Dear Reader, Great news!
There is no evidence linking mobile phone use to brain tumour risk. What a relief! But...uh oh...that great news comes from the same people who brought you "Vioxx is safe," and "Keep using Avandia." Yep — the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA)!
Truth be told?
So if the FDA is assuring us that mobile phones don't cause brain tumours, my response is: "Gulp!" At face value, the FDA report is actually reassuring. It's based on a series of international studies called Interphone, coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to WHO officials, Interphone is the largest study to examine mobile use and brain cancer, and includes the largest number of users with at least 10 years of radiofrequency exposure from mobile phones. And here's the FDA's quick summary of the results: "The study reported little or no risk of brain tumours for most long-term users of mobile phones."
Little OR no?
Which is it? Okay... wait a second. The FDA spin doctors titled their press release "No Evidence Linking Mobile Phone Use to Risk of Brain Tumours." But then they say there's "little or no risk." So, which is it? Little risk, or no risk? And "for most long-term users"? That sounds to me like people ARE at risk if they can't pry the mobile away from their ear. And I know LOTS of people like that. I'll bet you do too. The FDA does this sort of thing all the time. When it comes to delivering news that might be unpleasant for giant corporations (such as Pfizer) they're as vague as a schoolboy who doesn't want to show his mother a bad report card.
Brain dangers
A recent newspaper article covered the same study and revealed some VERY important points missing from the FDA version. For starters, Interphone subjects who used mobile phones the most had a 40 per cent higher risk of giloma, the same type of brain tumour that Senator Kennedy died from. But in FDA World, this is not "evidence" because it doesn't prove that mobile use caused the tumours. That's a pretty thin slice of comfort. And the comfort disappears completely when you hear from those who worked on Interphone. The newspaper article reports that several Interphone researchers told said that giloma risk among long-term users was larger toward the end of the study. And Elisabeth Cardis — leader of the Interphone project — said, "Overall, my opinion is that the results show a real effect." Which is pretty much the EXACT OPPOSITE of the FDA press release title. Hmmm... it's almost as if FDA officials WANTED to obscure the danger. Which would not be exactly shocking. After all, it is one of the things they do best. Continues below...
*Highly Recommended*
Get Natural Infection Protection All Year RoundKick-start your body's natural immunity and stay free from infectious invaders?
PLUS
Help your body fight abnormal cell growth, and the aging process itself…
AND Eliminate any fear that may drive you to the point of getting a dangerous jab this winter.
Discover how you can bolster your body's own arsenal of defence against flu, superbugs and hundreds of other bacteria and viruses. Read the full report on this amazing immune booster here:
...and another thing Speaking of Avandia... GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the maker of the controversial diabetes drug, is currently running a trial to test Avandia against Actos another medication for type 2 diabetes.
But they've hit a little snag. Two investigative sites have withdrawn from the trial. The reason: poor enrolment.
What? They can't convince type 2 diabetics to take a dangerous drug for a couple of years to prove that it's not THAT much more dangerous than another drug?
An official from one of those sites claims that the "safety debate" was not an issue. But each of the subjects has to sign an informed-consent agreement that lists these possible side effects that might be caused by one or both of the drugs:
* Swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat
* Blurred vision due to swelling
* Weight gain
* Hives or rash (which may be itchy)
* Bone fractures * Erectile dysfunction
* Joint pain
* Constipation
There's also a note that says GSK researchers have analyzed safety information from trials they've conducted, and results suggest that Avandia increases risk of heart attack.
Wow, I'd really like to be in your new trial, GSK, but I've got this life I'm leading and I'd rather not interrupt it with a heart attack.
To Your Good Health,
Usman Mughees Qazi,
First Aid Director
No comments:
Post a Comment