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Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by Stephen Barrett, M.D., with help from William M. London, Ed.D., M.P.H. It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; other news items; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; research tips; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. The Digest currently has 11,237 subscribers. Items posted to this archive may be updated when relevant information becomes available.
Issue #13-48, December 19, 2013
- Multivitamin use blasted.
- Cancer salve seller found in contempt for flouting drug laws
- R.J. Reynolds torpedoes proposed graphic warning labels
Issue #13-47, December 12, 2013
- Fluoridation statistics updated
- Sylvia Browne dies
- FDA warns against nipple aspirate test
- Chiropractor jailed for conning patients
Issue #13-46, December 5, 2013
- Unwanted robocalls have become a major nuisance
- Couric blasted for promoting anti-vaccination views
- Canadian bill to protect consumers is seriously flawed
Issue #13-45, November 28, 2013
- FDA orders genetic testing service to stop marketing
- Mother of dead boy arrested for avoiding medical care
- Another chelationist disciplined
Issue #13-44, November 21, 2013
- Bleeding reported in infants whose parents declined vitamin K injections
- Herbal product investigation finds scandalous results
- ZNatural ad debunked
Issue #13-43, November 14, 2013
- Fake insurance exchange sites shut down
- Provoked testing blasted
- Another metals test debunked
- Trudeau convicted of criminal contempt of court
Issue #13-42, November 7, 2013
- FTC urged to curb MLM companies
- Anti-medical religious sects blasted
- Cigarette history classic posted
- Trudeau released again
Issue #13-41, October 31, 2013
- Crackdown urged on fraud in insurance exchanges
- FTC sues HCG marketers
- Dubious “voice diagnosis” system debunked
Issue #13-40, October 24, 2013
- UK hospital ordered to narrow herbal claims
- US hospital bans dietary supplements from its pharmacy
- Reviewers advise against chelation for autism
- Judge increases pressure on Kevin Trudeau
Issue #13-39, October 17, 2013
- Lawsuit alleges kickbacks to chiropractors for MRIs
- Zamboni treatment for multiple sclerosis judged doubtful
- Kevin Trudeau ordered to jail again
- “Toxic mold” guru retires
Issue #13-38, October 10, 2013
- FDA warns homeopathic manufacturers
- Oregon board issues chelation-related warning
- Chiropractc exposé published
Issue #13-37, October 3, 2013
- Consumer Reports posts timely health insurance guide
- Alleged major spammers convicted in Russian court
- Kevin Trudeau briefly jailed for contempt
Issue #13-36, September 26, 2013
- Bioidentical hormones don’t measure up.
- Toxicologists blast homeopathy and unwarranted chelation
- Index of disciplined chelationists posted.
Issue #13-35, September 19, 2013
- Long-acting contraceptives found to be most effective
- Copper bracelets and magnetic wrist straps flunk arthritis test
- Health Canada orders warning label on nosodes
Issue #13-34, September 12, 2013
- Metagenics warned again about illegal “medical food” claims
- Two more doctors disciplined for inappropriately diagnosing Lyme disease
- Chelationist caught defrauding insurance companies
Issue #13-33, September 5, 2013
- Bill introduced to exempt anti-medical religious groups from mandatory insurance coverage
- Toftness device distribtors sentenced
- British ad regulators nix Chinese medicine claims
- New Steenblock associate has lengthy regulatory history
Issue #13-32, August 29, 2013
- Anti-fluoridation petition denied
- Quackery infiltrating medical education
- David Steenblock disciplined again
- IPT practitioner placed on probation
Issue #13-31, August 22, 2013
- FDA ends plan B emergency contraception restrictions
- FDA blasts unproven hyperbaric oxygen claims
- Refunds sent to Disney/Marvel-themed vitamin buyers
Issue #13-30, August 8, 2013
- Australian chiropractors warned against opposing vaccination
- Australian chiropractor loses license
- ACSH seeking new leader
- Antiquackery gem published
- “Yellow Pages” scams increasing
- FDA targets illegal diabetes claims
- U.S. drug sellers seeking to block access to legitimate foreign pharmacies
- Senate holds hearing on robocall scams
- Slate trashes NY Times report on “chronic Lyme” disease
- British homeopaths blasted
- Reiki practitioners fail to show “energy transmission”
- “Dr. Oz” facing suit by injured man
