Big Pharma hired ghostwriters to distort truth about hormone replacement therapy drugs

(NaturalNews) When medical journals and journal supplements publish scientific information about drug research, you know the information has been carefully reviewed and is accurate and factual, right? Wrong. It has now been documented that Big Pharma has literally paid writers to twist the truth about bad outcomes and to sneak distorted information and marketing messages into so-called “serious” medical journal articles. Those facts have been revealed by the first academic analysis of 1500 documents unsealed in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Wyeth (now part of Pfizer). The litigation was filed in July of last year against menopausal hormone manufacturers by 14,000 plaintiffs whose claims related to the development of breast cancer while taking the hormone therapy (HT) Prempro (conjugated equine estrogens). The shocking facts that came out during the case resulted in a US federal court decision to release the documents to the public. An investigation of these documents, which was just published in PLoS Medicine , reveals precisely how pharmaceutical companies used ghostwriters to insert what amounts to ads-in-disguise into articles published in medical journals and journal supplements. For example, Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman, associate professor in the Department of Physiology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC, analyzed dozens of ghostwritten reviews and commentaries about Prempro which were published in medical journals and journal supplements. She found that facts were manipulated within the articles to promote unproven benefits and to downplay the harms of Prempro. What’s more, the articles were deliberately written in a way to place any competing therapies in a negative light. These articles were widely circulated to physicians directly as well as to Big Pharma drug reps who used them to convince doctors about how wonderful Prempro was and why the drug should be prescribed — and prescribed it was, by the millions. So how did Wyeth accomplish this misleading spinning of medical information to sell more drugs? The Big Pharma giant hired a medical education and communication company, DesignWrite, to produce the ghostwritten articles. The hired writers were instructed to mitigate the perceived risks of breast cancer associated with HT and to defend and promote alleged cardiovascular benefits of HT — even though the supposed facts presented were unsupported by scientific evidence. Wyeth didn’t stop there, either. The drug company also had the ghostwriters push for off-label, unproven uses of HT for the prevention of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, vision problems, and even wrinkles, according to Dr. Fugh-Berman. Putting inaccurate and misleading spin on scientific research to pump up drug sales was a profitable business for Wyeth — and folks at DesignWrite who did the spinning made out well, too. The analysis revealed that DesignWrite was paid $25,000 to ghostwrite articles reporting clinical trials, including four manuscripts about trials of low-dose Prempro. In addition, DesignWrite was assigned to write 20 review articles about the drug, for which they were paid $20,000 per article. “Given the growing evidence that ghostwriting has been used to promote HT and other highly promoted drugs, the medical profession must take steps to ensure that prescribers renounce participation in ghostwriting, and to ensure that unscrupulous relationships between industry and academia are avoided rather than courted,” Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman concluded in her study. For more information: http://www.plosmedicine.org/static/ghostwriting.action http://dida.library.ucsf.edu/documents.jsp

Medical journal papers promoting HRT drugs ghostwritten by major drug company

(NaturalNews) Increasing numbers of people are becoming aware that the drug industry is fraught with illegitimate studies promoting dangerous drugs, fraudulent marketing tactics and shady conflicts of interest. And a new analysis by researchers out of Georgetown University Medical Center has added more fuel to the fire. According to reports, drug-giant Wyeth–which is now owned by Pfizer–paid consultants thousands of dollars to ghostwrite articles for medical journals promoting synthetic hormone replacement drugs. Synthetic hormone replacement drugs like Wyeth’s Prempro experienced a significant drop in sales after a 2002 study found that the drugs greatly increase women’s risk of developing ovarian and breast cancers, as well as strokes and other serious illnesses. Prempro sales, for instance, have fallen by 50 percent since 2001 as a result. In an attempt to boost sales and reestablish public confidence in the dangerous drugs, Wyeth allegedly resorted to paying DesignWrite, a medical communications company, $25,000 to write positive articles about the drug. Wyeth also paid the company to write 20 positive review articles about its drug at $20,000 a pop. These articles were designed not only to convince the public that the drugs are safe, but to suggest that they be used for unapproved uses such as to prevent heart disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, vision problems and even to reverse the effects of aging. They also highlighted supposed benefits while suppressing known dangers. “Given the growing evidence that ghostwriting has been used to promote hormone therapy and offer highly promoted drugs, the medical profession must take steps to ensure that prescribers renounce participation in ghostwriting, and to ensure that unscrupulous relationships between industry and academia are avoided rather than courted,” she and her colleagues wrote in the PLoS Medicine , a Public Library of Science journal. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6865FQ20100907

