERSHIP.
"Practical advice to women about how to handle their menstrual period and the temptations that variation in hormone levels can bring." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
*Blanchard, Ken, and Marietta Abrams Brill, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypothyroidism: A Simple Plan for Extraordinary Results, ISBN: 0446690619 9780446690614.
Foreword by Mary J. Shomon. (See also Mary Shomon's book Living Well With Hypothyroidism below.)
"Depression, fatigue, headaches, memory lapses, weight gain, constipation, cold intolerance, slowed reflexes, hair loss, menstrual abnormalities -- these are some of the vague, sometimes debilitating symptoms that, in varying combinations, plague more than 13 million patients with hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, many patients with hypothyroidism go for months to years, from doctor to doctor, from test to tests without being properly diagnosed. This is because the TSH blood test, considered the gold standard for diagnosis, is simply not an accurate indicator of hypothryoidism. Perhaps more perplexing, millions who are properly diagnosed find themselves undergoing often ineffective treatments for their disorder. At last, there is a solution: Dr. Blanchard's groundbreaking treatment program draws on emerging research, medical facts, and three decades of clinical experiences as an endocrinologist. It's an individualized program that uses questionnaires and charts to help diagnose sufferers through symptoms, not lab results -- and treats patients of all ages with the safe, but little used T3 hormone in the best combination with the more common T4 hormone, as well as with specific nutritional advice and alternative treatments that really work!" -- Publisher
The thyroid regulates metabolism and effects every organ in the body. Experts estimates that as many as 20 million Americans, or more, may be affected by hypothyroidism. Women are more often affected than men. Illnesses, exposure to toxic chemicals, physical injury of the thyroid, and heredity my cause hypothyroidism. Therefore, if you have a "condition" that has never been diagnosed, then look into the possibility of hypothroidism. Anyone who has trouble with depression should undergo a two-week diagnostic trial with thyroid hormones, because depression "is a typical misdiagnosis of hypothyroidism."
If a reader thinks they may have hypothyroidism, or knows someone who may have hypothyroidism, then the best thing to do is to read Ken Blanchard's book. It is written to both the patient and the physician. The book guides the patient in preparing a medical history that will expose hypothyroidism. Present the medical history to the doctor and request a two week clinical trial of levothyroxine (Synthroid) synthetic T4 hormone replacement. If you feel better during the trial, then that is the diagnosis. Keep in mind that many patients and those advancing in years may have sub-clinical hypothyroidism (light cases) and may benefit by hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Untangling Thyroid Confusion, April 9, 2005
"There is a little gland in your neck that can control your sex life, your weight, your energy and even your mood. But surprisingly, this gland (the thyroid) frequently gets out of whack. Of the 20 million Americans who have thyroid disorders, more than half don't realize it, according to the American Medical Women's Association. Does our diet affect the thyroid gland. Do prescription drugs or chemicals in our environment interfere with proper thyroid functioning? And how do we know when our thyroid is not working adequately? You will find out why it is important to look beyond the lab tests to the patient's symptoms to understand the story behind thyroid insufficiency. Guests: Kenneth Blanchard, M.D., Ph.D., is a board certified endocrinologist. Along with his private practice in Newton-Wellesley, Massachusetts, he also addresses many types of groups on the topic of hypothyroidism, and is considered an authority on the subject. He is the co-author of WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT HYPOTHYROIDISM: A SIMPLE PLAN FOR EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS. Mary Shomon is a patient advocate and author. Her books include LIVING WELL WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM and THE THYROID DIET: MANAGE YOUR METABOLISM FOR LASTING WEIGHT LOSS."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/radio_shows/538_untangling_thyroid_confusion.asp
Greene, Lawrence J., Learning Disabilities and Your Child: A Survival Handbook, ISBN: 0893343242 9780893343248. Alternate title: KIDS WHO HATE SCHOOL.
"Not only does Greene explain every possible issue related to learning disorders . . . he also presents a beautifully written and extremely moving series of case studies that will break your heart at the same time they fill you with relief." -- San Francisco Chronicle
"Learning disabilities don't have to stand in the way of your child's success.
"A learning disability can be at the root of your child's resistance, failure, and low self-esteem. It's no wonder that children with learning disabilities have difficulties both at home and at school, difficulties that are reflected in poor performance records.
"Lawrence J. Greene, a pioneer in the field of learning disabilities and the Executive Director of the Developmental Learning Center in San Jose, California, for seventeen years, shares his knowledge and experience in compassionate and understanding terms. He explains how to diagnose learning disabilities ranging from dyslexia and hyperactivity to language disorders and tuning out -- and how they might affect your child. He offers helpful advice on choosing the right school or program for your child and on getting the support you need. Anecdotes, where parents and children speak out, as well as step-by-step programs that you can begin right now, make this unique book a vital guide for parents and teachers of learning disabled children." -- Publisher
Gurian, Michael, Nurture the Nature: Understanding and Supporting Your Child's Unique Core Personality, ISBN: 078798633X 9780787986339.
"Negative stress, in contrast, is something we need to be very careful about, especially with our children. In the most general terms, as experts at the University of Maryland Medical School wrote recently, 'When these symptoms persist, you are at risk for serious health problems. This kind of stress can exhaust your immune system. Recent research demonstrates that 90 percent of illness is stress-related.' When stress goes beyond the stimulating (positive stress), and becomes debilitating (negative stress), symptoms fall into three categories: physical, emotional, and relational." -- Publisher
Resist the Latest Parenting Fads, Says New Book NURTURE THE NATURE Encourages Parents to Determine Their Child's Core Personality
"Increasingly, the minds of our children are growing up to be antisocial. Children diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder now number in the millions. As the Carnegie-Mellon survey notes, our primary social response to the new antisocial nature of children has not been to rethink how we raise them, but rather to expand punishment and incarceration systems. A Department of Justice study reports that at our present rates of incarceration, one in twenty babies born in the United States today will spend some part of life incarcerated. As of 2004, 1 in every 138 U.S. residents was in prison."
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/NewYearNewYou/story?id=3119291&page=1
McLemore, Clinton W., Clergyman's Psychological Handbook: Clinical Information for Pastoral Counseling, ISBN: 0802815766 9780802815767.
O'Hara, Ann Margaret (editor), Treatment Facility Resource Manual.
Popkin, Barry, The World is Fat: The Fads, Trends, Policies, and Products That are Fattening the Human Race, ISBN: 1583333134 9781583333136.
"FAST FOOD NATION meets THE WORLD IS FAT in this eye-opening look at the obesity epidemic.
"Today, the planet's 1.3 billion overweight people by far outnumber the 700 million who are undernourished. This figure would have seemed ludicrous just fifty years ago, when hunger was the world's most pressing nutritional problem.
"In THE WORLD IS FAT, Barry Popkin argues that the fattening of the human race is not simply about that next cheeseburger; rather, it is a result of an unprecedented collision of human biology with trends in technology, globalization, government policy, and the food industry that are changing how we eat and how we live.
"Popkin, whose expertise in both nutrition and economics makes him uniquely qualified to write this book, compares our lifestyles today with those of half a century ago through the stories of five families living in the United States, Mexico, and India. He shows how increasing access to media and exposure to advertising, a powerful food industry, the rise of Walmart like shopping centers, and a dramatic decline in physical activity are clashing with millions of years of human evolution, creating a world of overweight people with debilitating health problems such as diabetes. Ultimately, Popkin contends that widespread obesity is less a result of poor individual dietary choices than about a hi-tech, interconnected world in which governments and multinational corporations have extraordinary power to shape our everyday lives.
"Barry Popkin is the Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished Professor of Global Nutrition at the University of North Carolina and the director of the UNC Interdisciplinary Obesity Center. His research has spanned all continents over the past thirty years. His work has been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, including The New York Times, The Wall Steet Journal, USA Today, and Scientific American." -- Publisher
Shomon, Mary J., Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, revised edition, ISBN: 0060740957 9780060740955.
"The most comprehensive resource available on the diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism. For millions of Americans, hypothyroidism often goes untreated . . . or is treated improperly. This book, thoroughly researched by the nation's top thyroid patient advocate -- a hypothyroidism patient herself -- provides you with answers to all your questions, including:
Sneed, Sharon, and David Sneed, Prime Time: A Complete Health Guide for Women 35 to 65, ISBN: 0849932653 9780849932656.
"This refreshingly upbeat handbook addresses matters of vital concern to women age 35 to 65, and offers practical tips for making those mid years and beyond truly prime time." -- Publisher
Stauffer, Joseph C., and Joseph Segen, The Patient's Guide to Medical Tests: Everything you Need to Know About the Tests Your Doctor Prescribes, ISBN: 081603530X 9780816035304.
"Alphabetically lists over 1000 medical tests most commonly used by physicians, hospitals and commercial labs. Each test entry includes why a test may be necessary, a non-technical description of the test, test procedures and times and the reference range and what abnormal values may signify." -- Publisher
Strydom, Jan, Susan du Plessis, and Benetta Strydom, The Bible's way to Victory Over ADHD and Other Childhood Challenges
"A free online book, providing sound answers on preventing and overcoming behavioral, emotional and learning problems, including ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), Conduct Disorder and Tourette's Syndrome."
http://www.audiblox2000.com/onlinebook/index.htm
E-mail: benetta@mweb.co.za
Sunderland, Ronald H., and Earl E. Shelp, AIDS: A Manual for Pastoral Care, ISBN: 0664240887 9780664240882.
"Designed to help pastors, chaplains, and those in the helping professions engage in a special ministry of compassion to the victims of AIDS. Covers the medical facts and points the way to helping sufferers cope with their fears." -- Cyril J. Barber
*Welch, Edward T., Blame it on the Brain? Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience, ISBN: 0875526020 9780875526027.
"Dr. Welch has a Ph.D. in psychology as well as theology degrees, and has been a counselor for years. His doctoral work was on brain physiology, so Blame it on the Brain is the fruit of 20 years of reflection on the subject.
"Welch wonders if the brain 'has been given too much credit.' (p. 12). Many have held the brain responsible for some bad behavior: 'My disease did it!' (p. 13). While the observations of the rapidly expanding field of brain sciences can be very helpful, when interpreted through a biblical lens they can be put in a more modest and helpful perspective. How do these discoveries illustrate biblical truths that can be applied to people's lives? Instead, too often sin problems are mislabeled as solely brain problems, and thus the true cause is left unaddressed. (p. 25)
"Four very practical principles emerge from this approach to mind-body issues: 1. The brain cannot by itself 'make' a person sin. (p. 49f). 2. Each person's abilities (brain strengths and weaknesses), are unique. (p. 53f). 3. Brain problems can expose heart problems. (p. 56f). 4. Sinful hearts can lead to physical illness; upright hearts can contribute to good health. (p. 58f)
"In part two of the book these principles are then concisely but thoughtfully applied to a series of examples. First are apparently physical issues: Alzheimer's disease (p. 67f), and head injury (p. 85f). Next are more psychiatric issues: depression (p. 115f), 'A.D.D.' (p. 131f), homosexuality (p. 151f), and alcoholism. (p. 183f)
"Welch's treatments of these problems abound with practical, sensitive insight. In the process he clearly defines the deeper issues at stake: what is the soul?; what is the body?; what is sin?
"For me, a crucial component of the book is the section on the mind-body relationships, especially pp. 43-48. Welch is careful to distinguish the heart from the body, but without separating them. Drawing upon rich Trinitarian analogies, he is careful to outline a model that seeks not to over-emphasize either the duality or the unity. This understanding enables us to try to distinguish between sin and sickness. As Welch ably defines it: 'any behavior that does not conform to biblical commands or any behavior that transgresses biblical prohibitions proceeds form the heart and is sin.' (p. 43). Conversely, 'any behavior that is more accurately called a weakness proceeds from the body and is sickness or suffering.' (p. 44). We are to repent of sin. But things that reflect only our creaturely limitations are not immoral, but proceed from our fallen bodies.
"The example Welch uses of hallucinations is illustrative. The Bible does not prohibit them, so we can not admonish someone for experiencing them. We are called to compassion for them. The hallucination may have been caused by a prior sinful choice, and the hallucinatory may respond to them with sin, but the hallucination itself is not sinful. A helpful chart on p. 45 lists out some examples of body problems (broken bones, mental retardation, feelings of depression, hallucinations), and heart (mind) problems (anger, pride, drunkenness). Of course, many problems involve both the body and the heart or mind, and in unequal and obscured proportions. How do we separate out the differences? And why is it helpful to try?
"Each summer during high school and college I worked in a nursing home. The changes I witnessed in particular residents after being away from them for almost a year were often shocking and tragic. I think of a seemingly kind and affable man named D., who in a few months seemed to transform into an unrecognizably profane and lewd bore. Welch demonstrates convincingly that such brain or body problems as D.'s Alzheimer's can expose what is in the heart. The brain appears to have led the person into bad behavior, when it is more accurate to say that the brain problem allowed certain otherwise hidden parts of their heart to be uncovered. Welch contends, 'In some case brain problems function like truth serum for the heart.' (p. 58)
"Welch's treatment of the subject is fairly comprehensive but far from exhaustive. Questions of application remain. If meds can only, at their best, address the body issues and not the heart, how do we know which needs addressing? Welch addresses this in a wise, but frustratingly brief section in pp. 125-127. Adopting Welch's guidelines is easy enough, but applying them to real life situations, I know from experience, is another matter. What about the person who meets some but not all of the criteria listed on p. 127 (they are over forty; have had no prior history of problems with depression; are taking prescription drugs, etc.)? This is not a flaw in Welch's treatment of the topic, just a limitation of its brief explication here.
"I have known a person, for example, who had his first bout with depression at age 62. But it was extremely serious. He became despondent and delusional and was checked into a residential treatment facility. His case meets the first of the two criteria listed by Welch, but not the last two. Clearly, his depression was triggered by some circumstances in his life (some the direct result of some horrible choices, others not). Yet, just as clearly it seems that the depression, while largely originating from his sinful behavior, now had a physical component. His medications, while wrought with multiple serious side effects, did seem to successfully contribute to his ability to function. Yet, if I were given a decision making role in his 'treatment,' I would want to somehow know: were the drugs really helpful, or was it their placebo effect? And if they did reduce his anxiety, is that all necessarily good? Did he not need discomfort to drive him to make changes in his absolutely horrendous behavior? And if so, how much and what type of discomfort?
"Anyway, Welch's book wrestles with some deep issues and presents them in a lucid and readable format." -- Raymond Cannata
" 'What is needed is not necessarily more sophistication in understanding the brain. Instead, what is needed is a more in-depth and practical examination of Scripture that is relevant to these questions.' (pp. 19-20). In this chapter, he remains resolute in affirming the supreme authority of God's Word in understanding and applying the deluge of information which our secular society is bent on giving us. . . .
'Heart and body are both two and one. They are two in that the body cannot be reduced to heart or spirit, and heart cannot be reduced to body. But they are mutually independent. They need each other. Human life cannot even be imagined without both the inner and the outer person. . . .' (p. 47)
"In chapters 4 and 5, we read about legitimate brain dysfunctions which are the result of Alzheimer's disease (and dementia), or serious head injury stemming from an accident. Here, Welch wants the reader to understand that there are indeed cases where the brain can suffer illness or injury to the extent that the behavior and mental capacity of the individual will be directly affected. He is quick to point out that though these conditions may harm the outer man, they do not necessarily mean that the inner man will also begin to dissipate.
"In chapters 7 and 8, we read about psychiatric problems such as depression and attention deficit disorder (ADD) which may or may not be the result of the brain's alleged deficiencies. . . . He is also quick to point out that the depression or ADD may be the result of a spiritual problem and that the care of the individual and their relation to God ought to factor in the treatment every bit as much as medicinal treatments.
"In chapters 9 and 10 we read about two areas of human behavior which the brain is often held responsible for -- homosexuality and alcoholism. In both cases, Welch is insistent that the brain cannot the cause of one's sinful behavior. As he says so plainly, " 'The ultimate cause of sin is always the human heart,' (p. 169). He argues that when these behaviors are seen as proceeding directly from the brain's activity, then the connection that exists between human beings as morally accountable agents and a holy and righteous God is severed. What needs to take place is repentance from such sinful behavior in light of the promise of God's gracious provision of forgiveness which can be found in Jesus Christ. Though these sins present particularly strong forms of bondage, God's mercy can break even their stronghold." -- Daniel Mark Donovan
Well, Robert G., and Mary C. Well, Menopause and Mid-Life, ISBN: 0842339752 9780842339759.
"Wells clearly explains physical and emotional changes, hormonal therapy, and the various options available to mid-life women. Includes a chapter on men and their role." -- GCB
Zaret, Barry L. (editor), Peter I. Jatlow (editor), Lee D. Katz (editor), The Patient's Guide to Medical Tests, ISBN: 0395765366 9780395765364.
"In this era of rapidly changing medical practice, it's more important than ever to have objective, reliable sources of medical information. This is especially critical in the area of diagnostic tests -- the fastest-growing and most costly aspect of modern medicine. Are you unaware of tests and procedures that might save your life? Or are you undergoing a test unnecessarily? How do you know? Whom do you ask? Now, from one of the nation's highly acclaimed medical schools, comes the most complete, authoritative, and practical book for the general public on diagnostic tests and procedures. Every day, tens of thousands of Americans undergo medical tests -- everything from routine cancer screening and blood tests to the most advanced imaging scans and endoscopic examinations. All too often, patients have no idea what to expect. This book answers the questions that patients are afraid or reluctant to ask: Will it hurt? How long will it take? Who will be in charge? Are there any risks? What do the results mean? What's the next step? Each of the 29 chapters in this essential book is written by a Yale faculty member who is an authority in the area. Hundreds of the most commonly performed diagnostic tests are described in clear, understandable language and presented in concise, easy-to-follow charts. Many sections are illustrated. There's also practical advice from the doctors, nurses, and technicians who administer the tests. You'll learn what you should and should not do before the procedure and what factors may alter the results. In addition to diagnostic studies ordered or performed by doctors, this book covers test you can do at home. Some of these, such as home blood sugar (glucose), monitoring for diabetes and self-checking of blood pressure, help patients achieve better control over life-threatening diseases. This book belongs in every home health library. In it you'll find the information you need to become a more informed partner with your doctor in maintaining your own health and that of every member of your family." -- Publisher
See also: Depression, Hypothyroidism, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Attention deficit disorder (ADD), Correct diagnosis, Prevention of disease, Healthy life-style, Exercise, Nutrition and neutriceuticals, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), Healthcare reform, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 500-511, 940, 1527, 1541
Dyslexia
"As youngsters across the country settle into a new school year, some parents will receive disturbing news: little Jason or Emma has dyslexia. While this difficulty in processing written words can create challenges, it can be overcome with creativity. Two extraordinarily accomplished adults relate how their struggles with dyslexia in childhood contributed to their current achievements. Learn how parents can help children confront this challenge.
"Guests: Dr. Edward (Ned) Hallowell is a child and adult psychiatrist and the founder of The Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health in Sudbury, MA and New York City. He is the author of DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION, DELIVERED FROM DISTRACTION, and 16 other books. The website is www.drhallowell.com. The photo is of Dr. Hallowell.
"Philip Schultz is an American poet, and winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry. He is the founder and director of The Writers Studio, a private school for fiction and poetry writing based in New York City. The website is www.writerstudio.com. His most recent book, a memoir, is MY DYSLEXIA. His article for The New York Times is "Words Failed, Then Saved Me."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/09/17/828-dyslexia/
Psychopharmacology
http://link.springer.de/link/service/journals/00213/index.htm
A very common ritual experienced by many medical students at the end of their years in medical school is to hear an address by an eminent medical dean, who congratulates them and wishes them well in their internships, then says something like this: "Half of what you learned in medical school is wrong, and your challenge now is to find out which half." This may sound whimsical, but it does reflect a very basic truth about the complexity of the human body and the immensity of medical knowledge. It is also often said that the only people who are 100 percent sure about anything in medicine are medical students, malpractice lawyers, and well-compensated expert witnesses. . . . It is my deep belief that the current status of the TSH test as the absolute yes-or-no arbiter for the presence of hypothyroidism and for the status of a patient's treatment will eventually come to be regarded as one of the great mistakes of medical history. -- Ken Blanchard, MD in "A Note From Dr. Blanchard" in What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypothyroidism: A Simple Plan for Extraordinary ResultsIn 1997, there were an estimated twenty-five million people in the United States taking antidepressants. And some studies estimate that 80 percent of people on antidepressants report a variety of unresolved symptoms -- such as weight gain, lethargy, and loss of libido -- that are also very common symptoms of thyroid disease. A significant percentage of people on antidepressants could actually be suffering from an undiagnosed thyroid problem. -- Mary Shomon, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, p. 62
Indianapolis-based thyroid and chronic fatigue syndrome expert Dr. Dale Guyer estimates that more than 90 percent of his chronic fatigue syndrome patients also have an underlying thyroid problem. (Mary Shomon, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, p. 49)
Nearly 13 million Americans suffer from thyroid disorders, with more than half going undiagnosed. -- National Institutes of Health
Search "Direct gene analysis hypothyroidism" for find the latest research on genetic testing for hypothyroidism.
A clinical review suggests any TSH above 2 may indicate failing function (see quotation directly below).
In January 2003, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) made the announcement "Now AACE encourages doctors to consider treatment for patients who test outside the boundaries of a narrower margin based on a target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.0. AACE believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild thyroid disorder, but have gone untreated until now." -- Mary Shomon, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, p. 11
The Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that about fifteen thousand different chemicals that are included in common products like pesticides, cosmetics, and plastics should be analyzed to see if they act as endocrine disruptors. Internationally known health researcher and author Dr. Theodora Colborn, author of OUR STOLEN FUTURE, believes that exposure to even low doses of endocrine disruptors can be harmful to our health. -- Mary Shomon, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, p. 470
If a reader thinks they may have hypothyroidism, or knows someone who may have hypothyroidism, then the best thing to do is educate themselves using the citations below. Ken Blanchard's book is written to both the patient and the physician. The book guides the patient in preparing a medical history that will expose hypothyroidism. Present the medical history to the doctor and request a two week clinical trial of Synthroid synthetic T4 hormone replacement. If you feel better during the trial, then that is the diagnosis. Keep in mind that many patients, and those advancing in years, may have sub-clinical hypothyroidism (light cases), and may benefit by hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
And it is probable that the consequences of neglecting hypothyroidism may be contributing to heart disease -- heart failure, arrhythmias, and heart attack, particularly in the elderly.Mild to sever hypothyroidism, resulting in a "constellation" of symptoms. Misdiagnosis of hypothyroidism over decades of a patient's life, generates a very substantial amount of income for the healthcare industry through repeated consultations. This is somewhat analogous to the automobile industry's "engineered mechanical failures" and all manner of other practices by corporations to increase profits by unethical manipulations. "The devil is in the details." It could be argued that the AMA and the American Association of Endocrinologists should have been bright enough to settle the controversies in diagnosis 75 years ago or more, and, in keeping with the Hippocratic Oath, established guidelines for proper diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism.
If you take any prescription drug, you need to be aware that storage at high temperatures can quickly degrade the potency and stability of your medication. I spoke with Abbott Labs' consumer medical hotline today, and learned that they do not recommend taking their drug Synthroid if it's been stored at temperatures above 86 degrees.
Basically, 'controlled room temperature' for storage of most drugs tops out at 86°F. Levothyroxine drugs -- such as Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, Unithroid, and generic levothyroxine -- should be stored away from light and moisture, and at a temperature no higher than 86°F. This temperature standard also applies to Cytomel (liothyronine), Armour (desiccated thyroid), and the antithyroid drugs PTU and methimazole. (NOTE: Thyrolar (liotrix), should be refrigerated, at a temperature no higher than 46°F). -- Mary Shomon Thyroid Website
Barnes, Broda, Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness, ISBN: 069001029X 9780690010299.
"Of all the problems that can affect physical or mental health, none is more common than thyroid gland disturbance. None is more readily and inexpensively corrected. And none is more often untreated, and even unsuspected.
"Hypothyroidism -- low thyroid function -- is one of the gland disturbances that many people suffer from without even realizing it. It can be the cause of low energy or constant fatigue that is one of the most common complaints brought to doctors. It may be responsible for chronic headaches, repeated infections, unyielding skin problems, or circulatory difficulties. Even more frightening, it can be a major factor in heart disease, lung cancer, and emphysema. And it is responsible for many emotional and mental disturbances. HYPOTHYROIDISM: THE UNSUSPECTED ILLNESS explains low thyroid function in easy, understandable language. It tells how it may be affecting your health and your life.
"Dr. Broda Barnes and Lawrence Galton tell what the thyroid gland is, how it works, the problems its dysfunction can induce. They detail case histories of patients, often thought hopeless, whose problems were discovered to be related to hypothyroidism and were cured by Dr. Barnes's simple effective techniques. And they discuss whether you too may be hypothyroid, affected by a condition even a physician may not recognize.
"Included is a simple test you can make at home to discover if hypothyroidism may be the real, previously unsuspected cause of your ill health.
"If you know you are hypothyroid, HYPOTHYROIDISM: THE UNSUSPECTED ILLNESS will answer your questions about your condition. If you suspect you maybe, if you are unsure what may be causing those chronic headaches, infections, fatigue and low energy, it may help you find the answer." -- Publisher
*Blanchard, Ken, and Marietta Abrams Brill, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypothyroidism: A Simple Plan for Extraordinary Results, ISBN: 0446690619 9780446690614.
Foreword by Mary J. Shomon. (See also Mary Shomon's book Living Well With Hypothyroidism below.)
"Depression, fatigue, headaches, memory lapses, weight gain, constipation, cold intolerance, slowed reflexes, hair loss, menstrual abnormalities -- these are some of the vague, sometimes debilitating symptoms that, in varying combinations, plague more than 13 million patients with hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, many patients with hypothyroidism go for months to years, from doctor to doctor, from test to tests without being properly diagnosed. This is because the TSH blood test, considered the gold standard for diagnosis, is simply not an accurate indicator of hypothryoidism. Perhaps more perplexing, millions who are properly diagnosed find themselves undergoing often ineffective treatments for their disorder. At last, there is a solution: Dr. Blanchard's groundbreaking treatment program draws on emerging research, medical facts, and three decades of clinical experiences as an endocrinologist. It's an individualized program that uses questionnaires and charts to help diagnose sufferers through symptoms, not lab results -- and treats patients of all ages with the safe, but little used T3 hormone in the best combination with the more common T4 hormone, as well as with specific nutritional advice and alternative treatments that really work!" -- Publisher
The thyroid regulates metabolism and effects every organ in the body. Experts estimates that as many as 20 million Americans, or more, may be affected by hypothyroidism. Women are more often affected than men. Illnesses, exposure to toxic chemicals, physical injury of the thyroid, and heredity my cause hypothyroidism. Therefore, if you have a "condition" that has never been diagnosed, then look into the possibility of hypothroidism. Anyone who has trouble with depression should undergo a two-week diagnostic trial with thyroid hormones, because depression "is a typical misdiagnosis of hypothyroidism."
If a reader thinks they may have hypothyroidism, or knows someone who may have hypothyroidism, then the best thing to do is to read Ken Blanchard's book. It is written to both the patient and the physician. The book guides the patient in preparing a medical history that will expose hypothyroidism. Present the medical history to the doctor and request a two week clinical trial of levothyroxine (Synthroid) synthetic T4 hormone replacement. If you feel better during the trial, then that is the diagnosis. Keep in mind that many patients and those advancing in years may have sub-clinical hypothyroidism (light cases) and may benefit by hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Untangling Thyroid Confusion, April 9, 2005
"There is a little gland in your neck that can control your sex life, your weight, your energy and even your mood. But surprisingly, this gland (the thyroid) frequently gets out of whack. Of the 20 million Americans who have thyroid disorders, more than half don't realize it, according to the American Medical Women's Association. Does our diet affect the thyroid gland. Do prescription drugs or chemicals in our environment interfere with proper thyroid functioning? And how do we know when our thyroid is not working adequately? You will find out why it is important to look beyond the lab tests to the patient's symptoms to understand the story behind thyroid insufficiency. Guests: Kenneth Blanchard, M.D., Ph.D., is a board certified endocrinologist. Along with his private practice in Newton-Wellesley, Massachusetts, he also addresses many types of groups on the topic of hypothyroidism, and is considered an authority on the subject. He is the co-author of WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT HYPOTHYROIDISM: A SIMPLE PLAN FOR EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS. Mary Shomon is a patient advocate and author. Her books include LIVING WELL WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM and THE THYROID DIET: MANAGE YOUR METABOLISM FOR LASTING WEIGHT LOSS."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/radio_shows/538_untangling_thyroid_confusion.asp
Brabant, G., and P. Beck-Peccoz, B. Jarzab, P. Laurberg, J. Orgiazzi, I. Szabolcs, A.P. Weetman, and W.M. Wiersinga, Is There a Need to Redefine the Upper Normal Limit of TSH? Eur. J. Endocrinol., May 1, 2006; 154(5): 633 - 637, ISSN: 0804-4643 OCLC.
Colbert, Don, Bible Cure for Thyroid Disorders, ISBN: 1591852811 9781591852810.
"Ancient truths, natural remedies, and the latest findings for your health today." -- Publisher
Langer, Stephen E., and James F. Scheer, Solved: The Riddle of Illness, fourth edition, ISBN: 0071470573 9780071470575.
"Called 'The Great Masquerader,' hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) is one of the most prevalent and least diagnosed disorders by physicians, yet it can be the underlying cause of or contribute to any of 64 ailments, from obesity and chronic fatigue to fibromyalgia and cancer.
"In this new edition, you will discover how to determine if you suffer from low thyroid function; how to differentiate between low thyroid function and hypoglycemia; how to use simple, inexpensive treatments; and much more. It also includes new chapters on environmental toxins, pregnancy, obesity, and how your thyroid influences other glands.
"Stephen E. Langer, M.D., is a renowned thyroid expert and the president of the American Nutritional Medical Association.
James Scheer is the author and co-author of more than fifteen health-related books.
"One of the most important books of our time . . . a perennial bestseller [that] shows you simple ways to understand and manage your thyroid gland so that you can make the most of your life physically, emotionally, and mentally." -- Dr. Dwayne Dyer, from the Foreword
Ridha, Arem, The Thyroid Solution: A Mind-Body Program for Beating Depression and Regaining Your Emotional and Physical Health, ISBN: 0345429206 9780345429209.
"It's sometimes called a hidden epidemic: One in ten Americans -- more than twenty million people, most of them women -- has a thyroid disorder. At any given time, millions of people have an undiagnosed thyroid disorder and experience a chronic mental anguish that almost certainly arises from the very same source. Yet many primary-care doctors still don't recognize the importance of the thyroid in mind-body health -- and its especially crucial role in women's well-being." -- Publisher
"One in ten Americans suffers from thyroid dysfunction, yet most don't realize the mental and emotional components of this condition. 'This is the first book to explain the hidden suffering that many patients have difficulty expressing and the first book to provide new ways of helping address and heal this suffering,' promises author Ridha Arem, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of endocrinology and metabolism at Ben Taub General Hospital, both in Houston, Texas. This book explains the link between stress and thyroid imbalance; how thyroid imbalance affects your emotions, sex life, and relationships; and how to cope with the effects of this imbalance. Because thyroid problems primarily strike women, a whole section deals with women's health issues, such as infertility, miscarriage, postpartum depression, premenstrual syndrome, and menopause. Another section provides practical tools, such as evaluating lab tests and self-diagnosis techniques, dealing with treatment problems and side effects, and preventing memory lapses and depression. The book covers lifestyle choices that affect thyroid health, such as diet, supplementation, and exercise. Frequent case studies (usually told as first-person narratives), checklists, and questionnaires help to simplify the material and make it easier to check the medical information against your own situation. Each chapter ends with 'valuable points to remember,' making review easy. If you suffer from thyroid imbalance, or think you might, this book could be a valuable resource. -- Joan Price
"Arem, a clinical endocrinologist and researcher, says that 20 million Americans (one in ten) have a thyroid disorder. He argues that millions more suffer from undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction and the resulting mental and physical symptoms. Arem clearly and extensively examines the fundamentals of thyroid disease, including diagnosis and therapy, although his focus is on the significance of the thyroid in cognition and emotion -- the mind/body connection. Arem's thesis, derived from mainstream medicine but illustrated throughout by anecdotal reports, is that abnormal thyroid hormone production and dispersal can lead to health problems that range from the psychiatric to ophthalmologic. However, he may be overstating the case when he suggests that thyroid disturbances can underlie depression, anxiety, decreased motivation, and sexual difficulties even in those with normal blood tests. Further, he asserts that thyroid hormone is a bona fide antidepressant. Although thyroid hormone regulation can be important, it isn't the answer to all problems. This book should be of interest to those with thyroid disease; for others, it provides appropriate encouragement to remind their physicians to consider thyroid issues. Recommended for libraries with large budgets. -- Linda M.G. Katz, MCP Hahnemann Univ., Philadelphia, Library Journal (may be subject to copyright)
"Could you have an overactive or underactive thyroid and not even know it? Millions of Americans -- and a high percentage of women in menopause and perimenopause (the decade or so before menopause during which hormonal, emotional, and physical changes begin) -- do. Thyroid imbalances are not always easy to recognize. Only recently have physicians even begun to accept that minimal thyroid imbalances have an important effect on mental and physical health.
"Do you have any of the following symptoms?
Always fatigued or exhausted"Are you feeling burned out from having acted on an excess of energy for several months? Are you listless, forgetful, and feeling disconnected from your friends and family? Are people telling you that you've changed? Are you taking Prozac or a similar drug for mild depression but still feeling that your mind and mood are subpar? Or have you been treated for a major depression in the past five years?
Irritable and impatient
Feeling too hot or too cold
Depressed, anxious, or panicky
Bothered by changes in your skin or hair
At the mercy of your moods
Inexplicably gaining or losing weight
Losing your enthusiasm for life
Sleeping poorly or insomniac
Do you feel better but still not quite your old self?"If you've had a thyroid problem in the past but still answer yes to one or more of these questions, it is quite likely that your symptoms are thyroid-related. You don't have to suffer any longer. The Thyroid Solution will show you how you can work with your physician to heal these lingering symptoms.
Do you have unusual flare-ups of anger?
Are you less socially outgoing than you used to be?
Are you less tolerant of the foibles of family and friends?
Do you suffer from occasional bouts of mild depression?
Do you have frequent lapses in memory?
Are you often unable to concentrate on what you're doing?
Do you feel older than your chronological age?
Shames, Karilee and Richard Shames, Feeling Fat, Fuzzy or Frazzled? A 3-Step Program to: Beat Hormone Havoc, Restore Thyroid, Adrenal, and Reproductive Balance, and Feel Better Fast! ISBN: 159463002X 9781594630026.
"From the authors of THYROID POWER (more than 60,000 copies in paperback sold), comes a practical, hands-on program for the fat, fuzzy, and frazzled among us to feel better fast.
"For the 33 million Americans who feel sluggish, spacey, and stressed out daily, FEELING FAT, FUZZY, OR FRAZZLED? is the first book to address the delicate balance among the thyroid, adrenal, and reproductive glands -- which can make the day-to-day difference between feeling awful and feeling good. Long-term, if left untreated, this imbalance can cause heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, infertility, and severe menopause.
"Authored by an expert physician/nurse team, the book offers readers: an innovative program to identify their particular hormone-related metabolic disorder; a 5-day jumpstart program to help alleviate weight gain, low energy, or frayed nerves fast; and a long-term plan to achieve optimal health." -- Publisher
"A clear, comprehensive, and integrated road map to restore and rebalance our hormones." -- Mary J. Shomon, author of The Thyroid Diet and Living Well With Hypothyroidism
Shames, Richard, and Karilee Halo Shames, Thyroid Power: Ten Steps to Total Health, ISBN: 0688172369 9780688172367.
"Richard and Karilee Shames are not only husband and wife, but doctor and nurse, AND thyroid practitioner and thyroid patient. For more than twenty-five years, the Shameses have been working with people who are 'low thyroid' -- the term they use to describe hypothyroidism -- in their new book, THYROID POWER: TEN STEPS TO TOTAL HEALTH. Karilee herself is hypothyroid, as are several of the couple's children, and these experiences have informed both authors, who have struggled to help not only their own family, but many patients they have treated for thyroid problems as well.
"In a simply written, straightforward manner, the Shameses have reorganized some basic information about hypothyroidism's causes, tests, diagnosis and treatment into a ten-step program of information for patients.
Their ten steps include:
Shomon, Mary J., Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, revised edition, ISBN: 0060740957 9780060740955.
"The most comprehensive resource available on the diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism. For millions of Americans, hypothyroidism often goes untreated . . . or is treated improperly. This book, thoroughly researched by the nation's top thyroid patient advocate -- a hypothyroidism patient herself -- provides you with answers to all your questions, including:
Starr, Mark, MD, Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic, ISBN: 9780975262405 0975262408.
"Dr. Starr has written a clear and understandable explanation of why so many people today are suffering from hypothyroidism, despite normal blood tests that throw their doctors off the track. This book is a compilation of the overwhelming evidence that not only is the modern laboratory testing used to diagnose hypothyroidism completely inadequate, but also the current treatment for the illness is equally lacking efficacy.
"Dr. Starr is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pain Medicine. He has studied with President Kennedy's famous pain specialist, Hans Kraus, M.D., and Lawrence S. Sonkin, Ph.D., renowned endocrinologist at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center." -- Publisher
See also: Prescription Drugs With Dangers, Prescription Drugs With Dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Correct diagnosis, Generic drugs, Depression, Physiological problems, Hypothyroidism, Correct diagnosis, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, What your doctor may not tell you, Prevention of disease, Medical ethics, Healthcare reform, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Public health, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Vaccination, The aged, Patient advocacy, Vaccination, Attention deficit disorder (add), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), and so forth, and so on.
Does Your Dental Floss Contain PFAS Chemicals That Disrupt Hormones? Joe Graedon, January 10, 2019
"PFAS are Hard to Avoid:
There are a bunch of PFASs. They're all impossible to pronounce.
Here are just a few example:
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid)
PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid)
PFNA (perfluorononanoic acid)
PFHxS (perfluorohexanesulfonic acid)
PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)
"These PFASs are used in all sorts of places you might not suspect. They are found in nonstick cookware and stain-repellent sprays. Carpets and furniture may be coated with PFAS to prevent stains from sticking to the fibers. Grease-resistant packaging may also have PFAS. Think pizza boxes or paper containers that hold French fries. Most surprising to us, though, was the report that suggested there are PFASs in some dental floss products (Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, online, Jan. 8, 2019).
"PFAS and Thyroid Problems:
"There appears to be a link between exposure to PFASs and thyroid disease. One chemical in particular, PFOA, has been associated with both hypo and hyperthyroidism. This was the conclusion of the C8 Science Panel (July 30, 2012). These scientists evaluated exposure of residents in Parkersburg, WV, to PFOA."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/01/10/does-your-dental-floss-contain-pfas-chemicals-that-disrupt-hormones/
Environmental Endocrine Disruptors: What Health Care Providers Should Know
http://www.psr.org/assets/pdfs/environmental-endocrine.pdf
Fortnightly Review: Hypothyroidism: Screening and Subclinical Disease, (BMJ 1997;314:1175 [19 April])
A clinical review that suggests any TSH above 2 may indicate failing function.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/314/7088/1175
Healthopedia.com (Hypothyroidism)
http://www.healthopedia.com/hypothyroidism/
How to Treat Common Thyroid Problems
"Dr. David Cooper, director of the Thyroid Clinic at Johns Hopkins University, describes the best treatments for common thyroid problems.
"David S. Cooper, MD, MACP is the Director of the Thyroid Clinic and Professor of Medicine and Radiology in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His website: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/endocrinology_diabetes_metabolism/index.html."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/04/25/show-1162-how-to-treat-common-thyroid-problems/
Lowering Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors, July 14, 2011
"The authors conclude that sticking with fresh food limits exposure to phthalates and BPA."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/07/14/lowering-exposure-to-endocrine-disruptors/
New Study Reveals Why 1 in 6 Hypothyroid Patients Still Feels bad on Levothyroxine, January 15, 2015
"If you are intrigued by this thyroid discussion we think you will find our newly revised 25-page Guide to Thyroid Hormones of great interest. Not only does it go into much greater depth regarding treatment options, it provides information about thyroid testing that you may not find anyplace else.
"Thyroid hormones are essential for normal body functioning. Getting the balance adjusted is a little like Goldilocks and the porridge; not too hot, not too cold, not too much and not too little. We want you to get it just right. Here is a link to our new guide."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/01/15/new-study-reveals-why-1-in-6-thyroid-patients-still-feels-bad-on-levothyroxine/
Mary Shomon
"Patient advocate and author Mary Shomon transformed her 1995 thyroid diagnosis into a mission to educate and empower others struggling with thyroid and hormonal conditions. She is a nationally-known patient advocate and activist, and founder of Thyroid-Info.com. She is the author of New York Times bestseller THE THYROID DIET REVOLUTION: MANAGE YOUR METABOLISM FOR LASTING WEIGHT LOSS and a number of other books on thyroid disease, hormone health, and weight loss. Her most recent book, written with Dana Trentini, is YOUR HEALTHY PREGNANCY WITH THYROID DISEASE.
"Mary is a leading force on hormonal and thyroid health in social media, with her hundreds of thousands of community members at: Thyroid Support/Facebook, with Mary Shomon Thyroid Diet/Facebook, with Mary Shomon Twitter: @thyroidmary."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/09/28/show-1096-what-you-need-to-know-about-treating-thyroid-disease/
Suspected Endocrine Toxicants
http://www.scorecard.org/health-effects/chemicals-2.tcl?short_hazard_name=endo&all_p=t
Thyroid Controversies, April 14, 2012
"Thyroid dysfunction is extremely common, and the symptoms make a person miserable. They are often non-specific, however, and it sometimes takes a while for the big picture of thyroid disease to emerge from the details of fatigue, dry skin, constipation, heavy menstrual periods, hair loss and so forth."
Contains related bibliography.
http://edrv.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/5/704
Update of Newborn Screening and Therapy for Congenital Hypothyroidism
Abstract: "Unrecognized congenital hypothyroidism leads to mental retardation. Newborn screening and thyroid therapy started within 2 weeks of age can normalize cognitive development. The primary thyroid-stimulating hormone screening has become standard in many parts of the world. However, newborn thyroid screening is not yet universal in some countries. Initial dosage of 10 to 15 µg/kg levothyroxine is recommended. The goals of thyroid hormone therapy should be to maintain frequent evaluations of total thyroxine or free thyroxine in the upper half of the reference range during the first 3 years of life and to normalize the serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration to ensure optimal thyroid hormone dosage and compliance.
"Improvements in screening and therapy have led to improved developmental outcomes in adults with congenital hypothyroidism who are now in their 20s and 30s. Thyroid hormone regimens used today are more aggressive in targeting early correction of thyroid-stimulating hormone than were those used 20 or even 10 years ago. Thus, newborn infants with congenital hypothyroidism today may have an even better intellectual and neurologic prognosis. Efforts are ongoing to establish the optimal therapy that leads to maximum potential for normal development for infants with congenital hypothyroidism.
"Remaining controversy centers on infants whose abnormality in neonatal thyroid function is transient or mild and on optimal care of very low birth weight or preterm infants. Of note, thyroid-stimulating hormone is not elevated in central hypothyroidism. An algorithm is proposed for diagnosis and management.
"Physicians must not relinquish their clinical judgment and experience in the face of normal newborn thyroid test results. Hypothyroidism can be acquired after the newborn screening. When clinical symptoms and signs suggest hypothyroidism, regardless of newborn screening results, serum free thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone determinations should be performed."
The Wisconsin Newborn Screening Laboratory
465 Henry Mall
Madison WI 53706
Phone: (608) 262-6547
Fax: (608) 262-5494
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/6/2290
Widespread Pollutants With Endocrine-disrupting Effects: Persistent Organohalogens
An annotated listing of chemicals implicated in endocrine disruption.
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Basics/chemlist.htm
Meanwhile Big Pharma's chemists are taking illegal drugs, altering them, so they can be "pushing" through public advertising, even "creating" new patients where none existed before. It has been written that Ritalin (the medication given children with ADHD) is just one molecule short of cocaine.
In Chapter 2 Attorney Bruce Shortt addresses the issue of "Drugging Them Up;" that is the drugging up of a vast number of the young people attending public schools. In his chapter he addresses the relatively modern phenomenon of labelling many of our youth, especially boys, with a disorder known as ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. And the drug du jour for the treatment of ADHD is "Poor Man's Cocaine" or Ritalin." -- Reader's Comment on Indoctrination: Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity, the companion book to the documentary "IndoctrinaNation"
Block, Mary Ann, No More Ritalin: Treating ADHD Without Drugs, ISBN: 1575661268 9781575661261 9781575662398,
Du Plessis, Susan, and Jan Strydom, The Creators of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) on Trial: and of Youth Violence, the Drug Culture, Teen-age Promiscuity, the Wave of Teen Suicides and Illiteracy, ISBN: 1919751076 9781919751078.
"Contents: The number of children being diagnosed with behavior disorders such as ADHD, conduct disorder and Tourette syndrome is multiplying. | Youth violence, alcohol and drug abuse, teenage promiscuity and teen suicides have become commonplace. | Learning disabilities and illiteracy are increasing at an alarming rate. | This book reveals the true causes of youth-related problems. | Parents will find that this book explains what they can do to overcome ADHD and other emotional and behavioral problems. | Biochemical imbalances or neurological disorders in the brain. | Artificial colors and flavors. | Vaccinations. | Heredity. | TV. | Peer pressure. | A frog in a pot. | The myth of ADHD. | A new interpretation of an old problem. | In search of a biological cause. | Based on a logical flaw. | The restoration of status and riddance of guilt feelings. | The smart pill. | Discouraging results. | Man must learn to be human. | The bandwagon that went to a funeral. | Man is dependent on learning. | Questions most frequently asked. | The decomposition of society. | Youth violence and delinquency -- our social toxin. | The frightening drug scene. | The epidemic of teen-age promiscuity. | The horror statistics of suicide. | The erosion of education. | The soulless roots of psychology and psychiatry. | Members of the psychological guild on the stand. | The roots of modern psychology and psychiatry. | The rise of modern psychology. | The revolt against morals. | Psychiatry helps to free man from his crippling burden. | Morality goes to pot. | Creating a drug culture. | Chaos in the classroom. | Beginning of the rising tide of mediocrity. | Affective education replaces intellectual education. | Making our sick children well. | More of the same. | The Mental Hygiene Movement joins the educational scene. | The heart of psychology and psychiatry. | The proof of the pudding. | The hidden agendas of the experts. | Man is more than an animal. | Physical needs are not man's only needs. | Freedom without limits is no freedom at all. | Nobody can replace a parent. | The three cornerstones of discipline. | Training for self-discipline and self-restraint. | The illogicalities of the humanists. | The promise of an eternal life. | The other side of the coin. | A compass for his life. | What love is and what it is not. | The gold of which the coin is made. | The keys to the Kingdom. | An alternative approach. | A pyramid of repetition must be constructed. | The stratified nature of learning. | The foundational skills of reading. | The stratified nature of concentration. | The interruption of intellectual traditions. | The road that conquers death. | Man's search for meaning. | When man's spiritual need is denied. | The religion of modern man. | The New Age Movement finds its way to America. | Questions and answers on discipline. | From theories to practice. | A program of hope. | The deterioration of our children. | A case study." -- Publisher
Du Plessis, Susan, and Jan Strydom, The Myth of ADHD and Other Learning Disabilities: Parenting Without Ritalin, ISBN: 1563841800 9781563841804.
"If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD or some other behavior disorder, be careful. This diagnosis might be false. . . . The authors of this book explain how parents can teach their children the skills of concentration and self-control without drugging them into submission. Book jacket." -- Publisher
Hallowell, Edward M., and John J. Ratey, Delivered From Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life With Attention Deficit Disorder, ISBN: 0345442318 9780345442314.
"Medication? Maybe. Marry the right person and find the right job? A must if you are an adult suffering from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). So say psychiatrists Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey, authors of the influential DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION, published in 1994. In their new book, DELIVERED FROM DISTRACTION, Hallowell and Ratey survey the current medical landscape concerning ADD, combining their own clinical observations with the latest research to paint a much more complex and, in many ways, positive picture of the condition than has generally been presented.
"Hallowell and Ratey embrace the idea that success in life comes more from playing to your strengths than overcoming your weaknesses. In the case of a person with ADD (child or adult), these strengths often include unusually high levels of creativity, charisma, intelligence, and energy. The authors insist that, while medication and other treatments can sometimes work wonders in reducing limitations, surrounding yourself with people who promote these positive traits, be they in your personal or professional life, is the single most important element to living well with ADD. As both Hallowell and Ratey are not only experts in the field, but "ADDers" themselves, the tips and stories they share for how to do so are fresh, funny, and far more helpful than tired arguments over drugs verse no drugs or whether there's even such a thing as ADD at all." -- Patrick Jennings
Hallowell Center and Hallowell Connections
The Hallowell Center was founded by Dr. Edward M. Hallowell and specializes in the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Worry/Anxiety, and Child Learning Disabilities.
http://www.drhallowell.com/
Martin, Grant L., The Attention Deficit Child, ISBN: 1564767205 9781564767202.
Martin, Grant L., The Hyperactive Child, ISBN: 0896930688 9780896930681,
"This book will identify the symptoms and causes of hyperactivity in children, improve the way you deal with your child at home, and devise appropriate educational strategies at school and home to manage this condition." -- Publisher
Payne, Kim John, The Soul of Discipline: The Simplicity Parenting Approach to Warm, Firm, and Calm Guidance -- From Toddlers to Teens, ISBN: 9780345548672 0345548671.
"Payne conducted a study in which he simplified the lives of children with attention deficit disorder. Within four short months 68 per cent went from being clinically dysfunctional to clinically functional. The children also displayed a 37 percent increase in academic and cognitive aptitude, an effect not seen with commonly prescribed drugs like Ritalin. . . .
"Brilliant, wise, informative, innovative, entertaining, and urgently needed, this timely book is a godsend for all who love children, and for children themselves. It provides a doable plan for providing the kind of childhood that kids desperately need today!" -- Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., author of The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness
Simplifying Childhood may Protect Against Mental Health Issues
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/tracy-gillett/children-mental-health_b_9400848.html
Strydom, Jan, Susan du Plessis, and Benetta Strydom, The Bible's way to Victory Over ADHD and Other Childhood Challenges
"A free online book, providing sound answers on preventing and overcoming behavioral, emotional and learning problems, including ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), Conduct Disorder and Tourette's Syndrome."
http://www.audiblox2000.com/onlinebook/index.htm
E-mail: benetta@mweb.co.za
Renowned Harvard Psychologist Says ADHD is Largely a Fraud
"It may be surprising for you to learn that Kagan believes the diagnosis of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is an invention which mainly benefits the pharmaceutical industry and psychiatrists. . . ."
http://www.thinkinghumanity.com/2017/04/renowned-harvard-psychologist-says-adhd-is-largely-a-fraud.html
Simplifying Childhood may Protect Against Mental Health Issues
"Payne conducted a study in which he simplified the lives of children with attention deficit disorder. Within four short months 68 per cent went from being clinically dysfunctional to clinically functional. The children also displayed a 37 per cent increase in academic and cognitive aptitude, an effect not seen with commonly prescribed drugs like Ritalin. . . ."
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/tracy-gillett/children-mental-health_b_9400848.html
But he answered and said: It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:4)Excess in meat and drink clouds the mind, chokes good affections, and provokes lust. Many a man digs his own grave with his teeth. -- Thomas Manton
Eagleton, Henry, Counseling and Conceptualizing the Bulimic From a Biblical Perspective (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Theological Seminary, D.Min. thesis, 1986).
Includes bibliography.
Fitzpatrick, Elyse, More Than Bread: A Workbook for Women who Struggle With Eating. Available from Institute of Biblical Counseling and Discipleship, 3495 College Ave., San Diego, CA, 92115; 619-582-5554.
"A workbook that addresses ungodly eating habits, both the obvious behaviors and the typical motives of the heart that produce such behavior. Addresses three main categories of sinful eating: overeating, anorexia, and bulimia." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
Institute of Biblical Counseling and Discipleship (formerly CCEF West)
http://www.ibcd.org/
Vath, Raymond E., Counseling Those With Eating Disorders, ISBN: 0849905834 9780849905834.
"This is not a 'how-to-treat' book but rather one that explains the attitudes and principles that have been effective in treating over 200 eating disorder cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Part I deals with the nature, causes and consequences while Part II deals with the treatment." -- GCB
Includes bibliography and index.
"Dr. Vath, who is a Psychiatrist, approaches the counseling of eating disorders from the perspective of a strong, working faith in the principles of Christian teaching. He speaks from a position of having counseled over a hundred patients in their recovery from anorexia.
"His book also deals in a lesser extent with bulimia, especially as it sometimes may be an adjunct of the recovering anorexic.
"Dr. Vath's book is very readable and insightful. I would recommend it for any person who has any family member or close acquaintance with the disorder. -- Reader's Comment
Welch, Edward T., Eating Disorders: The Quest for Thinness, ISBN: 9781934885499 1934885495.
See also: Fasting, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Carnality and flesh pleasing: lust, desires, ambition, Obesity and gluttony, Habits, Self, selfishness, self-esteem, Self-destruction, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 3199
Dyslexia, September 17, 2011
"As youngsters across the country settle into a new school year, some parents will receive disturbing news: little Jason or Emma has dyslexia. While this difficulty in processing written words can create challenges, it can be overcome with creativity. Two extraordinarily accomplished adults relate how their struggles with dyslexia in childhood contributed to their current achievements. Learn how parents can help children confront this challenge."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/09/17/828-dyslexia/
Eye Health, October 29, 2011
"Conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration are very common among older Americans. They often result in impaired vision and affect quality of life severely. Are there health practices that can reduce the risk of these serious problems?
Dry eye is increasingly common and extremely uncomfortable. What can be done to ease the burning and irritation associated with dry eye? How well do these approaches work?
The eyes offer insight into overall health. What red flags can an eye doctor detect? What are the best strategies we can adopt to preserve our vision?
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/10/29/833-eye-health/
How to Protect Your Vision
"What do you need to know to keep your eyes healthy and protect your vision? A leading eye doctor shares his knowledge with you.
"Are there eye diseases that run in your family? Has a parent or a grandparent experienced glaucoma or macular degeneration? Learn how you could reduce your likelihood of developing these problems.
"Is there anything to the idea of vitamins for the eyes? We also discuss diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. How do you make a decision on the proper timing for cataract surgery?"
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/10/05/show-1050-how-to-protect-your-vision/
Mold Allergy Symptoms
"Mold allergy causes the same signs and symptoms that occur in other types of upper respiratory allergies. Mold allergy symptoms can include:
• Sneezing
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Cough and postnasal drip
• Itchy eyes, nose, and throat
• Watery eyes
"Mold allergy symptoms vary from person to person, and range from mild to severe. You may have year-round symptoms or symptoms that flare up only during certain times of the year. You may notice symptoms when the weather is damp, or you're in indoor or outdoor spaces that have high concentrations of mold."
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mold-allergy/DS00773/DSECTION=symptoms
"Strict dental hygiene and the use of fluoride toothpaste will stop tooth decay." (Dental Cavities, Wikipedia)The old GV Black principle of "extension for prevention" [extension of fillings into good portions of a tooth to prevent possible future decay -- compiler], is no longer valid, and natural tooth structure should be preserved and retained as far as possible." (Minimal Intervention Dentistry)
Nothing is better than the natural tooth. All dental treatment should be limited to preserving the natural tooth -- no unnecessary "drilling and filling" or "pulling and implanting."
The challenge that corporate healthcare in America is unable to meet is "how to maintain ever-increasing compensation for healthcare [shareholders and medical professionals -- compiler], while the population becomes healthier."
Jacobsen, Peter, Restorative Dentistry: An Integrated Approach, ISBN: 9781444309263 1444309269.
Colgate Dental Resource Center
Seems to be a good basic resources.
http://www.colgate.com/
Dental Caries
Strict dental hygiene and the use of fluoride toothpaste will stop tooth decay.
"Arrested caries describes a lesion on a tooth which was previously demineralized but was remineralized before causing a cavitation. Using fluoride treatments can help with recalcification. . . .
"A person experiencing caries may not be aware of the disease. The earliest sign of a new carious lesion is the appearance of a chalky white spot on the surface of the tooth, indicating an area of demineralization of enamel. This is referred to as incipient decay. As the lesion continues to demineralize, it can turn brown but will eventually turn into a cavitation ('cavity'). Before the cavity forms, the process is reversible, but once a cavity forms, the lost tooth structure cannot be regenerated. [citation needed]. A lesion which appears brown and shiny suggests dental caries were once present but the demineralization process has stopped, leaving a stain. A brown spot which is dull in appearance is probably a sign of active caries." -- Dental Caries Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_cavities
The Dental Fillings Cover-up and the FDA, Greg Gordon, July 27, 2015
"Senior U.S. health officials have squelched a Food and Drug Administration proposal that for the first time would have curbed dentists' use of mercury -- one of the planet's nastiest toxins, because it attacks the central nervous system -- in treating Americans' decayed teeth."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/07/27/the-dental-fillings-cover-up-and-the-fda/
The Dentist Reviews
http://www.thedentistreviews.com/
Healing Teeth Naturally
"There are a number of fundamental flaws and problems with the dental paradigm of drilling and filling as shown in the following (not necessarily exhaustive) list of the damage done or potentially done by these apparently self-evident everyday acts (and yes, such damage can include . . . death).
"Last but far from least -- dentists' diagnoses far more often than not are wrong. See: "Ten Dentists -- Ten Diagnoses: Studies Into Misdiagnoses or the Quality, Honesty and Reproducibility of Dentists' Treatment Plans," and "Your Dentist's Treatment Plan and Diagnosis. . . Honest and Reproducible or Influenced by Financial Interests? Further Research Into Honesty and Quality of Dentists' Treatment Decisions."
http://www.healingteethnaturally.com/drilling-filling-risks-damages-dangers.html
Is Mouth Guard a Health Menace? August 20, 2012
"BPA (bisphenol A) is an estrogen-like chemical that has been used in a variety of hard plastic products. The FDA recently ruled that children's drinking cups and baby bottles can no longer contain BPA because of concerns about the potential for hormone disruption.
"Dental night guards are designed to protect teeth from grinding during sleep (bruxism). They are often made of hard clear plastic, but it is not easy to determine if they contain BPA. Although dental associations reassure patients that there is no reason to worry about BPA exposure from dental materials, you could ask your dentist to acquire BPA-free night guards.
"Otherwise, replace your mouth guard more frequently, since BPA is released more readily from plastic that has undergone wear."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/20/is-mouth-guard-a-health-menace/
Minimal Intervention Dentistry
"It is now recognised that it is quite possible to heal a lesion on the enamel surface providing it has not progressed. For the enamel surface, providing it has not progressed to surface breakdown and cavitation. As long as the surface is smooth, it can be remineralised through the use of fluoride and/or casein phosphopeptides with amorphous calcium phosphate nanocomplexes (CPP-ACP). The latter will penetrate into the porosities in demineralised enamel and effectively restore the white spot lesion to the full depth of the lesion.
"For demineralised dentine, providing there is still some level of mineral attached to the collagen matrix, it is sufficient to isolate the lesion from further bacterial activity with a bioactive restorative material, and it will remineralise to a considerable degree.
"This means that the old GV Black principle of "extension for prevention" is no longer valid and natural tooth structure should be preserved and retained as far as possible.
"It must be noted that, in permanent teeth, it may take up to four years for demineralisation to penetrate the full thickness of the proximal enamel and develop surface cavitation, and a further four years to reach the pulp."
http://www.midentistry.org/grid.html
Minimal Intervention Dentistry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimal_intervention_dentistry
Minimal Intervention Dentistry
Dr. Louis Malcmacher maintains a general and cosmetic private practice in Cleveland, Ohio.
http://www.commonsensedentistry.com
National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health
"In the year 2000 Surgeon General's report: Oral Health in America where it was reported that no less than a 'silent epidemic of oral diseases is affecting our most vulnerable citizens -- poor children, the elderly, and many members of racial and ethnic minority groups.' . . .
"There are profound and consequential oral health disparities within the U.S. population."
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/oralhealth/nationalcalltoaction.html
Rate a Dentist
http://www.rateadentist.com/
Saving Your Teeth and Protecting Your Wallet. What You Need to Know About Bruxism (Teeth Grinding and Clenching), Lee Weinstein
http://StopGrinding.com/FreeBook.htm
Universal numbering system (dental)
Permanent Teeth:
upper left upper right 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
lower left lower right 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_numbering_system_(dental)
Why Does my Dentist Give me so Many X-Rays?
"Dentists should not rely on a blanket policy on X-rays for all patients, according to guidelines set out by the American Dental Association. Instead they are supposed to inspect each mouth for cavities or gum disease and then recommend specific X-rays for specific reasons."
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/well/why-does-my-dentist-give-me-so-many-x-rays.html?smid=fb-share
World Congress on Minimal Intervention Dentistry
Locate MI dentists.
http://www.wcmidentistry.com/index.php?type_site=2&ID=33138
See the Theological Notes: "The Image of God," at Genesis 1:27 in The Reformation Study Bible.So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:27)
Adams, Jay E. (1929-2020), Accepting Retarded Children; Handling Troubles; and etc. (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation).
Audio cassette JA409 [audio file].
Dean, Chuck, NAM VET: Making Peace With Your Past, ISBN: 0967937108 9780967937106.
"Dean is executive director of Point Man International, a non-profit support organization dedicated to healing war wounds of Vietnam veterans. He was among the first combat troops to be sent to Vietnam.
"This book is a shocker. Listen to these statistics: More Vietnam veterans have committed suicide since 1975 than were killed in the war itself. The divorce rate of Nam vets is 90 percent. One out of four combat veterans make less than $7000 a year." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
"Veterans are entering the 21st century, and for many, Vietnam has never ended. Why do so many suffer from flashbacks, depression, rage, substance abuse, and nightmares? Author and Vietnam veteran Chuck Dean has helped thousands find peace and spiritual healing." -- Publisher
Point Man International Ministries (800) 877-VETS
http://www.pointmanintl.org/
Ikeler, Bernard, Parenting Your Disabled Child, ISBN: 0664240445 9780664240448.
"Assesses the process of healing that occurs 'after one is willing to share the pain with others, rather than suffer in isolation.' Anyone who has directly experienced or lived in a family with a disability will find this must reading. It provided me, as a professional, with valuable new insight into dealing with my disabled parents." -- Robin Line
Kelly, William E. (editor), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the War Veteran Patient, ISBN: 0876303866 9780876303863.
"Provides counselors and therapists with a comprehensive blueprint for conceptualizing and treating war veterans' stress disorders. Concludes with the most comprehensive reading list on this subject yet assembled. Excellent coverage." -- Cyril J. Barber
Newman, Gene, and Joni Eareckson Tada, All God's Children: Ministry With Disabled Persons, ISBN: 0310593816 9780310593812.
"Handbook for pastors, elders, ministry leaders, and lay people who want to minister to people with disabilities. This edition is extensively revised, especially the chapters on hearing-impaired persons and on getting a disability ministry started. The resource lists have been expanded and brought up to date.
"Statistics show that only 5 percent of churches have an outreach to disabled persons and that 95 percent of the people who have disabilities are not active in any church. Why not? In many cases, churches are newly coming to awareness of the need for disability ministry but have no idea how to start or what's involved. ALL GOD'S CHILDREN is a handbook for pastors, elders, ministry leaders, and laypeople who want to minister to people with disabilities. It is a book to equip churches for ministry to those who are mentally retarded, learning disabled, hearing impaired, visually impaired, or otherwise physically disabled. This edition is extensively revised, especially the chapters on hearing-impaired persons and on getting a disability ministry started. The resource lists have been expanded and brought up to date.
"Joni Eareckson Tada is the founder of Joni and Friends, an organization accelerating Christian outreach in the disability community that numbers 610 million people worldwide. This organization operates out of the new Joni and Friends International Disability Center located in Agoura, California. Joni is not only an international disability advocate, but an artist and the author of numerous bestselling books, including Diamonds in the Dust, More Precious Than Silver, the Platinum award-winning Joni, Heaven: Your Real Home, When God Weeps, and The God I Love." -- Publisher
Ryle, J.C. (1816-1900), Thoughts on Sickness for Invalids and Their Friends.
*Tada, Joni Eareckson, Choices: Changes, ISBN: 0720806453 9780720806458.
"This book covers three major choices made in the past eight years that dramatically changed Joni's life: her movie, ministry, and marriage. She has learned the sovereignty of God in her suffering. There may be no finer book on spiritual growth in the life of a person with a major physical handicap." -- GCB
*Tada, Joni Eareckson, Friendship Unlimited: How you can Help a Disabled Friend, ISBN: 0877882886 9780877882886.
"Joni gives positive guidance on building deeper, more understanding relationships with the disabled people we come in contact with each day. This important book contains sections on what to say, when to offer help, how to deal with the common fears and reservations in relationship, and how to be an encouraging friend." -- GCB
Tada, Joni Eareckson, and Steve Estes, A Step Further: Growing Closer to God Through Hurt and Hardship, ISBN: 0310239710 9780310239710.
"Joni has written candidly and simply about one of the knottiest questions of human existence, that of the meaning of suffering. Her own trust illuminates every page." -- Elisabeth Elliot
Tada, Joni Eareckson, C. Everett, M.D. (foreword), When is it Right to Die? Suicide, Euthanasia, Suffering, Mercy, ISBN: 0310585708 9780310585701.
"This book argues against the practice of euthanasia from a decidedly Christian point of view. Tada bases her arguments on the implication that euthanasia is the 'ultimate expression of selfishness' and that persons entertaining such thoughts are being tempted by the forces of evil. While Tada is undeniably self-righteous in tone, readers should note that she writes with personal authority, having been paralyzed in a diving accident in her teens. Libraries seeking to balance their euthanasia collections should consider this for purchase, along with Robert Wennberg's similarly argued TERMINAL CHOICES (LJ 11/15/89). . . . See also: David Cundiff's EUTHANASIA IS NOT THE ANSWER. . . ." -- Jennifer Amador, Central State Hospital Medical Library, Petersburg, VA, in the Library Journal
"Joni Eareckson Tada is president of Joni and Friends, a ministry to disabled people. A presidential appointee to the National Council on Disability, she has served as a political activist on disability-related issues. She explores the issues surrounding euthanasia in more depth. . . ." -- Discipleship Journal
Terrell, Hilton P. (editor), and Franklin E. Payne (editor), Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine, Volumes 1-4: 1987-1990, ISSN: 1050-3404. Available from Covenant Enterprises, P.O. Box 14488, Augusta, GA 30919-0488.
"The JBEM was founded to bring biblical thinking to bear on medical issues. This book collects the first four years worth of articles, and includes a general index and an index of Scripture references. (A second volume, containing the next 4 years, is forthcoming). Many articles are relevant to matters that come up in counseling ministry, matters about which counselors will want to offer informed advice." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine
http://capo.org/jbem/intro_pa.htm
See also: The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Physiological problems, Emotions and health, Joy, Patients, self-control, Patient advocacy, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Eternal life, immortality, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 940, 500-511, 1527, 1541
Joni and Friends
http://www.joniandfriends.org
Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine
http://capo.org/jbem/intro_pa.htm
Point Man International Ministries
Counsel for military veterans.
P.O. Box 339, Sheridan, MI 48884-0339
Hotline: (800) 877-VETS; (517) 831-5215; (517) 831-5216;
FAX: (800) 877-VETS
Point Man International Ministries
http://www.pointmanintl.org/
Segway Human Transport
http://www.segway.com/
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. (Isaiah 46:4)They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. [Psalm 92:14] Being thus planted and watered, they shall not only bring forth the fruits of righteousness, but shall continue and go on to do so, and even when they are grown old; contrary to all other trees, which, when old, cease bearing fruit; but so do not the righteous; grace is often in the greatest vigor when nature is decayed; witness Abraham, Job, David, Zechariah, and Elisabeth, and good old Simeon, who went to the grave like shocks of corn fully ripe. -- John Gill commenting on Psalm 92:14 in a footnote on Calvin's commentary on Psalm 92:12
The truest lengthening of life is to live while we live, wasting no time but using every hour for the highest ends. So be it this day. -- C.H. Spurgeon
We are always to make progress, even unto death, for our whole life is as it were, a race. -- John Calvin, Commentary on Hebrews
Pray that thy last days, and last works may be the best; and that when thou comest to die, thou mayest have nothing else to do but die. -- Vavasor Powell
Understand well that passive obedience is that which God calleth you to in your age and weakness, and in which you must serve and honour him in the conclusion of your labour. When you are unfit for any great or public works, and active obedience hath not opportunity to exercise itself as heretofore, it is then as acceptable to God that you honour him by patient suffering. And therefore it is a great error of them that wish for the death of all that are impotent, decrepit, and bedrid, as if they were utterly unserviceable to God. I tell you, it is no small service that they may do, not only by their prayers, and their secret love to God, but by being examples of faith, and patience, and heavenly mindedness, and confidence and joy in God, to all about them. Grudge not then if God will thus employ you. -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before Him. (Job 13:15)
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone. (Genesis 2:18a)
Finding a geriatrician may not be easy. Remember, there is a shortage, and it will only get worse over the next several years. Nevertheless, the American Geriatrics Society is a nonprofit group of health professionals 'devoted to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people.' The website www.americangeriatrics.org has a referral search system that will allow you to find a geriatrics healthcare provider in many communities. There is also a printed list available by calling 1-800-247-4779. -- Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, page 152
Top 10 Tips for Surviving Old Age
1. Make sure your doctor likes older people.
2. Find a good geriatrician.
3. Ask about special dosing requirements.
4. Beware bad drugs (check the Beers List).
5. Avoid anticholinergic drugs if possible.
6. Minimize the number of drugs you take.
7. Seek nondrug treatment when practical.
8. Be assertive.
9. Have an advocate.
10. Stay active. -- Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, page 167
Adams, Jay E. (1929-2020), Am I too old to Change? (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation).
Audio cassette JA410 [audio file].
Alexander, Archibald (1772-1851), Thoughts on Religious Experience: To Which is Added an Appendix, Containing "Letters to the Aged," ISBN: 079050846X 9780790508467, 338 pages.
Contains counsel for widows and widowers (329-38).
*Baxter, Richard (1615-1691), The Saint's Everlasting Rest: Baxter's Practical Works, Vol. 3, ISBN: 187761128X 9781877611285. A Christian classic.
"Third in the four-volume set. Includes The Saint's Everlasting Rest; Treatise of Self-Denial; The Life of Faith; Obedient Patience, and many more. Over 1000 pages." -- GCB
"This is the greatest treatment on Heaven ever to appear! . . ." -- Wilbur M. Smith.
The Saints' Everlasting Rest, (singly) Richard Baxter, edited by Benjamin Fawcett
"Discusses the nature, excellencies, design, rejection, necessity, of the Saints' rest. Calls us to live the heavenly life now." -- GCB
http://www.ccel.org/b/baxter/everlasting_rest/saints_rest.html
*Becker, Arthur H., Ministry With Older Persons: A Guide for Clergy and Congregations, ISBN: 0806621966 9780806621968.
"One of the most helpful works of its kind. Covers all of the issues in a most practical manner. Shows how those in the church may restore the dignity of the aged and help them in their declining years." -- Cyril J. Barber
Bredesen, Dale E., Kimberly Farr, and Marc Cashman, The First Survivors of Alzheimer's: How Patients Recovered Life and Hope in Their own Words, eAudiobook, audio file, ISBN: 9780593409602 0593409604.
"First person stories of patients who recovered from Alzheimer's Disease -- and how they did it. It has been said that everyone knows a cancer survivor, but no one has met an Alzheimer's survivor -- until now. In his first two books, Dr. Dale Bredesen outlined the revolutionary treatments that are changing what had previously seemed like the inevitable outcome of cognitive decline and dementia. And in these moving narratives, you can hear directly from the first survivors of Alzheimer's themselves -- their own amazing stories of hope told in their own words. These first person accounts honestly detail the fear, struggle, and ultimate victory of each patient's journey. They vividly describe what it is like to have Alzheimer's. They also drill down on how each of these patients made the program work for them -- the challenges, the workarounds, the encouraging results that are so motivating. Dr. Bredesen includes commentary following each story to help point readers to the tips and tricks that might help them as well. Dr. Bredesen's patients have not just survived; they have thrived to rediscover fulfilling lives, rewarding relationships, and meaningful work. This book will give unprecedented hope to patients and their families." -- Publisher
Bredesen, Dale E., David Perlmutter, and Marc Cashman, eAudiobook, [audio file], 10 CDs, The End of Alzheimer's Program: The First Protocol to Enhance Cognition and Reverse Decline at any age, ISBN: 9780593210420 0593210425.
"Dale Bredesen lays out a specific plan to help everyone prevent and reverse cognitive decline or simply maximize brainpower. He drills down on restorative sleep, targeted supplementation, exercise, and brain training. He also examines the tricky question of toxic exposure and provides workarounds for many difficult problems." -- Publisher
Deane, Barbara, Caring for Your Aging Parents: When Love is not Enough, ISBN: 0891095780 9780891095781.
The author is a co-founder of Christian Caregivers. "Furnishes the support and advice caregivers need to provide good care -- without burning out in the process." Helpful reference lists.
The Caregiver's Handbook
http://www.seniormag.com/caregiver-handbook.pdf
DeBardeleben, Martha Graves, and Jay Adams (foreword), Fear's Answers: Case History in Nouthetic Counseling, ISBN: 087552236X 9780875522364.
" 'It was the summer of 1970. I had already discarded my faith in psychology as the source of truth and remedy for the human dilemma. I was more and more finding in God's Word the answers. I was introduced to Jay Adams and his systematizing of Scripture as it applies to the problems of everyday living. I was thrilled to find that Dr. Adams' discoveries both paralleled and went far beyond my own.' Then in 1978 a 78 year old woman with pain, fear, depression, manipulation, hallucinations comes to live with the author. They speak biblically about pride, anger, fear, self-centeredness and lack of trust in God, instead of saying she needs her delusions and is too old for truth. 'What was most crucial in her recovery was that because she had a loving Savior, she could dare face the truth about herself'." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
Fick, D.M., et al., Updating the BEERS Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication use in Older Adults: Results of the U.S. Consensus Panel of Experts, Arch. Intern. Med. 2003; 163:2716-2724. ISSN: 0003-9926, Unique Identifier: 4637607746.
The BEERS criteria were revised in 2003.
The American Geriatrics Association 2012 Beers Criteria
A listing of medications that should be avoided by persons over 65 years of age.
http://www.americangeriatrics.org/files/documents/beers/2012BeersCriteria_JAGS.pdf
Beers revised: Drugs not to use in older adults
"The revised 2012 Beers criteria help health professionals determine therapies for older patients."
https://www.pharmacist.com/beers-revised-drugs-not-use-older-adults
Gillies, John, A Guide to Caring for and Coping With Aging Parents, ISBN: 0840757727 9780840757722.
"A sensitive, loving, and practical approach to the issues that face the middle-aged whose parents can no longer lead independent lives." -- Cyril J. Barber
*Gordon, Burgess L., Understanding and Promoting the Resources of Aging People: A Guide to Care, Proper Environment, and Well Being.
"Describes the conditions that affect the health of the aged. Written more for those who work extensively with senior citizens, this work nevertheless brings into sharp focus the unique needs of the elderly." -- Cyril J. Barber
The Caregiver's Handbook
http://www.seniormag.com/caregiver-handbook.pdf
Grant, George, The Dispossessed: Homelessness in America, ISBN: 0891074112: 9780891074113.
"Grant has a solution to the problem of the homeless that really works. How does he know his ideas work; he practices them. He says that the Bible speaks directly to this problem. The answer is not more government control. His ideas on homelessness and social policy are really different." -- Publisher
Institute for Christian Economics Freebooks.com
http://www.garynorth.com/freebooks/
Halter, Jeffrey B., et al., Hazzard's Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, ISBN: 0071833455 9780071833455.
"The definitive treatise on the subject of geriatrics, this comprehensive text combines gerontology principles with clinical geriatrics, offering a uniquely holistic approach to this ever-expanding area of medicine. Written by some of the world's most respected geriatricians, HAZZARD'S GERIATRIC MEDICINE AND GERONTOLOGY, SEVENTH EDITION presents up-to-date, evidence-based information in a rich new full-color design. Unmatched as a textbook, this classic is also valuable to fellows in geriatric medicine. HAZZARDS'S GERIATRIC MEDICINE AND GERONTOLOGY, SEVENTH EDITION is logically divided into five parts: Principles of Gerontology, Principles of Geriatrics, Geriatric Syndromes, Principles of Palliative Medicine, and Organ Systems and Diseases. Within its pages, you will find balanced, authoritative coverage of every essential topic -- from evaluation and management to nutrition and palliative medicine" -- Publisher
"The last word in geriatrics. Each edition has gotten better." -- Reader's Comment
"Recommended. But be aware that is a very advanced medical reference, not directed to the typical layperson." -- Reader's Comment
Harris, J. Gordon, Biblical Perspectives on Aging: God and the Elderly, ISBN: 9780789035370 0789035375.
"The elderly are frequently an embarrassment to their children who do not know what to do with them. Often the responsibility for their care is placed upon one family member or they are placed in a retirement home. This book will be an important reference work and resource guide for those who seek a connection between the Biblical text and the needs of their parents." -- Cyril J. Barber
Hendricks, William L., A Theology for Aging, ISBN: 0805417125 9780805417128.
"Writing from an evangelical perspective, Hendricks discusses undergirding one's approach to death with confidence. His material is ably supported by Scripture. His conclusions are wholesome. The result is a well articulated treatise on the physical, mental, financial, and emotional pressures aging people face. Recommended." -- Cyril J. Barber
Hyer, Leon, Trauma Among Older People: Issues and Treatment, ISBN: 1583910816 9781583910818.
"This is the definitive work on PTSD with the aged. What makes this book so praiseworthy is a combination of clarity, extensiveness, and insight. By insight, I mean that the authors know when to lay out the full range of accepted diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and when to admit the limitations of what is currently accepted. What is especially refreshing here is the discernment and decision making: looking at the patient's personality and situation in order to decide what kind of treatment approach to use." -- Clinical Gerontologist, Volume 24, No. 4
"This book fills a gaping hole in the field . . . The ideas are very much mainstream, but they are also cutting edge and articulated very clearly. The emphasis on personality and individual differences is much needed, especially as applied to people who have lived with the disorder for years and years." -- Don R. Catherall, Ph.D., Northwestern University Medical School
"The elderly are often isolated by age and social biases, and this lends itself to increased trauma, violence and neglect. Until recent years we have not even had resources and laws/procedures to report elderly abuse, having to rely on the language and format of child abuse while making appropriate adjustments for age and circumstance. Experts in domestic violence cite rapidly growing numbers of victims among the elderly, often in long-term marriages." -- The World Pastoral Care Center
Koenig, Harold G., Research on Religion and Aging: An Annotated Bibliography, ISBN: 0313294275 9780313294273.
Liponis, Mark, UltraLongevity: The Seven-Step Program for a Younger, Healthier You, 304 pages, ISBN: 0316017280 9780316017282.
"Medical director of the world-famous Canyon Ranch Health Resorts, Dr. Mark Liponis presents his extraordinary new idea: that aging and aging-related diseases -- including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes -- are autoimmune problems, and that a well-managed immune system is the key to healthy aging. Cutting-edge research makes ULTRALONGEVITY the first and only book to explore aging within the context of the immune system, and it will change the way we look at health forever. Starting with a quiz -- 'How Fast Are You Aging?' -- Liponis explains the new science, lays out an accessible and proven 7-step program with an 8-day meal plan, and motivates readers to put the program into practice so that they can keep their minds sharp, become more physically fit, be more resistant to infections and disease, and feel and stay younger than they ever imagined. Through the UltraLongevity program, Liponis promises more than a long life; he promises a long, healthy life.
"Mark Liponis, MD, Corporate Medical Director of Canyon Ranch Resorts. His previous book, with Dr. Mark Hyman, was Ultraprevention." -- Publisher
"What an awesome and practical anti-aging program! Dr. Liponis's approach to longevity is based on proven technological breakthroughs supported by hundreds of studies. This is the best original thinking I have seen in decades!" -- Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, FACC, CNS, co-author of REVERSE HEART DISEASE NOW
"UltraLongevity is a treasure -- it's loaded with exactly the kind of information everyone needs to live well and vibrantly -- for as long as possible." -- Christiane Northrup, MD, author of WOMEN'S BODIES, WOMEN'S WISDOM
"An insightful, simplified, and integrated approach to achieving optimal health, wellness, and longevity." -- Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th Surgeon General of the United States
"What do breathing, eating, sleeping, loving, soothing, enhancing, and dancing accomplish? They are the seven things you can do to change your life for the younger (and better).
"Recent scientific research indicates that by paying attention to your immune system, you can control the aging process. . . .
"Talk about your interesting book. It is chock full of great information that inspires you to better living. He gives just enough details to make various lifestyle changes not only reasonable, but feasible. . . .
"My chief complaint about this book is the great amount of time he spent in the netherworld of evolution. The science of the immune system was quite possibly spot on, but it was absolutely unnecessary to continue to state over and over again how it evolved over millions of years. A reference or two I wouldn't even mention, but the evolution horse was beaten dead. Regardless, there is a great amount of useful information in the rest of the book and I intend to put it to use. . . ." This is a great resource for those experiencing an overactive immune system and those who hope not to." -- Reader's Comment
Mack, Wayne A., Peculiar Problems and Blessings of old age. An audio file.
Maves, Paul B., Faith for the Older Years: Making the Most of Life's Second Half, ISBN: 0806621958 9780806621951.
"In a warm style Maves shares his knowledge and experience as a lifelong student of aging and as a senior citizen." -- William E. Hulme
Includes biography, pp. 185-189.
McColley, D., Physical and Spiritual Care of the Terminally ill.
*McCormick, Tom, and Penny McCormick, Nursing Home Ministry, ISBN: 0934688087 9780934688086.
"Previously published by Great Commission Publications. This manual for working with the institutionalized elderly is intended primarily for use by Christians who wish to carry on a Christian ministry." -- Publisher
Norris, Bill, What the Bible Says About Growing Old, ISBN: 0899002587 9780899002583.
Riekse, Robert J., and Henry Holstege, The Christian Guide to Parent Care, ISBN: 0842305440 9780842305440.
"Addresses the needs of aging parents while offering support for caretakers." -- Publisher
Rutecki, G.W., Rationing Medical Care to the Elderly Revisited: Futility as a Just Criterion, ISSN: 1050-3404.
Sherouse, Deborah L. Professional's Handbook on Geriatric Alcoholism, ISBN: 0398048282 9780398048280.
Smick, Timothy S., et al., Eldercare for the Christian Family: What to do When a Loved one Becomes Dependent, ISBN: 0849907195 9780849907197.
"This book explores all the dynamics of caregiving -- planning, financing, burnout, and blessing -- and enables grown children to select the most comprehensive care plan for their loved ones. It is full of practical advice and spiritual insights." -- GCB
Watson, David, Fear no Evil: One man Deals With Terminal Illness, ISBN: 0802725406 9780802725400.
"FEAR NO EVIL is the conquest of death -- not by looking away from it, nor by being shielded from it, but by facing it squarely and going down into it knowing that for a believer it is the vestibule of glory. Watson died peacefully one month after completing this book." -- GCB
"David Watson candidly shares his journey from "life to life" in a comforting and encouraging manner. With the Lord as his travelling companion, Watson reveals the most important pursuit given to humanity -- to seek God's face." -- Reader's Comment
Whitehouse, Peter J., and Daniel George, The Myth of Alzheimer's: What you Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis, ISBN: 9780312368166 031236816X 9780312368173 0312368178.
"Challenges conventional perceptions about Alzheimer's disease to offer readers alternative approaches to memory loss and aging that can be aided through simple nutritional and exercise strategies." -- Publisher
Word Publishing, God's Promises for the Golden Years, ISBN: 0849951704 9780849951701.
"It is a collection of verses from God's inspired Word, organized into topics that address the issues faced by those in mid-life and beyond. This superbly organized, thoughtful collection responds to many areas of interest and concern. . . ." -- CRM
See also: The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Prescription Drugs With Dangers, Prescription Drugs With Dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Generic drugs, Depression, Hypothyroidism, Correct diagnosis, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Eternal life, immortality, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Healthcare reform, Public health, Patient advocacy, Prevention of disease, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 2191-2195
American Heart Association Stroke Hospital Locator
Find the nearest stroke certified hospital.
http://maps.heart.org/quality/
Cardiac Stem Cells Show Promise, November 17, 2011
"There's good news and bad news in the field of stem cell research. A small, preliminary study of patients with heart failure showed that cardiac stem cells can improve the heart's ability to pump blood. Cardiac surgeons removed a bit of heart tissue during bypass surgery or biopsy. Cardiac stem cells were coaxed from that tissue and later injected into the heart. Even years after the original damage, the cardiac stem cells were able to develop new heart cells and improve overall heart function. Some experts think this discovery is a major advance in the treatment of heart failure, but much more research will be needed to see whether the results in these fourteen heart patients can be generalized to a wider population." (The Lancet, Nov. 14, 2011)
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/11/17/cardiac-stem-cells-show-promise/
The Caregiver's Handbook
http://www.seniormag.com/caregiver-handbook.pdf
The David Drew Clinic
"Providing the highest level of preventive medical diagnosis in the world today." They have opted out of Medicare. A complete physical is about $3,000 to $4,000. Primarily a service for top executives. (See: Should I be Tested for Cancer? by H. Gilbert Welch.)
Some authorities have advised against such extensive medical testing for a variety of reason: the inherent risks of many of the tests themselves, of X-rays, body CT-scans, stress tests, dyes used, and so forth and so on.
http://daviddrew.com/
ElderWeb
http://www.elderweb.org/
Family Caregiver Alliance
http://www.caregiver.org/
Healthy Aging, April 30, 2011
"Getting to a ripe old age may mean you have good genes and luck on your side, along with a healthy lifestyle. But as people accumulate birthdays, the medical system may undermine their vitality and independence.
"Ageism in healthcare may mean that older people are pigeonholed and not offered care that is best for them. Many medications that are safe for younger adults can be dangerous for an older person. How can you protect your parents (or yourself) from prescriptions that cause problems?
"Guest: Mark S. Lachs, MD, M.P.H. is Professor of Medicine and Co-Chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. He is also director of Cornell's Center for Aging Research and Clinical Care and Director of Geriatrics for the New York-Presbyterian Health System. He is the author of TREAT ME, NOT MY AGE: A DOCTOR'S GUIDE TO GETTING THE BEST CARE AS YOU OR A LOVED ONE GETS OLDER. His website is
www.treatmenotmyage.com.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/04/30/811-healthy-aging/
Healthopedia.com (Alzheimers)
http://www.healthopedia.com/alzheimers-disease/
How to Prevent Alzheimer Disease
"A multifactorial approach, looking at many lifestyle components and biochemical markers, may offer the best chance to prevent Alzheimer disease."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/08/22/how-to-prevent-alzheimer-disease/
Letters of Archibald Alexander
Letters to the aged.
http://gracegems.org/26/letters_to_the_aged.htm
Medical Debt Among People With Health Insurance, Karen Pollitz, et al., (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation), Jan 07, 2014
"Medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S., contributing to 62 percent of personal bankruptcies in 2007. Most who filed for medical bankruptcy that year were well educated, owned homes, and had middle-class occupations. Three quarters had health insurance." (David Himmelstein, et al., "Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study," The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 122, Issue 8, August 2009)
http://kff.org/report-section/medical-debt-among-people-with-health-insurance-consequences-of-medical-debt/
National Stroke Association
Learn the signs of stroke.
http://www.stroke.org/
PSA Screening Still Puzzling, March 15, 2012
"Prostate cancer screening with a PSA test may not save lives. The prostate specific antigen or PSA test has been controversial for years. Many doctors have relied on the PSA test to help identify men who may have prostate cancer that requires treatment. Recently, though, experts have been debating the value of this screening test. The Preventive Services Task Force recommended that healthy men forego routine PSA screening because it doesn't save lives and may lead to unnecessary interventions. Now a study from Europe shows that the test can help with prostate cancer detection and reduce deaths from the cancer. But the overall mortality rate was the same for men who were screened and those who were not."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/03/15/psa-screening-still-puzzling/
What can be Done to Help When the Prognosis is Poor, October 2017
"Even when a person has been diagnosed with an incurable disease, doctors can provide palliative care to help the patient live better as well as longer.
"Although lifespans have been increasing, so has the burden of chronic disease. When a person is diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer, cirrhosis, kidney disease, heart failure or Parkinson's, medical science may not have a cure. But doctors shouldn't say, there's nothing more we can do. Instead, they should ask, how can we help this patient live better, if not longer? That is the goal of palliative care.
"Steven Pantilat, MD, is professor of medicine in the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He is the Kates-Burnard and Hellman Distinguished Professor in Palliative Care and the founding director of the UCSF Palliative Care Program. In 2007, this program received a Circle of Life Award in recognition of excellence and innovation from the American Hospital Association.
"His book is LIFE AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS: EXPERT ADVICE ON LIVING WELL WITH SERIOUS ILLNESS FOR PATIENTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. His website is www.lifeafterthediagnosis.com"
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/10/12/show-1097-what-can-be-done-to-help-when-the-prognosis-is-poor/
The Treasury of David, Psalm 90, C.H. Spurgeon
Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. (Psalm 90:1)
This is, of course, a prayer of Moses, who is considered the greatest of the prophets. He wrote the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, and Deuteronomy is the book most referred to by Christ in the New Testament.
"The 90th Psalm might be cited as perhaps the most sublime of human compositions -- the deepest in feeling -- the loftiest in theologic conception -- the most magnificent in its imagery." -- Isaac Taylor
"Verse 17 [Psalm 90:17]. And establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. Let what we do be done in truth, and last when we are in the grave; may the work of the present generation minister permanently to the building tip of the nation. Good men are anxious not to work in vain. They know that without the Lord they can do nothing, and therefore they cry to him for help in the work, for acceptance of their efforts, and for the establishment of their designs. The church as a whole earnestly desires that the hand of the Lord may so work with the hand of his people, that a substantial, yea, an eternal edifice to the praise and glory of God may be the result. We come and go, but the Lord's work abides. We are content to die so long as Jesus lives and his kingdom grows. Since the Lord abides for ever the same, we trust our work in his hands, and feel that since it is far more his work than ours he will secure it immortality. When we have withered like grass our holy service, like gold, silver, and precious stones, will survive the fire." -- C.H. Spurgeon
http://archive.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps090.phpHe will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (Isaiah 25:8,9)I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. (John 11:25b-26a)
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. (Romans 14:8,9)
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)
And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. (1 John 2:25)
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:19)
See the Theological Notes: "Salvation," at Acts 4:12 in The Reformation Study Bible.
See the Theological Notes: "The Resurrection of Jesus," at Luke 24:2 in The Reformation Study Bible.
See the Theological Notes: "Resurrection and Glorification," at 1 Corinthians 15:21 in The Reformation Study Bible.
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:12,13)
See the Theological Notes: "Death and the Intermediate State," at Philippians 1:23 in The Reformation Study Bible.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
The Treasury of David, Psalm 121, C.H. Spurgeon
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall keep thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in from henceforth and forever. (Psalm 121:7-8)
http://archive.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps121.phpLet not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:1-3)
But whatsoever is the cause of the wicked's resurrection, this sufficeth to the saints' comfort, that resurrection to glory is only the fruit of Christ's death: and this fruit they shall certainly partake of. The promise is sure: All that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and come forth, John v. 28 [John 5:28]. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Christ, that of all which he hath given him he should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day, John vi. 39 [John 6:39]; and that every one that believeth on the Son may have everlasting life, and he will raise him up at the last day, ver. 40 [John 6:40] . . . . If his death immediately raised the dead bodies of many saints in Jerusalem; if he gave power to his apostles to raise the dead; then what doubt of our resurrection? And thus, Christian, thou seest that, Christ having sanctified the grave by his burial, and conquered death, and broke the ice for us, a dead body and a grave is not now so horrid a spectacle to a believing eye; but as our Lord was nearest his resurrection and glory when he was in the grave, even so are we; and he that hath promised to make our bed in sickness, will make the dust as a bed of roses. Death shall not dissolve the union betwixt him and us, nor turn away his affections from us; but in the morning of eternity he will send his angels, yea, come himself, and roll away the stone, and unseal our grave, and reach us his hand, and deliver us alive to our Father. . . . Thy sickness is not unto death, though I die, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby. Say not, then, he lifted me up to cast me down, and hath raised me high that my fall may be to the lower; but he casts me down that he may life me up, and layeth me low that I may rise the higher. A hundred experiences have sealed this truth unto thee, that the greatest dejections are intended but for advantages to the greatest dignity and the Redeemer's glory. -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
You cannot deny him to be the disposer of all things, without denying him to be God: it is he that loveth us, and never meant us any harm in any thing that he hath done to us; that gave the life of his Son to redeem us; and therefore thinketh not life too good for us. Our sickness and death are sent by the same love that sent us a Saviour, and sent us the powerful preachers of his word, and sent us his Spirit, and secretly and sweetly changed our hearts, and knit them to himself in love; which gave us a life of precious mercies for our souls and bodies, and hath promised to give us life eternal; and shall we think, that he now intendeth us any harm? Cannot he turn this also to our good, as he hath done many an affliction which we have repined at? -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
Let your thoughts of death, and preparations for it, be as serious as if death were just at hand. Though all your life be little enough to prepare for death, and it be a work that should be done as soon as you have the use of reason, yet age and weakness call louder to you, presently to prepare without delay. Do therefore all that you would fain find done, when your last sickness cometh; that unreadiness to die may not make death terrible, nor your age uncomfortable.
Live in the joyful expectation of your change, as becometh one that is so near to heaven, and looketh to live with Christ for ever. Let all the high and glorious things, which faith apprehendeth, now show their power in the love, and joy, and longings of your soul. There is nothing in which the weak and aged can more honour Christ and do good to others, than in joyful expectation of their change, and an earnest desire to be with Christ. This will do much to convince unbelievers, that the promises are true, and that heaven is real, and that a holy life is indeed the best, which hath so happy an end. When they see you highest in your joys, at the time when others are deepest in distress: and when you rejoice as one that is entering upon his happiness when all the happiness of the ungodly is at an end; this will do more than many sermons, to persuade a sinner to a holy life. I know that this is not easily attained; but a thing so sweet and profitable to yourselves, and so useful to the good of others, and so much tending to the honour of God, should be laboured after with all your diligence: and then you may expect God's blessing on your labours. Read to this use the fourth part of my "Saints' Rest." -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)The person who has Christ, has life. They can look around them on the temporary things and see change and decay on every side without dismay. They have got treasure in heaven, which neither rust nor moth can corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal.
They can look forward to the things eternal and feel calm and composed. Their Savior has risen, and gone to prepare a place for them. When they leave this world they shall have a crown of glory, and be forever with their Lord. They can look down even into the grave, as the wisest Greeks and Romans could never do, and say, Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, grave, where is your victory? (1 Cor. 15:55 [1 Corinthians 15:55]). -- J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)It should be kept in mind that 'spiritual unity' [the unity between persons having the same objective faith in the Gospel -- compiler], is much more intimate than physical unity can be [Spiritual unity transcends geographical distance and transcends temporal time to eternity. Therefore, a Christian funeral, while bittersweet, is also a great celebration. The spirit may have left the body, but there is a love among the faithful that transcends space and temporal time into eternity, and that oneness is felt by the Elect at a funeral. -- compiler], and that such physical analogies of spiritual unity as the Lord's Supper and marriage, rather than exaggerating the intimacy of spiritual unity, do not even approach it." -- John W. Robbins commenting on Philemon 4-7 in Slavery Christianity
Death, like a whirlwind, may blow down the tree of the body, but it cannot blast the fruit of our graces. The trees of righteousness carry their fruit with them: their works follow them (Revelation 14:13). -- Thomas Watson (1620-1686)
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)
For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. (Romans 14:7)
Abortion was the 20th century's biggest single killer of mankind worldwide, far surpassing any other cause: disease, war, governments, natural disasters, and so forth. See: "Biggest Killers of the 20th Century." Notice that abortion is not included in this diagram. The absence of information says something about the depravity of mankind (Jeremiah 17:9,10), and about the suppression and repression of truth. (Hosea 4:6,7)
The number of abortions performed worldwide in the last 50 years is estimated to be 1 to 2 billion. But try to document this fact elsewhere online.
The total abortions worldwide for the 20th century may be interpolation from available data. The calculation does not factor in incremental increases in world population since 1900. Worldwide there are an estimated 43.8 million abortions annually (2008 figures, Guttmacher Institute) X 100 years = 4.38 billion killings worldwide in the 20th century. This is compared to 1.97 billion estimated deaths worldwide for non-communicable diseases the reported biggest killer worldwide of the 20th century. Comparison may also be made with figures for genocide.
Number of Abortions -- Abortion Counters
"The most accurate set of abortion counters on the web. Number of abortions in U.S. and worldwide; Number of abortions since 1973; Number of abortions this year; U.S. abortion clock; Worldwide abortion clock; Number of abortions due to rape or incest; Planned Parenthood abortion count."
http://www.numberofabortions.com/
Adams, Jay E. (1929-2020), Fear of Death; Church Discipline; Being in the Hospital (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation).
Audio cassette JA408 [audio file].
Adams, Jay E. (1929-2020), Role-Play and Critique (part 3), (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation).
"Wife's Husband Dies; Mother's Baby Born Deformed; Pregnant Unwed Daughter."
Audio cassette JA212 [audio file].
Adams, Jay E. (1929-2020), Sex Change; Division in Eldership; Children; Suicide; Paranoia; Repression; Forgetting; Death (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation).
Audio cassette JA506 [audio file].
Aldrich, Sandra Picklesimer, Living Through the Loss of Someone You Love: One Woman's Story of Loss, Grief, and New-found Hope, ISBN: 0830713964 9780830713967.
Bailey, Robert, Ministering to the Grieving, ISBN: 0310417619 9780310417613.
Baxter, J. Sidlow, The Other Side of Death: What the Bible Teaches About Heaven and Hell, ISBN: 0825421586 9780825421587.
"Here is a study of heaven, hell, and life beyond death that addresses the contemporary confusion over universalism, New Age spirituality, and Eastern mysticism. This intriguing study offers both guidance and spiritual comfort for readers wanting to understand God's plan for them after life on earth. Pastors will find a wealth of illustrative material for sermon preparation." -- Publisher
*Baxter, Richard (1615-1691), Dying Thoughts: Christian Hope for the Life Hereafter, ISBN: 0801006015: 9780801006012. A Christian classic.
"It deals with the Christian life, and it intends to encourage the believer to live a holy life with eternity constantly in view. It presents a challenge, developing the Scriptures that promise the joy, peace, and delight for those who go to be with Christ. It will be a help to those who are facing bereavement. . . ." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
The Saints' Everlasting Rest, Richard Baxter, edited by Benjamin Fawcett
http://www.ccel.org/b/baxter/everlasting_rest/saints_rest.html
*Baxter, Richard (1615-1691), The Saint's Everlasting Rest: Baxter's Practical Works, Vol. 3, ISBN: 187761128X 9781877611285. A Christian classic.
"Third in the four-volume set. Includes The Saint's Everlasting Rest; Treatise of Self-Denial; The Life of Faith; Obedient Patience, and many more. Over 1000 pages." -- GCB
"This is the greatest treatment on Heaven ever to appear! . . ." -- Wilbur M. Smith.
The Saints' Everlasting Rest, (singly) Richard Baxter, edited by Benjamin Fawcett
"Discusses the nature, excellencies, design, rejection, necessity, of the Saints' rest. Calls us to live the heavenly life now." -- GCB
http://www.ccel.org/b/baxter/everlasting_rest/saints_rest.html
*Boettner, Loraine, Immortality, ISBN: 0875521274.
"A clear-cut evangelical presentation of physical death, immortality, and the intermediate state. Includes a discussion of soul sleep, annihilation, purgatory, spiritism, prayers for the dead, cremation, and so on. A valuable work." -- Cyril J. Barber
Boston, Thomas (1676-1732), Death. Available in Boston's HUMAN NATURE IN ITS FOURFOLD STATE. Available (PDF, HUMAN NATURE IN ITS FOURFOLD STATE, MP3, DEATH) on the Puritan Hard Drive.
http://www.westminsterconfession.org/godly-living/death.php
Cushenberry, Donald C., Coping With Life After Your Mate Dies, ISBN: 0801057655 9780801057656.
"For Donald and Rita Cushenberry, practical wisdom for grieving and getting on with life came from personal experience. Each has lost a spouse, grieved, and eventually found new life. This book brings comfort and helps survivors face decisions." -- Publisher
*Kuyper, Abraham, In the Shadow of Death: Meditations for the Sickroom and at the Death-bed, ISBN: 0963255746 9780963255747.
*Morey, Robert A., Death and the Afterlife, ISBN: 0871234335 9780871234339.
"Coming with recommendations by Walter Martin, Vernon Grounds, and Roger Nicole, this is the most comprehensive modern treatment to be found. Since the beginning of time the doctrine of eternal punishment has been fiercely attacked. This study provides answers to just about every question on the subject." -- GCB
*Owen, John (1616-1683), The Death of Christ, volume 10 of WORKS, ISBN: 0851510647 9780851510644. Alternate title: SALUS ELECTORUM, SANGUIS JESU: OR THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST. BEING A TREATISE OF THE REDEMPTION AND RECONCILIATION THAT IS IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST; WHEREIN THE WHOLE CONTROVERSY ABOUT UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION IS FULLY DISCUSSED: IN FOUR PARTS; . . . BY JOHN OWEN, D.D. A Christian classic. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive. Available on Reformation Bookshelf CD #20.
"Greatest Biblical apologetic on the specific and limited nature of the atoning work of Christ in print. Contains discussions on Arminianism, the death of death in the death of Christ, Divine justice, and also discusses, in detail, many views of the atonement that certain men and groups held (and still hold)." -- Publisher
"THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST is a polemical work, designed to show, among other things, that the doctrine of universal redemption is unscriptural and destructive of the gospel. . . . Those who see no need for doctrinal exactness and have no time for theological debates which show up divisions between so-called Evangelicals may well regret its reappearance. Some may find the very sound of Owen's thesis so shocking that they will refuse to read his book at all. . . . But . . . there are signs today of a new upsurge of interest in the theology of the Bible: a new readiness to test traditions, to search the Scriptures and to think through the faith. It is to those who share this readiness that Owen's treatise is now offered, in the belief that it will help us in one of the most urgent tasks facing evangelical Christendom today -- the recovery of the Gospel.
"It is safe to say that no comparable exposition of the work of redemption as planned and executed by the Triune Jehovah has ever been done since Owen published his in 1684. None has been needed.
"Owen's interpretation of the texts . . . is sure; his power of theological construction is superb; nothing that needs discussing is omitted, and . . . no arguments for or against his position have been used since his day which he has not himself noted and dealt with. . . . Owen's work is a constructive, broad-based biblical analysis of the heart of the gospel, and must be taken seriously as such. . . Nobody has a right to dismiss the doctrine of the limitedness . . . of the atonement as a monstrosity of Calvinistic logic until he has refuted Owen's proof that it is part of the uniform biblical presentation of redemption, clearly taught in plain text after plain text. And nobody has done that yet." -- J.I. Packer, from the Introduction
"Packer's well balanced definition of Calvinism in the introduction to that volume [John Owen's THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST], is by far the best we have seen in 42 years of intensive reading." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/deathofdeath
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: Being a Treatise of the Redemption and Reconciliation That is in the Blood of Christ; Wherein the whole controversy about universal redemption is fully discussed: In four parts (1792)
http://archive.org/details/deathofdeathinde00owen
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, including J.I. Packer's Introduction by John Owen
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/packer_intro.html
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: Redemption and Reconciliation That is in the Blood of Christ (Limited Atonement), 1 of 33, [audio file]
An audio file reading by Still Waters Revival Books from THE WORKS OF JOHN OWEN. Currently (October 2018), there are 77 readings of John Owen by SWRB and Reformed Baptist of Holland (Michigan), (Thomas Sullivan), at SermonAudio.com available for listening online, downloading as MP3 files, [audio file], and listening on iPhone, mobile phones, and MPE players.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=47081639571
Packer, J.I. (editor, 1926-2020), Richard Baxter A Grief Sanctified: Passing Through Grief to Peace and Joy, ISBN: 0892838418 9780892838417.
"Richard Baxter, a prominent 17th-century pastor and author, was devastated when his wife, Margaret, died at the age of 45. One month after her death, he penned a lover's tribute and a believer's celebration of God's love. Beloved theologian J.I. Packer has edited Baxter's memoir for today's reader and has included it along with his own wise reflections -- offering encouragement for those who have known or are now suffering grief." -- Publisher
Pantilat, Steven, Life After the Diagnosis: Expert Advice on Living Well With Serious Illness for Patients and Caregivers, ISBN: 9780738219387 073821938X.
"An invaluable book for those struggling to live well with an incurable disease, written by a doctor's doctor -- the sort of fellow that physicians seek out for their own care." -- Abraham Verghese, MD, Professor and Vice Chair, Stanford University Department of Medicine
"During the times of uncertainty and fear that follow a serious diagnosis, this book arrives like a guardian angel. I will recommend it to all my patients, and will keep it close to hand for me and my family too." -- Diane E. Meier, MD, Director, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Parnia, Sam, What Happens When we Die? A Groundbreaking Study into the Nature of Life and Death, ISBN: 1401907105 9781401907105 1401907113 9781401907112.
"Sam Parnia, M.D., is a leading expert on near-death experiences. He now spends his time in hospitals and Cornell University in New York, where he's a Fellow in pulmonary and critical-care medicine. He founded the Consciousness Research Group and is chairman of the Horizon Research Foundation. Dr. Parnia is constantly in demand as a speaker, and he's made numerous media appearances. His groundbreaking research was recently featured in the BBC 2 and Discovery documentary, "The Day I Died." This is Dr. Parnia's first book." -- Publisher
Phipps, William E., Death: Confronting the Reality, ISBN: 080420487X 9780804204873.
"Phipps helps to dispel ambivalence and ably assesses the experiences of those facing life's exodus. It is hoped that many will acquire and read this compassionate discussion." -- Cyril J. Barber
*Spurgeon, C.H. (1834-1892), Death, ISBN: 0686230248.
A booklet.
*Spurgeon, C.H. (1834-1892), Jesus Christ Himself. (Ephesians 2:20) A sermon by C.H. Spurgeon delivered on Lord's-day morning, December 9, 1877, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, Sermon no. 1388.
"Beyond all argument or miracle, Jesus Christ Himself is the proof of His own Gospel. And as He is the proof of it, so, Beloved, He is the marrow and essence of it. When the Apostle Paul meant that the Gospel was preached, He said, Christ is preached, for the Gospel is Christ Himself! If you want to know what Jesus taught, know Him! He is the incarnation of that Truth of God which by Him and in Him is revealed to the sons of men. Did He not, Himself say, I am the way, the truth, and the life?
"You have not to take down innumerable books, nor to pore over mysterious sentences of double meaning in order to know what our great Teacher has revealed. You have but to turn and gaze upon His countenance, behold His actions and note His spirit and you know His teaching. He lived what He taught. If we wish to know Him, we may hear His gentle voice saying, Come and see. Study His wounds and you understand His innermost philosophy. To know Him and the power of His Resurrection is the highest degree of spiritual learning. He is the end of the Law and the soul of the Gospel -- and when we have preached His Word to the fullest, we may close by saying, Now, of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum -- we have an High Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens." -- C.H. Spurgeon
http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols22-24/chs1388.pdf
Strauss, Lehman, When Loved Ones are Taken in Death.
*Thomson, John Henderson (editor), John McMain, and David Scott (introduction) A Cloud of Witnesses for the Royal Prerogatives of Jesus Christ Being the Last Speeches and Testimonies of Those who Have Suffered for the Truth in Scotland Since, 1680. Alternate title: THE FIFTEENTH EDITION, ENLARGED AND CORRECTED: A CLOUD OF WITNESSES, FOR THE ROYAL PREROGATIVES OF JESUS CHRIST: OR, THE LAST SPEECHES AND TESTIMONIES OF THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED FOR THE TRUTH IN SCOTLAND, SINCE THE YEAR 1680: WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING THE QUEENSFERRY PAPER; TORWOOD EXCOMMUNICATION; A RELATION CONCERNING MR. RICHARD CAMERON, MR. DONALD CARGIL, AND HENRY HALL; AND AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO WERE KILLED WITHOUT PROCESS OF LAW, AND BANISHED TO FOREIGN LANDS: WITH A SHORT VIEW OF SOME OF THE OPPRESSIVE EXACTIONS, ISBN: 0873779231. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"With the Testimonies of John Nisbet the Younger, John Nisbet of Hardhill, Robert Miller, Thomas Harkness, &c. A Letter of John Semple's and of Archibald Stewart's. The Paper found upon Mr. Cameron at Airsmoss, and an Acrostick upon his name. The Testimony of John Finlay in Kilmarnock. The Epitaphs upon the Grave Stones of Mr. Samuel Rutherford, Mr. John Welwood, and the noble Patriots who fell at Pentland-hills, &c.
"Also includes THE TESTIMONY OF SOME PERSECUTED PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL, UNTO THE COVENANTED REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, AND TO THE PRESENT EXPEDIENCY OF CONTINUING TO PREACH THE GOSPEL IN THE FIELDS, AND AGAINST THE PRESENT ANTI-CHRISTIAN TOLERATION IN ITS NATURE AND DESIGN, &C. GIVEN IN TO THE MINISTERS AT EDINBURGH, BY MR. JAMES RENWICK, UPON THE 17TH JAN. 1688. AND MR. RICHARD CAMERON'S LAST SERMON; PREACHED ON KYPE WATER IN EVANDALE, JULY 18TH, 1680, THREE DAYS BEFORE HE WAS KILLED AT AIRS-MOSS. (Pittsburgh: Printed for David Reed, by Eichbaum & Johnston, 1824), 1884 edition.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1,2)
"Presbyterian Covenanter martyrs of Scotland, their last speeches and testimonies. The first edition appeared in 1714, and as more material was collected it was added to the 15 editions that were printed over the next 100 years.
"An amazing book compiled to show how -- and especially why (from their own dying testimonies) -- the Covenanters suffered, bled and died. These brave martyrs for Christ laid the foundation for liberty and truth in both church and state. They have much to say to us today . . . . Though the issues and ferocity of persecution (by the Popes, prelates, and Erastians) were more obvious during the times covered in this book, the message to contemporary Christians could not be clearer: we are involved in a life and death struggle. Few books are this moving or this edifying -- a real treasure! (658 pp., 1884 ed.)." -- Publisher
The 1871 edition was praised by Spurgeon.
A Cloud of Witnesses
https://archive.org/details/cloudofwitnesses00thom
A Cloud of Witnesses, 1871 edition, free online e-text. Original from Oxford University. Digitized Aug 31, 2006.
http://books.google.com/books?id=4vMCAAAAQAAJ&dq=thomson+a+cloud+of+witnesses&ie=ISO-8859-1
Watson, David, Fear no Evil: One Man Deals With Terminal Illness, ISBN: 0802725406 9780802725400.
"FEAR NO EVIL is the conquest of death -- not by looking away from it, nor by being shielded from it, but by facing it squarely and going down into it knowing that for a believer it is the vestibule of glory. Watson died peacefully one month after completing this book." -- GCB
"David Watson candidly shares his journey from "life to life" in a comforting and encouraging manner. With the Lord as his travelling companion, Watson reveals the most important pursuit given to humanity -- to seek God's face." -- Reader's Comment
Webb, Robert, The Theology of Infant Salvation, ISBN: 0873779398.
Wilde, Gary (editor), Bible Promises to Treasure for People in Recovery: Inspiring Words for Every Occasion, ISBN: 0805493905 9780805493900.
See also: The lord jesus christ, The all-sufficiency of christ, Eternal life, immortality, Heaven, Hope, Comfort, encouragement, Ministering to the dying, The free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, the covenant of eternal salvation, Book-length presentations of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come, the means of grace, Bad relationships a cause of disease and death, Affliction, adversity, trials, suffering, chastisement, Heaven, Justifying faith, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 1360, 2158, 2160, 2162, 2163, 4136
Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF)
1803 East Willow Grove Avenue
Glenside, PA 19038
Telephone: 215.884.7676
http://www.ccef.org/
Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation Resources Audio Archives
http://www.wts.edu/resources/login.html/
Justifying Faith
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr1cha.html#justfaith
List of Wars and Anthropogenic Disasters by Death Toll, Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_and_anthropogenic_disasters_by_death_toll
A Sermon Concerning Death, Andrew Gray
http://www.truecovenanter.com/gray/gray_death.html
Sound Word Associates Library of Biblical Counselors
http://www.soundword.com/ccon.html
Westminster Theological Seminary Bookstore
http://www.wts.edu/bookstore/
What About Cremation?
"The Bible does show that heathen nations practiced evil types of cremation in the context of demon worship and a complete departure from the worship of the true God. The Scriptures also teach theologically that the body of the Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit and ought not to be desecrated. If the physical body of the Christian has become holy, as the very temple of God himself, then it ought never to be willfully destroyed by a man-made practice that is not condoned in Scripture.
"But perhaps the greatest answer is the example we find in Scripture of what those in Old Testament and New Testament times did with the bodies of their dead. The simple answer is that they buried them. Burial was the practice, never cremation."
https://banneroftruth.org/us/resources/articles/2011/what-about-cremation/
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. (John 11:25b-26a)And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. (1 John 2:25)
And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)
See the Theological Notes: "Resurrection and Glorification," at 1 Corinthians 15:21 in The Reformation Study Bible.
1 Corinthians 15 [1 Corinthians 15]
God shall be with you. (Genesis 48:21)
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before Him. (Job 13:15)
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. (Deuteronomy 33:27)
Come, then, while life remains in you. In his death alone place your whole trust; in nothing else place any trust; . . . . with this alone cover yourself wholly; and if the Lord your God wills to judge you, say: "Lord, between your judgment and me I present the death of our Lord Jesus Christ; in no other way can I contend with you." And if he shall say that you are a sinner, say: "Lord, I interpose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between my sins and you." If he should say that you deserve condemnation, say: "Lord, I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between my evil deserts and you, and his merits I offer for those which I ought to have and have not." If he says that he is angry with you, say: "Lord, I oppose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between your wrath and me." And when you have completed this, say again: "Lord, I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between me and you." -- Anselm (1033-1109), excerpt from A Tract for Dying Men, telling them what they ought to say at the Day of Judgment
Such great and wonderful things would never have been done for us by God, if the life of the soul were to end with the death of the body. Why then do I delay? Why do I not abandon my hopes of this world and devote myself entirely to the search for God and for the happy life? -- Augustine (354-430 AD), Confessions
God's love has conquered death! (1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Romans 8:31-39; Colossians 1:27; 1 John 1:7)For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Corinthians 5:1)
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. (Revelation 14:13)
Good old Jacob could no more be with Joseph, for his hour had come to die: but he left his son without anxiety, for he said with confidence, "God shall be with you." When our dearest relations or our most helpful friends are called home by death, we must console ourselves with the reflection that the Lord is not departed from us but lives for us and abides with us forever.
If God be with us, we are in ennobling company, even though we are poor and despised. If God be with us, we have all-sufficient strength, for nothing can be too hard for the Lord. If God be with us, we are always safe, for none can harm those who walk under His shadow. Oh, what a joy we have here! Not only is God with us, but He will be with us. With us as individuals; with us as families; with us as churches. Is not the very name of Jesus, Immanuel -- God with us? Is not this the best of all, that God is with us? Let us be bravely diligent and joyously hopeful. Our cause must prosper, the truth must win, for the Lord is with those who are with Him. All this day may this sweet word be enjoyed by every believer who turns to "faith's checkbook." No greater happiness is possible. -- C.H. Spurgeon in Faith's CheckbookGod made not death, but Christ overcame it, when sin had introduced it. Death is from ourselves, but life from the Author and Lord of life. The devil had the power of death till he was overcome by death, Heb. ii. 14,15 [Hebrews 2:14,15]; but he that liveth and was dead, and is alive for evermore, hath now the keys of death and hell, Rev. i. 18 [Revelation 1:18]. That the very damned live, is to be ascribed to him; that they live in misery, is long of themselves. Not that it is more desirable to them to live miserably, as there they must do, than not to live; but as God's glory is his chief, if not only, end, in all his works, so was it the Mediator's chief end in the world's reparation. They shall, therefore, live, whether they will or no, for God's glory, though they live not to their own comfort, because they would not. -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed. (Joshua 13:1)
While the Lord took knowledge of the enfeebled frame of His servant, yet He did not for that reason encourage him to be slack. On the contrary, He assigned him a new, though much lighter task. It is not the revealed will of God that His people should spend their old age in idleness. He does not preserve them through all the dangers of youth and the trials of maturity that they should be mere cumberers of the ground. He may well suffer them to become exceedingly tottery and perhaps bedridden and entirely dependent upon others, yet even so, it is their privilege and duty to beg Him to make good in them that precious word, They shall still bring forth fruit in old age: they shall be fat and flourishing. (Psalm 92:14)
They may still commune with the Lord, and manifest the effects thereof. The decay of nature is no reason why grace should languish. Even when thoroughly helpless, the fruits of patience, meekness and gratitude may be borne, and they may carry themselves as the monuments of God's goodness and the memorials of His faithfulness, and thereby show forth his praises. Though the strenuous efforts of earlier years be no longer possible, the ministry of prayer is available unto the very end, and who can say that more will not be accomplished therein for eternity than by any other spiritual activity? -- Arthur Pink (1886-1952), The Life and Times of JoshuaThe Christian may, and ought to, look forward with certain assurance to meeting again with those beloved relatives and friends who departed hence in Christ. Their spirits are not dead, not even sleeping as some erroneously assert, but have returned to God who gave them (Eccl. 12:7 [Ecclesiastes 12:7]), and are now in a state that is far better (Phil. 1:23 [Philippians 1:23]), which could not be were they deprived of all conscious communion with their Beloved. Being absent from the body they are present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8 [2 Corinthians 5:8]), and in His presence is fulness of joy (Ps. 16:11 [Psalm 16:11]). As to their bodies they await that great Day when they shall be fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body. -- Arthur Pink (1886-1952), The Life of Elijah
*Baxter, Richard (1615-1691), Dying Thoughts: Christian Hope for the Life Hereafter, ISBN: 0801006015: 9780801006012. A Christian classic. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"It deals with the Christian life, and it intends to encourage the believer to live a holy life with eternity constantly in view. It presents a challenge, developing the Scriptures that promise the joy, peace, and delight for those who go to be with Christ. It will be a help to those who are facing bereavement." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
The Saints' Everlasting Rest, Richard Baxter, edited by Benjamin Fawcett
http://www.ccel.org/b/baxter/everlasting_rest/saints_rest.html
Belgum, David Rudolph, Dealing With Dying, Death, Mourning, ISBN: 0788021591 9780788021596.
Belgum is a Lutheran.
*Boettner, Loraine, Immortality, 7th edition, ISBN: 0875521274.
"A clear-cut evangelical presentation of physical death, immortality, and the intermediate state. Includes a discussion of soul sleep, annihilation, purgatory, spiritism, prayers for the dead, cremation, and so on. A valuable work." -- Cyril J. Barber
Burnham, Richard, Pious Memorials; or, The Power of Religion Upon the Mind, in Sickness, and at Death: Exemplified in the Experience of Many Divines and Other Eminent Persons . . . By the late Mr. Richard Burnham . . . With a recommendatory preface, by . . . James Hervey . . . a new edition. To which is now added, a large appendix . . . Paisley, 1788.
*Candlish, Robert S., Life in a Risen Saviour: Being Discourses on the Argument of the Fifteenth Chapter of First Corinthians, ISBN: 0825423317 9780825423314. Alternate title: STUDIES IN FIRST CORINTHIANS 15: LIFE IN A RISEN SAVIOUR.
"Noteworthy for its clarity, careful exposition of the text, and balanced application of the truth of the passage to the life of the believer. Candlish boldly sets forth the Christian's hope, and his material is both helpful and enlightening." -- Cyril J. Barber
Girardeau, John L., Christ's Pastoral Presence With his Dying People a Sermon Delivered January 7th, 1872, in Zion Church, Glebe Street, Charleston, S.C.
Kopp, Ruth Lewshenia, and Stephen Sorenson, Encounter With Terminal Illness, ISBN: 0310416000 9780310416005.
Kopp, Ruth L., and Stephen Sorenson, When Someone you Love is Dying: A Handbook for Counselors and Those who Care.
"This remarkable book was first published in 1980 under the title ENCOUNTER WITH TERMINAL ILLNESS. As Haddon W. Robinson pointed out, 'All life is terminal. Some arrive at the terminal before they know it. Others hear an announcement and anticipate death's coming. For such men and women going to death themselves, or traveling with others, Dr. Kopp provides practical counsel about how to make the journey'." -- Cyril J. Barber
*Owen, John (1616-1683), The Death of Christ, volume 10 of WORKS, ISBN: 0851510647 9780851510644. Alternate title: SALUS ELECTORUM, SANGUIS JESU: OR THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST. BEING A TREATISE OF THE REDEMPTION AND RECONCILIATION THAT IS IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST; WHEREIN THE WHOLE CONTROVERSY ABOUT UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION IS FULLY DISCUSSED: IN FOUR PARTS; . . . BY JOHN OWEN, D.D. A Christian classic. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive. Available on Reformation Bookshelf CD #20.
"Greatest Biblical apologetic on the specific and limited nature of the atoning work of Christ in print. Contains discussions on Arminianism, the death of death in the death of Christ, Divine justice, and also discusses, in detail, many views of the atonement that certain men and groups held (and still hold)." -- Publisher
"THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST is a polemical work, designed to show, among other things, that the doctrine of universal redemption is unscriptural and destructive of the gospel. . . . Those who see no need for doctrinal exactness and have no time for theological debates which show up divisions between so-called Evangelicals may well regret its reappearance. Some may find the very sound of Owen's thesis so shocking that they will refuse to read his book at all. . . . But . . . there are signs today of a new upsurge of interest in the theology of the Bible: a new readiness to test traditions, to search the Scriptures and to think through the faith. It is to those who share this readiness that Owen's treatise is now offered, in the belief that it will help us in one of the most urgent tasks facing evangelical Christendom today -- the recovery of the Gospel.
"It is safe to say that no comparable exposition of the work of redemption as planned and executed by the Triune Jehovah has ever been done since Owen published his in 1684. None has been needed.
"Owen's interpretation of the texts . . . is sure; his power of theological construction is superb; nothing that needs discussing is omitted, and . . . no arguments for or against his position have been used since his day which he has not himself noted and dealt with. . . . Owen's work is a constructive, broad-based biblical analysis of the heart of the gospel, and must be taken seriously as such. . . Nobody has a right to dismiss the doctrine of the limitedness . . . of the atonement as a monstrosity of Calvinistic logic until he has refuted Owen's proof that it is part of the uniform biblical presentation of redemption, clearly taught in plain text after plain text. And nobody has done that yet." -- J.I. Packer, from the Introduction
"Packer's well balanced definition of Calvinism in the introduction to that volume [John Owen's THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST], is by far the best we have seen in 42 years of intensive reading." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/deathofdeath
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: Being a Treatise of the Redemption and Reconciliation That is in the Blood of Christ; Wherein the whole controversy about universal redemption is fully discussed: In four parts (1792)
http://archive.org/details/deathofdeathinde00owen
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, including J.I. Packer's Introduction by John Owen
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/packer_intro.html
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: Redemption and Reconciliation That is in the Blood of Christ (Limited Atonement), 1 of 33, [audio file]
An audio file reading by Still Waters Revival Books from THE WORKS OF JOHN OWEN. Currently (October 2018), there are 77 readings of John Owen by SWRB and Reformed Baptist of Holland (Michigan), (Thomas Sullivan), at SermonAudio.com available for listening online, downloading as MP3 files, [audio file], and listening on iPhone, mobile phones, and MPE players.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=47081639571
Palmer, Samuel (Minister at Hackney, 1741-1813), The Dying Believer's Confidence and joy in Christ. A Sermon [on 2 Tim. i. 12 (2 Timothy 1:12)] Preached . . . April 12, 1778, on Occasion of the Death of the Rev. Samuel Wilton, D.D. . . . By Samuel Palmer. To which is added, an oration at his interment in Bunhill-fields, April 10, by Samuel Morton Savage, D.D.
Pantilat, Steven, Life After the Diagnosis: Expert Advice on Living Well With Serious Illness for Patients and Caregivers, ISBN: 9780738219387 073821938X.
"An invaluable book for those struggling to live well with an incurable disease, written by a doctor's doctor -- the sort of fellow that physicians seek out for their own care." -- Abraham Verghese, MD, Professor and Vice Chair, Stanford University Department of Medicine
"During the times of uncertainty and fear that follow a serious diagnosis, this book arrives like a guardian angel. I will recommend it to all my patients, and will keep it close to hand for me and my family too." -- Diane E. Meier, MD, Director, Center to Advance Palliative Care
*Perkins, William (1558-1602), and Richard Rogers (1550?-1618), A Garden of Spirituall Flowers. Alternate title: TREATISE TENDING UNTO A DECLARATION. PART 7; CONSOLATIONS FOR THE TROUBLED CONSCIENCES, and CONSOLATIONS FOR THE TROUBLED CONSCIENCES, and HOW TO LIVE WELL, AND TO DIE WELL.
An anthology. Perkins's "How to live well, and to die well," is part seven of his "A Treatise Tending Unto a Declaration," where it bears the title "Consolations for the Troubled Consciences."
Platt, Larry A. (editor), and Roger G. Branch (editor), Resources for Ministry in Death and Dying, ISBN: 0805469451 9780805469455.
"The editors have brought together the best in current literature on the subject of ministry to those facing life's terminus. Information about organizations specializing in different types of care, together with data about audiovisual materials, will prove invaluable to pastors and counselors." -- Cyril J. Barber
Soulen, Richard N. (editor), Care for the Dying: Resources of Theology, ISBN: 0804210985 9780804210980.
Includes bibliographical references.
Swinnock, George (1627-1673), The Fading of the Flesh and Flourishing of Faith, or, One Cast for Eternity With the Only way to Throw it VVell: as Also the Gracious Persons Incomparable Portion / by George Swinnock, 1662.
Psalm LXXIII, 26 [Psalm 26].
See also: The aged, Death, Eternal life, immortality, Pastoral counseling, Medical aspects of pastoral counseling, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Patient advocacy, Healthcare reform, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, and so on, and so forth.
TCRB5: 2606
In our Dying Hour
"What shall support us in that trying hour? What shall enable us to feel, I fear no evil? (Psalm 23:4.) Nothing, nothing can do it but close communion with Christ. Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith, -- Christ putting His right arm under our heads, -- Christ felt to be sitting by our side, -- Christ can alone give us the complete victory in the last struggle. . . ."
"Heaven is becoming every year more full, and earth more empty. The friends ahead are becoming more numerous than the friends astern. Yet a little time, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (Hebrews 10:37.) In His presence shall be fulness of joy. (Psalm 16:11) Christ shall wipe away all tears from His people's eyes. (Isaiah 25:8) The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death. (I Corinthians 15:26) But he shall be destroyed. Death himself shall one day die. (1 Corinthians 15:54) (Revelation 20:14)
http://www.jcryle.info/2017/06/in-our-dying-hour.html
Victory Over Death, John Love (1757-1825)
http://www.westminsterconfession.org/godly-living/victory-over-death.php
What can be Done to Help When the Prognosis is Poor, October 2017
"Even when a person has been diagnosed with an incurable disease, doctors can provide palliative care to help the patient live better as well as longer.
"Although lifespans have been increasing, so has the burden of chronic disease. When a person is diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer, cirrhosis, kidney disease, heart failure or Parkinson's, medical science may not have a cure. But doctors shouldn't say, there's nothing more we can do. Instead, they should ask, how can we help this patient live better, if not longer? That is the goal of palliative care.
"Steven Pantilat, MD, is professor of medicine in the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He is the Kates-Burnard and Hellman Distinguished Professor in Palliative Care and the founding director of the UCSF Palliative Care Program. In 2007, this program received a Circle of Life Award in recognition of excellence and innovation from the American Hospital Association.
"His book is LIFE AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS: EXPERT ADVICE ON LIVING WELL WITH SERIOUS ILLNESS FOR PATIENTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. His website is www.lifeafterthediagnosis.com"
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/10/12/show-1097-what-can-be-done-to-help-when-the-prognosis-is-poor/
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15)Rebirth brings us into the Kingdom of grace, and death into the Kingdom of glory. -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
See the Theological Notes: "Resurrection and Glorification," at 1 Corinthians 15:21 in The Reformation Study Bible.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
God shall be with ye. (Genesis 48:21)
Good old Jacob could no more be with Joseph, for his hour had come to die: but he left his son without anxiety, for he said with confidence, "God shall be with you." When our dearest relations or our most helpful friends are called home by death, we must console ourselves with the reflection that the Lord is not departed from us but lives for us and abides with us forever.
If God be with us, we are in ennobling company, even though we are poor and despised. If God be with us, we have all-sufficient strength, for nothing can be too hard for the Lord. If God be with us, we are always safe, for none can harm those who walk under His shadow. Oh, what a joy we have here! Not only is God with us, but He will be with us. With us as individuals; with us as families; with us as churches. Is not the very name of Jesus, Immanuel -- God with us? Is not this the best of all, that God is with us? Let us be bravely diligent and joyously hopeful. Our cause must prosper, the truth must win, for the Lord is with those who are with Him. All this day may this sweet word be enjoyed by every believer who turns to "faith's checkbook." No greater happiness is possible. -- C.H. Spurgeon in Faith's Checkbook
Jay E., The Practical Encyclopedia of Christian Counseling, 202 pages, ISBN: 1889032468 9781889032467.
See the subject "Death," and so forth, and so on.
"THE PRACTICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHRISTIAN COUNSELING is designed to afford Christian counselors quick reference as well as comprehensive access to the chief principles and practices of biblical counseling. It is called an 'encyclopedia' because a counselor interested in surveying the gamut of those principles and practices will find in this volume a wider variety of subjects than may be located in any other book of biblical counseling. The counseling described here is truly 'Christian' with method and content firmly rooted in careful biblical exegesis. At the same time it is 'practical' because articles consist not merely of definitions and descriptions, but also of application of the material useful to Christian counselors. Although not necessarily the only way these biblical principles can be applied, they are the fruit of years of study and experience in biblical counseling. In short, the book is designed as an aid to the working counselor who needs a quick reference guide. We trust that God will use it to His glory and to the blessing of His people." -- Preface
Some subject include: Abortion | Abuse | Admonition | Adultery | Adversity | Affliction | Aggravation | Anger | Answers | Apology | Assurance | Attitude | Authority | Balance | Behavior | Bizarre behaviour | Breakdown | Christ | Church | Commandments | Confession | Confidentiality | Contentment | Correction | Corruption | Counseling | Crises | Data gathering | Deceit | Dependence | Discipling | Divorce | Doctrine | Drugs | Education | Empathy | Evangelism | Example | Foolishness | Forgetfulness | Forgiveness | Godliness | Gospel | Gossip | Habit | Heresy | Hope | Hostility | How-to | Idolatry | Jesus | Joy | Justification | Legal matters | Legalism | Lying | Marriage | Promises of god | Put on/put off dynamic | Quickening | Radical amputation | Rage | Reconciliation | Referral | Rejuvenation | Repentance | Sanctification | Scripture | Sex | Sin | Teaching | Temptation | Testing | Think list | Thought | Training.
Bailey, Robert, Ministering to the Grieving, ISBN: 0310417619 9780310417613.
*Bolton, Robert (1572-1631), A Treatise on Comforting Afflicted Consciences. A Christian classic. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"I do not know of a single book published in the past twenty years that explains in depth how to respond Biblically to a grieved or wounded conscience. Here's an ideal volume to fill that gap. Few books in history have treated the subject as completely or as clearly as Robert Bolton's classic work. . . . The book remains a definitive study on the issue of dealing with guilt. Practical, Biblical, meticulously precise, carefully reasoned, it maintains a straightforward simplicity that cannot fail to touch the sensitive reader's heart." -- John MacArthur
Kuenning, Delores, Helping People Through Grief, ISBN: 0871239213 9780871239211.
"A remarkable textbook to recommend for teaching caring people how to be helpful. It is an . . . encyclopedia of information on every conceivable form of grief. But more than that, it describes simply and directly how to respond to these griefs." -- Reader's Comment
"Illness as well as misfortune or even tragedy are a part of life. At such times people turn to their families or friends. Sometimes the counsel given is helpful, sometimes not. Kuenning believes the lay person can develop skills to help people face these vicissitudes, and in this book she shows how." -- Cyril J. Barber
*Lockyer, Herbert, All the Promises of the Bible, ISBN: 0310281318.
"A devotional expositional compilation of all the promises [about 3,300 of the approximate 8,810 promises -- compiler], that are found in Scripture." -- Publisher
"Lockyer's in-depth look at the scope of God's promises arranges them in categories that cover the full array of human concerns, from the spiritual to the material and the corporate to the personal. As you come to understand God's promises and how they apply to every aspect of your life, you'll gain a trust in God that will sustain you through the worst of times and be your source of rejoicing in the best.
"Dr. Herbert Lockyer was born in London in 1886, and held pastorates in Scotland and England for 25 years before coming to the United States in 1935. In 1937 he received the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Northwestern Evangelical Seminary. In 1955 he returned to England where he lived for many years. He then returned to the United States where he continued to devote time to the writing ministry until his death in November of 1984." -- Publisher
McGee, Harry H., Living Through Grief (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Theological Seminary, D.Min. thesis, 1987).
Includes bibliography.
Nash, Ronald H., When a Baby Dies: Answers to Comfort Grieving Parents, ISBN: 0310225566 9780310225560.
Packer, J.I. (editor, 1926-2020), Richard Baxter A Grief Sanctified: Passing Through Grief to Peace and Joy, ISBN: 0892838418 9780892838417.
"Richard Baxter, a prominent 17th-century pastor and author, was devastated when his wife, Margaret, died at the age of 45. One month after her death, he penned a lover's tribute and a believer's celebration of God's love. Beloved theologian J.I. Packer has edited Baxter's memoir for today's reader and has included it along with his own wise reflections -- offering encouragement for those who have known or are now suffering grief." -- Publisher
Rank, Maureen, Free to Grieve: Miscarriage and Stillbirth, ISBN: 0871238063 9780871238061.
"Combining her own personal experience with extensive research, Maureen Rank offers guidance to the grieving and help in looking toward the future.
"The author, herself the survivor of four miscarriages, believes that healing can begin when these basic principles are recognized:
*Spurgeon, C.H. (1834-1892), Faith's Checkbook. Alternate title: THE CHEQUE BOOK OF THE BANK OF FAITH: BEING PRECIOUS PROMISES ARRANGED FOR DAILY USE (1893), ISBN: 0938453025.
"A promise from God may very instructively be compared to a check payable to order. It is given to the believer with the view of bestowing upon him some good thing. It is not meant that he should read it over comfortably and then have done with it. No, he is to treat the promises as a reality, as a man treats a check. He is to take the promise and endorse it with his own name by personally receiving it as true." -- C.H. Spurgeon
"In the Preface of his devotional volume containing 365 brief, experimental comments on the promises which Spurgeon has chosen, the renowned preacher tells us that so many of these promises are true because they were fulfilled in his own experience during a time of 'wading in the surf of controversy,' and also when 'sharp bodily pain succeeded mental depression, accompanied both by bereavement, and affliction in the person of one dear as life. Never were the promises of Jehovah so precious to me as at this hour.' Thus it was to help other sufferers that Spurgeon prepared this comforting book." -- Publisher
Faith's Checkbook, a daily devotional by C.H. Spurgeon
http://archive.org/details/thechequebookoft00purguoft
*Wiersbe, Warren W., and David W. Wiersbe, Comforting the Bereaved, ISBN: 0802452930 9780802452931.
Wilde, Gary (editor), A Very Present Help: God's Promises for Those who are Grieving a Loss, ISBN: 0840742274 9780840742278.
See also: The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), The promises of Christ, Bible promises, Ministering to the dying, Counseling the sick, Prayer, Intercessory prayer, Miscarriage and stillbirth (women), Abortion and the sanctity of life, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Eternal life, immortality, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 1947-1951
I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts. . . .
In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.
All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal. -- The Hippocratic Oath, excerpts from the original text translated into EnglishA dispute over Christianity is a dispute about the matters of life and death.
If either side is immovable, then death is the result of conflicts of will. How are conflicts of will resolved? By submission to the truth of God's word. These observations bear a strain of the Gospel.
The corporate healthcare business model is simply incompatible with excellent healtcare. Profitability and a healthy population are economic opposites. Thus procedures cost seven times as much in the U.S. as in other developed countries, and outcomes in the U.S. are behind other countries.
It would appear that Healthcare is the biggest consumer rip-off in America, considering, among other things, the estimated annual number of iatrogenic deaths at 750,000 (approximately one patient per doctor), the "U.S. lags behind 41 nations in life span," the "US has the most expensive healthcare in the world, . . . Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world, . . . . and so forth, and so on. See: "The current 'lack of moral vigor' " below.
Federal, state, and local governments are not considered to be in the business sphere, as is healthcare. But, in fact, the Federal government is the biggest business in the world. Government, with a practically unlimited budget and practically no unaccountable for its actions, and is fraught with incompetence, corruption, waste, theft, and fraud, that repeatedly hemorrhages, depresses, and collapse the national economy.A blue code of silence has protected police officers from being reported for misconduct. This unwritten rule keeps fellow officers from revealing errors or criminal activity. Now a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that a similar code of silence prevents many doctors from reporting colleagues who are impaired or incompetent.
Even though the AMA has a code of ethics that states doctors have an ethical obligation to report such behavior, a survey of nearly 3,000 physicians found that many don't comply. In this research, about one third who knew of an incompetent colleague did not report the person to the relevant authorities. Reasons for not reporting included the belief that someone else would take action, the worry that nothing would happen as a result of a report and the fear of retribution. The authors conclude that the current atmosphere results in patients being exposed to unacceptable risks. -- JAMA, July 14, 2010The current "lack of moral vigor" in our society has resulted in an unwritten "code red." If a colleague in an organization reports incompetency or error, regardless of how tactful and respectful they are, leadership tends to unite, and to brand the "whistle-blower" as a "troublemaker."
"Code red," as practiced in the military, was dramatized in the movie A Few Good Men (1992).
In healthcare the victim of a "code red" might be either a practitioner or a patient. If practitioner who reports medical error, malpractice, misconduct, or price gouging, then he becomes the victim and may lose his job and have difficult finding another one.
Likewise a patient who reports medical error, malpractice, misconduct, or price gouging, may find that suddenly they are dropped as a patient or "given a hard time" by their previous local healthcare support group. They may be denied medical care in the future.
"Code red" may be thought of as a corollary to the "blue code of silence" that "has protected police officers [and doctors and healthcare workers], from being reported for misconduct. This unwritten rule keeps fellow officers from revealing errors or criminal activity."
The "code red" and "blue code of silence" in healthcare are just several reasons why things have gone so horribly wrong and at the same time the Medical Profession does not seem to care.Job security and job performance in healthcare
- "The United States slipped to No. 37 [41 as of August 2007, see Ohlemacher below], in healthcare around the world, just slightly ahead of Slovenia." (World Health Organization, 2000 report, based on 1997 data.)
- "The United States spends $6,096 a year per person, versus $229 a year in Cuba. And astronomically more money doesn't mean far better outcomes. In fact, Americans live just a little bit longer than Cubans, on average." -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta
- "Life expectancies in Cuba are about equal to those in America despite being outspent by America 26 to 1 in healthcare"
- "We are No. 43 in the world in infant mortality." -- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
- "The Institute of Medicine reports that the average patient experiences at least one error every day he is hospitalized."
- "Medical errors are a major cause of disability and death."
- "A heart surgeon goes through seven (7) years of training."
- "The annual death toll from medical errors is estimated at 44,000 to 98,000 Americans."
- "About 18,000 people die each year as a result of the lack of health insurance." (Institute of Medicine, January 2004 report)
- "We have a tragedy taking place every year now -- 18,000 people a year, these are the actual official statistics, 18,000 people a year die in this country for no other reason other than the fact that they don't have a health insurance card. That's six 9/11s every single year." -- Michael Moore
- "Los Angeles authorities are investigating allegations that a dozen area hospitals have dumped more than 50 homeless patients downtown."
- "Just this past week [6/29/07], the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated there are about 43.6 million uninsured people in the country. In March, the Census Bureau put the number at 44.8 million.
- "The health insurance plans of 50 million people in this country leave them underinsured."
- "Moore began this project [SiCKO], by advertising on the Web for tales of healthcare woe. Within a week, he had received 25,000 e-mails."
- "It's true that the United States is the only country in the western world without free universal access to healthcare."
- Gitmo [The U.S. detainee center for alleged terrorists on Guantonamo Bay, Cuba], is "the only place on American soil with free universal healthcare."
- A "former British Politico . . . stated, 'If you can find money to kill people [wage war on terrorism], then you can find money to help people [universal healthcare]."
- "Today, as Moore noted, both on Capitol Hill and in his film, there are four healthcare lobbyists in Washington for every member of Congress."
- "Insurance and pharmaceutical companies, along with the elitest doctors who control the AMA and every hospital's board of trustees, buy politicians on both sides of the aisle. Moore does a good job of exposing this. He did a good job of bringing up how insurance companies weasel their way out of paying . . . ."
- "Moore whacks the U.S. political system for catering to the needs of the insurance industry not the citizenry, pointing out that the healthcare lobby pumps millions of dollars into the campaigns of lawmakers."
- "The insurance company is the one deciding whether or not the doctor can perform a procedure or a treatment on a patient. I mean, just think about that. You go to see a doctor, the doctor says, I think you need this particular operation. But the doctor just can't order the operation or send you to a specialist. He has to call someone sitting in a cubicle, maybe 1,000 miles away, who can then give permission. And as you see in my film, the doctors who work at the insurance companies, they get bonuses for denying the most number of claims."
- "Over the past 10 years healthcare premiums have grown at four times the rate of wages and inflation, and insurance company profits have nearly tripled. . . . Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and the way they maximize profits is by minimizing payments. . . ."
- "Medical reviewers for one health insurance company who rendered the most denials received bonuses."
- "Among the insurers mentioned are Humana Inc., where chief executive Michael McCallister received about $5.9 million in salary and other compensation in 2006, and Aetna Inc., where chief executive Ronald Williams last year received salary and other compensation totaling about $30.9 million. Those figures were determined by an AP analysis of company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission."
- "Of course it [the Medicare prescription drug benefit Act, Medicare Part D], was really a bill to hand over $800 billion of our tax dollars to the drug and health insurance industry." Freking and Johnson, July 2007
- "Who are we to let moneyed interests and powerful lobbies construct a country that best serves their needs rather than ours?"
- "Who are we that we let insurers deny coverage to our neighbors because they are too tall, or have too many seasonal allergies?"
- "Who are we that our hospitals push the ill and indigent into cabs, and drop them off, disoriented and clad in a paper-thin gown, on skid row?"
- "Who are we to let national pride blind us to these better alternatives?"
- "Moore's solution . . . is to give all Americans free universal coverage. He paints insurance companies as the villains."
- "But the weight of evidence Moore marshals [in his documentary "SiCKO"], for taking the profit motive out of medicine is overwhelming." [America's healthcare crisis also is a violation of the human rights to life, liberty, and property (see statistics herein), and compels action by the public. -- compiler]
- "The California Nurses Association, which supports a single-payer system, is organizing across the country in conjunction with the movie's appearance."
- "A bill has been proposed in Congress, The United States National Health Insurance (NHI) Act (HR 676), non-profit Medicare for All, outlines a national healthcare program that will provide guaranteed affordable healthcare and prescription drugs to everyone in the country." (6/29/07), [If the citizen, voter, activist, resolution writer, petitioner, first does the arithmetic, they will see, in terms of human life and wealth (national and personal), that fixing the U.S. Healthcare Crisis is of greater importance than ending our preemptive war in Iraq. And it becomes apparent that the inertia of those in the driver's seat, the U.S. Congress, is as great in the case of reforming healthcare as their inertia is in ending the war. (United States National Health Care Act - Wikipedia)
- "Overall, NHI would save about $350 billion annually on bureaucracy and profits, more than enough to pay for covering the uninsured and improving coverage for the tens of millions who are currently UNDER-insured." -- Background fact sheet - Physicians for a National Health Program
"Working oneself out of a job," would be the equivalent, in healthcare, of developing a cure for, or preventing major diseases, addictions, or abnormal behaviors -- of fostering a society of healthy individuals who do not need doctors. It would be the equivalent of educating the patient so they know how to prevent disease and stay healthy.
Notice that the "fact of incurability" is built into the business model of most recovery programs (i.e., "once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.") Yet there is ample documented evidence that this fact is not true.
Not being able to trust God to provide a table before us, to provide a lifetime of employment, contributes, in part, to a whole array of unethical practices in healthcare, a few of the more egregious being: flip-flopping after taking the Hippocratic Oath and receiving a Medical License from the state (which is essentially a monopoly, and fosters lack of competition and price fixing), and then pursing the personal goal of becoming a "wealthy doctor," performing unnecessary surgery to "keep the mill running," deliberate misdiagnosis in order to perform expensive procedures, "stuffing" hospital bills with costs for "standby equipment" that is not used, recommending procedures or prescribing medicines that involve serious risks without informing the patient of the risks involved, "price fixing" through corporate monopolies and professional "trusts," the $1,000 crown and build-up, the $6,000 orthodontist treatment, the $6,000 hearing aid, $600 for 100 Prozac capsules when the generic version (though not identical and not as effective) is $4, $9,500 to $18,850 (January 2007) for prenatal care and delivery (bearing a child is a normal process) depending upon the type of delivery and the geographical location, performing unnecessary C-sections (Washington, DC has one of the highest rates of C-sections in the country) -- without insurance they can run from $14,000 to $25,000, failure to diagnose hypothyroidism which can lead to physiological depression and a constellation of symptoms, resulting in multiple doctor visits and wrong diagnose over a lifetime, and seriously degrading quality of life, public advertising of healthcare organizations, public advertising of prescription drugs, "paper-thin" health insurance, recent changes in bankruptcy laws excluding medical expenses from bankruptcy (medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy), and so forth, and so on, and on, and on, and on -- all because leaders and professionals can not trust in God to provide them with a livelihood throughout their lives.
It is not surprising that doctors have the highest suicide rate of any professional group.
This tendency to be fearful of losing one livelihood is seen in every sphere of the economy. Similarly corrupted business models are found in the oil, the automotive, and the healthcare industries.
In the final analysis, of course, our livelihood and our competence in life depend upon trusting in God and in his commandments, laws, statutes, principles and practices -- in his word, which is the highest ethical standard known to mankind. It has been said "the only lesson we have to learn is to trust in God." Of course, this is a general statement, but it is broadly relevant.Trusting in men instead of trusting in God results in incompetence and corruption
The unregenerate, the skeptic, regardless of their level in society, look to men for their livelihood and well-being, instead of trusting in God to prepare a table before me in the face of mine enemies, to care for them and to satisfy their needs throughout life, a lesson that King David learned and expressed in Psalm 23:5,6. They are blind to spiritual values and swallowed up by needs of the flesh.
The skeptic, who can not trust God, is more worried about loosing his job than he is worried about job duties, responsibilities, and performance. This inevitably leads to incompetence and corruption in the workplace.
This obsessive preoccupation with job security, whether conscious or sub-conscious, also applies to elected officials, from top to bottom, who make demands on subordinates to not "rock the boat," to not jeopardize their popularity with the electorate, leading to the observation that "all bureaucracies are incompetent and corrupt."
The "savvy" Washington bureaucrat is "hog-tied" because he is more interested in "covering his butt," not jeopardizing his easy, secure, well-paying, lifetime "career" with retirement and benefits, than in carrying out his responsibilities, especially regulatory or enforcement duties (i.e. the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), the Securities and Exchange Commission). The net effect is paralysis in the workplace. Friday evening rush hour in Washington, DC is said to be the most sluggish of any city in the country.
Calvin unfolds Scripture on this fact of the incompetence and corruption of the unregenerate, the blind, in their fearful pursuit of fleshly needs. See: his commentary on Proverbs 1:7, Genesis 4:7, Genesis 25:29-34, Hebrews 2:14,15, and Matthew 16:26.The new AMA study on doctors silence regarding incompetence of fellow physicians is a joke. This code of silence has been going on for centuries. I almost died of viral pneumonia 35 years ago because of the incompetence of a physician. A friend who was a nurse told me secretly that I needed to find another doctor because the one I was going to had a very bad reputation among the hospital personnel. When I asked her why nobody ever did anything about him she told me not to ask, and never never mention what she had told me, or she'd be fired. And blacklisted every where in the city. I seriously doubt if this new study will change a thing. -- Reader's Comment
American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, Code of Medical Ethics: Current Opinions With Annotations, 2004-2005, ISBN: 1579477771 9781579477776.
"For more than 155 years, the AMA Code of Medical Ethics has been considered the most comprehensive ethics guide for physicians, covering a wide range of issues related to the patient-physician relationship, such as confidentiality and end-of-life care. It also addresses social policy issues that affect medical practice matters as well as medical records, fees and charges, professional rights and more. This edition features:
*Anderson, James N.D., Issues of Life and Death, ISBN: 0340231513 9780340231517.
"In this work Sir Norman presents his 'Lectures on Contemporary Christianity,' University of London, 1975. He establishes his thesis for the development of ethical principles squarely on the sacredness of human life as presented in the Bible. While on the one hand this treatise is a valuable corrective for Ward's THE DIVINE IMAGE, on the other it is a bold attempt to provide a rational defense for a viable system of ethics. In this we believe Anderson has been most successful." -- Cyril J. Barber
Belgum, David Rudolph, Religion and Medicine: Essays on Meaning, Values, and Health.
Bersoff, Donald N., Ethical Conflicts in Psychology, ISBN: 155798591X 9781557985910 1557985995 9781557985996.
*Blanchard, Ken, and Marietta Abrams Brill, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypothyroidism: A Simple Plan for Extraordinary Results, ISBN: 0446690619 9780446690614.
Foreword by Mary J. Shomon. (See also Mary Shomon's book Living Well With Hypothyroidism below.)
"Depression, fatigue, headaches, memory lapses, weight gain, constipation, cold intolerance, slowed reflexes, hair loss, menstrual abnormalities -- these are some of the vague, sometimes debilitating symptoms that, in varying combinations, plague more than 13 million patients with hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, many patients with hypothyroidism go for months to years, from doctor to doctor, from test to tests without being properly diagnosed. This is because the TSH blood test, considered the gold standard for diagnosis, is simply not an accurate indicator of hypothryoidism. Perhaps more perplexing, millions who are properly diagnosed find themselves undergoing often ineffective treatments for their disorder. At last, there is a solution: Dr. Blanchard's groundbreaking treatment program draws on emerging research, medical facts, and three decades of clinical experiences as an endocrinologist. It's an individualized program that uses questionnaires and charts to help diagnose sufferers through symptoms, not lab results -- and treats patients of all ages with the safe, but little used T3 hormone in the best combination with the more common T4 hormone, as well as with specific nutritional advice and alternative treatments that really work!" -- Publisher
The thyroid regulates metabolism and effects every organ in the body. Experts estimates that as many as 20 million Americans, or more, may be affected by hypothyroidism. Women are more often affected than men. Illnesses, exposure to toxic chemicals, physical injury of the thyroid, and heredity my cause hypothyroidism. Therefore, if you have a "condition" that has never been diagnosed, then look into the possibility of hypothroidism. Anyone who has trouble with depression should undergo a two-week diagnostic trial with thyroid hormones, because depression "is a typical misdiagnosis of hypothyroidism."
If a reader thinks they may have hypothyroidism, or knows someone who may have hypothyroidism, then the best thing to do is to read Ken Blanchard's book. It is written to both the patient and the physician. The book guides the patient in preparing a medical history that will expose hypothyroidism. Present the medical history to the doctor and request a two week clinical trial of levothyroxine (Synthroid) synthetic T4 hormone replacement. If you feel better during the trial, then that is the diagnosis. Keep in mind that many patients and those advancing in years may have sub-clinical hypothyroidism (light cases) and may benefit by hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Untangling Thyroid Confusion, April 9, 2005
"There is a little gland in your neck that can control your sex life, your weight, your energy and even your mood. But surprisingly, this gland (the thyroid) frequently gets out of whack. Of the 20 million Americans who have thyroid disorders, more than half don't realize it, according to the American Medical Women's Association. Does our diet affect the thyroid gland. Do prescription drugs or chemicals in our environment interfere with proper thyroid functioning? And how do we know when our thyroid is not working adequately? You will find out why it is important to look beyond the lab tests to the patient's symptoms to understand the story behind thyroid insufficiency. Guests: Kenneth Blanchard, M.D., Ph.D., is a board certified endocrinologist. Along with his private practice in Newton-Wellesley, Massachusetts, he also addresses many types of groups on the topic of hypothyroidism, and is considered an authority on the subject. He is the co-author of WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT HYPOTHYROIDISM: A SIMPLE PLAN FOR EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS. Mary Shomon is a patient advocate and author. Her books include LIVING WELL WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM and THE THYROID DIET: MANAGE YOUR METABOLISM FOR LASTING WEIGHT LOSS."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/radio_shows/538_untangling_thyroid_confusion.asp
Brown, Harold O.J., Biblical Perspective: The Right to Die
Brownlee, Shannon, Overtreated: Why too Much Medicine is Making us Sicker and Poorer, 368 pages, ISBN: 9781582345796 1582345791.
"My choice for the economics book of the year -- it's the best description I have yet read of a huge economic problem that we know how to solve -- but is so often misunderstood." -- David Leonhardt, New York Times
"Our healthcare is staggeringly expensive, yet one in six Americans has no health insurance. We have some of the most skilled physicians in the world, yet one hundred thousand patients die each year from medical errors. In this gripping, eye-opening book, award-winning journalist Shannon Brownlee takes readers inside the hospital to dismantle some of our most venerated myths about American medicine. Brownlee dissects what she calls 'the medical-industrial complex' and lays bare the backward economic incentives embedded in our system, revealing a stunning portrait of the care we now receive.
"Nevertheless, OVERTREATED ultimately conveys a message of hope by reframing the debate over healthcare reform. It offers a way to control costs and cover the uninsured while simultaneously improving the quality of American medicine. Shannon Brownlee's humane, intelligent, and penetrating analysis empowers readers to avoid the perils of overtreatment, as well as pointing the way to better healthcare for everyone.
"With a new afterword offering practical advice to patients on how to navigate the healthcare system.
"Shannon Brownlee's stories and essays about medicine, healthcare, and biotechnology have appeared in such publications as the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times Magazine, the New Republic, and Time. Born and raised in Honolulu, she holds a master's degree in biology from the University of California. She is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C. Brownlee lives in Annapolis, Maryland, with her husband and son." -- Publisher
*Cameron, Nigel, The New Age Medicine: Life and Death After Hippocrates, ISBN: 089107645X 9780891076452.
"I hope this disturbing book will be widely read." -- J.I. Packer
"With the abandonment of the 2500 year old Hippocratic oath, replacing it with ethical relativism, the medical profession increasingly sees itself not only as healers but as killers also. MUST READING!
"While Kevorkian is now languishing long-term in jail, the Netherlands end-of-life protections have been rolled back in law, and public opposition to physicians killing patients is declining. Where did today's deadly medicine come from? Where is it leading? The answers are clearly contained in this fresh edition of the acclaimed book by leading bioethicist Nigel Cameron.
"Nigel Cameron is Dean of the Wilberforce Forum in Washington, DC, and former Provost at Trinity International University in Deerfield Illinois. A consultant in bioethics and public policy issues on both sides of the Atlantic, he founded the Journal Ethics and Medicine, and has testified before the U.S. Congress. . . .
"Recent events, such as the widespread acceptance of the book, FINAL EXIT, show that the very foundation upon which all humane medical practice is based is in danger of being replaced with ethical relativism. Cameron's book could very well be a rallying point for those in the profession who know something is wrong." -- Publisher
Cheney, Darwin, Ethical Issues in Research, ISBN: 9781555720162 1555720161.
"Contents: Misrepresentation of data | US perspective | Distinguishing between error and fraud in science / Patricia K. Woolf | Misrepresentation of data and the integrity of research / Paul J. Friedman | Treatment of allegations of research misconduct by American universities / Allan Mazur | Office of scientific integrity: why, what and how / Jules V. Hallum and Suzanne W. Hadley | Authorship and illustrations: the challenge of computer manipulation / Paul J. Anderson | Credit and responsibility in scientific authorship / Addeane S. Caelleigh | Uses and abuses of scientific authorship: can and should they be controlled? / Edward J. Huth | Is being an author the key to success? / Sharon G. Boots | International perspective | Misrepresentation of data and other misconduct in science: the German view and experience / Albin Eser | Recombinant DNA revolution and the fading of the concept of pure science at the root of ethical issues in biological research / Vittorio Sgaramella | Fraud and misconduct in medical research: causes and control, a United Kingdom view / Raymond Hoffenberg. (cont) Conflict of interest | Science, scientific motivation and conflict of interest in research / Roger J. Porter | Conflict of interest: a university perspective / David Korn | Managing conflict of interest in faculty, federal government, and industrial relations / Barbara C. Hansen and Kenneth D. Hansen | Conflict-of-interest issues surrounding faculty participation in, and ownership of, technology and drug companies / William B. Neaves and Kern Wildenthal | Cooperation between academia and industry: opportunities and challenges / Barbara Mishkin | Role of conflict of interest in public advisory councils / Adil E. Shamoo | Scientific response to external pressures: research on human subjects | International ethical considerations for research on human subjects / Zbigniew Bankowski | Use of embryos and fetuses | Status and uses of early human developmental stages / Clifford Grobstein | Ethical limitations on the use of the human fetus in research / James Bopp, Jr. | Use of animals | Evolving ethical and legal norms in animal experimentation / T. David Marshall. (cont) Protests about animal research and the response from the scientific and medical communities / M.J. Matfield."
Covenant Enterprises, Forum for Biblical Ethics in Medicine, Second Annual Medical Ethics Conference.
*Day, Lorraine, AIDS: What the Government Isn't Telling you, ISBN: 0963094009 9780963094001.
Statistics show 3-5 percent of AIDS victims have no known reason to have the disease on the basis of "high risk" behavior. This book discusses some of the other ways the disease is being contacted, among other subjects. Lists safety recommendations. The author is considered by some to be the finest orthopedic surgeon in the country. The advice for avoiding AIDS -- do not allow the blood or body fluids of any other individual to get on your skin. Transmission by mosquitoes or other insects could account for the high incidence of AIDS in tropical countries. AIDS, she says in her book, is "the first massively and systematically politicized disease that has been falsified, misrepresented, and then whitewashed to the public."
DeParrie, Paul, Dark Cures: Have Doctors Lost Their Ethics? ISBN: 1563840995 9781563840999.
"This says it all!" -- Reader's Comment
*Faria, Miguel A., Jr. (author), Controversies in Medicine and Neuroscience, ISBN: 9781527594173 1527594173.
"This book explores some of the most fascinating medical and life science topics of the 20th and 21st centuries, viewed through the unique perspective of an experienced neurosurgeon and medical historian with a special interest in bioethics, neurobiology, and other aspects of the life sciences. It bridges multiple disciplines in the life sciences -- from historic advances in psychosurgery to fascinating advances in neurobiology, such as the neurophysiology of learning and memory, and the neuropharmacology of hallucinogenic drugs. It also discusses intriguing frontal and temporal lobe syndromes in neuropsychiatry, a new hypothesis solving the mystery of Neolithic trepanation, and traditional medical ethics in contradistinction to bioethics." -- Publisher
*Finley, Martha (aka Martha Farquharson, 1828-1909), Book 2: Elsie's Holidays at Roselands, ISBN: 9781888306323 1888306327.
"When Elsie's father becomes ill, she takes on the job of nurse-companion, and all goes well until Elsie, because it is the Sabbath, as a matter of conscience refuses to read to him from a secular book. The battle of wills that ensues nearly causes first her father's death, and then Elsie's. Lonely Elsie -- punished, ostracized, and then abandoned by her father -- turns to her heavenly Father for comfort and assurance. Will her father realize that Elsie's obedience to God must be paramount, and submit himself to the same Divine Authority?" -- Publisher
On an even more serious note, one moral of this story is the broader life and death struggle between Truth and Falsehood (See: Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], Epistemology of theology, the theory of knowledge, and Christian scholarship.) The consequence of conflict of will is death of the "One," or war of the "Many" (see Rushdoony, THE ONE AND THE MANY: STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF ORDER AND ULTIMACY. Conflict of will (see Will and recalcitrance, Rebellion and lawlessness: wickedness, demonic possession, abnormal behavior, insanity, mental illness, mental retardation,) may begin when one individual (see The doctrine of man [human nature, total depravity],) or the corporate body (see Corporate faithfulness and sanctification), tries to usurping authority over others (see Power, Authority) -- tries to control and possess the other (see Tyranny, Slavery, our systems of enslavement, economic enslavement.) The means of control may be either outward or occult (see The occult, spiritism, witchcraft), deceit, repression or suppression of the truth, replacing moral and ethical absolutes with relativism (see Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Medical ethics, Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], unfaithfulness to the highest ethical standards (see The ten commandments: the moral law, The holy bible), Heresy and apostasy (apostacy, old english), Spiritual adultery [spiritual whoredom/harlotry,] (see Idolatry, syncretism, Jeremiah and lamentations,) invocation of the demonic, Oaths, ensnaring vows, promises, and covenants, bonds with the ungodly Carnality and flesh pleasing: desires, pleasure, Justice, judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord,) attempts to take authority over another politically or by mental malpractice (see Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, making up their own rules (see Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality],) ignoring or changing constitutional or creedal documents, unjust laws for the accumulation of wealth and power, indebtedness, disenfranchisement, (see denial of freedom,) Priestcraft, pharisaism, soul-stealing, possessiveness, physical seduction and whoredom, political economic or sexual enslavement (see Sexual relationship,) and so forth, and so on.
This abuse, this soul-violence, quenches the Holy Spirit (see Owen, God's Presence With a People the Spring of Their Prosperity; With Their Special Interest in Abiding in Him.) If either side is immovable, then death is the consequence (see Soteriology, atonement, The blood of christ, Hell, and Heaven.)
How are conflicts of will resolved? By submission to the Absolute Truths of God's word, the great common denominator, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
All this bears a strain of the Gospel (see Book-length presentations of the free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, The westminster confession of faith.)
Book 2: Holidays at Roselands
http://archive.org/details/holidaysatrosel00finlgoog
Holidays at Roselands (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14280
Mantle Ministries (Elsie Dinsmore Series and Mildred Series)
http://www.mantlemin.com
Fredericks, Andrew (director), Money-Driven Medicine: What's Wrong With America's Healthcare and how to fix it, DVD, 86 minutes. Writers: Maggie Mahar; Producers: Peter Bull, Alex Gibney, Chris Matonti.
"MONEY-DRIVEN MEDICINE provides the essential introduction Americans need to become knowledgeable and vigorous participants in healthcare reform.
"Produced by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM), and based on Maggie Mahar's acclaimed book of the same title, MONEY DRIVEN MEDICINE offers an accessible, journalistically rigorous explanation of how the U.S. healthcare system went so terribly wrong and what it will take to fix it.
"Americans spend twice per capita for healthcare than the average rich country, one-sixth of our GDP. What do we get for that money? The U.S. ranks 29th in life expectancy and the World Health Organization ranks our health system 37th in the world, behind Slovenia and Costa Rica. MONEY-DRIVEN MEDICINE reveals how the profit-driven 'medical-industrial complex' has over-built the healthcare sector and produce a powerful, distorting incentive for billions of dollars of pointless, even risky, tests, prescriptions and procedures. This pay-per-service system drives doctors into lucrative specialities, while primary care physicians have become an endangered species; million dollar diagnostic machines stand idle while emergency rooms overflow.
"In MONEY-DRIVEN MEDICINE frustrated doctors and outraged patients testify to the often tragic consequences of fragmented, impersonal assembly-line medicine, designed more for churning out profits than life-long health management. Veteran physicians stress that change begins with the doctor-patient partnership: consistent family-centered primary care built on informed, shared decision-making. Dr. Donald Berwick of Harvard, Dr. James Weinstein of Dartmouth and other leading researchers explain the path-breaking studies (featured in Dr. Atul Gawande's recent New Yorker article), which prove that results-based rather than procedure-based medicine can pay-off in less extravagant yet more effective care.
"MONEY-DRIVEN MEDICINE alerts Americans that universal care is just the first shot in a hotly-contested, years-long battle for comprehensive healthcare reform. It will encourage the public to become savvy medical 'consumers' and empower health professionals to rescue their vocation from the corporate bottom line. It will teach students why a sound, sustainable medical infrastructure is crucial not just to their future but that of the economy and society as a whole. 'Money-Driven Medicine' makes clear that curing America's healthcare crisis is a matter of national life and death." -- Publisher
*Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, 1st edition, October 4, 2011, 336 pages, ISBN: 9780307460912 0307460916.
"healthcare screwups are one of the leading causes of death in America, killing as many as 750,000 people annually. That's more than heart attacks or cancer. And yet most people don't know this, including most physicians. From diagnostic disasters to deadly drug interactions, the bestselling authors of The People's Pharmacy expose the alarming epidemic of medical mistakes in America -- and offer a lifesaving prescription to make the healthcare system safe again.
"There is a culture of cover-up in medicine that has been very effective at keeping mistakes secret. A recent study found that the most sophisticated way of detecting harm in the hospital identified 100 times more problems than doctors reported.
(Health Affairs, April, 2011)
"Medical mistakes happen all the time. Each year, 6.1 million Americans are harmed by diagnostic mistakes, drug disasters, and medical treatments. . . . Patient advocates Joe and Teresa Graedon came face-to-face with the tragic consequences of doctors' screwups when Joe's mother died in Duke Hospital -- one of the best in the world -- due to a disastrous series of preventable errors. The good news is that we can protect ourselves and our loved ones by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and more. . . .
"In TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM, the Graedons expose the most common medical mistakes, from doctor's offices and hospitals to the pharmacy counters and nursing homes. Patients across the country shared their riveting horror stories, and doctors recounted the disastrous -- and sometimes deadly -- consequences of their colleagues' oversights and errors. While many patients feel vulnerable and dependent on their healthcare providers, this book is a startling wake-up call to how wrong doctors can be. . . .
"The good news is that we can protect ourselves, and our loved ones, by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask a specialist before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and much more." -- Publisher
"Joe and Teresa Graedon have performed an enormous public service by putting this book together. Unfortunately, an epidemic of medical adverse events -- preventable lethal mistakes -- are destroying the quality of American healthcare. In all my years as a physician and an advocate for a safer, error-free healthcare system, I have never seen a more practical and readable guide to help patients become more vigilant and proactive in preventing medical errors. If you or someone you love is facing a serious illness or major surgery, defend yourself: Buy this book, read it cover to cover. No one cares more about your life than you do. If you were faced with a lethal threat, you would naturally do everything in your power to defend yourself. Put this book in your holster. Arm yourself. Take it with you to the hospital. And save your own life." -- Allan J. Hamilton, MD, FACS, professor of surgery and radiation oncology, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, author of The Scalpel and the Soul
"From my perspective, TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM represents the evolution or transformation of the Graedons from strong consumer advocates to genuine full-fledged skeptics. This book is nothing like earlier Peoples Pharmacy books. This is not your father's Oldsmobile. I think it is fair to say that the Graedons are today nowhere near as sanguine about our medical system as they were for so many years.
"Some people say that some non-fiction authors keep writing the same book over and over again, only updating the evidence to support their case. In my view, this book represents a major departure from the Graedons' books in the past. I think the Graedons are now in their mid-sixties and I have no idea how many more books they intend to write. This book strikes me as their attempt to finally lay it all on the line. The Graedons accurately point out that the problem of pharmacy mistakes is horrifying and that the public largely has no idea how significant this problem is. A few years back, ABC's '20/20' did a no-holds-barred undercover investigation of pharmacy mistakes. The segment was titled 'Pharmacy Errors: Unreported Epidemic?' In my opinion that is an accurate description of the problem except that the question mark should have been replaced with an exclamation point. Search Google for 'pharmacy mistakes' if you have any doubt about how serious this problem is." -- Reader's Comment
Hadler, Nortin M., Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America, ISBN: 0807831875 9780807831878.
"At a time when access to healthcare in the United States is being widely debated, Nortin Hadler argues that an even more important issue is being overlooked. Although necessary healthcare should be available to all who need it, he says, the current healthcare debate assumes that everyone requires massive amounts of expensive care to stay healthy. Hadler urges that before we commit to paying for whatever pharmaceutical companies and the medical establishment tell us we need, American consumers need to adopt an attitude of skepticism and arm themselves with enough information to make some of their own decisions about what care is truly necessary.
"Each chapter of WORRIED SICK is an object lesson regarding the uses and abuses of a particular type of treatment, such as mammography, colorectal screening, statin drugs, or coronary stents. For consumers and medical professionals interested in understanding the scientific basis for Hadler's arguments, each topical chapter has an accompanying source chapter in which Hadler discusses the medical literature and studies that inform his critique.
"According to Hadler, a major stumbling block to rational healthcare policy in the United States is contention over the very concept of what constitutes good health. By learning to distinguish good medical advice from persuasive medical marketing, consumers can make better decisions about their personal health and use that wisdom to inform their perspectives on health-policy issues.
"Nortin M. Hadler, M.D., is professor of medicine and microbiology/immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is attending rheumatologist at UNC Hospitals. He is author or editor of numerous books, including THE LAST WELL PERSON: HOW TO STAY WELL DESPITE THE HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM." -- Publisher
"WORRIED SICK is a follow up to Dr. Hadler's THE LAST WELL PERSON. It has updated research information and written for the public at large. In this book, Dr. Hadler examines many of the common diagnoses and treatments and questions their validity and scientific basis. He shows clearly that many are not based on science, and that treatments are of questionable value, and possibly harmful.
"Here is a brief overview.
1. Heart bypass surgery and angioplasty: Dr. Hadler explains how bypass surgery has not been shown to be of any use. In fact, some patients whose chests were simply opened and closed had similar improvements in their level of pain after the surgery. However, those who had the surgery experiencing dementia (40 percent) and difficulty returning back to their regular jobs. Although, the efficacy of this treatment has never been proven, it and angioplasty continues to account for 500,000 procedures a year in the US."I used to trust my doctor and the medical system until I began to have back pain. Due to improper diagnoses and treatments I developed pain in my neck, legs, arms, hands, and became completely disabled. That's when I realized I needed to take charge of my own health. This is where physician and health educators like Dr. Hadler provide a great service. By the way, he is also a consultant to ABC News. You can watch his commentaries and read his writing at ABC News website." -- Reader's Comment
2. Type 2 diabetes: He mentions that increase blood glucose level is an expected part of aging, and the effort to regulate blood sugar with medication has shown no effect in terms of preventing damage to the eyes or kidneys or preventing heart disease or stroke. In fact, ten years of intensive therapy offered no real advantage to 1000 middle aged hyperglycemic (high blood glucose level) people. So, why would anyone want to be on therapy and suffer the side effects of medications that have no real benefits? He says changes in diet, weight loss, and exercise have are a much better approach. Also what is considered a high blood glucose level? Those levels are set by committees, not necessarily based on scientific medicine, but many times based on influence by pharmaceutical companies.
3. Hypertension: Dr. Hadler also points out that high blood pressure is another area where science has not proven that by lowering the mild high blood pressure one can really make a difference in preventing heart disease or damage to organs. He recommends for people who have diabetes and hypertension and are elderly to be treated, if regular exercise, weight loss, and diet modifications do not help. But, to be focused on keeping the blood pressure at 120/80 and getting medication to those who are 140/90 and higher, and who have no symptoms and are feeling well, is not supported by research. One thing research has shown is that a cheap first generation diuretic works just as well as the latest and very expensive anti-hypertension drugs.
4. Ruptured disc: He points out that the concept of ruptured disc as cause of back and leg pain was proposed some 70 years ago and should have remained there. There is no evidence that a ruptured disc causes any harm. All the spinal changes due to age detected in an MRI or CT scan are normal. Some 200 randomized studies clearly show that all the treatments ranging from spinal manipulation, shots, and surgeries are of no benefit. All studies have shown that patients who refused treatment recovered as well or better than those who were treated. He recommends taking Tylenol for the pain and discomfort and getting back into one's regular routine and job.
5. Knee and shoulder pain: he also points out that knee pain is of the same case. The current diagnoses, such as a torn meniscus or torn rotator cuff, and treatments are of no value, and perhaps the solution is to take some Tylenol for the pain and keep going until the individual recovers, whether it's back or knee pain.
6. HRT therapy for post menopausal women: here is another area which is touted as a way of preventing heart disease and osteoporosis in women. He points out that not only this has failed, but the equipment they use for testing is not accurate most of the time, and that the medications used for it don't really work. Exercise is a better alternative. Also hip replacement surgery could easily be replaced with pinning the hip, which is less costly with a faster recovery rate.
7. Cancer screening: Like Dr. Welch, author of DO I NEED TO BE TESTED FOR CANCER, he too finds no scientific basis that screening well people for cancer has any benefit. He calls it, 'looking for a very small needle in a big hay stack.'
Heimburger, Douglas C, Whatever Happened to sin and the Soul in Medicine?
Himmelstein, David (author), Steffie Woolhandler (author), Bleeding the Patient: The Consequences of Corporate Healthcare, ISBN: 1567512062.
"The system we rely on to protect our health is seriously diseased. The structure of ownership and management creates perverse incentives that hurt patients and demoralize doctors and nurses who struggle to provide high quality care.
"We need to change this system. To do that, we need to inform as many people as possible about its failures and develop alternatives to corporate 'for profit' managed care.
"BLEEDING THE PATIENT can help us do that. It is clear, concise, full of facts and figures. It's more of a user-friendly reference book than a narrative, but that's OK. The choice of topics and level of information is excellent. It ranges from issues of prenatal care to so-called 'capitation' agreements to details regarding the hugely inefficient medical insurance bureaucracy. My only complaint is that it's sometimes difficult to figure out the references, which are abbreviated.
"Everyone who cares about the well-being of our society -- as well as their personal health -- should buy several copies of this book, and hand one personally to every doctor, nurse and health practitioner that they meet. Don't leave it in the waiting room! Corporate healthcare managers do their best to keep this kind of information out of their 'clients' hands'." -- Reader's Comment
*Horwitz, Allan V., Creating Mental Illness, ISBN: 0226353818 9780226353814.
"In this timely and provocative critique of modern psychiatry, Allan V. Horwitz examines current conceptions of mental illness as a disease. He argues that this notion fits only a small number of serious psychological conditions, and that most conditions currently regarded as mental illness are cultural constructions, normal reactions to stressful social circumstances, or simply forms of deviant behavior.
"According to Horwitz, the formulation of mental illness as disease benefits various interest groups, including mental health researchers and clinicians, prescriptive drug manufacturers, and mental health advocacy groups, all of whom promote disease-based models.
"Presenting case studies in maladies such as hysteria, multiple personality disorder, and depression, he examines the major causes and treatments of mental illness, paying special attention to the use of pharmaceuticals. While biologically based causes and treatments fit some of the entities formulated, Horwitz finds that more often than not, social responses offer far more suitable remedies.
"Allan V. Horwitz is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers University." -- Publisher
Kassirer, Jerome P., On the Take: How Medicine's Complicity With big Business can Endanger Your Health, ISBN: 1423746694 9781423746690.
"We all know that doctors accept gifts from drug companies, ranging from pens and coffee mugs to free vacations at luxurious resorts. But as the former Editor-in-Chief of The New England Journal of Medicine reveals in this shocking exposé, these innocuous-seeming gifts are just the tip of an iceberg that is distorting the practice of medicine and jeopardizing the health of millions of Americans today. In ON THE TAKE, Dr. Jerome Kassirer offers an unsettling look at the pervasive payoffs that physicians take from big drug companies and other medical suppliers, arguing that the billion-dollar onslaught of industry money has deflected many physicians' moral compasses and directly impacted the everyday care we receive from the doctors and institutions we trust most. Underscored by countless chilling untold stories, the book illuminates the financial connections between the wealthy companies that make drugs and the doctors who prescribe them. Kassirer details the shocking extent of these financial enticements and explains how they encourage bias, promote dangerously misleading medical information, raise the cost of medical care, and breed distrust. A brilliant diagnosis of an epidemic of greed, ON THE TAKE offers insight into how we can cure the medical profession and restore our trust in doctors and hospitals." -- Publisher
Kauffman, Joel M., Malignant Medical Myths: Why Medical Treatment Causes 200,000 Deaths in the USA Each Year, and how to Protect Yourself, ISBN: 0741429098 9780741429094. Includes bibliographical references and index.
"A fearless exposé of mainstream medicine's most revered dogma, MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS is solidly based on trusted medical and nutritional books and journals. Americans spend $2 trillion per year on healthcare, about $7,000 each, yet it buys almost the poorest healthcare among developed countries, with 200,000 deaths per year from medical treatment. Find out why advice from authorities on screening tests, drugs, diet, exercise, alcohol, radiation, radon, and water fluoridation is often wrong and commercially motivated. See how clinical trials are slanted. Understand how 'sickness' is created to sell treatments, and which government agencies support these shenanigans.
"Joel M. Kauffman obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, now called University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP), and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After 11 years of experience in the chemical industry, Dr. Kauffman joined USP in 1979, rising to Professor of Chemistry. His experience includes about 10 years of exploratory drug development at USP and 4 years at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He obtained grants and contracts from many sources including the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research and the Army Research Office and several manufacturing companies. With 80 papers on chemical and medical topics, and 11 patents, including 2 on antituberculosis drugs, Dr. Kauffman has turned his attention to exposing fraud in medicine." -- Publisher
"In MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS, he questions the following medical myths, as he calls them, put forth by health and medical 'experts:'
1. Taking an aspirin a day will make you live longer."If you believe ANY of the above statements as medically accurate, then you need to get MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS. Kauffman outlines for you his extensive research on each of these and explains to you the truth using scientific studies and information so you can be armed for battle when you come up against these myths again in the future. -- Reader's Comment
2. Low-carb diets are unsafe and don't work for weight loss.
3. Using statin drugs to lower cholesterol will improve health.
4. People over 50 should take medicine for hypertension.
5. A drink a day keeps the doctor away.
6. Exercise! Run for your life! No pain, no gain.
7. EDTA chelation therapy for atherosclerosis is dangerous.
8. Radiation is dangerous except when administered by an oncologist.
9. Yearly mammograms extend life.
10. Cancer treatments have cure rates of 60 percent.
11. Fluoride in the water prevents tooth decay and is safe.
Kilner, John, Nigel M. de S. Cameron, and David Schiedermayer (editor), Bioethics and the Future of Medicine: A Christian Appraisal, ISBN: 0853646740 9780853646747.
Knudsen, Robert D., Ethics and Birth Control.
Typescript (mimeographed) "The slightly revised form of a paper presented before the 16th annual convention of the American Scientific Affiliation in Houghton, New York, Aug. 22-25, 1961." Article published originally in The Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation; 14, no. 1. Description: 9 leaves; 28 cm."
Leung, Michael C.M., Misdiagnosis and Fraud.
Working paper (Chinese University of Hong Kong. Department of Economics), No. 126
https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/chkcuhked/_5f126.htm
*Levitt, Steven, and Stephen J. Dubner, Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, ISBN: 9780062132345 0062132342 9788466645775 8466645772.
"Nothing is more powerful than information, especially when its power is abused. . . .
"Though extraordinarily diverse, these crimes all have a common trait: they were sins of information. Most of them involved an expert, or a gang of experts, promoting false information or hiding true information; in each case the experts were trying to keep the information asymmetry as asymmetrical as possible.
"The practitioners of such acts, especially in the realm of high finance, inevitably offer this defense: 'Everybody else was doing it.' Which may be largely true. One characteristic of information crimes is that very few of them are detected." -- Levitt and Dubner
"More than 4 million copies sold worldwide. Published in 35 languages. . . . Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He studies the riddles of everyday life 'from cheating and crime to parenting and sports' and reaches conclusions that turn conventional wisdom on its head. FREAKONOMICS is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They set out to explore the inner workings of a crack gang, the truth about real estate agents, the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, and much more." -- Publisher
Mahar, Maggie, Money-driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs so Much, ISBN: 0060765348 9780060765347.
"A straightforward, credible and comprehensive survey of contemporary American medical care. As a physician with many years of experience with our medical system, I can attest to its accuracy. Its major thrust is the elucidation of how our medical system has been taken over by those who seek profit rather than the welfare of the patient. The author explores the methods used by insurance companies, pharmaceutical houses, device manufacturers, hospitals and some physicians to capitalize on the vulnerability of the sick.
"She points out the gross inefficiencies that contribute to the high cost of medical care and suggests ways to improve that care.
With information such as this we may be able to change the 'Healthcare Industry' back to the medical care of the patient." -- Reader's Comment
Fredericks, Andrew (director), Money-Driven Medicine: What's Wrong With America's Healthcare and how to fix it, DVD, 86 minutes. Writers: Maggie Mahar; Producers: Peter Bull, Alex Gibney, Chris Matonti.
Makary, Marty, Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won't Tell you and how Transparency can Revolutionize Health Care, ISBN: 9781608198368 1608198367.
