edzardernst

Every now and then, I come across an article that is exceptional. Some are exceptional because of their high, some of their extremely low methodological quality. Some stand out because of their sparkeling intelligence, some of their utter stupidity. Here, I fear, I have the abstract of an example of the latter category: The growing […]

Harry G. Frankfurt famously argued that the essence of bullshit is “indifference to how things really are”: the bullshitter makes assertions without any genuine concern for whether they correspond to reality. I often feel that, in so-called alternative medicine (SCAM), we are swimming in an abundance of bullshit (no, I agree, not a pleasant idea!). […]

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent chronic pain condition that significantly impairs quality of life and is often treated with interventions that carry risks or provide limited relief. Reiki, a non-invasive so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) lacks rigorous evaluation among American adults with KOA. This study evaluated the specific efficacy of Reiki and mindfulness f...

An article entitled “A Comprehensive Review of Homeopathic Remedies’ Clinical Effectiveness” by Dr. Ethan Calloway, Redwood Pacific University, Portland, Oregon, USA, was bound to attract my attention. There have, of course, been many comprehensive and recent reviews of homeopathy, and they were all squarely negative. But perhaps the evidence has changed while I have been dis...

“The MMR I think should be taken separately. This is based on what I feel.” When Trump spoke these words, he managed to distil his dumb ignorance into a single sentence. Personal intuition trumps decades of immunology, epidemiology, and clinical trial evidence. The measles–mumps–rubella vaccine has been administered as a combined formulation since 1971, with […]