Asthma medicine or antibiotic that doesn’t work, or if overused cases harm, sounds like bad news, but in fact, is good news. About half of common medical practice had never been scientifically proven. Finding out that a common drug doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do saves us from possible harm and wasted money, while allowing us to move on to find a better answer.
Be well.
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Antibiotics and Colon Cancer
The greater the dose or the longer time antibiotics were taken, the higher the risk of colon cancer. Penicillin, particularly ampicillin/amoxicillin, also showed an increased colon cancer risk. Tetracycline antibiotics appeared to reduce the risk of rectal cancer.
- Article: Risk of Colon but Not Rectal Cancer Tied to Past Antibiotic Use – MedPage Today, August 22, 2019
- Original Study: Oral antibiotic use and risk of colorectal cancer in the United Kingdom, 1989–2012: a matched case–control study – Gut, BMJ, August 2019
Asthma
Inhaled steroids, the standard prescription for asthma, have been found to be no better than a placebo for those with mild asthma. It seems the steroids target a type of inflammation in the airways that is not a common as thought.
- Article: Study Questions Mainstay Treatment For Mild Asthma – NPR, August 26, 2019
- Original study: Mometasone or Tiotropium in Mild Asthma with a Low Sputum Eosinophil Level – May 23, 2019
Pot for RA?
Despite the enthusiasm, studies have not yet been able to prove that cannabis is helpful, effective or safe for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
- Cannabis for Rheumatoid Arthritis? – MedPage Today and the American College of Rheumatology, August 22, 2019
Heart Disease and Vitamin D
Because those who have heart disease often have low vitamin D levels, many have postulated that supplemental vitamin D might confer protection from CVD. This review finds no support for that theory.
- Vitamin D Supplementation and Cardiovascular Disease Risks in More Than 83 000 Individuals in 21 Randomized Clinical Trials – A Meta-analysis, JAMA, June 19, 2019
