Gary Schwitzer
@garyschw.bsky.social
Health care journalist for 50 years, now retired except for his Substack. Published HealthNewsReview.org for 16 years. Helping people improve their critical thinking about health care.
“Promising” Alzheimer’s trial not so promising anymore. Takeaway lessons for people who follow research news. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/promising-...
November 26, 2025 at 12:04 PM
“Promising” Alzheimer’s trial not so promising anymore. Takeaway lessons for people who follow research news. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/promising-...
This guy is now #2 at CDC. He supports OTC ivermectin, was slow reacting to worst whooping cough outbreak in 3 decades, believes vaccines cause autism. Nothing but the best. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Louisiana health official who halted state vaccine campaign tapped as CDC’s No. 2
Ralph Abraham has been appointed as the CDC’s principal deputy director.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:18 PM
This guy is now #2 at CDC. He supports OTC ivermectin, was slow reacting to worst whooping cough outbreak in 3 decades, believes vaccines cause autism. Nothing but the best. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
I have seen many miserably confused people this Fall. www.statnews.com/2025/11/24/h...
Everyone picked a health plan, everyone’s miserable
Did you have fun with open enrollment? @bobjherman asks in this week's Health Care Inc. newsletter.
www.statnews.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I have seen many miserably confused people this Fall. www.statnews.com/2025/11/24/h...
The lowdown on Low T claims. More than what you’d get from ads, social media or podcasts. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/the-lowdow...
November 25, 2025 at 3:19 PM
The lowdown on Low T claims. More than what you’d get from ads, social media or podcasts. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/the-lowdow...
Halfway humanitarianism. In a move that prompted criticism, the U.S. will not contribute any doses to South Africa, even though it has the world’s highest HIV burden with about 8 million HIV-positive people, or 1 in 5 adults. www.statnews.com/pharmalot/20...
Trump administration touts moves to provide HIV prevention drug, but refuses to include South Africa
The US has started to provide doses of a Gilead HIV prevention drug to low-income countries, but the program will not include South Africa, officials said.
www.statnews.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Halfway humanitarianism. In a move that prompted criticism, the U.S. will not contribute any doses to South Africa, even though it has the world’s highest HIV burden with about 8 million HIV-positive people, or 1 in 5 adults. www.statnews.com/pharmalot/20...
“TikTok is flooded with factually incomplete warnings that contraceptives cause cancer and are as dangerous as smoking. Reproductive health advocates warn that studies like this can easily be taken out of context online and be reduced to a single alarming number.” kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Breast Cancer and Birth Control: A Huge New Study Shows How Science Can Be Distorted - KFF Health News
The study sought to answer questions about how breast cancer risk differs by type of hormonal contraceptive. Doctors say the results won’t change how they counsel patients.
kffhealthnews.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:20 PM
“TikTok is flooded with factually incomplete warnings that contraceptives cause cancer and are as dangerous as smoking. Reproductive health advocates warn that studies like this can easily be taken out of context online and be reduced to a single alarming number.” kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
“What he does is say the opposite of what’s true, over and over again, and no one does anything about it,” said Paul Offit, MD. “If people stand back and let this happen, it’s only going to get worse.” www.statnews.com/2025/11/18/r...
How RFK Jr., America's celebrity health secretary, is steamrolling science
RFK Jr. is plowing ahead with sweeping changes to U.S. health care that have thrilled supporters, purged opponents, and horrified critics.
www.statnews.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:06 PM
“What he does is say the opposite of what’s true, over and over again, and no one does anything about it,” said Paul Offit, MD. “If people stand back and let this happen, it’s only going to get worse.” www.statnews.com/2025/11/18/r...
How problems with misuse and adverse effects with anti-anxiety drugs were not emphasized when The White Lotus featured lorazepam use and in TikTok & Instagram posts on lexapro. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/lorazepam-...
November 18, 2025 at 1:59 PM
How problems with misuse and adverse effects with anti-anxiety drugs were not emphasized when The White Lotus featured lorazepam use and in TikTok & Instagram posts on lexapro. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/lorazepam-...
This week marks one year of publishing my Substack newsletter - helping people improve their critical thinking about health care. See top 5 most-read articles. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
One year anniversary of this newsletter
Thanks for your interest and for staying with me. Much more to come in the year ahead.
open.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:23 PM
This week marks one year of publishing my Substack newsletter - helping people improve their critical thinking about health care. See top 5 most-read articles. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
November 15, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Health benefits of chocolate….for mice. Latest example in seemingly endless junk news chocoholic infatuation with weak or non-existent evidence. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/mice-and-c...
Mice & chocolate...and misleading claims
Journalists should not be stenographers hyping chocolate based on weak or non-existent evidence.
garyschwitzer.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Health benefits of chocolate….for mice. Latest example in seemingly endless junk news chocoholic infatuation with weak or non-existent evidence. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/mice-and-c...
FDA’s announcement on banning black box warnings for estrogen was dominated by hyperbole, distortions, exaggerations & unfounded claims. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/fdas-menop...
November 12, 2025 at 12:20 PM
FDA’s announcement on banning black box warnings for estrogen was dominated by hyperbole, distortions, exaggerations & unfounded claims. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/fdas-menop...
From STAT News' morning newsletter: www.statnews.com/2025/11/10/h...
New research finds no link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism, despite Trump's claims
And other health stories from the Morning Rounds newsletter
www.statnews.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:22 PM
From STAT News' morning newsletter: www.statnews.com/2025/11/10/h...
