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pubhealth

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Laparoscopic anti-reflux operation for GERD linked to fewer postoperative complications
A new study by the American College of Surgeons, a professional organization, compared records for 75,000 patients who underwent surgery for GERD, or gastrointestinal esophageal reflux disease. The study looked at two different surgical procedures and found the less invasive one seemed equally effective, but kept patients in the hospital a shorter time with fewer complications. The news release did a good job of discussing surgical alternatives and costs, which were estimated to be $9,000 lower for the less invasive laparoscopic procedure. The release would have been better had it spelled out some of the study limitations, the key one being that a retrospective, observational review of hospital records — as this study was — isn’t capable of supporting the cause and effect statements sprinkled throughout the release. Millions of Americans complain of occasional heartburn, sometimes called a burning sensation in the throat from food coming back up from the stomach. But some estimates are that about 20 percent of US adults fit the definition of GERD, which means they suffer symptoms at least every week. If patients consider a surgical fix, this study shows that a less-invasive procedure could reduce their complications and shorten their hospital stay. It’s hard to pin down stats on GERD prevalence. A 2014 review of 16 epidemiological studies of GERD prevalence published in the journal Gut suggest GERD prevalence ranges from “18.1%-27.8% in North America, 8.8%-25.9% in Europe, 2.5%-7.8% in East Asia, 8.7%-33.1% in the Middle East, 11.6% in Australia and 23.0% in South America.”
true
1301
42092
CDC Caught Flying Diseased Caravan Migrants Into U.S. for Medical Treatment
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not flying sick migrants from the caravan into the country, as a story that originated on a self-proclaimed “alt-news” website claims.
false
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A photograph shows one petri dish that was coughed on by a person not wearing a mask and another petri dish coughed on by the same person wearing a mask.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told us:
true
1303
4617
Stricter liquor rules give Lithuanians a severe hangover.
One of the heaviest drinking nations in the world is facing a severe hangover.
true
1304
5437
Indonesian police arrest hundreds linked to forest fires.
Indonesian police said Thursday they have arrested 230 people suspected of starting some of the fires that are spreading health-damaging haze across a large part of Southeast Asia.
true
1305
10792
FDA finds increase in suicide symptoms for patients using seizure medications
The focus of this story is recently published data showing a slight increase in the absolute risk of suicide and suicidal symptoms in patients treated with certain anti-seizure medications compared with placebo. The story appropriately provides context for this new information–and educates the health consumer in the process by presenting this data in both relative and absolute terms. However, the story could have been improved by giving info on how often these medications are prescribed and/or how common the illnesses are. The story is well-balanced. A range of clinicians, caregivers and pharmaceutical spokespeople are interviewed. Regarding the latter, the story notes that findings from pharma-sponsored research were either more positive, or similar to that of the FDA’s review. The interviews in this story provide context for the increased risk of suicidality, and help patients weigh the risks and benefits of taking these medications. The focus of the story is a potential harm of anti-seizure medication, namely, an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors. The story does not note other, less serious harms of these drugs. These can include weight gain, mental confusion and an upset stomach. The story notes only newer pharmacological treatments. No other treatments are discussed. The story might have been enhanced by giving more info on alternative treatments along with their pros/cons. While cost is not the focus of the story, it is important information, especially for epileptic and bipolar patients who often take medications for life. The drugs under discussion are fairly expensive drugs (approximately. $150-200/month for newer drugs); however, there are older, less expensive medications that might work as well for some people.
true
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"""The government will """"go out and buy my breast pump for my babies."""
Michele Bachmann says the government will buy you a breast pump for your baby.
false
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The charred remains of a scuba diver were discovered in a tree after a forest fire.
Sightings:   Look for mention of this urban legend early in the 1999 film Magnolia. Also, the 1997 Mordecai Richler novel Barney’s Version and the 1989 Peter Mayle novel A Year in Provence make use of the legend. An episode of CBS’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (“Scuba Doobie-Doo,” original air date 25 October 2001) was based on this legend.
false
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Coconuts are busting out all over
This story seems to want to be many things. It wants to explain the rising number of products with coconut-related ingredients being sold to customers. It wants to describe the potential money to be made from these products. And it wants to tell readers whether these products actually have any health benefits. It does none of these things particularly well, but it is the least effective when it comes to the health claims. If coconuts truly are becoming a major source of sales in the so-called natural health foods sector — and this story does not convince us that they are — then readers deserve a careful analysis of the evidence supporting their benefits. As with pomegranate juice and acai berries, both of which are mentioned in this story, “miracle foods” are often more marketing than anything else. This story, unfortunately, helps the coconut product companies get away with a lot of free marketing and nary a single tough question.
false
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Faith Hoemspine is a 5-year-old who is fighting a losing battle with cancer.  She’s in the Shriner’s hospital in Cincinnati and wants to receive the most get well cards anyone has ever received.
