Holiday medical beliefs may not be believable

William Atkins
Saturday, 20 December 2008 00:56

Science - Health

Their conclusions to all of these six medical myths/beliefs: “Examining common medical myths reminds us to be aware of when evidence supports our advice, and when we operate based on unexamined beliefs."

"This was not a systematic review of either the evidence to refute these medical myths or of doctors’ beliefs. None the less, we applied rigorous search methods to compile data, and evidence of the prevalence of these medical beliefs is readily available."

"Only by investigation, discussion, and debate can we reveal the existence of such myths and move the field of medicine forward.”

Dr. Carroll also concludes with this bit of advice: "With the Internet today, it's easier to find good information but it's also just as easy to find bad [information].

He also adds, "Doctors spend a lot of time simply doing things they've been told to do or things they've learned in the past." [CNN Health]

In other words, even though your grandmother, your family doctor, and the local expert-on-everything tells you something is a fact ... they may be wrong.

Additional information is found in the ScienceDaily.com article "Medical Myths For The Holiday Season: True, False Or Unproven?"