May – The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) (formerly CSICOP) posted an article by Reynold Spector, "Methodological and Statistical Issues in Adult Nutritional Research."  Spector concludes, “the use of the appropriate methods and statistical analyses in adult nutrition research are critical for finding the truth. Without them, nutrition research and practice are often harmful guesswork or pseudoscience.”

May 11 – A study of acupuncture for chronic low back pain was reported by Cherkin and coworkers (Arch. Intern. Med. 169, 858-866 (2009) Paper) News story.  Although patients receiving acupuncture showed improvement compared to those receiving no additional care, it did not matter whether the acupuncture was individualized (according to the diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine), standardized (using acupuncture points “commonly used for chronic low back pain”) or simulated (using a toothpick that did not break the skin).  The results indicate that effects of acupuncture are largely due to the placebo effect, as seen in many other studies.  Steven Novella provided analysis of the study in the Science-Based Medicine blog (Part 1, Part 2).

May 15 – Claims of the effectiveness of acupuncture anesthesia, observed by Western visitors to China in the early 1970’s, led to increasing popularity of acupuncture in the U.S. and other countries.  However, the claims were highly exaggerated; acupuncture was usually accompanied by other forms of sedation and local anesthetic and was administered to carefully selected patients.  These and other aspects of the claims are discussed in a four-part series by Kimball Atwood in the Science-Based Medicine blog (Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4).

May 20 – A judge in Minnesota ruled that a 13-year-old boy with Hodgkin’s lymphoma must receive chemotherapy News story.  The patient’s family wanted him to be treated with alternative medicine, and had stopped chemotherapy after the first of six recommended rounds.

May 26 – Many studies have found that supplements of antioxidant vitamins do not prevent disease and may even be harmful.  Ristow and others (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 106, 8665-8670 (2009) Paper) have added to this evidence with a study of the benefits of exercise in dealing with diabetes News story.  The study found that healthy young men who exercised showed increase sensitivity to insulin (a desirable change), but the effect was blocked if they took supplements of vitamin C and vitamin E.  Exercise also increased defenses against oxidative damage, but this was also blocked when vitamins were taken.  It is proposed that exercise causes oxidative stress, which acts as a trigger to produce health benefits, and that the antioxidant vitamins interfere with this process.  It should be noted that the results apply to vitamins taken in large amounts as supplements, not to those obtained from fruits and vegetables.

May 26 – Stephen Barrett has published an article on his Device Watch site entitled "ZYTO Scanning: Another Test to Avoid."  The article discusses devices that measure skin resistance.  Computer software then uses the information to recommend herbs, homeopathic remedies, and dietary supplements.   Barrett concludes: “Skin resistance to an electric current has no value in the diagnosis or treatment of disease.”

June – A section at the end of a chromosome, the telomere, gradually gets shorter during repeated copying of the chromosome.  This can be considered a sign of biological aging.  A study by Xu and others found that women taking multivitamin supplements, particularly those containing antioxidant combinations with vitamins C and E, had longer telomeres (Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 89, 1857-1863 (2009) Paper) News story.  An Editorial (pp. 1721-1722) discusses the results.

June – Lee, Shin, and Ernst reviewed studies on acupuncture for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (Int. J. Clin. Pract. 63, 874-879 (2009) Paper).  The authors concluded, “Even though the number of studies is small, the existing evidence does not demonstrate the effectiveness of acupuncture for AD.”

June – A study of acupuncture for chronic shoulder pain was reported by Lathia and others (J. Altern. Complement. Med. 15, 613-618 (2009) Abstract).  Acupuncture decreased pain compared to nonpenetrating sham acupuncture.  However, there was no difference between individualized acupuncture and standard acupuncture (at “points conventionally used for shoulder pain”).

June 10 – A News story by Marilynn Marchione discussed 10 years of federal spending, totaling $2.5 billion dollars, on alternative medicine.  In almost every case, the research found that herbs, supplements, and other approaches work no better than placebo.  Critics point out that methods are being investigated that have little scientific rationale; rather, political pressure is behind the research.  R. Barker Bausell is quoted: “You expect scientific thinking” at a federal science agency.  “It’s become politically correct to investigate nonsense.”

June – Nahas and Moher reviewed complementary and alternative medicine for treatment of type 2 diabetes (Can. Fam. Physician 55, 591-596 (2009) Paper).  The authors concluded: “Chromium, and possibly gymnema, appears to improve glycemic control. Fibre, green tea, and fenugreek have other benefits but there is little evidence that they substantially improve glycemic control. Further research on bitter melon and cinnamon is warranted.”

June 10 – A controversial study of chelation therapy has resumed, even as the federal government investigates complaints that participants were not fully informed of the risks News story (see our September 26, 2008 news item).

June 16 – The FDA has warned consumers against using certain Zicam cold remedies because they may cause loss of smell Press release  News story.  The products had been marketed as homeopathic remedies.  However, unlike most homeopathic remedies, which contain such highly diluted materials that they should be harmless, these products apparently contained significant amounts of zinc, which could possibly cause nerve damage leading to loss of smell.  Zinc has been promoted for treatment of colds, but the evidence has not been convincing (see our September 1, 2007 news story).

June 16 – At its annual meeting, the American Medical Association warned that there is no good evidence that the benefits of anti-aging hormones outweigh the risks News story.  The hormones include human growth hormone (HGH), DHEA, testosterone, and so-called “bioidentical” hormones.

June 16 – A review of acupuncture for treatment of fibromyalgia (Martin-Sanchez et al., Open Rheumatology J. 3, 25-29 (2009) Paper) “found no evidence of benefit” compared to placebo.

June 17 – Another new Device Watch article is "A Skeptical Look at Low Level Laser Therapy."   This type of therapy, also referred to as cold laser therapy, does not produce heat such as lasers used in surgery.  It is employed by a variety of practitioners for wound healing, treatment of pain, and other conditions.  Although “LLLT devices may bring about temporary relief of some types of pain,” several insurance companies have found that at present there is insufficient evidence to support the use of these devices.