Medical journalism watchdog slams cardiac ‘polypill’ news hype

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ Leave a comment

woman reading hanging around

 by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

.

What news headlines around the world said:

“Single Pill Combining Five Heart Drugs Appears Safe.”

What the journalists said:

“Imagine if people at risk of heart disease could take a single pill that would contain all the medications they need to reduce their heart risk.  Such a pill is already a reality and now new research suggests it’s safe and effective.  It’s called a polypill and could soon become a cheap, simple way to prevent both heart disease and stroke.” CTV News

What journalism watchdog Media Doctor Canada said:

 “This story delivers a hyped conclusion on the basis of very poor evidence, yet it calls this a ‘lifesaving’ drug. The published paper and study results reveal that this was a double-blind study that followed patients for only 12 weeks.  How can this drug be called ‘safe and effective’ if it’s taken over many years?

“The concept of mixing different compounds into one pill is very poor medicine. It doesn’t permit physicians to customize the dose for specific patients depending on the patient’s specific risk factors.”   Continue reading “Medical journalism watchdog slams cardiac ‘polypill’ news hype” →

Is family stress hurting your heart?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 3 Comments

woman stress home

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥  @HeartSisters

We now know that chronic stress is a very real risk factor in developing heart disease. And stress in the home – where, ironically, we all long to find a safe place to fall – can be the most insidious and difficult to address, especially for families with children still at home, and for women suffering from Type E personalities:  “Everything to Everybody”. Sound familiar?  Continue reading “Is family stress hurting your heart?” →

How optimism can be good for women’s hearts

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 3 Comments

woman happy

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

Good news, my heart sisters: a study published this week in the heart  journal Circulation reports that women with an optimistic outlook on life may live longer and be less likely to develop heart disease than their pessimistic counterparts.

Researchers found that, among more than 97,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79, those with generally optimistic dispositions were 14% less likely to die over eight years than pessimists. They were also over 9% less likely to develop coronary artery disease, and 30% less likely to die of heart complications.

But can you actually change from thinking like a pessimist if that’s your nature?   Continue reading “How optimism can be good for women’s hearts” →

Why you should not ask: “How are you feeling today?”

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 2 Comments

I’m borrowing this thoughtful and thought-provoking essay for you today because it will strike a chord for those who have been diagnosed with a chronic illness – and may help to surprise and enlighten those who haven’t.

It’s called “Never ask ‘How are you feeling today?'” by Janet Miserandino, whose daughter Christine is the founder of one of my favourite websites, ‘But You Don’t Look Sick?‘ Janet writes:

“It’s taken me a long time to get out of the automatic habit of saying, ‘How are you?’ when I see someone. That question would be all right to ask most healthy people, because the spontaneous response of ‘Fine!’ would be appropriate. Continue reading “Why you should not ask: “How are you feeling today?”” →