Daily Archives: June 24, 2021

Thursday, 24 June 2021, 9:59 amPress Release: Life Centre Trust

Increasing numbers of Kiwis are following a global trendtowards alternative therapies in recent years, according tonew data.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)is an umbrella term describing a diverse range of healthsystems, modalities, and practices that are not generallyconsidered part of conventional medicine. In New Zealand, itis estimated that there are around 70 CAM modalitiesavailable.[1]

NewGoogle search data shows local searches for alternativemedicine information were up as high as 108% last year,compared to 2019 levels. The data also shows there was acorresponding increase in searches related to anxiety overthe same period.[2]

Arecent study by Otago University researchers found growingacceptance of CAM among NZs healthcare professionals witharound 25% of GPs practising some form of CAM, and 82%referring patients to CAM practitioners.[3]

Localcomplementary therapy providers have also reported a surgein interest in CAM modalities from Kiwis struggling - inline with a global trend.

The growth in demand hasseen the opening of one of New Zealands largest wellbeingcentres - with hundreds of CAM patients set tobenefit.

The Life Centre will operate from tworefurbished inner city Auckland buildings covering 680sqmfrom later this month. Fifteen CAM practitioners will offerover 20 therapies - ranging from Ayurvedic massage tohomeopathy, kinesiology, counselling, naturopathy andReiki.

Director Adonia Wylie says The Life Centremission is to empower clients to embrace a vision of wholehealth and well-being.

In recent yearscomplementary and alternative medicine has begun to shed itswoo-woo image and is becoming increasingly moremainstream as the concept of holistic healthcare is betterunderstood.

We know that people turn tocomplementary therapies for a range of reasons including;their value of the emphasis on treating the whole person, abelief that complementary therapy will be more effective fortheir issue, and a belief that complementary treatments willenable them to take a more active part in maintaining theirown well-being.

What we have seen with the pandemicis a global surge in the levels of anxiety and stressrelated conditions and international studies which haveexplored the role of CAM in treating various psychologicalsymptoms, she says.[4]

Thecentre will be supported by a charitable trust funded by alegacy left by businessman and philanthropist Ashton Wylie.The Life Centre is also an educational facility, with roomsfor hire for workshops such as meditation, yoga andbreathwork.

For more information, visit thelifecentre.nz

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SAN FRANCISCO, June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ProSomnus Sleep Technologies, the leading Oral Appliance Therapy medical device for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), today announced their plan to support patients affected by the Philips Respironics Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (Bi-Level PAP) and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) recall.

ProSomnus oral appliances are a relevant treatment alternative for patients with sleep apnea. ProSomnus devices are uniquely made from a medical grade, low porosity, biocompatible, hygienic material. Numerous studies have shown that precision Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) is a proven, effective treatment option that should be considered for adult patients who are intolerant of CPAP therapy or prefer alternate therapy. OAT can be used to treat all levels of OSA severity and has been proven to reduce AHI and improve OSA co-morbidities, such as blood pressure, fatigue and fatigue-related accidents and cardiovascular mortality. ProSomnus is offering the following programs to helpaffected patients get into effective, safe and comfortable therapy;

Find a Qualified ProviderProSomnus offers sleep professionals two links to make it easy to refer patients to experienced, qualified, dental sleep medicine providers in their areas. The first is ProSomnusDentists.comthe second is AADSM.org.

Expedited Production/CapacityProSomnus has a scalable rapid, seven-day, production schedule to get patients into therapy faster. Capacity can be expanded easily to accommodate this crisis. The American Academies of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) recommend custom, titratable, oral appliance therapy devices fitted by qualified dentists, and not do-it-yourself mouthguards. Prescription oral appliance therapy devices are made-to-order, which historically took several weeks. ProSomnus uses a unique manufacturing process that speeds up the process and is more precise.

Extended WarrantyProSomnus standard three-year warranty, fewer interventions and excellent efficacy, adherence and effectiveness, make it a robust and cost-effective solution for the medical insurance reimbursement payer and patients.

Recent ProSomnus StudiesA recent IRB study published at the AASM meeting, demonstrated 96% strongly prefer ProSomnus EVO over their previous predicate devices and PAP therapy. Other recent poster abstracts at the AASM and AADSM showed excellent AHI improvements, less dose and fewer side effects and treatment interruptions using ProSomnus devices.

