Can we believe any medical research – at all?

From Dr. Malcolm Kendrick

"I have now finished my book, to be called ‘Doctoring Data.’ It has taken a long time to write, mainly because I had to bring together hundreds of different strands of thinking and research. Each strand seemed to get longer and longer as I attempted to pursue them to the end. In many cases I never really found the end."

This book is on my list to buy when available, in the post linked below he quotes Drummond Rennie, at the time the Deputy Editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association.:

"There seems to be no study too fragmented, no hypothesis too trivial, no literature citation too biased or too egotistical, no design too warped, no methodology too bungled, no presentation of results too inaccurate, too obscure, and too contradictory, no analysis too self serving, no argument too circular, no conclusions too trifling or too unjustified, and no grammar and syntax too offensive for a paper to end up in print."

Who and what does the above remind you of? For me it reminds me of all the negative dross thrown up the majority of healthcare professionals and dietitians and the nonsense they talk regarding low carb and healthy fats man has ate since the beginning of time. Plus a few low carb antis that hang around on diabetes forums working full time and these days have lost the argument big time, they seem to be the only ones that fail to see they have lost the plot.

Malcolm's post is here  http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2014/11/17/can-we-believe-any-medical-research-at-all/

I was going to post a link about Dr Kendrick's latest blog/new book last night, but decided it was all too terrifying for so close to bedtime.  In the cool light of day, with time to reflect, Eddie has beaten me to it!

I've always been a bit suspicious about medical treatment and advice, even as a child and as a young (pregnant) woman, but the things I have learnt in the last 18months or so, since my husband's T2 diagnosis absolutely horrify me.  I was told, the other day, by an experienced GP, that much of the laser treatment in our local eye unit is done to justify keeping the department open and all the staff on.   In other words, they treat beyond true medical need, in preference to a watch and wait approach.  This could be a hospital near you!  (don't ask me, I'm not telling you)
Sally

Edit: On mature reflection, I just want to add, if you are about to have laser treatment, this can save your eyesight. Don't let my comments put you off essential treatment, but DO always ask questions. If something doesn't seem right, query it. Get a second opinion. If you are an unusual diabetic, i.e. have had non-diabetic blood sugars for a some time, seriously question if a routine check up turns into, "You're here, you're diabetic, let's do some laser work".
Sally

Thanks Eddie, Indy also posted that link on a thread 'over there' after I had posted challenging the objectivity and motives of pharma-sponsored drug tests. Looking forward (with a bit of trepidation!) to reading Malcolm's book.

There are as many different opinions as there are people. There are as many different scientific opinions as there are scientists. There are as many different medical opinions as there are doctors.....

What gives one human being the right to assume he or she knows more than you?

They only know what they are told by someone else with an opinion.

A 'qualification' is only based on opinionated criteria. This doctor, or body of doctors has decided that you can receive a qualification if you know and can apply the data accordng to their opinion.

Like the recent video about how Allopathy rode roughshod over naturopathy and set itself up as the 'go-to' authority on all things medical. How very successful natural Cancer treatments have been oppressed and suppressed in order to keep the very lucrative Allopathic Cancer industry going. Bad advice keeps the Allopathic industry rolling along nicely thank you very much.

It's not just about bad advice, it's about murder by negligence and greed.

The god of this system is not in the business of encouraging health and happiness. He likes to trick, malign and confuse people so much so he can laugh his socks off at them all running around in circles trying to figure it all out. People are just pawns in his little game.

We don't know the half of it......

Eventually of course, they will end up shooting themselves in the foot. The more people that lose trust, the weaker their control. It is all about control. The whole system is about control.....

I think this statement made by Sally a couple of posts above is key, however, there are still many who do not question.

"but DO always ask questions. If something doesn't seem right, query it."

All the best Jan

The reality is that the medical profession like to make people think that modern medicine is so advanced. But other than trauma there is really very little that "modern" medicine has to offer. Almost all major diseases are not well understood and the "medications" that they have to offer do a very poor job and are riddle with side effects. When history look back at this era will laugh at how people were treated, just as we do now from the treatments of the past century.

yoly wrote:The reality is that the medical profession like to make people think that modern medicine is so advanced. But other than trauma there is really very little that "modern" medicine has to offer. Almost all major diseases are not well understood and the "medications" that they have to offer do a very poor job and are riddle with side effects. When history look back at this era will laugh at how people were treated, just as we do now from the treatments of the past century.

Got to agree with you, the surgeons have made massive advances but the physicians are back in the stone age half the time. Still, it keeps them off the streets.