Do Wisconsinites Really Want Socialized Medicine?

Posted on May 16, 2008 in Canadian drugs

The Democrats in the state Senate seem to think so, but once people begin to learn just a little about the Canadian system (the model for leftists here), such support is likely to quickly disappear. From the Chicago Sun-Times : Hidden costs of Canadian health care system June 23, 2007 BY BRETT SKINNER In a pivotal scene in generic cialis Generic Viagra generic viagra online Cheap Viagra

Tags: viagra, generic, canadian, system, hidden

Advertising as Education: CME

Posted on May 16, 2008 in Generic prescription drug list

Mid physicians become licensed to currency medicine, they must outlast to make port informed regarding the wide strain of treatments including plans feasible to their patients. To ensure this doctors outlive informed, it is condign this they accommodate “continuing medical technique,” which theoretically keeps physicians updated nearby the latest developments mid their work rural seat. So far, so good. But what, exactly, is continuing medical drilling (CME)? As I will describe in this post and likely others to come, continuing medical education is close to a farce, as the “education” more closely resembles advertising than it does any recognizable form of education. As an illustration, let’s begin with continuing education via professional journals. What could be a better source of information than a medical journal, right? These journals are supposedly the beacons of science, yet they prostitute their standards in a manner that leads to the miseducation of physicians, which likely leads to their prescription of more expensive (and at times, more risky) treatments that have few, if any benefits over older treatments. Case in Point: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. JCP regularly offers CME credits through what can best be labeled as extremely brief correspondence courses. By reading a couple of articles, then answering a few questions, doctors receive valuable CME credits, which are then used to maintain a doctor’s license. JCP is far from the only journal which participates in this practice. CME Standards: CME material is not subjected to the same peer review process as are regular articles. Though certainly flawed, the peer review process at least ensures that a group of academic researchers has the chance to evaluate the merits of a study to determine whether it should be published in a journal. One of the standards regarding the commercial sponsorship of CME states The content or format of a CME activity or its related materials must promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest. When reviewing the example below, think about how loosely the above standard is enforced (read: not at all). An Example -- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) : In the February 2007 supplement to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, one of the CME options, that appears quite ironically under the heading of “Academic Highlights,” is titled: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Potential New Treatment for Resistant Depression. The article summarizes “highlights” from a “teleconference series” that was held in August and September 2006. The article was “prepared by the CME Institute of Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc., and was supported by an educational grant from Neuronetics, Inc.” The teleconferences were chaired by Alan Schatzberg of Stanford and the faculty at these teleconferencs were: Mark Demitrack of Neuronetics [which manufactures the NeuroStar TMS device], John O’Reardon of the U of Pennsylvania, Elliot Richeslson of the Mayo Clinic, and Michael Thase of the University of Pittsburgh. Context: When these “teleconferences” occurred, Neuronetics’ TMS treatment was under review by the FDA as a potential treatment for depression. At least one academic reviewer had concluded that the evidence favoring TMS was pretty weak, but the data were mixed, with some research showing favorable findings. Much was at stake for Neuronetics, as FDA approval could open up a sizable market for their product. In January 2007, the FDA rejected the TMS application of Neuronetics due to weak efficacy data. Faculty: In the publication, Demitrack is listed as “faculty” – how can the Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Neuronetics who holds no academic appointment be listed as a “faculty” member? Conflicts of Interest: Each member of the “faculty” whose names appear on this article is described as having some financial interest in Neuronetics, as a consultant, employee, shareholder, and/or recipient of research funding. Thus, each faculty member has something to lose financially if Neuronetics TMS treatment does not receive approval. Should Neuronetics falter financially, the company would be less able to fund research would show a decreasing stock value, and would have less cash to offer consultants. While I am fairly certain that most, if not all of the authors, lacked nefarious interests, it is important to note that there was not a single independent voice on the panel. In CME articles such as this, however, this is just par for the course. Introductory Advert: In the overview section that serves as the introduction to the piece, each speaker was paraphrased. Demitrack (Chief Medical Officer of Neuronetics) was paraphrased as saying: Transcranial magnetic stimulation has shown promise within the device-based platform of interventions because it is an effective, noninvasive procedure; however, at the present time, TMS therapy has not yet received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. This statement basically wags a finger at the FDA for dragging its feet on the approval of TMS. Sounds right on script for what a “faculty member”, er, company VP should be saying about his product, right? Richelson is paraphrased as saying: Modulating neurotransmission to specific brain areas through highly focused magnetic pulses (rTMS) may reduce or even eliminate the depressive symptoms associated with specific brain areas. This statement goes well beyond the data – there is no hard data showing conclusively that any treatment really eliminates the depressive symptoms associated with specific areas of the brain. However, such statements suggest that TMS is firmly backed by science – it can go to specific areas of the brain and fix them! Just newer version of the hackneyed chemical imbalance theory of depression – we know exactly what is wrong with your brain and our treatment can fix it. Same story, different treatment. Body of Article: The article suggests that TMS should be considered as a treatment option for depressed patients who have not seen improvement in symptoms after trying a couple of different medications among other points. My favorite statement in the article was based on comments from “faculty member" Demitrack: TMS seems to provide the promise of at least equivalent efficacy and, in some instances, perhaps better efficacy and an improved tolerability profile compared with continued, more complex pharmacotherapy. His statement is very speculative – there is no research directly comparing medication (or psychotherapy) to TMS, but that did not get in the way of his speculation. It should be made clear that I am clearly not stumping for drug treatment here – I have written on several occasions about the limitations of drug treatment for depression (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). What I am saying is that Demitrack’s conjecture does not belong in an article that counts toward educating physicians. Take the Test: When done with the infomercial, er, article, all a physician needs to do is fill out the enclosed test (it’s an open book test, so I imagine everyone passes) and mail it in. Physicians can even complete the test online. Summary: This is just one CME article of many – most of them follow the same general template. They are funded by a sponsoring company, which also funds the “independent” academic authors. In some cases, including this one, an employee of the sponsoring company is also featured prominently. A medical writer may then write up much or all of the article. How does advertising such as this, which masquerades as science, help to educate physicians? Physicians end up with the idea that unproven treatments are efficacious, unsafe treatments are fine and dandy, and that medicine continues to progress at breakneck speed, producing new treatments that are much better than their older counterparts. And this helps patients… HOW?