Adult stem cells treat a host of diseases, say doctors

(NaturalNews) Doctors and researchers are hailing the successes of adult stem cell treatments, which are treating everything from heart disease and diabetes, to leukemia and blindness. Adult stem cells — the kind harvested from adult bone marrow and other tissues — can be injected into the body to help regrow and repair organs, tissues and skin. Unlike controversial embryonic stem cells which are harvested from aborted, human embryos, adult stem cells are extracted from living, adult humans. And based on years of experience using innovative therapy treatments, adult stem cells are proving to be highly successful in treating otherwise “incurable” diseases. Dr. Thomas Einhorn, chairman of orthopedic surgery at Boston University Medical Center, for example, successfully used a man’s pelvic bone stem cells to heal the same man’s broken ankle. By drawing bone marrow from the pelvis and condensing it into an injectable liquid, Einhorn was able to spur a complete ankle healing in four months. Then, there is the case of a patient whose damaged vision was restored after receiving adult stem cell treatment. A recent Denver Post article explains that adult stem cells are being used to treat people with leukemia, lymphoma, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. The possibilities are endless with adult stem cells, say numerous doctors and medical experts. Adult stem cells can literally turn into bones, blood vessels and tissues that are diseased or damaged, and they seem to adapt to whatever is needed by the body to heal a specific area. “That gives adult stem cells really a very interesting and potent quality that embryonic stem cells don’t have,” explains Rocky Tuan from the University of Pittsburgh. Sources for this story include: http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_15655878

Rats fed junk food pass down cancer risk through multiple generations of offspring

(NaturalNews) A recent study out of Georgetown University Medical Center has concluded that what you eat can affect your children’s and grandchildren’s health, even if they eat healthy themselves. Sonia de Assis and her colleagues observed that rats fed fatty, unhealthy food pass on an increased cancer risk to their children and grandchildren. The study, which was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C., illustrates that a fatty diet can actually contribute to “epigenetic” DNA modifications, which are inherited changes in DNA patterns. Essentially, one’s offspring can inherit DNA changes caused by their parents’ unhealthy diets and other environmental factors. The findings also seem to explain why diseases like breast cancer are more likely to manifest in certain family lines and not in others. If epigenetic DNA changes are altering genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, then this would explain why some people are more prone than others to develop certain degenerative diseases. “We think that there may be other means of transmission that are not genetic that can account for breast cancer,” explained de Assis in response to the study’s findings. And Assis’ perspective is warranted based on her findings. According to Breastcancer.org, only about 20-30 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have any family history of breast cancer. This means that the other 70-80 percent must be developing it for reasons other than simply genetics. If a person’s parents or grandparents ate a diet rich in processed, chemical-laden foods throughout their lives, then the DNA changes that likely occurred in their bodies may be passed down to their children. Even if they themselves didn’t develop cancer, the children will be more likely to develop it, based on the findings of the study. And if the children also eat junk food diets that lack proper nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and other necessary life components, then their children will be even more prone than they were to develop degenerative diseases like cancer. But your personal diet and lifestyle choices are still the primary deciding factors for whether or not you develop a degenerative disease. Even if your parents and grandparents ate unhealthy diets all their lives does not mean that you have to get sick. Eating a strong, healthy diet and regularly exercising will do wonders for your health. Sources for this story include: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18799-rats-on-junk-food-pass-cancer-down-the-generations.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics.jsp