"The objective is to help sleep physicians and dental sleep providers to get affected patients back into safe, comfortable and effective therapy," stated Len Liptak, CEO of ProSomnus. "It is understandable that many affected patients may prefer non-CPAP alternatives. We want the sleep medicine community to know that ProSomnus is a partner they can trust for oral appliance therapy."

"Because of the current limited availability of machines and a complex payment structure for replacing them, ProSomnus OSA Therapy is an exceptional solution,"stated Sleep Physician Edward T. Sall, MD, DDS, MBA. "This California medical device manufacturer can scale their artificial intelligent design and robotic manufacturing. This includes a best-in-class 7-day manufacturing timeframe even though each appliance is custom made. My recent AASM poster abstract also demonstrates the efficacy and effectiveness of these devices for mild moderate and select severe patients."

"The AASM and AADSM joint guidelines on the treatment of OSA along with recently published posters at the AASM and AADSM annual meetings clearly demonstrates the efficacy, adherence, and effectiveness of ProSomnus oral appliances as an alternative to PAP therapy,"commented Mark T. Murphy, DDS, DABDSM. "Never has there been a better time to utilize this valuable alternative solution to enhance the lives of so many affected by this recall. Treating physicians should engage ProSomnus qualified providers to quickly solve this crisis."

Additional Resources:Philips Recall NotificationAASM Guidance in Response to Philips RecallAADSM OAT Fact SheetAADSM OAT Patient Info

Related Files

AASM_OAT Prime Time_Sall.pdf

AASM_Preference Study EVO_Murphy.pdf

Related Images

prosomnus-evo-sleep-and-snore.jpg ProSomnus EVO Sleep and Snore Device ProSomnus EVO, for preferred OSA therapy. ProSomnus EVO is the first OAT device to incorporate advanced materials, manufacturing robotics and artificial intelligence to advance the treatment of OSA.

SOURCE ProSomnus Sleep Technologies

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ProSomnus Sleep Technologies Effective Sleep Apnea Treatment Alternative to PAP Therapy - PRNewswire

Herbs are a group of plants whose leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds are used for various purposes.

If you love to cook, you may be most familiar with using herbs as cooking ingredients. Interestingly, humans have also used them for healthcare, spiritual rituals, and more for thousands of years (1, 2).

Traditionally, some herbs have even been used to balance hormone levels. Although rigorous research on the topic is limited, some evidence suggests that certain herbs could influence hormone levels in your body, as well as other related functions of the endocrine system.

Still, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction when it comes to using herbs for medical or health reasons.

Thats why weve sifted through the science and put together this list of 5 herbs, all of which have evidence to support some of their hormone-balancing claims.

The safest and most effective ways to use herbs to balance hormone levels remain uncertain. At times, misinformation surrounding herbal medicine and nutrition makes it hard to know which claims about herbs are valid and backed by evidence.

Certain herbal remedies may be safe for some, yet dangerous for others. People who are pregnant, breastfeeding, using hormone therapy, living with endocrine or mental health disorders, or have cancer may be particularly at risk of experiencing dangerous side effects.

Hormones are chemical messengers that help your cells communicate and trigger various actions. Theyre the bedrock of your bodys endocrine system, which regulates growth, reproduction, metabolism, temperature, and even your mood.

Hormones and the endocrine system keep your body in a balanced state of homeostasis. Therefore, having a hormonal imbalance too little or too much of a certain hormone can have harmful side effects.

Oxidative stress, infertility, and endocrine disorders like thyroid disease are just a few conditions that can result from hormonal imbalances (3, 4, 5, 6).

Women undergo natural changes to their hormone levels at certain times throughout their lifecycle, notably during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.

Similarly, men may experience signs of hormonal imbalances during puberty or as they age, though often at a slower and less noticeable rate than women.

Some women may be interested in herbal hormone balancers during certain times in their lives like puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Other people might consider using herbs to balance their hormones for reasons related to health and aging.

Nigella sativa is also known as kalonji or fennel flower. Its flowers produce tiny black antioxidant-rich seeds. These seeds have medicinal properties, as they contain thymoquinone a type of phytonutrient, or plant compound (7, 8).