"Dr. Marty Makary is co-developer of the life-saving checklist outlined in Atul Gawande's bestselling THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO. As a busy surgeon who has worked in many of the best hospitals in the nation, he can testify to the amazing power of modern medicine to cure. But he's also been a witness to a medical culture that routinely leaves surgical sponges inside patients, amputates the wrong limbs, and overdoses children because of sloppy handwriting. Over the last ten years, neither error rates nor costs have come down, despite scientific progress and efforts to curb expenses. Why? To patients, the healthcare system is a black box. Doctors and hospitals are unaccountable, and the lack of transparency leaves both bad doctors and systemic flaws unchecked. Patients need to know more of what healthcare workers know, so they can make informed choices. Accountability in healthcare would expose dangerous doctors, reward good performance, and force positive change nationally, using the power of the free market. UNACCOUNTABLE is a powerful, no-nonsense, non-partisan diagnosis for healing our hospitals and reforming our broken healthcare system." -- Publisher
Martin, Mike W., From Morality to Mental Health: Virtue and Vice in a Therapeutic Culture, ISBN: 0195304713 9780195304718.
"In this wide-ranging, accessible book, Mike W. Martin asks: are we replacing morality with therapy, in potentially confused and dangerous ways, or are we creatively integrating morality and mental health? According to him, it's a little bit of both. He surveys the ways in which morality and mental health are related, touching on practical concerns like love and work, self-respect and self-fulfillment, guilt and depression, crime and violence, and addictions. Terming this integrative development "the therapeutic trend in ethics," Martin uses examples from popular culture, various moral controversies, and draws on a line of thought that includes Plato, the Stoics, Freud, Nietzsche, and contemporary psychotherapeutic theories. Martin develops some interesting conclusions, among them that sound morality is indeed healthy, and that moral values are inevitably embedded in our conceptions of mental health. In the end, he shows how both morality and mental health are inextricably intertwined in our pursuit of a meaningful life. This book will be of interest to philosophers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and sociologists, as well as the general reader." -- Publisher
Mendelsohn, Robert S. Confessions of a Medical Heretic, ISBN: 0809277263 9780809277261.
"I've read a lot of books on health in my life and this is one of the best. If you want to know how to avoid some of the dirty tricks doctors pull, you've got to study this. Most diseases are self-limiting, but your doctor won't tell you that. He'll drug and cut you in a heart beat. Another good series of books are by Joel Wallach, Herbert Shelton, and Cass Igram. The state of medicine today is as bad or worse than it was 20 years ago. Do yourself a favor and get this book." -- Reader's Comment
Mendelsohn, Robert S., Male [Mal]practice: How Doctors Manipulate Women, ISBN: 0809259745 9780809259748.
"A lot of practical advice is given regarding questions to ask the doctor when he suggests surgery. Includes the chapter 'Fifty Drugs Every Woman Should Think Twice About Before Taking'." -- Publisher
Mercola, Joseph, The Great Bird flu Hoax: The Truth They Don't Want you to Know About the "Next big Pandemic," 240 pages, ISBN: 0785221875 9780785221876.
"The U.S. government is now practically screaming that a new avian super-flu will likely kill millions of Americans. The mainstream media is entirely onboard, as are drug companies and other corporations poised to benefit immensely off the paranoia. But there is NO coming bird flu pandemic. It's an elaborate scheme contrived by the government and big business for reasons that boil down to power and money.
"Presenting eye-opening evidence that casts serious doubt on the truthfulness of reports about the virus's ability to transmit, and its mortality rates around the world, renowned physician Dr. Joseph Mercola reveals the secrets about the great bird flu hoax. In compelling fashion he provides you the real facts you need to know to protect you from a far greater ill -- corporate and governmental greed." -- Publisher
Michaels, David, Doubt is Their Product: How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health, ISBN: 9780195300673 019530067X.
" 'Doubt is our product,' a cigarette executive once observed, 'since it is the best means of competing with the 'body of fact' that exists in the minds of the general public. It is also the means of establishing a controversy.'
"In this eye-opening exposé, David Michaels reveals how the tobacco industry's duplicitous tactics spawned a multimillion dollar industry that is dismantling public health safeguards. Product defense consultants, he argues, have increasingly skewed the scientific literature, manufactured and magnified scientific uncertainty, and influenced policy decisions to the advantage of polluters and the manufacturers of dangerous products. To keep the public confused about the hazards posed by global warming, second-hand smoke, asbestos, lead, plastics, and many other toxic materials, industry executives have hired unscrupulous scientists and lobbyists to dispute scientific evidence about health risks. In doing so, they have not only delayed action on specific hazards, but they have constructed barriers to make it harder for lawmakers, government agencies, and courts to respond to future threats. The Orwellian strategy of dismissing research conducted by the scientific community as 'junk science' and elevating science conducted by product defense specialists to 'sound science' status also creates confusion about the very nature of scientific inquiry and undermines the public's confidence in science's ability to address public health and environmental concerns Such reckless practices have long existed, but Michaels argues that the Bush administration deepened the dysfunction by virtually handing over regulatory agencies to the very corporate powers whose products and behavior they are charged with overseeing.
"In DOUBT IS THEIR PRODUCT Michaels proves, beyond a doubt, that our regulatory system has been broken. He offers concrete, workable suggestions for how it can be restored by taking the politics out of science and ensuring that concern for public safety, rather than private profits, guides our regulatory policy.
"David Michaels is a scientist and former government regulator. During the Clinton Administration, he served as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety and Health, responsible for protecting the health and safety of the workers, neighboring communities, and the environment surrounding the nation's nuclear weapons factories. He currently directs the Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. In 2006, he received the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award for his work on behalf of nuclear weapons workers and for advocacy for scientific integrity." -- Publisher
"Conflicts of interest among members of EPA review panels have weakened governmental safety standards on toxic chemicals in the environment and in everyday consumer products. Outrage over long-standing reliance on 'science for hire' by the chemical industry has prompted Congress to investigate EPA's procedures for reviewing toxic chemicals, including PBDE flame retardants and bisphenol A. These examples are just a small window into how great the tampering and influence of the chemical industry has been over EPA regulation of toxic chemicals. A new book by David Michaels, an epidemiologist and the director of the Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, documents a seemingly endless list of examples of mercenary scientists misleading the general public and the regulatory community about the true dangers of chemical exposures, starting from lead, asbestos, and tobacco, and continuing to chromium, berillium, perchlorate, benzene, plastics chemicals, and various other environmental and occupational health hazards.
"The book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the best application of science in the interests of promoting public health. For a great review, readers can also go to the article by Newsweek's Sharon Begley, 'Whitewashing Toxic Chemicals.'
"One stunning quote from the book describes the tricks of the trade that industry lobby and product defense firms use to derail the regulatory process: 'They profit by helping corporations minimize public health and environmental protection and fight claims of injury and illness. In field after field, year after year, this same handful of individuals and companies comes up again and again . . . They have on their payrolls (or can bring in on a moment's notice), toxicologists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, risk assessors, and any other professionally trained, media-savvy experts deemed necessary. They and the larger, wealthier industries for which they work go through the motions we expect of the scientific enterprise, salting the literature with their questionable reports and studies. Nevertheless, it is all a charade. The work has one overriding motivation: advocacy for the sponsor's position in civil court, the court of public opinion, and the regulatory arena [where these studies benefit their sponsors], not because they are good work that the regulatory agencies have to take seriously but because they clog the machinery and slow down the process. Public health interests are beside the point. Follow the science wherever it leads? Not quite. This is science for hire, period, and it is extremely lucrative.'
"Only by discovering the facts behind the scene and by bringing to light the true motivation of profit-driven public relations campaigns can we promote and defend the health of the environment and the safety of consumer products. For a veteran in the subject who may have participated in some of the struggles described in DEFENDING SCIENCE, or for a new member of the environmental and occupational health community, this book is a great introduction to the state of the field -- and the battles ahead that still need to be fought." -- Reader's Comment
Mitchell, Janet Lynn, Taking a Stand, ISBN: 1600980015 9781600980015.
"This book is one of the biggest eye openers that I have ever read concerning Medical Malpractice Law and the American Judicial System today. Never before did I realize that so many patients suffer everyday from doctors committing an act of Medical Malpractice and yet only a small percentage of those victims actually get their case heard within their state courts. This is where Janet's book, TAKING A STAND, is so powerful. Janet takes her own personal experience and courageously writes this book, to not only help others but also to show her faith and love in God. Due to circumstances in Janet's case and her will to follow God, California Laws have been changed today and many other victims will be encouraged to follow God's will and stand up for what is right." -- Publisher
"Tips: Read your surgery authorization to find out who will do the surgery. If you allow a new doctor to operate on you be sure the attending mentor doctor is present with the new doctor in the operating room throughout the whole operation. Get second opinions before surgery. If you suspect it is necessary, go to another city for the opinion. Bring an advocate to the doctor's appointments with you and to stay with you in the hospital. Ask nurses what the medicine is, and what its purpose is. The statute of limitation for medical malpractice is seven (7) years. Medical concealment and fraud is when the patient never finds out that a medical error has been made. Only about 24 percent of families ever find out when a medical error has been made."
Janet Lynn Mitchell Website
http://www.janetlynnmitchell.com/
Moynihan, Ray, and Alan Cassels, Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies are Turning us all Into Patients, ISBN: 1560256974 9781560256977.
"Thirty years ago, the head of the drug company Merck made some remarkably candid comments about his distress that his company's market was limited to sick people. Suggesting he would like Merck to be more like the maker of Wrigley's chewing gum, the CEO said it had long been his dream to make drugs for healthy people, to 'sell to everyone.'
"That dream now drives the marketing machinery of the most profitable industry on earth. From award-winning Ray Moynihan, one of the world's top medical journalists, SELLING SICKNESS reveals how widening the boundaries of illness and lowering the threshold for treatments is creating millions of new patients and billions in new profits. This in turn is driving up personal drug bills and threatening to bankrupt national health systems all over the world. As more and more ordinary life is 'medicalized,' the industry moves ever closer to being able to 'sell to everyone'." -- Publisher
Navasky, Miri, Karen O'Connor, Mead Street Films (firm), WGBH (television station: Boston, Mass.), and WGBH Educational Foundation, The Released, DVD, ISBN: 0793670713 9780793670710. Originally broadcast on the PBS program Frontline.
Our Mental Health Policy has been a complete failure since the release of patients from mental institutions in the early 70's. Those released quickly ended up in prisons.
"In this follow up to the groundbreaking film 'The New Asylums,' Frontline examines what happens to the mentally ill when they leave prison and why they return at such alarming rates. The intimate stories of the released-along with interviews with parole officers, social workers, and psychiatrists-provide a rare look at the lives of the mentally ill as they struggle to stay out of prison and reintegrate into society." -- Publisher
http://www.shoppbs.org/sm-pbs-frontline-the-released-dvd--pi-3544620.html
Newman-Toker, David, Diagnostic Errors -- The Next Frontier for Patient Safety, JAMA, 2009 Mar 11, 301(10):1060-2
"David Newman-Toker, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-author of "Diagnostic Errors -- The Next Frontier for Patient Safety" in the Journal of the American Medical Association."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/08/29/737-diagnostic-errors/
Ofri, Danielle, When we do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error, ISBN: 0807037893 9780807037898.
"Physician and author Danielle Ofri investigates how medical error could be killing 10 percent of patients and causing 33 percent of hospital deaths. These stories ask us to reconsider what happens when the medical system does us harm". -- Publisher
Olsen, Gwen, Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher, ISBN: 9781935278597 1935278592.
"She talks about the science that is funded by the pharmaceuticals and how it cannot be trusted, due to obvious conflicts of interest. She also gives personal experiences with people she knew, who were prescribed over time of how a lethal cocktail of drugs killed many of them or led them to suicide. This occurs because researchers cannot test every possible combination of drugs -- there's simply not enough time available for this. Apparently, the body needs time to flush a drug out of the system, and doctors don't allow for that time. So, the combinations are particularly concerning.
"Long story short, if someone we love is behaving erratically, it could be because of a mixture of prescription/non-prescription drugs. Don't expect your physician to protect you because they do not have time to keep up on all the research, and they are constantly persuaded by attractive, smart-sounding drug reps, who come to their offices bringing lots of free samples, food, and gifts.
"The point of the book is get informed and take charge of your own health, rather than relying on those who consistently demonstrate that they value profit above your well-being." -- Reader's Comment
Orr, Robert, David L. Schiedermayer, and David B. Biebel, Life and Death Decisions, ISBN: 080105270X 9780801052705.
"Designed to help readers make informed decisions about emotionally charged issues, LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS sorts through the facts, concerns, and options that are integral to each issue. Biblically based and medically reliable, this single volume will help you evaluate the latest medical technologies in the light of Christian ethics." -- Publisher
Ozner, Michael D., The Great American Heart Hoax: Lifesaving Advice Your Doctor Should Tell you About Heart Disease Prevention (But Probably Never Will), ISBN: 9781933771540 1933771542.
"Addressing the importance of preventative measures over uncertain surgeries, this groundbreaking study reveals the secret to cardiovascular health. Illustrating the disturbing realities about the heart industry and how undependable bypass surgery can be, this survey argues the alternative -- know the majority of people can employ much simpler methods, such as a change in diet, to achieve better results. Also featured is a 12-step program to improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease, including dieting advice, tips on exercise and stress management, methods for controlling cholesterol and blood pressure, and recommended vitamins and medicines.
"Michael Ozner, MD, is medical director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Institute of South Florida and a clinical assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He is the author of THE MIAMI MEDITERRANEAN DIET. He lives in Miami." -- Publisher
"HEART HOAX is horrifying because it reveals many troubling facts about America's cardiac surgery industry. As a longtime medical advocate and critic of our healthcare system, I've known that too many heart surgeries are being performed in America; I just didn't know how many too many! In his book, Dr. Ozner reveals that, of the more than 1.5 million angioplasties and coronary bypass surgeries performed annually in the U.S., fully 70-90 percent are not only unnecessary, but are also detrimental -- and in some cases, even cause death. I knew that many diagnostic tests expose patients to radiation, but I didn't know that the 64-slice CT scan -- so often used to detect clogged arteries -- gives a patient the equivalent of the radiation from FIVE HUNDRED X-RAYS. And while I had known that the simple cholesterol test, which doctors routinely use as a predictor of cardiac risk, does NOT give the full picture, I did not know that it correctly predicts risk IN ONLY 40 percent of cases -- AND that there is another blood test (which doctors normally do NOT use), which can correctly predict cardiac risk in 90 percent of patients. All of these facts -- and more -- add up to what Dr. Ozner refers to as the GREAT AMERICAN HEART HOAX. The truth, writes Dr. Ozner, is that invasive cardiologists HAVE KNOWN many of these 'dirty secrets' for years, but have chosen to ignore them, in the unholy goal of 'following the money.'
"So, why do I say that this book is also empowering? Because, the exposé takes up only one part of the book. In the second half, Dr. Ozner gives us the 'good news,' by laying out his solution: a 10-step prevention program he has used successfully with his patients for nearly 30 years. It combines the Mediterranean Diet -- with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and healthy fats -- with nutritional supplements, exercise, stress reduction, and lots more. After reading this book, you will know how to prevent a heart attack and, if you have already had one, how to greatly reduce your chances of ever having another." -- Reader's Comment
Palmer, B.M., The Pious Physician; or, The Claims of Religion Upon the Medical Profession.
*Payne, Franklin E., Jr., Biblical/Medical Ethics: The Christian and the Practice of Medicine, ISBN: 0880620684 9780880620680.
"First half establishes a biblical basis for medical ethics, the need for an unchanging, authoritative moral standard, and the uncertain efficacy of modern medicine. 'I am advocating a realistic understanding of its limitations, as well as its potential. Medicine does not deserve the great expectations for health which many of its leaders, physicians, public press, and lay advocates claim.' Second half discusses the role of the church in healthcare and a series of ethical issues: abortion, psychotherapy, death and dying, euthanasia." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
"Comes highly recommended by Jay Adams, Harold O.J. Brown, and R.J. Rushdoony. Written by a medical doctor who makes the issue clear and understandable. A must book for pastors, elders, deacons, counselors, and informed laymen." -- GCB
*Payne, Franklin E., Making Biblical Decisions, ISBN: 0962320404 9780962320408.
"Dr. Payne's book should be found on the shelf of every Christian home . . . it is bound to become a practical classic." -- Jay Adams
"Biblical perspective to inform a range of ethical decisions: birth control, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, genetic engineering, and death. 'We frequently overlook the fact that we live in a universe where the primary reality is supernatural.' 'My intent is to help all Christians know what is darkness and what is light within the practice of medicine'." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
*Playfair, William L., The Useful lie: How the Recovery Industry has Entrapped America in a Disease Model of Addiction, ISBN: 1889032379 9780891076377.
"Challenges the disease concept of alcoholism, the 'useful lie' of the recovery movement. This lie underlies the widespread mistreatment of alcoholism and of other fundamentally moral problems, e.g., 'codependency.' Posits biblically based intervention that treats such problems as sins to be repented of. Opposes sending a person to the recovery industry because 'He will be told his sin is a sickness; he will never be confronted with his real and most basic moral and spiritual problem. And he will more than likely be introduced to the any god of Twelve Stepdom, who is, by Biblical criteria, a false god'." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
"Dr. Playfair is a medical consultant to the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation/West in San Diego. He also is a board member of Family Research Institute. The theme and purpose of this book is to debunk the claims that alcoholism is a disease. This claim, says the doctor, contradicts science and medicine; it contradicts the Bible, which is more important; and it simply does not work in breaking the addiction of alcohol. . . ." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
"This book provided all the necessary evidence to blow the whistle on the recovery industry and also points toward genuine freedom from addiction." -- GCB
Poirier, T.I., An Evangelical Critique of Advance Directives, ISSN: 1050-3404.
Poirier, T.I., Ethical Issues in Pharmacy: A Biblical Perspective, ISSN: 1050-3404.
Prasad, Vinayak K. and Adam S. Cifu, Ending Medical Reversal: Improving Outcomes, Saving Lives, ISBN: 9781421417721 1421417723.
" 'Medical reversal' happens when doctors start using a medication, procedure, or diagnostic tool without a robust evidence base -- and then stop using it when it is found not to help, or even to harm, patients. The authors narrate stories from every corner of medicine to explore why medical reversals occur, how they are harmful, and what can be done to avoid them. They explore the difference between medical innovations that improve care and those that only appear to be promising. They also outline a comprehensive plan to reform medical education, research funding and protocols, and the process for approving new drugs, that will ensure that more of what gets done in doctors' offices and hospitals is truly effective." -- Publisher
Rampton, Sheldon, and John Stauber, Trust us We're Experts: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles With Your Future.
"Fearless investigative journalists Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber (TOXIC SLUDGE IS GOOD FOR YOU! and MAD COW U.S.A.), are back with a gripping exposé of the public relations industry and the scientists who back their business-funded, anti-consumer-safety agendas. There are two kinds of 'experts' in question ["Recent surveys show that 'national experts' are the third most trusted type of public figure (after Supreme Court justices and schoolteachers),"] -- the PR spin doctors behind the scenes and the 'independent' experts paraded before the public, scientists who have been hand-selected, cultivated, and paid handsomely to promote the views of corporations involved in controversial actions. Lively writing on controversial topics such as dioxin, bovine growth hormone, and genetically modified food makes this a real page-turner, shocking in its portrayal of the real and potential dangers in each of these technological innovations and of the 'media pseudo-environment' created to obfuscate the risks. By financing and publicizing views that support the goals of corporate sponsors, PR campaigns have, over the course of the century, managed to suppress the dangers of lead poisoning for decades, silence the scientist who discovered that rats fed on genetically modified corn had significant organ abnormalities, squelch television and newspaper stories about the risks of bovine growth hormone, and place enough confusion and doubt in the public's mind about global warming to suppress any mobilization for action.
"Rampton and Stauber introduce the movers and shakers of the PR industry, from the 'risk communicators' (whose job is to downplay all risks), and 'outrage managers' (with their four strategies -- deflect, defer, dismiss, or defeat), to those who specialize in 'public policy intelligence' (spying on opponents). Evidently, these elaborate PR campaigns are created for our own good. According to public relations philosophers, the public reacts emotionally to topics related to health and safety and is incapable of holding rational discourse. Needless to say, Rampton and Stauber find these views rather antidemocratic and intend to pull back the curtain to reveal the real wizard in Oz. This is one wake-up call that's hard to resist." -- Lesley Reed for Amazon.com
"The book is patently left-leaning. The authors are idealistic about human nature, for example, believing people would do the greatest good for the greatest number if they knew how to do it. The authors also appear to believe that government regulation is the necessary answer to inevitable government excess. This seems awfully naïve in its sheer repetition at times. In Chapter Nine, the concession is briefly made that 'public advocacy' groups will sometimes distort facts and figures to achieve their desired ends, but that assertion is ultimately deemed less important than the tendency of conservative forces to distort." -- Reader's Comment
*Robbins, John (1949-2008), Freedom and Capitalism: Essays on Christian Politics and Economics (Unicoi, TN: The Trinity Foundation, November, 2006), 650 pages, ISBN: 1891777157 9781891777158.
Contains "The Ethics and Economics of Health Care" a lecture delivered at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting at Westminster Theological Seminary in 1994. It is 36 pages in length and is documented with footnotes and in text bibliography.
We believe this is the definitive statement on "Single Payer Guaranteed, Quality National Health Insurance in the United States" and is a must-read for individuals whose lives are impacted by the unavailability of affordable healthcare in the United States. It is a must read for individuals who do not have the knowledge to make an informed decision about H.R. 676, yet recognize the profound importance of taking the right stand on the issue. -- compiler
"One can agree that there are serious problems with the present healthcare and health insurance systems in the United States [writing in 1994 -- compiler]. Nothing in this paper should be construed as a defense of the status quo. But those serious problems arose because of government interference in the insurance and care systems."
From the author's nine concluding points: "any political health-car plan is subversive of the fundamental moral values that have given the United States whatever moral authority it has in the world. Government planning is incompatible with freedom of choice in healthcare, freedom of contract, private planning, limited government, federalism, the rule of law, individual responsibility, the work ethic, and Christian charity. . . . is inimical to the Biblical ideas of sovereignty of God; the primacy of the individual; the proper function of the state; the sinfulness of theft, idleness, and envy; and the exercise of Christian charity. . . . The creation of a political-medical complex . . . is a necessary condition of a totalitarian state, as illustrated in the history of Germany. . . . involves the sinful use of force against patients, doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, drug companies, and taxpayers. . . ."
The concluding points are followed by seven suggested steps to reform the present system.
"Dr. John W. Robbins attended Grove City College (A.B. 1969) and The Johns Hopkins University (M.A. 1970, Ph.D. 1973). He has served as chief of staff for a Member of Congress [Ron Paul of Texas], editor of The Freeman magazine, Economist for The Heritage Foundation, and Professor of Political Philosophy in The Freedom School." -- Publisher
Rosenthal, Elisabeth, An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became big Business and how you can Take it Back, ISBN: 9781594206757 1594206759.
"An award-winning New York Times reporter Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal reveals the dangerous, expensive, and dysfunctional American healthcare system, and tells us exactly what we can do to solve its myriad of problems. It is well documented that our healthcare system has grave problems, but how, in only a matter of decades, did things get this bad? Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal doesn't just explain the symptoms; she diagnoses and treats the disease itself. Rosenthal spells out in clear and practical terms exactly how to decode medical doublespeak, avoid the pitfalls of the pharmaceuticals racket, and get the care you and your family deserve. She takes you inside the doctor-patient relationship, explaining step by step the workings of a profession sorely lacking transparency. This is about what we can do, as individual patients, both to navigate a byzantine system and also to demand far-reaching reform. Breaking down the monolithic business into its individual industries -- the hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, drug manufacturers -- that together constitute our healthcare system, Rosenthal tells the story of the history of American medicine as never before. The situation is far worse than we think, and it has become like that much more recently than we realize. Hospitals, which are managed by business executives, behave like predatory lenders, hounding patients and seizing their homes. Research charities are in bed with big pharmaceutical companies, which surreptitiously profit from the donations made by working people. Americans are dying from routine medical conditions when affordable and straightforward solutions exist. Dr. Rosenthal explains for the first time how various social and financial incentives have encouraged a disastrous and immoral system to spring up organically in a shockingly short span of time. The system is in tatters, but we can fight back. AN AMERICAN SICKNESS is the frontline defense against a healthcare system that no longer has our well-being at heart." -- Publisher
*Rost, Peter, The Whistle-blower: Confessions of a Healthcare Hitman, ISBN: 193336839X 9781933368399.
"A number of books critical of the pharmaceutical industry have recently been published, but none has been an exposé written by a senior executive of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. THE WHISTLE-BLOWER is at once an unmasking of how corporations take care of malcontents and a gripping story of one man's fight to maintain his family and his sanity. Starting in 2003, the book details the illegal, even criminal business practices the author witnessed at his corporation, as well as his crusade to legalize the reimportation of drugs. It also explains how in this post-Enron world whistle-blowers can't simply be fired, and what the author's corporation did to coerce and silence him. A story of a battle that continues today, one which any American who takes or will take prescription drugs has a stake in, THE WHISTLE-BLOWER is a powerful testimony." -- Publisher
"Rost's book is about more than just himself. Much of the latter half, in fact, has nothing to do with Rost's battle with Pfizer, but is rather a litany of recent drug company corruption, and Rost argues convincingly that the FDA and America's major medical journals have been co-opted by the industry. When he moves on to examine the American economy at large, where he lays out some eye-opening statistics comparing skyrocketing CEO salaries with the static ones of American workers, we realize Rost has reached his destination.
"Ultimately, THE WHISTLE-BLOWER is an impassioned jeremiad against corporate greed, with Rost our inside man. The book's overriding theme is that the American political system is in danger of degenerating into a plutocracy [government by the wealthy -- compiler], (or 'kleptocracy,' as he dubs it) -- if it hasn't already. 'The American democracy has been stolen by our new class of robber barons -- the CEOs of our largest corporations,' he writes." -- Jake Whitney, in the article "Lone Wolf Takes on the Pharma Pack" in The Progressive Populist October 21, 2006
Question Authority, Dr. Peter Rost daily blog
Rost's blog entries suggest that the general goals, managements techniques, relationships, ways of dealing with opposition, overall results of operations, and so forth, of the drug industry are analogous to organized crime worldwide.
http://peterrost.blogspot.com/
Health Care Hitman: Peter Rost, People's Pharmacy Radio Show, April 24, 2008, No. 677
"Guest: Peter Rost, MD, former vice-president of Pfizer. Author of WHISTLE-BLOWER: CONFESSIONS OF A HEALTH CARE HITMAN and a novel, KILLER DRUG. His blog is: http://peterrost.blogspot.com/"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/677_health_care_hitman_peter_rost.php
Rutecki, G.W., A Biblical Response to Baby-making: Surrogacy, Artificial Insemination, in Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer, ISSN: 1050-3404.
Rutecki, G.W., Rationing Medical Care to the Elderly Revisited: Futility as a Just Criterion, ISSN: 1050-3404.
Rutecki, G.W., and J.D. Geib, Teach us to Number our Days: Age and the Rationing of Medical Care: Use of a Biblical Valuation of Personhood, ISSN: 1050-3404.
Scranton, Pierce E., Death on the Learning Curve, ISBN: 9781600700149 1600700144.
"A hospital operating room may not be as safe as you think it is. Hiding among the sterile scrubs and gleaming instruments of an operating room is a whole lot of high drama: split-second life-and-death decisions . . . deep questions of ethics . . . roaring personality conflicts . . . the glory of saving a life-and the horror when a simple procedure goes terribly wrong.
"Renowned surgeon Pierce Scranton, Jr., kept a detailed diary of his internship year at a busy California teaching hospital. This book is a vivid, fictionalized memoir of that year in the trenches. Through the intertwined stories of teachers, students and patients, it explores issues like: What happens when teaching and healing come into conflict? When is a new treatment to prolong life a good idea, and when is it a disaster? How did lawyers and bean-counters get so much power? And when do relationships between doctors and other staff 'go too far?' This honest account is startling and sometimes shocking -- but always gripping.
Shelly, Judith Allen, Dilemma: A Nurse's Guide for Making Ethical Decisions, ISBN: 0877846669 9780877846666.
Shelly, Judith Allen, Not Just a Job: Serving Christ in Your Work, ISBN: 0877843325 9780877843320.
Shelly, Judith Allen, and Arlene B. Miller, Called to Care: A Christian Theology of Nursing, ISBN: 0830815988 9780830815982.
Shelly, Judith Allen, and Arlene B. Miller, Values in Conflict: Christian Nursing in a Changing Profession, ISBN: 0830813306 9780830813308.
*Singer, C. Gregg (1910-1999), The Apologetics lecture series using FROM RATIONALISM TO IRRATIONALITY: THE DECLINE OF THE WESTERN MIND FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE PRESENT (1979) as the text, and delivered in Decatur, Georgia, beginning November, 1979, 17 MP3 files.
"So many times people in the pew and the pulpit say, well how did all this get started? How did psychology descend to its present level? . . . How did political science produce our political thought, produce the dictatorships which are engulfing the modern world? Why are we in the economic mess in which we are today? Why is sociology such a jumble of immorality? Why is education as it is today? Why is art so meaningless? . . . Why is modern music an affront to the modern ears as well as to the mind and ear of God? . . . Why are all these things!? . . .
"I would suggest to you that if you will follow this course with thought and care, you will finally come to see the answer to the questions which haunt us today in Western society." -- C. Gregg Singer, from his lecture series in 1976 complementing the recently released book.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=2250511453
Sloan, Don, Practicing Medicine Without a License! The Corporate Takeover of Healthcare in America, ISBN: 0974524549.
"By controlling medical services and policies nationwide, insurance conglomerates and pharmaceutical companies are literally practicing medicine without a license. Don Sloan, M.D., exposes how the medical community has fallen prey to these corporations and makes the case for the real solution: a universal, federally mandated health plan for everyone." -- Publisher
Smith, Robert D., The Christian Counselor's Medical Desk Reference, ISBN: 1889032263 9781889032269.
Smith, Wesley J., Culture of Death: The Assault on Medical Ethics in America, ISBN: 1893554066 9781893554061 189355449X 9781893554498.
"When his teenaged son Christopher, brain-damaged in an auto accident, developed a 106-degree fever following weeks of unconsciousness, John Campbell asked the attending physician for help. The doctor refused. Why bother? The boy's life was effectively over. Campbell refused to accept this verdict. He demanded treatment and threatened legal action. The doctor finally relented. With treatment, Christopher's temperature subsided almost immediately. Soon afterwards he regained consciousness and today he is learning to walk again. This story is one of many Wesley J. Smith recounts in his groundbreaking new book, CULTURE OF DEATH. Smith believes that American medicine 'is changing from a system based on the sanctity of human life into a starkly utilitarian model in which the medically defenseless are seen as having not just a 'right but a duty to die.' Going behind the current scenes of our health care system, he shows how doctors withdraw desired care based on Futile Care Theory rather than providing it as required by the Hippocratic Oath. And how 'bioethicists' influence policy by considering questions such as whether organs may be harvested from the terminally ill and disabled. This is a passionate, yet coolly reasoned book about the current crisis in medical ethics by an author who has made 'the new thanatology' his consuming interest." -- Reader's Comment -->
*Sparrow, Malcolm K., License to Steal: How Fraud Bleeds America's Health Care System, 304 pages, ISBN: 0813368103 9780813368108.
Table of Contents: Preface, Acknowledgments, Introduction, Fictitious companies, The state of the art, Control failures, Two distinct sciences: fraud detection, and utilization review, how goes the war? Counterattack, new frontiers for control, false claims, Managed care, The nature of the fraud-control challenge, The pathology of fraud control, The importance of measurement, Assessment of existing fraud-control systems, The antithesis of modern claims processing, Prescription for progress, A model fraud-control strategy, Detection systems, Conclusion, Acronyms and abbreviations, Notes, Index.
"In LICENSE TO STEAL, Malcolm K. Sparrow shows how the industry's defenses, which focus mostly on finding and correcting billing errors, are no match for such well orchestrated attacks. The maxim for thieves simply becomes 'bill your lies correctly.' Provided they do that, fraud perpetrators with any degree of sophistication can steal millions of dollars with impunity, testing payment systems carefully, and then spreading fraudulent billings widely enough across patient and provider accounts to escape detection. The kinds of highly automated, quality controlled claims processing systems that pervade the industry present fraud perpetrators with their favorite kind of target: rich, fast paying, transparent, utterly predictable check printing systems, with little threat of human intervention, and with the U.S. Treasury on the end of the electronic line. Sparrow picks apart the industry's response to the government's efforts to control this problem. The provider associations (well heeled and politically influential) have vociferously opposed almost every recent enforcement initiative, creating the unfortunate public impression that the entire healthcare industry is against effective fraud control. A significant segment of the industry, it seems, regards fraud and abuse not as a problem, but as a lucrative enterprise worth defending.
"Meanwhile, it remains a perfectly commonplace experience for patients or their relatives to examine a medical bill and discover that half of it never happened, or that; likewise, if patients then complain, they discover that no one seems to care, or that no one has the resources to do anything about it. Sparrow's research suggests that the growth of capitated managed care systems does not solve the problem, as many in the industry had assumed, but merely changes its form. The managed care environment produces scams involving underutilization, and the withholding of medical care schemes that are harder to uncover and investigate, and much more dangerous to human health. Having worked extensively with federal and state officials since the appearance of his first book on this subject, Sparrow is in a unique position to evaluate recent law enforcement initiatives. He admits the 'war on fraud' is at least now engaged, but it is far from won.
"Malcolm K. Sparrow teaches Regulatory and Enforcement Strategy, and Analytic Methods, at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Formerly a Detective Chief Inspector with the British police service, he now specializes in issues of enforcement strategy, regulatory compliance, and risk control -- he is the acknowledged national expert on the subject of Health Care Fraud. He is author of THE RISK BUSINESS: DEFINING THE REGULATORY CRAFT (2000), LICENSE TO STEAL: WHY FRAUD PLAGUES AMERICA'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM (1996), IMPOSING DUTIES: GOVERNMENT'S CHANGING APPROACH TO COMPLIANCE (1994); and co-author of BEYOND 911: A NEW ERA FOR POLICING (1990) and ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT: THE MORAL CHALLENGE FOR PUBLIC LEADERSHIP (1990)." -- Publisher
"Although he has a wealth of expertise and a scholar's background, Sparrow speaks in a narrative style about the sad state of healthcare fraud in America today. While some progress is being made, there remains a little depth and sophistication in the responses to the complex and clever fraud schemes out there. Regrettably, the many political and institutional barriers to measuring and uncovering fraud continue to allow the system to be drained of precious dollars. While it takes a large investment to begin the fight on the level Sparrow advocates, the return is immeasurably greater. Not recommended for folks who don't need their blood pressure to rise." -- Reader's Comment
*Szasz, Thomas S., Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct, ISBN: 0060911514 9780060911515.
"A classic work that has revolutionized thinking throughout the Western world about the nature of the psychiatric profession and the moral implications of its practices. 'Bold and often brilliant'." -- Science
"I believe this is one of the most important books in the history of psychiatry. The book is ground-breaking and establishes a new paradigm and organizing concept for many 'mind' disciplines. Dr. Szasz's ideas are timeless, revolutionary and common sense -- not to be construed as a criticism. Indeed many revolutionary ideas are simple and obvious and I think that is exactly why this book and Dr. Szasz must be taken seriously. I am speaking behind the times when I say this because the book is nearly 40 years on the market. However, Dr. Szasz is as relevant today as ever. Institutionalized persecution of 'different' behaviours has evolved beyond the ridiculous to the absurd. Dr. Szasz's characterization of this as a 'war on personal responsibility' is important from a medical and a moral perspective, as a challenge to the popular notions of 'inner child,' the growing 'victim' industry (e.g. gambling and shopping 'addictions,' among many, many more) and similar conceptual garbage.
"THE MYTH OF MENTAL ILLNESS creates for the reader a reference point for cross disciplinary thinking in sociology, linguistics, philosophy of mind and science, psychology, history and or course medicine. The concepts are true to human beings as self-responsible moral agents and consistent with the North American work-ethic. Dr. Szasz is commended for his insight and understanding of a psychiatric industry gone mad." -- Reader's Comment
"Descriptive criteria aside, what is the essence of mental disorders? Are they merely physiological disorders of the brain, or, more precisely of its chemistry? If so, can they be cured by restoring the balance of substances and secretions in that mysterious organ? And, once equilibrium is reinstated -- is the illness 'gone' or is it still lurking there, 'under wraps,' waiting to erupt? Are psychiatric problems inherited, rooted in faulty genes (though amplified by environmental factors) -- or brought on by abusive or wrong nurturance?
"These questions are the domain of the 'medical' school of mental health.
"Others cling to the spiritual view of the human psyche. They believe that mental ailments amount to the metaphysical discomposure of an unknown medium -- the soul. Theirs is a holistic approach, taking in the patient in his or her entirety, as well as his milieu.
"The members of the functional school regard mental health disorders as perturbations in the proper, statistically 'normal,' behaviours and manifestations of 'healthy' individuals, or as dysfunctions. The 'sick' individual -- ill at ease with himself (ego-dystonic) or making others unhappy (deviant) -- is 'mended' when rendered functional again by the prevailing standards of his social and cultural frame of reference.
"In a way, the three schools are akin to the trio of blind men who render disparate descriptions of the very same elephant. Still, they share not only their subject matter -- but, to a counter intuitively large degree, a faulty methodology.
"As the renowned anti-psychiatrist, Thomas Szasz, of the State University of New York, notes in his article "The Lying Truths of Psychiatry," mental health scholars, regardless of academic predilection, infer the etiology of mental disorders from the success or failure of treatment modalities.
"This form of 'reverse engineering' of scientific models is not unknown in other fields of science, nor is it unacceptable if the experiments meet the criteria of the scientific method. The theory must be all-inclusive, consistent, falsifiable, logically compatible, monovalent, and parsimonious. Psychological 'theories' -- even the 'medical' ones (the role of serotonin and dopamine in mood disorders, for instance) -- are usually none of these things.
"The outcome is a bewildering array of ever-shifting mental health 'diagnoses' expressly centered around Western civilization and its standards (example: the ethical objection to suicide). Neurosis, a historically fundamental 'condition' vanished after 1980. Homosexuality, according to the American Psychiatric Association, was a pathology prior to 1973. Seven years later, narcissism was declared a 'personality disorder,' almost seven decades after it was first described by Freud.
"Szasz is the father of the 'anti-psychiatry' movement and this is his best book -- a riveting, mind boggling, scholarly read." -- Sam Vaknin, author of Malignant Self Love -- Narcissism Revisited
"This is the seminal work by the great Thomas Szasz, psychiatry's most important critic. Szasz ranks with Hayek, Mill, and Madison as one of the greatest proponents of liberty. No educated person should be unfamiliar with his writings." -- Nicolas S. Martin
Szasz is an atheist and a Libertarian.
Thomas S. Szasz Cybercenter for Liberty and Responsibility
"Liberty and responsibility are two sides of the same coin. No policy -- public or private -- can increase or decrease one without increasing or decreasing the other. Human behavior has reasons, not causes. . . .
http://www.szasz.com/
Mental Disorders are not Diseases, Thomas S. Szasz, M.D.
"Psychiatrists and their allies have succeeded in persuading the scientific community, courts, media, and general public that mental illnesses are phenomena independent of human motivation or will. . . .
"No one believes that love sickness is a disease, but nearly everyone believes that mental sickness is, and virtually no one realizes that, if this were true, it would prove the non-existence of mental illness. If mental illnesses are brain diseases (like Parkinsonism), then they are diseases of the body, not the mind." -- USA Today (Magazine) January 2000
http://szasz.com/usatoday.html
Tada, Joni Eareckson, C. Everett, M.D. (foreword), When is it Right to Die? Suicide, Euthanasia, Suffering, Mercy, ISBN: 0310585708 9780310585701.
"This book argues against the practice of euthanasia from a decidedly Christian point of view. Tada bases her arguments on the implication that euthanasia is the 'ultimate expression of selfishness' and that persons entertaining such thoughts are being tempted by the forces of evil. While Tada is undeniably self-righteous in tone, readers should note that she writes with personal authority, having been paralyzed in a diving accident in her teens. Libraries seeking to balance their euthanasia collections should consider this for purchase, along with Robert Wennberg's similarly argued TERMINAL CHOICES (LJ 11/15/89). . . . See also: David Cundiff's EUTHANASIA IS NOT THE ANSWER. . . ." -- Jennifer Amador, Central State Hospital Medical Library, Petersburg, VA, in the Library Journal
"Joni Eareckson Tada is president of Joni and Friends, a ministry to disabled people. A presidential appointee to the National Council on Disability, she has served as a political activist on disability-related issues. She explores the issues surrounding euthanasia in more depth. . . ." -- Discipleship Journal
Terrell, Hilton P. (editor), and Franklin E. Payne (editor), Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine, Volumes 1-4: 1987-1990, ISSN: 1050-3404. Available from Covenant Enterprises, P.O. Box 14488, Augusta, GA 30919-0488.
"The JBEM was founded to bring biblical thinking to bear on medical issues. This book collects the first four years worth of articles, and includes a general index and an index of Scripture references. (A second volume, containing the next 4 years, is forthcoming). Many articles are relevant to matters that come up in counseling ministry, matters about which counselors will want to offer informed advice." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine
http://capo.org/jbem/intro_pa.htm
Townsend, Don, AIDS: Moral and Theological Implications.
Tricoci, P. (Pierluigi), J.M. Allen, J.M. Kramer, R.M. Califf, and S.C. Smith Jr., Division of Cardiology and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, Scientific Evidence Underlying the ACC/AHA [American College of Cardiologists/American Heart Association -- compiler] Clinical Practice Guidelines, JAMA. 2009 Feb 25;301(8):868-9.
"ACC provides exclusive benefits and services designed specifically for cardiologists, including advocacy, education and access to information." -- from the ACC website
"More than a million people get an angioplasty, stent, or bypass surgery each year. How many of these costly procedures are really essential?"
"RESULTS: Among guidelines with at least 1 revision or update by September 2008, the number of recommendations increased from 1330 to 1973 (+48 percent) from the first to the current version, with the largest increase observed in use of class II recommendations. Considering the 16 current guidelines reporting levels of evidence, only 314 recommendations of 2711 total are classified as level of evidence A (median, 11 percent), [emphasis added, that is, only 11 percent of the ACC/AHA recommended guidelines provided to cardiologists were based upon solid scientific evidence -- compiler], whereas 1246 (median, 48 percent) are level of evidence C [medical opinion -- compiler]. Level of evidence significantly varies across categories of guidelines (disease, intervention, or diagnostic), and across individual guidelines. Recommendations with level of evidence A are mostly concentrated in class I, but only 245 of 1305 class I recommendations have level of evidence A (median, 19 percent).
"CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations issued in current ACC/AHA clinical practice guidelines are largely developed from lower levels of evidence or expert opinion. The proportion of recommendations for which there is no conclusive evidence is also growing. These findings highlight the need to improve the process of writing guidelines and to expand the evidence base from which clinical practice guidelines are derived."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19244190?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
*Trewhella, Matthew J., The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates: A Proper Resistance to Tyranny and a Repudiation of Unlimited Obedience to Civil Government, ISBN: 1482327686 9781482327687.
"America has entered troubling times. The rule of law is crumbling. The massive expansion of Federal government power with its destructive laws and policies is of grave concern to many. But what can be done to quell the abuse of power by civil authority? Are unjust or immoral actions by the government simply to be accepted and their lawless commands obeyed? How do we know when the government has acted tyrannically? Which actions constitute proper and legitimate resistance? This book places in your hands a hopeful blueprint for freedom. Appealing to history and the Word of God, Pastor Matthew Trewhella answers these questions and shows how Americans can successfully resist the Federal government's attempts to trample our Constitution, assault our liberty, and impugn the law of God. The doctrine of the lesser magistrates declares that when the superior or higher civil authority makes an unjust/immoral law or decree, the lesser or lower ranking civil authority has both the right and duty to refuse obedience to that superior authority. If necessary, the lower authority may even actively resist the superior authority. Historically, this doctrine was practiced before the time of Christ and Christianity. It was Christian men, however, who formalized and embedded it into their political institutions throughout Western Civilization. The doctrine of the lesser magistrates is a historic tool that provides proven guidelines for proper and legitimate resistance to tyranny, often without causing any major upheaval in society. The doctrine teaches us how to rein in lawless acts by government and restore justice in our nation. 'Use this sword against my enemies, if I give righteous commands; but if I give unrighteous commands, use it against me.' -- Roman Emperor Trajan, speaking to one of his subordinates. This is the first book published solely addressing the doctrine of the lesser magistrates in over 400 years. Matthew Trewhella is the pastor of Mercy Seat Christian Church. He is a graduate of Valley Forge Christian College. He and his wife, Clara, have eleven children and nine grandchildren, and reside in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. His research and teaching on the lesser magistrate doctrine is reshaping the thinking of Americans. He was instrumental in publishing The Magdeburg Confession: 13th of April 1550 AD, in 2012 -- the first English translation of the document since it was written in 1550." -- Publisher
"Wow! Please get this book and read it. And then read it again! And then send it to your lesser magistrates (specifically your local sheriffs, county judges, and State governors).
"The subtitle says it all: A PROPER RESISTANCE TO TYRANNY AND A REPUDIATION OF UNLIMITED OBEDIENCE TO CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
"Romans 13:1-7 has caused a great deal of confusion to modern Christian evangelicals. On the whole it tends to get interpreted as 'we must obey the government [with an implied unlimited obedience].' Of course that doesn't feel right, and we know of the passage that says 'we must obey God rather than men.' But how do we reconcile these?
"THE DOCTRINE OF THE LESSER MAGISTRATES helps us figure that out. Government has been instituted by God as His instrument to do His work. But when government ceases to do God's work in carrying out just laws, there needs to be a way to hold back the tyranny. Will revolt and riot work, or is that what Christians are called to do? No.
"Enter the lesser magistrate -- also known as the government office holder who is inferior to the one giving the orders but has a legitimate role in government nonetheless. He has the ability and the duty to resist carrying out unjust laws or orders. And he has the ability and duty to interpose on behalf of the citizens against whom the tyrannical governing authority is trying to carry out his power.
"Trewhella shows historical examples of how the application of this doctrine has worked and provides compelling Biblical exegesis of how this doctrine is clearly taught in Scripture.
"I highly recommend reading this book! It's short enough to be read in one sitting, but powerful enough to transform your understanding of how to properly resist tyranny -- in God's power and by God's prescription." -- Reader's Comment
Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate
http://www.LesserMagistrate.com
Defy Tyrants
http://www.DefyTyrants.com
*Tricoci, P. (Pierluigi), J.M. Allen, J.M. Kramer, R.M. Califf, and S.C. Smith Jr., Division of Cardiology and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, Scientific Evidence Underlying the ACC/AHA [American College of Cardiologists/American Heart Association -- compiler] Clinical Practice Guidelines, JAMA. 2009 Feb 25;301(8):868-9.
"ACC provides exclusive benefits and services designed specifically for cardiologists, including advocacy, education and access to information." -- from the ACC website
"More than a million people get an angioplasty, stent, or bypass surgery each year. How many of these costly procedures are really essential?"
"RESULTS: Among guidelines with at least 1 revision or update by September 2008, the number of recommendations increased from 1330 to 1973 (+48 percent), from the first to the current version, with the largest increase observed in use of class II recommendations. Considering the 16 current guidelines reporting levels of evidence, only 314 recommendations of 2711 total are classified as level of evidence A (median, 11 percent), [emphasis added, that is, only 11 percent of the ACC/AHA recommended guidelines provided to cardiologists were based upon solid scientific evidence -- compiler], whereas 1246 (median, 48 percent), are level of evidence C [medical opinion -- compiler]. Level of evidence significantly varies across categories of guidelines (disease, intervention, or diagnostic), and across individual guidelines. Recommendations with level of evidence A are mostly concentrated in class I, but only 245 of 1305 class I recommendations have level of evidence A (median, 19 percent).
"CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations issued in current ACC/AHA clinical practice guidelines are largely developed from lower levels of evidence or expert opinion. The proportion of recommendations for which there is no conclusive evidence is also growing. These findings highlight the need to improve the process of writing guidelines and to expand the evidence base from which clinical practice guidelines are derived."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19244190?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Ubel, Peter A., Critical Decisions: How you and Your Doctor can Make the Right Medical Choices Together, ISBN: 9780062103826 0062103822.
"We've all been there, sitting uncomfortably in a paper gown as a doctor impassively describes our prognosis. Sometimes it's simple and treatable. Other times we get news we can't fathom and then are faced with decisions that are literally life and death. In this revolutionary book, physician, behavioral scientist, and bioethicist Peter Ubel, M.D., reveals how hidden dynamics in the doctor/patient relationship keep us and our loved ones from making the best medical choices. From doctors who struggle to explain, to patients who fail to properly listen, countless factors alter the course of our care, causing things to go seriously awry. With riveting stories of Ubel's own experience in the field, his groundbreaking research, and his personal journey walking loved ones through difficult treatment choices, CRITICAL DECISIONS will forever change the way we communicate inside hospitals and medical offices, where thoughtful decision making matters the most. Dr. Ubel has been on both ends of the stethoscope, and in this book, he shows how patients and doctors can learn to become partners and work together to make the right choices. From choosing to get surgery, to discussing the side effects of a blood pressure medication, we can finally discover the tools to improve communication, understand the issues, and make confident decisions for our future health and happiness." -- Publisher
*Welch, Edward T., Blame it on the Brain? Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience, ISBN: 0875526020 9780875526027.
"Dr. Welch has a Ph.D. in psychology as well as theology degrees, and has been a counselor for years. His doctoral work was on brain physiology, so Blame it on the Brain is the fruit of 20 years of reflection on the subject.
"Welch wonders if the brain 'has been given too much credit.' (p. 12). Many have held the brain responsible for some bad behavior: 'My disease did it!' (p. 13). While the observations of the rapidly expanding field of brain sciences can be very helpful, when interpreted through a biblical lens they can be put in a more modest and helpful perspective. How do these discoveries illustrate biblical truths that can be applied to people's lives? Instead, too often sin problems are mislabeled as solely brain problems, and thus the true cause is left unaddressed. (p. 25)
"Four very practical principles emerge from this approach to mind-body issues: 1. The brain cannot by itself 'make' a person sin. (p. 49f). 2. Each person's abilities (brain strengths and weaknesses) are unique. (p. 53f). 3. Brain problems can expose heart problems. (p. 56f). 4. Sinful hearts can lead to physical illness; upright hearts can contribute to good health. (p. 58f)
"In part two of the book these principles are then concisely but thoughtfully applied to a series of examples. First are apparently physical issues: Alzheimer's disease (p. 67f), and head injury (p. 85f). Next are more psychiatric issues: depression (p. 115f), 'A.D.D.' (p. 131f), homosexuality (p. 151f), and alcoholism. (p. 183f)
"Welch's treatments of these problems abound with practical, sensitive insight. In the process he clearly defines the deeper issues at stake: what is the soul?; what is the body?; what is sin?
"For me, a crucial component of the book is the section on the mind-body relationships, especially pp. 43-48. Welch is careful to distinguish the heart from the body, but without separating them. Drawing upon rich Trinitarian analogies, he is careful to outline a model that seeks not to over-emphasize either the duality or the unity. This understanding enables us to try to distinguish between sin and sickness. As Welch ably defines it: 'any behavior that does not conform to biblical commands or any behavior that transgresses biblical prohibitions proceeds form the heart and is sin.' (p. 43). Conversely, 'any behavior that is more accurately called a weakness proceeds from the body and is sickness or suffering.' (p. 44). We are to repent of sin. But things that reflect only our creaturely limitations are not immoral, but proceed from our fallen bodies.
"The example Welch uses of hallucinations is illustrative. The Bible does not prohibit them, so we can not admonish someone for experiencing them. We are called to compassion for them. The hallucination may have been caused by a prior sinful choice, and the hallucinatory may respond to them with sin, but the hallucination itself is not sinful. A helpful chart on p. 45 lists out some examples of body problems (broken bones, mental retardation, feelings of depression, hallucinations) and heart (mind) problems (anger, pride, drunkenness). Of course, many problems involve both the body and the heart or mind, and in unequal and obscured proportions. How do we separate out the differences? And why is it helpful to try?
"Each summer during high school and college I worked in a nursing home. The changes I witnessed in particular residents after being away from them for almost a year were often shocking and tragic. I think of a seemingly kind and affable man named D., who in a few months seemed to transform into an unrecognizably profane and lewd bore. Welch demonstrates convincingly that such brain or body problems as D.'s Alzheimer's can expose what is in the heart. The brain appears to have led the person into bad behavior, when it is more accurate to say that the brain problem allowed certain otherwise hidden parts of their heart to be uncovered. Welch contends, 'In some case brain problems function like truth serum for the heart.' (p. 58)
"Welch's treatment of the subject is fairly comprehensive but far from exhaustive. Questions of application remain. If meds can only, at their best, address the body issues and not the heart, how do we know which needs addressing? Welch addresses this in a wise, but frustratingly brief section in pp. 125-127. Adopting Welch's guidelines is easy enough, but applying them to real life situations, I know from experience, is another matter. What about the person who meets some but not all of the criteria listed on p. 127 (they are over forty; have had no prior history of problems with depression; are taking prescription drugs, etc.)? This is not a flaw in Welch's treatment of the topic, just a limitation of its brief explication here.
"I have known a person, for example, who had his first bout with depression at age 62. But it was extremely serious. He became despondent and delusional and was checked into a residential treatment facility. His case meets the first of the two criteria listed by Welch, but not the last two. Clearly, his depression was triggered by some circumstances in his life (some the direct result of some horrible choices, others not). Yet, just as clearly it seems that the depression, while largely originating from his sinful behavior, now had a physical component. His medications, while wrought with multiple serious side effects, did seem to successfully contribute to his ability to function. Yet, if I were given a decision making role in his 'treatment,' I would want to somehow know: were the drugs really helpful, or was it their placebo effect? And if they did reduce his anxiety, is that all necessarily good? Did he not need discomfort to drive him to make changes in his absolutely horrendous behavior? And if so, how much and what type of discomfort?
"Anyway, Welch's book wrestles with some deep issues and presents them in a lucid and readable format." -- Raymond Cannata
" 'What is needed is not necessarily more sophistication in understanding the brain. Instead, what is needed is a more in-depth and practical examination of Scripture that is relevant to these questions.' (pp. 19-20). In this chapter, he remains resolute in affirming the supreme authority of God's Word in understanding and applying the deluge of information which our secular society is bent on giving us. . . .
'Heart and body are both two and one. They are two in that the body cannot be reduced to heart or spirit, and heart cannot be reduced to body. But they are mutually independent. They need each other. Human life cannot even be imagined without both the inner and the outer person. . . .' (p. 47)
"In chapters 4 and 5, we read about legitimate brain dysfunctions which are the result of Alzheimer's disease (and dementia) or serious head injury stemming from an accident. Here, Welch wants the reader to understand that there are indeed cases where the brain can suffer illness or injury to the extent that the behavior and mental capacity of the individual will be directly affected. He is quick to point out that though these conditions may harm the outer man, they do not necessarily mean that the inner man will also begin to dissipate.
"In chapters 7 and 8, we read about psychiatric problems such as depression and attention deficit disorder (ADD) which may or may not be the result of the brain's alleged deficiencies. . . . He is also quick to point out that the depression or ADD may be the result of a spiritual problem and that the care of the individual and their relation to God ought to factor in the treatment every bit as much as medicinal treatments.
"In chapters 9 and 10 we read about two areas of human behavior which the brain is often held responsible for -- homosexuality and alcoholism. In both cases, Welch is insistent that the brain cannot the cause of one's sinful behavior. As he says so plainly, " 'The ultimate cause of sin is always the human heart,' (p. 169). He argues that when these behaviors are seen as proceeding directly from the brain's activity, then the connection that exists between human beings as morally accountable agents and a holy and righteous God is severed. What needs to take place is repentance from such sinful behavior in light of the promise of God's gracious provision of forgiveness which can be found in Jesus Christ. Though these sins present particularly strong forms of bondage, God's mercy can break even their stronghold." -- Daniel Mark Donovan
Whitlock, Chuck, MediScams: Dangerous Medical Practices and Health Care Frauds -- And how to Prevent Them From Harming you and Your Family (St. Martin's Griffin, January 13, 2003), 304 pages, ISBN: 0312306024 9780312306021.
"Where their health is concerned, Americans want answers. Too often, what they get are false promises from medical 'professionals' more intent on lightening their patients' wallets than helping to shave off those stubborn five pounds. These medical scam artists run from the petty to the downright dangerous, and their schemes can leave you poorer but wiser, hospitalized, or much worse.
"Now journalist Chuck Whitlock tackles the seedy world of medical scams, exposing everything from bogus pills that claim to relieve symptoms of drunkenness, to questionable weight-loss programs, to bizarre plastic surgery procedures.
"Called "the nation's leading scambuster" by Oprah Winfrey, Chuck Whitlock tackles treacherous HMOs, doctors, and charlatans. Then he shows the reader how to avoid falling victim to medical scams.
"Chuck Whitlock, a renowned investigative reporter, has appeared on Oprah, Today, CNN, Extra, Inside Edition, Hard Copy, and Regis and Kathie Lee. His probes into white-collar crime and his exposes of nursing home and Medicare irregularities have garnered national recognition. Among his awards for outstanding investigative reporting are a National Headliner Award and a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. As a consumer advocate, he has been called 'the nation's leading scambuster' by Oprah Winfrey. Chuck provides training workshops for the public as well as government agencies such as the FBI, Secret Service, and Postal Inspection Service." -- Publisher
Williams, Ira E., First, Do no Harm: The Cure for Medical Malpractice, ISBN: 1929175396 9781929175390.
"Some specialty areas of medicine are again facing the problem of obtaining affordable liability insurance for medical negligence. Most medical providers and liability insurers blame the problem on plaintiffs' lawyers and wayward juries, whereas consumer groups and the plaintiffs' lawyers blame medical negligence and problems associated with business cycles in the insurance industry. Dr. Ira E. Williams, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and dental anesthesiologist, has written a thoughtful book about medical negligence and malpractice litigation. He has outlined a plan to alleviate it. Ideas in the book deserve serious consideration. There is a catch, however. Doctors will have to consider the book's premises, which will fly in the face of the current attitudes of many doctors. For instance, Williams writes, 'The great increase in medical malpractice suits has not been caused by a 'litigious' society, rapacious attorneys, inadequate liability caps or greedy patients. Negligent medical care happens, and since almost no regulation of medical negligence occurs within the profession, the courts are the only recourse a harmed patient has.' Furthermore, he states, 'Tort reforms, past, present, and future, will continue to tip the scales of justice in favor of the doctor and against the patient.' And, 'The AMA [American Medical Association], Litigation Center is seeking to curb the effect of expert witnesses who would try to upgrade a standard of care.' FIRST, DO NO HARM, a reader-friendly book, does not adequately document these premises. Nevertheless, various empirical-research studies published in reputable peer-reviewed journals are consistent with the general theme of the premises. Williams's proposed solution for reducing medical errors is to develop what he calls Individual Responsibility Peer Review, which places responsibility on the individual practitioner for self-regulation. He asserts that a line can be drawn between an iatrogenic outcome and negligence. In the individual-responsibility scheme, each medical practitioner 'should create and utilize a current and acceptable standard of care for each procedure within his or her scope of practice.' When bad outcomes occur, a committee of peers who truly act as neutral reviewers should assess the steps that were taken in the particular case and compare them with the protocol. The scheme is likened to the checklists that airplane pilots follow before starting the engines. Undoubtedly, detractors will say, justifiably, that medical treatment is more complicated and variable than flying a plane and that the development of a protocol for each medical treatment is impractical in terms of the time and details that would be required. Questions will arise about how to implement true peer review and about the willingness of doctors to sanction their colleagues. Most important is the issue of how the protocols and peer-review findings could be protected from use in legal proceedings. These are some of the serious problems with Williams's proposal, but they are not necessarily fatal to it. One of the largely ignored findings of the Harvard Medical Malpractice Study is that, although most physicians who responded to a survey were willing to admit that all doctors make mistakes, they were often unwilling to label substandard care the result of negligence. FIRST, DO NO HARM confronts this view head-on and proposes a way to start thinking seriously about how to reduce medical errors and maybe even the amount of malpractice litigation." -- Neil Vidmar, Ph.D., in the New England Journal of Medicine, February 3, 2005.
Zimmerman, Roy, Fraud, Malpractice, Pretense, and Deception in the Medical Arts and Sciences: Index of Authors, Subjects, and Investigations, ISBN: 1559142685 9781559142687.
See also: Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Healthcare Reform, Patient Advocacy, Medical Bill Auditing and Mediation, Friendly Fascism, Bribery, Theft, fraud, stealing: property rights and freedom, Theft: Commentary and Cases of Conscience. A Listing Excerpted From The Institutes of Biblical Law by Rousas John Rushdoony, 1973 edition, Hypothyroidism, Depression, Correct diagnosis, Prescription Drugs With Dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Generic drugs, Stress, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, What your doctor may not tell you, Emotions and health, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Soul-violence, The government role of punishing wrongdoers, Bribery, Lying and deceit, self-deceit, Sin and its consequences, Toleration, liberty of conscience, pluralism, "religious freedom," and neutrality, Healthcare reform, Healthcare horror stories, Extortion, Conspiracy, corruption, organized crime, The veterans administration medical centers, Meltdown: the depression of 2008, The sovereignty of god, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), The inspiration and infallibility of scripture (the doctrine of revelation, the doctrine of plenary inspiration, the doctrine of divine inspiration, the doctrine of verbal inspiration, theopneustia, sufficiency of scripture), Epistemology, Repentance the key to salvation and change, The covenant faithfulness of god, Covenant theology and covenanting, Bible magistracy turns back the wrath of god, The doctrine of the lesser magistrates, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Christian character, Justice, the theology of judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord, Leniency, Christianity in the workplace, The ten commandments: the moral law, The words of christ, Words of christ appearing in the web edition of biblical counsel: resources for renewal, The westminster standards, The larger catechism (also commentaries on the larger catechism), Pride, ambition, self-aggrandizement, arrogance, ego, Sin and its consequence: physical and spiritual death, The decline of american society, irrationality, the decline of western thought, Conscience, casuistry, cases of conscience, Systematic theology, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, The westminster standards, Logic based on god's truth, Unity and uniformity in the visible church: unity in the truth, National establishment of religion: establishmentarianism, Toleration and liberty of conscience, Oaths, secret societies and ungodly alliance, Resolutions, The right to petition, Referendum votes, Patient advocacy, Prevention of disease, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Public health, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Vaccination, The aged, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 481, 1337, 1338, 1975-1985, 2148, 2527, 2798, 3054, 3077-3080, 3737, 4127, 4177
MGTP: Ethics
The American Iatrogenic Association
"The American Iatrogenic Association is devoted to the study and reporting of medical errors that lead to disease and death.
"We urge everyone to join opposition to government control and funding of healthcare. The only way to maximize medical safety is to increase consumer power through free markets, not to make physicians agents of the state." -- Nicolas Martin, Executive Director, American Iatrogenic Association
http://www.iatrogenic.org/ (broken link January 18, 2012)
American Institute for Technology and Science Education
"We are a consortium of scientists, engineers, physicians, and professionals from other disciplines working together to improve science education and increase scientific integrity, thereby unleashing a new era of scientific discovery. We offer clear, reliable, and balanced education with the goal of liberating science and technology from ideology, politics and the illusion of consensus. Our programs advance honest, ethical, and beneficial scientific progress that is responsive to the real needs of present and future generations."
http://www.americaninstitutetechnologyscienceeducation.com/
American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Medical Ethics
"The medical profession has long subscribed to a body of ethical statements developed primarily for the benefit of the patient. As a member of this profession, a physician must recognize responsibility to patients first and foremost, as well as to society, to other health professionals, and to self. The following Principles adopted by the American Medical Association are not laws, but standards of conduct which define the essentials of honorable behavior for the physician."
https://www.ama-assn.org/search?search=Code+of+Medical+Ethics
Biopsy Billing Markups: Justifiable or Abusive? Jane Antonio, May 11, 2014
"While doctors may pay a lab $40 to process and diagnose a biopsy, for example, they may bill patients or payers up to four times the lab rate for the test using anatomic pathology codes (usually 88305), The Pathology Blawg reported. This practice has lined referring physicians' pockets while contributing to what's been called the "Walmartization" of lab chains. . . .
Some physicians -- including dermatologists, gynecologists, gastroenterologists and family medicine specialists -- rely on lab service markups to compensate for Medicare payment cuts, The Post-Dispatch reported. . . .
"But Medicare, Medicaid and six states prohibit biopsy markups. And the American Medical Association discourages the practice, saying in its code of ethics that "a physician should not charge for a markup, commission or profit on the services rendered by others," the article noted."
http://www.fiercehealthpayer.com/antifraud/story/biopsy-billing-markups-justifiable-or-abusive/2014-05-11
CEO Pay: Healthy pay for Health Care CEOs, May 27, 2014
"Healthcare tops other industries for highest median CEO pay, again.
"Here's a look at median CEO pay by industry last year, as calculated by executive pay research firm Equilar and The Associated Press. For the fifth time in six years, healthcare CEOs got the most pay while CEOs at utility companies got the least.
"Healthcare: $12.3 million, up 13 percent
"Financial: $12 million, up 22 percent"
http://news.yahoo.com/ceo-pay-healthy-pay-health-071116429.html
Critically Important Information You'll Never see in Drug Advertisements, Dennis Miller, November 24, 2020
"There is a major deficiency in drug advertisements because a hugely important and relevant body of knowledge is conspicuously absent.
When drug advertisements promote drugs that treat preventable diseases of modern civilization, shouldn't drug companies have an ethical responsibility to emphasize that fact and perhaps even the broader fact that most prescriptions pharmacists fill are for preventable conditions?
"Even though various sources differ slightly, lists of preventable diseases of modern civilization typically include many of the following: 1) coronary heart disease, 2) stroke, 3) hypertension, 4) deep vein thrombosis, 5) pulmonary embolism, 6) varicose veins, 7) obesity, 8) type 2 diabetes, 9) cholesterol gallstones, 10) kidney stones, 11) osteoporosis, 12) gout, 13) colon cancer, 14) rectal cancer, 15) breast cancer, 16) prostate cancer, 17) lung cancer, 18) endometrial cancer, 19) ovarian cancer, 20) dental caries (cavities), 21) constipation, 22) appendicitis, 23) diverticular disease, 24) hemorrhoids, 25) Crohn's disease, 26) celiac disease, 27) pernicious anemia, 28) ulcerative colitis, 29) multiple sclerosis, 30) rheumatoid arthritis, 31) asthma, 32) cerebrovascular disease, 33) peripheral vascular disease, 34) alcoholism, 35) depression, 36) Alzheimer's disease, 37) arthritis, 38) atherosclerosis, 39) chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, 40) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 41) colitis, 42) irritable bowel syndrome, 43) metabolic syndrome, 44) chronic kidney failure, 45) polycystic ovarian disease, 46) vascular dementia, 47) some types of allergy, and others."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/critically-important-information-youll-never-see-in-drug-advertisements
Death by Medicine
This is an 18,491 word article in Life Extension magazine that includes many of the statistics from the 2001 study. Documented with 151 endnotes.
"Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analyzed and combined ALL of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine. That has now changed.
"A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking.4 These researchers have authored a paper titled 'Death by Medicine' that presents compelling evidence that today's system frequently causes more harm than good.
"This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
"The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5)
"We placed this article on our website to memorialize the failure of the American medical system. By exposing these gruesome statistics in painstaking detail, we provide a basis for competent and compassionate medical professionals to recognize the inadequacies of today's system and at least attempt to institute meaningful reforms."
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_01.htm
Diagnosis: Corruption, Bill Sardi
"The Federal branches of government responsible for protecting and promoting public health are in a state of moral collapse. The recent recall of the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx, with the revelation that the continued use of the drug long after the Food and Drug Administration and its manufacturer knew it doubled the risk of heart attacks and may have caused 30,000 or so avoidable deaths, is only a small picture of what is going on inside federal health agencies today."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi32.html
Doctors Admit Lying to Patients, Pat Anson, February 11, 2012
"There's an expectation that our doctors will be truthful, and most are but some are not," said Eric Campbell, the director of research at Massachusetts General Hospital, who co-authored one study of doctors that is being published in the journal Health Affairs.
"Campbell and his colleagues surveyed nearly 1,900 doctors in 2009 and found that 11 percent had told their patients something untrue in the previous year. Over a third of the doctors believed it was not always necessary to disclose a serious medical error to a patient.
"Other survey results:
DrGreene.com
"Dr. Greene is the Chief Medical Officer of A.D.A.M., Inc., the Founder and CEO of DrGreene.com, and the Pediatric Expert for AmericanBaby.com. He is on the Clinical Faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine where he sees patients and teaches Residents. He is the President of Hi-Ethics (Health Internet Ethics) and helped URAC develop its standards for eHealth accreditation. Dr. Greene has been recognized by Advance for Health Information Executives as one of the top 25 most influential forces in healthcare IT. Dr. Greene was also named Intel's Internet Health Hero for children's health. He is an author, medical expert, and a media personality.
"Dr. Greene entered primary care pediatrics in January 1993. In 1995, he launched Dr. Greene's HouseCalls, cited by the AMA as the first physician Website on The Internet -- http://www.DrGreene.com. On his Website, Dr. Greene answers pediatric questions submitted by readers from all over the world. DrGreene.com now receives over 14 million hits per month from parents, students, and medical professionals.
"He is the author of THE PARENT'S COMPLETE GUIDE TO EAR INFECTIONS (People's Medical Society, 1997). He is the medical expert for three additional books, THE PARENT'S SOUP A-TO-Z GUIDE TO YOUR NEW BABY (Contemporary Books, 1998) THE PARENT'S SOUP A-TO-Z GUIDE TO YOUR TODDLER (Contemporary Books, 1999), THE MOTHER OF ALL BABY BOOKS (Hungry Minds, Inc., 2002), FROM FIRST KICKS TO FIRST STEPS: NURTURING YOUR BABY'S DEVELOPMENT FROM PREGNANCY THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE (McGraw-Hill Companies: August 2004).
"Alan Greene earned a Bachelor's degree in the History and Philosophy of Science from Princeton University. He graduated from medical school at University of California at San Francisco. Upon completion of his pediatric residency program at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Northern California in 1993, he served as Chief Resident. During his Chief year, Dr. Greene passed the pediatric boards in the top 5 percent of the nation.
http://www.drgreene.com/about
Drug Testing Scandal at FDA, April 18, 2013
"The FDA has come under fire in a report from ProPublica, an independent group of investigative journalists. A whistle-blower at a large research laboratory tipped the agency off to fraudulent data manipulation.
"Over 100 drugs were involved, many of them generics. The fudging of data lasted from 2005 till 2009 and was characterized as egregious by the FDA investigators. . . . no list of affected drugs is available."
http://www.propublica.org/article/fda-let-drugs-approved-on-fraudulent-research-stay-on-the-market
Ethics Codes and Practice Guidelines for Assessment, Therapy, Counseling, and Forensic Practice
"This page presents links to therapy, counseling, forensic, and related ethics (and practice), codes developed by professional organizations (e.g., of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, marriage and family counselors). Codes are listed only if they appear online.
"Links to related resources are listed at the end."
http://kspope.com/ethcodes/index.php
Examination of Nondisclosure Agreements in Medical Malpractice Settlements, May 13, 2015
"The authors found that during the five years of the study, the University of Texas System closed 715 malpractice claims and paid 150 settlements. In the 124 cases that met the study selection criteria, the average compensation paid by the university was $185,372. A total of 110 settlement agreements (88.7 percent) included nondisclosure provisions."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/293760.php
From 'Soak the Rich' to 'Soak the Poor:' Recent Trends in Hospital Pricing, Gerard F. Anderson, Health Affairs, 26, no. 3 (May-June, 2007): 780-789.
"In 2004, the rates charged to many uninsured and other "self-pay" patients for hospital services were often 2.5 times what most health insurers actually paid and more than three times the hospital's Medicare-allowable costs. The gaps between rates charged to self-pay patients and those charged to other payers are much wider than they were in the mid-1980s, and they make it increasingly more difficult for some patients, especially the uninsured, to pay their hospital bills. This has triggered lawsuits and some recent government efforts involving price transparency. Three specific policy options that could lower the markups are a voluntary effort by hospitals, litigation, and legislation."
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/3/780
Get This Wrong and at Best you go Bankrupt
"You may have read some of these shocking statistics:
"The website for the Social Security Administration tells us this:Between 2000 and 2006, wages in the United States increased by 3.8 percent, but healthcare premiums increased by 87 percent.[1] If the U.S. healthcare system was a country, it would be the 6th largest economy in the entire world.[2] In 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid. Today, one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid.[3] It is being projected that ObamaCare will add 16 million more Americans to the Medicaid rolls.[4]
"Many of us struggle to comprehend the sheer magnitude of the state's role as primary caregiver. I know I do. The civil government's role starts when someone is in the womb and extends beyond their death. The state finances pregnancy, delivery into the world, education through adulthood, elderly care, allocation of inheritance, and a host of areas in between. Think about it. It is quite literally 'pre-cradle to post-grave'."In 2013, almost 58 million Americans will receive $816 billion in Social Security benefits.[5] Nine out of ten individuals age 65 and older receive Social Security benefits.[6]
Social Security provided at least half the income for 64 percent of the aged beneficiaries in 2011.[7]
Greed and Fraud vs. Medicare: A few Changes Could Roll Back Abuse
"No one knows for sure how much of that is embezzled. But the best estimate came out in 2012, when Donald Berwick, a former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Andrew Hackbarth of the RAND Corporation, calculated that fraud -- and the extra rules and inspections required to fight it -- added as much as $98 billion, or roughly 10 percent, to annual Medicare and Medicaid spending, and up to $272 billion across the entire health system.
"The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that in 2014, $60 billion of American taxpayer money, or more than 10 percent of Medicare's total budget, was lost to fraud, waste, abuse and improper payments. . . .
"Under a 'pay-and-chase' policy for payment, the government pays out claims first and asks questions later, after the money has already been spent. So Medicare continues to have no way of approving transactions before paying providers. The program also lacks the ability to electronically confirm when a patient actually receives care.
"Under the Obama administration, Medicare instituted a Fraud Prevention System that uses predictive analytics to identify troublesome billing patterns and outlier claims for action, similar to systems used by credit card companies. The agency has found $820 million in improper Medicare payments in the first three years. But there's still the issue of how to recover the money, which has already been paid out."
Happy Birthday to Great Britain's Increasingly Scandalous National Health Service, July 5, 2013
"Despite its much heralded presence in Britain's healthcare, the problems of the NHS are severe, notorious, and increasingly scandalous in the most fundamental attributes of any healthcare system: access and quality."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottatlas/2013/07/05/happy-birthday-to-great-britains-increasingly-scandalous-national-health-service/
Has the Court Made Generic Drugs too Risky? June 26, 2013
"On June 24th, in a 5 to 4 vote, the court determined that patients have very little right to sue generic drug companies for damages caused by their products. In this case a New Hampshire woman, Karen Bartlett, took a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) pain drug prescribed by her doctor. The medication, called sulindac, was once sold only by Merck under the brand name Clinoril. It was first approved by the FDA in 1978 and became available as a generic in the early 1990s."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/26/has-the-court-made-generic-drugs-too-risky/
Health Fraud
"Health care scams cost Americans billions of dollars each year. Taxpayer-funded programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and others are among the biggest victims. This makes healthcare fraud one of America's largest taxpayer rip-offs.
"Organized crime rings hatch many schemes. Hospital chains, individual employees and even patients also can be involved -- as victims or perpetrators.
"The scams, Real-life fraud cases, The price you pay, Fight back."
http://www.badfaithinsurance.org/reference/HL/0025a.htm
Health Insurance Profits Soar as Industry Mergers Create Near-Monopoly, Mike Hall, May 27, 2009
"Profits at 10 of the country's largest publicly traded health insurance companies rose 428 percent from 2000 to 2007, while consumers paid more for less coverage. One of the major reasons, according to a new study, is the growing lack of competition in the private health insurance industry that has led to near monopoly conditions in many markets.
"The report says such conditions warrant a Justice Department investigation and, says Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), provide compelling evidence of the need for a public health insurance plan option as part of the healthcare reform initiative President Obama and Congress are developing.
"According to the recently released HCAN report, Premiums Soaring in Consolidated Health Insurance Market:
In the past 13 years, more than 400 corporate mergers have involved health insurers, and a small number of companies now dominate local markets but haven't delivered on promises of increased efficiency. According to the American Medical Association, 94 percent of insurance markets in the United States are now highly concentrated, and insurers are thriving in the anti-competitive marketplace, raking in enormous profits and paying out huge CEO salaries."In a letter to the Department of Justice's Anti-Trust Division, Richard Kirsch, HCAN national campaign manager, and David Balto, former policy director of the Federal Trade Commission and now senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, write:
Simply put, the private insurance companies have secured monopolies or tight oligopolies and exercised that power to put profits ahead of patients. There were no actions taken against anticompetitive conduct by health insurers in the last administration, in spite of the fact that cases by state attorneys general have secured massive fines against these insurers. A lack of antitrust enforcement has enabled insurers to acquire dominant positions in almost every metropolitan market."They ask for an investigation of the already consummated mergers that harm competition or create an anticompetitive market structure. They also urge the Justice Department to conduct investigations of anticompetitive conduct by dominant insurance companies and challenge that conduct where appropriate."
The Hidden Costs of Health Care, August 10, 2013
"How do hospitals determine what to charge for their services? Steven Brill, author of a stunning exposé in Time magazine called "Bitter Pill," suggests there is very little rhyme or reason beyond what the market will bear. Under the current system, those who are least able to pay (the uninsured), end up being charged the most."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/08/10/913-the-hidden-costs-of-health-care/
Hippocratic Oath
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath
How a Doctor Confronts Medical Error
"Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD., is a physician at Bellevue Hospital, as well as a clinical professor of medicine at NYU School of Medicine and Editor-in-Chief of the Bellevue Literary Review. She is the author of several acclaimed books, including WHAT DOCTORS FEEL, and SINGULAR INTIMACIES: BECOMING A DOCTOR AT BELLEVUE. Dr. Ofri is a regular contributor to The New York Times as well as The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. Her writings, TED talks, and monthly newsletter can be found at danielleofri.com and on Twitter (@danielleofri). Dr. Ofri's latest book is WHEN WE DO HARM: A DOCTOR CONFRONTS MEDICAL ERROR."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/show-1209-how-a-doctor-confronts-medical-error
How to Take Charge of Your Medical Care, Elizabeth Yuko, May 27, 2019
"Elizabeth Yuko is a bioethicist, writer, and adjunct professor of ethics at Fordham University. Her work has focused on the nuances of informed consent in medical decision-making, and she has acted as a patient advocate on several occasions."
https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/be-a-patient-advocate
A Hospital Charged $1,877 to Pierce a 5-year-old's Ears. This is Why Health Care Costs so Much, Marshall Allen, November 2017.
"An epidemic of unnecessary treatment is wasting billions of health care dollars a year. Patients and taxpayers are paying for it.
"Experts estimate the U.S. health care system wastes $765 billion annually -- about a quarter of all the money that's spent. Of that, an estimated $210 billion goes to unnecessary or needlessly expensive care, according to a 2012 report by the National Academy of Medicine.
"ProPublica has been documenting the ways waste is baked into the system. Hospitals throw away new supplies and nursing homes discard still-potent medication. Drug makers combine cheap ingredients to create expensive specialty pills, and arbitrary drug expiration dates force hospitals and pharmacies to toss valuable drugs.
"We also reported how drug companies make oversize eyedrops and vials of cancer drugs, forcing patients to pay for medication they are unable to use. In response, a group of U.S. senators introduced a bill this month to reduce what they called 'colossal and completely preventable waste'."
The system is like a sick whale and it seems almost as if it is purposely designed to allow as many parasites to feed off of it and be sustained without killing it outright. Cost of my pacemaker, $70,000. Average for the country. In Germany and Switzerland, $5,500 to 7,500 in two of the top rated healthcare systems in the world. My double bypass cost billed at $248,000 paid for at $117,000. The care was superb but it seems that hospitals throw everything they can bill at the wall and wait to see if insurance will pay. If not - the patient is billed. At least Blue Cross stipulates that if the lower amount is accepted the patient cannot be billed for the remainder. One of the biggest problems is who, among your providers is "in network" and who is not. Don't bother asking anyone at the hospital or even in billing, because I guarantee you won't get a straight answer though the insurance company will remind you numerous times that determination is your responsibility. -- Reader's Commenthttps://www.propublica.org/article/a-hospital-charged-to-pierce-ears-why-health-care-costs-so-much
How Good are Your Supplements? February 11, 2013
"Only one-third of our compounded study pills met U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention standards, which require that compounded pills contain 90 percent to 110 percent of the active ingredient."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/02/11/are-your-vitamins-supplements-up-to-snuff/
How to Provide Universal Health Care Using This one Weird Trick, March 1, 2017
"The first sentence of Congress' ObamaCare repeal should read: 'There shall be a free market in health insurance.'
"Right there, I've solved the health insurance crisis for 90 percent of Americans. Unfortunately, no one can imagine what a free market in health care looks like because we haven't had one for nearly a century." -- Ann Coulter
http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2017-03-01.html
J.D. Power and Associates -- Healthcare Division
"There is no greater asset than trusted consumer-based information. J.D. Power and Associates Healthcare Division offers managed care organizations, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies independent and unbiased research that clearly articulates their customer perceptions, intentions, and behaviors. With this valuable insight, strategic decisions can be made, valuable resources allocated, and competitors outmaneuvered."
http://www.jdpower.com/healthcare/
Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine
http://capo.org/jbem/intro_pa.htm
Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine
http://capo.org/jbem/intro_pa.htm
Landmark Report by Surgeon General Calls Drug Crisis "a moral test for America"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/landmark-report-by-surgeon-general-calls-drug-crisis-a-moral-test-for-america/2016/11/16/4214bf2a-ac49-11e6-977a-1030f822fc35_story.html
Medicare Struggles to pay Soaring Drug Bills, Terry Graedon December 24, 2015
"As pharmaceutical firms double or triple their prices, the budget that Medicare set for its Part D prescription drug benefit is threatened.
"The inexorable and exorbitant rise in prescription drug prices has been apparent for about the past five years. And the pace seems to be accelerating. While the pharmaceutical industry often justifies high drug prices by the need to invest in research and development, many of the medications with soaring prices are very old compounds with costs that were amortized long ago."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/12/24/medicare-struggles-to-pay-soaring-drug-bills-54064/
Medical Debt Among People With Health Insurance, Karen Pollitz, et al., (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation), Jan 07, 2014
"Medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S., contributing to 62 percent of personal bankruptcies in 2007. Most who filed for medical bankruptcy that year were well educated, owned homes, and had middle-class occupations. Three quarters had health insurance." (David Himmelstein, et al., "Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study," The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 122, Issue 8, August 2009)
http://kff.org/report-section/medical-debt-among-people-with-health-insurance-consequences-of-medical-debt/
New Study: U.S. Ranks Last Among Other Industrialized Nations on Preventable Deaths. 101,000 Fewer Americans Would die Annually if the U.S. Improved its Preventable Death Rate to That of the Three top Performing Nations, January 08, 2008
"Bethesda, The United States places last among 19 countries when it comes to deaths that could have been prevented by access to timely and effective healthcare, according to new research supported by The Commonwealth Fund and published in the January/February issue of Health Affairs. While other nations dramatically improved these rates between 1997-98 and 2002-03, the U.S. improved only slightly. . . .
"If the U.S. had performed as well as the top three countries out of the 19 industrialized countries in the study there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths in the U.S. per year by the end of the study period."
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/newsroom/newsroom_show.htm?doc_id=641071
The Nobel Prize is a reminder of the outrageous cost of curing cancer. Cancer's most promising therapies come with $100,000-plus price tags, Julia Belluz
"But these incredible advances and the promise of cancer cures also come with eye-popping price tags that reach well past $100,000 per patient. People who need cancer immunotherapies too often hit a cost wall and can't afford to pay for them -- and it's a problem that's growing worse, Ezekiel Emanuel, a professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, told Vox."
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/10/1/17923720/immunotherapy-cancer-cost
The Non-duality of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother: A Profile
http://www.lettermen2.com/syncret.html
ObamaCare is a Government Created Monopoly
"In 2017, an estimated 21 percent of people will only be able to choose an exchange plan from a single insurer. This problem is particularly acute in rural counties. As a result of the ACA, at least five states—Alaska, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wyoming -- will only have a single insurer offering coverage in the individual market. In other states, a single insurer will only offer coverage in many parts of the state. For example, in North Carolina, people in 95 of the state's 100 counties will only have a choice of plans from a single insurer."
http://www.forbes.com/…/another-obamacare-problem-mass-in…/…
Open-heart Profiteering?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/06/eveningnews/main552636.shtml
Pharmaceutical Firm Queried Over High Price of Hepatitis C Drug, March 27, 2014
"A new medicine to treat hepatitis C is creating a lot of controversy because of its price tag. The maker of Sovaldi, Gilead Sciences, is planning to charge as much as $84,000 for a course of treatment.
"This drug is the first in a new generation of oral anti-viral therapies for hepatitis C and it is being hailed as a breakthrough. The cure rate is higher and side effects are fewer than with other treatment.
"It is estimated that as many as 3 million Americans are infected with this virus, so sales could quickly add up to billions of dollars annually for the company. Congress and insurance companies are questioning the high price, especially since the company will be selling the drug for substantially less in other countries."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/03/27/pharmaceutical-firm-queried-over-high-price-of-hepatitis-c-drug/
Prescription Drug Prices Skyrocketing, April 4, 2011
"Popular brand name drugs are already expensive and getting pricier. Despite the sluggish economy and low rate of inflation, top-selling medications have soared in price.
"The cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor is up more than 11 percent over last year. According to Thomson Reuters MarketScan, a day's supply went from $3.17 in 2009 to $3.53 in 2010.
"Lipitor is not alone. The anti-clotting drug Plavix rose in price by more than 13 percent, so a month's supply runs about $195. The psychiatric drug Seroquel jumped 16.5 percent over last year. And the price of the leukemia drug Gleevec went up more than 20 percent, to over $4,800 for a bit less than a month's supply.
"Why are drug prices climbing so quickly? Big brand name manufacturers point to the high cost of research and development for new medications. The trouble with this argument is that many companies have been cutting back on their R&D budgets. [see: Marcia Angell, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG COMPANIES: HOW THEY DECEIVE US AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. 'Most of the R&D work is done by colleges and universities funded by the government' thus the drug companies receive windfall profits from public research. -- compiler]. They also have very little to show for their investment over the last decade. Breakthroughs for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's or other hard-to-treat conditions have been few and far between.
"Many analysts blame the dramatic price increases on coming generic competition. Both Lipitor and Plavix will soon lose their exclusive patents. That means insurance companies are likely to encourage patients to take atorvastatin instead of Lipitor and clopidogrel instead of Plavix.
"Insurance companies have created penalties for patients who want brand name medications. Many health insurance plans use tiers to discourage brand name use. Generic versions, when available, are usually tier 1 with low co-pays of $10 to $15. Brand name drugs not on the formulary may not be covered at all or require a co-pay over $100.
"Take the popular sleeping pill Ambien, for example. It is now available as generic zolpidem. If you had to pay out of pocket for the brand, the cost could be as high as $190 for a month's supply. The generic is often around $10 to $20.
"If generic drugs were always identical to the brand name products, as FDA maintains, this would be only good news for consumers. There are questions, however. Experts estimate that 80 percent of active ingredients now come from countries like India, China, Brazil and Mexico. There is very little oversight of manufacturing plants.
"Many readers of this column have reported problems with zolpidem, as this story demonstrates: 'Ambien worked great for me. I fell asleep within 30 minutes and stayed asleep for eight hours. I was excited about generic zolpidem when it became available. Money in my pocket! The first generic I tried did not work at all. No sleep! A different generic zolpidem resulted in only four hours of sleep and it took me more than an hour to fall asleep'."
People who would like to learn about saving money on brand name drugs from online pharmacies may find useful information at http://www.pharmacychecker.com/. We have also prepared a 'Guide to Saving Money on Medicine'."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/04/04/prescription-drug-prices-skyrocketing/
The Psycho State, Rep. Ron Paul, MD.
"Parents must do everything possible to retain responsibility and control over their children's well-being. There is no end to the bureaucratic appetite to rule every aspect of our lives, including how we raise our children. Forced mental health screening is just the latest of many state usurpations of parental authority: compulsory education laws, politically-correct school curricula, mandatory vaccines, and interference with discipline through phony "social services" agencies all represent assaults on families. The political right has now joined the political left in seeking the de facto nationalization of children, and only informed resistance by parents can stop it. The federal government is slowly but surely destroying real families, but it is hardly a benevolent surrogate parent."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul203.html
Psychology and Psychiatry
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrrappc.html
Quackwatch
Extensive resources compiled by Stephen Barrett, M.D.
"Quackwatch, Inc., which was a member of Consumer Federation of America from 1973 through 2003, is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. Founded by Dr. Stephen Barrett in 1969 as the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud, it was incorporated in 1970. In 1997, it assumed its current name and began developing a worldwide network of volunteers and expert advisers.
"To avoid semantic problems, quackery could be broadly defined as "anything involving overpromotion in the field of health." This definition would include questionable ideas as well as questionable products and services, regardless of the sincerity of their promoters. In line with this definition, the word 'fraud' would be reserved only for situations in which deliberate deception is involved."
http://www.quackwatch.org/
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs): A Flawed Gold Standard, March 17, 2014
"What very few health professionals have realized is that there are serious flaws with the randomized controlled trial system of drug testing.
"Although RCTs are pretty good at establishing statistically significant benefit, they have traditionally not been good at predicting how well a particular treatment will work for any given individual. Many drugs can be proven to be 10-15 percent better than nothing (placebo). That may be enough to get FDA approval. But it may only mean that one person out of 60 (the number needed to treat or NNT), will actually get any benefit after five years of therapy. That happens to be the best case scenario for otherwise healthy people taking a statin to lower cholesterol."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/03/17/randomized-controlled-trials-rcts-a-flawed-gold-standard/
See also:
The NNT (Number-Needed-to-Treat)
http://www.thennt.com/thennt-explained/
Report: Action Needed to Wipe out Fake and Substandard Drugs, Richard Knox, February 13, 2013
"A blue-ribbon panel is urging stronger regulation of pharmaceuticals around the world to combat the growing problem of fake and poor-quality medicines.
"The quality problems and fake medicines have affected Americans. Fungal contamination of steroids made by a Massachusetts pharmacy, which sickened more than 700 people and killed 46, is one recent example. Other U.S. patients have received fake cancer drugs and medicines obtained over the Internet with little or no active ingredients.
"The problem extends to more than 120 countries, the Institute of Medicine report says, and has done incalculable damage to efforts to control tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS and other diseases.
"No one knows exactly how big the problem is, but Lawrence Gostin, chairman of the IOM committee that issued the report, says it's been getting steadily worse. 'Whatever the magnitude is, it's huge and growing,' he tells Shots."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/13/171923516/report-action-needed-to-curb-fake-and-substandard-drugs
The Role of Cryosurgery in Palliative Care for Cancer
"Cryoablation [Cryology -- compiler], is adaptable for the treatment of nearly all solid tumors. According to current experience, percutaneous cryoablation, as a feasible and mini-invasive technique offers an effective and safe therapy for patients with tumors [including throat cancer in early stages and melanoma in early stages -- compiler], and is especially suitable for the treatment of unresectable advanced tumors. The role of this technique is growing, with large-scale prospective randomized trials, continued advances can be expected."
http://www.amepc.org/apm/article/view/1435/2048#B3
Scandals and Screwups in the Drugstore, October 5, 2013
"Doctors look to guidelines from highly regarded thought leaders to figure out how to treat common problems like high cholesterol or prostate cancer. But how objective are these publications? Dr. Steve Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic calls out his colleagues and says too often they have significant conflicts of interest that make the guidelines less useful for patient care -- but physicians don't always realize where the conflicts lie."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/05/920-scandals-and-screwups-in-the-drugstore/
Skyrocketing Health Insurer CEOs' Paychecks are "Crazy," Says Executive Comp Expert, 06/09/2014
"If health insurance companies announce big premium increases on policies for 2015, I hope regulators, lawmakers and the media will look closely at whether they are justified, especially in light of recent disclosures of better-than-expected profits in 2013, rosy outlooks for the rest of this year and soaring CEO compensation.
"Almost all of the publicly traded health insurers reported big increases in revenue and profits last year. The big winners have been the top executives of those companies, led by Mark Bertolini, CEO of Aetna, the nation's third largest health insurer. Bertolini's total compensation of $30.7 million in 2013 was 131 percent higher than in 2012.
"If the stock prices of these firms keep growing at the current pace, Bertolini and his peers can expect to be rewarded even more handsomely this year, especially if they can hike premiums high enough to satisfy shareholders. . . .
"Of those 11 companies (Aetna, Centene, Cigna, Health Net, Humana, Molina, Triple-S Management Corp., UnitedHealth Group, Universal American, Wellcare, and WellPoint) nine saw their stocks close near 52-week highs this past Friday.
"The biggest gainer has been Humana, one of the largest operators of Medicare Advantage plans, whose share price has increased more than 53 percent over the past year.
"The increases have been equally impressive at most of the other big companies. Aetna's share price is up 31 percent, Cigna's 32 percent. United's is up 28 percent. And WellPoint's is up 39 percent.
"But it is the CEO compensation that has been the most eye-popping, especially at two of the publicly traded companies that specialize in managing Medicaid enrollees in several states: Centene and Molina.
"Centene's CEO Micheal Neidorff saw his compensation increase 71 percent last year, from $8.5 million to $14.5 million. Even more impressive was the 140 percent raise Molina's J. Mario Molina got. His compensation jumped from $4.95 million in 2012 to $11.9 million in 2013.
"All of those totals were disclosed in the proxy statements those companies filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this spring."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendell-potter/skyrocketing-health-insur_b_5473618.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics
State by State Fraud and Abuse Reporting Contacts, February 2014
"The following table shows the state contact information for reporting fraud and abuse for each state. The table is arranged with rows representing each state and columns representing the necessary contact information for that state."
http://www.cms.gov/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination/Fraud-Prevention/FraudAbuseforConsumers/Downloads/smafraudcontacts-february2014.pdf
Stop Medicare Fraud
"Where do I report errors, fraud, or abuse?"
To report suspected errors, fraud, or abuse, you can contact either:
HHS Office of Inspector General
Call: 800-447-8477
TTY: 800-377-4950
Online: Report Fraud Online
Mail: HHS Tips Hotline
P.O. Box 23489
Washington, DC 20026-3489
or
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Call: 800-633-4227
TTY: 877-486-2048
Mail: Medicare Beneficiary Contact Center
P.O. Box 39
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone:
1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477)
Fax:
1-800-223-8164
TTY:
1-800-377-4950
Mail:
US Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Inspector General
ATTN: OIG HOTLINE OPERATIONS
PO Box 23489
Washington, DC 20026
Phone:
1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477)
http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov/reportfraud/
Stop Medicare Fraud (law firm)
"Recent changes to U.S. whistle-blower laws allow healthcare professionals to collect a significant financial reward (often millions of dollars) for reporting fraud against the government in the healthcare industry. U.S. laws now allow individuals reporting Medicare fraud to receive full protection from retaliation and collect up to 30 percent of the fines that the government collects."
http://www.medicarefraudcenter.org/
Theft: Commentary and Cases of Conscience. A Listing Excerpted From The Institutes of Biblical Law by Rousas John Rushdoony, 1973 edition
http://www.lettermen2.com/theft.html
A Third Detroit-area Doctor was Convicted Monday for his Participation in a $17 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Medically Unnecessary Physician Visits
http://dennismichaellynch.com/third-doctor-convicted-massive-medicare-fraud-scheme/
URAC, American Accreditation HealthCare Commission, Inc. (formerly Utilization Review Accreditation Commission)
"URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting healthcare quality through its accreditation and certification programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the healthcare system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire healthcare industry.
"For those unfamiliar with URAC, we are an independent, nonprofit organization committed to promoting healthcare quality through accreditation, certification and other quality improvement activities. Today, URAC's accreditations help protect 140 million Americans.
"In recent years, URAC has become a nationally recognized quality improvement leader by reviewing and auditing a broad array of healthcare service functions and systems. Quality benchmarking activities cover health plans, preferred provider organizations, medical management systems, health technology services, health call centers, specialty care, workers' compensation, Websites, and HIPAA privacy and security compliance, among other areas."
http://www.urac.org/
U.S. Abortion Statistics
"In 2011, approximately 1.06 million abortions took place in the U.S." [56 million American babies from 1973 to 2014, annual rate continues at 1.2 million babies a year].
http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/
U.S. Patients' Bill of Rights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Patients%27_Bill_of_Rights
Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated: Guess who is Sicker? May 4, 2017
A pilot study of 666 homeschooled six to 12-year-olds from four American states published on April 27th in the Journal of Translational Sciences, compared 261 unvaccinated children with 405 partially or fully vaccinated children, and assessed their overall health based on their mothers' reports of vaccinations and physician-diagnosed illnesses. What it found about increases in immune-mediated diseases like allergies and neurodevelopmental diseases including autism, should make all parents think twice before they ever vaccinate again:
• Vaccinated children were more than three times as likely to be diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum (OR 4.3)http://info.cmsri.org/the-driven-researcher-blog/vaccinated-vs.-unvaccinated-guess-who-is-sicker
• Vaccinated children were 30-fold more likely to be diagnosed with allergic rhinitis (hay fever) than non-vaccinated children • Vaccinated children were 22-fold more likely to require an allergy medication than unvaccinated children
• Vaccinated children had more than quadruple the risk of being diagnosed with a learning disability than unvaccinated children (OR 5.2)
• Vaccinated children were 300 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder than unvaccinated children (OR 4.3)
• Vaccinated children were 340 percent (OR 4.4) more likely to have been diagnosed with pneumonia than unvaccinated children
• Vaccinated children were 300 percent more likely to be diagnosed with an ear infection than unvaccinated children (OR 4.0)
• Vaccinated children were 700 percent more likely to have surgery to insert ear drainage tubes than unvaccinated children (OR 8.01)
• Vaccinated children were 2.5-fold more likely to be diagnosed with any chronic illness than unvaccinated children
The way it is, Paul Hein
"Some truths -- probably most of them -- are not subject to scientific proof. Thus, when we ponder modern life, and the role of government, we may find ourselves puzzled. It is obvious that government is an organization that, in its actions, varies between terrible malignancy, and breathtaking inanity. We wonder why that should be, and seek an answer. But the answer, if we find it at all, is not scientifically demonstrable, as is the fact that the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
"The answer is something that most of us already know; it was first put forth by Lord Action (1834-1902). 'Power corrupts.' The full quote is: 'Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. -- Liberty is the only object which benefits all alike, and provokes no sincere opposition. The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern. -- Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.' And that's it! That's the way it is." [See: Chapter 9: "Corporate Faithfulness and Sanctification," "Selection of Covenant Heads for Positions of Leadership," "Reform of the Church," "Ethics, Computer Ethics, Cyberethics," and so forth, and so on. -- compiler]
http://www.lewrockwell.com/hein/hein88.html
White Coat Conspiracy Covers up Medical Tragedy, April 29, 2013
"I used to think that doctors were the innocent victims of ambulance-chasing attorneys and litigious patients. I now realize that physicians have also contributed to any malpractice crisis that exists, because as a group they cover up mistakes all the time."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/04/29/code-of-silence-covers-up-medical-tragedy/
Who do you Believe the Experts or the Evidence? [audio file]
"Prominent physicians are often paid handsomely by drug or device makers on the hope that they will prove to be opinion leaders. Such conflicts of interest may go undetected for years, as they did with Dr. José Baselga. Until Sept. 13, 2018, he was chief medical officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering. He stepped down when his supervisors learned that he had not disclosed receiving millions of dollars from healthcare companies. His case was uncovered by ProPublica and The New York Times, but most doctors don't get that kind of scrutiny. How can we learn about their conflicts of interest? Why do they matter?
"The development of new cancer treatments such as CAR-T is exciting, but at the prices being charged few patients will be able to benefit. Can our medical system survive such sky-high costs? Find out how patients can make the best decisions on their treatments.
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/09/20/show-1135-who-do-you-believe-the-experts-or-the-evidence/
Why Private Equity is Furious Over a Paper in a Dermatology Journal
"The paper also notes that many practices backed by private equity firms have opened or acquired labs to process pathology specimens, potentially another source of profit."
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/health/private-equity-dermatology.html
Word: "disease"; Meaning; "disturb"; Sample location: "Luke 8:49" -- from the "Glossary," 1599 Geneva Bible, Tolle Lege editionDisease, n. Dizeze. [dis and ease].
1. In its primary sense, pain, uneasiness, distress, and so used by Spenser; but in this sense, obsolete.
2. The cause of pain or uneasiness . . . disorder; any state of a living body in which the natural functions of the organs are interrupted or disturbed . . . The first effect of disease is uneasiness or pain, and the ultimate effect is death. . . .
3. A disordered state of the mind or intellect, by which the reason is impaired.
4. In society, vice; corrupt state of morals. Vices are called moral diseases. A wise man converses with the wicked, as a physician with the sick, not to catch the disease, but to cure it.
5. Political or civil disorder, or vices in a state; any practice which tends to disturb the peace of society, or impede or prevent the regular administration of government.
The instability, injustice and confusion introduced into the public councils have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have every where perished. -- 1846 edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language
DISEASE, v.t. dizeze.
1. To interrupt or impair any or all the natural and regular functions of the several organs of a living body [i.e. robbing a neighbor of sleep -- compiler]; to afflict with pain or sickness to make morbid . . .
2. To interrupt or render imperfect the regular functions of the brain, or of the intellect; to disorder; to derange.
3. To infect; to communicate disease to, by contagion.
4. To pain; to make uneasy. -- 1828 edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English LanguageThe health of the body is a delicate matter and we should treat our body with the utmost respect and care.
The current model of healthcare relies on the presence of a disease. Without a disease, there can be no diagnosis. Without a diagnosis there can be no treatment. "Prevention" is felt to be detection when there are no symptoms. Common examples of traditional preventive measures include mammography, PAP smears, PSA tests, colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy, stress test, etc. Although these are important and essential measures, they are not truly preventive, but rather methods of screening and detection.
Often, years before any disease can be detected, biochemical imbalances exist that trigger and eventually lead to illness. These imbalances are chemical and energetic in origin and are affected by nutrients, genetics, energy, environment and the mind. By identifying and correcting these imbalances early, then nutritional and lifestyle changes can be successful in restoring balance and truly preventing the development of disease. This is what we call ultraprevention. -- From the Ultraprevention websiteEliminate of exposure to toxic materials including environmental pollutants, alcohol, smoke, prescription drugs, counterfeit drugs, drug interactions, illegal drugs, RF/microwave radiation, and nuclear radiation will help prevent cancer. (See Toxic and harmful substances, cancer) Also research is appearing linking cancer to bacterial infections.
The informal motto of The People's Pharmacy radio program is "Moderation in all things."
Investigative journalists like Gary Taubes have shown again and again that some health-related recommendations are based on bad science and political/career considerations, NOT the best interests of the people. Like politics, health research seems to be polarized between groups competing for control, power, and the billions of dollars at stake. We are pawns in a very big game. -- Reader's Comment
The following works contain health information of value, that may not be found anywhere else. But most of the authors are non-Christians, some adhere to non-duality, a basic tenet of Eastern Religion and the New Age, therefore Christians must read them with utmost discernment, remembering that the Second Person of the Trinity is The Great Physician.
This is not the only life we have. Perhaps adherents to Eastern Religion have excelled in publishing health information, because, among other reasons, they do not believe in The Means of Grace and The Life to Come. -- compilerHeart disease is the third leading cause of death among women aged 25-44 years, the 2nd leading cause of death among women aged 45-64 years, and the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older. -- ScienceDaily, Jan. 11, 2008
*Agus, David, and Kristin Loberg, The End of Illness, ISBN: 9781451610178 1451610173.
"Can we live robustly until our last breath? Do we have to suffer from debilitating conditions and sickness? Is it possible to add more vibrant years to our lives? In THE END OF ILLNESS, David B. Agus, MD, one of the world's leading cancer doctors, researchers, and technology innovators, tackles these fundamental questions, challenging long-held wisdoms and dismantling misperceptions about what health means. With a blend of storytelling, landmark research, and provocative ideas on health, Dr. Agus presents an eye-opening picture of the human body and all of the ways it works -- and fails -- showing us how a new perspective on our individual health will allow each of us to achieve that often elusive but now reachable goal of a long, vigorous life.
"When Dr. Agus decided to pursue a career in oncology, many of his mentors questioned his choice. Why, they asked, would a promising young doctor want to enter a field known for its inescapably grim outcomes? But it was precisely the lack of progress that inspired Dr. Agus to join the war on cancer. He moved away from the modern methods of the medical establishment, which aim to reduce our afflictions to a single point. Instead, as he does in this book, Dr. Agus argues for the adoption of a systemic view -- a way of honoring our bodies as complex, whole systems. This outlook informs how we can avoid all illnesses -- not just cancer. Dr. Agus empowers us to take charge of our individual health in personal, customized ways we could not have imagined before.
"This indispensable book is not only a manifesto -- a call for revising the way we think about health -- it's also filled with practical but impossible-to-ignore suggestions, including:
Bernstein, Richard K., The Diabetes Diet: Dr. Bernstein's Low-Carbohydrate Solution, ISBN: 0316737844 9780316737845.
"A revolutionary new low-carb diet for diabetics by the doctor who pioneered a successful new approach to the disease -- with 100 original mouth watering recipes. For diabetics, diet is more than a lifestyle choice -- it's the key to controlling the course of their disease. Many diabetics struggle their entire lives to maintain a healthy weight, but the guidelines given to them by the American Diabetes Association have proven unhelpful in regulating blood sugar -- the critical component in keeping diabetes in check. In THE DIABETES DIET, Dr. Bernstein serves up the groundbreaking low-carbohydrate approach to diabetes care that has enabled his patients to take control of their disease by regulating their blood sugar without the usual swings. Dr. Bernstein himself is living proof of the success of this method, and he has the science to back it up. Plunging into the current debate on low-fat vs. low-carb diets, he shows that, especially for diabetics, low-carb is what will change lives -- and he offers 100 delicious all-new recipes to help keep diabetics on track for life. The recipes and advice in THE DIABETES DIET will provide readers with an easy-to-follow guide for controlling their disease and regaining their health and well-being. There are an estimated 18 million diabetics in America, and their number is increasing every year -- yet there are no low-carb diet books appropriate for diabetics.
"Since publication in 1997, Dr. Bernstein's DIABETES SOLUTION and its revised 2003 edition have sold more than 120,000 copies.
"An engineer by training, Bernstein pioneered blood glucose self-monitoring and the tight control of blood sugar that is now accepted as the standard treatment of diabetes. He entered medical school at the age of 45 in order to publish his findings." -- Publisher
Bernstein, Richard K., Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars, ISBN: 0316099066 9780316099066.
"Since its first publication in 1997, DR. BERNSTEIN'S DIABETES SOLUTION has become the treatment of choice in the medical field. His groundbreaking approach to diabetes care enables patients to take control of their disease and to live long and healthy lives by normalizing their blood sugar without the usual swings. Dr. Bernstein himself is living proof of the success of this method. In this revised and updated edition of his work, he provides an accessible, detailed guide to his revolutionary approach to regulating blood sugars and outlines his plan for preventing or reversing long-term complications of diabetes. He offers the most up-to-date information on new products, medications, and supplements, and explains the connection between obesity and adult-onset diabetes. Dr. Bernstein discusses breakthrough science and potential cures, and has added new methods for treating the disease, including new uses of medication and exercise approaches, as well as 40 new gourmet, low carbohydrate recipes in addition to the original 50. The only book to detail step-by-step methods for normalizing blood sugars in both Type I and Type II diabetes, DR. BERNSTEIN'S DIABETES SOLUTION will enable patients to take charge of their health and live longer, healthier lives." -- Publisher
Bredesen, Dale E., Kimberly Farr, and Marc Cashman, The First Survivors of Alzheimer's: How Patients Recovered Life and Hope in Their own Words, eAudiobook, audio file, ISBN: 9780593409602 0593409604.
"First person stories of patients who recovered from Alzheimer's Disease -- and how they did it. It has been said that everyone knows a cancer survivor, but no one has met an Alzheimer's survivor -- until now. In his first two books, Dr. Dale Bredesen outlined the revolutionary treatments that are changing what had previously seemed like the inevitable outcome of cognitive decline and dementia. And in these moving narratives, you can hear directly from the first survivors of Alzheimer's themselves -- their own amazing stories of hope told in their own words. These first person accounts honestly detail the fear, struggle, and ultimate victory of each patient's journey. They vividly describe what it is like to have Alzheimer's. They also drill down on how each of these patients made the program work for them -- the challenges, the workarounds, the encouraging results that are so motivating. Dr. Bredesen includes commentary following each story to help point readers to the tips and tricks that might help them as well. Dr. Bredesen's patients have not just survived; they have thrived to rediscover fulfilling lives, rewarding relationships, and meaningful work. This book will give unprecedented hope to patients and their families." -- Publisher
Bredesen, Dale E., David Perlmutter, and Marc Cashman, eAudiobook, [audio file], 10 CDs, The End of Alzheimer's Program: The First Protocol to Enhance Cognition and Reverse Decline at any age, ISBN: 9780593210420 0593210425.
"Dale Bredesen lays out a specific plan to help everyone prevent and reverse cognitive decline or simply maximize brainpower. He drills down on restorative sleep, targeted supplementation, exercise, and brain training. He also examines the tricky question of toxic exposure and provides workarounds for many difficult problems." -- Publisher
Charnock, Stephen (1628-1680), The Sinfulness and Cure of Thoughts. In PURITAN SERMONS 1659-1689: BEING THE MORNING EXERCISES AT CRIPPLEGATE, ST. GILES IN THE FIELDS, AND IN SOUTHWARK BY SEVENTY-FIVE MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL IN OR NEAR LONDON WITH NOTES AND TRANSLATIONS BY JAMES NICHOLS. (2:386-420)
The Sinfulness and Cure of Thought, Biblical Sanctification, a sermon by Stephen Charnock. Available in Charnock and M'Cosh,
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF STEPHEN CHARNOCK (1865),
The Sinfulness and Cure of Thought, Biblical Sanctification
http://digitalpuritan.net/stephen-charnock/
Childre, Doc Lew, and Howard Martin, The HeartMath Solution: The Institute of HeartMath's Revolutionary Program for Engaging the Power of the Heart's Intelligence, ISBN: 0062516051 9780062516053 006251606X 9780062516060.
"The Intelligent Heart. Access the power of your heart's intelligence to improve your focus and creativity, elevate your emotional clarity, lower your stress and anxiety levels, strengthen your immune system, promote your body's optimal performance, and slow the aging process." -- Publisher
"THE HEARTMATH SOLUTION may easily be written off as a book too eccentric for widespread public consumption, and that's unfortunate. The title's a bit misleading -- it's not about cardiac care and it's not about calculus, but rather how 30 years of research have shown that the heart's 'intelligence' affects emotions and physical health -- especially when it comes to handling stress -- and specifically what you can do to balance heart rhythms, reduce stress hormones, and boost your immune system. Yes, it sounds complicated, especially when you read that cardiologists worked with physicists and psychiatrists to develop the HeartMath program. But it's worth brushing off your skepticism and exploring the concepts in the Solution, as many employees of Fortune 500 companies have already done.
"The 'intelligence' that the authors focus on refers to both the heart's 'brain,' or the 40,000 neurons found in the heart (the same number in the brain itself), and the intuitive signals the heart sends, including feelings of love, happiness, care, and appreciation. When such positive emotions are felt, they 'not only change patterns of activity in the nervous system; they also reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol.' When there's less cortisol, there's more DHEA, the so-called fountain of youth hormone known to have anti-aging effects on many of the body's systems.
"The HeartMath Solution outlines 10 steps for harnessing the power of the heart's intelligence, including ways to manage your emotions and keep energy levels high. One of the most important is the 'Freeze-Frame' technique for calming the nervous system, improving clarity of thought and perception, and boosting productivity (which is one of the many appealing features for those Fortune 500 companies). Each step includes references to data proving its effectiveness, with handy summaries of the key points to remember at the end of each chapter. This is a book that takes a bit of scientific understanding and a lot of time to wade through, but one that could help you prevent stress from ruling your existence." -- Erica Jorgensen
"Is the heart the missing link in the mind-body connection? By combining age-old philosophy with modern science, Childre and Martin make a compelling case for the idea that good health is really a triumph of heart, not mind, over matter. Citing the Institute's research on the heart's role in human health, they demonstrate that the so-called metaphorical condition of the heart -- which has long been associated with love, wisdom, courage, and happiness -- may play as important a role in mental well-being as its physical function. The HeartMath solution lies in developing what Childre and Martin call the core heart feelings (such as love, forgiveness, appreciation and care), which trigger physiological responses resulting in less stress, better brain function and a stronger immune system. Although this book is about the heart, it's written with cool intelligence and intelligibility for the head. Despite slightly off-putting names (Freeze-Frame, Cut-Thru and Lock-In), the relaxation exercises, which are being taught at corporations and at schools, are simple to do, although perhaps already too familiar to anyone who has tried other kinds of meditative techniques. Nevertheless, in presenting a clear argument for following one's heart, this book certainly breaks new ground in the holistic approach to health." -- Publishers Weekly
"Ancient cultures believed that the heart rather than the brain was the seat of emotions, vestiges of which are still apparent in descriptive phrases such as 'broken hearted,' 'cold hearted,' and many others. Recent research confirms the existence of complex communication links between these two organs as well as other systems responsible for maintaining homeostasis, and unanticipated electrical energy pathways that may mediate these activities. This book describes cutting edge approaches that can not only tune into such conversations, but also reduce stress and promote physical and mental health by influencing the dialogue." -- Paul J. Rosch, President, The American Institute of Stress
"HeartMath has had a profound influence on the lives of patients, staff, and administrators at our hospital. Specific health problems such as hypertension and arrhythmias have improved in several patients through interventions with HeartMath tools. Communication and creativity among staff members trained in these tools has taken a quantum leap. They have noticed a completely different way of looking at problems and interacting with those around them." -- Bruce Wilson, M.D., Former Director, University of Pittsburgh Heart Institute, Chairman, Medical Education Committee, Columbia Hospital, Milwaukee, WI
Cullen, Ellie, Ann Louise Gittleman (foreword), and Betty Kamen (introduction), Normal Blood Test Scores Aren't Good Enough! A Complete Guide to Understanding Preventive Blood Testing, ISBN: 0971628300 9780971628304.
A leading guide to preventive blood testing.
"A complete guide to understanding preventive blood testing.
"In this informative, easy-to-understand guide to the chronically misunderstood subject of preventive blood testing, Ellie Cullen, a Registered Nurse with over 24 years of hands-on, clinical experience, teaches you how to use simple blood tests to learn your body's current-and future!-state of health.
"This one-of-a-kind health companion also contains 20 fascinating case studies detailing how the health secrets contained within helped real-life sufferers of heart disease, cancer, obesity, arthritis, even infertility! In addition, a comprehensive guide to over 60 specific blood tests make this book an invaluable tool in taking charge of your personal health today!
"Foreword by Ann Louise Gittleman, ND, author of the USA Today Best Seller THE FAT FLUSH PLAN and Introduction by Betty Kamen, Ph.D. author of HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY: HOW TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. -- Publisher
"Ellie Cullen, a registered nurse, is one of the world's leading experts on using blood analysis to customize diet and wellness plans to individual biochemistry. Her many years as a consultant to physicians and other healthcare professionals has resulted in Ellie working with thousands of clients nationally and internationally.
"Ellie has been a licensed Registered Nurse for more than thirty years. She trained at Johns Hopkins, and has over twenty-five years of extensive clinical nursing, nutrition, and lifestyle consulting experience. She has personally overcome arthritis and low blood sugar using her YFH system.
"Ellie is the Founder and CEO of YFH (Your Future Health), a leader in the preventive blood testing industry. Specializing in HealthPrints, YFH has been helping people understand, improve, and take control of their health for the past twenty-three years."
Your Future Health
"Mission: To improve lives worldwide by delivering customized, innovative healthcare solutions of unmatched quality and value. We will delight our clients by empowering them to take a proactive approach to their health by helping them understand, improve, and take control of their health.
"Vision: To be the best and most valued direct to consumer testing company in the world."
http://www.yourfuturehealth.com/
Davis, Mike, The Monster at our Door: The Global Threat of Avian Flu, ISBN: 1595580115 9781595580115.
Apparently an example of how wrong health science can be. -- compiler, April 7, 2014.
"From the acclaimed writer The Nation calls the 'master of disaster prose,' a terrifying forecast of a new global threat.
" 'We are talking at least seven million deaths, but maybe more -- 10 million, 20 million, and the worst case, 100 million.' -- Shigeru Omi, Regional Director, Western Pacific Office of the World Health Organization, November 2004
"Avian influenza is a viral asteroid on a collision course with humanity. In 1918, a pandemic strain of influenza killed at least 40 million people in three months. Now, leading researchers believe, another world catastrophe is imminent.
"A virus of astonishing lethality, known as H5N1, has become entrenched in the poultry and wild bird populations of East Asia. It kills two out of every three people it infects. The World Health Organization warns that it is on the verge of mutating into a super-contagious pandemic form that could visit several billion homes within two years.
"In this urgent and extraordinarily frightening book, Mike Davis reconstructs the scientific and political history of a viral apocalypse in the making, exposing the central roles of agribusiness and the fast-food industries, abetted by corrupt governments, in creating the ecological conditions for the emergence of this new plague. He also details the scandalous failure of the Bush administration, obsessed with hypothetical 'bio-terrorism,' to safeguard Americans from the greatest biological threat since HIV/AIDS." -- Publisher
"Sorry, but I won't review this book per se. It is too scary. I will tell you that almost 100 percent of what the author says is true. The bottom line is: There will be a deadly world wide pandemic. Millions will die. It will be revealed that the White House has left us unprotected. It will be just like New Orleans with many more deaths. Without going into the facts in the book, which should be mandatory reading by those in command of our country, my message to Americans is to go to your doctors and get a prescription for 10 tablets of Tamiflu, 75mg. Tamiflu is made by Hoffman La-Roche pharmaceuticals in Switzerland. It is an anti viral pill, and at the present time is considered the best medicine to protect against the Avian Virus . . . . H5N1. Good luck. We're last in line, as the other major nations of the world have orders in front of us that may take Hoffman La-Roche years to fill. However, I want you to know that there is another anti viral medicine which our country is stock piling: Relenza from Glaxco Smith-Kline in Australia. The rub is that this is not a pill, but must be inhaled. Nevertheless, that may be the solution for our country. As for the new Avian immunization vaccine developed by Dr. Robert Webster, at St. Jude's hospital in Memphis, using reverse engineering, the dose needed is so high that the amount of vaccine that our government is stockpiling will protect only a few million people. So, there you are. There is one possibility that can save us all. The H5N1 Avian virus is not easily transmitted from birds to humans. Since the late nineties, when the virus first appeared in China, approximately 60 people have died. If the H5N1 virus mutates or assorts with a human common flu virus or cold, then we will have a deadly pandemic, and millions will die, because humans will not have immunity. If our government can develop a crash program to produce the avian virus vaccine, then we and all the people of the world might be saved! And finally depending on how the virus mutates or assorts, the vaccine may not work. That is always a possibility. There is one other solution. Our government should violate the legal exclusivity of Hoffman La-Roch, and manufacture Tamiflu on a grand scale.
"On that happy ending I advise every American to get a prescription for Tamiflu 75 mg and to read this book. Wake up America as to what is happening in the world around you!!" -- Donald E. Olds
"MacArthur fellow Mike Davis is the author of several books, including CITY OF QUARTZ, ECOLOGY OF FEAR, LATE VICTORIAN HOLOCAUSTS, DEAD CITIES, and -- with Kelly Mayhew and Jim Miller -- UNDER THE PERFECT SUN. He lives in San Diego."
Dowd, James, and Diane Stafford, The Vitamin D Cure, ISBN: 9780470455753 0470455756.
"It may sound too good to be true, but it's actually solid medicine based on real science: groundbreaking new research has traced the source of a wide array of disorders that afflict up to 200 million Americans to a single common factor -- vitamin D deficiency. Increasing the amount of vitamin D in your body can cure or help treat a remarkable number of ailments -- from obesity to arthritis, from high blood pressure to back pain, from diabetes to muscle cramps. If you suffer from these or many other chronic health problems, you may wonder whether you are getting enough vitamin D and what to do about it.
"In THE VITAMIN D CURE, leading rheumatologist and researcher Dr. James Dowd reveals the causes of vitamin D deficiency and explains why North Americans are particularly vulnerable to it. He then offers a simple, easy-to-follow five-step program that can eliminate or alleviate a host of seemingly incurable conditions, such as arthritis, in as little as six weeks. Better yet, by staying on the program, you can enjoy robust health and improved fitness for the rest of your life.
"Citing numerous scientific studies, a wealth of clinical data, and case stories from his practice, Dr. Dowd shows how lifestyle and diet have combined to reduce the vitamin D intake of most of us who live north of the equator. Eating the wrong foods, not getting enough exercise, and spending too much time indoors have produced a major health crisis." -- Publisher
The Vitamin Cure
http://www.thevitamindcure.com
Dunn, Rob R., The Wild Life of our Bodies: Predators, Parasites, and Partners That Shape who we are Today, ISBN: 9780061806483 006180648X.
"Shares the known and potential consequences of the changing relationships with nature and interactions with other species and emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with the web of life." -- Publisher
Edlund, Matthew, Healthy Without Health Insurance: Protect Yourself, ISBN: 9780974892719 0974892718.
"Provides a step-by-step program that combines ordinary activities to maximize health and happiness and regenerate your body." -- Publisher
Ewald, Paul W., Plague Time: The new Germ Theory of Disease, ISBN: 0385721846 9780385721844.
"Argues that serious illnesses are caused by a plague of chronic infections and not by a person's genes and lifestyle." -- Publisher
"The author, Dr. Ewald is a college professor and researcher who has become well known for his ideas relating natural selection and evolution to infectious diseases in humans. Some of the more noted medical schools in the country are incorporating his ideas into their training of physicians. The basic theme of his book is that some of the most common and dangerous diseases in humans might have an infectious disease component. Most people including many physicians and researchers do not consider heart attacks, autoimmune diseases, cancer, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. to be related in any way to microorganisms. Ewald describes how the same thing was thought in the not too distant past about ulcers, cervical cancer, infertility, liver cancer, etc. Ewald presents a historical perspective of the latter diseases and shows how researchers that "thought outside of the box" were able to prove that infectious organisms were in fact responsible. He then discusses recent findings that are providing hints that we may still have some big surprises in store for the future of many diseases thought to be free of microbial influence. For example, he speculates what it will mean if we find that the inflammation and atherosclerosis that often precedes heart attacks has a microbial cause. He cites studies that indicate that the bacterium that causes one form of "walking pneumonia," Chlamydia pneumoniae, is somehow involved. He states that if these findings are true, "atherosclerosis would be enough to make C. pneumoniae rank among the most deadly human pathogens of all times." Another intriguing example, among many, is his discussion of an infectious cause for breast cancer. When he is discussing the role of microbes in such human afflictions, the book is engrossing. On the other hand there are topics of discussion that are peripheral to his theme that would be better edited out. For example the extensive discussion of the evidence for HIV being introduced into humans through vaccine production could have been edited and still made the point. Likewise, the section on biological warfare/terrorism could have either been deleted altogether or at least tied into the overall theme a little more smoothly. Overall, this book discusses an idea that is, as Scientific American noted, "Provocative. . . . if correct, this theory will change the course of medicine." -- Reader's Comment
Ewald, Paul W., and Holly Swain Ewald, Controlling Cancer: A Powerful Plan for Taking on the World's Most Daunting Disease, ISBN: 9781937382094 1937382095.
"The scourge of cancer has ripped through bodies, families, and generations for so long and with such power that it feels almost invincible. But biologist Paul Ewald -- widely regarded as the leading expert in the emerging field of evolutionary medicine -- and co-author Holly Swain Ewald may have found a way of attacking the intractable killer, which they detail here. The Ewalds believe that viruses are at the heart of the onset of cancer and we can attack the disease through an early attack on the virus. In this important study, they form an innovative plan for rethinking and eradicating one of the world's deadliest diseases." -- Publisher
Fitzgerald, Randall, The Hundred-Year Lie: How to Protect Yourself From the Chemicals That are Destroying Your Health, ISBN: 0525949518 9780525949510.
"In a devastating exposé in the tradition of SILENT SPRING and FAST FOOD NATION, investigative journalist Randall Fitzgerald warns how thousands of man-made chemicals in our food, water, medicine, and environment are making humans the most polluted species on the planet. A century ago in 1906, when Congress enacted the Pure Food and Drug Act, Americans were promised 'better living through chemistry.' Fitzgerald provides overwhelming evidence to shatter this myth, and many others perpetrated by the chemical, pharmaceutical, and processed foods industries. In the face of this national health crisis, Fitzgerald also presents informed and practical suggestions for what we can do to turn the tide and live healthier lives.
Human beings are fast becoming one of the most polluted species on the planet. Learn why your body has become so toxic that you would never pass an FDA inspection:
*Flavel, John (1628-1691), Keeping the Heart, ISBN: 1573580775. A Christian classic. Alternate title: A SAINT INDEED, OR THE GREAT WORK OF A CHRISTIAN OPENED AND PRESSED. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"One of the most endearing Puritan works.
This "is an extensive treatment of Proverbs 4:23, Keep thy heart, for out of it flow the issues of life. This book has been completely retypeset and updated for easier reading; and there is also a helpful introduction and added study guide which makes this book suitable for study by individuals and groups. -- Publisher
Flavel, John, A Treatise on Keeping the Heart. Selected From the Works of the Rev. John Flavel. The style adapted to the present state of improvement (1813)
http://archive.org/details/treatiseonkeepin00flav
On Keeping the Heart, John Flavel
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/epl-10/web/flavel-keeping.html
Green, Peter H.R., and Rory Jones, Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, ISBN: 006076693X 9780060766931.
Celiac disease is sensitivity to gluten: wheat, sugar, and carbohydrates. See also: GRAIN BRAIN: THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT WHEAT, CARBS, AND SUGAR -- YOUR BRAIN'S SILENT KILLERS.
"A survey of the frequently undiagnosed autoimmune disease describes the signs and symptoms of celiac disease, its effects on the human body's digestive system, available diagnostic procedures, treatment options, and diet and lifestyle issues." -- Publisher
Holick, Michael F., and Mark Jenkins, The UV Advantage, ISBN: 0743486471 9780743486477.
"According to Dr. Michael Holick of the Boston University School of Medicine and America's leading expert on Vitamin D, the scare tactics of international health leaders about the potential hazards of sun exposure have gone too far. Their exaggerated warnings about the sun's harmful effects have led to public misconceptions that is threatening our overall health. As a result, we in the midst of a 'silent epidemic' of vitamin D deficiency in the West that has widespread repercussions. With the UV Advantage, Dr. Holick is the first highly credentialed doctor to author a book that proclaims the clinically demonstrated benefits of sensible sun exposure on bone, cellular, organ, autoimmune and mood-related health.
"During the past 25 years, Dr. Holick has looked at not only how vitamin D is made in the skin during sun exposure to sunlight, but has also provided global recognition for how sunlight exposure is important to bone health. He has pioneered the use of activated vitamin D compounds for the treatment of psoriasis, considered to be the treatment of choice for this common skin disorder." -- Publisher
"Evidence is given from Dr. Holick's own work and others that vitamin D levels are too low in a large fraction of the world's humans, especially those with dark skin and living more than 30 degrees from the equator. This deficiency causes more osteoporosis, rickets, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and cancer than had been believed just 20 years ago. The types of skin cancer caused by excessive sunlight are easily treated and are rarely fatal. . . .
"This easy-to-read book, backed by 120 citations to papers in peer-reviewed journals (unfortunately not numbered), has an index and a glossary. Dr. Holick is no outsider, having published over 200 peer-reviewed papers, and with a lifetime of research in dermatology and endocrinology. . . ." -- Reader's Comment
UV Advantage
http://www.uvadvantage.org
Vitamind Health
http://www.vitamindhealth.org
Hyman, Mark, Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss, ISBN: 0743272552 9780743272551.
"No wonder it's so hard to lose weight -- our bodies are designed to keep weight on at all costs; it's a matter of survival. It's embedded in our DNA. Our diet has changed dramatically over the past ten thousand years, but our genetic blueprint has not -- our bodies are not designed to process the types of food we are fed today. It's like putting diesel fuel into a regular car -- it just won't work. And making matters worse is the fact that diets don't work either: less than 6 percent of weight-loss attempts succeed. The average person who goes on a diet actually gains five pounds. But a medical revolution is under way, finally showing us precisely how the powerful forces that keep weight on can actually be reprogrammed to automatically burn fat and keep weight off for good. The concept is simple. By learning how to work with our bodies instead of against them, we can ignite the natural fat-burning furnaces that lie dormant within us. For the first time ever, Dr. Mark Hyman makes this new science of weight loss available to the general public. This medical revolution is based on a groundbreaking concept called nutrigenomics -- the science of how food talks to our genes. This science is actually startlingly simple. Food contains information and instructions for our bodies -- eat the right foods and send instructions of weight loss and health; eat the wrong foods and send messages of weight gain and disease. After spending the last ten years conducting pioneering, hands-on research with over two thousand patients at Canyon Ranch, one of the world's leading health resorts, Dr. Hyman has discovered the seven fundamental causes of obesity. While fad diets have identified one or two of these causes, never before have they all been integrated into a single, simple plan for automatic weight loss -- this is the promise of ULTRAMETABOLISM.
"ULTRAMETABOLISM is an easy-to-follow eight-week plan to help you lose weight based on your own unique genetic needs. Since each of our bodies is different and may require more or less of certain nutrients to awaken our fat-burning DNA, Dr. Hyman shows you exactly how to customize the program for your own particular needs. The program includes menus, recipes, and shopping lists, as well as recommendations for supplements and exercise and lifestyle treatments designed to create a healthy metabolism -- an UltraMetabolism -- permanent weight loss, and lifelong health." -- Publisher
Hyman, Mark, Mark Liponis, Ultraprevention: The 6-Week Plan That will Make You Healthy for Life, ISBN: 0743448839 9780743448833 0743227115 9780743227117.
"Two physicians unveil a revolutionary, accessible, science-based, patient-centered program for living an active, age-defying, disease-free life.
"Healthcare is pulled and shaped by many forces, by drug and insurance companies looking for profits, by politicians in search of votes, and by stressed, overworked physicians who barely have time to talk to you before writing a prescription or packing you off to a specialist.
"So is anyone interested in keeping you well?
"Yes. The ULTRAPREVENTION program will work for everyone. The promise of its practice is huge -- a health span that matches life span -- and you'll experience increased energy, weight loss, enhanced mood and memory, better digestion, deeper sleep, diminished stress, and more.
"Isolating the source of more than 90 percent of today's most common diseases, from cancer and heart disease to diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer's, Drs. Hyman and Liponis enumerate the Five Forces of Illness -- Sludge (malnutrition), Burnout (impaired metabolism), Heat (inflammation), Waste (impaired detoxification), and Rust (oxidative stress).
"Through the practice of the six-week ULTRAPREVENTION program, you'll learn three simple steps that stop these forces and create a lifetime of good health. So stop falling for the myths that make you sick and start Ultraprevention, the powerful plan to get older without aging, to maintain health for all of life." -- Publisher
Johnson, David W., Feel 30 for the Next 50 Years, ISBN: 0380974630 9780380974634.
" 'It's not mortality that's on our minds. . . . It is the specter of spending the last quarter of our lives incapable of enjoying ourselves, of losing our memories and our mental acuity, our health, sexuality, and attractiveness,' writes David W. Johnson, Ph.D., physiology professor and medical researcher. This doesn't have to happen, says Johnson, if we use supplements and strategies that 'literally convince your body that it is younger.' FEEL 30 FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS explains why and how to use hormonal-replacement therapies, antioxidants, cognitive-enhancing drugs, diet, brain exercises, physical exercise, and stress-reducing techniques. Johnson examines the physical, mental, and emotional changes we attribute to aging, and offers a detailed plan for combating them. Gingko biloba, for example, increases blood flow to the brain, thereby enhancing memory. Antioxidant supplements retard the rate of cellular death. Meditation and biofeedback reduce stress-induced damage. Hormone supplementation, including DHEA, can restore hormones to youthful levels. By following his plan, you can 'pretty much skip old age,' says Johnson, extending the years of 'Youthspan' (optimum health, energy, strength, mobility, and vitality), through age 60, and continuing to live a vigorous and healthy life through age 80 and beyond." -- Reader's Comment
Katz, David L., Stacey Colino, and Tim Andres Pabon, Disease Proof: The Remarkable Truth About What Makes us Well, ISBN: 9781594631245 1594631247.
"The skills you need to slash your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more-by 80 percent. Though we may not realize it, our behavior has tremendous effects on our health, well-being, and even gene expression. In DISEASE-PROOF, renowned preventive medicine specialist Dr. David Katz reveals that we can reduce our risk of any chronic disease by an astonishing 80 percent-more than any drug or intervention could ever hope to do. Abundant scientific evidence shows that four simple things -- not smoking, eating well, being active, and maintaining a healthy weight-play an enormous role in our health. Drawing upon the latest scientific evidence and decades of clinical experience, Dr. Katz arms us with the skills to make lasting changes in each of these areas. DISEASE-PROOF equips listeners with the knowledge to manage weight, improve immune function, reprogram our genes, and prevent and reverse life-altering illnesses" -- Publisher
Dr. Katz's website
http://www.davidkatzmd.com
Kaufmann, Doug, Fungus Link, ISBN: 9780970341808 0970341806.
Introduction to Fungal Disease Including the Initial Phase THE FUNGUS LINK was an incredibly helpful and informational tool for me to deal with chronic candida. As a research fanatic, the explanation of just HOW fungal toxins disrupt and injure the body and how to eliminate them made all the difference for me. There's a huge difference between knowing you have a condition and treating it and REALLY getting it and being empowered to deal with it in a holistic way -- through nutrition, lifestyle, etc. Doug makes something complicated easy to understand and conquer! The Phase I diet really does work and isn't difficult to achieve on a daily basis with some effort. Knowing what foods to avoid during a healing crisis helps a person to realize what foods to avoid in the long run, as going back to them may regenerate the problem. As a result of faithfully following the Phase I diet and continuing to abstain from sugar, cheese, most grains and white flour products, I have achieved and maintained a 52 pound weight loss, lower cholesterol, significantly lower triglycerides, blood pressure and much more energy! A definite MUST READ for anyone suffering from candida, cancer, obesity, diabetes and many other ailments -- fungal overgrowth, toxicity and candida is far-reaching!!" -- Reader's Comment
La Puma, John, and Rebecca Powell Marx, ChefMD's big Book of Culinary Medicine: A Food Lover's Road map to Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Getting Really Healthy, ISBN: 9780307394620 030739462X.
"Integrating nutritional science with culinary expertise, a physician explains how to prevent disease, shed pounds, and promote overall health by using foods that tempt the palate while promoting the body's immunity." -- Publisher
Dr. John La Puma's website, http://www.DrJohnLaPuma.com
Liponis, Mark, UltraLongevity: The Seven-Step Program for a Younger, Healthier You, 304 pages, ISBN: 0316017280 9780316017282.
"Medical director of the world-famous Canyon Ranch Health Resorts, Dr. Mark Liponis presents his extraordinary new idea: that aging and aging-related diseases -- including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes -- are autoimmune problems, and that a well-managed immune system is the key to healthy aging. Cutting-edge research makes ULTRALONGEVITY the first and only book to explore aging within the context of the immune system, and it will change the way we look at health forever. Starting with a quiz -- 'How Fast Are You Aging?' -- Liponis explains the new science, lays out an accessible and proven 7-step program with an 8-day meal plan, and motivates readers to put the program into practice so that they can keep their minds sharp, become more physically fit, be more resistant to infections and disease, and feel and stay younger than they ever imagined. Through the UltraLongevity program, Liponis promises more than a long life; he promises a long, healthy life.
"Mark Liponis, MD, Corporate Medical Director of Canyon Ranch Resorts. His previous book, with Dr. Mark Hyman, was Ultraprevention." -- Publisher
"What an awesome and practical anti-aging program! Dr. Liponis's approach to longevity is based on proven technological breakthroughs supported by hundreds of studies. This is the best original thinking I have seen in decades!" -- Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, FACC, CNS, co-author of REVERSE HEART DISEASE NOW
"UltraLongevity is a treasure -- it's loaded with exactly the kind of information everyone needs to live well and vibrantly -- for as long as possible." -- Christiane Northrup, MD, author of WOMEN'S BODIES, WOMEN'S WISDOM
"An insightful, simplified, and integrated approach to achieving optimal health, wellness, and longevity." -- Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th Surgeon General of the United States
"What do breathing, eating, sleeping, loving, soothing, enhancing, and dancing accomplish? They are the seven things you can do to change your life for the younger (and better).
"Recent scientific research indicates that by paying attention to your immune system, you can control the aging process. . . .
"Talk about your interesting book. It is chock full of great information that inspires you to better living. He gives just enough details to make various lifestyle changes not only reasonable, but feasible. . . .
"My chief complaint about this book is the great amount of time he spent in the netherworld of evolution. The science of the immune system was quite possibly spot on, but it was absolutely unnecessary to continue to state over and over again how it evolved over millions of years. A reference or two I wouldn't even mention, but the evolution horse was beaten dead. Regardless, there is a great amount of useful information in the rest of the book and I intend to put it to use. . . ." This is a great resource for those experiencing an overactive immune system and those who hope not to." -- Reader's Comment
Low Dog, Tieraona, Life is Your Best Medicine: A Woman's Guide to Health, Healing, and Wholeness at Every Age, ISBN: 9781426209604 1426209606.
"The author has an important message for women: what you do and what choice you make can have a positive and profound impact on your health. This book is suitable for readers with an interest in Native American and other natural and alternative healing practices, and to cancer survivors -- especially breast cancer." -- Publisher
Tieraona Low Dog's website
http://www.drlowdog.com
Low Dog, Tieraona, et al., Healthy at Home: Get Well and Stay Well Without Prescriptions, ISBN: 9781426212581 1426212585.
"Get the how, when, and why of getting better and staying well with homemade remedies that the doctor orders. National Geographic helps you take charge of healthcare guided by a physician expert in natural healing, herbal medicine, and home remedies. In this book she guides us in identifying, responding to, and caring for all the most common ailments, so that when it's time to take care at home, you have a doctor's advice on how. Learn how to make herbal remedies and why you and your family will be healthier for doing so -- and get advice on when it's best to consult a healthcare professional instead." -- Publisher
Tieraona Low Dog's website
http://www.drlowdog.com
Popkin, Barry, The World is fat: The Fads, Trends, Policies, and Products That are Fattening the Human Race, ISBN: 1583333134 9781583333136.
"FAST FOOD NATION meets THE WORLD IS FAT in this eye-opening look at the obesity epidemic.
"Today, the planet's 1.3 billion overweight people by far outnumber the 700 million who are undernourished. This figure would have seemed ludicrous just fifty years ago, when hunger was the world's most pressing nutritional problem.
"In THE WORLD IS FAT, Barry Popkin argues that the fattening of the human race is not simply about that next cheeseburger; rather, it is a result of an unprecedented collision of human biology with trends in technology, globalization, government policy, and the food industry that are changing how we eat and how we live.
"Popkin, whose expertise in both nutrition and economics makes him uniquely qualified to write this book, compares our lifestyles today with those of half a century ago through the stories of five families living in the United States, Mexico, and India. He shows how increasing access to media and exposure to advertising, a powerful food industry, the rise of Walmart like shopping centers, and a dramatic decline in physical activity are clashing with millions of years of human evolution, creating a world of overweight people with debilitating health problems such as diabetes. Ultimately, Popkin contends that widespread obesity is less a result of poor individual dietary choices than about a hi-tech, interconnected world in which governments and multinational corporations have extraordinary power to shape our everyday lives.
"Barry Popkin is the Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished Professor of Global Nutrition at the University of North Carolina and the director of the UNC Interdisciplinary Obesity Center. His research has spanned all continents over the past thirty years. His work has been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Scientific American." -- Publisher
*Reisman, Judith A., Eunice V. Ray (editor), and Alfred Moreschi (illustrator), Kinsey: Crimes and Consequences the Red Queen and the Grand Scheme, ISBN: 0966662415 9780966662412.
"Dr. Judith Reisman's new book, KINSEY: CRIMES AND CONSEQUENCES THE RED QUEEN AND THE GRAND SCHEME, presents sinister material on the man who seduced America.
"The 1960s' sexual revolution was based on the most elaborate and carefully crafted scientific fraud of this century, writes author Judith Reisman. Early sexologist Alfred C. Kinsey, with his two famous reports just 50 years ago, seemingly legitimized both profligacy and deviancy, and thus established 'the sexual license he [personally] espoused.' SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE HUMAN MALE (1948) and its female equivalent (1953) kicked off no-fault divorce, the wife-swapping era, the gay rights movement, classroom sex education, sex 'therapy' as a growth industry, explicit imagery in the media and entertainment industry, and an avalanche of pornography and obscenity.
"Although Kinsey was a sexual revolutionary, Dr. Reisman contends, he was falsely portrayed by Indiana University where he worked, and the Rockefeller Foundation which funded him, 'as just a normal American guy/husband/family man who simply "discovered" the "really" that most American men commonly engaged in sexually aberrant and outlaw behaviour.' Kinsey's 'research' alleged that 10 percent of American males were homosexual, that all of us were bisexual, that children were sexual from birth, and could engage in sexual activity with adults without harm, plus a whole broad spectrum of things taught today in our schools and practiced today in courts of law as fact and as true . . . It was fraud then, it is fraud now, and it revolutionized this nation and turned us into Kinsey's [psychological] clones.
"His 'Grand Scheme' was to eliminate normal families in favour of selective breeding predicated upon racial and sexual eugenics, she charges, and his 'scientific conclusions' were concocted to advance it. The reference is to the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland who wanted the sentence (beheading) carried out first and the verdict pronounced afterwards.
"Disturbing information about Kinsey's work and private life has been accumulating since his death in 1956 at age 62. (The official cause was pneumonia due to overwork, but his extensive homosexual and sadomasochistic activities were likely contributors). Dr. Reisman revealed much of it in 1990, for example, in KINSEY, SEX AND FRAUD. Even last year's resolutely non-condemnatory biography by fellow Indiana University scholar James H. Jones, ALFRED C. KINSEY: A PUBLIC/PRIVATE LIFE (Norton), is replete with gruesomely shocking details.
"KINSEY: CRIME AND CONSEQUENCES cannot be described as non-condemnatory. Its central figure, Dr. Reisman asserts, 'fits the classic definition of a sexual psychopath.' Had the public known that he 'and his male population were sexually abnormal, the popular use of their data to change [our] law, education and public policy would have come to a screeching halt.' He was able, however, to blackmail into silence associates who knew about 'his extensive use of deviants, his large prison population or, worse, his active child molesters.'
"Still, she thinks his 'findings' should have roused suspicion. 'When I first read Kinsey's research, I thought this man is not reporting on America -- he's reporting on himself and then projecting that onto the nation. Kinsey prostituted his own wife Clara . . . into acts of sodomy with fellow "researchers," which Kinsey filmed. He seduced his own students at Indiana University -- male, not female students. He devised sexual activities with his "co-workers," who then became his co-authors. He [personally] engaged in violent sadistic activity, in which he harmed himself terribly . . . and appears to have died, frankly, as a result of the trauma to his body.'
"But his famed reports were carefully phrased to obscure the fact that words like 'contacts,' 'partners' and 'sex play' could signify grown men sodomizing children. He was also both racist and cautious about his colleagues, avoiding Jews, blacks and moral traditionalists. Dr. Reisman quotes Kinsey co-author Wardell Pomeroy (KINSEY AND THE INSTITUTE FOR SEX RESEARCH, Harper & Row, 1972), on his hiring technique: 'As usual . . . we took his sexual history first . . . [Then] Kinsey put down his pen and said, "I don't think you want to work for us." "But I do," the researcher insisted. "Well," Kinsey observed, "you have just said that premarital intercourse might lead to later difficulties in marriage, that extramarital relations would break up a marriage, that homosexuality is abnormal, and intercourse with animals is ludicrous. Apparently you have all the answers. . . . Why do you want to do research'?"
"Biographer Jones describes Kinsey as 'one of the scholarly eugenicists of pre-WWII' who favoured mass sterilization for the lower classes and selective breeding for the 'better classes.' Moreover, Judith Reisman emphasizes, the Rockefeller Foundation was early interested in population control and in using the media to popularize it. The Reece Committee, investigating U.S. tax-exempt foundations in 1953-54, concluded that this 'plutocratic control' was accomplished by 'funding the "right" university research by the "right" researchers, then by funding mass media dissemination of the "right" science data to the public.' Kinsey's numbers made him a perfect fit for anyone eager to alter what he would call human 'breeding patterns.'
"Dr. Reisman, a specialist in content analysis studies of written and visual media, lost many family members in the Holocaust. In that context she raises further sinister questions about Kinsey's data. For instance, who was the 'lone pedophile,' the 'elderly gentleman' cited by Kinsey for his sexual molestation of 800 children? Who were 'The Children of Table 34' and what became of them? How did Kinsey's 'technically trained' observers gain access to the claimed 1,800 American children for illegal genital experiments? 'To this day,' she observes, 'the Kinsey Institute and Indiana University have repeatedly . . . refused to reveal any names of the subjects or the experimenters.' Nor has any one of these children ever come forward, although the institute seems an excellent target for lawsuits.
"Even in the destitute 1930s, at the cited rate of a dollar a day, she doubts that children as young as three months were obtainable in such numbers around Bloomington, Indiana. She suggests an ominous but credible alternative: a collaborative link between Kinsey and Nazi Germany, then a police state where such 'experimentation' could easily be conducted 'as part of an ongoing collegial, cross-cultural, multinational, "fact-finding" research project.' She cites significant links, such as one George Sylvester Viereck, who worked for the German embassy in Washington, D.C., in those years, setting up Nazi front groups, and who is known to have been a Kinsey correspondent. Furthermore, the Rockefeller Foundation was simultaneously funding eugenics projects in Berlin.
"Kinsey consistently kept secret his hypotheses and the basic facts upon which his conclusions rested, Dr. Reisman charges. 'Neither Kinsey nor any of his team can rightly be termed "scientists." Their methodology was not scientific, for it was neither able to be replicated nor validated. Their data was anonymous, forced, secretly altered at will, and fraudulent. With the aid of the elite academic world and institutions and the support of public funds and the social planning foundations, Kinsey and his associates, who served as his own private male harem, conducted thousands of sexual interviews to present a false view of American sexual behaviours.'
"Amazingly, however, use of Kinsey data as authoritative has never been seriously challenged -- until now. It must not continue, Dr. Reisman declares: 'There [must] be a full and open public investigation into Kinsey's fraudulent data and its impact upon lawmakers, the military, the church, the press, the academic world, the family and all our institutions'." -- Kevin E. Abrams, co-author of The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality In The Nazi Party
Reisman, Judith A., Sexual Sabotage: How one mad Scientist Unleashed a Plague of Corruption and Contagion on America, ISBN: 9781935071853 1935071858.
"Alfred Kinsey's statistics on American sexual behavior was greatly skewed towards unusual sexual practices. Subsequent researchers at the Kinsey Institute have claimed that they have cleaned up the data, and found the same incidence rates. It is not possible to clean up data that was drawn from a sample that was not representative of the American people as a whole. The psychologist Abraham Maslow pointed out that Kinsey's data suffered from volunteer bias. And eminent statisticians pointed out that his statistics were invalid.
"Reisman points out that if sex outside of marriage had really been as common as Kinsey claimed, there would have been much more abortion, divorce, children born out of wedlock, and sexually transmitted diseases in the 1940s than there actually was.
"Kinsey's books did much to weaken the laws against sex outside of marriage, because it did not seem reasonable to outlaw behavior that was commonplace. Reisman documents how the American Law Institute Model Penal Code was substantially changed by the Kinsey reports. The ALI MPC frequently quoted Kinsey as a reference when reducing or eliminating penalties for sex crimes. Kinsey's assertion that children desire sex has lead to efforts to lower the age of consent. Marriage was originally a contract designed to enforce sexual exclusivity, to provide for the care of children, and to prevent women from being abandoned. Kinsey's promotion of hedonism has weakened the institution of marriage, to the detriment of women and children.
"Judith Reisman is a voice in the wilderness, repeatedly drawing attention to one of the biggest crimes of the 20th century. Alfred Kinsey lied about the sex lives of the American people, in particular, about the Greatest Generation, the people who carried America through the Great Depression and World War II. Kinsey claimed that sex outside of marriage was common, when, in fact, it was unusual. Kinsey caused the children of the greatest generation to believe that their parents were hypocrites, who preached traditional sexual morality, but practiced sexual immorality." -- Reader's Comment
Roizen, Michael F., and John La Puma, The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger With What You eat, ISBN: 0060086122 9780060086121.
Sherman, Len, and the Staff of Canyon Ranch, The Canyon Ranch Guide to Living Younger Longer: A Complete Program for Optimal Health for Body, Mind, and Spirit, ISBN: 068487136X 9780684871363.
"America's premier health resort for more than twenty years, Canyon Ranch has helped tens of thousands of guests develop customized strategies to achieve their lifestyle goals -- from stress reduction to improved fitness, from nutritional guidance to weight loss, and from enhanced sexuality to heightened spirituality. Now Canyon Ranch's expert staff has adapted its innovative life-extending program for home use. Using the same individualized approach pioneered at the health resorts, this gorgeous book offers practical and easy-to-follow goal-setting guidelines and a varied menu of activities from which you can create a personal health program.
"Drawing from Canyon Ranch's experience in fitness, nutrition, and wellness, The Canyon Ranch Guide to Living Younger Longer shows you how to use the latest information on human resiliency, healthy aging, musculoskeletal problems, preventative and integrative medicine, massage therapy, yoga, healthy sexuality, exercise, and mindful eating to create a routine that works for you.
"If your primary goal is to lighten your diet, you'll find dozens of delicious and healthy recipes, five guiding principles for nutritional intelligence, and practical tips on how to avoid overindulging in restaurants, as well as information on how to quickly measure portion size, how to choose foods rich in nutrients like antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, and how to limit the amount of sugar you consume. If you want to reduce arthritic pain, you'll learn exercises to build musculoskeletal strength, hear about traditional and complementary medicines that have been shown to ease pain, and find out what massage therapies might be appropriate for you.
"If you don't have a specific goal in mind, but want a life full of zest, joy, and dignity, read about the connections between human values and human health, reaffirm the importance of emotional and sexual intimacy, and explore a variety of stress reduction techniques, from meditation and chi gong to letting go of self-punishing behavior and learning to cope with shifting moods.
"Beautifully illustrated with striking full-color and instructional photographs, The Canyon Ranch Guide to Living Younger Longer is as inspiring and exhilarating as it is practical. With information on everything from how to flavor recipes without salt to how to incorporate more spirituality into a busy life, this book is truly a reflection of the spirit, style, and philosophy of the famous Canyon Ranch Health Resort." -- Publisher
Sinatra, Stephen T., and James C. Roberts (introduction), The Sinatra Solution: New Hope for Preventing and Treating Heart Disease, ISBN: 1591201608 9781591201601 1591201586 9781591201588 9781591202165 1591202167.
"Dr. Stephen Sinatra is the preeminent metabolic cardiologist." Joe Graedon, "The People's Pharmacy," Show #553.
Dr. Sinatra prescribes the following nutriceuticals for heart health: Magnesium, Co Q-10, Acetyl L-Carnitine, D-Ribos, fish oil, B Vitamins (a good B multi-vitamin), and Vitamin C.
"There's new hope for preventing and treating heart disease. If you suffer from heart disease, Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra has the solution you've been looking for: Maximize the amount of oxygen your heart extracts from your bloodstream by accelerating the rate at which your cells convert nutrients to energy. This can be achieved by following Dr. Sinatra's energy-enhancing nutritional approach. This approach focuses on the supplemental use of three amazing bioenergetic nutrients: Coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, and D-ribose. The synergistic combination of these nutrients essentially charge up every body cell to function at optimal capacity. So, not only will you experience renewed heart health with all that energy, you'll also gain a greater sense of overall well-being.
"Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., is a board-certified cardiologist, a certified bioenergetic psychotherapist, and a certified nutrition and anti-aging specialist. At his practice in Manchester, Connecticut, Dr. Sinatra integrates conventional medicine with complementary nutritional and psychological therapies to help heal the heart. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and is the author of several books, including OPTIMAL HEALTH, HEARTBREAK AND HEART DISEASE, HEART SENSE FOR WOMEN, and EIGHT WEEKS TO LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE." -- Publisher
"Dr. Stephen Sinatra has been an outspoken leader among physicians in the country on raising awareness of the relationship of supplements to cardiac health, especially Carnitine and Coenzyme Q-10. He has continued his campaign to raise awareness among physicians and the public, bringing nutrition, a real understanding of physiology and the generation of energy necessary for cardiac function back into the discussion of heart disease and cardiac rehabilitation. For too long medical discussions have centered only on which pharmaceutical drug might one use to reduce symptoms after the damage has occurred . . . and still, at most medical conferences, that is all that is discussed. Dr. Sinatra's preventive cardiology gives you an understanding of what it takes to keep your heart and circulation functioning at the 'prime of life' level well into your advanced age. He has a holistic and compassionate understanding of all of the factors that make for a 'sick heart' from dietary influences to environmental toxins, to the impact of unavoidable stress on our lives, and how we choose to deal with it.
"Dr. Sinatra is also a contagious optimist, and a brilliant doctor. You will learn a lot from his book, and he writes as he speaks, very personably, very warm. I, as a physician, seize every opportunity I can to hear him speak, and quote his advice to my patients often.
"Modern medicine is not really on the side of us staying healthy. We have to take responsibility for this ourselves. We have to learn from the masters who are generous enough to deeply study preventive medicine and give us the tools we need to heal and treat ourselves. This book is one of those indispensable tools." -- Dr. Tedde Rinker, Anti-Aging Physician, Redwood City, California, www.stress-medicine.com
Taubes, Gary, Why we get fat and What to do About it, ISBN: 9780307272706 0307272702.
"This work is an examination of what makes us fat. In his book GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES, the author, an acclaimed science writer argues that certain kinds of carbohydrates, not fats and not simply excess calories, have led to our current obesity epidemic. Now he brings that message to a wider, nonscientific audience. With fresh evidence for his claim, this book makes his critical argument newly accessible. He reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, none more damaging than the 'calories-in, calories-out' model of why we get fat, the good science that has been ignored, especially regarding insulin's regulation of our fat tissue. He also answers key questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat or avoid? Concluding with an easy-to-follow diet, this book is one key to understanding an international epidemic and a guide to improving our own health." -- Publisher
Ubel, Peter A., You're Stronger Than You Think: Tapping Into the Secrets of Emotionally Resilient People.
This is a biography, document, and internet resource.
Welch, H. Gilbert, Should I be Tested for Cancer?: Maybe not and Here's Why, ISBN: 0520239768 9780520239760.
"Read this book and you will think twice about common cancer screening tests such as total body scans, mammograms, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests.
"Combining patient stories and solid data on common cancers, Dr. H. Gilbert Welch makes the case that testing healthy people for cancer is really a double-edged sword: while these tests may help, they often have surprisingly little effect and are sometimes even harmful. Bringing together a body of little known medical research in an engaging and accessible style, he discusses in detail the pitfalls of screening tests, showing how they can miss some cancers, how they can lead to invasive, unnecessary treatments, and how they can distract doctors from other important issues. Welch's conclusions are powerful, counterintuitive, and disturbing: the early detection of cancer does not always save lives, it can be hard to know who really has early cancer, and there are some cancers better left undiscovered.
"SHOULD I BE TESTED FOR CANCER? is the only book to clearly and simply lay out the pros and cons of cancer testing for the general public. It is indispensable reading for the millions of Americans who repeatedly face screening tests and who want to make better-informed decisions about their own healthcare.
"H. Gilbert Welch, M.D., M.P.H., is Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School and Co-director of the VA Outcomes Group in the Department of Veterans Affairs, White River Junction, Vermont." -- Publisher
"It is hard to put into words the importance of the book, SHOULD I BE TESTED FOR CANCER? by Gilbert Welch, M.D., Professor of Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. It is equally as hard to put into words the courage that it must have taken to write this book. The medical establishment does not look kindly on those who stray too far from the constraints of conventional wisdom. Those of us who seek only about the truth as it pertains to healthcare issues are greatly indebted to Dr. Welch for daring to do so.
"I have been involved with healthcare issues for over 28 years. This book is a God-sent and is easily the most important book on this subject I've read in the last decade. Quite frankly, I couldn't put it down. It was given to me by one of my patients who, over the years, has known of my 'healthy skepticism' towards many aspects of conventional medical practice, especially as it relates to cancer diagnosis and treatment. The book confirms many of the thoughts that I have shared with my 'nontraditional' patients over the years.
"The author has performed an invaluable service to the many concerned people who dare to think for themselves 'outside of the box.' A simple perusal of some of the chapter headings reveals all you need to know about where the book is headed: 'It is unlikely that you will benefit.' 'You may have a "cancer scare" and face and endless cycle of testing.' 'You may receive unnecessary treatment.' 'You may find a cancer you would rather not know about.' 'Your pathologist may say it's cancer, while others say it's not.' 'Your doctor may get distracted from other issues that are more important to you'."
"In Dr. Welch unemotional, factual writing style, we learn about such concepts as 'false positives,' 'pseudo disease,' the fallacy of 'early detection,' suspicious and unreliable 'cure rates.' We are introduced to the rarely recommended but legitimate treatment option of 'watchful waiting' which, for many patients and some forms of cancer, may be the best course of action. We are told that how hard doctors look for prostate cancer affects how much they find. Did you know that there is a saying among doctors about prostate cancer: more men die with it than die from it? There are similar nuggets of wisdom about breast cancer, cervical cancer, and lung cancer. And did you know that you could easily become a victim of a deadly form of medical 'political correctness'?
"Here are a few snippets from the book well worth quoting:
Tests can be wrong, people are made to worry unnecessarily, some are treated unnecessarily, and some are even harmed by treatment."This book is . . . for those thinking individuals who are open to questioning the wisdom of traditional medical practices, especially as they pertain to cancer testing and conventional treatment modalities. For them this book is a definite eye-opener and may someday become a life-saver. Again, one can only admire the courage that it took to write a book of this magnitude. . . .
I will argue that a decision to forgo cancer treatment can be a reasonable option.
If the behavior of doctors and the public continues unabated, eventually every well person will be labeled as sick.
Some believe that anyone who dies of cancer and wasn't screened would have been saved had they had a test. But that's not true.
I object to the emerging mindset that patients should be persuaded, frightened, and coerced into undergoing [mammography, PSA tests, fecal occult blood testing]. There is today a certain 'medical correctness' about screening -- making patients feel guilty if they choose not to pursue testing. This is wrong'."
See also: The sovereign grace of god: his everlasting mercy and lovingkindness, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Prescription Drugs With Dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Generic drugs, Spiritual aspects of health, Emotions and health, Joy, Humor, Psychosomatic illness, Healing, Depression, Physiological problems, Stress, Fasting, Rest, Sleep, Exercise, Psychosomatic illness, Hypothyroidism, Correct diagnosis, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, What your doctor may not tell you, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Emotions and health, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Prevention of disease, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Healthcare reform, Patient advocacy, Public health, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Vaccination, The aged, Vaccination, Healthcare horror stories, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 4162
Angry Outbursts Harm the Heart, May 16, 2013
"Research has suggested that hostility and anger increase the risk for heart disease. A new study published in the American Journal of Cardiology confirms that losing your temper could trigger a heart attack."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/05/16/angry-outbursts-harm-the-heart/
Anti-fungal Treatment
http://www.ei-resource.org/anti-fungal.asp
The Bottom Line, January 2, 2014
"We would never suggest that vitamins are a replacement for nutritious food. We are big fans of farm to table eating. We love to shop at our local farmers market and participate in a CSA (community supported agriculture or community shared agriculture). In these local organizations, customers pay at the start of the season to help the farmer meet the capital expenses of putting in crops. The consumer's reward is a steady share of the harvest.
"We also believe that vitamins can play a vital role in good health. That is especially true for people who have to take medications that may deplete their bodies of essential nutrients. Here is a free Guide to Drug and Nutrient Interactions that will give you a sense of the problem.
"We also think that many people are low in magnesium and vitamin D and that even a healthy diet may not be adequate in these nutrients."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/01/02/are-vitamins-helpful-or-harmful-even-the-experts-cant-agree/
Can you Become Disease-Proof?
"Research has shown that more than 80 percent of the chronic diseases that cause so much trouble today could be prevented by making some specific changes in our daily lives. That's way better than any prescribed medication."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/01/04/929-how-can-you-become-disease-proof/
CDC Admits Lyme Rate is 1000 Percent Higher Than Expected, August 20, 2013
"This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that roughly 300,000 Americans catch Lyme disease each year, ten times more than it had previously suspected. Until now, patients and doctors were told that there were about 30,000 cases a year."
Also mentions other tick born diseases.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/08/20/cdc-admits-lyme-rate-is-1000-higher-than-expected/
CDC Issues Alarming Report on Diabetes Statistics, June 12, 2014
"The CDC has announced worrisome statistics regarding diabetes. In 2012, 9 percent of American adults had the disease, which increases the risk of cardiovascular complications such as kidney failure, stroke or heart disease and premature death.
"An estimated 29 million of us now have diabetes, although at least one in four have not been diagnosed with it. An additional 86 million are at risk of developing diabetes. That means one in three adults are currently considered pre-diabetic."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/06/12/cdc-issues-alarming-report-on-diabetes-statistics/
The Celiac Sprue Association
Foods naturally free of wheat, barley, rye and oats.
http://www.csaceliacs.info/
The Checkup Controversy, April 20, 2013
"But does it make sense for your doctor to do an exam if you are feeling quite well and have no symptoms?
Some experts suggest that the annual physical does not save lives, though it may lead to additional tests and healthcare interventions. How can we be wise about the tests we undergo? What is the advantage of seeing our doctor regularly, even if we don't get a checkup? Will technology make the doctor visit obsolete?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/04/20/900-the-checkup-controversy/
Chocolate as a Cost-Effective way to Fight Heart Disease, June 7, 2012
"Australian researchers estimate that investing about $40 a year in dark chocolate could be a cost-effective strategy for reducing the risk of heart disease. This conclusion is the result of a complex mathematical model based on data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study and from the medical literature. Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids that can relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure, help prevent blood clots and lower insulin resistance."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/06/07/chocolate-as-a-cost-effective-way-to-fight-heart-disease/
CoEnzyme Q10 Fights Heart Failure, December 20, 2012
"The antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 has been promoted for years as a way to treat heart failure. Studies gave conflicting results, but a new meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials shows modest benefit in the ejection fraction, a measure of how well the heart pumps blood."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/12/20/coenzyme-q10-fights-heart-failure/
CoQ10 has Heart Benefits, June 24, 2013
"Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinol, is a natural compound made by the body. It is essential for mitochondria, the energy factories of our cells.
"Statin-type drugs deplete this crucial nutrient and many doctors now recommend it for patients on such medications (Nutrition Reviews, March, 2013). A new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology in May showed that Coenzyme Q10 reduced heart failure mortality by about half. The lead author encouraged his cardiology colleagues to add Coenzyme Q10 to standard heart failure therapy."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/24/coq10-has-heart-benefits/
The David Drew Clinic
"Providing the highest level of preventive medical diagnosis in the world today." They have opted out of Medicare. A complete physical is about $3,000 to $4,000. Primarily a service for top executives. (See: Should I be Tested for Cancer?)
Some authorities have advised against such extensive medical testing for a variety of reason: the inherent risks of many of the tests themselves, of X-rays, body CT-scans, stress tests, dyes used, and so forth, and so on.
http://daviddrew.com/
The Great Cholesterol Myth
"What is the optimal diet to reduce your risk of heart disease? (And why don't you need to worry about the cholesterol in your breakfast eggs?) Our guests give surprising -- but evidence-based -- advice on healthy living."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/03/09/895-the-great-cholesterol-myth/
Heart-Healthy Choices, March 2, 2013
"Some 7,500 Spaniards volunteered for a study that has shown quite clearly that the Mediterranean diet can save lives. In fact, those consuming a Mediterranean diet with either extra-virgin olive oil or walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds providing extra fat were 30 percent less likely to die of a heart attack during the study than those assigned to a low-fat diet."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/03/02/894-heart-healthy-choices/
How Does Being in Nature Make you Healthier? June 2017
"How do humans respond to nature? Why are we wired that way? Williams spoke with neuroscientists and forest rangers from Japan and Korea to Utah to find out about the emerging science of immersion in nature. The more we pay attention to our electronic screens, it seems, the more we need to take in sky and horizons, running water or blowing breezes. Find out if you should go for a walk after listening to the show or perhaps plan a camping trip soon.
"Florence Williams is a journalist and contributing editor to Outside magazine. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic and elsewhere.
"Her books include BREASTS: A NATURAL AND UNNATURAL HISTORY and her most recent, THE NATURE FIX: WHY NATURE MAKES US HAPPIER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE CREATIVE. She hosts a podcast for Audible, Breasts Unbound. Her website is www.florencewilliams.com."
How to Stay Healthy at Home With Simple Herbal Remedies, January 18, 2014
"If you have ever wondered whether there is a good way to take fewer prescription medicines and treat more of your everyday ailments with natural approaches, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog has good news for you. She reviews the evidence on herbal and botanical remedies and reassures us that many common health complaints are best treated at home. She tells us how to treat colds, coughs and fevers in children and adults -- and how to tell if a fever is serious enough to call for medical attention. She also reviews simple treatments for tummy troubles and other problems. Dr. Low Dog offers sensible, down-to-earth advice on staying healthy at home."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/01/18/how-to-stay-healthy-at-home-with-simple-herbal-remedies/
Hypertension Heresy: Are we Overtreating High Blood Pressure? August 15, 2012
"Physicians have come to believe that aggressive treatment of patients with high blood pressure will lead to better outcomes.
Everything changed on August 15, 2012, when the Cochrane Collaboration published its analysis: "Benefits of antihypertensive drugs for mild hypertension are unclear." The Cochrane Collaboration represents the highest level of scientific scrutiny of available studies. The experts who analyze the data are independent and objective and have come to be regarded as the ultimate authority on the medical interventions they evaluate. As far as we can tell, there is no better organization for assessing the pros and cons of pharmaceutical and alternative therapies than Cochrane."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/15/hypertension-heresy-are-we-overtreating-high-blood-pressure/
Is a Calorie Just a Calorie? Why Overdosing on Sugar Could be Killing You, May 24, 2014
"There is growing evidence that not all calories are created equal. Although Americans have been told to avoid fat because it can make us fat, this advice has resulted in higher amounts of sugar, fructose, and other highly refined carbohydrates in our diet. Dr. Robert Lustig finds that processed foods, high in sugar and low in fiber, are the most likely culprits that are truly making Americans fatter. He offers scientific evidence, and he has practical advice on the solution: eat real food!"
The author reminds us that sugar is mildly addictive, and generations ago it was considered a condiment.
"The World Health Organization recommends limiting sugar to 5 percent of total calories -- about 25 grams/day. That limit is easy to surpass by breakfast."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/05/24/947-is-a-calorie-just-a-calorie-why-overdosing-on-sugar-could-be-killing-you/
Is Mouth Guard a Health Menace? August 20, 2012
"BPA (bisphenol A), is an estrogen-like chemical that has been used in a variety of hard plastic products. The FDA recently ruled that children's drinking cups and baby bottles can no longer contain BPA because of concerns about the potential for hormone disruption.
"Dental night guards are designed to protect teeth from grinding during sleep (bruxism). They are often made of hard clear plastic, but it is not easy to determine if they contain BPA. Although dental associations reassure patients that there is no reason to worry about BPA exposure from dental materials, you could ask your dentist to acquire BPA-free night guards.
"Otherwise, replace your mouth guard more frequently, since BPA is released more readily from plastic that has undergone wear."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/20/is-mouth-guard-a-health-menace/
Keeping Your Heart Healthy, October 20, 2012
"When it comes to heart disease, wouldn't prevention be better than cure? One of the country's leading cardiologists, Dr. Steve Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, tells us how we can keep our hearts healthy."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/10/20/877-keeping-your-heart-healthy/
Life as Your Best Medicine, February 2, 2012
"Dr. Tieraona Low Dog 'shows us how to make smart choices every day so that ordinary activities like eating dinner, meeting a friend or heading off to work can contribute to our health instead of tearing it down. What supplements are really helpful and which drugs may create nutritional deficiencies? How can you get enough sleep? Does loneliness pose a health hazard? Dr. Low Dog brings you the practical information you need on how to arrange your life so that it is your best medicine.'
"Her books include INTEGRATIVE WOMEN'S HEALTH and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S GUIDE TO MEDICINAL HERBS. Her most recent book, also published by National Geographic, is LIFE IS YOUR BEST MEDICINE: A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO HEALTH, HEALING, AND WHOLENESS AT EVERY AGE."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/02/02/891-life-as-your-best-medicine/
Living in Balance November 28, 2009 (#716, Archive)
Subjects: Stress management, Exercise, Weight loss, Sleep, Healthy eating, Wine, Chocolate, Glycemic load, Social support, etc.
"In stressful times, people often take short cuts that may ultimately undermine their health. They snack on junk or comfort food, skimp on sleep and do without exercise. But this won't help develop the resilience we need to cope with challenges.
"Dr. Tieraona Low Dog is one of the country's leading experts on the evidence base behind herbal medicine and alternative therapies. She has some solid advice on keeping your head and your health, even when adversity strikes. Her Website is www.drlowdog.com."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/11/28/716-living-in-b/
Living in Balance, MP3 download
https://store.peoplespharmacy.com/716-living-in-balance-2-28-09-mp3.html
Low Vitamin D Levels are Linked to a Higher Risk of Early Death, June 18, 2014
"When blood levels of vitamin D drop too low, the risk of premature death doubles. A systematic review of 32 studies that evaluated levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and followed subjects for an average of nine years found that blood levels below 10 ng/ml were associated with higher mortality."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/06/18/low-vitamin-d-levels-are-linked-to-a-higher-risk-of-early-death/
Mental Health Naturally, June 8, 2013
"Antidepressant drugs like fluoxetine (Prozac) or citalopram (Celexa) are widely prescribed, but they do have side effects. When are they most appropriate? It is possible to take steps to combat stress and depression without relying on prescription medicines. Find out how to use exercise, diet and supplements to boost your mood."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/08/788-mental-health-naturally/
The Mold Help Diet
This is an adapted diet from Dr. Vincent Marinkovich.
Contains other helpful related links on mold, fungus, and diet.
http://www.mold-survivor.com/dietcopyright.html
Natural Remedies (and Vitamin E), for Scars?
"That said, many visitors to our website (PeoplesPharmacy.com), report that vitamin E applied topically has been helpful [applied to a fresh cut it speeds up healing remarkably -- compiler], but it can trigger a nasty rash in up to a third of those who use it. If you try vitamin E, test it first for several days on the inside of your forearm."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/20/natural-remedies-for-scars/
The New Germ Theory of Disease, June 1, 2013
"Inflammation is a primary cause of many chronic conditions, from Alzheimer's disease and arthritis to asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. But what causes the inflammation? Could infectious agents be the root of most of our chronic disease -- including cancer?
"Find out about infections and mental illness. Is it possible that there is a link between schizophrenia and a common pathogen?
"Other hard-to-treat conditions such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) might all be triggered by infection. Could a vaccine help prevent these devastating conditions and even cancer?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/01/906-the-new-germ-theory-of-disease/
Preserving Your Vision, July 7, 2012
Cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration are major causes of vision loss. What can we do to prevent their development?
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/07/07/813-preserving-your-vision/
Want to Live Cancer Free
"It is natural for physicians to focus on treatment. A far better focus is prevention." -- Giulio J. D'Angio, M.D., former Chairman of the Department of Radiation Therapy, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
"Each time a patient comes in and needs cancer therapy, you could say it was a failure of prevention." -- Dr. Samuel Broder, former Director of the National Cancer Institute
"The best prescription is knowledge." -- Dr. C. Everett Koop, former Surgeon General of the United States
"In 1904, only 1 out of every 24 Americans developed cancer in their lifetime. Currently, the cancer rate in America is 50 percent for men and 60 percent for women. For the year 2006, it is expected that nearly 1.4 million Americans will have been diagnosed with cancer and more than 550,000 will have died from it."
http://www.aging-no-more.com/acid-alkaline.html
*Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, CDC
Current flue statistics for the nation.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
Why are you not Dead yet?
Life expectancy doubled in the past 150 years. Here's why, Laura Helmuth
"We used to live 35 or 40 years on average in the United States, but now we live almost 80."
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science_of_longevity/2013/09/life_expectancy_history_public_health_and_medical_advances_that_lead_to.html
Why we Eat More Than we Think, June 28, 2014
"Studying the impact of environmental cues on how much we eat shows us how we could change some of those factors to achieve healthier eating patterns. How could choosing low-fat snacks get you into trouble? How do you know when you are done with dinner? Learn about tricks you can use to stop eating when you want to."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/06/28/951-why-we-eat-more-than-we-think/
Women With Breast Cancer Delay Care When Faced With High Deductibles, Reed Abelson, MAY 4, 2018
"Women who had just learned they had breast cancer were more likely to delay getting care if their deductibles were high, the study showed. A review of several years of medical claims exposed a pattern: Women confronting such immediate expenses put off getting diagnostic imaging and biopsies, postponing treatment.
"And they delayed beginning chemotherapy by an average of seven months, said Dr. J. Frank Wharam, a Harvard researcher and one of the authors of the study, published earlier this year in the Journal of Clinical Oncology."
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/health/breast-cancer-insurance-deductibles.html?smid=fb-share
Let food be your medicine. -- Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine"Good food is the best medicine."
Simply put, if you have an appetite, and you eat something that does not make you feel good, then you probably should not be eating it. In other words, generally your body will tell you when you eat a food that is good for you. Your body will feel truly good after eating it, not, for example, just crave more sugar or salt.
"Scientists discovered the properties of the Lactobacillus reuteri in Probiotica in 1985. Reuteri was originally derived from mothers' milk. It has been extensively studied, and has been licensed and sold in various products throughout the world. Probiotica is ideal for those who want to supplement beneficial bacteria in their GI tract. Travelers and others who are at risk for GI system imbalance may wish to consider using this daily supplement.
"Probiotica dietary supplement is sold over-the-counter, next to Imodium, at food, drug, and mass merchandise retailers. It does not require refrigeration and is available in 60 and 90-tablet packages.""LabDoor rated the multivitamins based on the analysis, and vitamins from Carlson Labs, Nature's Way, NOW Foods, Garden of Life, MusclePharm, Rainbow Light, and Irving Naturals landed on the top-rated list, receiving a solid "A" rating." (2015)
Nature Made advertises as having the highest quality ratings. (2020)
*Balch, Phyllis A., Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A Practical A-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, and Food Supplements, 5th edition, 2010, ISBN: 9781583334003 1583334009.
"Natural health's number-one bestseller for more than twenty years, completely revised and updated.
"With more than five million copies sold, PRESCRIPTION FOR NUTRITIONAL HEALING is the most trusted, comprehensive source on dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals, and herbs. A pioneer in the field of nutritional healing, Phyllis Balch passionately and meticulously researched and compiled this groundbreaking book. Now, a generation later, her message has more relevance than ever: consume fresh foods, avoid processed foods and those high in saturated fat, and optimize your intake of essential nutrients with the right supplements. Today's well-stocked vitamin and natural-health stores can be confusing, and people need Balch's clear, concise, landmark guide.
"To help them make sense of the mind-numbing array of choices that are available, readers of PRESCRIPTION FOR NUTRITIONAL HEALING will:
Bernstein, Richard K., The Diabetes Diet: Dr. Bernstein's Low-Carbohydrate Solution, ISBN: 0316737844 9780316737845.
"A revolutionary new low-carb diet for diabetics by the doctor who pioneered a successful new approach to the disease -- with 100 original mouth watering recipes. For diabetics, diet is more than a lifestyle choice -- it's the key to controlling the course of their disease. Many diabetics struggle their entire lives to maintain a healthy weight, but the guidelines given to them by the American Diabetes Association have proven unhelpful in regulating blood sugar -- the critical component in keeping diabetes in check. In THE DIABETES DIET, Dr. Bernstein serves up the groundbreaking low-carbohydrate approach to diabetes care that has enabled his patients to take control of their disease by regulating their blood sugar without the usual swings. Dr. Bernstein himself is living proof of the success of this method, and he has the science to back it up. Plunging into the current debate on low-fat vs. low-carb diets, he shows that, especially for diabetics, low-carb is what will change lives -- and he offers 100 delicious all-new recipes to help keep diabetics on track for life. The recipes and advice in THE DIABETES DIET will provide readers with an easy-to-follow guide for controlling their disease and regaining their health and well-being. There are an estimated 18 million diabetics in America, and their number is increasing every year -- yet there are no low-carb diet books appropriate for diabetics.
"Since publication in 1997, Dr. Bernstein's DIABETES SOLUTION and its revised 2003 edition have sold more than 120,000 copies.
"An engineer by training, Bernstein pioneered blood glucose self-monitoring and the tight control of blood sugar that is now accepted as the standard treatment of diabetes. He entered medical school at the age of 45 in order to publish his findings." -- Publisher
Bernstein, Richard K., Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars, ISBN: 0316099066 9780316099066.
"Since its first publication in 1997, DR. BERNSTEIN'S DIABETES SOLUTION has become the treatment of choice in the medical field. His groundbreaking approach to diabetes care enables patients to take control of their disease and to live long and healthy lives by normalizing their blood sugar without the usual swings. Dr. Bernstein himself is living proof of the success of this method. In this revised and updated edition of his work, he provides an accessible, detailed guide to his revolutionary approach to regulating blood sugars and outlines his plan for preventing or reversing long-term complications of diabetes. He offers the most up-to-date information on new products, medications, and supplements, and explains the connection between obesity and adult-onset diabetes. Dr. Bernstein discusses breakthrough science and potential cures, and has added new methods for treating the disease, including new uses of medication and exercise approaches, as well as 40 new gourmet, low carbohydrate recipes in addition to the original 50. The only book to detail step-by-step methods for normalizing blood sugars in both Type I and Type II diabetes, DR. BERNSTEIN'S DIABETES SOLUTION will enable patients to take charge of their health and live longer, healthier lives." -- Publisher
*Campbell, T. Colin, and Thomas M. Campbell II, The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health, ISBN: 1932100385 9781932100389.
"This exhaustive presentation of the findings from the China Study conclusively demonstrates the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Referred to as the "Grand Prix of epidemiology" by The New York Times, this study examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition with surveys from 6,500 adults in 65 counties, representing 2,500 counties across rural China and Taiwan. While revealing that proper nutrition can have a dramatic effect on reducing and reversing these ailments as well as obesity, this text calls into question the practices of many of the current dietary programs, such as the Atkins diet, that enjoy widespread popularity in the West. The impact of the politics of nutrition and the efforts of special interest groups on the creation and dissemination of public information on nutrition are also discussed.
"T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., is the project director of the China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project (the China Study), a 20-year study of nutrition and health. He is a Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University. In more than 40 years of research he has received more than 70 grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding and authored more than 300 research papers. He lives in Ithaca, New York. Thomas M. Campbell II lives in Ithaca, New York." -- Publisher
"The China Study describes a monumental survey of diet and death rates from cancer in more than 2,400 Chinese counties and the equally monumental efforts to explore its significance and implications for nutrition and health. Dr. Campbell and his son, Thomas, have written a lively, provocative and important book that deserves widespread attention." -- Frank Rhodes, Ph.D., President (1978-1995), Emeritus, Cornell University
"Colin Campbell's The China Study is an important book, and a highly readable one. With his son, Tom, Colin studies the relationship between diet and disease, and his conclusions are startling. The China Study is a story that needs to be heard." -- Robert C. Richardson, Ph.D., Nobel Prize Winner, Professor of Physics and Vice Provost of Research, Cornell University
"The China Study is the account of a ground-breaking research study that provides the answers long sought by physicians, scientists, and health-conscious readers. Based on painstaking investigations over many years, it unearths surprising answers to the most important nutritional questions of our time: What really causes cancer? How can we extend our lives? What will turn around the obesity epidemic? The China Study quickly and easily dispenses with fad diets, relying on solid and convincing evidence. Clearly and beautifully written by one of the world's most respected nutrition authorities, The China Study represents a major turning point in our understanding of health." -- Neal Barnard, M.D., President, Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine
"Everyone in the field of nutrition science stands on the shoulders of T. Colin Campbell, who is one of the giants in the field. This is one of the most important books about nutrition ever written -- reading it may save your life." -- Dean Ornish, M.D. Founder and President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. Author, Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease and Love and Survival
"So many diet and health books contain conflicting advice, but most have one thing in common-an agenda to sell something. Dr. Campbell's only agenda is truth. As a distinguished professor at Cornell University, Dr. Campbell is the Einstein of nutrition. The China Study is based on hardcore scientific research, not the rank speculation of a Zone, Atkins, SugarBusters or any other current fad. Dr. Campbell lays out his lifetime of research in an accessible, entertaining way. Read this book and you will know why." -- Jeff Nelson, President, VegSource.com (most visited food website in the world)
VegSource.com
Said to be the most visited food website in the world.
http://www.VegSource.com
Calton, Mira, Rich Food Poor Food: The Ultimate Grocery Purchasing System (GPS), ISBN: 0984755179 9780984755172.