Five-year-old Faith Hoemspine has cancer and wants all the greeting cards she can get
false
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Ingredient in magic mushrooms is shown to ease anxiety and depression in cancer patients in one dose
The story focuses on two recent studies that find a single application of the hallucinogen psilocybin is effective at providing meaningful relief to cancer patients suffering from severe depression or anxiety. The studies were published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, and can be found here and here. In some ways, the story is thorough, addressing potential side effects and conflicts of interest very well. The story discusses the potential benefits in depth, which is good, but fails to quantify those benefits — which is problematic. The story also does a good job of placing the work in context, highlighting the increasing profile of research into the use of hallucinogens as therapeutic tools for mental health problems. However, the story would have been even stronger if it had discussed the existing literature on the use of psilocybin to address anxiety in cancer patients. We also reviewed two news releases related to the research:   Depression and other mental health struggles are common and significant among people with cancer, especially terminal cancer. This makes it especially important for reporters to write responsibly about studies like those discussed in this story. You want to give readers enough information to help them make informed decisions. You don’t want to raise false hopes, or sensationalize the work. Overall, this story does a nice job of handling a delicate subject well.
true
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Three tests may foil artery-disease deaths
"""This story reports on a recent recommendation about vascular screening by the Society for Vascular Surgery. These are tests to screen completely asymptomatic people with some cardiovascular risk factors in order to detect vascular disease. While the surgeons offer interventions for these conditions, the jury is out on the various cut-offs for where and in whom surgical intervention is of proven benefit, but the story is not clear on this issue. The story failed to adequately explain the risks and benefits of such screening, or the risks associated with the surgical intervention that might follow. The story also never mentioned that the vascular surgeons' screening recommendations are not in agreement with those published by the United States Preventive Services Task Force at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/cps3dix.htm. The story failed to provide background about the evidence supporting the screening recommendations being made. It failed to provide comment from an independent source. And the information provided on the single scientific study mentioned misrepresented the published results of that study. (The story said the study involved only individuals 75 and older but only 21% of the patients were 75 or older and whether the difference in strokes was different between the treatment groups in this age group was described as """"still uncertain"""".)"""
false
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If Congress does not pass the renewal of the payroll tax cut before the end of the year, nearly 160 million working families will see their taxes go up by roughly $1,000.
E-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc funded a “holistic health education” camp as part of efforts to market directly to school-aged children, members of a U.S. congressional panel said on Thursday, citing internal company documents.
mixture
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A video proves that a Starbucks Venti cup (20 ounces) is suspiciously similar in volume to a Starbucks Grande cup (12 ounces.)
Starbucks 20-Ounce Venti vs. 12-Ounce Grande Video Experiment
unproven
1317
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Panel calls for vaccine for adult smokers
This report on an advisory panel recommendation that all adult smokers be vaccinated for pneumococcal disease is competently done, and accurate as far as it goes. But it doesn’t go far enough. The report correctly describes the actions of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). It adequately cites dissension among panel members about the value of immunizing smokers under 40. It usefully reports the general limitations on the vaccine’s effectiveness. But it ignores the core question the panel’s recommendation raises:  How effective will the recommendation be in preventing serious or fatal pneumococcal disease in the targeted population? How much money will be spent to save a life? That consideration is often the driver of a public health recommendation. Certainly it’s been considered by the panel members. But it’s not raised here. The story also reports statistics linking flu to pneumonia to death–without indicating that such links are very unlikely to apply to the targeted population.
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Foot wrap offers alternative to medication for patients with restless legs syndrome
This news release about a foot wrap device to treat symptoms of restless leg syndrome tries to portray study results as newer, more novel and more distinctive than they really are. While the study was just published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, the results were submitted to the FDA more than five years ago and the key findings have been used to market the device that was cleared for sale in 2013. Besides omitting the history of the study, the release promotes this foot wrap as if it were the only alternative to drug treatment, when there are other devices also on the market, as well as recommendations for massage, hot baths, lifestyle changes and other ways people can try to control bothersome leg movements. The release would have been stronger had it noted that the device is already on the market, and at what cost. More details on the trial results, including limitations, as found in the published study, would also have been useful. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a common but poorly understood neurological condition that leads to discomfort in the lower legs. For most individuals, the symptoms are mild and mainly impact sleep. For those with more severe symptoms, the discomfort in the legs can also be bothersome during the day. More than nine million people in the US may be dealing with moderate to severe RLS. Several times that many have milder symptoms or similar conditions they may confuse for RLS. That means that many millions of people may be misled by a news release that misstates the novelty of a foot wrap device and the study being used to promote it. The potential for confusion is demonstrated by the number of news organizations that apparently believed these study results are new, when they’ve been circulating for years and used in product marketing since at least early 2015.
false
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Artist Pablo Picasso died in 1973.
‘Picasso Died in 1973, Surprising the Internet Every Year’
true
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Wendy Davis opposes any limits on abortion.
"""Texas Right to Life said, """"Wendy Davis opposes any limits on abortion."""" Although Davis has spoken and voted against certain abortion limits, her campaign statement and her stated support for the Roe v. Wade decision indicate she opposes late-term abortions except in extreme circumstances. The group did not provide, and we did not find, evidence of Davis opposing """"any limits on abortion."""""""
false
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We are the most generous in New England and New England is known for its generosity toward its welfare recipients.
R.I. Tea Party founder says Rhode Island is the most generous state in New England when it comes to welfare
mixture
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Accutane Linked Heart, Liver Woes
Sanofi SA said on Monday it would end its research efforts in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases as part of a revamp that will narrow the number of its business units in the hope of bolstering growth and profit.
true
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“For the World Health Organization, the international entity whose sole responsibility it is to alert the world of global pandemics like this, to miss this, is a huge problem.”
A Jan. 14 tweet saying that Chinese authorities found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus led a Pennsylvania congressman to accuse the World Health Organization of failing to alert people about the pandemic. Later in January, the WHO announced that in fact there was evidence of human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus and declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern. Experts say the WHO was slow to designate the coronavirus a pandemic and that the organization should have been more skeptical of information it received from China before it sent that tweet but that accusing the WHO of missing the pandemic altogether goes too far.
false
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Aviation experts puzzled after airliner dumps fuel over city.
