Commonwealth Fund Statistics

An interesting source of statistics and perhaps increasingly - propaganda.
Website

Background (Wikipedia)

More comment and questions to follow. This is a placekeeper for now...

Statin Drugs - Update

Statin Drugs - the other side....

Despite all their reassurances about the safety of statin drugs, the alleged "life-saving class of drugs" can cause a host of serious negative side effects. In addition to things like nausea, diarrhea, and irritability, statins lead to much more serious problems like liver and kidney failure, nerve damage, amnesia, and the destruction of CoQ10 in the body.

Drug companies rake in more than $34 billion a year from statin drugs so it is no wonder that the damage control brigade is out in full force to defend statins against studies that paint them in a not-so-good light. Educated individuals will continue to supplement with things like cod liver oil that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, non-irradiated cinnamon, and other nutrients that naturally keep cholesterol levels in check.

For the long version, try $tatin

Vaccine Reaction List

Following are signs and symptoms of a mild to severe vaccine reaction:
•Rash, hives or severe itching
•Swelling, redness and pain at the injection site
•High fever over 103F
•Difficulty breathing or wheezing
•Rapid heart beat or chest pain
•Dizziness or sudden collapse/fainting
•Paleness or changes in skin or lip color
•Muscle weakness or limpness
•Excessive sleepiness or lack of responsiveness
•Loss of vision or speech
•Nausea and vomiting
•Severe diarrhea
•Unusual irritability or other behavior changes
•Prolonged crying (especially high-pitched screaming in infants)
•Seizures or convulsions (shaking, twitching, jerking)
•Joint and body pain
•Head pain
•Excessive bruising under the skin
•Numbness or tingling in hands, arms, feet
•Paralysis

Mercola housekeeping - Part I

A recent mailing received from Dr. Mercola had a lot of references that I had difficulty keeping straight. Here is some bookkeeping for my benefit:

A. Modern Health Care System is the Leading Cause of Death, Part 1 of 6. With links to all 7 parts of the article. (July 2004): DEATHCARE

B. The Fatally Flawed Medical System (2010)
. FLAWED-1 ; FLAWED-2 ; (no part 3 yet)

Note: I did some preliminary browsing on Dr. Barbara Starfield (One of the coauthors). If it was the right Starfield, it seems she was quite enamored with Obama and his charisma. I wonder what she will say in a year or two.... BARBARA More here: Nordic Congress (click link 'Find the lecture here' for powerpoint slides)

A little goodie on accountability in healthcare: Dr. Marshall (UK)

Osteoporosis. . .take a drug

An interesting and amazing thing has happened in the medical world! Its almost transformative! Take a term that describes a condition and then use the same noun as the name of a disease! Isn't that the most creative thing you have ever heard of?! And it makes it so much easier to invent another disease for which we can come up with another wonder drug! So what shall we call this world changing creation? Hmmmm how about Etymorphing! Yes, Etymorphing!

For the latest word to be etymorphed, just watch the TV commercials informing you what you need to tell your doctor what drug you need (isn't that practicing medicine without a license?).

One of the earlier words to be etymorphed was 'Osteoporosis'. Somewhere in a galaxy far away - whoops wrong plot! Anyway in the distant past osteoporosis went from a word describing a bone condition to a word describing a disease. OK, we now have a disease. The only way to treat a disease is with a drug, surgery, or radiation. The drug of choice - lets try Fosamax (with the funny 'r' - not sure how to make that on this blog). There seems to be a tiny side effect for long term users however - they tend to break their femur. But rest assured, Merck has thoroughly inve$tigated it and found no correlation. Anyway here is the story: FRACTURE

Rebutal: Reuters

Genetically Modified Foods & Organisms

Monsanto & GMO Soy - Where did all the people go?? Well, maybe just the hamsters...

Monsanto toots own horn. But . . . SuperWeed blasts foghorn. . . 4/18/10

GMO's - 1/6/2010 Update: The dangers of GMO's are once again spotlighted in this article.
OpEdNews.

It appears that genetically modified foods are not the great boon they promised to be. As usual, Wikipedia has an interesting section on GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms) that is somewhat laborious. The premier anti-GMO activist group, with lots of info and links can be found here.

Here is a good GUIDE on buying GMO free food plus interesting background. (12/2/08)

Would you like to sign a petition to get GMO products honestly labelled? Petition (12/2/08)

While the jury is still out on the connection between GM foods and various disorders, here is another ingredient in the brew - Pharma Corn. They are now using altered crops to produce drugs. So the question is, what happens when Pharma Crops get into the food supply? This can happen via 'gene flow' as genetic traits are spread to other plants and microorganisms with unforseen consequenses. For a good article discussing pros and cons you might try this. Scroll down to the blue background stuff, or read it all.

The latest in from Australia linking GM crops to reproductive disorders. Combine that with this interesting tidbit on US premature birth statistics. (added 11/14/08)

But you don't eat GM foods do you? Check your ingredient labels! Got some corn in it? Corn syrup? or High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) - yep, your eating it! But it doesn't say it contains any GM ingredients. You can thank the FDA for that. They want to protect the food industry - not you! See FDA (only if you like to read). Some countries have banned GM plants in recognition of the shaky science as to their safety and evidence of problems in 2nd and 3rd generation offspring with a moderate intake of GM food. Etc.

Another goodie:
Labelling is the key issue ... If you put a label on genetically engineered food, you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it. -- head of Asgrow, Monsanto seed subsidiary.

Unintended proteins consistently appear in GM crops, and many unsettling occurrences have been linked to these crops. Including increased death rates among cattle grazing on GM crops, and serious allergic reactions among agricultural workers.

Tens of thousands of acres of Monsanto's GM cotton ended up with deformed roots and other unexpected problems. Monsanto had to pay out millions of dollars in settlements.


There has been a war raging for several years now over the protection of normal, unmodified and organic crops and fields (no modified bacteria) from contamination by GMO's. Like nuclear radiation whose insidious effects have only been discovered after many years, the effects of GMO's may be worse; even catastrophic and irreversible. Attempts to create 'GMO Free Zones" has met with industry (BigPharma & BigBusiness & BigBucks) resistance and the normal dirty politics common to the pursuit and protection of BigBuck$.

For example, did you know that Japan has banned long-grain rice imports from the U.S. because of GM contamination?

The European Union has a weird way of looking at things - in many instances they take the attitude that something is unsafe until proven by independent and exhaustive research that it is safe. Much different than the U.S. approach that something is safe (as 'proven' by the developer), until thousands are maimed, killed, or their health is seriously compromised. As a result, the EU just flat doesn't allow GM stuff as related in a similar U.S. rice ban there.


Monsanto and others are in deep trouble as a result of contaminating crops in Mexico. These companies are also suing farmers for illegally growing their patented crops, even though these crops came about by contamination from neighboring fields. Mexico has outlawed such suits saying it is the farmers who should be suing the companies for contaminating their crops! Gee, why don't we think like that?! Follow the Buck$ maybe?? Another related FDA report. The contaminated soil from this renegade experiment could last for centuries. But then, hey - we might just get another life form!