Redefining Hypertension: A Redefinition Throwback to Polio
On Nov. 13, 2017, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) changed their guidelines for defining hypertension. They lowered the range for defining of high blood pressure. Under the old guideline, a person was determined to have high blood pressure if their systolic blood pressure…
The Big Bad Flu Data
How effective is the flu vaccine, and will getting vaccinated reduce the severity of your illness even if the vaccine is a poor match to circulating influenza virus strains? While public health officials insist vaccination is the best way to prevent the seasonal flu, the evidence calls this assumption into question, and most health care professionals…
Baylor’s Doc Hotez Bullies Parents of Vaccine Injured Children
Many years ago when I was having a conversation with a senior official at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) during a public engagement meeting, we explored the reasons for why public health officials and parents of vaccine-injured children were at such odds with each other. I said it was because we disagreed about the science. He said, no, it was a disagreement over values and beliefs.
For Pete’s Sake, Just Wash Your Hands
A few days ago, I went to my bank to deposit some money into my account. When I walked up to the teller, I noticed that her face was extremely inflamed and she looked uncomfortable. I asked her if she was okay, and she apologized. She said, “Oh, I’m sorry but I seem to be having an allergic reaction to something.” I asked the bank teller if she knew what might have caused it.
Why is Everyone Getting So Sick With the “Flu” This Time?
For many weeks now, the media has been reporting that this influenza season, which began in October 2017, may be the worst in recent history or, at least, one of the worst. The stream of alarming media reports focus on the number of people in the United States hospitalized for influenza-like illnesses (ILI), the number of reported…
Formaldehyde Doesn’t Always Kill Viruses
Is it really a myth than you can get influenza from getting a flu vaccine? It is clear that the answer is “yes” when it comes to the live nasal spray influenza vaccine, which has been documented to cause vaccine strain influenza in vaccinated persons that can be transmitted to others.