Some aviation experts said Wednesday that they were puzzled after the crew of a commercial airliner decided to dump fuel at low altitude during an emergency landing, causing a vapor to fall on schoolyards and neighborhoods east of Los Angeles International Airport.
true
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"""Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein """"gave hundreds of thousands of campaign cash to control Crist’s appointments of key state judges."""
"""The Republican Party of Florida ad said that Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein """"gave hundreds of thousands of campaign cash to control Crist’s appointments of key state judges."""" Rothstein and his firm spent huge sums donating to the Republican Party of Florida back when Crist was a Republican, and they also gave directly to Crist’s campaigns. Crist appointed Rothstein to serve on a commission that recommended appeals judges, but in his official capacity he was only one of nine votes. Rothstein boasted in court testimony that in exchange for donations he was able to dictate judicial appointments. But nobody who served with Rothstein remembered him as a strong advocate. It is certainly possible that Rothstein and Crist discussed judicial appointments. We may never have a full accounting of what the two men said to each other. But to say that Rothstein controlled the appointments seems to be an overstatement that lacks evidence."""
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In taking on high drug prices, Trump faces a complex nemesis.
Before taking office, President Donald Trump railed against the pharmaceutical industry and accused it of “getting away with murder.”
true
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“Even President Trump’s own EPA has admitted that this rule (on air pollutants) threatens to cause serious health problems including brain damage and death and to inflict billions of dollars of economic damage on our struggling economy.”
Trump’s EPA changed how it evaluates the benefits and costs of regulating air pollutants from power plants fired by coal and oil. An EPA science advisory board raised issues with the EPA’s approach and recommended doing a new assessment, but that recommendation wasn’t binding. Advisory board members are considered special government employees, but they do not speak for the EPA as a whole.
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Prostate cancer being overtreated, study shows
The story describes a study which quantifies the number of men who might be overtreated with surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. The story does a nice job of describing the natural history of prostate cancer, that is, that many prostate cancers are slow-growing and that many men don’t need treatment, which can have troublesome side effects. The article could have been more clear about the study design and exactly how many men were estimated to have been “overtreated.” Viewers are provided information about how many men were candidates for watchful waiting and could easily assume that any man who did not choose this approach was overtreated. Yet the actual study reports 10% of men were “overtreated.” The story also strangely reports an anecdotal story of one man who presumably chose watchful waiting. Yet this man also took a course of hormone therapy, which has multiple bothersome side effects related to depletion of nearly all a man’s testosterone (side effects like loss of sex drive). It’s confusing why this example was chosen, when this isn’t normally considered an option for men with low-risk prostate cancer.
true
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"""Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. advised citizens to """"point that barrel center mass and pull the trigger"""" because """"911 is not our best option."""
"""A Greater Wisconsin Committee ad said Sheriff David Clarke advised citizens to """"point that barrel center mass and pull the trigger"""" because """"911 is not our best option."""" Clarke did just that in an interview, and made similar comments in an earlier radio spot and in comments to PolitiFact Wisconsin."""
true
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A Touch of Massage Therapy: Reiki Used for Cancer Patients
We give the online version of this column credit for being merely descriptive in its headline: “Reiki used for cancer patients.” Yes. This method of light massage is indeed being used for cancer patients. But there isn’t much evidence to support it. The story tries to make this point clear, but the point is muddied by some of the more exuberant language in the piece. By referring to it as “a form of healing” and talking about how parts of the body are “treated” by “therapists,” the story legitimizes what is actually an uNPRoven form of massage that at times does not even involve contact between the massage therapist and the patient. Cancer patients often are in extreme pain and can feel deep depression about their condition. Stories about alternative therapies to relieve anxiety or pain need to present real evidence with a more clear focus on the weight of the evidence or lack thereof.
true
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Seoul: North Korea confirms African swine fever outbreak.
South Korea said Friday that it is scrambling to prevent the spread of the highly contagious African swine fever on its pig industry after North Korea confirmed an outbreak at a farm near its border with China.
true
1332
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3-Drug Therapy Might Be Cystic Fibrosis 'Breakthrough'
This story reports on two trials that showed adding adding one of two new drugs to standard therapy possibly improved short-term lung function in cystic fibrosis patients who fall into two common categories of gene mutations. The story wisely included the high cost of some of these compounds, known as CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) modulators. However, the story did not give enough data to help readers make sense of the scope of the benefits. And while it did contain some caveats about the quality of evidence, those cautions were drowned out by numerous optimistic–and speculative–statements about how the drug will perform in future trials. Cystic fibrosis is genetic disease affecting about 80,000 people worldwide that leads to early death due to progressive lung disease. In recent years CFTR modulators have been developed to target the mutations themselves by correcting the malfunctioning CFTR protein, which regulates the flow of water and chloride in and out of cells lining the lungs and other organs. But there are many types of mutations that cause cystic fibrosis, and medications developed thus far have been effective only with certain ones. More widely effective CFTR modulators could greatly improve and dramatically extend the lives of people with cystic fibrosis. But that remains to be seen. As a result, journalists need to proceed very carefully in reporting about studies that test a small number of patients, measure a limited number of outcomes, and cover a short treatment period–especially when these drugs cost could more than a quarter of a million dollars per year.
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Coronavirus pandemic disrupts Appalachian Trail dreams.
When Alexandra Eagle first mentioned plans to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alongside her new husband, her sister told her they’d either be divorced in five months or married forever.
true
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“Of course I will always protect those with preexisting conditions. Always.”
McSally has opposed the Affordable Care Act, the national law that serves as the basis for preventing health plans from discriminating against people with preexisting medical conditions. Her stance hasn’t changed. Her campaign pointed to a Republican bill she supports. But its mechanism for maintaining the ACA protection lacks the comprehensive framework that would make it effective, experts said.
false
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Star football player Brian Banks was convicted of raping a woman who confessed on Facebook that she fabricated her accusation -- after he served six years in prison.
