The antidepressant reboxetine: A “headdesk” moment in science | Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network: "For psychiatry and behavioral pharmacology, one of those moments came a few weeks ago with the findings of a meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal (Eyding et al., 2010). The meta-analysis showed that an antidepressant, reboxetine (marketed by Pfizer in Europe, but not in the U.S., under the names Edronax, Norebox, Prolift, Solvex, Davedax or Vestra) doesn’t work. Not only does it not work, it really doesn’t work, and it turns out that Pfizer hadn’t published data on the putative antidepressant from 74% of their patients. "
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Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
New symptoms for ADHD diagnosis
New symptoms for ADHD diagnosis: "In a published ''pros and cons'' list about the additional symptoms, the committee said they were "not empirically derived" and had potential to decrease the accuracy of the criteria.
Melissa Raven, a psychiatric epidemiologist and policy analyst at Flinders University, in Adelaide, said that was an "absolutely damning statement".
"They have identified some problems then proceeded blithely on," she said.
Allen Frances, the chairman of the taskforce that produced the present edition of the DSM, said when they increased the number of symptoms they produced an ''epidemic'' of ADHD. They thought it would increase by 15 per cent, but it actually increased by 200 per cent."
'via Blog this'
Melissa Raven, a psychiatric epidemiologist and policy analyst at Flinders University, in Adelaide, said that was an "absolutely damning statement".
"They have identified some problems then proceeded blithely on," she said.
Allen Frances, the chairman of the taskforce that produced the present edition of the DSM, said when they increased the number of symptoms they produced an ''epidemic'' of ADHD. They thought it would increase by 15 per cent, but it actually increased by 200 per cent."
'via Blog this'
New symptoms for ADHD diagnosis
New symptoms for ADHD diagnosis: "In a published ''pros and cons'' list about the additional symptoms, the committee said they were "not empirically derived" and had potential to decrease the accuracy of the criteria.
Melissa Raven, a psychiatric epidemiologist and policy analyst at Flinders University, in Adelaide, said that was an "absolutely damning statement".
"They have identified some problems then proceeded blithely on," she said.
Allen Frances, the chairman of the taskforce that produced the present edition of the DSM, said when they increased the number of symptoms they produced an ''epidemic'' of ADHD. They thought it would increase by 15 per cent, but it actually increased by 200 per cent."
'via Blog this'
Melissa Raven, a psychiatric epidemiologist and policy analyst at Flinders University, in Adelaide, said that was an "absolutely damning statement".
"They have identified some problems then proceeded blithely on," she said.
Allen Frances, the chairman of the taskforce that produced the present edition of the DSM, said when they increased the number of symptoms they produced an ''epidemic'' of ADHD. They thought it would increase by 15 per cent, but it actually increased by 200 per cent."
'via Blog this'
'Miracle' drugs put thousands at risk
'Miracle' drugs put thousands at risk: "THOUSANDS of Australians could be taken off cholesterol-lowering medications because of mounting evidence they increase the risk of diabetes and dementia.
Australian health authorities are reviewing their advice after US regulators announced statins will now carry warnings they could increase the risk of diabetes and cognitive impairment.
Statins are the most commonly prescribed drugs in Australia, with about 2 million people thought to be taking them to reduce their heart disease risk."
'via Blog this'
Australian health authorities are reviewing their advice after US regulators announced statins will now carry warnings they could increase the risk of diabetes and cognitive impairment.
Statins are the most commonly prescribed drugs in Australia, with about 2 million people thought to be taking them to reduce their heart disease risk."
'via Blog this'
Madness is undergoing a redesign
Madness is undergoing a redesign: "You know how sometimes you just go a little bit crazy when you have your period? Well, it turns out PMS is about to become a mental illness.
Madness is currently undergoing a redesign, with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, often called the ‘Psychiatrist’s Bible’ being updated.
Basically, a big group of grey-haired psychiatrists have been getting together to decide what qualifies someone as being mentally ill.
There are a whole heap of proposed changes that have the potential to change how we think about our bodies and behaviours. Rape is set to become a mental disorder, and wanting to have sex all the time is being considered for inclusion."
'via Blog this'
Madness is currently undergoing a redesign, with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, often called the ‘Psychiatrist’s Bible’ being updated.
Basically, a big group of grey-haired psychiatrists have been getting together to decide what qualifies someone as being mentally ill.
There are a whole heap of proposed changes that have the potential to change how we think about our bodies and behaviours. Rape is set to become a mental disorder, and wanting to have sex all the time is being considered for inclusion."
'via Blog this'
Does doctor still know best? | Australian cardiologists
Does doctor still know best? | Australian cardiologists: "Are Professor MacMahon and the other cardiovascular researchers and clinicians who have called the article “sensationalist” and “hysterical” saying that it is hysterical or sensationalist to suggest that people at low-risk of heart disease should reconsider their use of statins? I would say that position is mainstream, and a conservative approach.
It’s also worth pointing out that sometimes, as in the case of this Medical Observer article, the criticisms are made without the speakers declaring their links to pharmaceutical companies that produce lipid-lowering medications."
'via Blog this'
It’s also worth pointing out that sometimes, as in the case of this Medical Observer article, the criticisms are made without the speakers declaring their links to pharmaceutical companies that produce lipid-lowering medications."
'via Blog this'
Sunday, September 23, 2012
The drugs don't work: a modern medical scandal | Ben Goldacre | Business | The Guardian
The drugs don't work: a modern medical scandal | Ben Goldacre | Business | The Guardian: "
Drugs are tested by the people who manufacture them, in poorly designed trials, on hopelessly small numbers of weird, unrepresentative patients, and analysed using techniques that are flawed by design, in such a way that they exaggerate the benefits of treatments. Unsurprisingly, these trials tend to produce results that favour the manufacturer. When trials throw up results that companies don't like, they are perfectly entitled to hide them from doctors and patients, so we only ever see a distorted picture of any drug's true effects. Regulators see most of the trial data, but only from early on in a drug's life, and even then they don't give this data to doctors or patients, or even to other parts of government. This distorted evidence is then communicated and applied in a distorted fashion."
'via Blog this'
Drugs are tested by the people who manufacture them, in poorly designed trials, on hopelessly small numbers of weird, unrepresentative patients, and analysed using techniques that are flawed by design, in such a way that they exaggerate the benefits of treatments. Unsurprisingly, these trials tend to produce results that favour the manufacturer. When trials throw up results that companies don't like, they are perfectly entitled to hide them from doctors and patients, so we only ever see a distorted picture of any drug's true effects. Regulators see most of the trial data, but only from early on in a drug's life, and even then they don't give this data to doctors or patients, or even to other parts of government. This distorted evidence is then communicated and applied in a distorted fashion."
'via Blog this'
The drugs don't work: a modern medical scandal | Ben Goldacre | Business | The Guardian
The drugs don't work: a modern medical scandal | Ben Goldacre | Business | The Guardian: "Drugs are tested by their manufacturers, in poorly designed trials, on hopelessly small numbers of weird, unrepresentative patients, and analysed using techniques that exaggerate the benefits."
'via Blog this'
'via Blog this'
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