"Do you get confused while poring over labels at the grocery store, trying to determine the healthiest options? What makes one box of cereal better for you than another, and how are we supposed to decipher the extensive lists of mysterious ingredients on every package, and then determine whether they are safe or toxic to your family's health? With nearly 40,000 items populating the average supermarket today, the RICH FOOD POOR FOOD -- GROCERY PURCHASING SYSTEM (GPS), is a unique guide that steers the consumer through the grocery store aisles, directing them to health enhancing Rich Food options while avoiding health detracting Poor Food ones. . . .
This indispensable grocery store guide raises the bar on food quality as it takes readers on an aisle-by-aisle tour, teaching them how to identify potentially problematic ingredients, while sharing tips on how to lock in a food's nutritional value during preservation and preparation, save money, and make homemade versions of favorite grocery store staples. Regardless of age, dietary preference or current health, RICH FOOD, POOR FOOD turns the grocery store and farmer's market into a micronutrient pharmacy -- filling the shopping cart with a natural prescription for better health and longevity." -- Publisher
Colbert, Don, What Would Jesus Eat? The Ultimate Program for Eating Well, Feeling Great, and Living Longer, ISBN: 0785265678 9780785265672 9780785273196 0785273190.
"In WHAT WOULD JESUS EAT? THE ULTIMATE PROGRAM FOR EATING WELL, FEELING GREAT, AND LIVING LONGER, Don Colbert, M.D. makes a compelling case for Christians to use the blueprint of this appetizing spin on traditional faith-based diet books to develop a healthier lifestyle using foods available today. 'If you truly want to follow Jesus in every area of your life, you cannot ignore your eating habits,' postulates Colbert. He examines America's alarming addiction to fast food, explores Old Testament Jewish dietary laws, and takes a comprehensive look at foods mentioned in the Bible, from herbs to bread to meat. To this information Colbert adds a healthy serving of Scripture references, mixes in a few anecdotes, and finishes the book with an easy-to-follow weekly eating guide. Colbert also tackles the subject of drinking red wine as part of a healthy lifestyle, something often ignored in Christian-based health books. Readers looking for spiritual reasons to make dietary changes will discover excellent justification here to take the plunge." -- Reader's Comment
Colbert, Don, The What Would Jesus Eat Cookbook, ISBN: 0785265198 9780785265191.
"Based on a biblical and historical study of what Jesus ate, as well as scientific research on why these particular foods are ideal for healthy living, WHAT WOULD JESUS EAT? is the ultimate program for eating well in the twenty-first century. Now, this companion cookbook helps readers to creatively and practically incorporate these foods into their own diets.
"These easy-to-follow recipes are designed to help the reader prepare foods commonly eaten during the time of Christ in a way that will satisfy modern-day palates. Dishes feature fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, olive oil, and more. This unique cookbook is ideal for anyone desiring to safely lose weight or simply eat healthier." -- Publisher
Dean, Carolyn, Death by Modern Medicine, ISBN: 0973739207 9780973739206.
"Carolyn Dean, MD, ND is a powerful and clear writer who exposes the deep corruption in our medical and food industries with passion and conviction. She backs up her outrageous claims with deeply researched citations from the standard medical literature and government databases. She shows that despite medical error being underreported by a factor of 20, it is STILL the number ONE cause of death in America (and almost surely Canada). Hospital error, hospital-acquired infection, adverse drug reactions, nursing homes, all come in for their share of the total death toll. Why this atrocity is allowed to continue unabated and unnoticed is a question we all have responsibility for." -- Reader's Comment
Death by Medicine
This is an 18,491 word article in Life Extension magazine that includes many of the statistics from the 2001 study included in Dean's book. Documented with 151 endnotes.
"Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analyzed and combined ALL of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine. That has now changed.
"A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking. These researchers have authored a paper titled Death by Medicine that presents compelling evidence that today's system frequently causes more harm than good.
"This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
"The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5)
"We placed this article on our website to memorialize the failure of the American medical system. By exposing these gruesome statistics in painstaking detail, we provide a basis for competent and compassionate medical professionals to recognize the inadequacies of today's system and at least attempt to institute meaningful reforms."
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_01.htm
Dean, Carolyn, MD, ND, The Magnesium Miracle: Discover the Essential Nutrient That Will Lower the Risk of Heart Disease, Prevent Stroke and Obesity, Treat Diabetes, and Improve Mood and Memory, ISBN: 9780345494580 034549458X.
"More than seventy-five years ago, medical scientists declared magnesium to be an essential nutrient, indispensable to life. When this mineral is part of your diet, you are guarding against -- and helping to alleviate -- health threats such as heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, depression, arthritis, and asthma. But while research continues to reaffirm magnesium's irreplaceable contribution to good health, many Americans remain dangerously deficient.
"In THE MIRACLE OF MAGNESIUM, Dr. Carolyn Dean, an authority on this mineral who has used it with dramatic success in her own practice, explains the vital role that magnesium plays in the control of many serious ailments -- from painful muscle spasms and bladder problems to traumatic brain injury and complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Inside you will discover:
Fallon, Sally, Mary G. Enig, and Pat Connolly, Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, ISBN: 9781417665112 1417665114.
Graedon, Joe, and Terry Graedon, Favorite Foods: Mother Nature's Medicine, ISBN: 9780615326375 0615326374.
"Find the Best Choice for What Ails You!
"Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, gave this advice, 'Let food be your medicine.' Thousands of years later, it is truer than ever. Learn how foods can enhance your health. In FAVORITE FOODS, Joe and Terry Graedon share: Hundreds of foods to improve common ailments | Indexed by food and by health condition | Up-to-date research on using food for healing | Health benefits of the DASH, low carb and Mediterranean diets | Tips on how to choose and follow the best diet for you | Amazing success stories from readers of The People's Pharmacy | Favorite Foods is packed with folk wisdom that will surprise you, and science that will shock you."
Only available through the publisher or the used book trade.
http://peoplespharmacy.com/favorite-foods/
Houston, Mark C., Barry Fox, and Nadine Taylor, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypertension: The Revolutionary Nutrition and Lifestyle Program to Help Fight High Blood Pressure, ISBN: 0446690848 9780446690843.
"A revolutionary, all-natural treatment program for reversing the 'Silent Killer' affecting more than 50 million Americans. Hypertension is a dangerous and deadly disease. There are no symptoms, so most sufferers have no idea anything is wrong -- making more than 45 million Americans ticking time bombs. And while there are many drugs on the market that combat this condition, the costs and side effects are often prohibitive. Now, a leading expert and researcher introduces an all-natural solution. His comprehensive treatment regimen controls high blood pressure using the best of traditional and alternative medicine. Readers will learn about Dr. Houston's own successful all-natural formula, which attacks hypertension from many angles. When used in conjunction with dietary approaches -- also outlined in the book -- and combined with exercise, stress reduction, and medication, this program has resulted in success for 90 percent of Dr. Houston's patients!" -- Publisher
"Known as the silent killer, hypertension is a truly deadly disease. There are no symptoms and most sufferers have absolutely no idea something is amiss. Since only 27 percent of sufferers are being successfully treated, that means 36 million Americans are ticking time bombs. While there are many drugs on the market that combat this condition, the costs and side effects are prohibitive. However, now there's an all-natural solution! Dr. Mark Houston, a leading hypertension expert and researcher, has designed a comprehensive, all-natural treatment regimen using the best of traditional and alternative medicine. In this book, Dr. Houston explains how certain vitamins, minerals, and other food-related substances can reverse hypertension naturally! Readers will learn about his own successful, all-natural formula, based on a combination of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, fatty acids, and other nutraceuticals. Taken together, the ingredients in the Vasatrol Therapy attack the problem of hypertension from many angles. Readers will also learn about the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), diet, and how to implement it. Combined with exercise, stress reduction, and the judicial use of medicines, 90 percent of Dr. Houston's patients have gotten results!" -- Publisher
Imhoff, Dan, CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation): The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories, ISBN: 9781601090584 1601090587.
"CAFO: THE TRAGEDY OF INDUSTRIAL ANIMAL FACTORIES provides an unprecedented view of concentrated animal feeding operations, where increasing amounts of the world's meat, milk, eggs, and seafood are produced. As the photos and essays in this powerful book demonstrate, the rise of the CAFO industry around the world has become one of the most pressing issues of our time. Industrial livestock production is now a leading source of climate-changing emissions, a source of both freshwater and ocean pollution, and a significant contributor to diet-related diseases such as obesity and the spread of food-borne illnesses. The intensive concentration of animals in such crammed and filthy conditions dependent on antibiotic medicines and steady streams of subsidized industrial feeds poses serious moral and ethical concerns for all of us." -- Publisher
Johnson, Rebecca L., National Geographic Society (U.S.), et al., 36 Healing Herbs: The World's Best Medicinal Plants, ISBN: 9781426209802 1426209800.
"National Geographic's guide to 36 'super' herbs such as aloe, echinacea, ginkgo, and peppermint includes a wealth of essential information on the history, culture, folklore, and science of traditional and contemporary herbal medicine in all major culture areas of the world. Emphasizing current research and therapeutic uses, the volume provides an A-Z listing of 36 of the more than 80,000 known medicinal plants around the world. Information about each plant includes traditional and current medicinal uses, common and Latin names, description, habitat, cultivation and preparation, research, and caution alerts. Additional essays on the healing plants of Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Central and South America, China, Europe, India, North America, the Middle East, and Oceania provide insightful glimpses into the fascinating range and diversity of local health practices while also revealing the multifaceted roles that herbalists, healers, and herbal-medicine practitioners play in the lives of their patients." -- Publisher
Johnson, Rebecca L., Steven Foster, and National Geographic Society (U.S.); et al., National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs: The World's Most Effective Healing Plants, ISBN: 9781426207006 142620700X 9781426207013 1426207018.
"Highlights the world's most important healing herbs and how they address ailments in all body systems, from brain to bones, sinus to stomach. This book showcases the world's 72 most effective healing plants, describing their botany and medicinal uses, together with how-to advice and medical cautions." -- Publisher
Katz, David L., and Stacey Colino, Disease-proof: The Remarkable Truth About What Makes us Well, ISBN: 9781594631245 1594631247.
"It sometimes seems as if everyone around us is being diagnosed with a chronic illness -- and that we might soon join them. It's easy to feel as though we have no control over our medical future, but in reality our behavior has tremendous effects on our health, well-being, and even the expression of our genes. In Disease-Proof, disease prevention expert Dr. David Katz reveals that we can slash our risk of every major chronic disease -- heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and obesity -- by 80 percent or more. But to get there, we need specific skills. This book arms us with what Dr. Katz calls skillpower: a user-friendly set of tools that will help us put this knowledge into action. Drawing upon the latest scientific evidence and decades of clinical experience, Dr. Katz shows us how to make lasting changes, from smart food swaps to figuring out what kind of exercise is right for us (and that will actually be enjoyable), to identifying and overcoming our particular health challenges." -- Publisher
Dr. Katz's website
http://www.davidkatzmd.com
Kenner, Robert, Richard Pearce, Eric Schlosser, Magnolia Pictures (Firm), and et al., Food, Inc., DVD. Alternate title: FOOD INCORPORATED.
"Explores the U.S. commercial food industry, examining corporate control of supply and market. The film seeks to demonstrate how the incentive for corporate profit can overwhelm consumer health needs, as well as the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers, and the environment. Reveals various details of food ingredients and additives, and how contemporary mass production methods of food affects U.S. culture." -- Publisher
Knickerbocker, Peggy, and Christopher Hirsheimer, The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market Cookbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Impeccable Produce Plus Seasonal Recipes, ISBN: 0811844625 9780811844628.
"Internationally known as one of the most magnificent farmers' markets in the world, the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market has inspired this gorgeous illustrated market companion. The perfect guide and cookbook -- no matter where you live -- each page celebrates the abundant seasonal produce grown by local organic and specialty-crop farmers along with more than 100 fresh, remarkably easy-to-assemble recipes. Organized by season, the book details the availability of products at the market and offers advice on choosing, storing, preparing, and freezing items. A foreword by Alice Waters, the history of the market, and vivid color photos throughout bring this farm fresh market guide to life.
"Peggy Knickerbocker is a freelance food and travel writer living in San Francisco and Paris. She has contributed to Saveur, Gourmet, Food and Wine, House and Garden, and numerous newspapers. She is the author of OLIVE OIL: FROM TREE TO TABLE (0-8118-1350-9), and SIMPLE SOIREES: SEASONAL MENUS FOR SENSATIONAL DINNER PARTIES (1-5847-9460-7). Christopher Hirsheimer was executive editor of Saveur. Her photographs appear in Saveur and have illustrated numerous cookbooks, including SAVEUR COOKS AUTHENTIC AMERICAN (0-8118-2160-9), and SAVEUR COOKS AUTHENTIC FRENCH (0-8118-2564-7). She lives in Pennsylvania." -- Publisher
"California is a state bursting with flavor. In such a large state, virtually anything can grow there. Kiwifruits, rice, wine, olives, tomatoes, corn, strawberries and much more! The influx of other cultures help infuse their produce and culinary contributions.
"Excellent recipes in this book are: Avocado and Grapefruit Salad with Frisee, Fried Zucchini Blossoms, Shaved Raw Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette and Roasted Halibut with Braised Artichokes and Potatoes.
"This entire book reminds me of my previous life in California where food never tasted fresher. Where ingredients are fresh, recipes are simple, yet the result was sophisticated and intoxicating." -- Reader's Comment
La Puma, John, and Rebecca Powell Marx, ChefMD's big Book of Culinary Medicine: A Food Lover's Road map to Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Getting Really Healthy, ISBN: 9780307394620 030739462X.
"Integrating nutritional science with culinary expertise, a physician explains how to prevent disease, shed pounds, and promote overall health by using foods that tempt the palate while promoting the body's immunity." -- Publisher
Dr. John La Puma's website
http://www.DrJohnLaPuma.com
Low Dog, Tieraona, Fortify Your Life: Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and More,
"Health-conscious consumers read nutritional labels, but it's nearly impossible to get the nutrients we need with diet alone. To get the USDA-recommended daily quota of vitamin D, for example, you need to eat 15 eggs or 26 sardines; of iron, 414 almonds or 15 cups of broccoli. So we rely on nutritional supplements -- vitamins and minerals, probiotics and enzymes -- but the variety of pills, products, and elixirs on the market today is overwhelming. And, as we have seen in recent news, some of these products are downright fakes. Trusted natural health physician and bestselling author Tiearaona Low Dog, M.D. provides a personalized approach to using nutritional supplements for your specific health needs, helping you navigate the complex and often confusing landscape of vitamins, minerals, and more. Dr. Low Dog explains the basics about every essential nutritional supplement and guides the reader in creating a personalized supplement plan, tailored to individual genetics, age, gender, and lifestyle. Low Dog evaluates current research, explains the relationship between food and supplements, describes how medications cause chemical imbalances in the body, and advises on how to judge brands and read labels. Low Dog engages and encourages readers to take charge of their own health and provides guidance to find the right combination of nutritional supplements to improve mood, strength, energy, and well-being.
"Tieraona Low Dog, MD is an internationally recognized expert in dietary supplements and integrative medicine. In addition to her many years as a clinician and educator, she has been involved in national health policy and regulatory issues, serving on advisory panels for the White House and the National Institutes of Health and chairing two committees on dietary supplements for the U.S. Pharmacopoeia. She is the author of FORTIFY YOUR LIFE, HEALTHY AT HOME, LIFE IS YOUR BEST MEDICINE, and GUIDE TO MEDICINAL HERBS." -- Publisher
Dr. Tieraona Low Dog is Director of the
Interprofessional Fellowship in Integrative Health & Medicine for healthcare professionals.
*Lustig, Robert H., Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease, ISBN: 159463100X 9781594631009.
"Robert Lustig's ninety-minute YouTube video "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" has been viewed nearly three million times. Now, in this highly anticipated book, he documents the science and the politics that have led to the personal misery and public crisis -- the pandemic of obesity and chronic disease -- over the last thirty years. In the late 1970s, when the U.S. government declared that we needed to get the fat out of our diets, the food industry responded by pumping in more sugar to make food more palatable (and more salable), and by removing the fiber to make food last longer on the shelf. The result has been a perfect storm for our health, disastrously altering our biochemistry to make us think we're starving, drive our eating habits out of our control, and turn us into couch potatoes. If we cannot control how we eat, it's because of the catrastrophic excess of sugar in our diet -- the resulting hormonal imbalances have rewired our brains! To help us lose weight and recover our health, Lustig presents strategies we can each use to readjust the key hormones that regulate hunger, reward, and stress, as well as societal strategies to improve the health of the next generation. With scientific rigor and even a little humor, FAT CHANCE categorically proves that 'a calorie is not a calorie,' and takes that knowledge to its logical conclusion -- an overhaul of the global food system." -- Publisher
"If I could go back in time and warn my younger self about one drug to watch out for it wouldn't be tobacco, alcohol, class A drugs or recreational drugs, it'd be sugar. It's the one addictive, and slowly damaging drug that no one seriously talks to you about. Hopefully that will start to change." -- Reader's Comment
Lustig, Robert H., Heather Millar, and Cindy Gershen, The Fat Chance Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes Ready in Under 30 Minutes to Help You Lose the Sugar and the Weight, ISBN: 9781594632945 1594632944 .
"The companion cookbook to the New York Times bestseller FAT CHANCE. FAT CHANCE became an instant New York Times bestseller. Robert Lustig's message that the increased sugar in our diets has led to the pandemic of chronic disease over the last thirty years captured our national attention. Now, in THE FAT CHANCE COOKBOOK, Lustig helps us put this information into action for ourselves. With more than 100 recipes as well as meal plans, nutritional analyses, shopping lists, and food swaps, he shows us easy ways to drastically reduce sugar and increase fiber to lose weight and regain health, both for ourselves and for our families. Lustig also shows us how to navigate the grocery store with handy lists for stocking the pantry as well as how to read a food label in order to find hidden sugars and evaluate fiber content. Accessible, affordable, and geared toward lasting results, The Fat Chance Cookbook will be a fun and easy roadmap to better health for the whole family." -- Publisher
Messenger, David L., and John C. Souter, Dr. Messenger's Guide to Better Health, ISBN: 0800711130 9780800711139.
"Writing in the wake of the bestseller advocating different kinds of diets, Messenger spells out a sane, sensible approach to sound health. In the process he ably integrates the teaching of Scripture with principles of nutrition and how indigestion, excessive weight, fatigue, anxiety, and the like may be eliminated." -- Cyril J. Barber
Meyerowitz, Steve, Power Juices Super Drinks: Quick, Delicious Recipes to Prevent and Reverse Disease, ISBN: 157566528X 9781575665283.
"As a Nutritional Consultant, I find this book one of the most valuable resources for creating good health available today! I recommend that every household in the world get a copy of this book and use the recipes in it on a daily basis. Great health for the individual will be the result!
"The book is full of recommendations on the use of 'food as medicine.' POWER JUICES SUPER DRINKS has over 100 common health issues listed. For each issue the author lists wonderful recipes, individual foods, and a wide array of nutrients and herbs that are helpful in addressing each of these various health challenges.
"Please do yourself a huge favour, buy this book and use it every day!" -- Reader's Comment
Oliver, Jamie, Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover how to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals, ISBN: 1401323596 9781401323592.
"Cooking good food from scratch is a skill that can save you money, keep you healthy, and make you and your family and friends happy. What I've tried to do in this book is pick a whole load of meals that we all love to eat and break them down to make them as simple as possible. There are plenty of clear instructions and step-by-step pictures, so whether you're an accomplished cook or a complete beginner, you'll be able to enjoy cooking and achieve great results in the kitchen.
This book is inspired by all the people I've met who thought they could never and would never learn how to cook. I believe that good home cooking is one of the most essential, fundamental skills that every single person on this planet should have in order to look after themselves, their families, and their friends." -- Publisher
Pollan, Michael, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, ISBN: 9781594201455 1594201455.
" 'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.' These simple words go to the heart of food journalist Pollan's thesis. Humans used to know how to eat well, he argues, but the balanced dietary lessons that were once passed down through generations have been confused and distorted by food industry marketers, nutritional scientists, and journalists. As a result, we face today a complex culinary landscape dense with bad advice and foods that are not "real." Indeed, plain old eating is being replaced by an obsession with nutrition that is, paradoxically, ruining our health, not to mention our meals. Pollan's advice is: 'Don't eat anything that your great-great grandmother would not recognize as food.' Looking at what science does and does not know about diet and health, he proposes a new way to think about what to eat, informed by ecology and tradition rather than by the nutrient-by-nutrient approach." -- Publisher
Pollan, Michael, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, ISBN: 1594200823 9781594200823 9780143038580 0143038583 9780739474563 0739474561.
"What should we have for dinner? When you can eat just about anything nature (or the supermarket) has to offer, deciding what you should eat will inevitably stir anxiety, especially when some of the foods might shorten your life. Today, buffeted by one food fad after another, America is suffering from a national eating disorder. As the cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast food outlet confronts us with a bewildering and treacherous landscape, what's at stake becomes not only our own and our children's health, but the health of the environment that sustains life on earth. Pollan follows each of the food chains -- industrial food, organic or alternative food, and food we forage ourselves -- from the source to the final meal, always emphasizing our co-evolutionary relationship with the handful of plant and animal species we depend on. The surprising answers Pollan offers have profound political, economic, psychological, and even moral implications for all of us." -- Publisher
Richter, Henry, Dr. Richter's Common Sense Diet: A Complete Guide to the Fruits and Vegetables That Help You get fit and Feel Great! ISBN: 097031390X 9780970313904.
"DR. RICHTER'S FRESH PRODUCE GUIDE provides in-depth information about nearly 300 fruit and vegetable varieties with full-color photos for visual reference. This easy-to-use book includes: descriptions, nutrition, selection and storage information, and preparation and cooking tips. The best-ever guide to 300 varieties of fruit and vegetables!" -- Publisher
Russell, Rex, What the Bible Says About Healthy Living: Three Biblical Principles That Will Change Your Diet and Improve Your Health, ISBN: 0800717686 9780800717681.
"A must read for every Christian who is serious about living a healthy and vigorous life that pleases God." -- Dennis Rainey
Salatin, Joel, Family Friendly Farming: A Multi-generational Home-based Business Testament, 402 pages, ISBN: 0963810936 9780963810939.
Salatin, Joel, Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World, ISBN: 9780892968190 0892968192.
"From farmer Joel Salatin's point of view, life in the 21st century just ain't normal. In FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL, he discusses how far removed we are from the simple, sustainable joy that comes from living close to the land and the people we love. Salatin has many thoughts on what normal is and shares practical and philosophical ideas for changing our lives in small ways that have big impact.
"Salatin, hailed by the New York Times as 'Virginia's most multifaceted agrarian since Thomas Jefferson [and] the high priest of the pasture' and profiled in the Academy Award nominated documentary Food, Inc. and the bestselling book THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA, understands what food should be: Wholesome, seasonal, raised naturally, procured locally, prepared lovingly, and eaten with a profound reverence for the circle of life. And his message doesn't stop there. From child-rearing, to creating quality family time, to respecting the environment, Salatin writes with a wicked sense of humor and true storyteller's knack for the revealing anecdote.
"Salatin's crucial message and distinctive voice -- practical, provocative, scientific, and down-home philosophical in equal measure -- make FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL a must-read book." -- Publisher
Salatin, Joel, Salad bar Beef, ISBN: 096381091X 9780963810915.
Salatin, Joel, You can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farm Enterprise, ISBN: 0963810928 9780963810922.
Salatin, Joel, and Grass Menagerie (musical group), Polyface Farm DVD. "A look at an environmentally friendly family farm. Farming entrepreneur Joel Salatin explains balance and interconnectedness in the landscape, community, plants, and animals." -- Publisher
Servan-Schreiber, David, Anticancer, A new way of Life, ISBN: 9780670020348 0670020346.
"The New York Times and international bestseller -- now updated with the latest research.
"ANTICANCER has been a bestselling phenomenon since Viking first published it in fall 2008. Now, a new edition addresses current developments in cancer research and offers more tips on how people living with cancer can fight it and how healthy people can prevent it. The new edition of ANTICANCER includes:
"It came as a total shock when I found out I had a brain tumor in October, 2009. I am a non-smoker, a vegetarian, I've always been slim and I exercised 3-4 days a week. I'd seen this book before my diagnosis and thought it looked good, but didn't buy it. I thought I didn't need it.The latest research on anticancer foods, including new alternatives to sugar and cautions about some that are now on the market New information about how vitamin D strengthens the immune system Warnings about common food contaminants that have recently been proven to contribute to cancer progression A new chapter on mind-body approaches to stress reduction, with recent studies that show how our reactions to stress can interfere with natural defenses and how friendships can support healing in ways never before understood A groundbreaking study showing that lifestyle modification, as originally proposed in Anticancer, reduces mortality for breast cancer by an astounding 68 percent after completion of treatment New supporting evidence for the entire Anticancer program." -- Publisher
"I also learned some sobering facts about sugar (see page 61):Vegetables to eat daily (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, all cabbages) Good oils to use (olive and canola) Spices to add (garlic, ginger, turmeric)
The German biologist Otto Heinrick Warburg won the Nobel Prize in medicine for his discovery that the metabolism of malignant tumors is largely dependent on glucose consumption. (Glucose is the form of digested sugar in the body.) In fact the PET scan commonly used to detect cancer simply measures the areas in the body that consume the most glucose. If a particular area stands out because it consumes too much sugar, cancer is very likely the cause."I never thought I could kick the sugar habit, but after the first two weeks it wasn't hard. I found substitutes to feed my sweet tooth - berries, fruits, cinnamon, stevia, and baker's chocolate (which is unsweetened) with any of the above.
Shaver, Sonya, Eat Local Challenge, the cover story for the July 2007 issue of eightyone
After reading 100-MILE DIET, by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, Sonya Shaver decided to take the Eat Local Challenge.
Includes resource listings for the Harrisonburg, Virginia area.
The idea seems particularly relevant again (July 2008), with gas prices up, the need to conserve fossil fuel, produce prices up, salmonella and E. coli outbreaks in the food supply line, economic recession, and so forth.
http://www.eightyone.info/online/?p=104
Sinatra, Stephen T., and James C. Roberts (introduction), The Sinatra Solution: New Hope for Preventing and Treating Heart Disease, ISBN: 1591201608 9781591201601 1591201586 9781591201588 9781591202165 1591202167.
"Dr. Stephen Sinatra is the preeminent metabolic cardiologist." Joe Graedon, "The People's Pharmacy," Show #553.
Dr. Sinatra prescribes the following nutriceuticals for heart health: Magnesium, Co Q-10, Acetyl L-Carnitine, D-Ribos, fish oil, B Vitamins (a good B multi-vitamin), and Vitamin C.
"There's new hope for preventing and treating heart disease. If you suffer from heart disease, Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra has the solution you've been looking for: Maximize the amount of oxygen your heart extracts from your bloodstream by accelerating the rate at which your cells convert nutrients to energy. This can be achieved by following Dr. Sinatra's energy-enhancing nutritional approach. This approach focuses on the supplemental use of three amazing bioenergetic nutrients: Coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, and D-ribose. The synergistic combination of these nutrients essentially charge up every body cell to function at optimal capacity. So, not only will you experience renewed heart health with all that energy, you'll also gain a greater sense of overall well-being.
"Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., is a board-certified cardiologist, a certified bioenergetic psychotherapist, and a certified nutrition and anti-aging specialist. At his practice in Manchester, Connecticut, Dr. Sinatra integrates conventional medicine with complementary nutritional and psychological therapies to help heal the heart. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and is the author of several books, including OPTIMAL HEALTH, HEARTBREAK AND HEART DISEASE, HEART SENSE FOR WOMEN, and EIGHT WEEKS TO LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE." -- Publisher
"Dr. Stephen Sinatra has been an outspoken leader among physicians in the country on raising awareness of the relationship of supplements to cardiac health, especially Carnitine and Coenzyme Q-10. He has continued his campaign to raise awareness among physicians and the public, bringing nutrition, a real understanding of physiology and the generation of energy necessary for cardiac function back into the discussion of heart disease and cardiac rehabilitation. For too long medical discussions have centered only on which pharmaceutical drug might one use to reduce symptoms after the damage has occurred . . . and still, at most medical conferences, that is all that is discussed. Dr. Sinatra's preventive cardiology gives you an understanding of what it takes to keep your heart and circulation functioning at the 'prime of life' level well into your advanced age. He has a holistic and compassionate understanding of all of the factors that make for a 'sick heart' from dietary influences to environmental toxins, to the impact of unavoidable stress on our lives, and how we choose to deal with it.
"Dr. Sinatra is also a contagious optimist, and a brilliant doctor. You will learn a lot from his book, and he writes as he speaks, very personably, very warm. I, as a physician, seize every opportunity I can to hear him speak, and quote his advice to my patients often.
"Modern medicine is not really on the side of us staying healthy. We have to take responsibility for this ourselves. We have to learn from the masters who are generous enough to deeply study preventive medicine and give us the tools we need to heal and treat ourselves. This book is one of those indispensable tools." -- Dr. Tedde Rinker, Anti-Aging Physician, Redwood City, California, www.stress-medicine.com
Strand, Ray D., What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine may be Killing You, ISBN: 0785264868 9780785264866 9780785288831 078528883X.
"When Dr. Ray Strand found himself in a losing battle, unable to successfully treat his wife who had suffered chronically with pain and fatigue, he agreed to try the regimen of nutritional supplements that a neighbor suggested. Much to his surprise, his wife's condition began to improve almost immediately. That amazing turn of events led him to dedicate himself to researching alternative therapies in medicine, particularly in the arena of nutritional supplements.
"Dr. Strand's illumination of the body's silent enemy-oxidative stress-will astound you. But, more importantly, his research will equip you to protect or reclaim your nutritional health, possibly reversing disease and preventing illness." -- Reader's Comment
Swenson, Allan A., Foods Jesus ate and how to Grow Them, ISBN: 9781602392144 1602392145.
Taubes, Gary, Why we get fat and What to do About it, ISBN: 9780307272706 0307272702.
"This work is an examination of what makes us fat. In his book GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES, the author, an acclaimed science writer argues that certain kinds of carbohydrates, not fats and not simply excess calories, have led to our current obesity epidemic. Now he brings that message to a wider, nonscientific audience. With fresh evidence for his claim, this book makes his critical argument newly accessible. He reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, none more damaging than the 'calories-in, calories-out' model of why we get fat, the good science that has been ignored, especially regarding insulin's regulation of our fat tissue. He also answers key questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat or avoid? Concluding with an easy-to-follow diet, this book is one key to understanding an international epidemic and a guide to improving our own health." -- Publisher
Teitelbaum, Jacob, and Chrystle Fiedler, Beat Sugar Addiction Now: The Cutting-edge Program That Cures Your Type of Sugar Addiction and Puts you on the Road to Feeling Great -- and Losing Weight, ISBN: 9781592334155 1592334156.
"With one-third of our calories coming from sugar and white flour added to processed foods, sugar addiction is a rapidly growing epidemic. Teitelbaum uncovers four types of sugar addiction and gives a step-by-step plan for resolving their underling causes, breaking sugar cravings forever, and achieving improved health and energy levels." -- Publisher
Weber, Karl, Food, Inc.: How Industrial Food is Making us Sicker, Fatter and Poorer -- And What you can do About it, DVD, ISBN: 9781586486945 1586486942.
"FOOD, INC. is guaranteed to shake up our perceptions of what we eat. This powerful documentary deconstructing the corporate food industry in America was hailed by Entertainment Weekly as 'more than a terrific movie -- it's an important movie.' Aided by expert commentators such as Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, the film poses questions such as: Where has my food come from, and who has processed it? What are the giant agribusinesses and what stake do they have in maintaining the status quo of food production and consumption? How can I feed my family healthy foods affordably? Expanding on the film's themes, the book FOOD, INC. will answer those questions through a series of challenging essays by leading experts and thinkers. This book will encourage those inspired by the film to learn more about the issues, and act to change the world." -- Publisher
Allergy Avoidance Diet: Delayed Reactions to Food
"Many of the same foods that are known to cause immediate hypersensitivities in a small number of people, have been implicated as a cause of delayed or "masked" food allergies in much larger numbers of individuals. Delayed food hypersensitivity reactions are believed to affect millions of people; some physicians have suggested that as many as 60 percent of all Americans suffer from masked food allergies.
"Only through careful dietary manipulation, such as an Elimination Diet or Rotation Diet, is it usually possible to identify these hidden food allergies. The foods most often associated with delayed hypersensitivities include dairy products, eggs, wheat, soy products, peanuts, shellfish, and refined sugar."
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=diet&dbid=7
Are Eggs Forbidden Food? February 23, 2012
"As heretical as it may sound, up to an egg a day does not appear to have a major impact on most people's risk of heart attack or stroke. That is what Harvard researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 21, 1999).
People assumed that because eggs contain cholesterol they would increase the risk of heart disease. But studies of over 37,000 men and 80,000 women followed for many years demonstrated that avoiding eggs did not prevent cardiovascular problems. These results may not apply to diabetics."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/02/23/are-eggs-forbidden-food/
Beet Juice was Better Than a Drug for Lowering Blood Pressure
"Beet juice drunk daily has been shown to lower blood pressure even in people with hypertension.
Blood pressure dropped in the folks getting the full-nitrate beet juice (8 points systolic). That's even more than if they had been taking HCTZ (6.5 systolic)."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/04/20/beet-juice-was-better-than-drugs-for-lowering-blood-pressure/
Chocolate is Health Food
"A recent review of research on cocoa flavanols concluded that the positive effects of these compounds on the lining of blood vessels are likely to reduce cardiovascular risk (Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, online March 7, 2012). German researchers agree. British scientists found in an experiment that dark chocolate containing cocoa flavanols can boost cognitive and visual function (Physiology and Behavior, June 1, 2011). A review by Harvard investigators found that cocoa flavanols probably help to protect against heart disease (Nutrition and Metabolism, Jan. 2006). This is just a tiny sampling of the research that has been published in the last few years alone. . . .
"The Mars Botanical company, like Callebaut, has invested in research to determine how cocoa flavanols affect blood vessels as well as technology to preserve these compounds during processing. The company's CocoaVia products include beverage powders providing 250 mg of cocoa flavanols per 30-calorie serving."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/07/19/chocolate-is-health-food/
Cocoa Boosts Muscle Mitochondria, March 8, 2012
"A clinical trial at the University of California, San Diego, revealed a new benefit of dark chocolate. Five people with type 2 diabetes and advanced heart failure had the mitochondria in their muscles measured before and after three months of consuming dark chocolate enriched with epicatechin, one of the flavonoids found in cacao. The beverage and chocolate bars the volunteers were given provided 100 mg of epicatechin daily. After three months, the muscle mitochondria, the energy factories of cells, had recovered nearly to normal levels."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/03/08/cocoa-boosts-muscle-mitochondria/
Dealing With Medical Flip Flops, June 7, 2012
"It can be infuriating to follow health advice for years and later learn that the experts have changed their minds. Medical recommendations on diet are notoriously subject to flip-flops."
For example, coffee, calcium supplements, saturated fat, salt.
http://www.peoplespharmacyy.com/2012/06/07/861-dealing-with-medical-flip-flops/
Diet and Lifestyle as Gene Therapy
"The field of epigenetics has been developing rapidly over the past few decades, and we now have a much better understanding of how exercise, diet and other lifestyle factors influence gene expression. And our genes are not the only ones that matter: billions of bacteria that live in and on us have genes, the microbiome, that are profoundly affected by what we eat and what we do."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/10/22/show-990-diet-and-lifestyle-as-gene-therapy/
Eating Broccoli may Give Harmful Chemicals the Boot, Eliza Barclay, June 18, 2014
"The results of a recent clinical trial suggest that compounds in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli (and kale) prod cells to get rid of certain air pollutants. The intriguing randomized control trial of about 300 Chinese adults found that consuming a beverage made with broccoli sprouts every day for three months led to high rates of excretion (in urine) of two harmful chemicals: benzene and acrolein."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/06/18/323214050/eating-broccoli-may-give-harmful-chemicals-the-boot
EWG's 2011 Food Shopping Guide to Pesticides in Produce
http://static.ewg.org/reports/2011/foodnews/pdf/2011EWGPesticideGuide.pdf
Healthy Diet? Why Plants Outgrow all Other Trends, Sue Dibb, 9 June 2014
"Numerous studies link vegetarian eating and low-meat diets with reduced risk of diseases such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and cancer. The more veg you eat the better, according to the latest research, which says 'five a day' is no longer enough. It has been calculated by researchers at Oxford University that eating meat no more than three times a week and replacing it with plant foods would prevent 45,000 early deaths a year in the UK and save the NHS 1.2bn a year."
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jun/09/healthy-diet-why-plants-outgrow-all-other-trends
Institute for Responsible Nutrition
"The World Health Organization recommends limiting sugar to 5 percent of total calories -- about 25 grams/day. That limit is easy to surpass by breakfast."
http://www.responsiblefoods.org/
Is a Calorie Just a Calorie? Why Overdosing on Sugar Could be Killing You, May 24, 2014
"There is growing evidence that not all calories are created equal. Although Americans have been told to avoid fat because it can make us fat, this advice has resulted in higher amounts of sugar, fructose, and other highly refined carbohydrates in our diet. Dr. Robert Lustig finds that processed foods, high in sugar and low in fiber, are the most likely culprits that are truly making Americans fatter. He offers scientific evidence, and he has practical advice on the solution: eat real food!"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/05/24/947-is-a-calorie-just-a-calorie-why-overdosing-on-sugar-could-be-killing-you/
Is a Low Salt Diet Dangerous for Your Health? Joe Graedon November 4, 2013
"There is no conclusive evidence that a low sodium diet reduces cardiovascular events in normotensive and pre-hypertensive or hypertensive individuals. On the contrary, there is sound evidence that a low sodium diet leads to a worse cardiovascular prognosis in patients with systolic congestive heart failure or type 2 diabetes mellitus. Worldwide sodium restriction, through its adverse effects on insulin resistance, may lead to an increase in the rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus -- Advising low sodium diets seems misguided and potentially dangerous and illustrates the problem of guidelines based on flawed studies using surrogate measures."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/11/04/is-a-low-salt-diet-dangerous-for-your-health/
The Mediterranean Zone Diet
"Merging the benefits of the Zone diet and the Mediterranean diet, the Mediterranean Zone diet promises flavorful meals that keep hunger in check for hours.
The Zone diet popularized by Dr. Barry Sears was one of the earliest to emphasize the importance of balancing protein, fat and carbohydrate consumption at every meal. Dr. Sears pioneered the idea that the food we eat is more powerful than any drug in controlling the activity of multiple hormones in our bodies."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/08/18/show-989-the-mediterranean-zone-diet/
Mother Earth News
http://www.motherearthnews.com/
Munching on Sugary Treats Adds to Cardiovascular Risk, February 6, 2014
"Sugar is turning out to be more dangerous than previously thought. That's the conclusion of a large epidemiological study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. More than 30,000 people were questioned in detail about their health and their diets between 1988 and 2010. Approximately 11,000 adults were included in a study that linked mortality to diet. The conclusions are pretty chilling. As added sugar makes up a greater proportion of the diet, the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke climbs. People who got 25 percent or more of their calories from sugar, whether in soft drinks, desserts, or candy or cereal, were almost three times more likely to die during the study from cardiovascular causes. For those eating 2,000 calories a day, 25 percent translates into 500 calories from sugar or roughly 31 teaspoons."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/02/06/munching-on-sugary-treats-adds-to-cardiovascular-risk/
No More war Against Vitamin C, Bill Sardi
"Then another stunner -- a review of nine previously published studies found that vitamin C, over 700 milligrams daily, an amount that can only be achieved by taking vitamin pills, lowers the mortality rate by about 25 percent over a 10-year period compared to Americans whose consume low amounts of vitamin C. [Am J Clin Nutrition 2004 Dec; 80(6):1508-20]. The average American consumes just 110 milligrams of vitamin C from their diet. The mortality rate for more than 100 million Americans who consume low amounts of vitamin C would drop even further if they would take just one 1000-milligram vitamin C pill per day! This is enough information to create a worldwide shortage of vitamin C pills alone. But this rapidly unfolding story doesn't stop here."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi33.html
Organic Consumers Association
"Campaigning for Food Safety, Organic Agriculture, Fair Trade and Sustainability"
http://www.organicconsumers.org/btc/protest111405.cfm
Organic Valley Family of Farms
http://www.organicvalley.com/
Polyface, "The farm of many faces"
"Polyface, Inc. is a family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm and informational outreach in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley."
http://www.polyfacefarms.com/
Review: "Nutritional Comparison of Fresh, Frozen, and Canned Fruits and Vegetables II. Vitamin A and carotenoids, vitamin E, minerals, and fiber," Joy C. Rickman, Christine M. Bruhn, and Diane M. Barrett, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California -- Davis, Davis, CA
"Loss of nutrients in fresh products may be more substantial than commonly perceived. Storage and cooking can lead to overall losses of up to half of the original nutrient content prior to consumption."
http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/datastore/234-778.pdf
Sea Salt Instead of Iodized Salt led to Thyroid Problem and Hearing Loss
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/09/22/sea-salt-instead-of-iodized-salt-led-to-thyroid-problem-and-hearing-loss/
Seven Ways the Government has Screwed up American Food, Bonnie Kristian, May 4, 2016
"The last 100 years have seen our government play farmer, grocer, and nutritionist, with each role a bigger failure than the last.
"Indeed, the 'story of the changing American diet over the last 60 years is a story of junk science funded by both government and corporate interests, as well as a cascade of health panics and regulations aimed at one demon ingredient after another,' as Michael Brendan Dougherty chronicles at The Week."
http://rare.us/story/7-ways-the-government-has-screwed-up-american-food/
A Spoonful of Yellow Mustard Makes the Leg Cramps go Away
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/09/23/a-spoonful-of-yellow-mustard-makes-the-leg-cramps-go-away/
Study Finds no Link Between Saturated fat and Heart Attack Risk
"Too many of the dietary recommendations of the past half century were based on belief rather than data. From the evils of eggs to the sins of sodium, simple public health messages have been shown time and again to be misleading.
"So what guidelines should you use to follow a healthful diet? We think the grandmothers got it right: real foods, lovingly prepared. It does take a little longer to cook from scratch rather than eating out of a package, but the taste and health benefits are big. To learn more about how to follow this type of healthy diet, you may be interested in our books, RECIPES & REMEDIES AND FAVORITE FOODS (online at PeoplesPharmacy.com)."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/03/31/study-finds-no-link-between-sat-fat-and-heart-attack-risk/
Traditional Diets
"Our ancestors survived without supermarkets, by growing and preparing their own food. Some of their traditional ways of cooking, that involve fermenting foods like sauerkraut or sourdough bread, are sliding into oblivion. Our guest, Sally Fallon, has been bucking the nutrition establishment to suggest that the old ways of eating have very real and important benefits. She advocates including saturated fats like butter or coconut oil in the diet for good health and she opposes the widespread use of most commercial vegetable oils. Guest: Sally Fallon Morell, founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation for Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, a nonprofit nutrition education foundation based in Washington, DC. Her book is NOURISHING TRADITIONS: THE COOKBOOK THAT CHALLENGES POLITICALLY CORRECT NUTRITION AND THE DIET DICTOCRATS. Her Website is www.WestonAPrice.org. She also founded A Campaign for Real Milk, dedicated to creating consumer awareness of the health benefits of clean, whole unpasteurized milk from grass-fed cows (see www.realmilk.com)."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/05/18/723-traditional-1/
Truth is Treason, Associated Press, Kevin Hayden, February 16, 2011
"Global food prices have hit 'dangerous levels' that could contribute to political instability, push millions of people into poverty and raise the cost of groceries, according to a new report from the World Bank.
"The bank released a report Tuesday that said global food prices have jumped 29 percent in the past year, and are just 3 percent below the all-time peak hit in 2008. Bank President Robert Zoellick said the rising prices have hit people hardest in the developing world because they spend as much as half their income on food."
http://www.truthistreason.net/food-prices-at-dangerous-levels-haydens-note-on-corn-health-and-ethanol
Tricks of the Trade
Tips on fraudulent labelling on supposedly "organic" products.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/032403_natural_cosmetics.cfm
The Vegetable Garden Planner
http://www.motherearthnews.com/garden-planner/vegetable-garden-planner.aspx#axzz2moqoU37p
You are What you eat: Is Your Diet Killing you?
"Then they looked at deaths due to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes and teased out which dietary habits contributed to these deaths. They found an estimated 45 percent of these deaths were linked to a diet containing too much salt, sugar and processed meat."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/03/09/you-are-what-you-eat-is-your-diet-killing-you/
Vitamin Reverses Nerve Pain, July 18, 2011
"The compound is benfotiamine, a synthetic form of thiamine (vitamin B1). It has been used in Germany to treat peripheral neuropathy due to diabetes. Our caller, a physician, says the dose is 300 mg twice daily to start with; maintenance is 150 mg twice a day. Benfotiamine is available without a prescription, but not all pharmacies carry it."
It has been reported that a dietary supplement "Super B-Complex" containing key B vitamins plus vitamin C also reduces symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/07/18/vitamin-reverses-nerve-pain/
The World's Healthiest Foods
"The World's Healthiest Foods website is a leading source of information and expert on the Healthiest Way of Eating and Cooking. It's one of the most visited website on The Internet when it comes to 'Healthiest Foods' and 'Healthiest Recipes' and comes up #1 on a Google search for these phrases."
Gives the percentage of the minimum daily requirement of vitamins per portion of healthy foods.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44
It is the inability to see the effects of chronic, low level toxicities on human health that has been, and remains, our greatest failing as intelligent beings. -- Dr. Boyd HaleyThere are an estimated 80,000 synthetic chemicals in the environment. Regulatory agencies have tested less than 200 for harmful affects on humans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJDDcLLmksBecause of the presence of synthetic chemical from polar ice cap to polar ice cap, there is literally no "organic" produce anymore.
According to the Environmental Working Group, there have been 315 pollutants found in America's tap water since 2004, and over half of these pollutants are completely unregulated, and can legally exist in any amount.
Neonics (neonicotinoid [neonic] insecticides) are 10,000 times more toxic to honey bees than other pesticides.
The procedure for synthesizing chemicals from petroleum was advanced during World War II. The steep increase in cancer rates following World War II coincided with the chemicalization of the environment by synthetic petrochemicals following the war. Synthetic chemicals are also known to be endocrine disruptors.
It is estimated that 20 million Americans are currently (2005) taking prescriptions for antidepressants, and that 75 to 80 percent of them actually are suffering from hypothyroidism (under active thyroid).
Of course, chronic fatigue is the principle symptom of hypothyroidism and causes depression.
Furthermore, the hypothyroidism causing chronic fatigue and consequently depression, may be caused by ubiquitous synthetic petrochemicals in our environment. (See Colborn, Dumanoski, and Meyers, Our Stolen Future and the website for the book listed below, Berkson Hormone Deception, Krimsky Hormonal Chaos, the "Suspected Endocrine Toxicants" website, and the "Oil to Petrochemicals" website for a listing of Primary Petrochemicals, Petrochemical Intermediates and Derivatives, and Major End Use Markets.)Endocrine disruptors are man-made chemicals that mimic thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, and other hormones and, thus, affect the endocrine system, including the thyroid gland and its functions. They also cause birth defects, cancer, infertility, and other serious health problems. The Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that about fifteen thousand (15,000) different chemicals that are included in common products like pesticides, cosmetics, and plastics should be analyzed to see if they act as endocrine disruptors.
Internationally known health researcher and author Dr. Theodora Colborn, author of OUR STOLEN FUTURE, believes that exposure to even low doses of endocrine disruptors can be harmful to our health. Coburn says:
They're in the lipstick, in the cosmetics you put on, in the solvents you clean house with, in fire retardants. These things are everywhere, and we know nothing about them. -- this entire quotation, Mary Shomon in Living Well With Hypothyroidism, p. 470The chemists are poisoning us.
Exposure to communications radiation from wireless technology is "potentially the biggest health insult" [a greater threat than cigarette smoking and asbestos -- compiler] this nation has ever seen. -- Dr. George Carlo, a public health expert who coordinated the WTR [Wireless Technology Research] study program mandated by Congress and completed in 1999
Americans should test their home's air for radon every two years, after a move, or when changes are made to the home, says the advisory.
Millions of homes have elevated radon levels, says a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) news release. Radon levels are at or above the recommended level in 1 out 15 homes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Radon occurs naturally in soil. Indoor radon can be detected with simple test kits. The EPA recommends that homeowners make radon-reducing alterations to homes if the radon level is 4 pCi/L (pico-Curies per liter), or more.Vinegar is a healthy substitute for toxic Clorox. Documentation can be found verifying that vinegar is approximately 97 percent as effective as the anti-bacterial agent Clorox. One obvious difference, one can not get a patent on vinegar, but Clorox is patented.
Ash, Michael, Irene Ash, and Knovel (firm), Handbook of Pharmaceutical Additives, ISBN: 9781601196446 160119644X 9781890595937 1890595934.
Berkson, D. Lindsey, Hormone Deception: How Everyday Foods and Products Are Disrupting Your Hormones -- and How to Protect Yourself and Your Family, ISBN: 0658021303 9780658021305.
"Dust we track home, steam from showers and dishwashers, and plastic wrappings for meat and cheese all send man-made hormone-disrupting chemicals into our bodies. The extent to which this exposure affects human health is unknown, but evidence suggests that it may be responsible for recent worldwide increases in health problems, including breast cancer and declining sperm counts. This accessible, extensively researched handbook gives the reader information to respond to this new reality. Berkson (Bioenvironmental Science, Tulane University), the author of several books on natural healing, provides background on how hormones work in our bodies, discusses the known and suspected effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals, and offers practical advice on avoiding exposure and on detoxifying oneself. Charts of chemicals, a list of organizational resources, and a room-by-room tour of the potential hazards in a typical house are featured. Based on scientific studies and communications with experts in the field, this book is recommended for public and academic libraries." -- Noemie Maxwell Vassilakis, Seattle Midwifery School, in Library Journal
Berthold-Bond, Annie, Clean and Green: The Complete Guide to Non-Toxic and Environmentally Safe Housekeeping, ISBN: 1886101019 9781886101012.
"Now You Can Clean, Polish and Disinfect Naturally. CLEAN AND GREEN is filled with new and traditional ideas for living free of hazardous household products.
"Create a 'fantastic' cleaner and a 'soft scrubber' | Clean produce effectively | Eliminate mold without toxic disinfectants | Discover the cleaning power of lemon, rhubarb, and other plants | Use little known cleaning agents like pumice and zeolite | Make your own car wax, rust inhibitor, and engine degreaser | Rediscover gentle disinfectants like pine oil and borax | Create a healthier environment with air-filtering house plants | Preserve cleaning formulas naturally | Wash floors with a flea-fighting soap | Personalize homemade cleaners with your favorite natural fragrance | Choose the best commercial products available from the natural food store, supermarket, and by mail.
"I never thought a book (or anything else), could make me enthusiast about house-cleaning, but this book has!" -- Donella Meadows, Adjunct professor of environmental studies, Dartmouth College
"The ultimate in childproofing. Every home needs this veritable encyclopedia of nontoxic, environment-friendly cleaning products." -- Wendy Gordon Rockefeller, Co-chair, Mothers and Others for a Livable Planet
"485 ways to clean, polish, disinfect, deodorize, launder, remove stains, even wash your car, without harming yourself or the environment. Recipes based on harmless, nonpolluting, renewable ingredients. 160 pages, recycled paper/vegetable ink, paperback." -- Publisher
Bollinger, Ty, The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest -- The True History of Chemo and the Pharmaceutical Monopoly,
This is the first of a series of 12 DVDs entitled "The Truth About Cancer."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqJAzQe7_0g
Bollinger, Ty M., The Truth About Cancer: What you Need to Know About Cancer's History, Treatment, and Prevention, ISBN: 9781401952235 1401952232.
"One out of three women alive today, and one out of two men, will face a cancer diagnosis, according to the World Health Organization. Ty Bollinger takes this personally: in the course of a decade, he says, 'I lost my entire family to cancer. I don't believe I had to lose them.' THE TRUTH ABOUT CANCER has been written for one simple reason: to share the knowledge we need to protect ourselves, treat ourselves, and in some cases save our lives or the lives of those we love. Bollinger, whose October 2015 documentary miniseries The Truth about Cancer: A Global Quest has received over 5 million views to date, explains that there are many methods we can access to treat and prevent cancer -- we just don't know about them. The book delves into the history of medicine -- all the way back to Hippocrates's credo of 'do no harm'-- as well as up-to-the-minute research that proves the efficacy of dozens of advanced cancer treatments being used around the globe. Bollinger arms readers with essential, sometimes startling information about: The history and politics of cancer, The takeover of medical education by special interests and for-profit agendas, How some life-saving treatments have been kept from the public, and Why treatment options that go well beyond chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
" 'To us this is not a business, it's a mission,' he explains. 'We're on a mission to save the world'." -- Publisher
Bower, John, The Healthy House: How to buy one, How to Build one, How to Cure a Sick one, 4th revised edition, ISBN: 0963715690 9780963715692.
"You and your family deserve a healthy house and this book will show you how you can have one. In it, you'll learn:
Bower, Lynn Marie, Creating a Healthy Household: The Ultimate Guide for Healthier, Safer, Less-Toxic Living, ISBN: 0963715674 9780963715678.
"Many consumers are researching alternative products and greener lifestyles owing to the increasing prevalence of asthma, allergies, and chemical sensitivity. The author, who suffers from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, offers suggestions and resources for more natural personal and household products based on her review of manufacturers' material safety data sheets, product literature, and discussions with technical-service personnel, consumer affairs specialists, dealers, and consumers. The first part of this well-organized book briefly discusses some of the medical conditions associated with unhealthy indoor environments and generally addresses purchasing alternative items. Six subsequent, detailed sections cover a wide range of home and personal issues, including cleaning, laundry, cosmetics, textiles, remodeling, automobiles, home safety, pests, hobbies, appliances, and water and air quality. Throughout, suppliers are listed in boldfaced type, while a comprehensive resource list gives full contact information for each reputable company or organization mentioned. An extensive book that will empower users, this is highly recommended for public libraries." -- Bonnie Poquette, from Library Journal
"Everything you put inside your house should be as healthy as the structure itself. Creating a Healthy Household offers practical suggestions for improving virtually every aspect of your homes indoor living environment.
"With chapters devoted to cleaning products, personal-care, clothing, linens, interior decorating, life-styles, housekeeping, air and water quality, and reducing electromagnetic radiation, no other book matches its thoroughness. Its an essential reference for anyone interested in their families health and well-being.
"Containing an impressive 704 pages, this book is the only one of its kind. It is a complete reference library all in one book. With hundreds of listings for new companies, products, catalogs, sources, websites, and a comprehensive index, its simply indispensable." -- Publisher
*Colborn, Theo, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peter Meyers, Our Stolen Future: How we are Threatening our Fertility, Intelligence, and Survival, ISBN: 0452274141 9780452274143.
"The Industrial Revolution ushered in a lot of nice toys and some really convenient products -- if it hasn't made our lives a little more frantic -- but with this book, and now a host of other books like it, we see that the end results of our mad-dash to make and remake the world using our new scientific know-how is taking a huge toll on human health: Sperm counts are plummeting, cancer-rates are sky high, the immune system is being undermined, and hormone-mimics are quite possibly eroding our intelligence and altering our behavior. Without realizing it, we have put ourselves in grave peril, and ironically enough it is a cadre of scientists (life scientists, that is, ecologists and biologists), who are sounding the wake-up call -- ironic because it was their ilk, the chemists and scientific industrialists, who brought us pesticides, PCBs, and other toxic substances in the first place. The sad fact is, we all have these substances in our body now. There is no way to escape the new, chemicalized environment we have constructed. So in other words, there is no getting off this joy ride. That said, if you are interested in learning about natural detoxification processes, read HORMONE DECEPTION (Berkson, 2000). There is a lot of useful information in there, as well as a chapter about how diet and exercise can help keep these substances at lower levels by speeding up and aiding the body's natural detoxification processes. In a nutshell, she suggested eating green, yellow and red veggies, taking in a lot of protein (nuts and seeds work fine for vegetarians), getting a regular dose of antioxidents, and exercising until you sweat for 30 minutes six days a week. For more detailed information, read the book. Take care of your body. Tread lightly on the planet. Good luck!" -- Jeff W. Krueger
"OUR STOLEN FUTURE is a great introduction to one of the most important scientific discoveries in our time. Having recently completed a thesis project at university on Endocrine Disruptors, I have reviewed hundreds of papers on the subject. This book is a good clear overview of the scientific literature on EDs. The authors are experts -- Theo Colborn is largely responsible for creating the field by bringing together diverse researchers so they could see the big picture of their work. Many of the principle investigators are interviewed and quoted at length on the way chemicals participate in and interfere with delicate hormonal systems in animals (including humans). The major accomplishment of the book is to make an easy-to-follow story out of complex research. Many resources are available to help you assess the reliability of this story, and the best thing to do if you have any doubts is read review articles in scientific journals (which are easier to understand than technical papers). The Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) have a guidebook for healthcare professionals on Endocrine Disruptors, and the U.S. EPA has many reports on the matter. Beware of people or websites who try to 'debunk' this book (or the science behind it), by simply declaring it false, flawed or disproven. There is far too much supporting research for so simple a refutation. OUR STOLEN FUTURE is well written and a compelling read." -- Reader's Comment
Our Stolen Future
"OUR STOLEN FUTURE is a scientific detective story that explores the emerging science of endocrine disruption: how some synthetic chemicals interfere with the ways that hormones work in humans and wildlife.
"This website, www.ourstolenfuture.org, is the web home for the authors of OUR STOLEN FUTURE, where we provide regular updates about the cutting edge of science related to endocrine disruption. We will also post information about ongoing policy debates, as well as new suggestions about what you can do as a consumer and citizen to minimize risks related to hormonally-disruptive contaminants."
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/
Cox, Caroline, "Insecticide Factsheet / Imidacloprid [IMD], Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP)," Journal of Pesticide Reform, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 15-21 (2001)
"Imidacloprid [a neonicotinoid class insecticide -- compiler] is a relatively new, systemic insecticide chemically related to the tobacco toxin nicotine. Like nicotine, it acts on the nervous system. Worldwide, it is considered to be one of the insecticides used in the largest volume.
"It has a wide diversity of uses: in agriculture, on turf, on pets, and for household pests. . . .
" 'Imidacloprid is highly toxic to honey bees.1 . . .
" 'The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration do not include imidacloprid in their food monitoring programs.65,66 There are two published imidacloprid monitoring studies from Spain. One found imidacloprid residues in all samples of greenhouse vegetables tested one week after treatment.67 The other found imidacloprid in tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, carrots, eggplant, pears, and melons; 21 percent of the samples were contaminated.68.'
"Read on for more important facts, i.e. it is systemic, is applied to the soil, has a half-life on 1 year in the soil (according to currently available tests), gets into ground water and run-off, is highly toxic to some birds and to some aquatic life, will kill cats (kittens) in small doses applied to the skin, affects the thyroid, as a systemic it gets into honey and pollen, and has been detected in bee hives, the EPA has not established a long-term toxicity to humans since IMD came into use in 1994, and so forth, and so on. It's use has been banned in some European countries."
http://www.apiservices.com/intoxications/imidacloprid.pdf
Dadd-Redalia, Debra (Debra Lynn Dadd), Home Safe Home: Protecting Yourself and Your Family From Everyday Toxics and Harmful Household Products in the Home, ISBN: 087477859X 9780874778595 0874778646 9780874778649.
"Responding to the increasing interest in the effects of chemicals in the myriad products used every day, nontoxic-living advocate Dadd offers a combined revised and expanded edition of two of her titles, published in the mid-1980s as NONTOXIC AND NATURAL (LJ 2/1/85), and THE NONTOXIC HOME (LJ 11/1/86), and updated later as NONTOXIC, NATURAL AND EARTHWISE (Tarcher, 1990), and THE NONTOXIC HOME AND OFFICE (Tarcher, 1992), respectively. This listing of toxic materials and how to avoid them uses the manufacturers' warnings and mostly resists sensationalism. Dadd's suggestions are reasonable and not too difficult to accomplish. Like Lynn Marie Bower in THE HEALTHY HOUSEHOLD (LJ 7/95), Dadd includes extensive resource lists, though Bower covers a wider range of products. An excellent choice for libraries not owning the Bower title." -- Susan B. Hagloch, from Library Journal
"Home Safe Home offers more than 400 tips, including do-it-yourself formulas for inexpensive, safe products to replace harmful substances we are exposed to in our own homes. Whether you suffer from unexplained headaches, fatigue, or depression, or if you worry about the link between increased use of toxics and the rising rate of cancer, the many suggestions in this book can make your life virtually toxic-free!" -- Publisher
Doyle, Jack, Trespass Against us: Dow Chemical and the Toxic Century, ISBN: 1567512682 9781567512687.
"For the last 50 years, a huge tsunami of synthetic substances produced by the chemical industry has flooded over societies and the global environment.
"Toxic, harmful chemicals are being found in our blood, in our body tissue, in the breast milk given to nursing children.
"The Centers for Disease Control and other public health centers doing the blood work and tissue sampling are finding hundreds of substances in humans and wildlife all over the planet. And these invasive substances are largely out of sight. They are silently crossing into our blood and body. At least 500 chemicals have been found in human blood and body tissue so far.
"So, with this book, TRESPASS AGAINST US -- a title borrowed from the popular Lord's prayer -- we are trying to raise the toxic trespass issue and the visibility of the body burden invasion. Chemical trespass is occurring daily, in all of us. But unlike a thief or person who trespasses on your property, chemical companies, or drug companies for that matter, that invade your body, or your child's body, and set things askew, aren't being prosecuted or hauled off to jail.
"And clearly, a property right is being violated -- human property. Property is something business understands -- they are always talking about proprietary protection. Human property, however, is sacrosanct -- arguably the highest form of property.
"Keeping it inviolable, especially for health and human reproduction, should be an assumed human right. But today, human and environmental health are being violated daily by the trespass of tens of thousands of synthetic substances.
"And today, new chemical substances -- likely not tested for the full range of toxicological effects -- enter global commerce at a rate of about three per day.
"This idea of human property rights is key. Or stated another way -- body burden chemicals made by the petrochemical industry are a transgression on the inherent human right to health. This is why we are trying to elevate chemical trespass and body burden in the popular literature." -- Jack Doyle, author of Trespass Against us: Dow Chemical and the Toxic Century
Dracos, Theodore Michael, Biocidal: Confronting the Poisonous Legacy of PCBs, ISBN: 9780807006122 0807006122. Alternate title: BIOCIDAL: HOW WE POISONED THE PLANET WITH LETHAL PCBS.
Ewald, Paul W., Plague Time: The new Germ Theory of Disease, ISBN: 0385721846 9780385721844.
"Argues that serious illnesses are caused by a plague of chronic infections and not by a person's genes and lifestyle." -- Publisher
"The author, Dr. Ewald is a college professor and researcher who has become well known for his ideas relating natural selection and evolution to infectious diseases in humans. Some of the more noted medical schools in the country are incorporating his ideas into their training of physicians. The basic theme of his book is that some of the most common and dangerous diseases in humans might have an infectious disease component. Most people including many physicians and researchers do not consider heart attacks, autoimmune diseases, cancer, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. to be related in any way to microorganisms. Ewald describes how the same thing was thought in the not too distant past about ulcers, cervical cancer, infertility, liver cancer, etc. Ewald presents a historical perspective of the latter diseases and shows how researchers that "thought outside of the box" were able to prove that infectious organisms were in fact responsible. He then discusses recent findings that are providing hints that we may still have some big surprises in store for the future of many diseases thought to be free of microbial influence. For example, he speculates what it will mean if we find that the inflammation and atherosclerosis that often precedes heart attacks has a microbial cause. He cites studies that indicate that the bacterium that causes one form of "walking pneumonia," Chlamydia pneumoniae, is somehow involved. He states that if these findings are true, "atherosclerosis would be enough to make C. pneumoniae rank among the most deadly human pathogens of all times." Another intriguing example, among many, is his discussion of an infectious cause for breast cancer. When he is discussing the role of microbes in such human afflictions, the book is engrossing. On the other hand there are topics of discussion that are peripheral to his theme that would be better edited out. For example the extensive discussion of the evidence for HIV being introduced into humans through vaccine production could have been edited and still made the point. Likewise, the section on biological warfare/terrorism could have either been deleted altogether or at least tied into the overall theme a little more smoothly. Overall, this book discusses an idea that is, as Scientific American noted, "Provocative. . . . if correct, this theory will change the course of medicine." -- Reader's Comment
Ewald, Paul W., and Holly Swain Ewald, Controlling Cancer: A Powerful Plan for Taking on the World's Most Daunting Disease, ISBN: 9781937382094 1937382095.
"The scourge of cancer has ripped through bodies, families, and generations for so long and with such power that it feels almost invincible. But biologist Paul Ewald -- widely regarded as the leading expert in the emerging field of evolutionary medicine -- and co-author Holly Swain Ewald may have found a way of attacking the intractable killer, which they detail here. The Ewalds believe that viruses are at the heart of the onset of cancer and we can attack the disease through an early attack on the virus. In this important study, they form an innovative plan for rethinking and eradicating one of the world's deadliest diseases." -- Publisher
Fitzgerald, Randall, The Hundred-Year Lie: How to Protect Yourself From the Chemicals That are Destroying Your Health, ISBN: 0525949518 9780525949510.
"In a devastating exposé in the tradition of SILENT SPRING and FAST FOOD NATION, investigative journalist Randall Fitzgerald warns how thousands of man-made chemicals in our food, water, medicine, and environment are making humans the most polluted species on the planet. A century ago in 1906, when Congress enacted the Pure Food and Drug Act, Americans were promised 'better living through chemistry.' Fitzgerald provides overwhelming evidence to shatter this myth, and many others perpetrated by the chemical, pharmaceutical, and processed foods industries. In the face of this national health crisis, Fitzgerald also presents informed and practical suggestions for what we can do to turn the tide and live healthier lives.
Human beings are fast becoming one of the most polluted species on the planet. Learn why your body has become so toxic that you would never pass an FDA inspection:
Green, Peter H.R., and Rory Jones, Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, ISBN: 006076693X 9780060766931.
Celiac disease is sensitivity to gluten: wheat, sugar, and carbohydrates. See also: GRAIN BRAIN: THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT WHEAT, CARBS, AND SUGAR -- YOUR BRAIN'S SILENT KILLERS.
"A survey of the frequently undiagnosed autoimmune disease describes the signs and symptoms of celiac disease, its effects on the human body's digestive system, available diagnostic procedures, treatment options, and diet and lifestyle issues." -- Publisher
Harte, John, Cheryl Holdren, Richard Schneider, and Christine Shirley, Toxics A to Z: A Guide to Everyday Pollution Hazards, ISBN: 0520072235 9780520072237 0520072243 9780520072244.
"For the average individual trying to manage in a polluted world, this is an eminently readable guide to the toxins we live with. The first part of the book includes an overview of toxic issues, discusses the major sources of toxic exposure (air, water, food, and consumer products), and deals with special groups of toxics like petrochemicals and radiation. Part 2 is an alphabetical listing of over 100 commonly occurring toxic substances. Each entry addresses properties, health effects, and protection and prevention methods, and provides suggestions for further reading. A cross reference to entries by exposure ("household activities," "workplace contaminants"), is a useful aid. A much-needed, comprehensive reference for the lay reader, this book should be in all public libraries." -- Linda Knaack, in Library Journal
Hulse, Virgil M., Mad Cows and Milk Gate, ISBN: 0965437701 9780965437707.
"The book MAD COWS AND MILK GATE written by Dr. Hulse, a former Dairy Inspector and board certified in Family practice and Public Health expresses concern over the rampant diseases in dairy cows, the ways they are treated and the problems those treatments cause. It details proof that we have the Mad Cow Disease in this country. The book main focus is the practice of feeding often diseased sheep, chickens, and other cows blood to cows, and the viruses that are thus spread from species to species. The picture painted is not a pretty one, but it is one we must study if we are to make informed choices when choosing what we eat. With the U.S. Government assuring us that beef and dairy are safe, we are fortunate to have a insider's view of what is really going on in the cattle industry. Dr. Hulse is an expert medical witness on the Mad Cow Disease and is presently defending those that have been sued by the beef industry. Dr. Hulse states that we are unable to sell our cows to Europe because 80 percent of the cows in the U.S. have the Bovine leukemia virus which causes cancer in every organ of the cow and is spread to other animals by the milk. Dr. Hulse also has concern that it may be causing cancer in humans. He states that cows are infected with a bacteria that is in the milk and beef and that it is the same bacteria that is found in Crohn's disease in children and adults and is not killed by current pasteurization temperatures. Dr. Hulse has a great fear of mutant prions invading this country given our insane practices of bovine cannibalism. The books shocking information about the health hazards in our dairy and beef supply is enough to make you sick . . . There is overwhelming evidence that an epidemic of diseases are lying in wait behind the plastic wrap and dairy cartons of our food stores. Dr. Hulse hopes that the developers of public policy will show courage in placing the health of the American people above the economics of big industry." -- Publisher
Kaplan, Sheila (contributor), Risky Business: EPA Builds List of Potentially Dangerous Chemicals, December 2010
In an ongoing, three-year effort, an EPA team has determined which developmental neurotoxicants -- chemicals that damage a fetal and infant brain -- may pose the biggest risk to the American public.
"Some compounds on the EPA's list are ubiquitous in household products, drinking water, medicine, and within the environment. They range from cadmium, used to etch colorful cartoons onto children's glasses, to flame retardants used to fireproof upholstered furniture."
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/21/risky-business-epa-builds-list-of-potentially-dangerous-chemica/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%7C191577
Kenner, Robert, Richard Pearce, Eric Schlosser, Magnolia Pictures (Firm), and et al., Food, Inc., DVD. Alternate title: FOOD INCORPORATED.
"Explores the U.S. commercial food industry, examining corporate control of supply and market. The film seeks to demonstrate how the incentive for corporate profit can overwhelm consumer health needs, as well as the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers, and the environment. Reveals various details of food ingredients and additives, and how contemporary mass production methods of food affects U.S. culture." -- Publisher
Krimsky, Sheldon, Hormonal Chaos: The Scientific and Social Origins of the Environmental Endocrine Hypothesis, ISBN: 0801862795 9780801862793.
"The environmental endocrine hypothesis claims that a diverse array of industrial and agricultural chemicals can interfere with the body's normal hormone functions and cause reproductive, neurological, and developmental abnormalities in humans and wildlife. Based upon a sizable body of literature and research initially documented in Theo Colborn and others' OUR STOLEN FUTURE (LJ 2/15/96), this hypothesis quickly gained both supporters and critics among various organizations, government agencies, scientific bodies, and trade groups. Krimsky (urban and environmental policy, Tufts Univ.), explains the development of the theory, response of the scientific community, challenges facing policy makers, and attitudes regarding public safety. This is a fascinating look at the motivations and responsibilities of scientists, politicians, journalists, and industries, who rush to defend their turf when new controversies arise regarding public safety. It also details the complexity of scientific communication. Recommended for environmental and public health collections." -- A Irwin Weintraub, Brooklyn College Library
"This is not a book for environmentalists, only. Those who are pregnant or those who want healthy grandchildren will especially want to read HORMONAL CHAOS by Sheldon Krimsky. Every person who bought Mary Shomons' or Dr. Sanford Siegals' new books on thyroid failure should be interested in this book on the Environmental Endocrine Hypothesis. Synthetic thyroid is one of the most prescribed medications in the world. Thyroid disease is on the rise. Any person who ever faced infertility, prostate cancer or most cancer for that matter, reduced cognitive function, congestive heart failure, diabetes or immune dysfunction in themselves or someone they love must read HORMONAL CHAOS. Endocrine failure is involved in all of the above; furthermore, environmental endocrine disruptors may be the trigger that sets off a cascade of disease which results in 'ambiguous sexual development' or fewer males. Krimsky has a very important message.
"Sheldon Krimsky has written a readable, persuasive, informative and timely book. This is not a quick read but an engrossing read. Sheldon has proven a link between environmental toxins and endocrine disease. He offers not only a credible theory for endocrine failure through environmental toxins but documents it with scientifically sound data. Krimsky says, 'It is usually in books, not in peer-reviewed journals, that one finds bold synthetic ideas that cross disciplinary boundaries.' Sheldon Krimsky has crossed those boundaries; he is one of those courageous individuals who takes us to the next paradigm at perhaps his own peril.
"Could the trigger that unleashes endocrine imbalance and failure be estrogenic hormonal modulators? Is it possible that with or even without a genetic glitch an environmental trigger could mean hormonal chaos? Could it be that endocrine disruptors such as chemicals combine with modern stress, polluted water and food to disrupt the metabolic pathway to produce the most prevalent and virulent diseases that plague our lives, even result in dual sexual organs. Krimsky has made a solid case for such an environmental endocrine hypothesis. I highly recommend Hormonal Chaos. -- Reader's Comment
Krimsky, Sheldon, Science in the Private Interest: Has the Lure of Profits Corrupted Biomedical Research? ISBN: 0742543714 9780742543713.
"The title of this book may scare some readers away. They shouldn't let it. Even as it takes an uncompromising stance on the need for scientific integrity, Science in the Private Interest is carefully researched and presents arguments from all sides of the issues under discussion. Case studies sprinkled throughout the book demonstrate that the main characters -- universities, large companies, and some academicians -- at times cloak monetary and career-advancing priorities in scientific clothing. Yet most of the pages of the book are not exposes of biomedical wrongdoing but explanations of the laws and regulations that govern how academia and industry interrelate. In Science in the Private Interest, Sheldon Krimsky explores how scientific discoveries made within academic walls can be translated into better lives for members of the general public. Without the profit motive to stimulate private investment in discoveries with potential application to human need, laboratory breakthroughs might be confined to the pages of a prominent or obscure journal. Yet that same profit-oriented motive introduces a new set of priorities, motivations, and cultural norms into university laboratories and academic investigations. One university official is quoted as saying, 'The only thing wrong with tainted money is there t'aint enough of it.' Is there a way out of the dilemma? Can corporate funding be made available to translate biomedical advances into beneficial products without allowing the money to distort the purity of scientific inquiry? In an important contribution to scholarly inquiry into university-industry collaboration, Krimsky considers the work of sociologist Robert Merton, who in the 1930s proposed a series of standards by which science should be evaluated. Merton suggested four norms of science. 'Universalism' refers to the objective nature of science that transcends national, cultural, or institutional boundaries. 'Communalism' stands for public ownership of the fruits of scientific investigation, holding that each scientific advance is built on past discoveries and should not become the private property of a person or institution. Merton's third norm is 'disinterestedness,' requiring scientists to perform and to interpret their work 'without considerations of personal gain, ideology, or fidelity to any cause other than the pursuit of truth.' Finally, Merton calls on scientists and their institutions to practice 'organized skepticism,' suspending final judgment on a discovery until all possible facts are at hand. Krimsky uses these standards to evaluate the state of scientific inquiry in the current era of growing private funding of universities and heightened corporate influence over academic behavior. He struggles with the applicability of Mertonian norms to modern reality. For example, is communalism (public access to scientific knowledge), an absolute yardstick of scientific integrity, given that industry has a reasonable right to patent products (a process requiring secrecy), that its funds help to develop? What kinds of discoveries merit the overriding of communalism? Is it proper to patent objects that already exist in nature, such as genes? Or should knowledge be treated as private property only for such inventions as the vacuum cleaner and the hepatitis B vaccine? This book is worthwhile reading for anyone interested in biomedical innovation." -- Thomas Bodenheimer, M.D. in The New England Journal of Medicine, November 13, 2003
"University science is now entangled with entrepreneurship, and researchers with a commercial interest are caught in an ethical quandary. Science in the Private Interest investigates the trends and effects of modern, commercialized academic science. Visit our website for sample chapters!" -- Publisher
Landymore-Lim, Lisa, Poisonous Prescriptions: Do Antibiotics Cause Asthma and Diabetes? ISBN: 0975122703 9780975122709.
" 'Most of today's pharmaceutical preparations, because of their harmful effects, may be labeled poisonous,' says chemist Dr. Lisa Landymore-Lim, who has worked for the National Institute for Medical Research, London, and the Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge. Her 1994 book, POISONOUS PRESCRIPTIONS, describes Landymore-Lim's investigations which have found that diabetes may in fact be a major side effect of antibiotics and other common pharmaceuticals. The book provides evidence from studies and hospital records. Diabetes, usually thought to be largely a genetic disorder, may actually have increased so much in the last 50 years due in large part to the proliferation in the use, and over-use, of medicines.
Lankarge, Vicki, What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold: And What to do About it, ISBN: 0071412905 6610303479 9786610303472.
"Don't let mold destroy your most valuable investment. There's a black cloud looming over your house. It can rob you and your family of your priceless valuables and sentimental heirlooms. It can take complete control over your house, leaving you destitute, homeless, or, worst of all, deathly ill. That black cloud is a toxic mold that could right now be growing at rapid speed behind your baseboards. Learn how to spot toxic mold and get rid of it before it's too late with the help of WHAT EVERY HOME OWNER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT MOLD (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)
"Your home is most likely your biggest investment. But once Stachybotrys mold takes over, you can kiss that investment good-bye. Award-winning reporter Vicki Lankarge sheds important light on this highly poisonous infestation -- the asbestos of the new millennium -- providing the latest findings about mold and how you as a homeowner can protect yourself from its predatory invasion.
"Filled with helpful checklists, you'll learn how to combat these microscopic invaders, including:
Levenstein, Mary Kerney, Everyday Cancer Risks and how to Avoid Them: Effective Ways to Lower Your Odds of Getting Cancer, ISBN: 0895295059 9780895295057.
Leviton, Richard, The Healthy Living Space: 70 Practical Ways to Detoxify the Body and Home, ISBN: 1571742093 9781571742094.
"Richard Leviton, health journalist and author of PHYSICIAN and BRAIN BUILDERS!, provides 70 essential tools for achieving optimal health by cleaning the poisons out of your body and home -- and not just the chemicals you keep under your sink! THE HEALTHY LIVING SPACE is a one-of-a-kind self-care manual containing the first complete detoxification program for the comprehensive living space -- not only our bodies but the environment around them. Leviton's straightforward how-to book is enhanced by feng shui applications, as well as the best recommendations, practices, and remedies from alternative medicine; original interviews with seven experts in detoxification; and a wealth of resources that put healthy living right at your fingertips. THE HEALTHY LIVING SPACE presents, for the first time, a unified vision of bodily and domestic health with broader implications for the workplace, community, even the global environment we live in." -- Publisher
Loaharanu, Paisan, and Paul Thomas, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, and the World Health Organization, Irradiation for Food Safety and Quality: Proceedings of FAO/IAEA/WHO International Conference on Ensuring the Safety and Quality of Food through Radiation Processing, ISBN: 1587160811 9781587160813.
"Food irradiation is increasingly used worldwide as a proven and effective method of food preservation, as well as for improvement of food safety and quality. This book examines applications of the technology in produce, animal products, and prepared foods, the economics of various irradiation technologies, international regulations, the marketing of irradiated products to consumers and retail outlets, and irradiation's implications for the global trade in food and agricultural commodities." -- Publisher
"This is a dated text since it is now 4 years after the Conference in Antalya, Turkey. There is much water under the food irradiation bridge.
"L.M. Crawford's opinion about the logistics of source has not proven prescient. Service centers remain the dominant source of treatment because of the high cost of facilities. This allows the facility cost to be amortized over several producers without placing and undue burden on the medium and small producers. In Texas, its is the smaller producers that are leading the charge and this opportunity would be lost if one waited to use only inline systems.
"The section from Gupta that details the APHIS proposed regulations will be helpful for importers as the thoughts behind the final regulations that were approved in the fall of 2002 are presented. Thomas' presentation covers the nuts and bolts of using irradiation for export purposes.
"Etzel's paper on the Epidemiology of Foodborne Illness is useful for those trying to understand how outbreaks are now tracked in the US. It is dated because the monitoring now is far more widespread. One thing recent history has shown us is that the problem is far bigger than we have ever imagined. We can all appreciate the better monitoring that protects us now.
"There are papers from Christine Bruhn and Morton Satin, the queen and king of the high ground in this field.
"The economics for both machine and cobalt sourced facilities are presented. IBA/MDS Nordian employees present these papers. MDS Nordion has a food presence in the U.S. in cobalt facilities only. There are no papers by SureBeam, the industry leader in machine source processing. The book suffers as a result. There is a fascinating recounting of Food Technologies struggles and the progress they have achieved.
"The papers presented on Chilean grapes and South Africa's use of treated food provide many interesting data points.
"I recommend a google search of "Antalya + irradiation" to add color to this book." -- Reader's Comment
McGrayne, Sharon Bertsch, Prometheans in the lab: Chemistry and the Making of the Modern World, ISBN: 0071407952 9780071407953.
"A history of the chemical revolution, telling the stories of the scientific discoveries, the men involved, and how they helped to shape the modern world. It describes not only the upside of each pivotal discovery, but also the unforeseen effects they wrought on the environment and public health." -- Publisher
"A well written book that looks at about nine different chemists and their contribution to major discoveries that have greatly changed our lives.
"The writing is a little dry, not at entertaining as Bill Bryson's A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING. But more in depth and informative and very readable. It amazes me how recently in our history many of these things were, and how quickly the ball of scientific knowledge grows once it gets rolling." -- Reader's Comment
Michaels, David, Doubt is Their Product: How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health, ISBN: 9780195300673 019530067X.
" 'Doubt is our product,' a cigarette executive once observed, 'since it is the best means of competing with the 'body of fact' that exists in the minds of the general public. It is also the means of establishing a controversy.'
"In this eye-opening expose, David Michaels reveals how the tobacco industry's duplicitous tactics spawned a multimillion dollar industry that is dismantling public health safeguards. Product defense consultants, he argues, have increasingly skewed the scientific literature, manufactured and magnified scientific uncertainty, and influenced policy decisions to the advantage of polluters and the manufacturers of dangerous products. To keep the public confused about the hazards posed by global warming, second-hand smoke, asbestos, lead, plastics, and many other toxic materials, industry executives have hired unscrupulous scientists and lobbyists to dispute scientific evidence about health risks. In doing so, they have not only delayed action on specific hazards, but they have constructed barriers to make it harder for lawmakers, government agencies, and courts to respond to future threats. The Orwellian strategy of dismissing research conducted by the scientific community as 'junk science' and elevating science conducted by product defense specialists to 'sound science' status also creates confusion about the very nature of scientific inquiry and undermines the public's confidence in science's ability to address public health and environmental concerns. Such reckless practices have long existed, but Michaels argues that the Bush administration deepened the dysfunction by virtually handing over regulatory agencies to the very corporate powers whose products and behavior they are charged with overseeing.
"In DOUBT IS THEIR PRODUCT Michaels proves, beyond a doubt, that our regulatory system has been broken. He offers concrete, workable suggestions for how it can be restored by taking the politics out of science and ensuring that concern for public safety, rather than private profits, guides our regulatory policy.
"David Michaels is a scientist and former government regulator. During the Clinton Administration, he served as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety and Health, responsible for protecting the health and safety of the workers, neighboring communities, and the environment surrounding the nation's nuclear weapons factories. He currently directs the Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. In 2006, he received the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award for his work on behalf of nuclear weapons workers and for advocacy for scientific integrity." -- Publisher
"Conflicts of interest among members of EPA review panels have weakened governmental safety standards on toxic chemicals in the environment and in everyday consumer products. Outrage over long-standing reliance on 'science for hire' by the chemical industry has prompted Congress to investigate EPA's procedures for reviewing toxic chemicals, including PBDE flame retardants and bisphenol A. These examples are just a small window into how great the tampering and influence of the chemical industry has been over EPA regulation of toxic chemicals. A new book by David Michaels, an epidemiologist and the director of the Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, documents a seemingly endless list of examples of mercenary scientists misleading the general public and the regulatory community about the true dangers of chemical exposures, starting from lead, asbestos, and tobacco, and continuing to chromium, berillium, perchlorate, benzene, plastics chemicals, and various other environmental and occupational health hazards.
"The book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the best application of science in the interests of promoting public health. For a great review, readers can also go to the article by Newsweek's Sharon Begley, "Whitewashing Toxic Chemicals."
"One stunning quote from the book describes the tricks of the trade that industry lobby and product defense firms use to derail the regulatory process: 'They profit by helping corporations minimize public health and environmental protection and fight claims of injury and illness. In field after field, year after year, this same handful of individuals and companies comes up again and again . . . They have on their payrolls (or can bring in on a moment's notice), toxicologists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, risk assessors, and any other professionally trained, media-savvy experts deemed necessary. They and the larger, wealthier industries for which they work go through the motions we expect of the scientific enterprise, salting the literature with their questionable reports and studies. Nevertheless, it is all a charade. The work has one overriding motivation: advocacy for the sponsor's position in civil court, the court of public opinion, and the regulatory arena [where these studies benefit their sponsors], not because they are good work that the regulatory agencies have to take seriously but because they clog the machinery and slow down the process. Public health interests are beside the point. Follow the science wherever it leads? Not quite. This is science for hire, period, and it is extremely lucrative.'
"Only by discovering the facts behind the scene and by bringing to light the true motivation of profit-driven public relations campaigns can we promote and defend the health of the environment and the safety of consumer products. For a veteran in the subject who may have participated in some of the struggles described in DEFENDING SCIENCE, or for a new member of the environmental and occupational health community, this book is a great introduction to the state of the field -- and the battles ahead that still need to be fought." -- Reader's Comment
Perlmutter, David, and Kristin Loberg, Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar -- Your Brain's Silent Killers, ISBN: 9780316234801 031623480X 9780316239837 0316239836.
"The devastating truth about the effects of wheat, sugar, and carbs on the brain, with a 30-day plan to achieve optimum health." -- Publisher
*Posner, Gerald L., Pharma: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America, ISBN: 1501152033 9781501152030.
"Pharmaceutical breakthroughs such as antibiotics and vaccines rank among some of the greatest advancements in human history. Yet exorbitant prices for life-saving drugs, safety recalls affecting tens of millions of Americans, and soaring rates of addiction and overdose on prescription opioids have caused many to lose faith in drug companies. Now, Americans are demanding a national reckoning with a monolithic industry. . . .
"Gerald Posner brings to life the pharmaceutical industry and shows how a business meant to save lives is steeped in corruption and reckless profiteering -- with deadly consequences." -- Publisher
Proctor, Robert, Cancer Wars: How Politics Shapes What we Know and Don't Know About Cancer, ISBN: 0465027563 9780465027569 0465008593 9780465008599.
"CANCER WARS explains why we still don't have straight answers to questions such as these: Why do rates from some cancers appear to have risen and others fallen? What are the relative risks of polluted water, radon in homes, and the natural toxins in peanut butter? Is it dangerous to use a cellular phone or to live near high-voltage wires? Are there 'thresholds' of exposure to radiation or chemical toxins? If cigarettes cause up to 30 percent of all cancer, why has so little been done to discourage their production? And why does the National Cancer Institute spend only 3 percent of its budget on antitobacco efforts? After an overview of the history of attempts to understand cancer, the book introduces two of the foremost twentieth-century advocates of the environmental view of cancer: the little known Wilhelm Hueper and his famous disciple, Rachel Carson. Proctor then moves to the 1970s, when claims that a large percentage of cancers could be caused by exposure to industrial pollutants gained currency, and then to the backlash during the Reagan era, when environmental and occupational health factors were downplayed. Proctor discusses the lobbying efforts of industrial research bodies and trade associations representing tobacco, asbestos, meat, coffee, and other special interest groups. He considers the debate over Bruce Ames's argument that 'natural carcinogens' in foods pose a far greater threat than industrial pollutants or pesticides, and chronicles the political history of dose-response curves: Can a single molecule of a carcinogen cause cancer? A fascinating chapter on the history of radiation and cancer draws on censored information about uranium-mine concentration camps in Czechoslovakia. The author also discusses genetic factors and differential susceptibility to cancer. Finally, Proctor suggests how we might actually win the war on cancer." -- Publisher
Richter, Robert, For Export Only: Pesticides, The "Circle of Poison" Exposed, DVD. Alternate title: PESTICIDES AND PILLS: FOR EXPORT ONLY (series title), written, directed, and produced by Robert Richter, 57 minutes.
"Part One of two one-hour CDs on this global practice. Part Two is 'For Export Only: Pharmaceuticals'.
"Documents the 'circle of poison' of banned and restricted pesticides used on products we import, such as coffee, bananas and cotton. A fishing village in Ghana shines through as an example of both problem and solution.
"The first national PBS telecast created an international sensation. United Nations delegates who saw the program demanded an end to the practices documented; this led to an international monitoring system. It is a rare example of a documentary that truly made a difference.
"If you ever wanted to know how human beings behave in the absence of rules, in an open unregulated market, these films provide the answer." -- Washington Post
"A global horror story with ugly implications . . . Watch this . . . You may never want to eat again!" -- Indianapolis Times
"For students and other viewers facing a world of globalization, free markets and deregulation, 'For Export Only' documents shocking information about corporations that export products to developing countries that are prohibited or severely restricted in the countries where they are made.
"The products are banned or restricted because they cause cancer, liver disease, central nervous system diseases, sterility and death.
"Specific products and manufacturers are named as the two documentaries clearly depict their use and abuse in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana, Bangladesh and Malaysia. The brand names may be changed, but the practices documented in these powerful reports have not.
"Students could be assigned to research and report about: What changes have occurred since the documentary's original release? What new products have come on the market with similar problems? What has happened with efforts to deal with this issue?
"An extraordinary report." -- London Observer
"After nearly three decades of legal struggle a Los Angeles jury awarded $3.2 million to Nicaraguan farm workers who argued they were made sterile by exposure to a specific pesticide. Dole Food Company was accused of exposing the workers to pesticides made by Dow Chemical Company that caused permanent sterility." -- Los Angeles Times, November 6, 2007
"More of a piece of investigative journalism than any other program honored. And what made it special was that it was produced not by a major station or network, but by Robert Richter, an independent producer. He beat the networks, with all their money, at their own game." -- New York Times report on DuPont Columbia award
"American Film Festival Red Ribbon
"Audubon International Environmental Film Festival
"International Consumer Film Competition"
http://www.richtervideos.com/ForExportOnlyPesticides/
Richter, Robert, For Export Only: Pharmaceuticals, DVD. Alternate title: PESTICIDES AND PILLS: FOR EXPORT ONLY (series title), (New York, NY: Richter Productions), DVD video, Thesis/dissertation.
"Part Two of two one-hour CDs on this global practice. Part One is 'For Export Only: Pesticides, The "Circle of Poison" Exposed'."
Richter, Robert, A Plague on our Children: Dioxins, PCBs and Public Health v. Profit, a DVD in two parts by Robert Richter.
"Corporate defenders, scientists and victims appear, including U.S. veterans exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam war, factory workers exposed to PCBs, housewives exposed to toxic spray in logging areas, people exposed to the poisons at Love Canal and other waste disposal sites.
"Part One focuses on dioxin. 57 minutes.
"Part Two focuses on PCBs. 57 minutes.
http://www.richtervideos.com/APlagueonOurChildren/
*Schapiro, Mark, Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power, ISBN: 9781603580588 1603580581.
"Winner of the 2008 Nautilus Silver Award in the category of Ecology/Environment/Sustainability and Conscious Media/Journalism. New evidence seems to arrive daily -- from stories about tainted pet food to toxic toys -- of the dangerous consequences that lax environmental policies are having on the consumer products that we, and our children, use every day thanks to lobbying efforts by the U.S. chemical industry.
"Meanwhile, the European Union is forcing these global corporate giants to chart a new path that, by requiring safe products, is revamping how businesses can create safe products and make money.
"In EXPOSED: THE TOXIC CHEMISTRY OF EVERYDAY PRODUCTS AND WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR AMERICAN POWER investigative journalist Mark Schapiro takes the reader inside the corridors of global power where tectonic battles are occurring that will impact the health of ourselves and the planet.
"Schapiro's exposé shows how laws adopted by the European Union -- where stricter consumer-safety standards are in place -- have forced multinationals into manufacturing safer products. And, short of such strong government action the United States will lose its claim of economic and environmental supremacy.
"Increasingly, products developed and sold in the United States are equated with serious health hazards, and many of those products are soon to be banned from Europe and other parts of the world.
"Schapiro's revelations in this thought-provoking work will change the way American consumers think about everyday products -- from plastic softeners that can contribute to sexual malformations to lipstick additives that are potential toxins to the brain, liver, kidneys, and immune system. And it will stir them into forcing our government to take the lead of others, including the European Union, China, and countries in Central and South America.
"Exposed is a revealing and fascinating look at global markets, everyday products, and the toxic chemicals that bind them. It will shock, inform, and warn American businesses and government leaders about the risks of being left behind in the international marketplace.
"Schapiro's book shines a light on Europe's evolving search for higher standards that places Brussels, not Washington, at the center of global market innovation.
"Mark Schapiro is editorial director of the Center for Investigative Reporting in San Francisco. He has written extensively on foreign affairs and his work has appeared in Harper's, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine and other publications, and has reported stories for Frontline, NOW with Bill Moyers, and public radio's Marketplace. Schapiro lives in San Francisco, California." -- Publisher
"There probably isn't a single person in the United States whose health hasn't been affected by phthalates (pronounced tha-lates). These guys are plastic softeners. You'll find them in shower curtains, shampoo bottles, raincoats, perfumes, rubber duckies, teething rings, car dashboards -- you name it. They're linked with endocrine ailments. They make your hormones crazy. They lower sperm counts, may be linked to prostate and breast cancers, and sexual dysfunction. They can cause genetic mutations.
"And they're entirely unnecessary. There are other nontoxic additives to make plastic pliable.
"Oh, and one more thing: while perfectly legal in the U.S., phthalates are illegal in the European Union. In fact, as author Schapiro points out, a whole cesspool of toxic additives that are perfectly acceptable in the U.S. have been outlawed in the EU for a long time now. Chinese factories that try to sell phthalate-riddled plastic toys in Europe get their commodities rejected at the borders. Guess where they eventually wind up? Under your kid's Christmas tree. As Schapiro says (p. 189), the U.S. is becoming 'a dumping ground or goods not wanted elsewhere in the world.'
"That the FDA and other governmental agencies are doing a crappy job protecting us from harmful and unnecessary toxins in everyday commodities probably doesn't come as much of a shock to anyone. But Schapiro's speculation about why the EU does such a better job watchdogging its citizens is worth heeding. healthcare in the EU is nationalized. The government, using in part taxpayer monies, picks up the tab for taking care of sick and dying people. In this kind of healthcare environment, you better believe that preventive medicine is a high governmental priority, because neglect today costs more tomorrow. So it's in the interest of the individual EU states, as well as their tax-paying citizens, to make sure that toxins stay out of their countries.
"Something to think long and hard about if you live in a country like the U.S. big on deregulation, privatized healthcare, and plastic stuff." -- Reader's Comment
"I bought and read this book together with HOW EVERYDAY PRODUCTS MAKE PEOPLE SICK: TOXINS AT HOME AND IN THE WORKPLACE where my review has ten links to other books that I will not duplicate here.
"I found the book sensible and compelling on three points:
1) Weak U.S. environmental law are turning the U.S. into a dumping ground for unhealthy products that Europe and Asia will not accept"I was especially concerned to read about toys made of plastic whose vapor emissions harm children over time.
2) The European Union is a bigger client of China's than the US
3) The European Union is not just making very strong and sensible regulation about public safety, it is carrying those requirements all the way to the Chinese factory floor, and in the process, making both China and Europe superior to the U.S. on the manufacturing and sustainability fronts.
NORMAL ACCIDENTS: LIVING WITH HIGH-RISK TECHNOLOGIES
THE SOUL OF CAPITALISM: OPENING PATHS TO A MORAL ECONOMY
THE CHEATING CULTURE: WHY MORE AMERICANS ARE DOING WRONG TO GET AHEAD
THE GLOBAL CLASS WAR: HOW AMERICA'S BIPARTISAN ELITE LOST OUR FUTURE -- AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO WIN IT BACK
CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN
VICE: DICK CHENEY AND THE HIJACKING OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY
RUNNING ON EMPTY: HOW THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES ARE BANKRUPTING OUR FUTURE AND WHAT AMERICANS CAN DO ABOUT IT." -- Reader's Comment
Schwartz-Nobel, Loretta, Poisoned Nation: Pollution, Greed, and the Rise of Deadly Epidemics, 240 pages, ISBN: 9780312327972 0312327978.
"An award-winning investigative journalist links the soaring epidemics of cluster illnesses and many other diseases to the chemical contamination of our water, air, food, and everyday products for the profit and power of a reckless few.
"With irrefutable evidence and moving personal stories of the sick and dying, Loretta Schwartz-Nobel demonstrates that the human equivalent of global warming is already upon us. She shows how governments of both parties operate in tandem with America's most notorious polluters and how they have deceived the public, buried evidence of spreading disease, and suppressed critical scientific data. She traces relationships between organizations whose products cause diseases and those who profit from diagnosing and treating them, as well as their efforts to avoid research into environmental causes and possible cures.
"POISONED NATION is an urgent call for action that delineates the problem with such clarity that the truth shines through. The author issues a plea to religious leaders of all faiths to work together for change, to create a movement to defeat greed and guide us toward a safer, healthier future.
"POISONED NATION Reveals:
Servan-Schreiber, David, Anticancer, A new way of Life, ISBN: 9780670020348 0670020346.
"The New York Times and international bestseller -- now updated with the latest research.
"ANTICANCER has been a bestselling phenomenon since Viking first published it in fall 2008. Now, a new edition addresses current developments in cancer research and offers more tips on how people living with cancer can fight it and how healthy people can prevent it. The new edition of ANTICANCER includes:
"It came as a total shock when I found out I had a brain tumor in October, 2009. I am a non-smoker, a vegetarian, I've always been slim and I exercised 3-4 days a week. I'd seen this book before my diagnosis and thought it looked good, but didn't buy it. I thought I didn't need it.The latest research on anticancer foods, including new alternatives to sugar and cautions about some that are now on the market New information about how vitamin D strengthens the immune system Warnings about common food contaminants that have recently been proven to contribute to cancer progression A new chapter on mind-body approaches to stress reduction, with recent studies that show how our reactions to stress can interfere with natural defenses and how friendships can support healing in ways never before understood A groundbreaking study showing that lifestyle modification, as originally proposed in Anticancer, reduces mortality for breast cancer by an astounding 68 percent after completion of treatment New supporting evidence for the entire Anticancer program." -- Publisher
"I also learned some sobering facts about sugar (see page 61):Vegetables to eat daily (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, all cabbages) Good oils to use (olive and canola) Spices to add (garlic, ginger, turmeric)
The German biologist Otto Heinrick Warburg won the Nobel Prize in medicine for his discovery that the metabolism of malignant tumors is largely dependent on glucose consumption. (Glucose is the form of digested sugar in the body.) In fact the PET scan commonly used to detect cancer simply measures the areas in the body that consume the most glucose. If a particular area stands out because it consumes too much sugar, cancer is very likely the cause."I never thought I could kick the sugar habit, but after the first two weeks it wasn't hard. I found substitutes to feed my sweet tooth - berries, fruits, cinnamon, stevia, and baker's chocolate (which is unsweetened) with any of the above.
Smith, Rick, Bruce Lourie, and Sarah Dopp, Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things, ISBN: 9781582435671 1582435677 1582437025 9781582437026.
"Pollution is no longer just about belching smokestacks and ugly sewer pipes -- now, it's personal. The most dangerous pollution, it turns out, comes from commonplace items in our homes and workplaces. To prove this point, for one week authors Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie ingested and inhaled a host of things that surround all of us. Using their own bodies as the reference point to tell the story of pollution in our modern world, they expose the miscreant corporate giants who manufacture the toxins, the weak-kneed government officials who let it happen, and the effects on people and families across the globe. This book -- the testimony of their experience -- exposes the extent to which we are poisoned every day of our lives, from the simple household dust that is polluting our blood to the toxins in our urine that are created by run-of-the-mill shampoos and toothpaste.
"Ultimately hopeful, the book empowers readers with some simple ideas for protecting themselves and their families, and changing things for the better." -- Publisher
"This book is an excellent compilation of adverse impacts caused by synthetic products in our environment. For those of us who have studied these problems for years, there is little new in the book. However, for the intended audience who is rarely exposed to the truth through the media, this book is a gold-mine.
"Here's the larger problem. There are four major technologies that share a number of characteristics: electromagnetic field health impacts; global warming; mainstream healthcare technology; synthetic chemical-based products. They all have high-tech components, they all contribute a large amount of revenue to our economy, they all employ large numbers of people; they do/will all result in premature death and unnecessary suffering. Major elimination of the components of any one of the four could topple a number of economies. At their foundation, the truth about all four is heavily concealed by the media, by industry, and by the government, for the following reasons that I recently stated to someone about EMF.
"Industry won't admit the truth about EMF; they both make big bucks off the technology, and use the technology in their own operations. Governments are essentially run by industry, so they have a lobbying component with which to contend. Many government types want a cushy job in industry, and they are not about to upset the apple cart. In addition, a lot of economies and governments are teetering on the economic brink. They have unemployment problems, debt problems, and growth problems. If the truth were revealed, they would have to contend potentially with mass panic, and with possible economic collapse if the use of this technology were severely restricted. Make no mistake about it; if the recommendations in the Bioinitiative Report/exposure limits are followed, this technology is as good as dead. At this stage, government and industry have strong incentives to mask the impacts for an indefinite period of time.
"As a result, millions will die prematurely and suffer unnecessarily from business as usual with these four technologies.
"Superimposed on these problems is the issue of demographics. In the advanced countries of Europe and North America, the ratio of workers to aging people is decreasing. At the same time, the amount of debt per person is increasing, and will undoubtedly be borne by the working population. Also, at the same time, the competition from the third world is becoming more intense, and the high-wage workers from the advanced countries are finding it difficult to compete with well-trained hard-working low-wage people from third-world countries. Jobs are leaving that will not return, and wage pressures from the competition will lead to stagnant or decreasing wages, further intensifying the burden on workers in the advanced countries. Safety nets for the non-workers will have to be reduced, but this will not be adequate to solve the problem for workers in the advanced countries.
"Any major constraints on industry to alleviate the destruction caused by the above four problems would add further pressures on the workers and could destabilize a number of economies and governments. Thus, from a number of perspectives, there is no way that governments can impose the constraints on these four problem areas that would eliminate the present and future deaths and suffering. For those who have been raised and educated to respect truth and ethics, the unfolding trajectory of death and destruction due to these, and related, problem areas is indeed daunting and disturbing." -- Reader's Comment
Slow Death by Rubber Duck book website
http://slowdeathbyrubberduck.com/
80,000 Chemicals
There are an estimated 80,000 synthetic chemicals in the environment. Regulatory agencies have tested less than 200 for harmful affects on humans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJDDcLLmks
Teflon Poisoning: Canaries in the Kitchen
The Risks of Teflon in Your Kitchen
"EWG (Environmental Working Group), finds heated Teflon pans can turn toxic faster than DuPont claims -- EWG tests of coated pans found that in two to five minutes on a typical household stove, heated pans reach temperatures that produce toxins that even DuPont acknowledges kill hundreds of pet birds each year and cause 'flu-like polymer fever in humans'."
http://www.ewg.org/newsletter/20051215/dupont/
Steinman, David, and Samuel S. Epstein, The Safe Shopper's Bible: A Consumer's Guide to Nontoxic Household Products, Cosmetics, and Food, ISBN: 0020820852 9780020820857.
"Anyone concerned about the health effects of ingredients in the items they buy every day -- from soup to flea powder, mascara, or car wax -- will find THE SAFE SHOPPER'S BIBLE indispensable. Finally, here's a complete guide to settle such questions as: Can your hair coloring cause breast cancer? Is this brand of apple juice safe for babies? Will the additives in this salad dressing harm you? Which shampoo won't sting your eyes? THE SAFE SHOPPER'S BIBLE rates thousands of household products, personal care products, foods, and beverages. Its extensive charts list products by brand name and rate them each for short-term and long-term health hazards. Readers can find out at a glance which products are more or less likely to provoke allergies or irritation, cause birth defects or cancer, trigger neurological problems, or pose other health hazards. In addition, the charts provide recommendations for the safest foods, toiletries, and everyday household purchases." -- Publisher
*Strand, Ray D., and Donna K. Wallace, Death by Prescription: The Shocking Truth Behind an Overmedicated Nation, ISBN: 0785264841 9780785264842.
"Did you know:
*Thornton, Joe, Pandora's Poison: Chlorine, Health, and a New Environmental Strategy, ISBN: 0262201240 9780262201247 0262700840 9780262700849.
"This is the best of the several environmentally oriented books I have reviewed recently, and it offers a double value: not only does it lay out a persuasive social, economic, and political case for abandoning the Risk Paradigm of permissive pollution in favor of an Environmental Paradigm of zero pollution; but it also provides a very fine -- really excellent -- case for why the current government and industry approaches to information about the environment and threats to the environment are severely flawed. In a nutshell, the current approach divorces 'good science' (code for permitting what you can't prove will kill the planet today), from social consciousness and good policy; and the current approach insists on studying risk one contaminant at a time, rather than as a whole.
"This book is persuasive; I believe author has the right stuff and should be consulted on major policy issues. I believe the underlying moral values and intellectual arguments that this book makes, about both science and social policy, should be adopted by the Cultural Creatives and the independent voters of America, and that the recommendations of this book are so serious as to warrant country by country translations and promulgation.
"This book is exceptional in that is combines a readable policy essay for the non-technical citizen, with deeply documented technical appendices and notes that support a middle ground series of chapters relating scientific findings to long-term policy issues.
"From many small actions come revolutionary change -- this book is a necessary brick in the road to environmental reform. The bottom line is clear: every year more and more toxins are building up in our blood streams, and this is going to have an overwhelmingly negative impact on the humanity, capability, and survivability of our great grandchildren three generations down -- we will not have grandchildren seven generations down if the insights from this book fail to reach the people, and through the people, the policy makers and legislators." -- Reader's Comment
Turner, Kelly A., Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against all Odds, ISBN: 9780062268754 0062268759 9780062268747 0062268740. Includes bibliographical references and index.
"In her groundbreaking and inspiring book, RADICAL REMISSION: SURVIVING CANCER AGAINST ALL ODDS, Dr. Kelly A. Turner, founder of the Radical Remission Project, uncovers nine factors that can lead to a spontaneous remission from cancer -- even after conventional medicine has failed. While getting her Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Turner, a researcher, lecturer, and counselor in integrative oncology, was shocked to discover that no one was studying episodes of radical (or unexpected) remission -- when people recover against all odds without the help of conventional medicine, or after conventional medicine has failed. She was so fascinated by this kind of remission that she embarked on a ten month trip around the world, traveling to ten different countries to interview fifty holistic healers and twenty radical remission cancer survivors about their healing practices and techniques. Her research continued by interviewing over 100 Radical Remission survivors and studying over 1000 of these cases. Her evidence presents nine common themes that she believes may help even terminal patients turn their lives around." -- Publisher
Wilson, Alex, Your Green Home: A Guide to Planning a Healthy, Environmentally Friendly new Home, ISBN: 9780865715554 0865715556.
Winter, Ruth, A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, 5th edition, ISBN: 0609803662 9780609803660.
"What am I eating? This book answers that question by describing more than 8,000 ingredients found in foods. The dictionary format lets you look up an ingredient alphabetically and learn what it is, how and why it's used, and the benefits and risks. You can decode an ingredient from a food label -- haven't you always wondered just what 'guar gum' is? -- or just skim for interesting facts. For example, the entry on 'civet, absolute' explains that this essential oil used as a flavoring is 'derived from the unctuous secretions from the receptacles between the anus and genitalia of both the male and female civet cat.' Not very appetizing! You'll find this ingredient in raspberry, butter, caramel, grape, and rum flavorings in beverages, desserts, and chewing gum. This book also explains commonly used (but poorly understood), food-label terms like 'lite' and 'low fat,' what counts as a serving for different food groups, and various ways of processing food. There's a helpful chart of food storage guidelines, and resources (including Websites), for people with food allergies or sensitivities. Ruth Winter, an award-winning science writer, is also the author of A CONSUMER'S DICTIONARY OF COSMETIC INGREDIENTS and several other books." -- Joan Price
Worthington, Amy, "The Radiation Poisoning of America," Amy Worthington in Global Research, October 9, 2007.
"Worthington writes, 'Since the wireless revolution began wave-nuking the U.S. in the 1990s, there have been no federally funded health studies to assess the cumulative effects of ever-increasing communications radiation on public health. There is no national database enabling citizens to study the location of transmitters in their areas. Local and state governments can offer no information on how much commercial wireless radiation is contaminating their populations. When trying to find out who owns a tower or which companies have transmitters on that tower, citizens usually hit a brick wall.'
"RF/microwaves from cell phones and cell tower transmitters also cause micronuclei damage in blood cells. This was reported a decade ago by Drs. Henry Lai and Narendrah Singh, biomedical researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Singh is famous for refining comet assay techniques used to identify DNA damage. Lai and Singh demonstrated in numerous animal studies that mobile phone radiation quickly causes DNA single and double strand breaks at levels well below the current federal 'safe' exposure standards.
"The telecommunications industry knows this thanks to its own six-year, wireless technology research (WTR) study program mandated by Congress and completed in 1999. Gathering a team of over 200 doctors, scientists and experts in the field, WTR research showed that human blood exposed to cell phone radiation had a 300-percent increase in genetic damage in the form of micronuclei. Dr. George Carlo, a public health expert who coordinated the WTR studies, confirms that exposure to communications radiation from wireless technology is 'potentially the biggest health insult' this nation has ever seen. Dr. Carlo believes RF/microwave radiation is a greater threat than cigarette smoking and asbestos.
"In 2000, European communications giant T-Mobile commissioned the German ECOLOG Institute to review all available scientific evidence in regard to health risks for wireless telecommunications. ECOLOG found over 220 peer-reviewed, published papers documenting the cancer-initiating and cancer-promoting effects of the high frequency radiation employed by wireless technology. Many corroborating studies have been published since.
"By 2004, 12 research groups from seven European countries cooperating in the REFLEX study project confirmed that microwaves from wireless communications devices cause significant single and double strand DNA breaks in both human and animal cells under laboratory conditions.5 In 2005, a Chinese medical study confirmed statistically significant DNA damage from pulsed microwaves at cell phone levels.6 That same year, University of Chicago researchers described how pulsed communications microwaves alter gene expression in human cells at non-thermal exposure levels.
"Because gamma waves and RF/microwave radiation are identically carcinogenic and genotoxic to the cellular roots of life, the safe dose of either kind of radiation is zero. No study has proven that any level of exposure from cell-damaging radiation is safe for humans. Dr. Carlo confirms that cell damage is not dose dependent because any exposure level, no matter how small, can trigger damage response by cell mechanisms.
"Officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health closely reviewed the damning results of WTR studies, which also revealed microwave damage to the blood brain barrier. But these officials have chosen to downplay, obfuscate and even deny the irrepressible science of the day. Raking in $billions from selling spectrum licenses, the feds have allowed the telecom industry to unleash demonstrably dangerous technology which induces millions of people to become brain-intimate with improperly tested wireless devices and which saturates the nation with carcinogenic waves to service those devices. Dr. Carlo says that even the American Cancer Society is in bed with the communications industry, which infuses the Society with substantial contributions."
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7025
See also: Oncology (cancer treatment), in the chapter summary above, Prescription Drugs With Dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Patient advocacy, Generic drugs, Depression, Hypothyroidism, Correct diagnosis, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, Prevention of disease, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Healthcare reform, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Public health, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Vaccination, The aged, Patient advocacy, Vaccination, Attention deficit disorder (add) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 2782
Are Anticholinergic Drugs bad for Your Brain?
"Are you taking a drug that could affect your memory and shrink your brain? A new study shows that anticholinergic drugs have a negative impact on the brain.
" 'Acetylcholine is a crucial chemical that is essential for communication between brain cells. Many medications can impair the activity of this neurotransmitter. Such medicines are said to have "anticholinergic" activity.
'Some of the most well known are available over the counter. Diphenhydramine (DPH) is an antihistamine found in allergy medicines like Benadryl. It is also a common ingredient in sleeping pills (Nytol, Simply Sleep, Sominex, etc.) and nighttime pain relievers (Advil PM, Excedrin PM, Tylenol PM, etc.).
Other commonly used medications with anticholinergic activity include those prescribed for overactive bladder, such as fesoterodine (Toviaz), oxybutynin (Ditropan) and tolterodine (Detrol). Physicians and family members may not realize that an older person's increasing confusion and disorientation could be exacerbated by one of these drugs (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Dec. 2005).' (Protecting Brain Power as We Age, People's Pharmacy)"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/04/19/are-anticholinergic-drugs-bad-for-your-brain/
Are Your Dietary Supplements Contaminated with Drugs?
"The Food and Drug Administration has been testing dietary supplements for years. 'From 2007 through 2016, 776 adulterated dietary supplements were identified by the FDA and 146 different dietary supplement companies were implicated.' The FDA sent more than 700 warning letters to such manufacturers because the agency had detected undeclared and potentially harmful drugs in them. One might hope that the FDA would have eliminated all dietary supplements contaminated with drugs. Such is not the case."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/10/14/are-your-dietary-supplements-contaminated-with-drugs/
Are Your Vitamin D Levels bad Because of BPA and Phthalates?
"When vitamin D levels are low, people are at greater risk of dying prematurely. Could common environmental chemicals be contributing to lower vitamin D levels in the population? A new study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (Sept. 20, 2016) suggests that exposure to BPA and phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) may be a bigger problem than previously thought."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/09/22/are-your-vitamin-d-levels-bad-because-of-bpa-and-phthalates
Arsenic in Some Bottled Water Brands at Unsafe Levels, Consumer Reports Says, Ryan Felton, April 17, 2019
"In total, CR identified 11 brands out of more than 130 that either self-reported or, based on tests we commissioned, had detectable amounts of arsenic. Of those, six had levels of 3 ppb or higher. These brands are Starkey (owned by Whole Foods), Peñafiel (owned by Keurig Dr Pepper), Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water, Volvic (owned by Danone), and two regional brands, Crystal Creamery and EartH2O."
https://www.consumerreports.org/water-quality/arsenic-in-some-bottled-water-brands-at-unsafe-levels/
Association of Cancer Online Resources
"Gilles Frydman, Founder and President of ACOR, the Association of Cancer Online Resources, the largest online support group for cancer patients."
http://www.acor.org/
Be Wise With Plastics, Health Child
"Beyond the immediate health risks, our increasing use of plastics is causing an enormous amount of enduring pollution. Every bit of plastic that has ever been created still exists (except for the little bit that has been incinerated, which releases toxic chemicals). In the ocean, plastic waste is accumulating in giant gyres of debris where, among other thing, fish are ingesting toxic plastic bits at a rate which will soon make them unsafe to eat. . . .
"The most common plastics have a resin code in a chasing arrow symbol (often found on the bottom of the product).
1 in triangle: PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate): AVOIDhttp://healthychild.org/5steps/5_steps_5/?gclid=CKuDrrTEv6gCFQbc4AodkzdypA
Common Uses: Soda Bottles, Water Bottles, Cooking Oil Bottles Concerns: Can leach antimony and phthalates.
2 in triangle: HDPE (High Density Polyethylene): SAFER
Common Uses: Milk Jugs, Plastic Bags, Yogurt Cups
3 in triangle: PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride, aka Vinyl): AVOID
Common Uses: Condiment Bottles, Cling Wrap, Teething Rings, Toys, Shower Curtains
Concerns: Can leach lead and phthalates among other things. Can also off-gas toxic chemicals
4 in triangle: LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene): SAFER
Common Uses: Produce Bags, Food Storage Containers
5 in triangle: PP (Polypropylene): SAFER
Common Uses: Bottle Caps, Storage Containers, Dishware
6 in triangle: PS (Polystyrene, aka Styrofoam): AVOID
Common Uses: Meat Trays, Foam Food Containers and Cups
Concerns: Can leach carcinogenic styrene and estrogenic alkylphenols
7 in triangle: Other. This is a catch-all category which includes:
PC (Polycarbonate): AVOID -- can leach Bisphenol-A (BPA).
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), SAN (Styrene Acrylonitrile), Acrylic, and Polyamide. These plastics can be a safer option because they are typically very durable and resistant to high heat resulting in less leaching. Their drawbacks are that they are not typically recyclable and some need additional safety research.
New plant-based, biodegradable plastics like PLA (Polylactic Acid), also fall into the #7 category.
BPA Exposure Effects may Last for Generations
"ScienceDaily (June 15, 2012) -- Exposure to low doses of Bisphenol A (BPA) during gestation had immediate and long-lasting, trans-generational effects on the brain and social behaviors in mice, according to a recent study accepted for publication in the Journal Endocrinology, a publication of The Endocrine Society."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120615103531.htm
BPA and Phalates by the Number
Learn how to identify the most dangerous packaging materials.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hphr/files/bpa_and_phthalates_by_the_numbers.pdf
BPA Substitute may Throw Heart Rhythm out of Sync, June 26, 2014
"Negative publicity about the hormone disrupting chemical BPA has encouraged chemical companies to look for substitutes for bisphenol A. One such compound, bisphenol S, is often used in BPA-free consumer products made of plastic.
"Animal research indicates that BPS may interfere with normal heart rhythm. Under stressful conditions, exposure to BPS resulted in extra heart beats and an arrhythmia called ventricular tachycardia in female rats. The level of BPS used in the study was comparable to amounts humans might be exposed to. . . .
The People's Pharmacy perspective, while acknowledging that BPA has not been proven beyond doubt to harm humans, is that we'd be better off avoiding such chemicals. BPA is readily absorbed from packaged foods (especially canned foods like soup), but it doesn't last long in the body. Minimizing packaged food can cut down on the amount of BPA and BPS floating around in our bodies.
Learn more from this radio show: http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/03/17/850-bpa-in-your-soup/"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/06/26/bpa-substitute-may-throw-heart-rhythm-out-of-sync/
Breakfast With a Dose of Roundup? Weed Killer in $289 Million Cancer Verdict Found in Oat Cereal and Granola Bars, Alexis Temkin, Ph.D., Toxicologist, August 15, 2018
"Glyphosate, an herbicide linked to cancer by California state scientists and the World Health Organization, was found in all but two of 45 samples of products made with conventionally grown oats. Almost three-fourths of those samples had glyphosate levels higher than what EWG scientists consider protective of children's health with an adequate margin of safety. About one-third of 16 samples made with organically grown oats also had glyphosate, all at levels well below EWG's health benchmark."
https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/glyphosateincereal/#.W3jXzMKWyUl
Broad Trends in Scientific Findings About Endocrine Disruption
"Exposure is ubiquitous. All humans have been exposed, to varying amounts. Some have more exposure. Some have less. But no one has no exposure. No baby has been born for at least three decades without some exposure in the womb. Every person has several hundred novel chemicals in their body, chemicals not part of human body chemistry before the 20th century.
"Laboratory experiments show that exposures have impacts at levels far lower than had been considered possible in traditional toxicology. The exquisite sensitivity of natural hormonal control to interference by endocrine disruptors will force many changes in regulations, as the current system is inadequate.
"Many more hormone systems, perhaps all chemically-mediated message systems, are now known to be vulnerable to endocrine disruptors. The study of endocrine disruption began with a focus on compounds capable of mimicking or interfering with estrogen. Now science has revealed disruptors for almost every hormone system that has been studied. This includes other sex steroid hormones, like testosterone and progesterone, as well as thyroid and retinoids.
"Many more compounds are now known to be powerful endocrine disruptors. This includes contemporary use of pesticides and a range of chemicals in widespread use in consumer products. The biggest surprise (except, perhaps, to the polymer chemists who invented them), is that certain plastics show endocrine-disrupting effects.
"Human health effects of concern now include adult impacts of fetal exposure. This means, for example, that studies attempting to prove an association between adult levels of exposure and adult risk to disease or dysfunction do not test the most important potential links between endocrine disruptors and human health. We need studies of developmental exposure (especially fetal), in relation to risk, examined for all relevant life stages. For example, one of the greatest gaps in breast cancer research is that while many studies examine adult exposure and adult risk, none examine fetal or pubertal exposure and adult risk.
"Human epidemiology is biased toward false negatives in the search for health effects of endocrine disruption. It will be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to establish scientific certainty of causation of many health problems in human, even though based on laboratory data it is likely that endocrine disruption is involved in a range of human diseases. Because the animal data demonstrate plausible, serious risks to human health, this bias toward false negatives (a statistical term that means finding no association when in fact there is one), requires the application of the precautionary principle, using animal data as the guide."
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/broadtrends.htm
The Buzz on Monsanto's Monstrosities, September 13, 2012
"Monsanto bought the firm Beeologics, along with the firm's leading research on Colony Collapse Disorder (the vanishing of the bees), back in September 2011.
"Monsanto is now in control of Beeologic's research for the purpose of genetically engineering a future bee that would be "immune" to the poisons that cause Colony Collapse Disorder."
https://rebelsiren.wordpress.com/tag/colony-collapse-disorder/
California Proposition 65 List of Chemicals
"The following is a list of chemicals published as a requirement of Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, commonly known as California Proposition 65, that are 'known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity' as of January 3, 2020. As a result of lawsuits, the list also contains substances known only to cause cancer in animals.
"This list is not exhaustive, as the complete list contains over 900 chemicals."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_65_list_of_chemicals
CDC Finds 'Nightmare Bacteria' Across the U.S. Here's What That Means
"Nightmare bacteria either can't be killed by all or most antibiotics, are uncommon to the area in which they're found, or have genes that make it possible for the germs to spread their resistance to other infections. The 221 instances of unusual resistance in nightmare bacteria were identified in 2017 by health departments nationwide working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Antibiotic Resistance Lab Network. The report was published Tuesday in the CDC's Vital Signs journal. . . . .
"Nightmare bacteria either can't be killed by all or most antibiotics, are uncommon to the area in which they're found, or have genes that make it possible for the germs to spread their resistance to other infections. The 221 instances of unusual resistance in nightmare bacteria were identified in 2017 by health departments nationwide working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Antibiotic Resistance Lab Network. The report was published Tuesday in the CDC's Vital Signs journal."
http://time.com/5225942/nightmare-bacteria-cdc/
The Celiac Sprue Association
Foods naturally free of wheat, barley, rye and oats.
http://www.csaceliacs.info/
Chemical Scorecard: The Pollution Information Site
"Scorecard is the web's most popular resource for information about pollution problems and toxic chemicals. Find out about the pollution problems in your community and learn who is responsible. See which geographic areas and companies have the worst pollution records. Identify which racial/ethnic and income groups bear more than their share of environmental burdens. Then take action as an informed citizen -- you can fax a polluting company, contact your elected representatives, or get involved in your community."
http://www.scorecard.org/
Chemotherapy Ineffective 97 Percent of the Time, Joe Martino, April 11, 2013
"A study published in August 2003 revealed that of adult cancer in the USA and Australia, the use of chemotherapy, when looking at adjuvant and curative use, provided a cure only 2.1 percent of the time in the USA and 2.3 percent of the time in Australia."
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/04/11/study-shows-chemotherapy-does-not-work-97-of-the-time/
Clean Fifteen: EWG's 2018 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php
Coley's Toxins (formula for cancer treatment in 19th century) Availability
"MBVax Bioscience, a Canadian Biotech company, produces Coley Fluid for research and clinical study.[29][30] A private biotech company, Coley Pharmaceutical Group, has conducted clinical trials using genetic sequences which may have contributed to Coley's toxin's effectiveness, and was acquired by Pfizer in January 2008.[31] In addition, the Waisbren Clinic in Wisconsin reports they have used Coley's toxin to treat patients since 1972.[32] Coley's toxins are generally not available where approval or license is required (in particular in the United States and Germany).
"Drug makers including Pfizer and Sanofi-Aventis are interested in modern versions of Coley's toxins;[33] Pfizer has acquired the Coley Pharmaceutical Group, set up in 1997[34]."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coley's_toxins
Concerns on Mad Cow Lead to Recall, Anemona Hartocollis, June, 12, 2014
"Mad cow disease, scientifically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is believed to lead to a fatal brain disorder in humans called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. It is believed to be transmitted to humans who eat the brain, spinal cord or digestive tract of infected cattle, and it can take months to manifest itself."
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/13/nyregion/concerns-on-mad-cow-lead-to-recall.html?ref=health
Controlling Cancer With Unexpected, Inexpensive Drugs, July 12, 2014
"Cancer will soon surpass heart disease as the leading cause of death both in the U.S. and worldwide. Billions have been spent on cancer research, but there is still an enormous gap between what we have learned about cancer and what is available to help prevent cancer or its recurrence.
"Global Cures, Inc., is devoted to promoting clinical research on scientifically promising, cost-effective treatments for cancer, through repurposing existing drugs. With the appropriate clinical studies, effective cancer treatments could become more readily accessible here and in other countries.
"The website is Global-Cures.org."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/07/12/953-controlling-cancer-with-unexpected-inexpensive-drugs/
Cryosurgery in Cancer Treatment: Questions and Answers
"Cryosurgery is a technique for freezing and killing abnormal cells. It is used to treat some kinds of cancer and some precancerous or noncancerous conditions, and can be used inside the body and on the skin.
"Cryosurgery is an alternative to surgery for liver cancer that has not spread, for cancer that has spread to the liver from another site, for prostate cancer confined to the prostate gland, for a precancerous condition of the cervix, and for cancerous and noncancerous tumors of the bone.
"Cryosurgery may have fewer side effects than other types of treatments, and is less expensive and requires shorter recovery times."
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/cryosurgery
Daily Med, National Institute of Health
The online source of detailed prescribing information for most medications. Includes the same information as found in the PHYSICIANS' DESK REFERENCE.
dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
Danger at the Deli, Trisha Calvo, August 29, 2019
"Regularly eating even small amounts of cold cuts, including 'uncured' products, increases cancer and heart disease risk"
"Nitrates and nitrites aren't the only problem with deli meats, either. Some contain coloring agents that may pose health risks. They're also often loaded with sodium. To top it off, cold cuts are prone to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a potentially deadly type of bacteria."
https://www.consumerreports.org/deli-meats/danger-at-the-deli-cold-cuts-increased-risk-cancer-heart-disease/
Dangerous Superbugs Kill More People Than Previously Thought
"More than 35,000 people die each year from drug-resistant infections, and millions more are sickened.
"One is a type of yeast, called Candida auris, which causes fungal infections. Another is the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the cause of gonorrhea.
"Two groups of bacteria are also on the list: Acinetobacter, which is commonly found in soil and water and can cause infections in blood, the urinary tract, and the lungs, or in open wounds; and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE. This group includes E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
"The last is Clostridioides difficile, commonly called C. diff. Though these bacteria aren't as drug-resistant as the other organisms listed, the infection can cause deadly diarrhea. When researchers included deaths associated with C. diff in the report, yearly superbug deaths in the U.S. rose by 13,000, to 48,000 deaths."
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/dangerous-superbugs-kill-more-people-previously-thought-n1081086
Death by Rubber Duck, March 30, 2013
"Many of the products we use every day, from non-stick frying pans to plastic toys like rubber ducks, expose us to chemicals. How safe are they? Phthalates and BPA are endocrine disruptors. Do we get enough in day-to-day life to make a difference? "
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/03/30/784-death-by-rubber-duck/
The Dental Fillings Cover-up and the FDA, Greg Gordon, July 27, 2015
"Senior U.S. health officials have squelched a Food and Drug Administration proposal that for the first time would have curbed dentists' use of mercury -- one of the planet's nastiest toxins, because it attacks the central nervous system -- in treating Americans' decayed teeth."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/07/27/the-dental-fillings-cover-up-and-the-fda/
Dirty Dozen: EWG's 2018 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce
"It is important to note that the samples are tested for pesticides after they have been prepared to be eaten. This means the produce is thoroughly washed and, when applicable, peeled. After these preparations, pesticide residues are still detected on many of the fruits and veggies. . . .
"Conventional agriculture continues to use large quantities of toxic pesticides. As a result, USDA researchers detect pesticide residues on much of the fruits and vegetables they test. This is why EWG updates our Shopper's Guide each year. As long as these chemicals remain in use and turn up on produce, we'll keep publishing the Shopper's Guide, and investigating pesticides and other chemicals that can harm health, especially the health of children."
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
Does Your Dental Floss Contain PFAS Chemicals That Disrupt Hormones? Joe Graedon, January 10, 2019
"PFAS are Hard to Avoid:
There are a bunch of PFASs. They're all impossible to pronounce.
Here are just a few example:
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid)
PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid)
PFNA (perfluorononanoic acid)
PFHxS (perfluorohexanesulfonic acid)
PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)
"These PFASs are used in all sorts of places you might not suspect. They are found in nonstick cookware and stain-repellent sprays. Carpets and furniture may be coated with PFAS to prevent stains from sticking to the fibers. Grease-resistant packaging may also have PFAS. Think pizza boxes or paper containers that hold French fries. Most surprising to us, though, was the report that suggested there are PFASs in some dental floss products (Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, online, Jan. 8, 2019).
"PFAS and Thyroid Problems:
"There appears to be a link between exposure to PFASs and thyroid disease. One chemical in particular, PFOA, has been associated with both hypo and hyperthyroidism. This was the conclusion of the C8 Science Panel (July 30, 2012). These scientists evaluated exposure of residents in Parkersburg, WV, to PFOA."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/01/10/does-your-dental-floss-contain-pfas-chemicals-that-disrupt-hormones/
Drug-Resistant Superbugs are a 'Fundamental Threat,' WHO Says, Maggie Fox, September, 2016
"They're found in city sewer systems and in hospital sinks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, in the U.S. alone, more than two million people are infected by drug-resistant germs each year, and 23,000 die of their infections. Globally, these antibiotic-resistant microbes kill 700,000 people a year."
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/who-labels-drug-resistant-superbugs-fundamental-threat-humans-n651981
Eating Broccoli may Give Harmful Chemicals the Boot, Eliza Barclay, June 18, 2014
"The results of a recent clinical trial suggest that compounds in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli (and kale) prod cells to get rid of certain air pollutants. The intriguing randomized control trial of about 300 Chinese adults found that consuming a beverage made with broccoli sprouts every day for three months led to high rates of excretion (in urine) of two harmful chemicals: benzene and acrolein."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/06/18/323214050/eating-broccoli-may-give-harmful-chemicals-the-boot
Environmental Endocrine Disruptors: What Health Care Providers Should Know
http://www.psr.org/assets/pdfs/environmental-endocrine.pdf
Environmental Working Group
"The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment."
http://www.ewg.org/
Environmental Working Group's (EWG) 2011 Food Shopping Guide to Pesticides in Produce
http://static.ewg.org/reports/2011/foodnews/pdf/2011EWGPesticideGuide.pdf
FDA Cancer Warning is Worrisome, June 25, 2011
"This is not the first time physicians and patients have been left in a quandary about drugs that might cause cancer. Powerful immune-modulating drugs such as Enbrel, Humira and Remicade are also under scrutiny. These medications are very helpful for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and hard-to-treat psoriasis.
"The trouble is that these drugs have been associated with certain cancers such as lymphomas, leukemias, melanoma, leiomyosarcoma, kidney and liver cancer. Weighing the benefits and risks of such drugs becomes very challenging."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/25/fda-cancer-warning-is-worrisome/
FDA Finds 12 percent of U.S. Spice Imports Contaminated
"The federal authorities also found that nearly 7 percent of spice imports examined by federal inspectors were contaminated with salmonella, a toxic bacteria that can cause severe illness in humans.
"The shares of imported spices contaminated with insect parts and salmonella were twice those found in other types of imported food, federal food officials said."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/health/12-percent-of-us-spice-imports-contaminated-fda-finds.html?ref=health
FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Search "irradiation of meat" and "irradiation fruit vegetables" to find information in disagreement with the FDA.
"The Food and Drug Administration has approved irradiation of meat and poultry and allows its use for a variety of other foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and spices. The agency determined that the process is safe and effective in decreasing or eliminating harmful bacteria. Irradiation also reduces spoilage bacteria, insects and parasites, and in certain fruits and vegetables it inhibits sprouting and delays ripening. For example, irradiated strawberries stay unspoiled up to three weeks, versus three to five days for untreated berries.
"Food irradiation is allowed in nearly 40 countries and is endorsed by the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association and many other organizations.
"Irradiation does not make foods radioactive, just as an airport luggage scanner does not make luggage radioactive. Nor does it cause harmful chemical changes. The process may cause a small loss of nutrients but no more so than with other processing methods such as cooking, canning, or heat pasteurization. Federal rules require irradiated foods to be labeled as such to distinguish them from non-irradiated foods. . . .
"FDA currently requires that irradiated foods include labelling with either the statement 'treated with radiation' or 'treated by irradiation' and the international symbol for irradiation, the radura (pictured at the top of this document). . . .
"The radura symbol contains simple petals (representing the food), in a broken circle (representing the rays from the energy source)."
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm287405.htm
Fentanyl Smuggled From China is Killing Thousands of Americans, Del Quentin Wilber
"Fentanyl, 50 times more potent than heroin, and related laboratory-crafted drugs have become the No. 1 cause of opioid-related overdose deaths. And rogue chemical companies in China -- operating openly and outside the reach of U.S. authorities -- are the largest single source of the deadly drugs, law enforcement officials say."
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-china-fentanyl-20181019-story.html
A Food-poisoning Expert Reveals Five (5) Things he Never Orders at Restaurants -- And it's not What You'd Expect, Kate Taylor
"America is being bombarded by food poisoning scares -- here are eight (8) foods an expert says he refuses to eat."
Included are salads, soft-serve ice cream, rare meat, buffets, and food shipped internationally.
http://www.businessinsider.com/food-poisoning-expert-never-orders-at-restaurants-2018-4
Four (4) Cancer Charities Charged for Scamming Donors out of $187 Million, May 20, 2015
"The lawsuit specifies the entities charged as the Cancer Fund of America, the Children's Cancer Fund of America, the Breast Cancer Society, and Cancer Support Services, along with several directors and operators who are either related or business associates.
"It's also said that the charities hired professional fundraisers and frequently allowed them to keep 85 percent of the money they collected.
"Actual charitable uses are believed to account for only about 3 percent of the donation spending."
http://www.aol.com/article/2015/05/20/4-cancer-charities-charged-for-scamming-donors-out-of-187-milli/21185434/
Generation Rescue
"The incidence of autism has increased from 1 in 10,000 in the 1970s to 1 in 150 today, an increase of over 6,000 percent. Many more children have been diagnosed with other neurodevelopmental disorders all considered to be on the same spectrum including Asperger's, ADHD/ADD, speech delay, and many other developmental delays and learning disabilities.
During these investigations, numerous scientists from around the globe have testified before the committee, and have presented credible peer-reviewed research studies that indicated a direct link between the exposure of mercury, a widely known neurotoxin, and the increasing incidences of autism." -- Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN), Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness, U.S. Congress, Head of Three Year Congressional Investigation into Mercury In Medicine, September 8, 2004http://www.generationrescue.org/
Global Cures
"Find personalized cancer treatment options. To get started, please e-mail us at find@global-cures.org and we will send you a questionnaire followed by a personalized promising therapies treatment report."
https://www.global-cures.org/
GreenPan Cookware
Safer alternatives to Teflon:
http://www.avianweb.com/teflon.htmGreenPan cookware utilizes a "100 percent PTFE-free non-stick technology called Thermalon, a surfacing that not only allows for flawless oil-free cooking, but is also completely free from the toxins that other non-stick cookware can release into your food and your home."
Cuisinart GreenGourmet
Ceramic type pans
Stainless Steel"
How Doctors Die: Showing Others the Way
" 'You can put chemotherapy directly into your brain, or total brain radiation,' she recalled recently from her home in suburban Cleveland. 'I'm looking at these drugs head-on and either one would change me significantly. I didn't want that.' She also did not want to endure the side effects of radiation.
"When it comes to dying, doctors, of course, are ultimately no different from the rest of us. And their emotional and physical struggles are surely every bit as wrenching. But they have a clear advantage over many of us. They have seen death up close. They understand their choices, and they have access to the best that medicine has to offer."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/your-money/how-doctors-die.html?ref=health&_r=1&
How Safe is That Chicken? Most Tested Broilers Were Contaminated
"You would think that after years of alarms about food safety -- outbreaks of illness followed by renewed efforts at cleanup -- a staple like chicken would be a lot safer to eat. But in our latest analysis of fresh, whole broilers bought at stores nationwide, two-thirds harbored salmonella and/or campylobacter, the leading bacterial causes of foodborne disease. That's a modest improvement since January 2007, when we found that eight of 10 broilers harbored those pathogens. But the numbers are still far too high, especially for campylobacter. Though the government has been talking about regulating it for years, it has yet to do so."
http://www.walletpop.com/consumer-reports/article/how-safe-is-that-chicken/793213?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl3|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fconsumer-reports%2Farticle%2Fhow-safe-is-that-chicken%2F793213
How Toxins in Your Food Could Change Your Children's (and Grandchildren's) Health, March 29, 2014
"We are accustomed to thinking about heritable conditions and diseases as depending completely on our genetic make-up. But research now suggests that prenatal exposures may have health effects that carry through for generations, even though the DNA of the genes remains unchanged. What should we know about epigenetic science, and what are the implications for our health? How can we best protect our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/03/29/941-epigenetic-effects-through-the-generations/
Hundreds of Foods in U.S. Contain 'ADA' Plastics Chemical: Report, Carey Gillam, Feb. 27, 2014
Nearly 500 foods found on grocery store shelves in the United States, including many foods labeled as 'healthy,' contain a potentially hazardous industrial plastics chemical, according to a report issued Thursday by a health research and advocacy group.
"Azodicarbonamide, also known as ADA, was found as an ingredient in breads, bagels, tortillas, hamburger and hot dog buns, pizza, pastries, and other food products, according to a report by the Environmental Working Group, based in Washington."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/27/us-usa-food-chemicals-report-idUSBREA1Q08420140227
Immune System, Unleashed by Cancer Therapies, can Attack Organs
"The rub, doctors and researchers say, is that the medical system — from front-line nurses to oncologists to emergency rooms -- is too often caught off guard. This is happening for a number of reasons: The drugs are new, so many side effects just have not been seen. Symptoms appear at random, sometimes months after treatment, and can initially seem innocuous. Finally, oncologists are now trying to treat patients with a combination of two or more immunotherapy drugs, hoping for more effective treatment but sometimes getting amplified risks."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/03/health/immunotherapy-cancer.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
Imported Food Rarely Inspected, Andrew Bridges, 04/16/2007
"WASHINGTON (April 16) -- Just 1.3 percent of imported fish, vegetables, fruit and other foods are inspected -- yet those government inspections regularly reveal food unfit for human consumption.
"Frozen catfish from China, beans from Belgium, jalapenos from Peru, blackberries from Guatemala, baked goods from Canada, India and the Philippines -- the list of tainted food detained at the border by the Food and Drug Administration stretches on.
"Last month alone, FDA detained nearly 850 shipments of grains, fish, vegetables, nuts, spice, oils and other imported foods for issues ranging from filth to unsafe food coloring to contamination with pesticides to salmonella.
"And that's with just 1.3 percent of the imports inspected. As for the other 98.7 percent, it's not inspected, much less detained, and goes to feed the nation's growing appetite for imported foods."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-16-imported-food_N.htm good
Inexpensive B Vitamin Protects Against Common Skin Cancers
"Skin cancer affects an enormous number of people each year but a common vitamin (nicotinamide or vitamin B3) could reduce the number of cancers dramatically"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/05/14/inexpensive-b-vitamin-protects-against-common-skin-cancers/?hootPostID=f6546cf333fe8100c5992cc77532da65
Intertek Group
"Intertek is a global leader in testing, inspection and certification of products, commodities and systems. We offer customers an unparalleled advantage through applying our broad technical expertise to fulfil their individual needs.
"Spread across industries ranging from consumer goods to pharmaceuticals, our services have proven capabilities and have delivered highly valuable results to our clients. For a more readily navigable tributary to this node of information on the services we offer and the industries we serve, please browse through our vast selection of brochures."
http://www.intertek-labtest.com/?gclid=CLX-lqfSwowCFRglUAodN12QXQ
Irradiated Foods Highlighted During Week of Protest
December 4, 2006 -- A new report into irradiation finds conflicting and inconsistent regulatory approaches to the use of the technology worldwide, a problem for multinational processors who are using the technique as a food safety measure. . . .
"In the US, roughly 50 irradiation facilities are used are used mainly for medical supplies and other non-food items. Food irradiation is unpopular among consumers in the country, in part because of federal labelling rules, the organization reported.
"The U.S. requires all single-ingredient irradiated foods sold in stores to be labeled as Treated with Irradiation and to carry the radura symbol. However, irradiated food served in restaurants, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, day-care centers and other institutional settings do not require a label.
"In August 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) legalized the irradiation of molluscan shellfish, including oysters, clams and mussels.
"Still pending before the FDA are industry requests to irradiated crustacean shellfish -- including shrimp, crabs and lobsters -- and ready-to-eat foods, such as deli meats, prebagged salads, frozen meals and baby food. . . .
" 'A string of failures makes it clear there is little demand for irradiated food in the US,' the organization reported. 'As a result of low consumer demand, several irradiation companies have struggled'. . . .
"In the fall of 2006, food irradiation received renewed media attention in the U.S. following the E. coli outbreak in spinach from California. As a publicity stunt, Sadex chief executive David Corbin ate spinach intentionally contaminated with E. coli and then irradiated.
"Sadex is among several companies that have claimed future outbreaks could be controlled by using irradiation. The FDA has only approved irradiation for fruits and vegetables for plant pests, and not for killing pathogen contamination. . . .
"The International Irradiation Association (IIA) is an industry-funded organization that is also working to harmonize regulations worldwide and develop new uses for radiation technologies.
"The membership includes irradiation service providers, suppliers of irradiation facilities and equipment, consultants, suppliers of items such as dosimeters and users of the irradiation services. As of March 2006, the IIA had 38 member companies in 16 countries.
"Meanwhile the International Council on Food Irradiation (ICFI) is a new international, non-governmental organization that promotes irradiation to government regulators, the food and nuclear industries, and health professionals around the world. . . ."
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Quality-Safety/Irradiated-foods-highlighted-during-week-of-protest
Is the Salad in Your Fridge Contaminated with E. Coli?
"If you are like us you are probably getting very frustrated with yet another food contamination problem. According to the CDC "each year 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people), get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases." That seems unacceptable to us. The FDA and the USDA need to protect the food supply more effectively, in our opinion."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/11/11/is-the-salad-in-your-fridge-contaminated-with-e-coli/
The Lawyer who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare
"Rob Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years. Then he took on an environmental suit that would upend his entire career -- and expose a brazen, decades-long history of chemical pollution."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html?_r=2
Listen to our Three Part Series on Novel Approaches to Cancer, July 13, 2014
"Cancer looms large as a health threat for many if not most of us. While it is important for those with a cancer diagnosis to find their own comfort zone in investigating treatments and making decisions in collaboration with their healthcare professionals, it is useful for the rest of us to look at the problem with fresh eyes. Over the next three weeks, The People's Pharmacy radio show will feature three different approaches to reducing recurrence or coping with cancer that you are not likely to find elsewhere.
"On July 12, 2014, we talk with husband-and-wife team Vidula and Vikas Sukhatme, MD, co-founders of Global Cures, Inc. about controlling cancer with unexpected, inexpensive drugs. We discuss how clinical research on scientifically promising, cost-effective treatments for cancer could make treatment more readily accessible. How could drugs such as aspirin or metformin be put to use in the fight against cancer? Is there a way to engage the immune system to reduce the risk of recurrence?
"Finally, on August 2, 2014, listen to the stories of some amazing spontaneous remissions. These are rarely studied because they are so unpredictable, but Kelly Turner, Ph.D., has interviewed a number of people who have experienced remissions. Their thoughts on why they have done so well despite the odds against them have surprising congruence. We talk about the nine factors that survivors have used in their lives; you might find these strategies helpful, too.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/07/13/listen-to-our-three-part-series-on-novel-approaches-to-cancer/
Munching on Sugary Treats Adds to Cardiovascular Risk, February 6, 2014
"Sugar is turning out to be more dangerous than previously thought. That's the conclusion of a large epidemiological study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. More than 30,000 people were questioned in detail about their health and their diets between 1988 and 2010. Approximately 11,000 adults were included in a study that linked mortality to diet. The conclusions are pretty chilling. As added sugar makes up a greater proportion of the diet, the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke climbs. People who got 25 percent or more of their calories from sugar, whether in soft drinks, desserts, or candy or cereal, were almost three times more likely to die during the study from cardiovascular causes. For those eating 2,000 calories a day, 25 percent translates into 500 calories from sugar or roughly 31 teaspoons."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/02/06/munching-on-sugary-treats-adds-to-cardiovascular-risk/
Neonicotinoid
"Neonicotinoids (sometimes shortened to neonics) are a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically similar to nicotine.[1] In the 1980s Shell and in the 1990s Bayer started work on their development.[2] The neonicotinoid family includes acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, nithiazine, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam. Imidacloprid is the most widely used insecticide in the world.[3] Compared to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, neonicotinoids cause less toxicity in birds and mammals than insects. Some breakdown products are also toxic to insects [4] . . . .
In 2013, the European Union and a few neighboring countries restricted the use of certain neonicotinoids;[8][9][10] in 2018, the EU banned the three main neonicotinoids (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) for all outdoor uses.[11][12] Several states in the United States have also restricted usage of neonicotinoids out of concern for pollinators and bees.[13]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neonicotinoid
Neonicotinoid
"As of 2013 neonicotinoids have been used in the U.S. on about 95 percent of corn and canola crops, the majority of cotton, sorghum, and sugar beets and about half of all soybeans. They have been used on the vast majority of fruit and vegetables, including apples, cherries, peaches, oranges, berries, leafy greens, tomatoes, and potatoes, to cereal grains, rice, nuts, and wine grapes. Imidacloprid is possibly the most widely used insecticide, both within the neonicotinoids and in the worldwide market.
"From June to October 2014 a comprehensive Worldwide Integrated Assessment of the impact of systemic pesticides on biodiversity and ecosystems (WIA) was published in The Journal of Environmental Science and Pollution Research. In a series of papers it concludes that these systemic insecticides pose a serious risk of harm to a broad range of non-target invertebrate taxa, often below the expected environmental concentrations, that their present use is not a sustainable pest management approach, and compromises the actions of numerous stakeholders in maintaining and supporting biodiversity, and this compromise subsequently negatively effects the ecological functions and services the diverse organisms perform."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neonicotinoid
Neonicotinoid Pesticides Have Caused a Huge Surge in the Toxicity of U.S. Agriculture, Tara Lohan and Dipika Kadaba, September 12, 2019
"The most widely used class of insecticides is dangerous for much more than its intended target, new research finds. . . .
A big reason that neonics are so dangerous is that they persist in the environment -- sometimes lasting up to 1,000 days. They remain in the soil and can be taken up by other plants. They're also water soluble, so they wash into rivers, streams and wetlands. Their toxicity can build up in the environment and cascade from soil to plants, insects to birds."
https://therevelator.org/neonicotinoids-toxic-agriculture/
Neonicotinoid Residue Found in Drinking Water for the First Time, Dan Nosowitz, April 7, 2017
"Neonicotinoids -- the nicotine-like class of insecticides that's been linked to the widespread deaths of bees -- are, weirdly, under-studied.
"Despite widespread outrage and bans against neonicotinoids across the globe (everywhere from the European Union to Minnesota), research into exactly how these incredibly popular pesticides affect the environment and public health is still in its relative infancy. It was only in 2015 that the US Geological Survey first studied whether neonicotinoid residue shows up in streams (it does), and new research from the University of Iowa is the first to find it in drinking water."
https://modernfarmer.com/2017/04/neonicotinoid-residue-found-drinking-water-first-time/
New BPA Discovery is Scary! June 15, 2012
It's bad enough when exposure to a potential toxin affects the person who is exposed. It's even more worrisome when exposure to a chemical affects not only the next generation but possibly future generations as well. That could well be the case with the ubiquitous chemical BPA (bisphenol A). . . .
BPA is still found in many plastic products. It is also used in the resin that lines most of our food and beverage cans, including those used for soup, vegetables, beer and soft drinks. If you use canned tomatoes to make spaghetti sauce, chances are pretty good that you are getting a dose of BPA. Drink beer from a can and you can assume BPA is swallowed along with the suds. Pick up a receipt the next time you buy anything and there is a likelihood your fingers will be coated with BPA from the paper. Eat a sandwich or munch some chips after that, and your fingers are likely to transfer the BPA directly to your food.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/06/15/new-bpa-discovery-is-scary/
New Health Warning Against Drinking Distilled Water, January 06, 2011
"10,000 times worse than chlorine: disinfection byproducts (DBPs).
"DBPs are present in almost all forms of treated water. The most common chemicals present in processed water are trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs).
"While study after study has shown that decades long consumption of chlorinated water vastly increases the risk of colorectal and bladder cancers in some people, THMs are outright carcinogenic. The chemical also promotes dysfunction of the reproductive process in all mammals, including humans.
"Distillation of water concentrates DBPs in the water, intensifying its deadly effects. Researchers have found that distilled water often has higher than normal amounts of both chlorine and THMs present -- more than the average community's tap water. . . .
"Experts suggest drinking natural spring water; it's much more healthful, has a good mineral mix, and is less likely to cause long-term health problems. In most cases spring water actually helps promote better overall health. But caution! Avoid natural spring water sold in plastic bottles."
http://www.helium.com/items/2058391-new-health-warning-against-drinking-distilled-water
Overview of the Chemical Petrochemicals Industry: Oil to Petrochemicals
Petrochemicals are chemicals made from petroleum (crude oil), and natural gas. Includes charts listing major petrochemical groups and end use products.
From this website:
Primary petrochemicals: methanol, ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene, and xylene.
Petrochemical intermediates and derivatives: (for intermediates see the chart), phenol formaldehyde resins, cellulose acetate, polyvinyl acetate, ethanol, ethylene glycol, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyether, polyols, synthetic rubber, latex, and nylon 66.
Major end use markets: (for intermediates and derivatives see the chart), plastic adhesives, fibers, paper and textile sizing, solvent and cosmetic pharmaceuticals, coolants, plastic products, paint solvents, urethane foam products, and tire and rubber products
https://www.ihs.com/products/petrochemical-industry-chemical-economics-handbook.html
PAN Pesticides Database
"The PAN Pesticides Database is your one-stop location for current toxicity and regulatory information for pesticides. To find out more about insecticides, herbicides and other pesticides select one of the choices below. To learn more about our comprehensive collection of data sources see About the Data. This resource is a project of Pesticide Action Network North America.
Personalized Immune Therapy, June 7, 2018
"Then, researchers at the National Cancer Institute initiated a brand new form of immune therapy (Zacharakis et al, Nature Medicine, June 4, 2018). They harvested specific immune cells from her tumors. These tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, or TILs, were encouraged to multiply in the laboratory.
"While the immune cells were growing outside her body, the clinicians gave Ms. Perkins one of the new immunotherapy drugs called pembrolizumab (Keytruda). This checkpoint inhibitor modified her immune system so that when her own natural T-cells (the TILs) were re-injected into her body they could attack the tumors. That is precisely what they did. More than three years later she is still alive and well with no signs of breast cancer. She has gone back to her active outdoor lifestyle, including a kayak race around the state of Florida.
"Researchers hope they will be able to repeat this very personalized treatment for other patients. At this point, however, that goal is uncertain. Widespread clinical trials of this type of very personalized immune therapy are a long way off. Two other women who underwent the TIL treatment at the same time as Ms. Perkins did not survive."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/06/07/super-immune-therapy-gave-one-woman-her-life-back/
Pesticides Implicated in Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, Caryn Huntm January 24, 2013
"Scientists at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have issued a report aimed at enhancing the protection of bees stating three commonly used pesticides in the neonicotinoid class of insecticides -- clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam -- [this class is used widely in agriculture and for most produce. It is a systemic poison that gets into the plant including the nectar. -- compiler] pose an "acute risk" to bee populations and should not be used in crops attractive to bees. The EFSA report stopped short of stating a clear, causal link between these pesticides and bee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), citing gaps in their research. Colony Collapse Disorder is a syndrome where worker bees vanish and their hives die. However, in March 2012 U.S. scientists published an article, "In Situ Replication of Bee Colony Collapse Disorder," in the Bulletin of Insectology, demonstrating the connection between imidacloprid and CCD, and evidence has been mounting in the scientific community for some time."
http://greencityjournal.com/pesticides-implicated-in-bee-colony-collapse-disorder.html
Physicians for Social Responsibility, Resources
"Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) has been working for more than 50 years to create a healthy, just and peaceful world for both the present and future generations. PSR advocates on the issues you care about by addressing the dangers that threaten communities, using our medical and public health expertise."
http://www.psr.org/resources/
Poisoned Waters, PBS Frontline, DVD.
"More than three decades after the Clean Water Act, two iconic waterways -- the great coastal estuaries Puget Sound and the Chesapeake Bay -- are in perilous condition. With polluted runoff still flowing in from industry, agriculture, and massive suburban development, scientists fear contamination to the food chain and drinking water for millions of people. A growing list of endangered species is also threatened in both estuaries. As a new president, Congress, and states set new agendas and spending priorities, Frontline correspondent Hedrick Smith examines the rising hazards to human health and the ecosystem, and why it's so hard to keep our waters clean." -- Publisher
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poisonedwaters/
Primus Labs
The Primus Certificate will be found on some produce in grocery stores.
"Primus Group, Inc., through its Laboratories Division, conducts a customized chemical analysis for certain chemical compounds registered for use or suspected of misapplication or drift on a given agricultural commodity. This analysis certifies that a statistically representative, random sampling of the product has been analyzed and meets or exceeds the regulatory standards for the presence of tested compounds on the sampled produce. Upon request, Primus will provide a list of these compounds.
We see no difference whatsoever between 'personal ethics' and 'business ethics. . . .'
"PrimusLabs.com is proud to introduce a new tool designed to assist produce buyers and suppliers in assuring the safety of their produce.
"This new tool is a step by step, easy to use interactive Food Safety Manual Development Program. By using the program produce suppliers will be able to develop operational guidelines to reduce the risk of microbial, chemical and physical contamination from the field to the distribution of fresh produce.
"The manuals are designed to help shippers and growers stay in compliance with existing and evolving United States safe production guidelines and regulations. The program can be accessed at no cost (except for the European GAP Manual), through the PrimusLabs.com Internet site at www.primuslabs.com. The options enable users, through a series of yes/no and short answer questions, to develop manuals . . . ."
http://www.primuslabs.com/
Protocol for Scoping Review of Health Effects of Neonicotinoid Pesticides, November 2017
"Neonicotinoid pesticides represent a class of seven chemicals that act as insecticides by neurotoxic effects on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) which have had increased use in US agriculture over the past decade (Jeschke et al. 2011, Douglas and Tooker 2015, Simon-Delso et al. 2015). These chemicals persist in the environment, including the human food supply; and they have the potential to impact animals other than their insect targets, including humans (Keil et al. 2014, USDA 2014, Yang et al. 2014, Gibbons et al. 2015). Environmental persistence and irreversible binding to the nAChR raises concern for potential impacts of long-term effects on human health even with exposures at low levels (Tennekes and Sanchez-Bayo 2011, Van der Sluijs et al. 2015).
"Since their introduction in 1990, the neonicotinoid market share increased to 24 percent for crop protection and 80 percent for seed treatment by 2008 (Jeschke et al. 2011). As patent protection began to expire on these 7 chemicals in 2005, use of generic products have broadened the markets in which they are used, replacing older pesticide classes such as organophosphates and carbamates (Jeschke et al. 2011). Neonicotinoids were present in all streams tested near high corn and soybean production areas in the US and levels correlated with rain during crop planting implicating seed treatments as the source (Hladik et al. 2014). While levels were well below the US EPA tolerances, neonicotinoid pesticide residues were detectable in many fruits and vegetables tested by the US Department of Agriculture in 2013 (USDA 2014). In addition, neonicotinoids were some of the most commonly detected pesticides (6-31 percent of samples) in prepared infant and toddler foods in a 2012 study by the FDA, which monitors pesticide residues on prepared foods as part of its Pesticide Monitoring Program (FDA 2015). Neonicotinoids may enter the flesh of the fruit or vegetable, making it difficult to readily wash and remove residues prior to consumption (Chen et al. 2014).
Exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides has been associated with adverse health effects in various species, including mammals, honeybees, and other wildlife (Krupke et al. 2012, Whitehorn et al. 2012, Mason 2013, Gibbons et al. 2015, Morrissey et al. 2015, Pisa et al. 2015, Rundlof et al. 2015, Van der Sluijs et al. 2015, Cimino et al. 2017). Several studies have characterized the potential neurotoxic effects of neonicotinoids (Li et al. 2011, Kimura-Kuroda 2012). For example, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are important for synaptic transmission and learning and memory, and in vitro studies using cerebellar neurons from neonatal rats found that neonicotinoid pesticides can affect the neonicotinoid acetylcholine receptors in a similar way as nicotine (Tomizawa et al. 2001, Kimura-Kuroda 2012). Neonicotinoids can bind the a4ß2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtype (Li et al. 2011), and perturbation of this receptor subtype is associated with various neurological effects, including depression, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (Hogg et al. 2003). In addition, the a4ß2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtype plays an important role in the developing brain, including the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of neurons and their integration into neural circuits (Role and Berg 1996, Dwyer et al. 2009). Other potential adverse health effects associated with neonicotinoid exposure include developmental and reproductive effects in mammals (Abou-Donia et al. 2008, Gu et al. 2013, Gibbons et al. 2015)."
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/ohat/neonicotinoid/nachrs_protocol_508.pdf
Radium: Cures Gout! (Warning: Also Causes Cancer.)
"Radium, discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898, was especially popular: the 'it' element of its day. Radium glows an eerie blue-green in the dark, giving off light for years without any apparent power source. People had never seen anything like it. It was perfect for watch faces and airplane dials and other things you wanted to see at a glance in the dark. Companies like U.S. Radium soon hired roomfuls of mostly young women to apply radium paint to their products."
http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/gist/2017/05/jon_glaser_on_the_second_season_of_neon_joe_werewolf_hunter.html
Report on Carcinogens, Eleventh Edition; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program
Includes substance profiles.
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?objectid=72016262-BDB7-CEBA-FA60E922B18C2540
The Role of Cryosurgery in Palliative Care for Cancer
"Cryoablation [freezing with liquid nitrogen -- compiler], is adaptable for the treatment of nearly all solid tumors. According to current experience, percutaneous cryoablation, as a feasible and mini-invasive technique offers an effective and safe therapy for patients with tumors [including throat cancer in early stages and melanoma in early stages -- compiler], and is especially suitable for the treatment of unresectable advanced tumors. The role of this technique is growing, with large-scale prospective randomized trials, continued advances can be expected."
http://www.amepc.org/apm/article/view/1435/2048#B3
Roundup Cancer Claims
"Recent scientific studies have shown a link between Roundup's active ingredient, glyphosate, and non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Those affected can apply for compensation. Click the image below now to learn more."
https://roundup.claim-review.com/
*Safety Data Sheets (SDS), formerly known as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
"MSDSonline -- a VelocityEHS solution -- is home to the industry leading online library of Safety Data Sheets (formerly known as Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDSs). MSDSonline's millions of safety sheets contain the information you need to keep your business or organization safe from dangerous chemicals such as methanol, acetone, hydrochloric acid, and millions of other hazardous substances.
https://www.msdsonline.com/msds-search
Sexually Transmitted Disease Boosts the Risk of Prostate Cancer, May 22, 2014
"For cutting-edge information about the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, you may wish to listen to our one-hour radio interview with two of the country's leading experts on this disease"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/05/22/sexually-transmitted-disease-boosts-the-risk-of-prostate-cancer/
Shared Decision Making Still Lacking for Cancer Screening, Genevra Pittman, June 19, 2014
"When it comes to cancer screening, doctors often do not adequately discuss the balance of pros and cons with their patients, a new study suggests.
"Guidelines call for doctors and patients to engage in shared decision making regarding cancer screening, such as whether to have prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer.
"That's because although screening can help spot some cancers early on, it can also come with a risk of false positives and unnecessary and invasive follow-up procedures.
"Often there is no right decision on whether to screen, and different people may weigh the options and their potential consequences differently, researchers said.
" 'Cancer screening and a number of other medical services are not all just plain benefit,' said Dr. Michael Pignone at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who worked on the new study."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/19/us-cancer-screening-decisions-idUSKBN0EU2HS20140619
Some Risk Linked to Plastic Chemical. A federal panel finds "some concern" that exposure to bisphenol A affects brain development in children and infants, Marla Cone, August, 2007
"A federal panel finds 'some concern' that exposure to bisphenol A affects brain development in children and infants.
"A federal panel of scientists concluded Wednesday that an estrogen-like compound in plastic could be posing some risk to the brain development of babies and children.
"Bisphenol A, or BPA, is found in low levels in virtually every human body. A component of polycarbonate plastic, it can leach from baby bottles and other hard plastic beverage containers, food can linings and other consumer products.
"Culminating months of scientific debate, the decision by the 12 advisors of the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction -- part of the National Institutes of Health -- is the first official, government action related to the chemical. Their recommendation will be reviewed for a federal report that could lead to regulations restricting one of the most used chemicals."
BPA is present in containers marked with a triangle with a "7" inside.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-plastic9aug09,1,6709168.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&track=crosspromo
State Legislatures Take the Lead on Turning off Tap on Toxic Chemicals, Gretchen Salter, February, 2020
"PFAS, Toxic Flame Retardants and Chemical Disclosure Top Issues for States.
"These policies include bans on PFAS in food packaging and firefighting foam as well as bans on toxic flame retardants in electronics. The analysis, including a searchable database, is available online at SaferStates.org/bill-tracker."
http://www.saferstates.org/news/states-in-the-lead
Suspected Endocrine Toxicants
http://www.scorecard.org/health-effects/chemicals-2.tcl?short_hazard_name=endo&all_p=t
Ten Rules That Could Save Your Life
Preventing Adverse Drug Reactions
"Did you know that adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have been estimated to be the 3rd most frequent cause of death in the USA today, outstripped only by heart disease and cancer? And this is not even considering all those who suffer, but don't die. . . ."
http://www.aitse.org/ten-rules-that-could-save-your-life/
The Threat of Toxic Food
"A major issue facing this country because of free trade is toxic food imports. The CDC estimates that 325,000 Americans are hospitalized every year from food poisoning, with 5,000 resultant deaths. Clearly, food safety is an important issue in this nation.
"According to United States Census data, food imports doubled in this country from 1997 to 2008. Over 60 percent of imported food comes from developing nations, such as Mexico and China.
"The United States imported over 3 billion pounds of meat in 2008 alone, with seafood being the primary item. This is important because improperly produced and consumed meat is the largest cause by far of food borne illness."
http://www.economyincrisis.org/issue/toxic-food
There's a Brand of Toothpaste you Should THROW AWAY if you own it -- Major Health Risk! July 2017
"The FDA has just issued a warning this week noting that they will be putting a ban on triclosan, a common antibacterial agent used in soaps, detergents, toys, cosmetics, and toothpaste. Apparently, the chemical poses a high-degree of health risks and side effects. . . .
" 'The dangers of triclosan (and a related antibacterial chemical, triclocarban) are many,' the Natural Resource Defense Council said in a statement. 'For starters, it's an endocrine disrupter, meaning it interferes with important hormone functions, which can directly affect the brain in addition to our immune and reproductive systems.
'Specifically, the chemical disturbs thyroid, testosterone, and estrogen regulation, which can create a host of issues including early puberty, poor sperm quality, infertility, obesity, and cancer,' the statement continues. 'Studies have also shown it can lead to impaired learning and memory, exacerbate allergies, and weaken muscle function. The impacts of prolonged exposure during fetal development, infancy, and childhood can be particularly severe, resulting in permanent damage'."
http://madpatriots.com/alert-theres-a-brand-of-toothpaste-you-should-throw-away-if-you-own-it-major-health-risk/
Triclosan
"By the year 2000, triclosan and triclocarban (TCC) could be found in 75 percent of liquid soaps and 29 percent of bar soaps,[8] and as of 2014 triclosan was used in more than 2,000 consumer products.[9]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclosan
Vaccine Excipient and Media Summary. Excipients Included in U.S. Vaccines, by Vaccine
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf
The Vegetable-Industrial Complex
"When Tommy Thompson retired from the Department of Health and Human Services in 2004, he said something chilling at his farewell news conference: For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply, because it is so easy to do. The reason it is so easy to do was laid out in a 2003 G.A.O. report to Congress on bioterrorism. The high concentration of our livestock industry and the centralized nature of our food-processing industry make them vulnerable to terrorist attack. Today 80 percent of America's beef is slaughtered by four companies, 75 percent of the precut salads are processed by two and 30 percent of the milk by just one company. Keeping local food economies healthy -- and at the moment they are thriving -- is a matter not of sentiment but of critical importance to the national security and the public health, as well as to reducing our dependence on foreign sources of energy.
"Yet perhaps the gravest threat now to local food economies -- to the farmer selling me my spinach, to the rancher who sells me my grass-fed beef -- is, of all things, the government's own well-intentioned efforts to clean up the industrial food supply. Already, hundreds of regional meat-processing plants -- the ones that local meat producers depend on -- are closing because they can't afford to comply with the regulatory requirements the U.S.D.A. rightly imposes on giant slaughterhouses that process 400 head of cattle an hour."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/magazine/15wwln_lede.html?ex=1318564800&en=5ccac7b4a09bc465&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
What was the First Immunotherapy for Cancer?
"Immunotherapy is now one of the most promising new treatments for many types of cancer. Some medicines, such as CAR-T, are designed specifically for individual patients and teach their immune systems to attack the cancer. Understanding how Coley's toxin worked against cancer also helps us understand these modern medications.
"Oncologists are now using immunotherapy in conjunction with chemotherapy to kill cancer cells and get a better response. Find out how the lymphatic system is involved in this way of treating cancer and how doctors try to determine which patients will respond best. How can families stay up to date on the latest treatments?"
"Don MacAdam is the former head of MBVax Bioscience and the author of THE REINVENTION OF COLEY'S TOXINS that tells the story of a small company with limited financial resources that proved a modern version of the first immunotherapy for cancer was able to induce complete and lasting regressions of cancers that no longer responded to conventional therapies. His book is available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/The-Reinvention-of-Coleys-Toxins/dp/0995921822.
"Sharon S. Evans, Ph.D., is a Professor of Oncology in the Immunology Department at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York. Roswell Park was one of the very first comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute, in 1972.
"https://www.roswellpark.org/, https://www.roswellpark.org/immunotherapy, https://www.roswellpark.org/cancertalk"
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/01/31/show-1151-what-was-the-first-immunotherapy-for-cancer/
*"What's on my food?"
Pesticide Residues That USDA has Found
A large database. Shows contamination levels by produce item and pesticide name.
http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/pesticides.jsp
Whistle-blower Exposes Doctor Accused of Prescribing Chemotherapy to Patients who Don't Have Cancer, July 20, 2018
"Dr. Farid Fata gave unnecessary treatments to more than 500 patients at a Detroit-area cancer center."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whistleblower-exposes-doctor-farid-fata-accused-of-prescribing-chemotherapy-to-patients-without-cancer/
Widespread Pollutants With Endocrine-disrupting Effects: Persistent Organohalogens
An annotated listing of chemicals implicated in endocrine disruption.
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Basics/chemlist.htm
A Worldwide Survey of Neonicotinoids in Honey, Science October 6, 2017
"We found at least one of five tested compounds (acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam) in 75 percent of all samples, 45 percent of samples contained two or more of these compounds, and 10 percent contained four or five."
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/358/6359/109
The fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. is properly prescribed and administered medication. Add improperly prescribed medication, and it becomes the third leading cause of death. (Fitzgerald)Controlling the quality of medications is also more of an issue. With 80 percent of the raw ingredients in our medicines coming from countries like China, India, Brazil or Mexico, the FDA is hard-pressed to keep tabs on the drug supply. Even in this country, manufacturers may fail to maintain good manufacturing practices to produce top quality drugs. -- K. Eban
We are "confronted with a huge drug counterfeiting problem." (FDA, Eban)
According to the FDA, 80 percent of the active and inactive ingredients in our pharmaceuticals come from abroad. It is estimated that 40 percent of the finished pills come from abroad including countries such as India, China, Brazil and Mexico. It is also very clear that the FDA does not have the resources to inspect all or even many of the manufacturing plants producing either the raw materials or finished products millions of Americans take every day. That means that there is no verification system that the pills are exactly what they say they are.
We have seen manufacturing problems with some of the most prestigious drug companies in the U.S. (Johnson and Johnson and GSK). These problems occurred at plants where the FDA visits on a regular basis. Do we really believe that chemical companies in China that are not inspected are producing perfectly identical generic drugs at cutthroat prices? -- Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 2011Snake oil: a substance with no real medicinal value sold as a remedy for all diseases.
Pusher: a person who sells illegal drugs.
*Avorn, Jerry, Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs, ISBN: 0375414835 9780375414831.
"If you believe that the latest blockbuster medication is worth a premium price over your generic brand, or that doctors have access to all the information they need about a drug's safety and effectiveness each time they write a prescription, Dr. Jerry Avorn has some sobering news. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of patient care, teaching, and research at Harvard Medical School, he shares his firsthand experience of the wide gap in our knowledge of the effectiveness of one medication as compared to another. In POWERFUL MEDICINES, he reminds us that every pill we take represents a delicate compromise between the promise of healing, the risk of side effects, and an increasingly daunting price. The stakes on each front grow higher every year as new drugs with impressive power, worrisome side effects, and troubling costs are introduced.
"This is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at issues that affect everyone: our shortage of data comparing the worth of similar drugs for the same condition; alarming lapses in the detection of lethal side effects; the under use of life-saving medications; lavish marketing campaigns that influence what doctors prescribe; and the resulting upward spiral of costs that places vital drugs beyond the reach of many Americans.
"In this engagingly written book, Dr. Avorn asks questions that will interest every consumer: How can a product judged safe by the Food and Drug Administration turn out to have unexpectedly lethal side effects? Why has the nation's drug bill been growing at nearly 20 percent per year? How can physicians and patients pick the best medication in its class? How do doctors actually make their prescribing decisions, and why do those decisions sometimes go wrong? Why do so many Americans suffer preventable illnesses and deaths that proper drug use could have averted? How can the nation gain control over its escalating drug budget without resorting to rationing or draconian governmental controls?
"Using clinical case histories taken from his own work as a practitioner, researcher, and advocate, Dr. Avorn demonstrates the impressive power of the well-conceived prescription as well as the debacles that can result when medications are misused. He describes an innovative program that employs the pharmaceutical industry's own marketing techniques to reduce use of some of the most over prescribed and overpriced products. Powerful Medicines offers timely and practical advice on how the nation can improve its drug-approval process, and how patients can work with doctors to make sure their prescriptions are safe, effective, and as affordable as possible.
"This is a passionate and provocative call for action as well as a compelling work of clear-headed science.
"Jerry Avorn, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. An internist, geriatrician, and drug researcher, he is the author of more than two hundred papers in the medical literature on medication use and its outcomes, and one of the most frequently cited researchers in the fields of social science and medicine." -- Publisher
"Easy to read and follow, wide-ranging in scope, dripping with insight from a real medical insider, and very humorous besides, this book is a tour-de-force in many aspects. Problems with HMOs, the FDA, Big Pharma, and out-of-control drug advertising are all addressed. The benefits of drugs are addressed by giving examples of the launching of some that were later risky enough to be banned. The most detailed illustration of the benefits and limitations of the randomized clinical trial (RCT) I have ever read are in this book. Dr. Avorn also gave the best illustration of the advantages of the observational study on large numbers of subjects as a better way to find the risks of drugs. The risks of drugs have many causes besides their inherent toxicity. Dr. Avorn shows how the subjects in an RCT may be healthier or younger or too male compared with the likely drug target group, how dosages may be too high for children or the elderly, how adverse effects are hard to predict and under-reported and that RCTs are not run for enough time. He notes how too many drugs are approved by the FDA based on handy measurements such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels, not real clinical endpoints, like death. The costs of drugs are noted to be whatever the markets will bear, even when the key discoveries are made in government or academic labs, as is usually the case. He writes about the drug information overload for physicians from ads or 'detail women' from Big Pharma, and of 'education' courses put on by Big Pharma, all biased of course. Dr. Avorn has, for >25 years, been involved in studies on how to use computerized data on filled prescriptions and later medical histories of each patient to correlate drug use with well-being. Some of the results have been put into practice with improved patient well-being and lower costs for drugs. He also introduced 'academic detailing' to teach physicians how to prescribe better and cheaper drugs. For these efforts alone he should have a Nobel Prize in Medicine, in my opinion. He makes a number of practical suggestions on improving health care in the USA, all with understanding that pluralism, competition and choice are key features of any success in the USA. Prescribing via computer could alert the MD to cheaper drug alternatives, dosage for each age group, and potential interactions. The pharmacy would have accurate input and alerts to prescriptions being filled at other pharmacies. Of larger scope is Dr. Avorn's idea of creating non-profit healthcare provider organizations that are also the insurers. They would be audited annually and evaluated for effectiveness annually with all results being made public. Other suggestions are that drug approval by the FDA no longer be 'yes and good luck' or 'no,' but that there be conditional approvals to be reviewed. Some other federal agency would evaluate risks, not the same people in the FDA who approved the drugs. There is great detail and subtlety overall. The index is adequate. Referencing by page number was sparse. So how could I give only 3 stars to this tour-de-force? While Dr. Avorn was realistic about drug classes such as the NSAIDS (Vioxx, Celebrex), he is far too sanguine, in my opinion, about anticancer, blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol drugs. He is far too negative about vitamins and supplements. Anticancer drugs usually do not prolong life (Moss, 2000). There is no evidence that the wide use of BP drugs provides major benefits, even Dr. Avorn's preferred beta-blockers and diuretics. In RCTs combined in a meta-analysis, the use of beta-blockers reduced mortality by only 0.1 percent annually (Psaty, 1997). The ALLHAT RCT cited by Dr. Avorn had no placebo arm, and the results for the diuretic, which was not a thiazide type, were a bit worse than for the other drug types (Kauffman, 2004). Only when BP is very high, as in the Swedish Trial in Old Patients (STOP), (Dahlöf, 1991), is the result barely worthwhile. The 1627 subjects of both sexes were 70-84 years old and had mean BP = 195/102 at baseline and were followed for 4 years at 116 health centers in Sweden. The drugs were a diuretic, or the same combined with a beta-blocker. After 4 years 89 percent of the drug-treated group were alive vs. 85 percent on placebo, for a drop of just 1 percent per year in mortality. Stroke rate dropped just 1.5 percent per year. In the ASCOT trial of atorvastatin (Lipitor) the chance of not dying was improved by just 0.15 percent per year (Sever, 2003), at a cost of $1,000,000 to prevent 1 death for one year! And this was a trial that Pfizer chose to publish! In the few RCTs in which mortality for women on statin drugs was published, it was higher in all cases (Criqui, 2004), as it is also for aspirin use (Kauffman, 2002). The slight benefits of statin drugs on heart attack and mortality rates have nothing to do with lowering cholesterol or LDL levels, but are related to the presence of cytomegalovirus or inflammation in mostly male patients with severely blocked coronary arteries (Horne, 2003). Dr. Avorn does not admit that the low compliance rates with these two types of drugs is caused by their severe side-effects such that half drop them in a year and up to 3/4 after 2 years (Pahor, 2000; Jackevicius, 2002). Dr. Avorn was extremely negative on the use of supplements, and on the 1994 law that declared them foods, not drugs, unaware of the previous FDA bias in evaluating them. He wrote that none have had valid trial results. This is untrue for selenium (Bjelakovic et al., 2004), a few herbals (Vickers, 1999), ginkgo (Kleijnen, 1992), vitamin C (Hickey, 2004), magnesium (Paolissi, 1989), and some others. Stopping useless drugs altogether rather than substituting cheaper ones, and using certain supplements will save far more than prescribing generics! Willful perversions of RCTs is better covered in OVERDO$ED AMERICA by John Abramson, MD. Complete references available." -- Joel M. Kauffman
See the extended excerpt, "The Pregnant Mare's Lesson" reprinted by permission in the Editorial Reviews for the book at Amazon.com.
"Profiteering pharmaceutical companies and the FDA have met their match in Dr. Jerry Avorn, a Harvard Medical school researcher and clinician. In POWERFUL MEDICINES, he brilliantly combines patient vignettes, scientific critique, and statistics to create a risk/benefit balance for prescription drugs. His premise: 'Every drug is a triangle with three faces -- representing the healing it can bring, the hazards it can inflict and the economic impact of each.' Avorn's gifts as a writer are apparent in the prologue, an edgy account of the mismanaged medications of several stroke patients. He then details the intellectual history of drug assessment and benefits, including the biblical food police in the Book of Daniel, the deer in the headlights Estrogen debacle, and the current infatuation with Ginseng and other alternative medicines. Turning from benefits to risks, Avorn examines diet pills, Viagra, cold medicines and diabetes drugs with comparisons to the decisions of Dr. Fautus -- who makes life-changing bargains between safety and effectiveness. Other insightful chapters offer views of prescription drug economies, and comparative healthcare around the globe. The final chapters create an insightful template for emerging public policy. Throughout, Avorn pulls at common threads: the line between personal and public responsibility, the perils of drug promotion, and the marketplace that usurps the role of scientific evidence in selecting treatments. Anyone looking for a quick muckraking read will be disappointed. But Avorn's views, literate and complex, will frame the debate on prescription drugs for years to come." -- Barbara Mackoff
*Eban, Katherine, Dangerous Doses: How Counterfeiters are Contaminating America's Drug Supply, ISBN: 0151010501 9780151010509.
Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world. Why are we confronted with a huge drug counterfeiting problem? (FDA, Eban)
"Stolen, compromised, and counterfeit medicine increasingly makes its way into a poorly regulated distribution system -- where it may reach unsuspecting patients who stake their lives on its effectiveness. Investigative medical reporter Eban's exploration of America's secret ring of drug counterfeiters takes us to Florida, where a team of investigators follows the trail of medicine stolen in a seemingly minor break-in as it funnels into a sprawling national network of drug polluters. Their pursuit stretches from a strip joint in South Miami to the halls of Congress as they battle entrenched political interests and uncover an increasing threat to America's health." -- Publisher
Her article on Ranbaxy, "Dirty Medicine," was published in the May 15, 2013, issue of Fortune.
Falkowski, Carol, Dangerous Drugs: An Easy to use Reference for Parents and Professionals, ISBN: 1568389817 9781568389813.
"In a world where the drug abuse scene is more confusing and dangerous than ever, the 2nd edition of DANGEROUS DRUGS: AN EASY TO USE REFERENCE FOR PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS is the answer. Now with color photos of drugs and paraphernalia, DANGEROUS DRUGS is a concise, comprehensive, clear, and handy reference that answers your questions at a glance, with: -- Up-to-date information on drugs of abuse -- Demographics of users. -- Explanations of how a drug is used; where it's found and how it affects the mind and body -- The names and forms under which drugs are sold -- Their addictive, lethal, and overdose potential -- Signs of drug abuse and where/how to seek help, and more. Written in clear language, DANGEROUS DRUGS provides straightforward, authoritative, comprehensive, and up-to-the-minute information. It covers the full range of drugs of abuse, whether illegal (marijuana, heroin, cocaine, LSD, methamphetamine, etc.), or legal (alcohol, prescription, tobacco, or Internet-marketed, herbal remedies). DANGEROUS DRUGS is written for professionals and non-professionals alike, and is a book that no one concerned about drug use can afford to be without.
"Carol Falkowski, Director of Research Communications at the Hazelden Foundation, is author of the new reference book, DANGEROUS DRUGS: AN EASY-TO-USE REFERENCE FOR PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS. For nearly 20 years she has monitored drug abuse trends at the national level, as one of 20 researchers in the country who participates in a drug abuse monitoring network of the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Falkowski advised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (1995-1999), regarding the safety, efficacy, and abuse potential of certain drugs, and has provided consultation to the National Institute of Justice, the National Drug Intelligence Center, Join Together, and numerous states. Before coming to Hazelden in 1997, she was research coordinator at the Minnesota state alcohol and drug abuse authority for 15 years.Falkowski was featured in the 1999 Showtime documentary by Robert Zemeckis, "Smoking, Drinking, and Drugging in the Twentieth Century." -- Publisher
Graedon, Joe and Teresa Graedon, Dangerous Drug Interactions, ISBN: 0312968264: 9780312968267.
"What you don't know can hurt you!
"Every time you combine any kind of drug with another -- prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, vitamins, minerals, herbs, alcohol, even food -- you expose yourself to the risk of a potentially hazardous interaction. DANGEROUS DRUG INTERACTIONS can help you navigate the treacherous waters of medicine/vitamin/food combinations with confidence. This life-saving reference includes:
Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, The People's Pharmacy, ISBN: 0312964161 9780312964160.
"This book could save your life or the life of a loved one.
"The FDA isn't protecting you adequately . . . Doctors and pharmacists are making errors . . . over 125,000 people die each year from prescription drug mistakes . . .
"The People's Pharmacy will help protect you and your loved ones from the tragedy of adverse drug reactions. Bestselling authors and brand-name medication experts Joe and Teresa Graedon bring you the most comprehensive guide to commonly used prescription drugs, over-the-counter medication, and other drugstore products. Entirely revised to include the most up-to-date medical research, The People's Pharmacy gives you the power to protect yourself at the doctor's office and in the drugstore. It includes:
Second Opinion, Dangerous Drugs (Atlanta, GA [Second Opinion, P.O. Box 467939, Atlanta 30346-9989]: Second Opinion, 1992).