What's true: Banks was convicted of rape in 2002 and served five years in prison as part of a plea agreement before his accuser recanted and he was set free. What's false: Banks served five years and two months in prison, not six years. The woman involved in the case did not recant on Facebook, but she did attempt to contact Banks through the social media web site.
true
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In a very real sense, (Oklahoma has) flattened the curve. ... The number of cases in Oklahoma — it's declined precipitously.
Oklahoma’s daily caseload has risen consistently in June, and to levels higher than at any point in the pandemic.
false
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Duchess of Cambridge pool-playing skills deemed ‘dreadful’.
The Duchess of Cambridge has shown off her pool-playing skills — though one teenager was not impressed.
true
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Caregiver of Indian girl found dead in Texas wants answers.
A toddler whose body was recently found in a drain in suburban Dallas was cheerful, healthy and eating well a year ago when she met her new parents, according to the manager of the Indian orphanage from where Sherin Mathews was adopted.
true
1339
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Maker of Four Loko flavored malt liquor accepts marketing limits.
The maker of Four Loko has agreed with 20 U.S. state attorneys general and the city of San Francisco to a series of reforms to resolve allegations that it improperly marketed flavored malt beverages to young people and encouraged alcohol abuse.
true
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German doctor fined again over abortion advertising ban.
A German doctor has been convicted for the second time of violating a ban on advertising abortions in a case that has become a rallying point for opponents of the law.
true
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European labs to receive control material to spot false negative coronavirus tests.
Laboratories across Europe can now access control material to enable them to avoid mistakenly telling people they are free of the coronavirus when in fact they are infected, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
true
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Jimmy Carter: To beat Trump, Dems cannot scare off moderates.
Former President Jimmy Carter sees little hope for the U.S. to change its human rights and environmental policies as long as Donald Trump is in the White House, but he has a warning for his fellow Democrats looking to oust the current administration: Don’t go too far to the left.
true
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13 percent of Americans, the lowest ever, are without health care.
Uninsured rate lowest ever, Donny Deutsch claims
mixture
1344
1967
Twig tea, anyone? Study says labels often mislead.
Herbal teas often contain unlisted extra ingredients such as weeds, ferns or bits of tree, according to a study by New York high school students that could help tighten labeling rules.
true
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Chris Abele Says Milwaukee County buses are no less safe now than a year or two ago.
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele says county buses are no less safe now than a year or two ago
false
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With this reform, every insured American gets valuable consumer protections, and every uninsured American can become insured.
Young children should not spend more than an hour a day watching television and videos or playing computer games and infants less than one year old should not be exposed to electronic screens at all, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
true
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Facing shortages, India bets on China for swift ramp-up of protective health gear: sources.
India will buy ventilators and masks from China to help it deal with the coronavirus, a government official said on Tuesday, even though some countries in Europe had complained about the quality of the equipment.
true
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Got High Blood Pressure? Kiwi Fruit May Help
To its credit, the story included some excellent balancing quotes from independent sources. However, there was no discussion of the fact that the blood pressure drop was small and the participants had pre-hypertension, not hypertension. The story does not make this distinction or provide information about it, though it is readily available. This is some of what we get in the flood of stories based on some of the countless papers presented at a huge conference such as the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions. Woloshin and Schwartz of Dartmouth and the VA have written about “Media Coverage of Scientific Meetings:  Too Much Too Soon?” Excerpt: “Although they are preliminary and have undergone only limited peer review, research abstracts at scientific meetings may receive prominent attention in the news media.” If it’s preliminary, and if the story advises readers to be cautious about eating the amount of kiwis consumed by subjects in the study, then why – of all the research presented at the AHA meeting – is this newsworthy?
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As California thins forests to limit fire risk, some resist.
Buzzing chainsaws are interrupted by the frequent crash of breaking branches as crews fell towering trees and clear tangled brush in the densely forested Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco.
true
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28149
Crystal Griner, the officer who saved Steve Scalise, is a lesbian (and the congressman is anti-gay rights).
What's true: Griner is married to a woman, and Scalise has not supported marriage equality measures during his political career. What's false: Griner was not simply a responding officer, but rather a part of Scalise's security detail.
true
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Pacemaker-like device combined with defibrillator reduces deaths in mild heart failure by 29%
Strong point:  use of the number needed to treat or NNT. Weaker point: seemed to be more boosterish, less balanced than competing Wall Street Journal story. Because defibrillators are a significant investment, stories like this also need to provide readers the context of how much additional benefit individuals and society as a whole would reap from increased use of these expensive devices. This story provided the crucial “number needed to treat” calculation, giving readers a good metric for how to weigh the device’s benefits, but it also fell short in other areas.
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Roche sues U.S. executives in fight over diabetes test strips.
Roche is seeking damages and compensation in a U.S. lawsuit against former executives of a Utah-based company, the Swiss drugmaker’s latest case targeting what it calls fraudulent schemes involving its diabetes test strips.
true
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Magic mushroom ingredient may ease severe depression, study suggests
This is a story about a small study of the use of psilocybin—the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”—among 12 people suffering from treatment-resistant depression. Given that this was a “proof of principle” study–designed only to explore whether the intervention is safe–the real story here is not that the chemical seems to have made people feel better, but that its use produced no significant safety concerns in those 12 participants. Determining how effective a drug is must await controlled clinical trials, so a decision about whether psilocybin “works” is years away. The story does contain cautionary comments by the researchers about the early nature of this effort, but headlines and starting paragraphs like the ones employed here seem to have already made the jump to possible treatment for severe depression. That, in turn, could send scores of desperate folks to their doctors’ offices, in vain. Journalists are probably not the only ones to jump the gun here. It appears that this small study generated not only a news release but also a press briefing in London, a staging effort that seems disproportionate to the modest nature of the study itself. New treatments for depression would be welcome. However this story does not characterize the severity of depression for the subjects in the tiny trial, nor the prior treatments they were given by physicians.
