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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 6h

Disappointing to see Joe Wicks fearmongering about ultra-processed foods. Aside from fact that data on UPFs is inherently confounded & often reflects things like poverty (an actual killer), this reel by Joshua Hill explains why such nonsense is so deeply harmful
www.instagram.com/reel/DPUGquB...

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Reposted by Dr David Robert Grimes

Jack El-Hai @jackelhai.bsky.social · 7h

"Widespread and on the rise."

Today's article pick from Damn History, a free monthly newsletter for readers/writers of #popularhistory. Congrats to writer @drg.bsky.social!

Read/subscribe to Damn History: damn-history-16d93f.beehiiv.com/subscribe

www.bbc.com/future/artic...

The strange history of the anti-vaccine movement

Vaccine scepticism may seem like a new, growing movement. It’s probably a lot older than you think.

www.bbc.com

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 1d

Do not mistake this as benign - breaking up MMR into separate shots is inherently antivaccine, as it promotes myth of "vaccine overload" & makes it much more unlikely people will get their children vaccinated. Also, single vaccines aren't available in USA!
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Acting CDC director calls to 'break up' the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three shots

Individual vaccines for each virus aren't available in the U.S., and no published scientific evidence shows a benefit to separating the combined vaccine.

www.nbcnews.com

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 1d

Ha, that reminds me - I've built a shiny app you might like that does something fun with retracted papers, I'll DM you..

Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 1d

It appears this is the complainant, too - a naturopath into craniosacral therapy..

www.stowefamilywellness.com/atara-jaffe-...

Atara Jaffe, ND

Atara Jaffe is a Naturopathic physician licensed in Vermont and Washington state. Her philosophy to medicine is a patient-centered approach, where provider and patient work as a partnership to...

www.stowefamilywellness.com

Reposted by Dr David Robert Grimes

Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

Asked lots about this piece on Chronic Lyme disease, and disappointed in the @guardian (a publication I both subscribe and contribute to) for running it. Short thread explaining the multitude of problems with it, and why I consider it irresponsible to run as is..🧵

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

And before anyone says "well pitch your own piece!" the reality is that outlets like the @theguardian.com (and many others) are less and less receptive to freelance pitches, Correctives are highly unlikely to see the light of day, and never get the clicks of offending article either 🤷‍♂️

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

Since the piece went live, I've got a steady stream of worried people asking about it -I wish outlets would stop this kind of harmful journalism. In medical science, we need factchecking and expertise more than ever, not unhelpfully credulous pieces which elevate pseudoscience..

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

One response it is just a human interest story, but this doesn't negate responsibility of @theguardian.com to check things. As I wrote in The Irrational Ape, Andrew Wakefield's mendacious linking of autism to MMR vaccine only got traction in UK media due to such irresponsible credulity!

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

This is all well-known, written about by excellent people from @davidcolquhoun.bsky.social to @drjengunter.bsky.social and @drandrealove.bsky.social - why did the @theguardian.com run without modicum of fact-checking? UK doctors on reddit pretty annoyed about it too
www.reddit.com/r/doctorsUK/...

From the doctorsUK community on Reddit: Chronic Lyme disease story in the Guardian

Explore this post and more from the doctorsUK community

www.reddit.com

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

CLD isn't alone in this respect - there's many dubious conditions for which charlatans push expensive therapies; Adrenal Fatigue, Toxic Mould, Electromagnetic hypersensitivity. While patients might find label comforting, false diagnosis exploits them and may delay real treatment..

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

The major problem with the piece is that the author cites fringe figures and positions uncritically, whilst utterly ignoring the reasons why mainstream medical evidence doesn't support existence of CLD, nor the cottage industry of dubious tests and treatments offered at high cost..

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

Same doctor recommended test in a German lab, which author accepts uncritically. But basic check would reveal such "labs" are infamous for offering tests "confirming" a CLD diagnosis, despite (a) dubious diagnosis and (b) test having no clinical validation journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

An Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Spot Assay Measuring Borrelia burgdorferi B31-Specific Interferon Gamma-Secreting T Cells Cannot Discriminate Active Lyme Neuroborreliosis from Past Lyme Borreliosis: a ...

ABSTRACT Two-tier serology testing is most frequently used for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis (LB); however, a positive result is no proof of active disease. To establish a diagnosis of active LB, ...

journals.asm.org

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

The piece has these red-flags without any scepticism. For instance, unhappy with NHS, author sought 2nd opinion from a doctor whose work is presented in glowing terms. Doesn't mention potential vested interest that same doctor charges £399 for online consultations on (fringe) CLD

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

And while medical opinion does not support existence of CLD, 1000s of alternative healers & self-described "Lyme literate physicians" prescribe (at high cost) dubious treatments & tests for it: hell, I wrote about this in @theguardian.com 9 years ago! www.theguardian.com/science/blog...

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

..with people desperate for answers, Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD) often blamed with scant evidence. The problem? While Lyme disease is real, testable, & eminently treatable, there's no evidence that CLD exists, plenty it doesn't, as @gorskon.bsky.social writes
sciencebasedmedicine.org/fake-diagnos...

Chronic Lyme disease: Fake diagnosis, not fake disease

Believe it or not, an encounter on Twitter actually changed Dr. Gorski's mind. Chronic Lyme disease is a fake diagnosis, not a fake disease.

sciencebasedmedicine.org

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

First, suffering of author's daughter is not in question - ME/CFS is a poorly understood condition, often associated with viral infections (think long COVID). It is severely debilitating, search for answers understandable. But some answers are false, exploitative, even harmful..

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

Asked lots about this piece on Chronic Lyme disease, and disappointed in the @guardian (a publication I both subscribe and contribute to) for running it. Short thread explaining the multitude of problems with it, and why I consider it irresponsible to run as is..🧵

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Reposted by Dr David Robert Grimes

Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 8d

If you're a clinician or researcher in Ireland feeling a little overwhelmed by statistics, join myself & @cathalwalsh.bsky.social on 11th October in SJH for a 6-credit CPD Essential Medical Statistics, where we'll demystify things together. Tickets here!

www.eventbrite.ie/e/essential-...

Essential Medical Statistics and Evidence Appraisal

Learn how to interpret and apply essential medical statistics and evidence in a practical and engaging way at our upcoming event!

www.eventbrite.ie

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

Yup - easier to jam things into one's pre-conceived mental filing cabinet and ignore bits that clearly don't fit than to concede that one's underlying filing system may be wrong and to revise it. Confirmation bias is a hell of a drug.

Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

It's pretty insane on the face of it alright!

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

..not linking to it as it's garbage, but man alive, can people please learn the difference between conservative and reactionary and stop letting the latter cosplay as the former?

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 2d

Given the values espoused by Farage are chiefly racism and mendacity, I suppose it takes a particular kind of bravery to write a piece in a national newspaper this asinine...

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 6d

We just looked at another report in this report on glyphosate which is fatally flawed. Given editors time to respond, but they haven't yet, so we'll preprint it soon. Spoiler: It's bad. And I have theories on how it gets in...

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Dr David Robert Grimes @drg.bsky.social · 6d

This is my problem too. I find it very difficult to look past the pro-Russian talking points + Wallace / Daly. Also, anyone who had even done minimal diligence on GOD in 2018 would have realised she was already spouting dangerous nonsense, ignored because of "anti-corruption" framing..