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Do antidepressants work or don't they? A new study sheds light on why the data on drug treatment are so conflicted.
Sometimes the mind provides the most powerful medicine of all. A new Harvard Medical School investigation in asthma patients shows that the “placebo effect” — in which patients experience real benefits from sham treatments — can be as effective as standard medical therapy.
Quick quiz: does pregnancy cause weight loss or gain? It seems like a dumb question but it’s a test that the promoters of the “hCG diet” seem to have failed.
Dr. Ben Goldacre is best known for his “Bad Science” column in the British newspaper the Guardian, in which he skewers, with almost unseemly glee, misguided science reporting and the misleading marketing of medical treatments and nutritional supplements.
The British Medical Journal recently released a study finding that the antidepressant reboxetine, which is manufactured by Pfizer and has been used in Europe since 1997 — but is not approved in the U.S. — does not work at treating depression. The BMJ study looked at 13 clinical trials of reboxetine involving some 4,000 patients; [...]
What’s the first thing you do when you burn or cut one of your hands? You might think the answer is that you put it under a faucet or wrap a towel around it. But that’s actually not the first thing you do. The first thing is reflexive, unthinking — something your ancestors could have [...]
The power of a capsule of sugar to relieve depression or ease back pain is called the placebo response: as long as you believe you are taking medicine, you often get better. (Actually, placebo response even shows up in clinical trials when people are told the pill they are swallowing may or may not be [...]
It has been well documented in medical literature that when people believe they are receiving treatment, they will actually experience a reduction in symptoms—even if their “treatment” is an inactive placebo. This is particularly true when it comes to pain reduction, or analgesia; patients who believe they are being given powerful medication for pain will [...]
Tired of your mindless treadmill routine and all that running leading nowhere? Consider mixing up your fitness plan, with more and more gyms offering unique classes for workouts that are effective — and fun.