"If you or anyone you love is taking medications, of any kind . . . even over-the-counter remedies . . . you must read this report!" -- William Campbell Douglass, MD
"Vital facts on 215 drugs in 15 different categories . . . many are household names, Harmful side effects -- headaches, heart spasms, senility, even sudden death, Important drug interaction information, Questions to ask your doctor about any new drug, Extra bonus: 12 safeguards you can use to protect against heart attack."
Subscriptions to Second Opinion, a ground-breaking alternative-medicine newsletter, are also available.
See also: Prescription drugs with dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Generic drugs, Depression, Hypothyroidism, Correct diagnosis, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, Prevention of disease, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Healthcare reform, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Public health, The aged, Patient advocacy, Vaccination, Toxic substances, Attention deficit disorder (add) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), and so forth, and so on.
Age Limit Lowered for Pregnancy Prevention, May 2, 2013
"Emergency contraception, often referred to (inaccurately) as the morning-after pill, will now be sold over-the-counter. Plan B One-Step will become available for young women who are at least 15 years old. . . . The new decision from the FDA came after the agency determined that 15-year-olds were capable of understanding how the product works and how to use it correctly."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/05/02/age-limit-lowered-for-pregnancy-prevention/
Antibiotics and Eye Damage, April 5, 2012
"A class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones has just been linked to a risk of retinal detachment. These medications have long been a mainstay for treating a wide variety of infections including sinus infections and urinary tract infections. They include drugs such as Cipro, Levaquin and Noroxin."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/04/05/antibiotics-and-eye-damage/
Antibiotics and Sudden Death, May 18, 2012
"A little known fact is that the class of antibiotics called macrolides (including clarithromycin and erythromycin as well as azithromycin), can increase the risk for serious irregular heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death. These dangerous arrhythmias have been noted in the medical literature for more than a decade. For reasons that are not entirely clear to us, doctors thought that azithromycin did not share this class effect. . . .
"this study gives a glimpse at another secret that many health professionals prefer to keep under wraps: ***a surprising number of drugs can cause serious heart rhythm abnormalities. These arrhythmias can lead to stroke or sudden death. These medications are taken by tens of millions of Americans every day! . . ."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/05/18/antibiotics-and-sudden-death/
Antidepressants Linked to Dreadful Diarrhea, May 9, 2013
"Some antidepressants may increase the risk for hard-to-treat gastrointestinal infections caused by bacteria called C. diff. Mirtazepine (Remeron), fluoxetine (Prozac) and nortriptyline (Pamelor) were all linked to a greater likelihood of Clostridium difficile diarrhea. People with depression are also more susceptible to this infection."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/05/09/antidepressants-linked-to-dreadful-diarrhea/
Are Your Drugs Safe and Effective? October 9, 2011
"Commercials on television and ads in magazines make medications seem like magic. They are supposed to solve problems like overactive bladder, elevated cholesterol and erectile dysfunction.
"Smiling faces and cheerful music emphasize the benefits of pricey prescriptions. Most people tune out the long list of serious side effects that seems nearly endless and irrelevant.
"Promotional campaigns work. Perhaps that's because many consumers don't understand what FDA drug approval really means, according to a new study about public perception of prescription drug pros and cons (Archives of Internal Medicine, Sept. 12, 2011).
"In this study of nearly 3,000 volunteers, the investigators found: 'Thirty-nine percent mistakenly believed that the "FDA only approves prescription drugs that are extremely effective," and 25 percent mistakenly believed that "only extremely effective drugs can be advertised to consumers"."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/10/09/are-your-drugs-safe-and-effective/
The Dangerous Downsides of Antidepressants, August 14, 2013
"We do worry that antidepressants have been prescribed too casually. A study (Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, online, March 27, 2013) revealed that as many as two-thirds of the patients diagnosed with depression did not actually meet criteria for major depression. Older people (over 65) were especially vulnerable to overdiagnosis."
Some of the subjects covered: hip fracture, post-surgical bleeding, withdrawal symptoms, atherosclerosis, diarrhea caused by bacterial infections, driving impairment, cataracts, nausea, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, Dry mouth, Insomnia, anxiety, tremor, dizziness, fatigue, sleepiness, sweating, hot flashes, blurred vision, headache, sexual dysfunction, lowered libido, erection difficulties, lack of orgasm, Liver damage, serious skin reactions, rash, hives (requires immediate MD assistance!), glaucoma, irregular heart rhythms, bleeding problems, blood pressure problems, interaction with other drugs (leading to serotonin syndrome among other reactions), pneumonia, seizures, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behavior, and suicide.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/08/14/the-dangerous-downsides-of-antidepressants/
Dirty Medicine, July 27, 2013
"The giant Indian drug maker Ranbaxy had recalled its atorvastatin, the generic equivalent of Lipitor, because it was contaminated with ground glass. Earlier this year, Ranbaxy pleaded guilty to 'seven federal criminal counts of selling adulterated drugs with intent to defraud, failing to report that its drugs didn't meet specifications, and making intentionally false statements to the government,' as our guest reported in her exposé. The company was fined $500 million, but Ranbaxy drugs are still on pharmacy shelves.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/07/27/912-dirty-medicine/
Do Statins Cause or Aggravate Type 2 Diabetes? June 27, 2011
"Now there was some scientific evidence to support the anecdotes. Still, the medical community could not really believe that statins might be in some way causing diabetes. Then along came a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology [April 5, 2011]. The investigators reviewed data from three clinical trials. They found that people taking atorvastatin (Lipitor) were at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/27/do-statins-cause-or-aggravate-type-2-diabetes/
Drug Dangers, May 19, 2012
"We'd like to imagine that the drug the doctor prescribed will do exactly what it should and not have any negative consequences. But that is probably an unrealistic expectation. Medications such as the arthritis drug Vioxx and the antibiotic Zithromax can have dangerous effects on the heart. How can we find out about the potential adverse reactions associated with our medicines?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/05/19/858-drug-dangers/
Drugs and Older People
"Lists drugs known to lead to cognitive impairment."
https://store.peoplespharmacy.com/guides/drugs-and-older-people.html
Drugs That can Cause dry Eyes, July 15, 2013
"Physicians and pharmacists rarely mention dry eyes as a drug side effect. That may be because it doesn't seem like such a big deal, especially compared to serious side effects like liver or kidney damage, heart attack or stroke. But just ask someone with dry eyes how it affects their quality of life and you will quickly learn that this is not a minor complication. And treating drug-induced dry eyes with eye drops might be a little like trying to slake your thirst in the middle of the desert with an eye dropper of water. Such a drip-by-drip solution is unlikely to alleviate the problem."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/07/15/drugs-that-can-cause-dry-eyes/
FDA Cancer Warning is Worrisome, June 25, 2011
"This is not the first time physicians and patients have been left in a quandary about drugs that might cause cancer. Powerful immune-modulating drugs such as Enbrel, Humira and Remicade are also under scrutiny. These medications are very helpful for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and hard-to-treat psoriasis.
"The trouble is that these drugs have been associated with certain cancers such as lymphomas, leukemias, melanoma, leiomyosarcoma, kidney and liver cancer. Weighing the benefits and risks of such drugs becomes very challenging."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/25/fda-cancer-warning-is-worrisome/
Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics (Avelox, Cipro, Floxin, Levaquin), Leave a Terrible Trail of Woe and Intrigue, May 26, 2014
"Over the last 20 years quinolone antibiotics have been prescribed to millions of Americans, often for relatively minor infections. Here is a list of common FQs":
Has the Court Made Generic Drugs too Risky? June 26, 2013
"On June 24th, in a 5 to 4 vote, the court determined that patients have very little right to sue generic drug companies for damages caused by their products. In this case a New Hampshire woman, Karen Bartlett, took a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) pain drug prescribed by her doctor. The medication, called sulindac, was once sold only by Merck under the brand name Clinoril. It was first approved by the FDA in 1978 and became available as a generic in the early 1990s."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/26/has-the-court-made-generic-drugs-too-risky/
Herbs and Drugs Interact in Dangerous Ways
"You may be surprised to discover that some of the dietary supplements and herbs you routinely swallow every morning with your other medications could be creating all sorts of problems.
Anyone who is interested in such interactions may wish to consult our Guides to Herbal Remedies, Ginkgo, Coumadin and St. John's Wort. . . .
"Scientists are beginning to learn much more about herb-drug interactions. But labels on herbal products rarely reflect up-to-date research."
Some of the subject discussed: kava, Xanax, St. John's Wort, theophylline, the immune-suppressant cyclosporine, the heart medicine digoxin, birth control pills, blood pressure drugs such as Plendil, Sular or Cozaar, the antiseizure medicine Tegretol, and the anticancer compound tamoxifen, Ginkgo biloba, aspirin, Coumadin (warfarin), Feverfew, garlic, ginger, onion, Coenzyme Q10, ginseng, and green tea.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/09/herbs-and-drugs-interact-in-dangerous-ways/
How Many People Died While the FDA Delayed Action on Acetaminophen? October 6, 2013
"A new investigative report from ProPublica and the radio show, This American Life, reveals that this supposedly safe drug has led to at least 1500 deaths over the last decade. Part of the reason for the toll is repeated delays by the FDA on warning the public about liver damage, alcohol interactions and the dangers of high doses."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/06/how-many-people-died-while-the-fda-delayed-action-on-acetaminophen/
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices [ISMP]
"Every year millions of Americans are seriously harmed by the medicines that are supposed to heal them or relieve their discomfort. In far too many cases, the injuries are disabling or even fatal. ISMP is a 'nonprofit organization devoted entirely to medication error prevention and safe medication use. . . .'
It "has been tracking the FDA's [MedWatch] database [Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS)] of adverse drug reactions for years. . . .
"Patients, pharmacists, physicians, nurses and drug companies can submit adverse event reports or stories about drug failures to the FDA through a system called MedWatch: After someone sends in a report of a bad drug reaction it ends up in a computerized database called AERS (Adverse Event Reporting System). The FDA reviews this information but doesn't make it easily accessible in a usable form for the rest of us.
"Tom Moore [of ISMP] cracked the FDA's code [used in AERS] and has been offering quarterly reports of the FDA data [QuarterWatch] for years through ISMP. . . .
"If it weren't for Tom we would have very little idea what kind of drug problems have been reported to the FDA. He has summarized the data for last year in his latest report:"
QuarterWatch
http://www.ismp.org/QuarterWatch/default.aspx
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices [ISMP]
http://www.ismp.org
Is Your Pain Reliever Causing an Irregular Heart Rhythm? July 20, 2011
"The subjects in the Danish study were matched with 325,918 control patients to compare the use of pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), ketoprofen (Orudis), meloxicam (Mobic) and naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn, etc.). The investigators reported that, "In this large population based case-control study, we found that patients starting treatment with non-aspirin NSAIDs were at increased risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter compared with those not using NSAIDs. The relative risk increase was 40-70 percent -- equivalent to approximately four extra cases per year of atrial fibrillation per 1,000 new users of non-selective NSAIDs and seven extra cases per year of atrial fibrillation per 1,000 new users of COX 2 inhibitors. The risk appeared highest in older people."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/07/20/is-your-pain-reliever-causing-an-irregular-heart-rhythm/
MedWatch
"MedWatch provides important and timely medical product information, and is also a venue for reporting adverse events to FDA. You can sign up to receive MedWatch notices by e-mail."
www.fda.gov/medwatch/
Narcotic Overdose Deaths hit Women, July 4, 2013
"Potent prescription pain relievers are killing women at an unprecedented rate. That is the conclusion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study found that narcotic pain relievers killed five times more women in 2010 than a decade earlier. Medications like oxycodone and hydrocodone, sold under the brand names Oxycontin and Vicodin respectively, have become extremely popular. They are among the most widely prescribed drugs in America today."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/07/04/narcotic-overdose-deaths-hit-women/
Rxisk.org
"A site designed to collect online direct patient reports of drug effects so that adverse effects can be detected more quickly."
https://www.rxisk.org/Default.aspx
The Screwing of Senior Citizens
"It is one of the worst scandals in medicine and yet it has been ignored for decades. Millions of older people are prescribed medications that are totally inappropriate. Many of these drugs are likely to do more harm than good.
More than two decades ago a physician who specialized in treating older people, Mark Beers, MD, was shocked to discover that more than half of nursing home residents were receiving drugs that might cause them confusion, sedation and disorientation, not to mention constipation, dizziness or dry mouth. Dr. Beers was so incensed that he worked with other experts to develop a list of medications generally considered inappropriate for older people. You will find the Beers list of inappropriate drugs in our Guide to Drugs and Older People."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/23/the-screwing-of-senior-citizens/
Serious Side Effects Demand Attention, May 22, 2013
"Several important drug studies were just published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine this week. They revealed some serious new complications linked to popular drugs such as:
Surviving Pharmageddon, October 26, 2013
"More than 150 million prescriptions are dispensed each year for antidepressant medications. It seems counterintuitive that medicines designed to fight depression might trigger suicidal thoughts or actions. Perhaps that is why so many doctors seem not to have recognized the evidence of this potential side effect. It can also be extremely difficult to stop taking an antidepressant. Prescribers rarely mention that withdrawal symptoms can be disorienting and can take weeks or even months to disappear.
"In the book PHARMAGEDDON, Dr. David Healy talks about the pharmaceuticalization of medicine. How did big Pharma seduce so many doctors?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/26/923-surviving-pharmageddon/
Ten Rules That Could Save Your Life
Preventing Adverse Drug Reactions
"Did you know that adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have been estimated to be the 3rd most frequent cause of death in the USA today, outstripped only by heart disease and cancer? And this is not even considering all those who suffer, but don't die. . . ."
http://www.aitse.org/ten-rules-that-could-save-your-life/
Troublesome Drugs in the Pharmacy
This is an important article to read. It lists troublesome drugs and gives other resources and links.
"Adverse event reports of 'serious, disabling, and fatal adverse drug events' are up over 9 percent in the last year. Roughly 180,000 such reports were submitted to the FDA. Experts estimate that is just the tip of the iceberg. It might represent as little as 1 percent of the number of people who were seriously harmed by medications last year. That's because most health professionals cannot take the time to submit a report and most patients don't know that they can."
"Suspect drugs ranked by number of direct reports to FDA in 2011
Solving the Sleep Dilemma, October 27, 2012
"Learn about the research linking prescription sleep aids to premature death. If sleeping pills are risky and sleep deprivation is also dangerous for our health, what can we do to get a good night's sleep? Our guests offer practical suggestions."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/10/27/878-solving-the-sleep-dilemma/
Understanding Medication Risks and Benefits, September 14, 2011
"A new national survey of nearly 3,000 people reveals that many Americans have an unrealistic understanding of the FDA drug approval process. Approximately 4 out of 10 mistakenly believe that the agency approves only highly effective medications. Another 25 percent wrongly assume that only drugs without serious side effects are allowed on the market."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/09/14/understanding-medication-risks-and-benefits/
Unreported Side Effects of Drugs are Found Using Internet Search Data, Study Finds, John Markoff, March 6, 2013
"Using data drawn from queries entered into Google, Microsoft and Yahoo search engines, scientists at Microsoft, Stanford, and Columbia University have for the first time been able to detect evidence of unreported prescription drug side effects before they were found by the Food and Drug Administration's warning system."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/science/unreported-side-effects-of-drugs-found-using-internet-data-study-finds.html
What are the Most Dangerous Prescription Drugs? November 24, 2011
Researchers have estimated that medications cause 17 million visits to emergency rooms and 8.7 million hospitalizations each year [Johnson, J.A. and J.L. Bootman, "Drug-Related Morbidity and Mortality: A Cost-of-Illness Model." Archives of Internal Medicine, 1995; 155:1949-1956]. It has been estimated that the drugs that are supposed to relieve our symptoms or cure us, may be responsible for as many as 300,000 deaths annually."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/11/24/what-are-the-most-dangerous-prescription-drugs/
According to the FDA, 80 percent of the active and inactive ingredients in our pharmaceuticals come from abroad. It is estimated that 40 percent of the finished pills come from abroad including countries such as India, China, Brazil and Mexico. It is also very clear that the FDA does not have the resources to inspect all or even many of the manufacturing plants producing either the raw materials or finished products millions of Americans take every day. That means that there is no verification system that the pills are exactly what they say they are.
We have seen manufacturing problems with some of the most prestigious drug companies in the U.S. (Johnson and Johnson and GSK). These problems occurred at plants where the FDA visits on a regular basis. Do we really believe that chemical companies in China that are not inspected are producing perfectly identical generic drugs at cutthroat prices? -- Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 2011Pharmacist Spills the Beans on Generic Drug Origins
I am a pharmacist with 40 years of practice. I am very disturbed about the generic drugs that are coming into this country from who knows where. Unfortunately, we have little choice in choosing a generic or a brand name. This is dictated by the insurance company.
When your prescription is filled an electronic claim is sent to your insurance company. The drug is identified by its national drug code (NDC) and if the insurance company does not like the drug that is submitted, they immediately reject the claim. The insurance company is the gate-keeper through their rejection process.
The FDA considers the country of origin to be confidential information. In many cases I cannot even tell where the drug was manufactured to advise patients. I find this outrageous. Every consumer has a right to know where his drugs are made. We need a consumer uprising over this. Contact your representative and make him aware of this travesty. -- Len, Jan 23, 2011The irrationality of the generic drugs program has been reported widely online, and in articles and listener comments at peoplespharmacy.com.
Let me point out that while not "critical" and not causing "chaos," large numbers of patients, who have responded well to Prozac, and who are dependent upon it, find that generic fluoxetine hydrochloride (the generic for tradename Prozac, Sarafem, Fontex), for some reason, does not work like Prozac did. In other words, it fails to do what Prozac did, and may even cause unacceptable side-effects like light-headedness, slight dizziness, and drowziness. Such reports are widespread on the web.
One consideration here is that Prozac is a delayed release medication. Practically all the generic forms are not delayed release. "The physical characteristics or release properties of a brand name drug often stay under patent even after the active ingredient becomes available generically. This is especially problematic for slow-release or long-acting medications. Generic manufacturers may have to come up with different technologies to deliver the active ingredients. This means that the products are not always 'indistinguishable or one and the same'." -- Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 2011
Furthermore, an editor of the Wikipedia article on "Generic Drugs" states that "Bioequivalence, however, does not mean that generic drugs must be exactly the same ('pharmaceutical equivalent'), as their innovator product counterparts, as chemical differences may exist (different salt or ester -- a 'pharmaceutical alternative')." [citation needed]. Notice that no citation was given for this statement. If the statement can be verified, then the state of the generic drug program is very, very, irrational indeed. I would say it is critical and chaotic. To me this means, if the fact of chemical differences can be substantiated by authorities, that generics are not chemically equivalent to the original medicine. And this would explain why so many patients find that generic Prozac does not work for them.
Also, please let me point out that generics may even be unsafe. According to the FDA, "80 percent of the active and inactive ingredients in our pharmaceuticals come from abroad," like China, India, Thailand, and Brazil, where manufacturers are often uninspected.
Also, remember that even tradename pharmaceuticals may be counterfeit. According to an article in Daily Finance "Slightly more than $11 million worth of pharmaceuticals were seized in 2009, most of which came from China. Pharmaceuticals also accounted for the majority of all counterfeit goods coming from India, making up 86 percent of intercepted goods originating from that country. Pharmaceuticals were the top commodity presenting 'potential safety or security risks' according to the CBP. Pharmaceuticals account for 34 percent of all the items in this security risk category. . . ." -- 10 Most Counterfeited Products in America, April 29, 2017Eli Lilly's patent on Prozac ran out in August 2001. Prozac was certainly one of the most remarkable drug developments on the 90s. It sure made a splash in the media back then. Today Prozac is hardly mentioned, but "over 22.2 million prescriptions for generic formulations of fluoxetine were filled in the United States in 2007."
Of course, patients who responded well to Prozac, yet find that the generic form does not work, have, apparently, few alternatives, except to go back to Prozac. But there is a problem with this alternative. Today, in June 2011, your local pharmacy charges $650.00 for a bottle of 20 mg Prozac capsule containing 100 capsules. Apparently that price is being set by Eli Lilly. But it would seem that Lilly could recapture much of the market for antidepressants from users of generic Prozac who are not satisfied with it, and from patients who switched to other antidepressants, by simply lowering the price of Prozac to a reasonable, and a fair level. -- compilerThe fallacy of generic equivalence is recognized by those of us in practice in the community, while the FDA requires that the generic manufacturer "must show" that the generic drug "bioequivalent" to the brand name drug. "Bioequivalence" is demonstrated by measuring the time that it takes the generic drug to reach the blood stream and its concentration in 24-36 healthy, normal volunteers.
I find this "testing" strategy statistically incompetent. The FDA then requires that the generic manufacturer "must assure" the FDA that the raw materials and the finished product meet USP specifications. The manufacturer must provide a full description of the manufacturing facilities and "certify" that it complies with federal regulations about current good manufacturing practices, and must undergo inspection of the facility to ensure compliance.
I am unable to locate the criteria and allowable variance in the absorption and blood level measurements on the FDA website. Nor am I able to determine the frequency with which the FDA conducts manufacturing establishment inspections after initial approval is obtained.
The recent withdrawal of the generic bupropion product Budeprion from the market due to failed quality control is no surprise. My patients experience generic failure or toxicity when switched from branded products to generic product or switched from one generic manufacturer to another on a frequency of about once per month.
Personally, I have experienced generic drug failure in my personal medication prescriptions as well. When using generic medication, I request that the pharmacy refill it from the same manufacturer consistently. My pharmacy has been most cooperative in these requests. I advise my patients to do the same.
From my review of the medical literature, medications with a narrow therapeutic window; i.e., requiring carefully titrated dosages such as anticonvulsants (medications for the treatment of epilepsy), have about a 15-20 percent failure rate when switching from branded to generic formulations or switching between generic manufacturers.
It is estimated that there are 3500 pharmaceutical manufacturing sites supplying medications to the United States. I am unable to locate any information about the re-inspection frequency by the FDA. I am unable to locate any mention of bioequivalence retesting after generic drug approval.
The rationale for the use of generic medications is based on cost. "Lower cost to the consumer!" But at what cost? There is no mention of the massive profit margin to be obtained by the manufacture and sale of generic drugs. I must believe that the margins are significant when there are several manufacturers for the same medication. for example, when I last counted, there were 22 generic manufacturers for generic lamotrigine.
The competition for retail sales must be intense. I must assume that competition for retail generic placement is based on cost. How can costs be controlled in a continually challenging competitive environment? After the initial investment for facilities, the costs of labor, raw materials, and processing are the variables. What do you cut to maintain or increase market share? -- Reader's Comment in an online thread January 10, 2013I am a psychiatrist in private practice and have had three patients in the last few months have problems with generic Prozac (fluoxetine). The reports are consistent -- lost efficacy and sedation where there had been none on the brand name. One patient experienced withdrawal symptoms after missing a dose, which should not happen with fluoxetine, given its long half-life.
I went so far as to try both the generic and the Eli Lilly Prozac myself. I would agree, based on side effects, that they were not only different strengths but different drugs. The generic appears to be a short-acting, sedating weak-dose SSRI [selective/serotonin reuptake inhibitor], (perhaps paroxetine or fluvoxamine rather than fluoxetine).
All three patients improved within two weeks on brand-name Prozac with resolution of all side effects." (October 15, 2007) -- Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, page 123
*Avorn, Jerry, Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs, ISBN: 0375414835 9780375414831.
"If you believe that the latest blockbuster medication is worth a premium price over your generic brand, or that doctors have access to all the information they need about a drug's safety and effectiveness each time they write a prescription, Dr. Jerry Avorn has some sobering news. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of patient care, teaching, and research at Harvard Medical School, he shares his firsthand experience of the wide gap in our knowledge of the effectiveness of one medication as compared to another. In POWERFUL MEDICINES, he reminds us that every pill we take represents a delicate compromise between the promise of healing, the risk of side effects, and an increasingly daunting price. The stakes on each front grow higher every year as new drugs with impressive power, worrisome side effects, and troubling costs are introduced.
"This is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at issues that affect everyone: our shortage of data comparing the worth of similar drugs for the same condition; alarming lapses in the detection of lethal side effects; the under use of life-saving medications; lavish marketing campaigns that influence what doctors prescribe; and the resulting upward spiral of costs that places vital drugs beyond the reach of many Americans.
"In this engagingly written book, Dr. Avorn asks questions that will interest every consumer: How can a product judged safe by the Food and Drug Administration turn out to have unexpectedly lethal side effects? Why has the nation's drug bill been growing at nearly 20 percent per year? How can physicians and patients pick the best medication in its class? How do doctors actually make their prescribing decisions, and why do those decisions sometimes go wrong? Why do so many Americans suffer preventable illnesses and deaths that proper drug use could have averted? How can the nation gain control over its escalating drug budget without resorting to rationing or draconian governmental controls?
"Using clinical case histories taken from his own work as a practitioner, researcher, and advocate, Dr. Avorn demonstrates the impressive power of the well-conceived prescription as well as the debacles that can result when medications are misused. He describes an innovative program that employs the pharmaceutical industry's own marketing techniques to reduce use of some of the most over prescribed and overpriced products. Powerful Medicines offers timely and practical advice on how the nation can improve its drug-approval process, and how patients can work with doctors to make sure their prescriptions are safe, effective, and as affordable as possible.
"This is a passionate and provocative call for action as well as a compelling work of clear-headed science.
"Jerry Avorn, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. An internist, geriatrician, and drug researcher, he is the author of more than two hundred papers in the medical literature on medication use and its outcomes, and one of the most frequently cited researchers in the fields of social science and medicine." -- Publisher
"Easy to read and follow, wide-ranging in scope, dripping with insight from a real medical insider, and very humorous besides, this book is a tour-de-force in many aspects. Problems with HMOs, the FDA, Big Pharma, and out-of-control drug advertising are all addressed. The benefits of drugs are addressed by giving examples of the launching of some that were later risky enough to be banned. The most detailed illustration of the benefits and limitations of the randomized clinical trial (RCT) I have ever read are in this book. Dr. Avorn also gave the best illustration of the advantages of the observational study on large numbers of subjects as a better way to find the risks of drugs. The risks of drugs have many causes besides their inherent toxicity. Dr. Avorn shows how the subjects in an RCT may be healthier or younger or too male compared with the likely drug target group, how dosages may be too high for children or the elderly, how adverse effects are hard to predict and under-reported and that RCTs are not run for enough time. He notes how too many drugs are approved by the FDA based on handy measurements such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels, not real clinical endpoints, like death. The costs of drugs are noted to be whatever the markets will bear, even when the key discoveries are made in government or academic labs, as is usually the case. He writes about the drug information overload for physicians from ads or 'detail women' from Big Pharma, and of 'education' courses put on by Big Pharma, all biased of course. Dr. Avorn has, for >25 years, been involved in studies on how to use computerized data on filled prescriptions and later medical histories of each patient to correlate drug use with well-being. Some of the results have been put into practice with improved patient well-being and lower costs for drugs. He also introduced 'academic detailing' to teach physicians how to prescribe better and cheaper drugs. For these efforts alone he should have a Nobel Prize in Medicine, in my opinion. He makes a number of practical suggestions on improving healthcare in the USA, all with understanding that pluralism, competition and choice are key features of any success in the USA. Prescribing via computer could alert the MD to cheaper drug alternatives, dosage for each age group, and potential interactions. The pharmacy would have accurate input and alerts to prescriptions being filled at other pharmacies. Of larger scope is Dr. Avorn's idea of creating non-profit healthcare provider organizations that are also the insurers. They would be audited annually and evaluated for effectiveness annually with all results being made public. Other suggestions are that drug approval by the FDA no longer be 'yes and good luck' or 'no,' but that there be conditional approvals to be reviewed. Some other federal agency would evaluate risks, not the same people in the FDA who approved the drugs. There is great detail and subtlety overall. The index is adequate. Referencing by page number was sparse. So how could I give only 3 stars to this tour-de-force? While Dr. Avorn was realistic about drug classes such as the NSAIDS (Vioxx, Celebrex), he is far too sanguine, in my opinion, about anticancer, blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol drugs. He is far too negative about vitamins and supplements. Anticancer drugs usually do not prolong life (Moss, 2000). There is no evidence that the wide use of BP drugs provides major benefits, even Dr. Avorn's preferred beta-blockers and diuretics. In RCTs combined in a meta-analysis, the use of beta-blockers reduced mortality by only 0.1 percent annually (Psaty, 1997). The ALLHAT RCT cited by Dr. Avorn had no placebo arm, and the results for the diuretic, which was not a thiazide type, were a bit worse than for the other drug types (Kauffman, 2004). Only when BP is very high, as in the Swedish Trial in Old Patients (STOP), (Dahlöf, 1991), is the result barely worthwhile. The 1627 subjects of both sexes were 70-84 years old and had mean BP = 195/102 at baseline and were followed for 4 years at 116 health centers in Sweden. The drugs were a diuretic, or the same combined with a beta-blocker. After 4 years 89 percent of the drug-treated group were alive vs. 85 percent on placebo, for a drop of just 1 percent per year in mortality. Stroke rate dropped just 1.5 percent per year. In the ASCOT trial of atorvastatin (Lipitor) the chance of not dying was improved by just 0.15 percent per year (Sever, 2003), at a cost of $1,000,000 to prevent 1 death for one year! And this was a trial that Pfizer chose to publish! In the few RCTs in which mortality for women on statin drugs was published, it was higher in all cases (Criqui, 2004), as it is also for aspirin use (Kauffman, 2002). The slight benefits of statin drugs on heart attack and mortality rates have nothing to do with lowering cholesterol or LDL levels, but are related to the presence of cytomegalovirus or inflammation in mostly male patients with severely blocked coronary arteries (Horne, 2003). Dr. Avorn does not admit that the low compliance rates with these two types of drugs is caused by their severe side-effects such that half drop them in a year and up to 3/4 after 2 years (Pahor, 2000; Jackevicius, 2002). Dr. Avorn was extremely negative on the use of supplements, and on the 1994 law that declared them foods, not drugs, unaware of the previous FDA bias in evaluating them. He wrote that none have had valid trial results. This is untrue for selenium (Bjelakovic et al., 2004), a few herbals (Vickers, 1999), ginkgo (Kleijnen, 1992), vitamin C (Hickey, 2004), magnesium (Paolissi, 1989), and some others. Stopping useless drugs altogether rather than substituting cheaper ones, and using certain supplements will save far more than prescribing generics! Willful perversions of RCTs is better covered in OVERDO$ED AMERICA by John Abramson, MD. Complete references available." -- Joel M. Kauffman
See the extended excerpt, "The Pregnant Mare's Lesson" reprinted by permission in the Editorial Reviews for the book at Amazon.com.
"Profiteering pharmaceutical companies and the FDA have met their match in Dr. Jerry Avorn, a Harvard Medical school researcher and clinician. In POWERFUL MEDICINES, he brilliantly combines patient vignettes, scientific critique, and statistics to create a risk/benefit balance for prescription drugs. His premise: 'Every drug is a triangle with three faces -- representing the healing it can bring, the hazards it can inflict and the economic impact of each.' Avorn's gifts as a writer are apparent in the prologue, an edgy account of the mismanaged medications of several stroke patients. He then details the intellectual history of drug assessment and benefits, including the biblical food police in the Book of Daniel, the deer in the headlights Estrogen debacle, and the current infatuation with Ginseng and other alternative medicines. Turning from benefits to risks, Avorn examines diet pills, Viagra, cold medicines and diabetes drugs with comparisons to the decisions of Dr. Fautus -- who makes life-changing bargains between safety and effectiveness. Other insightful chapters offer views of prescription drug economies, and comparative healthcare around the globe. The final chapters create an insightful template for emerging public policy. Throughout, Avorn pulls at common threads: the line between personal and public responsibility, the perils of drug promotion, and the marketplace that usurps the role of scientific evidence in selecting treatments. Anyone looking for a quick muckraking read will be disappointed. But Avorn's views, literate and complex, will frame the debate on prescription drugs for years to come." -- Barbara Mackoff
*Eban, Katherine, Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom, ISBN: 006233879X 9780062338792.
The Scandal of our Drug Supply -- The New York Review of Books
"Katherine Eban's disquieting, often unnerving, and at times infuriating new book BOTTLE OF LIES ranges across the pharmaceutical industry in several countries, but its chief concern is the generic drug industry in India and the inconsistent vetting by the FDA of the industry's products."
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/07/23/scandal-drug-supply-bottle-lies/
*Eban, Katherine, Dangerous Doses: How Counterfeiters are Contaminating America's Drug Supply, ISBN: 0151010501 9780151010509.
Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world. Why are we confronted with a huge drug counterfeiting problem? (FDA, Eban)
"Stolen, compromised, and counterfeit medicine increasingly makes its way into a poorly regulated distribution system -- where it may reach unsuspecting patients who stake their lives on its effectiveness. Investigative medical reporter Eban's exploration of America's secret ring of drug counterfeiters takes us to Florida, where a team of investigators follows the trail of medicine stolen in a seemingly minor break-in as it funnels into a sprawling national network of drug polluters. Their pursuit stretches from a strip joint in South Miami to the halls of Congress as they battle entrenched political interests and uncover an increasing threat to America's health." -- Publisher
Her article on Ranbaxy, "Dirty Medicine," was published in the May 15, 2013, issue of Fortune.
Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy: What you Need to Know Before Your Next Visit to the Doctor or Drugstore, ISBN: 9781594864070 1594864071.
"The issues surrounding generic drugs are endlessly fascinating. Pharmacists like generic drugs because the mark-up is better than on brand name drugs. Insurance companies love generic drugs because generics save the companies a ton of money. As a taxpayer, I'm happy that federal and state governments embrace generic drugs. I'd hate to be taxed to pay for exclusively brand name drugs for Medicare Part D, and for the Veterans Administration, and for Medicaid programs, etc. I like the fact that the government embraces generic drugs because that holds down my taxes. But as a consumer, I prefer brand name drugs.
"One of the fundamental tenets of capitalism is that price determines quality. You get what you pay for. That's why tires for your car with a 80,000-mile treadlife warranty cost much more than tires with a 25,000-mile warranty. When you go to a supermarket, do you buy the store brand of green beans or do you prefer Green Giant or DelMonte? Are you happy when your automobile mechanic uses a brand of motor oil you've never heard of, or do you prefer that he uses Valvoline or Havoline? If you need a pacemaker for your heart, wouldn't you want the absolute finest on the market? If you need a drug to control a heart arrhythmia, would you be wise to accept a generic? The examples are endless but the point is the same. Can you be assured of quality when the cost of a generic product is half the price of a brand name?
"The Graedons point out that the FDA is grossly understaffed and that the chances are frighteningly small that the FDA will actually pull and test a drug sample from a pharmacy shelf or even from the plant where the drugs are manufactured.
"Belief in the quality of generic drugs is, in my opinion, based more on faith than science. Too many powerful groups have a vested interest in the perception that generic drugs are as good as brand name. I'm not making the case that we as a society embrace brand name drugs and discard generics. Quite to the contrary. Americans are grossly overmedicated, in no small part as a consequence of direct-to-consumer drug advertising on TV and in newspapers and magazines. Americans would do well to embrace prevention and let pharmaceuticals return to their proper role in society, important but far more limited. I do everything in my power to prevent illness, but when I do need a drug, I prefer a brand name, especially when it's used to treat a serious medical condition.
"The Graedons have been enthusiastic supporters of generic drugs for decades but have lately begun to have second thoughts. They cite an increasing number of letters from readers of their newspaper column who have less than satisfactory results with generic drugs. Patients who are well-controlled on the anti-seizure drug Dilantin suddenly begin having seizures when switched to the generic phenytoin. Men taking the brand name Hytrin for enlarged prostate begin having more difficulty urinating when swithched to the generic terazosin. Mothers complain that their child's behavior worsens when switched from the brand name Ritalin to the generic methylphenidate. Patients taking the brand name Synthroid complain that they begin experiencing thyroid symptoms when switched to the generic levothyroxine. Patients on the brand name blood thinner Coumadin have more difficulty keeping their clotting in the target range when switched to the generic warfarin. And so on.
"What is one to make of this? Are these people imagining these differences in effectiveness between brand name drugs and generics? Are these people simply complaining because their insurance company or Medicaid pushes them to accept generics?
"It is not rare that pharmacists hear complaints from our customers that generics do not perform as well as brand name drugs. Many pharmacists dismiss such complaints outright. Other pharmacists are beginning to wonder if there may be some truth in our customers' complaints. Pharmacists certainly aren't impressed when we receive bottles of a hundred, or five-hundred, or a thousand tablets from a generic manufacturer and we see lots of powder at the bottom of the bottle as a result of too many broken tablets. This tells pharmacists that quality control at the manufacturing plant is not the best. Pharmacists see powder and broken tablets far less often with brand name tablets.
"People used to think that generic drugs were made in a bathtub in someone's back yard. That's not the case. Some brand name manufacturers do, in fact, make generic drugs. But I have serious doubts whether, in general, there is as much quality control with generic drugs compared to brand name. For example, when I read advertisements for generic drugs in my pharmacy magazines, I am struck by the fact that the number one theme of these advertisements is QUALITY. Why are all these generic manufacturers trying so hard to convince pharmacists that their generic products are of high quality? If the FDA says that all generic drugs are as good as brand name, why are the generic manufacturers still obsessed with convincing pharmacists about the quality of their generic products?
"BEST CHOICES FROM THE PEOPLE'S PHARMACY is an eye-opener on this and many other important issues. When it comes to exposure of the pharmaceutical industry, the Graedons are the best." -- Reader's Comment
"This special edition (524 pages), is not available in any bookstore. It contains an expansion of our PEOPLE'S PHARMACY FAVORITE PICKS (home remedies), and a new chapter on Desert Island Drugs and Dietary Supplements. Some of the country's leading experts have contributed their insights on the best treatments for what ails you. This edition is not in stores or on other Internet sites. It is only available from Rodale Books and directly from The People's Pharmacy.
"We ship book orders Media Mail (5-10 day delivery expected)."
The People's Phamacy Books
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/books/
*Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, 1st edition, October 4, 2011, 336 pages, ISBN: 9780307460912 0307460916.
"If you would like to read more about the details of our investigation into the generic drug problem in America and the FDA's inadequate oversight, we offer our book, TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM. You will discover the details behind the Budeprion XL 300 debacle and learn what steps you can take to avoid generic drug disasters." -- Joe and Terry Graedons
"Health care screwups are one of the leading causes of death in America, killing as many as 750,000 people annually. That's more than heart attacks or cancer. And yet most people don't know this, including most physicians. From diagnostic disasters to deadly drug interactions, the bestselling authors of The People's Pharmacy expose the alarming epidemic of medical mistakes in America -- and offer a lifesaving prescription to make the healthcare system safe again.
"There is a culture of cover-up in medicine that has been very effective at keeping mistakes secret. A recent study found that the most sophisticated way of detecting harm in the hospital identified 100 times more problems than doctors reported.
(Health Affairs, April, 2011)
"Medical mistakes happen all the time. Each year, 6.1 million Americans are harmed by diagnostic mistakes, drug disasters, and medical treatments. . . . Patient advocates Joe and Teresa Graedon came face-to-face with the tragic consequences of doctors' screwups when Joe's mother died in Duke Hospital -- one of the best in the world -- due to a disastrous series of preventable errors. The good news is that we can protect ourselves and our loved ones by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and more." -- Publisher
Nilsen, Clifford L., Generic Drugs: A Consumer's Self-Defense Guide, 208 pages, ISBN: 9781450283465 1450283462.
"When you buy drugs, you don't expect them to be contaminated with antifreeze, industrial chemicals, glass, or dangerous bacteria. But this happens every day when uninformed consumers buy generic drugs or over-the-counter and behind-the-counter drug products. Armed with the right knowledge, you can avoid the dangers and risks of these drugs and protect yourself and your family. This layperson's guide, written by a drug industry insider, will tell you how the U.S. drug industry works, how drugs are made, where the ingredients come from, and how to identify which drug companies are good and which to avoid. Topics covered include:
See also: Prescription drugs with dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), What your doctor may not tell you, Depression, Hypothyroidism, Correct diagnosis, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Healthcare reform, The aged, Vaccination, Attention deficit disorder (add) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), and so forth, and so on.
American Analytical Chemistry Laboratories (Intertek)
We specialize in research and analytical testing services to companies engaged in development, production and distribution of nutrition supplements, nutraceuticals, functional foods, functional drinks, functional cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals. We provide services for product development, analytical method development and validation, product quality control testing, product stability/shelf life study, product efficacy and product safety evaluations.
http://www.aaclabs.com/
Another Metoprolol Recall Reveals the Dark Side of Generic Drugs, June 22, 2014
"Although the FDA considers the Dr. Reddy's recall important (Class II, which means "a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences"), it is doing little to alert patients. Pharmacies are supposed to stop dispensing such products and return them to the company. But patients who have Dr. Reddy's metoprolol succinate 25 mg pills, even if they are in the recalled lots, are supposed to keep taking them. . . ."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/06/22/another-metoprolol-recall-reveals-the-dark-side-of-generic-drugs/
Consumers Beware: Incomplete Generic Drug Warnings OK, Lauren Hepler, The Columbus Dispatch, June 25, 2011
"Experts are warning the 75 percent of Americans who take generic prescription medication to carefully review usage and risks with pharmacists following a Supreme Court ruling this week that limits the liability of generic drug makers.
"The court ruled Thursday that since generics are copies of name-brand drugs, generic drug makers can't be sued for not listing risks if those risks are not on brand-name labels. . . .
The court overruled some state laws that say generic drug companies must update warnings if they have information about other risks. . . .
" 'The point here is to be critical in your questions to pharmacists and physicians prescribing the drugs,' said Ernest Boyd, executive director of the Ohio Pharmacists Association. . . .
"Healthcare advocates say the ruling is bad news. . . .
" 'The Supreme Court handed a windfall to one of the most powerful and wealthy industries in the country,' Levine said. . . .
"She said consumers also should be aware of a second ruling Thursday that allows pharmaceutical companies to enhance marketing efforts by purchasing lists of the medications prescribed by individual doctors. . . ."
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/25/incomplete-generic-drug-warnings-ok.html?sid=101
Dirty Medicine, July 27, 2013
"The giant Indian drug maker Ranbaxy had recalled its atorvastatin, the generic equivalent of Lipitor, because it was contaminated with ground glass. Earlier this year, Ranbaxy pleaded guilty to 'seven federal criminal counts of selling adulterated drugs with intent to defraud, failing to report that its drugs didn't meet specifications, and making intentionally false statements to the government,' as our guest reported in her exposé. The company was fined $500 million, but Ranbaxy drugs are still on pharmacy shelves.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/07/27/912-dirty-medicine/
Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act
"The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act, informally known as the "Hatch-Waxman Act" [Public Law 98-417], is a 1984 United States federal law which established the modern system of generic drugs. The informal name comes from the Act's two sponsors, representative Henry Waxman of California and senator Orrin Hatch of Utah.
"Hatch-Waxman amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Section 505(j) 21 U.S.C. 355(j) sets forth the process by which would-be marketers of generic drugs can file Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) to seek FDA approval of the generic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_Price_Competition_and_Patent_Term_Restoration_Act
FDA Report Disappoints. Points to the Unreliability and Even Danger of Chinese Manufactured Generic Drugs, April 22, 2008
"The only problem with this otherwise rosy picture is that everything depends upon the FDA's vigilance to ensure that all generic drugs are indeed identical to their brand-name counterparts. Over the last several years, we have begun to doubt the government's ability to do this job adequately."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/joe_and_terrys_blog/fda_report_disappoints_.php
Generic Drug Inspections Proposed, August 17, 2011
"Over the last decade or so there have been growing concerns about the quality of generic drugs. That is because 40 percent of the finished products and 80 percent of the raw ingredients are manufactured abroad in countries like India, China, Thailand and Brazil. The majority of the foreign plants have not been inspected by the U.S. Food and Drug administration. That is largely because the FDA does not have the resources or personnel to inspect all the facilities where generic drugs are manufactured.
"That may soon change. Generic drug manufacturers and the FDA have reached an agreement whereby the industry will pay about $300 million to the Food and Drug Administration in user fees. This would allow the feds to hire more staffers. The generic industry wants faster approval of its products and part of this contribution would be devoted to speeding up the generic drug review process. There would also be funds devoted to improved inspections of both U.S. and foreign manufacturing plants. Before this initiative can be implemented, however, Congress will have to vote on the proposal.
"FINALLY! Aren't these people supposed to be protecting us? So what has the FDA been doing all these years? Oh yes, I forgot. A job at the FDA is a stepping stone to a really big paying job with a pharmaceutical company. People in this country need to say NO NO NO to anyone who tries to foist a generic drug on them. THEY DON'T WORK!
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/08/17/generic-drug-inspections-proposed/
The Generic Drug Scandal, October 02, 1989
"These are bad times for generic drug makers and their regulators. Three officials of the Food and Drug Administration have pleaded guilty to receiving bribes, and two generic drug companies have admitted to providing false data. Now, after a new scandal involving defective generic drugs for epilepsy, Representative John Dingell says he's lost confidence in the industry's integrity and the F.D.A.'s ability to ensure safe drugs."
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/02/opinion/the-generic-drug-scandal.html
Has the Court Made Generic Drugs too Risky? June 26, 2013
"On June 24th, in a 5 to 4 vote, the court determined that patients have very little right to sue generic drug companies for damages caused by their products. In this case a New Hampshire woman, Karen Bartlett, took a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) pain drug prescribed by her doctor. The medication, called sulindac, was once sold only by Merck under the brand name Clinoril. It was first approved by the FDA in 1978 and became available as a generic in the early 1990s."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/26/has-the-court-made-generic-drugs-too-risky/
Generic Drugs Hammered. Are AUTHORIZED Generics the Answer? Joe Graedon, May 13, 2019
"The FDA has been criticized for its oversight of generic drugs. Major news stories this week dealt a blow to this industry. What about authorized generics?
"This has been a very bad week for generic drug manufacturers and the FDA. Here are just a few of the stories that have made headlines. 'A New Book Argues That Generic Drugs are Poisoning us" (New York Times, May 13, 2019). 'Americans Need Generic Drugs. But Can They Trust Them?' (New York Times, May 11, 2019). "Allegations of widespread fraud raise questions about the safety of generic drugs made overseas' (CBS News, May, 10, 2019). 'Generic drug companies, executives slapped with price-fixing lawsuit' (CNN, May 13, 2019). '60 Minutes Reports: Prescription Drug Price Fixing' (60 Minutes Overtime, May 12, 2019). Are AUTHORIZED generic drugs an answer?"
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/05/13/generic-drugs-hammered-are-authorized-generics-the-answer/
How Good are Generic Drugs? November 11, 2012
"Extended release formulations are often indicated by abbreviations like CD, CR, ER, LA, SR, XL, XR and XT. There are hundreds of such products because they are more convenient than medications taken two or three times a day.
"Most people don't realize that the technologies that allow for slow release of ingredients may differ between the brand and the generic versions. That's because the formulation that allows for slow release can be under a separate patent from the active drug ingredient.
"To release the medicine in a controlled manner, manufacturers have developed sophisticated coatings, laser-cut holes or special pelleting processes. The generic manufacturer may not have permission to use the same technique. Substituting a different type of slow-release approach, as was the case with Budeprion XL 300, may change the way the drug gets into the bloodstream.
"Now that the FDA has come to grips with this potential problem, it appears to be raising the bar for generic manufacturing going forward. Questions remain, however, about the performance of some generic drugs approved under the old guidelines.
"Many readers have reported problems with slow-release generics."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/11/11/how-good-are-generic-drugs-1/
Listing of 314 Prescription Medications Covered Under Walmart's Expanded $4.00 Drug Program
See above, "FDA Report Disappoints. Points to the Unreliability and Even Danger of Chinese Manufactured Generic Drugs."
http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/genericdruglist.pdf
Pharmacy Checker
For "people who would like to learn about saving money on brand name drugs from online pharmacies."
http://www.pharmacychecker.com/
The Pros and Cons of Generic Drugs, Dec. 11, 2014
"We discuss the value of generic drugs and the questions surrounding quality control with Dr. Greene."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/12/11/show-973-the-pros-and-cons-of-generic-dthe-pros-and-cons-of-generic-drugs/
Thefts, Counterfeits, and bad Drugs, July 9, 2011
"Prescription drugs are now so pricey that they have become a tantalizing target for criminals. Both thefts of prescription drugs and counterfeit drugs are increasing in the U.S. where they used to be rare.
"Controlling the quality of medications is also more of an issue. With 80 percent of the raw ingredients in our medicines coming from countries like China, India, Brazil or Mexico, the FDA is hard-pressed to keep tabs on the drug supply. Even in this country, manufacturers may fail to maintain good manufacturing practices to produce top quality drugs. How safe are your pills?
Guests: Katherine Eban is an award-winning investigative journalist and contributor to Fortune. She is author of DANGEROUS DOSES: HOW COUNTERFEITERS ARE CONTAMINATING AMERICA'S DRUG SUPPLY. The photo is of Ms. Eban.
"Clifford Nilsen has more than 40 years of industrial experience, specializing in quality control, laboratory management, compliance and technical operations in the pharmaceutical, nutritional supplement and chemical manufacturing industries. His book is GENERIC DRUGS: A CONSUMER'S SELF-DEFENSE GUIDE.
Allan Coukell is a pharmacist and Director of Medical Programs at the Pew Health Group. He chaired the Pew Health Group roundtable on Ensuring the Safety of the U.S. Drug Supply."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/07/09/820-thefts-counterfeits-and-bad-drugs/
What are the Problems With Generic Drugs?
"When investigative journalist Katherine Eban took a close look at medicine manufacturing, she uncovered many frightening problems with generic drugs. . . .
"Can you trust these medications? The answer to that question is more complicated. For decades, the FDA has assured the public that generic drugs are equivalent to their brand-name counterparts -- just as good, only cheaper. However, numerous recalls, including many affecting blood pressure pills like irbesartan, losartan and valsartan, have raised questions about potential problems with generic drugs. . . .
"Investigative journalist Katherine Eban spent years looking into the generic drug industry. With more than 80 percent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients now coming from countries such as China and India, this was a big task. What she uncovered was a shocking story of incompetence, fraud, and cover-ups among companies making generic drugs. . . .
"For your own protection check the FDA ORANGE BOOK for the manufacturer or Google 'FDA warning letter, ''manufacturer of your drug'' ' to learn if the manufacturer is trustworthy."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/06/13/show-1169-what-are-the-problems-with-generic-drugs/
Whom do you Trust Re: Generic Drugs? September 3, 2012
"We discovered that while the law calls for inspections of all pharmaceutical manufacturing plants every two years, the FDA did not have enough resources to accomplish that goal in the US. We later learned that when it came to places where most of the active ingredients in our pills are now made (China and India), many plants were never inspected. We also learned that the FDA does very little checking of pills on pharmacy shelves to verify quality. We were told that the agency analyzed about 300 "finished dosage forms" annually for about 50 or 60 different drugs. That represented about 0.00001 percent of the 3 billion-plus prescriptions filled in community pharmacies in 2002."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/09/03/which-authority-can-you-trust/
Why Aren't Docs Outraged by Inadequate Generic Drug Approval? Joe Graedon, June 17, 2019
"Over the last year, manufacturers have recalled tens of millions of blood pressure pills. That's because drugs like losartan, valsartan and irbesartan were found to be contaminated with carcinogens. The Chinese and Indian manufacturers had apparently been producing substandard products for years.
"The FDA says that generic drugs are equal to brand name medicines. A new book, BOTTLE OF LIES, reveals that generic drug approval and monitoring is flawed!"
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/06/17/why-arent-docs-outraged-by-inadequate-generic-drug-approval/
Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 11, 2011
"Most (but not all), pharmacists routinely tell patients that generic drugs are identical to brand name medications. That is hardly surprising. This is what pharmacy students are told during their education process. It is also what the FDA states on its website:
A generic drug is identical -- or bioequivalent -- to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use. Although generic drugs are chemically identical to their branded counterparts, they are typically sold at substantial discounts from the branded price."Now we don't know about you, but when we see the word 'identical' we assume that means exactly the same as. Here is how Dictionary.com defines the word 'identical':
Why we Have Lost Confidence in Generic Drugs: New Report Casts More Doubts on Imported Medicines, February 15, 2014
"Eventually the sheer number of complaints and the compelling nature of the stories convinced us that there was something very wrong with the way the FDA approved and monitored generic drugs. The article by Mr. Harris confirms that there is indeed a scandal of immense proportions that has pretty much been ignored by physicians, pharmacists, patients, regulators and Congress. Here's the straight and skinny."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/02/15/why-we-have-lost-confidence-in-generic-drugs-new-report-casts-more-doubts-on-imported-medicines/
The leading drug problem in the U.S. today is not the use of illegal drugs. It is the use of legal drugs. (Strand/Wallace)Meanwhile Big Pharma's chemists are taking illegal drugs, altering them, so they can be "pushing" through public advertising, even "creating" new patients where none existed before. It has been written that Ritalin (the medication given children with ADHD) is just one molecule short of cocaine.
In Chapter 2 Attorney Bruce Shortt addresses the issue of "Drugging Them Up;" that is the drugging up of a vast number of the young people attending public schools. In his chapter he addresses the relatively modern phenomenon of labelling many of our youth, especially boys, with a disorder known as ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. And the drug du jour for the treatment of ADHD is "Poor Man's Cocaine" or Ritalin." -- Reader's Comment on Indoctrination: Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity, the companion book to the documentary "IndoctrinaNation"Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world. (K. Eban). "Currently Americans spend a staggering $200 billion each year on prescription drugs. . . . The U.S. is one of the few industrialized countries that permits the public advertising of pharmaceuticals. Yet the effectiveness and possible dangerous side effects are not known." (Angell)
It [the Phamaceutical Industry -- compiler], has become a "vast marketing machines with unprecedented control over [its] own fortunes. . . . It has spun out of control and needs "a program of vital reforms, which includes restoring impartiality to clinical research and severing the ties between drug companies and medical education." (Angell)
The pharmaceuticalization of medicine is leading to a growing number of deaths and disabilities. (Healy). Researchers have estimated that medications cause 17 million visits to emergency rooms and 8.7 million hospitalizations each year [Johnson, J.A. and J.L. Bootman, "Drug-Related Morbidity and Mortality: A Cost-of-Illness Model." Archives of Internal Medicine, 1995; 155:1949-1956]. It has been estimated that the drugs that are supposed to relieve our symptoms or cure us, may be responsible for as many as 300,000 deaths annually." (Johnson/Bootman)
There are over 2 million hospital admissions and 180,000 deaths each and every year in the U.S. due solely to adverse drug reactions. When the FDA approves a medication for use by the general public, less than half of the serious drug reactions are known. You -- the patient -- become the final clinical trial. (Strand/Wallace)
The U.S. political system caters to the needs of the healthcare industry not the citizenry. The healthcare lobby pumps millions of dollars into the campaigns of lawmakers. . . . The Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Act, Medicare Part D "was really a bill to hand over $800 billion of our tax dollars to the drug and health insurance industry." (Moore)
Science funded by the pharmaceutical industry cannot be trusted, due to obvious conflicts of interest. (Olsen). Scientific research has become "impure science: fraud, compromise, and political influence." (Robert Bell, Krimsky)
FDA approval of new drugs and FDA monitoring of drug quality is ineffective. Claims that high drug prices are necessary to fund research and development are unfounded: The truth is that drug companies funnel the bulk of their resources into the marketing of products of dubious benefit. . . . The pharmaceutical industry has gained, through huge profits, "nearly limitless influence over medical research, education, and how doctors do their jobs. . . . We waste billions of dollars a year on prescription drugs that are excessively priced, poorly prescribed, or improperly taken." (Avorn)
Drug companies . . . routinely rely on publicly funded institutions for their basic research; they rig clinical trials to make their products look better than they are; and they use their legions of lawyers to stretch out government-granted exclusive marketing rights for years. They also flood the market with copycat drugs that cost a lot more than the drugs they mimic but are no more effective. (Angell)
According to the FDA, 80 percent of the active and inactive ingredients in our pharmaceuticals come from abroad. It is estimated that 40 percent of the finished pills come from abroad including countries such as India, China, Brazil and Mexico. It is also very clear that the FDA does not have the resources to inspect all or even many of the manufacturing plants producing either the raw materials or finished products millions of Americans take every day. That means that there is no verification system that the pills are exactly what they say they are.
We have seen manufacturing problems with some of the most prestigious drug companies in the U.S. (Johnson and Johnson and GSK). These problems occurred at plants where the FDA visits on a regular basis. Do we really believe that chemical companies in China that are not inspected are producing perfectly identical generic drugs at cutthroat prices? -- Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 2011"Snake oil," a type/figure of the Sin of Eden (Genesis 3:1-6), and we are still "buying it."
Drug scarcities are creating problems for hospitals. There has been an unusually high number of shortages of critical medications over the last few years. (Shortages of Critical Medicines Creating Chaos, June 2, 2011)
Abraham, John, Courtney Davis, Unhealthy Pharmaceutical Regulation: Innovation, Politics, and Promissory Science, ISBN: 9780230008663 0230008666.
"European and American drug regulators govern a multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical industry selling its products on the world's two largest medicines markets. This is the first book to investigate how effectively American and supranational EU governments have regulated innovative pharmaceuticals regarding public health during the neo-liberal era of the last 30 years. Drawing on years of fieldwork, the authors demonstrate that pharmaceutical regulation and innovation have been misdirected by commercial interests and misconceived ideologies, which induced a deregulatory political culture contrary to health interests. They dismantle the myth that pharmaceutical innovations necessarily equate with therapeutic advances and explain how it has been perpetuated in the interests of industry by corporate bias within the regulatory state, unwarranted expectations of promissory science, and the emergent patient-industry complex. Endemic across both continents, the misadventures of pharmaceutical deregulation are shown to span many therapeutic areas, including cancer, diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome. The authors propose political changes needed to redirect pharmaceutical regulation in the interests of health." -- Publisher
*Angell, Marcia, The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive us and What to do About it, ISBN: 0375760946.
"During her two decades at The New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Marcia Angell had a front-row seat on the appalling spectacle of the pharmaceutical industry. She watched drug companies stray from their original mission of discovering and manufacturing useful drugs and instead become vast marketing machines with unprecedented control over their own fortunes. She saw them gain nearly limitless influence over medical research, education, and how doctors do their jobs. She sympathized as the American public, particularly the elderly, struggled and increasingly failed to meet spiraling prescription drug prices. Now, in this bold, hard-hitting new book, Dr. Angell exposes the shocking truth of what the pharmaceutical industry has become -- and argues for essential, long-overdue change.
"Currently Americans spend a staggering $200 billion each year on prescription drugs. As Dr. Angell powerfully demonstrates, claims that high drug prices are necessary to fund research and development are unfounded: The truth is that drug companies funnel the bulk of their resources into the marketing of products of dubious benefit. Meanwhile, as profits soar, the companies brazenly use their wealth and power to push their agenda through Congress, the FDA, and academic medical centers.
"Zeroing in on hugely successful drugs like AZT (the first drug to treat HIV/AIDS), Taxol (the bestselling cancer drug in history), and the blockbuster allergy drug Claritin, Dr. Angell demonstrates exactly how new products are brought to market. Drug companies, she shows, routinely rely on publicly funded institutions for their basic research; they rig clinical trials to make their products look better than they are; and they use their legions of lawyers to stretch out government-granted exclusive marketing rights for years. They also flood the market with copycat drugs that cost a lot more than the drugs they mimic but are no more effective.
"The American pharmaceutical industry needs to be saved, mainly from itself, and Dr. Angell proposes a program of vital reforms, which includes restoring impartiality to clinical research and severing the ties between drug companies and medical education. Written with fierce passion and substantiated with in-depth research, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG COMPANIES is a searing indictment of an industry that has spun out of control.
"Former editor-in-chief of The New England Journal of Medicine and now a member of Harvard Medical School's Department of Social Medicine, Marcia Angell is a nationally recognized authority in the field of health policy and medical ethics and an outspoken critic of the healthcare system. Time magazine named her one of the twenty-five most influential people in America. Dr. Angell is the author of SCIENCE ON TRIAL: THE CLASH OF MEDICAL EVIDENCE AND THE LAW IN THE BREAST IMPLANT CASE." -- Publisher
"Many Americans have wondered why prescription drugs have become so expensive while advertising for those drugs seems to grow exponentially. Former New England Journal of Medicine editor Marcia Angell has some answers. The pharmaceutical industry, according to Angell, is fraught with corruption and doing a disservice to customers, the federal government, and to the medical establishment itself. In THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG COMPANIES, Angell explains how a huge portion of the revenue generated by 'Big Pharma' goes not into research and development but into aggressive marketing campaigns to sell their product. She describes how, even though the drug companies claim that it costs them an average of 802 million dollars per drug to develop new medicines, that figure is obscenely inflated since it factors in marketing as well as expected interest the company would have received had they invested the money in the open market. Meanwhile, Angell says, most of the R&D work is done by colleges and universities funded by the government. There are also problems with the drugs themselves, Angell indicates, since a majority are 'me-too drugs,' slightly modified versions of existing products which meant to address concerns of consumers most likely to spend money on pharmaceuticals. Thus, the market is filled with remarkably similar drugs to treat depression and high cholesterol while potentially life-saving medicines for diseases afflicting third-world countries are discontinued because they aren't profitable. In the books most damning passage, Angell tells of the high-priced junkets offered to doctors, ostensibly offered as educational opportunities that seem to constitute little more than bribes. The prognosis for reform is a grim one, Angell indicates, due to the massive cash reserves and lobbying efforts of 'Big Pharma.' Indeed, that lobby was hard at work trying to discredit her claims immediately upon the book's publication. But for anyone who's paid a pharmacy bill, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG COMPANIES is a fascinating read." -- Reader's Comment
*Avorn, Jerry, Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs, ISBN: 0375414835 9780375414831.
"If you believe that the latest blockbuster medication is worth a premium price over your generic brand, or that doctors have access to all the information they need about a drug's safety and effectiveness each time they write a prescription, Dr. Jerry Avorn has some sobering news. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of patient care, teaching, and research at Harvard Medical School, he shares his firsthand experience of the wide gap in our knowledge of the effectiveness of one medication as compared to another. In POWERFUL MEDICINES, he reminds us that every pill we take represents a delicate compromise between the promise of healing, the risk of side effects, and an increasingly daunting price. The stakes on each front grow higher every year as new drugs with impressive power, worrisome side effects, and troubling costs are introduced.
"This is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at issues that affect everyone: our shortage of data comparing the worth of similar drugs for the same condition; alarming lapses in the detection of lethal side effects; the under use of life-saving medications; lavish marketing campaigns that influence what doctors prescribe; and the resulting upward spiral of costs that places vital drugs beyond the reach of many Americans.
"In this engagingly written book, Dr. Avorn asks questions that will interest every consumer: How can a product judged safe by the Food and Drug Administration turn out to have unexpectedly lethal side effects? Why has the nation's drug bill been growing at nearly 20 percent per year? How can physicians and patients pick the best medication in its class? How do doctors actually make their prescribing decisions, and why do those decisions sometimes go wrong? Why do so many Americans suffer preventable illnesses and deaths that proper drug use could have averted? How can the nation gain control over its escalating drug budget without resorting to rationing or draconian governmental controls?
"Using clinical case histories taken from his own work as a practitioner, researcher, and advocate, Dr. Avorn demonstrates the impressive power of the well-conceived prescription as well as the debacles that can result when medications are misused. He describes an innovative program that employs the pharmaceutical industry's own marketing techniques to reduce use of some of the most over prescribed and overpriced products. Powerful Medicines offers timely and practical advice on how the nation can improve its drug-approval process, and how patients can work with doctors to make sure their prescriptions are safe, effective, and as affordable as possible.
"This is a passionate and provocative call for action as well as a compelling work of clear-headed science.
"Jerry Avorn, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. An internist, geriatrician, and drug researcher, he is the author of more than two hundred papers in the medical literature on medication use and its outcomes, and one of the most frequently cited researchers in the fields of social science and medicine." -- Publisher
"Easy to read and follow, wide-ranging in scope, dripping with insight from a real medical insider, and very humorous besides, this book is a tour-de-force in many aspects. Problems with HMOs, the FDA, Big Pharma, and out-of-control drug advertising are all addressed. The benefits of drugs are addressed by giving examples of the launching of some that were later risky enough to be banned. The most detailed illustration of the benefits and limitations of the randomized clinical trial (RCT) I have ever read are in this book. Dr. Avorn also gave the best illustration of the advantages of the observational study on large numbers of subjects as a better way to find the risks of drugs. The risks of drugs have many causes besides their inherent toxicity. Dr. Avorn shows how the subjects in an RCT may be healthier or younger or too male compared with the likely drug target group, how dosages may be too high for children or the elderly, how adverse effects are hard to predict and under-reported and that RCTs are not run for enough time. He notes how too many drugs are approved by the FDA based on handy measurements such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels, not real clinical endpoints, like death. The costs of drugs are noted to be whatever the markets will bear, even when the key discoveries are made in government or academic labs, as is usually the case. He writes about the drug information overload for physicians from ads or 'detail women' from Big Pharma, and of 'education' courses put on by Big Pharma, all biased of course. Dr. Avorn has, for >25 years, been involved in studies on how to use computerized data on filled prescriptions and later medical histories of each patient to correlate drug use with well-being. Some of the results have been put into practice with improved patient well-being and lower costs for drugs. He also introduced 'academic detailing' to teach physicians how to prescribe better and cheaper drugs. For these efforts alone he should have a Nobel Prize in Medicine, in my opinion. He makes a number of practical suggestions on improving healthcare in the USA, all with understanding that pluralism, competition and choice are key features of any success in the USA. Prescribing via computer could alert the MD to cheaper drug alternatives, dosage for each age group, and potential interactions. The pharmacy would have accurate input and alerts to prescriptions being filled at other pharmacies. Of larger scope is Dr. Avorn's idea of creating non-profit healthcare provider organizations that are also the insurers. They would be audited annually and evaluated for effectiveness annually with all results being made public. Other suggestions are that drug approval by the FDA no longer be 'yes and good luck' or 'no,' but that there be conditional approvals to be reviewed. Some other federal agency would evaluate risks, not the same people in the FDA who approved the drugs. There is great detail and subtlety overall. The index is adequate. Referencing by page number was sparse. So how could I give only 3 stars to this tour-de-force? While Dr. Avorn was realistic about drug classes such as the NSAIDS (Vioxx, Celebrex), he is far too sanguine, in my opinion, about anticancer, blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol drugs. He is far too negative about vitamins and supplements. Anticancer drugs usually do not prolong life (Moss, 2000). There is no evidence that the wide use of BP drugs provides major benefits, even Dr. Avorn's preferred beta-blockers and diuretics. In RCTs combined in a meta-analysis, the use of beta-blockers reduced mortality by only 0.1 percent annually (Psaty, 1997). The ALLHAT RCT cited by Dr. Avorn had no placebo arm, and the results for the diuretic, which was not a thiazide type, were a bit worse than for the other drug types (Kauffman, 2004). Only when BP is very high, as in the Swedish Trial in Old Patients (STOP), (Dahlöf, 1991), is the result barely worthwhile. The 1627 subjects of both sexes were 70-84 years old and had mean BP = 195/102 at baseline and were followed for 4 years at 116 health centers in Sweden. The drugs were a diuretic, or the same combined with a beta-blocker. After 4 years 89 percent of the drug-treated group were alive vs. 85 percent on placebo, for a drop of just 1 percent per year in mortality. Stroke rate dropped just 1.5 percent per year. In the ASCOT trial of atorvastatin (Lipitor) the chance of not dying was improved by just 0.15 percent per year (Sever, 2003), at a cost of $1,000,000 to prevent 1 death for one year! And this was a trial that Pfizer chose to publish! In the few RCTs in which mortality for women on statin drugs was published, it was higher in all cases (Criqui, 2004), as it is also for aspirin use (Kauffman, 2002). The slight benefits of statin drugs on heart attack and mortality rates have nothing to do with lowering cholesterol or LDL levels, but are related to the presence of cytomegalovirus or inflammation in mostly male patients with severely blocked coronary arteries (Horne, 2003). Dr. Avorn does not admit that the low compliance rates with these two types of drugs is caused by their severe side-effects such that half drop them in a year and up to 3/4 after 2 years (Pahor, 2000; Jackevicius, 2002). Dr. Avorn was extremely negative on the use of supplements, and on the 1994 law that declared them foods, not drugs, unaware of the previous FDA bias in evaluating them. He wrote that none have had valid trial results. This is untrue for selenium (Bjelakovic et al., 2004), a few herbals (Vickers, 1999), ginkgo (Kleijnen, 1992), vitamin C (Hickey, 2004), magnesium (Paolissi, 1989), and some others. Stopping useless drugs altogether rather than substituting cheaper ones, and using certain supplements will save far more than prescribing generics! Willful perversions of RCTs is better covered in OVERDO$ED AMERICA by John Abramson, MD. Complete references available." -- Joel M. Kauffman
See the extended excerpt, "The Pregnant Mare's Lesson" reprinted by permission in the Editorial Reviews for the book at Amazon.com.
"Profiteering pharmaceutical companies and the FDA have met their match in Dr. Jerry Avorn, a Harvard Medical school researcher and clinician. In POWERFUL MEDICINES, he brilliantly combines patient vignettes, scientific critique, and statistics to create a risk/benefit balance for prescription drugs. His premise: 'Every drug is a triangle with three faces -- representing the healing it can bring, the hazards it can inflict and the economic impact of each.' Avorn's gifts as a writer are apparent in the prologue, an edgy account of the mismanaged medications of several stroke patients. He then details the intellectual history of drug assessment and benefits, including the biblical food police in the Book of Daniel, the deer in the headlights Estrogen debacle, and the current infatuation with Ginseng and other alternative medicines. Turning from benefits to risks, Avorn examines diet pills, Viagra, cold medicines and diabetes drugs with comparisons to the decisions of Dr. Fautus -- who makes life-changing bargains between safety and effectiveness. Other insightful chapters offer views of prescription drug economies, and comparative healthcare around the globe. The final chapters create an insightful template for emerging public policy. Throughout, Avorn pulls at common threads: the line between personal and public responsibility, the perils of drug promotion, and the marketplace that usurps the role of scientific evidence in selecting treatments. Anyone looking for a quick muckraking read will be disappointed. But Avorn's views, literate and complex, will frame the debate on prescription drugs for years to come." -- Barbara Mackoff
*Bell, Robert, Impure Science: Fraud, Compromise, and Political Influence in Scientific Research, ISBN: 0471529133 9780471529132.
"The author lifts the veil of secrecy from scientific research conducted in this country. He presents a shattering indictment of the scientific community from the halls of government to the research centers at major universities and corporations. Documents case after case of influence peddling, doctored research and outright fraud, and reveals how the twin forces of money and status compromise and corrupt the pursuit of scientific truth." -- Publisher
Boggs, Carl, Drugs, Power, and Politics: Narco Wars, Big Pharma, and the Subversion of Democracy, ISBN: 9781612058726 1612058728 9781612058733 1612058736 9781317260936 1317260937 9781315635071 1315635070 9781317260943 1317260945.
DeGrandpre, Richard J., The Cult of Pharmacology: How America Became the World's Most Troubled Drug Culture, ISBN: 9780822349075 0822349078.
"Exploring how this rather benign relationship with psychoactive drugs was transformed into one of confusion and chaos, THE CULT OF PHARMACOLOGY tells the dramatic story of how, as one legal drug after another fell from grace, new pharmaceutical substances took their place. Whether Valium or OxyContin at the pharmacy, cocaine or meth purchased on the street, or alcohol and tobacco from the corner store, drugs and drug use proliferated in twentieth-century America despite an escalating war on 'drugs'." -- Publisher
Dhaval, Dave, Henry Saffer, National Bureau of Economic Research. The Impact of Direct-to-consumer Advertising on Pharmaceutical Prices and Demand.
"Expenditures on prescription drugs are one of the fastest growing components of national health care spending, rising by almost three-fold between 1995 and 2007. Coinciding with this growth in prescription drug expenditures has been a rapid rise in direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA), made feasible by the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) clarification and relaxation of the rules governing broadcast advertising in 1997 and 1999. This study investigates the separate effects of broadcast and non-broadcast DTCA on price and demand, utilizing an extended time series of monthly records for all advertised and non-advertised drugs in four major therapeutic classes spanning 1994-2005, a period which enveloped the shifts in FDA guidelines and the large expansions in DTCA. . . ." -- Abstract
*Eban, Katherine, Dangerous Doses: How Counterfeiters are Contaminating America's Drug Supply, ISBN: 0151010501 9780151010509.
Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world. Why are we confronted with a huge drug counterfeiting problem? (FDA, Eban)
"Stolen, compromised, and counterfeit medicine increasingly makes its way into a poorly regulated distribution system -- where it may reach unsuspecting patients who stake their lives on its effectiveness. Investigative medical reporter Eban's exploration of America's secret ring of drug counterfeiters takes us to Florida, where a team of investigators follows the trail of medicine stolen in a seemingly minor break-in as it funnels into a sprawling national network of drug polluters. Their pursuit stretches from a strip joint in South Miami to the halls of Congress as they battle entrenched political interests and uncover an increasing threat to America's health." -- Publisher
Her article on Ranbaxy, "Dirty Medicine," was published in the May 15, 2013, issue of Fortune.
Elliot, Carl, White Coat, Black hat: Adventures on the Dark Side of Medicine, ISBN: 9780807061435 0807061433.
"Over the last twenty-five years, medicine and consumerism have been on an unchecked collision course, but, until now, the fallout from their impact has yet to be fully uncovered. A writer for The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly, Carl Elliott ventures into the uncharted dark side of medicine, shining a light on the series of social and legislative changes that have sacrificed old-style doctoring to the values of consumer capitalism. Along the way, he introduces us to the often shifty characters who work the production line in Big Pharma: from the professional guinea pigs who test-pilot new drugs and the ghostwriters who pen "scientific" articles for drug manufacturers to the PR specialists who manufacture "news" bulletins. We meet the drug reps who will do practically anything to make quota in an ever-expanding arms race of pharmaceutical gift-giving; the 'thought leaders' who travel the world to enlighten the medical community about the wonders of the latest release; even, finally, the ethicists who oversee all that commercialized medicine has to offer from their pharma-funded perches. Taking the pulse of the medical community today, Elliott discovers the culture of deception that has become so institutionalized many people do not even see it as a problem. Head-turning stories and a rogue's gallery of colorful characters become his springboard for exploring larger ethical issues surrounding money. Are there certain things that should not be bought and sold? In what ways do the ethics of business clash with the ethics of medical care? And what is wrong with medical consumerism anyway? Elliott asks all these questions and more as he examines the underbelly of medicine." -- Publisher
Faria, Miguel A., Vandals at the Gates of Medicine: Historic Perspectives on the Battle Over Health Care Reform, ISBN: 9780964107700 0964107708.
"The most important reason to study the past is to attempt to foretell the future. Dr. Faria maintains the study of recorded history warns we should reject the 'egalitarian socialist ethos of [our] entrenched political establishment' and instead adopt an objective philosophy, which embraces enlightened self-interest, private charity, and individual responsibility. He suggests that Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) will empower patients instead of government and third parties, and are the key to allow correction of our own government-created health care problems without the use of coercion and rationing." -- Medical Sentinel
"Dr. Miguel A. Faria, Jr., who is a consultant neurosurgeon and Adjunct Professor of Medical History (ret.) at Mercer University School of Medicine, has combined astute political insight with his encyclopedic knowledge of history to create this unique blend of historical perspective and political commentary, with its emphasis on the history of medicine and medical ethics." -- Publisher
Goldacre, Ben, Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients, ISBN: 9780007350742 0007350740.
"Doctors do at least have some training in appraising evidence but as Goldacre shows, there are so many ways you can skew a clinical trial that it's unrealistic to expect a General Practitioner or consultant to spot any dodgy data. For example, you could recruit patients to your trial who have no other medical conditions or drug prescriptions, making them more likely to get better. You can test a drug against a sugar-pill placebo, instead of the best current competitor. You can stop a trial early if it looks like it's going well, or prolong it in the hope that the results will even out. You can find a fluke 'clump' of encouraging results about one minor symptom and pretend that's what the trial was going to measure all along." -- NewStatesman
Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy: What you Need to Know Before Your Next Visit to the Doctor or Drugstore, ISBN: 9781594864070 1594864071.
"The issues surrounding generic drugs are endlessly fascinating. Pharmacists like generic drugs because the mark-up is better than on brand name drugs. Insurance companies love generic drugs because generics save the companies a ton of money. As a taxpayer, I'm happy that federal and state governments embrace generic drugs. I'd hate to be taxed to pay for exclusively brand name drugs for Medicare Part D, and for the Veterans Administration, and for Medicaid programs, etc. I like the fact that the government embraces generic drugs because that holds down my taxes. But as a consumer, I prefer brand name drugs.
"One of the fundamental tenets of capitalism is that price determines quality. You get what you pay for. That's why tires for your car with a 80,000-mile treadlife warranty cost much more than tires with a 25,000-mile warranty. When you go to a supermarket, do you buy the store brand of green beans or do you prefer Green Giant or DelMonte? Are you happy when your automobile mechanic uses a brand of motor oil you've never heard of, or do you prefer that he uses Valvoline or Havoline? If you need a pacemaker for your heart, wouldn't you want the absolute finest on the market? If you need a drug to control a heart arrhythmia, would you be wise to accept a generic? The examples are endless but the point is the same. Can you be assured of quality when the cost of a generic product is half the price of a brand name?
"The Graedons point out that the FDA is grossly understaffed and that the chances are frighteningly small that the FDA will actually pull and test a drug sample from a pharmacy shelf or even from the plant where the drugs are manufactured.
"Belief in the quality of generic drugs is, in my opinion, based more on faith than science. Too many powerful groups have a vested interest in the perception that generic drugs are as good as brand name. I'm not making the case that we as a society embrace brand name drugs and discard generics. Quite to the contrary. Americans are grossly overmedicated, in no small part as a consequence of direct-to-consumer drug advertising on TV and in newspapers and magazines. Americans would do well to embrace prevention and let pharmaceuticals return to their proper role in society, important but far more limited. I do everything in my power to prevent illness, but when I do need a drug, I prefer a brand name, especially when it's used to treat a serious medical condition.
"The Graedons have been enthusiastic supporters of generic drugs for decades but have lately begun to have second thoughts. They cite an increasing number of letters from readers of their newspaper column who have less than satisfactory results with generic drugs. Patients who are well-controlled on the anti-seizure drug Dilantin suddenly begin having seizures when switched to the generic phenytoin. Men taking the brand name Hytrin for enlarged prostate begin having more difficulty urinating when swithched to the generic terazosin. Mothers complain that their child's behavior worsens when switched from the brand name Ritalin to the generic methylphenidate. Patients taking the brand name Synthroid complain that they begin experiencing thyroid symptoms when switched to the generic levothyroxine. Patients on the brand name blood thinner Coumadin have more difficulty keeping their clotting in the target range when switched to the generic warfarin. And so on.
"What is one to make of this? Are these people imagining these differences in effectiveness between brand name drugs and generics? Are these people simply complaining because their insurance company or Medicaid pushes them to accept generics?
"It is not rare that pharmacists hear complaints from our customers that generics do not perform as well as brand name drugs. Many pharmacists dismiss such complaints outright. Other pharmacists are beginning to wonder if there may be some truth in our customers' complaints. Pharmacists certainly aren't impressed when we receive bottles of a hundred, or five-hundred, or a thousand tablets from a generic manufacturer and we see lots of powder at the bottom of the bottle as a result of too many broken tablets. This tells pharmacists that quality control at the manufacturing plant is not the best. Pharmacists see powder and broken tablets far less often with brand name tablets.
"People used to think that generic drugs were made in a bathtub in someone's back yard. That's not the case. Some brand name manufacturers do, in fact, make generic drugs. But I have serious doubts whether, in general, there is as much quality control with generic drugs compared to brand name. For example, when I read advertisements for generic drugs in my pharmacy magazines, I am struck by the fact that the number one theme of these advertisements is QUALITY. Why are all these generic manufacturers trying so hard to convince pharmacists that their generic products are of high quality? If the FDA says that all generic drugs are as good as brand name, why are the generic manufacturers still obsessed with convincing pharmacists about the quality of their generic products?
"BEST CHOICES FROM THE PEOPLE'S PHARMACY is an eye-opener on this and many other important issues. When it comes to exposure of the pharmaceutical industry, the Graedons are the best." -- Reader's Comment
"This special edition (524 pages), is not available in any bookstore. It contains an expansion of our PEOPLE'S PHARMACY FAVORITE PICKS (home remedies), and a new chapter on Desert Island Drugs and Dietary Supplements. Some of the country's leading experts have contributed their insights on the best treatments for what ails you. This edition is not in stores or on other Internet sites. It is only available from Rodale Books and directly from The People's Pharmacy.
"We ship book orders Media Mail (5-10 day delivery expected)."
The People's Phamacy Books
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/books/
Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, The People's Pharmacy, ISBN: 0312964161 9780312964160.
"This book could save your life or the life of a loved one.
"The FDA isn't protecting you adequately . . . Doctors and pharmacists are making errors . . . over 125,000 people die each year from prescription drug mistakes . . .
"The People's Pharmacy will help protect you and your loved ones from the tragedy of adverse drug reactions. Bestselling authors and brand-name medication experts Joe and Teresa Graedon bring you the most comprehensive guide to commonly used prescription drugs, over-the-counter medication, and other drugstore products. Entirely revised to include the most up-to-date medical research, The People's Pharmacy gives you the power to protect yourself at the doctor's office and in the drugstore. It includes:
Healy, David, Pharmageddon, ISBN: 9780520270985 0520270983.
"A comprehensive argument against the pharmaceuticalization of medicine that tackles problems in health care which are leading to a growing number of deaths and disabilities." -- Publisher
Surviving Pharmageddon, October 26, 2013
"More than 150 million prescriptions are dispensed each year for antidepressant medications. It seems counterintuitive that medicines designed to fight depression might trigger suicidal thoughts or actions. Perhaps that is why so many doctors seem not to have recognized the evidence of this potential side effect. It can also be extremely difficult to stop taking an antidepressant. Prescribers rarely mention that withdrawal symptoms can be disorienting and can take weeks or even months to disappear.
"In the book PHARMAGEDDON, Dr. David Healy talks about the pharmaceuticalization of medicine. How did big Pharma seduce so many doctors?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/26/923-surviving-pharmageddon/
David Healy's website
http://www.davidhealy.org
Olsen, Gwen, Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher, ISBN: 9781935278597 1935278592.
"She talks about the science that is funded by the pharmaceuticals and how it cannot be trusted, due to obvious conflicts of interest. She also gives personal experiences with people she knew, who were prescribed over time of how a lethal cocktail of drugs killed many of them or led them to suicide. This occurs because researchers cannot test every possible combination of drugs -- there's simply not enough time available for this. Apparently, the body needs time to flush a drug out of the system, and doctors don't allow for that time. So, the combinations are particularly concerning.
"Long story short, if someone we love is behaving erratically, it could be because of a mixture of prescription/non-prescription drugs. Don't expect your physician to protect you because they do not have time to keep up on all the research, and they are constantly persuaded by attractive, smart-sounding drug reps, who come to their offices bringing lots of free samples, food, and gifts.
"The point of the book is get informed and take charge of your own health, rather than relying on those who consistently demonstrate that they value profit above your well-being." -- Reader's Comment
*Posner, Gerald L., Pharma: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America, ISBN: 1501152033 9781501152030.
"Pharmaceutical breakthroughs such as antibiotics and vaccines rank among some of the greatest advancements in human history. Yet exorbitant prices for life-saving drugs, safety recalls affecting tens of millions of Americans, and soaring rates of addiction and overdose on prescription opioids have caused many to lose faith in drug companies. Now, Americans are demanding a national reckoning with a monolithic industry. . . .
"Gerald Posner brings to life the pharmaceutical industry and shows how a business meant to save lives is steeped in corruption and reckless profiteering -- with deadly consequences." -- Publisher
*Rost, Peter, The Whistle-blower: Confessions of a Healthcare Hitman, ISBN: 193336839X 9781933368399.
"A number of books critical of the pharmaceutical industry have recently been published, but none has been an exposé written by a senior executive of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. THE WHISTLE-BLOWER is at once an unmasking of how corporations take care of malcontents and a gripping story of one man's fight to maintain his family and his sanity. Starting in 2003, the book details the illegal, even criminal business practices the author witnessed at his corporation, as well as his crusade to legalize the reimportation of drugs. It also explains how in this post-Enron world whistle-blowers can't simply be fired, and what the author's corporation did to coerce and silence him. A story of a battle that continues today, one which any American who takes or will take prescription drugs has a stake in, THE WHISTLE-BLOWER is a powerful testimony." -- Publisher
"Rost's book is about more than just himself. Much of the latter half, in fact, has nothing to do with Rost's battle with Pfizer, but is rather a litany of recent drug company corruption, and Rost argues convincingly that the FDA and America's major medical journals have been co-opted by the industry. When he moves on to examine the American economy at large, where he lays out some eye-opening statistics comparing skyrocketing CEO salaries with the static ones of American workers, we realize Rost has reached his destination.
"Ultimately, THE WHISTLE-BLOWER is an impassioned jeremiad against corporate greed, with Rost our inside man. The book's overriding theme is that the American political system is in danger of degenerating into a plutocracy [government by the wealthy -- compiler] (or 'kleptocracy,' as he dubs it) -- if it hasn't already. 'The American democracy has been stolen by our new class of robber barons -- the CEOs of our largest corporations,' he writes." -- Jake Whitney, in the article "Lone Wolf Takes on the Pharma Pack" in The Progressive Populist October 21, 2006
Question Authority, Dr. Peter Rost daily blog
Rost's blog entries suggest that the general goals, managements techniques, relationships, ways of dealing with opposition, overall results of operations, and so forth, of the drug industry are analogous to organized crime worldwide.
http://peterrost.blogspot.com/
Health Care Hitman: Peter Rost, People's Pharmacy Radio Show, April 24, 2008, No. 677
"Guest: Peter Rost, MD, former vice-president of Pfizer. Author of WHISTLE-BLOWER: CONFESSIONS OF A HEALTH CARE HITMAN and a novel, KILLER DRUG. His blog is: http://peterrost.blogspot.com/"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/677_health_care_hitman_peter_rost.php
*Schapiro, Mark, Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power, ISBN: 9781603580588 1603580581.
"Winner of the 2008 Nautilus Silver Award in the category of Ecology/Environment/Sustainability and Conscious Media/Journalism. New evidence seems to arrive daily -- from stories about tainted pet food to toxic toys -- of the dangerous consequences that lax environmental policies are having on the consumer products that we, and our children, use every day thanks to lobbying efforts by the U.S. chemical industry.
"Meanwhile, the European Union is forcing these global corporate giants to chart a new path that, by requiring safe products, is revamping how businesses can create safe products and make money.
"In EXPOSED: THE TOXIC CHEMISTRY OF EVERYDAY PRODUCTS AND WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR AMERICAN POWER investigative journalist Mark Schapiro takes the reader inside the corridors of global power where tectonic battles are occurring that will impact the health of ourselves and the planet.
"Schapiro's exposé shows how laws adopted by the European Union -- where stricter consumer-safety standards are in place -- have forced multinationals into manufacturing safer products. And, short of such strong government action the United States will lose its claim of economic and environmental supremacy.
"Increasingly, products developed and sold in the United States are equated with serious health hazards, and many of those products are soon to be banned from Europe and other parts of the world.
"Schapiro's revelations in this thought-provoking work will change the way American consumers think about everyday products -- from plastic softeners that can contribute to sexual malformations to lipstick additives that are potential toxins to the brain, liver, kidneys, and immune system. And it will stir them into forcing our government to take the lead of others, including the European Union, China, and countries in Central and South America.
"Exposed is a revealing and fascinating look at global markets, everyday products, and the toxic chemicals that bind them. It will shock, inform, and warn American businesses and government leaders about the risks of being left behind in the international marketplace.
"Schapiro's book shines a light on Europe's evolving search for higher standards that places Brussels, not Washington, at the center of global market innovation.
"Mark Schapiro is editorial director of the Center for Investigative Reporting in San Francisco. He has written extensively on foreign affairs and his work has appeared in Harper's, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine and other publications, and has reported stories for Frontline, NOW with Bill Moyers, and public radio's Marketplace. Schapiro lives in San Francisco, California." -- Publisher
"There probably isn't a single person in the United States whose health hasn't been affected by phthalates (pronounced tha-lates). These guys are plastic softeners. You'll find them in shower curtains, shampoo bottles, raincoats, perfumes, rubber duckies, teething rings, car dashboards -- you name it. They're linked with endocrine ailments. They make your hormones crazy. They lower sperm counts, may be linked to prostate and breast cancers, and sexual dysfunction. They can cause genetic mutations.
"And they're entirely unnecessary. There are other nontoxic additives to make plastic pliable.
"Oh, and one more thing: while perfectly legal in the U.S., phthalates are illegal in the European Union. In fact, as author Schapiro points out, a whole cesspool of toxic additives that are perfectly acceptable in the U.S. have been outlawed in the EU for a long time now. Chinese factories that try to sell phthalate-riddled plastic toys in Europe get their commodities rejected at the borders. Guess where they eventually wind up? Under your kid's Christmas tree. As Schapiro says (p. 189), the U.S. is becoming 'a dumping ground or goods not wanted elsewhere in the world.'
"That the FDA and other governmental agencies are doing a crappy job protecting us from harmful and unnecessary toxins in everyday commodities probably doesn't come as much of a shock to anyone. But Schapiro's speculation about why the EU does such a better job watchdogging its citizens is worth heeding. Healthcare in the EU is nationalized. The government, using in part taxpayer monies, picks up the tab for taking care of sick and dying people. In this kind of healthcare environment, you better believe that preventive medicine is a high governmental priority, because neglect today costs more tomorrow. So it's in the interest of the individual EU states, as well as their tax-paying citizens, to make sure that toxins stay out of their countries.
"Something to think long and hard about if you live in a country like the U.S. big on deregulation, privatized healthcare, and plastic stuff." -- Reader's Comment
"I bought and read this book together with HOW EVERYDAY PRODUCTS MAKE PEOPLE SICK: TOXINS AT HOME AND IN THE WORKPLACE where my review has ten links to other books that I will not duplicate here.
"I found the book sensible and compelling on three points:
1) Weak U.S. environmental law are turning the U.S. into a dumping ground for unhealthy products that Europe and Asia will not accept"I was especially concerned to read about toys made of plastic whose vapor emissions harm children over time.
2) The European Union is a bigger client of China's than the US
3) The European Union is not just making very strong and sensible regulation about public safety, it is carrying those requirements all the way to the Chinese factory floor, and in the process, making both China and Europe superior to the U.S. on the manufacturing and sustainability fronts.
NORMAL ACCIDENTS: LIVING WITH HIGH-RISK TECHNOLOGIES
THE SOUL OF CAPITALISM: OPENING PATHS TO A MORAL ECONOMY
THE CHEATING CULTURE: WHY MORE AMERICANS ARE DOING WRONG TO GET AHEAD
THE GLOBAL CLASS WAR: HOW AMERICA'S BIPARTISAN ELITE LOST OUR FUTURE -- AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO WIN IT BACK
CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN
VICE: DICK CHENEY AND THE HIJACKING OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY
RUNNING ON EMPTY: HOW THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES ARE BANKRUPTING OUR FUTURE AND WHAT AMERICANS CAN DO ABOUT IT." -- Reader's Comment
Singer, Merrill, Drugging the Poor: Legal and Illegal Drugs and Social Inequality, ISBN: 9781577664949 1577664949.
"Singer offers a fresh set of ideas for understanding how the global socioeconomic system insures that massive quantities of psychotropic drugs reach the poorest sectors of American society. DRUGGING THE POOR provides a unified theoretical framework to assess how all drugs, including tobacco, heroin, alcohol, cocaine, and diverted pharmaceuticals contribute to maintaining social inequality among the wealthier and poorer social classes in American society. Singer's analysis rejects conventional approaches that see tobacco or alcohol manufacturers and distributors, on the one hand, and drug cartels and mafias, on the other, as completely different entities. Instead, he shows how legal and illegal 'drug corporations' share key features and follow the same economic principles. He also emphasizes that mixing legal and illegal drugs to self-medicate against social discrimination, poverty, and structural violence offers short-term relief, but in the long run, it functions to maintain an unjust and oppressive system. DRUGGING THE POOR actively challenges the assumption that how things are is how they always have been or how they need to be." -- Publisher
*Strand, Ray D., and Donna K. Wallace, Death by Prescription: The Shocking Truth Behind an Overmedicated Nation, ISBN: 0785264841 9780785264842.
"Did you know:
Vagelos, P. Roy, and Louis Galambos, The Moral Corporation: Merck Experiences, ISBN: 9780521864558 0521864550 9780521683838 0521683831.
"Merck and the pharmaceutical industry are headline news today. Controversies over public safety, prices, and the ability of the industry to develop the new drugs and vaccines that society needs have been covered worldwide. Roy Vagelos, who was head of research and then CEO at Merck from the mid-1970s through the early 1990s, addresses these issues here. Success with targeted research started Merck on a path that would lead to a series of block-buster therapies that carried the firm to the top of the global industry in the 1990s and Vagelos into the top position at the company. Trained as a physician and scientist, he had to learn how to run a successful business while holding to the highest principles of ethical behavior. He was not always successful. He and his co-author explain where and why he failed to achieve his goals and carefully analyze where he succeeded." -- Publisher
Weil, Andrew, Mind Over Meds: Know When Drugs are Necessary, When Alternatives are Better -- and when to let your body heal on its own, ISBN: 0316352977 9780316352970.
"Prescription drug use in America has increased tenfold in the past fifty years, and over-the counter drug use has risen just as dramatically. In addition to the dozens of medications we take to treat serious illnesses, we take drugs to help us sleep, to keep us awake, to stop our noses from running, our backs from aching, and our minds from racing. Name a symptom, there's a pill to suppress it. Modern drugs can be miraculously life saving, and many illnesses require their use. But what happens when our reliance on powerful pharmaceuticals blinds us to their risks? Painful side effects and dependency are common, and adverse drug reactions are America's Fourth leading cause of death. In MIND OVER MEDS, bestselling author Dr. Andrew Weil alerts readers to the problem of overmedication and outlines when medicine is necessary and when it is not. Dr. Weil examines how we came to be so drastically overmedicated. He presents science that proves drugs aren't always the best option, and provides reliable integrative-medicine approaches to treating common ailments like high blood pressure, allergies, depression, and even the common cold. With case histories, healthy alternative treatments, and input from other leading physicians, MIND OVER MEDS is the go-to resource for anyone who is sick and tired of being sick and tired." -- Publisher
See also: Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Prescription drugs with dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Generic drugs, Healthcare reform, "Creating" patients, Healthcare as a consumer rip-off, Corruption (in chapter summary), Conspiracy, corruption, organized crime, Correct diagnosis, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, Prevention of disease, Public health, Patient advocacy, Vaccination, Attention deficit disorder (add) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), and so forth, and so on.
The American flu Charade: News Media Maintains Undeserved Public Confidence in flu Vaccination Program -- Millions of Doses of flu Vaccine may go Unused This Season, Bill Sardi
"The first flu vaccines in use will be nasally-administered Flumist which utilizes 'live' viruses. Flumist-vaccinated individuals will shed viruses for 5 days following inoculation and are likely to spread the virus to family members. This will predictably accelerate infection rates. Look for health authorities to liken an upsurge in flu cases to the late-season return of the 1918 Spanish flu rather than viral shedding from the nasal-instilled vaccine.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi124.html
Are Generic Drug Makers Guilty of Collusion?
"Attorneys general from a majority of states are suing a number of generic drug makers for collusion with respect to prices.
"Why are generic drug companies charging so darn much? Part of the reason is that they can. Unlike many other countries in the world, the United States does not exercise any control over drug pricing. Both brand name and generic drug companies get to set their own prices. That may be what the market will bear.
"In a recent move, however, attorneys general of 45 states claimed that several large generic drug companies have been colluding rather than competing. They have named 18 companies and 15 different medications in the suit, which also singles out two drug company executives."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/11/09/are-generic-drug-makers-guilty-of-collusion/
Are you fed up With the Proliferation of Prescription Drug ads?
"A study published in JAMA (Jan. 8, 2019) found that direct-to-consumer advertising went from $2.1 billion in 1997 to $9.6 billion in 2016. The proportion of marketing dollars spent on reaching consumers also increased during the last two decades. It went from 11.9 percent of total marketing dollars in 1997 to 32 percent of the total in 2016."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/01/21/are-you-fed-up-with-the-proliferation-of-prescription-drug-ads/
Are Your Drugs Safe and Effective? October 9, 2011
"Commercials on television and ads in magazines make medications seem like magic. They are supposed to solve problems like overactive bladder, elevated cholesterol and erectile dysfunction.
"Smiling faces and cheerful music emphasize the benefits of pricey prescriptions. Most people tune out the long list of serious side effects that seems nearly endless and irrelevant.
"Promotional campaigns work. Perhaps that's because many consumers don't understand what FDA drug approval really means, according to a new study about public perception of prescription drug pros and cons (Archives of Internal Medicine, Sept. 12, 2011).
"In this study of nearly 3,000 volunteers, the investigators found: 'Thirty-nine percent mistakenly believed that the "FDA only approves prescription drugs that are extremely effective," and 25 percent mistakenly believed that "only extremely effective drugs can be advertised to consumers"."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/10/09/are-your-drugs-safe-and-effective/
Big Pharma's origin: How the Chicago School and private equity shifted medicine's focus from health to wealth
"The history of Big Pharma's big business is beautifully told in a long piece by Alexander Zaitchik in The New Republic. Zaitchik describes how the NIH changed its policies in 1968, ending the rule that forced publicly subsidized researchers to assign their patents to the federal government and allowing them instead to flog them on the open market. This created a new kind of academic research program, focused on using public money to develop patented products that would be exclusively assigned to pharma companies who'd be guaranteed monopolies over life-saving medicines."
https://boingboing.net/2019/08/11/price-of-progress.html
Critically Important Information You'll Never see in Drug Advertisements, Dennis Miller, November 24, 2020
"There is a major deficiency in drug advertisements because a hugely important and relevant body of knowledge is conspicuously absent.
When drug advertisements promote drugs that treat preventable diseases of modern civilization, shouldn't drug companies have an ethical responsibility to emphasize that fact and perhaps even the broader fact that most prescriptions pharmacists fill are for preventable conditions?
"Even though various sources differ slightly, lists of preventable diseases of modern civilization typically include many of the following: 1) coronary heart disease, 2) stroke, 3) hypertension, 4) deep vein thrombosis, 5) pulmonary embolism, 6) varicose veins, 7) obesity, 8) type 2 diabetes, 9) cholesterol gallstones, 10) kidney stones, 11) osteoporosis, 12) gout, 13) colon cancer, 14) rectal cancer, 15) breast cancer, 16) prostate cancer, 17) lung cancer, 18) endometrial cancer, 19) ovarian cancer, 20) dental caries (cavities), 21) constipation, 22) appendicitis, 23) diverticular disease, 24) hemorrhoids, 25) Crohn's disease, 26) celiac disease, 27) pernicious anemia, 28) ulcerative colitis, 29) multiple sclerosis, 30) rheumatoid arthritis, 31) asthma, 32) cerebrovascular disease, 33) peripheral vascular disease, 34) alcoholism, 35) depression, 36) Alzheimer's disease, 37) arthritis, 38) atherosclerosis, 39) chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, 40) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 41) colitis, 42) irritable bowel syndrome, 43) metabolic syndrome, 44) chronic kidney failure, 45) polycystic ovarian disease, 46) vascular dementia, 47) some types of allergy, and others."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/critically-important-information-youll-never-see-in-drug-advertisements
ClassAction.org
"This is ClassAction.org's current list of open lawsuits and investigations. The goal of this section is to provide consumers with a comprehensive resource on class action and mass tort lawsuits. Attorneys are either actively filing these cases or investigating to determine whether lawsuits can be filed. The list is updated frequently, so check back soon for updates."
https://www.classaction.org/
Consumer Reports
"Attempt to have a chemical analysis done on a food supplement, grocery item, or produce purchased in a local store. It will be found that commercial chemical testing laboratories will not accept orders from an individual. Orders are only accepted from producers, manufacturers, and distributors. No checks and balances from outside the business sphere presents a tremendous conflict of interest.
"Consumer Lab seems to be the only organization on the side of the consumer." -- compiler
"Our Mission: To identify the best quality health and nutritional products through independent testing."
A subscription service that gives test results for typical consumer food supplements etc. Reviews of over 1,000 products.
http://www.consumerlab.com/
Consumers Beware: Incomplete Generic Drug Warnings OK, Lauren Hepler, The Columbus Dispatch, June 25, 2011
"Experts are warning the 75 percent of Americans who take generic prescription medication to carefully review usage and risks with pharmacists following a Supreme Court ruling this week that limits the liability of generic drug makers.
"The court ruled Thursday that since generics are copies of name-brand drugs, generic drug makers can't be sued for not listing risks if those risks are not on brand-name labels. . . .
The court overruled some state laws that say generic drug companies must update warnings if they have information about other risks. . . .
" 'The point here is to be critical in your questions to pharmacists and physicians prescribing the drugs,' said Ernest Boyd, executive director of the Ohio Pharmacists Association. . . .
"Healthcare advocates say the ruling is bad news. . . .
" 'The Supreme Court handed a windfall to one of the most powerful and wealthy industries in the country,' Levine said. . . .
"She said consumers also should be aware of a second ruling Thursday that allows pharmaceutical companies to enhance marketing efforts by purchasing lists of the medications prescribed by individual doctors. . . ."
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/25/incomplete-generic-drug-warnings-ok.html?sid=101
Dark Secrets of the Medical and Military Industrial Complex
"Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. uncovers the dark secrets behind vaccines, the CIA, the assassinations of his uncle and father, and the corruption of the medical establishment and military/industrial complex."
https://rumble.com/v2dgz2o-dark-secrets-of-the-medical-and-military-industrial-complex.html
Direct to Consumer Advertising is Medicalising Normal Human Experience, Barbara Mintzes
"Kawachi and Conrad describe medicalisation as a 'process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as medical problems, usually in terms of illnesses and disorders,' decontextualizing human problems and turning attention from the social environment to the individual. They point out the negative consequences, chiefly the extension of the sick role and diversion from other solutions. . . .
"Charles Medawar of Social Audit UK argues that the most dangerous effect of direct to consumer advertising is to encourage healthy people to believe they need medical attention. He quotes Lewis Thomas: 'The new danger to our well-being, if we continue to listen to all the talk, is in becoming a nation of healthy hypochondriacs, living gingerly, worrying ourselves half to death.' "
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1122842/
Dirty Medicine, July 27, 2013
"The giant Indian drug maker Ranbaxy had recalled its atorvastatin, the generic equivalent of Lipitor, because it was contaminated with ground glass.
Earlier this year, Ranbaxy pleaded guilty to 'seven federal criminal counts of selling adulterated drugs with intent to defraud, failing to report that its drugs didn't meet specifications, and making intentionally false statements to the government,' as our guest reported in her exposé. The company was fined $500 million, but Ranbaxy drugs are still on pharmacy shelves.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/07/27/912-dirty-medicine/
Drug Company Payments to Doctors Must be Revealed, January 18, 2012
"Under new Federal guidelines, drug companies will soon be required to reveal payments to doctors. According to an investigation by The New York Times, about two-thirds of all U.S. physicians accept dinners for themselves or lunch for their staffs. Approximately 25 percent of doctors actually get financial payments from drug and device manufacturers.
"There is concern that such financial relationships alter the practice of medicine because they create a conflict of interest. The reports of payments were scheduled to start last fall, but the public now has until mid-February to comment on the proposals. Under the rules, drug companies will be fined for failing to report payments and corporate leadership may be liable if they knowingly sign off on false reports. The Congressional Budget Office hopes that such transparency will eventually reduce over prescribing and excessive spending. [New York Times, Jan. 16, 2012]"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/01/18/drug-company-payments-to-doctors-must-be-revealed/
Drug makers collude on generic price hikes, overcharge consumers and states billions, Ken Alltucker, USA Today, May 13, 2019
"A coalition of attorneys general from 43 states and Puerto Rico claim in a federal lawsuit that generic drug manufacturers conspired to fix prices and markets of 114 drugs for both minor infections and chronic diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes and HIV.
"The sweeping 510-page lawsuit filed Friday at U.S. District Court in Connecticut alleges Teva, Pfizer, Mylan, and 17 other pharmaceutical companies worked in tandem to create a 'fair share' of the generic drug market and avoid price-lowering competition.
"The lawsuit also names 15 pharma executives in a price-fixing conspiracy that allegedly overcharged states and consumers billions of dollars. "
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2019/05/13/teva-and-other-generic-drug-makers-accused-price-fixing/1190531001/
Drug Shortages Lead to Price Gouging, August 28, 2011
[Could current shortage of critical drugs be the pharmaceutical giants way of dealing with loss of income due to Congress's acts on generic drugs? -- compiler]
"Hospital pharmacists are getting desperate. They are being forced to devote precious time to hunting down scarce supplies of critical medications. That's because drug shortages are increasing nationwide.
"Since 2006 the number of medicines that have become hard to find in any given year has tripled. The FDA has reported that over the last year nearly 200 drugs have been unavailable or in limited supply. That means that sometimes patients undergoing surgery will have procedures delayed. Less effective or far more expensive treatments may need to be substituted. . . .
"Why would a company stop making a pharmaceutical it has made for years? Sometimes the answer is pure profit. There may not be enough incentive to continue with a generic drug that is sold for a low price. . . .
"Generic drug companies should recognize that putting profit ahead of patients' lives is a black mark on the industry. . . ." -- People's Pharmacy
"I cannot name my company because this is a personal opinion, but the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing is very complicated. We (generic manufacturer) make "brand name" drugs for Merck, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, Axcan, Salix etc. Do not be so sure your brand is made by a brand company. Pfizer recently has a recall because the Indian manufacturer was shut down by FDA." -- Reader's Comment
"I am a supplier of bulk Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API'S). The vast majority of my customers are U.S. generic manufacturers. All of my API suppliers are European therefore my U.S. customers are using European made active ingredients.
European regulatory and quality standards are equal to or many times more strict than U.S. standards. All of my suppliers are FDA inspected every 2 or 3 years. In other words you do not have to worry about European made products.
"Indian and Chinese made active ingredients are another story however. There are so many producers in those countries that the FDA has no chance of inspecting them all. In my opinion no active ingredient produced by an un-inspected factory should be allowed to be sold in this country. It has always been my experience that that was the law here. No customer of mine would consider using any material from an un-inspected supplier.
"Sadly most of the active ingredients used here are made in China and India. There is only one reason for this: price. My European suppliers cannot compete with those 2 countries. Labor costs and environmental requirements are large cost factors.
"Statistically brand name companies have more failed FDA inspections than do the generic companies.
"I wish that it would be clearly stated where the product was produced on each prescription label. I fully believe in generic medicine. Indian and Chinese made medicine does concern me however. I could go on and on with this and would be happy to if anyone cares." -- Reader's Comment, April 15, 2011
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/08/28/drug-shortages-lead-to-price-gouging/
Drug Testing Scandal at FDA, April 18, 2013
"The FDA has come under fire in a report from ProPublica, an independent group of investigative journalists. A whistle-blower at a large research laboratory tipped the agency off to fraudulent data manipulation.
"Over 100 drugs were involved, many of them generics. The fudging of data lasted from 2005 till 2009 and was characterized as egregious by the FDA investigators. . . . no list of affected drugs is available."
http://www.propublica.org/article/fda-let-drugs-approved-on-fraudulent-research-stay-on-the-market
Drugs and Older People
"Lists drugs known to lead to cognitive impairment."
https://store.peoplespharmacy.com/guides/drugs-and-older-people.html
Family Outraged Over Life-changing Treatment Going From Free to $375,000 a Year, Ben Kesslen, February 8, 2019
" 'I don't think I would be alive today' without the very-expensive drug, Will Schuller told NBC News."
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/family-outraged-over-life-changing-treatment-going-free-375-000-n968906
FDA Boons or Bungles: Avandia, 23andMe, Morning After Pill, November 26, 2013
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/11/26/fda-boons-or-boondoggles-avandia-23andme-plan-b/
FDA Report Disappoints. Points to the Unreliability and Even Danger of Chinese Manufactured Generic Drugs, April 22, 2008
"The only problem with this otherwise rosy picture is that everything depends upon the FDA's vigilance to ensure that all generic drugs are indeed identical to their brand-name counterparts. Over the last several years, we have begun to doubt the government's ability to do this job adequately."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/joe_and_terrys_blog/fda_report_disappoints_.php
Giant Generic Drug Scandal: Companies Accused of Price Fixing! December 15, 2016
"An announcement by 20 state attorneys general that they would be suing a group of generic drug manufacturers reinforces our worst fears. Companies like Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Aurobindo Pharma USA, Citron Pharma LLC, Mayne Pharma Inc., and Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc. have been accused of conspiring to manipulate prices on the antibiotic doxycycline and the diabetes drug glyburide."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/12/15/79955/
High Cost of Spravato (Esketamine) For Depression! Joe Graedon March 14, 2019
"The first really new antidepressant in decades recently won FDA approval for treatment-resistant depression. Esketamine nasal spray will be sold under the brand name Spravato. Physicians and patients have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new type of antidepressant. That's largely because there has been a lot of hype around the new drug. Perhaps another reason is that traditional antidepressant take weeks to go to work. This nasal spray should start working within hours or days. . . .
"The list price is roughly $600 to nearly $900 per dose. That means the initial month could cost as much as $6,800."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/03/14/high-cost-of-spravato-esketamine-for-depression/
How can you Find a Legitimate Canadian Pharmacy? Joe Graedon July 9, 2018
"How do you afford crucial medicines like Eliquis when the price can top $400 a month? One reader wants to know how to find a legitimate Canadian pharmacy. We supply answers."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/07/09/how-can-you-find-a-legitimate-canadian-pharmacy/
How do Drug Companies Spit in the Face of Capitalism? Joe Graedon, November 10, 2016
"The free market system is supposed to encourage competition. One of the key tenets of capitalism is that prices of products are determined primarily by a competitive marketplace. If company A sells a mousetrap for $5 and company B can make a similar mousetrap that works equally well for less and sell it for $4, then company B would, in theory, capture the market for mousetraps. That's the way it's supposed to work. The theory seems to break down when it comes to the pharmaceutical industry."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/11/10/how-do-drug-companies-spit-in-the-face-of-capitalism/
How Many People Died While the FDA Delayed Action on Acetaminophen? October 6, 2013
"A new investigative report from ProPublica and the radio show, This American Life, reveals that this supposedly safe drug has led to at least 1500 deaths over the last decade. Part of the reason for the toll is repeated delays by the FDA on warning the public about liver damage, alcohol interactions and the dangers of high doses."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/06/how-many-people-died-while-the-fda-delayed-action-on-acetaminophen/
If Medicare negotiated insulin prices like the VA, it could save billions
"As insulin becomes a poster child for the growing outcry over the cost of medicines, a new analysis suggests that Medicare could have saved $4.4 billion in 2017 for the diabetes treatment if the program negotiated the same prices as the Department of Veterans Affairs, which already bargains for discounts."
https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2020/02/03/medicare-insulin-diabetes-drug-prices/
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices [ISMP]
"Every year millions of Americans are seriously harmed by the medicines that are supposed to heal them or relieve their discomfort. In far too many cases, the injuries are disabling or even fatal. ISMP is a 'nonprofit organization devoted entirely to medication error prevention and safe medication use. . . .'
It "has been tracking the FDA's [MedWatch] database [Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS)] of adverse drug reactions for years. . . .
"Patients, pharmacists, physicians, nurses and drug companies can submit adverse event reports or stories about drug failures to the FDA through a system called MedWatch: After someone sends in a report of a bad drug reaction it ends up in a computerized database called AERS (Adverse Event Reporting System). The FDA reviews this information but doesn't make it easily accessible in a usable form for the rest of us.
"Tom Moore [of ISMP] cracked the FDA's code [used in AERS] and has been offering quarterly reports of the FDA data [QuarterWatch] for years through ISMP. . . .
"If it weren't for Tom we would have very little idea what kind of drug problems have been reported to the FDA. He has summarized the data for last year in his latest report:"
QuarterWatch
http://www.ismp.org/QuarterWatch/default.aspx
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices [ISMP]
http://www.ismp.org
Landmark Report by Surgeon General Calls Drug Crisis "a moral test for America"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/landmark-report-by-surgeon-general-calls-drug-crisis-a-moral-test-for-america/2016/11/16/4214bf2a-ac49-11e6-977a-1030f822fc35_story.html
Medical Debt Among People With Health Insurance, Karen Pollitz, et al., (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation), Jan 07, 2014
"Medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S., contributing to 62 percent of personal bankruptcies in 2007. Most who filed for medical bankruptcy that year were well educated, owned homes, and had middle-class occupations. Three quarters had health insurance." (David Himmelstein, et al., "Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study," The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 122, Issue 8, August 2009)
http://kff.org/report-section/medical-debt-among-people-with-health-insurance-consequences-of-medical-debt/
MedWatch
"MedWatch provides important and timely medical product information, and is also a venue for reporting adverse events to FDA. You can sign up to receive MedWatch notices by e-mail."
www.fda.gov/medwatch/
Multiple Sclerosis Patients Stressed out by Soaring Drug Costs
"In the past couple years, Medicare's drug tab has surged, in large part because it picks up the vast majority of the cost of drugs once enrollees exceed a certain threshold each year. In 2015, beneficiaries over the limit, which was $4,700, spent $51.3 billion on drugs. In 2013, the figure was $27.7 billion, government data shows. (Taxpayers, through Medicare, pick up 80 percent of the cost of this so-called catastrophic benefit). The Associated Press first reported the ballooning cost in July. . . .
"Another sign could be seen in a drug dashboard released by Medicare this week. It showed that 1 percent of drugs prescribed in the Part D program accounted for more than one-third of the program's cost in 2015 (before rebates). Some drugs were incredibly expensive. The drug H.P. Acthar Gel, used to treat several conditions, such as multiple sclerosis relapses and a rare kidney disease, cost an average of $162,371 for each of its 3,104 users -- a higher per-user cost than any other drug in the program. That's up significantly from several years ago, when ProPublica flagged the drug's expense."
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/11/17/502341021/a-growing-group-of-doctors-are-big-money-prescribers-in-medicare
Novartis generic unit to pay $195 million to settle price fixing charges
"The settlement is a significant step toward ensuring that prices for generic drugs are "set by competition, not collusion," the Justice Department said. . . .
"In the latest fallout from a federal probe into generic drug price fixing, the Sandoz unit of Novartis (NVS) agreed to pay $195 million to resolve criminal charges of conspiring with other manufacturers, the third company to be charged as part of the long-running investigation."
https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2020/03/02/novartis-sandoz-generics-price-fixing/
An old Drug Gets a new Price to Fight a Rare Disease: $89,000 a Year
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/02/10/an-old-drug-gets-a-new-price-to-fight-a-rare-disease-89000-a-year/
Old Drugs Better as Well as Cheaper, June 6, 2013
"The excitement over ketamine, a drug that has been available for decades, mirrors a new analysis of medication effectiveness. The researchers found that older drugs outperform the newest arrivals in many cases, especially when the drugs are compared to placebo controls.
"Despite tens of billions of dollars devoted to research and development, pharmaceutical companies have not come up with many breakthroughs in the last decade. Most of the real pharmaceutical advances happened years ago. Huge consolidation within the industry was supposed to bring efficiency to the drug discovery process, but the analysis shows that, for the most part, newer drugs are vastly more expensive but not necessarily better than old standbys." -- People's Pharmacy, from Health Affairs, June 3, 2013
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/06/old-drugs-better-as-well-as-cheaper/
Orphan Drugs Have Become a Billion Dollar Bonanza for Big Pharma
"This all sounds noble, and it has provided life-saving treatments for people with rare diseases like Gaucher disease. This rare genetic condition interferes with the body's ability to metabolize fat. Untreated, it leads to disability and death at a young age. Cerezyme and Cerdelga to treat this disorder cost as much as $300,000 a year. If insurance won't pay, families go bankrupt quickly."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/01/30/orphan-drugs-have-become-a-billion-dollar-bonanza-for-big-pharma
Pharmaceutical Firm Queried Over High Price of Hepatitis C Drug, March 27, 2014
"A new medicine to treat hepatitis C is creating a lot of controversy because of its price tag. The maker of Sovaldi, Gilead Sciences, is planning to charge as much as $84,000 for a course of treatment.
"This drug is the first in a new generation of oral anti-viral therapies for hepatitis C and it is being hailed as a breakthrough. The cure rate is higher and side effects are fewer than with other treatment.
"It is estimated that as many as 3 million Americans are infected with this virus, so sales could quickly add up to billions of dollars annually for the company. Congress and insurance companies are questioning the high price, especially since the company will be selling the drug for substantially less in other countries."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/03/27/pharmaceutical-firm-queried-over-high-price-of-hepatitis-c-drug/
Pharmaceutical Industry is Biggest Defrauder of the Federal Government Under the False Claims Act, new Public Citizen Study Finds, December 2010.
"The drug industry has now become the biggest defrauder of the federal government, as determined by payments it has made for violations of the False Claims Act (FCA), surpassing the defense industry, which had long been the leader, according to a new Public Citizen study. . . .
"Many of the infractions, and the single largest category of financial penalties, stemmed from the practice of off-label promotion of pharmaceuticals -- the illegal promotion of a drug for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Off-label promotion can be prosecuted as a criminal offense because of the potential for serious adverse health consequences to patients from such promotional activities. Another major category of federal financial penalties was purposely overcharging for drugs under various federal programs, which constitutes a violation of the FCA.
"On the state level, the largest category of financial penalties has come from companies deliberately overcharging state health programs, such as Medicaid. Public Citizen's study found this to be the most common category of violation among state settlements."
See the chart "PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY FINANCIAL PENALTIES, 1991-2010" showing that penalties increased from 300 million in 1999 to 4,500 million in 2009, that is 4 billion, 500 million.
http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=4734
Pharmacy Checker
For "people who would like to learn about saving money on brand name drugs from online pharmacies."
http://www.pharmacychecker.com/
Prescription Drug Deaths up, Sept. 10, 2007
"Deaths from prescription drugs have increased dramatically over the last eight years. A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that fatalities from drug side effects nearly tripled. Researchers tracked data collected by the Food and Drug Administration between 1998 and 2005. There were 5,500 deaths reported in 1998, but in 2005 that number had increased to more than 15,000.
"The investigators tried in vain to figure out why serious drug reactions have increased so significantly. Although the number of prescription dispensed has gone up during that time, the increase in deaths and serious injuries is disproportionately high. It is also important to recognize that this probably represents the tip of a much larger iceberg. That's because the FDA estimates that it receives reports on only about 10 percent of adverse drug reactions. The investigators conclude that the existing system is not adequately protecting patients from serious drug complications. [Archives of Internal Medicine, Sept. 10, 2007]
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/167/16/1752
Prescription Drug Prices Skyrocketing, April 4, 2011
"Popular brand name drugs are already expensive and getting pricier. Despite the sluggish economy and low rate of inflation, top-selling medications have soared in price. . . .
"People who would like to learn about saving money on brand name drugs from online pharmacies may find useful information at http://www.pharmacychecker.com/. We have also prepared a 'Guide to Saving Money on Medicine'."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/04/04/prescription-drug-prices-skyrocketing/
Psych Drug use Skyrockets Beyond Belief, October 20, 2011
"A report just released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that antidepressant use in the U.S. is soaring into the stratosphere. The investigators analyzed data from a survey of roughly 12,000 Americans between 2005 and 2008. Compared to an earlier survey (1988 to 1994), use of antidepressants 'increased nearly 400 percent.' The key finding: 'Eleven percent of Americans aged 12 years and over take antidepressant medication'."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/10/20/psych-drug-use-skyrockets-beyond-belief/
Psychiatric Meds: Prescription for Murder?
"The lethal link between psychiatric meds and violence -- including school shootings -- has been largely ignored by officials," Rebecca Terrell, March 8, 2013
"In other words, the drugs can trigger chemical imbalance where none existed in the first place, hence the emergence of adverse effects like mania and suicidal/homicidal (paranoid) ideation, especially when a psychotropic drug is first started or stopped. Other research shows a relation between these drugs and brain atrophy, an often irreparable decrease in the size and number of brain cells."
" 'In virtually every mass school shooting during the past 15 years, the shooter has been on or in withdrawal from psychiatric drugs,' observed Lawrence Hunter of the Social Security Institute. 'Yet, federal and state governments continue to ignore the connection between psychiatric drugs and murderous violence, preferring instead to exploit these tragedies in an oppressive and unconstitutional power grab to snatch guns away from innocent, law-abiding people who are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution the right to own and bear arms to deter government tyranny and to use firearms in self defense against any miscreant who would do them harm'."
https://thenewamerican.com/prescription-for-murder/
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs): A Flawed Gold Standard, March 17, 2014
"What very few health professionals have realized is that there are serious flaws with the randomized controlled trial system of drug testing.
"Although RCTs are pretty good at establishing statistically significant benefit, they have traditionally not been good at predicting how well a particular treatment will work for any given individual. Many drugs can be proven to be 10-15 percent better than nothing (placebo). That may be enough to get FDA approval. But it may only mean that one person out of 60 (the number needed to treat or NNT), will actually get any benefit after five years of therapy. That happens to be the best case scenario for otherwise healthy people taking a statin to lower cholesterol."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/03/17/randomized-controlled-trials-rcts-a-flawed-gold-standard/
See also:
The NNT (Number-Needed-to-Treat)
http://www.thennt.com/thennt-explained/
Report: Action Needed to Wipe out Fake and Substandard Drugs, Richard Knox, February 13, 2013
"A blue-ribbon panel is urging stronger regulation of pharmaceuticals around the world to combat the growing problem of fake and poor-quality medicines.
"The quality problems and fake medicines have affected Americans. Fungal contamination of steroids made by a Massachusetts pharmacy, which sickened more than 700 people and killed 46, is one recent example. Other U.S. patients have received fake cancer drugs and medicines obtained over the Internet with little or no active ingredients.
"The problem extends to more than 120 countries, the Institute of Medicine report says, and has done incalculable damage to efforts to control tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS and other diseases.
"No one knows exactly how big the problem is, but Lawrence Gostin, chairman of the IOM committee that issued the report, says it's been getting steadily worse. 'Whatever the magnitude is, it's huge and growing,' he tells Shots."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/13/171923516/report-action-needed-to-curb-fake-and-substandard-drugs
Scandals and Screwups in the Drugstore, October 5, 2013
"Doctors look to guidelines from highly regarded thought leaders to figure out how to treat common problems like high cholesterol or prostate cancer. But how objective are these publications? Dr. Steve Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic calls out his colleagues and says too often they have significant conflicts of interest that make the guidelines less useful for patient care -- but physicians don't always realize where the conflicts lie."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/05/920-scandals-and-screwups-in-the-drugstore/
The Screwing of Senior Citizens
"It is one of the worst scandals in medicine and yet it has been ignored for decades. Millions of older people are prescribed medications that are totally inappropriate. Many of these drugs are likely to do more harm than good.
More than two decades ago a physician who specialized in treating older people, Mark Beers, MD, was shocked to discover that more than half of nursing home residents were receiving drugs that might cause them confusion, sedation and disorientation, not to mention constipation, dizziness or dry mouth. Dr. Beers was so incensed that he worked with other experts to develop a list of medications generally considered inappropriate for older people. You will find the Beers list of inappropriate drugs in our Guide to Drugs and Older People."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/23/the-screwing-of-senior-citizens/
Senator Rand Paul Explains the Lack of a Free Market in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Stop the Corporate Welfare!
https://www.facebook.com/yaliberty/videos/10155643440085197/
Shortages of Critical Medicines Creating Chaos, June 2, 2011
"Drug scarcities are creating problems for hospitals. There has been an unusually high number of shortages of critical medications over the last few years. Many of the missing medicines are used in emergency departments, operating suites, chemotherapy infusion rooms and ICUs.
"These shortages are interfering with proper patient treatment. For example, certain anesthetic agents are harder to come by. Finding an alternative can delay or complicate surgery for some patients. Several medications for attention deficit disorder are also in short supply.
"Perhaps most worrisome of all is the growing scarcity of cancer chemotherapy drugs. Some hospitals have had to delay treatment because they can't get their hands on these critical medications. Most of the shortages are for generic injectables. Many are difficult to manufacture and have a relatively low profit margin. If a manufacturer decides to get out of the business, there may not be another company willing to pick up the slack and make the medicine. This leaves physicians, pharmacists and patients in the lurch. Since the FDA cannot force any company to make medicine, the shortages are likely to continue. . . ."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/02/shortages-of-critical-medicines-creating-chaos/
Surviving Pharmageddon, October 26, 2013
"More than 150 million prescriptions are dispensed each year for antidepressant medications. It seems counterintuitive that medicines designed to fight depression might trigger suicidal thoughts or actions. Perhaps that is why so many doctors seem not to have recognized the evidence of this potential side effect. It can also be extremely difficult to stop taking an antidepressant. Prescribers rarely mention that withdrawal symptoms can be disorienting and can take weeks or even months to disappear.
"In the book PHARMAGEDDON, Dr. David Healy talks about the pharmaceuticalization of medicine. How did big Pharma seduce so many doctors?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/26/923-surviving-pharmageddon/
Thefts, Counterfeits and bad Drugs, July 9, 2011
"Prescription drugs are now so pricey that they have become a tantalizing target for criminals. Both thefts of prescription drugs and counterfeit drugs are increasing in the U.S. where they used to be rare.
"Controlling the quality of medications is also more of an issue. With 80 percent of the raw ingredients in our medicines coming from countries like China, India, Brazil or Mexico, the FDA is hard-pressed to keep tabs on the drug supply. Even in this country, manufacturers may fail to maintain good manufacturing practices to produce top quality drugs. How safe are your pills?
Guests: Katherine Eban is an award-winning investigative journalist and contributor to Fortune. She is author of DANGEROUS DOSES: HOW COUNTERFEITERS ARE CONTAMINATING AMERICA'S DRUG SUPPLY. The photo is of Ms. Eban.
"Clifford Nilsen has more than 40 years of industrial experience, specializing in quality control, laboratory management, compliance and technical operations in the pharmaceutical, nutritional supplement and chemical manufacturing industries. His book is GENERIC DRUGS: A CONSUMER'S SELF-DEFENSE GUIDE.
Allan Coukell is a pharmacist and Director of Medical Programs at the Pew Health Group. He chaired the Pew Health Group roundtable on Ensuring the Safety of the U.S. Drug Supply."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/07/09/820-thefts-counterfeits-and-bad-drugs/
United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
"This nongovernmental scientific organization has set quality standards for medicines for nearly 200 years. . . . the USP-Verified seal is backed by careful quality monitoring, including off-the-shelf vitamin testing. [according to a company spokesman -- compiler]. You can learn more about USP verification and see what the symbol looks like at the organization's site."
http://www.usp.org/dietary-supplements/verification-services
Unreported Side Effects of Drugs are Found Using Internet Search Data, Study Finds, John Markoff, March 6, 2013
"Using data drawn from queries entered into Google, Microsoft and Yahoo search engines, scientists at Microsoft, Stanford, and Columbia University have for the first time been able to detect evidence of unreported prescription drug side effects before they were found by the Food and Drug Administration's warning system."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/science/unreported-side-effects-of-drugs-found-using-internet-data-study-finds.html?smid=tw-nytimesscience&seid=auto&_r=2&
What are the Most Dangerous Prescription Drugs? November 24, 2011
Researchers have estimated that medications cause 17 million visits to emergency rooms and 8.7 million hospitalizations each year. [Johnson, J.A. and J.L. Bootman, "Drug-Related Morbidity and Mortality: A Cost-of-Illness Model." Archives of Internal Medicine, 1995; 155:1949-1956]. It has been estimated that the drugs that are supposed to relieve our symptoms or cure us, may be responsible for as many as 300,000 deaths annually."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/11/24/what-are-the-most-dangerous-prescription-drugs/
Why are so Many Pharmacists Disillusioned? Terry Graedon, September 27, 2017
"Top Ten Reasons Pharmacists are Disillusioned and why you Should Care by Dennis Miller, R.Ph."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/09/27/why-are-so-many-pharmacists-disillusioned/
*Why has Healthcare Marketing Increased so Much? January 10, 2019
"A study published this week in JAMA demonstrates a dramatic rise in the amount of money spent on healthcare marketing over the last two decades (Schwartz & Woloshin, JAMA, Jan. 8, 2019). Spending on television drug ads went from $2 billion in 1997 to almost $10 billion in 2016. . . .
" 'Trust in physicians and health care institutions may be at stake if medical marketing by practitioners, health care organizations, and manufacturers of health care products continues to increase unchecked'."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/01/10/why-has-healthcare-marketing-increased-so-much/
Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 11, 2011
"Most (but not all) pharmacists routinely tell patients that generic drugs are identical to brand name medications. That is hardly surprising. This is what pharmacy students are told during their education process. It is also what the FDA states on its website:
A generic drug is identical -- or bioequivalent -- to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use. Although generic drugs are chemically identical to their branded counterparts, they are typically sold at substantial discounts from the branded price."Now we don't know about you, but when we see the word 'identical' we assume that means exactly the same as. Here is how Dictionary.com defines the word 'identical':
Would You Pay $475,000 for the New CAR-T Cancer Treatment? Joe Graedon, August 31, 2017
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/08/31/would-you-pay-475000-for-the-new-car-t-cancer-treatment/
What is the Christian answer to the threat of nuclear power and of contamination from nuclear radiation? Beyond a few obvious points: the Doctrine of the Absolute Sovereignty of God, his Lordship as Creator and Sustainer over all of history, past, present, and future, and the consequent truth that there are no tragedies in His history, there is the Doctrine of Immortality. This is not the only life we have.
Atomic Energy Commission, Division of Technical Information, Radioactive Fallout From Nuclear Weapons Tests: Proceedings of the Second Conference, Germantown, Maryland, November 3-6, 1964.
Davis, Devra, Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, What the Industry is Doing to Hide it, and How to Protect Your Family, ISBN: 9780525951940 0525951946.
"Cell phone radiation is a national emergency. Scientist Devra Davis presents an array of recent and long-suppressed research which shows that the most popular gadget of our age damages DNA, breaks down the brain's defenses, and reduces sperm count while increasing memory loss, the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and even cancer. The growing brains of children make them especially vulnerable -- and half of the world's four billion cell phones are used by people under twenty. Davis takes readers through the dark side of this trillion-dollar industry. Health experts have long been frozen out of policy-making decisions about cell phones; federal regulatory standards are set by the cell phone industry itself. One secret memo reveals their war plan against reports of cell phone dangers. As this call to action shows, we can make safer cell phones now. Why put our children at risk of a devastating epidemic of brain illness?" -- Publisher
Environmental Protection Agency, Air Pollution Aspects of Radioactive Substances, September 17, 2012, ISBN: 124941878X 9781249418788.
Loaharanu, Paisan, and Paul Thomas, Irradiation for Food Safety and Quality: Proceedings of FAO/IAEA/WHO International Conference on Ensuring the Safety and Quality of Food Through Radiation Processing, ISBN: 1587160811 9781587160813.
"Food irradiation is increasingly used worldwide as a proven and effective method of food preservation, as well as for improvement of food safety and quality. This book examines applications of the technology in produce, animal products, and prepared foods, the economics of various irradiation technologies, international regulations, the marketing of irradiated products to consumers and retail outlets, and irradiation's implications for the global trade in food and agricultural commodities." -- Publisher
"This is a dated text since it is now 4 years after the Conference in Antalya, Turkey. There is much water under the food irradiation bridge.
"L.M. Crawford's opinion about the logistics of source has not proven prescient. Service centers remain the dominant source of treatment because of the high cost of facilities. This allows the facility cost to be amortized over several producers without placing and undue burden on the medium and small producers. In Texas, its is the smaller producers that are leading the charge and this opportunity would be lost if one waited to use only inline systems.
"The section from Gupta that details the APHIS proposed regulations will be helpful for importers as the thoughts behind the final regulations that were approved in the fall of 2002 are presented. Thomas' presentation covers the nuts and bolts of using irradiation for export purposes.
"Etzel's paper on the Epidemiology of Foodborne Illness is useful for those trying to understand how outbreaks are now tracked in the US. It is dated because the monitoring now is far more widespread. One thing recent history has shown us is that the problem is far bigger than we have ever imagined. We can all appreciate the better monitoring that protects us now.
"There are papers from Christine Bruhn and Morton Satin, the queen and king of the high ground in this field.
"The economics for both machine and cobalt sourced facilities are presented. IBA/MDS Nordian employees present these papers. MDS Nordion has a food presence in the U.S. in cobalt facilities only. There are no papers by SureBeam, the industry leader in machine source processing. The book suffers as a result. There is a fascinating recounting of Food Technologies struggles and the progress they have achieved.
"The papers presented on Chilean grapes and South Africa's use of treated food provide many interesting data points.
"I recommend a google search of "Antalya + irradiation" to add color to this book." -- Reader's Comment
Miner, Sydney, Air Pollution Aspects of Radioactive Substances.
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, NCRP Reports. Vol. XVII, Nos. 94-97, ISBN: 9780913392935 0913392936 9780913392942 0913392944 9780913392966 0913392960 9780913392973 0913392979.
No. 94. Exposure of the population in the United States and Canada from natural background radiation (212 p.)
No. 95. Radiation exposure of the U.S. population from consumer products and miscellaneous sources (101 p.)
No. 96. Comparative carcinogenicity of ionizing radiation and chemicals (179 p.)
No. 97. Measurement of radon and radon daughters in air (174 p.)
*Povinec, P., Katsumi Hirose, and Michio Aoyama, Fukushima Accident: Radioactivity Impact on the Environment, ISBN: 9780124114876 0124114873.
"FUKUSHIMA ACCIDENT: RADIOACTIVITY IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT presents up-to-date information on radioactivity released to the atmosphere and ocean after the accident on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the distribution of radionuclides in the world atmosphere and oceans, and their impact on the total environment. This book evaluates and discusses the post-Fukushima situation, emphasizing radionuclide impacts on the terrestrial and marine environments, and compares it with the pre-Fukushima sources of radionuclides in the environment such as global fallout and the Chernobyl accident." -- Publisher
Key features:
Covers atmospheric and marine radioactivity, providing information on the global dispersion of radionuclides in the atmosphere and world oceans,
Provides information on monitoring of radionuclides in the environment-information on sources of radionuclides, their temporal and spatial variations, and radionuclide level,
Covers transport of radionuclides from different sources, such as nuclear power plants, as well as atmospheric simulations and modeling approaches, and
Examines possible radiation doses to the public and biota in order to understand the health risks to the public and ecosystems.
*Vosniakos, Fokion K., Radioactivity Transfer in Environment and Food, ISBN: 9783642287411 3642287417.
"The book deals with various consequences of major nuclear accidents, such as in 1986 in Chernobyl and in 2011 in Fukushima. The public is extremely interested in learning more about the movements and risks posed by radiation in the environment related to food supply and food safety. Radionuclides are found in air, water, soil and even in us not only after nuclear accidents because they occur also in nature. Every day, we ingest and inhale radionuclides in our air and food and the water. This book provides a solid underpinning of the basic physical-chemistry and biogeochemistry of naturally occurring and anthro radioactivity. The mechanisms of radioactive element transfer in the atmosphere, tropospheric and stratospheric diffusion of radioactivity, environmental contamination from accidents and the impact of atmospheric pollution on the food chain, soil and plants, are analyzed and the analytical methods are illustrated. The question of natural radioactivity concentration in building materials is addressed too. While the book contains many case studies and data for Greece, it is of general value. It contributes to the development of international environmentally safe standards and economically reasonable standard regulations based on justified radiological, social and economical legislation concepts." -- Publisher
World Health Organization, WHO Handbook on Indoor Radon: A Public Health Perspective, ISBN: 9789241547673 9241547677.
"This handbook focuses on residential radon exposure from a public health point of view and provides detailed recommendations on reducing health risks from radon and sound policy options for preventing and mitigating radon exposure. The material in the handbook reflects the epidemiological evidence that indoor radon exposure is responsible for a substantial number of lung cancers in the general population. Information is provided on the selection of devices to measure radon levels and on procedures for the reliable measurement of these levels. Discussed also are control options for radon in new dwellings, radon reduction in existing dwellings as well as assessment of the costs and benefits of different radon prevention and remedial actions." -- Publisher
Are Microwave Ovens a Source of Danger? Marion Wild
http://www.curezone.com/art/read.asp?ID=112&db=7&C0=1
FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Search "irradiation of meat" and "irradiation fruit vegetables" to find information in disagreement with the FDA.
"The Food and Drug Administration has approved irradiation of meat and poultry and allows its use for a variety of other foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and spices. The agency determined that the process is safe and effective in decreasing or eliminating harmful bacteria. Irradiation also reduces spoilage bacteria, insects and parasites, and in certain fruits and vegetables it inhibits sprouting and delays ripening. For example, irradiated strawberries stay unspoiled up to three weeks, versus three to five days for untreated berries.
"Food irradiation is allowed in nearly 40 countries and is endorsed by the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association and many other organizations.
"Irradiation does not make foods radioactive, just as an airport luggage scanner does not make luggage radioactive. Nor does it cause harmful chemical changes. The process may cause a small loss of nutrients but no more so than with other processing methods such as cooking, canning, or heat pasteurization. Federal rules require irradiated foods to be labeled as such to distinguish them from non-irradiated foods. . . .
"FDA currently requires that irradiated foods include labelling with either the statement 'treated with radiation' or 'treated by irradiation' and the international symbol for irradiation, the radura (pictured at the top of this document). . . .
"The radura symbol contains simple petals (representing the food), in a broken circle (representing the rays from the energy source)."
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm287405.htm
Irradiated Foods Highlighted During Week of Protest, December 4, 2006
A new report into irradiation finds conflicting and inconsistent regulatory approaches to the use of the technology worldwide, a problem for multinational processors who are using the technique as a food safety measure. . . .
"In the US, roughly 50 irradiation facilities are used mainly for medical supplies and other non-food items. Food irradiation is unpopular among consumers in the country, in part because of federal labelling rules, the organization reported.
"The U.S. requires all single-ingredient irradiated foods sold in stores to be labeled as Treated with Irradiation and to carry the radura symbol. However, irradiated food served in restaurants, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, day-care centers and other institutional settings do not require a label.
"In August 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) legalized the irradiation of molluscan shellfish, including oysters, clams and mussels.
"Still pending before the FDA are industry requests to irradiated crustacean shellfish -- including shrimp, crabs and lobsters -- and ready-to-eat foods, such as deli meats, prebagged salads, frozen meals and baby food. . . .
" 'A string of failures makes it clear there is little demand for irradiated food in the US,' the organization reported. 'As a result of low consumer demand, several irradiation companies have struggled'. . . .
"In the fall of 2006, food irradiation received renewed media attention in the U.S. following the E. coli outbreak in spinach from California. As a publicity stunt, Sadex chief executive David Corbin ate spinach intentionally contaminated with E. coli and then irradiated.
"Sadex is among several companies that have claimed future outbreaks could be controlled by using irradiation. The FDA has only approved irradiation for fruits and vegetables for plant pests, and not for killing pathogen contamination. . . .
"The International Irradiation Association (IIA) is an industry-funded organization that is also working to harmonize regulations worldwide and develop new uses for radiation technologies.
"The membership includes irradiation service providers, suppliers of irradiation facilities and equipment, consultants, suppliers of items such as dosimeters and users of the irradiation services. As of March 2006, the IIA had 38 member companies in 16 countries.
"Meanwhile the International Council on Food Irradiation (ICFI) is a new international, non-governmental organization that promotes irradiation to government regulators, the food and nuclear industries, and health professionals around the world. . . ."
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Quality-Safety/Irradiated-foods-highlighted-during-week-of-protest
The Norwegian Institute for Air Research
Deals with nuclear radiation in the atmosphere.
It has been stated that the EPA is raising the minimum requirements of radiation in the environment to levels that will cause cancer in 25 percent of the population.
http://www.nilu.no/
Nuclear Power
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
Nuclear Power in the United States
"Some sixty anti-nuclear power groups are operating, or have operated, in the United States. These include: Abalone Alliance, Clamshell Alliance, Greenpeace USA, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Musicians United for Safe Energy, Nuclear Control Institute, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Public Citizen Energy Program, Shad Alliance, and the Sierra Club."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_the_United_States
*The Radiation Poisoning of America, Amy Worthington in Global Research, October 9, 2007
"Worthington writes, 'Since the wireless revolution began wave-nuking the U.S. in the 1990s, there have been no federally funded health studies to assess the cumulative effects of ever-increasing communications radiation on public health. There is no national database enabling citizens to study the location of transmitters in their areas. Local and state governments can offer no information on how much commercial wireless radiation is contaminating their populations. When trying to find out who owns a tower or which companies have transmitters on that tower, citizens usually hit a brick wall.'
"RF/microwaves from cell phones and cell tower transmitters also cause micronuclei damage in blood cells. This was reported a decade ago by Drs. Henry Lai and Narendrah Singh, biomedical researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Singh is famous for refining comet assay techniques used to identify DNA damage. Lai and Singh demonstrated in numerous animal studies that mobile phone radiation quickly causes DNA single and double strand breaks at levels well below the current federal 'safe' exposure standards.
"The telecommunications industry knows this thanks to its own six-year, wireless technology research (WTR) study program mandated by Congress and completed in 1999. Gathering a team of over 200 doctors, scientists and experts in the field, WTR research showed that human blood exposed to cell phone radiation had a 300-percent increase in genetic damage in the form of micronuclei. Dr. George Carlo, a public health expert who coordinated the WTR studies, confirms that exposure to communications radiation from wireless technology is 'potentially the biggest health insult' this nation has ever seen. Dr. Carlo believes RF/microwave radiation is a greater threat than cigarette smoking and asbestos.
"In 2000, European communications giant T-Mobile commissioned the German ECOLOG Institute to review all available scientific evidence in regard to health risks for wireless telecommunications. ECOLOG found over 220 peer-reviewed, published papers documenting the cancer-initiating and cancer-promoting effects of the high frequency radiation employed by wireless technology. Many corroborating studies have been published since.
"By 2004, 12 research groups from seven European countries cooperating in the REFLEX study project confirmed that microwaves from wireless communications devices cause significant single and double strand DNA breaks in both human and animal cells under laboratory conditions. In 2005, a Chinese medical study confirmed statistically significant DNA damage from pulsed microwaves at cell phone levels. That same year, University of Chicago researchers described how pulsed communications microwaves alter gene expression in human cells at non-thermal exposure levels.
"Because gamma waves and RF/microwave radiation are identically carcinogenic and genotoxic to the cellular roots of life, the safe dose of either kind of radiation is zero. No study has proven that any level of exposure from cell-damaging radiation is safe for humans. Dr. Carlo confirms that cell damage is not dose dependent because any exposure level, no matter how small, can trigger damage response by cell mechanisms.
"Officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health closely reviewed the damning results of WTR studies, which also revealed microwave damage to the blood brain barrier. But these officials have chosen to downplay, obfuscate and even deny the irrepressible science of the day. Raking in billions from selling spectrum licenses, the feds have allowed the telecom industry to unleash demonstrably dangerous technology which induces millions of people to become brain-intimate with improperly tested wireless devices and which saturates the nation with carcinogenic waves to service those devices. Dr. Carlo says that even the American Cancer Society is in bed with the communications industry, which infuses the Society with substantial contributions."
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7025
If a physician that feels not what you feel, shall yet upon your speeches and other evidences, tell you that he is confident your disease is not mortal, nor containeth any cause of fear, you may rationally be much encouraged by his judgement . . . (your faithful pastor), is able to pass a far sounder judgement of your life or death than yourselves can do, for all your feeling; for he knows better what those symptoms signify . . . -- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)Top 10 Questions to ask Your Doctor Before Accepting Medical Treatment
Always get a copy of your medical records. Medical records can be copied and given to the patient. There is no law against it. The original records are the property of the facility. However, every patient has a right to a copy of their medical records.
- How long have you been in practice?
- What is your experience in treating this condition?
- What are the treatment options, and what other options are available that you or the health plan are not offering? If you don't understand the doctor's basic explanation of your condition and treatment, then by all means ask him or her for more information.
- What are the possible complications of the proposed medical treatments or surgeries?
- If there are any complications, how will you correct the problem?
- Aside from your own partners, who would you go to for medical treatment if you had this condition?
- Are you personally going to perform the surgery?
- Will others assist and participate, in a major way, in this medical treatment?
- Can I ask your bookkeeper what my financial responsibility will be? You need to know in advance -- and don't be afraid to negotiate! -- Pierce Scranton, MD
'Medical care is a partnership.' It is advisable for patients to request a copy of their records. Not all medical errors are procedural. Some errors are administrative. Sometimes doctors mix up patients. If you review all your records, then you can point out errors, and see that they are corrected in a timely manner.A very common ritual experienced by many medical students at the end of their years in medical school is to hear an address by an eminent medical dean, who congratulates them and wishes them well in their internships, then says something like this: "Half of what you learned in medical school is wrong, and your challenge now is to find out which half." This may sound whimsical, but it does reflect a very basic truth about the complexity of the human body and the immensity of medical knowledge. It is also often said that the only people who are 100 percent sure about anything in medicine are medical students, malpractice lawyers, and well-compensated expert witnesses. . . . It is my deep belief that the current status of the TSH test as the absolute yes-or-no arbiter for the presence of hypothyroidism and for the status of a patient's treatment will eventually come to be regarded as one of the great mistakes of medical history. -- Ken Blanchard, MD in "A Note From Dr. Blanchard" in What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypothyroidism: A Simple Plan for Extraordinary Results
It would appear that Healthcare is the biggest consumer rip-off in America, considering, among other things, the estimated annual number of iatrogenic deaths at 750,000 (approximately one patient per doctor), "U.S. lags behind 41 nations in life span," the "US has the most expensive healthcare in the world, . . . Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world, . . . . according to the FDA, 80 percent of the active and inactive ingredients in our pharmaceuticals come from abroad, . . ." and we are "confronted with a huge drug counterfeiting problem." (FDA, Eban) -- compiler
Arrogance is an enormous problem in medicine. -- Peter Pronovost, MD, Ph.D., a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Egotism is a major problem among doctors. May I remind you that while some doctors wish to continue to be regarded with regal awe, providing medical care is a business, just like auto repair, telecommunications, retail furniture, and banking. Lust, greed, and pride are human weaknesses that are not exclusive to non-professionals. -- compiler
The futility of relying on medicine to cure the ills created by social and physical environments . . ." (Dubos)
Ash, Richard N., Winifred Conkling, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome): Eliminate Your Symptoms and Live a Pain-free, Drug-free Life, ISBN: 0446690910 9780446690911.
"This book is excellent for orienting new patients on their way toward empowerment, striking a good balance between clarity and detail. It is down to earth, easily readable, and presents the vital Partin Tables in a sentence format, easy to comprehend for readers who are not used to tables full of numerical research data. The authors convey both realism and optimism -- like expert friends talking to you, and Dr. Bubley, as a medical oncologist, gives a balanced view of various therapies. Three outstanding chapters of value to patients at all levels of knowledge cover clinical trials, natural remedies (the good and the bad), and diet. These topics are often given little coverage in similar books, and the chapters include significant recent research, especially on lycopene, but also on selenium and vitamin E, etc. There are two enhancements I would have liked to have seen. First, the supplement chapter lacked an important caution that most research studies indicate the use of flaxseed oil for prostate cancer is probably dangerous, acting as fuel for the cancer. Secondly, the book did not mention the growing evidence that hormonal blockade, particularly combined blockade, is often far more effective than the two or three years indicated in the book, a view still ingrained in the medical community based almost exclusively on research on already metastatic patients who were treated years ago, before modern drugs and methods of assessment. (I'm now in the sixth year of my first cycle of intermittent blockade -- off the main blockade drugs since July 2002 -- for a challenging, high-risk but not delectably metastatic case. The book A PRIMER ON PROSTATE CANCER is outstanding on hormonal blockade). In summary, this book is especially suited for low and perhaps for intermediate risk patients, but it also has valuable information and advice for all." -- Reader's Comment
*Blanchard, Ken, and Marietta Abrams Brill, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypothyroidism: A Simple Plan for Extraordinary Results, ISBN: 0446690619 9780446690614.
Foreword by Mary J. Shomon. (See also Mary Shomon's book Living Well With Hypothyroidism below.)
"Depression, fatigue, headaches, memory lapses, weight gain, constipation, cold intolerance, slowed reflexes, hair loss, menstrual abnormalities -- these are some of the vague, sometimes debilitating symptoms that, in varying combinations, plague more than 13 million patients with hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, many patients with hypothyroidism go for months to years, from doctor to doctor, from test to tests without being properly diagnosed. This is because the TSH blood test, considered the gold standard for diagnosis, is simply not an accurate indicator of hypothryoidism. Perhaps more perplexing, millions who are properly diagnosed find themselves undergoing often ineffective treatments for their disorder. At last, there is a solution: Dr. Blanchard's groundbreaking treatment program draws on emerging research, medical facts, and three decades of clinical experiences as an endocrinologist. It's an individualized program that uses questionnaires and charts to help diagnose sufferers through symptoms, not lab results -- and treats patients of all ages with the safe, but little used T3 hormone in the best combination with the more common T4 hormone, as well as with specific nutritional advice and alternative treatments that really work!" -- Publisher
The thyroid regulates metabolism and effects every organ in the body. Experts estimates that as many as 20 million Americans, or more, may be affected by hypothyroidism. Women are more often affected than men. Illnesses, exposure to toxic chemicals, physical injury of the thyroid, and heredity my cause hypothyroidism. Therefore, if you have a "condition" that has never been diagnosed, then look into the possibility of hypothroidism. Anyone who has trouble with depression should undergo a two-week diagnostic trial with thyroid hormones, because depression "is a typical misdiagnosis of hypothyroidism."
If a reader thinks they may have hypothyroidism, or knows someone who may have hypothyroidism, then the best thing to do is to read Ken Blanchard's book. It is written to both the patient and the physician. The book guides the patient in preparing a medical history that will expose hypothyroidism. Present the medical history to the doctor and request a two week clinical trial of levothyroxine (Synthroid) synthetic T4 hormone replacement. If you feel better during the trial, then that is the diagnosis. Keep in mind that many patients and those advancing in years may have sub-clinical hypothyroidism (light cases) and may benefit by hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Untangling Thyroid Confusion, April 9, 2005
"There is a little gland in your neck that can control your sex life, your weight, your energy and even your mood. But surprisingly, this gland (the thyroid) frequently gets out of whack. Of the 20 million Americans who have thyroid disorders, more than half don't realize it, according to the American Medical Women's Association. Does our diet affect the thyroid gland. Do prescription drugs or chemicals in our environment interfere with proper thyroid functioning? And how do we know when our thyroid is not working adequately? You will find out why it is important to look beyond the lab tests to the patient's symptoms to understand the story behind thyroid insufficiency. Guests: Kenneth Blanchard, M.D., Ph.D., is a board certified endocrinologist. Along with his private practice in Newton-Wellesley, Massachusetts, he also addresses many types of groups on the topic of hypothyroidism, and is considered an authority on the subject. He is the co-author of WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT HYPOTHYROIDISM: A SIMPLE PLAN FOR EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS. Mary Shomon is a patient advocate and author. Her books include LIVING WELL WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM and THE THYROID DIET: MANAGE YOUR METABOLISM FOR LASTING WEIGHT LOSS."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/radio_shows/538_untangling_thyroid_confusion.asp
*Bredesen, Dale E., The end of Alzheimer's: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline, ISBN: 9780735216204 0735216207.
"Now, in this paradigm-shifting book, Dale Bredesen, MD, brings hope, and the first good news, to Alzheimer's patients, with a new understanding of the disease and a new program they can put into effect themselves. Dr. Bredesen reveals that Alzheimer's is not one condition, as it is currently treated, but several. They are driven by different mechanisms and typically manifest in different ways and at different ages. But all are dramatically influenced by imbalances in thirty-six metabolic factors that can trigger 'downsizing' in the brain. He then explains his research-based protocol, which addresses ways to rebalance these mechanisms by adjusting lifestyle factors; including micronutrients, hormone levels, stress, and sleep quality. He explores the critical role of diet in cognitive decline as well as the importance of autophagy, which involves a strict overnight fast. The results have been impressive. Of the first ten patients on the protocol, nine displayed significant improvement within three to six months; since then the protocol has yielded similar results with hundreds more. With wide-ranging patient stories that allow us to understand what it's like to recover when recovery is deemed impossible, and specific information that will help patients, caregivers, physicians, and treatment centers put the protocol into action, this book will fundamentally change how we treat, prevent, and even think about Alzheimer's disease." -- Publisher
How can you Overcome Alzheimer Disease? August 26, 2017
"Many people are aware that there is a genetic component to this type of dementia. People with two copies of the Apoe4 variant of the gene are far more likely to develop cognitive problems than those with only one copy of this variant, or those who have different variants. Until now, knowing your genetic risk was useless; you couldn't do anything about it. Now, however, there are a number of risk factors that can be addressed."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/08/24/show-1092-how-can-you-overcome-alzheimer-disease/
Cave, Stephanie, and Deborah Mitchell (contributor), What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Children's Vaccinations, ISBN: 0446677078 9780446677073.
"This book encourages parents 'to be equal partners with doctors in deciding which vaccines their children should get and when they should get them.' The way this book achieves this goal is by offering important medical information in easy to understand terms. WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU . . . provides detailed info on the various vaccines currently required/suggested by state and federal governments; reviewing in-depth the history of the diseases and related vaccines, ingredients used to make and preserve the vaccines, background studies and recent research available on a variety of the vaccines, and also a risk/benefit analysis per vaccination. What this book offers (that your doctor's office may not), is a look at both sides of the vaccination issue, and gives YOU a well-rounded resource package so you can best decide when/what vaccines to give your child. Factors that can influence your decision include any known allergies, reactions to previous vaccinations, family history of autoimmune diseases and more. Also a help to parents is a list of precautions parents can take when their children get vaccinated, and also a recommended schedule (that differs from the government's), for childhood vaccinations. This alternative vaccination timeline allows you to operate within the guidelines of the government mandate that all children receive a certain number of shots prior to entering school, but attempts to spread out the vaccinations for minimum exposure to risk and negative side effects. Did you know many vaccines used today include ingredients such as mercury, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol (a main ingredient in antifreeze), and more? Would you consume those poisons? Of course not, but vaccine manufacturers (and the CDC and FDA), seem to think it's okay for our kids to receive these poisons ad nauseam. Fortunately, each of today's required vaccinations come with a mercury-free alternative, but many doctors are still using those with mercury, and you must request the safer alternative. Research and vaccination injury reporting systems indicate possible and/or obvious links to multiple adverse effects including irreparable diseases and death, but many doctors, educators and government institutions refuse to consider those possibilities, as it may endanger the successful mass-vaccination programs currently employed in this country. Included in this book is a discussion of the possible exemptions available to parents, which may include religious, medical or philosophical, depending upon the state in which you live. If you're not willing to trust this author's approach, there's a list of multiple resources at the end of the book allowing you to do your own research and form your own further educated opinion.
"Stephanie Cave, M.D., is a family practitioner in Baton Rouge who specializes in children with autism and related disorders. She has been featured on CNN regarding children and vaccinations and testified in Congressional hearings in July 2000." -- Publisher
Colbert, Don, Bible Cure for Thyroid Disorders, ISBN: 1591852811 9781591852810.
"Ancient truths, natural remedies, and the latest findings for your health today." -- Publisher
Colbert, Don, MD., What you Don't Know may be Killing you! ISBN: 159185217X 9781591852179.
"Dr. Colbert, the author of WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW MAY BE KILLING YOU, has a heart for people to get in control of their health. This book is written from a Biblical point of view combined with evidence from medical research. It covers a multitude of topics including but not limited to the importance of drinking water and exercising; high levels of metals such as mercury in our systems; detoxification; the effects of emotions such as anger, pride, and anxiety on our body; the importance of consuming living foods and foods that need to be eliminated from our diets; the diet deception; toxins in our homes; and so much more. This book can be a guide to living a healthy lifestyle. It is easy to read and understand. Every person who reads this book will find at least one way to have a healthier lifestyle. Self-discipline is very important in applying the personal health choices encouraged by the author. However, to do everything that Dr. Colbert suggests will be difficult for the average person." -- Joy G. Cowart
Cullen, Ellie, Ann Louise Gittleman (foreword), and Betty Kamen (introduction), Normal Blood Test Scores Aren't Good Enough! A Complete Guide to Understanding Preventive Blood Testing, ISBN: 0971628300 9780971628304.
A leading guide to preventive blood testing.
"A complete guide to understanding preventive blood testing.
"In this informative, easy-to-understand guide to the chronically misunderstood subject of preventive blood testing, Ellie Cullen, a Registered Nurse with over 24 years of hands-on, clinical experience, teaches you how to use simple blood tests to learn your body's current-and future!-state of health.
"This one-of-a-kind health companion also contains 20 fascinating case studies detailing how the health secrets contained within helped real-life sufferers of heart disease, cancer, obesity, arthritis, even infertility! In addition, a comprehensive guide to over 60 specific blood tests make this book an invaluable tool in taking charge of your personal health today!
"Foreword by Ann Louise Gittleman, ND, author of the USA Today bestseller THE FAT FLUSH PLAN and Introduction by Betty Kamen, Ph.D. author of HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY: HOW TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. -- Publisher
"Ellie Cullen, a registered nurse, is one of the world's leading experts on using blood analysis to customize diet and wellness plans to individual biochemistry. Her many years as a consultant to physicians and other healthcare professionals has resulted in Ellie working with thousands of clients nationally and internationally.
"Ellie has been a licensed Registered Nurse for more than thirty years. She trained at Johns Hopkins, and has over twenty-five years of extensive clinical nursing, nutrition, and lifestyle consulting experience. She has personally overcome arthritis and low blood sugar using her YFH system.
"Ellie is the Founder and CEO of YFH (Your Future Health), a leader in the preventive blood testing industry. Specializing in HealthPrints, YFH has been helping people understand, improve, and take control of their health for the past twenty-three years."
Your Future Health
"Mission: To improve lives worldwide by delivering customized, innovative healthcare solutions of unmatched quality and value. We will delight our clients by empowering them to take a proactive approach to their health by helping them understand, improve, and take control of their health.
"Vision: To be the best and most valued direct to consumer testing company in the world."
http://www.yourfuturehealth.com/
Du Plessis, Susan, and Jan Strydom, The Myth of ADHD and Other Learning Disabilities: Parenting Without Ritalin, ISBN: 1563841800 9781563841804.
"If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD or some other behavior disorder, be careful. This diagnosis might be false. . . . The authors of this book explain how parents can teach their children the skills of concentration and self-control without drugging them into submission. Book jacket." -- Publisher
Ewald, Paul W., Plague Time: The new Germ Theory of Disease, ISBN: 0385721846 9780385721844.
"Argues that serious illnesses are caused by a plague of chronic infections and not by a person's genes and lifestyle." -- Publisher
"The author, Dr. Ewald is a college professor and researcher who has become well known for his ideas relating natural selection and evolution to infectious diseases in humans. Some of the more noted medical schools in the country are incorporating his ideas into their training of physicians. The basic theme of his book is that some of the most common and dangerous diseases in humans might have an infectious disease component. Most people including many physicians and researchers do not consider heart attacks, autoimmune diseases, cancer, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. to be related in any way to microorganisms. Ewald describes how the same thing was thought in the not too distant past about ulcers, cervical cancer, infertility, liver cancer, etc. Ewald presents a historical perspective of the latter diseases and shows how researchers that "thought outside of the box" were able to prove that infectious organisms were in fact responsible. He then discusses recent findings that are providing hints that we may still have some big surprises in store for the future of many diseases thought to be free of microbial influence. For example, he speculates what it will mean if we find that the inflammation and atherosclerosis that often precedes heart attacks has a microbial cause. He cites studies that indicate that the bacterium that causes one form of "walking pneumonia," Chlamydia pneumoniae, is somehow involved. He states that if these findings are true, "atherosclerosis would be enough to make C. pneumoniae rank among the most deadly human pathogens of all times." Another intriguing example, among many, is his discussion of an infectious cause for breast cancer. When he is discussing the role of microbes in such human afflictions, the book is engrossing. On the other hand there are topics of discussion that are peripheral to his theme that would be better edited out. For example the extensive discussion of the evidence for HIV being introduced into humans through vaccine production could have been edited and still made the point. Likewise, the section on biological warfare/terrorism could have either been deleted altogether or at least tied into the overall theme a little more smoothly. Overall, this book discusses an idea that is, as Scientific American noted, "Provocative. . . . if correct, this theory will change the course of medicine." -- Reader's Comment
Ewald, Paul W., and Holly Swain Ewald, Controlling Cancer: A Powerful Plan for Taking on the World's Most Daunting Disease, ISBN: 9781937382094 1937382095.
"The scourge of cancer has ripped through bodies, families, and generations for so long and with such power that it feels almost invincible. But biologist Paul Ewald -- widely regarded as the leading expert in the emerging field of evolutionary medicine -- and co-author Holly Swain Ewald may have found a way of attacking the intractable killer, which they detail here. The Ewalds believe that viruses are at the heart of the onset of cancer and we can attack the disease through an early attack on the virus. In this important study, they form an innovative plan for rethinking and eradicating one of the world's deadliest diseases." -- Publisher
Falkowski, Carol, Dangerous Drugs: An Easy to use Reference for Parents and Professionals, ISBN: 1568389817 9781568389813.
"In a world where the drug abuse scene is more confusing and dangerous than ever, the 2nd edition of DANGEROUS DRUGS: AN EASY TO USE REFERENCE FOR PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS is the answer. Now with color photos of drugs and paraphernalia, DANGEROUS DRUGS is a concise, comprehensive, clear, and handy reference that answers your questions at a glance, with: -- Up-to-date information on drugs of abuse -- Demographics of users. -- Explanations of how a drug is used; where it's found and how it affects the mind and body -- The names and forms under which drugs are sold -- Their addictive, lethal, and overdose potential -- Signs of drug abuse and where/how to seek help, and more. Written in clear language, Dangerous Drugs provides straightforward, authoritative, comprehensive, and up-to-the-minute information. It covers the full range of drugs of abuse, whether illegal (marijuana, heroin, cocaine, LSD, methamphetamine, etc.), or legal (alcohol, prescription, tobacco, or Internet-marketed, herbal remedies). Dangerous Drugs is written for professionals and non-professionals alike, and is a book that no one concerned about drug use can afford to be without.
"Carol Falkowski, Director of Research Communications at the Hazelden Foundation, is author of the new reference book, DANGEROUS DRUGS: AN EASY-TO-USE REFERENCE FOR PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS. For nearly 20 years she has monitored drug abuse trends at the national level, as one of 20 researchers in the country who participates in a drug abuse monitoring network of the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Falkowski advised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (1995-1999), regarding the safety, efficacy, and abuse potential of certain drugs, and has provided consultation to the National Institute of Justice, the National Drug Intelligence Center, Join Together, and numerous states. Before coming to Hazelden in 1997, she was research coordinator at the Minnesota state alcohol and drug abuse authority for 15 years.Falkowski was featured in the 1999 Showtime documentary by Robert Zemeckis, "Smoking, Drinking, and Drugging in the Twentieth Century." -- Publisher
Fitzpatrick, Margaret, Linda Burke and Daryl Lee, What to Ask the Doc: The Questions to Ask to get the Answers you Need, ISBN: 0974700207 9780974700205.
" 'Do you have any questions?'
"Has a doctor ever asked you this and you couldn't think of any questions until you arrived home?
" 'I would ask questions if I knew WHAT to ask' is a common refrain that we hear from patients and families.
"WHAT TO ASK THE DOC is the solution. This book provides you with the questions to ask to get the answers you need.
"With question categories and feature articles on over 80 healthcare concerns, WHAT TO ASK THE DOC is the perfect companion to bring with you to your next doctor's appointment or when accompanying a friend or loved one to the doctor.
"Whether waiting in the emergency room with your sick child or responding to the call to come to the hospital because Aunt Martha broke her hip, WHAT TO ASK THE DOC has the questions to ask to help you to get the information that you need.
"Countless sources of healthcare information are available today: books, magazines and the Internet all can be helpful resources. But specific information about your health should come from your doctor. WHAT TO ASK THE DOC gives you the essential tools for getting that information. It gives you knowledgeable questions-the kind of questions doctors and nurses ask when confronted with our own healthcare issues.
"The purpose of this book is not to give medical advice; that should come from your doctor. Instead, WHAT TO ASK THE DOC gives you the questions to ask to get the answers you need to navigate the world of modern healthcare." -- Publisher
"Margaret Fitzpatrick, RN is a trauma nurse specialist with experience in the fields of in-patient hospice care, surgical intensive care, emergency and trauma care and school nursing. As a registered nurse, she has worked at major academic medical centers in Chicago such as Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Advocate Christ Hospital, the busiest trauma center in the state of Illinois where she was awarded the MVP award in 2002. The Mayor and City Council of Chicago honored Fitzpatrick in November 2002 for actions related to her work as a school nurse.
"Linda Burke is a registered nurse with years of experience in cardiac care and surgical and trauma intensive care as well as in training nurses new to the field of critical care nursing. Her nursing practice has been at renowned academic medical centers in Chicago, including Northwestern Memorial Hospital and St. Francis Hospital.
"Daryl Lee is a registered nurse who has experience working in surgical and trauma intensive care and medical intensive care."
Gibson, Rosemary, and Janardan Prasad Singh, Wall of Silence: The Untold Story of the Medical Mistakes That Kill and Injure Millions of Americans, ISBN: 089526112X 9780895261120.
"A call to arms for families who have had loved ones disabled or dying in the pursuit of medical treatment . . . Well written and researched . . . highlights this timely topic in a unique way that will evoke the reader's own experience." -- Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter
Gifford, N.L. (editor), Common Blood Tests: What Every Patient Must Know About lab Tests, 4th edition, ISBN: 1881818098 9781881818090.
"I have a chronic blood problem which ended up with the collection of a lot of blood data over a period of time. Without becoming a hematologist I wanted to learn more about the various blood test groupings and how they related to each other to help take control of my own health. This book helped reach that objective with clear, concise descriptions of the major blood tests involved." -- Reader's Comment
*Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, 1st edition, October 4, 2011, 336 pages, ISBN: 9780307460912 0307460916.
"Healthcare screwups are one of the leading causes of death in America, killing as many as 750,000 people annually. That's more than heart attacks or cancer. And yet most people don't know this, including most physicians. From diagnostic disasters to deadly drug interactions, the bestselling authors of The People's Pharmacy expose the alarming epidemic of medical mistakes in America -- and offer a lifesaving prescription to make the healthcare system safe again.
"There is a culture of cover-up in medicine that has been very effective at keeping mistakes secret. A recent study found that the most sophisticated way of detecting harm in the hospital identified 100 times more problems than doctors reported.
(Health Affairs, April, 2011)
"Medical mistakes happen all the time. Each year, 6.1 million Americans are harmed by diagnostic mistakes, drug disasters, and medical treatments. . . . Patient advocates Joe and Teresa Graedon came face-to-face with the tragic consequences of doctors' screwups when Joe's mother died in Duke Hospital -- one of the best in the world -- due to a disastrous series of preventable errors. The good news is that we can protect ourselves and our loved ones by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and more. . . .
"In TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM, the Graedons expose the most common medical mistakes, from doctor's offices and hospitals to the pharmacy counters and nursing homes. Patients across the country shared their riveting horror stories, and doctors recounted the disastrous -- and sometimes deadly -- consequences of their colleagues' oversights and errors. While many patients feel vulnerable and dependent on their healthcare providers, this book is a startling wake-up call to how wrong doctors can be. . . .
"The good news is that we can protect ourselves, and our loved ones, by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask a specialist before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and much more." -- Publisher
"Joe and Teresa Graedon have performed an enormous public service by putting this book together. Unfortunately, an epidemic of medical adverse events -- preventable lethal mistakes -- are destroying the quality of American healthcare. In all my years as a physician and an advocate for a safer, error-free healthcare system, I have never seen a more practical and readable guide to help patients become more vigilant and proactive in preventing medical errors. If you or someone you love is facing a serious illness or major surgery, defend yourself: Buy this book, read it cover to cover. No one cares more about your life than you do. If you were faced with a lethal threat, you would naturally do everything in your power to defend yourself. Put this book in your holster. Arm yourself. Take it with you to the hospital. And save your own life." -- Allan J. Hamilton, MD, FACS, professor of surgery and radiation oncology, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, author of The Scalpel and the Soul
"From my perspective, TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM represents the evolution or transformation of the Graedons from strong consumer advocates to genuine full-fledged skeptics. This book is nothing like earlier Peoples Pharmacy books. This is not your father's Oldsmobile. I think it is fair to say that the Graedons are today nowhere near as sanguine about our medical system as they were for so many years.
"Some people say that some non-fiction authors keep writing the same book over and over again, only updating the evidence to support their case. In my view, this book represents a major departure from the Graedons' books in the past. I think the Graedons are now in their mid-sixties and I have no idea how many more books they intend to write. This book strikes me as their attempt to finally lay it all on the line. The Graedons accurately point out that the problem of pharmacy mistakes is horrifying and that the public largely has no idea how significant this problem is. A few years back, ABC's '20/20' did a no-holds-barred undercover investigation of pharmacy mistakes. The segment was titled 'Pharmacy Errors: Unreported Epidemic?' In my opinion that is an accurate description of the problem except that the question mark should have been replaced with an exclamation point. Search Google for 'pharmacy mistakes' if you have any doubt about how serious this problem is." -- Reader's Comment
Grelsamer, Ronald P., What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Knee Pain and Surgery: Learn the Truth About MRIs and Common Misdiagnoses -- And Avoid Unnecessary Surgery, ISBN: 0446679771 9780446679770.
"Almost 400,000 joint replacements are performed annually in the United States. In WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT HIP AND KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY, Dr. Ronald Grelsamer takes the reader through the exact nature of hip and knee replacement surgery. He covers the history and evolution of hip and joint implants, the significant differences between types of implants, the risks and limitations of replacement surgery and the need-to-know facts for a lasting recovery, including a step-by-step physical program to recover from surgery in the shortest time possible. In seventeen accessible chapters Dr. Grelsamer covers every area of concern that a patient may have and enable them to take control, ask the right questions and avoid the common mistakes that so often get made, usually at the patient's expense." -- Publisher
"I discovered Dr. Grelsamer's books last fall after undergoing an unnecessary knee arthroscopy that caused more pain and problems than before. If I had read Dr. Grelsamer's advice earlier, I could have avoided six months of trauma, but even so, Dr. Grelsamer's straightforward guidance and treatment suggestions have been critical to my present well-being. Characteristically candid and entertaining, Dr. Grelsamer explains in detail all the information readers need to know to make sensible decisions about hip and knee replacement surgery. He challenges routine testing techniques that contribute to diagnoses which are often misleading, and explains which controversial breakthroughs are safe and reliable, such as mini-incision surgeries and the latest implants. This book is a MUST READ for all active adults and teens. Thank you, Dr. Grelsamer, for giving us the tools and knowledge to be informed consumers!" -- Reader's Comment
Hahn, David L., A Cure for Asthma? What Your Doctor Isn't Telling you and why, ISBN: 9780989696005 0989696006.
"A CURE FOR ASTHMA? WHAT YOUR DOCTOR ISN'T TELLING YOU AND WHY offers an alternative. In it, Dr. David Hahn, director of the Wisconsin Research and Education Network, challenges the conventional wisdom about the causes and treatments of this condition. He presents the scientific evidence and compelling case histories that led him to his remarkable conclusion. He describes the treatment protocol he has used successfully. Could hard-to-treat asthma be triggered by a persistent infection? If so, antibiotic treatment might offer a lasting cure." -- The People's Pharmacy
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/cure-asthma/
Hamilton, Allan J., The Scalpel and the Soul: Encounters With Surgery, the Supernatural, and the Healing Power of Hope, ISBN: 9781585426157 1585426156.
"Based on thirty years of medical experience, THE SCALPEL AND THE SOUL tells the unspoken stories behind remarkable patients and strange events, and shares the moral and spiritual lessons found in them.
"For physicians, supernatural inklings and intrusions are disturbing. Doctors often cannot be candid with colleagues and patients about anomalous events because they are trained to disregard the inexplicable and unbelievable. They are taught to discount the elusive, evanescent powers of the soul.
"Superstition, omens, and divine spirits smack of foolishness, if not outright madness.
"But patients often report the same inexplicable experiences as their caregivers. Life-threatening illness or surgery frequently brings dormant spirituality to life. The soul often needs more than intensive care alone can give, and in moments of crisis the veil that separates the material from the ineffable can be lowered.
"THE SCALPEL AND THE SOUL explores how premonition, intuition, 'good luck,' hope, and faith not only become factors in how patients feel but also can literally alter outcomes and save lives; it validates the spiritual manifestations many physicians and medical professionals encounter daily; it empowers patients to voice their spiritual needs when seeking medical help; and, finally, it addresses the mysterious, attractive powers the soul exerts during life-threatening events.
"The book concludes with an appendix of 'twenty rules to live by' -- practical, hard-won advice for patients or their loved ones on how to navigate through surgery or critical care." -- Publisher
Hamilton, Allan J., Zen Mind, Zen Horse: The Science and Spirituality of Working With Horses, ISBN: 9781603425650 1603425659.
"Examines how the equine and human brains function, often related to their respective roles as prey and predator. This title shows the importance of developing right-brain awareness and quieting the left-brain dominance of our Western brains" -- Publisher
Dr. Allan Hamilton's website
http://www.allanhamilton.com
Harmon, Gregory K., Kitty Carlisle Hart, Nancy Intrator, and Catherine Wang, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Glaucoma: The Essential Treatments and Advances That Could Save Your Sight, ISBN: 0446690627 9780446690621.
Hirsch, Alan R., What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Sinusitis: Relieve Your Symptoms and Identify the Real Source of Your Pain, ISBN: 0446691186 9780446691185.
"The groundbreaking series continues with a comprehensive, all-natural program to prevent and treat sinusitis and sinus-related disorders. Over 35 million Americans suffer from sinusitis, a debilitating condition that only worsens with spring allergies and winter colds. A serious affliction, it is commonly confused with allergies, migraines, or even the common cold. As a result of this misdiagnosis, the treatment often alleviates the symptoms instead of the root cause of the condition. Dr. Hirsch presents an effective program that not only cures symptoms, but eliminates the source of sinus pain. Complete with lifestyle and dietary changes to improve respiratory function, including alternative therapies, WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT SINUSITIS is a comprehensive guide to living-and breathing-pain-free." -- Publisher
Houston, Mark C., Barry Fox, and Nadine Taylor, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypertension: The Revolutionary Nutrition and Lifestyle Program to Help Fight High Blood Pressure, ISBN: 0446690848 9780446690843.
"A revolutionary, all-natural treatment program for reversing the 'Silent Killer' affecting more than 50 million Americans. Hypertension is a dangerous and deadly disease. There are no symptoms, so most sufferers have no idea anything is wrong -- making more than 45 million Americans ticking time bombs. And while there are many drugs on the market that combat this condition, the costs and side effects are often prohibitive. Now, a leading expert and researcher introduces an all-natural solution. His comprehensive treatment regimen controls high blood pressure using the best of traditional and alternative medicine. Readers will learn about Dr. Houston's own successful all-natural formula, which attacks hypertension from many angles. When used in conjunction with dietary approaches -- also outlined in the book -- and combined with exercise, stress reduction, and medication, this program has resulted in success for 90 percent of Dr. Houston's patients!" -- Publisher
"Known as the silent killer, hypertension is a truly deadly disease. There are no symptoms and most sufferers have absolutely no idea something is amiss. Since only 27 percent of sufferers are being successfully treated, that means 36 million Americans are ticking time bombs. While there are many drugs on the market that combat this condition, the costs and side effects are prohibitive. However, now there's an all-natural solution! Dr. Mark Houston, a leading hypertension expert and researcher, has designed a comprehensive, all-natural treatment regimen using the best of traditional and alternative medicine. In this book, Dr. Houston explains how certain vitamins, minerals, and other food-related substances can reverse hypertension naturally! Readers will learn about his own successful, all-natural formula, based on a combination of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, fatty acids, and other nutraceuticals. Taken together, the ingredients in the Vasatrol Therapy attack the problem of hypertension from many angles. Readers will also learn about the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), diet, and how to implement it. Combined with exercise, stress reduction, and the judicial use of medicines, 90 percent of Dr. Houston's patients have gotten results!" -- Publisher
Johnson, David W., Feel 30 for the Next 50 Years, ISBN: 0380974630 9780380974634.
" 'It's not mortality that's on our minds. . . . It is the specter of spending the last quarter of our lives incapable of enjoying ourselves, of losing our memories and our mental acuity, our health, sexuality, and attractiveness,' writes David W. Johnson, Ph.D., physiology professor and medical researcher. This doesn't have to happen, says Johnson, if we use supplements and strategies that 'literally convince your body that it is younger.' FEEL 30 FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS explains why and how to use hormonal-replacement therapies, antioxidants, cognitive-enhancing drugs, diet, brain exercises, physical exercise, and stress-reducing techniques. Johnson examines the physical, mental, and emotional changes we attribute to aging, and offers a detailed plan for combating them. Gingko biloba, for example, increases blood flow to the brain, thereby enhancing memory. Antioxidant supplements retard the rate of cellular death. Meditation and biofeedback reduce stress-induced damage. Hormone supplementation, including DHEA, can restore hormones to youthful levels. By following his plan, you can 'pretty much skip old age,' says Johnson, extending the years of 'Youthspan' (optimum health, energy, strength, mobility, and vitality), through age 60, and continuing to live a vigorous and healthy life through age 80 and beyond." -- Reader's Comment
Kauffman, Joel M., Malignant Medical Myths: Why Medical Treatment Causes 200,000 Deaths in the USA Each Year, and how to Protect Yourself, ISBN: 0741429098 9780741429094. Includes bibliographical references and index.
"A fearless exposé of mainstream medicine's most revered dogma, MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS is solidly based on trusted medical and nutritional books and journals. Americans spend $2 trillion per year on healthcare, about $7,000 each, yet it buys almost the poorest healthcare among developed countries, with 200,000 deaths per year from medical treatment. Find out why advice from authorities on screening tests, drugs, diet, exercise, alcohol, radiation, radon, and water fluoridation is often wrong and commercially motivated. See how clinical trials are slanted. Understand how 'sickness' is created to sell treatments, and which government agencies support these shenanigans.
"Joel M. Kauffman obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, now called University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP), and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After 11 years of experience in the chemical industry, Dr. Kauffman joined USP in 1979, rising to Professor of Chemistry. His experience includes about 10 years of exploratory drug development at USP and 4 years at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He obtained grants and contracts from many sources including the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research and the Army Research Office and several manufacturing companies. With 80 papers on chemical and medical topics, and 11 patents, including 2 on antituberculosis drugs, Dr. Kauffman has turned his attention to exposing fraud in medicine." -- Publisher
"In MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS, he questions the following medical myths, as he calls them, put forth by health and medical 'experts:'
1. Taking an aspirin a day will make you live longer."If you believe ANY of the above statements as medically accurate, then you need to get MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS. Kauffman outlines for you his extensive research on each of these and explains to you the truth using scientific studies and information so you can be armed for battle when you come up against these myths again in the future. -- Reader's Comment
2. Low-carb diets are unsafe and don't work for weight loss.
3. Using statin drugs to lower cholesterol will improve health.
4. People over 50 should take medicine for hypertension.
5. A drink a day keeps the doctor away.
6. Exercise! Run for your life! No pain, no gain.
7. EDTA chelation therapy for atherosclerosis is dangerous.
8. Radiation is dangerous except when administered by an oncologist.
9. Yearly mammograms extend life.
10. Cancer treatments have cure rates of 60 percent.
11. Fluoride in the water prevents tooth decay and is safe.
Langer, Stephen E., and James F. Scheer, Solved: The Riddle of Illness, 4th edition, ISBN: 0071470573 9780071470575.
"Called 'The Great Masquerader,' hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), is one of the most prevalent and least diagnosed disorders by physicians, yet it can be the underlying cause of or contribute to any of 64 ailments, from obesity and chronic fatigue to fibromyalgia and cancer.
"In this new edition, you will discover how to determine if you suffer from low thyroid function; how to differentiate between low thyroid function and hypoglycemia; how to use simple, inexpensive treatments; and much more. It also includes new chapters on environmental toxins, pregnancy, obesity, and how your thyroid influences other glands.
"Stephen E. Langer, M.D., is a renowned thyroid expert and the president of the American Nutritional Medical Association.
James Scheer is the author and co-author of more than fifteen health-related books.
"One of the most important books of our time . . . a perennial bestseller [that] shows you simple ways to understand and manage your thyroid gland so that you can make the most of your life physically, emotionally, and mentally." -- Dr. Dwayne Dyer, from the Foreword
Lee, John R., and Virginia Hopkins, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Menopause: The Breakthrough Book on Natural Hormone Balance, ISBN: 0446614955 9780446614955.