Researchers are investigating nigella seeds protective and therapeutic effects in those living with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a disorder associated with abnormal hormone levels, among other symptoms, in women of reproductive age (9, 10, 11).

In animal studies, nigella seed extracts have helped regulate insulin, testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and thyroid hormone levels, among others (10, 11, 12, 13).

Whats more, Nigella sativa extract exhibits estrogenic activity, meaning it acts similarly to the hormone estrogen in your body (14).

In fact, some studies in rats are exploring whether nigella seed extracts could be an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during menopause, a time when the body typically produces less estrogen than it used to (14).

Concentrated Nigella sativa supplements are becoming increasingly popular and sometimes marketed as black seed or black cumin seed. Whole nigella seeds have an herby aroma and are easy to add to bread, salads, and other dishes (15, 16).

Still, keep in mind that most studies on nigella seeds and hormones were conducted in animals and used concentrated extracts or isolated thymoquinone. Thus, while using whole seeds in cooking can be healthy and delicious, it may not confer the same benefits.

Concentrated nigella seed extracts contain a plant compound called thymoquinone. Early research, mainly in animals, suggests that thymoquinone could act like estrogen in your body and possibly offer symptom relief during menopause.

Ashwagandha, also known as winter cherry, Indian ginseng, or Withania somnifera, is an evergreen shrub from the nightshade family. Its highly regarded in herbal medicine, with many ashwagandha supplements, teas, and root powders widely available.

This adaptogen is thought to help your body overcome stress by moderating the brains hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis produces and releases multiple hormones including cortisol that initiate your bodys response to stress (17).

Cortisol helps you get through stressful and event-filled days. However, according to human and rat studies, a chronic imbalance of the hormone might cause endocrine disorders like Addisons disease and Cushings syndrome (3, 18, 19).

One 2019 study in 60 adults who took 125300 mg of ashwagandha root extract twice daily for 8 weeks resulted in less stress, better sleep, and lower blood cortisol levels compared with a placebo group. A similarly designed 2012 study observed similar results (20, 21).

Ashwagandha may also affect other hormones. For example, researchers are exploring how it alters insulin levels, reproductive hormones, and more (22, 23, 24, 25).

An 8-week 2018 study in adults with elevated levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is produced by your pituitary gland and used to assess thyroid conditions, found that taking 600 mg of concentrated ashwagandha extract daily improved TSH levels (26, 27).

On the other hand, some studies have found conflicting results when it comes to ashwagandhas health benefits.

People have also reported side effects from ashwagandha supplements during clinical trials, and ashwagandha may be unsafe for those who are pregnant and breastfeeding, as well as people with autoimmune diseases or thyroid disorders (27, 28, 29, 30).

Ultimately, additional larger studies in humans are needed on the topic.

By supporting pathways in the brain that are responsible for producing and administrating hormones in your body, ashwagandha might help normalize blood levels of cortisol and thyroid hormones. However, more research is warranted.

Black cohosh comes from the same family of plants as Nigella sativa commonly called the crowfoot or buttercup family. You may also have heard black cohosh called bugbane or rattleweed (31).

Its a popular supplement made from the ground roots of the black cohosh plant. Its typically taken as a capsule, an extract, or tea (32, 33).

The herb is believed to draw its medicinal value from compounds called triterpene glycosides, although its unclear how many of these are present in black cohosh supplements (34, 35, 36).

Both historically and currently, black cohosh has been and is used to support womens health issues like menstrual irregularities, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and symptoms of menopause (31, 34, 37, 38).

Like Nigella sativa, black cohosh might act as a phytoestrogen a plant substance that acts similarly to the hormone estrogen when ingested in large doses. Still, whether black cohosh is a true phytoestrogen or works by other mechanisms remains unknown (35, 38, 39).

A few studies have found black cohosh to relieve symptoms of menopause more effectively than a placebo or no treatment at all (39, 40, 41, 42, 43).

Nevertheless, more rigorous studies in humans are needed, especially since there have been reports of adverse and even severe side effects from black cohosh. Thus, its best to consult a doctor before using the herb (44, 45, 46, 47).

The estrogen-like effects of black cohosh supplements make the herb another candidate for supporting womens reproductive health and treating side effects of menopause.