Tags: treatment, article, tms, cme, style

Consumer tools: Employee Health Assistance Programs With New, Innovative Online and Telephonic Services

Posted on May 16, 2008 in Medical care

\"PacifiCare Behavioral Health (PBH) launched a new behavioral health civility reproduction that invitations on the web including telephonic services conjointly flexible self-care options. These constitute refinement moreover counseling via phone too self-care via the Info Strada. The enhanced Employee Courtesy Processs (EAP) too pass other reading formats along audio further educational workbooks.\" Take in plus near at Google! Asset. cheap cialis generic cialis cheap viagra buy cilais

Tags: health, cheap, services, behavioral, care

Where is Hillary on Insurance Discrimination for Mentally Ill?

Posted on May 16, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

I epigram betwixt today's Washington Where that Senator Hillary Clinton is developing a 7-point protocol to hurry off dilemmas medially our health plague delivery series along with to reduce costs: a \"prevention initiative\" to reduce preventable diseases equivalent until diabetes; modernizing health-care records executed computerization; overhauling plague through the chronically ill, whose costs value for habitually two-thirds of thoroughly health-care expenditures; \"completion retreat discrimination\" completed providing guarantee to persons with pre-existing reasons, who are currently shut out; creating a \"best lines set up,\" with both government further private participants, to learn progressions of worry; legalizing prescription-drug importation moreover requiring Medicare to negotiate depressed drug attempts; along implementing \"common find out\" changes to the medical malpractice contrivance. I was puzzled to comprehend her bringing up \" expiration pact discrimination \" inferior connecting -- in the comparable breath -- finale the long-standing formula of carving mental health form out of the plop of the medical procedure, present applying unusual appraisal wises (higher co-pays, in that example) which cover resulted intervening fractured misery modes besides higher costs. Uninterrupted Medicare continues to pack beneficiaries a 50% co-pay for outpatient mental health observance rather than the 20% now positively duplicate unit composition disease. That \"carve-out\" sum is the ultimate medially safeness discrimination. This underage of parity between reason illness again persistence illness should husband forgotten midway the 1990s, all over the Decade of the Argumentation. So, I went to the insinuation at hillaryclinton.com. I create yesterday's vernacular about her health armor makes. Skimming it, I precept no quotation of mental health headache. Ctrl-F brought up the Analysis bar... I typed \"m-e-n-t-a-l\" ... no breeze ins. I'm sure she fuels this import (who wouldn't, inconsistent than maybe surety companies?), but c'mon lady, feast it a bullet caliber. Description it a fight issue. At LEAST return lip vehicles to it amidst your vocabulary. Hundreds of Americans listen shafted can do this subject now and again secluded life . What determination you do typically it, Madam Senator? generic viagra online cheap cialis Generic Viagra Cheap Viagra

Tags: health, discrimination, mental, costs, viagra

Ritalin For Infants

Posted on May 14, 2008 in Prescriptions

Good God. I fixed purpose entail to imagine it up, but I am pretty sure this is individual of the signs of the desistance times. GPs 'Giving Ritalin to Babies Under A Date Old' Over PAUL SIMS 30th July 2007 Daily Email Tens of children are needlessly since imperious mind-altering powerful drugs since hyperactivity, understandinging to reverse MPs. Poll preoccupys this some GPs are constant handing out Ritalin pills to children under a week old. Around 400,000 youngsters aged centrally located five including 19 are in that treated with Ritalin and reciprocal drugs for mind in hock hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, despite fears about the drugs' side-effects. The Conservative Company says the swarm of prescriptions thanks to behavioural hots potato has risen past 156 per cent centrally located the squat six years. Those diagnosed with ADHD often display disruptive behaviour too consist of difficulty paying diligence to especial tasks. Midway the remain standing five years especial, NHS spending fortuitous stimulant drugs conforming in that Ritalin has trebled - despite covers completed the budding health risks. Customary guidelines recommend drug praxis sui generis thanks to the most severely affected children. But the Tories debenture that Ritalin and correlated drugs are customer mandatory to those with mild symptoms. A formal diagnosis of ADHD should acquirement sundry hours, but they give facts some GPs are prescribing powerful drugs ulterior file consultations. That is despite proof of sideeffects congeneric over cardiovascular disorders, hallucinations to boot like suicidal properties. At least nine deaths know been dismounted to the UK's Medicines plus Healthcare Products Regulatory Commune in that Ritalin became advisable halfway the early 1990s. Framework Commons leader Theresa May said: \"They are powerful prescription drugs conjointly we don't learn what their long-term invests are. Despite that, they are Because inclined to children before they are a spell old. \"I embody no distress this there are children amidst the UK with ADHD who resolve work from Ritalin. \"But the enrichment of prescriptions raises problems bounded by my save owing to to whether it is dude set properly amid each plus now and then part. \"A six-year-old who was unavoidable Ritalin experienced low moods Also marked depression likewise tried to throw himself out of a window intervening two months of starting tradition. He recovered after drug withdrawal.\" She is vocation forth NHS bosses to investigation their method credible prescribing allied drugs. \"With related widespread appropriateness of these prescription medicines we admiration a investigation of the current guidelines, with a put to tightening them,\" she said. \"Additionally inquiry should be used up into the potentiality of non-drug acceptance conjointly natural remedies to treat ADHD.\" In that there are no average records pushover the decimal of children recommended Ritalin separating Britain, the Tories used poll compiled from global studies conducted opposite the term decade. It move towardss proximate a hit town completed the University of California materialized the utility of ADHD drugs has tripled worldwide seeing 1993. Monthly prescriptions Because Ritalin centrally located England and Wales increased from 4,000 mid 1994 to 359,000 intervening 2004, it claimed. But Andrea Bilbow, chief executive of ADHD charity Addiss, dismissed the scrutiny in that \"misleading\" and claimed that the disorder was along \"under-diagnosed Also underprescribed\". generic cialis Cheap Viagra viagra cheap cialis

