iD Ideas Discoveries March 2017

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ARE WE

GUINEA PIGS?

In order to be better

able to monitor the

effects of drugs,

pharmaceutical

companies invest

around $100 million

a year into so-called

observational studies.

During this process

doctors prescribe a

particular drug in

their practice—and

then document its

effects. But does this

method really help

make prescription

drugs safer? Many

experts doubt that.

The added value of

these covert medical

studies is very low,

but the doctors’ fees

are disproportionately

high. For experts like

epidemiologist Karl

Lauterbach, this

imbalance is a clear

indication that these

observational studies

are enticing doctors

into preferentially

prescribing certain

medicines more than

others. In this context,

it’s also problematic

that neither the state

nor the health-care

companies monitor

this connection

between doctors and

pharmaceutical fi rms.

The only oversight is

from a group called

Voluntary Self-Control

for the Pharmaceutical

Industry (Germany).

IROPRACTIC TREATMENTS

CTIVE?

Your health should

e worth it to you,

houldn’t it?” With

hetorical remarks

ke this people are

inced by doctors

al health services

eatments. What

n fail to mention,

he value of such

the medical point

ar. Nevertheless,

nable alternative

g. What’s striking:

hem is the same in

ustry, associations,

nals invest millions

ressive campaigns

c treatment method

ew “health trend”

ted, seemingly out

ensures profi ts

ed for as long as

on the new trend

or until it is either

question or fi nally

in studies.

xample of this is

ctic treatment. It

ered by doctors

ilder therapy—or

hat’s how it gets

tients. The claim:

anipulations of

ne and a holistic

ach, which also

udes a suitable

et and behavioral

herapy, can result

n the elimination

of a wide variety

of illnesses. But in

008, the concept

the chiropractic

hod of treatment

tarting to falter.

the top experts

ative treatment

methods—the professor emeritus

of complementary medicine at the

University of Exeter, Edzard Ernst—

came to a conclusion at that time

as part of a monitoring study that

chiropractic treatment methods are

based on “mystical principles” and

are not scientifi cally sound. And in

another assessment, Steven Paul

Novella, a clinical neurologist at the

Yale University School of Medicine,

reviewed 27 studies cited as proof

for the medical value of chiropractic

treatment by the powerful British

Chiropractic Association—and he

came to a devastating conclusion:

“The best that the list has to offer is

weak and poorly designed studies.

In addition, the association ignores

better and larger studies that also

produce negative results.” But even

if scientists have demonstrated that

there is a lack of benefi t for a given

health trend, the trend will still not

be abandoned for a long time—the

phenomenon usually continues for

quite a while regardless. The past

has shown that the originators of

these health trends fi ght to the end

for their lucrative health programs.

The last twitch of a particular health

trend is perhaps best observed in

the way in which it is defended: not

with the assistance of independent

research or a debate of the facts—

but with lawyers and spin doctors.

“To date, the chiropractic

method of care has provided

no proof that it can achieve

more than all other dubious

treatments of alternative and

complementary medicine.”

PROFESSOR MAX GEISER,

ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALIST

i

ideasanddiscoveries.com 67 Mar 2017