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Doctors warn of demand for 'vaginal seeding' despite thin evidence.
British doctors say more parents are requesting so-called “vaginal seeding”, when a swab from the mother’s vagina is wiped into a newborn’s mouth after caesarean-section birth, despite a lack of evidence for its medical benefits.
true
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Lady Gaga's halftime performance at the 2017 Super Bowl took the form of a Satanic ritual.
Some observers claimed they saw elements of a 'Satanic ritual' in Lady Gaga's halftime performance at the 2017 Super Bowl. Do they even know what a Satanic ritual looks like?
false
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Chick-fil-A has donated money to organizations that oppose same-sex marriage.
As we have stated, the Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators.
true
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European Medicines Agency recommends licensing Ebola vaccine.
The European Medicines Agency has recommended that the world’s first Ebola vaccine be approved, after it was administered to hundreds of thousands of people in Africa.
true
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Drug Extends Prostate Cancer Survival
The data were reported inaccurately. There was no discussion of cost or of potential harms – two huge oversights. There was no meaningful comparison with other approaches. And the story appeared to rely largely (perhaps solely) on a news release. Better luck next time. This isn’t a good example of how to report on data presented at conferences about new drugs that are still in development. You need to read the full review below to understand all of what’s missing here.
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"""The last line of an October 1886 Statue of Liberty dedication speech read: """"There is room in America and brotherhood for all who will support our institutions and aid in our development. But those who come to disturb our peace and dethrone our laws are aliens and enemies forever."""
‘There is Room in America and Brotherhood for All’ Statue of Liberty Dedication Speech
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Mammograms Can Save Lives of Women in Their 40s: Study
Although the article presents some interesting new findings regarding mammogram for women in their 40s, the article lacks a strong critical analysis to point out the weaknesses with the current study. Since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force published their revised recommendations in November of 2009, many women between the ages of 40-49 have continued to be confused about what the evidence shows and what they should do. News organizations that continue to report each new study on one side of the debate or the other should try to dedicate a considerable chunk of the story to an info-graphic or fact box to guide shared decision-making.
true
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Fad diets can work, but experts find no magic slimming bullet.
Resolutions to lose weight are often made in January yet almost as frequently abandoned as heavy hopefuls find diets that demand fasting, virtually no carbs or liquid food shakes notoriously hard to stick to.
true
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Mike Morell testified and told Congress that the reason Obama has not bombed ISIS' oil fields is they're concerned about global warming.
"""Cruz said, """"Mike Morell testified and told Congress that the reason Obama has not bombed ISIS' oil fields is they're concerned about global warming."""" We found no instances of Morell testifying before Congress on this point. He did talk about Obama’s ISIS strategy on PBS, but Cruz misquotes what he said. Morell said U.S. military forces spared oil tankers and wells — not """"oil fields"""" — in order to avoid """"environmental damage."""" Preserving the environment for the local population is quite different from global warming, which no officials have brought up as a deterrent from bombing ISIS. The U.S. military has been striking oil assets but it has limited those strikes out of concern for civilian casualties, destroying the oil infrastructure and doing damage to the local environment. If climate change was the Obama administration’s top priority, experts said, it would make more sense to bomb the oil fields."""
false
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Britain’s young royals promote conversation on mental health.
Britain’s Prince William, his wife, Kate, and his brother Prince Harry are spearheading a campaign to encourage people to talk openly about mental health issues.
true
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People have died laughing.
Yet even if there may have been an occasional death from guffawing, it’s still possible merriment is far more healthy than harmful (at least for the ones who survive). Some studies assert laughing produces beneficial effects on physical health, including decreasing the secretion of serum cortisol (a stress hormone) and boosting the blood levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that fights bacterial and viral infections in the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. However, not everyone in the scientific community has jumped on this bandwagon: in a study reported upon in 2002 in Current Directions in Psychological Science (“Is Laughter the Best Medicine? Humor, Laughter, and Physical Health) researchers reported that the connection between humor and wellness was “less conclusive than commonly believed” and that “future research in this area needs to be more theoretically driven and methodologically rigorous.”
true
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Metaphorical Washington ‘swamp’ overrun by actual vermin.
Andre Pittman and Gregory Cornes are on a mission to rid Washington of opportunistic vermin.
true
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4 hepatitis A cases found in Denver; vaccinations stepped up.
Denver public health officials say four homeless people have been diagnosed with hepatitis A this year, so the city is stepping up free vaccinations.
true
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In April 2019, when the U.S. House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, the NRA opposed the move due to the addition of amendments that would lower the criminal threshold required to bar someone from buying a gun.
(10) who has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of stalking.
true
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"""President Trump lifted sanctions against Russia as a """"gift"""" to Putin."""