Chasteberry is another common herbal supplement thats commonly available in extract or capsule form.

Its often combined with other herbs like black cohosh and marketed as a remedy to treat symptoms of menopause and support womens reproductive health (48).

Chasteberries are the fruit of the Vitex agnus tree, which is also called chaste tree, monks pepper, or vitex.

The berries contain diterpenoid compounds, which may be responsible for this supplements potential effects on hormones like prolactin and the neurotransmitter dopamine (49, 50, 51).

Multiple literature reviews have found that chasteberry might lower levels of prolactin in the blood. Elevated levels of this hormone are often associated with PMS. The supplement may also treat certain symptoms of PMS like breast pain (51, 52, 53).

Other studies have looked at the herbs ability to relieve menopausal symptoms and help treat infertility issues and PCOS (51, 52, 55).

Though it appears that chasteberry could help balance certain hormones like prolactin, many scientists agree that further research in humans is needed to make any conclusions about its effectiveness (56, 57).

Chasteberry might work as a hormone balancer by targeting the hormone prolactin. By lowering how much prolactin is in the blood, the herb could help treat symptoms of PMS.

Marjoram and other types of herbal shrubs of the Origanum genus, such as oregano, have been used in traditional medicine for various ailments (58, 59, 60).

The herb contains bioactive plant compounds like flavonoids and phenolic acids, both of which are likely partially responsible for its medicinal properties (58, 60).

Early research on marjoram in humans and animals has evaluated how it could reduce stress and help people with PCOS (61).

For example, a recent study found that rats induced with PCOS had improved levels of estradiol a hormone produced by the ovaries after being treated with marjoram extract (62).

Also, one small human study had people with PCOS drink marjoram tea twice daily for 1 month. Compared with the placebo treatment, marjoram tea was linked to significant reductions in fasting insulin hormone levels, which could indicate improved blood sugar management (63).

However, its too early to say how marjoram is best used as an herbal supplement to improve hormonal imbalances. Plus, some scientists warn that theres a lack of research on the safety of the long-term or intensive use of hormone-altering herbs (64, 65).

Marjoram appears to influence cortisol, estradiol, and insulin. Though the herb has been used for many years, scientists are just now learning the safest and most effective ways to use it.

Medicinal herbs are just one of many treatment options for hormonal imbalances.

Herbs may be best used for balancing hormones when paired with other evidence-based therapies.

The best treatment options for you depend on the cause of the imbalance, your lifestyle factors, and more. As such, its best to discuss options with your doctor or healthcare provider before taking medicinal herbs or starting any type of hormone therapy.

The following is an overview of how to balance your hormones:

Herbal remedies are not the only way to balance your hormones. In fact, there are many natural ways to keep your hormones in check, such as enjoying a nutritious diet, getting regular sleep and exercise, and managing your stress levels.

Hormone levels in the human body are constantly changing. There are hundreds of reasons why they fluctuate daily, and to some extent, those ups and downs are necessary. Nonetheless, long-term hormone imbalances might affect your health.

Using herbal remedies is one of many natural ways to address such changes in blood hormone levels. The five herbs discussed in this article each have the potential to help balance your hormone levels.

Still, given that altering your hormone levels can be dangerous, talk to a healthcare professional before taking any herbs or medications for this purpose.

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5 Impressive Herbs That Help Balance your Hormones - Healthline

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive autoimmune disease that can affect the hip joint. It can cause pain, stiffness, and restricted movement in one or both hips.

A person may experience hip pain on both sides of the body.

In this article, we look at how RA affects the hip. We also discuss its causes and symptoms and outline treatment options for managing the condition.

RA is a type of inflammatory arthritis, which occurs when an overactive immune system attacks healthy tissue in the body.

The hip joint consists of a ball and socket. The acetabulum, which is part of the pelvis bone, forms the socket. The femoral head, which is the top part of the thighbone, forms the ball.

A tissue called articular cartilage covers the surfaces of the ball and socket. This cartilage provides a smooth, slippery surface to allow the bones to move easily.

The hip joint also has a thin, protective covering called synovium. The synovium releases a lubricating fluid that allows better movement.

In people with RA, the synovium does not function properly. It becomes thicker and swollen and produces substances that attack the articular cartilage surrounding the hip joint.

