A new report, however, presents strong evidence to the contrary.  Researchers examined the results of 14 previous studies.  They found that echinacea cut the risk of catching a cold by an impressive 58% and shortened the cold’s duration by 1.4 days on average.

Seattle Times Article - Good overview of the new study.
Dr. Foster Piece - Well known MD argues that the original study was biased.

Most medical sources say that nearsightedness is inherited, and begins in childhood. Myopia.org argues that this is a lie put forth by the medical establishment (eye docs, fda, etc). They state that wearing glasses makes myopia worse, and the whole thing is a big conspiracy. Here is what they have to say about who is behind the conspiracy:

The Eye Doctors of the World:
who make hundreds of millions of children into visual cripples because that’s where the money is.

The Optical Industry:
which uses its billions in profits to corrupt our government and schools of optometry and ophthalmology.

The Schools of Optometry and Opthamology:
which create the ill-educated “experts” who are turned loose on a trusting and unsuspecting public. These schools accept a steady stream of money from the optical industry in the form of “research” grants and other contributions, thus insuring that they will do nothing to upset their benefactors.

It’s interesting, because I did have 20/20 vision until I graduated from college. After that I got a job where I studied for professional certifications for 10 hours a day. That’s when my eyes went downhill, and I’ve worn glasses for nearsightedness since then. (Yeah, I didn’t have my nose in a book much in college).

However, even though I’m all for conspiracy theories, this one sounds a little far-fetched. It’s hard to keep 3 people in on a secret, let alone millions of people worldwide in a huge industry.

I think it’s more likely that getting glasses is easier than giving up computers/books. People don’t want to change their lifestyles or do eye exercises to cure their myopia. We want an instant fix. So, no big conspiracy in my opinion, but intersting information.

Also check out another site owned by the same group which is more informative, www.preventmyopia.org.

Louis C. Herring and Company is a leading kidney stone analysis lab, and they have some amazing pictures of kidney stones that they’ve analyzed over the years:

Kidney Stone Photographs - Be sure to check out all 3 pages, crazy stuff… These are some of the more painful looking ones.  Why do they have to be so spikey?

Many doctors used to give anti-arrhythmia drugs to everyone who experienced irregular heartbeats after a heart attack because severely irregular beats could rapidly prove fatal. But then came the results of a randomized trial showing that patients with only mildly irregular heartbeats were more likely to die if given the anti-arrhythmia medication than their untreated counterparts were.

They explore similar problems with cholesterol-lowering medications and hormone-replacement drugs. This is an extremely important topic, and I’m really glad Time did this piece.

Evidence-based medicine has the potential to vastly improve our healthcare system. It could also play a major role in making our healthcare system more efficient and affordable, which is going to be increasingly important over the next few years.

Are Doctors Just Playing Hunches? - Link to article on Time.com, highly recommended reading!

Cord blood is a potential treatment for leukemia, lymphoma, and several other diseases. You can see a list of conditions that can be treated with cord blood and/or bone marrow here.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is not recommending cord-blood-banking as “biological insurance” (for future self-use). Costs are relatively high, and it is difficult to predict what percentage of children will need the blood. The AAP also warns that:

The policy also points out that if cord clamping is done too soon after birth, the infant may be deprived of a placental blood transfusion, resulting in lower blood volume and increased risk for anemia later in life. (scroll down for source)

Here are some good resources if you are looking into storing or donating your child’s cord blood, or you just want to learn about this interesting issue:

• AAP Cord Blood Statement - The AAP’s statement against “cord blood banking for future transplantation”.
• Cord Blood FAQs - From Marrow.org, the National Marrow Donor Program.
• About.com article - Deciding whether or not to bank cord blood, good overview and pros & cons.
• Cordblood.com - The Cord Blood Registry

• Ask that hospital staff clean their hands before treating you, and ask visitors to clean their hands too.
• Before your doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your chest, ask that the diaphragm (or flat surface of the stethoscope) be wiped with alcohol.
• If you need a “central line” catheter, ask your doctor about the benefits of one that is antibiotic-impregnated or silver-chlorhexidine coated to reduce infections.

15 Steps to Reduce Infectious Deaths
Preventing Infections in Hospitals