"""What's true: The United States Treasury announced an adjustment on sanctions against the FSB that would allow technology goods to be imported to Russian consumers. What's false: The move was a routine update to the Obama administration's sanctions meant to ease the effects on American companies, not a """"gift"""" to Putin."""
false
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Marijuana legalization could help offset opioid epidemic, studies find
Health professionals—from doctors to policy experts—are exploring strategies for controlling the opioid crisis gripping the U.S. Advocates for legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes have suggested that increased access to marijuana could curb opioid use. The two studies published in JAMA Internal Medicine discussed in this CNN article found that state legalization of medical marijuana was associated with a decrease in opioid prescriptions. But before it presented the data, the article led readers to believe the study findings “suggest that there is merit” in “using medical marijuana to help Americans struggling with opioid addiction,”—which is beyond what the studies could possibly show. The article took another misstep when it stated that the researchers analyzed opioid prescriptions to “evaluate whether medical marijuana could function as an effective and safe alternative to opioids.” The data the researchers looked at could not answer that question. These were not clinical trials comparing pain relief from marijuana with pain relief from opioids in patients who would typically be prescribed opioids. They were analyses of data on opioid prescriptions in Medicaid and Medicare databases. The researchers detail the limitations of their studies, as does a commentary published along with them. But only one limitation made it into the article: the caveat that the results may not be generalizable to the entire U.S. population because they only used data on patients enrolled in Medicare and Medicare Part D. The biggest limitation goes unmentioned: There was no way to know if anyone was actually choosing to use marijuana instead of opioids. The article addressed two hot button topics: opioid addiction and the legalization of marijuana. Ninety people in the U.S. die each day from an opioid overdose, and families and friends of individuals struggling with opioid addiction are searching for ways to help their loved ones. It’s easy to find anecdotal stories online from people who say marijuana helped curb their withdrawal symptoms, but whether marijuana helps people overcome opioid addiction or can be used instead of opioids to ease pain cannot be answered in studies such as these.
mixture
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“Queen Elizabeth tests positive for COVID-19.”
There are no credible reports Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19. Buckingham Palace recently said she remains in good health.
false
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Swedish PM tells Swedes to take responsibility in national address on coronavirus.
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in a rare live television address to the nation on Sunday evening called on all Swedes to play their part in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.
true
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Castoreum, a secretion produced by beavers, is commonly used as a food additive.
Castoreum does still have a significant market even today, but almost exclusively for the use of the perfume industry, not the food industry.
false
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New Study Shows Ketamine May Regenerate Brain Cells, Relieving Depression with Lasting Benefit
This news release cites findings from a physician’s “real world experience” in using the anesthesia drug ketamine for the treatment of depression, and promotes the Neuro-Luminence Ketamine Infusion Centers, which the study author  Dr. Theodore Henderson, co-founded. Acknowledged in the release as “controversial” and in direct opposition to the recommendations of the American Psychiatric Association, the use of ketamine can improve depression symptoms with six infusions or less, according to the release. The news release is thin on the kinds of facts we look for to support assertions about a drug’s safety and efficacy. It doesn’t address cost, benefit data or harms. It touts the putative benefits of a treatment that has not been approved by federal health authorities as either safe or effective, and it offers little evidence to support its use. It makes no mention of randomized trials in terms of real data–the only way one can tell if a treatment is really of benefit. Depression affects some 350 million people globally, according to the World Health Organization, and represents the leading cause of disability. Although effective treatments exist for depression, they do not always work. A new weapon in the armamentarium of health professionals might reduce the impact of depression, which can lead to suicide. Standard anti-depressant medication and therapy generally take a month or more to help, and it would be great to have something with a quicker onset on action as ketamine purportedly has.
false
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Fewer babies born with syphilis in Louisiana, more across US.
The number of babies born with syphilis in Louisiana fell 22% last year, while national numbers rose 40%.
true
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It's all about the roll when choosing running shoes.
Fitness experts have long advised clients choosing a running shoe to forget fashion and consider the roll or pronation - the way the foot leans inward upon impact.
true
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Joyce Beatty Says each year approximately 30,000 people in the United States die as a result of gunfire, and about 80,000 people are wounded.
Rep. Joyce Beatty says about 30,000 people die from gunfire each year in the U.S.
true
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Ex-day care worker charged in death of 6-month-old.
A former Vermont daycare provider was arrested Monday on suspicion of manslaughter and child cruelty charges in the death of a 6-month-old girl she was caring for in her Rutland home in January.
true
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Suicide is the cause of death for around 3,000 people per day
Suicide is the cause of death for around 2,000 people per day.
false
1379
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Confusion surrounds B12 deficiency
This is a story about testing for a deficiency in vitamin B12, which can cause serious problems. It can occur in individuals who are unable to absorb B12 from food (i.e. people with gastritis, people using medication to treat heartburn over a long period, or those who have had gastric bypass surgery) or those who do not consume any B12 in their diet (i.e. vegetarians). For a number of reasons, B12 deficiency is more common in the elderly. Levels of B12 can be determined using either blood or urine tests. Adequate B12 levels can usually be maintained through the diet or daily multivitamin use. B12 deficiency requires medical intervention and will involve either larger oral doses or injections of B12. However – while true B12 deficiency should be treated, there is not an unrecognized epidemic of B12 deficiency occurring. Many people with low B12 levels are healthy. While this article serves to remind people to be mindful about vitamin B12, its tone sounds an alarm that, for most, is unwarranted. In so doing, it is a classic case of journalistic disease-mongering. It hypes a vitamin deficiency as a state of disease. Most people who see a primary care physician with complaints such as those described would be diagnosed by a complete blood count (CBS) test as having vitamin B12 deficiency, followed by specific testing for B12 deficiency. The story singles out one testing facility and offers a phone number and website for that facility. It touts a newly-published book. The headline of the story was “Confusion surrounds B12 deficiency.” We’re not sure much of that confusion was cleared up by this story.
false
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78 percent of women reconsider having an abortion after seeing an ultrasound of their pregnancy.