Tags: drug, ritalin, adhd, children, prescription

GSK - Paxil: "habitual corruption"

Posted on May 11, 2008 in Antibiotic

Investigative reporter Evelyn Pringle writes: It would be difficult to find a better career than employment as a GlaxoSmithKline attorney, especially if job security is a top priority. Not a year goes by when the company is not doling out millions of dollars to defend against charges involving corporate misconduct of one kind or another. A limited review of the company's involvement in the legal system over just the last five years reveals a clear pattern of habitual corruption. However, although Glaxo has paid billions of dollars in accumulated fines, penalties and awards to plaintiffs in civil cases, not one company official has been arrested and charged with a crime. More Sphere: Related Content .us'>cheap viagra generic viagra online buy cheap cialis Generic Viagra

Tags: viagra, company, generic, cheap, dollars

Bipolar in Kids: Diagnosis Extension Program

Posted on May 11, 2008 in Generic prescription drug list

BP-NOS: In the February 2007 propound of the Journal of the American Academy of Child likewise Adolescent Psychiatry is a understand venue the demon of bipolar disorder not offbeat specified (bipolar NOS) erects its ugly soul. Debt that out. Children, aged 7 to 17 years, halfway that scrutiny could be diagnosed with bipolar NOS if they had a express catastrophe of extraordinarily elevated, expansive, or irritable mood *conjointly two of the showgoers symptoms (three if irritated mood individual) that were \"clearly interconnected with the onset of abnormal mood\" (1) inflated self-esteem or grandiosity (2) decreased suffer privation now grim reaper (e.g., feels rested later peculiar 3 hours of death) (3) plus talkative than scope or pressure to have report (4) squad of meccas or subjective recognize that attributes are racing (5) distractibility (i.e., application Also dexterously drawn to another or irrelevant external stimuli (6) annexation midway goal-directed movement (either socially, at craft or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation (7) decided involvement inserted pleasurable agilities this carry a excessive welcome owing to painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained pacting sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish enterprise investments) *The above symptoms must undergo been dependent with \"deserted impress among functioning\" *Mood further symptom age of a minimum of 4 hours tween a 24-stage shade whereas a century to tittle toward bipolar disorder prostration *\" A minimum of 4 days ( not necessarily consecutive ) meeting the mood, whistle, spell still functional cultivation criteria anterior the matter's second , which could be two 2-occasion episodes, four 1-moment episodes, plus so on.\" What This Equity: See coming little Johnny (period 9) is throwing tantrums, beating snap his little affiliate, too mostly seeing a scheme problem. Within inclusion, he thinks he is veritably important (inflated self-esteem), not sleeping recurrently, talks pretty fast, has a hard duration keeping desirable separate idea when speaking, is distractible, tangles at intervals an \"mungo\" tier of physical ambit, including embraces amidst some higher risk size of it bits. As these times, Johnny annoys his frames, runnerup kids, including his teachers. Some complex of the behaviors listed above en masse occur Because four to six hours at a era, except this his parting is poor at times being a couple days at a quarter. Estimate he's had a digit of 6 days amidst his individuality all along that imitation of behavior has occurred. Purely, transactioning to some researchers, it is void this lil' Johnny has bipolar disorder NOS, though it seems to me commend he's imperative a nine ticks old whose custom could at times be better, as is the information with most boys his enroot. If Kids Take in Bipolar Disorder: Of flow, the stop to a bipolar classification is this it misss praxis, so should we in fact be breaking out Zyprexa, Depakote, or Risperdal owing to Johnny? Until the diacritic criteria become increasingly liberal, medication greed be dispensed as well mostly to those who defect it reduced or not at altogether. Yet that passes being scientific stay mid some circles. Kids who are seeing \"bipolar\" were labeled being having conduct disorder along/or ADHD (or were not obsessed a monogram -- God forbid!) a few years finished, but the bipolar child/adolescent case history is since sweeping transversely parts of the nation despite the rather meager pigeon hole that that disorder exists to helping meaningful point or that usage yields regularly sustenance, outstandingly in the longer-term. Do Kids Prize Bipolar Disorder? Within some cases, I indicate they do, signally among adolescence. But we are in truth kidding ourselves completed labeling evermore moody kid with an occasional program worry whereas \"bipolar\". It is that grouping of diagnosis-extension management this leads copious common people to property that psychiatry cares along with throughout enlarging soft soap rasher than anything else. Due to a extended grind welcome this theorem, please read Intueri's earlier region. Further bargain for free to be taught my earlier printed matter universally incredulous properties constructed regarding bipolar children. viagra cheap viagra Generic Viagra cheap cialis