RA usually affects smaller joints in the body to start with, such as in the hands and feet. As the condition progresses, it can spread to one or both hips.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), people may experience RA symptoms in both hips. This is because RA typically affects the same joint on both sides of the body.

Symptoms of RA in the hip include:

Symptoms of RA may come and go. The Arthritis Foundation (AF) notes that joint pain or stiffness that lasts for 6 weeks or more and joint stiffness in the morning that lasts for 30 minutes or more may be a sign of RA.

RA can also affect other areas of the body. People may experience dull, aching pain in the:

People can also experience more general symptoms, including:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is another type of arthritis that can develop in the hip.

OA is the most common type of arthritis and occurs when the cartilage around the hip wears down. This causes the bones to rub together, creating uncomfortable symptoms and restricted movement.

OA leads to pain and stiffness in the hip and can cause difficulty walking. Other symptoms of OA that differ from those of RA include:

Experts are currently still unsure why the body attacks healthy tissue and causes RA.

Researchers believe genetic factors could play a role in the development of RA. People with the condition may have genes that respond to environmental triggers, such as viruses, bacteria, or stress.

The AF notes that a person is more likely to develop RA if they have a family member with the condition. It also seems to affect females more often. However, there is no known reason for this.

People can discuss a treatment plan with a healthcare professional. A combination of treatments may be the most effective at managing RA symptoms.

Medication may help manage pain and reduce inflammation in the body.

A doctor may recommend:

If RA does not respond to other treatments, people may require surgery. There are two main types of surgery for treating RA of the hip:

During total hip replacement, a surgeon will remove the damaged cartilage and bone of the hip joint. They will then use a metal or plastic joint to replace the ball-and-socket joint.

Total hip replacement surgery can help alleviate pain and increase the range of motion of the hip joint.

Synovectomy involves removing all or part of the synovium. The procedure may be suitable for people with RA that has only damaged the joint lining, rather than progressed to the cartilage and bone.

Physical therapy may help increase freedom of movement and the range of motion in the hips.

Specific exercises may also help strengthen the muscles surrounding the hip, which in turn supports the hip joint.

Learn more about exercises for RA pain here.

Alternative treatment options include:

People may want to try acupuncture or acupressure to address their RA symptoms.

Acupuncture involves inserting small needles into specific points of the body to relieve pain.

Acupressure is a similar technique, but it uses firm pressure rather than needles to target specific points in the body.

People may find that massage helps relax muscles and reduce pain, stress, and anxiety.

Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and meditation, may help relax the body and lower stress.

People can also take time to do activities they enjoy to relieve stress and support emotional well-being.

Certain supplements such as omega-3 and curcumin, which is a compound present in turmeric may help relieve pain and morning stiffness.

People should consult a healthcare professional to check whether it is safe for them to take a supplement.

Some traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal remedies may help slow the progression of RA:

It is important to note that research into herbal medicine is limited. Moreover, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health states that high quality studies on TCM herbal products are lacking.

It also states that a person should consult a healthcare professional before using any TCM remedy, especially if they:

The following home remedies may help people manage RA symptoms and relieve pain:

Doctors may use the following to diagnose RA:

Symptoms of RA may affect areas of the body other than the hips and legs.

Other symptoms in the body can include:

RA can also cause inflammation of the heart and blood vessels, which can damage the heart muscle, nerves, and organs. People with RA may also have a low red blood cell count.

People can speak with a doctor if they have unexplained hip pain or any other symptoms of RA. An early and accurate diagnosis can help in providing effective treatment for the condition.

A doctor may refer people to a rheumatologist, who is a doctor specializing in inflammatory conditions developing in the joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles.

RA causes inflammation of the hip joint. It can result in pain, stiffness, and difficulty with movement.

A combination of treatment options, including medication, home remedies, and alternative treatments, may help manage symptoms and relieve pain.

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Rheumatoid arthritis in the hip: Symptoms and management - Medical News Today

Some time ago, a furious debate erupted across the United States: Do people have the right to promote, prescribe, and use an unproven drug for a serious illness? Many asked an attendant question: Was there a vast and sinister conspiracy to keep that drugs stunning efficacy hidden from the American public?

