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Thursday, January 01, 2009

Why we need to be careful about what we read in popular media about new science findings

Here is how Wyeth bought favourable medical journal articles. More here:
According to internal documents, the pharmaceutical company Wyeth "paid ghostwriters to produce medical journal articles favorable to its female hormone replacement therapy Prempro." As early as 1997, Wyeth paid the "medical writing firm" DesignWrite to publish favorable journal articles about Prempro under academics' names. "Company executives came up with ideas" for the articles, "titled them, drafted outlines, paid writers to draft the manuscripts, recruited academic authors and identified publications to run the articles -- all without disclosing the companies' roles to journal editors or readers."
Hey, look. I went through menopause years ago, and it was way worse than I had been led to believe by feminist sources.

Feminist sources said menopause was way less difficult than having a baby - but I had two babies with zero problems (in my twenties, when I was practically indestructible) - and nonetheless found menopause a hell of unpredicted physical problems.

Note: Menopause seems to attract instant experts who don't really know anything except that "It's okay." Of COURSE it's okay. It's part of life. I was hoping for suggestions for relief of symptoms, not a general declaration that it is, like, okay ... (as if the alternative - early death - was especially attractive for some reason ... )

Life, ... we who are about to survive, salute you!

Of course I got through menopause. And I am certainly not going to say that Wyeth's specific treatment won't help. All I want to endorse as 100 percent true is: You must use your own judgment to figure out what is working for you. If it is not working for you, it is not working. Keep that in mind, so that you can help medical personnel to make their best decisions when helping you.

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