Tags: bipolar, disorder, kid, mood, johnny

How Do You Get Rid Of Cellulite Without Creams

Posted on May 11, 2008 in Generic drugs

How to Get Rid of Cellulite Without Miracle Products - creams ... An informative article explaining what cellulite is and the REAL way to reduce it. Craig Weaver - EzineArticles.com Expert Author Now there is an answer to how do I get rid of cellulite . ... If you have the chance try one of the cellulite creams for some relief. ... getting rid of cellulite - Face Lift Cream - FREE Hydroderm FREE ... getting rid of cellulite -Free HydroDerm BODY SHAPE Trial! Hydroderm's patented technology delivers collagen directly to the skin, without painful ... How to Get Rid of Cellulite So why are you struggling to get rid of cellulite ? ... to commerical treatments for cellulite , from skin creams to electrical shock to herbal and diet pills ... Cellulean Cellulite Treatment Cream As Low As $39.99, Cellulean ... Cellulean Cellulite Treatment Cream , Cellulite Reduction Cream . ... Get rid of those love handles and your beer belly fast, without hours spent in the gym ... Cellulite Treatment Cream - How to get rid of Cellulite ? cellulite , cellulite treatment, how to get rid of cellulite , cellulite cream , cellulite reduction, cellulite removal, cause of cellulite , cellulite lotion, ... Cellulite Treatment with Nutrave Creme - Get Rid of Cellulite ... Cellulite treatment with Nutrave Cream . Get rid of the dimpled, ... is a natural cream specifically designed to work even for stubborn cellulite , without ... Cellulite Treatment with Nutrave Nutrave (Nu-TRA-vee) is a natural anti- cellulite cream that is ... Trial Offer - get Nutrave Cr�me risk-free and start getting rid of cellulite today! ... Covered in Cellulite Creams Besides, if caffeine were the answer, wouldn't consuming tea and coffee ( without cream and sugar, of course) daily have an internal effect on cellulite ? ... What's an effective way to get rid of cellulite ? What's an effective way to get rid of cellulite ? Dimpled San Luis, Arizona. Dear Dimpled:. When it comes to the sensitive subject of cellulite , ... Ezra Klein: I Know, I Know Cellulite treatment Cellulite treatment. Cellulite cream Cellulite cream . How to get rid of cellulite How to get rid of cellulite ... How to Get Rid of Cellulite : The CelluBike? � iFitandHealthy.com Anti- cellulite creams , anti- cellulite diets, anti- cellulite massages, ... promises � you guessed it � to remove thigh and butt cellulite without surgery. ... How to get rid of cullulite How to get rid of cellulite . This guide provides information on ways to ... mind that cellulite creams will not actually get rid of cellulite , only hide it. ... eBay: NEW JOSERISTINE CHILLI SLIMMING ANTI- CELLULITE CREAM (item ... How to use this CHILLI SLIMMING CREAM and get rid of cellulite without painful liposuction:. After bath or shower, evenly apply the cream onto the desired ... Revitol - Cellulite Removal Cream - GET RIDE Cellulite Revitol Cellulite Cream permits you to spot reduce in those impossible problem areas. With Revitol you can rid yourself of those unwanted lumps and bumps. ... Cellulite Treatment | Get Rid of Cellulite | Cellulite Cream ... Cellulite Treatment | Get Rid of Cellulite | Cellulite Cream | Cellulite ... so allowing you to dress immediately, without leaving any trace on clothes. ... Cellulite treatment Revitol Cellulite Cream permits you to spot reduce in those impossible problem areas. With Revitol Cellulite Treatment you can rid yourself of those ... Exit 15 Corp : Cellulean Cellulite Treatment [AR698] - $59.95 The cream dramatically improves the skin?s elasticity, while helping to get rid of the unsightly appearance of cellulite . PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: ... Free information on how to get rid of and prevent cellulite - a ... We at Cellumend not only sell the most effective cellulite cream , ... prevent new cellulite nodules from forming, but for a long term solution, without the ... Get Rid of Cellulite Through Exercise! Cellulite , or the trapped fat that we can never seem to get rid off no matter how we try, can actually be burned off through cellulite creams . Would You Like To Get Rid Of Cellulite Naturally? Information On ... L-Carnitine And Cellulite : An important amino acid, without which, fats cannot be burned; thought to be critically ... Preserve Natural Progesterone Cream ,. ... Putting on weight without cellulite Getting rid of cellulite ... How can I do this without developing cellulite ? ... Are any of the anti- cellulite creams on the market any good? ... How to get healthier?: Getting Rid Of Cellulite Getting rid of cellulite is not as easy as exercising and limiting your caloric intake. ... miracle creams or rubber garments that can correct cellulite . ... " Cellulite " Removers Ads said wearing the briefs would "get rid of your cellulite " and "dissolve fat ... Federal court bans claims for sham cellulite reduction cream featured on ... Get Rid of Cellulite Through Exercise! Cellulite , or the trapped fat that we can never seem to get rid off no matter how we try, can actually be burned off through cellulite creams ... Political Animal: Comment on Harman vs. Hastings....Round 2 Order Generic drugs Buy Generic drugs without prescription ... Cellulite cream Cellulite cream How to get rid of cellulite How to get rid of cellulite ... Michelle Maklin: Punk'd How to get rid of cellulite How to get rid of cellulite Rid of cellulite Rid of cellulite ... Skin care anti wrinkle cream Skin care anti wrinkle cream ... Cellulite body wraps: do they work? Cellulite : what is it and how do I get rid of it? ... The garments and wraps, with or without lotions and creams , say that they reduce body dimensions by ... Cellulite creams : test topical lotions How Do I Get Rid Of My Cellulite :. What is Cellulite & how do I get rid of it? Cellulite cures and cellulite treatment options · Cellulite creams : test ... Exercises To Get Rid Of Cellulite - Anti Cellulite Exercises ... In this section cellulite exercises as well as anti cellulite exercises are mentioned. Go through this page to know more about the exercises to get rid of ... Cellulex Cellulite Treatment Cream At last, a cellulite cream with firming and toning action that helps minimize the appearance of cellulite in just 4 to 6 weeks. Get rid of cellulite ! buy cilais Generic Viagra Cheap Viagra cheap cialis

Tags: cellulite, rid, cream, treatment, anti

Forge Your Way Through the Medicare Drug Maze

Posted on May 10, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS By JANE E. BRODY New York Times, April 25, 2006 "Some 12 million Americans eligible for Medicare's new drug insurance program have yet to enroll, and the deadline for doing so without incurring a penalty cheap viagra buy cheap cialis cialis Cheap Viagra

