May – Smedslund and coworkers have reviewed trials on dietary interventions for rheumatoid arthritis (J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 110, 727-735 (2010) Abstract).  The authors concluded that “The effects of dietary manipulation, including vegetarian, Mediterranean, and elemental eating plans, and elimination diets on rheumatoid arthritis are still uncertain due to the included studies being small, single trials with moderate to high risk of bias. We conclude that higher dropout rates and weight loss in the groups with dietary manipulation indicate that potential adverse effects should not be ignored.”  The authors further noted that “The safety of these eating plans is questionable and they are not recommended without consulting a registered dietitian.”

May 1 – Sutherland and Sweet reviewed butterbur for prevention of migraine (Am. J. Health-Syst. Pharm. 67, 705-711 (2010)).  The authors concluded that “While limited data are available, clinical studies tend to support the use of butterbur in adults for migraine prophylaxis…Based on the available evidence and favorable tolerability profile, butterbur can be considered a treatment option in patients who meet the criteria for migraine prophylaxis.”

May 4 – A randomized, blinded trial of human growth hormone (HGH) for body composition and athletic performance was reported (Meinhardt et al., Ann. Intern. Med. 152, 568-577 (2010) Abstract  Paper (pdf file)).  HGH has been used by some athletes, but is banned in many sports.  The study found that HGH reduced fat mass and increased lean body mass.  There was an improvement in sprint capacity, but its significance is “unclear.”  According to a News story, “Growth hormone didn’t improve strength, power or endurance.”  The researchers noted that “the study was too small to draw conclusions about safety.”

May 12 – Sanders and others tested whether an annual single high dose of vitamin D could prevent falls and fractures in older women (JAMA 303, 1815-1822 (2010) Paper).  Participants were given 500,000 IU of vitamin D or placebo annually for three to five years.  It was found that there was actually an increase in the risk in those receiving the vitamin D.

June – In recent years there has been concern among some parents that exposure to numerous immunizations in a short period of time has damaging effects.  A study by Michael Smith and Charles Woods of the University of Louisville School of Medicine argues against this idea (Pediatrics 125, 1134-1141 (2010) Paper).  The authors compared children who had received vaccinations according to the recommended schedule to those who had not.  Performance on neuropsychological tests at age 7 to 10 years was measured.  The authors found that “Timely vaccination during infancy has no adverse effect on neuropsychological outcomes 7 to 10 years later.”

June – The National Institutes of Health and National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine have published an Article entitled “Credentialing CAM Providers: Understanding CAM Education, Training, Regulation, and Licensing.”  Detailed information is provided concerning acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, massage therapy, and naturopathy.

June – Alcantara, Ohm, and Kunz performed a survey of 548 chiropractors providing care to children (J. Altern. Complement. Med. 16, 621-626 (2010) Paper (pdf file)).  In contrast to adult chiropractic care, which mostly deals with back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions, most pediatric chiropractic visits were for other types of conditions (such as wellness care; ear, nose, and throat; and digestive problems).

June 8 - The International Society for Stem Cell Research has started a web site aimed at helping patients avoid fraudulent treatments News story.

June 11 – The Center for Inquiry has published a Position paper (pdf file) “examining the evidence for and against acupuncture and the effects of government funding of acupuncture treatment through ‘integrative medicine clinics.’”  The paper “offers compelling evidence that the uncritical adoption of acupuncture adds significant costs to the United States’ already overburdened healthcare system, lowers standards of medical training and treatment, and lends dangerous and undue authority to pseudoscience, ultimately degrading respect for science in the public realm.”

June 15 – Andersen and others reported results of a trial of psychosocial interventions in breast cancer patients (Clin. Cancer Res. 16, 3270-3278 (2010) Paper).  Among those patients having reoccurrence of their cancer, the ones receiving the interventions had a 59% lower risk of death.  However, for various reasons (including the small number of patients analyzed), cancer experts are extremely skeptical of this finding News story.

June 16 – AE-941, an extract of shark cartilage, was found to be ineffective in a trial of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (Lu et al., J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 102, 859-865 (2010) Paper) Press release.  The findings were discussed in an Editorial by J. White (102, 834-835).

June 17 – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Warning letter to Boyd Haley, president of CTI Science, Inc. (and former Professor of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky), concerning its product OSR#1 News story, Autism Watch story.  The product is an industrial chemical, N,N’-bis(2-mercaptoethyl)isophthalamide, that is a chelating agent (it will bind certain heavy metal ions).  It had been promoted as a dietary supplement that would enhance health by dealing with oxidative stress and increasing levels of glutathione.  However, much of its promotion appears to have been aimed at parents of children with autism.  The FDA declared that OSR#1 is a drug, not a dietary supplement, and that it has not undergone necessary testing for safety and effectiveness.  Indeed, there have been reports of adverse effects.  In late July CTI announced that it would no longer sell OSR#1 News story.

June 23 – Several trials had previously found that giving subjects vitamins to lower their levels of homocysteine had no benefits, even though elevated homocysteine is linked to heart disease.  These findings were confirmed in a new trial involving 12,000 heart attack patients followed for about 7 years (SEARCH Collaboration Group, JAMA 303, 2486-2493 (2010) Paper).  Patients were given folic acid and vitamin B12 or placebo.  Once again, although the treatment lowered the levels of homocysteine, there was no benefit concerning vascular disease.  Also, while there have been concerns that folic acid supplements can increase the incidence of cancer, no such effect was observed.

June 28 – A News story in the New York Times by D. Grady discussed an experimental treatment called the “liberation procedure,” developed by Dr. P. Zamboni, for multiple sclerosis.  The procedure involves using balloons to open veins draining blood from the brain.  While there appears to be some medical rationale for the therapy, experts agree that it should still be used only in an experimental setting until it is shown to be safe and effective.  Nevertheless, the procedure is being advertised on the Internet, and performed by doctors in the U.S. and other countries.