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MED NEWS |
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Media Medical News (quality of)
From quackwatch.org, the best duck shooter on the web.
THE MEDIA IS A TERRIBLE SOURCE FOR MEDICAL INFORMATION. They are about profits and ratings. Below
is a typical example which resulted in a response the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist to the misinformation. The
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has complained to CBS about its promotion of Steven Hotze, M.D. Last
month, on The Early Show, Hotze stated that (a) hypothyroidism is a very common cause of fatigue, particularly in
women older than 50, (b) hypothyroidism is diagnosed more accurately by analyzing the patient's symptoms than by doing blood
tests (c) the best medicine for treating hypothyroidism is desiccated thyroid, and (d) misdiagnosis and mistreatment of hypothyroid
patients by doctors is very common. All of these statements are false. The letter below was sent by AACE president Bill Law,
Jr., to an Early Show executive producer. In July 2005, the Houston Press published a lengthy investigative
report on Hotze's activities. Mr. Michael Bass Dear Mr. Bass, On behalf of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), I am writing to express our extreme
concern and disappointment with the unchallenged and scientifically erroneous comments offered to your viewing audience by
Dr. Steven Hotze during his appearance on the September 19 The Early Show and the effect that this information may have on the health of patients with
thyroid disorders. Clinical endocrinologists are specialists in the care and evaluation of patients with hormonal disorders
such as thyroid disease and diabetes. AACE is the largest professional medical organization of clinical endocrinologists in
the Many of Dr. Hotze's claims about the incidence and development of
an underactive thyroid condition, commonly referred to as hypothyroidism, were completely erroneous and unsubstantiated, and
are readily refuted by a large body of solid scientific evidence. Several examples follow: 1) There is no evidence whatsoever that supports Dr. Hotze's statement "by the time a woman is 50 years old,
her thyroid function will decrease by 50 percent, causing her to feel exhausted, depressed and wondering how she's going to
make it through her day. But the thyroid lab tests may read normal." 2) He opined incorrectly that thyroid malfunction is caused by changes in thyroid-binding globulin (TBG). 3) Treating patients with ANY type of thyroid hormone solely because they have symptoms that are commonly associated
with hypothyroidism is potentially hazardous. Such symptoms are also very common in the general population, most of who do
NOT have hypothyroidism and will NOT experience any sustained improvement in their symptoms with thyroid hormone therapy.
A scientifically-based diagnosis of hypothyroidism must be made before initiating therapy. Inappropriate thyroid hormone treatment
with ANY preparation can lead to thin bones, known as osteoporosis, and cause potentially life-threatening abnormalities of
the heart rhythm. Furthermore, when a serious condition such as malignancy or depression is the basis for the patients' symptoms,
a delayed diagnosis while waiting to see the effects of treating an unsubstantiated diagnosis of hypothyroidism may lead to
preventable suffering and even death. 4) Animal-derived desiccated thyroid, which Dr Hotze endorses and describes as "natural," is not a natural form
of thyroid replacement for humans at all. It is an obsolete product obtained from ground-up cattle and pig thyroid glands.
The chemical composition is quite variable, since only the iodine content is measured, and the amount of biologically active
thyroid hormones in each tablet is not quantified. This makes it extremely difficult for even a trained specialist to properly
adjust the dose to fit each patient's needs. Dr. Hotze's broad-based allegation that physicians' first line approach to their patient's complaints is to
use an antidepressant is insulting to hundreds of thousands of qualified, caring, and thoughtful American physicians. It would
be unfortunate and potentially harmful if any of your viewers chose to avoid proper medical attention because of it. It was truly astonishing and puzzling that Ms. Syler, an educated professional journalist on a national television'
program, would not challenge the validity of Dr. Hotze's statements in any fashion. His self-serving performance amounted
to a thinly veiled infomercial for his practice and book, and the fact that it was permitted, and even invited, does not reflect
well on your network. AACE believes strongly that the national forum CBS provided to Dr. Hotze was a great disservice to your viewers, particularly
those seeking and needing scientifically substantiated medical advice on the treatment of hypothyroidism. AACE would be happy
to provide legitimate professionally-recognized medical experts to appear on CBS to discuss thyroid and other hormonal disorders
in the future. In the meantime, we encourage you to view AACE's guidelines on thyroid disorders at www.aace.com. We look forward to hearing from you. Respectfully, Bill Law Jr., MD, FACE, FACP AACE is a professional medical organization with more
than 5,200 members in the This article was posted on |
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