Vitamin D promotes memory and cognitive function in seniors

(NaturalNews) A lack of vitamin D has already been linked in several studies to depression. Now it appears a deficiency of this crucial nutrient could also play a role in robbing the brain of the ability to process information correctly and clearly. Defined as a person’s ability to process thoughts, cognitive function includes memory and the ability to learn new information, as well as speaking and reading comprehension. Aging is known to affect cognitive function in many people, resulting in memory loss and difficulty thinking of the right words while speaking or writing. But what if a lack of vitamin D could be the culprit that is causing or contributing to cognitive impairment in many elders — and not simply aging by itself? If that’s the case, it offers hope that adequate vitamin D could help keep minds agile and memory sharp. Research headed by epidemiologist Katherine Tucker with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, and published in Journals of Gerontology raises that possibility. Metabolic pathways for vitamin D have been found in the hippocampus and cerebellum — areas of the brain involved in planning, processing, and forming new memories. So it appears a lack of vitamin D could disrupt these cognitive processes. Dr. Tucker and her colleagues studied more than 1,000 elders receiving home care. The research team investigated associations between measured levels of vitamin D in the blood of these people, who were all between the ages of 65 and 99, and compared them to results of neuropsychological tests. The participants were then grouped by their vitamin D status, which was categorized as deficient, insufficient, or sufficient. The researchers noted in a statement to the media that older people needing home care have an elevated risk of not getting enough vitamin D because of their exposure to sunlight is often limited. And, in fact, only 35 percent of the research subjects had sufficient vitamin D levels in their blood for health. Those elders who did have adequate vitamin D scored far better on cognitive tests than those in the deficient and insufficient vitamin D categories, particularly on measures of executive performance, which included cognitive flexibility, perceptual complexity, and reasoning. The associations persisted after taking into consideration other variables that could also have influenced performance on the cognitive ability tests. Another new study just presented at the Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting held in San Diego provides more disturbing evidence that older adults commonly have low vitamin D levels. Researchers from the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam investigated approximately 1,300 Dutch men and women age 65 and older and found almost 50 percent were deficit in vitamin D. For more information: http://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/64A/8/888.abstract?sid=0007591c-0f9e-4df7-bd44-dee95244c8bb http://www.naturalnews.com/vitamin_d.html

Deet Finally Exposed as Neurotoxic

(NaturalNews) New research shows that the insect-repelling chemical deet actually functions in the same way as deadly nerve gases and dangerous pesticides, by attacking the nervous systems of both insects and mammals. “These findings question the safety of deet, particularly in combination with other chemicals,” said researcher Vincent Corbel of Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement in Montpellier. The chemical known as deet (for N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is found in nearly every commonly used mosquito repellent in the world, and eight billion doses have been applied since its introduction to the consumer market in 1957. The chemical was originally developed as an insect repellent by the U.S. Army in 1946, following experience with jungle warfare in World War II. Deet’s popularity comes largely from its effectiveness in repelling a variety of medically significant insects over longer periods of time than more natural repellents (such as certain vegetable-based oils), and the fact that it can be incorporated into sprays, liquids or lotions. Yet although researchers have long insisted that the chemical is safe, they still recommend that consumers use the minimum amount of repellent necessary to cover exposed skin or clothing, and that deet repellents not be applied directly to any irritated or injured skin. While the United States allows the sale of 100 percent deet repellents, many other countries limit maximum concentrations of the chemical to 30 or 50 percent. In spite of the chemical’s long use, researchers are unsure exactly how deet functions to repel mosquitoes. It has long been believed to affect mosquito behavior without harming the insects, probably by interfering with their sense of smell and their ability to find human prey. Yet the new study, published in the journal BioMed Central Biology , suggests that deet may function by interfering directly with insects’ nervous systems. “We’ve found that deet is not simply a behavior-modifying chemical but also inhibits the activity of a key central nervous system enzyme, acetylcholinesterase, in both insects and mammals,” the researchers said. In experiments performed in cockroaches and rats, the researchers found that deet blocked the action of the neurological enzyme acetylcholinesterase. This is the same mechanism that causes the toxic effects of popular carbamate and organophosphate pesticides, as well as chemical weapons such as sarin and VX nerve gas. This may mean that deet repellants are actually insecticides and could damage the human nervous system. Organophosphates are among the pesticides most commonly implicated in pesticide poisoning worldwide, and are also a commonly used suicide method in agricultural areas. Like nerve gases, organophosphates irreversibly inactivate acetylcholinesterase, leading to excessive salivation and eye watering at low doses, and muscle spasms or death at higher doses. Although carbamates are not as toxic as organophosphates, their effects can be just as severe at high enough doses. Strong evidence also links these pesticides to dangerous health effects caused by long-term exposure even at low doses. Previous studies have implicated deet in causing seizures in children, but the current study is the first to uncover how the chemical acts directly on the nervous system. The researchers also found that the effects of deet were enhanced when it was used in combination with organophosphates or carbamates, as in mixed repellent-insecticide products. Bahie Abou-Donia of the Duke University Medical Center said that the new findings are consistent with previous research into the risks of deet. “Deet is a good chemical for protection against insects,” Abou-Donia said. “But prolonged exposure results in neurological damage, and this is enhanced by other chemicals and medications.” The researchers in the new study suggested that pregnant women and children under the age of six avoid using deet-containing mosquito repellents. Abou-Donia went farther, calling for such products to carry warning labels about deet’s potential to cause neurological harm. The Environmental Protection Agency has a review of deet’s safety planned for 2012. Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk; www.sciencedaily.com; www.usnews.com; www.dailymail.co.uk.

