Liars' blog

[Gray Fox]

It's a blog by a marketing guy who tells us how we are decieved in variouse ways by companies, people etc...

Some of you may know him, for the ones that don't, here is a piece from his blog + a link:

Saturday, May 07, 2005
Heart Surgeons are Liars
Dr. Nortin Hadler, professor of medicine at UNC knows what he's talking about. He's spent the last thirty years examining the stats associated with various medical interventions... and he's written up some of his results in the Journal of the American Medical Association. He's got a new book out, and some of the takeaway is startling.

It turns out that bypass surgery (which is incredibly expensive, quite risky and leads half of the patients to suffer depression and a third to have measurable memory loss) does no good at all. None.

In one study, half the angina patients waiting for surgery got nothing but a cut in the chest--no surgery. The other half had the surgery. The results? The placebo group enjoyed the same improvements as those that had the "real" surgery.

Of course, if surgery works--even pretend surgery--it's real. It turns out that something as examined and life-threatening as heart surgery is no different than a wine glass or an iPod. It's the way you feel, not what is really happening.

So, if it's so obvious, why do we still cut so many people open? Because of worldview. Hey, it's your heart. You better do everything you can to protect yourself. Take no chances. Cut no corners. That's the story we desperately want to hear. I predict it'll take at least 20 years before bypasses go away.

(for those considering bypass surgery: I'm not a doctor. I don't even play one on TV. I haven't done all the research, and I'm naturally hyperbolic. Consider this a grain of salt.)

link

 

[Feath]

That reminds me of a guy from PETA on the radio yesterday. He was talking about various studies that show that milk is harmful to your health. The response of an independant doctor was "You can't just cherry pick studies thats support your claim, and ignore the ones that don't".

But interesting blog, nonetheless.

 

[Adrien C]

Hitman 2, one of my favourite games.

 

[Shamrock]

Hitman 2, one of my favourite games.

..... Uhh... What? :|

By the way, that looks like it is worth the read. It is interesting that a bypass surgery does nothing. Would doctors openly admit it to their patients, if asked, that the surgery does nothing? That is interesting.

 

[CyberPitz]

..... Uhh... What? :|

By the way, that looks like it is worth the read. It is interesting that a bypass surgery does nothing. Would doctors openly admit it to their patients, if asked, that the surgery does nothing? That is interesting.

Exactly what I was thinking.....Hope I don't need a bypass, if so, I'm hiring my roomate to do it for free!

 

[Farrowlesparrow]

At least he provides the salt...

 

[Vigilante]

..my grandma had triple bypass surgery...it saved her life. How can it be fake?

 

[HaZe89]

That reminds me of a guy from PETA on the radio yesterday. He was talking about various studies that show that milk is harmful to your health. The response of an independant doctor was "You can't just cherry pick studies thats support your claim, and ignore the ones that don't".

But interesting blog, nonetheless.

I agree with him pretty much. Cow milk is for cows, goat milk is for goats, and human milk is for humans. The proteins/fats in other animal's milk is hard for us to digest and it can actually be more harmful then good. Human milk is just what we need as infants. k I'm done .

 

[outpost]

But how else could I have chocolate milk!?!

 

[HaZe89]

You're not even supposed to be drinking milk anymore even if it is from a human naughty. It's for teh infants.

 

[Fat Tony!]

nice 4th post haze

 

[Feath]

By the way, what I'm saying is that there may have been a study saying that a placebo makes a patient feel better. But there'll be other studies saying that Heart Bypass surgery works. You can't just take the results of one study and say it's the final word. You have to look at other studies.

 

[Gray Fox]

Well this is taken from a book that a heartsurgeon wrote.

 

[ACLeroK212]

Well this is taken from a boo that a heartsurgeon wrote.

He may very well be a credible heart surgeon, but the point Feath is trying to make is that even though he may have a valid point, you can't discredit all the other heart surgeons before him that have equally valid and credible opposing points also.

 

[Gray Fox]

He may very well be a credible heart surgeon, but the point Feath is trying to make is that even though he may have a valid point, you can't discredit all the other heart surgeons before him that have equally valid and credible opposing points also.

Thast true, and sry for the bad spelling.

 

[Feath]

Thast true, and sry for the bad spelling.

Ha, I spent about 10 minutes wondering what a "boo" was. I assumed it was some sort of article.

Whoops.