"This book offers the exciting facts about natural progesterone -- and how it can deliver what HRT and estrogen only promise. Premenopausal symptoms, endometriosis, weight gain, low sex drive, fibrocystic breasts, heart disease, and osteoporosis-most women will experience these or other hormone-related problems. And today, millions of women concerned about aging must decide whether or not to undergo synthetic hormone replacement therapy-and suffer its side effects and increased risks of cancer. But there is revolutionary news about completely safe, natural progesterone, the only hormone supplement women may need as they age. And, the natural progesterone program in WHAT YOUR DOCTOR . . . MENOPAUSE has already helped nearly a million women. Now, in this expanded and completely updated edition, Dr. Lee brings you lifesaving facts that even your doctor may not know about Premarin, Provera, and other HRT drugs; gives you an easy-to-follow non-prescription 'Hormone Balance' program; and tells you how to stay energized, strong, sexually vigorous, and free from "female problems" before menopause, during the menopausal years, and beyond." -- Publisher
Lee, John R., Jesse Hanley, and Virginia Hopkins, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Premenopause: Balance Your Hormones and Your Life From Thirty to Fifty, ISBN: 0446615390 9780446615396.
Lee, John R., David Zava, and Virginia Hopkins, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Breast Cancer: How Hormone Balance can Help Save Your Life, ISBN: 0446679801 9780446679800.
"An informative and absorbing read for both medical practitioners and their patients, WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT BREAST CANCER takes aim at 'the breast cancer industry' with a barrage of thought-provoking ammunition.
"The book is equal parts criticism and suggestion. Current health treatments, including HRT, receive serious condemnation, and authors John Lee and David Zava carefully provide plenty of medical research to back up claims that excessive estrogen is a main source of cancer-causing irregularities. While the names of all the different natural and synthetic hormones can get overwhelming for the lay reader, with perseverance your new vocabulary of terms like androstenedione, estradiol, and cortisol will enable you to communicate more effectively with your doctors. The authors credit these hormones not just with a role in cancer, but with culpability for everything from insomnia and acne to fatigue and migraines. A full chapter extols the virtues of natural progesterone cream, and urges women to order their own saliva tests for proper evaluation of their hormone levels. Diet and exercise recommendations are simple, outlining reasons to limit fats, sugars, and meats while increasing vegetables and adding a multivitamin. These recommendations extend to adolescents and urge getting off the couch and beginning a gentle exercise program to women of all ages and in each stage of life." -- Jill Lightner
Levine, Evan Scott, MD, What Your Doctor Won't or Can't Tell you: Doctors, Hospitals, Drugs, Insurance -- What you Need to Know to Take Charge of Your own Health Care, ISBN: 0399151508 9780399151507.
"This book is about taking an active role in your healthcare so that you are certain that you are receiving the best and most appropriate care. Even though you doctor went to medical school, it is still your body and your health, and it is crucial to be educated about the System (hospitals, doctors, and insurance). Reading this book could one day save your life.
"In particular I found the following pages of information to be of particular interest:
Ofri, Danielle, What Doctors Feel -- How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine, ISBN: 9780807033302 0807033308.
"It is an eye-opening account of the many issues that doctors face while trying to give good patient care. As patients, we expect to go to the doctor, have them listen attentively to our concerns, accurately diagnose us, while having a respectful, caring bedside manner. Yet, maybe the doctor is in the middle of a lawsuit and questioning every aspect of the care they give. Maybe one of their patients just died and they are grieving. Maybe they just made a medical error and are feeling the repercussions from that. Not only will these issues affect the doctor, but the emotions involved and how the doctor handles them will have consequences for all future patients of that doctor.
"I wish every patient would read this book. As patients we expect all the best from our doctors without a thought of all the stress they have in their lives. The long hours they put in, the immense amount of knowledge they are expected to keep on top of, and the fact that they have lives outside of being a doctor, too! Doctors are human beings and have emotions just like the rest of us. I gave this book 5 stars because this is one that will stay on my mind for a long time. I found it very thought provoking. I will never have another interaction with a doctor without thinking of this book." -- Reader's Comment
*Robbins, Alexandra, The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama, and Miracles With the Heroes of the Hospital, ISBN: 9780761171713 0761171711.
"In a gripping, behind-the-scenes look filled with drama, miracles, heartbreak, humor and unsung heroism, an award-winning journalist chronicles a year in the lives of four real-life hospital nurses, in a book that doubles as a shocking, unedited examination of our healthcare system." -- Publisher
"This is my most important book to date. To clarify, the nurses I followed are not composites: they are real people with real stories. Here's the book description: 'In this lively, fast-paced narrative, New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Robbins digs deep into the subculture of nursing, drawing readers into a brilliantly captivating in-depth investigation of the extraordinary working lives of nurses and the shocking behind-the-scenes secrets that all patients and their loved ones need to know'." -- Alexandra Robbins
*Shem, Samuel, The House of God, didactic fiction, ISBN: 9780425238097 0425238091.
"With an introduction by John Updike . . . . The classic novel of life and death in an American hospital.
"Struggling with grueling hours and sudden life-and-death responsibilities, Basch and his colleagues, under the leadership of their rule-breaking senior resident known only as the Fat Man, must learn not only how to be fine doctors but, eventually, good human beings. A phenomenon ever since it was published, THE HOUSE OF GOD was the first unvarnished, unglorified, and uncensored portrait of what training to become a doctor is truly like, in all its terror, exhaustion, and black comedy. With more than two million copies sold worldwide, it has been hailed as one of the most important medical novels ever written." -- Publisher
Shem, Samuel, Man's 4th Best Hospital, didactic fiction, ISBN: 9781984805362 1984805363.
"The sequel to the bestselling and highly acclaimed THE HOUSE OF GOD. One of the most prominent and enduring titles in medical fiction is the bitingly funny HOUSE OF GOD, which has sold more than 2 million copies, becoming required reading for generations of medical students and health care professionals. With MAN'S 4TH BEST HOSPITAL, Samuel Shem 'the comic genius and holy terror of medicine' returns us to the hilarious and heartbreaking world of modern medicine. After The House of God, the resident known as The Fat Man and his eccentric band of interns scattered to the four corners of the country. Today Fats, now rich and famous, has been lured across town to the House of God's WASPy rival, Man's Best Hospital. But the august institution has sunk from being ranked the best hospital in the country to an embarrassing, and unacceptable, 4th! Fats' mission? To help the hospital climb back up the rankings. But as always, he's pursuing his own agenda. . . At his new Future of Medicine Clinic, the team comes back together to renew their life-changing friendships and teach a new generation of interns and residents. In a medical landscape dominated by computer screens and corrupted by money, they have a daunting goal: 'To put the human back into healthcare.' What follows is an emotional and laugh-out-loud novel that reflects the issues in American healthcare today, from the tyranny of computer screens, to doctor burnout, to the greed of the health insurance industry." -- Reader's Comment
Shomon, Mary J., Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, revised edition, ISBN: 0060740957 9780060740955.
"The most comprehensive resource available on the diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism. For millions of Americans, hypothyroidism often goes untreated . . . or is treated improperly. This book, thoroughly researched by the nation's top thyroid patient advocate -- a hypothyroidism patient herself -- provides you with answers to all your questions, including:
Sinatra, Stephen T., and James C. Roberts (introduction), The Sinatra Solution: New Hope for Preventing and Treating Heart Disease, ISBN: 1591201608 9781591201601 1591201586 9781591201588 9781591202165 1591202167.
"Dr. Stephen Sinatra is the preeminent metabolic cardiologist." Joe Graedon, "The People's Pharmacy," Show #553.
Dr. Sinatra prescribes the following nutriceuticals for heart health: Magnesium, Co Q-10, Acetyl L-Carnitine, D-Ribos, fish oil, B Vitamins (a good B multi-vitamin), and Vitamin C.
"There's new hope for preventing and treating heart disease. If you suffer from heart disease, Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra has the solution you've been looking for: Maximize the amount of oxygen your heart extracts from your bloodstream by accelerating the rate at which your cells convert nutrients to energy. This can be achieved by following Dr. Sinatra's energy-enhancing nutritional approach. This approach focuses on the supplemental use of three amazing bioenergetic nutrients: Coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, 'and D-ribose. The synergistic combination of these nutrients essentially charge up every body cell to function at optimal capacity. So, not only will you experience renewed heart health with all that energy, you'll also gain a greater sense of overall well-being.
"Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., is a board-certified cardiologist, a certified bioenergetic psychotherapist, and a certified nutrition and anti-aging specialist. At his practice in Manchester, Connecticut, Dr. Sinatra integrates conventional medicine with complementary nutritional and psychological therapies to help heal the heart. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and is the author of several books, including OPTIMAL HEALTH, HEARTBREAK AND HEART DISEASE, HEART SENSE FOR WOMEN, and EIGHT WEEKS TO LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE." -- Publisher
"Dr. Stephen Sinatra has been an outspoken leader among physicians in the country on raising awareness of the relationship of supplements to cardiac health, especially Carnitine and Coenzyme Q-10. He has continued his campaign to raise awareness among physicians and the public, bringing nutrition, a real understanding of physiology and the generation of energy necessary for cardiac function back into the discussion of heart disease and cardiac rehabilitation. For too long medical discussions have centered only on which pharmaceutical drug might one use to reduce symptoms after the damage has occurred . . . and still, at most medical conferences, that is all that is discussed. Dr. Sinatra's preventive cardiology gives you an understanding of what it takes to keep your heart and circulation functioning at the 'prime of life' level well into your advanced age. He has a holistic and compassionate understanding of all of the factors that make for a 'sick heart' from dietary influences to environmental toxins, to the impact of unavoidable stress on our lives, and how we choose to deal with it.
"Dr. Sinatra is also a contagious optimist, and a brilliant doctor. You will learn a lot from his book, and he writes as he speaks, very personably, very warm. I, as a physician, seize every opportunity I can to hear him speak, and quote his advice to my patients often.
"Modern medicine is not really on the side of us staying healthy. We have to take responsibility for this ourselves. We have to learn from the masters who are generous enough to deeply study preventive medicine and give us the tools we need to heal and treat ourselves. This book is one of those indispensable tools." -- Dr. Tedde Rinker, Anti-Aging Physician, Redwood City, California, www.stress-medicine.com
Sinatra, Stephen T., Jan Demarco Sinatra, and Roberta Jo Lieberman, Heart Sense for a Woman: Your Plan for Natural Prevention and Treatment, ISBN: 0452282713 9780452282711.
Heart disease presents different symptoms in women than in men. Because of gender specific symptoms it can go unrecognized in women. It has been said that within the next decade (written in 2005), gender specific physicians will become commonplace in healthcare.
"In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Stephen Sinatra reveals why heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America today. HEART SENSE FOR WOMEN shatters the myths that keep this a hidden epidemic and outlines a prescriptive plan for natural prevention and treatment. In this valuable resource, women will discover:
Stauffer, Joseph C., and Joseph Segen, The Patient's Guide to Medical Tests: Everything you Need to Know About the Tests Your Doctor Prescribes, ISBN: 081603530X 9780816035304.
"Alphabetically lists over 1000 medical tests most commonly used by physicians, hospitals and commercial labs. Each test entry includes why a test may be necessary, a non-technical description of the test, test procedures and times and the reference range and what abnormal values may signify." -- Publisher
Strand, Ray D., What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine may be Killing You, ISBN: 0785264868 9780785264866 9780785288831 078528883X.
"When Dr. Ray Strand found himself in a losing battle, unable to successfully treat his wife who had suffered chronically with pain and fatigue, he agreed to try the regimen of nutritional supplements that a neighbor suggested. Much to his surprise, his wife's condition began to improve almost immediately. That amazing turn of events led him to dedicate himself to researching alternative therapies in medicine, particularly in the arena of nutritional supplements.
"Dr. Strand's illumination of the body's silent enemy-oxidative stress-will astound you. But, more importantly, his research will equip you to protect or reclaim your nutritional health, possibly reversing disease and preventing illness." -- Reader's Comment
Time Magazine, What Your Doctor Can't Tell you, Time Magazine cover story, January 22, 1996. Available in TIME MAGAZINE MULTIMEDIA ALMANAC.
Whitehouse, Peter J., and Daniel George, The Myth of Alzheimer's: What you Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis, ISBN: 9780312368166 031236816X 9780312368173 0312368178.
"Challenges conventional perceptions about Alzheimer's disease to offer readers alternative approaches to memory loss and aging that can be aided through simple nutritional and exercise strategies." -- Publisher
Zaret, Barry L. (editor), Peter I. Jatlow (editor), Lee D. Katz (editor), The Patient's Guide to Medical Tests, ISBN: 0395765366 9780395765364.
"In this era of rapidly changing medical practice, it's more important than ever to have objective, reliable sources of medical information. This is especially critical in the area of diagnostic tests -- the fastest-growing and most costly aspect of modern medicine. Are you unaware of tests and procedures that might save your life? Or are you undergoing a test unnecessarily? How do you know? Whom do you ask? Now, from one of the nation's highly acclaimed medical schools, comes the most complete, authoritative, and practical book for the general public on diagnostic tests and procedures. Every day, tens of thousands of Americans undergo medical tests -- everything from routine cancer screening and blood tests to the most advanced imaging scans and endoscopic examinations. All too often, patients have no idea what to expect. This book answers the questions that patients are afraid or reluctant to ask: Will it hurt? How long will it take? Who will be in charge? Are there any risks? What do the results mean? What's the next step? Each of the 29 chapters in this essential book is written by a Yale faculty member who is an authority in the area. Hundreds of the most commonly performed diagnostic tests are described in clear, understandable language and presented in concise, easy-to-follow charts. Many sections are illustrated. There's also practical advice from the doctors, nurses, and technicians who administer the tests. You'll learn what you should and should not do before the procedure and what factors may alter the results. In addition to diagnostic studies ordered or performed by doctors, this book covers test you can do at home. Some of these, such as home blood sugar (glucose) monitoring for diabetes and self-checking of blood pressure, help patients achieve better control over life-threatening diseases. This book belongs in every home health library. In it you'll find the information you need to become a more informed partner with your doctor in maintaining your own health and that of every member of your family." -- Publisher
See also: Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Patient advocacy, Healthcare horror stories, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Healthcare reform, Hypothyroidism, Depression, Correct diagnosis, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, Vaccination, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Prescription Drugs With Dangers, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, What your doctor may not tell you, Spiritual aspects of health, Emotions and health, Joy, Humor, Psychosomatic illness, Stress, Exercise, Sleep, Healing, Stress, Exercise, Sleep, Vaccination, Fasting, Healing, Prevention of disease, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, The aged, Attention deficit disorder (add) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), The aged, Public health, and so forth, and so on.
14 Ways to Avoid Getting Screwed Over by Your Health Care, July 25, 2014
"The U.S. health care system can feel disempowering and intimidating. Here are some ways to take control of your care."
http://ow.ly/2KMZRz
Antibiotics and Eye Damage, April 5, 2012
"A class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones has just been linked to a risk of retinal detachment. These medications have long been a mainstay for treating a wide variety of infections including sinus infections and urinary tract infections. They include drugs such as Cipro, Levaquin and Noroxin."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/04/05/antibiotics-and-eye-damage/
Antibiotics and Sudden Death, May 18, 2012
"A little known fact is that the class of antibiotics called macrolides (including clarithromycin and erythromycin as well as azithromycin), can increase the risk for serious irregular heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death. These dangerous arrhythmias have been noted in the medical literature for more than a decade. For reasons that are not entirely clear to us, doctors thought that azithromycin did not share this class effect. . . .
"this study gives a glimpse at another secret that many health professionals prefer to keep under wraps: a surprising number of drugs can cause serious heart rhythm abnormalities. These arrhythmias can lead to stroke or sudden death. These medications are taken by tens of millions of Americans every day! . . ."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/05/18/antibiotics-and-sudden-death/
Bruxism [Teeth Grinding], in Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruxism
Do Statins Cause or Aggravate Type 2 Diabetes? June 27, 2011
"Now there was some scientific evidence to support the anecdotes. Still, the medical community could not really believe that statins might be in some way causing diabetes. Then along came a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology [April 5, 2011]. The investigators reviewed data from three clinical trials. They found that people taking atorvastatin (Lipitor) were at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/27/do-statins-cause-or-aggravate-type-2-diabetes/
Doctors Admit Lying to Patients, Pat Anson, February 11, 2012
"There's an expectation that our doctors will be truthful, and most are but some are not," said Eric Campbell, the director of research at Massachusetts General Hospital, who co-authored one study of doctors that is being published in the journal Health Affairs.
"Campbell and his colleagues surveyed nearly 1,900 doctors in 2009 and found that 11 percent had told their patients something untrue in the previous year. Over a third of the doctors believed it was not always necessary to disclose a serious medical error to a patient.
"Other survey results:
Drug Dangers May 19, 2012
"We'd like to imagine that the drug the doctor prescribed will do exactly what it should and not have any negative consequences. But that is probably an unrealistic expectation. Medications such as the arthritis drug Vioxx and the antibiotic Zithromax can have dangerous effects on the heart. How can we find out about the potential adverse reactions associated with our medicines?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/05/19/858-drug-dangers/
Drug-Resistant Superbugs are a 'Fundamental Threat,' WHO Says, Maggie Fox, September, 2016
"They're found in city sewer systems and in hospital sinks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, in the U.S. alone, more than two million people are infected by drug-resistant germs each year, and 23,000 die of their infections. Globally, these antibiotic-resistant microbes kill 700,000 people a year."
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/who-labels-drug-resistant-superbugs-fundamental-threat-humans-n651981
Examination of Nondisclosure Agreements in Medical Malpractice Settlements, May 13, 2015.
"The authors found that during the five years of the study, the University of Texas System closed 715 malpractice claims and paid 150 settlements. In the 124 cases that met the study selection criteria, the average compensation paid by the university was $185,372. A total of 110 settlement agreements (88.7 percent) included nondisclosure provisions."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/293760.php
Exploring the Hard Science of Self-Healing
"One way to manage stress is to invoke the relaxation response. How does that work? Studies demonstrate that the relaxation response can change blood sugar, blood pressure, immune system activity, and digestion. What are the implications of this research? Our guest describes how we can optimize our bodies' abilities for self-healing."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/07/26/show-1130-exploring-the-hard-science-of-self-healing/
FDA Cancer Warning is Worrisome, June 25, 2011
"This is not the first time physicians and patients have been left in a quandary about drugs that might cause cancer. Powerful immune-modulating drugs such as Enbrel, Humira and Remicade are also under scrutiny. These medications are very helpful for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and hard-to-treat psoriasis.
"The trouble is that these drugs have been associated with certain cancers such as lymphomas, leukemias, melanoma, leiomyosarcoma, kidney and liver cancer. Weighing the benefits and risks of such drugs becomes very challenging."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/25/fda-cancer-warning-is-worrisome/
Free Calorie Counter
"We believe -- and medical studies prove -- that the best way to lose weight and keep it off forever is to simply keep track of the foods you eat. Gimmicky machines and fad diets don't work, so we designed a free website and mobile apps that make calorie counting and food tracking easy.
"In one of the longest running and largest weight loss studies ever conducted, Dr. Jack Hollis found that simply writing down the foods you eat encourages you to consume fewer calories, and that's the key to losing weight. You don't need expensive gym equipment or memberships to lose weight -- you just need to keep track of what you eat.
" 'The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost. Those who kept daily food records lose twice as much weight as those who kept no records. It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories'." -- Dr. Jack Hollis, Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research,
The Great Cholesterol Myth
"What is the optimal diet to reduce your risk of heart disease? (And why don't you need to worry about the cholesterol in your breakfast eggs?) Our guests give surprising -- but evidence-based -- advice on healthy living."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/03/09/895-the-great-cholesterol-myth/
How Doctors Die: Showing Others the Way
" 'You can put chemotherapy directly into your brain, or total brain radiation,' she recalled recently from her home in suburban Cleveland. 'I'm looking at these drugs head-on and either one would change me significantly. I didn't want that.' She also did not want to endure the side effects of radiation.
"When it comes to dying, doctors, of course, are ultimately no different from the rest of us. And their emotional and physical struggles are surely every bit as wrenching. But they have a clear advantage over many of us. They have seen death up close. They understand their choices, and they have access to the best that medicine has to offer."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/your-money/how-doctors-die.html?ref=health&_r=1&
How Much Does Baby Delivery Cost?
A C-section without insurance can run from $14,000 to $25,000. Premature deliveries can run much higher with hospital care.
http://www.costhelper.com/cost/child/baby-delivery.html
How to Keep Cancer From Spreading by Taking Aspirin
"Nevertheless, despite the need for randomized trials, we believe the evidence of benefit from aspirin is sufficiently persuasive that physicians should engage with patients in a presentation and discussion of aspirin as an additional treatment. Furthermore, we hold that patients should be given this evidence within the context of a healthy lifestyle, they should be allowed to make their own decision about aspirin therapy, and should then be supported in whatever decision they make."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/04/24/how-to-keep-cancer-from-spreading-by-taking-aspirin/
How you can get Relief From Chronic Pain, January 13, 2018
"Learn how a skeptical patient whose years of crushing back pain started with a bad fall from horseback reluctantly put Dr. Hanscom's expressive writing advice into practice. What happened next was astonishing. The principles Dr. Hanscom uses in his practice apply not only to back pain, although that is his specialty, but to any form of chronic pain.
"David Hanscom, MD, is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in complex spine problems in all areas of the spine. He has expertise in adult and pediatric spinal deformities such as scoliosis and kyphosis. A significant part of his practice is devoted to performing surgery on patients who have had multiple prior spine surgeries.
"His book is BACK IN CONTROL: A SURGEON'S ROADMAP OUT OF CHRONIC PAIN, 2nd edition."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/01/10/show-1071-how-you-can-get-relief-from-chronic-pain/
Is Your Doctor Lying to you? Dishonesty in Health Care
"Health care, it seems, is not immune to the dishonesty that prevails in many other parts of society, whether it is the polite lie that someone looks good (despite a hospital pallor) or a more serious deception or omission, such as a provider's financial relationship with a drug or device manufacturer."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/10/08/show-965-are-you-lying-to-your-doctor-or-yourself/
LexisNexis Personal Reports
Access your personal information.
This appears to be an establishment attempt to stop consumer reports such as doctor and dentist ratings. It compiles information about consumers who complain and makes it available to professionals and businesses.
https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/access_your_personal_information.jsp
Living in Balance November 28, 2009 (#716, Archive)
Subjects: Stress management, Exercise, Weight loss, Sleep, Healthy eating, Wine, Chocolate, Glycemic load, Social support, etc.
"In stressful times, people often take short cuts that may ultimately undermine their health. They snack on junk or comfort food, skimp on sleep and do without exercise. But this won't help develop the resilience we need to cope with challenges.
"Dr. Tieraona Low Dog is one of the country's leading experts on the evidence base behind herbal medicine and alternative therapies. She has some solid advice on keeping your head and your health, even when adversity strikes. Her Website is www.drlowdog.com."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/11/28/716-living-in-b/
Living in Balance, MP3 download
https://store.peoplespharmacy.com/716-living-in-balance-2-28-09-mp3.html
Mayo Clinic GeneGuide
"Mayo Clinic GeneGuide is a genetic testing experience that helps you understand how genetics can affect your health. Get personalized insights, interactive tools and education that help you explore the health information in your DNA, carrier screening, disease risk, family health history and more."
https://www.helix.com/products/mayo-clinic-geneguide
*National Vaccine Information Center
"MedAlerts offers an alternative to the official VAERS search engine, CDC Wonder. Both are built from the government's raw data, but MedAlerts has a better user interface, more powerful search capabilities, and more extensive reporting, making it the best VAERS search facility."
https://medalerts.org/
Medical Bills are the Biggest Cause of U.S. Bankruptcies: Study, Dan Mangan, 25 Jun 2013
"Bankruptcies resulting from unpaid medical bills will affect nearly 2 million people this year -- making healthcare the No. 1 cause of such filings, and outpacing bankruptcies due to credit-card bills or unpaid mortgages, according to new data. And even having health insurance doesn't buffer consumers against financial hardship. . . .
"When their savings are gone and their credit cards are maxed out, stretched consumers take the drastic step of cutting back on prescription medications. . . .
"More than 25 million people are skipping doses, taking less medication or delaying refilling prescriptions to save money, NerdWallet found."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100840148
Medical Debt Among People With Health Insurance, Karen Pollitz, et al., (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation), Jan 07, 2014
"Medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S., contributing to 62 percent of personal bankruptcies in 2007. Most who filed for medical bankruptcy that year were well educated, owned homes, and had middle-class occupations. Three quarters had health insurance." (David Himmelstein, et al., "Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study," The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 122, Issue 8, August 2009)
http://kff.org/report-section/medical-debt-among-people-with-health-insurance-consequences-of-medical-debt/
Open Payments Search Tool
"The Open Payments Search Tool is used to search payments made by drug and medical device companies to physicians and teaching hospitals.
"Total Records Published: 11.96 Million. Total US Dollar Value: 8.19 Billion."
https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/
People's Pharmacy Podcasts
Listen online to People's Pharmacy radio programs.
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/podcasts
The Role of Cryosurgery in Palliative Care for Cancer
"Cryoablation is adaptable for the treatment of nearly all solid tumors. According to current experience, percutaneous cryoablation, as a feasible and mini-invasive technique offers an effective and safe therapy for patients with tumors [including throat cancer in early stages and melanoma in early stages -- compiler], and is especially suitable for the treatment of unresectable advanced tumors. The role of this technique is growing, with large-scale prospective randomized trials, continued advances can be expected."
http://www.amepc.org/apm/article/view/1435/2048#B3
Saving Your Teeth and Protecting Your Wallet. What you Need to Know About Bruxism (Teeth Grinding and Clenching), Lee Weinstein
http://StopGrinding.com/FreeBook.htm
The True Cost of Prenatal Care and Delivery, Claire Vande Polder, January 2, 2007
Costs for prenatal care = $1,862.
Costs for hospital delivery:
Vaginal delivery without complication = $6,200
Vaginal delivery with complication = $8,200
C-section without complication = $11,500
C-section with complication = $15,500
Doctors Fees $1,500.
Total standard costs: $9,562 to $18,862, depending upon the type of delivery and the geographical location.
http://www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy-living/pregnancy/planning-pregnancy/financial-planning/cost-prenatal-care-delivery
U.S. "Most Dangerous" Place to Give Birth in Developed World, USA Today Investigation Finds
"A USA Today investigation finds the United States is the "most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world." Every year in the U.S., more than 50,000 mothers are severely injured during or after childbirth and 700 die. USA Today's investigation, "Deadly Deliveries," claims women are dying and suffering life-altering injuries during childbirth because hospitals are not following long-known safety measures."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-most-dangerous-place-to-give-birth-in-developed-world-usa-today-investigation-finds/
What are Authorized Generic Drugs and are They Better? March 12, 2018
"Sadly, many health professionals have no idea what they [Authorized Generic Drugs] are. You will find the only comprehensive list of authorized generic drugs in this article."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/03/12/what-are-authorized-generic-drugs-and-are-they-better/
What are the Most Dangerous Prescription Drugs? November 24, 2011
Researchers have estimated that medications cause 17 million visits to emergency rooms and 8.7 million hospitalizations each year. [Johnson, J.A. and J.L. Bootman,"Drug-Related Morbidity and Mortality: A Cost-of-Illness Model." Archives of Internal Medicine, 1995; 155:1949-1956]. It has been estimated that the drugs that are supposed to relieve our symptoms or cure us, may be responsible for as many as 300,000 deaths annually."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/11/24/what-are-the-most-dangerous-prescription-drugs/
When you Should go to an Urgent Care or Walk-in Health Clinic. Knowing your options in advance can help you get the right care and save money, Steven Findlay, May 04, 2018
"Ryan Stanton, M.D., a spokesperson for American College of Emergency Physicians and an ER doctor in Lexington, Ky., agrees that walk-in clinics and urgent care centers are good choices for millions of patients with health problems that should be treated quickly but aren't life-threatening emergencies.
"And, he says, consumers should do some research ahead of time, so that when they need care, they know where to go. 'Every family should know the facilities in their area and when to go to one versus the other,' Stanton says. . . .
"Emergency room care is expensive. A 2016 study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine found that, even for people with the same diagnosis, treatment costs about 10 times more in the ER (an average of about $2,200) than in an urgent care center (about $168)
"And insurers increasingly require hefty copays for ER care.
"To make matters worse, about two-thirds of ER doctors are not directly employed by the hospitals where they work, and can bill separately, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians. So, even when the ER is in your insurer's network, you could still get stuck with a much higher than expected emergency room bill if it turns out that the physician who treats you is out of your network."
https://www.consumerreports.org/health-clinics/urgent-care-or-walk-in-health-clinic/
Who do you Believe the Experts or the Evidence? [audio file]
"Prominent physicians are often paid handsomely by drug or device makers on the hope that they will prove to be opinion leaders. Such conflicts of interest may go undetected for years, as they did with Dr. José Baselga. Until Sept. 13, 2018, he was chief medical officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering. He stepped down when his supervisors learned that he had not disclosed receiving millions of dollars from healthcare companies. His case was uncovered by ProPublica and The New York Times, but most doctors don't get that kind of scrutiny. How can we learn about their conflicts of interest? Why do they matter?
"The development of new cancer treatments such as CAR-T is exciting, but at the prices being charged few patients will be able to benefit. Can our medical system survive such sky-high costs? Find out how patients can make the best decisions on their treatments.
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/09/20/show-1135-who-do-you-believe-the-experts-or-the-evidence/
Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 11, 2011
"Most (but not all), pharmacists routinely tell patients that generic drugs are identical to brand name medications. That is hardly surprising. This is what pharmacy students are told during their education process. It is also what the FDA states on its website:
A generic drug is identical -- or bioequivalent -- to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use. Although generic drugs are chemically identical to their branded counterparts, they are typically sold at substantial discounts from the branded price."Now we don't know about you, but when we see the word 'identical' we assume that means exactly the same as. Here is how Dictionary.com defines the word 'identical':
Most diseases are self-limiting. [and often will clear up in three to six months with no treatment -- compiler]. (Mendelsohn)Arrogance is an enormous problem in medicine. -- Peter Pronovost, MD, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
The biggest predictor of health is socio-economic status, and not necessarily any of the indicators flushed out by screenings and diagnosis. [The most important health risk are revealed in your answers to two questions. 1. Are you comfortable in your socio-economic status? 2. Are you satisfied in your job? Notice this is the problem of healthy relationship put in general terms. Is the individual oppressed in any or all of the different spheres of society? For example, in societies with resources, the greater the gap between the poor and the wealthy, the more ill health there is among the poor. -- compiler] -- Nortin Hadler, MD, Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in Worried Sick
1/3 The portion of the population that is uninsured or poorly insured in the United States.
34,000 The number of people that would be insured by the salary of the CEO of United Health Group who makes $122.7 million/year.
37th The Rank of the United States among industrialized countries in health system performance in a report by the World Health Organization. The U.S. is ranked 54th in Fairness, while Cuba is ranked 23rd in the same category. According to the same report, the U.S. has a higher infant mortality rate than Cypress and Slovenia.
101,000 People have died unnecessarily in the United States every year for the past five years due to insurance denials or lack of insurance. . . . (US Healthcare Crisis: The Facts, a brochure from Healthcare -- NOW) The private health insurance system we have leaves 48 million Americans uninsured, and accounts for half of the bankruptcies each year. . . ." -- US Healthcare Crisis: The Facts, a brochure from Healthcare -- NOWThe United States places last among 19 countries when it comes to deaths that could have been prevented by access to timely and effective healthcare, according to new research supported by The Commonwealth Fund and published in the January/February issue of Health Affairs. While other nations dramatically improved these rates between 1997-98 and 2002-03, the U.S. improved only slightly. . . .
If the U.S. had performed as well as the top three countries out of the 19 industrialized countries in the study there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths in the U.S. per year by the end of the study period. -- New Study: U.S. Ranks Last Among Other Industrialized Nations on Preventable Deaths. 101,000 Fewer Americans Would die Annually if the U.S. Improved its Preventable Death Rate to That of the Three top Performing Nations, January 08, 2008The futility of relying on medicine to cure the ills created by social and physical environments . . . (Dubos)
Medical records can be copied and given to the patient. There is no law against it. The original records are the property of the facility. However, every patient has a right to a copy of their medical records.
Many Americans think the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects their medical privacy, but federal bureaucrats issue thousands of subpoenas every year without prior judicial approval to get around the law.
If you don't have a reasonable expectation of privacy against government in your medical care, then where does it exist at all? If that's not private, then what is? -- Adam Bates, a criminal justice policy analyst at the libertarian Cato InstituteWhen seeking healthcare it is highly recommended that the patient seek a provider who comes from a similar religious background, Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish, especially if they have a clear Christian witness.
Cassels, Alan, Seeking Sickness: Medical Screening and the Misguided Hunt for Disease, ISBN: 9781771000321 1771000325.
"The author explores how screening healthy people for diseases as opposed to using screening as a diagnostic tool when there are symptoms present, can actually make you sicker. He contends that there are many false positive results and the resulting anxiety and subsequent tests a person undergoes if they don't take a wait and see attitude can be quite detrimental to people.
"He also points out that screening tests that have been used for decades may not need to be used as often as we are told, however, since that doesn't go with what we believe based on what we've been told, and because special interest groups and agencies cry foul, we continue in the way that we have always known." -- Reader's Comment
Colbert, Don, What you Don't Know may be Killing you!
"Dr. Don Colbert faced personal health struggles, and when his own profession was unable to give him answers to help, he turned to more natural health-related disciplines. The answers he found surprised him then, and this new, updated information may surprise you today." -- Publisher
Fitzpatrick, Margaret, Linda Burke, and Daryl Lee, What to ask the Doc: The Questions to ask to get the Answers you Need, ISBN: 0974700207 9780974700205.
" 'Do you have any questions?'
"Has a doctor ever asked you this and you couldn't think of any questions until you arrived home?
" 'I would ask questions if I knew WHAT to ask' is a common refrain that we hear from patients and families.
"WHAT TO ASK THE DOC is the solution. This book provides you with the questions to ask to get the answers you need.
"With question categories and feature articles on over 80 healthcare concerns, WHAT TO ASK THE DOC is the perfect companion to bring with you to your next doctor's appointment or when accompanying a friend or loved one to the doctor.
"Whether waiting in the emergency room with your sick child or responding to the call to come to the hospital because Aunt Martha broke her hip, WHAT TO ASK THE DOC has the questions to ask to help you to get the information that you need.
"Countless sources of healthcare information are available today: books, magazines and the Internet all can be helpful resources. But specific information about your health should come from your doctor. WHAT TO ASK THE DOC gives you the essential tools for getting that information. It gives you knowledgeable questions-the kind of questions doctors and nurses ask when confronted with our own healthcare issues.
"The purpose of this book is not to give medical advice; that should come from your doctor. Instead, WHAT TO ASK THE DOC gives you the questions to ask to get the answers you need to navigate the world of modern healthcare." -- Publisher
"Margaret Fitzpatrick, RN is a trauma nurse specialist with experience in the fields of in-patient hospice care, surgical intensive care, emergency and trauma care and school nursing. As a registered nurse, she has worked at major academic medical centers in Chicago such as Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Advocate Christ Hospital, the busiest trauma center in the state of Illinois where she was awarded the MVP award in 2002. The Mayor and City Council of Chicago honored Fitzpatrick in November 2002 for actions related to her work as a school nurse.
"Linda Burke is a registered nurse with years of experience in cardiac care and surgical and trauma intensive care as well as in training nurses new to the field of critical care nursing. Her nursing practice has been at renowned academic medical centers in Chicago, including Northwestern Memorial Hospital and St. Francis Hospital.
"Daryl Lee is a registered nurse who has experience working in surgical and trauma intensive care and medical intensive care."
Foreman, Judy, A Nation in Pain: Healing our Biggest Health Problem , ISBN: 9780199837205 0199837201 9780190231798 0190231793.
"Out of 315 million Americans, 100 million live in chronic pain. And yet the press has paid more attention to the abuses of pain medications than the astoundingly widespread condition they are intended to treat. Sufferers face unending discomfort or even agony. When chronic pain is inadequately treated, it undermines the body and mind from within, even inducing many to commit suicide. Far more than just a symptom, writes author Judy Foreman, chronic pain is a disease in its own right -- the biggest health problem facing America today. In A NATION IN PAIN, Foreman offers a sweeping, deeply researched account of the chronic pain crisis, from neurobiology to public policy, and presents to practical solutions that are within our grasp today. Drawing on both her personal experience with chronic pain and her background as an award-winning health journalist, she guides us through recent scientific discoveries, including genetic susceptibility to pain; gender disparities in pain conditions and treatments, perhaps linked to estrogen; the problem of undertreated pain in children; the emerging role of the immune system in pain; advances in traditional treatments such as surgery and drugs; and fair-minded assessments of the effectiveness of alternative remedies, including marijuana, acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic care. The real magic bullet, Foreman writes, is exercise. Though many patients fear it will increase their discomfort, studies show it consistently produces improvement, often dramatic. She also explores the destructive 'opioid wars,' which have led to a misguided demonization of prescription painkillers. Foreman presents a far-reaching but sensible plan of action, ranging from enhancing pain education in medical schools to reforms of federal policies across the board. For doctors, scientists, policy makers, and especially patients, A NATION IN PAIN is essential reading." -- Publisher
Frymoyer, John W. (editor), Thomas B. Ducker (editor), Nortin M. Hadler (editor), John P. Kostuik (editor), James N. Weinstein (editor), Thomas S., III Whitecloud (editor), The Adult Spine: Principles and Practice, 2 volume set, ISBN: 0781703298 9780781703291.
"This standard-setting text on the management of adults with acquired and congenital diseases and disorders of the spine has been completely revised, updated, and expanded to reflect the major advances in the field since its initial publication in 1991. The text provides unparalleled coverage of contemporary theory and practice, presenting in two authoritative volumes an unprecedented exploration of the current science of the spine, the state-of-the-art in medical care, and an up-to-date assessment of the complex social and economic issues surrounding spinal disorders in adults. The second edition supplies essential information on developmental anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics of the human spine . . . the pathophysiology of spinal disorders (both common and rare) . . . and the latest diagnostic imaging modalities, surgical procedures, and rehabilitation programs. The book's superbly balanced coverage provides varied perspectives and approaches to each problem under review. This comprehensive and multidisciplinary treatment further distinguishes the text as the single most authoritative resource to turn to for a complete understanding of the art, science, and socio-economic impact of spinal disorders." -- Publisher
*Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, 1st edition, October 4, 2011, 336 pages, ISBN: 9780307460912 0307460916.
"Healthcare screwups are one of the leading causes of death in America, killing as many as 750,000 people annually. That's more than heart attacks or cancer. And yet most people don't know this, including most physicians. From diagnostic disasters to deadly drug interactions, the bestselling authors of The People's Pharmacy expose the alarming epidemic of medical mistakes in America -- and offer a lifesaving prescription to make the healthcare system safe again.
"There is a culture of cover-up in medicine that has been very effective at keeping mistakes secret. A recent study found that the most sophisticated way of detecting harm in the hospital identified 100 times more problems than doctors reported.
(Health Affairs, April, 2011)
"Medical mistakes happen all the time. Each year, 6.1 million Americans are harmed by diagnostic mistakes, drug disasters, and medical treatments. . . . Patient advocates Joe and Teresa Graedon came face-to-face with the tragic consequences of doctors' screwups when Joe's mother died in Duke Hospital -- one of the best in the world -- due to a disastrous series of preventable errors. The good news is that we can protect ourselves and our loved ones by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and more. . . .
"In TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM, the Graedons expose the most common medical mistakes, from doctor's offices and hospitals to the pharmacy counters and nursing homes. Patients across the country shared their riveting horror stories, and doctors recounted the disastrous -- and sometimes deadly -- consequences of their colleagues' oversights and errors. While many patients feel vulnerable and dependent on their healthcare providers, this book is a startling wake-up call to how wrong doctors can be. . . .
"The good news is that we can protect ourselves, and our loved ones, by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask a specialist before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and much more." -- Publisher
"Joe and Teresa Graedon have performed an enormous public service by putting this book together. Unfortunately, an epidemic of medical adverse events -- preventable lethal mistakes -- are destroying the quality of American healthcare. In all my years as a physician and an advocate for a safer, error-free healthcare system, I have never seen a more practical and readable guide to help patients become more vigilant and proactive in preventing medical errors. If you or someone you love is facing a serious illness or major surgery, defend yourself: Buy this book, read it cover to cover. No one cares more about your life than you do. If you were faced with a lethal threat, you would naturally do everything in your power to defend yourself. Put this book in your holster. Arm yourself. Take it with you to the hospital. And save your own life." -- Allan J. Hamilton, MD, FACS, professor of surgery and radiation oncology, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, author of The Scalpel and the Soul
"From my perspective, TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM represents the evolution or transformation of the Graedons from strong consumer advocates to genuine full-fledged skeptics. This book is nothing like earlier Peoples Pharmacy books. This is not your father's Oldsmobile. I think it is fair to say that the Graedons are today nowhere near as sanguine about our medical system as they were for so many years.
"Some people say that some non-fiction authors keep writing the same book over and over again, only updating the evidence to support their case. In my view, this book represents a major departure from the Graedons' books in the past. I think the Graedons are now in their mid-sixties and I have no idea how many more books they intend to write. This book strikes me as their attempt to finally lay it all on the line. The Graedons accurately point out that the problem of pharmacy mistakes is horrifying and that the public largely has no idea how significant this problem is. A few years back, ABC's '20/20' did a no-holds-barred undercover investigation of pharmacy mistakes. The segment was titled 'Pharmacy Errors: Unreported Epidemic?' In my opinion that is an accurate description of the problem except that the question mark should have been replaced with an exclamation point. Search Google for 'pharmacy mistakes' if you have any doubt about how serious this problem is." -- Reader's Comment
Hadler, Nortin M., The Last Well Person: How to Stay Well Despite the Health-Care System, ISBN: 0773532544 9780773532540.
"Dr. Nortin Hadler believes that heart bypass surgery is usually a waste of money, time, and energy, that treatment for prostate cancer does more harm than good, and that testing for breast cancer is not always useful or effective. THE LAST WELL PERSON shows how a self-serving medical industry promotes constant monitoring and unnecessary intervention, turning healthy people into patients. Sick with worry, we have become a culture panicked over unfounded illnesses -- a culture that treats everyone as a diseased time bomb. Hadler systematically builds the case that many medical interventions are hazardous to our health. Especially insidious is the misuse of longevity statistics in turning the difficulties experienced through a natural course of life, such as aging and osteoporosis, into illnesses. He argues that unfounded assertions and flagrant marketing have led to the medicalization of everyday life and he offers practical solutions on such topics as aging, obesity, adult onset diabetes, and back problems. In The Last Well Person Hadler addresses the tough questions about our healthcare, cutting through the medical white noise." -- Publisher
"This is an outstanding book that decries many components of traditional and alternative medicine. The book is not easy to read (Fog Index 16.9 corresponds to years of formal education; Flesh-Kincaid Index 13.8 corresponds to grade level). However, it is very informative to manage your own health in a more independent, cost-effective, and dignified way than otherwise. According to the author all our ills that truly result mainly from the natural process of aging have been 'medicalized' at no benefit to the patient. But in turn, this medicalization has generated huge profits for the healthcare industries.
"The author has impressive credentials to advance his views. He is a professor of Medicine at one of the top U.S. public universities, and he is a practicing rheumatologist. Additionally, he has a strong background in statistics that he uses to interpret the objective results of random trials before spin doctors promote questionable benefit of whatever drug tested. Also, his "opinions' are well supported by 60 pages of references to random trials mentioned in the 'Annotated Readings' section of the book.
"Human beings have a mean expected life span of 85 years. Advances in medical technology has done nothing to extend this life span. With aging, a bunch of proximate diseases (cardiovascular, cancers, and others), compete with each other to end our days. Thus, often the well publicized reduction in mortality for a certain type of cancer due to a treatment has no implication in extending one's life span for a single day. A survivor of prostate cancer may die at the exact same time he would have died of cancer but from cardiovascular disease. The author has analyzed many related random trials that confirmed this.
" 'Medicalization' is in his view an artificial social construct whereby a condition (back or knee pain), has been turned into a disease. It results in Type II malpractice whereby patients that are well have incurred treatments (sometimes invasive and dangerous), that were not necessary.
"The benefit from breast and prostate cancer screening is highly questionable. Both mammography and the PSA tests generate so many false positive as to render the tests useless. The ensuing investigation, treatment, and surgeries from incurring a positive test are often painful, dangerous, and offer no proven benefits of any reduction in mortality rate.
"He feels just the same way about bypass surgery that provides no benefit and is associated with a high risk of death as a result of the operation (2 percent to 8 percent), or depression (50 percent). It helps only 3 percent of the coronary patient who do have extensive plaque blockage in their left-main artery. For the other 97 percent of patients, bypass surgery represents an unfavorable risk/benefit trade off.
"Alternative medicine is not spared either. He sees no benefit in most herbal, vitamins and mineral supplements. Chiropractic, homeopathy, and other alternatives do not seem more credible than traditional medicine. Again, the above is supported by reference to random trials and studies.
"In his view, being a well person is coping well with the acceptable and natural imperfection of health as we age. This is a better alternative than to render ourselves patient of a medical establishment who will diagnose, test, and operate us at great profits for themselves but significant suffering to ourselves without adding a day to our life span, and often compromising our quality of life in the mean time." -- Reader's Comment
Hadler, Nortin M., Stabbed in the Back: Confronting Back Pain in an Overtreated Society, ISBN: 9780807833483 0807833487.
"Nortin Hadler, MD, FACP, FACR, FACOEM, is Professor of Medicine and Microbiology/Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill."
Hadler, Nortin M., Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America, ISBN: 0807831875 9780807831878.
"At a time when access to healthcare in the United States is being widely debated, Nortin Hadler argues that an even more important issue is being overlooked. Although necessary healthcare should be available to all who need it, he says, the current health-care debate assumes that everyone requires massive amounts of expensive care to stay healthy. Hadler urges that before we commit to paying for whatever pharmaceutical companies and the medical establishment tell us we need, American consumers need to adopt an attitude of skepticism and arm themselves with enough information to make some of their own decisions about what care is truly necessary.
"Each chapter of WORRIED SICK is an object lesson regarding the uses and abuses of a particular type of treatment, such as mammography, colorectal screening, statin drugs, or coronary stents. For consumers and medical professionals interested in understanding the scientific basis for Hadler's arguments, each topical chapter has an accompanying source chapter in which Hadler discusses the medical literature and studies that inform his critique.
"According to Hadler, a major stumbling block to rational health-care policy in the United States is contention over the very concept of what constitutes good health. By learning to distinguish good medical advice from persuasive medical marketing, consumers can make better decisions about their personal health and use that wisdom to inform their perspectives on health-policy issues.
"Nortin M. Hadler, M.D., is professor of medicine and microbiology/immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is attending rheumatologist at UNC Hospitals. He is author or editor of numerous books, including THE LAST WELL PERSON: HOW TO STAY WELL DESPITE THE HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM." -- Publisher
"WORRIED SICK is a follow up to Dr. Hadler's THE LAST WELL PERSON. It has updated research information and written for the public at large. In this book, Dr. Hadler examines many of the common diagnoses and treatments and questions their validity and scientific basis. He shows clearly that many are not based on science, and that treatments are of questionable value, and possibly harmful.
"Here is a brief overview.
1. Heart bypass surgery and angioplasty: Dr. Hadler explains how bypass surgery has not been shown to be of any use. In fact, some patients whose chests were simply opened and closed had similar improvements in their level of pain after the surgery. However, those who had the surgery experiencing dementia (40 percent) and difficulty returning back to their regular jobs. Although, the efficacy of this treatment has never been proven, it and angioplasty continues to account for 500,000 procedures a year in the US."I used to trust my doctor and the medical system until I began to have back pain. Due to improper diagnoses and treatments I developed pain in my neck, legs, arms, hands, and became completely disabled. That's when I realized I needed to take charge of my own health. This is where physician and health educators like Dr. Hadler provide a great service. By the way, he is also a consultant to ABC News. You can watch his commentaries and read his writing at ABC News website." -- Reader's Comment
2. Type 2 diabetes: He mentions that increase blood glucose level is an expected part of aging, and the effort to regulate blood sugar with medication has shown no effect in terms of preventing damage to the eyes or kidneys or preventing heart disease or stroke. In fact, ten years of intensive therapy offered no real advantage to 1000 middle aged hyperglycemic (high blood glucose level) people. So, why would anyone want to be on therapy and suffer the side effects of medications that have no real benefits? He says changes in diet, weight loss, and exercise have are a much better approach. Also what is considered a high blood glucose level? Those levels are set by committees, not necessarily based on scientific medicine, but many times based on influence by pharmaceutical companies.
3. Hypertension: Dr. Hadler also points out that high blood pressure is another area where science has not proven that by lowering the mild high blood pressure one can really make a difference in preventing heart disease or damage to organs. He recommends for people who have diabetes and hypertension and are elderly to be treated, if regular exercise, weight loss, and diet modifications do not help. But, to be focused on keeping the blood pressure at 120/80 and getting medication to those who are 140/90 and higher, and who have no symptoms and are feeling well, is not supported by research. One thing research has shown is that a cheap first generation diuretic works just as well as the latest and very expensive anti-hypertension drugs.
4. Ruptured disc: He points out that the concept of ruptured disc as cause of back and leg pain was proposed some 70 years ago and should have remained there. There is no evidence that a ruptured disc causes any harm. All the spinal changes due to age detected in an MRI or CT scan are normal. Some 200 randomized studies clearly show that all the treatments ranging from spinal manipulation, shots, and surgeries are of no benefit. All studies have shown that patients who refused treatment recovered as well or better than those who were treated. He recommends taking Tylenol for the pain and discomfort and getting back into one's regular routine and job.
5. Knee and shoulder pain: he also points out that knee pain is of the same case. The current diagnoses, such as a torn meniscus or torn rotator cuff, and treatments are of no value, and perhaps the solution is to take some Tylenol for the pain and keep going until the individual recovers, whether it's back or knee pain.
6. HRT therapy for post menopausal women: here is another area which is touted as a way of preventing heart disease and osteoporosis in women. He points out that not only this has failed, but the equipment they use for testing is not accurate most of the time, and that the medications used for it don't really work. Exercise is a better alternative. Also hip replacement surgery could easily be replaced with pinning the hip, which is less costly with a faster recovery rate.
7. Cancer screening: Like Dr. Welch, author of DO I NEED TO BE TESTED FOR CANCER, he too finds no scientific basis that screening well people for cancer has any benefit. He calls it, 'looking for a very small needle in a big hay stack.'
Kauffman, Joel M., Malignant Medical Myths: Why Medical Treatment Causes 200,000 Deaths in the USA Each Year, and how to Protect Yourself, ISBN: 0741429098 9780741429094. Includes bibliographical references and index.
"A fearless exposé of mainstream medicine's most revered dogma, MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS is solidly based on trusted medical and nutritional books and journals. Americans spend $2 trillion per year on healthcare, about $7,000 each, yet it buys almost the poorest healthcare among developed countries, with 200,000 deaths per year from medical treatment. Find out why advice from authorities on screening tests, drugs, diet, exercise, alcohol, radiation, radon, and water fluoridation is often wrong and commercially motivated. See how clinical trials are slanted. Understand how 'sickness' is created to sell treatments, and which government agencies support these shenanigans.
"Joel M. Kauffman obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, now called University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP), and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After 11 years of experience in the chemical industry, Dr. Kauffman joined USP in 1979, rising to Professor of Chemistry. His experience includes about 10 years of exploratory drug development at USP and 4 years at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He obtained grants and contracts from many sources including the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research and the Army Research Office and several manufacturing companies. With 80 papers on chemical and medical topics, and 11 patents, including 2 on antituberculosis drugs, Dr. Kauffman has turned his attention to exposing fraud in medicine." -- Publisher
"In MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS, he questions the following medical myths, as he calls them, put forth by health and medical 'experts:'
1. Taking an aspirin a day will make you live longer."If you believe ANY of the above statements as medically accurate, then you need to get MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS. Kauffman outlines for you his extensive research on each of these and explains to you the truth using scientific studies and information so you can be armed for battle when you come up against these myths again in the future. -- Reader's Comment
2. Low-carb diets are unsafe and don't work for weight loss.
3. Using statin drugs to lower cholesterol will improve health.
4. People over 50 should take medicine for hypertension.
5. A drink a day keeps the doctor away.
6. Exercise! Run for your life! No pain, no gain.
7. EDTA chelation therapy for atherosclerosis is dangerous.
8. Radiation is dangerous except when administered by an oncologist.
9. Yearly mammograms extend life.
10. Cancer treatments have cure rates of 60 percent.
11. Fluoride in the water prevents tooth decay and is safe.
Kumar, Sanjaya, Fatal Care: Survive in the U.S. Health System, ISBN: 9780977712113 0977712117.
"Each year as many as 98,000 patient deaths occur in the U.S. as a result of preventable medical errors in hospitals. Preventable medical errors alone impact or harm at least 5 million Americans annually, costing more than $17-21 billion. These sobering statistics from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) provide a glimpse into a national crisis that harms or kills hundreds of innocent people each day. But they are only nameless, faceless numbers and can't illustrate the human cost behind the data. Moreover, they only reveal the problem and not the underlying causes or potential solutions.
"FATAL CARE takes readers behind the statistics and into the lives of those who have experienced, first-hand, the impact of what these numbers represent. Their individual stories embody all of the drama and tension found in popular medical series television productions. The portraits of these flesh-and-blood characters and their families will resonate with readers and draw them into the events and their lives. Readers will be reminded of people in their own lives who have had similar experiences.
"FATAL CARE is unique and unlike other healthcare-related books, blending true, real-life dramas that illustrate gaps in the healthcare system with factual information and analysis for healthcare consumers and professionals. Every case in this book brings to life the chain of events that led to mishaps, and proposes solutions to prevent future mistakes and protect future patients. -- Publisher
Levine, Evan Scott, MD, What Your Doctor Won't or Can't Tell you: Doctors, Hospitals, Drugs, Insurance -- What you Need to Know to Take Charge of Your own Health Care, ISBN: 0399151508 9780399151507.
"This book is about taking an active role in your healthcare so that you are certain that you are receiving the best and most appropriate care. Even though you doctor went to medical school, it is still your body and your health, and it is crucial to be educated about the System (hospitals, doctors, and insurance). Reading this book could one day save your life.
"In particular I found the following pages of information to be of particular interest:
Nathanson, Laura W., What you Don't Know can Kill you: A Physician's Radical Guide to Conquering the Obstacles to Excellent Medical Care, ISBN: 0061145823 9780061145827.
"In WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN KILL YOU, Dr. Nathanson provides a guide to getting the best medical care and navigating our frustrating and often impenetrable healthcare system. In clear, non-medical language, she shows how to:
Flag any signs of misdiagnosis and misleading analysis of symptoms,
Prevent miscommunication among specialists from having dire consequences,
Stay safe in the hospital and bypass its dangers, and,
Choose a healthcare plan without falling into the "uncovered services" trap.
"Full of empathy for each individual patient and caregiver, WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN KILL YOU will empower patients to be their own best advocates." -- Publisher
Neustatter, Patrick, Managing Your Doctor: The Smart Patient's Guide to Getting Effective Affordable Healthcare, ISBN: 1508802580 9781508802587.
"Getting effective, error free affordable healthcare is challenging. Managing Your Doctor is here to help. An information overload no doctor can keep up with; endless manipulations by drug and medical device companies; a take over by profit seeking corporations; laws that disadvantage the patient; an epidemic of medical and billing errors combine with the ever-increasing complexity of medicine all contribute to the problem. The antidote is the right information -- which this book provides, divided into sections on getting the right doctor; diagnosis; information; treatment; price; future; even the right death (as terminal care is notoriously badly handled) and advice on a home medical kit." -- Publisher
Ofri, Danielle, What Doctors Feel -- How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine, ISBN: 9780807033302 0807033308.
"It is an eye-opening account of the many issues that doctors face while trying to give good patient care. As patients, we expect to go to the doctor, have them listen attentively to our concerns, accurately diagnose us, while having a respectful, caring bedside manner. Yet, maybe the doctor is in the middle of a lawsuit and questioning every aspect of the care they give. Maybe one of their patients just died and they are grieving. Maybe they just made a medical error and are feeling the repercussions from that. Not only will these issues affect the doctor, but the emotions involved and how the doctor handles them will have consequences for all future patients of that doctor.
"I wish every patient would read this book. As patients we expect all the best from our doctors without a thought of all the stress they have in their lives. The long hours they put in, the immense amount of knowledge they are expected to keep on top of, and the fact that they have lives outside of being a doctor, too! Doctors are human beings and have emotions just like the rest of us. I gave this book 5 stars because this is one that will stay on my mind for a long time. I found it very thought provoking. I will never have another interaction with a doctor without thinking of this book." -- Reader's Comment
Ofri, Danielle, When we do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error, ISBN: 0807037893 9780807037898.
"Physician and author Danielle Ofri investigates how medical error could be killing 10 percent of patients and causing 33 percent of hospital deaths. These stories ask us to reconsider what happens when the medical system does us harm". -- Publisher
Olsen, Gwen, Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher, ISBN: 9781935278597 1935278592.
"She talks about the science that is funded by the pharmaceuticals and how it cannot be trusted, due to obvious conflicts of interest. She also gives personal experiences with people she knew, who were prescribed over time of how a lethal cocktail of drugs killed many of them or led them to suicide. This occurs because researchers cannot test every possible combination of drugs -- there's simply not enough time available for this. Apparently, the body needs time to flush a drug out of the system, and doctors don't allow for that time. So, the combinations are particularly concerning.
"Long story short, if someone we love is behaving erratically, it could be because of a mixture of prescription/non-prescription drugs. Don't expect your physician to protect you because they do not have time to keep up on all the research, and they are constantly persuaded by attractive, smart-sounding drug reps, who come to their offices bringing lots of free samples, food, and gifts.
"The point of the book is get informed and take charge of your own health, rather than relying on those who consistently demonstrate that they value profit above your well-being." -- Reader's Comment
Ozner, Michael D., The Great American Heart Hoax: Lifesaving Advice Your Doctor Should Tell you About Heart Disease Prevention (But Probably Never Will), ISBN: 9781933771540 1933771542.
"Addressing the importance of preventative measures over uncertain surgeries, this groundbreaking study reveals the secret to cardiovascular health. Illustrating the disturbing realities about the heart industry and how undependable bypass surgery can be, this survey argues the alternative -- how the majority of people can employ much simpler methods, such as a change in diet, to achieve better results. Also featured is a 12-step program to improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease, including dieting advice, tips on exercise and stress management, methods for controlling cholesterol and blood pressure, and recommended vitamins and medicines.
"Michael Ozner, MD, is medical director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Institute of South Florida and a clinical assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He is the author of The Miami Mediterranean Diet. He lives in Miami." -- Publisher
"HEART HOAX is horrifying because it reveals many troubling facts about America's cardiac surgery industry. As a longtime medical advocate and critic of our healthcare system, I've known that too many heart surgeries are being performed in America; I just didn't know how many too many! In his book, Dr. Ozner reveals that, of the more than 1.5 million angioplasties and coronary bypass surgeries performed annually in the U.S., fully 70-90 percent are not only unnecessary, but are also detrimental -- and in some cases, even cause death. I knew that many diagnostic tests expose patients to radiation, but I didn't know that the 64-slice CT scan -- so often used to detect clogged arteries -- gives a patient the equivalent of the radiation from FIVE HUNDRED X-RAYS. And while I had known that the simple cholesterol test, which doctors routinely use as a predictor of cardiac risk, does NOT give the full picture, I did not know that it correctly predicts risk IN ONLY 40 percent of cases -- AND that there is another blood test (which doctors normally do NOT use), which can correctly predict cardiac risk in 90 percent of patients. All of these facts -- and more -- add up to what Dr. Ozner refers to as the GREAT AMERICAN HEART HOAX. The truth, writes Dr. Ozner, is that invasive cardiologists HAVE KNOWN many of these 'dirty secrets' for years, but have chosen to ignore them, in the unholy goal of 'following the money.'
"So, why do I say that this book is also empowering? Because, the exposé takes up only one part of the book. In the second half, Dr. Ozner gives us the 'good news,' by laying out his solution: a 10-step prevention program he has used successfully with his patients for nearly 30 years. It combines the Mediterranean Diet -- with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and healthy fats -- with nutritional supplements, exercise, stress reduction, and lots more. After reading this book, you will know how to prevent a heart attack and, if you have already had one, how to greatly reduce your chances of ever having another." -- Reader's Comment
Parnia, Sam, and Josh Young, Erasing Death: The Science That is Rewriting the Boundaries Between Life and Death, ISBN: 9780062080608 0062080601.
"A leading expert on the scientific study of death, the human mind-brain relationship, and near-death experiences demystifies what happens to human consciousness during and after death." -- Publisher
Robbins, Alexandra, Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama, and Miracles With the Heroes of the Hospital, ISBN: 9780761171713.
Alexandra considers this her most important book to date.
"In this lively, fast-paced narrative, New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Robbins digs deep into the subculture of nursing, drawing readers into a brilliantly captivating in-depth investigation of the extraordinary working lives of nurses and the shocking behind-the-scenes secrets that all patients and their loved ones need to know.
"The result is a riveting page-turner, insightful and thought-provoking, that will leave readers feeling smarter about their healthcare and undeniably appreciative of the incredible nurses who provide it." -- Mickey Rapkin, author, Pitch Perfect
Rosenthal, Elisabeth, An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became big Business and how you can Take it Back, ISBN: 9780143110859 0143110853.
"An award-winning New York Times reporter Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal reveals the dangerous, expensive, and dysfunctional American healthcare system, and tells us exactly what we can do to solve its myriad of problems. It is well documented that our healthcare system has grave problems, but how, in only a matter of decades, did things get this bad? Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal doesn't just explain the symptoms; she diagnoses and treats the disease itself. Rosenthal spells out in clear and practical terms exactly how to decode medical doublespeak, avoid the pitfalls of the pharmaceuticals racket, and get the care you and your family deserve. She takes you inside the doctor-patient relationship, explaining step by step the workings of a profession sorely lacking transparency. This is about what we can do, as individual patients, both to navigate a Byzantine system and also to demand far-reaching reform. . . Breaking down the monolithic business into its individual industries . . . the hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, drug manufacturers . . . that together constitute our healthcare system, Rosenthal tells the story of the history of American medicine as never before. The situation is far worse than we think, and it has become like that much more recently than we realize. Hospitals, which are managed by business executives, behave like predatory lenders, hounding patients and seizing their homes. Research charities are in bed with big pharmaceutical companies, which surreptitiously profit from the donations made by working people. Americans are dying from routine medical conditions when affordable and straightforward solutions exist. Dr. Rosenthal explains for the first time how various social and financial incentives have encouraged a disastrous and immoral system to spring up organically in a shockingly short span of time. The system is in tatters, but we can fight back.
"AN AMERICAN SICKNESS is the frontline defense against a healthcare system that no longer has our well-being at heart." -- Publisher
Schneider, Stephen H. and Janica Lane, The Patient From Hell: How I Worked With My Doctors to Get the Best of Modern Medicine and how you can too, ISBN: 0738210781 9780738210780.
"Schneider's experience: doctors do not always use decision analysis, nor do they have training in probability and consequences.
"Insurance companies and HMO are a controlling influence on the doctor-patient relationship.
"In the bewildering days after diagnosis of a severe disease, patients learn two daunting facts: One, no doctor has all the answers, and two, there are no answers, only odds. For readers (and their families), who want to be involved in the key choices regarding treatment, Dr. Schneider is the ideal guide. A climate scientist, his life's work is decision making in the face of great uncertainty. This important book is both his own gripping story of working with his doctors to get the best treatment possible, and also a brilliant critique of the flawed system under which doctors must now operate.
Stephen H. Schneider, Ph.D., is Professor of Biological Science at Stanford University, a MacArthur Prize Fellowship winner, and author of major works on climate change and the environment. He has written for and his works have been covered by the New York Times, the Washington Post, and London Times." -- Publisher
"Schneider's account is indispensable on many levels. It is a sobering analysis of how the political economy of the healthcare industry limits treatment options and often results in suboptimal care. It is an instructive case study of how patients can use decisional and probability analysis to discriminate among various treatment options, and use their own research to come up with promising revisions to conventional treatments. Most importantly, it is a gripping and inspiring narrative of how Schneider and his wife worked through the trauma of a brutal lymphoma diagnosis, cogently analyzed treatment options, and persistently partnered with their oncologist to arrive at a satisfactory protocol.
"This book will fascinate anyone interested in some of the perversities of our medical system, but it will be particularly compelling and instructive for anyone -- as a patient, spouse or family member -- grappling with life-threatening illnesses and complicated treatment issues." -- Reader's Comment
The Patient From Hell
http://decision.stanford.edu/classes/lessons-in-decision-making/2010/the-patient-from-hell
Stauffer, Joseph C., and Joseph Segen, The Patient's Guide to Medical Tests: Everything you Need to Know About the Tests Your Doctor Prescribes, ISBN: 081603530X 9780816035304.
"Alphabetically lists over 1000 medical tests most commonly used by physicians, hospitals and commercial labs. Each test entry includes why a test may be necessary, a non-technical description of the test, test procedures and times and the reference range and what abnormal values may signify." -- Publisher
Topol, Eric J.,Eric Michael Summerer, and Tantor Media, The Patient Will see you now, ISBN: 9781452668833 1452668833.
"In THE PATIENT WILL SEE YOU NOW, Eric Topol, one of the nation's top physicians, examines what he calls medicine's 'Gutenberg moment.' Much as the printing press liberated knowledge from the control of an elite class, new technology -- from the smartphone to machine learning -- is poised to democratize medicine. In this new era, patients will control their data and be emancipated from a paternalistic medical regime in which 'the doctor knows best.' Mobile phones, apps, and attachments will literally put the lab and the ICU in our pockets. Computers will replace physicians for many diagnostic tasks, and enormous data sets will give us new means to attack conditions that have long been incurable. In spite of these benefits, the path forward will be complicated: some in the medical establishment will resist these changes, and digitized medicine will raise serious issues surrounding privacy. Nevertheless, the result -- better, cheaper, and more humane health care for all -- will be worth it. THE PATIENT WILL SEE YOU NOW is essential reading for anyone who thinks they deserve better health care. That is, for all of us." -- Publisher
Ubel, Peter A., Critical Decisions: How you and Your Doctor can Make the Right Medical Choices Together, ISBN: 9780062103826 0062103822.
"We've all been there, sitting uncomfortably in a paper gown as a doctor impassively describes our prognosis. Sometimes it's simple and treatable. Other times we get news we can't fathom and then are faced with decisions that are literally life and death. In this revolutionary book, physician, behavioral scientist, and bioethicist Peter Ubel, M.D., reveals how hidden dynamics in the doctor/patient relationship keep us and our loved ones from making the best medical choices. From doctors who struggle to explain, to patients who fail to properly listen, countless factors alter the course of our care, causing things to go seriously awry. With riveting stories of Ubel's own experience in the field, his groundbreaking research, and his personal journey walking loved ones through difficult treatment choices, CRITICAL DECISIONS will forever change the way we communicate inside hospitals and medical offices, where thoughtful decision making matters the most. Dr. Ubel has been on both ends of the stethoscope, and in this book, he shows how patients and doctors can learn to become partners and work together to make the right choices. From choosing to get surgery, to discussing the side effects of a blood pressure medication, we can finally discover the tools to improve communication, understand the issues, and make confident decisions for our future health and happiness." -- Publisher
See also: Correct diagnosis, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, What your doctor may not tell you, Summary and research index of key information in chapter 8: physical health and healthcare, Prevention of disease, Nutrition, nutriseudicals, Bad relationships a case of disease and death, Stress, Healthcare horror stories, Healthcare reform, Depression, Hypothyroidism, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, The veterans administration medical centers, Physical health, Rest, Exercise, Sickness, Healing, Generic drugs, Ministering to the sick, Obesity, gluttony, Prescription drugs with dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Generic drugs, Public health, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Vaccination, Attention deficit disorder (add) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), The aged, Health (women), General reference works, Physiological problems, Prayer, Intercessory prayer, Chapter 8 related weblinks, and so forth, and so on.
Additional Resources for Patients and Patient Advocates
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/patresrc.html
The American flu Charade: News Media Maintains Undeserved Public Confidence in flu Vaccination Program -- Millions of Doses of flu Vaccine may go Unused This Season, Bill Sardi
"The first flu vaccines in use will be nasally-administered Flumist which utilizes 'live' viruses. Flumist-vaccinated individuals will shed viruses for 5 days following inoculation and are likely to spread the virus to family members. This will predictably accelerate infection rates. Look for health authorities to liken an upsurge in flu cases to the late-season return of the 1918 Spanish flu rather than viral shedding from the nasal-instilled vaccine.
"It is not difficult to see how rapidly the flu will spread with Flumist. For example, breast-feeding infants are at risk for flu infection should their mothers receive Flumist. Older siblings in grade school are likely to be inoculated with Flumist and bring the virus home and spread it to their mothers who are breast-feeding their infant children.
"Young grade school students are likely to be administered nasal Flumist and subject senior-aged teachers, who are at higher risk for flu-related mortality, to an avoidable risk.
"Individuals considered high-risk, such as asthmatics and individuals taking immune-suppressing drugs, should also avoid contact with individuals who receive Flumist. Any individual receiving Flumist should not visit a hospitalized patient within 5 days of inoculation. But hospitals post no warning about this.
"The Flumist is not recommended for adults over age 50, and senior adults living in a home with others who have received Flumist are at greater risk to become infected, though no warning is issued over this."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi124.html
The American Geriatrics Association 2012 Beers Criteria
A listing of medications that should be avoided by persons over 65 years of age.
http://www.americangeriatrics.org/files/documents/beers/2012BeersCriteria_JAGS.pdf
Are you Furious you Will be Misdiagnosed? You Should be
"The new report from the IOM suggests that virtually every American will experience a diagnostic error at some point. The respected medical experts estimate that mistakes in diagnosis cause up to 17 percent of hospital complications."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/09/24/are-your-furious-you-will-be-misdiagnosed-you-should-be/
Are you mad as Hell About Medical Mistakes? If not, why not?
"What if the cure was indeed deadlier than the disease? A new analysis published in the Journal of Patient Safety suggests that as many as 440,000 hospital patients die each year from preventable harm."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/09/30/are-you-mad-as-hell-about-medical-mistakes-if-not-why-not-1/
Are you Suffering from Celiac Disease? May 2, 2013
"American physicians were taught that celiac disease (celiac sprue for old timers), was a very rare condition affecting only 1 person out of 5,000. Doctors call this a 'zebra.' In medical school they are told that if they hear hoof beats, they should 'think horses, not zebras.' In other words, always consider the most common cause for a symptom rather than something 'rare.'
"It turns out that celiac disease is actually more like a horse than a zebra. A study last year revealed that celiac disease may affect as many as 1 in 100 healthy Caucasians. Sensitivity to gluten runs in families. If a parent, sibling or child has diagnosed celiac disease, the chances that others in the family will also have it becomes 1 in 22.
"Many of your symptoms could well be caused by celiac disease, especially the headaches, skin problems and digestive distress. Although some doctors think celiac is primarily a gastrointestinal condition, many other organ systems can be affected. Because the small intestines cannot adequately absorb nutrients, all sorts of damage can occur. A person suffering from celiac disease can become starved for vitamins and minerals. Even though they may eat a perfectly balanced diet, patients are often low in iron, calcium, B vitamins and other essential nutrients."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/05/02/are-you-suffering-from-celiac-disease/
Are Your Vitamin D Levels bad Because of BPA and Phthalates?
"When vitamin D levels are low, people are at greater risk of dying prematurely. Could common environmental chemicals be contributing to lower vitamin D levels in the population? A new study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (Sept. 20, 2016) suggests that exposure to BPA and phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) may be a bigger problem than previously thought."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/09/22/are-your-vitamin-d-levels-bad-because-of-bpa-and-phthalates
As Hospitals Post Price Lists, Consumers are Asked to Check up on Them, June 1, 2015
"With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their 'list' prices online. But it's not yet clear how many are doing it, even as the government has taken the rare step of asking consumers to monitor hospital compliance."
https://khn.org/news/as-hospitals-post-price-lists-consumers-are-asked-to-check-up-on-them/
Association of Cancer Online Resources
"Gilles Frydman, Founder and President of ACOR, the Association of Cancer Online Resources, the largest online support group for cancer patients."
http://www.acor.org/
Beating the Healthcare Zeitgeist by Resurrecting the Mutual aid Society
http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2014/05/18/this-christian-ministry-just-went-galt/
Celiac Disease Update, May 5, 2012
"Doctors once thought that celiac disease was extremely rare, but within the past decade it has become clear that it is far more common. It can be difficult to diagnose, however, since the symptoms of celiac disease may mask many other conditions.
Find out how new information about diagnosing and treating celiac disease could change your life.
"Guest: Peter H.R. Green, MD, is Professor of Clinical Medicine in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University and Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. He is co-author of Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic. His website is: www.celiacdiseasecenter.org."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/05/05/856-celiac-disease-update/
The Celiac Sprue Association
Foods naturally free of wheat, barley, rye and oats.
http://www.csaceliacs.info/
Ciampi Family Practice
http://www.ciampifamilypractice.com/FAQs.html
Clear Health Costs
"Rising health care costs are one of the biggest problems we face as a nation. We're journalists working to bring transparency to the system by telling people what stuff costs. Find prices, research issues, and share your prices on our site."
https://clearhealthcosts.com/
Conquering the Root Causes of Chronic Disease
"Dr. Jeffrey Bland, explains how we can put the emerging science of epigenetics to work for us to control the causes of chronic disease. What are the simple steps we can take to boost our health span and enjoy life to the fullest?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/11/20/show-971-conquering-the-root-causes-of-chronic-disease/
Consumers Beware: Incomplete Generic Drug Warnings OK, Lauren Hepler, The Columbus Dispatch, June 25, 2011
"Experts are warning the 75 percent of Americans who take generic prescription medication to carefully review usage and risks with pharmacists following a Supreme Court ruling this week that limits the liability of generic drug makers.
"The court ruled Thursday that since generics are copies of name-brand drugs, generic drug makers can't be sued for not listing risks if those risks are not on brand-name labels. . . .
The court overruled some state laws that say generic drug companies must update warnings if they have information about other risks. . . .
" 'The point here is to be critical in your questions to pharmacists and physicians prescribing the drugs,' said Ernest Boyd, executive director of the Ohio Pharmacists Association. . . .
"Healthcare advocates say the ruling is bad news. . . .
" 'The Supreme Court handed a windfall to one of the most powerful and wealthy industries in the country,' Levine said. . . .
"She said consumers also should be aware of a second ruling Thursday that allows pharmaceutical companies to enhance marketing efforts by purchasing lists of the medications prescribed by individual doctors. . . ."
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/25/incomplete-generic-drug-warnings-ok.html?sid=101
Consumer Reports
"Attempt to have a chemical analysis done on a food supplement, grocery item, or produce purchased in a local store. It will be found that commercial chemical testing laboratories will not accept orders from an individual. Orders are only accepted from producers, manufacturers, and distributors. No checks and balances from outside the business sphere presents a tremendous conflict of interest.
"Consumer Lab seems to be the only organization on the side of the consumer." -- compiler
"Our Mission: To identify the best quality health and nutritional products through independent testing."
A subscription service that gives test results for typical consumer food supplements etc. Reviews of over 1,000 products.
http://www.consumerlab.com/
Consumer Reports Best buy Drugs
"Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs is a free public education service from the nonprofit Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. Millions of Americans trust Consumer Reports to provide expert, independent information about products and services, and to help them save money.
"The information on the website can help you learn about more affordable drug treatment options to discuss with your physician. Consumers Union works with respected doctors and pharmacists to compare drugs and point you to those that are proven to work based on current scientific evidence. In concise, easy-to-read reports, they tell you what you need to know about the effectiveness, safety and cost of many widely used prescription drugs.
"Consumers Union accepts no outside advertising and no free test samples. It has no agenda other than to promote and protect the interests of consumers. Consumers Union's revenue comes from the sale of information products and services, individual contributions, and a few educational grants. Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs is funded largely from such grants.
"Consumers Union is governed by a board of 18 directors who are elected by CU members and meet three times a year."
http://www.crbestbuydrugs.org/
Consumer Reports Hospital Ratings
www.consumerreports.org/hospitalratings
Could an Inexpensive Drug Cure Hard-to-treat Asthma and Ease COPD? May 17, 2014
"While COPD and asthma appear to be different diseases, the treatments for them are often similar. We talk with a physician about his research suggesting that many cases of asthma that start in adulthood are a consequence of a lung infection with bacteria that are difficult to detect, diagnose and treat."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/05/17/946-could-an-inexpensive-drug-cure-hard-to-treat-asthma-and-ease-copd/
DailyMed
"DailyMed provides high quality information about marketed drugs. This information includes FDA labels (package inserts). This Website provides health information providers and the public with a standard, comprehensive, up-to-date, look-up and download resource of medication content and labelling as found in medication package inserts. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides this as a public service and does not accept advertisements.
"Drug labelling and other information in the SPL is what has been most recently submitted by drug companies to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as drug listing information (See 21 CFR part 207). The drug labelling has been reformatted to make it easier to read but its content has not been altered or verified by FDA or National Library of Medicine. The drug labelling on this Website may not be the labelling on currently distributed products or identical to the labelling that is approved. Drugs marked "OTC monograph final" or "OTC monograph not final" are not checked for conformance to the monograph. Drugs marked 'unapproved' on this Website have not been reviewed by FDA for safety and efficacy and their labelling has not been approved. For more information about unapproved drugs, visit Enforcement Activities by FDA.
"Other information about drugs may also be available. NLM regularly processes data files uploaded from FDA's system and provides and maintains this Website for the public to use in accessing the information. Additional information about medicines is available on NLM's MedlinePlus Website http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/medicines.html."
http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/
Dangerous Superbugs Kill More People Than Previously Thought
"More than 35,000 people die each year from drug-resistant infections, and millions more are sickened.
"One is a type of yeast, called Candida auris, which causes fungal infections. Another is the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the cause of gonorrhea.
"Two groups of bacteria are also on the list: Acinetobacter, which is commonly found in soil and water and can cause infections in blood, the urinary tract, and the lungs, or in open wounds; and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE. This group includes E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
"The last is Clostridioides difficile, commonly called C. diff. Though these bacteria aren't as drug-resistant as the other organisms listed, the infection can cause deadly diarrhea. When researchers included deaths associated with C. diff in the report, yearly superbug deaths in the U.S. rose by 13,000, to 48,000 deaths."
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/dangerous-superbugs-kill-more-people-previously-thought-n1081086
Direct Laboratory Services, LLC
Order Your Own Lab Tests-Doctor's Orders Provided. Simple & Inexpensive, with Confidential Results in as little as 24 Hours for Most Tests. Order Online at DirectLabs.com. DirectLabs is the Original, Most Trusted Source for all of Your Self Pay Lab Testing! Call 1-800-908-0000 or Click SHOP NOW below."
https://www.directlabs.com/default.aspx
Direct Primary Care can Advance Healthcare Freedom, Amanda Bowers, July 13, 2021
"As the health freedom movement grows, Direct Primary Care is a system that allows for more comprehensive, compassionate, and affordable care.
"Direct Primary Care is a growing alternative health plan that allows patients to pay their physicians directly for a specific set of services, usually through a membership system. This eliminates third-party billing and takes insurance companies out of the loop. The patient pays a flat monthly fee, with zero copays, and potentially large discounts on medication and labs. In June, at the Medical Freedom Summit hosted by the Mises Institute, Pediatrician Adam Wheeler explained Direct Primary Care and some of its benefits."
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2021/07/direct-primary-care-can-advance-healthcare-freedom/
Do you Need a Gluten-Free Diet?
"Estimates of levels of celiac disease in the worldwide population are 1 percent. Untreated Celiac disease can affect all the organs of the body, and individuals who actually have Celiac disease have a significantly higher mortality rate. Yet in the United States it goes undiagnosed. Only about 17 percent of the population who have celiac disease are diagnosed. That figure is 70 percent in Finland, and 40 percent in Australia."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/09/08/show-1049-do-you-need-a-gluten-free-diet/
A Doctor in Your Pocket, June 16, 2012
"Smart phones are nearly ubiquitous, and the apps now available put diagnostic tools right in patients' and doctors' hands. You can find out about your sleep patterns with one app, while another one tracks your heart rhythms. Doctors can now get better information from a pocket-sized ultrasound device than from their traditional stethoscope. Will patients use this new technology to get more involved in their own healthcare? "
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/06/16/862-a-doctor-in-your-pocket/
Doctors are Opting out of Medicare, Julie Connelly, April 1, 2009
"Doctors who have opted out of Medicare can charge whatever they want, but they cannot bill Medicare for reimbursement, nor may their patients. Medigap, or supplemental insurance, policies usually do not provide coverage when Medicare doesn't, so the entire bill is the patient's responsibility.
"The solution to this problem is to find doctors who accept Medicare insurance -- and to do it well before reaching age 65. But that is not always easy, especially if you are looking for an internist, a primary care doctor who deals with adults. Of the 93 internists affiliated with New York-Presbyterian Hospital, for example, only 37 accept Medicare, according to the hospital's Website.
"Two trends are converging: there is a shortage of internists nationally -- the American College of Physicians, the organization for internists, estimates that by 2025 there will be 35,000 to 45,000 fewer than the population needs — and internists are increasingly unwilling to accept new Medicare patients.
"In a June 2008 report, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, an independent federal panel that advises Congress on Medicare, said that 29 percent of the Medicare beneficiaries it surveyed who were looking for a primary care doctor had a problem finding one to treat them, up from 24 percent the year before. And a 2008 survey by the Texas Medical Association found that while 58 percent of the state's doctors took new Medicare patients, only 38 percent of primary care doctors did.
"How do you find a doctor who accepts Medicare? The Website www.medicare.gov [https://data.medicare.gov/ and Go to "Additional Search Options" and search by Zip Code, https://www.medicare.gov/physiciancompare/search.html] provides a list of enrolled doctors. Other sources are state medical societies and local hospitals, most of which have online directories of doctors. But that's no guarantee they will see new patients.
"Other options are also available. Roughly 18,000 walk-in, stand-alone urgent care centers in the United States are staffed with doctors who set simple fractures, take X-rays, do minor surgery, diagnose ailments and write prescriptions. By far the majority of these centers take Medicare."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/business/retirementspecial/02health.html?_r=0
Dr. Google and e-Patients
"http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/08/20/825-dr-google-and-e-patients/">
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/08/20/825-dr-google-and-e-patients/
Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Advice for Avoiding Medical Mistakes
"Patient vigilance is critical in avoiding medical mistakes, which are an important source of healthcare harm."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/20/dr-sanjay-guptas-advice-for-avoiding-medical-mistakes/
Drugs.com
"Drugs.com is the most popular, comprehensive and up-to-date source of drug information online. Providing free, peer-reviewed, accurate and independent data on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Find helpful tools, wallet size personal medication records, mobile applications and more."
http://www.drugs.com/
eDocAmerica
"eDocAmerica's mission is to improve health by providing direct, online access to medical services, making it much more convenient to get the information you need to take better care of yourself.
"Our services can enable you to provide better self care, to lead to a healthier life, and to visit your physician only when necessary. Medical problems can often be managed with the tools available on eDocAmerica's website. Services we can provide include medical information from a board certified physician and educational material about the medical conditions of you or your family members. Our physician responses are authoritative and are made within 24 hours from the time of the request, with most responses arriving in three to four hours. Problems that require a more rapid response should be managed by a visit to your physician or an emergency facility."
http://www.edocamerica.com/
eHealthMe, Real World Drug Outcomes
"eHealthMe is an innovative cloud computing service for healthcare professionals and patients to study drug outcomes in real world. Many drug outcomes can not be detected when drugs are approved. They may be found only after drugs have been used by millions of people and for a long time. On eHealthMe, we provide you data, applications and servers. Now you can study 30 million real world drug interactions, side effects, and effectiveness of 25,000 drugs since 1977 from FDA and community. What's more, you can personalize your study to any gender or age, and drill down to any outcome or interacting drug."
http://www.ehealthme.com/
e-Patient Net
http://www.e-patients.net/
e-Patients: How They can Help us Heal Healthcare, Tom Ferguson, MD and the e-Patients Scholar Working Group
"[When patients], participate more actively in the process of medical care, we can create a new healthcare system with higher quality services, better outcomes, lower costs, fewer medical mistakes, and happier, healthier patients. We must make this the new gold standard of healthcare quality and the ultimate goal of all our improvement efforts:
http://www.acor.org/e-patients/Not better hospitals.
Not better physician practices.
Not more sophisticated electronic medical systems.
Happier, healthier patients." -- Charles Safran
FDA Consumer Health Information
"FDA offers timely and easy-to-read articles on product approvals, safety warnings, and other health information. Articles cover all FDA-regulated products, including human drugs, drugs and feed for animals, medical devices, vaccines, blood, food, dietary supplements, and cosmetics."
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm287405.htm
Federal Government Flu Information and Map
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
"Education. Advocacy. Research. Awareness."
http://www.foodallergy.org/
Futures Treatment Centers, Palm Beach
"Resources for doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists suffering from substance addiction."
http://www.futuresofpalmbeach.com/addiction-by-profession/medical-health/
A Game Changer for Patients With Irregular Heart Rhythm, Gina Kolata, December 13, 2017
"The patients were gravely ill, their hearts scarred by infections or heart attacks. In each, the electrical system that maintains a regular heartbeat had been short-circuited.
"They suffered frequent bursts of rapid heartbeats, which can end in sudden death. The condition kills an estimated 325,000 Americans each year, the most common cause of death in this country. And these people had exhausted all conventional treatments. . . .
"Results in the first five patients were published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, and the experiment seems to have worked -- offering hope to similar patients everywhere who have had no alternatives except a heart transplant."
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/13/health/heartbeat-tachycardia-radiation.html?smid=fb-share
Hazards of Screening: How the Hunt for Disease Leads to Over-treatment, February 22, 2014
"Screening healthy people for possible disease is often seen as a way of preventing serious health problems. But how much do you know about the benefits -- and the risks -- of screening? . . .
"For a better understanding of the potential for over-diagnosis and how it could lead to over-treatment, we explore the concept of the number needed to treat: the NNT. How many people need to take a cholesterol-lowering drug for one life to be saved?
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/02/22/936-hazards-of-screening-how-the-hunt-for-disease-leads-to-overtreatment/
The Hidden Epidemic, July 21, 2012
"When you go into the hospital, you have every right to expect that the care you receive will be competent as well as compassionate, and that you will not be the victim of a medical mistake. Statistically speaking, however, one patient in three might experience an error in care. There is an epidemic of medical mistakes made by conscientious individuals working in dysfunctional systems."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/07/21/865-the-hidden-epidemic/
Hospital Safety Score
http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.org/
How can you Find a Legitimate Canadian Pharmacy? Joe Graedon July 9, 2018
"How do you afford crucial medicines like Eliquis when the price can top $400 a month? One reader wants to know how to find a legitimate Canadian pharmacy. We supply answers."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/07/09/how-can-you-find-a-legitimate-canadian-pharmacy/
How a Doctor Confronts Medical Error
"Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD., is a physician at Bellevue Hospital, as well as a clinical professor of medicine at NYU School of Medicine and Editor-in-Chief of the Bellevue Literary Review. She is the author of several acclaimed books, including WHAT DOCTORS FEEL, and SINGULAR INTIMACIES: BECOMING A DOCTOR AT BELLEVUE. Dr. Ofri is a regular contributor to The New York Times as well as The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. Her writings, TED talks, and monthly newsletter can be found at danielleofri.com and on Twitter (@danielleofri). Dr. Ofri's latest book is WHEN WE DO HARM: A DOCTOR CONFRONTS MEDICAL ERROR."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/show-1209-how-a-doctor-confronts-medical-error
How to Take Charge of Your Medical Care, Elizabeth Yuko, May 27, 2019
"Elizabeth Yuko is a bioethicist, writer, and adjunct professor of ethics at Fordham University. Her work has focused on the nuances of informed consent in medical decision-making, and she has acted as a patient advocate on several occasions."
https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/be-a-patient-advocate
How to Prevent Alzheimer Disease
"A multifactorial approach, looking at many lifestyle components and biochemical markers, may offer the best chance to prevent Alzheimer disease."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/08/22/how-to-prevent-alzheimer-disease/
How you can get Relief From Chronic Pain, January 13, 2018
"Learn how a skeptical patient whose years of crushing back pain started with a bad fall from horseback reluctantly put Dr. Hanscom's expressive writing advice into practice. What happened next was astonishing. The principles Dr. Hanscom uses in his practice apply not only to back pain, although that is his specialty, but to any form of chronic pain.
"David Hanscom, MD, is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in complex spine problems in all areas of the spine. He has expertise in adult and pediatric spinal deformities such as scoliosis and kyphosis. A significant part of his practice is devoted to performing surgery on patients who have had multiple prior spine surgeries.
"His book is BACK IN CONTROL: A SURGEON'S ROADMAP OUT OF CHRONIC PAIN, 2nd edition."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/01/10/show-1071-how-you-can-get-relief-from-chronic-pain/
Index to Drug-Specific Information
"This index features an alphabetical listing of drugs that have been the subject of a Public Health Advisory, a Healthcare Professional Information sheet, an Early Communication About an Ongoing Safety Issue, or other important information."
http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/postmarketdrugsafetyinformationforpatientsandproviders/ucm111085.htm
Institute for Safe Medication Practices
"The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), based in suburban Philadelphia, is the nation's only 501c (3) nonprofit organization devoted entirely to medication error prevention and safe medication use. ISMP represents over 35 years of experience in helping healthcare practitioners keep patients safe, and continues to lead efforts to improve the medication use process. The organization is known and respected worldwide as the premier resource for impartial, timely, and accurate medication safety information."
http://www.ismp.org/default.aspy
Journal of Participatory Medicine
http://www.jopm.org/
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade
https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/
Less Medicine, More Health, March 5, 2015
"Many of our assumptions about modern medicine are driving up costs and covering up potential downsides to medical interventions. Dr. Gil Welch, a leading analyst of healthcare policy, challenges these assumptions. In our conversation, he explains why we shouldn't buy in to the ideas that it's better to fix a problem, sooner rather than later, and that there is a pill for every ill."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/03/05/show-984-less-medicine-more-health/
LexisNexis Personal Reports
Access your personal information.
This appears to be an establishment attempt to stop consumer reports such as doctor and dentist ratings. It compiles information about consumers who complain and makes it available to professionals and businesses.
https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/access_your_personal_information.jsp
List of Doctors who Accept Medicare
" 'Physician Compare' includes only physicians and other healthcare professionals who are currently enrolled in Medicare."
https://data.medicare.gov/
Go to "Additional Search Options" and search by Zip Code.
https://www.medicare.gov/physiciancompare/search.html
Mayo Clinic GeneGuide
"Mayo Clinic GeneGuide is a genetic testing experience that helps you understand how genetics can affect your health. Get personalized insights, interactive tools and education that help you explore the health information in your DNA, carrier screening, disease risk, family health history and more."
https://www.helix.com/products/mayo-clinic-geneguide
*National Vaccine Information Center
"MedAlerts offers an alternative to the official VAERS search engine, CDC Wonder. Both are built from the government's raw data, but MedAlerts has a better user interface, more powerful search capabilities, and more extensive reporting, making it the best VAERS search facility."
https://medalerts.org/
Medical Debt Among People With Health Insurance, Karen Pollitz, et al., (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation), Jan 07, 2014
"Medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S., contributing to 62 percent of personal bankruptcies in 2007. Most who filed for medical bankruptcy that year were well educated, owned homes, and had middle-class occupations. Three quarters had health insurance." (David Himmelstein, et al., "Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study," The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 122, Issue 8, August 2009)
http://kff.org/report-section/medical-debt-among-people-with-health-insurance-consequences-of-medical-debt/
Medical Library Association
http://www.mlanet.org/
MedWatch Voluntary Reporting Form
"Use the MedWatch form to report adverse events that you observe or suspect for human medical products, including serious drug side effects, product use/medication error, product quality problems, and therapeutic failures."
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/
Minimum Intervention (MI) in Dentistry
http://www.midentistry.com/
Minimum Intervention (MI) in Dentistry Database
Evidence based compendium database.
http://www.midentistry.com/compendium.html
Narcotic Overdose Deaths hit Women, July 4, 2013
"Potent prescription pain relievers are killing women at an unprecedented rate. That is the conclusion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study found that narcotic pain relievers killed five times more women in 2010 than a decade earlier. Medications like oxycodone and hydrocodone, sold under the brand names Oxycontin and Vicodin respectively, have become extremely popular. They are among the most widely prescribed drugs in America today.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/07/04/narcotic-overdose-deaths-hit-women/
The Natural Health Librarian
"The Natural Health Librarian is your source for investigative health reporting using prominent medical libraries with the answers to your questions using simple, inexpensive, and scientifically valid remedies from the irrepressible and respected author and radio personality Bill Sardi."
http://www.naturalhealthlibrarian.com/
Natural Remedies (and Vitamin E) for Scars? August 20, 2012
"Many visitors to our website (PeoplesPharmacy.com) report that vitamin E applied topically has been helpful, but it can trigger a nasty rash in up to a third of those who use it. If you try vitamin E, test it first for several days on the inside of your forearm.
"So you can see for yourself what visitors to this website have offered when it comes to vitamin E, we paste several comments below.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/20/natural-remedies-for-scars/
New Study: U.S. Ranks Last Among Other Industrialized Nations on Preventable Deaths. 101,000 Fewer Americans Would die Annually if the U.S. Improved its Preventable Death Rate to That of the Three top Performing Nations, January 08, 2008
"Bethesda, The United States places last among 19 countries when it comes to deaths that could have been prevented by access to timely and effective healthcare, according to new research supported by The Commonwealth Fund and published in the January/February issue of Health Affairs. While other nations dramatically improved these rates between 1997-98 and 2002-03, the U.S. improved only slightly. . . .
"If the U.S. had performed as well as the top three countries out of the 19 industrialized countries in the study there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths in the U.S. per year by the end of the study period."
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/newsroom/newsroom_show.htm?doc_id=641071
The NNT (Number-Needed-to-Treat)
"There is a way of understanding how much modern medicine has to offer individual patients. It is a simple statistical concept called the "Number-Needed-to-Treat," or for short the 'NNT'. The NNT offers a measurement of the impact of a medicine or therapy by estimating the number of patients that need to be treated in order to have an impact on one person. The concept is statistical, but intuitive, for we know that not everyone is helped by a medicine or intervention -- some benefit, some are harmed, and some are unaffected. The NNT tells us how many of each."
http://www.thennt.com/thennt-explained/
Old-Fashioned Drug Colchicine Shows Promise as a Treatment for Pericarditis, April 3, 2014
"A medicine that was used by the ancient Egyptians is finding a new use for heart inflammation. Colchicine is derived from crocuses, and the pharaohs were using it to treat sore, swollen joints. In modern times, it has been used to ease the pain of gout."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/04/03/old-fashioned-drug-colchicine-shows-promise-as-a-treatment-for-pericarditis/
Open Payments Search Tool
"The Open Payments Search Tool is used to search payments made by drug and medical device companies to physicians and teaching hospitals.
"Total Records Published: 11.96 Million. Total US Dollar Value: 8.19 Billion."
https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/
Overcoming Addiction With Science and Compassion, June 21, 2014
"Tens of millions of Americans abuse alcohol, tobacco or drugs. When a person becomes addicted to such a substance, or to a behavior such as gambling or compulsive sex, family members may despair. It can seem as though it is difficult to reach the loved one struggling with addiction, and people are often told to back off, practice "tough love" or let the person "hit bottom" so that recovery can begin.
"Scientific evidence does not support those disengaged approaches. Instead, there are ways to help a loved one. Family members can learn skills to reinforce positive changes and to engage in an emotionally supportive way.
"There are also medications that can be useful in helping people overcome addictions. The experts describe the differences between the strategies and how these medicines can be used effectively."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/06/21/950-overcoming-addiction-with-science-and-compassion/
The Painful Truth: Physicians are not Invincible from Southern Medical Journal, Merry N. Miller, MD., K. Ramsey McGowen, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City.
"The overall physician suicide rate cited by most studies has been between 28 and 40 per 100,000, compared with the overall rate in the general population of 12.3 per 100,000.[1] Overall, then, physicians are more than twice as likely as the general population to kill themselves. Each year, it would take the equivalent of 1 to 2 average-sized graduating classes of medical school to replace the number of physicians who kill themselves. This rate appears higher than among other professionals.[2]"
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/410643_2
Patient Advocacy Resources: A Guide for Patients and Their Families. HealthNet: Connecticut Consumer Health Information Network
http://library.uchc.edu/departm/hnet/advocacy.html
Patients can now Request Their own lab Results, February 6, 2014
In a new ruling, the Department of Health and Human Services determined that patients have the right to get their own test results directly from the laboratory without the necessity of going through the physician as an intermediary. HHS Secretary Sebelius said, "Information like lab results can empower patients to track their health progress, make decisions with their healthcare professionals, and adhere to important treatment plans." The laboratory must provide results within 30 days of the request."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/02/06/patients-can-now-request-their-own-lab-results/
People's Pharmacy Podcasts
Listen online to People's Pharmacy radio programs.
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/podcasts
Physician Billing -- Consumers in the Dark, Tim Pickering
"CPT coding [Current Procedural Terminology. "CPT are the codes and descriptions describing the treatment on the bill you get at the physician's office." -- compiler], should be required public information. This is just another obvious example of the AMA trying to keep us 'in the dark' so they can control our medical treatment, billing, etc. for their financial benefit and "to hell" with our healthcare. . . .
"Perhaps, it's naive not to draw the correlation between the AMA's reported $71 million income from the August 2000 Wall Street Journal article to the $4,496,150 in distributions by the AMA Political Action Committee.
"The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890: A University of Houston website holds some interesting historical background on monopolies: 'Prior to the 19th century, governments typically granted monopoly rights over some portion of the economy in return for a cash payment.'
"This same type of indirect taxation is provided by HCFA's statutory monopoly with the AMA. The AMA gets a monopoly on CPT's, makes huge profits in an uncompetitive market, gives HCFA free access to CPT's, and offers substantial PAC donations to legislators. Only the judicial branch of government was left out of this deal. This website cites 'public discontent' as the motivating catalyst for bringing about the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. So what level of public outcry is necessary to revoke this ill-conceived three way relationship?"
http://www.myhealthscore.com/frame.cfm?page=cpt4_opinions/index.htm
A Detailed Analysis of American ER [Emergency Room] Bills Reveals Rampant, Impossible-to-avoid Price-gouging.
"Private equity firms like Blackstone and KKR have acquired massive health companies like Teamhealth and Emcare, which bill out doctors to the hospitals they work for, taking those doctors out of the hospitals' insurance agreements and massively hiking their fees -- that's why when you go to a hospital, even one that's covered by your insurer, you still end up with massive surprise bills for your care.
"For more than a year, Vox's Sarah Kliff has been investigating hospital price-gouging in America, collecting hospital bills from her readers and comparing them, chasing up anomalies and pulling on threads, producing a stream of outstanding reports on her findings.
"In her latest installment, Kliff digs deep into the famously bizarre world of ER bills and points out some of the most egregious ways in which these are rigged."
https://boingboing.net/2019/03/14/grifters-in-gowns.html
PubMed
"PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, includes over 15 million citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950's. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?DB=pubmed
Quackwatch
Extensive resources compiled by Stephen Barrett, M.D.
"Quackwatch, Inc., which was a member of Consumer Federation of America from 1973 through 2003, is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. Founded by Dr. Stephen Barrett in 1969 as the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud, it was incorporated in 1970. In 1997, it assumed its current name and began developing a worldwide network of volunteers and expert advisors.
"To avoid semantic problems, quackery could be broadly defined as "anything involving overpromotion in the field of health." This definition would include questionable ideas as well as questionable products and services, regardless of the sincerity of their promoters. In line with this definition, the word 'fraud' would be reserved only for situations in which deliberate deception is involved."
http://www.quackwatch.org/
Report Medical Errors, April 1, 2009
"A decade ago the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM) shook the medical community to its foundation. The IOM estimated that almost 100,000 Americans die in hospitals every year as a consequence of errors.
"What can people do to protect themselves and their loved ones from this epidemic of error? First, everyone needs an advocate. When you are in the hospital everything seems strange and scary. You need a family member or friend to be standing by to take notes, ask questions and verify that the correct procedures and medications are being administered. Our Free Drug Safety Questionnaire can help.
"Have you experienced a medical error, either mistreatment or misdiagnosis? We want to hear about your experiences. Share your story below."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/04/01/report-medical/
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/04/01/report-medical/
Right Diagnosis
http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/
The Role of Cryosurgery in Palliative Care for Cancer
"Cryoablation is adaptable for the treatment of nearly all solid tumors. According to current experience, percutaneous cryoablation, as a feasible and mini-invasive technique offers an effective and safe therapy for patients with tumors [including throat cancer in early stages and melanoma in early stages -- compiler], and is especially suitable for the treatment of unresectable advanced tumors. The role of this technique is growing, with large-scale prospective randomized trials, continued advances can be expected."
http://www.amepc.org/apm/article/view/1435/2048#B3
Samaritan Ministries
A Biblical, non-insurance approach to healthcare needs.
http://samaritanministries.org/
Seniors' Slippage may be due to Drugs, June 11, 2012
"Just as parents and pediatricians need to take special care to protect children, doctors and family members need to be alert for medication hazards that could harm older people."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/06/11/seniors-slippage-may-be-due-to-drugs/
Shared Decision Making Still Lacking for Cancer Screening, Genevra Pittman, June 19, 2014
"When it comes to cancer screening, doctors often do not adequately discuss the balance of pros and cons with their patients, a new study suggests.
"Guidelines call for doctors and patients to engage in shared decision making regarding cancer screening, such as whether to have prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer.
"That's because although screening can help spot some cancers early on, it can also come with a risk of false positives and unnecessary and invasive follow-up procedures.
"Often there is no right decision on whether to screen, and different people may weigh the options and their potential consequences differently, researchers said.
" 'Cancer screening and a number of other medical services are not all just plain benefit,' said Dr. Michael Pignone at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who worked on the new study."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/19/us-cancer-screening-decisions-idUSKBN0EU2HS20140619
Should you Fire Your Doctor?
"Trisha Torrey founded Every Patient's Advocate. After a frightening misdiagnosis in 2004, she decided that we all need to learn to take better responsibility for our own medical care. Since no one teaches us to be smart patients, she started on her journey to change that.
"Since then she has written six books, including her You bet Your Life books, and has worked toward development of an entirely new profession -- that of independent, professional healthcare advocate.
"Her books: YOU BET YOUR LIFE! THE 10 MISTAKES EVERY PATIENT MAKES: HOW TO FIX THEM TO GET THE HEALTHCARE YOU DESERVE, and YOU BET YOUR LIFE! THE TOP 10 REASONS YOU NEED A PROFESSIONAL PATIENT ADVOCATE BY YOUR SIDE
"Her websites include: EveryPatientsAdvocate.com, www.AdvoConnection.com/blog, YouBetYourLifeBooks.com, and www.AdvoConnection.com."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/01/24/show-1150-should-you-fire-your-doctor/
SiCKO, Michael Moore's healthcare documentary
"Moore zeroes in on this Nixonian moment, which encapsulates the film's premise that the United States healthcare system is defined by a fundamental conflict: profit versus care, and -- no surprise -- profit beats care. . . .
"Moore makes this point magnificently in SiCKO, which is the best film in the Moore canon. . . .
"Moore does not explicitly call for a particular set of reforms. But he clearly wants a taxpayer-funded system that cuts out the insurance companies and provides universal care to all. . . .
But Moore, to his credit, cuts through the surface-level details and gets to the essentials. Why not healthcare for all? Why allow corporate profit-mongers to decide whether an 18-month-old girl lives or dies? Why is the population of the United States, as wealthy as this nation is, not as healthy as the population of Britain, France, Canada, and 33 other countries? Why settle for a sick system?" -- David Corn
Already (June 29, 2007), 73 Congressional Representatives have signed on to HR 676.
Read David Corn's lengthy and informative review.
SiCKO is Boffo [extremely successful; great. -- compiler], David Corn, author, columnist, and an editor for The Nation political weekly, June 2, 2007
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/22/2031/
For Patients, Not For Profits: A Petition for National Health Insurance and HR 676
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/307/t/1962/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=629
SiCKO premieres May 19, 2007 at the Cannes Film Festival and debuts in U.S. theaters June 29.
Michael Moore website
http://michaelmoore.com/
Society for Participatory Medicine
"Participatory Medicine is a movement in which networked patients shift from being mere passengers to responsible drivers of their health, and in which providers encourage and value them as full partners.
"Participatory Medicine is a cooperative model of healthcare that encourages and expects active involvement by all connected parties (patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, etc.), as integral to the full continuum of care. The 'participatory' concept may also be applied to fitness, nutrition, mental health, end-of-life care, and all issues broadly related to an individual's health."
http://participatorymedicine.org/
The Specifics of Celiac Disease
"Celiac disease is a health condition that some people associate with simple gluten intolerance. However, celiac disease is in fact a multi-system autoimmune disease in which changes in liver function, digestive tract function, and the function of other organ systems comes into play. The role of a specific enzyme, called tissue transglutaminase, or tTG, appears to be especially important in celiac disease. Short strands of protein (polypeptides) found in gliadin (one family of wheat proteins) are acted on by this enzyme, and many resulting problems associated with Celiac disease may result. For some, but not all individuals, a blood test measuring antibodies to tTG can be an effective screening test for Celiac disease."
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=diet&dbid=7
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
"The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, makes funds available to states that have in place federally approved programs providing health insurance coverage to uninsured children. This program gives each state permission to offer health insurance for children, up to age 19, who are not already insured. SCHIP is a state administered program and each state sets its own guidelines regarding eligibility and services."
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/medicarehealthinsurance/a/schip.htm
Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Maternal and Child Health Programs
http://www.dmas.virginia.gov/ch-home.htm
The Virginia Family Access to Medical Insurance Security Plan (FAMIS)
"Virginia with its Family Access to Medical Insurance Security Plan program, FAMIS is Virginia's program that helps families provide health insurance to their children. Health insurance is important to make sure that kids are able to get all the help they need to grow up healthy. FAMIS stands for Family Access to Medical Insurance Security.
"Working together, we will make sure your children get the high quality health insurance they need."
http://www.famis.org/
Streamline Health Solutions
http://www.streamlinehealth.net/
Stress, Suicide, and Female Physicians
"It is estimated that three times as many physicians take their own lives compared to the population at large. Up to 130 commit suicide each year, which is about the size of the Harvard Medical School graduating class.
"This has generally been attributed to the increased stresses doctors are now subjected to, including: Practice pressures and demands that leave little time to attend to family or personal needs, Government regulations that are increasingly restrictive, Third party intrusions and interference, Increase in malpractice litigation and insurance costs, Pressure to practice defensive medicine, Erosion of the doctor-patient relationship, Diminished public image of physicians, Fear of serious injury from a violent patient or protest group, Managing the business aspects of medical practice in a climate of decreasing compensation at the same time expenses continue to escalate, Lack of access to support systems."
http://www.stress.org/pubsmultimedia/essays-and-articles/#sthash.5kUNLRpJ.dpuf
Stritter Medical Consulting
"Gwendolyn Stritter, M.D., is a clinical patient advocate and a member of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the American Pain Society. Her practice is based in Portola Valley, California. She can be reached at 650-851-0377 or at the following e-mail address: asst@strittermed.org"
"My practice is telephone-based. You send me your medical records and then we have a phone appointment -- the first one typically takes about two hours."
http://www.strittermed.org/
Suicide Compared to Other Causes of Mortality in Physicians, Torre, D.M., Wang, N.Y., Meoni, L.A., Young, J.H., Klag, M.J., Ford, D.E., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
"1: Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2005 Apr. 35(2):146-53.
"Suicide was the only cause of death where risk was greater than the general population. Overall, we found that physicians are at substantially lower risk of dying compared to the general population for all causes of death except suicide. The findings for suicide are strikingly different than other causes of death and should provide impetus for new research on the mental health of physicians."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15843332?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=5&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed
Superbugs, Stethoscopes and New Technologies to Prevent the Spread of Infection, June 7, 2014
"A number of experts tell you about the threat and how it can be countered. We hear about the danger of multi-drug resistant infections in hospitals, and learn that stethoscopes become just as contaminated as doctors' hands in the course of an examination. But while hands are usually washed, the stethoscope is rarely disinfected between patients. A simple technology can make that much easier, while a room-sterilizing robot (Tru-D) can help prevent the spread of infections from one patient to the next."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/06/07/948-superbugs-stethoscopes-and-new-technologies-to-prevent-the-spread-of-infection/
Supercomputer Watson Increasing Medical Diagnoses Accuracy, David Russell Schilling, March 4, 2013
"Watson, IBM's supercomputer, perhaps a sign of things to come, will soon be at work with Memorial Sloan-Kettering and WellPoint in the U.S. using its super analytical power to help make treatment decisions.
"Wellpoint will be making Watson available to its 1,600 providers by the end of 2013.
"Data from Watson will eventually be distributed through the cloud to desktops and mobile devices."
http://www.industrytap.com/supercomputer-watson-increasing-medial-diagnoses-accuracy/1314
Surgical Errors Increase Deaths and Readmissions, Fran Lowry
"May 6, 2009 -- Surgery patients who are injured as a result of their operation are 7 times more likely to die while hospitalized and are also much more likely to be readmitted to hospital within 3 months of being discharged than are surgery patients who are not injured, according to the results of a new study published in the May issue of Medical Care. . . .
"The in-hospital death rate was 1.3 percent with no safety event, but 9.2 percent with a safety event. When the researchers compared in-hospital deaths by type of injury, they found that a patient who suffered postoperative respiratory failure was 13 times more likely to die than a patient who was not injured, and that a patient who suffered postoperative sepsis was 5 times more likely to die than one who was not injured."
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/702469
Ten Rules That Could Save Your Life
Preventing Adverse Drug Reactions
"Did you know that adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have been estimated to be the 3rd most frequent cause of death in the USA today, outstripped only by heart disease and cancer? And this is not even considering all those who suffer, but don't die. . . ."
http://www.aitse.org/ten-rules-that-could-save-your-life/
Ten Tips to Surviving an ER Visit, January 2, 2012
"1. Prepare in Advance
"Evaluate your choices for emergency care before the need arises. Ask your healthcare providers, friends, and relatives about their preferences for ER care in your area. Every hospital has its strengths and weaknesses, and you should learn about the ones near you.
"Your insurance company may use financial incentives to encourage you to go to a particular ER or hospital. If you have a serious or unusual medical problem, find out now which ER is best able to take care of your problem.
"EMS providers are trained to check your cell phone for your ICE (in case of emergency), numbers in the event that you are unable to communicate. If you have not entered an emergency contact number in your phone, do so now, and be sure to indicate that it is ICE.
"3. Bring an Advocate
"If at all possible, bring a trusted friend or relative with you to the ER. Ideally, it will be someone who knows both your medical history and your recent symptoms. It would be a bonus if she were a careful listener, had a good sense of humor, and the patience of Job.
"In many ERs, the staff is pulled in multiple directions at once, and an advocate can help reduce the chance that you will be overlooked in the chaos or that something untoward will happen.
"You need an advocate to help you get urgent assistance if you need it, aid the staff in reducing your risk of falling, help you remember instructions about your care, and give you a hand with things like phone calls. Time will pass more quickly if you have the right advocate at your side. . . ." -- excerpted from Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/01/02/ten-tips-to-surviving-an-er-visit/
Top 10 Questions to ask Your Doctor Before Accepting Medical Treatment
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/siteassets/AskYourDoctor.pdf
Trump's Urgent Job, Clean up the VA
"It's not a money problem. Congress appropriated a record $163 billion to the VA in 2016, more than the department requested.
"The real problem is a lack of discipline at all levels. Consider the alarming increase in central line infections -- a key indicator of hospital quality. These lethal infections are totally preventable, if medical staff rigorously follow protocols. Some civilian hospitals have reduced them to zero. The VA has no excuse.
"Even so, Trump's VA secretary can succeed. Here's one quick fix that could save many lives and cost taxpayers almost nothing. An amazing 47 percent of VA users are 65 or older and already on Medicare. They need bypass surgery, and hip and knee replacements, like other seniors. Often they use the VA to avoid Medicare's out of pocket expenses. Their average household income is $36,000. Enabling them to use Medicare without copays could cut VA waiting lists by nearly half."
https://spectator.org/trumps-urgent-job-clean-up-the-va/
Under-diagnosed Diseases
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/intro/underdiag.htm
Understanding Statins
"Recent warnings from the FDA on side effects such as memory loss or diabetes underscore the fact that these drugs do have some risks, however. There has been controversy among cardiologists regarding how widely these drugs should be used and who benefits most from taking them. Listen as the leading experts explain the pros and cons of statins."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/03/24/851-understanding-statins/
Unusual Symptom Signals Celiac Disease, January 21, 2013
"Celiac disease remains mysterious, even to physicians. In this condition the body is unable to tolerate proteins found in gluten, a constituent of wheat, barley, and rye grains.
Although there is a genetic susceptibility, we do not know exactly why so many people react adversely when exposed to gluten. The cells lining the small intestine become damaged and cannot absorb nutrients properly. This can lead to a range of nutritional deficiencies and unusual symptoms."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/01/21/unusual-symptom-signals-celiac-disease/
U.S. Patients' Bill of Rights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Patients%27_Bill_of_Rights
What generics?
"Doctors may be encouraged to prescribe lower-cost generics, but a new study found that Americans spent an extra $73 billion between 2010 and 2012 on pricier brand-name drugs because physicians failed to sufficiently recommend these copycat treatments to their patients. And consumers paid nearly one-third of those additional costs through out-of-pocket payments."
https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2016/05/09/generics-drug-prices-cholesterol/
What Happens When Doctors Only Take Cash
"It was in the midst of this confounding research that Villa, who's 68, heard about the Surgery Center of Oklahoma, whose business model is different from that of most hospitals. There, the all-inclusive price for every operation is listed on the website. A rotator-cuff repair for the shoulder costs $8,260. A surgical procedure for carpal tunnel syndrome is $2,750. Setting and casting a basic broken leg: $1,925. . . .
"To Villa, the model seemed refreshingly subversive. The Surgery Center would charge $19,000 for his whole-knee replacement, a discount of nearly 50 percent on what Villa expected to be charged at his local hospital. And that price would include everything from airfare to the organization's only facility, in Oklahoma City, to medications and physical therapy. If unforeseen complications arose during or after the procedure, the Surgery Center would cover those costs. Villa wouldn't see another bill.
"Sometimes called direct pay, and closely related to concierge care, this sort of business model was once seen as the perquisite of rich folks and medical tourists from foreign lands. But nowadays many of the people seeking cash-based care are middle-class Americans with high-deductible insurance plans. For a patient with an $11,000 family deductible, for example, it might make more sense to seek out a cash-based center like the Premier Medical Imaging facility in Minneapolis, which offers a basic MRI for $499, than to cough up the several thousand dollars that the same procedure generally costs at a traditional hospital. Cash payments don't count toward a patient's deductible, but for some it's worth the gamble."
http://snip.ly/czspx#http://time.com/4649914/why-the-doctor-takes-only-cash/
Surgery Center Oklahoma
http://www.surgerycenterok.com
What is the Story on Celiac Disease?
"As it happens, the question of non-celiac gluten sensitivity is quite controversial. After ruling out a celiac disease diagnosis, some people still feel better if they skip wheat and other gluten-containing foods. By following a diet focused on whole foods, especially vegetables and meats, which are naturally gluten free, such individuals can get a balance of nutrients.
"This week's guest is Joseph A. Murray, MD, is a gastroenterologist in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He is also Professor of Medicine there, and runs the celiac disease research program. It focuses on epidemiology and complications of celiac disease and mouse models of gluten sensitivity.
"Dr. Murray is the section editor for Gastroenterology for the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. He serves as a consultant to several companies and has broad experience with clinical trials.
"His book is: MAYO CLINIC GOING GLUTEN FREE: ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO MANAGING CELIAC DISEASE AND OTHER GLUTEN-RELATED CONDITIONS."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/11/09/show-1100-what-is-the-story-on-celiac-disease/
When a Stressful Hospital Stay Makes you Sick, David H. Newman, M.D., June 12, 2014
"The syndrome was identified as a result of new Medicare rules that hold hospitals responsible for re-admissions within 30 days after discharge. When health systems began studying patients who returned to the hospital soon after discharge, two critical facts emerged. First, the problem is common and widespread, occurring after nearly one in five hospitalizations of patients on Medicare. Second, and even more surprising, the majority of cases represent an illness distinct from the initial hospitalization.
Post-hospital syndrome is therefore not a relapse, it is a state of susceptibility that most often leads to a new affliction. Infections, for instance, which are known complications of a hospital stay, were just one small category of post-hospital illnesses tracked in a large study of Medicare admissions. Others included heart failure, gastrointestinal conditions, mental illness, nutrition-related problems, electrolyte imbalances and trauma (probably from falls and weakness)."
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/when-a-stressful-hospital-stay-makes-you-sick/?ref=health
When is too Much Medical Care Really Risky? April 26, 2014
"Often, doctors and patients alike seem to assume that using all the medical tests, tools and techniques at our disposal is a good thing. But for several years, a series of articles in the highly respected medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine (formerly the Archives of Internal Medicine), have been focusing attention on situations where Less Is More. The outspoken editor of the journal has also written essays for the popular press about the risks of over-utilizing some diagnostic technology and medications. In addition to statins, she reviews the often unrecognized risks of CT scans."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/04/26/943-when-is-too-much-medical-care-really-risky/
When it Comes to Take-out Food, Beware Dirty Money, April 24, 2014
"More than 3,000 different types of bacteria were found, including some that have not yet been identified. That doesn't even count the viruses and fungi.
"The most common bacteria included those that are associated with acne, but germs linked to pneumonia, ulcers and food poisoning were also prevalent. Paper money provides a good growth medium for microbes, especially when it is kept in a wallet in a back pocket. Body temperature encourages microbial proliferation.
"The next time you pay for a bagel, burrito or sandwich, wash your hands before you handle your food. And if you see the barista use his hands to apply the lid on your coffee cup after taking your cash, you may want to transfer your beverage to a clean cup before drinking it."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/04/24/when-it-comes-to-take-out-food-beware-dirty-money/
Why Doctors so Often get it Wrong, David Leonhardt, February 22, 2006
"Studies of autopsies have shown that doctors seriously misdiagnose fatal illnesses about 20 percent of the time. So millions of patients are being treated for the wrong disease.
"As shocking as that is, the more astonishing fact may be that the rate has not really changed since the 1930's. 'No improvement!' was how an article in the normally exclamation-free Journal of the American Medical Association summarized the situation."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/22/business/22leonhardt.html
Why we Should Know the Price of Medical Tests, Elisabeth Rosenthal, August 5, 2014
"Tests like MRIs show some of the widest price variation in American medicine, studies show, often varying by a factor of 10 even in the same city. Hospital scanners tend to charge the highest prices, a practice that in part reflects higher overhead, but also reflects hospitals' power in a market. Physicians affiliated with a hospital often refer to the hospital's radiology department. In some cases, this is because hospitals require them to do so; in others, it is a matter of familiarity and convenience because the results will turn up more rapidly on their office computers."
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/why-we-should-know-the-price-of-medical-tests/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=health&_r=1&
Will Higher Bad LDL Cholesterol Help Older People Live Longer?
"Contrary to expectations, no link was found between bad cholesterol and premature deaths. In this older population (people over 60) there was a surprising discovery. The higher the subjects' LDL cholesterol, the longer they lived and the less heart disease they seemed to experience. This is exactly the opposite of what conventional cardiology would have predicted.
"As if the cholesterol and saturated fat problem were not trouble enough, along came a large salt study published in the journal The Lancet (online May 20, 2016). The authors reported that a low salt diet like the one recommended by the American Heart Association (less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day) was associated with an increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and death."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/06/16/will-higher-bad-ldl-cholesterol-help-older-people-live-longer/
You Have a Right to Your Medical Records. Here's How to Request Them, Beth Skwarecki
"Since most doctors and hospitals have moved away from paper records, getting a copy has never been easier: under U.S. law, if they keep it electronically, they're required to give it to you electronically."
http://vitals.lifehacker.com/you-have-a-right-to-your-medical-records-here-s-how-to-1732613873
Medical bill mediation differs from medical bill auditing. Mediation focuses on the patient, and their out-of pocket balances, not line item charges on the medical bill or your insurance. An advocate works on behalf of the patient with healthcare providers, "taking all the necessary steps to reach an outcome that is acceptable to both parties."
*Brown, E. Richard, Rockefeller Medicine Men: Medicine and Capitalism in America, ISBN: 0520038177 9780520038172.
This book is as relevant today (2014) as it was in 1979. The players are still the same: foundations, corporations, and government. If anything the political-economic process of healthcare reform is even more complex today.
"This book explains how controlled the medicine industry is, how it became that way, and why America has the highest costs in the world for less than adequate medical care." -- Reader's Comment
"Historical epidemiological evidence overwhelmingly supports the conclusion that medical science has played a relatively small role in reducing morbidity and mortality." p. 219
"Medical science rescued the medical profession, in particular the practitioners, from the widespread lack of confidence in their effectiveness." p. 77
Capitalists and corporate managers "embraced scientific medicine as an ideological weapon in their struggle to formulate a new culture appropriate to and supportive of industrial capitalism." p. 10
"For members of the corporate class, technological medicine has legitimized their economic and political dominance by diverting attention from the consequences of their control -- that is, from such 'social costs' as class inequalities, domination based on race or sex, occupational hazards, and environmental degradation. For the medical profession, the knowledge generated by medical science and the techniques of medical technology provided the basis for physicians' claims to a monopoly of authority over the practice of medicine." p. 239
"As medical science won public and professional credibility, it also solved the second and fundamentally more serious problem facing the profession in the nineteenth century: competition. . . . The overall impact of scientific medicine within the profession was to legitimize control by elite practitioners and medical school faculty." p. 80
"Healthcare could be more effective in improving health if its research and action were directed at environmental conditions in about the same proportion that those conditions contribute to sickness and death." p. 240
"If you have read and 'got' anything by Noam Chomsky, or Howard Zinn, you will 'get' this book.
"After being awarded an MBA from Stanford (hence, I can confidently say I very well understand the 'business' of medicine) and practicing medicine for 20 years in both the public and private sector, I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Brown's thesis is on the money. -- Reader's Comment
Busch, Rebecca S., Healthcare Fraud: Auditing and Detection Guide, ISBN: 9780470127100 0470127104.
"According to private and public estimates, approximately $24 million is lost per hour to healthcare waste, fraud, and abuse. A must-have reference for auditors, fraud investigators, and healthcare managers, HEALTHCARE FRAUD: AUDITING AND DETECTION GUIDE provides tips and techniques to help you spot -- and prevent -- the 'red flags' of fraudulent activity within your organization. Eminently readable, it is your 'go-to' resource, equipping you with the necessary skills to look for and deal with potential fraudulent situations. . . .
"Still, the impact of healthcare fraud cannot be measured in terms of dollars alone. In addition to burdening the nation with enormous financial costs, it also threatens the quality of healthcare and steals the very essence of human life. . . .
"Clearly structured to identify what is normal at any point in the healthcare continuum on both individual and cumulative scales, this timely guidebook helps auditing professionals in the healthcare industry to sharpen their fraud detection skills to see beyond the eclipse created by healthcare fraud. HEALTHCARE FRAUD: AUDITING AND DETECTION GUIDE features:
Comprehensive guidance on auditing and fraud detection for healthcare providers and company healthcare plans.
A look at how data mapping and mining can be used as a key tool to maximize both the effectiveness and efficiency of fraud investigations
Insightful discussion from a number of perspectives -- clinical, research, internal audit, investigative, data intelligence, and forensic
Building blocks for understanding the entire healthcare market and its respective players
Cases and methodologies providing actual audit and investigative tools
Useful outlines of healthcare fraud prevention, detection, and investigation methods." -- Publisher
"Most helpful for both novice and expert are the conceptual models for the business systems that form the healthcare industry and how those systems are surprisingly easy to manipulate for ill-gotten gains. These models present a virtual menu for how to assess and disassemble the corrupt and fraud-riven status quo at the macro level. The real service of the book is to translate those ideas into concrete steps that compliance officers and investigators can use to manage and prevent fraud. It also presents steps that those in health information management can use to "tighten up" the information streams on which healthcare fraud depends." -- Reader's Comment
See also: Healthcare reform, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, and so forth, and so on.
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Get costs for medical procedures to negotiate with your doctor.
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/default.asp?
ExamWorks
http://www.examworks.com/about_us.htm
Five Ways to Save on Healthcare, Stacey L. Bradford, Associate Editor, SmartMoney.com
"When asked, many hospitals will quickly reduce its full price for a medical procedure down to what it charges Medicare, which is considered the benchmark for costs, says Kevin Flynn, president of Healthcare Advocates, a private advocacy firm based in Philadelphia. (You can look up Medicare reimbursement rates on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services website). If you're paying for a doctor's visit out of pocket, many physicians will cut their price if a patient offers to pay the bill in cash before walking out the door, says Flynn."
http://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/saving-money/
Forté's Medical Bill Review
"Through our aggressive bill review services, our clients consistently save in excess of 50 percent on medical bills. Forté ensures maximum savings through measures including the application of fee schedules and billing ground rules; negotiation of fees whenever network discounts, state fee schedule reductions, or other appropriate review rationale are not available; and detection of improper billing practices (i.e. upcoding and unbundling) and duplicate billings."
http://www.fortereview.com/medical-bill-review.php
From 'Soak the Rich' to 'Soak the Poor:' Recent Trends in Hospital Pricing, Gerard F. Anderson, Health Affairs, 26, no. 3 (May-June, 2007): 780-789
"In 2004, the rates charged to many uninsured and other "self-pay" patients for hospital services were often 2.5 times what most health insurers actually paid and more than three times the hospital's Medicare-allowable costs. The gaps between rates charged to self-pay patients and those charged to other payers are much wider than they were in the mid-1980s, and they make it increasingly more difficult for some patients, especially the uninsured, to pay their hospital bills. This has triggered lawsuits and some recent government efforts involving price transparency. Three specific policy options that could lower the markups are a voluntary effort by hospitals, litigation, and legislation."
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/3/780
Get This Wrong and at Best you go Bankrupt
"You may have read some of these shocking statistics:
"The website for the Social Security Administration tells us this:Between 2000 and 2006, wages in the United States increased by 3.8 percent, but healthcare premiums increased by 87 percent.[1] If the U.S. healthcare system was a country, it would be the 6th largest economy in the entire world.[2] In 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid. Today, one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid.[3] It is being projected that ObamaCare will add 16 million more Americans to the Medicaid rolls.[4]
"Many of us struggle to comprehend the sheer magnitude of the state's role as primary caregiver. I know I do. The civil government's role starts when someone is in the womb and extends beyond their death. The state finances pregnancy, delivery into the world, education through adulthood, elderly care, allocation of inheritance, and a host of areas in between. Think about it. It is quite literally 'pre-cradle to post-grave'."In 2013, almost 58 million Americans will receive $816 billion in Social Security benefits.[5] Nine out of ten individuals age 65 and older receive Social Security benefits.[6]
Social Security provided at least half the income for 64 percent of the aged beneficiaries in 2011.[7]
The Hidden Costs of Health Care, August 10, 2013
"How do hospitals determine what to charge for their services? Steven Brill, author of a stunning exposé in Time magazine called "Bitter Pill," suggests there is very little rhyme or reason beyond what the market will bear. Under the current system, those who are least able to pay (the uninsured), end up being charged the most."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/08/10/913-the-hidden-costs-of-health-care/
How to Charge $546 for Six Liters of Saltwater, Nina Bernstein, August 25, 2013
"Some of the patients' bills would later include markups of 100 to 200 times the manufacturer's price, not counting separate charges for "IV administration." And on other bills, a bundled charge for "IV therapy" was almost 1,000 times the official cost of the solution."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/27/health/exploring-salines-secret-costs.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=health
How to Save Money With Medical Billing Audit Services, Pat Palmer
Mediation focuses on the patient, and their out-of pocket balances, not line item charges on the medical bill or your insurance. An advocate works on behalf of the patient with healthcare providers, taking all the necessary steps to reach an outcome that is acceptable to both parties.
http://billadvocates.com/resources/save-money-medical-billing-audit-services/
Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study, David U. Himmelstein, MD, Deborah Thorne, Ph.D., Elizabeth Warren, JD, Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH
"Between our 2001 and 2007 surveys, Congress enacted the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA), which instituted an income screen and procedural barriers that made filing more difficult and expensive. . . .
"New restrictions fall equally on medical and nonmedical bankruptcies, with no preferences for medical debts or sick debtors. It is implausible to ascribe the growing predominance of medical causes of bankruptcy to BAPCPA."
http://www.pnhp.org/new_bankruptcy_study/Bankruptcy-2009.pdf
Medical Bill Auditing
http://www.medicalclaimshelp.org/medical_bill_auditing0.aspx
Medical Billing Advocates of America
"The cost is 25 percent of the savings a medical billing advocate finds and reduces for you. However, if we can't find any savings, we charge nothing."
Notice that if the bill stuffing were extreme, then the cost of advocacy service could be very high, and there would be the possibility of conflict of interest [compiler].
http://billadvocates.com/resources/hospital-bill-audit-can-reveal-gross-overcharges/
Medical Bills are the Biggest Cause of U.S. Bankruptcies: Study, Dan Mangan, 25 June 2013
"Bankruptcies resulting from unpaid medical bills will affect nearly 2 million people this year -- making healthcare the No. 1 cause of such filings, and outpacing bankruptcies due to credit-card bills or unpaid mortgages, according to new data. And even having health insurance doesn't buffer consumers against financial hardship. . . .
"When their savings are gone and their credit cards are maxed out, stretched consumers take the drastic step of cutting back on prescription medications. . . .
"More than 25 million people are skipping doses, taking less medication or delaying refilling prescriptions to save money, NerdWallet found."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100840148
Medical Bills Prompt More Than 60 Percent of U.S. Bankruptcies, June 5, 2009, Theresa Tamkins
"Bankruptcies due to medical bills increased by nearly 50 percent in a six-year period, from 46 percent in 2001 to 62 percent in 2007, and most of those who filed for bankruptcy were middle-class, well-educated homeowners, according to a report that will be published in the August issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
"Unless you're a Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, you're one illness away from financial ruin in this country," says lead author Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., of the Harvard Medical School, in Cambridge, Mass. "If an illness is long enough and expensive enough, private insurance offers very little protection against medical bankruptcy, and that's the major finding in our study. . . .'
"Overall, three-quarters of the people with a medically-related bankruptcy had health insurance, they say.
" 'That was actually the predominant problem in patients in our study -- 78 percent of them had health insurance, but many of them were bankrupted anyway because there were gaps in their coverage like co-payments and deductibles and uncovered services,' says Woolhandler. 'Other people had private insurance but got so sick that they lost their job and lost their insurance'."
http://heka.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/medical-bills-prompt-more-than-60-percent-of-u-s-bankruptcies-cnn-20090605.pdf
Medical Debt Among People With Health Insurance, Karen Pollitz, et al., (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation), Jan 07, 2014
"Medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S., contributing to 62 percent of personal bankruptcies in 2007. Most who filed for medical bankruptcy that year were well educated, owned homes, and had middle-class occupations. Three quarters had health insurance." (David Himmelstein, et al., "Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study," The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 122, Issue 8, August 2009)
http://kff.org/report-section/medical-debt-among-people-with-health-insurance-consequences-of-medical-debt/
Medical Recovery Services
True and accurate charges and fair and reasonable pricing for all healthcare payers.
http://www.medicalrecoveryservices.org/
Physician Billing -- Consumers in the Dark, Tim Pickering
"CPT coding [Current Procedural Terminology. "CPT are the codes and descriptions describing the treatment on the bill you get at the physician's office." -- compiler], should be required public information. This is just another obvious example of the AMA trying to keep us 'in the dark' so they can control our medical treatment, billing, etc. for their financial benefit and "to hell" with our healthcare. . . .
"Perhaps, it's naive not to draw the correlation between the AMA's reported $71 million income from the August 2000 Wall Street Journal article to the $4,496,150 in distributions by the AMA Political Action Committee.
"The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890: A University of Houston website holds some interesting historical background on monopolies: 'Prior to the 19th century, governments typically granted monopoly rights over some portion of the economy in return for a cash payment.'
"This same type of indirect taxation is provided by HCFA's statutory monopoly with the AMA. The AMA gets a monopoly on CPT's, makes huge profits in an uncompetitive market, gives HCFA free access to CPT's, and offers substantial PAC donations to legislators. Only the judicial branch of government was left out of this deal. This website cites 'public discontent' as the motivating catalyst for bringing about the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. So what level of public outcry is necessary to revoke this ill-conceived three way relationship?"
http://www.myhealthscore.com/frame.cfm?page=cpt4_opinions/index.htm
Skyrocketing Health Insurer CEOs' Paychecks are "Crazy," Says Executive Comp Expert, 06/09/2014
"If health insurance companies announce big premium increases on policies for 2015, I hope regulators, lawmakers and the media will look closely at whether they are justified, especially in light of recent disclosures of better-than-expected profits in 2013, rosy outlooks for the rest of this year and soaring CEO compensation.
"Almost all of the publicly traded health insurers reported big increases in revenue and profits last year. The big winners have been the top executives of those companies, led by Mark Bertolini, CEO of Aetna, the nation's third largest health insurer. Bertolini's total compensation of $30.7 million in 2013 was 131 percent higher than in 2012.
"If the stock prices of these firms keep growing at the current pace, Bertolini and his peers can expect to be rewarded even more handsomely this year, especially if they can hike premiums high enough to satisfy shareholders. . . .
"Of those 11 companies (Aetna, Centene, Cigna, Health Net, Humana, Molina, Triple-S Management Corp., UnitedHealth Group, Universal American, Wellcare, and WellPoint) nine saw their stocks close near 52-week highs this past Friday.
"The biggest gainer has been Humana, one of the largest operators of Medicare Advantage plans, whose share price has increased more than 53 percent over the past year.
"The increases have been equally impressive at most of the other big companies. Aetna's share price is up 31 percent, Cigna's 32 percent. United's is up 28 percent. And WellPoint's is up 39 percent.
"But it is the CEO compensation that has been the most eye-popping, especially at two of the publicly traded companies that specialize in managing Medicaid enrollees in several states: Centene and Molina.
"Centene's CEO Micheal Neidorff saw his compensation increase 71 percent last year, from $8.5 million to $14.5 million. Even more impressive was the 140 percent raise Molina's J. Mario Molina got. His compensation jumped from $4.95 million in 2012 to $11.9 million in 2013.
"All of those totals were disclosed in the proxy statements those companies filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this spring."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendell-potter/skyrocketing-health-insur_b_5473618.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics
Stop Medicare Fraud (law firm)
"Recent changes to U.S. whistle-blower laws allow healthcare professionals to collect a significant financial reward (often millions of dollars) for reporting fraud against the government in the healthcare industry. U.S. laws now allow individuals reporting Medicare fraud to receive full protection from retaliation and collect up to 30 percent of the fines that the government collects."
http://www.medicarefraudcenter.org/
U.S. Warning to Hospitals on Medicare Bill Abuses, Reed Abelson, and Julie Creswell, September 24, 2012
"Saying there are 'troubling indications' of abuse in the way hospitals use electronic records to bill for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, the Obama administration warned on Monday that it would not tolerate what it called attempts to 'game the system' and vowed to vigorously prosecute doctors and hospitals implicated in fraud."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/business/us-warns-hospitals-on-medicare-billing.html?_r=0
Wait Till it's Free, DVD documentary
Have a pen and paper handy to take notes. A national firm that analyses medical bills and advocates for the patient is mentioned, as well as a private surgery hospital in Oklahoma that practices fair pricing, and posts all of their rates online, www.surgerycenterok.com. Some of their rates are only 10 percent of what the Cartels charge. Why we have the most expensive healthcare in the world is also explained, and much more.
http://www.wtifree.com/free
Surgery Center Oklahoma
http://www.surgerycenterok.com
Corporate America's takeover of healthcare has resulted in the unavailability of healthcare to millions. If we want to know how successful a program of National Healthcare would be (i.e., The Affordable Healthcare Act), then we have a contemporary example in the government's privatization of the Veterans Administration Medical System.The Veterans Administration contracts to Health Net Federal to provide medical services, probably the largest subcontract administered by the Federal Government. Health Net Federal is a subsidiary of Health Net, the largest HMO in California.
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. -- John Emerich Edward Dalberg, Lord Acton (1834-1902), in a letter to Mandell Creighton, April 5, 1887, quoted by Gertrude Himmelfarb in Acton, Essays on Freedom and Power, pp. 335-36 (1972)
A large number of physicians convicted of crimes find employment within the Federal Government. (Jung/Lurie/Wolfe)
One fatal flaw in The Veterans Administration Medical Centers policy is that VA doctors are considered to be agents of the Federal Government, and thus are exempt from personal malpractice suits. Instead victims of malpractice must sue the Federal Government. (Bauman, Schneider)
Settlements and court judgments have cost taxpayers $845 million since 2003 and reached a high of $98 million last year [2012, VA malpractice payments -- compiler], according to an exclusive analysis by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Cox Media Group, the parent company of the AJC and Atlanta's Channel 2 "Action News."
When justice is taken away, what are kingdoms but a vast banditry. -- Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD), in City of God, IV. iv (MPL [Migne, J.P., Patrologiae cursus completus, series Latina], 41. 115; tr. NPNF [A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, second series], II. 66)
We urge everyone to join opposition to government control and funding of healthcare. The only way to maximize medical safety is to increase consumer power through free markets, not to make physicians agents of the state. -- Nicolas Martin, former Executive Director, American Iatrogenic Association
To report suspected wrongdoing in Veterans Administration programs and operations: telephone: 1-800-488-8244, e-mail: vaoighotline@va.gov, Hotline Information.
Dean, Chuck, NAM VET: Making Peace With Your Past, ISBN: 0967937108 9780967937106.
"Dean is executive director of Point Man International, a non-profit support organization dedicated to healing war wounds of Vietnam veterans. He was among the first combat troops to be sent to Vietnam.
"This book is a shocker. Listen to these statistics: More Vietnam veterans have committed suicide since 1975 than were killed in the war itself. The divorce rate of Nam vets is 90 percent. One out of four combat veterans make less than $7000 a year." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
"Veterans are entering the 21st century, and for many, Vietnam has never ended. Why do so many suffer from flashbacks, depression, rage, substance abuse, and nightmares? Author and Vietnam veteran Chuck Dean has helped thousands find peace and spiritual healing." -- Publisher
Point Man International Ministries (800) 877-VETS
http://www.pointmanintl.org/
Harding, Lauri, Do Veterans Receive Adequate Health Care? ISBN: 9780737739169 0737739169.
Kantor, Martin, Uncle Sam's Shame: Inside our Broken Veterans Administration, 12th edition, ISBN: 031334650X 9780313346507.
"Kantor's objective in this book is to help Washington, the Veterans Administration (VA) staff, the vets themselves, and the general public understand the shortcomings of VA medicine today beyond what they read in the newspapers, so that all concerned can chip in to help improve the medical care that all the vets, and not just those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, are receiving. He reveals exactly how everyone -- Washington, veterans, advocacy groups, the various members of the VA staff (including the doctors), the nonmedical and medical administration, the clerks and the rest of the ancillary staff, and the vets themselves -- are all together responsible for the breakdown of the system, as he argues that all contribute a share to creating that endpoint: a severe state of havoc with the vets' medical care. Kantor goes on to describe some of the signature illnesses from which vets suffer, and in the process pinpoints exactly how the system specifically manages to mismanage these ailments, making already serious medical problems even worse. In addition, the author envisions a more ideal VA of the future, bringing forth specific improvements that will assure its implementation. The book concludes with a description of the more positive aspects of the system, offering a platform upon which meaningful reforms can be built.
"MARTIN KANTOR, M.D., is a Harvard psychiatrist who has been in full private practice in Boston and New York City, and active in residency training programs at several hospitals, including Massachusetts General and Beth Israel in New York. He has served as Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical School and as Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School. He is author of sixteen other books. . . ." -- Publisher
Longman, Phillip, and Timothy Noah (foreword), Best Care Anywhere: Why VA Health Care is Better Than Yours, ISBN: 9780977825301 0977825302.
"The VA Health care system I read about in this book and the one I've experienced in real life are as different as night and day. This book does not even come close to describing the low standards and poor performance of today's VA Health care system. [see: Schram, Stearns, Bauman, Zimmerman, Sparrow, Whitlock, Leung, Kumar, Newman-Toker, and so forth, and so on.] The Veterans Administration contracts to Health Net Federal to provide medical services, probably the largest subcontract administered by the Federal Government. Health Net Federal is a subsidiary of Health Net, the largest HMO in California. -- compiler]. There is not nearly enough room here for me to give example after example -- from my own experience only -- of the horrible care offered to our veterans." -- Reader's Comment
"After jumping thru the bureaucratic hoops as a disabled veteran who served his country for more than 2 decades thru two wars, the VA . . . continually denied my disabilities for 9 1/2 years. Did you know the overwhelming majority of medical doctors in the VA hospitals and clinics are (1) foreign and (2) not required to be licensed in the state they are practicing medicine in because they are federally hired? Did you also know that when medical providers in the VA system screw-up on their patients, the patients CANNOT lodge a complaint against the doctors and medical staff [we suspect the reviewer was bluffed by the contractor. "The VA paid out more than $2,000,000 a week during 2004 for medical malpractice claims." http://vamalpracticeclaims.com/ -- compiler], because they are NOT direct hire employees but CONTRACTUAL hire?" -- Reader's Comment
"The long-maligned Veterans Health Administration has become the highest-quality healthcare provider in the United States. This encouraging change not only has benefited veterans but also provides a blueprint for salvaging America's own deeply troubled healthcare system. BEST CARE ANYWHERE shows how a government bureaucracy, working with little notice, is setting the standard for best practices and cost reduction while the private sector is lagging in both areas. Author Phillip Longman [the publisher provides no information about the authors qualifications, background, affiliation, or funding. -- compiler], challenges conventional wisdom by explaining exactly how market forces work to lower quality and raise prices in the healthcare sector, and how U.S. medical practices have a weak basis in science. The book, expanded from a widely praised article in the Washington Monthly, mixes hard facts with author Philip Longmans' compelling human story of the loss of his wife to cancer. Part manifesto, part moving memoir, BEST CARE ANYWHERE offers new hope for addressing a major problem of contemporary society that affects all of us." -- Publisher
Rashkow, Ilona N., The Impact of Medicare on the Veterans Administration Medical System, 1975.
Schoenbaum, Michael, Health Benefits for Medicare-Eligible Military Retirees: Rationalizing TRICARE for Life, ISBN: 0833036491 9780833036490.
"Examines TRICARE for Life's potential benefits and costs for the Department of Defense, Medicare, beneficiaries, and taxpayers and summarizes issues and policy options for improving TFL in the future." -- Publisher
Schram, Martin, Vets Under Siege: How America Deceives and Dishonors Those who Fight our Battles, ISBN: 9780312375737 0312375735.
"After members of our armed forces bravely serve their nation, they sometimes come home to find themselves battling another enemy --- within their own government. Using decades of case histories, statistics, and firsthand accounts, Martin Schram exposes a shocking culture of antagonism toward veterans by the very agency -- the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) -- that was formed to serve them.
"Schram places our veterans' current struggles within historical context, going back to the Bonus Army of beleaguered World War I vets who camped out on Washington's National Mall in 1932, demanding their promised benefits, only to be turned away by their own brethren in the U.S. Army -- led by future military heroes Douglas MacArthur, George S. Patton Jr., and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Readers will be angered to learn of the legions of veterans -- from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf Wars -- who are routinely denied benefits to which they are entitled and who die while awaiting benefit reviews that are stalled by institutionalized delays. And they will be downright outraged by the results of a 2002 Mystery Caller test that showed VA representatives treating help-line callers with condescension and even ridicule -- one service rep is shown laughing and hanging up on a caller -- and providing 'completely correct' answers to questions regarding care and compensation just 19 percent of the time.
"In the most intimate segment of the book, we meet Gulf War vet Bill Florey, who contracted a rare cancer after his exposure to Iraqi chemical weapons that were mistakenly detonated by the U.S. Army. Florey's crucial medical tests were delayed, he was denied service-related compensation he deserved, and he died before a government study finally linked the exposure to his form of cancer. Schram also highlights accounts of shameless deception of our soldiers, including misleading information provided by recruiters, and discloses how Iraq and Afghanistan war vets were being denied benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder -- even after diagnoses by the VA's own doctors." -- Publisher
"The author not only exposes a chilling pattern of institutional neglect, delay, and denial, but also points us toward solutions: the outsourcing of expertise, the institution of a 'Vet-med card,' and the elimination of negative-incentive bonuses for VA officials, to name a few. Schram's bold bugle call, sounded on behalf of our nation's beleaguered servicemen and women, culminates with a proposal to reinvent what has become a department of veterans' adversaries by giving the VA a new name that makes clear its true mission -- the Department of Veterans' Advocacy.
"Martin Schram is the author of five books and has been national affairs correspondent for The Washington Post, Washington bureau chief for Newsday, and a television documentary executive. His nationally syndicated column appears in more than four hundred newspapers.
"Martin Schram's, National Affairs correspondent for the Washington Post and syndicated columnist, latest book is a scathing indictment of government agencies that neglect our veterans through callousness, incompetence, maliciousness, indifference, or combination thereof. Schram's primary focus in, VETS UNDER SIEGE: HOW AMERICA DECEIVES AND DISHONORS THOSE WHO FIGHT OUR BATTLES, is the Department of Veterans Affairs, often derisively called the Department of Veterans Adversaries by veterans. Researching veteran's movements, government and press reports, and conducting personal interviews, Schram sets out to tell the story of the often heartbreaking fights between veterans in critical need of their benefits and a bureaucracy which systematically denies those benefits. All Americans should be disturbed as they read Schram's detail descriptions of the horrendous bureaucratic red tape and outright wrongs committed against disabled veterans. Take the case of former Sergeant Orville Kelly who during the 1950's witnessed twenty-two nuclear explosions. After developing lymphocytic cancer he filed a claim for benefits only to be denied. For five years he fought the VA for his benefits, which were finally awarded in 1979. However, Mr. Kelly died in June 1980. Or the case of Garret Anderson who was wounded in Iraq when an IED ripped through the truck he was driving, resulting in the loss of his right arm, a broken jaw and a body full of shrapnel. When he applied for disability compensation, VA bureaucrats who never met Mr. Anderson concluded, 'Shrapnel wounds all over body [are] not service connected'." -- Publisher
"Schram dutifully describes the adversarial system veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War I, the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the conflicts in between, have had to navigate and the disrespectful manner with which veterans are routinely denied benefits. Schram also hits at the root cause for why such an inverse system exists. As Schram convincingly argues, the problem is a bureaucratic cultural mindset that assumes veterans are asking for benefits that they do not deserve, especially with regards to disability compensation. As Bob Filner, San Diego Congressman and Chairmen of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs put it, "Inside the VA they see their sole job is to say to the veteran, 'You are a liar and we are going to prove that you are a liar and that you didn't deserve your benefits that you have claimed.'
"VETS UNDER SIEGE should be required reading for all who believe they 'support the troops,' because that support must not end when the warrior returns home. As veterans of America's wars can attest to, the war often begins anew when we come home. Indeed, the American people must fight for our veterans by pressuring our national leaders to hold the VA accountable and true to its motto, "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan." -- Reader's Comment
United States. Congress. Senate. Special Committee on Aging, Serving Patriots and Heroes: Ensuring Health and Healing for our Nation's Veterans: Field Hearing Before the Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, Portland, OR, July 3, 2007.
United States. President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, Serve, Support, Simplify: Report of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors: Subcommittee Reports and Survey Findings.
See also: What your doctor may not tell you, Medical ethics, Healthcare horror stories, Healthcare reform, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Prevention of disease, Stress, Exercise, Sleep, Healing, Fasting, Patient advocacy, Correct diagnosis, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, The military, Oncology (cancer treatment), Hypothyroidism, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Vaccination, The aged, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Spiritual aspects of health, Emotions and health, Conspiracy, corruption, organized crime, War, The military, Satan, the adversary, satanism, Public health, and so forth, and so on.
Attorneys for VA Medical Misdiagnosis
http://www.govtclaim.com/
Can Government run a Health Care System? Robert E. Bauman
"The Federal government already owns, finances, and operates the country's largest health care system -- the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the principal agency of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
"It requires a phalanx of more than 400 VA attorneys to interpret and reinterpret the arcane substantive and procedural provisions. Along with lawyers from the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorneys' Offices across the nation, VA lawyers also must defend thousands of malpractice claims filed by injured patients or their bereaved survivors who blame the VA for the wrongful death of a veteran. For example, the following is a partial list of events that occurred at VA medical centers at Tampa and Bay Pines, Fla., from 1991 to 1993:
VA skirts the law to employ foreign doctorshttp://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2596_v123/ai_16399885/
VA covers up mistakes by pathologist at Reno VA Medical Center
VA doctor convicted of perjury, for lying about sexual relationship with VA patient
VA fails to diagnosis cancer in Cleveland
VA uses unsupervised residents and other practices that would not be accepted elsewhere
VA doctor suffocates veteran when a lung tube was inserted
VA cardiac units suffer higher death rates
VA neglects patients in Dallas
VA nurse pleads guilty in death of patient
VA and military medical malpractice in Georgia
VA cancer researcher convicted of lying 2005
VA doctor convicted of sexual assault on patients in Texas
VA rejects claim over HIV diagnosis"
Congress Passes Long-sought VA Accountability Bill, June 2017
The measure [The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistle-blower Protection Act of 2017] comes after a 2014 scandal at the Phoenix VA medical center, where some veterans died while waiting months for appointments. During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to fire VA employees "who let our veterans down," describing the government's second-largest agency and its more than 350,000 employees as "the most corrupt" and "incompetent." . . .
"Veterans across the country can look forward to a new culture of accountability and integrity at the VA," said Dan Caldwell, policy director of the conservative Concerned Veterans for America, which lobbied for years to pass legislation. . . .
"It would create a permanent VA accountability office, established in April by executive order."
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article155956554.html#storylink=cpy
Did VA's Internal Politics Create a Massive Healthcare Backlog? Sarah Westwood, 7/16/15
"Davis circulated documents Monday that indicated nearly one in three veterans waiting to be enrolled in the VA's healthcare programs had died waiting for their benefits.
"More than 238,000 veterans whose eligibility for VA benefits was pending had died, the records showed.
"In July of last year, Davis testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee that the backlog of pending enrollment applications had reached 600,000.
"The documents published earlier this week suggest the number has since exceeded 847,000 despite congressional and inspector general scrutiny."
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/va-put-internal-politics-over-vets-care/article/2568377
Dirty Surgical Tools: A Hidden, Deadly Danger, February 2012
"A new report suggests that doctors all over the country are using medical instruments contaminated with blood, tissue, and other debris. Could the same devices that save your life also put it at risk?
"In fact, according to a new report by investigative journalist Joe Eaton of the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit that focuses on ethics and accountability, dirty medical devices are a widespread and potentially deadly threat to your health. In 2008, Eaton notes, a hepatitis C outbreak in Las Vegas revealed that a local outpatient surgery center was working with contaminated tools, some of which were intended for only single use anyway. This, in turn, led to an inspection of 1,500 other such centers -- and the finding that 28 percent of them had infection control deficiencies related to equipment cleaning and sterilization.
"But that's not even the worst of it. In 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs admitted that improperly cleaned endoscopes had been used on more than 10,000 vets, some of whom later tested positive for HIV or hepatitis. It's difficult to know for sure how many of those infections (if any), resulted from the dirty instruments, but experts say the risk is higher than most people realize.
" 'The cases we hear about,' CDC medical officer Melissa Schaefer, MD, told Eaton, 'are only the tip of the iceberg'."
http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/0223/dirty-surgical-tools-a-hidden-deadly-danger.aspx?xid=aol_eh-news_9_20120220_&aolcat=HLT&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-nb%7Cdl20%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D137899
Doctors are Opting out of Medicare, Julie Connelly, April 1, 2009
"Doctors who have opted out of Medicare can charge whatever they want, but they cannot bill Medicare for reimbursement, nor may their patients. Medigap, or supplemental insurance, policies usually do not provide coverage when Medicare doesn't, so the entire bill is the patient's responsibility.
"The solution to this problem is to find doctors who accept Medicare insurance -- and to do it well before reaching age 65. But that is not always easy, especially if you are looking for an internist, a primary care doctor who deals with adults. Of the 93 internists affiliated with New York-Presbyterian Hospital, for example, only 37 accept Medicare, according to the hospital's Website.
"Two trends are converging: there is a shortage of internists nationally -- the American College of Physicians, the organization for internists, estimates that by 2025 there will be 35,000 to 45,000 fewer than the population needs — and internists are increasingly unwilling to accept new Medicare patients.
"In a June 2008 report, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, an independent federal panel that advises Congress on Medicare, said that 29 percent of the Medicare beneficiaries it surveyed who were looking for a primary care doctor had a problem finding one to treat them, up from 24 percent the year before. And a 2008 survey by the Texas Medical Association found that while 58 percent of the state's doctors took new Medicare patients, only 38 percent of primary care doctors did.
"How do you find a doctor who accepts Medicare? The Website www.medicare.gov [https://data.medicare.gov/ and Go to "Additional Search Options" and search by Zip Code, https://www.medicare.gov/physiciancompare/search.html] provides a list of enrolled doctors. Other sources are state medical societies and local hospitals, most of which have online directories of doctors. But that's no guarantee they will see new patients.
"Other options are also available. Roughly 18,000 walk-in, stand-alone urgent care centers in the United States are staffed with doctors who set simple fractures, take X-rays, do minor surgery, diagnose ailments and write prescriptions. By far the majority of these centers take Medicare."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/business/retirementspecial/02health.html?_r=0
For Federal Employees, it's Almost Impossible to get Fired
"The ultimate job security, it seems, comes from working for the U.S. government. As one Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found, 'it can take six months to a year (and sometimes significantly longer) to dismiss an employee,' with an average timeline of 243 days in 2013. And that's if a firing occurs at all: A federal worker's chance of being fired in a given year is just one in 500.
"These lengthy firing processes can be at work even in cases of egregious misconduct. For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expects to take at least 270 days to fire a nurse who operated on a veteran after chugging as many as five beers at a casino."
http://theweek.com/speedreads/610139/federal-employees-almost-impossible-fired
Holding the VA Accountable for Veterans Care
"Recent reports of what can only be characterized as gross mismanagement within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are extremely alarming.
"Reports have shown that oftentimes VA senior executives who may have overseen mismanagement were still rewarded with bonuses or positive performance reviews. In order to give the VA more flexibility to root out the employees who have failed to serve our veterans, I signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 4031, the VA Management Accountability Act. . . .
"If any local veterans have experienced issues with the VA or need assistance navigating red tape, I urge them to contact one of my Sixth District offices or submit a request by e-mail at Goodlatte.House.Gov." -- Represenatative Bob Goodlatte (Virginia)
House GOP Targets "Bad Apples" in the Veterans Administration, March 10, 2017
Issues in Obtaining Electronic Medical Records From the Department of Veterans Affairs VISTA CPRS System for use in Medical Malpractice Cases, W. Robb Graham, Esq.
List of Doctors who Accept Medicare
Malpractice Payouts to U.S. Veterans Reach 12-Year High, Kathleen Miller, September 9, 2013
Nearly 600 Veterans Infected with Hepatitis, HIV Due to VA Violations
New Visions for Health Care, January 21, 2012
ObamaCare Chart (Organizational Flow Chart)
Off-label Antipsychotic use Common in VA Nursing Home Residents, Pitt Study Finds
Official: One-third of Calls to VA Suicide Hotline Roll Over
Official: VA Wastes $5 Billion a Year in Improper Purchases, Matthew Daly, May 14, 2015
Point Man International Ministries
Shinseki Resigns Amid Veterans' Health Care Issues, Julie Pace and Pauline Jelinek, May 30, 2014
Syracuse VA Medical Center's Malpractice Claims Total $2 Million Over 19 years
Trifecta Series on the Scandal Unfolding at the Veterans Administration, a 3-part series, video.
Trump Orders Corrupt VA Employees FIRED, January 26, 2017
*Trump Signs $55 Billion Bill to Give Vets More Healthcare Options, VA Overhaul and More, June 2018
*Trump signs VA law to provide veterans more private health care choices, Donovan Slack, USA TODAY, June 6, 2018
Trump's Urgent Job, Clean up the VA
US Army Secretary Resigns Over Poor Conditions at Medical Facility, Scott Stearns, White House, 03 March 2007
VA Hospitals Report: Rampant Drug use and Theft
VA Malpractice Info
VAWatchDogToday.com
Veterans Administration Medical Malpractice Information
Veterans' Malpractice Claims on the Rise, Craig Schneider, November 13, 2013, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Veteran Medical Malpractice
*Avorn, Jerry, Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs, ISBN: 0375414835 9780375414831.
*Colborn, Theo, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peter Meyers, Our Stolen Future: How we are Threatening our Fertility, Intelligence, and Survival, ISBN: 0452274141 9780452274143.
Deace, Steve, and Todd Erzen, Faucian Bargain: The Most Powerful and Dangerous Bureaucrat in American History, ISBN: 9781637581124 1637581122.
*Eban, Katherine, Dangerous Doses: How Counterfeiters are Contaminating America's Drug Supply, ISBN: 0151010501 9780151010509.
*Garrett, Laurie, Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health, ISBN: 0786884401 9780786884407.
Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy: What you Need to Know Before Your Next Visit to the Doctor or Drugstore, ISBN: 9781594864070 1594864071.
Mercola, Joseph, The Great Bird flu Hoax: The Truth They Don't Want you to Know About the "Next big Pandemic," 240 pages, ISBN: 0785221875 9780785221876.
Richter, Robert, A Plague on our Children: Dioxins, PCBs and Public Health v. Profit, a DVD in two parts by Robert Richter.
*Schapiro, Mark, Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power, ISBN: 9781603580588 1603580581.
Various, A Plague on our Children ([Ames, IA] Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, 1979).
See also: Epidemic, pandemic, plague, natural disaster, The veterans administration medical centers, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, Medicine as social control, Prescription drugs with dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Generic drugs, Patient advocacy, Depression, Hypothyroidism, Correct diagnosis, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Prevention of disease, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Healthcare horror stories, Healthcare reform, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Public health, The aged, Vaccination, The veterans administration medical centers, Conspiracy, corruption, organized crime, State sovereignty and corporate immunity: reform of corporations, and so forth, and so on.
"More recent examples have emerged that display a lack of accountability at the VA. On Thursday, the Office of Special Counsel reported that the VA failed to hear whistle-blower complaints from 2014 that 'unnecessary coronary procedures' were being performed on veterans."
http://truthfeed.com/breaking-house-gop-targets-bad-apples-in-the-veterans-administration/56334/
http://vamalpractice.info/
" 'Physician Compare' includes only physicians and other healthcare professionals who are currently enrolled in Medicare."
https://data.medicare.gov/
Go to "Additional Search Options" and search by Zip Code.
https://www.medicare.gov/physiciancompare/search.html
Philadelphia. A Marine went to the VA to get eight teeth extracted in 2007. What should have been a routine dentist visit left him permanently incapacitated. [The award, the largest in 10 years, went to a Philadelphia Marine Corps veteran left permanently paralyzed by a routine tooth extraction. (Schneider)]
"The $17.5 million Ellison and his family received in a malpractice judgment against the Department of Veterans Affairs was the largest against the agency in a dozen years -- and one of more than 400 payments the U.S. government made last year [2012 -- compiler], to resolve VA malpractice claims, according to agency records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The total cost came to $91.7 million, also the highest sum in at least 12 years.
"The cases against the VA have included missed diagnoses, delayed treatment and procedures performed on wrong body parts. U.S. lawmakers and veterans' advocates say they reflect deep flaws in the agency's healthcare system even as the department tends to more former troops, including those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
" 'The rapid rise in malpractice judgments against VA mirrors the emerging pattern of preventable veteran deaths and other patient safety issues at VA hospitals,' Representative Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican and chairman of the House veterans committee, said in an e-mailed statement. 'What's missing from the equation is not money or manpower -- it's accountability'."
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-09/malpractice-payouts-to-u-s-veterans-reach-12-year-high.html
"This latest incident is further proof Obama's VA is a mess and whoever President Elect Trump assigns to head Veterans Affairs has their work cut out for them."
http://truthfeed.com/breaking-nearly-600-veterans-infected-with-hepatitis-hiv-due-to-va-violations/38936/
"The Veterans Health Administration is an enormous bureaucracy, but it is striving to become a leader in personalized, patient-centered medicine. Can the VA provide cost effective care that also pioneers patient safety and pays attention to veterans' values?
"One factor in the VA's success so far is that it is a single-payer system. Although this idea has been roundly criticized in the debate over health care reform, the state of Vermont has recently adopted legislation that will initiate a single payer and cover everyone in the state by 2017. A family practice doctor in Montpelier made a heroic effort to help get this bill enacted. Why?
"Guests: Tracy Gaudet, MD, is Director of the Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation at the Veterans Health Administration. Before joining the VHA, she was Executive Director of Duke Integrative Medicine and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University Medical Center.
"Deborah Richter, MD, is a family practice physician in Montpelier, Vermont. She belongs to a nonprofit organization called Vermont Healthcare for All, which has led the way to the legislation creating guaranteed health care coverage for Vermonters."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/01/21/843-new-visions-for-health-care/
http://kevinbrady.house.gov/uploads/Obamacare%20Chart.pdf
"More than one in four older veterans residing in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Living Centers received antipsychotic medications, and more than 40 percent of those veterans had no documented evidence-based reason for use, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh and VA Pittsburgh Medical Center.
"The study, the first to address this topic in VA nursing homes, finds similar rates of antipsychotic use as studies in non-VA nursing homes. The findings will be published in the November issue of the journal Medical Care and currently are available online.
"Antipsychotics have limited efficacy in alleviating behavioral problems in dementia patients, and several studies associate their use with an increased risk of mortality."
http://www.publichealth.pitt.edu/news.pyhp?id=353
"More than one-third of calls to a suicide hotline for troubled veterans are not being answered by front-line staffers because of poor work habits and other problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the hotline's former director."
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/official-one-third-of-calls-to-va-suicide-hotline-roll-over
"The Department of Veterans Affairs is improperly spending at least $5 billion a year for medical care and supplies being purchased in violation of required practices for competitive bidding and written contracts, a senior VA official said Thursday.
" 'Gross mismanagement' by senior agency leaders has wasted billions of dollars and made a 'mockery' of federal laws regarding purchasing of goods and services, said Jan Frye, deputy assistant secretary for acquisition and logistics.
"Illegal purchases have been made for pharmaceutical drugs and medical supplies, putting veterans at risk and exposing the agency to widespread 'fraud, waste and abuse,' Frye said."
http://www.aol.com/article/2015/05/14/official-va-wastes-5-billion-a-year-in-improper-purchases/21183586/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl36%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D-641832970
P.O. Box 339
Sheridan, MI 48884-0339
(517) 831-5215, (517) 831-5216 -- FAX (800) 877-VETS - Hotline).
Counsel for military veterans.
Point Man International Ministries
http://www.pointmanintl.org/
"Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki has resigned amid widespread troubles in the VA health care system.
"President Barack Obama says he accepted the resignation with 'considerable regret.' He and Shinseki met in the Oval Office on Friday morning.
"Shinseki had faced mounting calls to step down from lawmakers in both parties.
"Shinseki's resignation comes two days after a scathing internal report found broad and deep-seated problems in the sprawling health care system. The system provides care to about 6.5 million veterans annually.
"Shinseki is a retired four-star Army general who has overseen the VA since the start of Obama's presidency."
http://www.aol.com/article/2014/05/30/obama-plans-serious-conversation-with-shinseki/20901185/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmaing11%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D482312
"The new database provides a glimpse at 12,000 claims, many of them medical malpractice complaints, filed against VA medical centers nationwide between 1989 and 2008. The information was recently released by The Project on Government Oversight, a nonprofit government watchdog group that obtained the database from the Department of Veterans Affairs through a Freedom of Information Act request.
"A spreadsheet, available online (http://pogoarchives.org/m/ns/va-medmal-database.xls), gives a breakdown of claims information for each of the VA's 153 medical centers."
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/syracuse_va_medical_centers_ma.html
"Join Trifecta for its three part series on the scandal unfolding at the Veterans Administration. Veterans died waiting for VA healthcare, and even more were stuck in waiting-list hell, sitting months hoping to see a doctor. Who is to blame for this VA mess? President Obama promised years ago to fix the Veterans Administration? Did he fulfill this promise? Find out."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyvLSJDW7yY
"In December, Sen. Jeff Flake introduced a bill requiring the VA to stop hiring felons, and to fire the ones that already work there. The American Federation of Government Employees union has refused to say publicly whether it opposes the bill.
"During the Obama administration, eleven sex offenders listed the Detroit VA hospital alone as their work address; some of them were fugitives wanted by local police, but the VA cited employee privacy.
"Rapists and kidnappers also work at nearby hospitals. An Ohio VA employee, Antoine Hall, was convicted of creating pornography depicting a 13-year old in 2014. Hall is wearing a VA badge around his neck in the sex offender registry picture, meaning he was still going to work after being sentenced, and even received a bonus in 2015."
http://truthfeed.com/breaking-trump-orders-corrupt-va-employees-fired/48816/
"President Trump on Wednesday signed the VA Mission Act, a new bill that seeks to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs and provide more healthcare options to veterans.
"The $55 billion bill will change how the VA pays for private care, expand a VA caregiver program for pre-9/11 vets and start the process of reviewing the overall infrastructure of the VA itself."
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2018/06/trump-signs-55-billion-bill-to-give-vets-more-healthcare-options-va-overhaul-and-more/
"President Trump signed legislation Wednesday paving the way for a major overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs and expanded access for veterans to VA-funded care in the private sector [The Mission Act/Community Care Referral Program]. . . .
" 'What a beautiful word that is -- choice -- and freedom to our amazing veterans,' Trump said at the signing ceremony. 'All during the campaign I'd go out and say, 'why can't they just go see a doctor instead of standing in line for weeks and weeks and weeks?' Now they can go see a doctor'."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/06/trump-signs-law-expanding-vets-healthcare-choices/673906002/
"It's not a money problem. Congress appropriated a record $163 billion to the VA in 2016, more than the department requested.
"The real problem is a lack of discipline at all levels. Consider the alarming increase in central line infections -- a key indicator of hospital quality. These lethal infections are totally preventable, if medical staff rigorously follow protocols. Some civilian hospitals have reduced them to zero. The VA has no excuse.
"Even so, Trump's VA secretary can succeed. Here's one quick fix that could save many lives and cost taxpayers almost nothing. An amazing 47 percent of VA users are 65 or older and already on Medicare. They need bypass surgery, and hip and knee replacements, like other seniors. Often they use the VA to avoid Medicare's out of pocket expenses. Their average household income is $36,000. Enabling them to use Medicare without copays could cut VA waiting lists by nearly half."
https://spectator.org/trumps-urgent-job-clean-up-the-va/
"The secretary of the U.S. Army has resigned amid a scandal over the quality of healthcare for troops wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, President Bush wants a bipartisan commission to investigate ahead of Congressional hearings by opposition Democrats.
"Harvey's forced resignation follows the ouster of the general who ran the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where an investigation by The Washington Post newspaper uncovered recuperating soldiers living in a run-down building, infested with mice, mold, and cockroaches."
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/a-13-2007-03-03-voa14.html
"Over the past six years [2017], almost 372 Veterans Administration (VA) employees were reprimanded for their drug or alcohol related problems at the VA's 160 medical centers and 1,000 clinics around the country.
"There were also 11,000 incidents of drugs being 'lost' or outright stolen from VA hospitals. However, out of all cases of loss and theft, only 3 percent of the employees involved were ever disciplined."
http://dennismichaellynch.com/va-hospitals-report-rampant-drug-use-theft/
"This site is designed to provide information to those veterans, who have received negligent medical care, from a Veterans Administration hospital, doctor, physician's assistant, surgeon or other VA medical provider and to encourage discussion about this problem. The VA paid out more than $2,000,000 a week during 2004 for medical malpractice claims."
http://vamalpracticeclaims.com/
http://www.vawatchdogtoday.org/Search_Answers.html
Apparently an important resource. Includes "Issues in Obtaining Electronic Medical Records from the Department of Veterans Affairs VISTA CPRS System for Use in Medical Malpractice Cases," W. Robb Graham, Esq.
http://vamalpracticeclaims.com/
"ATLANTA -- As thousands of soldiers returned home from overseas in recent years, American taxpayers have paid more not just for veterans' medical care but for a surge in malpractice claims against veterans hospitals.
"Settlements and court judgments have cost taxpayers $845 million since 2003 and reached a high of $98 million last year, according to an exclusive analysis by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Cox Media Group, the parent company of the AJC and Atlanta's Channel 2 Action News.
"Some members of Congress and government watchdogs say the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs isn't doing enough to prevent medical errors. They say the agency's culture lacks accountability and incentives to improve.
"But critics say the VA has no incentive to hold malpractice costs down. The VA doesn't directly pay for damages; the money comes out of the Treasury budget.
" 'The VA likes to say they're accountable, but I don't believe the word even exists in the VA dictionary,' said House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican.
"In addition, plaintiffs cannot directly sue a VA doctor. They must sue the agency, and that provides cover for the doctors, critics say.
" 'There's a culture of complacency that's going on,' said Rep. David Scott, D-Ga. 'But you know what breaks my heart? We focus so much on sending our soldiers to war. But when they're coming back, we don't have the same focus on taking care of them.' A recent report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found that in 2011 the VA gave $160 million in bonuses to medical providers without adequately linking the extra pay to the quality of their work.
"Last year was a particularly costly one in terms of malpractice payouts, due in large part to a single $17.5 million court judgment. The award, the largest in 10 years, went to a Philadelphia Marine Corps veteran left permanently paralyzed by a routine tooth extraction."
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/11/13/veterans-malpractice-claims-on-the-rise.html
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/lawsuit/veteran_medical_malpractice.html
Public Health
We respectfully submit that if the Federal Government has failed to control astronomical fraud within the Medicare Program, and is unable to provide medical care for Veterans in the largest healthcare system in the country, The Veterans Administration Medical Centers, then it is also incompetent to administer a national healthcare program, or to administer single-payer health insurance.
"If you believe that the latest blockbuster medication is worth a premium price over your generic brand, or that doctors have access to all the information they need about a drug's safety and effectiveness each time they write a prescription, Dr. Jerry Avorn has some sobering news. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of patient care, teaching, and research at Harvard Medical School, he shares his firsthand experience of the wide gap in our knowledge of the effectiveness of one medication as compared to another. In POWERFUL MEDICINES, he reminds us that every pill we take represents a delicate compromise between the promise of healing, the risk of side effects, and an increasingly daunting price. The stakes on each front grow higher every year as new drugs with impressive power, worrisome side effects, and troubling costs are introduced.
"This is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at issues that affect everyone: our shortage of data comparing the worth of similar drugs for the same condition; alarming lapses in the detection of lethal side effects; the under use of life-saving medications; lavish marketing campaigns that influence what doctors prescribe; and the resulting upward spiral of costs that places vital drugs beyond the reach of many Americans.
"In this engagingly written book, Dr. Avorn asks questions that will interest every consumer: How can a product judged safe by the Food and Drug Administration turn out to have unexpectedly lethal side effects? Why has the nation's drug bill been growing at nearly 20 percent per year? How can physicians and patients pick the best medication in its class? How do doctors actually make their prescribing decisions, and why do those decisions sometimes go wrong? Why do so many Americans suffer preventable illnesses and deaths that proper drug use could have averted? How can the nation gain control over its escalating drug budget without resorting to rationing or draconian governmental controls?
"Using clinical case histories taken from his own work as a practitioner, researcher, and advocate, Dr. Avorn demonstrates the impressive power of the well-conceived prescription as well as the debacles that can result when medications are misused. He describes an innovative program that employs the pharmaceutical industry's own marketing techniques to reduce use of some of the most over prescribed and overpriced products. Powerful Medicines offers timely and practical advice on how the nation can improve its drug-approval process, and how patients can work with doctors to make sure their prescriptions are safe, effective, and as affordable as possible.
"This is a passionate and provocative call for action as well as a compelling work of clear-headed science.
"Jerry Avorn, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. An internist, geriatrician, and drug researcher, he is the author of more than two hundred papers in the medical literature on medication use and its outcomes, and one of the most frequently cited researchers in the fields of social science and medicine." -- Publisher
"Easy to read and follow, wide-ranging in scope, dripping with insight from a real medical insider, and very humorous besides, this book is a tour-de-force in many aspects. Problems with HMOs, the FDA, Big Pharma, and out-of-control drug advertising are all addressed. The benefits of drugs are addressed by giving examples of the launching of some that were later risky enough to be banned. The most detailed illustration of the benefits and limitations of the randomized clinical trial (RCT) I have ever read are in this book. Dr. Avorn also gave the best illustration of the advantages of the observational study on large numbers of subjects as a better way to find the risks of drugs. The risks of drugs have many causes besides their inherent toxicity. Dr. Avorn shows how the subjects in an RCT may be healthier or younger or too male compared with the likely drug target group, how dosages may be too high for children or the elderly, how adverse effects are hard to predict and under-reported and that RCTs are not run for enough time. He notes how too many drugs are approved by the FDA based on handy measurements such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels, not real clinical endpoints, like death. The costs of drugs are noted to be whatever the markets will bear, even when the key discoveries are made in government or academic labs, as is usually the case. He writes about the drug information overload for physicians from ads or 'detail women' from Big Pharma, and of 'education' courses put on by Big Pharma, all biased of course. Dr. Avorn has, for >25 years, been involved in studies on how to use computerized data on filled prescriptions and later medical histories of each patient to correlate drug use with well-being. Some of the results have been put into practice with improved patient well-being and lower costs for drugs. He also introduced 'academic detailing' to teach physicians how to prescribe better and cheaper drugs. For these efforts alone he should have a Nobel Prize in Medicine, in my opinion. He makes a number of practical suggestions on improving healthcare in the USA, all with understanding that pluralism, competition and choice are key features of any success in the USA. Prescribing via computer could alert the MD to cheaper drug alternatives, dosage for each age group, and potential interactions. The pharmacy would have accurate input and alerts to prescriptions being filled at other pharmacies. Of larger scope is Dr. Avorn's idea of creating non-profit healthcare provider organizations that are also the insurers. They would be audited annually and evaluated for effectiveness annually with all results being made public. Other suggestions are that drug approval by the FDA no longer be 'yes and good luck' or 'no,' but that there be conditional approvals to be reviewed. Some other federal agency would evaluate risks, not the same people in the FDA who approved the drugs. There is great detail and subtlety overall. The index is adequate. Referencing by page number was sparse. So how could I give only 3 stars to this tour-de-force? While Dr. Avorn was realistic about drug classes such as the NSAIDS (Vioxx, Celebrex), he is far too sanguine, in my opinion, about anticancer, blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol drugs. He is far too negative about vitamins and supplements. Anticancer drugs usually do not prolong life (Moss, 2000). There is no evidence that the wide use of BP drugs provides major benefits, even Dr. Avorn's preferred beta-blockers and diuretics. In RCTs combined in a meta-analysis, the use of beta-blockers reduced mortality by only 0.1 percent annually (Psaty, 1997). The ALLHAT RCT cited by Dr. Avorn had no placebo arm, and the results for the diuretic, which was not a thiazide type, were a bit worse than for the other drug types (Kauffman, 2004). Only when BP is very high, as in the Swedish Trial in Old Patients (STOP), (Dahlöf, 1991), is the result barely worthwhile. The 1627 subjects of both sexes were 70-84 years old and had mean BP = 195/102 at baseline and were followed for 4 years at 116 health centers in Sweden. The drugs were a diuretic, or the same combined with a beta-blocker. After 4 years 89 percent of the drug-treated group were alive vs. 85 percent on placebo, for a drop of just 1 percent per year in mortality. Stroke rate dropped just 1.5 percent per year. In the ASCOT trial of atorvastatin (Lipitor) the chance of not dying was improved by just 0.15 percent per year (Sever, 2003), at a cost of $1,000,000 to prevent 1 death for one year! And this was a trial that Pfizer chose to publish! In the few RCTs in which mortality for women on statin drugs was published, it was higher in all cases (Criqui, 2004), as it is also for aspirin use (Kauffman, 2002). The slight benefits of statin drugs on heart attack and mortality rates have nothing to do with lowering cholesterol or LDL levels, but are related to the presence of cytomegalovirus or inflammation in mostly male patients with severely blocked coronary arteries (Horne, 2003). Dr. Avorn does not admit that the low compliance rates with these two types of drugs is caused by their severe side-effects such that half drop them in a year and up to 3/4 after 2 years (Pahor, 2000; Jackevicius, 2002). Dr. Avorn was extremely negative on the use of supplements, and on the 1994 law that declared them foods, not drugs, unaware of the previous FDA bias in evaluating them. He wrote that none have had valid trial results. This is untrue for selenium (Bjelakovic et al., 2004), a few herbals (Vickers, 1999), ginkgo (Kleijnen, 1992), vitamin C (Hickey, 2004), magnesium (Paolissi, 1989), and some others. Stopping useless drugs altogether rather than substituting cheaper ones, and using certain supplements will save far more than prescribing generics! Willful perversions of RCTs is better covered in OVERDO$ED AMERICA by John Abramson, MD. Complete references available." -- Joel M. Kauffman
See the extended excerpt, "The Pregnant Mare's Lesson" reprinted by permission in the Editorial Reviews for the book at Amazon.com.
"Profiteering pharmaceutical companies and the FDA have met their match in Dr. Jerry Avorn, a Harvard Medical school researcher and clinician. In POWERFUL MEDICINES, he brilliantly combines patient vignettes, scientific critique, and statistics to create a risk/benefit balance for prescription drugs. His premise: 'Every drug is a triangle with three faces -- representing the healing it can bring, the hazards it can inflict and the economic impact of each.' Avorn's gifts as a writer are apparent in the prologue, an edgy account of the mismanaged medications of several stroke patients. He then details the intellectual history of drug assessment and benefits, including the biblical food police in the Book of Daniel, the deer in the headlights Estrogen debacle, and the current infatuation with Ginseng and other alternative medicines. Turning from benefits to risks, Avorn examines diet pills, Viagra, cold medicines and diabetes drugs with comparisons to the decisions of Dr. Fautus -- who makes life-changing bargains between safety and effectiveness. Other insightful chapters offer views of prescription drug economies, and comparative healthcare around the globe. The final chapters create an insightful template for emerging public policy. Throughout, Avorn pulls at common threads: the line between personal and public responsibility, the perils of drug promotion, and the marketplace that usurps the role of scientific evidence in selecting treatments. Anyone looking for a quick muckraking read will be disappointed. But Avorn's views, literate and complex, will frame the debate on prescription drugs for years to come." -- Barbara Mackoff
"The Industrial Revolution ushered in a lot of nice toys and some really convenient products -- if it hasn't made our lives a little more frantic -- but with this book, and now a host of other books like it, we see that the end results of our mad-dash to make and remake the world using our new scientific know-how is taking a huge toll on human health: Sperm counts are plummeting, cancer-rates are sky high, the immune system is being undermined, and hormone-mimics are quite possibly eroding our intelligence and altering our behavior. Without realizing it, we have put ourselves in grave peril, and ironically enough it is a cadre of scientists (life scientists, that is, ecologists and biologists), who are sounding the wake-up call -- ironic because it was their ilk, the chemists and scientific industrialists, who brought us pesticides, PCBs, and other toxic substances in the first place. The sad fact is, we all have these substances in our body now. There is no way to escape the new, chemicalized environment we have constructed. So in other words, there is no getting off this joy ride. That said, if you are interested in learning about natural detoxification processes, read HORMONE DECEPTION (Berkson, 2000). There is a lot of useful information in there, as well as a chapter about how diet and exercise can help keep these substances at lower levels by speeding up and aiding the body's natural detoxification processes. In a nutshell, she suggested eating green, yellow and red veggies, taking in a lot of protein (nuts and seeds work fine for vegetarians), getting a regular dose of antioxidents, and exercising until you sweat for 30 minutes six days a week. For more detailed information, read the book. Take care of your body. Tread lightly on the planet. Good luck!" -- Jeff W. Krueger
"OUR STOLEN FUTURE is a great introduction to one of the most important scientific discoveries in our time. Having recently completed a thesis project at university on Endocrine Disruptors, I have reviewed hundreds of papers on the subject. This book is a good clear overview of the scientific literature on EDs. The authors are experts -- Theo Colborn is largely responsible for creating the field by bringing together diverse researchers so they could see the big picture of their work. Many of the principle investigators are interviewed and quoted at length on the way chemicals participate in and interfere with delicate hormonal systems in animals (including humans). The major accomplishment of the book is to make an easy-to-follow story out of complex research. Many resources are available to help you assess the reliability of this story, and the best thing to do if you have any doubts is read review articles in scientific journals (which are easier to understand than technical papers). The Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) have a guidebook for healthcare professionals on Endocrine Disruptors, and the U.S. EPA has many reports on the matter. Beware of people or websites who try to 'debunk' this book (or the science behind it), by simply declaring it false, flawed or disproven. There is far too much supporting research for so simple a refutation. OUR STOLEN FUTURE is well written and a compelling read." -- Reader's Comment
Our Stolen Future
"OUR STOLEN FUTURE is a scientific detective story that explores the emerging science of endocrine disruption: how some synthetic chemicals interfere with the ways that hormones work in humans and wildlife.
"This website, www.ourstolenfuture.org, is the web home for the authors of OUR STOLEN FUTURE, where we provide regular updates about the cutting edge of science related to endocrine disruption. We will also post information about ongoing policy debates, as well as new suggestions about what you can do as a consumer and citizen to minimize risks related to hormonally-disruptive contaminants."