- “CAM” practitioner licensing attacked
- Convictions in faith healing death upheld
- “Nutritional medicine” guru gets 3-month suspension
- Australian antivax group blasted from three directions
- Dentists smack the Wizard of Woo
- OIG reports unauthorized prescribing
- Glucosamine class-action suit settled
- Chiropractic “endocrinologists” under fire
- Massive “bad charity” report published
- British regulators object to acupuncture claims
- Acupuncture complications analyzed
- New project reports on alleged “CAM” cancer treatments
- UK activists attack misleading “CAM” regulatory agency
- Tetanus case attracts media attention
- Acupuncture blasted
- Kevin Trudeau facing possible imprisonment
- FDA nails Toftness device distributor
- Large MLM company shut down
- Pulitzer Prize awarded for fluoridation editorials
- Generic manufacturer hit for $500 million in penalties
- Chiropractor ordered to stop using quack chiropractic device
- Major homeopathic manufacturers facing two class-action suits
- Shaklee distributor accused of operating Ponzi scheme
- Psychologist’s license revoked for sexual exploitation
- Vaccine Education Center debunks breastfeeding myth
- British ad regulators blast common chiropractic claims
- Georgia appeals court rejects light sentence for insurance fraud
- Enbrel stroke treatment in the news
- British libel reform bill enacted
- British advertising regulators attacking reflexology claims
- Review questions spinal manipulative therapy
- Weight-loss frauds top FTC survey
- Another chelationist ordered to stop using provoked testing
- New “open access” journals may jeopardize medical information system
- Study finds “CAM” cancer treatments harmful
- Oz’s irresponsible amalgam attack rebutted
- Anti-amalgamist ordered to stop diagnosing “mercury toxicity”
- Leading fluoridation critic criticized
- Cancer quackery promoter dies
- Court orders FDA to permit unrestricted sale of emergency contraception pills
- Bad Science Watch attacks sale of nosodes
- Hawaii naturopath sued for home-birth mishap
- Oz airs irresponsible attack on amalgam
- “Lyme specialist” surrenders medical license
- GAO finds that adverse supplement data are incomplete
- Long-term study shows fluoridation benefits adults
- ISM issues White Paper on attachment therapy
- LA Better Business Bureau chapter expellled
- Institute for Integrative Nutrition facing discrimination suit
- British regulators blast naturopathy ad
- British regulators criticize Pfizer Centrum ad
- Health Magazine warns against 30 herbs
- Swiss acupuncturist arrested
- Cancer hospital treatment statistics challenged.
- FDA import ban list available
- Cantron manufacturer flunks FDA inspection
- Investigative report scrutinizes Visalus
Issue #13-09, February 28, 2013
- Herbalife research connections questioned
- Florida hospital chain to stop hiring tobacco users
- Suit aimed to halt school yoga program
Issue #13-08, February 21, 2013
- New alliance pressing for registration of all clinical trials
- Fluoridation editorials posted
- Be wary of “Liproxenol”
Issue #13-07, February 14, 2013
- Vitamin C supplements linked to kidney stones
- Pa. psychologist charged with sexual exploitation
- Suit attacking Southern California fluoridation dismissed
- Sensa marketers assessed $905,000 in false advertising case
Issue #13-06, February 7, 2013
- Site launched to oppose naturopath licensing
- Antifluoridation claims blasted
- Arizona chiropractors in financial trouble
- Sports supplements evaluated
- “CAM” cancer therapy guide published
Issue #13-05, January 31, 2013
- Another group blasts electromagnetic quackery
- Journal attacks quackery
- FDA warns against fraudulent flu products
- Alleged pyramid scheme halted.
Issue #13-04, January 24, 2013
- Harkin exposé published
- Naturopathy encyclopedia makes unwarranted “toxicity” claims
- JAMA debunks common arguments against flu vaccine
- Antiquackery course available
Issue #13-03, January 17, 2013
- IOM concludes that recommended vaccination schedule is safe
- Massachusetts naturopathy bill fails
- Nobel Prizewinner warns that antioxidants may cause cancer
- FTC clips pomegranate product marketers
Issue #13-02, January 10, 2013
- Groups respond to school massacre
- CAP issues “Do’s and Don’ts” for weight loss ads
- Nasty e-mails to Dr. Barrett posted
- Bob Steiner, prominent skeptic, has died
- 2012 Slim Chance Awards announced
- Nurses top “most trusted” poll
- Chelator escapes discipline
- Prominent chiropractic educator dies