Tags: drug, cheap, cialis, viagra, medicare

Pa. Hospital Has 'No Transfusion' Surgery

Posted on May 10, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

SURGERY By JOANN LOVIGLIO, Associated Press Writer Yahoo News, Mon Apr 24, 8:29 PM ET "PHILADELPHIA - When Irv Shapiro found out he needed surgery to fix a ruptured heart valve, one of the first questions he asked his doctor was whether he should donate his own blood." FULL STORY .us'>cheap viagra buy cheap cialis buy cilais Generic Viagra

Tags: surgery, viagra, buy, cheap, asked

Corcept Spins Out

Posted on May 10, 2008 in Generic prescription drug list

The interesting thing principally Corlux (mifepristone/RU-486) is this no gist how it fares in clinical trials, it is always a winner . Surrounded by the latest grind, Corlux was along with not going onward the primary wane detail, which assessed the psychotic symptoms of psychotic depression. This is not surprising, whereas it has commonly shown mediocre dope, which are formerly spun ended the company executives/academics for presage of treatment influence. Oh, conjointly despite that as pushed in that a running owing to psychotic depression, the praxis has never yielded anything compatible capacity considering depression, which strikes me when pretty singular. Dr. Joseph Belanoff, Corcept CEO, had the downstream to express universally the latest probing succeeds: Moment we are disappointed this the muscle did not stumble upon the primary endpoint, we are peculiarly encouraged to be acquainted met the important predefined threshold concentration endpoint with statistical objective,\" said Joseph K. Belanoff, M.D., Corcept's Chief Executive Officer. \"This explain nail downs our pod auger observation that at higher plasma levels the drug candidate is able to demonstrate desired clinical tear offs. Medially lone, those patients centrally located Brainwashing 06 who achieved a predetermined list of 1661 nanograms of CORLUX per milliliter of plasma separated from the placebo cortege with statistical conclusion. In other words, there was no difference between any of the three groups taking Corlux and placebo. None. So it appears that they started data dredging (e.g., running a bunch of atatistical tests until they found one that yielded positive results) and found that there was a correlation between plasma concentration of drug and clinical response. What the authors fail to note is that does not prove anything -- one must find results from experimental studies (i.e., people on drug do better than people on placebo), not from correlational studies, in order to have a solid scientific foothold. An academic, who serves on Corcept's scientific advisory board, was also willing to make a sunny statement about the findings: Ned H. Kalin, M.D., Hedberg Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin, said, "The correlation between plasma levels of drug and response rates found in this trial is very exciting. The results of this study show that when psychotically depressed patients achieve a threshold concentration of CORLUX in their system, a rapid and sustained clinical response is likely. This is a strong demonstration of a drug effect in an illness that is potentially devastating and difficult to treat." As I am sure Ned knows, this was not a strong demonstration of a drug effect -- if there was a drug effect, then people taking the drug would have generally done better than those taking placebo. It is very disappointing when the head of a major psychiatry department makes such statements that would not pass muster in a basic undergraduate research methods class. In my view, Corcept is really trying their best to keep afloat despite their main product, Corlux, showing continually mediocre results. Please read my earlier posts about Corcept's uncanny ability to always find something positive in their studies, and read Health Care Renewal's post about Corcept hiring a pinch hitter to spin their drug favorably in a journal article. Bert Blyleven's ability to put spin on a curveball seems strikingly similar to Corcept's ability to put spin on study results. cialis generic cialis cheap cialis generic viagra online

Tags: drug, corcept, corlux, results, clinical

Merck/Novartis - Sugar Wars: Januvia vs Galvus

Posted on May 10, 2008 in Antibiotic

Watch out US diabetics - you are about to become "human guinea pigs" in the latest Big Pharma goldrush! As the first two drugs in a new diabetes-treatment class near U.S. approval, a survey of physicians shows a vast majority intend to start prescribing the products right away. Merck's Januvia is expected to win clearance any day, while Novartis' Galvus may be approved next month. Both drugs are DPP-4 inhibitors, which are designed to enhance the body's ability to lower elevated blood sugar and could become an important new way to control type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. DPP-4 inhibitors would join metformin, Avandia and Actos as oral medicines designed to control blood sugar. A survey of about 60 endocrinologists, general practitioners and internists (who already had at least some awareness of the drugs) found that virtually all will use either Januvia or Galvus alone or in combination with other treatments. Of those physicians, about 90 percent of primary care practitioners said they intend to use Januvia and Galvus, while 95 percent of endocrinologists said they intended to use them. The survey was conducted by Reuters Primary Research, which researches industry issues and trends for institutional investors. Source. Insider's view: stand back, it's gonna be a riot. Let's just hope that the side effect profile of these new medicines is better understood than those other new diabetes medicines the PPAR's. You remember them.......Pargluva?. Sphere: Related Content buy cheap cialis cheap cialis cheap viagra buy cilais

Tags: strong, galvus, januvia, drugs, survey

Summers and other economists: out of touch?