Do 78 Percent of Women Considering Abortion ‘Choose Life’ After Seeing an Ultrasound?
false
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“The spot where they are ‘getting a sample’ for the COVID-19 test is called your Blood-Brain Barrier.”
The swabs used for COVID-19 tests collect samples from the nasopharynx. Doctors say the swabs do not go anywhere near the blood-brain barrier. There is also no evidence that getting a COVID-19 test could cause anything more serious than temporary irritation.
false
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"""U.S. President Donald Trump said """"hundreds"""" of governors are calling him amid the COVID-19 coronavorus pandemic."""
“So we could give you hundreds of clips like that from governors — including Democratic or ‘Democrat,’ as I call them, governors, which is actually the correct term. We could give you hundreds of clips just like that,” Trump said. “But we could have given you — you saw the statements. We have hundreds of statements. Hundreds of statements, including from Democrats and Democrat governors.”
false
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"""We have spent $350 million to deal with sea-level rise"""" in the Miami area and """"hundreds of millions of dollars to deal with coral reefs."""
"""Scott said during the CNN debate, """"We have spent $350 million to deal with sea-level rise"""" in the Miami area and """"hundreds of millions dollars to deal with coral reefs."""" The state has spent $100 million to help the Keys upgrade to a sewer system, which should improve water quality -- a benefit for coral reefs. Scott omits that it was under Crist that the Legislature passed a law paving the way for the money, and he's wrong to claim it's """"hundreds of millions."""" Scott’s office also pointed to a list of projects including flood mitigation, flood maps and beach protection -- and throws in the $100 million for the sewer project -- to make his claim about $350 million to deal with sea-level rise. While these include worthy projects, experts say they aren't directly related to addressing future sea-level rise. They’re typical projects for Florida, not new measures to address climate change."""
false
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Experimental TB Test Called Fast and Accurate
"""This was a one-sided and potentially misleading story about a rapid new diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB). The study discussed in the article assessed how accurate the new test was, but it couldn’t tell us whether the test improves treatment or leads to better health outcomes for TB patients. So when the story speculates in the headline that the new test has the """"potential to greatly improve treatment"""" of TB,  we think this gets things off to a shaky start. The story could have recovered by also telling us why the new test might not lead to better treatment of TB. Apart from an incomplete discussion of the cost of the new test, however, this issue was not explored. As a result of this and other shortcomings, this story tilts much too far toward optimism in an area where huge challenges remain to be addressed. Obtaining an accurate TB diagnosis can take weeks using laboratory cultures, and this delay is one of many factors that has made it difficult for us to contain the spread of this disease worldwide. A new diagnostic test that could give accurate results at the point of care would represent a critically important new tool in this fight. That’s what makes it all the more important to accurately describe both advances and setbacks in TB research."""
mixture
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FDA approves first drug to treat hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease
This news release from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces the agency’s recent approval of a new drug marketed as Nuplazid (pimavanserin) for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The release leaves several crucial questions unanswered. We’re not told how much the drug will cost or how significant is the improvement offered by Nuplazid over placebo. A recent article in Stat that summarized an FDA panel’s recommendation to approve the drug, which the FDA followed, found that “In the pivotal trial behind Acadia’s marketing application, Nuplazid showed only modest improvements over placebo, and was tested in a way that makes it difficult to compare against other treatments.” A public memo from the FDA on Nuplazid seems to suggest for about every two patients who are expected to benefit greatly from Nuplazid, another patient will suffer a significant side effect. The release provides very little quantitative information but spends a great deal of time explaining the many symptoms of PD. About 40 to 50 percent of PD patients experience some form of psychosis, ranging from mild hallucinations to severe paranoid delusions. Medications used to treat PD tremors are considered the top risk factor for developing psychosis. Other risk factors are advanced age and severity of the disease as well as cognitive decline. Because PD patients are at risk of developing new side effects with the addition of new drugs, any news of an improved anti-psychotic with fewer side effects would be welcome news. It’s unclear what the newly approved drug Nuplazid, supposedly developed specifically for PD psychosis, has over existing generic drugs used to reduce or manage psychotic symptoms.
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23 states widen challenge to Trump administration car rules.
California on Friday broadened its effort to block the Trump administration from ending its authority to set greenhouse gas emission and fuel economy standards for cars and trucks.
true
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This eRumor includes a series of pictures of what is says is the hand of a man who was bitten by a brown recluse spider.  It also claims that the brown recluse is the most dangerous spider in the U.S.
Pictures of a victim of brown reclusive spider bite
unproven
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Nearly $2 billion in cash was flown over to Iran, money that the Obama administration has admitted is being used for terrorists and to support further activities there.
Handel said the Obama administration admitted that nearly $2 billion flown to Iran is being used to fund terrorism and various supporting activities. She is more specific than the record supports. One way or another, the United States transferred $1.7 billion owed to Iran. As for what the administration admitted, Kerry said it was likely that some portion of any money Iran received would go to its top security organization and some of that money would end up advancing terrorism. Beyond that general statement, details are lacking.
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“Corona virus: Florida man arrested for robbery using cough as a weapon.”
This screenshot of “breaking news” is originally from a satirical news site. If you look closely, you’ll see a  news generator watermark in the top right corner, meaning the image was created.
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Intravenous drug users commonly clean their needles by sticking them into rolls of toilet paper in public bathrooms.
What's false: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Drug Abuse both said they are not aware of it being a common practice for intravenous drug users to clean needles by stabbing them into rolls of toilet paper. What's undetermined: Whether a photograph shows a roll of toilet paper that was used to clean a needle is unknown.
unproven
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Vegetarians gaining ground in carnivorous Argentina.
