December 20th, 2019
Podcast 247: Managing dyspepsia
A “network meta-analysis” (we’ll explain that) finds that “test and treat” is the best way forward in managing this common condition. Patients, paradoxically, prefer immediate endoscopy to test-and-treat, but unless the patient has “alarm symptoms” (such as dysphagia, weight loss, and anemia), endoscopy is likely to add complications and costs without adding further benefit. Our guest is […]
September 17th, 2010
Podcast 101: Osteoarthritis, chondroitin, and glucosamine — one of these things doesn’t belong.
Answer: Osteoarthritis. Two are nostrums and the other is a disease, but the nostrums have no appreciable effect — on osteoarthritis at least. We discuss a BMJ meta-analysis that uses novel methods to prove the point. The good news is that neither chondroitin nor glucosamine is dangerous, but the bad news is that we spend so […]
July 1st, 2010
Podcast 94: What does a new meta-analysis tell us about statins and primary prevention?
A meta-analysis of 11 studies encompassing more than 60,000 subjects finds that statins don’t lower all-cause mortality in people without cardiovascular disease. One editorialist calls the study, just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, “the cleanest and most complete meta-analysis of pharmacological lipid lowering for primary prevention.” One of the study’s principal authors, Kausik K. […]
January 30th, 2009
Podcast 28: A discussion with Dr. Andrea Cipriani and Prof. John Geddes about their ranking of 12 antidepressants
There are a dozen new-generation antidpressants on the market now. How to sort them out? On what basis? We talk with two authors of an intriguing meta-analysis released online in Lancet this week. And we offer the usual roundup of news and, speaking of roundups, a working name while we come up with something better […]
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