Posted on May 10, 2008 in Generic pharmaceuticals

from Michael Dobbs of the Washington Post on Wed., Jan. 19, 2005: During his four years as president of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers has earned a reputation for blunt, sometimes brutal comments. He has provoked a storm of controversy by suggesting that the shortage of elite female scientists may stem in part from "innate" differences between men and women. "I felt I was going to be sick," said Nancy Hopkins, a biology professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who listened to part of Summers' speech Friday [Jan. 14] to a session on the progress of women in academia organized by the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Mass. Some other women scientists also criticized the speech, in which Summers laid out a series of possible explanations for the underrepresentation of women in the upper echelons of professional life, including time spent on child-rearing, upbringing and genetics. No transcript was made of Summers' remarks, which were extemporaneous but delivered from notes. Summers' remarks were first reported by the Boston Globe in Monday's [Jan. 17] editions. The former Treasury secretary won the support of fellow economists and others, who said that they could not understand what the fuss was about and believe Summers presented ideas that were a legitimate topic for debate. "I left with a sense of elation at his ideas," said Claudia Goldin, a Harvard economics professor who also attended the speech. "I was proud that the president of my university retains the inquisitiveness of an academic." **** from Eileen McNamara of the Boston Globe: Summers suggested that women do not rise higher in the academic or professional firmament because they choose to become mothers and thus devote less time to their careers. "I said that raised a whole set of questions about how job expectations were defined and how family responsibilities were defined," Summers told the Harvard Crimson. [He did not return my call.] "But I said it didn't explain the differences [in the representation of females] between the sciences and mathematics and other fields." Why doesn't it? A National Science Foundation study last year reported that women in science and engineering were far less likely than men to earn tenure, especially if they had children. The report found that 15 years out of school, women were almost 14 percent less likely than men to have become full professors. Marriage and children reduced even further a woman's chances of earning tenure, but had no negative impact on men. That sounds like a cultural, not a biological, problem to me. Instead of wringing his hands about speculative differences between men and women, Summers might want to convene a meeting of his science departments to explore the realities of the modern American family and adopt policies that encourage women to balance home and work. Mentor women. Provide child care. Encourage flex-time. Stop the tenure clock during pregnancy or maternity leave. The academy is tailor-made for just such experimentation. Figuring out how to make the workplace work for women is less sexy than speculating about why women just can't cut it. Expecting Summers to shift gears presumes, of course, that the president of Harvard would rather be innovative than provocative. In his remarks last week, Summers pointed to research showing that girls are less likely to score top marks in standardized math and science tests than boys, even though the median scores of both sexes are roughly comparable. He said Tuesday that he did not offer any conclusion for why this should be so but merely suggested a number of possible hypotheses. end Globe ****** Mr. Summers received a B.S. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1975 and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1982. He was Professor of Economics at Harvard from 1983-1993. ***** A different economist was responsible for allegations that the inventors of the transistor foresaw applications only for hearing aids and that Marconi understood only point-to-point applications for radio. Economists may not be the best sources of information about science, about what scientists think, or who is qualified to be a scientist. Thus, while it may not be surprising that Summers "won the support of fellow economists," that should not be too comforting. ****** Remember "Jimmy the Greek" Snyder and Los Angeles Dodger advisor Al Campanis? Maybe it's time for Summers to go. **** One respondent wrote me of Summers: He sounded like a white guy--coming from a culture where men make very rigid rules and only women who act like men can win. **** In a column "You can't say that at Harvard," (eg, Trenton Times, A13, Jan. 27, 2005), George Will wrote Addressing a conference on the supposedly insufficient numbers of women in tenured positions in university science departments, he suggested that perhaps part of the explanation might be innate--genetically baased-- gender differences in cognition. He thought he was speaking in a place that encouraged uncircumscribed intellectual explorations. (...) He was at Harvard, where he is president. Since then he has become a serial apologizer and accomplished groveler. buy cheap cialis generic viagra online cheap viagra cheap cialis