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/
". . . While states that pursued an Eisenhower-style approach, like Florida, protected freedom and performed better in education, economy and health outcomes. Executives are elected to lead and make tough decisions, and such leadership cannot be outsourced to health bureaucrats like Fauci." -- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
"In this important book the authors do the job our uninquisitive media has failed to do throughout this ordeal, confirming with cited and sourced details the enemy of both liberty and logic the lockdowns have proven to be. Which also proves too much power in the hands of an unelected bureaucrat, regardless of his intentions, can no longer be our new normal." -- U.S. Senator Rand Paul (KY)
"Can liberty survive in the hands of one all-powerful, unchallenged, and unelected bureaucrat? It wasn't too long ago that the average American didn't know who Anthony Fauci was. Now, after the coronavirus has spread nationwide, he's arguably the most powerful bureaucrat in American history. But is it dangerous for a free society to concentrate so much power in the hands of an unelected official? Who or what holds Fauci accountable?" -- Publisher
Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world. Why are we confronted with a huge drug counterfeiting problem? (FDA, Eban)
"Stolen, compromised, and counterfeit medicine increasingly makes its way into a poorly regulated distribution system -- where it may reach unsuspecting patients who stake their lives on its effectiveness. Investigative medical reporter Eban's exploration of America's secret ring of drug counterfeiters takes us to Florida, where a team of investigators follows the trail of medicine stolen in a seemingly minor break-in as it funnels into a sprawling national network of drug polluters. Their pursuit stretches from a strip joint in South Miami to the halls of Congress as they battle entrenched political interests and uncover an increasing threat to America's health." -- Publisher
Her article on Ranbaxy, "Dirty Medicine," was published in the May 15, 2013, issue of Fortune.
"This is a study of global public health. Plague, pollution and prostitution are all examined in turn. The author shows how basic trust in public health systems has collapsed and how our global public health system has been systematically destroyed." -- Publisher
"This is the book that shifted my political views from anarchy into the recognition that centralized forms of governance are essential for such services as public health. This book is somewhat of a frightening read in that it suddenly makes you realize that mankind is not only being threatened environmentally and by terrorism and warfare, but much more imminently through disease and the surge of new antibiotic resistant microbes. An eye-opener, for sure, and definitely worth working through this giant tome." -- Reader's Comment
"The issues surrounding generic drugs are endlessly fascinating. Pharmacists like generic drugs because the mark-up is better than on brand name drugs. Insurance companies love generic drugs because generics save the companies a ton of money. As a taxpayer, I'm happy that federal and state governments embrace generic drugs. I'd hate to be taxed to pay for exclusively brand name drugs for Medicare Part D, and for the Veterans Administration, and for Medicaid programs, etc. I like the fact that the government embraces generic drugs because that holds down my taxes. But as a consumer, I prefer brand name drugs.
"One of the fundamental tenets of capitalism is that price determines quality. You get what you pay for. That's why tires for your car with a 80,000-mile treadlife warranty cost much more than tires with a 25,000-mile warranty. When you go to a supermarket, do you buy the store brand of green beans or do you prefer Green Giant or DelMonte? Are you happy when your automobile mechanic uses a brand of motor oil you've never heard of, or do you prefer that he uses Valvoline or Havoline? If you need a pacemaker for your heart, wouldn't you want the absolute finest on the market? If you need a drug to control a heart arrhythmia, would you be wise to accept a generic? The examples are endless but the point is the same. Can you be assured of quality when the cost of a generic product is half the price of a brand name?
"The Graedons point out that the FDA is grossly understaffed and that the chances are frighteningly small that the FDA will actually pull and test a drug sample from a pharmacy shelf or even from the plant where the drugs are manufactured.
"Belief in the quality of generic drugs is, in my opinion, based more on faith than science. Too many powerful groups have a vested interest in the perception that generic drugs are as good as brand name. I'm not making the case that we as a society embrace brand name drugs and discard generics. Quite to the contrary. Americans are grossly overmedicated, in no small part as a consequence of direct-to-consumer drug advertising on TV and in newspapers and magazines. Americans would do well to embrace prevention and let pharmaceuticals return to their proper role in society, important but far more limited. I do everything in my power to prevent illness, but when I do need a drug, I prefer a brand name, especially when it's used to treat a serious medical condition.
"The Graedons have been enthusiastic supporters of generic drugs for decades but have lately begun to have second thoughts. They cite an increasing number of letters from readers of their newspaper column who have less than satisfactory results with generic drugs. Patients who are well-controlled on the anti-seizure drug Dilantin suddenly begin having seizures when switched to the generic phenytoin. Men taking the brand name Hytrin for enlarged prostate begin having more difficulty urinating when swithched to the generic terazosin. Mothers complain that their child's behavior worsens when switched from the brand name Ritalin to the generic methylphenidate. Patients taking the brand name Synthroid complain that they begin experiencing thyroid symptoms when switched to the generic levothyroxine. Patients on the brand name blood thinner Coumadin have more difficulty keeping their clotting in the target range when switched to the generic warfarin. And so on.
"What is one to make of this? Are these people imagining these differences in effectiveness between brand name drugs and generics? Are these people simply complaining because their insurance company or Medicaid pushes them to accept generics?
"It is not rare that pharmacists hear complaints from our customers that generics do not perform as well as brand name drugs. Many pharmacists dismiss such complaints outright. Other pharmacists are beginning to wonder if there may be some truth in our customers' complaints. Pharmacists certainly aren't impressed when we receive bottles of a hundred, or five-hundred, or a thousand tablets from a generic manufacturer and we see lots of powder at the bottom of the bottle as a result of too many broken tablets. This tells pharmacists that quality control at the manufacturing plant is not the best. Pharmacists see powder and broken tablets far less often with brand name tablets.
"People used to think that generic drugs were made in a bathtub in someone's back yard. That's not the case. Some brand name manufacturers do, in fact, make generic drugs. But I have serious doubts whether, in general, there is as much quality control with generic drugs compared to brand name. For example, when I read advertisements for generic drugs in my pharmacy magazines, I am struck by the fact that the number one theme of these advertisements is QUALITY. Why are all these generic manufacturers trying so hard to convince pharmacists that their generic products are of high quality? If the FDA says that all generic drugs are as good as brand name, why are the generic manufacturers still obsessed with convincing pharmacists about the quality of their generic products?
"BEST CHOICES FROM THE PEOPLE'S PHARMACY is an eye-opener on this and many other important issues. When it comes to exposure of the pharmaceutical industry, the Graedons are the best." -- Reader's Comment
"This special edition (524 pages), is not available in any bookstore. It contains an expansion of our PEOPLE'S PHARMACY FAVORITE PICKS (home remedies), and a new chapter on Desert Island Drugs and Dietary Supplements. Some of the country's leading experts have contributed their insights on the best treatments for what ails you. This edition is not in stores or on other Internet sites. It is only available from Rodale Books and directly from The People's Pharmacy.
"We ship book orders Media Mail (5-10 day delivery expected)."
The People's Phamacy Books
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/books/
"The U.S. government is now practically screaming that a new avian super-flu will likely kill millions of Americans. The mainstream media is entirely onboard, as are drug companies and other corporations poised to benefit immensely off the paranoia. But there is NO coming bird flu pandemic. It's an elaborate scheme contrived by the government and big business for reasons that boil down to power and money.
"Presenting eye-opening evidence that casts serious doubt on the truthfulness of reports about the virus's ability to transmit, and its mortality rates around the world, renowned physician Dr. Joseph Mercola reveals the secrets about the great bird flu hoax. In compelling fashion he provides you the real facts you need to know to protect you from a far greater ill -- corporate and governmental greed." -- Publisher
"Corporate defenders, scientists and victims appear, including U.S. veterans exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam war, factory workers exposed to PCBs, housewives exposed to toxic spray in logging areas, people exposed to the poisons at Love Canal and other waste disposal sites.
"Part One focuses on dioxin. 57 minutes.
"Part Two focuses on PCBs. 57 minutes.
http://www.richtervideos.com/APlagueonOurChildren/
"Winner of the 2008 Nautilus Silver Award in the category of Ecology/Environment/Sustainability and Conscious Media/Journalism. New evidence seems to arrive daily -- from stories about tainted pet food to toxic toys -- of the dangerous consequences that lax environmental policies are having on the consumer products that we, and our children, use every day thanks to lobbying efforts by the U.S. chemical industry.
"Meanwhile, the European Union is forcing these global corporate giants to chart a new path that, by requiring safe products, is revamping how businesses can create safe products and make money.
"In EXPOSED: THE TOXIC CHEMISTRY OF EVERYDAY PRODUCTS AND WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR AMERICAN POWER investigative journalist Mark Schapiro takes the reader inside the corridors of global power where tectonic battles are occurring that will impact the health of ourselves and the planet.
"Schapiro's exposé shows how laws adopted by the European Union -- where stricter consumer-safety standards are in place -- have forced multinationals into manufacturing safer products. And, short of such strong government action the United States will lose its claim of economic and environmental supremacy.
"Increasingly, products developed and sold in the United States are equated with serious health hazards, and many of those products are soon to be banned from Europe and other parts of the world.
"Schapiro's revelations in this thought-provoking work will change the way American consumers think about everyday products -- from plastic softeners that can contribute to sexual malformations to lipstick additives that are potential toxins to the brain, liver, kidneys, and immune system. And it will stir them into forcing our government to take the lead of others, including the European Union, China, and countries in Central and South America.
"Exposed is a revealing and fascinating look at global markets, everyday products, and the toxic chemicals that bind them. It will shock, inform, and warn American businesses and government leaders about the risks of being left behind in the international marketplace.
"Schapiro's book shines a light on Europe's evolving search for higher standards that places Brussels, not Washington, at the center of global market innovation.
"Mark Schapiro is editorial director of the Center for Investigative Reporting in San Francisco. He has written extensively on foreign affairs and his work has appeared in Harper's, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine and other publications, and has reported stories for Frontline, NOW with Bill Moyers, and public radio's Marketplace. Schapiro lives in San Francisco, California." -- Publisher
"There probably isn't a single person in the United States whose health hasn't been affected by phthalates (pronounced tha-lates). These guys are plastic softeners. You'll find them in shower curtains, shampoo bottles, raincoats, perfumes, rubber duckies, teething rings, car dashboards -- you name it. They're linked with endocrine ailments. They make your hormones crazy. They lower sperm counts, may be linked to prostate and breast cancers, and sexual dysfunction. They can cause genetic mutations.
"And they're entirely unnecessary. There are other nontoxic additives to make plastic pliable.
"Oh, and one more thing: while perfectly legal in the U.S., phthalates are illegal in the European Union. In fact, as author Schapiro points out, a whole cesspool of toxic additives that are perfectly acceptable in the U.S. have been outlawed in the EU for a long time now. Chinese factories that try to sell phthalate-riddled plastic toys in Europe get their commodities rejected at the borders. Guess where they eventually wind up? Under your kid's Christmas tree. As Schapiro says (p. 189), the U.S. is becoming 'a dumping ground or goods not wanted elsewhere in the world.'
"That the FDA and other governmental agencies are doing a crappy job protecting us from harmful and unnecessary toxins in everyday commodities probably doesn't come as much of a shock to anyone. But Schapiro's speculation about why the EU does such a better job watchdogging its citizens is worth heeding. Healthcare in the EU is nationalized. The government, using in part taxpayer monies, picks up the tab for taking care of sick and dying people. In this kind of healthcare environment, you better believe that preventive medicine is a high governmental priority, because neglect today costs more tomorrow. So it's in the interest of the individual EU states, as well as their tax-paying citizens, to make sure that toxins stay out of their countries.
"Something to think long and hard about if you live in a country like the U.S. big on deregulation, privatized healthcare, and plastic stuff." -- Reader's Comment
"I bought and read this book together with HOW EVERYDAY PRODUCTS MAKE PEOPLE SICK: TOXINS AT HOME AND IN THE WORKPLACE where my review has ten links to other books that I will not duplicate here.
"I found the book sensible and compelling on three points:
1) Weak U.S. environmental law are turning the U.S. into a dumping ground for unhealthy products that Europe and Asia will not accept
"I was especially concerned to read about toys made of plastic whose vapor emissions harm children over time.
2) The European Union is a bigger client of China's than the US
3) The European Union is not just making very strong and sensible regulation about public safety, it is carrying those requirements all the way to the Chinese factory floor, and in the process, making both China and Europe superior to the U.S. on the manufacturing and sustainability fronts.
"The author tells us that the U.S. is suffering from 'analysis paralysis' and that Europe is at least a decade ahead of us.
"The 'dirty dozen' of the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are:
"Digital component waste is mentioned throughout the book.
"The book concludes with a look at genetically modified crops, and a French court finding that farmers were acting in self-defense when they destroyed such crops at research farms.
"REACH is the EU's Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals program and it is becoming a global standard (except in the US).
"Good notes and index.
"See also:
Related Weblinks
Evidence of Massive Fraud in Handling of Covid-19
"This is but a tiny fraction of the evidence exposing the complete fraud of how the Covid-19 pandemic has been handled. The powers that be -- Big Pharma, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx, the CDC, FDA, NIH, WHO, mainstream media, Big Tech -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Instagram -- and others have all worked very hard to create a narrative that enriches them and enslaves you. You can't fight them if you don't know the whole story."
https://protectingtheconstitution.home.blog/2021/04/02/evidence-of-massive-fraud-in-handling-of-covid-19/
FDA Announces Plan to Eliminate Vitamin Companies, Byron J. Richards, June 27, 2007
"The FDA, emboldened by its transformation into a drug company, has embarked upon an anti-American plan of interfering with business and intentionally eliminating various dietary supplement companies from the market. The FDA announcement came on Friday, June 22, 2007 under the guise of a final rule for dietary supplement good manufacturing practices (CGMPs). Within this 800 page rule the FDA states, 'We find that this final rule will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. . . . Establishments with above average costs, and even establishments with average costs, could be hard pressed to operate. Some of these may decide it is too costly and either change product lines or go out of business. . . . 140 very small [less than 20 employees], and 32 small dietary supplement manufacturers [less than 500 employees], will be at risk of going out of business. . . . costs per establishment are proportionally higher for very small than for large establishments. . . . The regulatory costs of this final rule will also discourage new small businesses from entering the industry'."
http://www.newswithviews.com/Richards/byron36.htm
FDA Consumer Health Information
"FDA offers timely and easy-to-read articles on product approvals, safety warnings, and other health information. Articles cover all FDA-regulated products, including human drugs, drugs and feed for animals, medical devices, vaccines, blood, food, dietary supplements, and cosmetics."
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm287405.htm
FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
"The Food and Drug Administration has approved irradiation of meat and poultry and allows its use for a variety of other foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and spices. The agency determined that the process is safe and effective in decreasing or eliminating harmful bacteria. Irradiation also reduces spoilage bacteria, insects and parasites, and in certain fruits and vegetables it inhibits sprouting and delays ripening. For example, irradiated strawberries stay unspoiled up to three weeks, versus three to five days for untreated berries.
"Food irradiation is allowed in nearly 40 countries and is endorsed by the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association and many other organizations.
"Irradiation does not make foods radioactive, just as an airport luggage scanner does not make luggage radioactive. Nor does it cause harmful chemical changes. The process may cause a small loss of nutrients but no more so than with other processing methods such as cooking, canning, or heat pasteurization. Federal rules require irradiated foods to be labeled as such to distinguish them from non-irradiated foods. . . .
"FDA currently requires that irradiated foods include labelling with either the statement 'treated with radiation' or 'treated by irradiation' and the international symbol for irradiation, the radura (pictured at the top of this document)."
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm287405.htm
Federal Government Flu Information and Map
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/
The Growing war Between Modern Medicine and the Public, Bill Sardi
"More Americans are going to have to find ways to stay healthy outside of running to the doctor for everything that ails them. The healthcare system, and the insurance system, won't be there for them. An unorganized self-care revolution is now in progress, which proceeds largely without doctor guidance or cooperation. More Americans are shunning problematic and overpriced prescription medications for vitamin and herbal supplements. The National Health Federation is leading that effort."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi99.html
Happy Birthday to Great Britain's Increasingly Scandalous National Health Service, July 5, 2013
"Despite its much heralded presence in Britain's healthcare, the problems of the NHS are severe, notorious, and increasingly scandalous in the most fundamental attributes of any healthcare system: access and quality."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottatlas/2013/07/05/happy-birthday-to-great-britains-increasingly-scandalous-national-health-service/
Imported Food Rarely Inspected, Andrew Bridges, 2007/04/16
"WASHINGTON (April 16) -- Just 1.3 percent of imported fish, vegetables, fruit and other foods are inspected -- yet those government inspections regularly reveal food unfit for human consumption.
"Frozen catfish from China, beans from Belgium, jalapenos from Peru, blackberries from Guatemala, baked goods from Canada, India and the Philippines -- the list of tainted food detained at the border by the Food and Drug Administration stretches on.
"Last month alone, FDA detained nearly 850 shipments of grains, fish, vegetables, nuts, spice, oils and other imported foods for issues ranging from filth to unsafe food coloring to contamination with pesticides to salmonella.
"And that's with just 1.3 percent of the imports inspected. As for the other 98.7 percent, it's not inspected, much less detained, and goes to feed the nation's growing appetite for imported foods."
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/imported-food-rarely-inspected/20070416070909990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
Index to Drug-specific Information
"This index features an alphabetical listing of drugs that have been the subject of a Public Health Advisory, a Healthcare Professional Information sheet, an Early Communication About an Ongoing Safety Issue, or other important information."
http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/postmarketdrugsafetyinformationforpatientsandproviders/ucm111085.htm
ObamaCare Chart (Organizational Flow Chart)
http://kevinbrady.house.gov/uploads/Obamacare%20Chart.pdf
The Prospects for Ending ObamaCare: Learning From Health Policy History, Robert E. Moffit
"Abstract: Based on Washington's record of health policymaking, ending or rolling back ObamaCare is anything but implausible. Now that President Barack Obama has signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, much of the focus of the nation's ongoing health care debate will center on the impact of ObamaCare's provisions on businesses and employment-based health insurance, as well as the contribution of new taxation and regulation to the rising cost of health insurance premiums and the intrusive regulatory changes that will be imposed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on state health insurance markets. One of the routinely stated objectives of the Obama health policy agenda was to get health care costs under control; it doesn't. Moreover, official Washington's obsession with controlling, defining, regulating, and restricting private-sector health insurance options overlooks the obvious: Real cost control begins with the nation's largest entitlements, Medicare and Medicaid [and the Veterans Administration Medical Centers -- compiler], for which lawmakers have direct responsibility."
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/06/the-prospects-for-ending-obamacare-learning-from-health-policy-history
Report on Carcinogens, Eleventh Edition; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program
Includes substance profiles.
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?objectid=72016262-BDB7-CEBA-FA60E922B18C2540
The Vegetable-Industrial Complex
"When Tommy Thompson retired from the Department of Health and Human Services in 2004, he said something chilling at his farewell news conference: 'For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply, because it is so easy to do.' The reason it is so easy to do was laid out in a 2003 G.A.O. report to Congress on bioterrorism. 'The high concentration of our livestock industry and the centralized nature of our food-processing industry' make them 'vulnerable to terrorist attack.' Today 80 percent of America's beef is slaughtered by four companies, 75 percent of the precut salads are processed by two and 30 percent of the milk by just one company. Keeping local food economies healthy -- and at the moment they are thriving -- is a matter not of sentiment but of critical importance to the national security and the public health, as well as to reducing our dependence on foreign sources of energy.
"Yet perhaps the gravest threat now to local food economies -- to the farmer selling me my spinach, to the rancher who sells me my grass-fed beef -- is, of all things, the government's own well-intentioned efforts to clean up the industrial food supply. Already, hundreds of regional meat-processing plants -- the ones that local meat producers depend on -- are closing because they can't afford to comply with the regulatory requirements the U.S.D.A. rightly imposes on giant slaughterhouses that process 400 head of cattle an hour."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/magazine/15wwln_lede.html?ex=1318564800&en=5ccac7b4a09bc465&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Most diseases are self-limiting [and often will clear up in three to six months with no treatment -- compiler]. (Mendelsohn)
Almy, Gary, and Carol Tharp Almy, with Jerry Jenkins, Addicted to Recovery: Exposing the False Gospel of Psychotherapy: Escaping the Trap of Victim Mentality, ISBN: 1565071859 9781565071858, 251 pages.
"The Almys are medical doctors who have written a polemic against the pop psychologies that have recently swept into the church. Through a series of detailed case studies, they portray the dynamics operative in therapeutically-induced false memories, the healing of memories, multiple personality disorder, unmet love needs, and codependency." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
*Blanchard, Ken, and Marietta Abrams Brill, What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypothyroidism: A Simple Plan for Extraordinary Results, ISBN: 0446690619 9780446690614.
Foreword by Mary J. Shomon. (See also Mary Shomon's book Living Well With Hypothyroidism below.)
"Depression, fatigue, headaches, memory lapses, weight gain, constipation, cold intolerance, slowed reflexes, hair loss, menstrual abnormalities -- these are some of the vague, sometimes debilitating symptoms that, in varying combinations, plague more than 13 million patients with hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, many patients with hypothyroidism go for months to years, from doctor to doctor, from test to tests without being properly diagnosed. This is because the TSH blood test, considered the gold standard for diagnosis, is simply not an accurate indicator of hypothryoidism. Perhaps more perplexing, millions who are properly diagnosed find themselves undergoing often ineffective treatments for their disorder. At last, there is a solution: Dr. Blanchard's groundbreaking treatment program draws on emerging research, medical facts, and three decades of clinical experiences as an endocrinologist. It's an individualized program that uses questionnaires and charts to help diagnose sufferers through symptoms, not lab results -- and treats patients of all ages with the safe, but little used T3 hormone in the best combination with the more common T4 hormone, as well as with specific nutritional advice and alternative treatments that really work!" -- Publisher
The thyroid regulates metabolism and effects every organ in the body. Experts estimates that as many as 20 million Americans, or more, may be affected by hypothyroidism. Women are more often affected than men. Illnesses, exposure to toxic chemicals, physical injury of the thyroid, and heredity my cause hypothyroidism. Therefore, if you have a "condition" that has never been diagnosed, then look into the possibility of hypothroidism. Anyone who has trouble with depression should undergo a two-week diagnostic trial with thyroid hormones, because depression "is a typical misdiagnosis of hypothyroidism."
If a reader thinks they may have hypothyroidism, or knows someone who may have hypothyroidism, then the best thing to do is to read Ken Blanchard's book. It is written to both the patient and the physician. The book guides the patient in preparing a medical history that will expose hypothyroidism. Present the medical history to the doctor and request a two week clinical trial of levothyroxine (Synthroid) synthetic T4 hormone replacement. If you feel better during the trial, then that is the diagnosis. Keep in mind that many patients and those advancing in years may have sub-clinical hypothyroidism (light cases) and may benefit by hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Untangling Thyroid Confusion, April 9, 2005
"There is a little gland in your neck that can control your sex life, your weight, your energy and even your mood. But surprisingly, this gland (the thyroid) frequently gets out of whack. Of the 20 million Americans who have thyroid disorders, more than half don't realize it, according to the American Medical Women's Association. Does our diet affect the thyroid gland. Do prescription drugs or chemicals in our environment interfere with proper thyroid functioning? And how do we know when our thyroid is not working adequately? You will find out why it is important to look beyond the lab tests to the patient's symptoms to understand the story behind thyroid insufficiency. Guests: Kenneth Blanchard, M.D., Ph.D., is a board certified endocrinologist. Along with his private practice in Newton-Wellesley, Massachusetts, he also addresses many types of groups on the topic of hypothyroidism, and is considered an authority on the subject. He is the co-author of WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT HYPOTHYROIDISM: A SIMPLE PLAN FOR EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS. Mary Shomon is a patient advocate and author. Her books include LIVING WELL WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM and THE THYROID DIET: MANAGE YOUR METABOLISM FOR LASTING WEIGHT LOSS."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/radio_shows/538_untangling_thyroid_confusion.asp
Cassels, Alan, Seeking Sickness: Medical Screening and the Misguided Hunt for Disease, ISBN: 9781771000321 1771000325.
"The author explores how screening healthy people for diseases as opposed to using screening as a diagnostic tool when there are symptoms present, can actually make you sicker. He contends that there are many false positive results and the resulting anxiety and subsequent tests a person undergoes if they don't take a wait and see attitude can be quite detrimental to people.
"He also points out that screening tests that have been used for decades may not need to be used as often as we are told, however, since that doesn't go with what we believe based on what we've been told, and because special interest groups and agencies cry foul, we continue in the way that we have always known." -- Reader's Comment
Feldman, Steve, Compartments: How the Brightest, Best Trained, and Most Caring People can Make Judgments That are Completely and Utterly Wrong, ISBN: 1441526331 9781441526335 9781441526328 1441526323.
"Dr. Steven Feldman has written an extraordinary book. Provocative and often brilliant, Dr. Feldman has examined his own thinking and that of the medical profession in general, critically looking for patterns of misunderstanding between medical specialties and between physicians and others concerned with public health. Dr. Feldman courageously applies his paradigm of conceptual 'compartments' beyond medicine to contemporary political conflicts, searching for new, more hopeful and productive ways of engaging with previously intractable conflicts. Regardless of occupational or political loyalties, all will benefit from reading 'Compartments'. Dr. Feldman's book contains many stimulating ideas, an unflagging idealism, a willingness to question received wisdom and the potential to shock readers into thinking outside the box of his or her own 'compartment'." -- Michael Sugrue, Ph.D.
Green, Peter H.R., and Rory Jones, Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, ISBN: 006076693X 9780060766931.
Celiac disease is sensitivity to gluten: wheat, sugar, and carbohydrates. See also: GRAIN BRAIN: THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT WHEAT, CARBS, AND SUGAR -- YOUR BRAIN'S SILENT KILLERS.
"A survey of the frequently undiagnosed autoimmune disease describes the signs and symptoms of celiac disease, its effects on the human body's digestive system, available diagnostic procedures, treatment options, and diet and lifestyle issues." -- Publisher
Grelsamer, Ronald P., What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Knee Pain and Surgery: Learn the Truth About MRIs and Common Misdiagnoses -- And Avoid Unnecessary Surgery, ISBN: 0446679771 9780446679770.
"Almost 400,000 joint replacements are performed annually in the United States. In WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT HIP AND KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY, Dr. Ronald Grelsamer takes the reader through the exact nature of hip and knee replacement surgery. He covers the history and evolution of hip and joint implants, the significant differences between types of implants, the risks and limitations of replacement surgery and the need-to-know facts for a lasting recovery, including a step-by-step physical program to recover from surgery in the shortest time possible. In seventeen accessible chapters Dr. Grelsamer covers every area of concern that a patient may have and enable them to take control, ask the right questions and avoid the common mistakes that so often get made, usually at the patient's expense." -- Publisher
"I discovered Dr. Grelsamer's books last fall after undergoing an unnecessary knee arthroscopy that caused more pain and problems than before. If I had read Dr. Grelsamer's advice earlier, I could have avoided six months of trauma, but even so, Dr. Grelsamer's straightforward guidance and treatment suggestions have been critical to my present well-being. Characteristically candid and entertaining, Dr. Grelsamer explains in detail all the information readers need to know to make sensible decisions about hip and knee replacement surgery. He challenges routine testing techniques that contribute to diagnoses which are often misleading, and explains which controversial breakthroughs are safe and reliable, such as mini-incision surgeries and the latest implants. This book is a MUST READ for all active adults and teens. Thank you, Dr. Grelsamer, for giving us the tools and knowledge to be informed consumers!" -- Reader's Comment
Hahn, David L., A Cure for Asthma? What Your Doctor Isn't Telling you and why, ISBN: 9780989696005 0989696006.
"A CURE FOR ASTHMA? WHAT YOUR DOCTOR ISN'T TELLING YOU AND WHY offers an alternative. In it, Dr. David Hahn, director of the Wisconsin Research and Education Network, challenges the conventional wisdom about the causes and treatments of this condition. He presents the scientific evidence and compelling case histories that led him to his remarkable conclusion. He describes the treatment protocol he has used successfully. Could hard-to-treat asthma be triggered by a persistent infection? If so, antibiotic treatment might offer a lasting cure." -- The People's Pharmacy
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/cure-asthma/
Horwitz, Allan V., Jerome C. Wakefield, and Robert L. Spitzer (Foreword), The Loss of Sadness: How Psychiatry Transformed Normal Sorrow Into Depressive Disorder, ISBN: 9780195313048 0195313046.
"Depression has become the single most commonly treated mental disorder, amid claims that one out of ten Americans suffer from this disorder every year and 25 percent succumb at some point in their lives. Warnings that depressive disorder is a leading cause of worldwide disability have been accompanied by a massive upsurge in the consumption of antidepressant medication, widespread screening for depression in clinics and schools, and a push to diagnose depression early, on the basis of just a few symptoms, in order to prevent more severe conditions from developing. In THE LOSS OF SADNESS, Allan V. Horwitz and Jerome C. Wakefield argue that, while depressive disorder certainly exists and can be a devastating condition warranting medical attention, the apparent epidemic in fact reflects the way the psychiatric profession has understood and reclassified normal human sadness as largely an abnormal experience. With the 1980 publication of the landmark third edition of the DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS (DSM-III), mental health professionals began diagnosing depression based on symptoms -- such as depressed mood, loss of appetite, and fatigue -- that lasted for at least two weeks. This system is fundamentally flawed, the authors maintain, because it fails to take into account the context in which the symptoms occur. They stress the importance of distinguishing between abnormal reactions due to internal dysfunction and normal sadness brought on by external circumstances. Under the current DSM classification system, however, this distinction is impossible to make, so the expected emotional distress caused by upsetting events -- for example, the loss of a job or the end of a relationship -- could lead to a mistaken diagnosis of depressive disorder. Indeed, it is this very mistake that lies at the root of the presumed epidemic of major depression in our midst. In telling the story behind this phenomenon, the authors draw on the 2,500-year history of writing about depression, including studies in both the medical and social sciences, to demonstrate why the DSM's diagnosis is so flawed. They also explore why it has achieved almost unshakable currency despite its limitations. Framed within an evolutionary account of human health and disease, THE LOSS OF SADNESS presents a fascinating dissection of depression as both a normal and disordered human emotion and a sweeping critique of current psychiatric diagnostic practices. The result is a potent challenge to the diagnostic revolution that began almost thirty years ago in psychiatry and a provocative analysis of one of the most significant mental health issues today.
"Allan V. Horwitz is Professor of Sociology and Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Rutgers University. He is the author of many articles and a number of books on various aspects on mental illness, including THE SOCIAL CONTROL OF MENTAL ILLNESS, THE LOGIC OF SOCIAL CONTROL, and CREATING MENTAL ILLNESS. Jerome C. Wakefield is University Professor and Professor of Social Work at New York University, and he has also taught at the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and Rutgers University. He is an authority on the intersection between philosophy and the mental health professions and the author of many articles on diagnosis of mental disorder." -- Publisher
"Depression is the mental health problem of our generation. In this important and penetrating book, Horwitz and Wakefield show that psychiatry no longer clearly differentiates between normal sadness and depressive disorder. A must read for anyone who wants to understand how so much 'depression' has become medicalized." -- Peter Conrad, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Brandeis University, and author of The Medicalization of Society
"With superb scholarship and crisp prose, Horwitz and Wakefield examine the fatal flaw at the core of depression diagnosis. This book describes, with devastating clarity, why the DSM went off track and how the resulting scientific train wreck slows research and distorts our experience of our own sadness. If the DSM was based on biology, this book would signal a new beginning." -- Randolph Nesse, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, and author of Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine
"Not another hackneyed anti-psychiatry polemic, THE LOSS OF SADNESS is a brilliant analysis of how mental health professionals can avoid pathologizing normal, emotional responses to life's stressors while accurately identifying those suffering from genuine depressive disorders. Erudite and engagingly written, THE LOSS OF SADNESS is destined to have a major impact on our field." -- Richard J. McNally, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Remembering Trauma
Katz, Aaron E., The Definitive Guide to Prostate Cancer: Everything you Need to Know About Conventional and Integrative Therapies, ISBN: 9781609613105 1609613104.
Leung, Michael C.M., Misdiagnosis and Fraud.
Working paper (Chinese University of Hong Kong. Department of Economics), No. 126
https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/chkcuhked/_5f126.htm
Nathanson, Laura W., What you Don't Know can Kill you: A Physician's Radical Guide to Conquering the Obstacles to Excellent Medical Care, ISBN: 0061145823 9780061145827.
"In WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN KILL YOU, Dr. Nathanson provides a guide to getting the best medical care and navigating our frustrating and often impenetrable healthcare system. In clear, non-medical language, she shows how to:
Flag any signs of misdiagnosis and misleading analysis of symptoms,
Prevent miscommunication among specialists from having dire consequences,
Stay safe in the hospital and bypass its dangers, and,
Choose a healthcare plan without falling into the "uncovered services" trap.
"Full of empathy for each individual patient and caregiver, WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN KILL YOU will empower patients to be their own best advocates." -- Publisher
Prasad, Vinayak K. and Adam S. Cifu, Ending Medical Reversal: Improving Outcomes, Saving Lives, ISBN: 9781421417721 1421417723.
" 'Medical reversal' happens when doctors start using a medication, procedure, or diagnostic tool without a robust evidence base -- and then stop using it when it is found not to help, or even to harm, patients. The authors narrate stories from every corner of medicine to explore why medical reversals occur, how they are harmful, and what can be done to avoid them. They explore the difference between medical innovations that improve care and those that only appear to be promising. They also outline a comprehensive plan to reform medical education, research funding and protocols, and the process for approving new drugs, that will ensure that more of what gets done in doctors' offices and hospitals is truly effective." -- Publisher
Pruyser, P.W., Minister as Diagnostician, ISBN: 0664241239 9780664241230.
"Dr. Pruyser explores, in depth, the first step in the helping process: the diagnostic assessment of the problem-laden person. The diagnoses that the minister makes cannot be medical or psychiatric, says Dr. Pruyser." -- Publisher
Sanders, Lisa, Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the art of Diagnosis, ISBN: 9780767922463 0767922468.
"Presents an unflinching look inside the detective story that marks nearly every illness -- the diagnosis -- revealing the combination of uncertainty and intrigue that doctors face when confronting patients who are sick or dying -- from the challenges of the physical exam to the pitfalls of doctor-to-doctor communication, the vagaries of tests, and the near calamity of diagnostic errors."
Shomon, Mary J., Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, revised edition, ISBN: 0060740957 9780060740955.
"The most comprehensive resource available on the diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism. For millions of Americans, hypothyroidism often goes untreated . . . or is treated improperly. This book, thoroughly researched by the nation's top thyroid patient advocate -- a hypothyroidism patient herself -- provides you with answers to all your questions, including:
*Szasz, Thomas S., Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct, ISBN: 0060911514 9780060911515.
"A classic work that has revolutionized thinking throughout the Western world about the nature of the psychiatric profession and the moral implications of its practices. 'Bold and often brilliant'." -- Science
"I believe this is one of the most important books in the history of psychiatry. The book is ground-breaking and establishes a new paradigm and organizing concept for many 'mind' disciplines. Dr. Szasz's ideas are timeless, revolutionary and common sense -- not to be construed as a criticism. Indeed many revolutionary ideas are simple and obvious and I think that is exactly why this book and Dr. Szasz must be taken seriously. I am speaking behind the times when I say this because the book is nearly 40 years on the market. However, Dr. Szasz is as relevant today as ever. Institutionalized persecution of 'different' behaviours has evolved beyond the ridiculous to the absurd. Dr. Szasz's characterization of this as a 'war on personal responsibility' is important from a medical and a moral perspective, as a challenge to the popular notions of 'inner child,' the growing 'victim' industry (e.g. gambling and shopping 'addictions,' among many, many more), and similar conceptual garbage.
"THE MYTH OF MENTAL ILLNESS creates for the reader a reference point for cross disciplinary thinking in sociology, linguistics, philosophy of mind and science, psychology, history and or course medicine. The concepts are true to human beings as self-responsible moral agents and consistent with the North American work-ethic. Dr. Szasz is commended for his insight and understanding of a psychiatric industry gone mad." -- Reader's Comment
"Descriptive criteria aside, what is the essence of mental disorders? Are they merely physiological disorders of the brain, or, more precisely of its chemistry? If so, can they be cured by restoring the balance of substances and secretions in that mysterious organ? And, once equilibrium is reinstated -- is the illness 'gone' or is it still lurking there, 'under wraps,' waiting to erupt? Are psychiatric problems inherited, rooted in faulty genes (though amplified by environmental factors) -- or brought on by abusive or wrong nurturance?
"These questions are the domain of the 'medical' school of mental health.
"Others cling to the spiritual view of the human psyche. They believe that mental ailments amount to the metaphysical discomposure of an unknown medium -- the soul. Theirs is a holistic approach, taking in the patient in his or her entirety, as well as his milieu.
"The members of the functional school regard mental health disorders as perturbations in the proper, statistically 'normal,' behaviours and manifestations of 'healthy' individuals, or as dysfunctions. The 'sick' individual -- ill at ease with himself (ego-dystonic), or making others unhappy (deviant) -- is 'mended' when rendered functional again by the prevailing standards of his social and cultural frame of reference.
"In a way, the three schools are akin to the trio of blind men who render disparate descriptions of the very same elephant. Still, they share not only their subject matter -- but, to a counter intuitively large degree, a faulty methodology.
"As the renowned anti-psychiatrist, Thomas Szasz, of the State University of New York, notes in his article "The Lying Truths of Psychiatry," mental health scholars, regardless of academic predilection, infer the etiology of mental disorders from the success or failure of treatment modalities.
"This form of 'reverse engineering' of scientific models is not unknown in other fields of science, nor is it unacceptable if the experiments meet the criteria of the scientific method. The theory must be all-inclusive, consistent, falsifiable, logically compatible, monovalent, and parsimonious. Psychological 'theories' -- even the 'medical' ones (the role of serotonin and dopamine in mood disorders, for instance) -- are usually none of these things.
"The outcome is a bewildering array of ever-shifting mental health 'diagnoses' expressly centered around Western civilization and its standards (example: the ethical objection to suicide). Neurosis, a historically fundamental 'condition' vanished after 1980. Homosexuality, according to the American Psychiatric Association, was a pathology prior to 1973. Seven years later, narcissism was declared a 'personality disorder,' almost seven decades after it was first described by Freud.
"Szasz is the father of the 'anti-psychiatry' movement and this is his best book -- a riveting, mind boggling, scholarly read." -- Sam Vaknin, author of Malignant Self Love -- Narcissism Revisited
"This is the seminal work by the great Thomas Szasz, psychiatry's most important critic. Szasz ranks with Hayek, Mill, and Madison as one of the greatest proponents of liberty. No educated person should be unfamiliar with his writings." -- Nicolas S. Martin
Szasz is an atheist and a Libertarian.
Thomas S. Szasz Cybercenter for Liberty and Responsibility
"Liberty and responsibility are two sides of the same coin. No policy -- public or private -- can increase or decrease one without increasing or decreasing the other. Human behavior has reasons, not causes. . . .
http://www.szasz.com/
Mental Disorders are not Diseases, Thomas S. Szasz, M.D.
"Psychiatrists and their allies have succeeded in persuading the scientific community, courts, media, and general public that mental illnesses are phenomena independent of human motivation or will. . . .
"No one believes that love sickness is a disease, but nearly everyone believes that mental sickness is, and virtually no one realizes that, if this were true, it would prove the non-existence of mental illness. If mental illnesses are brain diseases (like Parkinsonism), then they are diseases of the body, not the mind." -- USA Today (Magazine) January 2000
http://szasz.com/usatoday.html
Ubel, Peter A., Critical Decisions: How you and Your Doctor can Make the Right Medical Choices Together, ISBN: 9780062103826 0062103822.
"We've all been there, sitting uncomfortably in a paper gown as a doctor impassively describes our prognosis. Sometimes it's simple and treatable. Other times we get news we can't fathom and then are faced with decisions that are literally life and death. In this revolutionary book, physician, behavioral scientist, and bioethicist Peter Ubel, M.D., reveals how hidden dynamics in the doctor/patient relationship keep us and our loved ones from making the best medical choices. From doctors who struggle to explain, to patients who fail to properly listen, countless factors alter the course of our care, causing things to go seriously awry. With riveting stories of Ubel's own experience in the field, his groundbreaking research, and his personal journey walking loved ones through difficult treatment choices, CRITICAL DECISIONS will forever change the way we communicate inside hospitals and medical offices, where thoughtful decision making matters the most. Dr. Ubel has been on both ends of the stethoscope, and in this book, he shows how patients and doctors can learn to become partners and work together to make the right choices. From choosing to get surgery, to discussing the side effects of a blood pressure medication, we can finally discover the tools to improve communication, understand the issues, and make confident decisions for our future health and happiness." -- Publisher
See also: Prescription drugs with dangers, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, Medicine as social control, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Generic drugs, Depression, Physiological problems, Stress, Psychosomatic illness, Hypothyroidism, Correct diagnosis, What your doctor may not tell you, Patient advocacy, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Emotions and health, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Prevention of disease, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Healthcare reform, Public health, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Vaccination, The aged, Vaccination, Attention deficit disorder (add) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), and so forth, and so on.
Are you Suffering from Celiac Disease? May 2, 2013
"American physicians were taught that celiac disease (celiac sprue for old timers), was a very rare condition affecting only 1 person out of 5,000. Doctors call this a 'zebra.' In medical school they are told that if they hear hoof beats, they should 'think horses, not zebras.' In other words, always consider the most common cause for a symptom rather than something 'rare.'
"It turns out that celiac disease is actually more like a horse than a zebra. A study last year revealed that celiac disease may affect as many as 1 in 100 healthy Caucasians. Sensitivity to gluten runs in families. If a parent, sibling or child has diagnosed celiac disease, the chances that others in the family will also have it becomes 1 in 22.
"Many of your symptoms could well be caused by celiac disease, especially the headaches, skin problems and digestive distress. Although some doctors think celiac is primarily a gastrointestinal condition, many other organ systems can be affected. Because the small intestines cannot adequately absorb nutrients, all sorts of damage can occur. A person suffering from celiac disease can become starved for vitamins and minerals. Even though they may eat a perfectly balanced diet, patients are often low in iron, calcium, B vitamins and other essential nutrients."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/05/02/are-you-suffering-from-celiac-disease/
The art of Diagnosis, September 19, 2009
"Medical mysteries are a source of fascination. On TV shows like Gray's Anatomy or House, the patient's life hangs in the balance until the correct diagnosis is reached. That is true in real life as well. Though many diagnoses are less dramatic than the televised versions, some are even more difficult. Appropriate treatment depends upon the correct diagnosis being made.
"Guest: Lisa Sanders, MD, Clinical Instructor in Internal Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. She writes the Diagnosis column for The New York Times Magazine. Her new book is: EVERY PATIENT TELLS A STORY: MEDICAL MYSTERIES AND THE ART OF DIAGNOSIS."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/09/19/740-the-art-of-diagnosis/
The art of Diagnosis, November 24, 2012
"Has medicine become too focused on quantitative measures and standardization? Find out how over-reliance on high technology might be reversed and whether the culture of bedside medicine can be revived. "
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/11/24/881-the-art-of-diagnosis/
Attorneys for VA Medical Misdiagnosis
http://www.govtclaim.com/
Better Medicine (formerly Wrong Diagnosis)
http://forums.bettermedicine.com/forum.php
CDC Issues Alarming Report on Diabetes Statistics, June 12, 2014
"The CDC has announced worrisome statistics regarding diabetes. In 2012, 9 percent of American adults had the disease, which increases the risk of cardiovascular complications such as kidney failure, stroke or heart disease, and premature death.
"An estimated 29 million of us now have diabetes, although at least one in four have not been diagnosed with it. An additional 86 million are at risk of developing diabetes. That means one in three adults are currently considered pre-diabetic."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/06/12/cdc-issues-alarming-report-on-diabetes-statistics/
Celiac Disease Update, May 5, 2012
"Doctors once thought that celiac disease was extremely rare, but within the past decade it has become clear that it is far more common. It can be difficult to diagnose, however, since the symptoms of celiac disease may mask many other conditions.
Find out how new information about diagnosing and treating celiac disease could change your life.
"Guest: Peter H.R. Green, MD, is Professor of Clinical Medicine in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University and Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. He is co-author of Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic. His website is: www.celiacdiseasecenter.org."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/05/05/856-celiac-disease-update/
The Celiac Sprue Association
Foods naturally free of wheat, barley, rye and oats.
http://www.csaceliacs.info/
Could an Inexpensive Drug Cure Hard-to-treat Asthma and Ease COPD? May 17, 2014
"While COPD and asthma appear to be different diseases, the treatments for them are often similar. We talk with a physician about his research suggesting that many cases of asthma that start in adulthood are a consequence of a lung infection with bacteria that are difficult to detect, diagnose and treat."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/05/17/946-could-an-inexpensive-drug-cure-hard-to-treat-asthma-and-ease-copd/
Diagnostic Errors
"Diagnostic errors have gotten less attention from healthcare critics than medication mistakes or wrong-site surgeries, but they are just as dangerous. Without the right diagnosis, getting the right treatment is a matter of guesswork or luck.
"Two renowned patient safety experts say diagnostic errors are far more common than most of us realize, and they offer some ideas for reducing the harm that such serious mistakes can cause. Their commentary, "Diagnostic Errors -- The Next Frontier for Patient Safety," appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Guests: David Newman-Toker, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The photo is of Dr. Newman-Toker.
Peter Pronovost, MD, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/08/29/737-diagnostic-errors/
Don't be A Glutton for Gluten, April 18, 2011
"Now physicians are recognizing that celiac disease should not be considered rare. Blood tests reveal that as many as one American in 130 or so may have it, although many are undiagnosed (American Journal of Gastroenterology, online March 1, 2011)."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/04/18/dont-be-a-glutton-for-gluten/
Five Commonly Misdiagnosed Diseases
"Experts who study malpractice cases and autopsy reports say certain diseases are misdiagnosed over and over again. It's worth knowing what they are so you won't be a victim."
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/09/26/ep.misdiagnosed.diseases/index.html
Have you Been Misdiagnosed? March 4, 2013
"According to an accompanying commentary by Drs. Newman-Toker and Makary, 'more than 150,000 patients per year in the United States might have undergone misdiagnosis-related harm. . . .'
"In this research they revealed that 'an estimated 40,000 to 80,000 U.S. hospital deaths result from misdiagnosis annually.' During a radio interview with us they subsequently confided that the number published in JAMA was probably low and a more realistic figure was more likely 100,000 hospital deaths each year from missed diagnosis."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/03/04/have-you-been-misdiagnosed/
Hazards of Screening: How the Hunt for Disease Leads to Over-treatment, February 22, 2014
"Screening healthy people for possible disease is often seen as a way of preventing serious health problems. But how much do you know about the benefits -- and the risks -- of screening? . . .
"For a better understanding of the potential for over-diagnosis and how it could lead to over-treatment, we explore the concept of the number needed to treat: the NNT. How many people need to take a cholesterol-lowering drug for one life to be saved?
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/02/22/936-hazards-of-screening-how-the-hunt-for-disease-leads-to-overtreatment/
Improving Healthcare and Reducing Cost Through Clinical Data Analytics, 06/29/2014
"In the past, evidence-based treatment has meant following well-studied care protocols. With increased access to clinical data and advances in computing power, however, predictive analytics can provide a new kind of evidence to drive action. Aggregating and analyzing information about a broad population of patients over extended periods of time can help care managers understand -- and therefore facilitate -- the root causes of good outcomes for individual patients and for patient populations."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vala-afshar/improving-healthcare-and_b_5541680.html?utm_hp_ref=technology&ir=Technology
Medical Detection Dogs may Offer Accurate Prostate Cancer Screening, May 15, 2014
"Specially trained medical detection dogs in the UK can identify men with prostate cancer at least 90 percent of the time. They are four times more accurate than a PSA test. The dogs can distinguish between urine samples of healthy men and those of men with prostate cancer before men begin to experience symptoms. Medical detection dogs can also detect cancers of the kidney, bladder and breast."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/05/15/medical-detection-dogs-may-offer-accurate-prostate-cancer-screening/
Missed Diagnoses in the ICU
"Very sick patients often land in the intensive care unit of a hospital so they can be carefully monitored minute by minute by highly specialized healthcare providers. A study from Johns Hopkins now estimates that more than one fourth of such patients suffer diagnostic errors.
"The most frequent errors involved overlooking heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, pneumonia and fungal infections. It is especially shocking to learn that patients in an ICU are twice as likely to suffer a fatal misdiagnosis as other hospital patients. This occurs despite intensive monitoring and supervision and points to the need for better ways to approach diagnosis in these extremely vulnerable patients."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/30/missed-diagnoses-in-the-icu/
Misdiagnoses Result in Malpractice Claims, October 3, 2013
"Malpractice claims are often associated with mistakes or harm suffered in the hospital. But in Massachusetts, and probably elsewhere, malpractice claims in primary care are becoming more important. Nearly three-fourths of them are rooted in misdiagnosis. The most common missed diagnoses [it seems the intention of the writer is to list misdiagnosed conditions -- compiler], are breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers, heart disease, blood vessel disease, infections, and stroke. The investigators urge doctors to review and change routine outpatient practices that may lead to misdiagnoses and inappropriate treatment. [JAMA Internal Medicine, online Sept 30, 2013]"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/03/misdiagnoses-result-in-malpractice-claims/
Overdiagnosed, May 28, 2011
"Health-conscious Americans are constantly urged to be vigilant about going in for screening for diseases ranging from prostate cancer to depression to osteoporosis. How helpful is this type of screening? Our guest argues that not all screening should be considered prevention, and suggests that some of this screening is making us sick.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/05/28/815-overdiagnosed/
Prostate Cancer Puzzle, December 3, 2011
"One American man in every six is diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point, so it is not surprising that proposed changes to prostate cancer screening have created controversy. When the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended dropping the PSA (prostate specific antigen), test as a routine measure, many urologists and their patients protested.
"The task force had found that the test flags too many men who don't have dangerous forms of prostate cancer. As a result of a high level of PSA, too many men have been subjected to further procedures that are not always innocuous. A confirmation of prostate cancer leads to further confusion: which cancers must be treated and how? Dr. Aaron Katz clarifies the prostate cancer conundrum.
"Guests: Aaron E. Katz, MD, is the Director for the Center of Holistic Urology and an Associate Professor of Clinical Urology at Columbia University, where he has been a faculty member since 1993. He is the author of THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO PROSTATE CANCER: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CONVENTIONAL AND INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES.
"The complete guide to coping with prostate cancer, with expert health advice for every man, this comprehensive handbook gives men the vital information they need to effectively navigate every step of dealing with prostate cancer. A newly diagnosed cancer patient faces a mind-numbing array of treatment options, including medical therapies that carry serious side effects -- and determining the right course of action is an overwhelming task. In simple yet scientific terms, this book empowers readers with the tools they need to proactively fight cancer by making the most informed treatment decisions possible. With groundbreaking developments recently emerging in both conventional and holistic prostate cancer research, it is imperative that men fighting this disease have the absolute latest information. As founder and director of the Center for Holistic Urology at Columbia University, Dr. Katz is uniquely positioned to guide readers through the new practices and breakthrough treatment options for every stage of the battle with cancer, from prevention to postdiagnosis. One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime, and countless families will be affected by this widespread but ultimately curable disease. Armed with Dr. Katz's expert guidance, patients will be equipped to actively participate in reclaiming their health and navigating this difficult diagnosis." -- Publisher
"His website is http://www.holisticurology.columbia.edu."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/12/03/837-prostate-cancer-puzzle/
PSA Testing Misdiagnosing men With Prostate Cancer, Lilian Anekwe, March 16, 2009
"More than a third of men with raised PSA levels are misdiagnosed with prostate cancer when they actually have benign disease, new findings reveal.
"The research suggests PSA testing is not only diagnosing men with prostate cancer who do not require treatment, but wrongly labelling men as having the disease when they actually have benign prostatic hyperplasia.
"It reinforces criticisms that prostate PSA testing is swamping GPs and specialists with men who do not require treatment.
"Dutch researchers used three mathematical models to predict the extent of over-diagnosis in all prostate cancers diagnosed by PSA tests in the U.S. in men aged 50 to 84 years between 1985 to 2000.
"Overdiagnosis ranged from 23 percent to 42 percent of all screen-detected cancers depending on the mathematical model used.
"The lead time, or the length of time by which PSA screening advanced a prostate cancer diagnosis, ranged from 5.4 to 6.9 years.
"The NHS prostate cancer risk management program recommends GPs provide men who request a PSA test with 'balanced information' on the risks and benefits of the test, but GPs have had no way of quantifying the likelihood of a misdiagnosis.
"Study leader Dr. Gerrit Draisma, a researcher in public health at the Erasmus medical centre in Rotterdam, Holland, concluded PSA testing was an imperfect means of diagnosing prostate cancer."
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/home
PSA Screening Still Puzzling, March 15, 2012
"Prostate cancer screening with a PSA test may not save lives. The prostate specific antigen or PSA test has been controversial for years. Many doctors have relied on the PSA test to help identify men who may have prostate cancer that requires treatment. Recently, though, experts have been debating the value of this screening test. The Preventive Services Task Force recommended that healthy men forego routine PSA screening because it doesn't save lives and may lead to unnecessary interventions. Now a study from Europe shows that the test can help with prostate cancer detection and reduce deaths from the cancer. But the overall mortality rate was the same for men who were screened and those who were not."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/03/15/psa-screening-still-puzzling/
Shared Decision Making Still Lacking for Cancer Screening, Genevra Pittman, June 19, 2014
"When it comes to cancer screening, doctors often do not adequately discuss the balance of pros and cons with their patients, a new study suggests.
"Guidelines call for doctors and patients to engage in shared decision making regarding cancer screening, such as whether to have prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer.
"That's because although screening can help spot some cancers early on, it can also come with a risk of false positives and unnecessary and invasive follow-up procedures.
"Often there is no right decision on whether to screen, and different people may weigh the options and their potential consequences differently, researchers said.
" 'Cancer screening and a number of other medical services are not all just plain benefit,' said Dr. Michael Pignone at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who worked on the new study."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/19/us-cancer-screening-decisions-idUSKBN0EU2HS20140619
Should you go Gluten Free?
"Now, scientists are finding that some people who do not have celiac disease are also sensitive to gluten and react badly to this protein. Could you be among them?
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/10/01/show-964-should-you-go-gluten-free/
Some Physicians are Overconfident About Their Diagnostic Accuracy, August 29, 2013
"Accurate diagnoses are crucial for good medical care. New research shows, however, that doctors are not as good as they think at making accurate diagnoses. There is also a disturbing disconnect between their accuracy and their confidence in a diagnosis."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/08/29/some-physicians-are-overconfident-about-their-diagnostic-accuracy/
The Specifics of Celiac Disease
"Celiac disease is a health condition that some people associate with simple gluten intolerance. However, celiac disease is in fact a multi-system autoimmune disease in which changes in liver function, digestive tract function, and the function of other organ systems comes into play. The role of a specific enzyme, called tissue transglutaminase, or tTG, appears to be especially important in celiac disease. Short strands of protein (polypeptides) found in gliadin (one family of wheat proteins) are acted on by this enzyme, and many resulting problems associated with Celiac disease may result. For some, but not all individuals, a blood test measuring antibodies to tTG can be an effective screening test for Celiac disease."
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=diet&dbid=7
Stroke, May 7, 2011
"What symptoms signal a possible stroke? Find out how to minimize your risk of a stroke as well as what to do if you suspect one."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/05/07/812-stroke/
Supercomputer Watson Increasing Medical Diagnoses Accuracy, David Russell Schilling, March 4, 2013
"Watson, IBM's supercomputer, perhaps a sign of things to come, will soon be at work with Memorial Sloan-Kettering and WellPoint in the U.S. using its super analytical power to help make treatment decisions.
"Wellpoint will be making Watson available to its 1,600 providers by the end of 2013.
"Data from Watson will eventually be distributed through the cloud to desktops and mobile devices."
http://www.industrytap.com/supercomputer-watson-increasing-medial-diagnoses-accuracy/1314
Surgery no Better Than Observation for Local Prostate Tumor, July 19, 2012
Men with localized prostate cancer may not benefit from radical surgery. There are few areas in medicine that are more controversial than detecting and treating prostate cancer. Conventional wisdom has urged early detection and surgical removal of any cancer found. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine, however, shows that men with localized prostate cancer were just as likely to survive if placed under observation as if they had radical prostatectomies."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/07/19/surgery-no-better-than-observation-for-local-prostate-tumor/
Ticks, Fleas, and Mystery Disease
"Joint pain, brain fog and chronic fatigue may all be symptoms of a difficult-to-detect Bartonella infection.
Most people are familiar with tick-borne diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme disease. But other diseases transmitted by ticks and fleas and biting flies may be flying under the radar. One such organism is called Bartonella."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/08/30/907-ticks-fleas-mystery-disease/
Under-diagnosed Diseases
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/intro/underdiag.htm
Unusual Symptom Signals Celiac Disease, January 21, 2013
"Celiac disease remains mysterious, even to physicians. *In this condition the body is unable to tolerate proteins found in gluten, a constituent of wheat, barley and rye grains.
Although there is a genetic susceptibility, we do not know exactly why so many people react adversely when exposed to gluten. The cells lining the small intestine become damaged and cannot absorb nutrients properly. This can lead to a range of nutritional deficiencies and unusual symptoms."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/01/21/unusual-symptom-signals-celiac-disease/
VA Malpractice Info
"This site is designed to provide information to those veterans, who have received negligent medical care, from a Veterans Administration hospital, doctor, physician's assistant, surgeon or other VA medical provider and to encourage discussion about this problem. The VA paid out more than $2,000,000 a week during 2004 for medical malpractice claims."
http://vamalpracticeclaims.com/
Who do you Believe the Experts or the Evidence? [audio file]
"Prominent physicians are often paid handsomely by drug or device makers on the hope that they will prove to be opinion leaders. Such conflicts of interest may go undetected for years, as they did with Dr. José Baselga. Until Sept. 13, 2018, he was chief medical officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering. He stepped down when his supervisors learned that he had not disclosed receiving millions of dollars from healthcare companies. His case was uncovered by ProPublica and The New York Times, but most doctors don't get that kind of scrutiny. How can we learn about their conflicts of interest? Why do they matter?
"The development of new cancer treatments such as CAR-T is exciting, but at the prices being charged few patients will be able to benefit. Can our medical system survive such sky-high costs? Find out how patients can make the best decisions on their treatments.
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/09/20/show-1135-who-do-you-believe-the-experts-or-the-evidence/
Why Doctors so Often get it Wrong, David Leonhardt, February 22, 2006
"Studies of autopsies have shown that doctors seriously misdiagnose fatal illnesses about 20 percent of the time. So millions of patients are being treated for the wrong disease.
"As shocking as that is, the more astonishing fact may be that the rate has not really changed since the 1930's. 'No improvement!' was how an article in the normally exclamation-free Journal of the American Medical Association summarized the situation."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/22/business/22leonhardt.html
Why Private Equity is Furious Over a Paper in a Dermatology Journal
"The paper also notes that many practices backed by private equity firms have opened or acquired labs to process pathology specimens, potentially another source of profit."
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/health/private-equity-dermatology.html
Carlson, Rick J., and Ivan Illich (foreword), The end of Medicine, ISBN: 0471134945 9780471134947.
Cochrane, A.L., Effectiveness and Efficiency: Random Reflections of Health Services, ISBN: 0900574178 9780900574177.
"Here is the original textbook on 'evidence-based medicine', a term with which few doctors and other healthcare professionals can fail to be familiar. Originally published in 1972, Archie Cochrane's classic text has had a profound influence on the practice of medicine and on the evaluation of medical interventions. He was the first to set out clearly the vital importance of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in assessing the effectiveness of treatments, and his work led to the setting-up of the Cochrane Collaboration, now a worldwide endeavour dedicated to tracking down, evaluating and synthesising RCTs in all areas of medicine.
"The message contained in this book is as relevant to clinicians, healthcare managers and policy-makers now as it was in the 1970s. In addition, this new paperback edition of Cochrane's work contains a brand new Introduction by Professor Chris Silagy, who was the first elected Chair of the international Cochrane Collaboration, and a Foreword by Dr. Iain Chalmers, Director of the UK Cochrane Centre, the first such centre to be established. Professor Silagy looks at the post-Cochrane agenda, in particular the growth and empowerment of consumers taking more responsibility for their own healthcare decisions, and the influence of consumers on the development of an evidence-based approach to their healthcare. -- Publisher
Cochrane, A.L., Alan Maynard, and Iain Chalmers, Non-random Reflections on Health Services Research: On the 25th Anniversary of Archie Cochrane's EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY, ISBN: 0727911511 9780727911513.
Collen, Morris F., National Center for Health Services Research and Development. National Center for Health Services Research and Development. Health Care Systems Study Section, Technology and Health Care Systems in the 1980's: Proceedings of a Conference, January 19-21, 1972, San Francisco, California.
See: Somers, Anne R., "Health Care and the Political System: The Sorcerer's Apprentice Revisited," an article.
Dubos, René J., Mirage of Health, Utopias, Progress, and Biological Change, ISBN: 0813512603 9780813512600.
"Dubos in MIRAGE OF HEALTH points out 'the futility of relying on medicine to cure the ills created by social and physical environments.' (p. 235)
"Dubos makes it clear that the doctrine of specific etiology (that is the notion that all medical problems can be traced to a certain, physical cause), has contributed more to medicine in the last century than probably any other idea. Yet Dubos also stresses the limitations of this mindset. He emphasizes that with physical ailments, there are many causes at work and it is difficult or impossible to determine the most significant among these. By emphasizing the multitude of factors that determine our health, Dubos makes it clear that balance with our environment is of utmost importance to maintenance of health." -- Reader's Comment
Ehrenreich, John (editor), The Cultural Crisis of Modern Medicine, ISBN: 0853454388 9780853454380.
See: Ehrenreich, Barbara, and John Ehrenreich, "Medicine and Social Control" and Zola, Irving Kenneth, "Medicine as an Institution of Social Control."
Fuchs, Victor R., Who Shall Live? Health, Economics, and Social Choice, ISBN: 0465091857 9780465091850.
"Since the first edition of WHO SHALL LIVE? (1974) over 100,000 students, teachers, physicians, and general readers from more than a dozen fields have found this book to be a reader-friendly, authoritative introduction to economic concepts applied to health and medical care. Fuchs provides clear explanations and memorable examples of the importance of the non-medical determinants of health, the dominant role of physicians in healthcare expenditures, the necessity of choices about health at the individual and societal levels, and many other compelling themes. Now, in a new introduction of some 8,000 words including new tables and figures, Fuchs, often called the 'Dean of health economists,' concisely summarizes the major changes of the past 37 years in health, medical care, and health policy. He focuses primarily on the United States but includes remarks about health policy in other countries, and addresses the question of whether national healthcare systems are becoming more alike.
"In addition to reviewing changes, the introduction explains why health expenditures grow so rapidly, why health spending in the United States is so much greater than in other countries, and what physicians need in order to practice cost-effective medicine.
"This second expanded edition also includes recent papers by Fuchs on the economics of aging, the socio-economic correlates of health, the future of health economics, and his policy recommendations for the United States to secure universal coverage, control of costs, and improvement in the quality of care.
"As was true of the first expanded edition (1998), this book will be welcomed by current students and life-long learners in economics, other social and behavioral sciences, medicine, public health, business, public policy, and other fields who want to understand the relation between health, economics, and social choice." -- Publisher
Illich, Ivan, Limits to Medicine: Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health, ISBN: 0140220097 9780140220094.
Ivan Illich is a Jesuit.
" 'The medical establishment has become a major threat to health.' This is the opening statement and basic contention of Ivan Illich's searing social critique. In LIMITS TO MEDICINE Ivan Illich has enlarged on this theme of disabling social services, schools, and transport, which have become, through over-industrialization, harmful to man. In this radical contribution to social thinking Illich decimates the myth of the magic of the medical profession." -- Publisher
This highly referenced text, orginally written in the late 70's, outlines a well presented documentation of why medicine has not positively impacted modern life. Illich argues that iatrogenic [medical errors that lead to disease and death -- compiler], illness is far more common than we realize. It's a must read for anyone interested in the evolution of our views on 'disease' and what constitutes health." -- Reader's Comment
Lalonde, Marc, Canada. Department of National Health and Welfare, A new Perspective on the Health of Canadians: A Working Document, ISBN: 0662500199 9780662500193.
McKeown, Thomas, Medicine in Modern Society: Medical Planning Based on Evaluation of Medical Achievement.
Powles, J., On the Limitations of Modern Medicine, ISSN: 0300-9955.
An article in Science, Medicine and Man, 1973 Apr; 1(1): 1-30.
Starr, Paul, The Social Transformation of American Medicine: The Rise of a Sovereign Profession and the Making of a Vast Industry, ISBN: 0465079350 9780465079353.
"Since this book was written in 1985, I have used it to teach medical students about the changes in American healthcare. The last chapter, 'The Coming of the Corporation,' forecasts what has happened in the last decade. This book is a must for all who want to understand why the changes are occurring in American healthcare." -- Reader's Comment
*Szasz, Thomas S., Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct, ISBN: 0060911514 9780060911515.
"A classic work that has revolutionized thinking throughout the Western world about the nature of the psychiatric profession and the moral implications of its practices. 'Bold and often brilliant'." -- Science
"I believe this is one of the most important books in the history of psychiatry. The book is ground-breaking and establishes a new paradigm and organizing concept for many 'mind' disciplines. D.r Szasz's ideas are timeless, revolutionary and common sense -- not to be construed as a criticism. Indeed many revolutionary ideas are simple and obvious and I think that is exactly why this book and Dr. Szasz must be taken seriously. I am speaking behind the times when I say this because the book is nearly 40 years on the market. However Dr. Szasz is as relevant today as ever. Institutionalized persecution of 'different' behaviours has evolved beyond the ridiculous to the absurd. Dr. Szasz's characterization of this as a 'war on personal responsibility' is important from a medical and a moral perspective, as a challenge to the popular notions of 'inner child,' the growing 'victim' industry (e.g. gambling and shopping 'addictions,' among many, many more), and similar conceptual garbage.
"THE MYTH OF MENTAL ILLNESS creates for the reader a reference point for cross disciplinary thinking in sociology, linguistics, philosophy of mind and science, psychology, history and or course medicine. The concepts are true to human beings as self-responsible moral agents and consistent with the North American work-ethic. Dr. Szasz is commended for his insight and understanding of a psychiatric industry gone mad." -- Reader's Comment
"Descriptive criteria aside, what is the essence of mental disorders? Are they merely physiological disorders of the brain, or, more precisely of its chemistry? If so, can they be cured by restoring the balance of substances and secretions in that mysterious organ? And, once equilibrium is reinstated -- is the illness 'gone' or is it still lurking there, 'under wraps,' waiting to erupt? Are psychiatric problems inherited, rooted in faulty genes (though amplified by environmental factors) -- or brought on by abusive or wrong nurturance?
"These questions are the domain of the 'medical' school of mental health.
"Others cling to the spiritual view of the human psyche. They believe that mental ailments amount to the metaphysical discomposure of an unknown medium -- the soul. Theirs is a holistic approach, taking in the patient in his or her entirety, as well as his milieu.
"The members of the functional school regard mental health disorders as perturbations in the proper, statistically 'normal,' behaviours and manifestations of 'healthy' individuals, or as dysfunctions. The 'sick' individual -- ill at ease with himself (ego-dystonic), or making others unhappy (deviant) -- is 'mended' when rendered functional again by the prevailing standards of his social and cultural frame of reference.
"In a way, the three schools are akin to the trio of blind men who render disparate descriptions of the very same elephant. Still, they share not only their subject matter -- but, to a counter intuitively large degree, a faulty methodology.
"As the renowned anti-psychiatrist, Thomas Szasz, of the State University of New York, notes in his article "The Lying Truths of Psychiatry," mental health scholars, regardless of academic predilection, infer the etiology of mental disorders from the success or failure of treatment modalities.
"This form of 'reverse engineering' of scientific models is not unknown in other fields of science, nor is it unacceptable if the experiments meet the criteria of the scientific method. The theory must be all-inclusive, consistent, falsifiable, logically compatible, monovalent, and parsimonious. Psychological 'theories' -- even the 'medical' ones (the role of serotonin and dopamine in mood disorders, for instance) -- are usually none of these things.
"The outcome is a bewildering array of ever-shifting mental health 'diagnoses' expressly centered around Western civilization and its standards (example: the ethical objection to suicide). Neurosis, a historically fundamental 'condition' vanished after 1980. Homosexuality, according to the American Psychiatric Association, was a pathology prior to 1973. Seven years later, narcissism was declared a 'personality disorder,' almost seven decades after it was first described by Freud.
"Szasz is the father of the 'anti-psychiatry' movement and this is his best book -- a riveting, mind boggling, scholarly read." -- Sam Vaknin, author of Malignant Self Love -- Narcissism Revisited
"This is the seminal work by the great Thomas Szasz, psychiatry's most important critic. Szasz ranks with Hayek, Mill, and Madison as one of the greatest proponents of liberty. No educated person should be unfamiliar with his writings." -- Nicolas S. Martin
Szasz is an atheist and a Libertarian.
Thomas S. Szasz Cybercenter for Liberty and Responsibility
"Liberty and responsibility are two sides of the same coin. No policy -- public or private -- can increase or decrease one without increasing or decreasing the other. Human behavior has reasons, not causes. . . .
http://www.szasz.com/
Mental Disorders are not Diseases, Thomas S. Szasz, M.D.
"Psychiatrists and their allies have succeeded in persuading the scientific community, courts, media, and general public that mental illnesses are phenomena independent of human motivation or will. . . .
"No one believes that love sickness is a disease, but nearly everyone believes that mental sickness is, and virtually no one realizes that, if this were true, it would prove the non-existence of mental illness. If mental illnesses are brain diseases (like Parkinsonism), then they are diseases of the body, not the mind." -- USA Today (Magazine) January 2000
http://szasz.com/usatoday.html
See also: The sovereignty of god, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Justice, the theology of judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord, Pride, ambition, self-aggrandizement, arrogance, ego, Covetousness, greed, and selfishness, Glory in iniquity, the temptation of vainglory, Spiritual aspects of health, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Healing of the mind, The heart and the mind, the mind/body relationship, Stress, Exercise, Rest, Sleep, Fasting, Praying for the sick, Ministering to the sick, Physiological problems, Depression, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Medicine as social control, Healthcare horror stories, Healthcare reform, Generic drugs, Prevention of disease, Public health, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Prescription drugs with danger, The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Nuclear radiation, Generic drugs, Depression, Physiological problems, Stress, Psychosomatic illness, Hypothyroidism, Correct diagnosis, What your doctor may not tell you, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Emotions and health, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Prevention of disease, The aged, Patient advocacy, Vaccination, Attention deficit disorder (add) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), and so forth, and so on.
Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study, David U. Himmelstein, MD, Deborah Thorne, Ph.D., Elizabeth Warren, JD, Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH
"Between our 2001 and 2007 surveys, Congress enacted the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA), which instituted an income screen and procedural barriers that made filing more difficult and expensive. . . .
"New restrictions fall equally on medical and nonmedical bankruptcies, with no preferences for medical debts or sick debtors. It is implausible to ascribe the growing predominance of medical causes of bankruptcy to BAPCPA."
http://www.pnhp.org/new_bankruptcy_study/Bankruptcy-2009.pdf
Medical Bills are the Biggest Cause of U.S. Bankruptcies: Study, Dan Mangan, 25 Jun 2013
"Bankruptcies resulting from unpaid medical bills will affect nearly 2 million people this year -- making healthcare the No. 1 cause of such filings, and outpacing bankruptcies due to credit-card bills or unpaid mortgages, according to new data. And even having health insurance doesn't buffer consumers against financial hardship. . . .
"When their savings are gone and their credit cards are maxed out, stretched consumers take the drastic step of cutting back on prescription medications. . . .
"More than 25 million people are skipping doses, taking less medication or delaying refilling prescriptions to save money, NerdWallet found."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100840148
Medical Bills Prompt More Than 60 Percent of U.S. Bankruptcies, June 5, 2009, Theresa Tamkins
"Bankruptcies due to medical bills increased by nearly 50 percent in a six-year period, from 46 percent in 2001 to 62 percent in 2007, and most of those who filed for bankruptcy were middle-class, well-educated homeowners, according to a report that will be published in the August issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
"Unless you're a Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, you're one illness away from financial ruin in this country," says lead author Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., of the Harvard Medical School, in Cambridge, Mass. "If an illness is long enough and expensive enough, private insurance offers very little protection against medical bankruptcy, and that's the major finding in our study. . . .'
"Overall, three-quarters of the people with a medically-related bankruptcy had health insurance, they say.
" 'That was actually the predominant problem in patients in our study -- 78 percent of them had health insurance, but many of them were bankrupted anyway because there were gaps in their coverage like co-payments and deductibles and uncovered services,' says Woolhandler. 'Other people had private insurance but got so sick that they lost their job and lost their insurance'."
http://heka.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/medical-bills-prompt-more-than-60-percent-of-u-s-bankruptcies-cnn-20090605.pdf
Medical Debt Among People With Health Insurance, Karen Pollitz, et al., (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation), Jan 07, 2014
"Medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S., contributing to 62 percent of personal bankruptcies in 2007. Most who filed for medical bankruptcy that year were well educated, owned homes, and had middle-class occupations. Three quarters had health insurance." (David Himmelstein, et al., "Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study," The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 122, Issue 8, August 2009)
http://kff.org/report-section/medical-debt-among-people-with-health-insurance-consequences-of-medical-debt/
The NNT (Number-Needed-to-Treat)
"There is a way of understanding how much modern medicine has to offer individual patients. It is a simple statistical concept called the "Number-Needed-to-Treat," or for short the 'NNT'. The NNT offers a measurement of the impact of a medicine or therapy by estimating the number of patients that need to be treated in order to have an impact on one person. The concept is statistical, but intuitive, for we know that not everyone is helped by a medicine or intervention -- some benefit, some are harmed, and some are unaffected. The NNT tells us how many of each."
http://www.thennt.com/thennt-explained/
Old Drugs Better as Well as Cheaper, June 6, 2013
"The excitement over ketamine, a drug that has been available for decades, mirrors a new analysis of medication effectiveness. The researchers found that older drugs outperform the newest arrivals in many cases, especially when the drugs are compared to placebo controls.
"Despite tens of billions of dollars devoted to research and development, pharmaceutical companies have not come up with many breakthroughs in the last decade. Most of the real pharmaceutical advances happened years ago. Huge consolidation within the industry was supposed to bring efficiency to the drug discovery process, but the analysis shows that, for the most part, newer drugs are vastly more expensive but not necessarily better than old standbys." -- People's Pharmacy, from Health Affairs, June 3, 2013
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/06/old-drugs-better-as-well-as-cheaper/
Reversing Death, September 7, 2013
"In popular culture, death is quick and final, completely irreversible. But within the last few decades, medical technology has developed to the point that a person who dies may be revived, even after hours without a pulse or respiration. How do you undo death? Our guest, Dr. Sam Parnia, is at the cutting edge of the research in this field."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/09/07/916-reversing-death/
The Underbelly of Health Care
The politics of cancer.
"Dr. Otis Brawley is chief medical and scientific officer of the American Cancer Society. He talks with us about the strengths and weaknesses of American health care. Why aren't more screening programs and treatments based on solid scientific evidence? Dr. Brawley is outspoken about how well-intentioned doctors may do harm and how the system could do better."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/25/870-the-politics-of-cancer/
One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It's very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. -- Ronald Reagan*Brown, E. Richard, Rockefeller Medicine Men: Medicine and Capitalism in America, ISBN: 0520038177 9780520038172.
Collen, Morris F., National Center for Health Services Research and Development. National Center for Health Services Research and Development. Health Care Systems Study Section, Technology and Health Care Systems in the 1980's: Proceedings of a Conference, January 19-21, 1972, San Francisco, California.
See: Somers, Anne R., "Health Care and the Political System: The Sorcerer's Apprentice Revisited."
Ehrenreich, John (editor), The Cultural Crisis of Modern Medicine, ISBN: 0853454388 9780853454380.
See: Ehrenreich, Barbara, and John Ehrenreich, "Medicine and Social Control" and Zola, Irving Kenneth, "Medicine as an Institution of Social Control."
Fuchs, Victor R., Who Shall Live? Health, Economics, and Social Choice, ISBN: 0465091857 9780465091850.
"Since the first edition of WHO SHALL LIVE? (1974) over 100,000 students, teachers, physicians, and general readers from more than a dozen fields have found this book to be a reader-friendly, authoritative introduction to economic concepts applied to health and medical care. Fuchs provides clear explanations and memorable examples of the importance of the non-medical determinants of health, the dominant role of physicians in healthcare expenditures, the necessity of choices about health at the individual and societal levels, and many other compelling themes. Now, in a new introduction of some 8,000 words including new tables and figures, Fuchs, often called the 'Dean of health economists,' concisely summarizes the major changes of the past 37 years in health, medical care, and health policy. He focuses primarily on the United States but includes remarks about health policy in other countries, and addresses the question of whether national healthcare systems are becoming more alike.
"In addition to reviewing changes, the introduction explains why health expenditures grow so rapidly, why health spending in the United States is so much greater than in other countries, and what physicians need in order to practice cost-effective medicine.
"This second expanded edition also includes recent papers by Fuchs on the economics of aging, the socio-economic correlates of health, the future of health economics, and his policy recommendations for the United States to secure universal coverage, control of costs, and improvement in the quality of care.
"As was true of the first expanded edition (1998), this book will be welcomed by current students and life-long learners in economics, other social and behavioral sciences, medicine, public health, law, business, public policy, and other fields who want to understand the relation between health, economics, and social choice." -- Publisher
Illich, Ivan, Limits to Medicine: Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health, ISBN: 0140220097 9780140220094.
Ivan Illich is a Jesuit.
" 'The medical establishment has become a major threat to health.' This is the opening statement and basic contention of Ivan Illich's searing social critique. In LIMITS TO MEDICINE Ivan Illich has enlarged on this theme of disabling social services, schools, and transport, which have become, through over-industrialization, harmful to man. In this radical contribution to social thinking Illich decimates the myth of the magic of the medical profession." -- Publisher
This highly referenced text, orginally written in the late 70's, outlines a well presented documentation of why medicine has not positively impacted modern life. Illich argues that iatrogenic [medical errors that lead to disease and death -- compiler], illness is far more common than we realize. It's a must read for anyone interested in the evolution of our views on 'disease' and what constitutes health." -- Reader's Comment
Jaco, E. Gartly (editor), Patients, Physicians, and Illness: A Sourcebook in Behavioral Science and Health, ISBN: 0029158508 9780029158500.
See: "Definitions of Health and Illness in the Light of American Values and Social Structure."
Starr, Paul, The Social Transformation of American Medicine: The Rise of a Sovereign Profession and the Making of a Vast Industry, ISBN: 0465079350 9780465079353.
"Since this book was written in 1985, I have used it to teach medical students about the changes in American healthcare. The last chapter, 'The Coming of the Corporation,' forecasts what has happened in the last decade. This book is a must for all who want to understand why the changes are occurring in American healthcare." -- Reader's Comment
*Szasz, Thomas S., Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct, ISBN: 0060911514 9780060911515.
"A classic work that has revolutionized thinking throughout the Western world about the nature of the psychiatric profession and the moral implications of its practices. 'Bold and often brilliant'." -- Science
"I believe this is one of the most important books in the history of psychiatry. The book is ground-breaking and establishes a new paradigm and organizing concept for many 'mind' disciplines. Dr. Szasz's ideas are timeless, revolutionary and common sense -- not to be construed as a criticism. Indeed many revolutionary ideas are simple and obvious and I think that is exactly why this book and Dr. Szasz must be taken seriously. I am speaking behind the times when I say this because the book is nearly 40 years on the market. However Dr. Szasz is as relevant today as ever. Institutionalized persecution of 'different' behaviours has evolved beyond the ridiculous to the absurd. Dr. Szasz's characterization of this as a 'war on personal responsibility' is important from a medical and a moral perspective, as a challenge to the popular notions of 'inner child,' the growing 'victim' industry (e.g. gambling and shopping 'addictions,' among many, many more), and similar conceptual garbage.
"THE MYTH OF MENTAL ILLNESS creates for the reader a reference point for cross disciplinary thinking in sociology, linguistics, philosophy of mind and science, psychology, history and or course medicine. The concepts are true to human beings as self-responsible moral agents and consistent with the North American work-ethic. Dr. Szasz is commended for his insight and understanding of a psychiatric industry gone mad." -- Reader's Comment
"Descriptive criteria aside, what is the essence of mental disorders? Are they merely physiological disorders of the brain, or, more precisely of its chemistry? If so, can they be cured by restoring the balance of substances and secretions in that mysterious organ? And, once equilibrium is reinstated -- is the illness 'gone' or is it still lurking there, 'under wraps,' waiting to erupt? Are psychiatric problems inherited, rooted in faulty genes (though amplified by environmental factors) -- or brought on by abusive or wrong nurturance?
"These questions are the domain of the 'medical' school of mental health.
"Others cling to the spiritual view of the human psyche. They believe that mental ailments amount to the metaphysical discomposure of an unknown medium -- the soul. Theirs is a holistic approach, taking in the patient in his or her entirety, as well as his milieu.
"The members of the functional school regard mental health disorders as perturbations in the proper, statistically 'normal,' behaviours and manifestations of 'healthy' individuals, or as dysfunctions. The 'sick' individual -- ill at ease with himself (ego-dystonic), or making others unhappy (deviant) -- is 'mended' when rendered functional again by the prevailing standards of his social and cultural frame of reference.
"In a way, the three schools are akin to the trio of blind men who render disparate descriptions of the very same elephant. Still, they share not only their subject matter -- but, to a counter intuitively large degree, a faulty methodology.
"As the renowned anti-psychiatrist, Thomas Szasz, of the State University of New York, notes in his article "The Lying Truths of Psychiatry," mental health scholars, regardless of academic predilection, infer the etiology of mental disorders from the success or failure of treatment modalities.
"This form of 'reverse engineering' of scientific models is not unknown in other fields of science, nor is it unacceptable if the experiments meet the criteria of the scientific method. The theory must be all-inclusive, consistent, falsifiable, logically compatible, monovalent, and parsimonious. Psychological 'theories' -- even the 'medical' ones (the role of serotonin and dopamine in mood disorders, for instance) -- are usually none of these things.
"The outcome is a bewildering array of ever-shifting mental health 'diagnoses' expressly centered around Western civilization and its standards (example: the ethical objection to suicide). Neurosis, a historically fundamental 'condition' vanished after 1980. Homosexuality, according to the American Psychiatric Association, was a pathology prior to 1973. Seven years later, narcissism was declared a 'personality disorder,' almost seven decades after it was first described by Freud.
"Szasz is the father of the 'anti-psychiatry' movement and this is his best book -- a riveting, mind boggling, scholarly read." -- Sam Vaknin, author of Malignant Self Love -- Narcissism Revisited
"This is the seminal work by the great Thomas Szasz, psychiatry's most important critic. Szasz ranks with Hayek, Mill, and Madison as one of the greatest proponents of liberty. No educated person should be unfamiliar with his writings." -- Nicolas S. Martin
Thomas S. Szasz Cybercenter for Liberty and Responsibility
"Liberty and responsibility are two sides of the same coin. No policy -- public or private -- can increase or decrease one without increasing or decreasing the other. Human behavior has reasons, not causes. . . .
http://www.szasz.com/
Mental Disorders are not Diseases, Thomas S. Szasz, M.D.
"Psychiatrists and their allies have succeeded in persuading the scientific community, courts, media, and general public that mental illnesses are phenomena independent of human motivation or will. . . .
"No one believes that love sickness is a disease, but nearly everyone believes that mental sickness is, and virtually no one realizes that, if this were true, it would prove the non-existence of mental illness. If mental illnesses are brain diseases (like Parkinsonism), then they are diseases of the body, not the mind." -- USA Today (Magazine), January 2000
http://szasz.com/usatoday.html
Waitzkin, Howard, and Barbara Waterman, The Exploitation of Illness in Capitalist Society, ISBN: 0672613271 9780672613272.
"This short book presents a critical analysis of existing institutional structures in the American health system, as well as an appraisal of theory in medical sociology. In the introductory section we consider medicine as a social institution and the sociopolitical context of illness. In Section 2, after discussing previous theoretical positions in medical sociology, we outline an alternative theoretical approach. Section 3 attempts to show that the sick role, by providing a controllable form of deviance, mitigates potential conflicts in such institutions as prisons, the armed forces, and the Selective Service System; by helping prevent conflicts, the sick role reduces the probability of basic institutional change. Stratification in medicine is the topic of Section 4; the control of information is studied as a major source of medical stratification. In Section 5 we analyze the problem of empire building in American medicine, with emphasis on the major proposed reforms in the health system-national health insurance and health maintenance organizations. The study concludes with a brief discussion of the relationships between improved health care and broad sociopolitical change.
See also: Physical health, Summary and research index of key information in chapter 8: physical health and healthcare, Healthcare horror stories, Medical ethics, Healthcare reform, Medical bill auditing and mediation, Patient advocacy, What your doctor may not tell you, The limits of modern medicine, The Veterans administration medical centers, and so forth, and so on.
The corporate business model is inimical [tending to obstruct or harm; unfriendly; hostile -- compiler], to good healthcare outcomes.
The challenge that corporate healthcare in America is unable to meet is "how to maintain ever-increasing compensation for healthcare [shareholders and medical professionals -- compiler], while the population becomes healthier."
Over-treatment (the estimated number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million. The estimated number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million), of the wealthy and under-treatment of the poor has been tried.
Redefining sin and wickedness as "mental illness" based upon psychology and professional consensus, rather than upon scientific evidence and theological truth has been tried.
Authorities changing "clinical guidelines" for heart disease (Only 11 percent of the ACC/AHA recommended guidelines provided to cardiologists were based upon solid scientific evidence.), cancer, hypothyroidism, and many other ailments has been tried.
These revised "clinical guidelines" often result in prolonged, and even lifetime treatment "merry-go-rounds" with little or no positive outcomes.
Drug usage has skyrocketed. (Researchers have estimated that medications cause 17 million visits to emergency rooms and 8.7 million hospitalizations each year. It has been estimated that the drugs that are supposed to relieve our symptoms or cure us, may be responsible for as many as 300,000 deaths annually.)
Then there is Medicare fraud (estimated at 200 billion a year), The Affordable Care Act debaucle and corruption, soaring health insurance rates, the ever present, legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court, abortion (approximately 1.06 million in 2011), euthenasia, and so forth.
The results: hospital safety is at all-time lows, hospital and primary care "bill stuffing," healthcare outcomes just as good in Cuba as in the United States at one seventh of the expense per person, iatrogenic deaths (estimated at 750,000 per year in the US. Add annual abortions, and that is an estimated 1,810,000 unnecessary deaths per year.), healthcare expenses a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States, lack of dental care reaching crisis proportions, increasing "healthcare tourism" to foreign countries by Americans who can not afford healthcare in the United States, and so forth, and so on.It is important to keep in mind that healthcare is a business, just like any other business, and that "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority." -- John Emerich Edward Dalberg, Lord Acton (1834-1902), in a letter to Mandell Creighton, April 5, 1887, quoted by Gertrude Himmelfarb in Acton, Essays on Freedom and Power, pp. 335-36 (1972)
King Solomon, who reigned from c. 970-931 BC, made the following observation.
If a ruler hearkens to lies, all his servants are wicked. (Proverbs 29:12)
"Corruption in society tends to start at the top. The dishonest ruler not only attracts evil officials, but encourages subordinates to become corrupt." -- Annotation in The Reformation Study Bible.
John Gill commenting on the passage:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/proverbs-29-12.html
Matthew Henry commenting on the passage:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/proverbs/29.htmlExperts of every kind are in the perfect position to exploit you. -- from the Contents of Freakonomics: A Rogue Economists Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
See the Theological Notes: "The Image of God," at Genesis 1:27 in The Reformation Study Bible.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:27)In the LORD put I my trust:
How say ye to my soul.
Flee as a bird to your mountain?
For, lo, the wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow upon the string,
That they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The LORD is in his holy temple,
The LORD'S throne is in heaven:
His eyes behold,
His eyelids try, the children of men.
The LORD trieth the righteous:
But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Upon the wicked he shall rain snares,
Fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest:
This shall be the portion of their cup.
For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness;
His countenance doth behold the upright. (Psalm 11:1-7), (context Psalms 1-18)The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. (2 Samuel 22:3)
The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. (2 Samuel 23:3)
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10)
We are an illiterate nation incapable of understanding great truth. -- C. Gregg Singer (1910-1999)
The biggest predictor of health is socio-economic status (Hadler). In prosperous societies, the greater the gap between the poor and the wealthy, the more ill health there is among the poor.
So many times people in the pew and the pulpit say, well how did all this get started? How did psychology descend to its present level? . . . How did political science produce our political thought, produce the dictatorships which are engulfing the modern world? Why are we in the economic mess in which we are today? Why is sociology such a jumble of immorality? Why is education as it is today? Why is art so meaningless? . . . Why is modern music an affront to the modern ears as well as to the mind and ear of God? [Why is our healthcare system broken? -- compiler] . . . Why are all these things!? . . .
"I would suggest to you that if you will follow this course with thought and care, you will finally come to see the answer to the questions which haunt us today in Western society." -- C. Gregg Singer (1910-1999), in the Apologetics series of 24 lectures using FROM RATIONALISM TO IRRATIONALITY: THE DECLINE OF THE WESTERN MIND FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE PRESENT (1979) as the Text, and delivered in Decatur, Georgia, beginning November, 1979.
Apologetics: #01: Classical and Medieval Thought #1
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, Apologetics, 56 min.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=2250511453The Establishment, vested interests (business and political) -- people who make a great deal of money by maintaining the status quo -- have systematically worked to keep Americans clueless about the extent of the healthcare meltdown, the causes of the meltdown, and the real story about feasible alternatives. -- Robert H. LeBow and C. Rocky White, Health Care Meltdown: Confronting the Myths and Fixing our Failing System
She [Carolyn Dean in DEATH BY MODERN MEDICINE -- compiler], shows that despite medical error being underreported by a factor of 20, it is STILL the number ONE cause of death in America (and almost surely Canada). [Abortion, also a medical error, more than double the annual total of iratrogenic deaths. -- compiler]. Hospital error, hospital-acquired infection, adverse drug reactions, nursing homes, all come in for their share of the total death toll. Why this atrocity is allowed to continue unabated and unnoticed is a question we all have responsibility for. -- Reader's Comment
Growth of government is the greatest tragedy of the 20th century. -- Gordon H. Clark in A Christian View of Men and Things (See The "ObamaCare Chart," (Organizational Flow Chart)
http://kevinbrady.house.gov/uploads/Obamacare%20Chart.pdfIf we compare the U.S. Federal Budget to entire economic growth, that is, if we compare Federal Spending as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) we find that in 1900 it was 02.8 percent of GDP, but by 1993 it had grown to 27 percent of (GNP). The U.S. economy grew, of course, during this period, but Federal spending grew ten (10) times as fast as the GDP.
Federal spending growing at ten (10) times the economy partially explains growth in the Cost of Healthcare.
Healthcare Spending in real terms (adjusted for inflation), increased from negligible in real terms in 1900, to 1 billion in 1930, to 210 billion in 1994. That is an increase of over 2,000 times.
This explains, in part, the skyrocketing cost of healthcare. Increased demands of Federal spending on healthcare drives up the costs for everyone. -- John W. Robbins, in a lecture, "The Growth of Government in the United States"One of the reasons for extremely high costs of medicine and high incomes of doctors is restrictive licensing . . . . Licensing is a hidden monopolistic practice . . . . Permeating throughout society is hidden, monopolistic practice [medicine, law, banking, taxi driving, investigation, etc.] . . . . Yet much of what doctors do can be done by a trained technician, a physician practitioner, a nurse practitioner . . . . Licensing restricts the supply of doctors, but there is also artificially created demand . . . . 93 cents out of every dollar spent on healthcare is spent not by the consumer but by others [such as the Federal Government spending 210 billion in 1994 as noted above] . . . . The medical industry has repeatedly done studies trying to come up with quantitative statistics proving the benefits of healthcare, but keep coming back to the conclusion that, with a few isolated exceptions, such as trauma care, there is no real strong evidence that healthcare has any affect on an individual's health and longevity . . . . the average age that doctors die is currently 56 . . . . a decade ago it was reported that doctors have the highest suicide rate of any professional group . . . . Healthcare worked in the private sector, fee for service, 100 years ago . . . . In 1910 there were three times the number of medical schools . . . . There is some idea that doctors have to earn $200,000 a year, but that is not necessarily the case in a voluntary free market . . . . probably 80 percent of what a doctor does can be done by a physician practitioner. -- John W. Robbins, Gordon S. Clark
1/3 The portion of the population that is uninsured or poorly insured in the United States.
34,000 The number of people that would be insured by the salary of the CEO of United Health Group who makes $122.7 million/year.
37th The Rank of the United States among industrialized countries in health system performance in a report by the World Health Organization. The U.S. is ranked 54th in Fairness, while Cuba is ranked 23rd in the same category. According to the same report, the U.S. has a higher infant mortality rate than Cypress and Slovenia.
101,000 People have died unnecessarily in the United States every year for the past five years due to insurance denials or lack of insurance." -- US Healthcare Crisis: The Facts, a brochure from Healthcare -- NOWThe fundamental problem, which Starr calls the "policy trap," is that important segments of society get enough out of a woefully inefficient system to resist, and to be suspicious of, any reform. The deductibility of health insurance premiums by employers and nationalized healthcare for the elderly via Medicare means that the most important voting blocs in society do well under the system without really appreciating the ridiculously high cost of what they are provided. Middle class people with jobs and senior citizens vote -- and they are invested in the status quo. -- Paul Starr, Remedy and Reaction: The Peculiar American Struggle Over Health Care Reform
Job security and job performance in healthcare
"Working oneself out of a job," would be the equivalent, in healthcare, of developing a cure for, or preventing major diseases, addictions, or abnormal behaviors -- of fostering a society of healthy individuals who do not need doctors. It would be the equivalent of educating the patient so they know how to prevent disease and stay healthy.
Notice the fact of incurable is built into the business model of most recovery programs (i.e., "once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic"). Yet there is ample documented evidence that this fact is not true.
Not being able to trust God to provide a table before us, to provide a lifetime of employment, contributes, in part, to a whole array of unethical practices in healthcare, a few of the more egregious being: flip-flopping after taking the Hippocratic Oath and receiving a Medical License from the state (which is essentially a monopoly, and fosters lack of competition and price fixing), and then pursing the personal goal of becoming a "wealthy doctor," performing unnecessary surgery to "keep the mill running," deliberate misdiagnosis in order to perform expensive procedures, "stuffing" hospital bills with costs for "standby equipment" that is not used, recommending procedures or prescribing medicines that involve serious risks without informing the patient of the risks involved, "price fixing" through corporate monopolies and professional "trusts," the $1,000 crown and build-up, the $6,000 orthodontist treatment, the $6,000 hearing aid, $600 for 100 Prozac capsules when the generic version (though not identical and not as effective), is $4, $9,500 to $18,850 (January 2007), for prenatal care and delivery (bearing a child is a normal process), depending upon the type of delivery and the geographical location, performing unnecessary C-sections (Washington, DC has one of the highest rates of C-sections in the country) -- without insurance they can run from $14,000 to $25,000, failure to diagnose hypothyroidism which can lead to physiological depression and a constellation of symptoms, resulting in multiple doctor visits and wrong diagnose over a lifetime, and seriously degrading quality of life, public advertising of healthcare organizations, public advertising of prescription drugs, "paper-thin" health insurance, recent changes in bankruptcy laws excluding medical expenses from bankruptcy (medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy), and so forth, and so on, and on, and on, and on -- all because leaders and professionals can not trust in God to provide them with a livelihood throughout their lives.
It is not surprising that doctors have the highest suicide rate of any professional group.
This tendency to be fearful of losing one livelihood is seen in every sphere of the economy. Similarly corrupted business models are found in oil, automotive, and healthcare businesses.
In the final analysis, of course, our livelihood and our competence in life depend upon trusting in God, and in his commandments, laws, statutes, principles and practices -- in his word, which is the highest ethical standard known to mankind. It has been said "the only lesson we have to learn is to trust in God." Of course, this is a general statement, but it is broadly relevant.A blue code of silence has protected police officers from being reported for misconduct. This unwritten rule keeps fellow officers from revealing errors or criminal activity. Now a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that a similar code of silence prevents many doctors from reporting colleagues who are impaired or incompetent.
Even though the AMA has a code of ethics that states doctors have an ethical obligation to report such behavior, a survey of nearly 3,000 physicians found that many don't comply. In this research, about one third who knew of an incompetent colleague did not report the person to the relevant authorities. Reasons for not reporting included the belief that someone else would take action, the worry that nothing would happen as a result of a report and the fear of retribution. The authors conclude that the current atmosphere results in patients being exposed to unacceptable risks. -- JAMA, July 14, 2010The current "lack of moral vigor" in our society has resulted in an unwritten "code red." If a colleague in an organization reports incompetency or error, regardless of how tactful and respectful they are, leadership tends to unite, and to brand the "whistle-blower" as a "troublemaker."
"Code red," as practiced in the military, was dramatized in the movie A Few Good Men (1992).
In healthcare the victim of a "code red" might be either a practitioner or a patient. If practitioner who reports medical error, malpractice, misconduct, or price gouging, then he becomes the victim and may lose his job and have difficult finding another one.
Likewise a patient who reports medical error, malpractice, misconduct, or price gouging, may find that suddenly they are dropped as a patient or "given a hard time" by their previous local healthcare support group. They may be denied medical care in the future.
"Code red" may be thought of as a corollary to the "blue code of silence" that "has protected police officers [and doctors and healthcare workers], from being reported for misconduct. This unwritten rule keeps fellow officers from revealing errors or criminal activity."
The "code red" and "blue code of silence" in healthcare are just several reasons why things have gone so horribly wrong and at the same time the Medical Profession does not seem to care.New Study: U.S. Ranks Last Among Other Industrialized Nations on Preventable Deaths. 101,000 Fewer Americans Would die Annually if the U.S. Improved its Preventable Death Rate to That of the Three top Performing Nations, January 08, 2008 -- Health Affairs
- "The United States slipped to No. 37 [41 as of August 2007, see Ohlemacher below], in healthcare around the world, just slightly ahead of Slovenia." (World Health Organization, 2000 report, based on 1997 data.)
- "The United States spends $6,096 a year per person, versus $229 a year in Cuba. And astronomically more money doesn't mean far better outcomes. In fact, Americans live just a little bit longer than Cubans, on average." -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta
- "Life expectancies in Cuba are about equal to those in America despite being outspent by America 26 to 1 in healthcare"
- "We are No. 43 in the world in infant mortality." -- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
- "The Institute of Medicine reports that the average patient experiences at least one error every day he is hospitalized."
- "Medical errors are a major cause of disability and death."
- "A heart surgeon goes through seven (7) years of training."
- "The annual death toll from medical errors is estimated at 44,000 to 98,000 Americans."
- "About 18,000 people die each year as a result of the lack of health insurance." (Institute of Medicine, January 2004 report)
- "We have a tragedy taking place every year now -- 18,000 people a year, these are the actual official statistics, 18,000 people a year die in this country for no other reason other than the fact that they don't have a health insurance card. That's six 9/11s every single year." -- Michael Moore
- "Los Angeles authorities are investigating allegations that a dozen area hospitals have dumped more than 50 homeless patients downtown."
- "Just this past week [6/29/07], the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated there are about 43.6 million uninsured people in the country. In March, the Census Bureau put the number at 44.8 million.
- "The health insurance plans of 50 million people in this country leave them underinsured."
- "Moore began this project [SiCKO], by advertising on the Web for tales of healthcare woe. Within a week, he had received 25,000 e-mails."
- "It's true that the United States is the only country in the western world without free universal access to healthcare."
- Gitmo [The U.S. detainee center for alleged terrorists on Guantonamo Bay, Cuba], is "the only place on American soil with free universal healthcare."
- A "former British Politico . . . stated, 'If you can find money to kill people [wage war on terrorism], then you can find money to help people [universal healthcare]."
- "Today, as Moore noted, both on Capitol Hill and in his film, there are four healthcare lobbyists in Washington for every member of Congress."
- "Insurance and pharmaceutical companies, along with the elitest doctors who control the AMA and every hospital's board of trustees, buy politicians on both sides of the aisle. Moore does a good job of exposing this. He did a good job of bringing up how insurance companies weasel their way out of paying . . . ."
- "Moore whacks the U.S. political system for catering to the needs of the insurance industry not the citizenry, pointing out that the healthcare lobby pumps millions of dollars into the campaigns of lawmakers."
- "The insurance company is the one deciding whether or not the doctor can perform a procedure or a treatment on a patient. I mean, just think about that. You go to see a doctor, the doctor says, I think you need this particular operation. But the doctor just can't order the operation or send you to a specialist. He has to call someone sitting in a cubicle, maybe 1,000 miles away, who can then give permission. And as you see in my film, the doctors who work at the insurance companies, they get bonuses for denying the most number of claims."
- "Over the past 10 years healthcare premiums have grown at four times the rate of wages and inflation, and insurance company profits have nearly tripled. . . . Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and the way they maximize profits is by minimizing payments. . . ."
- "Medical reviewers for one health insurance company who rendered the most denials received bonuses."
- "Among the insurers mentioned are Humana Inc., where chief executive Michael McCallister received about $5.9 million in salary and other compensation in 2006, and Aetna Inc., where chief executive Ronald Williams last year received salary and other compensation totaling about $30.9 million. Those figures were determined by an AP analysis of company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission."
- "Of course it [the Medicare prescription drug benefit Act, Medicare Part D], was really a bill to hand over $800 billion of our tax dollars to the drug and health insurance industry." Freking and Johnson, July 2007
- "Who are we to let moneyed interests and powerful lobbies construct a country that best serves their needs rather than ours?"
- "Who are we that we let insurers deny coverage to our neighbors because they are too tall, or have too many seasonal allergies?"
- "Who are we that our hospitals push the ill and indigent into cabs, and drop them off, disoriented and clad in a paper-thin gown, on skid row?"
- "Who are we to let national pride blind us to these better alternatives?"
- "Moore's solution . . . is to give all Americans free universal coverage. He paints insurance companies as the villains."
- "But the weight of evidence Moore marshals [in his documentary "SiCKO"], for taking the profit motive out of medicine is overwhelming." [America's healthcare crisis also is a violation of the human rights to life, liberty, and property (see statistics herein), and compels action by the public. -- compiler]
- "The California Nurses Association, which supports a single-payer system, is organizing across the country in conjunction with the movie's appearance."
- "A bill has been proposed in Congress, The United States National Health Insurance (NHI) Act (HR 676), non-profit Medicare for All, outlines a national healthcare program that will provide guaranteed affordable healthcare and prescription drugs to everyone in the country." (6/29/07), [If the citizen, voter, activist, resolution writer, petitioner, first does the arithmetic, they will see, in terms of human life and wealth (national and personal), that fixing the U.S. Healthcare Crisis is of greater importance than ending our preemptive war in Iraq. And it becomes apparent that the inertia of those in the driver's seat, the U.S. Congress, is as great in the case of reforming healthcare as their inertia is in ending the war. (United States National Health Care Act - Wikipedia)
- "Overall, NHI would save about $350 billion annually on bureaucracy and profits, more than enough to pay for covering the uninsured and improving coverage for the tens of millions who are currently UNDER-insured." -- Background fact sheet - Physicians for a National Health Program
A. The number of physicians in the United States is 700,000.
B. Accidental deaths caused by physicians per year is 120,000 ["Healthcare screwups are one of the leading causes of death in America, killing as many as 750,000 people annually. . . . That is the equivalent of more than three jumbo jets crashing every day of the year (or over 1,000 jets annually)." -- Joe and Teresa Graedon in Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them -- compiler].
C. Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171 (US Dept. of Health and Human Services), [Or, with the revised figure of 750,000/700,000 = 1.07 iatrogenic deaths per year per doctor, although the estimated number of doctors has probably increased in 2012. -- compiler]
A. The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000 (yes, eighty-million)
B. The number of accidental gun deaths per year (all age groups), is 1,500
C. The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is 0.0000188
Statistically, doctors are about 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners [or 52,500 times more dangerous than gun owners, using 750,000 for the annual iatrogenic deaths in the U.S. -- compiler].
"FACT: Not everyone has a gun, but almost everyone has a doctor. Alert your friends to this threat. We must ban doctors before this gets out of hand. [Of course, this is presented in jest. We do not agree with the statistical analysis, comparing apples with oranges, but it does make a serious point. Death by Medicine puts the "total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year." -- compiler]It would appear that Healthcare (including the pharmaceutical industry), is the biggest consumer rip-off in America, considering, among other things, the estimated annual number of iatrogenic deaths at 750,000 (approximately one patient per doctor). "U.S. lags behind 41 nations in life span," the "US has the most expensive healthcare in the world, . . . Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world, . . . . How is proposed government healthcare reform different from a colossal Ponzi scheme? If taxes are increased to pay for healthcare reform, but government fails to deliver, then citizens have paid in and received nothing in return. This is the impending end, it appears, for both Social Security and Medicare. . . . Healthcare fraud is estimated to cost taxpayers over 200 billion dollars a year . . . the Federal government has not been able to stop this fraud . . . how, then, are they capable of running a national healthcare program? . . . according to the FDA, 80 percent of the active and inactive ingredients in our pharmaceuticals come from abroad . . ." and we are "confronted with a huge drug counterfeiting problem." . . . (FDA, Eban) The U.S. is one of the few industrialized countries that permits the public advertising of pharmaceuticals . . . the dominance of pharmceuticals in advertising is overwhelming . . . experts advise not us use any advertised medicine because while they may have been FDA approved that does not mean they are better than older medicines and the risk of adverse effects is an unknown with a new medicine . . . and so forth, and so on.
Healthcare fraud is said to cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars a year. . . . A U.S. Senate committee revealed last year that public health insurer Medicare had paid as much as $92 million from 2000 to 2007 for medical services or equipment ordered or prescribed by doctors who were dead at the time. . . . The FBI estimates that fraud accounts for 3 percent to 10 percent of U.S. healthcare expenditure per year, and Gillies said it could easily cost about $200 billion annually. . . . That is broadly in line with a Thomson Reuters report released on October 26. The report said that in 2007, when the United States spent nearly $2.3 trillion on healthcare and both public and private insurers processed more than 4 billion health insurance claims, fraud was estimated to reach as much as 10 percent of annual healthcare spending. . . . At that rate, due largely to fraudulent Medicare claims, kickbacks for referrals for unnecessary services and other scams, the losses in 2007 would have been more than $220 billion. . . . The National Healthcare Anti-Fraud Association, an organization of about 100 private insurers and public agencies, estimates that some $60 billion, or about 3 percent of total annual healthcare spending, is lost to fraud. But the Thomson Reuters report said that figure is considered conservative. -- Tom Brown, in Cancer of Fraud Permeates U.S. Healthcare System, November 25, 2009, Reuters
Questions for the U.S. Congress:
- Why is the Federal Government unable to stop an estimated $220 billion in healthcare fraud annually?
- How is government involvement in healthcare reform going to reduce the cost of healthcare? More government spending translates to higher healthcare costs. Government spending currently amounts to about 40 percent of the annual amount spent on healthcare in the US. Government spending is said to be the major cause of higher healthcare costs. (Robbins)
- What hope is there that a 2,700 page healthcare reform bill will provide adequate healthcare for all the citizens of this nation? There is no precedent or model for a successful U.S. government run healthcare program. Healthcare fraud is estimated to cost taxpayers over 200 billion dollars a year. Rather, wrongdoers must be punished, if a nation is to have government.
- If a primary objective of healthcare reform is to prevent private insurers from denying coverage to persons with pre-existing conditions, then why does the U.S. House of Representatives Healthcare Reform Bill, October 31, 2009 reduce Medicare payments by 40 percent? Aging can be considered a universal pre-existing condition. We are all aging, and the elderly, especially, have increasing need for medical care.
- How is proposed government healthcare reform different from a colossal Ponzi scheme? If taxes are increased to pay for healthcare reform, but government fails to deliver, then citizens have paid in and received nothing in return. This is the impending end, it appears, for both Social Security and Medicare.
- If healthcare reform is enacted into law, then where will competent administrators be found?
- Of what value is healthcare reform if the dollar continually weakens, if the national debt grows, if the American and the world economies fail, and if we are no longer able to defend ourselves from enemies without?
- And so forth, and so on.
Bernie Madoff went to jail for this kind of behavior. -- Senator John McCain, November 21, 2009, after the Senate vote 60 to 39, straight down party lines, in favor of debating the House of Representatives Healthcare Reform Bill
Corporate America's takeover of healthcare has resulted in the unavailability of healthcare to millions. If we want to know how successful a program of National Healthcare would be, then we have a contemporary example in the government's privatization of the Veterans Administration Medical System.
When you [doctors] treat numbers, you are not treating the patient, just the numbers. It is bad medicine.
Today's medical practitioners have been taught that "the way to better living is through chemistry."
Hospital Administrators ("Business" people), are generally in the wrong "business" as they typically would not know how to treat a patient if they had to, and are totally dependent on the physicians and remainder of the healthcare providers.
Hospital Administrators make much, much more money than the physicians and usually with much, much less education. This is magnified further when one considers the amount of pay per unit of time actually working.
The Hospital Administration/"business" salaries break the backs of the physicians. Then they turn to donors for cash.
Also ask your Insurance Companies for their -- real -- numbers. The Insurance Executive, another group of people depositing healthcare dollars into their own pockets without actually seeing patients, make up a huge chunk of the budget. Start trimming there. We already have some of the dullest minds in Hospital Administrative and Insurance Executive positions (behind the scenes).
Currently, Hospital Administrations sit down with Insurance Company Executives (or their assistants), and strike deals that exchange mass 'numbers' of patients for discounted rates. Who is missing from the table -- patients and the physicians taking care of the patients.
Hospital Administrations, the very people getting the bonuses and raises, padding their own slush funds, and writing in golden parachute plans for themselves, do so based on the aforementioned "deals," if based on anything.
The physicians are commonly pushed into seeing two to three times as many patients as would otherwise be reasonable because of the aforementioned 'deals' therefore shortening the time they are able to spend with each patient.
On a constructive note, ask your local Hospitals for their -- real -- financial numbers, the Hospital Administration's self proclaimed portion of the budget.
As individuals Hospital Administrators and Insurance Executives readily extract . . . millions of dollars from the system. They are fueled by money from sick people and donors while riding the backs of physicians. These people are the fat that needs to be exercised out, escorted out . . . of the obese and ailing healthcare system.
The patients come to terms with their medical insurance coverage limitations sometimes when they need it the most. People are then faced with the new artificially inflated 'retail' cost of healthcare, with or without Insurance.
The pharmacists become abused extensions of the Insurance Companies. It's the pharmacists that have to communicate the wide variety of continuously outdated, irrelevant, and erroneous rules to the patients and physicians from different Insurance Companies. This includes redundant and un-reimbursed paperwork. The pharmacists then serve as cushion "choirs" so that the immediate dissatisfaction complaints aimed at the Insurance Companies, from the patients and physicians, fizzle out at the point of the pharmacy, inadvertently serving as sort of a complaint department shield, while rarely reaching the Insurance Companies themselves. -- Internet User's CommentAccording to the FDA, 80 percent of the active and inactive ingredients in our pharmaceuticals come from abroad. It is estimated that 40 percent of the finished pills come from abroad including countries such as India, China, Brazil and Mexico. It is also very clear that the FDA does not have the resources to inspect all or even many of the manufacturing plants producing either the raw materials or finished products millions of Americans take every day. That means that there is no verification system that the pills are exactly what they say they are.
We have seen manufacturing problems with some of the most prestigious drug companies in the U.S. (Johnson and Johnson and GSK). These problems occurred at plants where the FDA visits on a regular basis. Do we really believe that chemical companies in China that are not inspected are producing perfectly identical generic drugs at cutthroat prices? -- Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 2011It is my deep belief that the current status of the TSH test as the absolute yes-or-no arbiter for the presence of hypothyroidism and for the status of the patient's treatment will eventually come to be regarded as one of the great mistakes of medical history. -- Ken Blanchard in What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypothyroidism: A Simple Plan for Extraordinary Results, p. xi
In January 2003, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) made the announcement "Now AACE encourages doctors to consider treatment for patients who test outside the boundaries of a narrower margin based on a target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.0. AACE believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild thyroid disorder, but have gone untreated until now." -- Mary Shomon, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, p. 11
In 1997, there were an estimated twenty-five million people in the United States taking antidepressants. And some studies estimate that 80 percent of people on antidepressants report a variety of unresolved symptoms -- such as weight gain, lethargy, and loss of libido -- that are also very common symptoms of thyroid disease. A significant percentage of people on antidepressants could actually be suffering from an undiagnosed thyroid problem. -- Mary Shomon, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, p. 62
The Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that about fifteen thousand different chemicals that are included in common products like pesticides, cosmetics, and plastics should be analyzed to see if they act as endocrine disruptors. Internationally known health researcher and author Dr. Theodora Colborn, author of OUR STOLEN FUTURE, believes that exposure to even low doses of endocrine disruptors can be harmful to our health. -- Mary Shomon, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, p. 470
Child depression rates
In total, even after accounting for overlap in a number of these statistics, about one-third of our children are now diagnosed with some significant mental or physical disorder." -- Michael Gurian in Nurture the Nature
- Child depression rates in the United States have jumped exponentially in the last decade. Between 1995 and 2002, the number of hospital visits for depression among seven- to seventeen-year-olds jumped from 1.44 million to 3.22 million. The majority of these children are girls. The number of girls under six who are taking antidepressants and similar drugs has jumped to over a million.
- Over four million U.S. boys are on Ritalin or other mind- and mood-altering drugs. They are being medicated at ever younger ages, even though the FDA has not approved these drugs for these age groups. In general, the use of antipsychotic drugs for both girls and boys has jumped fivefold in the seven years between 1995 and 2002.
- Increasingly, the minds of our children are growing up to be antisocial. Children diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder now number in the millions. As the Carnegie-Mellon survey notes, our primary social response to the new antisocial nature of children has not been to rethink how we raise them, but rather to expand punishment and incarceration systems. A Department of Justice study reports that at our present rates of incarceration, one in twenty babies born in the United States today will spend some part of life incarcerated. As of 2004, 1 in every 138 U.S. residents was in prison.
- More than seven million U.S. girls struggle now with eating disorders -- quite often their brains' serotonin levels are so askew in their high-pressure lives that they must excessively diet, vomit food, and impede their own physical maturation just to rebalance themselves.
- Just under two million girls each year cut themselves with knives and other sharp objects in response to desperation and need for emotional contact.
- Millions of adolescent children abuse substances and binge drink. (Boys especially fit in the latter category). These children seek emotional relief and escape from pressure through means other than healthy human contact and healthy personal growth.
- Boys and girls are sleeping one to two hours less per night than their brains need for healthy growth. This lack of sleep is an underreported epidemic with profound consequences, including antisocial behavior, substance abuse, and school failure.
- In the last twenty years, our children's physical weight rates have risen to nearly one in two children overweight and one in five obese. Obesity is the number one health problem among American children and is tied to many other problems: alcohol abuse, drugs, self-cutting, depression, media addiction, and listlessness.
Dr. Philip Thomas, a pediatric obesity specialist, fears "This is going to be the first generation that's going to have a lower life expectancy than its parents."Last year I had a hospitalization after lying for 18 hours while dehydrated in the ER waiting for a room. I was admitted with the wrong diagnosis, given the wrong treatment which included a broad spectrum antibiotic and then was discharged with c-diff.
The drugs to treat the c-diff cost $5,600 and when I received a bill for some unknown "service" in addition to insurance payment, I asked for an itemized bill. To my dismay, I discovered that my insurance had been billed fraudulently. I requested a review of the charges 4 months ago, but every time I call for the status of the review, I am told the "audit is still in progress."
Even though I am an RN, I was a helpless victim while ill. -- Internet User's CommentSnake oil: a substance with no real medicinal value sold as a remedy for all diseases.
Pusher: a person who sells illegal drugs.
American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, Code of Medical Ethics: Current Opinions with Annotations, 2004-2005, ISBN: 1579477771 9781579477776.
"For more than 155 years, the AMA Code of Medical Ethics has been considered the most comprehensive ethics guide for physicians, covering a wide range of issues related to the patient-physician relationship, such as confidentiality and end-of-life care. It also addresses social policy issues that affect medical practice matters as well as medical records, fees and charges, professional rights and more. This edition features:
Anderson, Dwight, and Margaret Baylous, When Doctors are Rationed, 255 pages.
*Angell, Marcia, The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive us and What to do About it, ISBN: 0375760946.
"During her two decades at The New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Marcia Angell had a front-row seat on the appalling spectacle of the pharmaceutical industry. She watched drug companies stray from their original mission of discovering and manufacturing useful drugs and instead become vast marketing machines with unprecedented control over their own fortunes. She saw them gain nearly limitless influence over medical research, education, and how doctors do their jobs. She sympathized as the American public, particularly the elderly, struggled and increasingly failed to meet spiraling prescription drug prices. Now, in this bold, hard-hitting new book, Dr. Angell exposes the shocking truth of what the pharmaceutical industry has become -- and argues for essential, long-overdue change.
"Currently Americans spend a staggering $200 billion each year on prescription drugs. As Dr. Angell powerfully demonstrates, claims that high drug prices are necessary to fund research and development are unfounded: The truth is that drug companies funnel the bulk of their resources into the marketing of products of dubious benefit. Meanwhile, as profits soar, the companies brazenly use their wealth and power to push their agenda through Congress, the FDA, and academic medical centers.
"Zeroing in on hugely successful drugs like AZT (the first drug to treat HIV/AIDS), Taxol (the bestselling cancer drug in history), and the blockbuster allergy drug Claritin, Dr. Angell demonstrates exactly how new products are brought to market. Drug companies, she shows, routinely rely on publicly funded institutions for their basic research; they rig clinical trials to make their products look better than they are; and they use their legions of lawyers to stretch out government-granted exclusive marketing rights for years. They also flood the market with copycat drugs that cost a lot more than the drugs they mimic but are no more effective.
"The American pharmaceutical industry needs to be saved, mainly from itself, and Dr. Angell proposes a program of vital reforms, which includes restoring impartiality to clinical research and severing the ties between drug companies and medical education. Written with fierce passion and substantiated with in-depth research, The Truth About the Drug Companies is a searing indictment of an industry that has spun out of control.
"Former editor-in-chief of The New England Journal of Medicine and now a member of Harvard Medical School's Department of Social Medicine, Marcia Angell is a nationally recognized authority in the field of health policy and medical ethics and an outspoken critic of the healthcare system. Time magazine named her one of the twenty-five most influential people in America. Dr. Angell is the author of SCIENCE ON TRIAL: THE CLASH OF MEDICAL EVIDENCE AND THE LAW IN THE BREAST IMPLANT CASE." -- Publisher
"Many Americans have wondered why prescription drugs have become so expensive while advertising for those drugs seems to grow exponentially. Former New England Journal of Medicine editor Marcia Angell has some answers. The pharmaceutical industry, according to Angell, is fraught with corruption and doing a disservice to customers, the federal government, and to the medical establishment itself. In THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG COMPANIES, Angell explains how a huge portion of the revenue generated by "Big Pharma" goes not into research and development but into aggressive marketing campaigns to sell their product. She describes how, even though the drug companies claim that it costs them an average of 802 million dollars per drug to develop new medicines, that figure is obscenely inflated since it factors in marketing as well as expected interest the company would have received had they invested the money in the open market. Meanwhile, Angell says, most of the R&D work is done by colleges and universities funded by the government. There are also problems with the drugs themselves, Angell indicates, since a majority are 'me-too drugs,' slightly modified versions of existing products which meant to address concerns of consumers most likely to spend money on pharmaceuticals. Thus, the market is filled with remarkably similar drugs to treat depression and high cholesterol while potentially life-saving medicines for diseases afflicting third-world countries are discontinued because they aren't profitable. In the books most damning passage, Angell tells of the high-priced junkets offered to doctors, ostensibly offered as educational opportunities that seem to constitute little more than bribes. The prognosis for reform is a grim one, Angell indicates, due to the massive cash reserves and lobbying efforts of 'Big Pharma.' Indeed, that lobby was hard at work trying to discredit her claims immediately upon the book's publication. But for anyone who's paid a pharmacy bill, The Truth About the Drug Companies is a fascinating read." -- John Moe
Ankerberg, John, and John Weldon, Can you Trust Your Doctor? The Complete Guide to new age Medicine and its Threat to Your Family, ISBN: 156121065X 9781561210657.
*Avorn, Jerry, Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs, ISBN: 0375414835 9780375414831.
"If you believe that the latest blockbuster medication is worth a premium price over your generic brand, or that doctors have access to all the information they need about a drug's safety and effectiveness each time they write a prescription, Dr. Jerry Avorn has some sobering news. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of patient care, teaching, and research at Harvard Medical School, he shares his firsthand experience of the wide gap in our knowledge of the effectiveness of one medication as compared to another. In POWERFUL MEDICINES, he reminds us that every pill we take represents a delicate compromise between the promise of healing, the risk of side effects, and an increasingly daunting price. The stakes on each front grow higher every year as new drugs with impressive power, worrisome side effects, and troubling costs are introduced.
"This is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at issues that affect everyone: our shortage of data comparing the worth of similar drugs for the same condition; alarming lapses in the detection of lethal side effects; the under use of life-saving medications; lavish marketing campaigns that influence what doctors prescribe; and the resulting upward spiral of costs that places vital drugs beyond the reach of many Americans.
"In this engagingly written book, Dr. Avorn asks questions that will interest every consumer: How can a product judged safe by the Food and Drug Administration turn out to have unexpectedly lethal side effects? Why has the nation's drug bill been growing at nearly 20 percent per year? How can physicians and patients pick the best medication in its class? How do doctors actually make their prescribing decisions, and why do those decisions sometimes go wrong? Why do so many Americans suffer preventable illnesses and deaths that proper drug use could have averted? How can the nation gain control over its escalating drug budget without resorting to rationing or draconian governmental controls?
"Using clinical case histories taken from his own work as a practitioner, researcher, and advocate, Dr. Avorn demonstrates the impressive power of the well-conceived prescription as well as the debacles that can result when medications are misused. He describes an innovative program that employs the pharmaceutical industry's own marketing techniques to reduce use of some of the most over prescribed and overpriced products. Powerful Medicines offers timely and practical advice on how the nation can improve its drug-approval process, and how patients can work with doctors to make sure their prescriptions are safe, effective, and as affordable as possible.
"This is a passionate and provocative call for action as well as a compelling work of clear-headed science.
"Jerry Avorn, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. An internist, geriatrician, and drug researcher, he is the author of more than two hundred papers in the medical literature on medication use and its outcomes, and one of the most frequently cited researchers in the fields of social science and medicine." -- Publisher
"Easy to read and follow, wide-ranging in scope, dripping with insight from a real medical insider, and very humorous besides, this book is a tour-de-force in many aspects. Problems with HMOs, the FDA, Big Pharma, and out-of-control drug advertising are all addressed. The benefits of drugs are addressed by giving examples of the launching of some that were later risky enough to be banned. The most detailed illustration of the benefits and limitations of the randomized clinical trial (RCT) I have ever read are in this book. Dr. Avorn also gave the best illustration of the advantages of the observational study on large numbers of subjects as a better way to find the risks of drugs. The risks of drugs have many causes besides their inherent toxicity. Dr. Avorn shows how the subjects in an RCT may be healthier or younger or too male compared with the likely drug target group, how dosages may be too high for children or the elderly, how adverse effects are hard to predict and under-reported and that RCTs are not run for enough time. He notes how too many drugs are approved by the FDA based on handy measurements such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels, not real clinical endpoints, like death. The costs of drugs are noted to be whatever the markets will bear, even when the key discoveries are made in government or academic labs, as is usually the case. He writes about the drug information overload for physicians from ads or 'detail women' from Big Pharma, and of 'education' courses put on by Big Pharma, all biased of course. Dr. Avorn has, for >25 years, been involved in studies on how to use computerized data on filled prescriptions and later medical histories of each patient to correlate drug use with well-being. Some of the results have been put into practice with improved patient well-being and lower costs for drugs. He also introduced 'academic detailing' to teach physicians how to prescribe better and cheaper drugs. For these efforts alone he should have a Nobel Prize in Medicine, in my opinion. He makes a number of practical suggestions on improving healthcare in the USA, all with understanding that pluralism, competition and choice are key features of any success in the USA. Prescribing via computer could alert the MD to cheaper drug alternatives, dosage for each age group, and potential interactions. The pharmacy would have accurate input and alerts to prescriptions being filled at other pharmacies. Of larger scope is Dr. Avorn's idea of creating non-profit healthcare provider organizations that are also the insurers. They would be audited annually and evaluated for effectiveness annually with all results being made public. Other suggestions are that drug approval by the FDA no longer be 'yes and good luck' or 'no,' but that there be conditional approvals to be reviewed. Some other federal agency would evaluate risks, not the same people in the FDA who approved the drugs. There is great detail and subtlety overall. The index is adequate. Referencing by page number was sparse. So how could I give only 3 stars to this tour-de-force? While Dr. Avorn was realistic about drug classes such as the NSAIDS (Vioxx, Celebrex), he is far too sanguine, in my opinion, about anticancer, blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol drugs. He is far too negative about vitamins and supplements. Anticancer drugs usually do not prolong life (Moss, 2000). There is no evidence that the wide use of BP drugs provides major benefits, even Dr. Avorn's preferred beta-blockers and diuretics. In RCTs combined in a meta-analysis, the use of beta-blockers reduced mortality by only 0.1 percent annually (Psaty, 1997). The ALLHAT RCT cited by Dr. Avorn had no placebo arm, and the results for the diuretic, which was not a thiazide type, were a bit worse than for the other drug types (Kauffman, 2004). Only when BP is very high, as in the Swedish Trial in Old Patients (STOP), (Dahlöf, 1991), is the result barely worthwhile. The 1627 subjects of both sexes were 70-84 years old and had mean BP = 195/102 at baseline and were followed for 4 years at 116 health centers in Sweden. The drugs were a diuretic, or the same combined with a beta-blocker. After 4 years 89 percent of the drug-treated group were alive vs. 85 percent on placebo, for a drop of just 1 percent per year in mortality. Stroke rate dropped just 1.5 percent per year. In the ASCOT trial of atorvastatin (Lipitor) the chance of not dying was improved by just 0.15 percent per year (Sever, 2003), at a cost of $1,000,000 to prevent 1 death for one year! And this was a trial that Pfizer chose to publish! In the few RCTs in which mortality for women on statin drugs was published, it was higher in all cases (Criqui, 2004), as it is also for aspirin use (Kauffman, 2002). The slight benefits of statin drugs on heart attack and mortality rates have nothing to do with lowering cholesterol or LDL levels, but are related to the presence of cytomegalovirus or inflammation in mostly male patients with severely blocked coronary arteries (Horne, 2003). Dr. Avorn does not admit that the low compliance rates with these two types of drugs is caused by their severe side-effects such that half drop them in a year and up to 3/4 after 2 years (Pahor, 2000; Jackevicius, 2002). Dr. Avorn was extremely negative on the use of supplements, and on the 1994 law that declared them foods, not drugs, unaware of the previous FDA bias in evaluating them. He wrote that none have had valid trial results. This is untrue for selenium (Bjelakovic et al., 2004), a few herbals (Vickers, 1999), ginkgo (Kleijnen, 1992), vitamin C (Hickey, 2004), magnesium (Paolissi, 1989), and some others. Stopping useless drugs altogether rather than substituting cheaper ones, and using certain supplements will save far more than prescribing generics! Willful perversions of RCTs is better covered in OVERDO$ED AMERICA by John Abramson, MD. Complete references available." -- Joel M. Kauffman
See the extended excerpt, "The Pregnant Mare's Lesson" reprinted by permission in the Editorial Reviews for the book at Amazon.com.
"Profiteering pharmaceutical companies and the FDA have met their match in Dr. Jerry Avorn, a Harvard Medical school researcher and clinician. In POWERFUL MEDICINES, he brilliantly combines patient vignettes, scientific critique, and statistics to create a risk/benefit balance for prescription drugs. His premise: 'Every drug is a triangle with three faces -- representing the healing it can bring, the hazards it can inflict and the economic impact of each.' Avorn's gifts as a writer are apparent in the prologue, an edgy account of the mismanaged medications of several stroke patients. He then details the intellectual history of drug assessment and benefits, including the biblical food police in the Book of Daniel, the deer in the headlights Estrogen debacle, and the current infatuation with Ginseng and other alternative medicines. Turning from benefits to risks, Avorn examines diet pills, Viagra, cold medicines and diabetes drugs with comparisons to the decisions of Dr. Fautus -- who makes life-changing bargains between safety and effectiveness. Other insightful chapters offer views of prescription drug economies, and comparative healthcare around the globe. The final chapters create an insightful template for emerging public policy. Throughout, Avorn pulls at common threads: the line between personal and public responsibility, the perils of drug promotion, and the marketplace that usurps the role of scientific evidence in selecting treatments. Anyone looking for a quick muckraking read will be disappointed. But Avorn's views, literate and complex, will frame the debate on prescription drugs for years to come." -- Barbara Mackoff
*Bakan, Joel, The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, ISBN: 9780743247467 0743247469.
"Over the last 150 years the corporation has risen from relative obscurity to become the world's dominant economic institution. Eminent Canadian law professor and legal theorist Joel Bakan contends that today's corporation is a pathological institution, a dangerous possessor of the great power it wields over people and societies.
"In this revolutionary assessment of the history, character, and globalization of the modern business corporation, Bakan backs his premise with the following observations:
*Barlett, Donald L. (author), James B. Steele (author), Critical Condition: How Health Care in America Became big Business -- And bad Medicine, ISBN: 0767910753.
"For those people who vaguely remember when healthcare and insurance was generally a manageable aspect of our lives (as opposed to being a source of stress and potential financial ruin), this book will explain very well how healthcare in U.S. arrived at the point where it is today. For younger readers, this book will remind them that once upon a time, there was a country where insurance was fairly comprehensive and affordable, hospitals were oriented towards community rather than being part of a bottom-line-obsessed corporation, and pharmaceutical commercials were not littering the airwaves.
"The authors do an excellent job of showing that the shift, on every level of healthcare, to a market-based economic model has achieved exactly the opposite of what the proponents of the free market claimed would happen. Instead of streamlining healthcare and making it as a whole more efficient and affordable, the shift to the free market has actually created a massive bureaucracy (which conservatives claim to loath), and a far less efficient healthcare system. Certainly it is not any more affordable. Anyone who is familiar with medical collections and with the stunning increase in bankruptcies over the last few years can attest to this. The authors underscore their arguments with a litany of horror stories of patients dying or suffering hugely at the hands of a hopelessly tangled system which emphasizes the bottom line over the welfare of the patient.
"All of this is well and good, and mighty depressing. However, only a minimal amount of time is devoted to what might be done about it. The authors' suggestion -- the adoption of a single-payer system -- is fine as far as it goes, but they offer only a cursory examination of the benefits of such a system and do not delve into any of the criticisms of the same. Neither do they discuss other proposals such as tort reform, which is the Bush administration's answer seemingly to every healthcare crisis. In interviews, the authors have observed that capping jury awards would only make a tiny dent in the overall costs of insurance, and certainly tort reform has had mixed results at best, depending on which of the states that have passed tort reform legislation one examines. Yet the authors barely touch on it their text. At the very end of their book, the authors mention the fact that Big Business (aside from the healthcare industry), certainly has good reason to want a single-payer system, since healthcare costs cut deeply into THEIR profits, thus setting up a contest of sorts between two powerful for-profit entities. It is probably the fact that the combined power of multiple U.S. industries outweighs the power of the insurance and healthcare industries that will ultimately force genuine changes in how this country manages healthcare, but the authors for whatever reason prefer not to explore this particular topic. This is unfortunate.
"Overall, this book provides some good detail on issues we all need to know more about, but if you are looking for detailed solutions, you will need to look elsewhere." -- Reader's Comment
Bass, Alison, Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistle-blower, and a Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial, ISBN: 9781565125537 1565125533.
"Alison Bass brings all the players to life, both the good and the bad, in this well documented story behind the NY Attorney General's legal action against GSK. This book is in the tradition of ERIN BROKAVICH or A CIVIL ACTION. It reads like a novel, like a thriller in fact, only it's true. No one could make this stuff up. I could not put it down. Bass deserves a lot of credit for her courage in writing this. Not only does she expose the underbelly of academic research at prestigious Ivy League schools, but also uncovers the sordid manipulation of patient advocacy groups like NAMI by pharmaceutical interests. Nothing is sacred. She goes after it all and it's a story that needs to be told in full just as it is here. I hope it will be widely read. It is a useful and exciting addition to the many books coming out about the corruption in the pharmaceutical industry, academic research, and the regulatory authorities, bringing it down to a very human level." -- Reader's Comment
"Alison Bass is a science writer. She teaches journalism at Brandeis University. Read her blogspot at http://www.alison-bass.blogspot.com.
Belgum, David Rudolph, Religion and Medicine: Essays on Meaning, Values, and Health.
*Bell, Robert, Impure Science: Fraud, Compromise, and Political Influence in Scientific Research, ISBN: 0471529133 9780471529132.
"The author lifts the veil of secrecy from scientific research conducted in this country. He presents a shattering indictment of the scientific community from the halls of government to the research centers at major universities and corporations. Documents case after case of influence peddling, doctored research and outright fraud, and reveals how the twin forces of money and status compromise and corrupt the pursuit of scientific truth." -- Publisher
Benavie, Arthur, Drugs: America's Holy War, 178 pages, ISBN: 0789038404 9780789038401.
"Using the best scientific evidence, DRUGS: AMERICA'S HOLY WAR explores the impact and cost of America's 'War on Drugs' -- both in public spending and in human terms. Is it possible that U.S. drug policies are helping to proliferate, not prevent, a multitude of social ills including: homicide, property crime, the spread of AIDS, the contamination of drugs, the erosion of civil liberties, the punishment of thousands of non-violent people, the corruption of public officials, and the spending of billions of tax dollars in an attempt to prevent certain drugs from entering the country? Arthur Benavie analyzes the research findings and argues that an end to the 'War on Drugs,' much as we ended alcohol prohibition, would yield enormous international benefits, destroy dangerous and illegal drug cartels, and allow the American government to refocus its attention on public well-being." -- Publisher
Benjamin, Alison, and Brian McCallum, A World Without Bees, ISBN: 0852650922 9780852650929.
"Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum are two British reporters and amateur bee-keepers. Benjamin works for the British daily paper The Guardian. Their book A WORLD WITHOUT BEES was published earlier this year, and deals with the mysterious mass deaths of honeybees all around the world, the so-called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). While some people believe that CCD doesn't really exist, for instance the current Wikipedia writer on the subject, others consider it a serious, global threat to beekeeping. Benjamin and McCallum certainly belong to the latter camp, claiming that one third of U.S. beehives and two-thirds of those in France have been wiped out by this mysterious condition. Most scientists seem to agree that CCD does exist, but so far no good explanation have been offered, at least none everyone agrees with. The two authors have interviewed researchers who blame pesticides, fungicides, the varroa mite, climate change, new viruses, or even mobile phones (that's a fringe position). Indeed, CCD could be a combination of several different factors. Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV for short), is a prime suspect, but correlation is not necessarily the same thing as causation. Perhaps something in the environment is causing bees to loose their resistance to killer viruses?
"The authors own position isn't entirely clear-cut, but their favorite hypothesis seem to be loss of genetic diversity. Most honeybees around the world apparently belong to the same group of Mediterranean subspecies, and the same goes for feral honeybees. These have interbred with wild honeybees, creating a situation in which the honeybee gene pool is virtually the same the world over. When the varroa mite struck, and developed resistance to pesticides, millions of honeybees quickly succumbed -- their gene pool was too narrow to develop defenses against the parasite. Benjamin and McCallum therefore strongly supports conservation efforts aimed at preserving local subspecies of wild honeybees. They mention a particular attempt in Denmark, and describe the conflicts this has created between different factions of bee-keepers (the local bees are less productive than the Mediterranean breeds).
"The beekeeping industry seems to take the opposite position from that of the authors: the industry wants to genetically engineer a resilient, resistant and high-productive superbee. The authors fear that this will narrow the gene pool even more. What happens if (or when), the superbee is challenged by an equally resilient superbug?
"The book then describes the chilling effects of a world without honeybees. If you think only the honey would disappear, think again! Many important crops are dependent on honeybees for pollination, including alfalfa, apples, almonds, cotton, citrus, soya beans, onions, broccoli, carrots, sunflowers, melons, blueberries, cherries and pumpkins. A world without bees would be a world without fruit, vegetables, juice, health food (the soya), or clothes (the cotton). Alfalfa is used as cattle feed, so a world without bees would also be a world without meat! To drive home the point, the two authors have visited California, where the highly profitable almond orchards are pollinated by honeybees from all over the United States, driven there on enormous trucks. If the honeybees would be wiped out by CCD, an entire industry would be gone. Already today, food prices are going up, due to ethanol production and other factors. CCD doesn't exactly help . . .
"One solution to the crisis mentioned in the book is to use other insects as pollinators, including solitary bees and bumblebees. There are several research projects to that effect in the US. Meanwhile, habitat change have driven bumblebees to near-extinction in some areas, and other insects live too far away from agricultural land to be of much use. Once again, the authors feel that a more environmental-friendly policy is the bottom line.
"Is the author's alarmist perspective true? No idea. Until I picked up this book, mostly by chance, I never even heard of CCD. (Of course, I have heard of the varroa mite). However, Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum have written an easy-to-read introduction to the issue, after talking to both scientists, migratory beekeepers, almond growers, and even conspiracy theorists. I recommend the book, and call on everyone to continue researching the topic." -- Reader's Comment
Bland, Jeffrey, The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer, and Happier Life, ISBN: 0062290738 9780062290731 9780062290748 0062290746.
"For decades, Dr. Jeffrey Bland has been on the cutting edge of Functional Medicine, which seeks to pinpoint and prevent the cause of illness, rather than treat its symptoms. Managing chronic diseases accounts for three quarters of our total healthcare costs, because we're masking these illnesses with pills and temporary treatments, rather than addressing their underlying causes, he argues. Worse, only treating symptoms leads us down the path of further illness. In THE DISEASE DELUSION, Dr. Bland explains what Functional Medicine is and what it can do for you. While advances in modern science have nearly doubled our lifespans in only four generations, our quality of life has not reached its full potential. Outlining the reasons why we suffer chronic diseases from asthma and diabetes to obesity, arthritis and cancer to a host of other ailments, Dr. Bland offers achievable, science-based solutions that can alleviate these common conditions and offers a road map for a lifetime of wellness." -- Publisher
"What the personal computer revolution did for old-fashioned mainframe computing -- empowering us all -- is what functional medicine is doing for healthcare; and if there is a Steve Jobs of functional medicine, it is Jeffrey Bland -- visionary, innovative, and perennially two steps ahead." -- Dale E. Bredesen, MD, Augustus Rose Professor, Director, Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research, Director, Neurodegenerative Disease Research David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA
Brawley, Otis Webb, and Paul Goldberg, How we do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America, ISBN: 9780312672973 0312672977 9781250015761 1250015766.
"Exposes the underbelly of healthcare today -- the under treatment of the poor, the over treatment of the rich, the financial conflicts of interests physicians face, insurance that doesn't demand the best (or even cheapest), care, and a pharmaceutical behemoth concerned with selling drugs, not providing health." -- Publisher
Brill, Steven, America's Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fight to fix our Broken Healthcare System, ISBN: 9780812996951 081299695X.
"AMERICA'S BITTER PILL is Steven Brill's much-anticipated, sweeping narrative of how the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, was written, how it is being implemented, and, most important, how it is changing -- and failing to change -- the rampant abuses in the healthcare industry. Brill probed the depths of our nation's healthcare crisis in his trailblazing Time magazine Special Report, which won the 2014 National Magazine Award for Public Interest. Now he broadens his lens and delves deeper, pulling no punches and taking no prisoners. It's a fly-on-the-wall account of the fight, amid an onslaught of lobbying, to pass a 961-page law aimed at fixing America's largest, most dysfunctional industry -- an industry larger than the entire economy of France. It's a penetrating chronicle of how the profiteering that Brill first identified in his Time cover story continues, despite Obamacare. And it is the first complete, inside account of how President Obama persevered to push through the law, but then failed to deal with the staff incompetence and turf wars that crippled its implementation. Brill questions all the participants in the drama, including the president, to find out what happened and why. He asks the head of the agency in charge of the Obamacare website how and why it crashed. And he tells the cliffhanger story of the tech wizards who swooped in to rebuild it. Brill gets drug lobbyists to open up on the deals they struck to protect their profits in return for supporting the law. And he buttresses all these accounts with meticulous research and access to internal memos, e-mails, notes, and journals written by the key players during all the pivotal moments. Brill is there with patients when they are denied cancer care at a hospital, or charged $77 for a box of gauze pads. Then he asks the multimillion dollar executives who run the hospitals to explain why. He even confronts the chief executive of America's largest health insurance company and asks him to explain an incomprehensible Explanation of Benefits his company sent to Brill. And he's there as a group of young entrepreneurs gamble millions to use Obamacare to start a hip insurance company in New York's Silicon Alley. Vividly capturing what he calls the 'milestone' achievement of Obamacare, Brill introduces us to patients whose bank accounts or lives have been saved by the new law -- although, as he explains, that is only because Obamacare provides government subsidies for 'tens of millions of new customers' to pay the same exorbitant prices that were the problem in the first place. All that is weaved together in an elegantly crafted, fast-paced narrative. But by chance AMERICA'S BITTER PILL ends up being much more -- because as Brill was completing this book, he had to undergo urgent open-heart surgery. Thus, this also becomes the story of how one patient who thinks he knows everything about healthcare 'policy' rethinks it from a hospital gurney -- and combines that insight with his brilliant reporting. The result: a surprising new vision of how we can fix American healthcare so that it stops draining the bank accounts of our families and our businesses, and the federal treasury." -- Publisher
*Brown, E. Richard, Rockefeller Medicine Men: Medicine and Capitalism in America, ISBN: 0520038177 9780520038172.
This book is as relevant today (2015) as it was in 1979. The players are still the same: foundations, corporations, and government. If anything the political-economic process of healthcare reform is even more complex today.
"This book explains how controlled the medicine industry is, how it became that way, and why America has the highest costs in the world for less than adequate medical care." -- Reader's Comment
"Historical epidemiological evidence overwhelmingly supports the conclusion that medical science has played a relatively small role in reducing morbidity and mortality." (p. 219)
"Medical science rescued the medical profession, in particular the practitioners, from the widespread lack of confidence in their effectiveness." (p. 77)
Capitalists and corporate managers "embraced scientific medicine as an ideological weapon in their struggle to formulate a new culture appropriate to and supportive of industrial capitalism." (p. 10)
"For members of the corporate class, technological medicine has legitimized their economic and political dominance by diverting attention from the consequences of their control -- that is, from such 'social costs' as class inequalities, domination based on race or sex, occupational hazards, and environmental degradation. For the medical profession, the knowledge generated by medical science and the techniques of medical technology provided the basis for physicians' claims to a monopoly of authority over the practice of medicine." (p. 239)
"As medical science won public and professional credibility, it also solved the second and fundamentally more serious problem facing the profession in the nineteenth century: competition. . . . The overall impact of scientific medicine within the profession was to legitimize control by elite practitioners and medical school faculty." (p. 80)
"Healthcare could be more effective in improving health if its research and action were directed at environmental conditions in about the same proportion that those conditions contribute to sickness and death." (p. 240)
"If you have read and 'got' anything by Noam Chomsky, or Howard Zinn, you will 'get' this book.
"After being awarded an MBA from Stanford (hence, I can confidently say I very well understand the 'business' of medicine), and practicing medicine for 20 years in both the public and private sector, I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Brown's thesis is on the money. -- Reader's Comment
Brownlee, Shannon, Overtreated: Why too Much Medicine is Making us Sicker and Poorer, 368 pages, ISBN: 9781582345796 1582345791.
"My choice for the economics book of the year -- it's the best description I have yet read of a huge economic problem that we know how to solve -- but is so often misunderstood." -- David Leonhardt, New York Times
"Our healthcare is staggeringly expensive, yet one in six Americans has no health insurance. We have some of the most skilled physicians in the world, yet one hundred thousand patients die each year from medical errors. In this gripping, eye-opening book, award-winning journalist Shannon Brownlee takes readers inside the hospital to dismantle some of our most venerated myths about American medicine. Brownlee dissects what she calls 'the medical-industrial complex' and lays bare the backward economic incentives embedded in our system, revealing a stunning portrait of the care we now receive.
"Nevertheless, OVERTREATED ultimately conveys a message of hope by reframing the debate over healthcare reform. It offers a way to control costs and cover the uninsured while simultaneously improving the quality of American medicine. Shannon Brownlee's humane, intelligent, and penetrating analysis empowers readers to avoid the perils of overtreatment, as well as pointing the way to better healthcare for everyone.
"With a new afterword offering practical advice to patients on how to navigate the healthcare system.
"Shannon Brownlee's stories and essays about medicine, healthcare, and biotechnology have appeared in such publications as the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times Magazine, the New Republic, and Time. Born and raised in Honolulu, she holds a master's degree in biology from the University of California. She is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C. Brownlee lives in Annapolis, Maryland, with her husband and son." -- Publisher
Busch, Rebecca S., Healthcare Fraud: Auditing and Detection Guide, ISBN: 9780470127100 0470127104.
"According to private and public estimates, approximately $24 million is lost per hour to healthcare waste, fraud, and abuse. A must-have reference for auditors, fraud investigators, and healthcare managers, HEALTHCARE FRAUD: AUDITING AND DETECTION GUIDE provides tips and techniques to help you spot -- and prevent -- the 'red flags' of fraudulent activity within your organization. Eminently readable, it is your 'go-to' resource, equipping you with the necessary skills to look for and deal with potential fraudulent situations. . . .
"Still, the impact of healthcare fraud cannot be measured in terms of dollars alone. In addition to burdening the nation with enormous financial costs, it also threatens the quality of healthcare and steals the very essence of human life. . . .
"Clearly structured to identify what is normal at any point in the healthcare continuum on both individual and cumulative scales, this timely guidebook helps auditing professionals in the healthcare industry to sharpen their fraud detection skills to see beyond the eclipse created by healthcare fraud. HEALTHCARE FRAUD: AUDITING AND DETECTION GUIDE features:
Comprehensive guidance on auditing and fraud detection for healthcare providers and company healthcare plans.
A look at how data mapping and mining can be used as a key tool to maximize both the effectiveness and efficiency of fraud investigations
Insightful discussion from a number of perspectives -- clinical, research, internal audit, investigative, data intelligence, and forensic
Building blocks for understanding the entire healthcare market and its respective players
Cases and methodologies providing actual audit and investigative tools
Useful outlines of healthcare fraud prevention, detection, and investigation methods." -- Publisher
"Most helpful for both novice and expert are the conceptual models for the business systems that form the healthcare industry and how those systems are surprisingly easy to manipulate for ill-gotten gains. These models present a virtual menu for how to assess and disassemble the corrupt and fraud-riven status quo at the macro level. The real service of the book is to translate those ideas into concrete steps that compliance officers and investigators can use to manage and prevent fraud. It also presents steps that those in health information management can use to "tighten up" the information streams on which healthcare fraud depends." -- Reader's Comment
*Callahan, David, The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans are Doing Wrong to get Ahead, ISBN: 0156030055 9780156030052.
"While there have always been those who cut corners, the author shows that cheating on every level -- from the highly publicized corporate scandals to Little League fraud -- has risen dramatically in the last two decades. Why all the cheating? Why now? Callahan pins the blame on the dog-eat-dog economic climate of the past two decades. An unfettered market and unprecedented economic inequality have corroded our values, he argues -- and ultimately threaten the level playing field so central to American democracy itself. Through revealing interviews and extensive data, he takes us on a gripping tour of cheating in America and offers a powerful argument for why it matters.
"David Callahan is cofounder and director of research at the public policy center Demos. The author of five books, he has published articles in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and USA Today, and has been a frequent commentator on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. He received a Ph.D. in politics from Princeton University and lives in New York City." -- Publisher
"I recommend that this book be read together with John Perkins, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN and William Greider's, THE SOUL OF CAPITALISM: OPENING PATHS TO A MORAL ECONOMY. As a pre-amble, I would note that a Nobel Prize was given in the late 1990's to a man that demonstrates that trust lowers the cost of doing business. Morality matters -- amorality imposes a pervasive, sustained, insidious, long-term, and ultimately fatal cost on any community, any Republic, and that is the core message of this book that most reviewers seem to be missing.
"Any student of national security can tell you that one of the most important sources of national power is the population, followed by the economy, natural resources, and then the more traditional sources of national power: diplomacy, military, law enforcement, and government policies generally.
"What this author makes clear is that our population has become a cheating population, one that cheats in school, cheats their employer, and cheats their clients (lawyers, accountants, doctors, all cheating). Such a population is literally undermining national security by creating false values, and undermining true values. Some simple examples: an estimated $250 Billion a year in individual tax avoidance; an estimated $600 Billion a year in theft from employers; an estimated $250 Billion a year in legalized corporate tax avoidance and investor fraud; and an additional $250 Billion a year in legalized theft form the individual taxpayers through Congressional support for unnecessary and ill-advised 'subsidies' for agriculture, fishing, and forestry, as well as waivers of environmental standards that ultimately result in long-term external diseconomies . . .
"At root, the author observes that pervasive cheating ensues from the perception by the majority that 'everyone does it' and that the rules are not being enforced -- that 'the system' lacks legitimacy. In other countries, illegitimacy might lead to revolution, a revolt of the masses. In the USA, still a very rich country, the poor are cheating on the margins while the rich are looting the country, and we are not yet at a 'tipping point' such as a new Great Depression might inspire. . . . [This book was written before the Meltdown of 2008. -- compiler]
"Cheating diminishes trust and reduces value. America has become corrupt across all the professions, within Congress, within the media, within the political level of government (the civil service remains a bastion of propriety).
"What price freedom? What price the Republic? You may or may not choose to agree with this author's diagnosis and prescription, but in my view, he gets to the heart of the matter. It's about integrity. We've lost it. [Callahan's solutions come from a liberal, humanistic position, nevertheless the bulk of the book is an extensive analysis of cheating in society that is well documented -- 32 pages of endnotes -- and should be enlightening to most readers. -- compiler]
"See also, with reviews: THE BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF CAPITALISM: HOW THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM UNDERMINED SOCIAL IDEALS, DAMAGED TRUST IN THE MARKETS, ROBBED INVESTORS OF TRILLIONS -- AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT; THE FIFTY-YEAR WOUND: HOW AMERICA'S COLD WAR VICTORY HAS SHAPED OUR WORLD; THE GLOBAL CLASS WAR: HOW AMERICA'S BIPARTISAN ELITE LOST OUR FUTURE -- AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO WIN IT BACK; WAR ON THE MIDDLE CLASS: HOW THE GOVERNMENT, BIG BUSINESS, AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS ARE WAGING WAR ON THE AMERICAN DREAM AND HOW TO FIGHT BACK; THE WORKING POOR: INVISIBLE IN AMERICA; and OFF THE BOOKS: THE UNDERGROUND ECONOMY OF THE URBAN POOR." -- Reader's Comment
Callahan, Daniel, and Mayo Video Communications, Rationed Health Care, 1991, DVD.
"This short book presents a critical analysis of existing institutional structures in the American health system, as well as an appraisal of theory in medical sociology. In the introductory section we consider medicine as a social institution and the sociopolitical context of illness. In Section 2, after discussing previous theoretical positions in medical sociology, we outline an alternative theoretical approach. Section 3 attempts to show that the sick role, by providing a controllable form of deviance, mitigates potential conflicts in such institutions as prisons, the armed forces, and the Selective Service System; by helping prevent conflicts, the sick role reduces the probability of basic institutional change. Stratification in medicine is the topic of Section 4; the control of information is studied as a major source of medical stratification. In Section 5 we analyze the problem of empire building in American medicine, with emphasis on the major proposed reforms in the health system-national health insurance and health maintenance organizations. The study concludes with a brief discussion of the relationships between improved health care and broad sociopolitical change." -- Publisher
*Cameron, Nigel, The New Age Medicine: Life and Death After Hippocrates, ISBN: 089107645X 9780891076452.
"I hope this disturbing book will be widely read." -- J.I. Packer
"With the abandonment of the 2500 year old Hippocratic oath, replacing it with ethical relativism, the medical profession increasingly sees itself not only as healers but as killers also. MUST READING!
"While Kevorkian is now languishing long-term in jail, the Netherlands end-of-life protections have been rolled back in law, and public opposition to physicians killing patients is declining. Where did today's deadly medicine come from? Where is it leading? The answers are clearly contained in this fresh edition of the acclaimed book by leading bioethicist Nigel Cameron.
"Nigel Cameron is Dean of the Wilberforce Forum in Washington, DC, and former Provost at Trinity International University in Deerfield Illinois. A consultant in bioethics and public policy issues on both sides of the Atlantic, he founded the Journal Ethics and Medicine, and has testified before the U.S. Congress. . . .
"Recent events, such as the widespread acceptance of the book, FINAL EXIT, show that the very foundation upon which all humane medical practice is based is in danger of being replaced with ethical relativism. Cameron's book could very well be a rallying point for those in the profession who know something is wrong." -- Publisher
Cassels, Alan, Seeking Sickness: Medical Screening and the Misguided Hunt for Disease, ISBN: 9781771000321 1771000325.
"The author explores how screening healthy people for diseases as opposed to using screening as a diagnostic tool when there are symptoms present, can actually make you sicker. He contends that there are many false positive results and the resulting anxiety and subsequent tests a person undergoes if they don't take a wait and see attitude can be quite detrimental to people.
"He also points out that screening tests that have been used for decades may not need to be used as often as we are told, however, since that doesn't go with what we believe based on what we've been told, and because special interest groups and agencies cry foul, we continue in the way that we have always known." -- Reader's Comment
Charney, William, Epidemic of Medical Errors and Hospital-acquired Infections: Systemic and Social Causes, ISBN: 9781420089301 1420089307.
" 'Do no harm' a particularly leading and important phrase in the delivery of healthcare is not working. In fact depending on the epidemiological approach and which data sets one applies, medical errors, hospital acquired infections (HAIs) and pharmaceutical errors combined are the second or third leading killer of Americans annually: approximately 300,000 die from a combination of medical errors, hospital acquired infections (HAIs), and pharmaceutical errors . . . 100,000 per category. Add to these numbers the hundreds of thousands who are harmed (morbidity) but not killed (mortality) changing quality of life, and a substantial problem is defined." -- Publisher
Cheney, Darwin, Ethical Issues in Research, ISBN: 9781555720162 1555720161.
"Contents: Misrepresentation of data | US perspective | Distinguishing between error and fraud in science / Patricia K. Woolf | Misrepresentation of data and the integrity of research / Paul J. Friedman | Treatment of allegations of research misconduct by American universities / Allan Mazur | Office of scientific integrity: why, what and how / Jules V. Hallum and Suzanne W. Hadley | Authorship and illustrations: the challenge of computer manipulation / Paul J. Anderson | Credit and responsibility in scientific authorship / Addeane S. Caelleigh | Uses and abuses of scientific authorship: can and should they be controlled? / Edward J. Huth | Is being an author the key to success? / Sharon G. Boots | International perspective | Misrepresentation of data and other misconduct in science: the German view and experience / Albin Eser | Recombinant DNA revolution and the fading of the concept of pure science at the root of ethical issues in biological research / Vittorio Sgaramella | Fraud and misconduct in medical research: causes and control, a United Kingdom view / Raymond Hoffenberg. (cont) Conflict of interest | Science, scientific motivation and conflict of interest in research / Roger J. Porter | Conflict of interest: a university perspective / David Korn | Managing conflict of interest in faculty, federal government, and industrial relations / Barbara C. Hansen and Kenneth D. Hansen | Conflict-of-interest issues surrounding faculty participation in, and ownership of, technology and drug companies / William B. Neaves and Kern Wildenthal | Cooperation between academia and industry: opportunities and challenges / Barbara Mishkin | Role of conflict of interest in public advisory councils / Adil E. Shamoo | Scientific response to external pressures: research on human subjects | International ethical considerations for research on human subjects / Zbigniew Bankowski | Use of embryos and fetuses | Status and uses of early human developmental stages / Clifford Grobstein | Ethical limitations on the use of the human fetus in research / James Bopp, Jr. | Use of animals | Evolving ethical and legal norms in animal experimentation / T. David Marshall. (cont) Protests about animal research and the response from the scientific and medical communities / M.J. Matfield."
Cimasi, Robert James, The U.S. Healthcare Certificate of Need Sourcebook. Alternate title: UNITED STATES HEALTHCARE CERTIFICATE OF NEED SOURCE BOOK and U.S. HEALTHCARE CERTIFICATE OF NEED SOURCEBOOK, ISBN: 1587982757 9781587982750.
"Provides detailed descriptions, on a state-by-state basis, of CON ("Certificate-of-need, is a form of regulation on capital expenditure of medical facilities. It was originally designed in the 1970s to contain the inflation of healthcare costs by 'rationing' medical resources." -- compiler), regulatory requirements, including application thresholds, contact information and utilization data. Comprehensive bibliographies are also included with thousands of published monographs, serials, professional and trade journals, as well as general press articles, research studies, published case law, law review articles, and bar journal coverage of CON. The work also includes compendiums of Internet-based and other data resources, a thorough glossary of CON terminology, and reviews of major research organizations and economists. The book is supplemented with numerous appendices. Based on a proprietary database, the work is designed to support periodic publication updates." -- Publisher
Connolly, D.M., Australia. Parliament. Joint Committee of Public Accounts, Medical Fraud and Overservicing: Progress Report, ISBN 064402528X 9780644025287.
https://books.google.com/books/about/Medical_Fraud_and_Overservicing.html?id=RBXRAAAAMAAJ
Deace, Steve, and Todd Erzen, Faucian Bargain: The Most Powerful and Dangerous Bureaucrat in American History, ISBN: 9781637581124 1637581122.
". . . While states that pursued an Eisenhower-style approach, like Florida, protected freedom and performed better in education, economy and health outcomes. Executives are elected to lead and make tough decisions, and such leadership cannot be outsourced to health bureaucrats like Fauci." -- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
"In this important book the authors do the job our uninquisitive media has failed to do throughout this ordeal, confirming with cited and sourced details the enemy of both liberty and logic the lockdowns have proven to be. Which also proves too much power in the hands of an unelected bureaucrat, regardless of his intentions, can no longer be our new normal." -- U.S. Senator Rand Paul (KY)
"Can liberty survive in the hands of one all-powerful, unchallenged, and unelected bureaucrat? It wasn't too long ago that the average American didn't know who Anthony Fauci was. Now, after the coronavirus has spread nationwide, he's arguably the most powerful bureaucrat in American history. But is it dangerous for a free society to concentrate so much power in the hands of an unelected official? Who or what holds Fauci accountable?" -- Publisher
Dean, Carolyn, Death by Modern Medicine, ISBN: 0973739207 9780973739206.
"Carolyn Dean, MD, ND is a powerful and clear writer who exposes the deep corruption in our medical and food industries with passion and conviction. She backs up her outrageous claims with deeply researched citations from the standard medical literature and government databases. She shows that despite medical error being underreported by a factor of 20, it is STILL the number ONE cause of death in America (and almost surely Canada). Hospital error, hospital-acquired infection, adverse drug reactions, nursing homes, all come in for their share of the total death toll. Why this atrocity is allowed to continue unabated and unnoticed is a question we all have responsibility for." -- Reader's Comment
Death by Medicine
This is an 18,491 word article in Life Extension magazine that includes many of the statistics from the 2001 study included in Dean's book. Documented with 151 endnotes.
"Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analyzed and combined ALL of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine. That has now changed.
"A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking. These researchers have authored a paper titled Death by Medicine that presents compelling evidence that today's system frequently causes more harm than good.
"This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
"The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251).
"We placed this article on our website to memorialize the failure of the American medical system. By exposing these gruesome statistics in painstaking detail, we provide a basis for competent and compassionate medical professionals to recognize the inadequacies of today's system and at least attempt to institute meaningful reforms."
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_01.htm
DeParrie, Paul, Dark Cures: Have Doctors Lost Their Ethics? ISBN: 1563840995 9781563840999.
"This says it all!" -- Reader's Comment
Dineen, Tana, Manufacturing Victims, ISBN: 189585458X 9781895854589.
"Dr. Tana Dineen clearly demonstrates that providers of psychological therapy do manufacture victims.
"Dineen knows the profession from her experience of twenty years on the inside. Contrary to most practicing therapists, Dineen knows the research regarding the efficacy of psychotherapy. Through the years she saw more and more problems with the profession and finally closed her practice. In her book she provides enough scientific research to discourage anyone from ever wanting to combine psychology with Christianity. She also reveals the many ways in which therapists do create victims. We believe every Christian leader should read MANUFACTURING VICTIMS.
"Another eye-opening book is HOUSE OF CARDS: PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY BUILT ON MYTH by Dr. Robyn M. Dawes, who is a widely recognized researcher and a professor at Carnegie-Mellon University. His book demolishes all pretensions of psychological counseling theories and therapies and relegates clinical psychology to the realm of pseudoscience.
"In his book THE CRISIS IN PSYCHIATRY AND RELIGION, O. Hobart Mowrer poses this question: 'Has evangelical religion sold its birthright for a mess of psychological pottage?' Yes, that is exactly what evangelical Christianity has done! Isn't it time to confess that horrible sin, throw out the psychological stew and cleave to the Lord and all He has given through the New Birth?" -- Reader's Comment
Downes, Stephen, Stephen Downes Guide to the Logical Fallacies.
"Stephen Downes, an information architect with a background in philosophy, created this site with the aim of identifying, indexing, and describing 'all known logical fallacies.' A logical fallacy can be defined as an error in reasoning in which a conclusion appears to follow from a set of premises but in reality does not. Downes groups the fallacies into thirteen categories, such as Fallacies of Distraction, Inductive Fallacies, and Syllogistic Errors. Each fallacy (over 50 in all), is described with its name, definition, examples of how it might be used in an argument, and how the argument can be proven fallacious. The How to Use this Guide section of the site provides a helpful introduction, and a robust bibliography offers possibilities for further study of logic. In addition, users may register at the site (no fee), to gain access to discussion boards on the topic. The author notes that his Guide "is intended to help you in your own thinking, not to help you demolish someone else's argument." Regardless of how a reader uses the information, however, the site remains an interesting and fun investigation of how logical arguments are constructed."
"Lists all known logical fallacies, with definitions, examples, and the steps needed to prove that the fallacy is committed. Site also includes links to logic references and resources."
Stephen's Guide to Logical Fallacies
http://www.fallacies.ca/welcome.htm
Du Plessis, Susan, and Jan Strydom, The Creators of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) on Trial: and of Youth Violence, the Drug Culture, Teen-age Promiscuity, the Wave of Teen Suicides and Illiteracy, ISBN: 1919751076 9781919751078.
"Contents: The number of children being diagnosed with behavior disorders such as ADHD, conduct disorder and Tourette syndrome is multiplying. | Youth violence, alcohol and drug abuse, teenage promiscuity and teen suicides have become commonplace. | Learning disabilities and illiteracy are increasing at an alarming rate. | This book reveals the true causes of youth-related problems. | Parents will find that this book explains what they can do to overcome ADHD and other emotional and behavioral problems. | Biochemical imbalances or neurological disorders in the brain. | Artificial colors and flavors. | Vaccinations. | Heredity. | TV. | Peer pressure. | A frog in a pot. | The myth of ADHD. | A new interpretation of an old problem. | In search of a biological cause. | Based on a logical flaw. | The restoration of status and riddance of guilt feelings. | The smart pill. | Discouraging results. | Man must learn to be human. | The bandwagon that went to a funeral. | Man is dependent on learning. | Questions most frequently asked. | The decomposition of society. | Youth violence and delinquency -- our social toxin. | The frightening drug scene. | The epidemic of teen-age promiscuity. | The horror statistics of suicide. | The erosion of education. | The soulless roots of psychology and psychiatry. | Members of the psychological guild on the stand. | The roots of modern psychology and psychiatry. | The rise of modern psychology. | The revolt against morals. | Psychiatry helps to free man from his crippling burden. | Morality goes to pot. | Creating a drug culture. | Chaos in the classroom. | Beginning of the rising tide of mediocrity. | Affective education replaces intellectual education. | Making our sick children well. | More of the same. | The Mental Hygiene Movement joins the educational scene. | The heart of psychology and psychiatry. | The proof of the pudding. | The hidden agendas of the experts. | Man is more than an animal. | Physical needs are not man's only needs. | Freedom without limits is no freedom at all. | Nobody can replace a parent. | The three cornerstones of discipline. | Training for self-discipline and self-restraint. | The illogicalities of the humanists. | The promise of an eternal life. | The other side of the coin. | A compass for his life. | What love is and what it is not. | The gold of which the coin is made. | The keys to the Kingdom. | An alternative approach. | A pyramid of repetition must be constructed. | The stratified nature of learning. | The foundational skills of reading. | The stratified nature of concentration. | The interruption of intellectual traditions. | The road that conquers death. | Man's search for meaning. | When man's spiritual need is denied. | The religion of modern man. | The New Age Movement finds its way to America. | Questions and answers on discipline. | From theories to practice. | A program of hope. | The deterioration of our children. | A case study." -- Publisher
Du Plessis, Susan, and Jan Strydom, The Myth of ADHD and Other Learning Disabilities: Parenting Without Ritalin, ISBN: 1563841800 9781563841804.
"If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD or some other behavior disorder, be careful. This diagnosis might be false. . . . The authors of this book explain how parents can teach their children the skills of concentration and self-control without drugging them into submission. Book jacket." -- Publisher
*Eban, Katherine, Dangerous Doses: How Counterfeiters are Contaminating America's Drug Supply, ISBN: 0151010501 9780151010509.
Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world. Why are we confronted with a huge drug counterfeiting problem? (FDA, Eban)
"Stolen, compromised, and counterfeit medicine increasingly makes its way into a poorly regulated distribution system -- where it may reach unsuspecting patients who stake their lives on its effectiveness. Investigative medical reporter Eban's exploration of America's secret ring of drug counterfeiters takes us to Florida, where a team of investigators follows the trail of medicine stolen in a seemingly minor break-in as it funnels into a sprawling national network of drug polluters. Their pursuit stretches from a strip joint in South Miami to the halls of Congress as they battle entrenched political interests and uncover an increasing threat to America's health." -- Publisher
Her article on Ranbaxy, "Dirty Medicine," was published in the May 15, 2013, issue of Fortune.
Elliot, Carl, White Coat, Black hat: Adventures on the Dark Side of Medicine, ISBN: 9780807061435 0807061433.
"Over the last twenty-five years, medicine and consumerism have been on an unchecked collision course, but, until now, the fallout from their impact has yet to be fully uncovered. A writer for The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly, Carl Elliott ventures into the uncharted dark side of medicine, shining a light on the series of social and legislative changes that have sacrificed old-style doctoring to the values of consumer capitalism. Along the way, he introduces us to the often shifty characters who work the production line in Big Pharma: from the professional guinea pigs who test-pilot new drugs and the ghostwriters who pen "scientific" articles for drug manufacturers to the PR specialists who manufacture "news" bulletins. We meet the drug reps who will do practically anything to make quota in an ever-expanding arms race of pharmaceutical gift-giving; the 'thought leaders' who travel the world to enlighten the medical community about the wonders of the latest release; even, finally, the ethicists who oversee all that commercialized medicine has to offer from their pharma-funded perches. Taking the pulse of the medical community today, Elliott discovers the culture of deception that has become so institutionalized many people do not even see it as a problem. Head-turning stories and a rogue's gallery of colorful characters become his springboard for exploring larger ethical issues surrounding money. Are there certain things that should not be bought and sold? In what ways do the ethics of business clash with the ethics of medical care? And what is wrong with medical consumerism anyway? Elliott asks all these questions and more as he examines the underbelly of medicine." -- Publisher
Ewald, Paul W., Plague Time: The new Germ Theory of Disease, ISBN: 0385721846 9780385721844.
"Argues that serious illnesses are caused by a plague of chronic infections and not by a person's genes and lifestyle." -- Publisher
"The author, Dr. Ewald is a college professor and researcher who has become well known for his ideas relating natural selection and evolution to infectious diseases in humans. Some of the more noted medical schools in the country are incorporating his ideas into their training of physicians. The basic theme of his book is that some of the most common and dangerous diseases in humans might have an infectious disease component. Most people including many physicians and researchers do not consider heart attacks, autoimmune diseases, cancer, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. to be related in any way to microorganisms. Ewald describes how the same thing was thought in the not too distant past about ulcers, cervical cancer, infertility, liver cancer, etc. Ewald presents a historical perspective of the latter diseases and shows how researchers that 'thought outside of the box' were able to prove that infectious organisms were in fact responsible. He then discusses recent findings that are providing hints that we may still have some big surprises in store for the future of many diseases thought to be free of microbial influence. For example, he speculates what it will mean if we find that the inflammation and atherosclerosis that often precedes heart attacks has a microbial cause. He cites studies that indicate that the bacterium that causes one form of "walking pneumonia," Chlamydia pneumoniae, is somehow involved. He states that if these findings are true, "atherosclerosis would be enough to make C. pneumoniae rank among the most deadly human pathogens of all times." Another intriguing example, among many, is his discussion of an infectious cause for breast cancer. When he is discussing the role of microbes in such human afflictions, the book is engrossing. On the other hand there are topics of discussion that are peripheral to his theme that would be better edited out. For example the extensive discussion of the evidence for HIV being introduced into humans through vaccine production could have been edited and still made the point. Likewise, the section on biological warfare/terrorism could have either been deleted altogether or at least tied into the overall theme a little more smoothly. Overall, this book discusses an idea that is, as Scientific American noted, "Provocative. . . . if correct, this theory will change the course of medicine." -- Reader's Comment
Ewald, Paul W., and Holly Swain Ewald, Controlling Cancer: A Powerful Plan for Taking on the World's Most Daunting Disease, ISBN: 9781937382094 1937382095.
"The scourge of cancer has ripped through bodies, families, and generations for so long and with such power that it feels almost invincible. But biologist Paul Ewald -- widely regarded as the leading expert in the emerging field of evolutionary medicine -- and co-author Holly Swain Ewald may have found a way of attacking the intractable killer, which they detail here. The Ewalds believe that viruses are at the heart of the onset of cancer and we can attack the disease through an early attack on the virus. In this important study, they form an innovative plan for rethinking and eradicating one of the world's deadliest diseases." -- Publisher
Fitzgerald, Randall, The Hundred-Year Lie: How to Protect Yourself From the Chemicals That are Destroying Your Health, ISBN: 0525949518 9780525949510.
"In a devastating exposé in the tradition of SILENT SPRING and FAST FOOD NATION, investigative journalist Randall Fitzgerald warns how thousands of man-made chemicals in our food, water, medicine, and environment are making humans the most polluted species on the planet. A century ago in 1906, when Congress enacted the Pure Food and Drug Act, Americans were promised 'better living through chemistry.' Fitzgerald provides overwhelming evidence to shatter this myth, and many others perpetrated by the chemical, pharmaceutical, and processed foods industries. In the face of this national health crisis, Fitzgerald also presents informed and practical suggestions for what we can do to turn the tide and live healthier lives.
Human beings are fast becoming one of the most polluted species on the planet. Learn why your body has become so toxic that you would never pass an FDA inspection:
Foote, Jeffrey, Carrie Wilkens, Nicole Kosanke, and Stephanie Higgs, Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change: A Guide for Families, ISBN: 9781476709475 1476709475 1476709483 9781476709482.
"The most innovative leaders in progressive addiction treatment in the U.S. offer a groundbreaking, science-based guide to helping loved ones overcome addiction problems and compulsive behaviors. BEYOND ADDICTION eschews the theatrics of interventions and tough love to show family and friends how they can use kindness, positive reinforcement, and motivational and behavioral strategies to help their loved ones change. Drawing on forty collective years of research and decades of clinical experience, the authors present the best practical advice science has to offer. Delivered with warmth, optimism, and humor, BEYOND ADDICTION defines a new, empowered role for friends and family and a paradigm shift for the field. Learn how to tap the transformative power of relationships for positive change, guided by exercises and examples. Practice what really works in therapy and in everyday life and discover many different treatment options along with tips for navigating the system. And have hope: this guide is designed not only to help someone change, but to help someone want to change." -- Publisher
Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change: A Guide for Families
http://beyondaddictionbook.com
Carrie Wilkens Website
http://www.motivationandchange.com
Foreman, Judy, A Nation in Pain: Healing our Biggest Health Problem , ISBN: 9780199837205 0199837201 9780190231798 0190231793.
"Out of 315 million Americans, 100 million live in chronic pain. And yet the press has paid more attention to the abuses of pain medications than the astoundingly widespread condition they are intended to treat. Sufferers face unending discomfort or even agony. When chronic pain is inadequately treated, it undermines the body and mind from within, even inducing many to commit suicide. Far more than just a symptom, writes author Judy Foreman, chronic pain is a disease in its own right -- the biggest health problem facing America today. In A NATION IN PAIN, Foreman offers a sweeping, deeply researched account of the chronic pain crisis, from neurobiology to public policy, and presents to practical solutions that are within our grasp today. Drawing on both her personal experience with chronic pain and her background as an award-winning health journalist, she guides us through recent scientific discoveries, including genetic susceptibility to pain; gender disparities in pain conditions and treatments, perhaps linked to estrogen; the problem of undertreated pain in children; the emerging role of the immune system in pain; advances in traditional treatments such as surgery and drugs; and fair-minded assessments of the effectiveness of alternative remedies, including marijuana, acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic care. The real magic bullet, Foreman writes, is exercise. Though many patients fear it will increase their discomfort, studies show it consistently produces improvement, often dramatic. She also explores the destructive 'opioid wars,' which have led to a misguided demonization of prescription painkillers. Foreman presents a far-reaching but sensible plan of action, ranging from enhancing pain education in medical schools to reforms of federal policies across the board. For doctors, scientists, policy makers, and especially patients, A NATION IN PAIN is essential reading." -- Publisher
Fredericks, Andrew (director), Money-Driven Medicine: What's Wrong With America's Healthcare and how to fix it, DVD, 86 minutes. Writers: Maggie Mahar; Producers: Peter Bull, Alex Gibney, Chris Matonti.
"MONEY-DRIVEN MEDICINE provides the essential introduction Americans need to become knowledgeable and vigorous participants in healthcare reform.
"Produced by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM), and based on Maggie Mahar's acclaimed book of the same title, MONEY DRIVEN MEDICINE offers an accessible, journalistically rigorous explanation of how the U.S. healthcare system went so terribly wrong and what it will take to fix it.
"Americans spend twice per capita for healthcare than the average rich country, one-sixth of our GDP. What do we get for that money? The U.S. ranks 29th in life expectancy and the World Health Organization ranks our health system 37th in the world, behind Slovenia and Costa Rica. MONEY-DRIVEN MEDICINE reveals how the profit-driven 'medical-industrial complex' has over-built the healthcare sector and produce a powerful, distorting incentive for billions of dollars of pointless, even risky, tests, prescriptions and procedures. This pay-per-service system drives doctors into lucrative specialities, while primary care physicians have become an endangered species; million dollar diagnostic machines stand idle while emergency rooms overflow.
"In MONEY-DRIVEN MEDICINE frustrated doctors and outraged patients testify to the often tragic consequences of fragmented, impersonal assembly-line medicine, designed more for churning out profits than life-long health management. Veteran physicians stress that change begins with the doctor-patient partnership: consistent family-centered primary care built on informed, shared decision-making. Dr. Donald Berwick of Harvard, Dr. James Weinstein of Dartmouth and other leading researchers explain the path-breaking studies (featured in Dr. Atul Gawande's recent New Yorker article), which prove that results-based rather than procedure-based medicine can pay-off in less extravagant yet more effective care.
"MONEY-DRIVEN MEDICINE alerts Americans that universal care is just the first shot in a hotly-contested, years-long battle for comprehensive healthcare reform. It will encourage the public to become savvy medical 'consumers' and empower health professionals to rescue their vocation from the corporate bottom line. It will teach students why a sound, sustainable medical infrastructure is crucial not just to their future but that of the economy and society as a whole. 'Money-Driven Medicine' makes clear that curing America's healthcare crisis is a matter of national life and death." -- Publisher
*Garrett, Laurie, Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health, ISBN: 0786884401 9780786884407.
"This is a study of global public health. Plague, pollution and prostitution are all examined in turn. The author shows how basic trust in public health systems has collapsed and how our global public health system has been systematically destroyed." -- Publisher
"This is the book that shifted my political views from anarchy into the recognition that centralized forms of governance are essential for such services as public health. This book is somewhat of a frightening read in that it suddenly makes you realize that mankind is not only being threatened environmentally and by terrorism and warfare, but much more imminently through disease and the surge of new antibiotic resistant microbes. An eye-opener, for sure, and definitely worth working through this giant tome." -- Reader's Comment
Gay, Peter, A Godless Jew: Freud, Atheism, and the Making of Psychoanalysis, ISBN: 0300040083 9780300040081.
"Freud himself asked why psychoanalysis had to be created by a 'completely godless Jew.' Gay elegantly and convincingly answers his question." -- Choice
"In 1918, Sigmund Freud posed the following question in a letter to his unlikely Swiss friend, the Christian pastor and lay analyst Oskar Pfister: 'Quite by the way, why did none of the devout create psychoanalysis? Why did one have to wait for a completely godless Jew?' It is this question that provides both the epigraph and the intellectual predicate for A GODLESS JEW, Peter Gay's erudite, brief and readable exploration of the relationship between Freud's atheism and his seminal, world-changing innovations in how mankind came to view the human mind in the twentieth century.
"Subtitled FREUD, ATHEISM, AND THE MAKING OF PSYCHOANALYSIS, Gay's short book was originally embodied in three lectures delivered at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati in December 1986. It is an attempt, in Gay's words, 'to translate [Freud's] two light-hearted rhetorical questions into three propositions.' Gay states these propositions as follows: 'It was as an atheist that Freud developed psychoanalysis; it was from his atheist vantage point that he could dismiss as well-meaning but futile gestures all attempts to find common ground between faith and unbelief; it was, finally, as a particular kind of atheist, a Jewish atheist, that he was enabled to make his momentous discoveries.'
"After an introduction exploring the late nineteenth century intellectual milieu in which science and religion did battle ('Science Against Religion: "Clericalism, There's the Enemy" '), wherein Gay succinctly draws a counterpoint between the thought of William James and Freud, A GODLESS JEW successively examines each of Gay's three propositions.
"Chapter One ('The Last Philosophe: "Our God Logos" '), advances the notion that Freud was a child of the Enlightenment, a confirmed atheist who rejected all belief in supernatural faith as inconsistent with the scientific method. 'Freud appropriated the whole range of the Enlightenment's agenda, its ideals and its methods, its very language.' In doing so, Freud saw his mission, like that of the Philosophers that preceded him more than a century earlier, as one of 'awaken[ing] the world from the enchantment in which the magicians and priests had held it imprisoned since pagan antiquity.'
"Chapter Two ('In Search of Common Ground: "A Better Christian Never Was" '), examines the antagonistic relationship between psychoanalysis and religion, an antagonism adumbrated by Freud himself: 'Analysis produces no new worldview. But it does not need one, for it rests on the general scientific worldview with which the religious one remains incompatible.' It also examines, however, the way in which many religious thinkers (including Freud's friend Pfister and the brilliant Paul Tillich), managed to absorb psychoanalysis into Christianity and Judaism through a syncretic legerdemain that simultaneously exasperates and amuses.
"Chapter Three ('The Question of a Jewish Science'), explores the relationship between Freud the Jew and Freud the scientist, for while Freud may have denied the existence of God, he never denied that he was a Jew. The question for Gay, then, is not one of Freud's Jewish identity, but 'just what share that identity could have had in the making of psychoanalysis.' In exploring the way in one may speak of the presence or absence of a 'Jewish quality' in psychoanalysis, Gay examines the professional, intellectual, tribal, and sociological meanings of such a quality. It is an interesting, if at times unsatisfying, discussion that fails to provide the reader with a conclusion more definitive than Gay's statement that 'Freud was a Jew, but not a Jewish scientist'." -- Reader's Comment
Gebelein, Bob, Dirty Science: How Unscientific Methods are Blocking our Cultural Advancement, ISBN: 9780961461140 0961461144.
"DIRTY SCIENCE exposes the unscientific, illegitimate, and irrational arguments that are used in the name of 'science' by people with high scientific credentials, corrupting our cultural knowledge. This is not 'science bashing,' but is an accurate and responsible book, written with compassion for the people who are caught up in the system. It is not seeking the approval of establishment scientists as 'authority' figures, but is appealing to the intelligent reading public (which includes all academic people) to recognize the unscientific methods and cause the people who use those methods to lose credibility. As a start, every undergraduate student of critical thinking needs to read this book." -- Publisher
*Gillespie, Patrick (1617-1675), Rulers Sins: The Causes of National Judgments, or a Sermon Preached at the Fast, Upon the 26th Day of December, Prov. XIV. 34; 2 Kings XVII. 22,23; Ezek. XIX. 14, or a Sermon Preached at the Fast, Upon the 26th Day of December 1650. [Proverbs 14:34; 2 Kings 17:22,23; Ezekiel 19:14] Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal. (2 Kings 23:26).