The product was called laetrile. It was derived from apricot pits, and throughout the 1970s it was championed by a small but extremely loud group of people as a suppressed and miraculous cancer cure. It was not, as it turned out, a cure at all: Laetrile, also known as Vitamin B17, showed little to no anti-cancer activity in a large National Cancer Institute study, and multiple studies also warned that taking too much of it could lead to cyanide poisoning. Still, thousands of Americans, including actor Steve McQueen, flocked to clinics in Mexico for treatment before the FDA declared the product illegal in 1980. Since then, its made several comebacks online, each time marked by a chorus of people claiming that its real effectiveness has been deliberately concealed by unscrupulous medical Powers that Be.

Because everything old is always made exhaustingly new again, during the COVID-19 pandemic the same pattern pioneered by laetrile advocates has played out several times. The first anti-COVID drug to be held out as a secret miracle cure was hydroxychloroquine, boosted by world leaders like Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro. Now, increasingly, its the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin, which can be used to treat some skin conditions and is widely used in veterinary medicine.

Both the NIH and the European Medicines Agency say that ivermectin shouldnt be used for COVID-19 treatment outside of ongoing clinical trials, the results of which have been muddled, and not quite the definitive positive result that advocates have hoped for. (As the NIH puts it, Some clinical studies showed no benefits or worsening of disease after ivermectin use, whereas others reported shorter time to resolution of disease manifestations that were attributed to COVID-19,greater reduction in inflammatory marker levels, shorter time to viral clearance,or lower mortality rates in patients who received ivermectin than in patients who received comparator drugs or placebo.) Instead, the studies thus far point, as clinical trials often do, to the need for further research. A January study from Spain, for instance, found that patients receiving a single dose of ivermectin within 72 hours of fever or cough onset saw no difference in the proportion of positive PCR tests. But the patients did self-report a reduced inability to smell, and what the study authors called a reduction of cough and a tendency to lower viral loads and lower IgG titers which warrants assessment in larger trials. A large meta-analysis that was just published, meanwhile, found that ivermectin could help reduce symptoms when begun early, and when people have only mild cases of COVID-19. Oxford University recently announced that it will be studying ivermectin as part of a very large clinical trial (the largest in the world, actually) that looks at a variety of COVID treatments.

Ivermectin advocates have made much of countries like Peru that began recommending ivermectin as a treatment for its hospitalized patients. In fact, though, Perus Ministry of Health approved ivermectin as a drug for treating COVID-19 in May of 2020; in October of that year, the countrys health minister announced it and other unproven drugs wouldnt be used on hospitalized patients anymore, based on evidence that they simply didnt work. A recent double-blind randomized study in Cali, Colombia found that ivermectin, used among adults with mild cases of COVID-19, did not significantly improve the time to resolution of symptoms.

In a strange new development, though, the old claims about an effective cure being suppressed by secretive and sinister forces are rising again. Some of the loudest voices now promoting ivermectinor, more neutrally, asking why they aren't allowed to ask questions about itare part of, or allied to, the broader ecosystem of intensely contrarian public figures who sometimes refer to themselves as the Intellectual Dark Web, which broadly assails Silicon Valley as censorious even as prominent members are closely tied to Silicon Valley elites. (Bret Weinstein, for example, an IDW figure near the center of the current controversy, is the brother of Eric Weinstein, managing director of famed investor Peter Thiel's Thiel Capital and not only himself a prominent IDW member but one credited with having coined the term.)

The IDW has seized on ivermectin as a front in what it claims to be an ongoing war over free speech, with members and fellow travelers enthusiastically promoting poorly-designed studies, bad science, and strange half-truths while questioning why anyone would have anything against their doing so. In many ways, and seemingly without quite knowing what theyre doing or with any sense of the history of these kinds of claims, theyre following, nearly step-by-step, the patterns laid out for them by the laetrile-peddlers of the past.