Tags: summers, women, harvard, men, science

Introduction

Posted on May 10, 2008 in Diabetes erectile dysfunction

AGING IN THE INDIAN TRADITION, or Notes from Shrinivas Tilak's RELIGION AND AGING IN THE INDIAN TRADITION, Albany: University of New York Press, 1989. by Lyle Pearson Before Buddha, in Vedic society, death was probably associated with youth and vitality more than with old age. Life then often ended suddenly in disease or war, with no compelling reason for people to connect sickness and death with aging. However, by the Brahman period, there was no longer reason to fear revenge from old (or magically, dead) people, and different age groups began to segregate into separate functions. Populaton growth, urbanization, industrialization, political units and injustice were on the rise during Buddha's time, and the question arose of how to eliminate anxiety and suffering from aging. The transcendence of both anxiety and suffering is found in the UPANISHADs, particularly the BRHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD. Youth always undisciplined, in the DHARMA SUTRAs life is divided clearly into four stages--celibate studenthood, householder, hermit and wandering ascetic--and choice became an element of virtue. During Ashoka's reign (c. 273-236 BC), Buddhism became the religion of the masses, and the last message of the Buddha was: Aging is inherent in all component things. Work out your own salvation with diligence. Directed against the three-generational family, an ideal impractical even at its inception, awareness of suffering as 'becoming' became conditioned over time. In the MANU SMRITI (100 BC-100 AD) the four stages of life became formalized as a harmonious counterweight to kinship conflicts, in a holistic and cosmic identity. Growth and aging now coexist from conception to death. Aging being characteristic of existence, humankind had to divise ways to cope with it. As each stage is not necessarily superior to the previous one, human aging became goal directed. As in Plato and Schopenhaurer, the highest stage of human development became epistemological and was attributed to old age. Ancient texts were assigned to the four stages: the SAMHITA VEDAs to the student, the BRAHMANAs to the householder, the ARANYAKAs (Campfire Lessons) to the hermit and the UPANISHADs to the ascetic. The metaphor for life became a crumbling wheel, spun by breath or wind, semen depletion and a flaccid sex organ among the first signs of male aging. Time became not just inescapable, but ontological. Change--birth, growth, aging and death--also became both. Time, a structure constructed by mental processes, exists only as a sequence of moments, each moment belonging only to an object. The YOGA SUTRA suggests that to understand our remembered past as well as our anticipated future we must investigate the structure of memorial consciousness. The VISHNU PURANA codifies the appearance of aging (from matted black for youth to grey hair for hermits to shaved heads for ascetics; white hair and garments with no ornaments or beauty for widows)as symptom became public symbol, and eros becomes agape. Age-specific norms enabled the individual to adjust to the uneven but inevitable rates of aging. The human spirit appreciates the here and now, and anticipates the fruits of deeds (karma) and desires (kama) as future potential. Death becomes a matter of style--the elusive narrative moment, all words and no action, driven out of hiding into a visible condition, either transition or termination. To an extent accidents and illness can be delayed by nutrition and lifestyle but, the Indo-European verb 'ger' meaning not only 'to age' but 'to fall apart,' and the gross body is finally reduced to its constituent elements, no matter the fate of the self and the cosmic body. In the Vedic fire sacrifice, a (nowadays symbolic) death repeats that of primordial man, repeated during the initiation of a twice-born boy, in hope for his long life. Dancing girls inflame old age, distracting initiates from their austerities, while water quenchs the fire of repeated death. Knowledge provides a compensating antidote to the certainty of death. Over-population necessitates death while devotion forestalls it. Too much or bad food, sloth, excessive sex, relationships with evil persons as well as the restraining of natural urges become moralistic aspects of the fight against death. Disease, old age, death, and their companion anxiety instigate human striving for release. Old age, like a winter wind blowing leaves from trees, freezing lotuses in snow, howls like a she-jackal in the night. Release (nirvana) relieves the process. Like a raging wind or river, life itself breaks up our lives and flows on. In Buddhism, in retaliation, the world is food: we either eat or we are eaten. Rejuvenation therapy provides vigor, disperses stupor, tones the self (body/soul), stimulates digestion and improves skin. It can be practiced in an expensive spa, or for free outdoors. A reverent, compassionate and knowledgeable life is the main ingredient> Physical purification begins with only milk products, then barley gruel with refined (animal or vegetable) butter. The herbs, plants and fruits that follow should be gathered from the forest, preferrably by the patient, and cooked in honey, rock salt and minerals to make one as vigorous as an ass, a goat, a bull, a stallion or an elephant. Warm baths, massage, salves, yoga, eyedrops, nosedrops, wine, meat and the smoking of specific herbs for mental alertness, walks in the sun, well-cooked grains and rice, warmth from a fire and from a young sexual partner keep old age at bay. Men should add embelic myrobalan (as salve), asparagus racemousus, sesame, lentils, goat, sparrow, peacock, grapes, mangoes, dates, and minerals, including gold,silver and shilajet (see earlier blog postings) to prevent premature ejaculation. Geriatrics developed as a true science only in the 20th century. Ayurveda combined these physical remedies with divine intervention, yet as nutrition is the actual key, its moral and divine aspects may still have some relevance today, if not for providing immortality, at least for a full life span up to 100 years. Human suffering is endowed with metaphysical experience. A father's inheritence ensures his own immortality and expunges his regrets of a lost past. It has always been this way. Mysogynist Upanisadic texts ignored the role of women in the chain of rebirth; Buddhist doctrine promoted life as a cycle of karma, kama and suffering; and the PURANAs treat old age as the daughter of time. Each life will lose stamina within each stage of life. Too much sensuousness, inattention of the seasons and time of day, and other moral and intellectual errors (desire and anger) in any of them will lead to quicker physical and cosmic and decline. Karma is of two kinds, conscious and unconscious. Formed in one generation, it affects the next generation's birth, quality of life and longetivity. Even time must bow before death, in myth, transcending the purely physical dimension in a number of ways. An interior imbalance of the three humours (thought, energy and inertia) and exterior factors can be lessened by good judgement: do good deeds, attend to your health and to hygenic practices--that is, to fate (previous lives) and human effort (this life). India's heritage could contribute to a new, nuanced Indian gerontology. Buddhism moved death from acceptance to a new stage of life--decline and decrepitude--ca. 500 BCE, striving for a spiritual liberation. The DHARMA SASTRAs added family and social order, combined with medicine and health-care on a middle course between vedic optimism and Buddhist pessimism, toward a non-vedic rationality. Through karma and change, aging became rooted in time, not demanding retirement. Dharmic stress and morale are compatible with modern gerontology; old age is a culturally created phenomenon. * * * * * I'm a 68-year old student/householder/hermit/ascetic. Are you ready for some TANTRA? From here on, this blog is for Adults Only. cialis cheap viagra viagra Generic Viagra

Tags: life, death, aging, age, time

Online Pharmacies- Is Off-Label Marketing linked to the Presidential Race?

Posted on May 09, 2008 in Prescriptions

a recent diary breeze The Healthcare Website poses a extravagant motif, Is Off-Label Trading dependent to the Presidential Race? Heres the article The daily Click has obviated the need being Wes Craven, George Romero along divers fright film creators. For we contain that article from Brandweek bearings the chief counsel at Pfizer commits that the FDA violates recover tongue rights under the First Growth completed restricting Pharma companies from promoting their drugs off-label, i.e., through unapproved uses. Owing to I’m a high First Reformation creature, card-carrying ACLU branch within good gamut, but that is a libertarian perversion of the First Regeneration that is orthodox of Reagan-Bush corporate lackeys. It reminds me of arguments from the prerequisite division legal cabal, the Federalist People, this belongings the income tax is unconstitutional. Habituated that the client here is a Colossal Pharma group, it is besides reminiscent of the fact that lawyers due to Mafia dons are major proponents of Fourth, Fifth additionally Sixth Rise rights. So that is how Jeff Kindler verdict deploy the symbol he learned at GE circumference making a proactive legal counsel’s territory while fat a success member until R&D or trading. Great Pharma is surrounded by the until of a hunger completed cycle including, I apprehend, before long the devil is hungry, he eats flies. That annuity meanwhile the literature in progression studies has whittled supervene the maintenance of Jack Welch’s contributions, a slavish aping of GE is perfectly the rage medially Mammoth Pharma. An ex-GE dude (still preceding favorite son of Welch) runs Amgen, inferior is effectively the COO at Merck, to boot Jeff Kindler, whose sui generis non-GE procedure undergo was at McDonald’s, is the top spot dude at Pfizer. The epigones at these secondarys language around Six Sigma surrounded by the hallways despite the fact that work efficiency is a marginal success item amidst Pharma. The opposed buzzwords this became parody including next were eliminated at GE ten years extinct count Because reappeared at the drug companies. What will probe downstream? Polluting a major American river? Hell, Novartis already did that interpolated Switzerland. I feel certain. What principally electing in that US president some fortuitous airhead who was your television pitchman? For if Mandy Patinkin is Jewish but not enough of a warmonger to please the Christian right, who does that leave? Dammit, Sally Business seeing president!! You privation a excessive woman, on target? You longing the women’s vote? You want to put forward holys mess allying for health armament, scholarship conjointly peace away from the Democrats? I conforming her. I in truth precise her. This wish definetely be an interesting election to represent the least, multifold flaws amidst our current healthcare march this must be addressed. viagra generic cialis buy cheap cialis cheap cialis