Women given useless and dangerous HRT drugs to prevent heart disease

(NaturalNews) Despite lack of evidence that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs could reduce the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women, potentially millions of women were given the drugs to reduce these risks during the 1990s, according to a study conducted by researchers from Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and published in the American Journal of Public Health . HRT drugs were approved for reducing the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and mood swings. They became widely popular, with 11 million women between the ages of 45 and 74 using them by 1999. Although no evidence ever linked them to a lowered risk of heart disease, lawsuits allege that pharmaceutical companies covertly marketed them for this purpose. In 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative study found that the drugs significantly increased women’s risk of dying from heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots. Since then, research has also linked the drugs to breast cancer and dementia. Use of the drugs fell to six million by 2003. In the new study, researchers examined the medical records of New York City women who had been taking HRT drugs prior to the release of the Women’s Health Initiative findings. They found that after the release of the study, use of the drugs fell 70 percent among women with heart disease and 50 percent among those with two or more cardiovascular risk factors, but only 15 percent among those with one or no risk factors. Similarly, the proportion of women with heart disease who were taking HRT drugs fell from 28 percent in 199 to 8 percent in 2003. The proportion among those with one or no risk factors fell as well, but only from 20 to 17 percent. According to the researchers, the data suggest that HRT was probably being used to prevent heart disease, “a therapy that was never proven for this indication and ultimately found to be ineffective.” Sources for this story include: www.reuters.com.

Milk thistle herb protects liver from damage caused by chemotherapy

(NaturalNews) The herbal supplement milk thistle may prevent liver damage in people undergoing chemotherapy, according to a new study conducted by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center and published in the journal Cancer . Researchers conducted the study on 50 children undergoing a “maintenance” round of chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer. Approximately two-thirds of all children undergoing treatment for ALL usually develop liver toxicity during their treatment, presenting doctors with the choice between scaling back the treatment and risking a resurgence of the cancer, or continuing with treatment unaltered and risking permanent liver damage and lifelong health complications. There is currently no known way of preventing liver toxicity in chemotherapy patients. Study participants were assigned to take either a milk thistle pill or a placebo capsule for one month. At the start of the study, all 50 children were suffering from liver inflammation due to prior rounds of chemotherapy. By the end, children taking milk thistle had significantly lower levels of two liver inflammation markers than children taking a placebo. Milk thistle has been used for more than 2,000 years as an herbal treatment for liver and gallbladder problems. Although researchers have looked for evidence that the herb might help prevent or even treat liver damage in people with hepatitis or cirrhosis, results have been inconclusive. However, recent studies suggest that milk thistle contains an active antioxidant known as silybin that might help block toxins from breaching cell walls. Milk thistle supplements are already sold over the counter. Striking a cautionary note, however, senior researcher Kara M. Kelley noted that further research is needed before the plant can be recommended as a treatment. She advised against patients self-medicating with milk thistle, noting that all patients undergoing treatment for cancer should always check with their doctors before taking any new kinds of supplements. Sources for this story include: abcnews.go.com.

