0 Chart: Effectiveness of different alternative medicine ingredients

I found this link on alternative medicine online that you might find interesting:

LINK: A visualization based on the effectiveness of different alternative medicine supplements, spices, oils, and herbs

Each item represented there is based on PubMed and Cochrane reports on large human blind placebo-controlled studies only.

If you click on the bubbles, you'll be taken to abstracts which support the use of those particular alternative medicines for specific conditions.

Note these directions found at the bottom of the page before you go there:

"The higher a bubble, the greater the evidence for its effectiveness. But the supplements are only effective for the conditions listed inside the bubble. (Mouseover the bubble to see what I mean.) 

You might also see multiple bubbles for certain supplements. These is because some supplements affect a range of conditions, but the evidence quality varies from condition to condition. For example, there’s strong evidence that Green Tea is good for cholesterol levels. But evidence for its anti-cancer effects is conflicting. In these cases, we give a supplement another bubble."

The chart is Flash based, but there is a link to a non-Flash version there if you prefer that (iPhone users take heed.)

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0 Administrivia: Notes & Future Topics

Just popping in here for a moment amid fighting off some strange viral infection to leave a few short notes for my readers:

• When I'm feeling particularly unwell above and beyond my usual unwell, posting frequency may slow down. I'll try to give advance notice in comments or in a post like this one.
  
• Here's your notice: My posting frequency is slowing down now because I'm unwell.
  
• In general, new posts are less likely to be made during the weekend. What do I mean by "weekend" given everyone reading is in different time zones? Refer to island time.
  
• If I'm near a computer, I will check comments in the moderation queue during the weekend and post them.
  
• I may or may not respond to comments during weekends.
  
• Friday Four posts are sometimes posted as late as midnight Friday, Honolulu time (-10 h UTC/GMT).
  
• Reader comment & mailbag has included the following requests for further discussion: the immune system and how to build it, alternative medicine, XMRV, Morgellons, and the effectiveness of canine Borrelia blood tests.
  
• I plan to write an entry or two on each of these topics in the future. There is no guarantee on how soon each will be addressed. The timeline for each is dependent on my health, availability, other preexisting or newsworthy posts already in the pipeline, and the amount of time needed for additional reading and research to address each issue.
  
• Lymenet Europe has some interesting threads on Lyme disease organizations throughout Europe. I recommend viewing some of them, as well as guidelines different countries use. Tip: If you use the Chrome browser, you can translate web sites in other languages into English with a click of a button.

And now your moment of patient experience zen... This is something I think about when I get sick or am more symptomatic than usual - maybe some of you reading along will see yourself in it, too:

All I have to add for now. I'm going to lie down.

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0 xkcd on sickness and science

Taking a break from the critique of the Chicago Tribune article to post this comic from xkcd...

Credit: xkcd.com

I think that science has done a lot to improve doctors' ability to diagnose illness and deal with major trauma. Vaccines, modern anesthesia, pain medication, antibiotics, X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, chemotherapy, and advanced surgical techniques have saved many lives. Science still has yet to catch up in coming up with effective treatments and cures for some of the worst diseases in history, though, and has to leave politics and profit margins at the door.

When we look back on this moment in history, we may be shocked at the degree that last bit played in decisions that affect future generations to come. What happened to the role of science in basic research, and how can we return to that role?

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