Be aware of commercial interests
We’ve all seen print ads and TV commercials touting medications and medical screenings, but it’s way too easy to overdo it. Here’s how to know if you’re taking too many medications. And an even bigger problem is the fact that many tests and treatments that seem like a great idea just aren’t. “The problem is the overwhelming majority of clinical trials are commercially sponsored, and there is no question that when companies study their own product, the published results are more likely to show greater benefit and less harm than when the studies are independently funded,” explains John Abramson MD, MSc, lecturer in the Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School and the author of Overdosed America.
Sadly, the government-funded United States Preventive Services Task Force, which provides doctors and patients with scientific evidence to make trustworthy recommendations, is being undermined: “Consumers must now be cautious of the increasing commercial influence on the science that USPSTF recommendations are based on,” Dr. Abramson says. He recommends discussing specific recommendations with your doctors but understanding that the even the best information available may have a commercial bias.
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