A fight is on over the Argentine identity, pitting a growing number of vegetarians and vegans against meat-eaters in a country known for its abundant beef, gaucho cowboys and sacred “asado” barbecues.
true
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Study: ADHD Diet Helps Reduce Symptoms
Within the body of the story, some nuggets of solid health information can be found, but they can’t outshine all the cheerleading for a diet that may prove, upon much needed further study, to be bad for kids. ADHD affects, by most estimates, 1 out of every 20 kids, and researchers are not certain what causes it or what aggravates it. As the HealthDay story on the same topic pointed out, there is controversy among researchers and clinicians about whether to put children on restrictive diets. Most parents would prefer not to treat their children with medications if possible, so dietary therapies that work are of great interest. This is one of only a few studies to take a randomized, controlled trial approach to studying dietary effects on ADHD, and, according to the Lancet, it is the largest trial to date. That makes the findings important, but, as experts in the field note in these stories, the findings demand more questions than they answer. The headline and first quote in this story suggests that children should be put on this diet immediately when, clearly, the amount of evidence supporting the diet is still too weak to justify a radical change in treatment.
false
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EU: Possible virus drug approval ‘before the summer’.
The European Medicines Agency predicted that there could be licensed drugs to treat the new coronavirus in the next few months and that a vaccine might even be approved in early 2021, in a “best-case scenario.”
true
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People with Type-A blood are more susceptible to COVID-19.
Tara Moriarty, an expert in infectious diseases and immunopathology with the University of Toronto, told us by email that the study provides “an interesting observation that may have an impact on how we identify those most at risk of disease, but until it has been fully peer-reviewed and confirmed/disconfirmed by additional studies, we cannot yet say if blood type affects susceptibility to COVID-19 infection.”
unproven
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Crowded, stretched world awaits 7 billionth baby.
The world’s 7 billionth person will be born into a population more aware than ever of the challenges of sustaining life on a crowded planet but no closer to a consensus about what to do about it.
true
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French coronavirus death toll tops 1,000, lockdown likely to be extended.
France became the fifth country to report more than 1,000 deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday and a government body dealing with the outbreak suggested the national lockdown imposed last week for an initial 15 days should last at least six weeks.
true
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Balloon-in-a-pill helped obese patients lose weight
Credit: FDA safety materials on Obalon This story about a balloon swallowed by people with obesity to help them diet and lose weight is more informative than the associated conference news release we also reviewed. The overall tone of the story balances the positive spin from a researcher with skeptical comments from independent sources. It alerts readers that this sort of medical conference presentation does not go through the peer review process that major journals use. However, the story should have noted that the research was sponsored by the company that makes the device. It could have done a better job pointing out that the main difference between this device and other intragastric balloons already on the market is that this one doesn’t require patients to be sedated during placement. The story also didn’t point out that this type of device could cause life-threatening complications, and that the fact none were reported in this trial could be because fewer than 200 participants received the balloons. Patients want help comparing treatment options. Rather than highlighting results of a trial that merely compared this new weight loss balloon to a placebo, this story could have made more clear that there is no evidence yet that this device is any better or worse than similar products already on the market. It also could have helped readers by explaining that these results need to be weighed against intensive behavioral weight loss programs (like the LookAHEAD trial, where one-year outcomes were better than balloon).
true
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Doctors have performed the first successful human head transplant.
Dr. Canavero’s plans for effecting a human head transplant on a live patient are still in the future; no such transplant has been undertaken (successfully or otherwise) in the meanwhile. The article about the South African transplant was a just a hoax from the News Examiner, a fake news site.
false
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Mike Pence said that if abortion were allowed in cases of rape, then women would try to get raped in order to have abortions.
Newslo and its companion sites most commonly publish articles containing one paragraph of straightforward news and a balance of false information. Prior efforts from the outlets included reports Chris Christie said a female version of Viagra would lead to increased “lesbianism” (and voted down a gender pay parity bill for Biblical reasons), an Alabama politician proposed saliva-based “hunger tests” for food stamp recipients, Ted Cruz said the death of Antonin Scalia was suspiciously timed, and Pat Robertson claimed David Bowie was still alive after his death.
false
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Vaccinations offered amid hepatitis worries in Franklin Co.
Health officials in eastern Missouri’s Franklin County plan mass hepatitis A vaccinations Friday and Saturday after another outbreak of the contagious liver infection.
true
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Muscle Relaxant May Ease Fibromyalgia Pain
The strong criticism of an independent source should have been front and center, with the promotional statements of the drug company president and researcher pushed lower down. The story includes many of the details we want to see in stories about medical research, and the independent source provided a powerful counterweight to the drug company president, but the overall presentation makes the trial results to be far more conclusive than they actually appear to be. After many decades, the fibromyalgia syndrome is still somewhat of a mystery. The cause of the syndrome is not known and the available treatments are a bit less than desirable. In addition to the pain and increased sensitivity to pain, many sufferers have poor sleep. Cyclobenzaprine has been studied at higher doses with some improvement in pain and sleep but that improvement comes at a high cost in terms of side effects. A trial looking at lower doses aimed at improving sleep makes sense. However a trial with a total of 36 patients and limited success is of questionable value to the reader.
mixture
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St. Patrick led the genocide of a contingent of Twa 'pygmies' from Central Africa, who were the original inhabitants of Ireland.
We also put the theory to Dáibhí Ó’Cróinín, professor of history at the National University of Ireland in Galway, and the author of a history of early medieval Ireland. His emailed response was unequivocal: “Complete nonsense,” he wrote.
false