"For these in public places of trust and power, that should bear down sin, are they not rather ringleaders in sin?" -- Patrick Gillespie
Rulers Sins: The Causes of National Judgments
http://www.truecovenanter.com/gillespie/gillespie_patrick_rulers_sins_causes_of_judgment.html
Goldacre, Ben, Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks, ISBN: 9780865479180 0865479186.
"While exposing quack doctors and nutritionists, bogus credentialing programs, and biased scientific studies, the author takes the media to task for its willingness to throw facts and proof out the window in its quest to sell more copies. He also teaches you how to evaluate placebo effects, double-blind studies, and sample size, so that you can recognize bad science when you see it.
"An extension of his blog, this is a collection of basically rants about how science and statistics are abused by a variety of people. It also looks at faulty science behind some nutritionists and some of their dodgy 'credentials.' His emphasis is on making people question 'facts' and double check the evidence.
"However, people don't have the time for a lot of this, and when you're offered a glimmer of hope people tend to take it. The placebo effect is explored here and he does admit that it works and works well if people load it with belief, so maybe examining everything doesn't always work as well as it might.
"It's a book worth reading, if only to read why he is so virulently opposed to some people's 'science'." -- Reader's Comment
Goldacre, Ben, Bad Science, ISBN: 9780007284870 000728487X.
"Everyone has their own 'bad science' moments, encompassing everything from the useless pie charts on the back of cereal boxes to the use of the word 'visibly' in cosmetics adverts. Full of spleen, Ben Goldacre takes the reader on a hilarious, invigorating and informative journey through the world of bad science. BAD SCIENCE is a book by Ben Goldacre, criticizing mainstream media reporting on health and science issues." -- Publisher
Goozner, Merrill, A Pill: The Truth Behind the Cost of New Drugs. Alternate title: EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR PILL: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE COST OF NEW DRUGS, ISBN: 0520239458 9780520239456 0520246705 9780520246706.
"Drug companies insist that [prescription drug], prices reflect the millions they invest in research and development . . . Merrill Goozner contends that American taxpayers are in fact footing the bill twice: once by supporting government-funded research, and again by paying high prices for prescription drugs. Goozner demonstrates that almost all of the important and life-saving new drugs of the past quarter-century actually originated from research at taxpayer-funded universities and the National Institutes of Health . . . [Goozner] suggests ways that the government's role in testing new medicines could be expanded to eliminate private-sector waste driving up the cost of existing drugs." -- Publisher
Gøtzsche, Peter C., Deadly Medicines and Organized Crime: How big Pharma has Corrupted Healthcare, ISBN: 9781846198847 1846198844.
"One of the biggest canaries at the moment is Peter Gøtzsche, none other than the head of the Nordic Cochrane Centre, the Scandinavian arm of the Cochrane Collaboration, an independent research and information centre committed to preparing, maintaining, and disseminating reviews of the various treatments of mainstream medicine and examining whether they have adequate evidence of safety and effectiveness. Cochrane was the first group of individuals to champion the notion of 'evidence-based' medicine -- that is, medicine shouldn't be used unless there's evidence that the stuff works.
"Gøtzsche is a guy after my own heart. When asked to speak at a Danish Society for Rheumatology event, called 'Collaboration with the drug industry. Is it THAT harmful?' Peter's opening gambit was to highlight the fact that Pfizer, one of the meeting's sponsors, had been fined $2.3 billion in the US for promoting off-label use of four drugs, while Merck, the sponsor the year before, had been responsible for the deaths of thousands due to deceptive information about its arthritis drug.
"Gøtzsche's latest book, entitled DEADLY MEDICINES AND ORGANISED CRIME: HOW BIG PHARMA HAS CORRUPTED HEALTHCARE (Radcliffe Publishing Ltd) pulls even fewer punches. The book essentially makes the point that the drugs industry uses virtually every tactic used by the mob to sell its products.
"He even quotes a former vice-president of Pfizer as saying, 'It is scary how many similarities there are between his industry and the mob. The mob makes obscene amounts of money, as does this industry. The side effects of organized crime are killings and deaths, and the sides effects are the same in this industry. The mob bribes politicians and others, and so does the drug industry.'
"Perhaps even more extraordinary than the careful case made by this blunt soothsayer is the fact that Richard Smith, the former editor of the British Medical Journal, agreed to write the book's foreword. In the book, Smith points out, the characteristics of organized crime include extortion, fraud, federal drug offenses, bribery, embezzlement, obstruction of justice, obstruction of law enforcement, tampering with witnesses, and political corruption.
" 'Peter produces evidence, most of it detailed, to support his case that pharmaceutical companies are guilty of most of these offenses,' says Smith. Indeed, most of the billions paid out as fines by the drugs industry for flouting the law as thought of as 'the cost of doing business.'
" 'As an epidemiologist with very high numerical literacy and a passion for details, so that he is a world leader in critiquing clinical studies, Peter is here on very solid ground,' says Smith. 'He shows too how the industry has bought doctors, academics, journals, professional and patient organizations, university departments, journalists, regulators and politicians. These are the methods of the mob.'
This is only the latest canary from among Establishment medicine to blow the whistle on Big Pharma. Marcia Ancell, the editor for two decades at the New England Journal of Medicine, recently published her own book: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG COMPANIES: HOW THEY DECEIVE US AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.
"All of the major medical journals, from the BMJ and the Lancet, to the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal, have revealed the scale of the problem -- that correctly prescribed drugs are the fourth leading cause of death, that drug companies massage and make up data.
"Medicine should be a gift to us all rather than a money-making scheme for the pharmaceutical industry, as it now largely is.
"With that in mind, we suggest that the following be implemented.
Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy: What you Need to Know Before Your Next Visit to the Doctor or Drugstore, ISBN: 9781594864070 1594864071.
"The issues surrounding generic drugs are endlessly fascinating. Pharmacists like generic drugs because the mark-up is better than on brand name drugs. Insurance companies love generic drugs because generics save the companies a ton of money. As a taxpayer, I'm happy that federal and state governments embrace generic drugs. I'd hate to be taxed to pay for exclusively brand name drugs for Medicare Part D, and for the Veterans Administration, and for Medicaid programs, etc. I like the fact that the government embraces generic drugs because that holds down my taxes. But as a consumer, I prefer brand name drugs.
"One of the fundamental tenets of capitalism is that price determines quality. You get what you pay for. That's why tires for your car with a 80,000-mile treadlife warranty cost much more than tires with a 25,000-mile warranty. When you go to a supermarket, do you buy the store brand of green beans or do you prefer Green Giant or DelMonte? Are you happy when your automobile mechanic uses a brand of motor oil you've never heard of, or do you prefer that he uses Valvoline or Havoline? If you need a pacemaker for your heart, wouldn't you want the absolute finest on the market? If you need a drug to control a heart arrhythmia, would you be wise to accept a generic? The examples are endless but the point is the same. Can you be assured of quality when the cost of a generic product is half the price of a brand name?
"The Graedons point out that the FDA is grossly understaffed and that the chances are frighteningly small that the FDA will actually pull and test a drug sample from a pharmacy shelf or even from the plant where the drugs are manufactured.
"Belief in the quality of generic drugs is, in my opinion, based more on faith than science. Too many powerful groups have a vested interest in the perception that generic drugs are as good as brand name. I'm not making the case that we as a society embrace brand name drugs and discard generics. Quite to the contrary. Americans are grossly overmedicated, in no small part as a consequence of direct-to-consumer drug advertising on TV and in newspapers and magazines. Americans would do well to embrace prevention and let pharmaceuticals return to their proper role in society, important but far more limited. I do everything in my power to prevent illness, but when I do need a drug, I prefer a brand name, especially when it's used to treat a serious medical condition.
"The Graedons have been enthusiastic supporters of generic drugs for decades but have lately begun to have second thoughts. They cite an increasing number of letters from readers of their newspaper column who have less than satisfactory results with generic drugs. Patients who are well-controlled on the anti-seizure drug Dilantin suddenly begin having seizures when switched to the generic phenytoin. Men taking the brand name Hytrin for enlarged prostate begin having more difficulty urinating when swithched to the generic terazosin. Mothers complain that their child's behavior worsens when switched from the brand name Ritalin to the generic methylphenidate. Patients taking the brand name Synthroid complain that they begin experiencing thyroid symptoms when switched to the generic levothyroxine. Patients on the brand name blood thinner Coumadin have more difficulty keeping their clotting in the target range when switched to the generic warfarin. And so on.
"What is one to make of this? Are these people imagining these differences in effectiveness between brand name drugs and generics? Are these people simply complaining because their insurance company or Medicaid pushes them to accept generics?
"It is not rare that pharmacists hear complaints from our customers that generics do not perform as well as brand name drugs. Many pharmacists dismiss such complaints outright. Other pharmacists are beginning to wonder if there may be some truth in our customers' complaints. Pharmacists certainly aren't impressed when we receive bottles of a hundred, or five-hundred, or a thousand tablets from a generic manufacturer and we see lots of powder at the bottom of the bottle as a result of too many broken tablets. This tells pharmacists that quality control at the manufacturing plant is not the best. Pharmacists see powder and broken tablets far less often with brand name tablets.
"People used to think that generic drugs were made in a bathtub in someone's back yard. That's not the case. Some brand name manufacturers do, in fact, make generic drugs. But I have serious doubts whether, in general, there is as much quality control with generic drugs compared to brand name. For example, when I read advertisements for generic drugs in my pharmacy magazines, I am struck by the fact that the number one theme of these advertisements is QUALITY. Why are all these generic manufacturers trying so hard to convince pharmacists that their generic products are of high quality? If the FDA says that all generic drugs are as good as brand name, why are the generic manufacturers still obsessed with convincing pharmacists about the quality of their generic products?
"BEST CHOICES FROM THE PEOPLE'S PHARMACY is an eye-opener on this and many other important issues. When it comes to exposure of the pharmaceutical industry, the Graedons are the best." -- Reader's Comment
"This special edition (524 pages), is not available in any bookstore. It contains an expansion of our PEOPLE'S PHARMACY FAVORITE PICKS (home remedies), and a new chapter on Desert Island Drugs and Dietary Supplements. Some of the country's leading experts have contributed their insights on the best treatments for what ails you. This edition is not in stores or on other Internet sites. It is only available from Rodale Books and directly from The People's Pharmacy.
"We ship book orders Media Mail (5-10 day delivery expected)."
The People's Phamacy Books
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/books/
*Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, 1st edition, October 4, 2011, 336 pages, ISBN: 9780307460912 0307460916.
"Healthcare screwups are one of the leading causes of death in America, killing as many as 750,000 people annually. That's more than heart attacks or cancer. And yet most people don't know this, including most physicians. From diagnostic disasters to deadly drug interactions, the bestselling authors of The People's Pharmacy expose the alarming epidemic of medical mistakes in America -- and offer a lifesaving prescription to make the healthcare system safe again.
"There is a culture of cover-up in medicine that has been very effective at keeping mistakes secret. A recent study found that the most sophisticated way of detecting harm in the hospital identified 100 times more problems than doctors reported.
(Health Affairs, April, 2011)
"Medical mistakes happen all the time. Each year, 6.1 million Americans are harmed by diagnostic mistakes, drug disasters, and medical treatments. . . . Patient advocates Joe and Teresa Graedon came face-to-face with the tragic consequences of doctors' screwups when Joe's mother died in Duke Hospital -- one of the best in the world -- due to a disastrous series of preventable errors. The good news is that we can protect ourselves and our loved ones by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and more. . . .
"In TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM, the Graedons expose the most common medical mistakes, from doctor's offices and hospitals to the pharmacy counters and nursing homes. Patients across the country shared their riveting horror stories, and doctors recounted the disastrous -- and sometimes deadly -- consequences of their colleagues' oversights and errors. While many patients feel vulnerable and dependent on their healthcare providers, this book is a startling wake-up call to how wrong doctors can be. . . .
"The good news is that we can protect ourselves, and our loved ones, by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask a specialist before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and much more." -- Publisher
"Joe and Teresa Graedon have performed an enormous public service by putting this book together. Unfortunately, an epidemic of medical adverse events -- preventable lethal mistakes -- are destroying the quality of American healthcare. In all my years as a physician and an advocate for a safer, error-free healthcare system, I have never seen a more practical and readable guide to help patients become more vigilant and proactive in preventing medical errors. If you or someone you love is facing a serious illness or major surgery, defend yourself: Buy this book, read it cover to cover. No one cares more about your life than you do. If you were faced with a lethal threat, you would naturally do everything in your power to defend yourself. Put this book in your holster. Arm yourself. Take it with you to the hospital. And save your own life." -- Allan J. Hamilton, MD, FACS, professor of surgery and radiation oncology, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, author of The Scalpel and the Soul
"From my perspective, TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM represents the evolution or transformation of the Graedons from strong consumer advocates to genuine full-fledged skeptics. This book is nothing like earlier Peoples Pharmacy books. This is not your father's Oldsmobile. I think it is fair to say that the Graedons are today nowhere near as sanguine about our medical system as they were for so many years.
"Some people say that some non-fiction authors keep writing the same book over and over again, only updating the evidence to support their case. In my view, this book represents a major departure from the Graedons' books in the past. I think the Graedons are now in their mid-sixties and I have no idea how many more books they intend to write. This book strikes me as their attempt to finally lay it all on the line. The Graedons accurately point out that the problem of pharmacy mistakes is horrifying and that the public largely has no idea how significant this problem is. A few years back, ABC's '20/20' did a no-holds-barred undercover investigation of pharmacy mistakes. The segment was titled 'Pharmacy Errors: Unreported Epidemic?' In my opinion that is an accurate description of the problem except that the question mark should have been replaced with an exclamation point. Search Google for 'pharmacy mistakes' if you have any doubt about how serious this problem is." -- Reader's Comment
Gunn, Colin, Chris Vaughn, and Gunn Productions (firm), Wait Till it's Free: If you Think Healthcare is Unaffordable Now, DVD.
"Exposes the true foundations of the American healthcare crisis . . . by exclusive interviews revealing the agenda behind ObamaCare, the history of America's seduction by socialized medicine . . . discover the disastrous consequences of government controlled medicine." -- Publisher
Hadler, Nortin M., The Last Well Person: How to Stay Well Despite the Health-Care System, ISBN: 0773532544 9780773532540.
"Dr. Nortin Hadler believes that heart bypass surgery is usually a waste of money, time, and energy, that treatment for prostate cancer does more harm than good, and that testing for breast cancer is not always useful or effective. THE LAST WELL PERSON shows how a self-serving medical industry promotes constant monitoring and unnecessary intervention, turning healthy people into patients. Sick with worry, we have become a culture panicked over unfounded illnesses -- a culture that treats everyone as a diseased time bomb. Hadler systematically builds the case that many medical interventions are hazardous to our health. Especially insidious is the misuse of longevity statistics in turning the difficulties experienced through a natural course of life, such as aging and osteoporosis, into illnesses. He argues that unfounded assertions and flagrant marketing have led to the medicalization of everyday life and he offers practical solutions on such topics as aging, obesity, adult onset diabetes, and back problems. In The Last Well Person Hadler addresses the tough questions about our healthcare, cutting through the medical white noise." -- Publisher
"This is an outstanding book that decries many components of traditional and alternative medicine. The book is not easy to read (Fog Index 16.9 corresponds to years of formal education; Flesh-Kincaid Index 13.8 corresponds to grade level). However, it is very informative to manage your own health in a more independent, cost-effective, and dignified way than otherwise. According to the author all our ills that truly result mainly from the natural process of aging have been 'medicalized' at no benefit to the patient. But in turn, this medicalization has generated huge profits for the healthcare industries.
"The author has impressive credentials to advance his views. He is a professor of Medicine at one of the top U.S. public universities, and he is a practicing rheumatologist. Additionally, he has a strong background in statistics that he uses to interpret the objective results of random trials before spin doctors promote questionable benefit of whatever drug tested. Also, his "opinions' are well supported by 60 pages of references to random trials mentioned in the 'Annotated Readings' section of the book.
"Human beings have a mean expected life span of 85 years. Advances in medical technology has done nothing to extend this life span. With aging, a bunch of proximate diseases (cardiovascular, cancers, and others), compete with each other to end our days. Thus, often the well publicized reduction in mortality for a certain type of cancer due to a treatment has no implication in extending one's life span for a single day. A survivor of prostate cancer may die at the exact same time he would have died of cancer but from cardiovascular disease. The author has analyzed many related random trials that confirmed this.
" 'Medicalization' is in his view an artificial social construct whereby a condition (back or knee pain), has been turned into a disease. It results in Type II malpractice whereby patients that are well have incurred treatments (sometimes invasive and dangerous), that were not necessary.
"The benefit from breast and prostate cancer screening is highly questionable. Both mammography and the PSA tests generate so many false positive as to render the tests useless. The ensuing investigation, treatment, and surgeries from incurring a positive test are often painful, dangerous, and offer no proven benefits of any reduction in mortality rate.
"He feels just the same way about bypass surgery that provides no benefit and is associated with a high risk of death as a result of the operation (2 percent to 8 percent), or depression (50 percent). It helps only 3 percent of the coronary patient who do have extensive plaque blockage in their left-main artery. For the other 97 percent of patients, bypass surgery represents an unfavorable risk/benefit trade off.
"Alternative medicine is not spared either. He sees no benefit in most herbal, vitamins and mineral supplements. Chiropractic, homeopathy, and other alternatives do not seem more credible than traditional medicine. Again, the above is supported by reference to random trials and studies.
"In his view, being a well person is coping well with the acceptable and natural imperfection of health as we age. This is a better alternative than to render ourselves patient of a medical establishment who will diagnose, test, and operate us at great profits for themselves but significant suffering to ourselves without adding a day to our life span, and often compromising our quality of life in the mean time." -- Reader's Comment
Hadler, Nortin M., Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America, ISBN: 0807831875 9780807831878.
"At a time when access to healthcare in the United States is being widely debated, Nortin Hadler argues that an even more important issue is being overlooked. Although necessary healthcare should be available to all who need it, he says, the current health-care debate assumes that everyone requires massive amounts of expensive care to stay healthy. Hadler urges that before we commit to paying for whatever pharmaceutical companies and the medical establishment tell us we need, American consumers need to adopt an attitude of skepticism and arm themselves with enough information to make some of their own decisions about what care is truly necessary.
"Each chapter of WORRIED SICK is an object lesson regarding the uses and abuses of a particular type of treatment, such as mammography, colorectal screening, statin drugs, or coronary stents. For consumers and medical professionals interested in understanding the scientific basis for Hadler's arguments, each topical chapter has an accompanying source chapter in which Hadler discusses the medical literature and studies that inform his critique.
"According to Hadler, a major stumbling block to rational health-care policy in the United States is contention over the very concept of what constitutes good health. By learning to distinguish good medical advice from persuasive medical marketing, consumers can make better decisions about their personal health and use that wisdom to inform their perspectives on health-policy issues.
"Nortin M. Hadler, M.D., is professor of medicine and microbiology/immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is attending rheumatologist at UNC Hospitals. He is author or editor of numerous books, including THE LAST WELL PERSON: HOW TO STAY WELL DESPITE THE HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM." -- Publisher
"WORRIED SICK is a follow up to Dr. Hadler's THE LAST WELL PERSON. It has updated research information and written for the public at large. In this book, Dr. Hadler examines many of the common diagnoses and treatments and questions their validity and scientific basis. He shows clearly that many are not based on science, and that treatments are of questionable value, and possibly harmful.
"Here is a brief overview.
1. Heart bypass surgery and angioplasty: Dr. Hadler explains how bypass surgery has not been shown to be of any use. In fact, some patients whose chests were simply opened and closed had similar improvements in their level of pain after the surgery. However, those who had the surgery experiencing dementia (40 percent) and difficulty returning back to their regular jobs. Although, the efficacy of this treatment has never been proven, it and angioplasty continues to account for 500,000 procedures a year in the US."I used to trust my doctor and the medical system until I began to have back pain. Due to improper diagnoses and treatments I developed pain in my neck, legs, arms, hands, and became completely disabled. That's when I realized I needed to take charge of my own health. This is where physician and health educators like Dr. Hadler provide a great service. By the way, he is also a consultant to ABC News. You can watch his commentaries and read his writing at ABC News website." -- Reader's Comment
2. Type 2 diabetes: He mentions that increase blood glucose level is an expected part of aging, and the effort to regulate blood sugar with medication has shown no effect in terms of preventing damage to the eyes or kidneys or preventing heart disease or stroke. In fact, ten years of intensive therapy offered no real advantage to 1000 middle aged hyperglycemic (high blood glucose level) people. So, why would anyone want to be on therapy and suffer the side effects of medications that have no real benefits? He says changes in diet, weight loss, and exercise have are a much better approach. Also what is considered a high blood glucose level? Those levels are set by committees, not necessarily based on scientific medicine, but many times based on influence by pharmaceutical companies.
3. Hypertension: Dr. Hadler also points out that high blood pressure is another area where science has not proven that by lowering the mild high blood pressure one can really make a difference in preventing heart disease or damage to organs. He recommends for people who have diabetes and hypertension and are elderly to be treated, if regular exercise, weight loss, and diet modifications do not help. But, to be focused on keeping the blood pressure at 120/80 and getting medication to those who are 140/90 and higher, and who have no symptoms and are feeling well, is not supported by research. One thing research has shown is that a cheap first generation diuretic works just as well as the latest and very expensive anti-hypertension drugs.
4. Ruptured disc: He points out that the concept of ruptured disc as cause of back and leg pain was proposed some 70 years ago and should have remained there. There is no evidence that a ruptured disc causes any harm. All the spinal changes due to age detected in an MRI or CT scan are normal. Some 200 randomized studies clearly show that all the treatments ranging from spinal manipulation, shots, and surgeries are of no benefit. All studies have shown that patients who refused treatment recovered as well or better than those who were treated. He recommends taking Tylenol for the pain and discomfort and getting back into one's regular routine and job.
5. Knee and shoulder pain: he also points out that knee pain is of the same case. The current diagnoses, such as a torn meniscus or torn rotator cuff, and treatments are of no value, and perhaps the solution is to take some Tylenol for the pain and keep going until the individual recovers, whether it's back or knee pain.
6. HRT therapy for post menopausal women: here is another area which is touted as a way of preventing heart disease and osteoporosis in women. He points out that not only this has failed, but the equipment they use for testing is not accurate most of the time, and that the medications used for it don't really work. Exercise is a better alternative. Also hip replacement surgery could easily be replaced with pinning the hip, which is less costly with a faster recovery rate.
7. Cancer screening: Like Dr. Welch, author of DO I NEED TO BE TESTED FOR CANCER, he too finds no scientific basis that screening well people for cancer has any benefit. He calls it, 'looking for a very small needle in a big hay stack.'
Herle, Charles (1598-1659), Detvr Sapienti: In a Treatise of the Excellency of Christian Wisdome, Above That of Worldly Policy and Morall Prvdence (sic), in two Former Treatises. Alternate title: WORLDLY POLICY AND MORAL PRUDENCE. THE VANITY AND FOLLY OF THE ONE, THE SOLIDITY AND USEFULNESS OF THE OTHER, IN A MORAL DISCOURSE. Available (WORLDLY POLICY AND MORAL PRUDENCE), on the Puritan Hard Drive.
Himmelstein, David (author), Steffie Woolhandler (author), Bleeding the Patient: The Consequences of Corporate Healthcare, ISBN: 1567512062.
"The system we rely on to protect our health is seriously diseased. The structure of ownership and management creates perverse incentives that hurt patients and demoralize doctors and nurses who struggle to provide high quality care.
"We need to change this system. To do that, we need to inform as many people as possible about its failures and develop alternatives to corporate 'for profit' managed care.
"BLEEDING THE PATIENT can help us do that. It is clear, concise, full of facts and figures. It's more of a user-friendly reference book than a narrative, but that's OK. The choice of topics and level of information is excellent. It ranges from issues of prenatal care to so-called 'capitation' agreements to details regarding the hugely inefficient medical insurance bureaucracy. My only complaint is that it's sometimes difficult to figure out the references, which are abbreviated.
"Everyone who cares about the well-being of our society -- as well as their personal health -- should buy several copies of this book, and hand one personally to every doctor, nurse and health practitioner that they meet. Don't leave it in the waiting room! Corporate healthcare managers do their best to keep this kind of information out of their 'clients' hands'." -- Reader's Comment
*Horwitz, Allan V., Creating Mental Illness, ISBN: 0226353818 9780226353814.
"In this timely and provocative critique of modern psychiatry, Allan V. Horwitz examines current conceptions of mental illness as a disease. He argues that this notion fits only a small number of serious psychological conditions, and that most conditions currently regarded as mental illness are cultural constructions, normal reactions to stressful social circumstances, or simply forms of deviant behavior.
"According to Horwitz, the formulation of mental illness as disease benefits various interest groups, including mental health researchers and clinicians, prescriptive drug manufacturers, and mental health advocacy groups, all of whom promote disease-based models.
"Presenting case studies in maladies such as hysteria, multiple personality disorder, and depression, he examines the major causes and treatments of mental illness, paying special attention to the use of pharmaceuticals. While biologically based causes and treatments fit some of the entities formulated, Horwitz finds that more often than not, social responses offer far more suitable remedies.
"Allan V. Horwitz is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers University." -- Publisher
Hulse, Virgil M., Mad Cows and Milk Gate, ISBN: 0965437701 9780965437707.
"The book MAD COWS AND MILK GATE written by Dr. Hulse, a former Dairy Inspector and board certified in Family practice and Public Health expresses concern over the rampant diseases in dairy cows, the ways they are treated and the problems those treatments cause. It details proof that we have the Mad Cow Disease in this country. The book main focus is the practice of feeding often diseased sheep, chickens, and other cows blood to cows, and the viruses that are thus spread from species to species. The picture painted is not a pretty one, but it is one we must study if we are to make informed choices when choosing what we eat. With the U.S. Government assuring us that beef and dairy are safe, we are fortunate to have a insider's view of what is really going on in the cattle industry. Dr. Hulse is an expert medical witness on the Mad Cow Disease and is presently defending those that have been sued by the beef industry. Dr. Hulse states that we are unable to sell our cows to Europe because 80 percent of the cows in the U.S. have the Bovine leukemia virus which causes cancer in every organ of the cow and is spread to other animals by the milk. Dr. Hulse also has concern that it may be causing cancer in humans. He states that cows are infected with a bacteria that is in the milk and beef and that it is the same bacteria that is found in Crohn's disease in children and adults and is not killed by current pasteurization temperatures. Dr. Hulse has a great fear of mutant prions invading this country given our insane practices of bovine cannibalism. The books shocking information about the health hazards in our dairy and beef supply is enough to make you sick . . . There is overwhelming evidence that an epidemic of diseases are lying in wait behind the plastic wrap and dairy cartons of our food stores. Dr. Hulse hopes that the developers of public policy will show courage in placing the health of the American people above the economics of big industry." -- Publisher
Jensen, Richard, The Failures of American Medicine: Why Americans Have Become Chronically ill, and What can be Done About it, ISBN: 1553693930 9781553693932.
"This book is packed with hard-nosed scientific information that is a must-read for all doctors, both conventional and naturopathic. The benefits and drawbacks of both pharmaceutical and 'natural' drug therapies are discussed in detail. The main topics include: chronic diet-related diseases, cancer, allergies/asthma, and anxiety/depression. With 540 references from reputable scientific journals, Jensen has blazed a trail into uncharted territory when it comes to pointing out the myriad of weaknesses in American medicine. Perhaps even more importantly, he goes into detail as to why or why not certain drugs should be taken, which can greatly help the average American patient choose between therapies. This book may be hard to read if the reader does not have a degree in science, but his common-sense approach helps a lot." -- Reader's Comment
Kassirer, Jerome P., On the Take: How Medicine's Complicity With big Business can Endanger Your Health, ISBN: 1423746694 9781423746690.
"We all know that doctors accept gifts from drug companies, ranging from pens and coffee mugs to free vacations at luxurious resorts. But as the former Editor-in-Chief of The New England Journal of Medicine reveals in this shocking exposé, these innocuous-seeming gifts are just the tip of an iceberg that is distorting the practice of medicine and jeopardizing the health of millions of Americans today. In ON THE TAKE, Dr. Jerome Kassirer offers an unsettling look at the pervasive payoffs that physicians take from big drug companies and other medical suppliers, arguing that the billion-dollar onslaught of industry money has deflected many physicians' moral compasses and directly impacted the everyday care we receive from the doctors and institutions we trust most. Underscored by countless chilling untold stories, the book illuminates the financial connections between the wealthy companies that make drugs and the doctors who prescribe them. Kassirer details the shocking extent of these financial enticements and explains how they encourage bias, promote dangerously misleading medical information, raise the cost of medical care, and breed distrust. A brilliant diagnosis of an epidemic of greed, ON THE TAKE offers insight into how we can cure the medical profession and restore our trust in doctors and hospitals." -- Publisher
Kauffman, Joel M., Malignant Medical Myths: Why Medical Treatment Causes 200,000 Deaths in the USA Each Year, and how to Protect Yourself, ISBN: 0741429098 9780741429094. Includes bibliographical references and index.
"A fearless exposé of mainstream medicine's most revered dogma, MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS is solidly based on trusted medical and nutritional books and journals. Americans spend $2 trillion per year on healthcare, about $7,000 each, yet it buys almost the poorest healthcare among developed countries, with 200,000 deaths per year from medical treatment. Find out why advice from authorities on screening tests, drugs, diet, exercise, alcohol, radiation, radon, and water fluoridation is often wrong and commercially motivated. See how clinical trials are slanted. Understand how 'sickness' is created to sell treatments, and which government agencies support these shenanigans.
"Joel M. Kauffman obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, now called University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP), and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After 11 years of experience in the chemical industry, Dr. Kauffman joined USP in 1979, rising to Professor of Chemistry. His experience includes about 10 years of exploratory drug development at USP and 4 years at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He obtained grants and contracts from many sources including the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research and the Army Research Office and several manufacturing companies. With 80 papers on chemical and medical topics, and 11 patents, including 2 on antituberculosis drugs, Dr. Kauffman has turned his attention to exposing fraud in medicine." -- Publisher
"In MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS, he questions the following medical myths, as he calls them, put forth by health and medical 'experts:'
1. Taking an aspirin a day will make you live longer."If you believe ANY of the above statements as medically accurate, then you need to get MALIGNANT MEDICAL MYTHS. Kauffman outlines for you his extensive research on each of these and explains to you the truth using scientific studies and information so you can be armed for battle when you come up against these myths again in the future. -- Reader's Comment
2. Low-carb diets are unsafe and don't work for weight loss.
3. Using statin drugs to lower cholesterol will improve health.
4. People over 50 should take medicine for hypertension.
5. A drink a day keeps the doctor away.
6. Exercise! Run for your life! No pain, no gain.
7. EDTA chelation therapy for atherosclerosis is dangerous.
8. Radiation is dangerous except when administered by an oncologist.
9. Yearly mammograms extend life.
10. Cancer treatments have cure rates of 60 percent.
11. Fluoride in the water prevents tooth decay and is safe.
Kohn, Linda T. (editor), Janet M. Corrigan (editor), Molla S. Donaldson (editor); Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC. Committee on Quality of Health Care in America, To err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, ISBN: 0309068371 9780309068376.
"Experts estimate that as many as 98,000 people die in any given year from medical errors that occur in hospitals. That's more than die from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS -- three causes that receive far more public attention. Indeed, more people die annually from medication errors than from workplace injuries. Add the financial cost to the human tragedy, and medical error easily rises to the top ranks of urgent, widespread public problems. . . .
"TO ERR IS HUMAN asserts that the problem is not bad people in healthcare -- it is that good people are working in bad systems that need to be made safer. Comprehensive and straightforward, this book offers a clear prescription for raising the level of patient safety in American healthcare. It also explains how patients themselves can influence the quality of care that they receive once they check into the hospital. This book will be vitally important to federal, state, and local health policy makers and regulators, health professional licensing officials, hospital administrators, medical educators and students, health caregivers, health journalists, patient advocates -- as well as patients themselves." -- Publisher
"This is one of two seminal books on quality and it is a must read for folks in the industry. It is not easy reading but is packed with excellent information. Although this book was compiled in 1999, it's helpful to see where we started and how far we've come. I felt this book was necessary to read as it is mentioned in other books on Quality. The second installment or sequel is CROSSING THE QUALITY CHASM which I have just started. Then I will get back to finishing the Primer book on Quality." -- Reader's Comment
*LeBow, Robert H., and C. Rocky White, Health Care Meltdown: Confronting the Myths and Fixing our Failing System, ISBN: 0911469303 9780911469301.
"This book is very timely and amazingly lucid on a topic seen by many as beyond comprehension. LeBow has sifted through the complexity and pinpointed the key players and the major causes of a system that has 'melted down' -- i.e. become dysfunctional for millions of Americans. The book documents how vested interests -- people who make a great deal of money by maintaining the status quo -- have systematically worked to keep Americans clueless about the extent of the healthcar meltdown, the causes of the meltdown, and the real story about feasible alternatives. One of the greatest values of the book is found in the opening chapter that identifies and examines thirteen myths that have been perpetuated about the American healthcare system. LeBow's contention is, quite correctly, that unless these myths get debunked, Americans are not likely to have the necessary will to fix the system. In fact, one of the myths is that old adage 'We don't need to fix what isn't broken' applies to our healthcare system. LeBow's personal accounts of patients' experiences with our system illustrate poignantly just how broken it is. Fortunately, LeBow goes beyond the compelling critique to offer a solution, in the form of a single-payer, single risk-pool model. Recognizing the extent to which interest groups have propagandized the American public against such a model, he argues effectively that this is the ONLY model that will allow this country to resolve its access problems without spending even more on healthcare than we do already. His arguments are strong, his personal illustrations reinforce his points in well-chosen fashion, and he offers hope for something better. His book is somewhat of a primer for those who are motivated to work for change at a grass-roots level, as well as at a macro level. And the reading is easy, on a complicated subject, including nice tight summaries of key points at the end of each chapter. Very worthwhile reading." -- Reader's Comment
Leung, Michael C.M., Misdiagnosis and Fraud.
Working paper (Chinese University of Hong Kong. Department of Economics), No. 126
https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/chkcuhked/_5f126.htm
*Levitt, Steven, and Stephen J. Dubner, Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, ISBN: 9780062132345 0062132342 9788466645775 8466645772.
"Nothing is more powerful than information, especially when its power is abused. . . .
"Though extraordinarily diverse, these crimes all have a common trait: they were sins of information. Most of them involved an expert, or a gang of experts, promoting false information or hiding true information; in each case the experts were trying to keep the information asymmetry as asymmetrical as possible.
"The practitioners of such acts, especially in the realm of high finance, inevitably offer this defense: 'Everybody else was doing it.' Which may be largely true. One characteristic of information crimes is that very few of them are detected." -- Levitt and Dubner
"More than 4 million copies sold worldwide. Published in 35 languages. . . . Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He studies the riddles of everyday life 'from cheating and crime to parenting and sports' and reaches conclusions that turn conventional wisdom on its head. FREAKONOMICS is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They set out to explore the inner workings of a crack gang, the truth about real estate agents, the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, and much more." -- Publisher
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn (1899-1981), Healing and the Scriptures, ISBN: 0840790112 9780840790118.
"The ten chapters in this book are excerpts from messages given by the Doctor to medical students and practicing M.D.'s. The subjects covered are many, among which are: The Supernatural in medicine, On treating the whole man, The doctor as counselor, Fullest care, Medicine in modern society, Body, mind, and spirit, How to combat the demonic, Identifying psychosomatic illnesses, and The moral law. . . ." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
Lundberg, George D. (author), James Stacey (author), Severed Trust: Why American Medicine Hasn't Been Fixed -- And What we can do About it, ISBN: 0465042929.
"This no-holds-barred book includes a new chapter presenting a comprehensive, politically achievable, private-public solution to the healthcare dilemma-one that preserves the best of the present system, eliminates the worst current problems, and represents our nation's last best chance to contain costs without a government takeover of medicine.
"Author is a former editor of JAMA. Describes the author's life in medicine and presents his insights on a wide range of subjects, from patients' rights to the dangers of boxing to the 'iniquities' of managed care. Very controversial issue covered. -- This text refers to an out-of-print or unavailable edition of this title.
"George D. Lundberg, M.D., is Editor-in-Chief and Executive Vice President of Medscape. He was for seventeen years editor of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. A resident of Chicago, New York City, and Los Gatos, California, he is on the faculties of Northwestern University and the School of Public Health at Harvard. James Stacey was, until his retirement in 1999, the Director of Media and Information Services for the Washington Office of the AMA. He is the author of INSIDE THE NEW TEMPLE: THE HIGH COST OF MISTAKING MEDICINE FOR RELIGION (1993). He lives in Baltimore, Maryland." -- Publisher
Mahar, Maggie, Money-driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs so Much, ISBN: 0060765348 9780060765347.
"A straightforward, credible and comprehensive survey of contemporary American medical care. As a physician with many years of experience with our medical system, I can attest to its accuracy. Its major thrust is the elucidation of how our medical system has been taken over by those who seek profit rather than the welfare of the patient. The author explores the methods used by insurance companies, pharmaceutical houses, device manufacturers, hospitals and some physicians to capitalize on the vulnerability of the sick.
"She points out the gross inefficiencies that contribute to the high cost of medical care and suggests ways to improve that care.
With information such as this we may be able to change the 'Healthcare Industry' back to the medical care of the patient." -- Reader's Comment
Fredericks, Andrew (director), Money-Driven Medicine: What's Wrong With America's Healthcare and how to fix it, DVD, 86 minutes. Writers: Maggie Mahar; Producers: Peter Bull, Alex Gibney, Chris Matonti.
"Money-driven Medicine provides the essential introduction Americans need to become knowledgeable and vigorous participants in healthcare reform.
"Produced by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM), and based on Maggie Mahar's acclaimed book of the same title, MONEY DRIVEN MEDICINE offers an accessible, journalistically rigorous explanation of how the U.S. healthcare system went so terribly wrong and what it will take to fix it.
"Americans spend twice per capita for healthcare than the average rich country, one-sixth of our GDP. What do we get for that money? The U.S. ranks 29th in life expectancy and the World Health Organization ranks our health system 37th in the world, behind Slovenia and Costa Rica. Money-Driven Medicine reveals how the profit-driven 'medical-industrial complex' has over-built the healthcare sector and produce a powerful, distorting incentive for billions of dollars of pointless, even risky, tests, prescriptions and procedures. This pay-per-service system drives doctors into lucrative specialities, while primary care physicians have become an endangered species; million dollar diagnostic machines stand idle while emergency rooms overflow.
"In Money-Driven Medicine frustrated doctors and outraged patients testify to the often tragic consequences of fragmented, impersonal assembly-line medicine, designed more for churning out profits than life-long health management. Veteran physicians stress that change begins with the doctor-patient partnership: consistent family-centered primary care built on informed, shared decision-making. Dr. Donald Berwick of Harvard, Dr. James Weinstein of Dartmouth and other leading researchers explain the path-breaking studies (featured in Dr. Atul Gawande's recent New Yorker article), which prove that results-based rather than procedure-based medicine can pay-off in less extravagant yet more effective care.
"Money-Driven Medicine alerts Americans that universal care is just the first shot in a hotly-contested, years-long battle for comprehensive healthcare reform. It will encourage the public to become savvy medical 'consumers' and empower health professionals to rescue their vocation from the corporate bottom line. It will teach students why a sound, sustainable medical infrastructure is crucial not just to their future but that of the economy and society as a whole. 'Money-Driven Medicine' makes clear that curing America's healthcare crisis is a matter of national life and death." -- Publisher
Maizes, Victoria, and Tieraona Low Dog, Integrative Women's Health, ISBN: 9780195378818 0195378814.
"Women have made it clear that they desire a broader, integrative approach to their care. This book weaves together the best of conventional treatments with mind body interventions, nutritional strategies, herbal therapies, dietary supplements, acupuncture, and manual medicine, providing clinicians with a roadmap for practicing comprehensive integrative care. Presenting the best evidence, and written exclusively by female clinicians, this text addresses many aspects of women's health, including feminine perspectives on aging, spirituality and sexuality, specific recommendations for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV, headaches, multiple sclerosis, depression, anxiety, and cancer, as well as integrative approaches to premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy, menopause, fibroids, and endometriosis. Homeopathic, Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners provide insight into the ways in which these systems manage reproductive conditions. As educators in integrative medicine, the editors demonstrate how clinicians can implement their recommendations in practice, but they also go beyond practical care to examine how to motivate patients, enhance a health history, and understand the spiritual dimensions of healing." -- Publisher
Makary, Marty, Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won't Tell you and how Transparency can Revolutionize Health Care, ISBN: 9781608198368 1608198367.
"Dr. Marty Makary is co-developer of the life-saving checklist outlined in Atul Gawande's bestselling THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO. As a busy surgeon who has worked in many of the best hospitals in the nation, he can testify to the amazing power of modern medicine to cure. But he's also been a witness to a medical culture that routinely leaves surgical sponges inside patients, amputates the wrong limbs, and overdoses children because of sloppy handwriting. Over the last ten years, neither error rates nor costs have come down, despite scientific progress and efforts to curb expenses. Why? To patients, the healthcare system is a black box. Doctors and hospitals are unaccountable, and the lack of transparency leaves both bad doctors and systemic flaws unchecked. Patients need to know more of what healthcare workers know, so they can make informed choices. Accountability in healthcare would expose dangerous doctors, reward good performance, and force positive change nationally, using the power of the free market. UNACCOUNTABLE is a powerful, no-nonsense, non-partisan diagnosis for healing our hospitals and reforming our broken healthcare system." -- Publisher
Mendelsohn, Robert S. Confessions of a Medical Heretic, ISBN: 0809277263 9780809277261.
"I've read a lot of books on health in my life and this is one of the best. If you want to know how to avoid some of the dirty tricks doctors pull, you've got to study this. Most diseases are self-limiting, but your doctor won't tell you that. He'll drug and cut you in a heart beat. Another good series of books are by Joel Wallach, Herbert Shelton, and Cass Igram. The state of medicine today is as bad or worse than it was 20 years ago. Do yourself a favor and get this book." -- Reader's Comment
Mendelsohn, Robert S., How to Raise a Healthy Child: In Spite of Your Doctor, ISBN: 0345342763 9780345342768.
"This book explodes many of the medical myths that get passed on from doctors to parents (it also explodes the myth of doctor as all-knowing and all-powerful). It also is a source of support for parents who want to avoid constant trips to the pediatrician. Dr. Mendelsohn advocates homebirth, extended breastfeeding and questions many of the standard vaccination practices. A real voice in the wilderness concerning current medical practices!" -- Publisher
Mercola, Joseph, The Great Bird flu Hoax: The Truth They Don't Want you to Know About the "Next big Pandemic," 240 pages, ISBN: 0785221875 9780785221876.
"The U.S. government is now practically screaming that a new avian super-flu will likely kill millions of Americans. The mainstream media is entirely onboard, as are drug companies and other corporations poised to benefit immensely off the paranoia. But there is NO coming bird flu pandemic. It's an elaborate scheme contrived by the government and big business for reasons that boil down to power and money.
"Presenting eye-opening evidence that casts serious doubt on the truthfulness of reports about the virus's ability to transmit, and its mortality rates around the world, renowned physician Dr. Joseph Mercola reveals the secrets about the great bird flu hoax. In compelling fashion he provides you the real facts you need to know to protect you from a far greater ill -- corporate and governmental greed." -- Publisher
Michaels, David, Doubt is Their Product: How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health, ISBN: 9780195300673 019530067X.
" 'Doubt is our product,' a cigarette executive once observed, 'since it is the best means of competing with the 'body of fact' that exists in the minds of the general public. It is also the means of establishing a controversy.'
"In this eye-opening exposé, David Michaels reveals how the tobacco industry's duplicitous tactics spawned a multimillion dollar industry that is dismantling public health safeguards. Product defense consultants, he argues, have increasingly skewed the scientific literature, manufactured and magnified scientific uncertainty, and influenced policy decisions to the advantage of polluters and the manufacturers of dangerous products. To keep the public confused about the hazards posed by global warming, second-hand smoke, asbestos, lead, plastics, and many other toxic materials, industry executives have hired unscrupulous scientists and lobbyists to dispute scientific evidence about health risks. In doing so, they have not only delayed action on specific hazards, but they have constructed barriers to make it harder for lawmakers, government agencies, and courts to respond to future threats. The Orwellian strategy of dismissing research conducted by the scientific community as 'junk science' and elevating science conducted by product defense specialists to 'sound science' status also creates confusion about the very nature of scientific inquiry and undermines the public's confidence in science's ability to address public health and environmental concerns Such reckless practices have long existed, but Michaels argues that the Bush administration deepened the dysfunction by virtually handing over regulatory agencies to the very corporate powers whose products and behavior they are charged with overseeing.
"In DOUBT IS THEIR PRODUCT Michaels proves, beyond a doubt, that our regulatory system has been broken. He offers concrete, workable suggestions for how it can be restored by taking the politics out of science and ensuring that concern for public safety, rather than private profits, guides our regulatory policy.
"David Michaels is a scientist and former government regulator. During the Clinton Administration, he served as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety and Health, responsible for protecting the health and safety of the workers, neighboring communities, and the environment surrounding the nation's nuclear weapons factories. He currently directs the Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. In 2006, he received the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award for his work on behalf of nuclear weapons workers and for advocacy for scientific integrity." -- Publisher
"Conflicts of interest among members of EPA review panels have weakened governmental safety standards on toxic chemicals in the environment and in everyday consumer products. Outrage over long-standing reliance on 'science for hire' by the chemical industry has prompted Congress to investigate EPA's procedures for reviewing toxic chemicals, including PBDE flame retardants and bisphenol A. These examples are just a small window into how great the tampering and influence of the chemical industry has been over EPA regulation of toxic chemicals. A new book by David Michaels, an epidemiologist and the director of the Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, documents a seemingly endless list of examples of mercenary scientists misleading the general public and the regulatory community about the true dangers of chemical exposures, starting from lead, asbestos, and tobacco, and continuing to chromium, berillium, perchlorate, benzene, plastics chemicals, and various other environmental and occupational health hazards.
"The book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the best application of science in the interests of promoting public health. For a great review, readers can also go to the article by Newsweek's Sharon Begley, "Whitewashing Toxic Chemicals."
"One stunning quote from the book describes the tricks of the trade that industry lobby and product defense firms use to derail the regulatory process: 'They profit by helping corporations minimize public health and environmental protection and fight claims of injury and illness. In field after field, year after year, this same handful of individuals and companies comes up again and again . . . They have on their payrolls (or can bring in on a moment's notice), toxicologists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, risk assessors, and any other professionally trained, media-savvy experts deemed necessary. They and the larger, wealthier industries for which they work go through the motions we expect of the scientific enterprise, salting the literature with their questionable reports and studies. Nevertheless, it is all a charade. The work has one overriding motivation: advocacy for the sponsor's position in civil court, the court of public opinion, and the regulatory arena [where these studies benefit their sponsors], not because they are good work that the regulatory agencies have to take seriously but because they clog the machinery and slow down the process. Public health interests are beside the point. Follow the science wherever it leads? Not quite. This is science for hire, period, and it is extremely lucrative.'
"Only by discovering the facts behind the scene and by bringing to light the true motivation of profit-driven public relations campaigns can we promote and defend the health of the environment and the safety of consumer products. For a veteran in the subject who may have participated in some of the struggles described in DEFENDING SCIENCE, or for a new member of the environmental and occupational health community, this book is a great introduction to the state of the field -- and the battles ahead that still need to be fought." -- Reader's Comment
Mitchell, Janet Lynn, Taking a Stand, ISBN: 1600980015 9781600980015.
"This book is one of the biggest eye openers that I have ever read concerning Medical Malpractice Law and the American Judicial System today. Never before did I realize that so many patients suffer everyday from doctors committing an act of Medical Malpractice and yet only a small percentage of those victims actually get their case heard within their state courts. This is where Janet's book, TAKING A STAND, is so powerful. Janet takes her own personal experience and courageously writes this book, to not only help others but also to show her faith and love in God. Due to circumstances in Janet's case and her will to follow God, California Laws have been changed today and many other victims will be encouraged to follow God's will and stand up for what is right." -- Publisher
"Tips: Read your surgery authorization to find out who will do the surgery. If you allow a new doctor to operate on you be sure the attending mentor doctor is present with the new doctor in the operating room throughout the whole operation. Get second opinions before surgery. If you suspect it is necessary, go to another city for the opinion. Bring an advocate to the doctor's appointments with you and to stay with you in the hospital. Ask nurses what the medicine is, and what its purpose is. The statute of limitation for medical malpractice is seven (7) years. Medical concealment and fraud is when the patient never finds out that a medical error has been made. Only about 24 percent of families ever find out when a medical error has been made."
Janet Lynn Mitchell Website
http://www.janetlynnmitchell.com/
Moynihan, Ray, and Alan Cassels, Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies are Turning us all Into Patients, ISBN: 1560256974 9781560256977.
"Thirty years ago, the head of the drug company Merck made some remarkably candid comments about his distress that his company's market was limited to sick people. Suggesting he would like Merck to be more like the maker of Wrigley's chewing gum, the CEO said it had long been his dream to make drugs for healthy people, to 'sell to everyone.'
"That dream now drives the marketing machinery of the most profitable industry on earth. From award-winning Ray Moynihan, one of the world's top medical journalists, SELLING SICKNESS reveals how widening the boundaries of illness and lowering the threshold for treatments is creating millions of new patients and billions in new profits. This in turn is driving up personal drug bills and threatening to bankrupt national health systems all over the world. As more and more ordinary life is 'medicalized,' the industry moves ever closer to being able to 'sell to everyone'." -- Publisher
Mueller, Rudolph J., As Sick as it Gets: The Shocking Reality of America's Healthcare, A Diagnosis and Treatment Plan, ISBN: 0967235782 9780967235783.
"Both Dr. Mueller's scientific training and his compassion show in this carefully reasoned analysis of what ails the American healthcare system and what we should do about it.
"Mueller's book addresses the enormous financial costs of the present commercialized healthcare system as well as the moral blight of a system that allows Americans to suffer and die needlessly.
"Here is some of the shocking reality that Dr. Mueller depicts:
Nance, John J., Why Hospitals Should fly: The Ultimate Flight Plan to Patient Safety and Quality Care, ISBN: 9780974386065 9780974386058 0974386057 0974386065.
"Stay posted, folks, this is one of the best books on group dynamics. Biggest personal lesson for me -- being reminded that all human error or misunderstanding relates to perception, assumption, and communication" -- Reader's Comment
Nance, John J., and Kathleen Bartholomew, Charting the Course: Launching Patient-centric Healthcare, ISBN: 9781936406111 193640611X 9781936406128 1936406128 9781936406135 1936406136.
"CHARTING THE COURSE is the sequel to John J. Nance's bestselling, award-winning novel WHY HOSPITALS SHOULD FLY. John Nance and his wife, Kathleen Bartolomew, have co-written the continuing story of Dr. Will Jenkins as he takes over the leadership the fictional Las Vegas Memorial Hospital. John Nance and Kathleen Bartholomew address head-on how to become a top-level institution by illuminating the norms of the current hospital culture and then demonstrating how each member of every medical facility, regardless of rank, must be a leader and owner of the cultural revolution needed to keep their hospital system viable and their patients safe. Whereas WHY HOSPITALS SHOULD FLY dealt more with the 'why' of a cultural revolution, CHARTING THE COURSE deals more with the 'how' of changing an ingrained hospital culture. Study guide provided at end of book." -- Publisher
Navasky, Miri, Karen O'Connor, Mead Street Films (firm), WGBH (television station: Boston, Mass.), and WGBH Educational Foundation, The Released, DVD, ISBN: 0793670713 9780793670710. Originally broadcast on the PBS program Frontline.
Our Mental Health Policy has been a complete failure since the release of patients from mental institutions in the early 70's. Those released quickly ended up in prisons.
"In this follow up to the groundbreaking film 'The New Asylums,' Frontline examines what happens to the mentally ill when they leave prison and why they return at such alarming rates. The intimate stories of the released-along with interviews with parole officers, social workers, and psychiatrists-provide a rare look at the lives of the mentally ill as they struggle to stay out of prison and reintegrate into society." -- Publisher
http://www.shoppbs.org/sm-pbs-frontline-the-released-dvd--pi-3544620.html
Newman-Toker, David, Diagnostic Errors -- The Next Frontier for Patient Safety, JAMA, 2009 Mar 11, 301(10):1060-2
"David Newman-Toker, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-author of "Diagnostic Errors -- The Next Frontier for Patient Safety" in the Journal of the American Medical Association."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/08/29/737-diagnostic-errors/
Null, Gary, Martin Feldman, Debora Rasio, and Carolyn Dean, Death by Medicine, ISBN: 9781607660026 1607660024.
"The medical environment has become a labyrinth of interlocking corporate, hospital, and governmental boards of directors, infiltrated by the drug companies. Drug company representatives write glowing articles about pharmaceuticals, which are then signed by physicians paid handsomely for their cooperation, though they may not know the adverse side effects of the drugs they promote. The most toxic substances are often approved first, while milder and more natural alternatives are ignored for financial reasons. It's death by medicine. . . .
"This fully referenced book reveals high numbers of people who suffer in-hospital adverse reactions to prescribed drugs; are prescribed unnecessary and/or inappropriate antibiotics; receive unnecessary medical and surgical procedures; and are exposed to unnecessary hospitalization." -- Publisher
Oberlander, Jonathan, The Political Life of Medicare, ISBN: 0226615952 9780226615950 0226615960 9780226615967.
"In recent years, bitter partisan disputes have erupted over Medicare reform. Democrats and Republicans have fiercely contested issues such as prescription drug coverage and how to finance Medicare to absorb the baby boomers. As Jonathan Oberlander demonstrates in THE POLITICAL LIFE OF MEDICARE, these developments herald the reopening of a historic debate over Medicare's fundamental purpose and structure. Revealing how Medicare politics and policies have developed since Medicare's enactment in 1965 and what the program's future holds, Oberlander's timely and accessible analysis will interest anyone concerned with American politics and public policy, healthcare politics, aging, and the welfare state.
"Jonathan Oberlander is an assistant professor of social medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he teaches health policy in the School of Medicine and the Department of Political Science." -- Publisher
"Jonathan Oberlander covers the political history of Medicare with clarity, gusto, and (most importantly for me), concision. The body of the text takes a mere 196 pages. The book is extensively annotated with 48 pages of notes. It is printed on good paper, has an attractive cover, and is well proofread and typeset.
"The bulk of the book covers the history of Medicare from its inception in 1965 to the present. Oberlander's thesis throughout the book is that, after much political debate prior to its enactment, Medicare was ruled by a bipartisan legislative consensus from 1965-1995 which subsequently unraveled in Gingrich's Republican Congress. He analyzes the consensus by breaking it into three aspects -- benefits, financing, and regulation -- and showing how each aspect involved large changes in the program with little controversy over this thirty-year period. (Oberlander tends to dissect ideas into lists like this at every scale, so much of the book reads like a huge outline. While those accustomed to more fluid prose may find this style pedantic, it leaves no doubt as to how Oberlander's analysis is structured and contributes greatly to the book's clarity in my opinion). After the three chapters on benefits, financing, and regulation, Oberlander has a short but terrific chapter debunking the application of various monolithic political theories to Medicare. He argues that American national government, contrary to prevailing scholarly thought, is capable of great independence from external forces in its creation of policy. While Oberlander warns that 'this chapter is intended for political scientists,' its extraordinary logical clarity made it easy to follow, even for a chemist like me.
"Unfortunately, the book gets more uneven in the last chapter, which covers the politics of Medicare since 1995. This 40-page chapter sapped enough of my motivation that it took me two months to finish. Oberlander's didactic analysis verges on murky and disorganized in places, and his liberal political outlook, which merely peppers his excellent writing with a bit of personal color in the first four chapters, starts to get distracting. He repeats the notion that '1995 changed everything about Medicare' so many times that I began to wonder whether he believes his own thesis. It was a disappointing end to an otherwise fine book.
"But overall, it's impressive how well Oberlander brings a potentially dull subject to life. For anyone interested in Medicare (or American politics in general), this book is worth reading." -- Reader's Comment
Olsen, Gwen, Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher, ISBN: 9781935278597 1935278592.
"She talks about the science that is funded by the pharmaceuticals and how it cannot be trusted, due to obvious conflicts of interest. She also gives personal experiences with people she knew, who were prescribed over time of how a lethal cocktail of drugs killed many of them or led them to suicide. This occurs because researchers cannot test every possible combination of drugs -- there's simply not enough time available for this. Apparently, the body needs time to flush a drug out of the system, and doctors don't allow for that time. So, the combinations are particularly concerning.
"Long story short, if someone we love is behaving erratically, it could be because of a mixture of prescription/non-prescription drugs. Don't expect your physician to protect you because they do not have time to keep up on all the research, and they are constantly persuaded by attractive, smart-sounding drug reps, who come to their offices bringing lots of free samples, food, and gifts.
"The point of the book is get informed and take charge of your own health, rather than relying on those who consistently demonstrate that they value profit above your well-being." -- Reader's Comment
Ozner, Michael D., The Great American Heart Hoax: Lifesaving Advice Your Doctor Should Tell you About Heart Disease Prevention (But Probably Never Will), ISBN: 9781933771540 1933771542.
"Addressing the importance of preventative measures over uncertain surgeries, this groundbreaking study reveals the secret to cardiovascular health. Illustrating the disturbing realities about the heart industry and how undependable bypass surgery can be, this survey argues the alternative -- how the majority of people can employ much simpler methods, such as a change in diet, to achieve better results. Also featured is a 12-step program to improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease, including dieting advice, tips on exercise and stress management, methods for controlling cholesterol and blood pressure, and recommended vitamins and medicines.
"Michael Ozner, MD, is medical director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Institute of South Florida and a clinical assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He is the author of THE MIAMI MEDITERRANEAN DIET. He lives in Miami." -- Publisher
"HEART HOAX is horrifying because it reveals many troubling facts about America's cardiac surgery industry. As a longtime medical advocate and critic of our healthcare system, I've known that too many heart surgeries are being performed in America; I just didn't know how many too many! In his book, Dr. Ozner reveals that, of the more than 1.5 million angioplasties and coronary bypass surgeries performed annually in the U.S., fully 70-90 percent are not only unnecessary, but are also detrimental -- and in some cases, even cause death. I knew that many diagnostic tests expose patients to radiation, but I didn't know that the 64-slice CT scan -- so often used to detect clogged arteries -- gives a patient the equivalent of the radiation from FIVE HUNDRED X-RAYS. And while I had known that the simple cholesterol test, which doctors routinely use as a predictor of cardiac risk, does NOT give the full picture, I did not know that it correctly predicts risk IN ONLY 40 percent of cases -- AND that there is another blood test (which doctors normally do NOT use), which can correctly predict cardiac risk in 90 percent of patients. All of these facts -- and more -- add up to what Dr. Ozner refers to as the GREAT AMERICAN HEART HOAX. The truth, writes Dr. Ozner, is that invasive cardiologists HAVE KNOWN many of these 'dirty secrets' for years, but have chosen to ignore them, in the unholy goal of 'following the money.'
"So, why do I say that this book is also empowering? Because, the exposé takes up only one part of the book. In the second half, Dr. Ozner gives us the 'good news,' by laying out his solution: a 10-step prevention program he has used successfully with his patients for nearly 30 years. It combines the Mediterranean Diet -- with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and healthy fats -- with nutritional supplements, exercise, stress reduction, and lots more. After reading this book, you will know how to prevent a heart attack and, if you have already had one, how to greatly reduce your chances of ever having another." -- Reader's Comment
*Playfair, William L., The Useful lie: How the Recovery Industry has Entrapped America in a Disease Model of Addiction, ISBN: 1889032379 9780891076377.
"Challenges the disease concept of alcoholism, the 'useful lie' of the recovery movement. This lie underlies the widespread mistreatment of alcoholism and of other fundamentally moral problems, e.g., 'codependency.' Posits biblically based intervention that treats such problems as sins to be repented of. Opposes sending a person to the recovery industry because 'He will be told his sin is a sickness; he will never be confronted with his real and most basic moral and spiritual problem. And he will more than likely be introduced to the any god of Twelve Stepdom, who is, by Biblical criteria, a false god'." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
"Dr. Playfair is a medical consultant to the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation/West in San Diego. He also is a board member of Family Research Institute. The theme and purpose of this book is to debunk the claims that alcoholism is a disease. This claim, says the doctor, contradicts science and medicine; it contradicts the Bible, which is more important; and it simply does not work in breaking the addiction of alcohol. . . ." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
"This book provided all the necessary evidence to blow the whistle on the recovery industry and also points toward genuine freedom from addiction." -- GCB
Porter, Roy, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity, ISBN: 0393046346 9780393046342 0393319806 9780393319804.
"Roy Porter explores medicine's evolution against the backdrop of the wider religious, scientific, philosophical, and political beliefs of the culture in which it develops, and he shows how our need to understand where diseases come from, and what we can do to control them, has -- perhaps above all else -- inspired developments in medicine through the ages. He charts the remarkable rise of modern medical science -- the emergence of specialties such as anatomy, physiology, neurology, and bacteriology -- as well as the accompanying development of wider medical practice at the bedside, in the hospital, and in the ambitious public health systems of the twentieth century. Along the way the book offers up a treasure trove of historical surprises: how the ancient Egyptians treated incipient baldness with a mixture of hippopotamus, lion, crocodile, goose, snake, and ibex fat; how a mystery epidemic devastated ancient Athens and brought an end to the domination of that great city: how lemons did as much as Nelson to defeat Napoleon: how yellow fever, carried by African mosquitoes to the Americas, led the French to fail utterly in their attempts to recover Haiti after the slave revolt of 1790: and how the explorers of the South Seas brought both syphilis to Tahiti and tuberculosis and measles to the Maoris." -- Publisher
Prasad, Vinayak K. and Adam S. Cifu, Ending Medical Reversal: Improving Outcomes, Saving Lives, ISBN: 9781421417721 1421417723.
" 'Medical reversal' happens when doctors start using a medication, procedure, or diagnostic tool without a robust evidence base -- and then stop using it when it is found not to help, or even to harm, patients. The authors narrate stories from every corner of medicine to explore why medical reversals occur, how they are harmful, and what can be done to avoid them. They explore the difference between medical innovations that improve care and those that only appear to be promising. They also outline a comprehensive plan to reform medical education, research funding and protocols, and the process for approving new drugs, that will ensure that more of what gets done in doctors' offices and hospitals is truly effective." -- Publisher
Rampton, Sheldon, and John Stauber, Trust us We're Experts: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles With Your Future.
"Fearless investigative journalists Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber (TOXIC SLUDGE IS GOOD FOR YOU! and MAD COW U.S.A.), are back with a gripping exposé of the public relations industry and the scientists who back their business-funded, anti-consumer-safety agendas. There are two kinds of 'experts' in question ["Recent surveys show that 'national experts' are the third most trusted type of public figure (after Supreme Court justices and schoolteachers),"] -- the PR spin doctors behind the scenes and the 'independent' experts paraded before the public, scientists who have been hand-selected, cultivated, and paid handsomely to promote the views of corporations involved in controversial actions. Lively writing on controversial topics such as dioxin, bovine growth hormone, and genetically modified food makes this a real page-turner, shocking in its portrayal of the real and potential dangers in each of these technological innovations and of the 'media pseudo-environment' created to obfuscate the risks. By financing and publicizing views that support the goals of corporate sponsors, PR campaigns have, over the course of the century, managed to suppress the dangers of lead poisoning for decades, silence the scientist who discovered that rats fed on genetically modified corn had significant organ abnormalities, squelch television and newspaper stories about the risks of bovine growth hormone, and place enough confusion and doubt in the public's mind about global warming to suppress any mobilization for action.
"Rampton and Stauber introduce the movers and shakers of the PR industry, from the 'risk communicators' (whose job is to downplay all risks), and 'outrage managers' (with their four strategies -- deflect, defer, dismiss, or defeat), to those who specialize in 'public policy intelligence' (spying on opponents). Evidently, these elaborate PR campaigns are created for our own good. According to public relations philosophers, the public reacts emotionally to topics related to health and safety and is incapable of holding rational discourse. Needless to say, Rampton and Stauber find these views rather antidemocratic and intend to pull back the curtain to reveal the real wizard in Oz. This is one wake-up call that's hard to resist." -- Lesley Reed for Amazon.com
"The book is patently left-leaning. The authors are idealistic about human nature, for example, believing people would do the greatest good for the greatest number if they knew how to do it. The authors also appear to believe that government regulation is the necessary answer to inevitable government excess. This seems awfully naïve in its sheer repetition at times. In Chapter Nine, the concession is briefly made that 'public advocacy' groups will sometimes distort facts and figures to achieve their desired ends, but that assertion is ultimately deemed less important than the tendency of conservative forces to distort." -- Reader's Comment
Reid, T.R., The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer, ISBN:9781594202346.
"This book is a great, easy to read summary of the four basic healthcare system models seen around the world, and what the U.S. can learn from them. It sets the stage by summarizing the US' sad healthcare statistics (we have the highest costs in the world, and the poorest coverage and quality), and then dives into the implementations of France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and Canada, while the author travels around the world with his family and a bum shoulder. Responses to the common American myths about foreign healthcare systems are succinctly articulated, and the book shows how each model is demonstrated right here in the US, via the different systems for veterans, military personnel, Native Americans, people over 65, working people who get insurance through their employers, and folks too rich to qualify for Medicaid and too poor to afford health insurance. Most importantly, the book opens and closes with a discussion around what the author refers to as the 'first question' that a government must answer when they attempt to set up or reform their healthcare system -- Does a country have a moral obligation to provide access to healthcare for everybody?" -- Reader's Comment
Reisman, W. Michael, Folded Lies: Bribery, Crusades, and Reforms, ISBN: 0029262801 9780029262801.
"A comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of business bribery in all its manifestations. It goes beyond the recent wave of popular books that have simply dramatized the extent to which bribery has become institutionalized. The significance of FOLDED LIES is in its very credible -- and persuasive -- analysis and synthesis of the dynamics of the bribery phenomenon and the societal reactions it will inevitably precipitate. FOLDED LIES should be important reading for the business community, policy makers, lawyers, social scientists, and the general reader." -- John A. Gardiner, author of Theft of the City
"This is a major contribution to the analysis of one type of white-collar crime. It lifts the veil on 'jurisprudence in the shadows' and analyzes a type of decision pathology. More than that -- the author places the timely topic of bribery in the context of timeless principles of myth systems and operational codes . . . . An incisive inquiry at a fundamental level of the policy alternatives for business and social order." -- Gerald M. Meier, Stanford University
Reisser, Paul C., Teri K. Reisser, and John Weldon, New Age Medicine: A Christian Perspective on Holistic Health, ISBN: 0830812148 9780830812141.
Risse, Guenter B., Mending Bodies, Saving Souls: A History of Hospitals, ISBN: 9780199748693 0199748691 1601297076 9781601297075 128044052X 9781280440526.
"The author takes his readers from Greek and Roman times through the pangs of suffering in the early Christian era, the surge of the Enlightenment as exemplified by Edinburgh, Vienna, and Paris, to surgeons such as Warren and Lister and the modern research giants of municipal mercy. Just to review this immense background of our ere is a great treat. Dr. Risse's abundant research and sophisticated interpretation makes this book an intellectual triumph." -- Francis D. Moore, MD, Moseley Professor of Surgery, Emeritus, Harvard Medical School
"Dr. Risse brings the patient, pilgrim to the 'foreign land' of hospitals, to the center of this magnificent, poignant history of medicine. Telling the experiences of actual patients, doctors, and others in hospitals at different times and in different places, Risse brings the hospital to life, vividly, as a place of rituals where some human beings struggle to live; others do the best they can in the face of available medical knowledge and often dangerous social conditions. A remarkable, moving, humane book -- a major contribution to the history of medicine, and highly recommended for the general reader." -- Rosemary A. Stevens, Stanley I. Sheerr Endowed Term Professor in Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
*Robbins, Alexandra, The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama, and Miracles With the Heroes of the Hospital, ISBN: 9780761171713 0761171711.
"In a gripping, behind-the-scenes look filled with drama, miracles, heartbreak, humor and unsung heroism, an award-winning journalist chronicles a year in the lives of four real-life hospital nurses, in a book that doubles as a shocking, unedited examination of our healthcare system." -- Publisher
"This is my most important book to date. To clarify, the nurses I followed are not composites: they are real people with real stories. Here's the book description: 'In this lively, fast-paced narrative, New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Robbins digs deep into the subculture of nursing, drawing readers into a brilliantly captivating in-depth investigation of the extraordinary working lives of nurses and the shocking behind-the-scenes secrets that all patients and their loved ones need to know'." -- Alexandra Robbins
*Robbins, John W. (1949-2008), Ecclesiastical Megalomania: The Economic and Political Thought of the Roman Catholic Church (Unicoi, TN: The Trinity Foundation), ISBN: 0940931753 9780940931756.
"This book is a detailed examination of the official statements of the Vatican on economic and political matters. It demonstrates the collectivism and totalitarianism of the Roman Catholic Church-State. It is the only such book written by a Christian in the twentieth century.
"This book explores the conflict between Roman Catholic social thought and human freedom, relying on official pronouncements from the Vatican to show that the political and economic theory of the Roman Church-State justifies feudalism, corporativism [corporatism -- compiler], liberation theology, the welfare state, and fascism.
"Dr. John W. Robbins attended Grove City College (A.B. 1969), and The Johns Hopkins University (M.A. 1970, Ph.D. 1973). He has served as chief of staff for a Member of Congress [Ron Paul of Texas], editor of The Freeman magazine, Economist for The Heritage Foundation, and Professor of Political Philosophy in The Freedom School." -- Publisher
Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, Samuel Rutherford, John Owen, Thomas Manton, The Westminster Assembly, James Renwick, Archibald Mason, Christopher Ness, Francis Turretin, The Reformed Presbytery, David Steel, James R. Willson, Alexander M'Leod, William L. Roberts, James Aiken Wylie, Andrew Wilet, Henry Wilkinson, James Wylie, Patrick Fairbairn, James Aiken, Andrew Wilet, Alexander Hislop, Francis Nigel Lee, Arthur W. Pink, and so forth, and so on, have all believed and argued in print that the seated Pope is the Antichrist of the Bible.
The Roman Church-State is "the world's oldest, largest, most powerful and most influential politico-ecclesiastical institution" and it "may also be the world's wealthiest."
*Robbins, John (1949-2008), Freedom and Capitalism: Essays on Christian Politics and Economics (Unicoi, TN: The Trinity Foundation, November, 2006), 650 pages, ISBN: 1891777157 9781891777158.
Contains "The Ethics and Economics of Health Care" a lecture delivered at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting at Westminster Theological Seminary in 1994. It is 36 pages in length and is documented with footnotes and in text bibliography.
We believe this is the definitive statement on "Single Payer Guaranteed, Quality National Health Insurance in the United States" and is a must-read for individuals whose lives are impacted by the unavailability of affordable healthcare in the United States. It is a must read for individuals who do not have the knowledge to make an informed decision about H.R. 676, yet recognize the profound importance of taking the right stand on the issue. -- compiler
"One can agree that there are serious problems with the present health care and health insurance systems in the United States [writing in 1994 -- compiler]. Nothing in this paper should be construed as a defense of the status quo. But those serious problems arose because of government interference in the insurance and care systems."
From the author's nine concluding points: "any political health-car plan is subversive of the fundamental moral values that have given the United States whatever moral authority it has in the world. Government planning is incompatible with freedom of choice in healthcare, freedom of contract, private planning, limited government, federalism, the rule of law, individual responsibility, the work ethic, and Christian charity. . . . is inimical to the Biblical ideas of sovereignty of God; the primacy of the individual; the proper function of the state; the sinfulness of theft, idleness, and envy; and the exercise of Christian charity. . . . The creation of a political-medical complex . . . is a necessary condition of a totalitarian state, as illustrated in the history of Germany. . . . involves the sinful use of force against patients, doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, drug companies, and taxpayers. . . ."
The concluding points are followed by seven suggested steps to reform the present system.
"Dr. John W. Robbins attended Grove City College (A.B. 1969) and The Johns Hopkins University (M.A. 1970, Ph.D. 1973). He has served as chief of staff for a Member of Congress [Ron Paul of Texas], editor of The Freeman magazine, Economist for The Heritage Foundation, and Professor of Political Philosophy in The Freedom School." -- Publisher
Rosenberg, Charles E., The Care of Strangers: The Rise of America's Hospital System, ISBN: 0465008771 9780465008773 0801850827 9780801850820 046500878X 9780465008780.
"A history of the American hospital system, from the time of Jefferson's administration when they were largely charitable institutions working for the poor, through to the 20th century when hospitals became centers of learning and the primary care site for most citizens." -- Publisher
Rosenthal, Elisabeth, An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became big Business and how you can Take it Back, ISBN: 9781594206757 1594206759.
"An award-winning New York Times reporter Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal reveals the dangerous, expensive, and dysfunctional American healthcare system, and tells us exactly what we can do to solve its myriad of problems. It is well documented that our healthcare system has grave problems, but how, in only a matter of decades, did things get this bad? Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal doesn't just explain the symptoms; she diagnoses and treats the disease itself. Rosenthal spells out in clear and practical terms exactly how to decode medical doublespeak, avoid the pitfalls of the pharmaceuticals racket, and get the care you and your family deserve. She takes you inside the doctor-patient relationship, explaining step by step the workings of a profession sorely lacking transparency. This is about what we can do, as individual patients, both to navigate a byzantine system and also to demand far-reaching reform. Breaking down the monolithic business into its individual industries -- the hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, drug manufacturers -- that together constitute our healthcare system, Rosenthal tells the story of the history of American medicine as never before. The situation is far worse than we think, and it has become like that much more recently than we realize. Hospitals, which are managed by business executives, behave like predatory lenders, hounding patients and seizing their homes. Research charities are in bed with big pharmaceutical companies, which surreptitiously profit from the donations made by working people. Americans are dying from routine medical conditions when affordable and straightforward solutions exist. Dr. Rosenthal explains for the first time how various social and financial incentives have encouraged a disastrous and immoral system to spring up organically in a shockingly short span of time. The system is in tatters, but we can fight back. AN AMERICAN SICKNESS is the frontline defense against a healthcare system that no longer has our well-being at heart." -- Publisher
*Rost, Peter, KILLER DRUG, didactic fiction, 360 pages, ISBN: 9781601452436 1601452438.
"THE CIA on June 26, 2007 declassified secret documents that revealed 'the Agency had relations with commercial drug manufacturers, whereby they passed on drugs rejected because of unfavorable side effects.' KILLER DRUG is a thriller about one such drug company."
"Peter Rost is the bestselling author of THE WHISTLE-BLOWER, CONFESSIONS OF A HEALTHCARE HITMAN. Dr. Rost was a vice president of marketing at Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical company." -- Publisher
[This novel so closely tracks the author's life experience that it appears to be written in the tradition of Frank Peretti: reality presented in novel to avoid charges of libel . . . -- compiler]
"KILLER DRUG is a fast-paced thriller about a drug company that kills its enemies -- and employees.
"Alex McGraw, whistle-blower and former Managing Director of BioPharma Germany, is trying to move on with his life after having uncovered worldwide corporate tax [ . . . ]. He finally receives a job offer from Xenal. The omnipotent security department, however, spies on company employees using both advanced technology and personal surveillance and already knows about Alex's history.
"Alex's first assignment is to go to the Ritz-Carlton in Cancun, Mexico, to manage a lavish meeting with hundreds of doctors. Alex meets Xenal employee Jennifer Klum at the reception and falls for her. She confides in Alex who follows her to her room. Later, Jennifer is abducted by Zapatista rebels and Alex spends a short time in custody as a suspect in her disappearance.
"But nothing in this book is what it originally appears to be and soon a Xenal-funded death squad is hunting Jennifer in Mexico's jungles. Meanwhile Jennifer finds herself prepared for a ritual sacrifice on a Mayan pyramid.
"Alex gets a demonstration of the secret chemical weapons program jointly managed by Xenal and the CIA. Then Xenal's CEO Ms. Metcalf discovers that the security chief isn't loyal to her and implements a plan to oust him. She secretly negotiates a deal with another predatory corporation, to make a friendly takeover bid for Xenal.
"In the middle of all this Alex decides to expose this powerful corporation. And now the real action starts involving choppers, corporate jets, soldiers of fortune, and Convulsor, the drug developed by Xenal." -- Reader's Comment
*Rost, Peter, The Whistle-blower: Confessions of a Healthcare Hitman, ISBN: 193336839X 9781933368399.
"A number of books critical of the pharmaceutical industry have recently been published, but none has been an exposé written by a senior executive of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. THE WHISTLE-BLOWER is at once an unmasking of how corporations take care of malcontents and a gripping story of one man's fight to maintain his family and his sanity. Starting in 2003, the book details the illegal, even criminal business practices the author witnessed at his corporation, as well as his crusade to legalize the reimportation of drugs. It also explains how in this post-Enron world whistle-blowers can't simply be fired, and what the author's corporation did to coerce and silence him. A story of a battle that continues today, one which any American who takes or will take prescription drugs has a stake in, THE WHISTLE-BLOWER is a powerful testimony." -- Publisher
"Rost's book is about more than just himself. Much of the latter half, in fact, has nothing to do with Rost's battle with Pfizer, but is rather a litany of recent drug company corruption, and Rost argues convincingly that the FDA and America's major medical journals have been co-opted by the industry. When he moves on to examine the American economy at large, where he lays out some eye-opening statistics comparing skyrocketing CEO salaries with the static ones of American workers, we realize Rost has reached his destination.
"Ultimately, THE WHISTLE-BLOWER is an impassioned jeremiad against corporate greed, with Rost our inside man. The book's overriding theme is that the American political system is in danger of degenerating into a plutocracy [government by the wealthy -- compiler], (or 'kleptocracy,' as he dubs it) -- if it hasn't already. 'The American democracy has been stolen by our new class of robber barons -- the CEOs of our largest corporations,' he writes." -- Jake Whitney, in the article "Lone Wolf Takes on the Pharma Pack" in The Progressive Populist October 21, 2006
Question Authority, Dr. Peter Rost daily blog
Rost's blog entries suggest that the general goals, managements techniques, relationships, ways of dealing with opposition, overall results of operations, and so forth, of the drug industry are analogous to organized crime worldwide.
http://peterrost.blogspot.com/
Health Care Hitman: Peter Rost, People's Pharmacy Radio Show, April 24, 2008, No. 677
"Guest: Peter Rost, MD, former vice-president of Pfizer. Author of WHISTLE-BLOWER: CONFESSIONS OF A HEALTH CARE HITMAN and a novel, KILLER DRUG. His blog is: http://peterrost.blogspot.com/"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/677_health_care_hitman_peter_rost.php
Schacker, Michael, and Bill McKibben, A Spring Without Bees: How Colony Collapse Disorder has Endangered our Food Supply, ISBN: 1599214326 9781599214320.
"Who could imagine a spring without bees? One might say this is impossible, especially the kids. Michael Schacker's eye-opening story A SPRING WITHOUT BEES is a must-read for all of us who want to live in a sustainable and regenerating world for many generations to come." -- Anthony Rodale, Chairman Emeritus, The Rodale Institute
"The loss of the bees is a four-fold tragedy: for the beekeepers, the growers, the consumers and of course for the bees themselves. Michael Schacker's fascinating and enlightening book is an important new look at the great mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder." -- Dr. James Amrine, President of the Acarology Society of America, Medical Entomologist, West Virginia University
"In a debate clearly underpinned with political and commercial positioning and controversy over scientific fact and assumption, Michael Schacker's multi-faceted review of the dispute to date, and its possible consequences, helps us clearly understand what is needed to reverse the bee decline threatening world food supply." -- Dr. Kurt Johnson, ecologist and ethicist, co-author of Nabokov's Blues: The Scientific Odyssey of a Literary Genius
"On the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rachel Carson, the world faces a new environmental disaster, from a chemical similar to DDT. This time the culprit appears to be IMD, or imidacloprid, a relatively new but widely used insecticide in the United States. Many beekeepers and some researchers think IMD is the new prime suspect for the devastating syndrome known as Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, which has raised the annual die-off rate of honey bees to 30 percent of all the beehives in the United States. They say even trace amounts of IMD make bees lose their desire to feed, which would quickly lead to the collapse of their colony. After several days, there are few or no bees left in the hive. Since honey bees are essential to the production of fruit, nut, and vegetable crops around the world, their demise could spell catastrophe for our food supply and global economy.
"In a riveting detective story that melds science and politics, Michael Schacker investigates the case of the missing bees, examining the many theories on the cause, including cell phones, mites, new pathogens, and bee management. He then examines the evidence against IMD. The book does much more than illuminate the scientific research, however. Using CCD as a metaphor for our own human hive, Schacker asks: Are the bees trying to tell us something? Could this be the warning sign of a much larger crisis looming directly ahead? Might humankind suffer someday from Civilization Collapse Disorder? And how must we change our human hive in order to ensure its survival?
"Like AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and SILENT SPRING before it, A SPRING WITHOUT BEES is a compelling cautionary tale and a clarion call for action." -- Publisher
"Schacker's book is an excellent resource for the well-educated person who wants a broad and detailed review of Colony Collapse Disorder. It is not, however, the final word on the cause: Schacker takes one theory -- that CCD is caused by the pesticide imidacloprid (IMD) -- and, while making a convincing case, fails to account for some reported CCD die-offs that are *not* consistent with the pesticide theory. The work also wanders into topics that are arguably not related to CCD, as mentioned in other reviews. That said, the book is timely and well-researched, and presents an array of suggested responses to CCD that regular people can implement, from planting bee-friendly gardens, to keeping bees, to challenging government inaction/incompetence.
"I bought this book as a new hardback because I feel the need to be as well educated as possible about CCD. I am one of the organizers of the 2008 San Francisco Bee-In on September 21st at the Randall Museum, which will serve both as a fundraiser for the documentary-in-progress The Vanishing of the Bees . . . as well as a public education event.
"Schacker reviews some of the CCD theories that have made cameos in the news media over the last two years, including a thorough and amusing dismissal of the 'cell phones are killing the bees!' story. After rejecting many theories, he presents the story of CCD in France (a story we've heard relatively little about in the U.S.), and explains why French beekeepers came to suspect the pesticide IMD. It's a compelling narrative, and there is data in the U.S. that supports it. However, one of our country's top bee researchers, Dr. Eric Mussen of UC Davis, recently recounted in his newsletter (repeated by apiaryist Kim Flottum in his Catch the Buzz newsletter, available via . . .), that the pattern of CCD's spread looks more like a disease than pesticide misuse.
"My point is, it's too early in the crisis to settle on one hypothesis. In the meantime, yes: let's invoke the 'Precautionary Principle' and suspend IMD use. And yes, let's include the French research; to not do so would be anti-scientific and arguably criminal. But let's continue to do the science. More research is required, and the public can help by supporting funding for a broad research effort on CCD, both through private donation and pressure on government funding sources. (Funding earmarked for CCD by the USDA in early 2007 is only becoming available this August, almost a year and a half later; the severity of the crisis demands more timely and responsive leadership -- anything less is incompetence.)
"I don't agree with everything Schacker argues in this book, but I do relate to the sentiments he expresses in Chapter Nine, 'Civilization Collapse Disorder' (which includes the sub-chapter heading 'The Public Has To Wake Up'). I am glad to see this book on the shelves: it's a thought-provoking and helpful -- if not quite perfect -- resource." -- Kael Loftus
"WASHINGTON, DC (August 18, 2008) -- The Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit today to uncover critical information that the U.S. government is withholding about the risks posed by pesticides to honey bees. NRDC legal experts and a leading bee researcher are convinced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evidence of connections between pesticides and the mysterious honey bee die-offs reported across the country. The phenomenon has come to be called colony collapse disorder, or CCD, and it is already proving to have disastrous consequences for American agriculture and the $15 billion worth of crops pollinated by bees every year."
http://www.cutglobalwarming.co.uk/2008/08/31/epa-buzz-kill-is-the-agency-hiding-colony-collapse-disorder-information/
*Schwertley, Brian M., and Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States. Publications Committee, National Covenanting and Christ's Victory Over the Nations. Available at Reformed Online.
"This is the first book-length, scholarly exposition and defense of national covenanting since 1843. This comprehensive treatment includes the binding nature of covenants, covenant renewals under the godly kings of Israel, objections to covenanting answered, the unbiblical nature of the U.S. Constitution, the unscriptural alteration of the Westminster Confession of Faith in 1789, the necessity of the Old Testament moral law for a Christian nation and the biblical requirements for civil office. In the book, Rev. Schwertley not only sets forth the biblical case for social or national covenanting in a simple and organized manner but also critiques the modern pluralistic alternatives to the original Presbyterian teaching on this topic." -- Publisher
It was preceded by 'Social Covenanting,' a series of 31 sermons in MP3 format, [audio file], given by the author starting in the summer of 2012.
Social Covenanting series of 31 sermons by Brian Schwertley
http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?seriesOnly=true&currSection=sermonstopic&sourceid=ccc&keyword=National+Covenanting&keyworddesc=National+Covenanting
Scranton, Pierce E., Death on the Learning Curve, ISBN: 9781600700149 1600700144.
"A hospital operating room may not be as safe as you think it is. Hiding among the sterile scrubs and gleaming instruments of an operating room is a whole lot of high drama: split-second life-and-death decisions . . . deep questions of ethics . . . roaring personality conflicts . . . the glory of saving a life-and the horror when a simple procedure goes terribly wrong.
"Renowned surgeon Pierce Scranton, Jr., kept a detailed diary of his internship year at a busy California teaching hospital. This book is a vivid, fictionalized memoir of that year in the trenches. Through the intertwined stories of teachers, students and patients, it explores issues like: What happens when teaching and healing come into conflict? When is a new treatment to prolong life a good idea, and when is it a disaster? How did lawyers and bean-counters get so much power? And when do relationships between doctors and other staff 'go too far?' This honest account is startling and sometimes shocking-but always gripping.
*Singer, C. Gregg (1910-1999), The Apologetics lecture series using FROM RATIONALISM TO IRRATIONALITY: THE DECLINE OF THE WESTERN MIND FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE PRESENT (1979) as the text, and delivered in Decatur, Georgia, beginning November, 1979, 17 MP3 files.
"So many times people in the pew and the pulpit say, well how did all this get started? How did psychology descend to its present level? . . . How did political science produce our political thought, produce the dictatorships which are engulfing the modern world? Why are we in the economic mess in which we are today? Why is sociology such a jumble of immorality? Why is education as it is today? Why is art so meaningless? . . . Why is modern music an affront to the modern ears as well as to the mind and ear of God? . . . Why are all these things!? . . .
"I would suggest to you that if you will follow this course with thought and care, you will finally come to see the answer to the questions which haunt us today in Western society." -- C. Gregg Singer, from his lecture series in 1976 complementing the recently released book.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=2250511453
*Sirota, David, Hostile Takeover: How big Money and Corruption Conquered our Government -- And how we Take it Back, 384 pages, ISBN: 0307237346 9780307237347.
"Do you ever wonder if there's a connection between the corruption scandals in the news and the steady decline in the quality of life for millions of Americans?
"Do you ever wonder what corporations get for the millions of dollars they pour into the American political system?
"Do you ever think the government has been hijacked by forces hostile to average Americans?
"Do you ever want to fight back?
"Millions of Americans lack healthcare and millions more struggle to afford it. Politicians claim they care, then pass legislation that just sends more cash to the HMOs. Wages have been stagnant for thirty years, even as corporate profits skyrocket. Politicians say they want to fix the problem and then pass bills written by lobbyists that drive wages even lower and punish those crushed by debt. Jobs are being shipped overseas, pensions are being cut, and energy is becoming unaffordable. And our government, more concerned about maintaining its corporate sponsorship than protecting its citizens, does nothing about it.
"In HOSTILE TAKEOVER, David Sirota, a major new voice in American politics, seeks to open the eyes of ordinary Americans to the fact that corporate interests have undermined democracy, aided and abetted by their lackeys in our allegedly representative government. At a time when more and more of America's major political leaders are being indicted or investigated for corruption, Sirota takes readers on a journey that shows how all of this nefarious behavior happened right under our noses -- and how the high-profile scandals are merely one product of a political system and debate wholly owned by Big Money interests. Sirota considers major public issues that feel intractable -- like spiraling healthcare costs, the outsourcing of jobs, the inequities of the tax code, and out-of-control energy prices -- and shows how in each case workable solutions are buried under the lies of lobbyists, the influence of campaign cash, and the ubiquitous spin machine financed by Big Business.
"With fiery passion, pinpoint wit, and lucid analysis, HOSTILE TAKEOVER reveals the true enemies of reform and their increasingly sophisticated -- and hostile -- tactics. It's an essential guidebook for those of us tired of the government selling us out -- and determined to take our country back.
"David Sirota is a campaign strategist, political operative, and writer. Sirota has served as the press secretary for Independent Representative Bernie Sanders of Vermont and was recently a senior strategist for Brian Schweitzer, Montana's first Democratic governor in sixteen years. He is a senior editor at In These Times, a regular contributor to The Nation, the blogger for Working Assets, and a twice-weekly guest on the Al Franken Show. Sirota is also the co-chairperson of the Progressive Legislative Action Network. He lives in Helena, Montana, with his wife." -- Publisher
"A summary of Sirota's book would point out that millions lack healthcare, and even more struggle to afford it. Politicians claim they care, then pass legislation that provides more profits for drug companies and insurers. At the same time, inflation-adjusted wages have been largely stagnant, while corporate profits have skyrocketed. In this instance, politicians 'help out' by further depressing wages by continuing to allow millions of illegal and temporary legal immigrants into the U.S., and additional millions of jobs outsourced overseas. Despite an obvious need for energy conservation, our government takes its lead from V.P. Dick Cheney and does nothing. Welcome to today's world of lobbyists', lies, and legislation for sale.
"The 'really bad news' is that they're not satisfied. Possible future legislation includes a flat income tax (a huge tax cut for the wealthy, and a huge tax increase for everyone else -- per Reagan's '82 Treasury Dept.), permanent elimination of the estate tax (only 2 percent were paying, and half the receipts came from the top .1 percent with estates over $5 million), and reducing corporate taxes from their 35 percent level -- 'fourth highest' in the industrialized world (a '04 GAO report concluded that 94 percent paid less than 5 percent, and that 60,000 government contractors owed $6 billion in unpaid taxes), more personal tax cuts (to justify further cuts in veterans' healthcare, inadequate/non-funding of Army armor and New Orleans' levees -- the pre-Katrina official protesting the latter was immediately fired).
"Not upset yet -- read on. USA Today reported in late '05 that while the 60 worst performing companies in America lost 4769 billion in market value in the prior five years, their top five executives were paid an average of $8 million/year. Meanwhile, University of California researchers in '04 found that jobs in the bottom third of the pay scale were growing almost twice as fast as those in the middle.
"HOSTILE TAKEOVER also puts to rest the myth of 'free' trade. Provisions include insuring U.S. access to potentially hepatitis-carrying Mexican vegetables and Canadian beef with mad-cow disease, while banning importation of cheaper drugs and limiting other nations' ability to produce generic medicines. In '01, economists estimated that three-fourths of U.S. workers lost about 12 percent of current wages because of trade deals. At least we still have some -- the New York Times reported the loss of over 2 million manufacturing jobs between '01 -- '04, while Gartner Research estimated over 30 percent of high-tech jobs could be shipped overseas by '15 and University of California researchers estimated up to 14 million jobs are now at risk of outsourcing.
"There's more: Harvard researchers found that 90 percent of personal bankruptcies were due to illness, medical bills, job loss, death in the family, and/or divorce. Meanwhile, the Kauffman Foundation's '05 study concluded that 20 percent of recent bankrupts had been operating a small business. No matter -- the myth of deadbeat debtors ruining credit card companies persists, and Congress recently made personal bankruptcy laws much tougher.
"At least we can count on retirement -- not! In '02 AP reported that 8 million workers saw their retirement plans converted to 'cash balance' payouts only -- a loss of up to $200 million, according to government sources. As for Social Security, a top University of Chicago economist estimates Wall St. would make $400 billion -- $1 trillion in fees under the Bush privatization plan. No matter you say -- Chile and Galveston, Texas have proven the concept's superiority. Unfortunately, the World Bank found that up to one-third of Chileans' retirement money went to fees (the public version went bankrupt -- hence, no comparisons are available), and several government reports have concluded that many/most/all Galveston employees will receive LESS than they would have from Social Security.
"Well, at least some of us have our health. Hopefully the growing number without health insurance will not get sick; as for universal governmental coverage -- private insurance made over $10 billion in '03, with top executives raking in $85 million each. As for the innovative drugs many can't afford because of high prices 'required for research' -- the former New England Journal of Medicine's editor states that they 'come almost entirely from publicly funded research done in government and university labs." Further evidence: Princeton's Uwe Reinhardt says that 'R&D spending (as a percentage of drug industry revenues), is equal or higher in Europe (with price controls), as here' -- specifically, 20 percent in Britain, vs. 14 percent in the U.S.
"Finally, 'fuel efficiency kills people,' or so opponents say. On the other hand, University of Michigan, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers and a government panel all have concluded that cars can be made as safe/safer than most SUVs, and especially better than most pickups.
"Truly an encyclopedic work documenting how business has stolen and perverted American democracy. While Sirota offers specific recommendations in each area, the biggest problem involves providing a means for voters to see through all the lies and misstatements. Publicly funded elections may be the answer." -- Reader's Comment
Sloan, Don, Practicing Medicine Without a License! The Corporate Takeover of Healthcare in America, ISBN: 0974524549.
"By controlling medical services and policies nationwide, insurance conglomerates and pharmaceutical companies are literally practicing medicine without a license. Don Sloan, M.D., exposes how the medical community has fallen prey to these corporations and makes the case for the real solution: a universal, federally mandated health plan for everyone." -- Publisher
Smith, Jeremy N., Epic Measures: One Doctor, Seven Billion Patients, apparently didactic fiction, ISBN: 9780062237507 0062237500.
"EPIC MEASURES: ONE DOCTOR, SEVEN BILLION PATIENTS by Jeremy N. Smith explores and explains the importance of 'big data' in analyzing the state of world health, discovering the actual causes and relative importance of death, disease, and examining the burden of disease at it affects people's quality of life. This important and illuminating book explores the causes of what it describes as the Global Burden of Disease, the accumulated knowledge of when, where, and how people are born and die, how disease affects not only lifespan, but quality of life. To accurately discover this information, it's necessary to collect, collate, compare data down to the level of small-towns and villages. The development of the database required for this program is perhaps the most complex and important compilation of information about the state of humankind ever attempted, let alone accomplished. Its implications for health care delivery and policy are world shaking. The opportunities are truly breathtaking. This exploration and accomplishment is told through the life and career of Chris Murray, a physician, Ph.D. epidemiologist, world traveler, high risk skier, and first rate athlete who possesses the passion, energy, intelligence, and vision to conceive and complete the largest catalog of human health ever contemplated and achieved. This book is both inspiring as Murray the person is revealed and important as it explores the potential for solving many problems in world health.
"Christopher Murray is the youngest child of Minnesota physicians who gloried in world adventure travel and rural medical practice. At the age of seven, he was made responsible for charting a route across the trackless north African dessert to a small medical clinic in South Sudan, where his parents had contracted to run a clinic. When they arrived they found a bare building with no equipment, staff, or patients. Within a few days there were plenty of patients, but no medicine or equipment. During their stay, young Christopher learned and watched, developing a lifelong passion for the needs of the poor. He later enrolled at Harvard College, spent a couple of years at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, where he picked up a Ph.D. and, soon after his return to the U.S. Enrolled at Harvard Medical School, while simultaneously running a program dedicated to collecting health data. Everyone who knows Christopher Murray is impressed by his intelligence, energy, commitment, and likability. His drive and single-minded commitment to collecting and organizing an entire world's health data make him a challenging colleague, a demanding boss, and a problematic leader. His personality dominates this book, which is filled with able, dynamic people.
"While still a relatively young man, Murray managed to be fired from institutions which lesser men strive to head or serve in for decades. Along the way, he developed metrics for creating a database of the causes, losses, and risks of a number of diseases on a worldwide scale. Many of his studies were accepted and published in the world's most important health journal, Britain's The Lancet. He also conceived and helped develop a metric called Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) which recognizes the costs to quality of life and longevity of pain and suffering. He discovered that many of the heretofore intractable problems of obstetric disaster and child mortality had decreased loss at the level of early life, moving many diseases and issues of adolescence and early adulthood into a higher priority. Thus accidents, murder, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes forged into the forefront of causes of early death. Not surprisingly the inertia of national health agencies and world wide collectors of data were challenged for their hidebound and sloppy systems of collection, while private and public charities resisted Murray's findings because of the threat to their fund raising capability. It was only after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation discovered Murray's work and established the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, that Murray and his team found a base from which to begin completion (the database will never, of course, be fully and finally complete) of the first global catalog of the Burden of Disease, a database available to all for study, analysis, and data based decision making. The interactive charts and diagnoses, made available free worldwide to researchers, health care decision makers, and private individuals, can provide hours (years) of fascinating reading and analysis for those interested in both general matters and specific risks of specific diseases and syndromes. -- Reader's Comment
Smith, Wesley J., Culture of Death: The Assault on Medical Ethics in America, ISBN: 1893554066 9781893554061 189355449X 9781893554498.
"When his teenaged son Christopher, brain-damaged in an auto accident, developed a 106-degree fever following weeks of unconsciousness, John Campbell asked the attending physician for help. The doctor refused. Why bother? The boy's life was effectively over. Campbell refused to accept this verdict. He demanded treatment and threatened legal action. The doctor finally relented. With treatment, Christopher's temperature subsided almost immediately. Soon afterwards he regained consciousness and today he is learning to walk again. This story is one of many Wesley J. Smith recounts in his groundbreaking new book, CULTURE OF DEATH. Smith believes that American medicine 'is changing from a system based on the sanctity of human life into a starkly utilitarian model in which the medically defenseless are seen as having not just a 'right but a duty to die.' Going behind the current scenes of our health care system, he shows how doctors withdraw desired care based on Futile Care Theory rather than providing it as required by the Hippocratic Oath. And how 'bioethicists' influence policy by considering questions such as whether organs may be harvested from the terminally ill and disabled. This is a passionate, yet coolly reasoned book about the current crisis in medical ethics by an author who has made 'the new thanatology' his consuming interest." -- Reader's Comment -->
*Sparrow, Malcolm K., License to Steal: How Fraud Bleeds America's Health Care System, 304 pages, ISBN: 0813368103 9780813368108.
Table of Contents: Preface, Acknowledgments, Introduction, Fictitious companies, The state of the art, Control failures, Two distinct sciences: fraud detection, and utilization review, how goes the war? Counterattack, new frontiers for control, false claims, Managed care, The nature of the fraud-control challenge, The pathology of fraud control, The importance of measurement, Assessment of existing fraud-control systems, The antithesis of modern claims processing, Prescription for progress, A model fraud-control strategy, Detection systems, Conclusion, Acronyms and abbreviations, Notes, Index.
"In LICENSE TO STEAL, Malcolm K. Sparrow shows how the industry's defenses, which focus mostly on finding and correcting billing errors, are no match for such well orchestrated attacks. The maxim for thieves simply becomes 'bill your lies correctly.' Provided they do that, fraud perpetrators with any degree of sophistication can steal millions of dollars with impunity, testing payment systems carefully, and then spreading fraudulent billings widely enough across patient and provider accounts to escape detection. The kinds of highly automated, quality controlled claims processing systems that pervade the industry present fraud perpetrators with their favorite kind of target: rich, fast paying, transparent, utterly predictable check printing systems, with little threat of human intervention, and with the U.S. Treasury on the end of the electronic line. Sparrow picks apart the industry's response to the government's efforts to control this problem. The provider associations (well heeled and politically influential), have vociferously opposed almost every recent enforcement initiative, creating the unfortunate public impression that the entire health care industry is against effective fraud control. A significant segment of the industry, it seems, regards fraud and abuse not as a problem, but as a lucrative enterprise worth defending.
"Meanwhile, it remains a perfectly commonplace experience for patients or their relatives to examine a medical bill and discover that half of it never happened, or that; likewise, if patients then complain, they discover that no one seems to care, or that no one has the resources to do anything about it. Sparrow's research suggests that the growth of capitated managed care systems does not solve the problem, as many in the industry had assumed, but merely changes its form. The managed care environment produces scams involving underutilization, and the withholding of medical care schemes that are harder to uncover and investigate, and much more dangerous to human health. Having worked extensively with federal and state officials since the appearance of his first book on this subject, Sparrow is in a unique position to evaluate recent law enforcement initiatives. He admits the 'war on fraud' is at least now engaged, but it is far from won.
"Malcolm K. Sparrow teaches Regulatory and Enforcement Strategy, and Analytic Methods, at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Formerly a Detective Chief Inspector with the British police service, he now specializes in issues of enforcement strategy, regulatory compliance, and risk control -- he is the acknowledged national expert on the subject of Health Care Fraud. He is author of THE RISK BUSINESS: DEFINING THE REGULATORY CRAFT (2000), LICENSE TO STEAL: WHY FRAUD PLAGUES AMERICA'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM (1996), IMPOSING DUTIES: GOVERNMENT'S CHANGING APPROACH TO COMPLIANCE (1994); and co-author of BEYOND 911: A NEW ERA FOR POLICING (1990) and ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT: THE MORAL CHALLENGE FOR PUBLIC LEADERSHIP (1990)." -- Publisher
"Although he has a wealth of expertise and a scholar's background, Sparrow speaks in a narrative style about the sad state of health care fraud in America today. While some progress is being made, there remains a little depth and sophistication in the responses to the complex and clever fraud schemes out there. Regrettably, the many political and institutional barriers to measuring and uncovering fraud continue to allow the system to be drained of precious dollars. While it takes a large investment to begin the fight on the level Sparrow advocates, the return is immeasurably greater. Not recommended for folks who don't need their blood pressure to rise." -- Reader's Comment
Starr, Paul, Remedy and Reaction: The Peculiar American Struggle Over Health Care Reform, ISBN: 9780300171099 0300171099.
"Tracing healthcare reform from its beginnings to its current uncertain prospects, Paul Starr argues that the United States ensnared itself in a trap through policies that satisfied enough of the public and so enriched the healthcare industry as to make the system difficult to change." -- Publisher
"This is a succinct and subtle exploration of the long-time debate over nationalized healthcare in the U.S. and about why 'HillaryCare' lost and 'ObamaCare' was enacted. The fundamental problem, which Starr calls the 'policy trap,' is that important segments of society get enough out of a woefully inefficient system to resist, and to be suspicious of, any reform. The deductibility of health insurance premiums by employers and nationalized healthcare for the elderly via Medicare means that the most important voting blocs in society do well under the system without really appreciating the ridiculously high cost of what they are provided. Middle class people with jobs and senior citizens vote -- and they are invested in the status quo.
"Starr also probes into the darker side of American society -- the tolerance of suffering by others rationalized by the notion that I earned what I'm getting. Unlike any other advanced Western society, Americans question the right of citizens to get some minimum level of healthcare. And the polarization on this issue has gotten worse -- e.g., Starr cites polls showing that the percentage of Republicans who agreed with some such right has fallen from 37 percent to the low double digits.
"While Starr does not espouse an explicitly Marxian message, the implication of his argument is that the healthcare debate is simply class warfare by other means. The political branches protect, respond to, and even subsidize the economically powerful in society, while the dispossessed are frozen out, and then are blamed for their own predicament (in American mythology all can be obtained by effort and hard work, so if you can't provide healthcare to your family it's only because you're not applying yourself). The healthcare debate brings together all the contradictions of the American character and sets the stage for a raw battle between the haves and the dispossessed in an increasingly polarized economy and society.
"Whether or not you agree with Starr's progressive-left point of view, his recounting of the history of reform and the still uncertain future of that reform is excellent." -- Reader's Comment
"Paul Starr is professor of sociology and public affairs, Princeton University, and cofounder and coeditor of The American Prospect. His 1984 book THE SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION OF AMERICAN MEDICINE won the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction and the Bancroft Prize in American history. A senior advisor on health policy in the Clinton White House, he writes frequently on national politics." -- Publisher
Strydom, Jan, Susan du Plessis, and Benetta Strydom, The Bible's way to Victory Over ADHD and Other Childhood Challenges
"A free online book, providing sound answers on preventing and overcoming behavioral, emotional and learning problems, including ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), Conduct Disorder and Tourette's Syndrome."
http://www.audiblox2000.com/onlinebook/index.htm
E-mail: benetta@mweb.co.za
Sullivan, Teresa A., Elizabeth Warren, and Jay Westbrook, The Fragile Middle Class: Americans in Debt, ISBN: 0300091710 9780300091717.
"More than a million American families now file for federal bankruptcy annually, and many more are perilously close to financial disaster. In this important analysis of hard-pressed families, recently featured in articles in Newsweek, Forbes, Chronicle of Higher Education, and the New York Times, the authors discover that financial stability for many middle-class Americans is all too fragile. The authors consider the changing cultural and economic factors that threaten financial security and what they imply for the future vitality of the middle class.
"Teresa A. Sullivan is Vice President and Graduate Dean and professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin. Elizabeth Warren is Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Jay Lawrence Westbrook is Benno C. Schmidt Chair of Business Law at the University of Texas School of Law." -- Publisher
"As a 20-year bankruptcy practitioner, I believe this book is a 'must read' for any one whose income is less than seven-figure. It could happen to you! The factors leading to bankruptcy are varied, but have a common thread: an over extension of credit and a 'hiccup' in life that makes it unduly burdensome or impossible to shoulder the debt. The seductive siren call of 'For everything else there is MasterCard' and 'VISA, everywhere you want to be' or 'nothing down, no interest, and no payments for a year' is for many irresistible. Credit cards can be very convenient but also, as the authors point out, hazardous to one's economic health. Credit cards should come with a warning similar to the Surgeon General's warning for tobacco. While the explosion in bankruptcy filings during the past decade is fairly spread over the various age groups, it is the under 30 group that is the most vulnerable in the future. With almost limitless student loan availability and multiple multi-purpose credit cards, i.e., VISA and MasterCard (even to high schoolers), the ability to incur indebtedness far beyond any reasonable realistic expectation of ability to repay is pandemic. When a person can leave college saddled with $50,000 or more in student loan obligations and incur an additional $50,000, or more, in 'small bite at a time' debt in the span of less than 5 years, it does not take much of a 'hiccup' in life to bring the house of cards down. As the authors so well illustrate, consumer finance education and teaching fiscal discipline at the high school level is an absolute must. Those who practice 'immediate gratification,' like Humpty Dumpty, are headed for a major fall and bankruptcy can not put them back together again." -- Reader's Comment
Sweet, Victoria, God's Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine, ISBN: 9781594488436 1594488436.
"San Francisco's Laguna Honda Hospital is the last almshouse in the country, a descendant of the Hotel-Dieu (God's Hotel) that cared for the sick in the Middle Ages. Ballet dancers and rock musicians, professors and thieves -- 'anyone who had fallen, or, often, leapt, onto hard times' and needed extended medical care -- ended up here. So did Victoria Sweet, who came for two months and stayed for twenty years. Laguna Honda, lower tech but human paced, gave Sweet the opportunity to practice a kind of attentive medicine that has almost vanished. Gradually, the place transformed the way she understood her work. Alongside the modern view of the body as a machine to be fixed, her extraordinary patients evoked an older idea, of the body as a garden to be tended. GOD'S HOTEL tells their story and the story of the hospital itself, which, as efficiency experts, politicians, and architects descended, determined to turn it into a modern 'health care facility,' revealed its own surprising truths about the essence, cost, and value of caring for body and soul. . . .
"Choosing service in the last remaining almshouse in America, and tracing our understanding of medicine back to its medieval roots, a physician uncovers lost lessons in the care of body and soul." -- Publisher
Terrell, Hilton P. (editor), and Franklin E. Payne (editor), Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine, Volumes 1-4: 1987-1990, ISSN: 1050-3404. Available from Covenant Enterprises, P.O. Box 14488, Augusta, GA 30919-0488.
"The JBEM was founded to bring biblical thinking to bear on medical issues. This book collects the first four years worth of articles, and includes a general index and an index of Scripture references. (A second volume, containing the next 4 years, is forthcoming). Many articles are relevant to matters that come up in counseling ministry, matters about which counselors will want to offer informed advice." -- David Powlison (1949-2019)
Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine
http://capo.org/jbem/intro_pa.htm
Topol, Eric J., The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care, ISBN: 9780465025503 0465025501 9780465029341 0465029345.
Contents: Part I. Setting the foundation.
1. The digital landscape: cultivating a data-driven, participatory culture | 2. The orientation of medicine today: population versus individual | 3. To what extent are consumers empowered?: clicks and tricks
Part II. Capturing the data.
4. Physiology: wireless sensors | 5. Biology: sequencing the genome | 6. Anatomy: from imaging to printing organs | 7. Electronic health records and health information technology | 8. The convergence of human data capture
Part III. The impact of homo digitus.
9. Doctors with plasticity? | 10. Rebooting the life science industry | 11. Homo digitus and the individual.
*Trewhella, Matthew J., The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates: A Proper Resistance to Tyranny and a Repudiation of Unlimited Obedience to Civil Government, ISBN: 1482327686 9781482327687.
"America has entered troubling times. The rule of law is crumbling. The massive expansion of Federal government power with its destructive laws and policies is of grave concern to many. But what can be done to quell the abuse of power by civil authority? Are unjust or immoral actions by the government simply to be accepted and their lawless commands obeyed? How do we know when the government has acted tyrannically? Which actions constitute proper and legitimate resistance? This book places in your hands a hopeful blueprint for freedom. Appealing to history and the Word of God, Pastor Matthew Trewhella answers these questions and shows how Americans can successfully resist the Federal government's attempts to trample our Constitution, assault our liberty, and impugn the law of God. The doctrine of the lesser magistrates declares that when the superior or higher civil authority makes an unjust/immoral law or decree, the lesser or lower ranking civil authority has both the right and duty to refuse obedience to that superior authority. If necessary, the lower authority may even actively resist the superior authority. Historically, this doctrine was practiced before the time of Christ and Christianity. It was Christian men, however, who formalized and embedded it into their political institutions throughout Western Civilization. The doctrine of the lesser magistrates is a historic tool that provides proven guidelines for proper and legitimate resistance to tyranny, often without causing any major upheaval in society. The doctrine teaches us how to rein in lawless acts by government and restore justice in our nation. 'Use this sword against my enemies, if I give righteous commands; but if I give unrighteous commands, use it against me.' -- Roman Emperor Trajan, speaking to one of his subordinates. This is the first book published solely addressing the doctrine of the lesser magistrates in over 400 years. Matthew Trewhella is the pastor of Mercy Seat Christian Church. He is a graduate of Valley Forge Christian College. He and his wife, Clara, have eleven children and nine grandchildren, and reside in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. His research and teaching on the lesser magistrate doctrine is reshaping the thinking of Americans. He was instrumental in publishing The Magdeburg Confession: 13th of April 1550 AD, in 2012 -- the first English translation of the document since it was written in 1550." -- Publisher
"Wow! Please get this book and read it. And then read it again! And then send it to your lesser magistrates (specifically your local sheriffs, county judges, and State governors).
"The subtitle says it all: A PROPER RESISTANCE TO TYRANNY AND A REPUDIATION OF UNLIMITED OBEDIENCE TO CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
"Romans 13:1-7 has caused a great deal of confusion to modern Christian evangelicals. On the whole it tends to get interpreted as 'we must obey the government [with an implied unlimited obedience].' Of course that doesn't feel right, and we know of the passage that says 'we must obey God rather than men.' But how do we reconcile these?
"THE DOCTRINE OF THE LESSER MAGISTRATES helps us figure that out. Government has been instituted by God as His instrument to do His work. But when government ceases to do God's work in carrying out just laws, there needs to be a way to hold back the tyranny. Will revolt and riot work, or is that what Christians are called to do? No.
"Enter the lesser magistrate -- also known as the government office holder who is inferior to the one giving the orders but has a legitimate role in government nonetheless. He has the ability and the duty to resist carrying out unjust laws or orders. And he has the ability and duty to interpose on behalf of the citizens against whom the tyrannical governing authority is trying to carry out his power.
"Trewhella shows historical examples of how the application of this doctrine has worked and provides compelling Biblical exegesis of how this doctrine is clearly taught in Scripture.
"I highly recommend reading this book! It's short enough to be read in one sitting, but powerful enough to transform your understanding of how to properly resist tyranny -- in God's power and by God's prescription." -- Reader's Comment
Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate
http://www.LesserMagistrate.com
Defy Tyrants
http://www.DefyTyrants.com
*Tricoci, P. (Pierluigi), J.M. Allen, J.M. Kramer, R.M. Califf, and S.C. Smith Jr., Division of Cardiology and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, Scientific Evidence Underlying the ACC/AHA [American College of Cardiologists/American Heart Association -- compiler] Clinical Practice Guidelines, JAMA. 2009 Feb 25;301(8):868-9.
"ACC provides exclusive benefits and services designed specifically for cardiologists, including advocacy, education and access to information." -- from the ACC website
"More than a million people get an angioplasty, stent, or bypass surgery each year. How many of these costly procedures are really essential?"
"RESULTS: Among guidelines with at least 1 revision or update by September 2008, the number of recommendations increased from 1330 to 1973 (+48 percent), from the first to the current version, with the largest increase observed in use of class II recommendations. Considering the 16 current guidelines reporting levels of evidence, only 314 recommendations of 2711 total are classified as level of evidence A (median, 11 percent), [emphasis added, that is, only 11 percent of the ACC/AHA recommended guidelines provided to cardiologists were based upon solid scientific evidence -- compiler], whereas 1246 (median, 48 percent), are level of evidence C [medical opinion -- compiler]. Level of evidence significantly varies across categories of guidelines (disease, intervention, or diagnostic), and across individual guidelines. Recommendations with level of evidence A are mostly concentrated in class I, but only 245 of 1305 class I recommendations have level of evidence A (median, 19 percent).
"CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations issued in current ACC/AHA clinical practice guidelines are largely developed from lower levels of evidence or expert opinion. The proportion of recommendations for which there is no conclusive evidence is also growing. These findings highlight the need to improve the process of writing guidelines and to expand the evidence base from which clinical practice guidelines are derived."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19244190?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Ubel, Peter A., Critical Decisions: How you and Your Doctor can Make the Right Medical Choices Together, ISBN: 9780062103826 0062103822.
"We've all been there, sitting uncomfortably in a paper gown as a doctor impassively describes our prognosis. Sometimes it's simple and treatable. Other times we get news we can't fathom and then are faced with decisions that are literally life and death. In this revolutionary book, physician, behavioral scientist, and bioethicist Peter Ubel, M.D., reveals how hidden dynamics in the doctor/patient relationship keep us and our loved ones from making the best medical choices. From doctors who struggle to explain, to patients who fail to properly listen, countless factors alter the course of our care, causing things to go seriously awry. With riveting stories of Ubel's own experience in the field, his groundbreaking research, and his personal journey walking loved ones through difficult treatment choices, CRITICAL DECISIONS will forever change the way we communicate inside hospitals and medical offices, where thoughtful decision making matters the most. Dr. Ubel has been on both ends of the stethoscope, and in this book, he shows how patients and doctors can learn to become partners and work together to make the right choices. From choosing to get surgery, to discussing the side effects of a blood pressure medication, we can finally discover the tools to improve communication, understand the issues, and make confident decisions for our future health and happiness." -- Publisher
*Ubel, Peter A., Free Market Madness: Why Human Nature is at Odds With Economics -- And why it Matters, ISBN: 1422126099 9781422126097.
"In this book, Peter Ubel argues that the combination of human nature and free markets can be downright dangerous for our health and well-being. That government must step in and further regulate the markets that reward those who exploit our weaknesses. He shows that by understanding and controlling the factors that go into our decisions, we can all begin to stop the damage we do to our bodies, our finances, and our economy as a whole." -- Publisher
Wachter, Robert M., Kaveh G. Shojania, Internal Bleeding: The Truth Behind America's Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakes, ISBN: 1590710169 9781590710166.
"Two doctors and experts in the study of patient safety and hospital quality provide a close-up look at the medical errors that occur in America's overburdened, underinsured, and often unaccountable health-care system." -- Publisher
Wagner, David, The Poorhouse: America's Forgotten Institution, ISBN: 0742529444 9780742529441 0742529452 9780742529458.
"This impressively researched history of the poorhouse, a mainstay social welfare resource for 300 years in America, will fascinate and enlighten even a casual reader. -- Journal of Religion and Spirituality
"THE POORHOUSE turns out to be a most appealing and timely book with much to say about contemporary social policy. It is highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate students in schools of social work, for social welfare, and social policy historians, and for historians of disability." -- Journal of American History
"Based on newspaper accounts, poorhouse records, oral history interviews, and local government records, Wagner provides and rich description of life in six New England poorhouses between the 1830s and the 1940s." -- Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare
*Welch, Edward T., Blame it on the Brain? Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience, ISBN: 0875526020 9780875526027.
"Dr. Welch has a Ph.D. in psychology as well as theology degrees, and has been a counselor for years. His doctoral work was on brain physiology, so Blame it on the Brain is the fruit of 20 years of reflection on the subject.
"Welch wonders if the brain 'has been given too much credit.' (p. 12). Many have held the brain responsible for some bad behavior: 'My disease did it!' (p. 13). While the observations of the rapidly expanding field of brain sciences can be very helpful, when interpreted through a biblical lens they can be put in a more modest and helpful perspective. How do these discoveries illustrate biblical truths that can be applied to people's lives? Instead, too often sin problems are mislabeled as solely brain problems, and thus the true cause is left unaddressed. (p. 25)
"Four very practical principles emerge from this approach to mind-body issues: 1. The brain cannot by itself 'make' a person sin. (p. 49f). 2. Each person's abilities (brain strengths and weaknesses), are unique. (p. 53f). 3. Brain problems can expose heart problems. (p. 56f). 4. Sinful hearts can lead to physical illness; upright hearts can contribute to good health. (p. 58f)
"In part two of the book these principles are then concisely but thoughtfully applied to a series of examples. First are apparently physical issues: Alzheimer's disease (p. 67f), and head injury (p. 85f). Next are more psychiatric issues: depression (p. 115f), 'A.D.D.' (p. 131f), homosexuality (p. 151f), and alcoholism. (p. 183f)
"Welch's treatments of these problems abound with practical, sensitive insight. In the process he clearly defines the deeper issues at stake: what is the soul?; what is the body?; what is sin?
"For me, a crucial component of the book is the section on the mind-body relationships, especially pp. 43-48. Welch is careful to distinguish the heart from the body, but without separating them. Drawing upon rich Trinitarian analogies, he is careful to outline a model that seeks not to over-emphasize either the duality or the unity. This understanding enables us to try to distinguish between sin and sickness. As Welch ably defines it: 'any behavior that does not conform to biblical commands or any behavior that transgresses biblical prohibitions proceeds form the heart and is sin.' (p. 43). Conversely, 'any behavior that is more accurately called a weakness proceeds from the body and is sickness or suffering.' (p. 44). We are to repent of sin. But things that reflect only our creaturely limitations are not immoral, but proceed from our fallen bodies.
"The example Welch uses of hallucinations is illustrative. The Bible does not prohibit them, so we can not admonish someone for experiencing them. We are called to compassion for them. The hallucination may have been caused by a prior sinful choice, and the hallucinatory may respond to them with sin, but the hallucination itself is not sinful. A helpful chart on p. 45 lists out some examples of body problems (broken bones, mental retardation, feelings of depression, hallucinations), and heart (mind) problems (anger, pride, drunkenness). Of course, many problems involve both the body and the heart or mind, and in unequal and obscured proportions. How do we separate out the differences? And why is it helpful to try?
"Each summer during high school and college I worked in a nursing home. The changes I witnessed in particular residents after being away from them for almost a year were often shocking and tragic. I think of a seemingly kind and affable man named D., who in a few months seemed to transform into an unrecognizably profane and lewd bore. Welch demonstrates convincingly that such brain or body problems as D.'s Alzheimer's can expose what is in the heart. The brain appears to have led the person into bad behavior, when it is more accurate to say that the brain problem allowed certain otherwise hidden parts of their heart to be uncovered. Welch contends, 'In some case brain problems function like truth serum for the heart.' (p. 58)
"Welch's treatment of the subject is fairly comprehensive but far from exhaustive. Questions of application remain. If meds can only, at their best, address the body issues and not the heart, how do we know which needs addressing? Welch addresses this in a wise, but frustratingly brief section in pp. 125-127. Adopting Welch's guidelines is easy enough, but applying them to real life situations, I know from experience, is another matter. What about the person who meets some but not all of the criteria listed on p. 127 (they are over forty; have had no prior history of problems with depression; are taking prescription drugs, etc.)? This is not a flaw in Welch's treatment of the topic, just a limitation of its brief explication here.
"I have known a person, for example, who had his first bout with depression at age 62. But it was extremely serious. He became despondent and delusional and was checked into a residential treatment facility. His case meets the first of the two criteria listed by Welch, but not the last two. Clearly, his depression was triggered by some circumstances in his life (some the direct result of some horrible choices, others not). Yet, just as clearly it seems that the depression, while largely originating from his sinful behavior, now had a physical component. His medications, while wrought with multiple serious side effects, did seem to successfully contribute to his ability to function. Yet, if I were given a decision making role in his 'treatment,' I would want to somehow know: were the drugs really helpful, or was it their placebo effect? And if they did reduce his anxiety, is that all necessarily good? Did he not need discomfort to drive him to make changes in his absolutely horrendous behavior? And if so, how much and what type of discomfort?
"Anyway, Welch's book wrestles with some deep issues and presents them in a lucid and readable format." -- Raymond Cannata
" 'What is needed is not necessarily more sophistication in understanding the brain. Instead, what is needed is a more in-depth and practical examination of Scripture that is relevant to these questions.' (pp. 19-20). In this chapter, he remains resolute in affirming the supreme authority of God's Word in understanding and applying the deluge of information which our secular society is bent on giving us. . . .
'Heart and body are both two and one. They are two in that the body cannot be reduced to heart or spirit, and heart cannot be reduced to body. But they are mutually independent. They need each other. Human life cannot even be imagined without both the inner and the outer person. . . .' (p. 47)
"In chapters 4 and 5, we read about legitimate brain dysfunctions which are the result of Alzheimer's disease (and dementia), or serious head injury stemming from an accident. Here, Welch wants the reader to understand that there are indeed cases where the brain can suffer illness or injury to the extent that the behavior and mental capacity of the individual will be directly affected. He is quick to point out that though these conditions may harm the outer man, they do not necessarily mean that the inner man will also begin to dissipate.
"In chapters 7 and 8, we read about psychiatric problems such as depression and attention deficit disorder (ADD) which may or may not be the result of the brain's alleged deficiencies. . . . He is also quick to point out that the depression or ADD may be the result of a spiritual problem and that the care of the individual and their relation to God ought to factor in the treatment every bit as much as medicinal treatments.
"In chapters 9 and 10 we read about two areas of human behavior which the brain is often held responsible for -- homosexuality and alcoholism. In both cases, Welch is insistent that the brain cannot the cause of one's sinful behavior. As he says so plainly, " 'The ultimate cause of sin is always the human heart,' (p. 169). He argues that when these behaviors are seen as proceeding directly from the brain's activity, then the connection that exists between human beings as morally accountable agents and a holy and righteous God is severed. What needs to take place is repentance from such sinful behavior in light of the promise of God's gracious provision of forgiveness which can be found in Jesus Christ. Though these sins present particularly strong forms of bondage, God's mercy can break even their stronghold." -- Daniel Mark Donovan
Whitlock, Chuck, MediScams: Dangerous Medical Practices and Health Care Frauds -- And how to Prevent Them From Harming you and Your Family (St. Martin's Griffin, January 13, 2003), 304 pages, ISBN: 0312306024 9780312306021.
"Where their health is concerned, Americans want answers. Too often, what they get are false promises from medical 'professionals' more intent on lightening their patients' wallets than helping to shave off those stubborn five pounds. These medical scam artists run from the petty to the downright dangerous, and their schemes can leave you poorer but wiser, hospitalized, or much worse.
"Now journalist Chuck Whitlock tackles the seedy world of medical scams, exposing everything from bogus pills that claim to relieve symptoms of drunkenness, to questionable weight-loss programs, to bizarre plastic surgery procedures.
"Called "the nation's leading scambuster" by Oprah Winfrey, Chuck Whitlock tackles treacherous HMOs, doctors, and charlatans. Then he shows the reader how to avoid falling victim to medical scams.
"Chuck Whitlock, a renowned investigative reporter, has appeared on Oprah, Today, CNN, Extra, Inside Edition, Hard Copy, and Regis and Kathie Lee. His probes into white-collar crime and his exposes of nursing home and Medicare irregularities have garnered national recognition. Among his awards for outstanding investigative reporting are a National Headliner Award and a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. As a consumer advocate, he has been called 'the nation's leading scambuster' by Oprah Winfrey. Chuck provides training workshops for the public as well as government agencies such as the FBI, Secret Service, and Postal Inspection Service." -- Publisher
Williams, Ira E., First, Do no Harm: The Cure for Medical Malpractice, ISBN: 1929175396 9781929175390.
"Some specialty areas of medicine are again facing the problem of obtaining affordable liability insurance for medical negligence. Most medical providers and liability insurers blame the problem on plaintiffs' lawyers and wayward juries, whereas consumer groups and the plaintiffs' lawyers blame medical negligence and problems associated with business cycles in the insurance industry. Dr. Ira E. Williams, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and dental anesthesiologist, has written a thoughtful book about medical negligence and malpractice litigation. He has outlined a plan to alleviate it. Ideas in the book deserve serious consideration. There is a catch, however. Doctors will have to consider the book's premises, which will fly in the face of the current attitudes of many doctors. For instance, Williams writes, 'The great increase in medical malpractice suits has not been caused by a 'litigious' society, rapacious attorneys, inadequate liability caps or greedy patients. Negligent medical care happens, and since almost no regulation of medical negligence occurs within the profession, the courts are the only recourse a harmed patient has.' Furthermore, he states, 'Tort reforms, past, present, and future, will continue to tip the scales of justice in favor of the doctor and against the patient.' And, 'The AMA [American Medical Association], Litigation Center is seeking to curb the effect of expert witnesses who would try to upgrade a standard of care.' FIRST, DO NO HARM, a reader-friendly book, does not adequately document these premises. Nevertheless, various empirical-research studies published in reputable peer-reviewed journals are consistent with the general theme of the premises. Williams's proposed solution for reducing medical errors is to develop what he calls Individual Responsibility Peer Review, which places responsibility on the individual practitioner for self-regulation. He asserts that a line can be drawn between an iatrogenic outcome and negligence. In the individual-responsibility scheme, each medical practitioner 'should create and utilize a current and acceptable standard of care for each procedure within his or her scope of practice.' When bad outcomes occur, a committee of peers who truly act as neutral reviewers should assess the steps that were taken in the particular case and compare them with the protocol. The scheme is likened to the checklists that airplane pilots follow before starting the engines. Undoubtedly, detractors will say, justifiably, that medical treatment is more complicated and variable than flying a plane and that the development of a protocol for each medical treatment is impractical in terms of the time and details that would be required. Questions will arise about how to implement true peer review and about the willingness of doctors to sanction their colleagues. Most important is the issue of how the protocols and peer-review findings could be protected from use in legal proceedings. These are some of the serious problems with Williams's proposal, but they are not necessarily fatal to it. One of the largely ignored findings of the Harvard Medical Malpractice Study is that, although most physicians who responded to a survey were willing to admit that all doctors make mistakes, they were often unwilling to label substandard care the result of negligence. FIRST, DO NO HARM confronts this view head-on and proposes a way to start thinking seriously about how to reduce medical errors and maybe even the amount of malpractice litigation." -- Neil Vidmar, Ph.D., in the New England Journal of Medicine, February 3, 2005.
Woodham-Smith, Cecil, Florence Nightingale 1820-1910, ISBN: 0689706529 9780689706523.
"Am reading the biography of FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE (1820-1910) by Cecil Woodham-Smith, said to be the definitive work. She wrote copiously, her papers were preserved. About 100 pages cover, in minute detail, her experience at the military hospital at Scutari -- the catastrophic condition when she arrived caused by the corruption and incompetence of the British Military. Recommended for anyone interested in the politics of healthcare reform." -- Reader's Comment
Woodiwiss, Michael, Gangster Capitalism: The United States and the Globalization of Organized Crime, ISBN: 0786716711 9780786716715.
"Everyone knows what organized crime is. Each year dozens of feature films, hundreds of books, and thousands of news stories explain to an eager public that organized crime is what gangsters do. Closely knit, ethnically distinct, and ruthlessly efficient, these mafias control the drugs trade, people trafficking and other serious crimes. If only states would take the threat seriously and recognize the global nature of modern organized crime, the FBI's success against the Italian mafia could be replicated throughout the world. The wicked trade in addictive drugs could be brought to a halt.
"The trouble is, as Woodiwiss demonstrates in shocking and surprising detail, what everyone knows about organized crime is pretty much completely wrong. In reality the most important figures in organized crime are employees of multinational companies, politicians and bureaucrats. Gangsters are certainly a problem, but much of their strength comes from attempts to prohibit the market for certain drugs. Even here they are minor players when compared with the intelligence and law enforcement agencies that selectively enforce prohibition and profit from it. Woodiwiss shows how respectable businessmen and revered statesmen have seized these opportunities in an orgy of fraud and illegal violence." -- Reader's Comment
Woodiwiss, Michael, The Return of Gangster Capitalism: The Global Rise of Organised Crime, ISBN: 9780745332024 0745332021.
Zimmerman, Roy, Fraud, Malpractice, Pretense, and Deception in the Medical Arts and Sciences: Index of Authors, Subjects, and Investigations, ISBN: 1559142685 9781559142687.
Zipporah Films, Titicut Follies, DVD, Frederick Wiseman (production), ISBN: 9781885918512 1885918518.
This documentary is often listed among the 100 Top Documentaries. Released in the early 70s, reviewers have suggested that it was influential in bringing about the radical change in Metal Health Policy at that time, the practical closing down of mental institutions and the release of patients into society. This policy has been a complete failure as documented in The Released also listed here.
The producer obviously plays on the emotions of the viewer. But this does not translate into artistic merit, as most reviewers seem to conclude. In fact it seems that the objective was to elicit sympathy from a naive public for the plight of the "criminally insane," the "mentally ill," the demoniac. Only someone who has never been a psych nurse or lived with "mentally ill" neighbors could interpret their treatment in this documentary as harsh or cruel. In fact, the patient's incompetence in human relationships makes them impossible to deal with.
"The film is a stark and graphic portrayal of the conditions that existed at the State Prison for the Criminally Insane at Bridgewater, Massachusetts. TITICUT FOLLIES documents the various ways the inmates are treated by the guards, social workers and psychiatrists."
See also: The pharmaceutical industry, big pharma, Prescription drugs with dangers, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Generic drugs, Depression, Stress, Hypothyroidism, Correct diagnosis, The limits of modern medicine, The failure of the american medical system, Vaccinations, What your doctor may not tell you, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Healthcare reform, Medical bill auditing and mediation, Toleration, Liberty of Conscience, Pluralism, and Neutrality, Healthcare horror stories, Extortion, Conspiracy, corruption, organized crime, Bribery, The veterans administration, Appendix c: psychology and psychiatry, Meltdown: the depression of 2008, The government role of punishing wrongdoers, Bribery, Lying and deceit, self-deceit, Sin and its consequences, Public health, Abortion and the sanctity of life, The aged, State sovereignty and corporate immunity: reform of corporations, Statism (hellenic thought), institutionalism, and corporatism, National establishment of religion: establishmentarianism, Toleration and liberty of conscience, Oaths, secret societies and ungodly alliance, Emotions and health, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death, Sexual relationship, Spiritual adultery (spiritual whoredom/harlotry), Idolatry, syncretism, Sexual wholeness, Soul-violence, The sovereignty of god, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), The inspiration and infallibility of scripture (the doctrine of revelation, the doctrine of plenary inspiration, the doctrine of divine inspiration, the doctrine of verbal inspiration, theopneustia, sufficiency of scripture), Epistemology, Repentance the key to salvation and change, The covenant faithfulness of god, Covenant theology and covenanting, Bible magistracy turns back the wrath of god, The doctrine of the lesser magistrates, Systematic theology, The ten commandments: the moral law, The words of christ, Words of christ appearing in the web edition of biblical counsel: resources for renewal, The westminster standards, The larger catechism (also commentaries on the larger catechism), Conscience, casuistry, cases of conscience, Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, The westminster standards, Logic based on god's truth, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Christian character, Justice, the theology of judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord, Leniency, Christianity in the workplace, Reform of the church, Unity and uniformity in the visible church: unity in the truth, Resolutions, The right to petition, Referendum votes, Prevention of disease, Nutrition, nutriceuticals, Patient advocacy, Public health, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Vaccination, The aged, and so forth, and so on.
TCRB5: 481, 1337, 1338, 1975-1985, 2148, 2527, 2798, 3054, 3077-3080, 3737, 4127, 4177
MGTP: Ethics
American Academy of Medical Administrators Code of Ethics
http://www.aameda.org/AboutAAMA/codeofethics.html
American Academy of Physician Assistants
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Academy_of_Physician_Assistants
American Bar Association Black Letter Guidelines for the Evaluation of Judicial Performance
http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/jd/lawyersconf/performanceresource/guidelines/ABABlackLetterGuidelinesforJudicialPerformanceEvaluation.authcheckdam.pdf
American Bar Association Judicial Performance Resources
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/judicial/conferences/lawyers_conference/resources/judicial_performance_resources.html
American Health Care Earns "D" Grade, October 1, 2009
"As American legislators debate the overhaul of our health care system, they may want to check the most recent report card. The Conference Board of Canada has been issuing health care report cards since 1996. This year Canada earned a B based on objective criteria such as life expectancy, infant mortality, and deaths from cancer. The United States placed last out of the 16 developed countries considered in the report and earned a D."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/10/01/american-health-care-earns-d-grade/
The American Iatrogenic Association
"The American Iatrogenic Association is devoted to the study and reporting of medical errors that lead to disease and death.
"We urge everyone to join opposition to government control and funding of health care. The only way to maximize medical safety is to increase consumer power through free markets, not to make physicians agents of the state." -- Nicolas Martin, Executive Director, American Iatrogenic Association
http://www.iatrogenic.org/ (broken link January 18, 2012)
American Institute for Technology and Science Education
"We are a consortium of scientists, engineers, physicians, and professionals from other disciplines working together to improve science education and increase scientific integrity, thereby unleashing a new era of scientific discovery. We offer clear, reliable, and balanced education with the goal of liberating science and technology from ideology, politics and the illusion of consensus. Our programs advance honest, ethical, and beneficial scientific progress that is responsive to the real needs of present and future generations."
http://www.americaninstitutetechnologyscienceeducation.com/
American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Medical Ethics
"The medical profession has long subscribed to a body of ethical statements developed primarily for the benefit of the patient. As a member of this profession, a physician must recognize responsibility to patients first and foremost, as well as to society, to other health professionals, and to self. The following Principles adopted by the American Medical Association are not laws, but standards of conduct which define the essentials of honorable behavior for the physician."
https://www.ama-assn.org/search?search=Code+of+Medical+Ethics
Analysis: Who Profits From Steep Medical Bills? The People Tasked With Fixing Them -- Kaiser Health News
"Surprise bills are just the latest weapons in a decades-long war among health care industry players over who gets to keep the fortunes generated each year from patient illness: $3.6 trillion in 2018. The practice is an outrage. . . . Major sectors of the health industry have helped to invent this toxic phenomenon, and none of them want to solve it if it means their particular income stream takes a hit. And they have allies in the Capitol.
"That explains why Trump's executive order, issued last year, hasn't resulted in real change. Why bipartisan congressional legislation supported by both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Health Committee to shield Americans from surprise medical bills has gone nowhere. And why surprise billing provisions were left out of the end-of-year spending bill in December, which did include major tax relief for many parts of the health care industry."
https://apple.news/AerA8X_NWQxmKkWEnw3oDQg
Annual Causes of Death in the United States
http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30
Are you Furious you Will be Misdiagnosed? You Should be
"The new report from the IOM suggests that virtually every American will experience a diagnostic error at some point. The respected medical experts estimate that mistakes in diagnosis cause up to 17 percent of hospital complications."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/09/24/are-your-furious-you-will-be-misdiagnosed-you-should-be/
Are you mad as Hell About Medical Mistakes? If not, why not? September 30, 2013
"What if the cure was indeed deadlier than the disease? A new analysis published in the Journal of Patient Safety suggests that as many as 440,000 hospital patients die each year from preventable harm."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/09/30/are-you-mad-as-hell-about-medical-mistakes-if-not-why-not-1/
The art of Diagnosis, November 24, 2012
"Has medicine become too focused on quantitative measures and standardization? Find out how over-reliance on high technology might be reversed and whether the culture of bedside medicine can be revived. "
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/11/24/881-the-art-of-diagnosis/
As Hospitals Post Price Lists, Consumers are Asked to Check up on Them, June 1, 2015
"With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their 'list' prices online. But it's not yet clear how many are doing it, even as the government has taken the rare step of asking consumers to monitor hospital compliance."
https://khn.org/news/as-hospitals-post-price-lists-consumers-are-asked-to-check-up-on-them/
Attorneys for VA Medical Misdiagnosis
http://www.govtclaim.com/
Average ER Wait Time Increases to one (1) Hour. In Last ten Years Time has Increased 32 Percent Because of More Visits to Emergency Room
The CBS Evening News, August 6, 2008, included a story based on this Associated Press release. CBS coverage included comments by their Medical Correspondent. He said overcrowding and longer waits are affecting emergency care for all segments of the population, and the crisis probably will finally force Healthcare Reform in the United States. Increased use of Emergency Rooms is due in part to uninsured patients who can not get a doctors appointment, who have postponed care until their situation is critical, or who are too poor to pay for emergency care. This makes operating Emergency Rooms unprofitable, and some hospitals are closing theirs, thus aggravating the crisis.
"(AP) The average time that hospital emergency rooms patients wait to see a doctor has grown from about 38 minutes to almost an hour over the past decade, according to new federal statistics released Wednesday.
"The increase is due to supply and demand, said Dr. Stephen Pitts, the lead author of the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
" 'There are more people arriving at the ERs. And there are fewer ERs,' said Pitts, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Atlanta's Emory University.
"Overall, about 119 million visits were made to U.S. emergency rooms in 2006, up from 90 million in 1996 -- a 32 percent increase."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/06/health/main4325466.shtml?source=search_story
Big Tech's Enormous Access to Patients' Health Data
"It's not just Google -- Amazon, IBM and Microsoft have also struck deals with hospitals across the country to gain access to patient data, The Wall Street Journal reports.
"Why it matters: It reveals just how expansive the relationship between tech companies and hospitals has become -- and lawmakers have taken notice.
https://www.axios.com/big-tech-patient-health-data-access-a2fa879d-967e-459e-ab52-978c9124c762.html
Biopsy Billing Markups: Justifiable or Abusive? Jane Antonio, May 11, 2014
"While doctors may pay a lab $40 to process and diagnose a biopsy, for example, they may bill patients or payers up to four times the lab rate for the test using anatomic pathology codes (usually 88305), The Pathology Blawg reported. This practice has lined referring physicians' pockets while contributing to what's been called the "Walmartization" of lab chains. . . .
Some physicians -- including dermatologists, gynecologists, gastroenterologists and family medicine specialists -- rely on lab service markups to compensate for Medicare payment cuts, The Post-Dispatch reported. . . .
"But Medicare, Medicaid and six states prohibit biopsy markups. And the American Medical Association discourages the practice, saying in its code of ethics that "a physician should not charge for a markup, commission or profit on the services rendered by others," the article noted."
http://www.fiercehealthpayer.com/antifraud/story/biopsy-billing-markups-justifiable-or-abusive/2014-05-11
Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills are Killing us, Steven Brill, March 04, 2013
"We now spend 20 percent of our GDP -- an estimated $2.8 trillion for 2013 -- on healthcare. It's time to cut through the policy debate and follow the money. A special report on why our medical bills are so expensive."
http://healthland.time.com/why-medical-bills-are-killing-us/
Brainwashed Brits Happy with Disastrous Health Care
"Why do the British people believe their health care is the 'envy of the world?' On this week's Delingpole, James lets you know how complicit the media are in promoting this propaganda and groupthink on the British people -- and how there are similarities in America."
https://www.breitbart.com/podcast/2018/07/12/brainwashed-brits-happy-health-care/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social
*Bridging the Great Health Divide, a DVD
"In the documentary, the national investigative team explores shortcomings and gaps in access to healthcare and looks at what has happened in towns where the local hospital recently closed.
"The team also looks to hold policymakers accountable, questioning why a law passed seven years ago meant to help low-income people access more choices for nutritious food is still not implemented.
"The documentary aims to shine a light on communities that need help, as well as share ideas from people who are innovating in places facing challenges.
"People featured in the documentary wanted to share their stories with the country to let people outside their towns know about the realities they face and sometimes conquer. But they all say the fight to bridge the great health divide will require more help." -- Publisher
https://www.greathealthdivide.com/
California Medicaid Enrollment Total Outpaces Population of 44 States, February 17, 2017
"New statistics released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Census Bureau reveal Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment totals in California exceed the total populations of 44 of the other states."
http://dennismichaellynch.com/california-medicaid-enrollment-total-outpaces-population-44-states/
The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS)
"The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality and cost effectiveness of publicly financed health care for people with chronic health needs, the elderly, and racially and ethnically diverse populations. CHCS works with state and federal agencies, health plans, providers, and consumers to design programs that better serve high-need and high-cost populations."
http://www.chcs.org/
CEO Pay: Healthy pay for Health Care CEOs, May 27, 2014
"Health care tops other industries for highest median CEO pay, again.
"Here's a look at median CEO pay by industry last year, as calculated by executive pay research firm Equilar and The Associated Press. For the fifth time in six years, health care CEOs got the most pay while CEOs at utility companies got the least.
"Health care: $12.3 million, up 13 percent
"Financial: $12 million, up 22 percent"
http://news.yahoo.com/ceo-pay-healthy-pay-health-071116429.html
Christmas and Medicine
Understanding what "Christmas" is grounded upon, the basic tenets of Christianity, and how those tenets should advise healthcare practice.
In his message Dr. Qureshi says, "We need to be willing to touch the suffering world -- even willing to risk death."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOjRNwB_JrQ
ClassAction.org
"This is ClassAction.org's current list of open lawsuits and investigations. The goal of this section is to provide consumers with a comprehensive resource on class action and mass tort lawsuits. Attorneys are either actively filing these cases or investigating to determine whether lawsuits can be filed. The list is updated frequently, so check back soon for updates."
https://www.classaction.org/
Clear Health Costs
"Rising health care costs are one of the biggest problems we face as a nation. We're journalists working to bring transparency to the system by telling people what stuff costs. Find prices, research issues, and share your prices on our site."
https://clearhealthcosts.com/
The Closing of the American Mind
"The state often claims to keep its citizens safe, when it is actually inhibiting increased individual well-being. See, for example, the FDA's astronomically expensive and time-consuming drug-approval process, which University of Chicago professor Sam Peltzman argues has caused 'more sickness and death than it prevented.' These kinds of harmful barriers to life-enhancing advances exist at every level of government."
https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Peltzman-Lecture.pdf
The Coming Doctor Shortage, Michael D. Tipsword, March 2016
"Graduates from medical schools have to go through a year-long residency to obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine in many jurisdictions. Most residencies are funded by Medicare in the U.S. and there have been very few increases in the amount funded since Congress froze the number in 1997 as part of the Balanced Budget Act."
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/the-coming-doctor-shortage/article/2584103
Community-Centered Medical Practice, May 18, 2013
"Healthcare today is in flux, with fewer and fewer physicians feeling they have enough time to spend with their patients, and few patients feeling that they are getting real personal attention and care from their doctors. Years ago, Dr. Pamela Wible decided she was through with factory medicine and asked her community what they wanted from her as their family physician. She implemented their suggestions in her Eugene, Oregon, clinic and advocates for other clinicians who want to invite their communities to help design their practices."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/05/18/904-community-centered-medical-practice/
Consumer Reports
"Attempt to have a chemical analysis done on a food supplement, grocery item, or produce purchased in a local store. It will be found that commercial chemical testing laboratories will not accept orders from an individual. Orders are only accepted from producers, manufacturers, and distributors. No checks and balances from outside the business sphere presents a tremendous conflict of interest.
"Consumer Lab seems to be the only organization on the side of the consumer." -- compiler
"Our Mission: To identify the best quality health and nutritional products through independent testing."
A subscription service that gives test results for typical consumer food supplements etc. Reviews of over 1,000 products.
http://www.consumerlab.com/
Consumer Reports Best buy Drugs
"Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs is a free public education service from the nonprofit Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. Millions of Americans trust Consumer Reports to provide expert, independent information about products and services, and to help them save money.
"The information on the website can help you learn about more affordable drug treatment options to discuss with your physician. Consumers Union works with respected doctors and pharmacists to compare drugs and point you to those that are proven to work based on current scientific evidence. In concise, easy-to-read reports, they tell you what you need to know about the effectiveness, safety and cost of many widely used prescription drugs.
"Consumers Union accepts no outside advertising and no free test samples. It has no agenda other than to promote and protect the interests of consumers. Consumers Union's revenue comes from the sale of information products and services, individual contributions, and a few educational grants. Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs is funded largely from such grants.
"Consumers Union is governed by a board of 18 directors who are elected by CU members and meet three times a year."
http://www.crbestbuydrugs.org/
Creating Dream Hospitals, June 18, 2011
"An existing network of hospitals puts patients first as its top priority. Listen to Susan Frampton, Ph.D., president of Planetree, as she explains how patient-centered care works."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/18/818-creating-dream-hospitals/
Dangerous Superbugs Kill More People Than Previously Thought
"More than 35,000 people die each year from drug-resistant infections, and millions more are sickened.
"One is a type of yeast, called Candida auris, which causes fungal infections. Another is the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the cause of gonorrhea.
"Two groups of bacteria are also on the list: Acinetobacter, which is commonly found in soil and water and can cause infections in blood, the urinary tract, and the lungs, or in open wounds; and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE. This group includes E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
"The last is Clostridioides difficile, commonly called C. diff. Though these bacteria aren't as drug-resistant as the other organisms listed, the infection can cause deadly diarrhea. When researchers included deaths associated with C. diff in the report, yearly superbug deaths in the U.S. rose by 13,000, to 48,000 deaths."
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/dangerous-superbugs-kill-more-people-previously-thought-n1081086
Depressing Facts About the Healthcare System That Will Make you beg for Reform, Gus Lubin and Gregory White, Jun. 22, 2011
"If the U.S. healthcare system was a country, it would be the 6th largest economy in the entire world."
http://www.businessinsider.com/depressing-facts-about-healthcare-system-2011-6?op=1#sthash.IM5jH9K2.dHr3KOoQ.dpuf
Diagnosing our Health Care Woes, Ron Paul
"It's time to rethink the whole system of HMOs and managed care. This entire unnecessary level of corporatism rakes off profits and worsens the quality of care. But HMOs did not arise in the free market; they are creatures of government interference in health care dating to the 1970s. These non-market institutions have gained control over medical care through collusion between organized medicine, politicians, and drug companies, in an effort to move America toward 'free' universal health care.
"One big problem arises from the 1974 ERISA law, which grants tax benefits to employers for providing health care, while not allowing similar incentives for individuals. This results in the illogical coupling between employment and health insurance. As such, government removed the market incentive for health insurance companies to cater to the actual healthcare consumer. As a greater amount of government and corporate money has been used to pay medical bills, costs have risen artificially out of the range of most individuals.
"As government bureaucracy continues to give preferences and protections to HMOs and trial lawyers, it will be the patients who lose, despite the glowing rhetoric from the special interests in Washington. Patients will pay ever rising prices and receive declining care while doctors continue to leave the profession in droves."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul345.html
Direct Primary Care can Advance Healthcare Freedom, Amanda Bowers, July 13, 2021
"As the health freedom movement grows, Direct Primary Care is a system that allows for more comprehensive, compassionate, and affordable care.
"Direct Primary Care is a growing alternative health plan that allows patients to pay their physicians directly for a specific set of services, usually through a membership system. This eliminates third-party billing and takes insurance companies out of the loop. The patient pays a flat monthly fee, with zero copays, and potentially large discounts on medication and labs. In June, at the Medical Freedom Summit hosted by the Mises Institute, Pediatrician Adam Wheeler explained Direct Primary Care and some of its benefits."
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2021/07/direct-primary-care-can-advance-healthcare-freedom/
Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Advice for Avoiding Medical Mistakes
"Patient vigilance is critical in avoiding medical mistakes, which are an important source of healthcare harm."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/08/20/dr-sanjay-guptas-advice-for-avoiding-medical-mistakes/
Dollars for Profs -- Federally Funded Health Researchers Disclose at Least $188 Million in Conflicts of Interest. Can you Trust Their Findings? David Armstrong and Annie Waldman (2019)
"A National Institutes of Health database, which we're making public for the first time, shows that researchers have reported more than 8,000 'significant' financial conflicts, potentially influencing their work.
"The database of disclosures reported to the National Institutes of Health, which has not been made public before, details the financial relationships of researchers at universities, hospitals and nonprofit organizations. These outside interests range from stock holdings in companies that may benefit from the outcome of research to payments for royalties, consulting work and speaking engagements. The total value of the conflicts is likely much higher than $188 million, in part because 44 percent of the disclosures did not place a dollar value on the investigator's financial relationship."
https://www.propublica.org/article/federally-funded-health-researchers-disclose-at-least-188-million-in-conflicts-of-interest-can-you-trust-their-findings
Drug Company Payments to Doctors Must be Revealed, January 18, 2012
"Under new Federal guidelines, drug companies will soon be required to reveal payments to doctors. According to an investigation by The New York Times, about two-thirds of all U.S. physicians accept dinners for themselves or lunch for their staffs. Approximately 25 percent of doctors actually get financial payments from drug and device manufacturers.
"There is concern that such financial relationships alter the practice of medicine because they create a conflict of interest. The reports of payments were scheduled to start last fall, but the public now has until mid-February to comment on the proposals. Under the rules, drug companies will be fined for failing to report payments and corporate leadership may be liable if they knowingly sign off on false reports. The Congressional Budget Office hopes that such transparency will eventually reduce over prescribing and excessive spending. [New York Times, Jan. 16, 2012]"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/01/18/drug-company-payments-to-doctors-must-be-revealed/
Drug Shortages Lead to Price Gouging, August 28, 2011
[Could current shortage of critical drugs be the pharmaceutical giants way of dealing with loss of income due to Congress's acts on generic drugs? -- compiler]
"Hospital pharmacists are getting desperate. They are being forced to devote precious time to hunting down scarce supplies of critical medications. That's because drug shortages are increasing nationwide.
"Since 2006 the number of medicines that have become hard to find in any given year has tripled. The FDA has reported that over the last year nearly 200 drugs have been unavailable or in limited supply. That means that sometimes patients undergoing surgery will have procedures delayed. Less effective or far more expensive treatments may need to be substituted. . . .
"Why would a company stop making a pharmaceutical it has made for years? Sometimes the answer is pure profit. There may not be enough incentive to continue with a generic drug that is sold for a low price. . . .
"Generic drug companies should recognize that putting profit ahead of patients' lives is a black mark on the industry. . . ."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/08/28/drug-shortages-lead-to-price-gouging/
Drug Testing Scandal at FDA, April 18, 2013
"The FDA has come under fire in a report from ProPublica, an independent group of investigative journalists. A whistle-blower at a large research laboratory tipped the agency off to fraudulent data manipulation.
"Over 100 drugs were involved, many of them generics. The fudging of data lasted from 2005 till 2009 and was characterized as egregious by the FDA investigators. . . . no list of affected drugs is available."
http://www.propublica.org/article/fda-let-drugs-approved-on-fraudulent-research-stay-on-the-market
Electronic Medical Records, Burnout, and 'Man's 4th Best Hospital,' Judy Stone
"Graduating from medical school in 1978, I started my hellish internship while reading Samuel Shem's classic, THE HOUSE OF G-D, a scathing indictment of medical education and the mercenary incentives in patient care. I found it shocking, crude at times and disillusioning -- but at its core, absolutely correct about what was happening in medicine that was so wrong.
"Thus it seems fitting that I received a review copy of Shem's new book, MAN'S 4TH BEST HOSPITAL, as my medical career is coming to a close. Once again, Shem nails where medical care has lost its way. Physician 'burnout' and dissatisfaction are increasing in step with patients' unhappiness.
"Much of the blame can be attributed to two things -- corporate greed and electronic medical records, which are like conjoined twins. There's no small irony that this is what is forcing many experienced physicians, like myself, out of practice prematurely, contributing to a waste of both talent and experience that is needless and costly."
https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2019/11/12/electronic-medical-records-burnout-and-mans-4th-best-hospital/#6e1e06861099
Ethics Codes and Practice Guidelines for Assessment, Therapy, Counseling, and Forensic Practice
"This page presents links to therapy, counseling, forensic, and related ethics (and practice), codes developed by professional organizations (e.g., of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, marriage and family counselors). Codes are listed only if they appear online.
"Links to related resources are listed at the end."
http://kspope.com/ethcodes/index.php
Examination of Nondisclosure Agreements in Medical Malpractice Settlements, May 13, 2015
"The authors found that during the five years of the study, the University of Texas System closed 715 malpractice claims and paid 150 settlements. In the 124 cases that met the study selection criteria, the average compensation paid by the university was $185,372. A total of 110 settlement agreements (88.7 percent) included nondisclosure provisions."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/293760.php
Fallacy Files
http://www.fallacyfiles.org/
FDA Report Disappoints. Points to the Unreliability and Even Danger of Chinese Manufactured Generic Drugs, April 22, 2008
"The only problem with this otherwise rosy picture is that everything depends upon the FDA's vigilance to ensure that all generic drugs are indeed identical to their brand-name counterparts. Over the last several years, we have begun to doubt the government's ability to do this job adequately."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/joe_and_terrys_blog/fda_report_disappoints_.php
Federal Funding for Mental Health Screening of Kids, Rep. Ron Paul, MD.
"Certainly there are legitimate organic mental illnesses, but that does not mean it is the role of government to subject every child to arbitrary screening without the consent of parents. Most Americans still understand that certain things are none of the government's business, even if Congress does not. If you are a parent, do everything you can to protect your children by demanding to be notified of any screening program in their schools. As a voter, let your state and federal legislators know that you don't want tax dollars spent on mental health screening programs. If we act now, we still can prevent the federal government from creating a nationwide, mandatory program that will place millions of American youngsters into a stigmatized, drugged, mental health ghetto."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul258.html
*To fix Healthcare, we Need to Repeal a lot More Than Obamacare, July 2017
"However, it wasn't until the 1960s that a real crisis began to appear on the horizon. As noted in Mike Holly's article 'How Government Regulations Made Healthcare so Expensive:' 'The U.S. health care "cost crisis" didn't start until 1965. The government increased demand with the passage of Medicare and Medicaid while restricting the supply of doctors and hospitals. Health care prices responded at twice the rate of inflation.' Now, the U.S. is repeating the same mistakes with the unveiling of Obamacare (a.k.a. 'Medicare and Medicaid for the middle class').
"This artificially inflated demand was then heaped on top of efforts that were already in place to restrict supply. Holly continues:
Since the early 1900s, medical special interests have been lobbying politicians to reduce competition. By the 1980s, the U.S. was restricting the supply of physicians, hospitals, insurance and pharmaceuticals, while subsidizing demand. Since then, the U.S. has been trying to control high costs by moving toward something perhaps best described by the House Budget Committee: "In too many areas of the economy -- especially energy, housing, finance, and health care -- free enterprise has given way to government control in 'partnership' with a few large or politically well-connected companies."So, we have for many years faced a situation in which the government works to subsidize healthcare -- thus increasing demand -- while simultaneously reducing supply. And yet, these efforts at regulating the industry, picking winners and losers, and enhancing monopoly powers have become to entrenched in the industry, we don't even notice them anymore. They now seem natural. Some might even conclude they're the result of natural market behavior."
Flying Lessons for Healthcare, June 29, 2013
"Preventable errors kill far too many people in our nation's hospitals, clinics and nursing homes. We would never tolerate such a toll in any other arena. Why is it so hard to change the culture of healthcare to put patients' safety first?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/29/909-flying-lessons-for-healthcare/
For Federal Employees, it's Almost Impossible to get Fired
"The ultimate job security, it seems, comes from working for the U.S. government. As one Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found, 'it can take six months to a year (and sometimes significantly longer) to dismiss an employee,' with an average timeline of 243 days in 2013. And that's if a firing occurs at all: A federal worker's chance of being fired in a given year is just one in 500.
"These lengthy firing processes can be at work even in cases of egregious misconduct. For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expects to take at least 270 days to fire a nurse who operated on a veteran after chugging as many as five beers at a casino."
http://theweek.com/speedreads/610139/federal-employees-almost-impossible-fired
For many in medical debt, a trip to the emergency room leads to the courtroom, The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/the-follow-up-appointment/2019/08/17/1be5ded6-b936-11e9-a091-6a96e67d9cce_story.html
From 'Soak the Rich' to 'Soak the Poor:' Recent Trends in Hospital Pricing, Gerard F. Anderson, Health Affairs, 26, no. 3 (May-June, 2007): 780-789
"In 2004, the rates charged to many uninsured and other 'self-pay' patients for hospital services were often 2.5 times what most health insurers actually paid and more than three times the hospital's Medicare-allowable costs. The gaps between rates charged to self-pay patients and those charged to other payers are much wider than they were in the mid-1980s, and they make it increasingly more difficult for some patients, especially the uninsured, to pay their hospital bills. This has triggered lawsuits and some recent government efforts involving price transparency. Three specific policy options that could lower the markups are a voluntary effort by hospitals, litigation, and legislation."
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/3/780
Functional Illiteracy
"Functional illiteracy is a term used to describe reading and writing skills that are inadequate 'to manage daily living and employment tasks that require reading skills beyond a basic level.' Functional illiteracy is contrasted with illiteracy in the strict sense, meaning the inability to read or write simple sentences in any language. . . .
"Links with poverty and crime
"In developed countries, the level of functional literacy of an individual is proportional to his/her income level and risk of committing crime. For example, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics in the United States:
"According to BeginToRead.com:Over 60 percent of adults in the U.S. Prison System read at or below the fourth grade level
85 percent of U.S. juvenile inmates are functionally illiterate.
Adult inmates who received educational services while in prison had a 16 percent chance of returning to prison, as opposed to 70 percent for those who received no instruction. [this statistic not in citation given -- compiler]
43 percent of adults at the lowest level of literacy lived below the poverty line, as opposed to 4 percent of those with the highest levels of literacy.
"The National Center for Education Statistics provides more detail. Literacy is broken down into three parameters: prose, document, and quantitative literacy. Each parameter has four levels: below basic, basic, intermediate, and proficient. For prose literacy, for example, a below basic level of literacy means that a person can look at a short piece of text to get a small piece of uncomplicated information, while a person who is below basic in quantitative literacy would be able to do simple addition. In the US, 14 percent of the adult population is at the 'below basic' level for prose literacy; 12 percent are at the 'below basic' level for document literacy; and 22 percent are at that level for quantitative literacy. Only 13 percent of the population is proficient in these three areas -- able to compare viewpoints in two editorials; interpret a table about blood pressure, age, and physical activity; or compute and compare the cost per ounce of food items."Two thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare.
Three out of four individuals who receive food stamps read on the two lowest levels of literacy.
16 to 19 year old girls at the poverty level and below, with below average skills, are 6 times more likely to have out-of-wedlock children than their reading counterparts. . . .
Get This Wrong and at Best you go Bankrupt
"You may have read some of these shocking statistics:
"The website for the Social Security Administration tells us this:Between 2000 and 2006, wages in the United States increased by 3.8 percent, but healthcare premiums increased by 87 percent.[1] If the U.S. healthcare system was a country, it would be the 6th largest economy in the entire world.[2] In 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid. Today, one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid.[3] It is being projected that ObamaCare will add 16 million more Americans to the Medicaid rolls.[4]
"Many of us struggle to comprehend the sheer magnitude of the state's role as primary caregiver. I know I do. The civil government's role starts when someone is in the womb and extends beyond their death. The state finances pregnancy, delivery into the world, education through adulthood, elderly care, allocation of inheritance, and a host of areas in between. Think about it. It is quite literally 'pre-cradle to post-grave'."In 2013, almost 58 million Americans will receive $816 billion in Social Security benefits.[5] Nine out of ten individuals age 65 and older receive Social Security benefits.[6]
Social Security provided at least half the income for 64 percent of the aged beneficiaries in 2011.[7]
Greed and Fraud vs. Medicare: A few Changes Could Roll Back Abuse
"No one knows for sure how much of that is embezzled. But the best estimate came out in 2012, when Donald Berwick, a former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Andrew Hackbarth of the RAND Corporation, calculated that fraud -- and the extra rules and inspections required to fight it -- added as much as $98 billion, or roughly 10 percent, to annual Medicare and Medicaid spending, and up to $272 billion across the entire health system.
"The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that in 2014, $60 billion of American taxpayer money, or more than 10 percent of Medicare's total budget, was lost to fraud, waste, abuse and improper payments. . . .
"Under a 'pay-and-chase' policy for payment, the government pays out claims first and asks questions later, after the money has already been spent. So Medicare continues to have no way of approving transactions before paying providers. The program also lacks the ability to electronically confirm when a patient actually receives care.
"Under the Obama administration, Medicare instituted a Fraud Prevention System that uses predictive analytics to identify troublesome billing patterns and outlier claims for action, similar to systems used by credit card companies. The agency has found $820 million in improper Medicare payments in the first three years. But there's still the issue of how to recover the money, which has already been paid out."
Happy Birthday to Great Britain's Increasingly Scandalous National Health Service, July 5, 2013
"Despite its much heralded presence in Britain's healthcare, the problems of the NHS are severe, notorious, and increasingly scandalous in the most fundamental attributes of any healthcare system: access and quality."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottatlas/2013/07/05/happy-birthday-to-great-britains-increasingly-scandalous-national-health-service/
Has the Court Made Generic Drugs too Risky? June 26, 2013
"On June 24th, in a 5 to 4 vote, the court determined that patients have very little right to sue generic drug companies for damages caused by their products. In this case a New Hampshire woman, Karen Bartlett, took a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) pain drug prescribed by her doctor. The medication, called sulindac, was once sold only by Merck under the brand name Clinoril. It was first approved by the FDA in 1978 and became available as a generic in the early 1990s."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/26/has-the-court-made-generic-drugs-too-risky/
A Health Care Plan so Simple, Even a Republican can Understand! March 29, 2017
"Right now, there's no free market because insurance is insanely regulated not only by ObamaCare, but also by the most corrupt organizations in America: state insurance commissions. (I'm talking to you, New York!)"
http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2017-03-29.html#read_more
Healthcare Costs in America, Rabah Kamal and Cynthia Cox, Kaiser Family Foundation, May 8, 2018
"How do healthcare prices and use in the U.S. compare to other countries?" [Healthcare costs in American are seven times as high as in Cuba with similar outcomes according to the UN. -- compiler.]
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/how-do-healthcare-prices-and-use-in-the-u-s-compare-to-other-countries/#item-start
Health Fraud
"Health care scams cost Americans billions of dollars each year. Taxpayer-funded programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and others are among the biggest victims. This makes healthcare fraud one of America's largest taxpayer rip-offs.
"Organized crime rings hatch many schemes. Hospital chains, individual employees and even patients also can be involved -- as victims or perpetrators.
"The scams, Real-life fraud cases, The price you pay, Fight back.
http://www.badfaithinsurance.org/reference/HL/0025a.htm
Health Insurance Profits Soar as Industry Mergers Create Near-Monopoly, Mike Hall, May 27, 2009
"Profits at 10 of the country's largest publicly traded health insurance companies rose 428 percent from 2000 to 2007, while consumers paid more for less coverage. One of the major reasons, according to a new study, is the growing lack of competition in the private health insurance industry that has led to near monopoly conditions in many markets.
"The report says such conditions warrant a Justice Department investigation and, says Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), provide compelling evidence of the need for a public health insurance plan option as part of the healthcare reform initiative President Obama and Congress are developing.
"According to the recently released HCAN report, Premiums Soaring in Consolidated Health Insurance Market:
In the past 13 years, more than 400 corporate mergers have involved health insurers, and a small number of companies now dominate local markets but haven't delivered on promises of increased efficiency. According to the American Medical Association, 94 percent of insurance markets in the United States are now highly concentrated, and insurers are thriving in the anti-competitive marketplace, raking in enormous profits and paying out huge CEO salaries."In a letter to the Department of Justice's Anti-Trust Division, Richard Kirsch, HCAN national campaign manager, and David Balto, former policy director of the Federal Trade Commission and now senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, write:
Simply put, the private insurance companies have secured monopolies or tight oligopolies and exercised that power to put profits ahead of patients. There were no actions taken against anticompetitive conduct by health insurers in the last administration, in spite of the fact that cases by state attorneys general have secured massive fines against these insurers. A lack of antitrust enforcement has enabled insurers to acquire dominant positions in almost every metropolitan market."They ask for an investigation of the already consummated mergers that harm competition or create an anticompetitive market structure. They also urge the Justice Department to conduct investigations of anticompetitive conduct by dominant insurance companies and challenge that conduct where appropriate."
Health Affairs Magazine
http://www.healthaffairs.org/
Healing Teeth Naturally
"There are a number of fundamental flaws and problems with the dental paradigm of drilling and filling as shown in the following (not necessarily exhaustive) list of the damage done or potentially done by these apparently self-evident everyday acts (and yes, such damage can include . . . death).
"Last but far from least -- dentists' diagnoses far more often than not are wrong. See: "Ten Dentists -- Ten Diagnoses: Studies Into Misdiagnoses or the Quality, Honesty and Reproducibility of Dentists' Treatment Plans," and "Your Dentist's Treatment Plan and Diagnosis. . . Honest and Reproducible or Influenced by Financial Interests? Further Research Into Honesty and Quality of Dentists' Treatment Decisions."
http://www.healingteethnaturally.com/drilling-filling-risks-damages-dangers.html
*Healthcare Finance in the United States
"U.S. healthcare costs in 2015 were 16.9 percent GDP according to the OECD, over 5 percent GDP higher than the next most expensive OECD country. With U.S. GDP of $19 trillion, healthcare costs were about $3.2 trillion, or about $10,000 per person in a country of 320 million people. A gap of 5 percent GDP represents $1 trillion, about $3,000 per person relative to the next most expensive country. In other words, the U.S. would have to cut healthcare costs by roughly one-third to be competitive with the next most expensive country.
"Journalist Todd Hixon reported on a study that U.S. spending on physicians per person is about five times higher than peer countries, $1,600 versus $310, as much as 37 percent of the gap with other countries. This was driven by a greater use of specialist doctors, who charge 3-6 times more in the U.S. than in peer countries. [Hixon, Todd. "Why are U.S. Health Care Costs so High?" -- forbes.com.]"
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_finance_in_the_United_States
Health Care Hitman: Peter Rost, April 24, 2008
"Guest: Peter Rost, MD, former vice-president of Pfizer. Author of WHISTLE-BLOWER: CONFESSIONS OF A HEALTH CARE HITMAN and a novel, KILLER DRUG. His blog is: http://peterrost.blogspot.com/"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/677_health_care_hitman_peter_rost.php
The Hidden Costs of Health Care, August 10, 2013
"How do hospitals determine what to charge for their services? Steven Brill, author of a stunning exposé in Time magazine called "Bitter Pill," suggests there is very little rhyme or reason beyond what the market will bear. Under the current system, those who are least able to pay (the uninsured), end up being charged the most."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/08/10/913-the-hidden-costs-of-health-care/
Hippocratic Oath
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath
Hospital Errors may Occur in a Third of Admissions, Catherine Pearson, The Huffington Post, April 7, 2011.
"The new report from the journal Health Affairs looked at samples of inpatient records from three leading hospitals across the country -- all of which have made efforts to improve their overall quality and safety by investing heavily in new programs and research projects. But in spite of those efforts, researchers found that adverse events occurred in as many as one-third of all admitted patients. . . .
"Using the new method, scientists logged 345 'events' or hospital errors out of a pool of 795 records. When they evaluated the records using other methods (including local hospital reporting systems), they found only between four and 35 hospital errors. Which led them to conclude that previous estimates of hospital errors have likely been significantly off -- a fact that could derail a decade-long effort to improve hospital safety in the U.S.
"The study's authors conclude:
"Our findings indicate that two methods commonly used by most care delivery organizations . . . fail to detect more than 90 percent of the adverse events that occur among hospitalized patients. Reliance on such methods could produce misleading conclusions about safety in the U.S. healthcare system and could misdirect patient safety improvement efforts."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/07/hospital-errors-may-occur_n_846077.html
Hospitals put Pharmacists in the ER to cut Medication Errors, Lauren Silverman, June 09, 2014
"In the emergency department at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, pharmacists who specialize in emergency medicine review each medication to make sure it's the right one in the right dose.
"It's part of the hospital's efforts to cut down on medication errors and dangerous drug interactions, which contribute to more than 7,000 deaths across the country each year.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/06/09/318567633/hospitals-put-pharmacists-in-the-er-to-cut-medication-errors
How Chaos at Chain Pharmacies is Putting Patients at Risk
"Pharmacists across the U.S. warn that the push to do more with less has made medication errors more likely. 'I am a danger to the public,' one wrote to a regulator," by Ellen Gabler, January 31, 2020.
"They struggle to fill prescriptions, give flu shots, tend the drive-through, answer phones, work the register, counsel patients and call doctors and insurance companies, they said -- all the while racing to meet corporate performance metrics that they characterized as unreasonable and unsafe in an industry squeezed to do more with less.
" 'I am a danger to the public working for CVS,' one pharmacist wrote in an anonymous letter to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy in April.
" 'The amount of busywork we must do while verifying prescriptions is absolutely dangerous,' another wrote to the Pennsylvania board in February. 'Mistakes are going to be made and the patients are going to be the ones suffering'."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/health/pharmacists-medication-errors.html
How Good are Your Supplements? February 11, 2013
"Only one-third of our compounded study pills met U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention standards, which require that compounded pills contain 90 percent to 110 percent of the active ingredient."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/02/11/are-your-vitamins-supplements-up-to-snuff/
Death by a Thousand Clicks: Where Electronic Health Records Went Wrong, Erika Fry and Fred Schulte, March 18, 2019
"The U.S. government claimed that turning American medical charts into electronic records would make health care better, safer, and cheaper. Ten years and $36 billion later, the system is an unholy mess: Inside a digital revolution gone wrong. A joint investigation by Fortune and Kaiser Health News. . . .
"Kaiser Health News (KHN) and Fortune spoke with more than 100 physicians, patients, IT experts and administrators, health policy leaders, attorneys, top government officials, and representatives at more than a half-dozen EHR vendors, including the CEOs of two of the companies.
"The interviews reveal a tragic missed opportunity: Rather than an electronic ecosystem of information, the nation's thousands of EHRs largely remain a sprawling, disconnected patchwork. Moreover, the effort has handcuffed health providers to technology they mostly can't stand and has enriched and empowered the $13-billion-a-year industry that sells it.
"What the framers of that vision didn't count on were the business incentives working against it. A free exchange of information means that patients can be treated anywhere. And though they may not admit it, many health providers are loath to lose their patients to a competing doctor's office or hospital. There's a term for that lost revenue: 'leakage.' And keeping a tight hold on patients' medical records is one way to prevent it."
http://fortune.com/longform/medical-records/
How ObamaCare is Destroying Healthcare Access, Daniel J. Mitchell, April 25, 2016
"Part of me is glad the law is such a failure, but it's tragic that millions of people are suffering adverse consequences. These are folks who did nothing wrong, but now are paying more, losing employment, suffering income losses, and/or being forced to find new plans and new doctors."
https://fee.org/articles/obamacare-strikes-out-on-affordability-savings-coverage/
How to Provide Universal Health Care Using This one Weird Trick, March 1, 2017
"The first sentence of Congress' ObamaCare repeal should read: 'There shall be a free market in health insurance.'
"Right there, I've solved the health insurance crisis for 90 percent of Americans. Unfortunately, no one can imagine what a free market in health care looks like because we haven't had one for nearly a century." -- Ann Coulter
http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2017-03-01.html
How to Report Medicare Fraud
https://www.cms.gov/FraudAbuseforConsumers/02_How_to_Report_Suspected_Fraud.asp good
How "Settled Science" Helped Create a Massive Public Health Crisis
" 'The Seven Countries study had become canonical, and the fat hypothesis was enshrined in official advice,' Leslie writes. By 1980, the U.S. government issued its first Dietary Guidelines telling the country to cut back on saturated fats and cholesterol, and Americans dutifully complied.
"That's precisely when the nation's obesity rate started to skyrocket. While the obesity rate barely changed from 1960 to 1980 -- going from 13 percent to 15 percent -- over the following two decades -- 1980-2000 -- the rate jumped to 35 percent.
" 'At best, we can conclude that the official guidelines did not achieve their objective; at worse, they led to a decades-long health catastrophe,' Leslie writes."
http://www.investors.com/politics/commentary/how-settled-science-caused-a-massive-public-health-crisis/
How Socialized Medicine Kills the Patient and Robs the Taxpayer, Ron Paul
"When it comes to something as important as healthcare, the last thing anyone should want is for the entire system to become a government-run monopoly."
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/how-socialized-medicine-kills-the-patient-robs-the-taxpayer
If Medicare negotiated insulin prices like the VA, it could save billions
"As insulin becomes a poster child for the growing outcry over the cost of medicines, a new analysis suggests that Medicare could have saved $4.4 billion in 2017 for the diabetes treatment if the program negotiated the same prices as the Department of Veterans Affairs, which already bargains for discounts."
https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2020/02/03/medicare-insulin-diabetes-drug-prices/
Improving Patient Safety, September 3, 2011
"Ten years ago, the Institute of Medicine shocked the medical establishment when it published TO ERR IS HUMAN. The experts of the IOM estimated that nearly 100,000 Americans died of medical errors in hospitals every year. More studies of the problem have revealed that this may be only the tip of the iceberg."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/09/03/778-improving-patient-safety/
Inequitable Medicare reimbursements threaten care of most vulnerable, February 7, 2020
"Hospitals, doctors and Medicare Advantage insurance plans that care for some of the most vulnerable patients are not reimbursed fairly by Medicare, according to recent findings in JAMA.
"It costs more to care for patients who are frail, have dementia, are depressed or are poor. However providers that treat them and health insurance plans that provide their coverage are not paid fairly to treat these health conditions because Medicare doesn't account for them in its existing risk payment system. That system rates patients based upon how sick they are, which determines Medicare reimbursements."
https://scienmag.com/inequitable-medicare-reimbursements-threaten-care-of-most-vulnerable/
Infection Control, October 15, 2011
"More than 100,000 people die each year from infections they catch while receiving healthcare for another problem. The germs that spread in hospitals are often resistant to the antibiotics usually used to treat them. MRSA, for example, is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, ordinary bacteria that have become extremely hard to treat."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/10/15/768-infection-control/
Interview With Ron Paul 7/19/2007, Healthcare Part 2
"Republican Congressman Ron Paul has represented Texas' 14th Congressional District since 1997, and previously represented Texas's 22nd district in 1976 and from 1979 to 1985. The Congressman, who is also a physician, discusses health care issues with the Kaiser Family Foundation's Jackie Judd."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khJ6lS9utl8
Is the FDA's Definition of Safe a Lie? Joe Graedon, June 24, 2019
"Words matter! That's why we are outraged at the FDA's definition of 'safe.' The agency claims that all drugs it approves are safe, but some harm people. . . . What the FDA does not do is tell patients or health professionals what its definition of safe actually is."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/is-the-fdas-definition-of-safe-a-lie/
Is the FDA Putting Americans at Risk With Chinese Drug Imports?
"You might imagine that if the Food and Drug Administration banned a pharmaceutical company in India or China from exporting its products to the U.S. and then overturned its own ruling, the agency might test those products for quality. Au contraire. The FDA does virtually no testing itself. It relies on the companies to do their own testing or hire outside companies to audit their products. To us that seems a bit like asking the foxes to guard the henhouses."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/07/25/is-the-fda-putting-americans-at-risk-with-chinese-drug-imports/
It's Time to Stop Murder by Counterfeit Medicine, Joel G. Breman, May 7, 2019
"Each year, more than 250,000 children with malaria and pneumonia, common illnesses in poor countries, do not survive after treatment with fake and substandard drugs. While poor quality drugs targeting older individuals are also entering global markets, the World Health Organization says 'it is very difficult to quantify [their] impact'."
https://www.statnews.com/2019/05/07/stopping-murder-counterfeit-medicine/
J.D. Power and Associates -- Healthcare Division
"There is no greater asset than trusted consumer-based information. J.D. Power and Associates Healthcare Division offers managed care organizations, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies independent and unbiased research that clearly articulates their customer perceptions, intentions, and behaviors. With this valuable insight, strategic decisions can be made, valuable resources allocated, and competitors outmaneuvered."
http://www.jdpower.com/healthcare/
Landmark Report by Surgeon General Calls Drug Crisis "a moral test for America"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/landmark-report-by-surgeon-general-calls-drug-crisis-a-moral-test-for-america/2016/11/16/4214bf2a-ac49-11e6-977a-1030f822fc35_story.html
Laser Spine Institute
"We specialize in minimally invasive outpatient surgery of the spine. Our procedure is unique in that the patient is awake throughout the entire procedure and they can communicate with the surgeon. Additionally, our patients are able to walk pain free within a few hours of the surgery."
Laser Spine Institute, 3001 N Rocky Point Dr., E Tampa, Florida 33607. Tel: 813-289-9613.
http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade
https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/
Lifesaving Treatment Jumps From $220 to $4K
"In our new series, Medical Price Roulette, CBS News has teamed up with Clear Health Costs to see why Americans are paying dramatically different prices for the same medical procedures. In this installment, investigative consumer correspondent Anna Werner focuses on how insurance companies and providers keep some of what patients owe a secret."
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/medical-bills-jump-from-220-to-4000-a-month-for-a-treatment-her-life-depends-on/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a
Listing of 314 Prescription Medications Covered Under Walmart's Expanded $4.00 Drug Program
See above, "FDA Report Disappoints. Points to the Unreliability and Even Danger of Chinese Manufactured Generic Drugs."
http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/genericdruglist.pdf
Low Marks for American Health Care
"Americans are fond of claiming to have the best health care system in the world. We certainly have the most expensive health care. But a new scorecard released by the Commonwealth Fund shows that healthcare quality in the U.S. has been dropping. We scored at the bottom of the 16 industrialized countries with regard to preventable deaths.
"More alarming, many fewer adults have access to healthcare. In 2003 61 million Americans were uninsured. In 2010, that number rose to 81 million. Almost half of adults said that they don't have a regular doctor. Older people were especially vulnerable. Roughly 25 percent of Medicare recipients received a prescription for a potentially inappropriate medication. One fifth of Medicare patients had to be rehospitalized after discharge. With so many people out of work, health care has moved out of reach for tens of millions of Americans. [Commonwealth Fund: Why Not the Best?]"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/10/20/low-marks-for-american-health-care/
Mary Meeker's Definitive Guide To The American Public Debt Crisis, Mamta Badkar, Feb. 25, 2011
"In 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid. "Today, one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid."
http://www.businessinsider.com/mary-meeker-usa-inc-february-24-2011-2?op=1#ixzz30tFUNhTJ
Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study, David U. Himmelstein, MD, Deborah Thorne, Ph.D., Elizabeth Warren, JD, Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH
"Between our 2001 and 2007 surveys, Congress enacted the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA), which instituted an income screen and procedural barriers that made filing more difficult and expensive. . . .
"New restrictions fall equally on medical and nonmedical bankruptcies, with no preferences for medical debts or sick debtors. It is implausible to ascribe the growing predominance of medical causes of bankruptcy to BAPCPA."
http://www.pnhp.org/new_bankruptcy_study/Bankruptcy-2009.pdf
Medical Bills are the Biggest Cause of U.S. Bankruptcies: Study, Dan Mangan, 25 Jun 2013
"Bankruptcies resulting from unpaid medical bills will affect nearly 2 million people this year -- making healthcare the No. 1 cause of such filings, and outpacing bankruptcies due to credit-card bills or unpaid mortgages, according to new data. And even having health insurance doesn't buffer consumers against financial hardship. . . .
"When their savings are gone and their credit cards are maxed out, stretched consumers take the drastic step of cutting back on prescription medications. . . .
"More than 25 million people are skipping doses, taking less medication or delaying refilling prescriptions to save money, NerdWallet found."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100840148
Medical Bills Prompt More Than 60 Percent of U.S. Bankruptcies, June 5, 2009, Theresa Tamkins
"Bankruptcies due to medical bills increased by nearly 50 percent in a six-year period, from 46 percent in 2001 to 62 percent in 2007, and most of those who filed for bankruptcy were middle-class, well-educated homeowners, according to a report that will be published in the August issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
"Unless you're a Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, you're one illness away from financial ruin in this country," says lead author Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., of the Harvard Medical School, in Cambridge, Mass. "If an illness is long enough and expensive enough, private insurance offers very little protection against medical bankruptcy, and that's the major finding in our study. . . .'
"Overall, three-quarters of the people with a medically-related bankruptcy had health insurance, they say.