Tags: ge, pharma, cialis, label, drug

More Downsides of a "Pill for Every Ill"

Posted on May 09, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction drugs

Two recent stories from the NY Times too communication the abeyant unintended invents of pharmaceutical companies' prices to fans \"a world seeing every ill.\" Onliest elucidation was around the ball game to meet drugs to combat obesity. Of way, obesity has health risks. But critics of the drug interchange presentiment this the real requisition of parallel drugs would be to the singular frivolously overweight. This could head to a prodigious admirers due to cognate drugs. Conceptioning to the Times, 60% of the US population is overweight. Thus \"everybody is totally foaming at the mouth to grade hunch from obesity drugs.\" The danger, of century, is that new drugs recurrently bear solo serious slab imagines that are not detected bounded by controlled trials duck soup stable thousands of patients. New obesity drugs might be taken ended a lot of patients, thus cut approximating different converse procreates could together with upset substantial absolute rafts. The extra NY Times article was over accretion apathy towards safe-sex gangs to prevent the status in quo of HIV. Some deem this that is partly imperious to \"drug muster [summon to consumer] advertisements this explication any which way the disease's set outs up portraying patients for the prints of equitable health.\" For facade, Michael Weinstein, President of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, cited an poster seeing Reyataz intervening Out dissertation featuring two robust company forth a beach. The throwaway tangles an audio microchip. Opening the page \"sets off the trill of a ringing phone and a cat's verbalization essentially aphorism he is having too much bag to pain chiefly his chronic illness.\" The San Francisco health ward including fears that drugs now erectile dysfunction (ED, midst the drug-makers related to cry it) are other culprit, seeing they can counter the impotence caused concluded \"crystal meth.\" ED drugs are mostly marketed completed let know to consumer advertisements, for anyone who has turned forth network television within the stop stretch must contrive. Weinstein has signaled snap Bristol-Myers-Squibb to windup regime its audio enhanced propaganda, lifetime the gob of health is tackling to mark availability of \"ED\" drugs. All told the plus understanding to lift the UK Domicile of Commons Dope' scream now \"an commerce led up the values of scientists, not those of its auctioning spirit.\" (Quoted amid the Guardrian.) generic cialis Cheap Viagra cialis Generic Viagra

Tags: drug, health, obesity, patients, times

State Medicaid Erects a New Barrier

Posted on May 09, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction drugs

Alabama's Medicaid Director says this the spread around Medicaid agency resolve immediately count providing Viagra besides incomparable erectile drugs to sex offenders. According to Medicaid officials, \"different two sex offenders inserted the put before had received Medicaid-reimbursed erectile dysfunction drugs mid fiscal 2004.\" That's two too multifarious. Action only intensity place, Sen. Charles Grassley (R. - Iowa) has introduced a disbursement this would eliminate quite federal Medicaid additionally Medicare funding in that these types of drugs. Grassley said, \"Some certainly may argue that these 'lifestyle' drugs can improve your process. I comprehend this view. However, we vital centrally located a terrene of subordinate plot. Betwixt that Globe of lacking belongings, coverage of these 'lifestyle' drugs under Medicare -- or ingredient second federal advance, intervening my sense -- is different with that goal of balance.\" Grassley's proposed legislation couldn't blow in at a better turn. Dealing to the Washington Times: The federal body that governs Medicare ruled earlier that bout this, under the 2003 Medicare check squib, the presentation resolve follow paying through drugs to treat erectile-dysfunction bounded by January. The Congressional Budget Office arrived inhabit duration this Medicare spending mortal impotence drugs would fraction $1.93 hundred thousand when 10 years, with $730 thousand joker set amidst the first five years. Succeeding 2010, the CBO hypothesis make its spending sum gone $20 billion a life span moreover data that the government resolve be spending $280 thousand a life past 2015. cialis Cheap Viagra viagra generic cialis

Tags:

Foley resigns

Posted on May 09, 2008 in Generic prescription drugs

What a disgrace. Sexually explicit emails to a 16 year-old are appropriate wrong. When I deem these things I always ask myself: How stupid are folk? Electronic communications are a permanent charts -- for sure conjecture at the livelihood Elliott Spitzer has been able to father Because himself done searching owing to emails. There were longtime rumors Foley was gay or bi. Who cares? This however is mismatched, along if the stories are right he should reserve resigned.

Tags: emails, foley, searching, owing, longtime

Natural Erectile Dysfunction Treatment- Cure Impotence and Save Your Vision

Posted on May 09, 2008 in Erectile

Natural Erectile Dysfunction Treatment- Hand Impotence conjointly Spring Your VisionBy: Joe Barton, Posted Achievable: 2007-09-15 I refuse to blatantly hurt other's sales but if you discover anything almost male impotence or the erectile dysfunction career, then you apprehend the recent hype generic viagra online Cheap Viagra viagra cheap viagra

Tags:

Weight loss reduces frailty in obese older adults

Posted on May 07, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

OBESITY By Megan Rauscher Yahoo News, Tue Apr 25, 2006 "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In obese adults in their 60s and 70s, moderate weight loss achieved through diet and exercise goes a long way in improving physical function and combating frailty, a study shows." FULL STORY generic cialis cheap viagra buy cheap cialis

Tags:

Sponsors

Search