Acupuncture could relieve period pain

(NaturalNews) A recent study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics has found that acupuncture may be effective at reducing the pain experienced by women who are going through their period. Researchers evaluated 27 studies that included over 3,000 participating women. From these, the study team came to the conclusion that there is “promising evidence” concerning the viability of acupuncture in treating menstrual pain. Doctors usually treat the nausea, diarrhea, migraine headaches, back pain, and other symptoms that accompany a woman’s monthly period, with pain killer drugs. However, alternative treatments like acupuncture are gaining popularity because many have experienced superior relief from them without having to take pharmaceuticals. The Kyung Hee Medical Center research team that conducted the study found that patients who underwent acupuncture treatment experienced a greater reduction in pain than did those who relied on drug treatments. They were unable to verify, however, whether or not the treatment actually affects womens’ nervous systems when providing relief. Acupuncture treatments involve inserting small needles into the skin at certain points, known as energy meridians, in order to relieve pain. It is commonly used to treat conditions like back pain, depression, fibromyalgia, and arthritis. A traditional Chinese medicine practice, acupuncture is believed to work by correcting the proper flow of “qi”, or vital energy, through the meridian points. Some skeptics wonder if a placebo effect is what patients are actually experiencing when they feel relief from acupuncture. Some studies suggest that patients who receive placebo acupuncture, where needles are placed far from meridians, experience similar results as those who receive real acupuncture, leading some to believe that perhaps simply inserting the needles into the skin provides relief. Others claim that because it is difficult to pinpoint exactly how acupuncture works, that it must not actually work. However, this flies in the face of numerous studies that exhibit demonstrable benefits from the treatment, not to mention the countless anecdotal reports from real people who have experienced genuine relief from the therapy. Researchers from the University of York and the Hull York Medical School recently published a paper in Brain Research , verifying that acupuncture treatments legitimately work neurally to deactivate the portions of the brain that process feelings of pain. Their scientific analysis gives tangible credence to what many already recognize as a reality concerning the effectiveness of acupuncture. Their study will also likely increase the acceptance of acupuncture as a viable treatment among mainstream medical professionals. Sources for this story include: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8518745.stm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204101736.htm

Placebo Effect Breakthrough: It’s Not Just in the Mind. It Actually Alters Physiological Response of the Spine

(NaturalNews) The placebo effect can be traced in part to physical changes that take place in the spine when a fake drug is taken, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, and published in the journal Science . The placebo effect refers to a phenomenon in which a person’s symptoms diminish after taking a biologically inactive treatment that they believe to be a real drug. It is a well-documented effect that is particularly strong for conditions originating in the central nervous system, such as pain and depression. “These results provide direct evidence for spinal inhibition as one mechanism of placebo analgesia and highlight that psychological factors can act on the earliest stages of pain processing in the central nervous system,” the researchers wrote. Researchers told 15 healthy men that their arms were being treated with two separate creams – one of them an anesthetic, the other a placebo. They then applied painful heat to the treated sections of the participants arms while taking a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan of their spinal cords. Both creams were, in fact, medically inactive placebos. Yet the men not only reported experiencing significantly less pain when treated with a cream they believed to be active, but the fMRI scans showed that the activity of the nerves in their spine was also significantly reduced. This shows that when given a placebo, the mind is not just filtering pain away – the body actually feels less. “It is deeply rooted in very, very early areas of the central nervous system. That definitely speaks for a strong effect,” lead researcher Falk Eippert said. The researchers still could not explain how the perception of treatment created an effect in the spine, however. They suggested that the body might respond to treatment with a perceived drug by releasing its own natural painkillers. Sources for this story include: www.reuters.com; www.medicalnewstoday.com.

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