" 'That was actually the predominant problem in patients in our study -- 78 percent of them had health insurance, but many of them were bankrupted anyway because there were gaps in their coverage like co-payments and deductibles and uncovered services,' says Woolhandler. 'Other people had private insurance but got so sick that they lost their job and lost their insurance'."
http://heka.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/medical-bills-prompt-more-than-60-percent-of-u-s-bankruptcies-cnn-20090605.pdf
Medical Error is Experienced by one in Three Long-term Care Patients, April 29, 2011
"One in three hospitalized patients experiences a medical error during the course of their stay, a study published this month in the journal Health Affairs reported. One in seven hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries is harmed in the course of their care, indicates California Elder Abuse Attorney Steven Peck, and half of those errors are preventable. Each week, about 40 surgeries are performed on the wrong patient or the wrong site on the body, according to the Joint Commission, the accrediting agency for healthcare institutions."
http://www.californianursinghomeabuselawyersblog.com/2011/04/medical-error-is-experienced-b.html
Medical Errors Much too Common, April 14, 2011
"A new technique known as the Global Trigger Tool involves direct review of patient records to detect signals of problems. In this study, roughly 800 patient records were reviewed. The Global Trigger Tool identified more than 350 medical mistakes. The voluntary reporting system only uncovered 4 and the computerized system detected 35."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/04/14/medical-errors-much-too-common/
The Medicare Patient Empowerment Act, May 17, 2011
"How would the patient and physician contracting arrangement work?
"Under the legislation, Medicare patients would have access to the physician of their choice and could contract with their physician outside of the Medicare program, without being denied their Medicare benefits. The contract would specify the payment due for services furnished to the patient by the physician, and the patient would be responsible for paying the physician the amount specified for each service, either up front or at periodic intervals, as agreed to under the contract. Unlike current Medicare private contracting law, however, patients would continue to have access to their Medicare benefits, and would receive the Medicare-allowed payment for each service. Medicare balance billing limits would not apply to any additional amounts due under the contract."
http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/washington/medicare-patient-empowerment-act-faq.pdf
Medicare Struggles to pay Soaring Drug Bills, Terry Graedon December 24, 2015
"As pharmaceutical firms double or triple their prices, the budget that Medicare set for its Part D prescription drug benefit is threatened.
"The inexorable and exorbitant rise in prescription drug prices has been apparent for about the past five years. And the pace seems to be accelerating. While the pharmaceutical industry often justifies high drug prices by the need to invest in research and development, many of the medications with soaring prices are very old compounds with costs that were amortized long ago."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/12/24/medicare-struggles-to-pay-soaring-drug-bills-54064/
The Mirror of Evil, an essay by Eleonore Stump
"Eleonore Stump is The Robert J. Henle Professor of Philosophy at Saint Louis University, where she has taught since 1992. She received a Ph.D. in medieval studies and medieval philosophy from Cornell University in 1975." Caveat: Saint Louis University is a Jesuit school. See her curriculum vitae.
The essay comes from WANDERING IN DARKNESS: NARRATIVE AND THE PROBLEM OF SUFFERING.
http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/fellenm/Handouts_files/215/Stump.pdf
Multiple Sclerosis Patients Stressed out by Soaring Drug Costs
"In the past couple years, Medicare's drug tab has surged, in large part because it picks up the vast majority of the cost of drugs once enrollees exceed a certain threshold each year. In 2015, beneficiaries over the limit, which was $4,700, spent $51.3 billion on drugs. In 2013, the figure was $27.7 billion, government data shows. (Taxpayers, through Medicare, pick up 80 percent of the cost of this so-called catastrophic benefit). The Associated Press first reported the ballooning cost in July. . . .
"Another sign could be seen in a drug dashboard released by Medicare this week. It showed that 1 percent of drugs prescribed in the Part D program accounted for more than one-third of the program's cost in 2015 (before rebates). Some drugs were incredibly expensive. The drug H.P. Acthar Gel, used to treat several conditions, such as multiple sclerosis relapses and a rare kidney disease, cost an average of $162,371 for each of its 3,104 users -- a higher per-user cost than any other drug in the program. That's up significantly from several years ago, when ProPublica flagged the drug's expense."
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/11/17/502341021/a-growing-group-of-doctors-are-big-money-prescribers-in-medicare
Needy Patients 'Caught in the Middle' as Insurance Titan Drops Doctors, February 25, 2020
"Across the nation, business and contractual disputes are separating patients from longtime doctors. This often occurs when doctors don't want to accept the rates insurers are willing to pay. It sometimes occurs when insurers' business plans require having a narrower network of doctors -- doctors whose practice patterns may be easier to control."
https://khn.org/news/needy-patients-caught-in-the-middle-as-insurance-titan-drops-doctors/
Medical Error is Experienced by one in Three Long-term Care Patients, April 29, 2011
"One in three hospitalized patients experiences a medical error during the course of their stay, a study published this month in the journal Health Affairs reported. One in seven hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries is harmed in the course of their care, indicates California Elder Abuse Attorney Steven Peck, and half of those errors are preventable. Each week, about 40 surgeries are performed on the wrong patient or the wrong site on the body, according to the Joint Commission, the accrediting agency for healthcare institutions."
http://www.californianursinghomeabuselawyersblog.com/2011/04/medical-error-is-experienced-b.html
New Study: U.S. Ranks Last Among Other Industrialized Nations on Preventable Deaths. 101,000 Fewer Americans Would die Annually if the U.S. Improved its Preventable Death Rate to That of the Three top Performing Nations, January 08, 2008
"Bethesda, The United States places last among 19 countries when it comes to deaths that could have been prevented by access to timely and effective healthcare, according to new research supported by The Commonwealth Fund and published in the January/February issue of Health Affairs. While other nations dramatically improved these rates between 1997-98 and 2002-03, the U.S. improved only slightly. . . .
"If the U.S. had performed as well as the top three countries out of the 19 industrialized countries in the study there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths in the U.S. per year by the end of the study period."
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/newsroom/newsroom_show.htm?doc_id=641071
New Visions for Health Care, January 21, 2012
"The Veterans Health Administration is an enormous bureaucracy, but it is striving to become a leader in personalized, patient-centered medicine. Can the VA provide cost effective care that also pioneers patient safety and pays attention to veterans' values?
"One factor in the VA's success so far is that it is a single-payer system. Although this idea has been roundly criticized in the debate over health care reform, the state of Vermont has recently adopted legislation that will initiate a single payer and cover everyone in the state by 2017. A family practice doctor in Montpelier made a heroic effort to help get this bill enacted. Why?
"Guests: Tracy Gaudet, MD, is Director of the Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation at the Veterans Health Administration. Before joining the VHA, she was Executive Director of Duke Integrative Medicine and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University Medical Center.
"Deborah Richter, MD, is a family practice physician in Montpelier, Vermont. She belongs to a nonprofit organization called Vermont Healthcare for All, which has led the way to the legislation creating guaranteed health care coverage for Vermonters."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/01/21/843-new-visions-for-health-care/
ObamaCare Chart (Organizational Flow Chart)
http://kevinbrady.house.gov/uploads/Obamacare%20Chart.pdf
ObamaCare is a Government Created Monopoly
"In 2017, an estimated 21 percent of people will only be able to choose an exchange plan from a single insurer. This problem is particularly acute in rural counties. As a result of the ACA, at least five states—Alaska, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wyoming -- will only have a single insurer offering coverage in the individual market. In other states, a single insurer will only offer coverage in many parts of the state. For example, in North Carolina, people in 95 of the state's 100 counties will only have a choice of plans from a single insurer."
http://www.forbes.com/…/another-obamacare-problem-mass-in…/…
Old Drugs Better as Well as Cheaper, June 6, 2013
"The excitement over ketamine, a drug that has been available for decades, mirrors a new analysis of medication effectiveness. The researchers found that older drugs outperform the newest arrivals in many cases, especially when the drugs are compared to placebo controls.
"Despite tens of billions of dollars devoted to research and development, pharmaceutical companies have not come up with many breakthroughs in the last decade. Most of the real pharmaceutical advances happened years ago. Huge consolidation within the industry was supposed to bring efficiency to the drug discovery process, but the analysis shows that, for the most part, newer drugs are vastly more expensive but not necessarily better than old standbys." -- People's Pharmacy, from Health Affairs, June 3, 2013
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/06/old-drugs-better-as-well-as-cheaper/
Open Payments Search Tool
"The Open Payments Search Tool is used to search payments made by drug and medical device companies to physicians and teaching hospitals.
"Total Records Published: 11.96 Million. Total US Dollar Value: 8.19 Billion."
https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/
The Outrageous Cost of Working in Medicine, Louis W. Sullivan, June 9, 2014
"Over the past two decades, medical school tuition has increased by 312 percent in public institutions and 165 percent in private institutions. This has left students in the health professions with enormous amounts of student debt and, perhaps even worse, has turned many others away from pursuing such fields all together."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2014/06/09/the-outrageous-cost-of-working-in-medicine/?wprss=rss_national&clsrd
Overcoming Addiction With Science and Compassion, June 21, 2014
"Tens of millions of Americans abuse alcohol, tobacco or drugs. When a person becomes addicted to such a substance, or to a behavior such as gambling or compulsive sex, family members may despair. It can seem as though it is difficult to reach the loved one struggling with addiction, and people are often told to back off, practice "tough love" or let the person "hit bottom" so that recovery can begin.
"Scientific evidence does not support those disengaged approaches. Instead, there are ways to help a loved one. Family members can learn skills to reinforce positive changes and to engage in an emotionally supportive way.
"There are also medications that can be useful in helping people overcome addictions. The experts describe the differences between the strategies and how these medicines can be used effectively."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/06/21/950-overcoming-addiction-with-science-and-compassion/
The Painful Truth: Physicians are not Invincible, from Southern Medical Journal, Merry N. Miller, MD., K. Ramsey McGowen, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City.
"The overall physician suicide rate cited by most studies has been between 28 and 40 per 100,000, compared with the overall rate in the general population of 12.3 per 100,000.[1] Overall, then, physicians are more than twice as likely as the general population to kill themselves. Each year, it would take the equivalent of 1 to 2 average-sized graduating classes of medical school to replace the number of physicians who kill themselves. This rate appears higher than among other professionals.[2]"
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/410643_2
Patient/Physican Cooperatives
"What is PPC and how is it different from an insurance plan?
Patient/Physician Cooperatives (PPC), established in 2005, is a non-profit organization of patients, physicians and member representatives. PPC is not an insurance product or discount program; it is a group of physicians who have joined together to give their patients access to affordable, basic healthcare through mutual support.
"Through the concept of cooperative purchasing, the members function as a group to obtain access to healthcare at affordable prices. Primary or basic medical care services are provided to members with no co-payments or with a $25 office visit co-payment and no health qualifications. Currently, members may select from 33 primary care physicians in the greater Houston area. Each member signs a monthly payment plan agreement with a primary care provider through which the availability of the physician and his or her services are paid in full. Primary care physicians are located at convenient locations throughout the greater Houston area."
http://www.patientphysiciancoop.com/
Physician Member of Congress Provides ObamaCare Timeline of Failures
As this article is read keep in mind that "The report [Thomson Reuters report released on October 26, 2009], said that in 2007, when the United States spent nearly $2.3 trillion on healthcare and both public and private insurers processed more than 4 billion health insurance claims, fraud was estimated to reach as much as 10 percent of annual healthcare spending. . . . At that rate, due largely to fraudulent Medicare claims, kickbacks for referrals for unnecessary services and other scams, the losses in 2007 would have been more than $220 billion. . . . The National Healthcare Anti-Fraud Association, an organization of about 100 private insurers and public agencies, estimates that some $60 billion, or about 3 percent of total annual healthcare spending, is lost to fraud. But the Thomson Reuters report said that figure is considered conservative." -- Tom Brown, in "Cancer of Fraud" Permeates U.S. Healthcare System, November 25, 2009, Reuters
http://docs4patientcare.org/_blog/Blog_and_News/post/Physician_Member_of_Congress_Provides_Obamacare_Timeline_of_Failures/
Physician Assistant
"The use of "PA-C" is limited only to those PAs currently certified and in compliance with the regulations of the national certifying organization, the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PA-C
Physician Billing -- Consumers in the Dark, Tim Pickering
"CPT coding [Current Procedural Terminology. "CPT are the codes and descriptions describing the treatment on the bill you get at the physician's office." -- compiler], should be required public information. This is just another obvious example of the AMA trying to keep us 'in the dark' so they can control our medical treatment, billing, etc. for their financial benefit and "to hell" with our healthcare. . . .
"Perhaps, it's naive not to draw the correlation between the AMA's reported $71 million income from the August 2000 Wall Street Journal article to the $4,496,150 in distributions by the AMA Political Action Committee.
"The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890: A University of Houston website holds some interesting historical background on monopolies: 'Prior to the 19th century, governments typically granted monopoly rights over some portion of the economy in return for a cash payment.'
"This same type of indirect taxation is provided by HCFA's statutory monopoly with the AMA. The AMA gets a monopoly on CPT's, makes huge profits in an uncompetitive market, gives HCFA free access to CPT's, and offers substantial PAC donations to legislators. Only the judicial branch of government was left out of this deal. This website cites 'public discontent' as the motivating catalyst for bringing about the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. So what level of public outcry is necessary to revoke this ill-conceived three way relationship?"
http://www.myhealthscore.com/frame.cfm?page=cpt4_opinions/index.htm
Physician-Patient Private Contract (Agreement)
(Medicare Opt-Out)
http://www.kidney.nu/Patient_Contract.pdf
Physicians for Reform
"If I distill the difficulties facing medicine today down to one fundamental issue, that issue is the failure of the patient/physician relationship. Physicians are now healthcare providers. Patients are healthcare consumers." -- Dr. C.L. Gray
http://www.physiciansforreform.org/
Physicians for Social Responsibility, resources
"Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) has been working for more than 50 years to create a healthy, just and peaceful world for both the present and future generations. PSR advocates on the issues you care about by addressing the dangers that threaten communities, using our medical and public health expertise."
http://www.psr.org/resources/
Planetree
"It's about creating culture change and delivering healthcare that is putting the needs of individuals first."
http://planetree.org/
Prescription Drug Prices Skyrocketing, April 4, 2011
"Popular brand name drugs are already expensive and getting pricier. Despite the sluggish economy and low rate of inflation, top-selling medications have soared in price.
"The cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor is up more than 11 percent over last year. According to Thomson Reuters MarketScan, a day's supply went from $3.17 in 2009 to $3.53 in 2010.
"Lipitor is not alone. The anti-clotting drug Plavix rose in price by more than 13 percent, so a month's supply runs about $195. The psychiatric drug Seroquel jumped 16.5 percent over last year. And the price of the leukemia drug Gleevec went up more than 20 percent, to over $4,800 for a bit less than a month's supply.
"Why are drug prices climbing so quickly? Big brand name manufacturers point to the high cost of research and development for new medications. The trouble with this argument is that many companies have been cutting back on their R&D budgets. [see: Marcia Angell, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG COMPANIES: HOW THEY DECEIVE U.S. AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. 'Most of the R&D work is done by colleges and universities funded by the government' thus the drug companies receive windfall profits from public research. -- compiler]. They also have very little to show for their investment over the last decade. Breakthroughs for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's or other hard-to-treat conditions have been few and far between.
"Many analysts blame the dramatic price increases on coming generic competition. Both Lipitor and Plavix will soon lose their exclusive patents. That means insurance companies are likely to encourage patients to take atorvastatin instead of Lipitor and clopidogrel instead of Plavix.
"Insurance companies have created penalties for patients who want brand name medications. Many health insurance plans use tiers to discourage brand name use. Generic versions, when available, are usually tier 1 with low co-pays of $10 to $15. Brand name drugs not on the formulary may not be covered at all or require a co-pay over $100.
"Take the popular sleeping pill Ambien, for example. It is now available as generic zolpidem. If you had to pay out of pocket for the brand, the cost could be as high as $190 for a month's supply. The generic is often around $10 to $20.
"If generic drugs were always identical to the brand name products, as FDA maintains, this would be only good news for consumers. There are questions, however. Experts estimate that 80 percent of active ingredients now come from countries like India, China, Brazil and Mexico. There is very little oversight of manufacturing plants.
"Many readers of this column have reported problems with zolpidem, as this story demonstrates: 'Ambien worked great for me. I fell asleep within 30 minutes and stayed asleep for eight hours. I was excited about generic zolpidem when it became available. Money in my pocket! The first generic I tried did not work at all. No sleep! A different generic zolpidem resulted in only four hours of sleep and it took me more than an hour to fall asleep'."
People who would like to learn about saving money on brand name drugs from online pharmacies may find useful information at http://www.pharmacychecker.com/. We have also prepared a 'Guide to Saving Money on Medicine'."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/04/04/prescription-drug-prices-skyrocketing/
The Problem of Doctors' Salaries, Dean Baker, October 2017
"An economist argues that American doctors get paid too much and offers some bold ideas on what to do about it.
"But an unavoidable part of the high cost of U.S. healthcare is how much we pay doctors -- twice as much on average as physicians in other wealthy countries. Because our doctors are paid, on average, more than $250,000 a year (even after malpractice insurance and other expenses), and more than 900,000 doctors in the country, that means we pay an extra $100 billion a year in doctor salaries. That works out to more than $700 per U.S. household per year. We can think of this as a kind of doctors' tax."
https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/10/25/doctors-salaries-pay-disparities-000557
The Prospects for Ending ObamaCare: Learning From Health Policy History, Robert E. Moffit
"Abstract: Based on Washington's record of health policymaking, ending or rolling back ObamaCare is anything but implausible. Now that President Barack Obama has signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, much of the focus of the nation's ongoing health care debate will center on the impact of ObamaCare's provisions on businesses and employment-based health insurance, as well as the contribution of new taxation and regulation to the rising cost of health insurance premiums and the intrusive regulatory changes that will be imposed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on state health insurance markets. One of the routinely stated objectives of the Obama health policy agenda was to get health care costs under control; it doesn't. Moreover, official Washington's obsession with controlling, defining, regulating, and restricting private-sector health insurance options overlooks the obvious: Real cost control begins with the nation's largest entitlements, Medicare and Medicaid [and the Veterans Administration Medical Centers -- compiler], for which lawmakers have direct responsibility."
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/06/the-prospects-for-ending-obamacare-learning-from-health-policy-history
The Psycho State, Rep. Ron Paul, MD.
"Parents must do everything possible to retain responsibility and control over their children's well-being. There is no end to the bureaucratic appetite to rule every aspect of our lives, including how we raise our children. Forced mental health screening is just the latest of many state usurpations of parental authority: compulsory education laws, politically-correct school curricula, mandatory vaccines, and interference with discipline through phony "social services" agencies all represent assaults on families. The political right has now joined the political left in seeking the de facto nationalization of children, and only informed resistance by parents can stop it. The federal government is slowly but surely destroying real families, but it is hardly a benevolent surrogate parent."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul203.html
On Psychosurgery and Mind Control -- A Review of VIOLENCE, MENTAL ILLNESS AND THE BRAIN by Russell L. Blaylock, MD, Miguel Faria
"In his three-part series on psychosurgery in America, Dr. Miguel Faria has written one of the best summaries in print on the history of neurosurgical treatment of psychiatric disorders by selective sectioning or abolition of specific parts of the behavioral. Within these pages he discusses the anatomy involved and the interrelated nature of brain nuclei in altering human behavior in such a way as to bring clarity to a very difficult topic."
https://haciendapublishing.com/on-psychosurgery-and-mind-control-a-review-of-violence-mental-illness-and-the-brain-by-russell-l-blaylock-md/#comment-1079
Quackwatch
Extensive resources compiled by Stephen Barrett, M.D.
"Quackwatch, Inc., which was a member of Consumer Federation of America from 1973 through 2003, is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. Founded by Dr. Stephen Barrett in 1969 as the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud, it was incorporated in 1970. In 1997, it assumed its current name and began developing a worldwide network of volunteers and expert advisors.
"To avoid semantic problems, quackery could be broadly defined as "anything involving overpromotion in the field of health." This definition would include questionable ideas as well as questionable products and services, regardless of the sincerity of their promoters. In line with this definition, the word 'fraud' would be reserved only for situations in which deliberate deception is involved."
http://www.quackwatch.org/
*The Radiation Poisoning of America, Amy Worthington in Global Research, October 9, 2007
"Worthington writes, 'Since the wireless revolution began wave-nuking the U.S. in the 1990s, there have been no federally funded health studies to assess the cumulative effects of ever-increasing communications radiation on public health. There is no national database enabling citizens to study the location of transmitters in their areas. Local and state governments can offer no information on how much commercial wireless radiation is contaminating their populations. When trying to find out who owns a tower or which companies have transmitters on that tower, citizens usually hit a brick wall.'
"RF/microwaves from cell phones and cell tower transmitters also cause micronuclei damage in blood cells. This was reported a decade ago by Drs. Henry Lai and Narendrah Singh, biomedical researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Singh is famous for refining comet assay techniques used to identify DNA damage. Lai and Singh demonstrated in numerous animal studies that mobile phone radiation quickly causes DNA single and double strand breaks at levels well below the current federal 'safe' exposure standards.
"The telecommunications industry knows this thanks to its own six-year, wireless technology research (WTR) study program mandated by Congress and completed in 1999. Gathering a team of over 200 doctors, scientists and experts in the field, WTR research showed that human blood exposed to cell phone radiation had a 300-percent increase in genetic damage in the form of micronuclei. Dr. George Carlo, a public health expert who coordinated the WTR studies, confirms that exposure to communications radiation from wireless technology is 'potentially the biggest health insult' this nation has ever seen. Dr. Carlo believes RF/microwave radiation is a greater threat than cigarette smoking and asbestos.
"In 2000, European communications giant T-Mobile commissioned the German ECOLOG Institute to review all available scientific evidence in regard to health risks for wireless telecommunications. ECOLOG found over 220 peer-reviewed, published papers documenting the cancer-initiating and cancer-promoting effects of the high frequency radiation employed by wireless technology.4 Many corroborating studies have been published since.
"By 2004, 12 research groups from seven European countries cooperating in the REFLEX study project confirmed that microwaves from wireless communications devices cause significant single and double strand DNA breaks in both human and animal cells under laboratory conditions.5 In 2005, a Chinese medical study confirmed statistically significant DNA damage from pulsed microwaves at cell phone levels.6 That same year, University of Chicago researchers described how pulsed communications microwaves alter gene expression in human cells at non-thermal exposure levels.
"Because gamma waves and RF/microwave radiation are identically carcinogenic and genotoxic to the cellular roots of life, the safe dose of either kind of radiation is zero. No study has proven that any level of exposure from cell-damaging radiation is safe for humans. Dr. Carlo confirms that cell damage is not dose dependent because any exposure level, no matter how small, can trigger damage response by cell mechanisms.
"Officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health closely reviewed the damning results of WTR studies, which also revealed microwave damage to the blood brain barrier. But these officials have chosen to downplay, obfuscate and even deny the irrepressible science of the day. Raking in billions from selling spectrum licenses, the feds have allowed the telecom industry to unleash demonstrably dangerous technology which induces millions of people to become brain-intimate with improperly tested wireless devices and which saturates the nation with carcinogenic waves to service those devices. Dr. Carlo says that even the American Cancer Society is in bed with the communications industry, which infuses the Society with substantial contributions."
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7025
RAND Study: Hospitals Charging The Privately Insured 2.4 Times What They Charge Medicare Patients, Avik Roy, May 2019
"Two bills introduced into this Congress -- The Hospital Competition Act of 2019 by Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.) and the Fair Care Act of 2019 by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R., Ark.) -- would end the ability of hospital monopolies to charge exploitative prices, by requiring them to accept rates no higher than Medicare's from private payers, unless they divest their holdings and restore a competitive hospital market."
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2019/05/11/rand-study-hospitals-charging-the-privately-insured-2-4-times-what-they-charge-medicare-patients/#7a3828a958d9
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs): A Flawed Gold Standard, March 17, 2014
"What very few health professionals have realized is that there are serious flaws with the randomized controlled trial system of drug testing.
"Although RCTs are pretty good at establishing statistically significant benefit, they have traditionally not been good at predicting how well a particular treatment will work for any given individual. Many drugs can be proven to be 10-15 percent better than nothing (placebo). That may be enough to get FDA approval. But it may only mean that one person out of 60 (the number needed to treat or NNT), will actually get any benefit after five years of therapy. That happens to be the best case scenario for otherwise healthy people taking a statin to lower cholesterol."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/03/17/randomized-controlled-trials-rcts-a-flawed-gold-standard/
See also:
The NNT (Number-Needed-to-Treat)
http://www.thennt.com/thennt-explained/
Rating Sheet for Judge Gaylord Finch
http://www.liamsdad.org/hall_of_shame/gay_finch/Judge_Gaylord_Finch_ratings.pdf
Renowned Harvard Psychologist Says ADHD is Largely a Fraud
"It may be surprising for you to learn that Kagan believes the diagnosis of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is an invention which mainly benefits the pharmaceutical industry and psychiatrists. . . ."
http://www.thinkinghumanity.com/2017/04/renowned-harvard-psychologist-says-adhd-is-largely-a-fraud.html
Report: Action Needed to Wipe out Fake and Substandard Drugs, Richard Knox, February 13, 2013
"A blue-ribbon panel is urging stronger regulation of pharmaceuticals around the world to combat the growing problem of fake and poor-quality medicines.
"The quality problems and fake medicines have affected Americans. Fungal contamination of steroids made by a Massachusetts pharmacy, which sickened more than 700 people and killed 46, is one recent example. Other U.S. patients have received fake cancer drugs and medicines obtained over the Internet with little or no active ingredients.
"The problem extends to more than 120 countries, the Institute of Medicine report says, and has done incalculable damage to efforts to control tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS and other diseases.
"No one knows exactly how big the problem is, but Lawrence Gostin, chairman of the IOM committee that issued the report, says it's been getting steadily worse. 'Whatever the magnitude is, it's huge and growing,' he tells Shots."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/13/171923516/report-action-needed-to-curb-fake-and-substandard-drugs
The Robing Room: Where Judges are Judged -- Virginia
http://www.therobingroom.com/virginia/Default.aspx?state=VA
Ron Paul vs. Dennis Kucinich on Healthcare
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=102603
Samaritan Ministries
"A Biblical, non-insurance approach to healthcare needs.
http://samaritanministries.org/
Scandals and Screwups in the Drugstore, October 5, 2013
"Doctors look to guidelines from highly regarded thought leaders to figure out how to treat common problems like high cholesterol or prostate cancer. But how objective are these publications? Dr. Steve Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic calls out his colleagues and says too often they have significant conflicts of interest that make the guidelines less useful for patient care -- but physicians don't always realize where the conflicts lie."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/05/920-scandals-and-screwups-in-the-drugstore/
Seniors at Risk, November 18, 2010
"Senior citizens are at risk if they have to spend time in a hospital. A new government study concludes that 15,000 Medicare patients die every month as a result of complications suffered during their hospital stay. Equally alarming, about 134,000 older people are harmed in hospitals each month. Surgical errors, hospital acquired infections and drug-related complications are just some of the adverse events that were tallied up in the report from the Inspector General at Health and Human Services. Almost half of the problems were considered avoidable. This is discouraging news since it suggests that relatively little progress has been made since the 1999 report on medical mistakes entitled TO ERR IS HUMAN."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2010/11/18/seniors-at-risk/
Serious Adverse Drug Events Reported to the Food and Drug Administration, 1998-2005, Moore TJ, Cohen MR, Furberg CD.
"RESULTS: From 1998 through 2005, reported serious adverse drug events increased 2.6-fold from 34,966 to 89,842, and fatal adverse drug events increased 2.7-fold from 5,519 to 15,107. Reported serious events increased 4 times faster than the total number of outpatient prescriptions during the period. In a subset of drugs with 500 or more cases reported in any year, drugs related to safety withdrawals accounted for 26 percent of reported events in that group in 1999, declining to less than 1 percent in 2005. For 13 new biotechnology products, reported serious events grew 15.8-fold, from 580 reported in 1998 to 9181 in 2005. The increase was influenced by relatively few drugs: 298 of the 1,489 drugs identified (20 percent), accounted for 407,394 of the 467,809 events (87 percent).
CONCLUSIONS: These data show a marked increase in reported deaths and serious injuries associated with drug therapy over the study period. The results highlight the importance of this public health problem and illustrate the need for improved systems to manage the risks of prescription drugs." -- PubMed abstract (PMID: 17846394 [PubMed -- in process]
"The investigators tried in vain to figure out why serious drug reactions have increased so significantly. Although the number of prescription dispensed has gone up during that time, the increase in deaths and serious injuries is disproportionately high. It is also important to recognize that this probably represents the tip of a much larger iceberg. That's because the FDA estimates that it receives reports on only about 10 percent of adverse drug reactions. The investigators conclude that the existing system is not adequately protecting patients from serious drug complications." -- "Prescription Drug Deaths up," People's Pharmacy Health News
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17846394&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Seven Things you Need to Know About Britain's Failing Nationalized Health System
"The Left has a penchant for constantly citing Britain's National Health Service (NHS) to support their clamors for socialized medicine. However, the NHS is failing."
http://www.dailywire.com/news/14470/7-things-you-need-know-about-britains-failing-aaron-bandler#
SiCKO, Michael Moore's Healthcare Documentary
"Moore zeroes in on this Nixonian moment, which encapsulates the film's premise that the United States healthcare system is defined by a fundamental conflict: profit versus care, and -- no surprise -- profit beats care. . . .
"Moore makes this point magnificently in SiCKO, which is the best film in the Moore canon. . . .
"Moore does not explicitly call for a particular set of reforms. But he clearly wants a taxpayer-funded system that cuts out the insurance companies and provides universal care to all. . . .
But Moore, to his credit, cuts through the surface-level details and gets to the essentials. Why not healthcare for all? Why allow corporate profit-mongers to decide whether an 18-month-old girl lives or dies? Why is the population of the United States, as wealthy as this nation is, not as healthy as the population of Britain, France, Canada, and 33 other countries? Why settle for a sick system?" -- David Corn
Already (June 29, 2007), 73 Congressional Representatives have signed on to HR 676.
Read David Corn's lengthy and informative review.
SiCKO is Boffo [extremely successful; great. -- compiler], David Corn, author, columnist, and an editor for The Nation political weekly, June 2, 2007
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/22/2031/
For Patients, Not For Profits: A Petition for National Health Insurance and HR 676
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/307/t/1962/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=629
SiCKO premieres May 19, 2007 at the Cannes Film Festival and debuts in U.S. theaters June 29.
Michael Moore website
http://michaelmoore.com/
State by State Fraud and Abuse Reporting Contacts, February 2014
"The following table shows the state contact information for reporting fraud and abuse for each state. The table is arranged with rows representing each state and columns representing the necessary contact information for that state."
http://www.cms.gov/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination/Fraud-Prevention/FraudAbuseforConsumers/Downloads/smafraudcontacts-february2014.pdf
Stop Medicare Fraud
"Where do I report errors, fraud, or abuse?"
To report suspected errors, fraud, or abuse, you can contact either:
HHS Office of Inspector General
Call: 800-447-8477
TTY: 800-377-4950
Online: Report Fraud Online
Mail: HHS Tips Hotline
P.O. Box 23489
Washington, DC 20026-3489
or
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Call: 800-633-4227
TTY: 877-486-2048
Mail: Medicare Beneficiary Contact Center
P.O. Box 39
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477)
Fax: 1-800-223-8164
TTY: 1-800-377-4950
Mail: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Inspector General
ATTN: OIG HOTLINE OPERATIONS
PO Box 23489
Washington, DC 20026
Phone: 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477)
http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov/reportfraud/
Stop Medicare Fraud (law firm)
"Recent changes to U.S. whistle-blower laws allow healthcare professionals to collect a significant financial reward (often millions of dollars) for reporting fraud against the government in the healthcare industry. U.S. laws now allow individuals reporting Medicare fraud to receive full protection from retaliation and collect up to 30 percent of the fines that the government collects."
http://www.medicarefraudcenter.org/
Study Shows no Reduction in Medical Errors Since 1999, April 8, 2011
A new study shows that 18 percent of patients are harmed by medical care.
"In 1999, the Institute of Medicine released a report indicating that medical mistakes accounted for more than one million injuries and as many as 98,000 deaths every year in the United States. The report spawned a national movement to reduce medical errors, but a new study published by The New England Journal of Medicine shows bleak results. The first large study in a decade to analyze and track harm resulting from medical care shows that the number of patients suffering harm from medical errors or inadvertent problems persists at a steady pace.
Remedial Efforts Falling Short
"The study, conducted in 10 North Carolina hospitals from 2002 to 2007, included both rural and urban hospitals and found that:
Studies Link Cancer Patients' Survival Time to Insurance Status
"But regardless of cancer type, patients with private insurance had a survival advantage."
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/09/16/494139538/studies-link-cancer-patients-survival-time-to-insurance-status
Suicide Compared to Other Causes of Mortality in Physicians, Torre, D.M., Wang, N.Y., Meoni, L.A., Young, J.H., Klag, M.J., Ford, D.E., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
"1: Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2005 Apr;35(2):146-53.
"Suicide was the only cause of death where risk was greater than the general population. Overall, we found that physicians are at substantially lower risk of dying compared to the general population for all causes of death except suicide. The findings for suicide are strikingly different than other causes of death and should provide impetus for new research on the mental health of physicians."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15843332?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=5&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed
A Third Detroit-area Doctor was Convicted Monday for his Participation in a $17 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Medically Unnecessary Physician Visits
http://dennismichaellynch.com/third-doctor-convicted-massive-medicare-fraud-scheme/
United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
"This nongovernmental scientific organization has set quality standards for medicines for nearly 200 years. . . . the USP-Verified seal is backed by careful quality monitoring, including off-the-shelf vitamin testing [according to a company spokesman -- compiler]. You can learn more about USP verification and see what the symbol looks like at the organization's site."
http://www.usp.org/dietary-supplements/verification-services
URAC, American Accreditation HealthCare Commission, Inc. (formerly Utilization Review Accreditation Commission)
"URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting healthcare quality through its accreditation and certification programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the healthcare system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire healthcare industry.
"For those unfamiliar with URAC, we are an independent, nonprofit organization committed to promoting healthcare quality through accreditation, certification and other quality improvement activities. Today, URAC's accreditations help protect 140 million Americans.
"In recent years, URAC has become a nationally recognized quality improvement leader by reviewing and auditing a broad array of healthcare service functions and systems. Quality benchmarking activities cover health plans, preferred provider organizations, medical management systems, health technology services, health call centers, specialty care, workers' compensation, Websites, and HIPAA privacy and security compliance, among other areas."
http://www.urac.org/
US Army Secretary Resigns Over Poor Conditions at Medical Facility, Scott Stearns, White House, 03 March 2007
"The secretary of the U.S. Army has resigned amid a scandal over the quality of healthcare for troops wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, President Bush wants a bipartisan commission to investigate ahead of Congressional hearings by opposition Democrats.
"Harvey's forced resignation follows the ouster of the general who ran the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where an investigation by The Washington Post newspaper uncovered recuperating soldiers living in a run-down building, infested with mice, mold, and cockroaches."
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/a-13-2007-03-03-voa14.html
The U.S. is Failing in Infant Mortality, Starting at one Month old
"Many more babies die in the United States than you might think. In 2014, more than 23,000 infants died in their first year of life, or about six for every 1,000 born. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 other industrialized nations do better than the United States at keeping babies alive."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/07/upshot/the-us-is-failing-in-infant-mortality-starting-at-one-month-old.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
U.S. Lags Behind 41 Nations in Life Span, Stephen Ohlemacher, August 2007
Americans are living longer than ever, but not as long as people in 41 other countries. . . .
" 'Something's wrong here when one of the richest countries in the world, the one that spends the most on healthcare, is not able to keep up with other countries,' said Dr. Christopher Murray, head of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
"A baby born in the United States in 2004 will live an average of 77.9 years. That life expectancy ranks 42nd, down from 11th two decades earlier, according to international numbers provided by the Census Bureau and domestic numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics. . . .
"Researchers said several factors have contributed to the United States falling behind other industrialized nations. A major one is that 45 million Americans lack health insurance, while Canada and many European countries have universal healthcare, they say. . . .
"Among the other factors:
U.S. Life Expectancy Lags, January 27, 2011
"Life expectancy in the United States is improving gradually, but not as much as in other developed countries. A new report from the National Research Council shows that the U.S. is lagging behind dozens of other countries. Although we spend far more on healthcare than any other country in the world, we rank 36th in terms of life expectancy. A baby born in 2011 in the U.S. has a life expectancy of 78.3 years. A Japanese baby born this year could expect to live almost 83 years. In addition to Japan, most of Europe and countries such as South Korea, Chile and Cuba rank ahead of the U.S. The primary explanation, according to the scientists, is our past smoking behavior. Other factors may include obesity and severe income disparity and lack of access to healthcare for tens of millions of Americans." [National Research Council, Jan. 25, 2011]
U.S. "Most Dangerous" Place to Give Birth in Developed World, USA Today Investigation Finds
"A USA Today investigation finds the United States is the "most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world." Every year in the U.S., more than 50,000 mothers are severely injured during or after childbirth and 700 die. USA Today's investigation, "Deadly Deliveries," claims women are dying and suffering life-altering injuries during childbirth because hospitals are not following long-known safety measures."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-most-dangerous-place-to-give-birth-in-developed-world-usa-today-investigation-finds/
U.S. Ranks Last Among Other Industrialized Nations on Preventable Deaths, January 9, 2008
"Nolte and McKee found that while other countries made strides and saw these types of deaths decline by an average of 16 percent, the U.S. experienced only a 4 percent decline. 'It is notable that all countries have improved substantially except the U.S.,' said Nolte, lead author of the study. The authors also note that 'it is difficult to disregard the observation that the slow decline in U.S. amenable mortality has coincided with an increase in the uninsured population, an issue that is now receiving renewed attention in several states and among presidential candidates from both parties'."
http://aftermathnews.wordpress.com/2008/01/09/us-ranks-last-among-other-industrialized-nations-on-preventable-deaths/
USDA Enforcement Failures Lead to Fake Organic Imports
https://www.cornucopia.org/2017/09/usda-enforcement-failures-leads-fake-organic-imports/
Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated: Guess who is Sicker? May 4, 2017
A pilot study of 666 homeschooled six to 12-year-olds from four American states published on April 27th in the Journal of Translational Sciences, compared 261 unvaccinated children with 405 partially or fully vaccinated children, and assessed their overall health based on their mothers' reports of vaccinations and physician-diagnosed illnesses. What it found about increases in immune-mediated diseases like allergies and neurodevelopmental diseases including autism, should make all parents think twice before they ever vaccinate again:
• Vaccinated children were more than three times as likely to be diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum (OR 4.3)http://info.cmsri.org/the-driven-researcher-blog/vaccinated-vs.-unvaccinated-guess-who-is-sicker
• Vaccinated children were 30-fold more likely to be diagnosed with allergic rhinitis (hay fever) than non-vaccinated children • Vaccinated children were 22-fold more likely to require an allergy medication than unvaccinated children
• Vaccinated children had more than quadruple the risk of being diagnosed with a learning disability than unvaccinated children (OR 5.2)
• Vaccinated children were 300 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder than unvaccinated children (OR 4.3)
• Vaccinated children were 340 percent (OR 4.4) more likely to have been diagnosed with pneumonia than unvaccinated children
• Vaccinated children were 300 percent more likely to be diagnosed with an ear infection than unvaccinated children (OR 4.0)
• Vaccinated children were 700 percent more likely to have surgery to insert ear drainage tubes than unvaccinated children (OR 8.01)
• Vaccinated children were 2.5-fold more likely to be diagnosed with any chronic illness than unvaccinated children
Vermont Healthcare for All
http://www.vthca.org/overview.php
Wait Till it's Free: If you Think Healthcare is Unaffordable now, DVD.
"A documentary on the healthcare cartel in the United States. A must see, that explains the major problems and feasible solutions, from the Christian Worldview. So the writers are solidly against single payer and socialization of medicine. There are several pieces of little known information.
"If you watch online, then have a pen and paper handy to take notes. A national firm that analyses medical bills and advocates for the patient is mentioned, as well as a private surgery hospital in Oklahoma that practices fair pricing, and posts all of their rates online (see link below). Some of their rates are only 10 percent of what the Cartels charge. Why we have the most expensive healthcare in the world is also explained, and much more. -- compiler
http://www.wtifree.com/free
Surgery Center Oklahoma
http://www.surgerycenterok.com
The way it is, Paul Hein
"Some truths -- probably most of them -- are not subject to scientific proof. Thus, when we ponder modern life, and the role of government, we may find ourselves puzzled. It is obvious that government is an organization that, in its actions, varies between terrible malignancy, and breathtaking inanity. We wonder why that should be, and seek an answer. But the answer, if we find it at all, is not scientifically demonstrable, as is the fact that the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
"The answer is something that most of us already know; it was first put forth by Lord Action (1834-1902). 'Power corrupts.' The full quote is: 'Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. -- Liberty is the only object which benefits all alike, and provokes no sincere opposition. The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern. -- Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.' And that's it! That's the way it is." [See: Chapter 9: "Corporate Faithfulness and Sanctification," "Selection of Covenant Heads for Positions of Leadership," "Reform of the Church," "Ethics, Computer Ethics, Cyberethics," and so forth, and so on. -- compiler]
http://www.lewrockwell.com/hein/hein88.html
What are Hospitals Trying to Hide? February 8, 2014
"Whatever your stance on the politics of healthcare insurance, everyone agrees that high healthcare costs are a problem. One patient was shocked to learn that his emergency treatment with anti-venom for snakebite came to nearly $90,000."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/02/08/934-what-are-hospitals-trying-to-hide/
What Happens When Doctors Only Take Cash
"It was in the midst of this confounding research that Villa, who's 68, heard about the Surgery Center of Oklahoma, whose business model is different from that of most hospitals. There, the all-inclusive price for every operation is listed on the website. A rotator-cuff repair for the shoulder costs $8,260. A surgical procedure for carpal tunnel syndrome is $2,750. Setting and casting a basic broken leg: $1,925. . . .
"To Villa, the model seemed refreshingly subversive. The Surgery Center would charge $19,000 for his whole-knee replacement, a discount of nearly 50 percent on what Villa expected to be charged at his local hospital. And that price would include everything from airfare to the organization's only facility, in Oklahoma City, to medications and physical therapy. If unforeseen complications arose during or after the procedure, the Surgery Center would cover those costs. Villa wouldn't see another bill.
"Sometimes called direct pay, and closely related to concierge care, this sort of business model was once seen as the perquisite of rich folks and medical tourists from foreign lands. But nowadays many of the people seeking cash-based care are middle-class Americans with high-deductible insurance plans. For a patient with an $11,000 family deductible, for example, it might make more sense to seek out a cash-based center like the Premier Medical Imaging facility in Minneapolis, which offers a basic MRI for $499, than to cough up the several thousand dollars that the same procedure generally costs at a traditional hospital. Cash payments don't count toward a patient's deductible, but for some it's worth the gamble."
http://snip.ly/czspx#http://time.com/4649914/why-the-doctor-takes-only-cash/
Surgery Center Oklahoma
http://www.surgerycenterok.com
When a hospital wields monopoly power
https://www.axios.com/when-a-hospital-wields-monopoly-power-b9525f72-ac84-4a08-a2db-302c3c73fdca.html
Which Supplements can you Trust? April 15, 2013
"We were appalled to read the research published in JAMA Internal Medicine (online Feb. 11, 2013), showing wide variations in compounded and OTC vitamin D pills. The scientists found that potency ranged from 9 percent to 146 percent of the dose listed on the label.
You are right that the FDA does not have the resources to check the quality of most supplements. You mention USP, the United States Pharmacopeia. This nongovernmental scientific organization has set quality standards for medicines for nearly 200 years."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/04/15/which-supplements-can-you-trust/
White Coat Conspiracy Covers up Medical Tragedy, April 29, 2013
"I used to think that doctors were the innocent victims of ambulance-chasing attorneys and litigious patients. I now realize that physicians have also contributed to any malpractice crisis that exists, because as a group they cover up mistakes all the time."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/04/29/code-of-silence-covers-up-medical-tragedy/
Why Doctors so Often get it Wrong, David Leonhardt, February 22, 2006
"Studies of autopsies have shown that doctors seriously misdiagnose fatal illnesses about 20 percent of the time. So millions of patients are being treated for the wrong disease.
"As shocking as that is, the more astonishing fact may be that the rate has not really changed since the 1930's. 'No improvement!' was how an article in the normally exclamation-free Journal of the American Medical Association summarized the situation."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/22/business/22leonhardt.html
Why Europeans Don't get Huge Medical Bills, Olga Khazan, April 11, 2019
"Other countries still have health insurers, but they avoid five-figure medical bills. The answer lies in how the insurers and doctors are regulated.
"There is, however, a way to eliminate those bank-busting surprise medical bills without eliminating health insurance. Just ask Europe. Several European countries have health insurance just like America does. The difference is that their governments regulate what insurance must cover and what hospitals and doctors are allowed to charge much more aggressively than the United States does."
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/04/do-europeans-get-big-medical-bills/586906/
*Why has Healthcare Marketing Increased so Much? July 10, 2019
"A study published this week in JAMA demonstrates a dramatic rise in the amount of money spent on healthcare marketing over the last two decades (Schwartz & Woloshin, JAMA, Jan. 8, 2019). Spending on television drug ads went from $2 billion in 1997 to almost $10 billion in 2016. . . .
" 'Trust in physicians and health care institutions may be at stake if medical marketing by practitioners, health care organizations, and manufacturers of health care products continues to increase unchecked'."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/01/10/why-has-healthcare-marketing-increased-so-much/
Why is Flying Safer Than Health Care? Developing a Safety Culture
"Airplane crashes are extremely rare, because the airline industry figured out a few decades ago how to encourage a culture of safety in which anyone on the team is encouraged to speak up if they notice something amiss. Yet, some people are still nervous about getting on a plane.
"Health care has never gotten the media attention that accompanies a plane crash. Perhaps because of that, hospitals fly under the radar. Firm figures are hard to come by, but the best estimates place deaths due to health care harm around 500,000 a year in the U.S. -- equivalent to 1,000 jets dropping out of the sky. What could health care learn from aviation safety?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/07/05/952-why-is-flying-safer-than-health-care-developing-a-safety-culture-1/
Why ObamaCare is a Fantastic Success, Wayne Allyn Root, October 21, 2013
"The GOP needs to stop calling ObamaCare a 'trainwreck.' That means it's a mistake, or accident. That means it's a gigantic flop, or failure. It's NOT.
"This is a brilliant, cynical, and purposeful attempt to damage the U.S. economy, kill jobs, and bring down capitalism."
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/10/21/why-obamacare-is-fantastic-success/
Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 11, 2011
"Most (but not all), pharmacists routinely tell patients that generic drugs are identical to brand name medications. That is hardly surprising. This is what pharmacy students are told during their education process. It is also what the FDA states on its website:
A generic drug is identical -- or bioequivalent -- to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use. Although generic drugs are chemically identical to their branded counterparts, they are typically sold at substantial discounts from the branded price."Now we don't know about you, but when we see the word 'identical' we assume that means exactly the same as. Here is how Dictionary.com defines the word 'identical':
Will Vaccines Protect us Against New Variants? [March 2021]
"Here's what I would like to see [Joe's Dream]. First, we need rapid COVID tests that are as reliable as pregnancy tests. Every household in the country should have access to such tests. They should provide easy-to-interpret, accurate results within 10-15 minutes.
"As soon as COVID is detected, pills should be widely available in every pharmacy in the country. They should be able to snuff out COVID-19 before the virus does damage or becomes infectious. If people are treated early with medications that cure the virus and prevent spread, we would be on our way to true recovery.
We know of one drug under development that might be promising. It has been called EIDD-2801, MK-4482 or molnupiravir. You can listen to Dr. Ralph Baric (the Coronavirus Hunter) describe it on our podcast.
"Older drugs that are already available should be tested with the same resources and enthusiasm that was directed towards vaccine discovery."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/will-vaccines-protect-us-against-new-variants
For whoso findeth me findeth life,
and shall obtain favour of the Lord.
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:
all they that hate me love death. (Proverbs 8:35,36)Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)
The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality, but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact. (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21b; Ecclesiastes 9:3b; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; Ephesians 2:1-3; Titus 3:3-5) -- Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990). See John Calvin's Commentary on Isaiah Chapter 33 [Isaiah 33:1-66].
Imagine government bureaucrats in Washington deciding whether your life is worth saving or not. -- Herman Cain
Abortion was the 20th century's biggest single killer of mankind worldwide, far surpassing any other cause: disease, war, governments, natural disasters, and so forth. See: "Biggest Killers of the 20th Century." Notice that abortion is not included in this diagram. The absence of information says something about the depravity of mankind (Jeremiah 17:9,10), and about the suppression and repression of truth. (Hosea 4:6,7)
The number of abortions performed worldwide in the last 50 years is estimated to be 1 to 2 billion. But try to document this fact elsewhere online.
The total abortions worldwide for the 20th century may be interpolation from available data. The calculation does not factor in incremental increases in world population since 1900. Worldwide there are an estimated 43.8 million abortions annually (2008 figures, Guttmacher Institute) X 100 years = 4.38 billion killings worldwide in the 20th century. This is compared to 1.97 billion estimated deaths worldwide for non-communicable diseases the reported biggest killer worldwide of the 20th century. Comparison may also be made with figures for genocide.
Number of Abortions -- Abortion Counters
"The most accurate set of abortion counters on the web. Number of abortions in U.S. and worldwide; Number of abortions since 1973; Number of abortions this year; U.S. Abortion clock; Worldwide abortion clock; Number of abortions due to rape or incest; Planned Parenthood abortion count."
http://www.numberofabortions.com/The top three killers of Americans are the U.S. healthcare system -- period [see the abortion statistics above -- compiler]. The system is designed that way. The Death by Medicine study showed us, in 2001, that: "It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States [adding statistics for abortions, 56 million American babies have been aborted from 1973 to 2014, and the annual rate continues at 1.2 million babies a year, puts the total deaths "over the top." -- compiler]. The total number of iatrogenic deaths shown . . . is 783,936. The 2001 heart disease annual death rate is 699,697; the annual cancer death rate, 553,251. . ." And no one running the system cares. No one. -- Tim Bolen in the article The U.S. is the Worst Place in the World to Get Cancer Treatment . . . Opinion
Do the math. Statistically, doctors are about 52,500 times more dangerous than gun owners, using 750,000 for the annual iatrogenic deaths in the US.The death toll from healthcare screwups [treatment-attributable iatrogenic deaths -- compiler], adds up to at least 500,000 Americans annually. [also reported as 783,936, see Bolin -- compiler]. That is the equivalent of more than three jumbo jets crashing every day of the year (or over 1,000 jets annually). Because these individuals are dying at home, in hospitals, or in nursing homes, no one is counting the bodies. There is no outrage, no plan to change a system that allows too many to die unnecessarily. The medical profession seems largely immune to the consequences of its errors." -- "Introduction" from Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, page 7
Healthcare screwups are one of the leading causes of death in America, killing as many as 750,000 people annually. That's more than heart attacks or cancer. And yet most people don't know this, including most physicians. From diagnostic disasters to deadly drug interactions, the bestselling authors of The People's Pharmacy expose the alarming epidemic of medical mistakes in America -- and offer a lifesaving prescription to make the healthcare system safe again.
There is a culture of cover-up in medicine that has been very effective at keeping mistakes secret. A recent study found that the most sophisticated way of detecting harm in the hospital identified 100 times more problems than doctors reported. (Health Affairs, April, 2011), -- Publisher of Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, January 2012.The U.S. healthcare system has been subject to heated debate over the past decade, but one thing that has remained consistent is the level of performance, which has been ranked as the worst among industrialized nations for the fifth time, according to the 2014 Commonwealth Fund Survey 2014. The U.K. ranked best with Switzerland following a close second. -- Time Magazine
Anthropologists tell us that one-third of all human beings who have lived on this planet have died at the hands of their brothers -- that fully one-third of the human race have died through war, violence, crime, and sudden death at the hands of another human being. -- D. James Kennedy (1930-2007) and List of Wars and Anthropogenic Disasters by Death Toll, Wikipedia
The first half of the 20th century has been the bloodiest times in history. If all the people of the United States were to perish in a nuclear war, the number dead would be less than those who have perished by violence during the first half of the 20th century. -- Howard Mumford Jones
Arrogance is an enormous problem in medicine. -- Peter Pronovost, MD, Ph.D., a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Egotism is a major problem among doctors. May I remind you that while some doctors wish to continue to be regarded with regal awe, providing medical care is a business, just like auto repair, telecommunications, retail furniture, and banking. Lust, greed, and pride are human weaknesses that are not exclusive to non-professionals. 'Arrogance kills.' Egos of physicians get in the way. -- compiler
Few medical errors are as vivid and terrifying as those that involve patients who have undergone surgery on the wrong body part, undergone the incorrect procedure, or had a procedure intended for another patient. These "wrong-site, wrong-procedure, wrong-patient errors" (WSPEs), are rightly termed never events -- errors that should never occur and indicate serious underlying safety problems.
Wrong-site surgery may involve operating on the wrong side, as in the case of a patient who had the right side of her vulva removed when the cancerous lesion was on the left, or the incorrect body site. One example of surgery on the incorrect site is operating on the wrong level of the spine, a surprisingly common issue for neurosurgeons. A classic case of wrong-patient surgery involved a patient who underwent a cardiac procedure intended for another patient with a similar last name. -- Wrong-Site, Wrong-Procedure, and Wrong-Patient SurgeryHealthcare fraud is said to cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars a year. . . . A U.S. Senate committee revealed last year that public health insurer Medicare had paid as much as $92 million from 2000 to 2007 for medical services or equipment ordered or prescribed by doctors who were dead at the time. . . . The FBI estimates that fraud accounts for 3 percent to 10 percent of U.S. healthcare expenditure per year, and Gillies said it could easily cost about $200 billion annually. . . . That is broadly in line with a Thomson Reuters report released on October 26. The report said that in 2007, when the United States spent nearly $2.3 trillion on healthcare and both public and private insurers processed more than 4 billion health insurance claims, fraud was estimated to reach as much as 10 percent of annual healthcare spending. . . . At that rate, due largely to fraudulent Medicare claims, kickbacks for referrals for unnecessary services and other scams, the losses in 2007 would have been more than $220 billion. . . . The National Healthcare Anti-Fraud Association, an organization of about 100 private insurers and public agencies, estimates that some $60 billion, or about 3 percent of total annual healthcare spending, is lost to fraud. But the Thomson Reuters report said that figure is considered conservative. -- Tom Brown, "Cancer of fraud" Permeates U.S. Healthcare System, November 25, 2009, Reuters
It would appear that Healthcare is the biggest consumer rip-off in America, considering, among other things, the estimated annual number of iatrogenic deaths at 750,000 (approximately one patient per doctor), "U.S. lags behind 41 nations in life span," the "US has the most expensive healthcare in the world, . . . Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world, . . . . (Health Affairs), according to the FDA, 80 percent of the active and inactive ingredients in our pharmaceuticals come from abroad, . . ." and we are "confronted with a huge drug counterfeiting problem." (FDA, Eban) -- compiler
The House of Representatives Healthcare Reform Bill passed November 7, 2009 provides for a 400 billion dollar reduction in payments to doctors under Medicare. Medicare is headed toward bankruptcy, in part due to astronomical fraud that has gone unprosecuted by the Federal Government. We fail to see how a reduction of 400 billion dollars in payments to doctors under Medicare (doctors who deliver healthcare to the elderly under Medicare), is not a "bureaucratic death panel," and obscene fraud on the part of the U.S. Congress. If none are opposed to a government takeover of healthcare, then who will come forward to oppose Congress in any of their measures, if in the future Congress has the power to ration healthcare?
We find it highly ironic that on November 5, 2009, two days before the House vote on the above Healthcare Reform bill, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist in the U.S. Army, a Palestinian born Muslim, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and one of 3,000 Muslims in the U.S. military, massacred 13 and wounded 30 soldiers and civilians at his duty station, Fort Hood, Texas. -- compilerAccording to the FDA, 80 percent of the active and inactive ingredients in our pharmaceuticals come from abroad. It is estimated that 40 percent of the finished pills come from abroad including countries such as India, China, Brazil and Mexico. It is also very clear that the FDA does not have the resources to inspect all or even many of the manufacturing plants producing either the raw materials or finished products millions of Americans take every day. That means that there is no verification system that the pills are exactly what they say they are.
We have seen manufacturing problems with some of the most prestigious drug companies in the U.S. (Johnson and Johnson and GSK). These problems occurred at plants where the FDA visits on a regular basis. Do we really believe that chemical companies in China that are not inspected are producing perfectly identical generic drugs at cutthroat prices? -- Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 2011It is my deep belief that the current status of the TSH test as the absolute yes-or-no arbiter for the presence of hypothyroidism and for the status of the patient's treatment will eventually come to be regarded as one of the great mistakes of medical history. -- Ken Blanchard in What Your Doctor may not Tell you About Hypothyroidism: A Simple Plan for Extraordinary Results, p. xi
The Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that about fifteen thousand different chemicals that are included in common products like pesticides, cosmetics, and plastics should be analyzed to see if they act as endocrine disruptors. Internationally known health researcher and author Dr. Theodora Colborn, author of OUR STOLEN FUTURE, believes that exposure to even low doses of endocrine disruptors can be harmful to our health. -- Mary Shomon, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell you . . . That you Need to Know, p. 470)
My friend has two daughters that last week were "diagnosed" with the H1N1.
Though when tested at the doctor's office, they tested only for strain "A" flu. When she spoke with a nurse working at the hospital, she advised that the hospital is only testing those people with flu symptoms if they are in ICU. And, that if anyone that tests positive, for other types, such as "A," they are ASSUMING it is H1N1 and reporting it as such. WHAT?
The government wants us to think it is an epidemic when it is just the "this-time-of-year, run-of-the-mill," ordinary flu?!?
Who is benefiting from this erroneous reporting? The drug companies pushing and insisting on this vaccine? Is it a coincidence that this so-called epidemic is breaking out during the healthcare fiasco in Congress?
Oh, and by the way, both daughters were well enough to return to school in 4 days, and neither of the parents contracted the "dreaded virus." Sounds like a hoax to me. -- A blogger in Virginia, October 2, 2009Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. -- John Emerich Edward Dalberg, Lord Acton (1834-1902), in a letter to Mandell Creighton, April 5, 1887, quoted by Gertrude Himmelfarb in Acton, Essays on Freedom and Power, pp. 335-36 (1972)
A blue code of silence has protected police officers from being reported for misconduct. This unwritten rule keeps fellow officers from revealing errors or criminal activity. Now a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that a similar code of silence prevents many doctors from reporting colleagues who are impaired or incompetent.
Even though the AMA has a code of ethics that states doctors have an ethical obligation to report such behavior, a survey of nearly 3,000 physicians found that many don't comply. In this research, about one third who knew of an incompetent colleague did not report the person to the relevant authorities. Reasons for not reporting included the belief that someone else would take action, the worry that nothing would happen as a result of a report and the fear of retribution. The authors conclude that the current atmosphere results in patients being exposed to unacceptable risks. -- JAMA, July 14, 2010The current "lack of moral vigor" in our society has resulted in an unwritten "code red." If a colleague in an organization reports incompetency or error, regardless of how tactful and respectful they are, leadership tends to unite, and to brand the "whistle-blower" as a "troublemaker."
"Code red," as practiced in the military, was dramatized in the movie A Few Good Men (1992).
In healthcare the victim of a "code red" might be either a practitioner or a patient. If practitioner who reports medical error, malpractice, misconduct, or price gouging, then he becomes the victim and may lose his job and have difficult finding another one.
Likewise a patient who reports medical error, malpractice, misconduct, or price gouging, may find that suddenly they are dropped as a patient or "given a hard time" by their previous local healthcare support group. They may be denied medical care in the future.
"Code red" may be thought of as a corollary to the "blue code of silence" that "has protected police officers [and doctors and healthcare workers], from being reported for misconduct. This unwritten rule keeps fellow officers from revealing errors or criminal activity."
The "code red" and "blue code of silence" in healthcare are just several reasons why things have gone so horribly wrong and at the same time the Medical Profession does not seem to care.The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been a disastrous failure and an embarrassment to the Federal Government so far, and it remains to be seen if it will survive in its current state (May 2014). -- Jeff Duncan
- "The United States slipped to No. 37 [41 as of August 2007, see Ohlemacher below], in healthcare around the world, just slightly ahead of Slovenia" (World Health Organization, 2000 report, based on 1997 data).
- "The United States spends $6,096 a year per person, versus $229 a year in Cuba. And astronomically more money doesn't mean far better outcomes. In fact, Americans live just a little bit longer than Cubans, on average." -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta
- "Life expectancies in Cuba are about equal to those in America despite being outspent by America 26 to 1 in healthcare"
- "We are No. 43 in the world in infant mortality." -- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
- "The Institute of Medicine reports that the average patient experiences at least one error every day he is hospitalized."
- "Medical errors are a major cause of disability and death."
- "A heart surgeon goes through seven (7) years of training."
- "The annual death toll from medical errors is estimated at 44,000 to 98,000 Americans."
- "About 18,000 people die each year as a result of the lack of health insurance." (Institute of Medicine, January 2004 report)
- "We have a tragedy taking place every year now -- 18,000 people a year, these are the actual official statistics, 18,000 people a year die in this country for no other reason other than the fact that they don't have a health insurance card. That's six 9/11s every single year." -- Michael Moore
- "Los Angeles authorities are investigating allegations that a dozen area hospitals have dumped more than 50 homeless patients downtown."
- "Just this past week [6/29/07], the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated there are about 43.6 million uninsured people in the country. In March, the Census Bureau put the number at 44.8 million.
- "The health insurance plans of 50 million people in this country leave them underinsured."
- "Moore began this project [SiCKO], by advertising on the Web for tales of healthcare woe. Within a week, he had received 25,000 e-mails."
- "It's true that the United States is the only country in the western world without free universal access to healthcare."
- Gitmo [The U.S. detainee center for alleged terrorists on Guantonamo Bay, Cuba], is "the only place on American soil with free universal healthcare."
- A "former British Politico . . . stated, 'If you can find money to kill people [wage war on terrorism], then you can find money to help people [universal healthcare]."
- "Today, as Moore noted, both on Capitol Hill and in his film, there are four healthcare lobbyists in Washington for every member of Congress."
- "Insurance and pharmaceutical companies, along with the elitest doctors who control the AMA and every hospital's board of trustees, buy politicians on both sides of the aisle. Moore does a good job of exposing this. He did a good job of bringing up how insurance companies weasel their way out of paying . . . ."
- "Moore whacks the U.S. political system for catering to the needs of the insurance industry not the citizenry, pointing out that the healthcare lobby pumps millions of dollars into the campaigns of lawmakers."
- "The insurance company is the one deciding whether or not the doctor can perform a procedure or a treatment on a patient. I mean, just think about that. You go to see a doctor, the doctor says, I think you need this particular operation. But the doctor just can't order the operation or send you to a specialist. He has to call someone sitting in a cubicle, maybe 1,000 miles away, who can then give permission. And as you see in my film, the doctors who work at the insurance companies, they get bonuses for denying the most number of claims."
- "Over the past 10 years healthcare premiums have grown at four times the rate of wages and inflation, and insurance company profits have nearly tripled. . . . Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and the way they maximize profits is by minimizing payments. . . ."
- "Medical reviewers for one health insurance company who rendered the most denials received bonuses."
- "Among the insurers mentioned are Humana Inc., where chief executive Michael McCallister received about $5.9 million in salary and other compensation in 2006, and Aetna Inc., where chief executive Ronald Williams last year received salary and other compensation totaling about $30.9 million. Those figures were determined by an AP analysis of company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission."
- "Of course it [the Medicare prescription drug benefit Act, Medicare Part D], was really a bill to hand over $800 billion of our tax dollars to the drug and health insurance industry." Freking and Johnson, July 2007
- "Who are we to let moneyed interests and powerful lobbies construct a country that best serves their needs rather than ours?"
- "Who are we that we let insurers deny coverage to our neighbors because they are too tall, or have too many seasonal allergies?"
- "Who are we that our hospitals push the ill and indigent into cabs, and drop them off, disoriented and clad in a paper-thin gown, on skid row?"
- "Who are we to let national pride blind us to these better alternatives?"
- "Moore's solution . . . is to give all Americans free universal coverage. He paints insurance companies as the villains."
- "But the weight of evidence Moore marshals [in his documentary "SiCKO"], for taking the profit motive out of medicine is overwhelming." [America's healthcare crisis also is a violation of the human rights to life, liberty, and property (see statistics herein), and compels action by the public. -- compiler]
- "The California Nurses Association, which supports a single-payer system, is organizing across the country in conjunction with the movie's appearance."
- "A bill has been proposed in Congress, The United States National Health Insurance (NHI) Act (HR 676), non-profit Medicare for All, outlines a national healthcare program that will provide guaranteed affordable healthcare and prescription drugs to everyone in the country." (6/29/07), [If the citizen, voter, activist, resolution writer, petitioner, first does the arithmetic, they will see, in terms of human life and wealth (national and personal), that fixing the U.S. Healthcare Crisis is of greater importance than ending our preemptive war in Iraq. And it becomes apparent that the inertia of those in the driver's seat, the U.S. Congress, is as great in the case of reforming healthcare as their inertia is in ending the war. (United States National Health Care Act - Wikipedia)
- "Overall, NHI would save about $350 billion annually on bureaucracy and profits, more than enough to pay for covering the uninsured and improving coverage for the tens of millions who are currently UNDER-insured." -- Background fact sheet - Physicians for a National Health Program
Oregon had become the first state to legalize doctor-assisted suicide, in 2008. Montana, Washington, Vermont, and New Mexico have since followed suit. . . .
Dr. Peter Saunders of the Care Not Killing Alliance says 'In the Netherlands . . . dementia patients are euthanized, mobile euthanasia clinics operate and the Groningen protocol allows euthanasia for disabled babies. In Belgium, organs are harvested from euthanasia patients and 32 percent of all euthanasia deaths are without consent. . . .' -- Richard Greene
Barlett, Donald L., and James B. Steele, Critical Condition: How Health Care in America Became big Business -- And bad Medicine, ISBN: 0767910753.
"For those people who vaguely remember when healthcare and insurance was generally a manageable aspect of our lives (as opposed to being a source of stress and potential financial ruin), this book will explain very well how healthcare in U.S. arrived at the point where it is today. For younger readers, this book will remind them that once upon a time, there was a country where insurance was fairly comprehensive and affordable, hospitals were oriented towards community rather than being part of a bottom-line-obsessed corporation, and pharmaceutical commercials were not littering the airwaves.
"The authors do an excellent job of showing that the shift, on every level of healthcare, to a market-based economic model has achieved exactly the opposite of what the proponents of the free market claimed would happen. Instead of streamlining healthcare and making it as a whole more efficient and affordable, the shift to the free market has actually created a massive bureaucracy (which conservatives claim to loath), and a far less efficient healthcare system. Certainly it is not any more affordable. Anyone who is familiar with medical collections and with the stunning increase in bankruptcies over the last few years can attest to this. The authors underscore their arguments with a litany of horror stories of patients dying or suffering hugely at the hands of a hopelessly tangled system which emphasizes the bottom line over the welfare of the patient.
"All of this is well and good, and mighty depressing. However, only a minimal amount of time is devoted to what might be done about it. The authors' suggestion -- the adoption of a single-payer system -- is fine as far as it goes, but they offer only a cursory examination of the benefits of such a system and do not delve into any of the criticisms of the same. Neither do they discuss other proposals such as tort reform, which is the Bush administration's answer seemingly to every healthcare crisis. In interviews, the authors have observed that capping jury awards would only make a tiny dent in the overall costs of insurance, and certainly tort reform has had mixed results at best, depending on which of the states that have passed tort reform legislation one examines. Yet the authors barely touch on it their text. At the very end of their book, the authors mention the fact that Big Business (aside from the healthcare industry), certainly has good reason to want a single-payer system, since healthcare costs cut deeply into THEIR profits, thus setting up a contest of sorts between two powerful for-profit entities. It is probably the fact that the combined power of multiple U.S. industries outweighs the power of the insurance and healthcare industries that will ultimately force genuine changes in how this country manages healthcare, but the authors for whatever reason prefer not to explore this particular topic. This is unfortunate.
"Overall, this book provides some good detail on issues we all need to know more about, but if you are looking for detailed solutions, you will need to look elsewhere." -- Reader's Comment
Carney, Scott, The Red Market: On the Trail of the World's Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers, ISBN: 0061936464 978-0061936463.
"Award-winning investigative journalist and contributing Wired editor, Scott Carney leads readers on a breathtaking journey through the macabre underworld of the global body bazaar, where organs, bones, and even live people are bought and sold on The Red Market. As gripping as CSI and as eye-opening as Mary Roach's STIFF, Carney's THE RED MARKET sheds a blazing new light on the disturbing, billion-dollar business of trading in human body parts, bodies, and child trafficking, raising issues and exposing corruptions almost too bizarre and shocking to imagine." -- Publisher
Charney, William, Epidemic of Medical Errors and Hospital-acquired Infections: Systemic and Social Causes, ISBN: 9781420089301 1420089307.
" 'Do no harm' a particularly leading and important phrase in the delivery of healthcare is not working. In fact depending on the epidemiological approach and which data sets one applies, medical errors, hospital acquired infections (HAIs) and pharmaceutical errors combined are the second or third leading killer of Americans annually: approximately 300,000 die from a combination of medical errors, hospital acquired infections (HAIs), and pharmaceutical errors . . . 100,000 per category. Add to these numbers the hundreds of thousands who are harmed (morbidity) but not killed (mortality) changing quality of life, and a substantial problem is defined." -- Publisher
Cox, Caroline, "Insecticide Factsheet / Imidacloprid [IMD], Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP)," Journal of Pesticide Reform, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 15-21 (2001)
"Imidacloprid [a neonicotinoid class insecticide -- compiler] is a relatively new, systemic insecticide chemically related to the tobacco toxin nicotine. Like nicotine, it acts on the nervous system. Worldwide, it is considered to be one of the insecticides used in the largest volume.
"It has a wide diversity of uses: in agriculture, on turf, on pets, and for household pests. . . .
" 'Imidacloprid is highly toxic to honey bees.1 . . .
" 'The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration do not include imidacloprid in their food monitoring programs.65,66 There are two published imidacloprid monitoring studies from Spain. One found imidacloprid residues in all samples of greenhouse vegetables tested one week after treatment.67 The other found imidacloprid in tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, carrots, eggplant, pears, and melons; 21 percent of the samples were contaminated.68.'
"Read on for more important facts, i.e. it is systemic, is applied to the soil, has a half-life on 1 year in the soil (according to currently available tests), gets into ground water and run-off, is highly toxic to some birds and to some aquatic life, will kill cats (kittens) in small doses applied to the skin, affects the thyroid, as a systemic it gets into honey and pollen, and has been detected in bee hives, the EPA has not established a long-term toxicity to humans since IMD came into use in 1994, and so forth, and so on. It's use has been banned in some European countries."
http://www.apiservices.com/intoxications/imidacloprid.pdf
*Crosby, Alfred W., America's Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza of 1918, ISBN: 9780521541756 0521541751 9780521833943 0521833949.
"Between August 1918 and March 1919 the Spanish influenza spread worldwide, claiming over 25 million lives, more people than those perished in the fighting of the First World War. It proved fatal to at least a half-million Americans. Yet, the Spanish flu pandemic is largely forgotten today. In this vivid narrative, Alfred W. Crosby recounts the course of the pandemic during the panic-stricken months of 1918 and 1919, measures its impact on American society, and probes the curious loss of national memory of this cataclysmic event. In a new edition, with a new preface discussing the recent outbreaks of diseases, including the Asian flu and the SARS epidemic, AMERICA'S FORGOTTEN PANDEMIC remains both prescient and relevant. Alfred W. Crosby is a Professor Emeritus in American Studies, History and Geography at the University of Texas at Austin, where he taught for over 20 years. His previous books include THROWING FIRE (Cambridge, 2002), THE MEASURE OF REALITY (Cambridge, 1997) and ECOLOGICAL IMPERIALISM (Cambridge, 1986). ECOLOGICAL IMPERIALISM was the winner of the 1986 Phi Beta Kappa book prize. THE MEASURE OF REALITY was chosen by the Los Angeles Times as one of the 100 most important books of 1997. -- Publisher
"What struck me, first, was the similarities to the COVID-19 issues in 2020, and second how apt the title is. The world has forgotten the Spanish Flu, and doesn't take the flu seriously enough under normal conditions, much less under such dire circumstances as we face this year." -- Reader's Comment
Dean, Carolyn, Death by Modern Medicine, ISBN: 0973739207 9780973739206.
"Carolyn Dean, MD, ND is a powerful and clear writer who exposes the deep corruption in our medical and food industries with passion and conviction. She backs up her outrageous claims with deeply researched citations from the standard medical literature and government databases. She shows that despite medical error being underreported by a factor of 20, it is STILL the number ONE cause of death in America (and almost surely Canada). Hospital error, hospital-acquired infection, adverse drug reactions, nursing homes, all come in for their share of the total death toll. Why this atrocity is allowed to continue unabated and unnoticed is a question we all have responsibility for." -- Reader's Comment
Death by Medicine
This is an 18,491 word article in Life Extension magazine that includes many of the statistics from the 2001 study included in Dean's book. Documented with 151 endnotes.
"Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analyzed and combined ALL of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine. That has now changed.
"A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking. These researchers have authored a paper titled Death by Medicine that presents compelling evidence that today's system frequently causes more harm than good.
"This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
"The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5)
"We placed this article on our website to memorialize the failure of the American medical system. By exposing these gruesome statistics in painstaking detail, we provide a basis for competent and compassionate medical professionals to recognize the inadequacies of today's system and at least attempt to institute meaningful reforms."
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_01.htm
Defoe, Daniel, and Louis A Landa, A Journal of the Plague Year: Being Observations or Memorials of the Most Remarkable Occurrences, as well publick as private, which happened in London during the last great visitation in 1665: written by a citizen who continued all the while in London, ISBN: 9780199555727 0199555729.
"In 1665 the plague swept through London, claiming over 97,000 lives. Daniel Defoe was just five at the time of the plague, but he later called on his own memories, as well as his writing experience, to create this vivid chronicle of the epidemic and its victims. A JOURNAL (1722) follows Defoe's fictional narrator as he traces the devastating progress of the plague through the streets of London. Here we see a city transformed: some of its streets suspiciously empty, some -- with crosses on their doors -- overwhelmingly full of the sounds and smells of human suffering. And every living citizen he meets has a horrifying story that demands to be heard." -- Publisher
A Journal of the Plague Year
https://archive.org/details/ajournalplaguey00harvgoog/page/n7/mode/2up
*deParrie, Paul, and Mary Pride, Unholy Sacrifices of the New Age, ISBN: 0891074821 9780891074823.
"This book shows how the New Age program of mass liquidation is already on the move -- through science, medicine, government, and media. Tracing human sacrifices of the past to the present application in medicine and scientific practice, this book is the first to document these horrors." -- Publisher
Plans for State control of the Healthcare Industry are probably the most alarming development in this matter beyond the legalization of abortion, along with the related issues of legalizing physician assisted suicide, and the practice of infanticide. Note that the passage of ObamaCare resulted in cuts in Medicare and Medicaid assistance to the elderly and the reduction of Medicare payments to doctors. It also is said to establish "end of life" counseling programs and uses public funds to perform abortions, and so forth and so on.
*Eban, Katherine, Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom, ISBN: 006233879X 9780062338792.
The Scandal of our Drug Supply -- The New York Review of Books
"Katherine Eban's disquieting, often unnerving, and at times infuriating new book BOTTLE OF LIES ranges across the pharmaceutical industry in several countries, but its chief concern is the generic drug industry in India and the inconsistent vetting by the FDA of the industry's products."
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/07/23/scandal-drug-supply-bottle-lies/
*Eban, Katherine, Dangerous Doses: How Counterfeiters are Contaminating America's Drug Supply, ISBN: 0151010501 9780151010509.
Americans spend more for drugs than any other country in the world. Why are we confronted with a huge drug counterfeiting problem? (FDA, Eban)
"Stolen, compromised, and counterfeit medicine increasingly makes its way into a poorly regulated distribution system -- where it may reach unsuspecting patients who stake their lives on its effectiveness. Investigative medical reporter Eban's exploration of America's secret ring of drug counterfeiters takes us to Florida, where a team of investigators follows the trail of medicine stolen in a seemingly minor break-in as it funnels into a sprawling national network of drug polluters. Their pursuit stretches from a strip joint in South Miami to the halls of Congress as they battle entrenched political interests and uncover an increasing threat to America's health." -- Publisher
Her article on Ranbaxy, "Dirty Medicine," was published in the May 15, 2013, issue of Fortune.
Gibson, Rosemary, and Janardan Prasad Singh, Wall of Silence: The Untold Story of the Medical Mistakes That Kill and Injure Millions of Americans, ISBN: 089526112X 9780895261120.
"A call to arms for families who have had loved ones disabled or dying in the pursuit of medical treatment . . . Well written and researched . . . highlights this timely topic in a unique way that will evoke the reader's own experience." -- Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter
*Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon, Top Screwups Doctors Make and how to Avoid Them, 1st edition, October 4, 2011, 336 pages, ISBN: 9780307460912 0307460916.
"Healthcare screwups are one of the leading causes of death in America, killing as many as 750,000 people annually. That's more than heart attacks or cancer. And yet most people don't know this, including most physicians. From diagnostic disasters to deadly drug interactions, the bestselling authors of The People's Pharmacy expose the alarming epidemic of medical mistakes in America -- and offer a lifesaving prescription to make the healthcare system safe again.
"There is a culture of cover-up in medicine that has been very effective at keeping mistakes secret. A recent study found that the most sophisticated way of detecting harm in the hospital identified 100 times more problems than doctors reported.
(Health Affairs, April, 2011)
"Medical mistakes happen all the time. Each year, 6.1 million Americans are harmed by diagnostic mistakes, drug disasters, and medical treatments. . . . Patient advocates Joe and Teresa Graedon came face-to-face with the tragic consequences of doctors' screwups when Joe's mother died in Duke Hospital -- one of the best in the world -- due to a disastrous series of preventable errors. The good news is that we can protect ourselves and our loved ones by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and more. . . .
"In TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM, the Graedons expose the most common medical mistakes, from doctor's offices and hospitals to the pharmacy counters and nursing homes. Patients across the country shared their riveting horror stories, and doctors recounted the disastrous -- and sometimes deadly -- consequences of their colleagues' oversights and errors. While many patients feel vulnerable and dependent on their healthcare providers, this book is a startling wake-up call to how wrong doctors can be. . . .
"The good news is that we can protect ourselves, and our loved ones, by being educated and vigilant medical consumers. The Graedons give patients the specific, practical steps they need to take to ensure their safety: the questions to ask a specialist before getting a final diagnosis, tips for promoting good communication with your doctor, presurgery checklists, how to avoid deadly drug interactions, and much more." -- Publisher
"Joe and Teresa Graedon have performed an enormous public service by putting this book together. Unfortunately, an epidemic of medical adverse events -- preventable lethal mistakes -- are destroying the quality of American healthcare. In all my years as a physician and an advocate for a safer, error-free healthcare system, I have never seen a more practical and readable guide to help patients become more vigilant and proactive in preventing medical errors. If you or someone you love is facing a serious illness or major surgery, defend yourself: Buy this book, read it cover to cover. No one cares more about your life than you do. If you were faced with a lethal threat, you would naturally do everything in your power to defend yourself. Put this book in your holster. Arm yourself. Take it with you to the hospital. And save your own life." -- Allan J. Hamilton, MD, FACS, professor of surgery and radiation oncology, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, author of The Scalpel and the Soul
"From my perspective, TOP SCREWUPS DOCTORS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM represents the evolution or transformation of the Graedons from strong consumer advocates to genuine full-fledged skeptics. This book is nothing like earlier Peoples Pharmacy books. This is not your father's Oldsmobile. I think it is fair to say that the Graedons are today nowhere near as sanguine about our medical system as they were for so many years.
"Some people say that some non-fiction authors keep writing the same book over and over again, only updating the evidence to support their case. In my view, this book represents a major departure from the Graedons' books in the past. I think the Graedons are now in their mid-sixties and I have no idea how many more books they intend to write. This book strikes me as their attempt to finally lay it all on the line. The Graedons accurately point out that the problem of pharmacy mistakes is horrifying and that the public largely has no idea how significant this problem is. A few years back, ABC's '20/20' did a no-holds-barred undercover investigation of pharmacy mistakes. The segment was titled 'Pharmacy Errors: Unreported Epidemic?' In my opinion that is an accurate description of the problem except that the question mark should have been replaced with an exclamation point. Search Google for 'pharmacy mistakes' if you have any doubt about how serious this problem is." -- Reader's Comment
Hulse, Virgil M., Mad Cows and Milk Gate, ISBN: 0965437701 9780965437707.
"The book MAD COWS AND MILK GATE written by Dr. Hulse, a former Dairy Inspector and board certified in Family practice and Public Health expresses concern over the rampant diseases in dairy cows, the ways they are treated and the problems those treatments cause. It details proof that we have the Mad Cow Disease in this country. The book main focus is the practice of feeding often diseased sheep, chickens, and other cows blood to cows, and the viruses that are thus spread from species to species. The picture painted is not a pretty one, but it is one we must study if we are to make informed choices when choosing what we eat. With the U.S. Government assuring us that beef and dairy are safe, we are fortunate to have a insider's view of what is really going on in the cattle industry. Dr. Hulse is an expert medical witness on the Mad Cow Disease and is presently defending those that have been sued by the beef industry. Dr. Hulse states that we are unable to sell our cows to Europe because 80 percent of the cows in the U.S. have the Bovine leukemia virus which causes cancer in every organ of the cow and is spread to other animals by the milk. Dr. Hulse also has concern that it may be causing cancer in humans. He states that cows are infected with a bacteria that is in the milk and beef and that it is the same bacteria that is found in Crohn's disease in children and adults and is not killed by current pasteurization temperatures. Dr. Hulse has a great fear of mutant prions invading this country given our insane practices of bovine cannibalism. The books shocking information about the health hazards in our dairy and beef supply is enough to make you sick . . . There is overwhelming evidence that an epidemic of diseases are lying in wait behind the plastic wrap and dairy cartons of our food stores. Dr. Hulse hopes that the developers of public policy will show courage in placing the health of the American people above the economics of big industry." -- Publisher
Kohn, Linda T. (editor), Janet M. Corrigan (editor), Molla S. Donaldson (editor); Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC. Committee on Quality of Health Care in America, To err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, ISBN: 0309068371 9780309068376.
"Experts estimate that as many as 98,000 people die in any given year from medical errors that occur in hospitals. That's more than die from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS -- three causes that receive far more public attention. Indeed, more people die annually from medication errors than from workplace injuries. Add the financial cost to the human tragedy, and medical error easily rises to the top ranks of urgent, widespread public problems. . . .
"TO ERR IS HUMAN asserts that the problem is not bad people in health care -- it is that good people are working in bad systems that need to be made safer. Comprehensive and straightforward, this book offers a clear prescription for raising the level of patient safety in American health care. It also explains how patients themselves can influence the quality of care that they receive once they check into the hospital. This book will be vitally important to federal, state, and local health policy makers and regulators, health professional licensing officials, hospital administrators, medical educators and students, health caregivers, health journalists, patient advocates -- as well as patients themselves." -- Publisher
"This is one of two seminal books on quality and it is a must read for folks in the industry. It is not easy reading but is packed with excellent information. Although this book was compiled in 1999, it's helpful to see where we started and how far we've come. I felt this book was necessary to read as it is mentioned in other books on Quality. The second installment or sequel is CROSSING THE QUALITY CHASM which I have just started. Then I will get back to finishing the Primer book on Quality." -- Reader's Comment
Leasure, James, Nidal Malik Hasan Case Study, Richmond Evangelical Examiner, November 7, 2009
Maj. Hasan, 39, an Army psychiatrist.
"5 November 2009, Fort Hood, Texas: U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan sprays random burst of ammunitions into a combat readiness clinic, killing 13 and wounding 30."
http://www.examiner.com/x-25759-Richmond-Evangelical-Examiner~y2009m11d7-Nidal-Malik-Hasan-Case-Study
Mercola, Joseph, The Great Bird flu Hoax: The Truth They Don't Want you to Know About the "Next big Pandemic," ISBN: 0785221875 9780785221876.
"The U.S. government is now practically screaming that a new avian super-flu will likely kill millions of Americans. The mainstream media is entirely onboard, as are drug companies and other corporations poised to benefit immensely off the paranoia. But there is NO coming bird flu pandemic. It's an elaborate scheme contrived by the government and big business for reasons that boil down to power and money.
"Presenting eye-opening evidence that casts serious doubt on the truthfulness of reports about the virus's ability to transmit, and its mortality rates around the world, renowned physician Dr. Joseph Mercola reveals the secrets about the great bird flu hoax. In compelling fashion he provides you the real facts you need to know to protect you from a far greater ill -- corporate and governmental greed." -- Publisher
Null, Gary, Martin Feldman, Debora Rasio, and Carolyn Dean, Death by Medicine, ISBN: 9781607660026 1607660024.
"The medical environment has become a labyrinth of interlocking corporate, hospital, and governmental boards of directors, infiltrated by the drug companies. Drug company representatives write glowing articles about pharmaceuticals, which are then signed by physicians paid handsomely for their cooperation, though they may not know the adverse side effects of the drugs they promote. The most toxic substances are often approved first, while milder and more natural alternatives are ignored for financial reasons. It's death by medicine. . . .
"This fully referenced book reveals high numbers of people who suffer in-hospital adverse reactions to prescribed drugs; are prescribed unnecessary and/or inappropriate antibiotics; receive unnecessary medical and surgical procedures; and are exposed to unnecessary hospitalization." -- Publisher
Ozner, Michael D., The Great American Heart Hoax: Lifesaving Advice Your Doctor Should Tell you About Heart Disease Prevention (But Probably Never Will), ISBN: 9781933771540 1933771542.
"Addressing the importance of preventative measures over uncertain surgeries, this groundbreaking study reveals the secret to cardiovascular health. Illustrating the disturbing realities about the heart industry and how undependable bypass surgery can be, this survey argues the alternative -- how the majority of people can employ much simpler methods, such as a change in diet, to achieve better results. Also featured is a 12-step program to improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease, including dieting advice, tips on exercise and stress management, methods for controlling cholesterol and blood pressure, and recommended vitamins and medicines.
"Michael Ozner, MD, is medical director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Institute of South Florida and a clinical assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He is the author of The Miami Mediterranean Diet. He lives in Miami." -- Publisher
"HEART HOAX is horrifying because it reveals many troubling facts about America's cardiac surgery industry. As a longtime medical advocate and critic of our healthcare system, I've known that too many heart surgeries are being performed in America; I just didn't know how many too many! In his book, Dr. Ozner reveals that, of the more than 1.5 million angioplasties and coronary bypass surgeries performed annually in the U.S., fully 70-90 percent are not only unnecessary, but are also detrimental -- and in some cases, even cause death. I knew that many diagnostic tests expose patients to radiation, but I didn't know that the 64-slice CT scan -- so often used to detect clogged arteries -- gives a patient the equivalent of the radiation from FIVE HUNDRED X-RAYS. And while I had known that the simple cholesterol test, which doctors routinely use as a predictor of cardiac risk, does NOT give the full picture, I did not know that it correctly predicts risk IN ONLY 40 percent of cases -- AND that there is another blood test (which doctors normally do NOT use), which can correctly predict cardiac risk in 90 percent of patients. All of these facts -- and more -- add up to what Dr. Ozner refers to as the GREAT AMERICAN HEART HOAX. The truth, writes Dr. Ozner, is that invasive cardiologists HAVE KNOWN many of these 'dirty secrets' for years, but have chosen to ignore them, in the unholy goal of 'following the money.'
"So, why do I say that this book is also empowering? Because, the exposé takes up only one part of the book. In the second half, Dr. Ozner gives us the 'good news,' by laying out his solution: a 10-step prevention program he has used successfully with his patients for nearly 30 years. It combines the Mediterranean Diet -- with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and healthy fats -- with nutritional supplements, exercise, stress reduction, and lots more. After reading this book, you will know how to prevent a heart attack and, if you have already had one, how to greatly reduce your chances of ever having another." -- Reader's Comment
Pfizer, Pfizer Punished for Very bad Behavior, September 3, 2009
"So, what did Pfizer do wrong? Let's start with illegal drug promotion
Richter, Robert, For Export Only: Pesticides, The "Circle of Poison" Exposed, DVD. Alternate title: PESTICIDES AND PILLS: FOR EXPORT ONLY (series title), written, directed, and produced by Robert Richter, 57 minutes.
"Part One of two one-hour CDs on this global practice. Part Two is 'For Export Only: Pharmaceuticals'.
"Documents the 'circle of poison' of banned and restricted pesticides used on products we import, such as coffee, bananas and cotton. A fishing village in Ghana shines through as an example of both problem and solution.
"The first national PBS telecast created an international sensation. United Nations delegates who saw the program demanded an end to the practices documented; this led to an international monitoring system. It is a rare example of a documentary that truly made a difference.
"If you ever wanted to know how human beings behave in the absence of rules, in an open unregulated market, these films provide the answer." -- Washington Post
"A global horror story with ugly implications . . . Watch this . . . You may never want to eat again!" -- Indianapolis Times
"For students and other viewers facing a world of globalization, free markets and deregulation, 'For Export Only' documents shocking information about corporations that export products to developing countries that are prohibited or severely restricted in the countries where they are made.
"The products are banned or restricted because they cause cancer, liver disease, central nervous system diseases, sterility and death.
"Specific products and manufacturers are named as the two documentaries clearly depict their use and abuse in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana, Bangladesh and Malaysia. The brand names may be changed, but the practices documented in these powerful reports have not.
"Students could be assigned to research and report about: What changes have occurred since the documentary's original release? What new products have come on the market with similar problems? What has happened with efforts to deal with this issue?
"An extraordinary report." -- London Observer
"After nearly three decades of legal struggle a Los Angeles jury awarded $3.2 million to Nicaraguan farm workers who argued they were made sterile by exposure to a specific pesticide. Dole Food Company was accused of exposing the workers to pesticides made by Dow Chemical Company that caused permanent sterility." -- Los Angeles Times, November 6, 2007
"More of a piece of investigative journalism than any other program honored. And what made it special was that it was produced not by a major station or network, but by Robert Richter, an independent producer. He beat the networks, with all their money, at their own game." -- New York Times report on DuPont Columbia award
"American Film Festival Red Ribbon
"Audubon International Environmental Film Festival
"International Consumer Film Competition"
http://www.richtervideos.com/ForExportOnlyPesticides/
Richter, Robert (writer, director), Pesticides and Pills: For Export Only, set of 2 DVDs, Pesticides, Part 1, and Pharmaceuticals, Part 2. Alternate title for part one: FOR EXPORT ONLY: PESTICIDES, THE "CIRCLE OF POISON" EXPOSED.
Annotation for Pesticides, Part 1 may be seen under "For Export Only: Pesticides, the 'Circle of Poison' Exposed" elsewhere.
"If you ever wanted to know how human beings behave in the absence of rules, in an open unregulated market, these films provide the answer." -- Washington Post
Scranton, Pierce E., Death on the Learning Curve, ISBN: 9781600700149 1600700144.
"A hospital operating room may not be as safe as you think it is. Hiding among the sterile scrubs and gleaming instruments of an operating room is a whole lot of high drama: split-second life-and-death decisions . . . deep questions of ethics . . . roaring personality conflicts . . . the glory of saving a life-and the horror when a simple procedure goes terribly wrong.
"Renowned surgeon Pierce Scranton, Jr., kept a detailed diary of his internship year at a busy California teaching hospital. This book is a vivid, fictionalized memoir of that year in the trenches. Through the intertwined stories of teachers, students and patients, it explores issues like: What happens when teaching and healing come into conflict? When is a new treatment to prolong life a good idea, and when is it a disaster? How did lawyers and bean-counters get so much power? And when do relationships between doctors and other staff 'go too far?' This honest account is startling and sometimes shocking-but always gripping.
*Strand, Ray D., and Donna K. Wallace, Death by Prescription: The Shocking Truth Behind an Overmedicated Nation, ISBN: 0785264841 9780785264842.
"Did you know:
Tricoci, P. (Pierluigi), J.M. Allen, J.M. Kramer, R.M. Califf, and S.C. Smith Jr., Division of Cardiology and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, Scientific Evidence Underlying the ACC/AHA [American College of Cardiologists/American Heart Association -- compiler] Clinical Practice Guidelines, JAMA. 2009 Feb 25;301(8):868-9.
"ACC provides exclusive benefits and services designed specifically for cardiologists, including advocacy, education and access to information." -- from the ACC website
"More than a million people get an angioplasty, stent, or bypass surgery each year. How many of these costly procedures are really essential?"
"RESULTS: Among guidelines with at least 1 revision or update by September 2008, the number of recommendations increased from 1330 to 1973 (+48 percent), from the first to the current version, with the largest increase observed in use of class II recommendations. Considering the 16 current guidelines reporting levels of evidence, only 314 recommendations of 2711 total are classified as level of evidence A (median, 11 percent), [emphasis added, that is, only 11 percent of the ACC/AHA recommended guidelines provided to cardiologists were based upon solid scientifically evidence -- compiler], whereas 1246 (median, 48 percent), are level of evidence C [medical opinion -- compiler]. Level of evidence significantly varies across categories of guidelines (disease, intervention, or diagnostic), and across individual guidelines. Recommendations with level of evidence A are mostly concentrated in class I, but only 245 of 1305 class I recommendations have level of evidence A (median, 19 percent).
"CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations issued in current ACC/AHA clinical practice guidelines are largely developed from lower levels of evidence or expert opinion. The proportion of recommendations for which there is no conclusive evidence is also growing. These findings highlight the need to improve the process of writing guidelines and to expand the evidence base from which clinical practice guidelines are derived."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19244190?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
See also: The sovereignty of god, The doctrine of man (human nature, total depravity), Repentance the key to salvation and change, Justification, Justifying faith, The decline of american society, irrationality, the decline of western thought, Male role and responsibility, gender equality, suffrage, reproductive rights, and the decline of american society, Abortion and the sanctity of life, Epidemic, pandemic, plague, natural disaster, The veterans administration medical centers, Healthcare reform, Medical ethics, Ethics, computer rthics, cyberethics, Sex ethics, sex education, Abortion and the sancity of life, What your doctor may not tell you, Healthcare horror stories, Conspiracy, corruption, organized crime, Theft, fraud, stealing: property rights and freedom, Nuclear radiation and other radiation, Reform, state sovereignty, and corporate immunity: reform of corporations, Authority, Power, Pride, ambition, self-aggrandizement, arrogance, ego, Politics, Covetousness, greed, and selfishness, Public health, The government role of punishing wrongdoers, Toxic and harmful substances, cancer, Oncology (cancer treatment), Vaccinations, Secret societies, ungodly alliances, voluntary associations, and so forth, and so on.
Americans are Going Bankrupt From Getting Sick, Olga Khazan, March 15, 2019
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/03/hospital-bills-medical-debt-bankruptcy/584998/
Anatomy of a Financial Fraud: A Forensic Examination of HealthSouth, Leonard G. Weld, Peter M. Bergevin, and Lorraine Magrath, August 2002
"A forensic audit conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers concluded that HealthSouth Corporation's cumulative earnings were overstated by anywhere from $3.8 billion to $4.6 billion, according to a January 2004 report issued by the scandal-ridden healthcare concern. HealthSouth acknowledged that the forensic audit discovered at least another $1.3 billion dollars in suspect financial reporting in addition to the previously estimated $2.5 billion. The scandal's postmortem report found additional fraud of $500 million, and identified at least $800 million of improper accounting for reserves, executive bonuses, and related-party transactions. This billion-dollar-plus admission failed to garner financial media headlines, further evidence of the public's inurement to financial reporting scandals.
"The referenced August 2002 CPA Journal article written by Professors Weld and Magrath won the 2002 Max Block Distinguished Article Award, which each year recognizes the most outstanding work published by The CPA Journal."
http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2004/1004/essentials/p44.htm
Antibiotics and Sudden Death? May 18, 2012
"This study gives a glimpse at another secret that many health professionals prefer to keep under wraps: a surprising number of drugs can cause serious heart rhythm abnormalities. These arrhythmias can lead to stroke or sudden death. These medications are taken by tens of millions of Americans every day!"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/05/18/antibiotics-and-sudden-death/
Antimicrobial resistance poses significant risk to people, the economy, November 12, 2019
"In Canada, 26 percent of infections are resistant to the medicines that are generally first prescribed to treat an infection, a rate that could rise to 40 percent or beyond in the coming decades, according to an expert panel convened by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA). By 2050, a total of 396,000 lives could be lost and the Canadian economy could lose $388 billion per year."
https://scienmag.com/antimicrobial-resistance-poses-significant-risk-to-people-the-economy/
Article in Health Matrix: U.S. Physicians Disciplined for Criminal Activity, Paul Jung, Peter Lurie, Sidney M. Wolfe. From Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine Vol. 16:335 Summer 2006.
"A large number of physicians convicted of crimes find employment within the federal government.[7] [emphasis added -- compiler]. Deaths of prison inmates under the care of physicians who had previously lost their licenses for criminal convictions have raised the question of such physicians' fitness for delivering medical care.[8]. . . .
Our database contained 2,903 criminal conviction-related entries for 2,247 physicians between 1990 and 1999. There were a total of 3,500 disciplinary orders taken in those entries. . . .
Of the 1,398 physicians with matching demographic data, 717 (51.3 percent), had inactive licenses in 2002. Of the remaining 681 physicians, 627 physicians (92.1 percent), reported direct patient care as their major professional activity, higher than the 81.2 percent of all U.S. physicians (risk ratio = 1.13). . . .
"We acknowledge that physicians can be criminally prosecuted only to the extent of the law, and that these laws differ from state to state. However, examples from our dataset illustrate the often modest sanctions by state medical boards, even after the physicians have been criminally convicted. Based on the data in Table 3, less than 80 percent of physicians who committed sex-related offenses had their licenses revoked, surrendered, or suspended. Only 53.6 percent of physicians convicted of criminally prescribing, using, or possessing controlled substances and only 40.1 percent of physicians guilty of criminal misconduct related to the practice of medicine had their licenses revoked, surrendered, or suspended. These data exemplify a system that allows questionable physicians to continue practicing medicine after exhibiting clearly unprofessional and dangerous behavior." [emphasis added -- compiler]
"The U.S. Congress authorized the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) in 1986 to prevent incompetent practitioners from moving state to state without disclosure or discovery of previous damaging or incompetent performance.14 After data for this paper were collected, information in the NPDB became available online at http://www.npdb-hipdb.com. However the NPDB is prohibited from divulging information on individual practitioners to the general public; only state licensing boards, hospitals, professional societies or healthcare organizations have access to the NPDB. [emphasis added -- compiler]. In addition, NPDB public data files provide information on actions and offenses for a given entry, but do not provide identifying information such as specialty and major professional activity (e.g., patient care, research, administrative). . . .
"The ability of some physicians to escape significant punishment and continue practice stems from the inconsistencies in state-level regulation of physicians that have been demonstrated elsewhere.16 Law enforcement agencies should be required to report criminal convictions to state medical boards so that boards are informed of such activity that may warrant disciplinary action, and medical boards should police self-reported physician profiles available on many state medical board websites, which do not always contain all disciplinary actions. At a minimum, states should provide more resources for the disciplinary review of physicians accused of criminal conduct."
http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=696
Breakfast With a Dose of Roundup? Weed Killer in $289 Million Cancer Verdict Found in Oat Cereal and Granola Bars, Alexis Temkin, Ph.D., Toxicologist, August 15, 2018
"Glyphosate, an herbicide linked to cancer by California state scientists and the World Health Organization, was found in all but two of 45 samples of products made with conventionally grown oats. Almost three-fourths of those samples had glyphosate levels higher than what EWG scientists consider protective of children's health with an adequate margin of safety. About one-third of 16 samples made with organically grown oats also had glyphosate, all at levels well below EWG's health benchmark."
https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/glyphosateincereal/#.W3jXzMKWyUl
Can Government run a Health Care System? Robert E. Bauman
"The Federal government already owns, finances, and operates the country's largest health care system -- the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the principal agency of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
"It requires a phalanx of more than 400 VA attorneys to interpret and reinterpret the arcane substantive and procedural provisions. Along with lawyers from the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorneys' Offices across the nation, VA lawyers also must defend thousands of malpractice claims filed by injured patients or their bereaved survivors who blame the VA for the wrongful death of a veteran. For example, the following is a partial list of events that occurred at VA medical centers at Tampa and Bay Pines, Fla., from 1991 to 1993:
VA skirts the law to employ foreign doctorshttp://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2596_v123/ai_16399885/
VA covers up mistakes by pathologist at Reno VA Medical Center
VA doctor convicted of perjury, for lying about sexual relationship with VA patient
VA fails to diagnosis cancer in Cleveland
VA uses unsupervised residents and other practices that would not be accepted elsewhere
VA doctor suffocates veteran when a lung tube was inserted
VA cardiac units suffer higher death rates
VA neglects patients in Dallas
VA nurse pleads guilty in death of patient
VA and military medical malpractice in Georgia
VA cancer researcher convicted of lying 2005
VA doctor convicted of sexual assault on patients in Texas
VA rejects claim over HIV diagnosis"
Children are Dying, by Alexandra Robbins
"Special report: Because of nationwide shortages, Washington hospitals are rationing, hoarding, and bartering critical nutrients premature babies and other patients need to survive. Doctors are reporting conditions normally seen only in developing countries, and there have been deaths. How could this be allowed to happen?"
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/children-are-dying/
*Chinese Virologist Posts Report Claiming COVID-19 was Made in Wuhan lab, Tamar Lapin, September 14, 2020
https://nypost.com/2020/09/14/chinese-virologist-posts-report-claiming-covid-19-was-made-in-wuhan-lab/
ClassAction.org
"This is ClassAction.org's current list of open lawsuits and investigations. The goal of this section is to provide consumers with a comprehensive resource on class action and mass tort lawsuits. Attorneys are either actively filing these cases or investigating to determine whether lawsuits can be filed. The list is updated frequently, so check back soon for updates."
https://www.classaction.org/
The Closing of the American Mind
"The state often claims to keep its citizens safe, when it is actually inhibiting increased individual well-being. See, for example, the FDA's astronomically expensive and time-consuming drug-approval process, which University of Chicago professor Sam Peltzman argues has caused 'more sickness and death than it prevented.' These kinds of harmful barriers to life-enhancing advances exist at every level of government."
https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Peltzman-Lecture.pdf
CNBC's American Greed: Scams, Schemes, and Broken Dreams
Archives for Seasons 1 through Season 4.
www.americangreed.cnbc.com
Combating a Culture of Death, Richard Greene, December 24, 2014
"Oregon had become the first state to legalize doctor-assisted suicide, in 2008. Montana, Washington, Vermont and New Mexico have since followed suit. . . .
"Dr. Peter Saunders of the Care Not Killing Alliance says 'In the Netherlands . . . dementia patients are euthanized, mobile euthanasia clinics operate and the Groningen protocol allows euthanasia for disabled babies. In Belgium, organs are harvested from euthanasia patients and 32 percent of all euthanasia deaths are without consent. . . .'
"The church should not wait until someone encounters a crisis to teach them about suffering, Moore noted. 'We ought to be preparing people from childhood what it means to suffer rightly before God and entrust themselves to God.'
"Tada, who also tried to reach out to Brittany Maynard via an open letter, said today's secular society doesn't know how to handle suffering. 'They want to drug it, or medicate it, or surgically get rid of it, or divorce it, or institutionalize it,' she said. 'No, God calls us to live with it'."
http://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/january-2015/combating-a-culture-of-death/
CT-scan Radiologists on Alert for Overdoses, Misti Crane, The Columbus Dispatch, Sunday, October 18, 2009
"Radiologists and experts in CT scans are shaking their heads over news that Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles gave more than 200 patients about eight times the normal amount of radiation during diagnostic scans for stroke.
"Hospital officials apologized last week for the overdoses, which came to the hospital's attention after a patient complained in August about losing hair after a scan.
"The problem arose from changes that staff members made to override the machine's standard settings."
http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/10/18/CT-scan.html?sid=101
Dark Secrets of the Medical and Military Industrial Complex
"Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. uncovers the dark secrets behind vaccines, the CIA, the assassinations of his uncle and father, and the corruption of the medical establishment and military/industrial complex."
https://rumble.com/v2dgz2o-dark-secrets-of-the-medical-and-military-industrial-complex.html
Deadly Rx for Greed: Robert Courtney, the Pharmacist
"It's unimaginable. Expensive chemotherapy drugs are watered down and sold to unsuspecting patients. Robert Courtney pockets millions. American Greed profiles the criminal and the investigators who brought him to justice."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/23182570
Death by Medicine
This is an 18,491-word article in Life Extension magazine that includes many of the statistics from the 2001 study. Documented with 151 endnotes.
"Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analyzed and combined ALL of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine. That has now changed.
"A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking. These researchers have authored a paper titled Death by Medicine that presents compelling evidence that today's system frequently causes more harm than good.
"This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
"The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5)
"We placed this article on our website to memorialize the failure of the American medical system. By exposing these gruesome statistics in painstaking detail, we provide a basis for competent and compassionate medical professionals to recognize the inadequacies of today's system and at least attempt to institute meaningful reforms."
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_01.htm
Death by a Thousand Clicks: Where Electronic Health Records Went Wrong, Erika Fry and Fred Schulte, March 18, 2019
"The U.S. government claimed that turning American medical charts into electronic records would make health care better, safer, and cheaper. Ten years and $36 billion later, the system is an unholy mess: Inside a digital revolution gone wrong. A joint investigation by Fortune and Kaiser Health News. . . .
"Kaiser Health News (KHN) and Fortune spoke with more than 100 physicians, patients, IT experts and administrators, health policy leaders, attorneys, top government officials, and representatives at more than a half-dozen EHR vendors, including the CEOs of two of the companies.
"The interviews reveal a tragic missed opportunity: Rather than an electronic ecosystem of information, the nation's thousands of EHRs largely remain a sprawling, disconnected patchwork. Moreover, the effort has handcuffed health providers to technology they mostly can't stand and has enriched and empowered the $13-billion-a-year industry that sells it.
"What the framers of that vision didn't count on were the business incentives working against it. A free exchange of information means that patients can be treated anywhere. And though they may not admit it, many health providers are loath to lose their patients to a competing doctor's office or hospital. There's a term for that lost revenue: 'leakage.' And keeping a tight hold on patients' medical records is one way to prevent it."
http://fortune.com/longform/medical-records/
The Dental Fillings Cover-up and the FDA, Greg Gordon, July 27, 2015
"Senior U.S. health officials have squelched a Food and Drug Administration proposal that for the first time would have curbed dentists' use of mercury -- one of the planet's nastiest toxins, because it attacks the central nervous system -- in treating Americans' decayed teeth."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/07/27/the-dental-fillings-cover-up-and-the-fda/
Did VA's Internal Politics Create a Massive Healthcare Backlog? Sarah Westwood, 7/16/15
"Davis circulated documents Monday that indicated nearly one in three veterans waiting to be enrolled in the VA's healthcare programs had died waiting for their benefits.
"More than 238,000 veterans whose eligibility for VA benefits was pending had died, the records showed.
"In July of last year, Davis testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee that the backlog of pending enrollment applications had reached 600,000.
"The documents published earlier this week suggest the number has since exceeded 847,000 despite congressional and inspector general scrutiny."
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/va-put-internal-politics-over-vets-care/article/2568377
Dirty Surgical Tools: A Hidden, Deadly Danger, February 2012
"A new report suggests that doctors all over the country are using medical instruments contaminated with blood, tissue, and other debris. Could the same devices that save your life also put it at risk?
"In fact, according to a new report by investigative journalist Joe Eaton of the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit that focuses on ethics and accountability, dirty medical devices are a widespread and potentially deadly threat to your health. In 2008, Eaton notes, a hepatitis C outbreak in Las Vegas revealed that a local outpatient surgery center was working with contaminated tools, some of which were intended for only single use anyway. This, in turn, led to an inspection of 1,500 other such centers -- and the finding that 28 percent of them had infection control deficiencies related to equipment cleaning and sterilization.
"But that's not even the worst of it. In 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs admitted that improperly cleaned endoscopes had been used on more than 10,000 vets, some of whom later tested positive for HIV or hepatitis. It's difficult to know for sure how many of those infections (if any), resulted from the dirty instruments, but experts say the risk is higher than most people realize.
" 'The cases we hear about,' CDC medical officer Melissa Schaefer, MD, told Eaton, 'are only the tip of the iceberg'."
http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/0223/dirty-surgical-tools-a-hidden-deadly-danger.aspx?xid=aol_eh-news_9_20120220_&aolcat=HLT&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-nb%7Cdl20%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D137899
Doctors in Belgium to Prey on Disabled, Euthanize Them to Harvest Their Organs, Wesley J. Smith, 8/30/13
"Euthanasia donors accounted for 12.8 percent of all lung DCDs. Immediate post-transplant graft function and long-term outcome in recipients was excellent. More euthanasia donors are to be expected with more public awareness.
"In a better world, increased public awareness would cause universal public revulsion."
http://www.lifenews.com/2013/08/30/doctors-in-belgium-to-prey-on-disabled-euthanize-them-to-harvest-their-organs/
Drafter of U.S. Dietary Goals was Bribed by big Sugar to Demonize fat
"Newly released historical documents show how the sugar industry essentially bribed Harvard scientists to downplay sugar's role in heart disease -- and how the U.S. government ate it up."
http://reason.com/blog/2016/09/13/sugar
Drug Company Payments to Doctors Must be Revealed, January 18, 2012
"Under new Federal guidelines, drug companies will soon be required to reveal payments to doctors. According to an investigation by The New York Times, about two-thirds of all U.S. physicians accept dinners for themselves or lunch for their staffs. Approximately 25 percent of doctors actually get financial payments from drug and device manufacturers.
"There is concern that such financial relationships alter the practice of medicine because they create a conflict of interest. The reports of payments were scheduled to start last fall, but the public now has until mid-February to comment on the proposals. Under the rules, drug companies will be fined for failing to report payments and corporate leadership may be liable if they knowingly sign off on false reports. The Congressional Budget Office hopes that such transparency will eventually reduce over prescribing and excessive spending. [New York Times, Jan. 16, 2012]"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/01/18/drug-company-payments-to-doctors-must-be-revealed/
Drug Shortages Lead to Price Gouging, August 28, 2011
[Could current shortage of critical drugs be the pharmaceutical giants way of dealing with loss of income due to Congress's acts on generic drugs? -- compiler]
"Hospital pharmacists are getting desperate. They are being forced to devote precious time to hunting down scarce supplies of critical medications. That's because drug shortages are increasing nationwide.
"Since 2006 the number of medicines that have become hard to find in any given year has tripled. The FDA has reported that over the last year nearly 200 drugs have been unavailable or in limited supply. That means that sometimes patients undergoing surgery will have procedures delayed. Less effective or far more expensive treatments may need to be substituted. . . .
"Why would a company stop making a pharmaceutical it has made for years? Sometimes the answer is pure profit. There may not be enough incentive to continue with a generic drug that is sold for a low price. . . .
"Generic drug companies should recognize that putting profit ahead of patients' lives is a black mark on the industry. . . ."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/08/28/drug-shortages-lead-to-price-gouging/
Drug Testing Scandal at FDA, April 18, 2013
"The FDA has come under fire in a report from ProPublica, an independent group of investigative journalists. A whistle-blower at a large research laboratory tipped the agency off to fraudulent data manipulation.
"Over 100 drugs were involved, many of them generics. The fudging of data lasted from 2005 till 2009 and was characterized as egregious by the FDA investigators. . . . no list of affected drugs is available."
http://www.propublica.org/article/fda-let-drugs-approved-on-fraudulent-research-stay-on-the-market
Drug makers collude on generic price hikes, overcharge consumers and states billions, Ken Alltucker, USA Today, May 13, 2019
"A coalition of attorneys general from 43 states and Puerto Rico claim in a federal lawsuit that generic drug manufacturers conspired to fix prices and markets of 114 drugs for both minor infections and chronic diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes and HIV.
"The sweeping 510-page lawsuit filed Friday at U.S. District Court in Connecticut alleges Teva, Pfizer, Mylan, and 17 other pharmaceutical companies worked in tandem to create a 'fair share' of the generic drug market and avoid price-lowering competition.
"The lawsuit also names 15 pharma executives in a price-fixing conspiracy that allegedly overcharged states and consumers billions of dollars. "
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2019/05/13/teva-and-other-generic-drug-makers-accused-price-fixing/1190531001/
Earth Day: Abortion has Killed 1-2 Billion Worldwide in 50 Years, Colin Mason and Steven Mosher, Apr 21, 2011
"Think about it. Over the past half-century, quietly and without fanfare, in ordinary towns and cities, in dozens of countries around the world, perhaps two billion children have been killed. They have died unknown, often unmourned, and acknowledged only from time to time.
"The 20th century was violent by any measure. Thirty-seven million people were killed in World War I. Over 60 million perished in World War II. Six million Jews and another six million Catholics died in Hitler's death camps. Twenty million died at the hands of the Soviet authorities. Sixty-five million Chinese were killed by the Communist Party, while forty-two million more starved to death during Mao's Great Leap Forward. And so on.
"But these numbers are dwarfed by the sheer volume of children who have been killed this past half-century."
http://www.lifenews.com/2011/04/21/earth-day-abortion-has-killed-1-2-billion-worldwide-in-50-years/
Electronic Health Records Creating A 'New Era' of Health Care Fraud, Fred Schulte and Erika Fry, December 23, 2019
"The suit alleges that the company, which had $14 billion in annual revenue in 2018, obtained millions of dollars in federal subsidies fraudulently by covering up dangerous flaws in these systems at the Oklahoma hospital and more than 120 others it owned or operated at the time. . . .
"The whistle-blowers also allege that Medhost, the Tennessee firm that developed the software, concealed defects during government-mandated reviews that were supposed to ensure safety."
https://khn.org/news/electronic-health-records-creating-a-new-era-of-health-care-fraud-officials-say/
Even a Standard Throat Swab can Cost $28,000 if Your Doctor Wants it to, Katie Way (December 2019)
"A report from NPR details how a woman's normal office visit was trumped up into thousands of dollars in charges; in our overly complex healthcare system, there are somehow no straightforward rules against this.
"No matter how prepared anyone thinks they are when it comes to dealing with the American health system, the possibility of getting hit with a shockingly high medical bill looms. That hanging dread is due, in part, to the possibility of unexpected out-of-network charges. According to NPR, Alexa Kasdan, a New York City resident, learned as much in October when she went to the doctor for a simple throat swab, left with a prescription for antibiotics, and incurred a bill of more than $28,000 in the process."
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdppp/out-of-network-charge-health-insurance
Evidence of Massive Fraud in Handling of Covid-19
"This is but a tiny fraction of the evidence exposing the complete fraud of how the Covid-19 pandemic has been handled. The powers that be -- Big Pharma, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx, the CDC, FDA, NIH, WHO, mainstream media, Big Tech -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Instagram -- and others have all worked very hard to create a narrative that enriches them and enslaves you. You can't fight them if you don't know the whole story."
https://protectingtheconstitution.home.blog/2021/04/02/evidence-of-massive-fraud-in-handling-of-covid-19/
The Executive Orders That end Obamacare -- Once and for all, Wayne Allynroot, July 30, 2017
"Executive Order #2. My gut instinct is usually on the money. I feel it in my bones. The Senators who voted against the repeal are corrupted, bribed, on the take. Senators and Congressmen are making an unimaginable fortune off of Obamacare. That's why they are against the repeal. They don't want to end the gravy train.
"They want the system complex and expensive. They want government involved. They want taxpayer money wasted by the billions. That's how they milk the system. They all own stocks of medical companies, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies. I'm betting many actually own companies with government contracts that benefit from Obamacare. They put them in the names of their spouses, children, parents, siblings, childhood buddies. They own them in offshore accounts. The conflicts of interest are the size of Texas."
https://townhall.com/columnists/wayneallynroot/2017/07/30/the-executive-orders-that-end-obamacare--once-and-for-all-n2361967
Family Outraged Over Life-changing Treatment Going From Free to $375,000 a Year, Ben Kesslen, February 8, 2019
" 'I don't think I would be alive today' without the very-expensive drug, Will Schuller told NBC News."
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/family-outraged-over-life-changing-treatment-going-free-375-000-n968906
Florida Pathologist Nets $4 Million Award for Blowing Whistle on Dermatologist
"Pathologist Dr. Alan Freedman was awarded $4.046 million on Monday, February 11, 2013 for being the relator in a qui tam (whistle-blower) lawsuit he filed against dermatologist Dr. Steven Wasserman and his (Dr. Freedman's) former pathology laboratory. Dr. Wasserman agreed to pay $26.1 million to settle allegations by the federal government that he violated the False Claims Act by accepting illegal kickbacks from the pathology laboratory and for billing Medicare for thousands of unnecessary skin surgeries."
http://pathologyblawg.com/pathology-news/pathology-law/healthcare-fraud-pathology/florida-pathologist-nets-4-million-award-blowing-whistle-dermatologist/
Four (4) Cancer Charities Charged for Scamming Donors out of $187 Million, May 20, 2015
"The lawsuit specifies the entities charged as the Cancer Fund of America, the Children's Cancer Fund of America, the Breast Cancer Society, and Cancer Support Services, along with several directors and operators who are either related or business associates.
"It's also said that the charities hired professional fundraisers and frequently allowed them to keep 85 percent of the money they collected.
"Actual charitable uses are believed to account for only about 3 percent of the donation spending."
http://www.aol.com/article/2015/05/20/4-cancer-charities-charged-for-scamming-donors-out-of-187-milli/21185434/
Get This Wrong and at Best you go Bankrupt
"You may have read some of these shocking statistics:
"The website for the Social Security Administration tells us this:Between 2000 and 2006, wages in the United States increased by 3.8 percent, but healthcare premiums increased by 87 percent.[1] If the U.S. healthcare system was a country, it would be the 6th largest economy in the entire world.[2] In 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid. Today, one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid.[3] It is being projected that ObamaCare will add 16 million more Americans to the Medicaid rolls.[4]
"Many of us struggle to comprehend the sheer magnitude of the state's role as primary caregiver. I know I do. The civil government's role starts when someone is in the womb and extends beyond their death. The state finances pregnancy, delivery into the world, education through adulthood, elderly care, allocation of inheritance, and a host of areas in between. Think about it. It is quite literally 'pre-cradle to post-grave'."In 2013, almost 58 million Americans will receive $816 billion in Social Security benefits.[5] Nine out of ten individuals age 65 and older receive Social Security benefits.[6]
Social Security provided at least half the income for 64 percent of the aged beneficiaries in 2011.[7]
Giant Generic Drug Scandal: Companies Accused of Price Fixing! December 15, 2016
"An announcement by 20 state attorneys general that they would be suing a group of generic drug manufacturers reinforces our worst fears. Companies like Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Aurobindo Pharma USA, Citron Pharma LLC, Mayne Pharma Inc., and Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc. have been accused of conspiring to manipulate prices on the antibiotic doxycycline and the diabetes drug glyburide."
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/12/15/79955/
Greed and Fraud vs. Medicare: A few Changes Could Roll Back Abuse
"No one knows for sure how much of that is embezzled. But the best estimate came out in 2012, when Donald Berwick, a former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Andrew Hackbarth of the RAND Corporation, calculated that fraud -- and the extra rules and inspections required to fight it -- added as much as $98 billion, or roughly 10 percent, to annual Medicare and Medicaid spending, and up to $272 billion across the entire health system.
"The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that in 2014, $60 billion of American taxpayer money, or more than 10 percent of Medicare's total budget, was lost to fraud, waste, abuse and improper payments. . . .
"Under a 'pay-and-chase' policy for payment, the government pays out claims first and asks questions later, after the money has already been spent. So Medicare continues to have no way of approving transactions before paying providers. The program also lacks the ability to electronically confirm when a patient actually receives care.
"Under the Obama administration, Medicare instituted a Fraud Prevention System that uses predictive analytics to identify troublesome billing patterns and outlier claims for action, similar to systems used by credit card companies. The agency has found $820 million in improper Medicare payments in the first three years. But there's still the issue of how to recover the money, which has already been paid out."
Health Insurers Earn Billions While Americans Can't Afford Premiums, Jill Cueni-Cohen, August 6, 2017
"The nation's top six health insurers reported a combined $6 billion in adjusted profits for the second quarter. That's up a hefty 29 percent more than the same quarter a year ago -- far outpacing the overall S&P 500 health care sector's growth of 8.5 percent for the quarter, according to data from Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S."
http://dennismichaellynch.com/health-insurers-earn-billions-americans-cant-afford-premiums/
Hospital Errors out of Control! June 11, 2011.
"A recent study using something called the Global Trigger Tool suggests they may be far more frequent than previously estimated. The researchers found that medical mistakes may be ten times more common than anyone ever imagined possible. This means that one out of every three hospital patients could be harmed because of an error."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/11/817-health-news-update -- hospital-errors-out-of-control/
H.R. 5: A Medical Industry Handout and a Theft of Consumers' Rights; Epidemic of Medical Errors Must be Addressed, April 6, 2011
"H.R. 5 is intended to protect the profits of large industries by giving them virtual immunity from accountability for a range of reckless actions, which they would do by stamping out patients' legal rights. Under this bill, manufacturers would be more likely to put dangerous drugs and medical devices on the market with little concern for patients' safety. Nursing homes would be able to give substandard care to elderly residents with minimal consequence.
"Instead of focusing on ways to shield the powerful medical and insurance industries and pad their profits, lawmakers should focus on cures for the current epidemic of medical errors that kill more than 100,000 Americans in hospitals every year."
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/pressroomredirect.cfm?ID=3311
Health Insurance Hustle, Marshall Allen, November 4, 2019
"How one Employer Stuck a new mom With a $898,984 Bill for her Premature Baby.
"Dignity Health said its employee, an ER nurse, failed to meet the deadline to add her premature newborn to its health plan, so she was responsible for the medical bills. It rejected her appeals for a year until ProPublica called.
"Dignity bills itself as the fifth-largest health system in the country, with services in 21 states. The massive nonprofit self-funds its benefits, meaning it bears the cost of bills like Sadie's. And it doesn't appear to be short on cash. In 2018, the organization reported $6.6 billion in net assets and paid its CEO $11.9 million in reportable compensation, according to tax filings. That same year, more than two dozen Dignity executives earned more than $1 million in compensation, records show."
https://www.propublica.org/article/how-one-employer-stuck-a-new-mom-with-a-bill-for-her-premature-baby
HealthPAC Online
"Between 2000 and 2006, wages in the United States increased by 3.8 percent, but healthcare premiums increased by 87 percent."
http://www.healthpaconline.net/health-care-issues.htm#sthash.IM5jH9K2.dHr3KOoQ.dpuf
The Hidden Epidemic, July 21, 2012
"When you go into the hospital, you have every right to expect that the care you receive will be competent as well as compassionate, and that you will not be the victim of a medical mistake. Statistically speaking, however, one patient in three might experience an error in care. There is an epidemic of medical mistakes made by conscientious individuals working in dysfunctional systems."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/07/21/865-the-hidden-epidemic/
A Hospital Charged $1,877 to Pierce a 5-year-old's Ears. This is Why Health Care Costs so Much, Marshall Allen, November 2017.
"An epidemic of unnecessary treatment is wasting billions of health care dollars a year. Patients and taxpayers are paying for it.
"Experts estimate the U.S. health care system wastes $765 billion annually -- about a quarter of all the money that's spent. Of that, an estimated $210 billion goes to unnecessary or needlessly expensive care, according to a 2012 report by the National Academy of Medicine.
"ProPublica has been documenting the ways waste is baked into the system. Hospitals throw away new supplies and nursing homes discard still-potent medication. Drug makers combine cheap ingredients to create expensive specialty pills, and arbitrary drug expiration dates force hospitals and pharmacies to toss valuable drugs.
"We also reported how drug companies make oversize eyedrops and vials of cancer drugs, forcing patients to pay for medication they are unable to use. In response, a group of U.S. senators introduced a bill this month to reduce what they called 'colossal and completely preventable waste'."
The system is like a sick whale and it seems almost as if it is purposely designed to allow as many parasites to feed off of it and be sustained without killing it outright. Cost of my pacemaker, $70,000. Average for the country. In Germany and Switzerland, $5,500 to 7,500 in two of the top rated healthcare systems in the world. My double bypass cost billed at $248,000 paid for at $117,000. The care was superb but it seems that hospitals throw everything they can bill at the wall and wait to see if insurance will pay. If not - the patient is billed. At least Blue Cross stipulates that if the lower amount is accepted the patient cannot be billed for the remainder. One of the biggest problems is who, among your providers is "in network" and who is not. Don't bother asking anyone at the hospital or even in billing, because I guarantee you won't get a straight answer though the insurance company will remind you numerous times that determination is your responsibility. -- Reader's Commenthttps://www.propublica.org/article/a-hospital-charged-to-pierce-ears-why-health-care-costs-so-much
Hospital Corporation of America
"In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA pleaded guilty to 14 felonies. They admitted systematically overcharging the government by claiming marketing costs as reimbursable, by striking illegal deals with home care agencies, and by filing false data about use of hospital space. . . ."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_Corporation_of_America
Hospital Mistakes
"Serious errors are taking place in hospitals everywhere because charts are misread and the medical staff you expect to take care of you isn't always paying attention. And some of the mistakes were made because of pre-surgical errors in the physician's office.
"A recent study, conducted through the University of Colorado in Denver, examined a compilation of insurance information from Colorado. More than 27,000 incidents were reported by 6,000 doctors between 2002 and 2008. It had been previously assumed (at least by the medical community), that these kinds of mix-ups were relatively rare, perhaps one in every 110,000 surgeries. This research, however, is proof positive that these preventable mistakes are not nearly so rare."
Do the math. That is approximately 3,571 mistakes per week in hospitals in the United States interpolating from this seven year study in Colorado. (27,000 incidents in Colorado divided by 7 years = 3,857 mistakes per year divided by 54 weeks = 71 mistakes per week in Colorado X 50 states = approximately 3,571 mistakes). And researchers admit that the number of mistakes that go unreported is undoubtably much higher, because many hospital incident reporting policies are voluntary. Notice, that was 71 mistakes per week in hospitals in Colorado that reached insurance agencies.
http://www.jonbarron.org/natural-health/podcast-hospital-mistakes-surgical-errors
How Modern Medicine Shot Itself in the Foot, November 18, 2013.
Be sure to read the whole article if you or anyone you know has been prescribed statin-type cholesterol-lowering drug.
"Last week the country's foremost cardiologists issued revolutionary new guidelines under the auspices of the American Heart Association and The American College of Cardiology. These are two of the most prestigious organizations in American medicine. . . .
"At issue are the sweeping new guidelines that could double the number of Americans who are prescribed statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs from 36 million to 72 million. That means that roughly one-third of all adults should take drugs like atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor), pitavastatin (Livalo), rosuvastatin (Crestor) or simvastatin (Zocor)."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/11/18/how-modern-medicine-shot-itself-in-the-foot/
How ObamaCare is Destroying Healthcare Access, Daniel J. Mitchell, April 25, 2016
"Part of me is glad the law is such a failure, but it's tragic that millions of people are suffering adverse consequences. These are folks who did nothing wrong, but now are paying more, losing employment, suffering income losses, and/or being forced to find new plans and new doctors."
https://fee.org/articles/obamacare-strikes-out-on-affordability-savings-coverage/
How "Settled Science" Helped Create a Massive Public Health Crisis
" 'The Seven Countries study had become canonical, and the fat hypothesis was enshrined in official advice,' Leslie writes. By 1980, the U.S. government issued its first Dietary Guidelines telling the country to cut back on saturated fats and cholesterol, and Americans dutifully complied.
"That's precisely when the nation's obesity rate started to skyrocket. While the obesity rate barely changed from 1960 to 1980 -- going from 13 percent to 15 percent -- over the following two decades -- 1980-2000 -- the rate jumped to 35 percent.
" 'At best, we can conclude that the official guidelines did not achieve their objective; at worse, they led to a decades-long health catastrophe,' Leslie writes."
http://www.investors.com/politics/commentary/how-settled-science-caused-a-massive-public-health-crisis/
I Read 1,182 Emergency Room Bills This Year. Here's What I Learned, Sarah Kliff, December 18, 2018
A $5,571 bill to sit in a waiting room, $238 eye drops, and a $60 ibuprofen tell the story of how emergency room visits are squeezing patients.
"I started my project focused on one specific charge: the facility fee. I found this charge for walking through an emergency room's doors could be as low as $533 or well over $3,000, depending on which hospital a patient visited and how severe her case was. I also learned that the price of this charge had skyrocketed in recent years, increasing much faster than other medical prices for no clear reason.
"A baby was treated with a nap and a bottle of formula. His parents received an $18,000 bill.
"Since I started working on this project, one of the questions I get most frequently is: How do I avoid a surprise ER bill? Or how can I get my ER bill lowered?
"I wish I had a good answer, but I don't. Patients are usually at the mercy of the hospital when it comes to ER billing."
https://www.vox.com/health-care/2018/12/18/18134825/emergency-room-bills-health-care-costs-america
IMPLOSION: Flood of Reports Show ObamaCare Collapsing on Itself
"The launch of the insurance exchanges has brought an amazing array of headlines and little known facts to the fore."
http://docs4patientcare.org/_blog/Blog_and_News/post/2013-10-implosion/
Incorrect Surgical Procedures Within and Outside of the Operating Room, Julia Neily, RN, MS, MPH; Peter D. Mills, Ph.D., MS; Noel Eldridge, MS; Edward J. Dunn, MD, MPH; Carol Samples, BGS; James R. Turner, BS; Audrey Revere; Ralph G. DePalma, MD; James P. Bagian, MD, PE Arch Surg. 2009;144(11):1028-1034.
"Objective To describe incorrect surgical procedures reported from Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Medical Centers from 2001 to mid-2006 and provide proposed solutions for preventing such events. . . .
"Results We reviewed 342 reported events (212 adverse events and 130 close calls). Of these, 108 adverse events (50.9 percent) occurred in an OR, and 104 (49.1 percent) occurred elsewhere. When examining adverse events only, ophthalmology and invasive radiology were the specialties associated with the most reports (45 [21.2 percent] each), whereas orthopedics was second to ophthalmology for number of reported adverse events occurring in the OR. Pulmonary medicine cases (such as wrong-side thoracentesis), and wrong-site cases (such as wrong spinal level), were associated with the most harm. The most common root cause of events was communication (21.0 percent)."
In other words in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Medical Centers from 2001 to mid-2006 (about 5 years), 212 surgical events (mistakes) were made. [Notice the number of VA hospitals is not given (about 150 in the United States -- compiler), therefore it is not possible to compare the statistics to other hospitals in the country. And, more importantly, "a definitive wrong surgery rate could not be established, because some errors go unreported." -- compiler]. In addition to these mistakes the study looked at 130 reported "close calls." That is 42 surgical mistakes per year or approximately 0.785 reported surgical mistakes per week. This research was apparently done by surgeons themselves, and recorded in the Archives of Surgery.
http://archsurg.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/144/11/1028/
Insurance Fraud Hall of Shame: Doc's Skin Scheme Cuts Deep, James Quiggle, December 31, 2006
"If Rosin took a skin biopsy, 99.43 percent of the time he'd diagnose skin cancer and recommend surgery, the feds said. . . . He was convicted on all 70 counts of healthcare fraud and making false statements in healthcare fraud."
http://www.insurancefraud.org/article.htm?RecID=2793#.VjOQTZWFOUk
Is This the Worst Excuse for Vaccine Failure Yet? Joseph Mercola, May 26, 2022
"Many data sources reveal that COVID-jabbed individuals are now getting COVID-19 at far higher rates than the unjabbed. Death rates, both for COVID and other causes, have also risen in tandem with the number of shots administered."
https://www.theepochtimes.com/why-those-under-60-are-more-likely-to-die-if-jabbed_4492774.html
Largest Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action in Department of Justice History, July 13, 2017
"National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges Against Over 412 Individuals Responsible for $1.3 Billion in Fraud Losses"
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/national-health-care-fraud-takedown-results-charges-against-over-412-individuals-responsible
List of Wars and Anthropogenic Disasters by Death Toll, Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_and_anthropogenic_disasters_by_death_toll
Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study, David U. Himmelstein, MD, Deborah Thorne, Ph.D., Elizabeth Warren, JD, Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH
"Between our 2001 and 2007 surveys, Congress enacted the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA), which instituted an income screen and procedural barriers that made filing more difficult and expensive. . . .
"New restrictions fall equally on medical and nonmedical bankruptcies, with no preferences for medical debts or sick debtors. It is implausible to ascribe the growing predominance of medical causes of bankruptcy to BAPCPA."
http://www.pnhp.org/new_bankruptcy_study/Bankruptcy-2009.pdf
Medical Bills are the Biggest Cause of U.S. Bankruptcies: Study, Dan Mangan, 25 Jun 2013
"Bankruptcies resulting from unpaid medical bills will affect nearly 2 million people this year -- making healthcare the No. 1 cause of such filings, and outpacing bankruptcies due to credit-card bills or unpaid mortgages, according to new data. And even having health insurance doesn't buffer consumers against financial hardship. . . .
"When their savings are gone and their credit cards are maxed out, stretched consumers take the drastic step of cutting back on prescription medications. . . .
"More than 25 million people are skipping doses, taking less medication or delaying refilling prescriptions to save money, NerdWallet found."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100840148
Medical Bills Prompt More Than 60 Percent of U.S. Bankruptcies, June 5, 2009, Theresa Tamkins
"Bankruptcies due to medical bills increased by nearly 50 percent in a six-year period, from 46 percent in 2001 to 62 percent in 2007, and most of those who filed for bankruptcy were middle-class, well-educated homeowners, according to a report that will be published in the August issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
"Unless you're a Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, you're one illness away from financial ruin in this country," says lead author Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., of the Harvard Medical School, in Cambridge, Mass. "If an illness is long enough and expensive enough, private insurance offers very little protection against medical bankruptcy, and that's the major finding in our study. . . .'
"Overall, three-quarters of the people with a medically-related bankruptcy had health insurance, they say.
" 'That was actually the predominant problem in patients in our study -- 78 percent of them had health insurance, but many of them were bankrupted anyway because there were gaps in their coverage like co-payments and deductibles and uncovered services,' says Woolhandler. 'Other people had private insurance but got so sick that they lost their job and lost their insurance'."
http://heka.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/medical-bills-prompt-more-than-60-percent-of-u-s-bankruptcies-cnn-20090605.pdf
Medical Errors are to Blame for More Than 250,000 Deaths in the U.S. Every Year, Ray Sipherd, February 23, 2018
"A recent Johns Hopkins study claims more than 250,000 people in the U.S. die every year from medical errors. Other reports claim the numbers to be as high as 440,000.
"Medical errors are the third-leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer.
"Advocates are fighting back, pushing for greater legislation for patient safety.
" 'Too often, the healthcare system silences people around a problem'." -- Dr. Martin Makary, surgical oncologist and chief of the Johns Hopkins Islet Transplant Center
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/22/medical-errors-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-america.html
Medicare Fraud by Pathologists
"Medicare fraud by pathologists is a very real problem that is having a very real effect on pathologists and laboratories everywhere, and a significant portion of that fraud is potentially being perpetrated by in-office laboratories that are accredited by the CAP [College of American Pathologists] itself." -- The Pathology Blawg, June 6, 2014
http://pathologyblawg.com/pathology-news/pathology-law/healthcare-fraud-pathology/palmetto-gba-defining-pathology-medicare-fraud-new-standards/
Michael Rosin, January 25, 2013
"The only problem was that the doctor preyed on the elderly. His cruel and long-standing scam involved falsely diagnosing skin cancer, surgically removing skin from his patients, and billing Medicare for the procedures. . . .
"In order to reap the greatest revenue, Rosin would falsely diagnose most of his patients with the category of skin cancer that would garner the greatest Medicare reimbursement. The more layers of tissues he removed, the more he received from Medicare. Medicare reimbursed Rosin $2000 for every layer he removed, and he always removed 4 layers of tissue during a surgery.
"His employees were informed that there was a daily surgery quota. His office manager was told that because Rosin had 7 children, he needed to average $10,000 per day. In just 3 years, Rosin made more than $3.7 million by falsely billing Medicare."
https://www.themedicalbag.com/despicabledoctor/michael-rosin
Most Adverse Events in Hospitals go Unreported, Robert Lowes
"January 6, 2012 -- Roughly 86 percent of patient mishaps in hospitals never make it into the databases of incident reporting systems designed to improve the quality of care, according to a study released today by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). . . .
"Forty (14 percent), of the 189 adverse and temporary-harm events were captured by the incident reporting systems at 34 hospitals. The other 86 percent fell through the cracks. . . ."
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/756540
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges Against Over 412 Individuals Responsible for $1.3 Billion in Fraud Losses, July 2017
"DOJ announces largest healthcare fraud bust in nation's history Thursday morning, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D., announced at a press conference the conclusion of a massive takedown operation by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, involving $1.3 billion in fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid billings.
"The takedown is being described as the largest in the history of the Department of Justice, with charges being brought against 412 defendants across the nation, including 115 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical personnel, according to a DOJ press release."
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/national-health-care-fraud-takedown-results-charges-against-over-412-individuals-responsible
Nearly 600 Veterans Infected with Hepatitis, HIV Due to VA Violations
"This latest incident is further proof Obama's VA is a mess and whoever President Elect Trump assigns to head Veterans Affairs has their work cut out for them."
http://truthfeed.com/breaking-nearly-600-veterans-infected-with-hepatitis-hiv-due-to-va-violations/38936/
New FDA Warning for Popular Cipro and Levaquin Antibiotics!
"It took the FDA decades to recognize the serious and potentially irreversible side effects of Cipro and Levaquin antibiotics."
• Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
• Gemifloxacin (Factive)
• Levofloxacin (Levaquin)
• Moxifloxacin (Avelox)
• Norfloxacin (Noroxin)
• Ofloxacin (Floxin)
New Study Shows U.S. Government Fails to Oversee Treatment of Foster Children With Mind-Altering Drugs, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, Brinda Adhikari, Sarah Koch, Joseph Diaz, and Claire Weinraub, November 30, 2011
"The federal government has not done enough to oversee the treatment of America's foster children with powerful mind-altering drugs, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to be released Thursday.
"ABC News was given exclusive access to the GAO report, which capped off a nationwide yearlong investigation by ABC News on the overuse of the most powerful mind-altering drugs on many of the country's nearly 425,000 foster children."
http://abcnews.go.com/US/study-shows-foster-children-high-rates-prescription-psychiatric/story?id=15058380
The Nobel Prize is a Reminder of the Outrageous Cost of Curing Cancer. Cancer's most promising therapies come with $100,000-plus price tags, Julia Belluz
"But these incredible advances and the promise of cancer cures also come with eye-popping price tags that reach well past $100,000 per patient. People who need cancer immunotherapies too often hit a cost wall and can't afford to pay for them -- and it's a problem that's growing worse, Ezekiel Emanuel, a professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, told Vox."
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/10/1/17923720/immunotherapy-cancer-cost
ObamaCare Chart (Organizational Flow Chart)
http://kevinbrady.house.gov/uploads/Obamacare%20Chart.pdf
Off-label Antipsychotic use Common in VA Nursing Home Residents, Pitt Study Finds
"More than one in four older veterans residing in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Living Centers received antipsychotic medications, and more than 40 percent of those veterans had no documented evidence-based reason for use, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh and VA Pittsburgh Medical Center.
"The study, the first to address this topic in VA nursing homes, finds similar rates of antipsychotic use as studies in non-VA nursing homes. The findings will be published in the November issue of the journal Medical Care and currently are available online.
"Antipsychotics have limited efficacy in alleviating behavioral problems in dementia patients, and several studies associate their use with an increased risk of mortality."
http://www.publichealth.pitt.edu/news.pyhp?id=353
Open-heart Profiteering?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/06/eveningnews/main552636.shtml
Pharmaceutical Industry is Biggest Defrauder of the Federal Government Under the False Claims Act, new Public Citizen Study Finds
(December 2010) "The drug industry has now become the biggest defrauder of the federal government, as determined by payments it has made for violations of the False Claims Act (FCA), surpassing the defense industry, which had long been the leader, according to a new Public Citizen study. . . .
"Many of the infractions, and the single largest category of financial penalties, stemmed from the practice of off-label promotion of pharmaceuticals -- the illegal promotion of a drug for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Off-label promotion can be prosecuted as a criminal offense because of the potential for serious adverse health consequences to patients from such promotional activities. Another major category of federal financial penalties was purposely overcharging for drugs under various federal programs, which constitutes a violation of the FCA.
"On the state level, the largest category of financial penalties has come from companies deliberately overcharging state health programs, such as Medicaid. Public Citizen's study found this to be the most common category of violation among state settlements."
See the chart "PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY FINANCIAL PENALTIES, 1991-2010" showing that penalties increased from 300 million in 1999 to 4,500 million in 2009, that is 4 billion, 500 million.
http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=4734
Physician Billing -- Consumers in the Dark, Tim Pickering
"CPT coding [Current Procedural Terminology. "CPT are the codes and descriptions describing the treatment on the bill you get at the physician's office." -- compiler], should be required public information. This is just another obvious example of the AMA trying to keep us 'in the dark' so they can control our medical treatment, billing, etc. for their financial benefit and "to hell" with our healthcare. . . .
"Perhaps, it's naive not to draw the correlation between the AMA's reported $71 million income from the August 2000 Wall Street Journal article to the $4,496,150 in distributions by the AMA Political Action Committee.
"The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890: A University of Houston website holds some interesting historical background on monopolies: 'Prior to the 19th century, governments typically granted monopoly rights over some portion of the economy in return for a cash payment.'
"This same type of indirect taxation is provided by HCFA's statutory monopoly with the AMA. The AMA gets a monopoly on CPT's, makes huge profits in an uncompetitive market, gives HCFA free access to CPT's, and offers substantial PAC donations to legislators. Only the judicial branch of government was left out of this deal. This website cites 'public discontent' as the motivating catalyst for bringing about the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. So what level of public outcry is necessary to revoke this ill-conceived three way relationship?"
http://www.myhealthscore.com/frame.cfm?page=cpt4_opinions/index.htm
Ponzi Scheme
"A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation where the operator, an individual or organization, pays returns to its investors from new capital paid to the operators by new investors, rather than from profit earned by the operator. Operators of Ponzi schemes usually entice new investors by offering higher returns than other investments, in the form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or unusually consistent. The perpetuation of the high returns requires an ever-increasing flow of money from new investors to sustain the scheme."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponzi_scheme
Prescription Drug Deaths up, Sept. 10, 2007
"Deaths from prescription drugs have increased dramatically over the last eight years. A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that fatalities from drug side effects nearly tripled. Researchers tracked data collected by the Food and Drug Administration between 1998 and 2005. There were 5,500 deaths reported in 1998, but in 2005 that number had increased to more than 15,000.
"The investigators tried in vain to figure out why serious drug reactions have increased so significantly. Although the number of prescription dispensed has gone up during that time, the increase in deaths and serious injuries is disproportionately high. It is also important to recognize that this probably represents the tip of a much larger iceberg. That's because the FDA estimates that it receives reports on only about 10 percent of adverse drug reactions. The investigators conclude that the existing system is not adequately protecting patients from serious drug complications. [Archives of Internal Medicine, Sept. 10, 2007]
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/167/16/1752
Psychiatric Meds: Prescription for Murder?
"The lethal link between psychiatric meds and violence -- including school shootings -- has been largely ignored by officials," Rebecca Terrell, March 8, 2013
"In other words, the drugs can trigger chemical imbalance where none existed in the first place, hence the emergence of adverse effects like mania and suicidal/homicidal (paranoid) ideation, especially when a psychotropic drug is first started or stopped. Other research shows a relation between these drugs and brain atrophy, an often irreparable decrease in the size and number of brain cells."
" 'In virtually every mass school shooting during the past 15 years, the shooter has been on or in withdrawal from psychiatric drugs,' observed Lawrence Hunter of the Social Security Institute. 'Yet, federal and state governments continue to ignore the connection between psychiatric drugs and murderous violence, preferring instead to exploit these tragedies in an oppressive and unconstitutional power grab to snatch guns away from innocent, law-abiding people who are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution the right to own and bear arms to deter government tyranny and to use firearms in self defense against any miscreant who would do them harm'."
https://thenewamerican.com/prescription-for-murder/
RAND Study: Hospitals Charging The Privately Insured 2.4 Times What They Charge Medicare Patients
"Two bills introduced into this Congress -- The Hospital Competition Act of 2019 by Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.) and the Fair Care Act of 2019 by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R., Ark.) -- would end the ability of hospital monopolies to charge exploitative prices, by requiring them to accept rates no higher than Medicare's from private payers, unless they divest their holdings and restore a competitive hospital market."
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2019/05/11/rand-study-hospitals-charging-the-privately-insured-2-4-times-what-they-charge-medicare-patients/#7a3828a958d9
Reports of Patients' Deaths Linked To Heart Devices Lurk Below Radar
"Earlier this year, the FDA shut down other so-called exemptions to its device-reporting rules that put millions of device harm or malfunction reports out of public reach. Doctors, researchers and even device-safety experts were unaware that for 20 years the FDA accepted 5.7 million reports through its 'alternative summary reporting' program.
"The FDA released the data and the identity of 108 devices that had been quietly 'exempted' from public reporting in June after KHN reported on the scope of the program."
https://khn.org/news/reports-of-patients-deaths-linked-to-heart-devices-lurk-below-radar/
T. Rowe Price Sues Valeant Over "fraudulent scheme"
"T. Rowe Price, one of the biggest investment managers in the world, said Valeant had used a secret pharmacy network, deceptive pricing and reimbursement practices, and fictitious accounting to shield the company's branded drugs from generic competition and artificially inflate revenues and profits."
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-valeant-lawsuit-idUSKCN10T1OV
Sessions Announces Charges for 601 People in Largest Health Care Fraud Bust in History, July 2018
"The Department of Justice revealed the charges Thursday, which were brought as part of an annual effort to dismantle schemes across the country involved in scamming health care programs. The takedown included the arrest of 76 doctors, 23 pharmacists, 19 nurses and several hundred others involved in prescribing and distributing massive quantities of opioid medications, resulting in more than $2 billion in fraudulent costs to federal health care programs and insurers, reports NBC News."
https://dmlnews.com/report-sessions-announces-charges-601-people-largest-health-care-fraud-bust-history/
Shortages of Critical Medicines Creating Chaos, June 2, 2011
"Drug scarcities are creating problems for hospitals. There has been an unusually high number of shortages of critical medications over the last few years. Many of the missing medicines are used in emergency departments, operating suites, chemotherapy infusion rooms and ICUs.
"These shortages are interfering with proper patient treatment. For example, certain anesthetic agents are harder to come by. Finding an alternative can delay or complicate surgery for some patients. Several medications for attention deficit disorder are also in short supply.
"Perhaps most worrisome of all is the growing scarcity of cancer chemotherapy drugs. Some hospitals have had to delay treatment because they can't get their hands on these critical medications. Most of the shortages are for generic injectables. Many are difficult to manufacture and have a relatively low profit margin. If a manufacturer decides to get out of the business, there may not be another company willing to pick up the slack and make the medicine. This leaves physicians, pharmacists and patients in the lurch. Since the FDA cannot force any company to make medicine, the shortages are likely to continue. . . ."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/02/shortages-of-critical-medicines-creating-chaos/
Socialized Medicine Update: Britain cancels 50,000 surgeries as NHS hospitals face winter crisis, January 4, 2018
"Every hospital in the country has been ordered to cancel all non-urgent surgery until at least February in an unprecedented step by NHS officials.
"The instructions on Tuesday night - which will see result in around 50,000 operations being axed - followed claims by senior doctors that patients were being treated in 'third world' conditions, as hospital chief executives warned of the worst winter crisis for three decades.
"Hospitals are reporting growing chaos, with a spike in winter flu leaving frail patients facing 12-hour waits, and some units running out of corridor space."
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/socialized-medicine-update-britain-cancels-50000-surgeries-as-nhs-hospitals-face-winter-crisis
Surgical Errors are tip of the Iceberg, December 24, 2012
"According to the authors, roughly 4,000 'never events' [doctors call them 'never events' because they are never supposed to happen], occur each year in U.S. hospitals. Roughly 40 times a week a sponge or a towel is left behind inside a patient. About 20 times a week the wrong side or the wrong body part is operated on. And about the same number of times the wrong operation is performed."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/12/24/surgical-errors-are-tip-of-the-iceberg/
Teflon Poisoning: Canaries in the Kitchen
The Risks of Teflon in Your Kitchen
"EWG (Environmental Working Group), finds heated Teflon pans can turn toxic faster than DuPont claims -- EWG tests of coated pans found that in two to five minutes on a typical household stove, heated pans reach temperatures that produce toxins that even DuPont acknowledges kill hundreds of pet birds each year and cause 'flu-like polymer fever in humans'."
http://www.ewg.org/newsletter/20051215/dupont/
Theft: Commentary and Cases of Conscience. A Listing Excerpted From The Institutes of Biblical Law by Rousas John Rushdoony, 1973 edition
http://www.lettermen2.com/theft.html
Thefts, Counterfeits and bad Drugs, July 9, 2011
"Prescription drugs are now so pricey that they have become a tantalizing target for criminals. Both thefts of prescription drugs and counterfeit drugs are increasing in the U.S. where they used to be rare.
"Controlling the quality of medications is also more of an issue. With 80 percent of the raw ingredients in our medicines coming from countries like China, India, Brazil or Mexico, the FDA is hard-pressed to keep tabs on the drug supply. Even in this country, manufacturers may fail to maintain good manufacturing practices to produce top quality drugs. How safe are your pills?
Guests: Katherine Eban is an award-winning investigative journalist and contributor to Fortune. She is author of DANGEROUS DOSES: HOW COUNTERFEITERS ARE CONTAMINATING AMERICA'S DRUG SUPPLY. The photo is of Ms. Eban.
"Clifford Nilsen has more than 40 years of industrial experience, specializing in quality control, laboratory management, compliance and technical operations in the pharmaceutical, nutritional supplement and chemical manufacturing industries. His book is GENERIC DRUGS: A CONSUMER'S SELF-DEFENSE GUIDE.
Allan Coukell is a pharmacist and Director of Medical Programs at the Pew Health Group. He chaired the Pew Health Group roundtable on Ensuring the Safety of the U.S. Drug Supply."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/07/09/820-thefts-counterfeits-and-bad-drugs/
Third Doctor Convicted in Massive Medicare Fraud Scheme
"A third Detroit-area doctor was convicted Monday for his participation in a $17 million Medicare fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary physician visits."
http://dennismichaellynch.com/third-doctor-convicted-massive-medicare-fraud-scheme/
"Top" Dermatologist Indicted for Healthcare Fraud, Roxanne Nelson, August 14, 2014
"Amir Bajoghli, MD, was named 'Top Dermatologist' and 'Top MOHS Surgeon' for 7 consecutive years (2005 to 2012) by the Washingtonian magazine, but now he stands accused of intentionally misdiagnosing patients with skin cancer. He has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 60 counts of healthcare fraud, aggravated identity theft, and obstruction of justice.
"Dr. Bajoghli is said to have defrauded various healthcare benefit programs through his medical practice, the Skin and Laser Surgery Center, which has several locations in metropolitan Washington, DC.
"According to the indictment, Dr. Bajoghli intentionally misdiagnosed patients with skin cancer and performed unnecessary and invasive Mohs micrographic surgery on benign skin tissue. He then submitted claims to healthcare benefit programs using skin cancer diagnosis codes and fake certifications that these procedures had been medically necessary."
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/829952
Tricoci, P. (Pierluigi), J.M. Allen, J.M. Kramer, R.M. Califf, and S.C. Smith Jr., Division of Cardiology and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, Scientific Evidence Underlying the ACC/AHA [American College of Cardiologists/American Heart Association -- compiler] Clinical Practice Guidelines, JAMA. 2009 Feb 25;301(8):868-9.
"ACC provides exclusive benefits and services designed specifically for cardiologists, including advocacy, education and access to information." -- from the ACC website
"More than a million people get an angioplasty, stent, or bypass surgery each year. How many of these costly procedures are really essential?"
"RESULTS: Among guidelines with at least 1 revision or update by September 2008, the number of recommendations increased from 1330 to 1973 (+48 percent), from the first to the current version, with the largest increase observed in use of class II recommendations. Considering the 16 current guidelines reporting levels of evidence, only 314 recommendations of 2711 total are classified as level of evidence A (median, 11 percent), [emphasis added, that is, only 11 percent of the ACC/AHA recommended guidelines provided to cardiologists were based upon solid scientific evidence -- compiler], whereas 1246 (median, 48 percent), are level of evidence C [medical opinion -- compiler]. Level of evidence significantly varies across categories of guidelines (disease, intervention, or diagnostic), and across individual guidelines. Recommendations with level of evidence A are mostly concentrated in class I, but only 245 of 1305 class I recommendations have level of evidence A (median, 19 percent).
"CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations issued in current ACC/AHA clinical practice guidelines are largely developed from lower levels of evidence or expert opinion. The proportion of recommendations for which there is no conclusive evidence is also growing. These findings highlight the need to improve the process of writing guidelines and to expand the evidence base from which clinical practice guidelines are derived."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19244190?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Trump Orders Corrupt VA Employees FIRED, January 26, 2017
"In December, Sen. Jeff Flake introduced a bill requiring the VA to stop hiring felons, and to fire the ones that already work there. The American Federation of Government Employees union has refused to say publicly whether it opposes the bill.
"During the Obama administration, eleven sex offenders listed the Detroit VA hospital alone as their work address; some of them were fugitives wanted by local police, but the VA cited employee privacy.
"Rapists and kidnappers also work at nearby hospitals. An Ohio VA employee, Antoine Hall, was convicted of creating pornography depicting a 13-year old in 2014. Hall is wearing a VA badge around his neck in the sex offender registry picture, meaning he was still going to work after being sentenced, and even received a bonus in 2015."
http://truthfeed.com/breaking-trump-orders-corrupt-va-employees-fired/48816/
U.S. Abortion Statistics
"In 2011, approximately 1.06 million abortions took place in the U.S." [56 million American babies from 1973 to 2014, annual rate continues at 1.2 million babies a year].
http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/
U.S. Health Care Ranked Worst in the Developed World, March 2018
"The U.S. health care system has been subject to heated debate over the past decade, but one thing that has remained consistent is the level of performance, which has been ranked as the worst among industrialized nations for the fifth time, according to the 2014 Commonwealth Fund survey 2014. The U.K. ranked best with Switzerland following a close second."
http://time.com/2888403/u-s-health-care-ranked-worst-in-the-developed-world/
VA Clinic Warns of Possible Contaminant Exposure, Bill Poovey
"CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- Thousands of patients at a Veterans Administration clinic in Tennessee may have been exposed to the infectious body fluids of other patients when they had colonoscopies in recent years, and now VA medical facilities all over the U.S. are reviewing their own procedures.
"A spokesman at the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., said the clinic is offering free blood tests and medical care to all patients whose records show they had colonoscopies between April, 23, 2003 and Dec. 1, 2008.
"Christopher Conklin said in a telephone interview Friday that notification letters were sent this week by registered mail to 6,378 patients of the Murfreesboro facility. He said no related health problems have been reported, and every measure is being taken to assure that affected veterans are screened."
http://www2.oanow.com/news/2009/feb/14/va_clinic_warns_of_possible_contaminant_exposure-ar-507104/
VA Deaths Covered up to Make Statistics Look Better, Whistle-blower Says, Scott Bronstein, Drew Griffin, and Nelli Black, CNN Investigations, June 24, 2014
"Records of dead veterans were changed or physically altered, some even in recent weeks, to hide how many people died while waiting for care at the Phoenix VA hospital, a whistle-blower told CNN in stunning revelations that point to a new cover-up in the ongoing VA scandal.
" 'Deceased' notes on files were removed to make statistics look better, so veterans would not be counted as having died while waiting for care, Pauline DeWenter said."
http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/23/us/phoenix-va-deaths-new-allegations/
Vertex prices cystic fibrosis combo treatment at $311,000 per year, Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vertex-pharms-fda/vertex-prices-cystic-fibrosis-combo-treatment-at-311000-per-year-idUSKBN1X024U?utm_source=applenews
What generics?
"Doctors may be encouraged to prescribe lower-cost generics, but a new study found that Americans spent an extra $73 billion between 2010 and 2012 on pricier brand-name drugs because physicians failed to sufficiently recommend these copycat treatments to their patients. And consumers paid nearly one-third of those additional costs through out-of-pocket payments."
https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2016/05/09/generics-drug-prices-cholesterol/
Whistle-blower Exposes Doctor Accused of Prescribing Chemotherapy to Patients who Don't Have Cancer, July 20, 2018
"Dr. Farid Fata gave unnecessary treatments to more than 500 patients at a Detroit-area cancer center."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whistleblower-exposes-doctor-farid-fata-accused-of-prescribing-chemotherapy-to-patients-without-cancer/
Who do you Believe -- the Experts or the Evidence? [audio file]
"Prominent physicians are often paid handsomely by drug or device makers on the hope that they will prove to be opinion leaders. Such conflicts of interest may go undetected for years, as they did with Dr. José Baselga. Until Sept. 13, 2018, he was chief medical officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering. He stepped down when his supervisors learned that he had not disclosed receiving millions of dollars from healthcare companies. His case was uncovered by ProPublica and The New York Times, but most doctors don't get that kind of scrutiny. How can we learn about their conflicts of interest? Why do they matter?
"The development of new cancer treatments such as CAR-T is exciting, but at the prices being charged few patients will be able to benefit. Can our medical system survive such sky-high costs? Find out how patients can make the best decisions on their treatments.
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2018/09/20/show-1135-who-do-you-believe-the-experts-or-the-evidence/
Why is Flying Safer Than Health Care? Developing a Safety Culture
"Airplane crashes are extremely rare, because the airline industry figured out a few decades ago how to encourage a culture of safety in which anyone on the team is encouraged to speak up if they notice something amiss. Yet, some people are still nervous about getting on a plane.
"Health care has never gotten the media attention that accompanies a plane crash. Perhaps because of that, hospitals fly under the radar. Firm figures are hard to come by, but the best estimates place deaths due to health care harm around 500,000 a year in the U.S. -- equivalent to 1,000 jets dropping out of the sky. What could health care learn from aviation safety?"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/07/05/952-why-is-flying-safer-than-health-care-developing-a-safety-culture-1/
Why Pharmacists are Wrong About Generic Drugs, April 11, 2011
"Most (but not all), pharmacists routinely tell patients that generic drugs are identical to brand name medications. That is hardly surprising. This is what pharmacy students are told during their education process. It is also what the FDA states on its website:
A generic drug is identical -- or bioequivalent -- to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use. Although generic drugs are chemically identical to their branded counterparts, they are typically sold at substantial discounts from the branded price."Now we don't know about you, but when we see the word 'identical' we assume that means exactly the same as. Here is how Dictionary.com defines the word 'identical':
Would You Pay $475,000 for the New CAR-T Cancer Treatment? Joe Graedon, August 31, 2017
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/08/31/would-you-pay-475000-for-the-new-car-t-cancer-treatment/
Wrong Surgeries a Product of Poor Communication. Mix-ups both inside and outside the operating room lead to procedures performed on the incorrect patient or wrong body part, a new study says, Kevin B. O'Reilly, amednews staff. Posted Dec. 11, 2009.
"Poor communication was the cause of one in five adverse events reported to the Veterans Health Administration system from 2001 to 2006, according to a study published in November's Archives of Surgery (archsurg.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/144/11/1028/). Problems during the perioperative timeout process were a root cause of errors more than 15 percent of the time. . .
"The mistakes appeared to be rare, occurring once every 18,955 surgeries, although a definitive wrong surgery rate could not be established, because some errors go unreported, the study found. [emphasis added -- compiler]. A total of 209 adverse events were reported, as were 314 'close calls' in which mistakes were caught before patients were harmed. Of the adverse events, 12 percent were serious enough to merit root cause analyses. . . .
"About half the mistakes occurred in operating rooms, while the other half involved minor surgical procedures performed outside the OR. Studies have estimated that between five and 10 wrong surgeries occur every day in the U.S."
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/12/07/prsf1211.htm
Fong, A.C.M., C.K. Li, and Bernard Fong, Telemedicine Technologies: Information Technologies in Medicine and Telehealth, ISBN: 9781119956525 1119956528.
"This book brings together a broad range of topics demonstrating how information and wireless technologies can be used in healthcare.
"The authors focus on how medical information can be reliably transmitted through wireless communication networks. It explains how they can be optimized to carry medical information in various situations by utilizing readily available traditional wireless local area network (WLAN) and broadband wireless access (BWA) systems. In addition, the authors discuss consumer healthcare technology, which is becoming more popular as reduction in manufacturing cost of electronics products makes healthcare products more affordable to the general public. Finally, the book explores topics such as communication networks and services, patient monitoring, information processing, system deployment, data security and privacy, information technology in alternative medicine, multimedia and health informatics, and caring for the community. . . .
"This book will be of interest to advanced students and professors in biomedical engineering, bioinformatics, and information engineering. Medical and IT professionals involved in specifying new facilities, healthcare practitioners in telemedicine, researchers in wireless communications and information technology, and network administrators will also find this book insightful." -- Publisher
Smart Phone Medicine -- A Doctor in Your Pocket, Feb. 19, 2015
"Health apps for smart phones have the power to revolutionize the practice of medicine and put patients in the driver's seat.
Many people currently carry around tiny but powerful computers in their hip pockets or pocketbooks. We use our smart phones to check our bank accounts, keep up with our friends or get a weather report.
"In his book, THE PATIENT WILL SEE YOU NOW: THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE IS IN YOUR HANDS, Dr. Eric Topol envisions a time when patient-driven data is critical for informing clinical decisions. He tells of diagnosing a heart attack at 30,000 feet with an iPhone app and add-on device. In that instance, the plane made an emergency landing that may have saved the patient's life."
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/02/19/smart-phone-medicine-the-doctor-in-your-pocket/
Telemedicine 24/7/365
"Call a Doctor 24/7/365."
http://www.mybenefitservices.com/information/conciergebenefitservices.cfm?page=12338&id=124873
Of course, the greatest caution is advised in making the decision to go outside the U.S. for medical treatment.Since it's close to impossible for a self-employed professional like myself to get any coverage, I chose an Asian country for the dental and dermatological work I needed. My UK-trained dentist and USA-trained dermatologist are first-rate. I got $15,000 of dental work for $1800, and $4000 of dermatology for $160 in the government-run skin hospital, where my doctor is the chief of research. -- Reader's Comment Online
Making the decision to travel outside the country requires independent research, a firm understanding of what your dental needs and anticipated expenses will be, and a commitment to your oral health. How we define dental quality (or medical quality for that matter), is elusive in this country unless you are a savvy consumer. The U.S. dental system lacks transparency in quality and fees, does not ensure quality of ceramic labs, and clinics do not undergo any type of quality certification. In fact, the ADA co-wrote the standards for the International Standards of Europe, and most Euro high quality offices/clinics adhere to these and are subject to routine audits that are very similar to the JCAHO hospital auditing standards in this country. Hungary has one of the most rigorous dental education programs in the world. Germany and Switzerland produce the equipment the U.S. uses. For a list of questions to ask yourself if traveling for dental tourism, see www.kdana.com. -- Reader's Comment Online
Reid, T.R., The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer, ISBN:9781594202346.
"This book is a great, easy to read summary of the four basic healthcare system models seen around the world, and what the U.S. can learn from them. It sets the stage by summarizing the US' sad healthcare statistics (we have the highest costs in the world, and the poorest coverage and quality), and then dives into the implementations of France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and Canada, while the author travels around the world with his family and a bum shoulder. Responses to the common American myths about foreign healthcare systems are succinctly articulated, and the book shows how each model is demonstrated right here in the US, via the different systems for veterans, military personnel, Native Americans, people over 65, working people who get insurance through their employers, and folks too rich to qualify for Medicaid and too poor to afford health insurance. Most importantly, the book opens and closes with a discussion around what the author refers to as the 'first question' that a government must answer when they attempt to set up or reform their healthcare system -- Does a country have a moral obligation to provide access to healthcare for everybody?" -- Reader's Comment
Siva, Jay, The Complete Guide to Medical Tourism, [Kindle Edition], ISBN: 9781620950432 162095043X.
Reader beware. Medical tourism is a rapidly expanding business. Most of the current books are written by businessmen who are promoting their business (Smith/Puczko, HEALTH, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY: SPAS, WELLNESS AND MEDICAL TRAVEL, Cote, HEALTHCARE ELSEWHERE: INSPIRING MEDICAL TOURISM SUCCESS STORIES, Hancock, THE COMPLETE MEDICAL TOURIST: YOUR GUIDE TO INEXPENSIVE DENTAL COSMETIC AND MEDICAL SURGERY ABROAD). If the sales hype is present, then probably there will be a middle man to pay.
"The authoritative guidebook for the medical tourist who wants to beat the high cost of private healthcare, jump the long queue for life-saving surgery and get high-quality, low-cost healthcare at hospitals that meet American standards.
"How to successfully plan your medical trip abroad. Discount airfare, American-trained doctors and internationally-accredited hospitals have made expensive medical treatment affordable for all! Find out how you can benefit from this trend.
"Finally there's someone you can turn to, for answers to questions such as:
Where can you find low-cost air-tickets for your trip abroad?
How to pick your treatment destination?
How to arrange your passport and visa?
What are the documents you must carry for your trip abroad?
What can you expect to pay for specific surgical procedures?
What to look for, before choosing a hospital?
What to ask your Doctors?
How to manage your travel and treatment costs?
What are the patient amenities and services you can expect during your hospital stay
Incredible Partner Savings! How your partner can save with elective cosmetic procedures or dental work.
How to negotiate your FREE vacation package (Your hospital will pick up the tab!)
Are there 'hidden expenses' you should be aware of?
How to get reliable help with planning your travel and treatment abroad
The unvarnished truth about agents and brokers (Benefits and pitfalls of hiring an agent/broker)
The commission you can expect to pay your agent/broker
Different types of health insurance and how to make the most of them.
How to save with an employer-sponsored health plan? (With some plans, you can get your employer to pick up your entire medical tourism tab and share a percentage of their savings. What does this extra cash bonus mean to you? That's right, FREE MONEY!)
How to Successfully file a medical insurance claim for your treatment abroad
What to watch out for during your stay abroad
What can go wrong, and what can you do about it?
How to prepare for a medical emergency abroad
What to carry to a foreign country
Directory of Worldwide Medical Providers
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Helpful pointers about food, lodging, public transportation, local customs and laws . . . and more!
Woodman, Josef, Patients Beyond Borders: Everybody's Guide to Affordable, World-class Medical Travel, ISBN: 9780982336106 0982336101.
Woodman is considered to be one of the leading experts on medical travel.
"This work lists the 30 top medical travel destinations, where patients can save 30 to 80 percent on medical procedures. This second edition features updated contact and accreditation information for all listed hospitals, a guide to planning and budgeting, and a handy treatment index." -- Publisher
Patients Beyond Borders
http://www.patientsbeyondborders.com/
See also: Patient advocacy, Corruption (in chapter summary), Things your doctor may not tell you, and so forth, and so on. Healthcare Horror Stories, and so forth, and so on.
Apollo Hospitals
"With over 8500 beds across 54 hospitals within and outside India, the Apollo Hospitals Group is one of the largest healthcare groups in Asia. The legacy of touching lives stems from the four pillars of our philosophy - experience, excellence, expertise and research. At Apollo Hospitals, we unite exceptional clinical success rates and superior technology with centuries-old traditions of Eastern care and warmth, as we truly believe the world is our extended family-something our 19 million patients from 55 countries can warmly affirm."
http://www.apollohospitals.com/
Bangkock International Dental Center
"Bangkok International Dental Center (BIDC) is a dedicated center specializing in the field of dentistry. BIDC has control checks set to ensure international and high sterilizations standards are met. Policies of transparency are followed whilst taking the time to educate each of our individual patient on their options and setting realistic targets. Our dental specialists and dentists are a selected group of qualified and skilled individuals chosen to treat our patients in their specific field of expertises."
http://www.bangkokdentalcenter.com/
Bumrungrad International Hospital
"Bumrungrad means 'care for the people.'
"A top world medical destination with excellent service and superior value. . . .
"Bumrungrad International is an internationally accredited, multi-specialty hospital located in the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. Founded in 1980, today it is the largest private hospital in Southeast Asia, with 554 beds and over 30 specialty centers. Bumrungrad offers state-or-the-art diagnostic, therapeutic and intensive care facilities in a one-stop medical center.
"Bumrungrad serves over a million patients annually. Over 400,000 are internationals. They include thousands of expatriates who live in Bangkok and nearby countries, plus visitors from 190 countries around the world who come here for treatment. English is widely spoken. The hospital has a medical coordination office staffed by doctors, nurses, and interpreters who serve the special needs of international patients."
http://www.bumrungrad.com/Home/english
Dental Tourism
"There is often concern raised and comments made about the quality of service provided by overseas dental services. While there is anecdotal evidence of some cases of poor service and avoidable complications, this is also the case in countries with very high cost structures. The quality of the service by properly trained dentists on kind for kind procedure is the same. However patients undertake large scale treatment plans enticed by low unit costs that should be treated by a specialist dentist in any country. When these treatment plans are completed in short periods of time by general dentists the results are often substandard. Completion of full mouth treatments in one week are commonplace and often the treatment plan is made to fit in to holiday sized time periods rather than clinical factors. Surveys of dentists show that high speed large scale dental treatment more often require remedial work. The legal recourse of patients is often uncertain with dental tourism. To date, there is no international inspections committee for dental, such as the JCI for medical. However, private companies made up of dental professionals, such as Dental Destinations, are beginning to independently evaluate offices in popular dental tourism locations."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_tourism
Healthcare Elsewhere, Your Daily Medical Tourism Show! (podcast)
"Every day, host John Cote shares the success stories of people just like you, who have traveled elsewhere to take care of their healthcare needs. Join us as we interview Doctors and healthcare experts from around the world and reveal cutting edge medical breakthroughs."
http://healthcareelsewhere.com/
HealthCare International
"HealthCare International capitalising on more than 35 years experience in the Global International Health and Private Medical Insurance area.
"Throughout the world, the demand for first class International Health Insurance has never been greater. As social health insurance services that could once be relied upon are no longer able to keep pace with the ever-increasing cost of medical treatment, so the need to make alternative arrangements has become of crucial importance, particularly to the expatriate.
"For those expats living and working abroad, accessing the right kind of health insurance cover can turn out to be a nightmare, with the cost of medical treatment often expensive and difficult to arrange particularly in an emergency.
"HealthCare International is a specialist provider of global private health and related personal insurances, designed to provide not just the basic health cover, but also a wide range of benefits providing peace of mind for you, your family or your personnel."
http://www.healthcareinternational.com/
Joint Commission International
"As the International division of Joint Commission Resources, Joint Commission International (JCI) has been working with healthcare organizations, ministries of health, and global organizations in over 80 countries since 1994.
Our focus is on improving the safety of patient care through the provision of accreditation and certification services as well as through advisory and educational services aimed at helping organizations implement practical and sustainable solutions.
In September 2007, JCI received accreditation by the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua). Accreditation by ISQua provides assurance that the standards, training and processes used by JCI to survey the performance of healthcare organizations meet the highest international benchmarks for accreditation entities."
http://www.jointcommissioninternational.org/
Medical Tourism
"Over 50 countries have identified medical tourism as a national industry.[3] However, accreditation and other measures of quality vary widely across the globe, and some destinations may become hazardous or even dangerous for medical tourists.
"In the context of global health, 'medical tourism' is a pejorative because during such trips healthcare providers often practice outside of their areas of expertise or hold different (i.e., lower), standards of care.[4][5] Greater numbers than ever before of student volunteers, health professions trainees, and researchers from resource-rich countries are working temporarily and anticipating future work in resource-starved areas.[5][6] This emphasizes the importance of understanding this other definition.
"Germany is a destination for patients seeking advanced medical technology, high standards, safety, and quick treatment.[114] All German citizens have health coverage,[115] resulting in a high hospital density, with twice as many hospitals per capita as the United States.[116] The high hospital density results in shorter waitlists for treatment. Costs for medical treatment compete well with other developed European countries and are commonly 50 percent of those in the USA.[117]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_tourism
Medical Tourism Association
"The Medical Tourism Association also referred to as Medical Travel Association, is the first membership based international non-profit trade association for the medical tourism and global healthcare industry made up of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment. Our Association promotes the interests of its healthcare provider and medical tourism facilitator members. The Medical Tourism Association has three tenets: Transparency in Quality and Pricing, Communication and Education."
http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com/en/index.html
Patients Traveling Outside the U.S. for Dental Work, December 28, 2010
"The price of dental care can be pretty costly. Even if you have insurance you can be stuck paying thousands of dollars.
Some people are now going out the country to get their teeth fixed. It's called 'dental tourism. . . .'
"Hewlett says patients in the U.S. pay more because dentists meet rigorous government standards, and some dentists in other countries do not.
"Let me make it very clear there are untold numbers of highly qualified dentists out there all over the world, you want to make sure if you're going to another country you have one of those," says Hewlett."
http://www.king5.com/health/Patients-traveling-outside-the-US-for-dental-work-112577829.html
Should You Have Surgery Abroad? by Beth Howard, AARP The Magazine, October/November 2014
"Nearly a million Americans will travel overseas for medical care this year; sometimes employers will even pay for it."
Click on the interactive map to see the cost comparison for major surgery by country.
http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2014/medical-tourism-surgery-abroad.html
American Bar Association Judicial Performance Resources
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/judicial/conferences/lawyers_conference/resources/judicial_performance_resources.html
Books Considered to be Among the ten Greatest in the English Language
http://www.lettermen2.com/tengreat.html
A Christian Approach to Covering Healthcare: Through Medical Sharing Ministries, Members Cover Each Other's Bills, Michelle Andrews, June 25, 2008
"When it comes to health insurance, thousands of people are counting on the Lord -- or at least his faithful -- to provide. Through Christian nonprofits like Samaritan Ministries of Peoria, Ill., they contribute modest monthly 'shares' to pay each other's medical bills. The programs 'function like an insurance company, except it's a lot cheaper and a lot less red tape,' says Rocco Dapice, a pastor in Tarrytown, N.Y., who three years ago signed on as one of Samaritan's 12,800 households. The Dapice family is responsible for any medical bill under $300, but anything over that amount -- like the $16,000 tab for the birth of a third child last year -- is 100 percent covered. The Dapices' monthly share of $285 is in line with the $273 premium a typical family pays every month for employer-sponsored healthcare, according to Kaiser Family Foundation figures."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/06/25/a-christian-approach-to-covering-healthcare.html
Christian Medical and Dental Associations -- Doctor Search
http://www.cmda.org/
Conservatism: An Autopsy, John W. Robbins
"Conservatism is a political philosophy that professes to be practical and grounded in reality -- not in ideological or utopian dream worlds -- yet it cannot furnish a coherent answer to a very practical question: What is the proper punishment for a thief? Even ignoring the big questions -- What is the ideal government? Is there an ideal government? Is any government justified? What is the proper relationship between church and state? -- conservatism cannot answer a small question. If conservatism cannot offer a justified answer to a small question, it probably cannot answer larger questions."
http://www.trinityfoundation.org/journal.php?id=115
Daily Med, National Institute of Health
The online source of detailed prescribing information for most medications. Includes the same information as found in the PHYSICIANS' DESK REFERENCE.
dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
Death by Medicine
This is an 18,491 word article in Life Extension magazine that includes many of the statistics from the 2001 study. Documented with 151 endnotes.
"Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analyzed and combined ALL of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine. That has now changed.
"A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking.4 These researchers have authored a paper titled Death by Medicine that presents compelling evidence that today's system frequently causes more harm than good.
"This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
"The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5)
"We placed this article on our website to memorialize the failure of the American medical system. By exposing these gruesome statistics in painstaking detail, we provide a basis for competent and compassionate medical professionals to recognize the inadequacies of today's system and at least attempt to institute meaningful reforms."
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_01.htm
The Dentist Reviews
http://www.thedentistreviews.com/
DrScore
"DrScore.com is a unique, new website for measuring patient satisfaction. Patients go to the site to rate their satisfaction. Patients can also use the site to search the ratings of other physicians. Physicians can view summaries of their ratings through the site, or receive more detailed reports that allow them to 'drill down' into the data to provide opportunities to improve service. DrScore.com is a unique, new website for measuring patient satisfaction. Patients go to the site to rate their satisfaction. Patients can also use the site to search the ratings of other physicians. Physicians can view summaries of their ratings through the site, or receive more detailed reports that allow them to 'drill down' into the data to provide opportunities to improve service."
Gives patient ratings only. Does not give patient's comments on physicians.
http://www.drscore.com/
e-Patient Net
http://www.e-patients.net/
Federal Government flu Information and map
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/
Free Medicine Foundation
"Established by volunteers, Free Medicine Foundation has helped countless families across the nation completely eliminate or substantially reduce their prescription drug bills. Last year, these programs helped an estimated 7.6 million patients fill more than 11 million prescriptions . . . with an estimated value of over $2.3 BILLION! YOU or a loved one could be part of this year's statistics . . ."
http://www.freemedicinefoundation.com/
Free Medicine Program
"Most drug manufacturers sponsor what's called Patient Assistance Programs. These programs are intended to help those who can't afford their prescription drugs obtain them absolutely FREE!
The ever-changing requirements and the application process to qualify for patient assistance programs are tedious, confusing and very time-consuming. You may contact the drug manufacturer(s) directly to find out more about specific patient assistance program(s). The information is available free of charge. We, at Free Medicine Program found that some people might have difficulty navigating the application process and need help. In addition, a large number of people, including qualified doctors, nurses, social workers, and other health professionals, are not aware that these programs even exist."
http://www.freemedicineprogram.com/index.html
The Google Advanced Search
This feature may be used to search one specific domain/website. For example, to search for "John 3:16" in "lettermen2.com," (THE WEB EDITION OF BIBLICAL COUNSEL: RESOURCES FOR RENEWAL), enter the search terms on the search screen in "this exact word or phrase:" and "site or domain:".
A link to Google Advanced Search may be added to the Internet Explorer toolbar, so that any favorite website may be conveniently searched.
https://www.google.com/advanced_search
Health Grades
"Quality reports on Physicians, Hospitals, and Nursing Homes."
We advise consumer caution here. Health Grades could be turning into a "Better Business Bureau," were good rating can be purchased. It has been reported online that a Rhode Island hospital with three (3) mistaken surgeries in five (5) years was given an OK rating. And, of course, there are now business that specialized in "online reputation" and specialize in removing adverse ratings from The Internet. See: "Healthcare Horror Stories."
http://www.healthgrades.com/
Helps: Key, Acronyms, Permissions, Information for Librarians and Booksellers
http://www.lettermen2.com/help.html
How to Find a Book
http://www.lettermen2.com/findbook.html
Links for Christian Healthcare Professionals
http://www.biblebell.org/links/medlinx.html
MayoClinic.com
"Tools for healthier lives"
http://www.MayoClinic.com
MyHealthScore.com
http://www.myhealthscore.com/frame.cfm?page=cpt4_opinions/index.htm
New Study: U.S. Ranks Last Among Other Industrialized Nations on Preventable Deaths. 101,000 Fewer Americans Would die Annually if the U.S. Improved its Preventable Death Rate to That of the Three top Performing Nations, January 08, 2008
"Bethesda, The United States places last among 19 countries when it comes to deaths that could have been prevented by access to timely and effective health care, according to new research supported by The Commonwealth Fund and published in the January/February issue of Health Affairs. While other nations dramatically improved these rates between 1997-98 and 2002-03, the U.S. improved only slightly. . . .
"If the U.S. had performed as well as the top three countries out of the 19 industrialized countries in the study there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths in the U.S. per year by the end of the study period."
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/newsroom/newsroom_show.htm?doc_id=641071
People's Pharmacy, Joe and Terry Graedon (Health Central)
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/books/
Pfizer Helpful Answers
"If you need assistance paying for your medicine, Pfizer Helpful Answers may be able to help. Pfizer Helpful Answers is a family of patient assistance programs providing medicines free of charge or at a savings to uninsured and underinsured patients who qualify. Some programs even offer reimbursement support services for patients with insurance."
http://www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com/pages/misc/Default.aspx
Polyface, "the farm of many faces"
"Polyface, Inc. is a family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm and informational outreach in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley."
http://www.polyfacefarms.com/
Psychology and Psychiatry
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrrappc.html
PubMed
"PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, includes over 15 million citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950's. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?DB=pubmed
RateMDs.com
Find ratings of doctors and dentists. Read comments of other patients.
http://www.ratemds.com/index.jsp
Rebellion and Lawlessness: Wickedness, Demonic Possession, Substance Abuse, Abnormal Behavior, Insanity, Mental Illness, Mental Retardation
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrrappd.html#rlinsane
Reformed Publishers and Booksellers Online
http://www.lettermen2.com/refpub.html
The Robing Room: Where Judges are Judged -- Virginia
http://www.therobingroom.com/virginia/Default.aspx?state=VA
What Health and Crime Maps Reveal, Bill Sardi
"Disease and crime are concentrated in areas where undocumented immigrants are more commonly found."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi30.html
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Views and opinion expressed at other websites do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of this webmaster.
Arrangement of weblinks does not in any way indicate that independent authors or webmasters hold similar views and opinions.
Researchers are urged to exercise the utmost discernment in navigating the World Wide Web. See the topical listing "Spiritual Discernment."
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