23 new drug applications in the US in 2008

Consider two numbers: 800,000 and 21.

The first is the number of medical research papers that were published in 2008. The second is the number of new drugs that were approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year.
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And before anyone jumps to pin the blame on the F.D.A., it’s important to note that it’s not just new drug approvals that have declined — new drug applications have, too. Last year the F.D.A. received just 23.

Here are the conditions treated for those 23 drugs:

•  Diabetes Mellitus Type II (about 25 million people in the US)
•  Breast Cancer (1.35 million people in the US)
•  Rheumatoid Arthritis, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (about 1 million people in the US)
•  Prostate Cancer (965,000 people in the US)
•  Schizophrenia (430,000 people in the US)
•  Allergic Conjunctivitis (425,000 people in the US)
•  Osteoporosis (416,000 people in the US)
•  Gout (385,000 people in the US)
•  Multiple Sclerosis (384,000 people in the US)
•  Cervical Dystonia, Blepharospasm, Glabellar Lines (about 30,000 people in the US)
•  Dupuytren’s Contracture (21,100 people in the US have this)
•  Gaucher Disease (10,600 people in the US)
•  Reduction of Excess Abdominal Fat in HIV-Infected Patients with Lipodystrophy (5000 people in the US)
•  NAGS Deficiency Hyperammonemia (320 patients per year diagnosed)
•  Pompe disease (90 patients in the US have this)

•  Contraception
•  Prevention of Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation
•  Varicose Vein
•  Pneumonia, Skin and Structure Infection
•  Postcoital Contraception

Can a doctor question the status quo?

A doctor’s practice is his/her livelihood. If a doctor can’t practice medicine, the 9 years of training and $260,000 they spent on medical school goes to waste. Receiving a letter threatening this livelihood is terrifying. Also, doctors are essentially guilty until proven innocent and must spend time and thousands of dollars on proving this when someone, anyone, anywhere can pick up a phone and ask for an investigation.

Medical education and residency is pretty militaristic. You fall in line or you’re out. Trust me, I’ve been there. If you are an “outside the box” thinker, this doesn’t last long in medical school or residency. The egos of your superiors are too threatened. This is an important fact. Doctors have such a preoccupation with being right, they can’t tolerate being wrong. This is of course needed because who wants to go to a doctor known for being wrong all the time? Questioning the status quo is threatening.

Don't fear animal fat

We hear so much these days about the overconsumption of fat in the modern industrial diet that we sometimes forget how important some level of fat consumption is to normal human growth and the maintenance of healthy bodily functions. Animal fat, says Reader (1998:124) is "the proper measure of affluence.".... Hayden's (1981:421) observation is especially relevant here: "I was astounded the first time I saw Western Desert Aborigines ... kill a kangaroo, examine the intestines for fat, and abandon the carcass where it lay because it was too lean. Upon making a kill, Aborigine hunters always open the intestinal cavity and check the fat content. Virtually every ethnographer with whom I have discussed this observation confirms it, yet such details are seldom reported in the literature."

But at least they all love to share with each other...right?

At least don't fear fat from naturally raised animal, like grass-fed cattle. Grain-fed cattle? Factory farmed poultry? That might be a slightly different story...

When Mental Illness isn't Mental Illness

Over the years, though, I’ve seen quite a lot of people in practice who seem to have or have been formally diagnosed with some form of mental illness, who actually turn out to have their problem rooted in issues that fall, strictly speaking, outside the brain.

Here are a few examples:

1. people with mood swings caused by fluctuation in blood sugar levels
2. people with depression who have low thyroid function
3. people with low mood who have iron deficiency and/or anaemia
4. people with low mood/depression who have weakened adrenal gland function
5. people who have low mood/depression as a result of food sensitivity issues (often wheat, by the way)
6. people who have the symptoms of bulimia nervosa (binging and purging) as a result of blood sugar fluctuation
7. people who have anxiety/depression as a result of a deficiency in omega-3 fats
8. people who have anxiety/insomnia as a result of low levels of magnesium

The important thing is that when the underlying nature of these issues are rectified, the mental state of individuals usually takes on a completely different complexion.

When Sinusitis isn't Sinusitis

The "problems with my nose", which I thought of as sinusitis, might not be sinusitis after all. First of all, what is Sinusitis?

Sinusitis is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may be due to infection, allergy, or autoimmune issues.

So the definition is inflammation. While I don't want to rule out that inflammation is involved, I think whether I can breath freely through my nose or not has actually something to do with vasoconstriction (and blood pressure). Especially since I have been taking Equilibrant I tend to have a free nose while I lie down and start to get a blocked nose when I stand up.