The seamier side of the FDA. Questions about who benefits most from some agency decisions: political favors or public health? garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/the-seamie...?
November 10, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The seamier side of the FDA. Questions about who benefits most from some agency decisions: political favors or public health? garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/the-seamie...?
Behind-the-scenes ugliness in the competitive GLP-1 drug market. Lawsuits, dogfight over market dominance, pay-per-click advertising. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/ugliness-i...
Ugliness in the competitive GLP-1 drug market
A couple of recent stories by STAT News pull back the curtain on some of the behind-the-scenes shenanigans by drug companies competing over the seemingly boundless GLP-1 market.
garyschwitzer.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Behind-the-scenes ugliness in the competitive GLP-1 drug market. Lawsuits, dogfight over market dominance, pay-per-click advertising. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/ugliness-i...
Big Boost for Big Myth: New Report Pushing Debunked Vaccine-Autism Link Gets Millions of Views on X open.substack.com/pub/newsguar...
Claim Dismissed as ‘Mountain of Garbage’ Links Vaccines to Autism
NewsGuard spoke to experts who dismissed a widely-promoted new report claiming to link vaccines to autism as based on misinterpreted data
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Big Boost for Big Myth: New Report Pushing Debunked Vaccine-Autism Link Gets Millions of Views on X open.substack.com/pub/newsguar...
“An agency beset by all kinds of tumult in recent months. Observers characterized the spate of dismissals, policy reversals & controversies in all kinds of ways: Soap opera. Unpredictable. In total disarray. And, potentially, unprincipled.” www.statnews.com/2025/11/04/f...
Experts worry FDA’s credibility is being shredded by scandal and 'soap opera'
Experts worry that the FDA’s credibility is being shredded by scandal and "soap opera."
www.statnews.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:26 PM
“An agency beset by all kinds of tumult in recent months. Observers characterized the spate of dismissals, policy reversals & controversies in all kinds of ways: Soap opera. Unpredictable. In total disarray. And, potentially, unprincipled.” www.statnews.com/2025/11/04/f...
Many are asking “Where’s the advantage in Medicare Advantage plans?” in this open enrollment period, as premiums & quality questions rise, while access/choice and pace of enrollment drops. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/red-flags-...
Red flags rising for Medicare Advantage plans
Open enrollment time opens new questions about the supposed "advantage"
garyschwitzer.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Many are asking “Where’s the advantage in Medicare Advantage plans?” in this open enrollment period, as premiums & quality questions rise, while access/choice and pace of enrollment drops. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/red-flags-...
A leading candidate for the worst Surgeon General nominee ever. www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/five-healt...
Five Health Hoaxes Pushed by Trump’s Surgeon General Nominee
Casey Means, Trump’s pick for Surgeon General, has advanced five provably false health claims since 2024, including that vaccines cause autism
www.newsguardrealitycheck.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:58 AM
A leading candidate for the worst Surgeon General nominee ever. www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/five-healt...
A Surgeon Gen. nominee who gets $$$ from firms selling herbal remedies, algae/fiber/basil seed supplements, probiotics, phytonutrients, prenatal vitamins & hubby has tobacco investments!!! www.statnews.com/2025/09/16/c...
Surgeon general nominee Casey Means discloses financial ties to supplement industry
Surgeon general nominee Casey Means earned hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting supplements, per new financial disclosure statements.
www.statnews.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:19 AM
A Surgeon Gen. nominee who gets $$$ from firms selling herbal remedies, algae/fiber/basil seed supplements, probiotics, phytonutrients, prenatal vitamins & hubby has tobacco investments!!! www.statnews.com/2025/09/16/c...
The FDA already has all the info needed to fill drug facts boxes - the same evidence that companies provide when they apply for drug approval. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | ‘Dancing patients’ aren’t the biggest problem with drug ads
Let’s create a nutrition facts box for prescription medications.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 17, 2025 at 12:23 PM
The FDA already has all the info needed to fill drug facts boxes - the same evidence that companies provide when they apply for drug approval. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
“The alliance, spanning states where roughly 1 in 3 Americans live, underscores the increasing fragmentation of a public health system that has been upended by HHS Secretary RFK Jr.” www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Democratic governors form state public health alliance to counter RFK Jr.
The Governors Public Health Alliance would counter federal health agencies under President Donald Trump as an independent hub to monitor diseases and prepare for emergencies.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 16, 2025 at 3:54 PM
“The alliance, spanning states where roughly 1 in 3 Americans live, underscores the increasing fragmentation of a public health system that has been upended by HHS Secretary RFK Jr.” www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
“While many foundations say that their commitment to science journalism will continue, there is a feeling of apprehension among some reporters and editorial leaders.” undark.org/2025/10/15/s...
Will Science Journalism Funders Step Up or Retreat?
Amid Trump-era funding turmoil, foundations are finding themselves pulled in many directions to fill in the gaps.
undark.org
October 16, 2025 at 3:23 PM
“While many foundations say that their commitment to science journalism will continue, there is a feeling of apprehension among some reporters and editorial leaders.” undark.org/2025/10/15/s...
Let’s stop referring to “the media.” It is inaccurate. There is no such monolith - no such homogeneous entity. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/lets-stop-...
October 15, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Let’s stop referring to “the media.” It is inaccurate. There is no such monolith - no such homogeneous entity. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/lets-stop-...