The foremost medical promoter of ivermectin at the moment is an outfit calling itself the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, or FLCCC, which claims to have developed a highly effective COVID-19 treatment involving the drug. (The FLCCC also claims ivermectin can be used to treat long-haul COVID-19 symptoms.) As MedPage Today pointed out, these claims have been greeted with intense skepticism by clinicians and medical ethicists. In a lengthy and withering critique published on the blog Science-Based Medicine, Dr. David Gorski poked holes the size of Mack trucks in studies that FLCCC supporters are using to claim that the drug is effective as a COVID-19 treatment including the large meta-analysis that found ivermectin could reduce symptoms when begun early. Gorski pointed out that it comes from authors associated with the BIRD Group, a pro-ivermectin advocacy group that appears to me to be very similar to the FLCCC. (One of the authors on the paper, Dr. Tess Lawrie, is a founder of the BIRD Group and, as Gorski wrote, has spoken warmly of Korys work. ) Lawrie also created a GoFundMe to raise money for costs associated with the BIRD Groups work, which was titled Help us get a lifesaving drug approved for COVID-19.

Ivermectin is the new hydroxychloroquine, Gorski concluded. Its been promoted the same way and by the same people. The same conspiracy theories have sprung up around it as the scientific evidence supporting its use is weak at best, negative at worst. (Gorski noted that ivmmeta.com, a website promoting ivermectin data, looks suspiciously similar to hcqmeta.com, one promoting hydroxychloroquine data. These sites do appear to be intimately related; ivmmeta.com resolves to the same IP address as hcqmeta.com as well as c19legacy.com and hcqlost.com, websites promoting hydroxychloroquine and claiming to count the deaths caused by doctors not using hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat COVID-19. All of these sites refer physicians to the FLCCC for treatment protocols.)

Despite studies showing, so far, that ivermectin is at best a mediocre treatment for COVID-19, despite a specific FDA warning against the use of ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment, and despite the fact that clinical study is ongoing, the FLCCC and its co-founder Dr. Pierre Kory, a pulmonary and critical care specialist, have become the darlings of members of the IDW, who claim that ivermectin is effective and that inquiry into it is being stifled. (Kory wasnt previously a well-known public figure; during the pandemic, however, hes emerged as a champion of unproven off-label uses for a variety of drugs to treat COVID-19. The New York Times reported in August of 2020 that he is among a group of doctors who disseminated a protocol for treating Covid-19 that includes anticoagulants and steroids but also other treatments including Pepcid and intravenous vitamin C. Kory didnt respond to a request for comment from Motherboard submitted through the FLCCC.)

The locus of the ivermectin/IDW crossover appears to be the DarkHorse podcast, hosted by Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying. The two are a married couple who both taught biology at Evergreen State College and both famously resigned in 2017 during an unholy controversy over the schools annual Day of Absence. (During the longstanding event, held yearly, students of color left campus to talk about race and equity; when organizers asked white students to leave campus instead during the 2017 event, Weinstein objected. After he said he received threats, he declared it was unsafe for him to be on campus and sued Evergreen, ultimately receiving a $500,000 settlement.)

After their resignations, Weinstein and Heying entered the opinion business full-time and with both feet. They began promoting ivermectin this spring, and interviewed Kory on their podcast in early June. Kory claimed that public health bodies are ignoring the potential uses of ivermectin in the fight against COVID-19, perhaps deliberately. Striking the same conspiratorial tone that often arises in conjunction with flimsy medical claims, he speculated that a World Health Organization committee was told they cant come out of that room with a recommendation for ivermectin. Kory and Weinstein both agreed that COVID-19 vaccines are being promoted at the expense of other treatments, seemingly for the benefit of the same sinister Theys whom, they imply, control the WHO and other health agencies. Another podcast featured Weinstein literally taking ivermectin on air. We are not going to make any recommendations as to what you should do, Weinstein said, shortly before downing the drug. And we are not going to say anything conclusive about what the data say, because the data are not themselves conclusive. However, it doesnt mean the data dont imply things.

Weinstein went on to add that neither he nor Heying had been vaccinated because we have fears, as we have discussed at length on this podcast, and that given the apparent effectiveness at ivermectin in preventing COVID, he felt that taking ivermectin would be appropriate for him as a prophylactic. Cost-benefit for me, it makes sense. Heying compared it to taking anti-malarial drugs, but declined to take it on air when Weinstein did.

In response to questions from Motherboard, Heying said via email that the couple first began examining ivermectin in detail this spring.

In the first part of May, both Bret and I, independently and then together, began reading a variety of scientific papers about the potential efficacy of ivermectin both as prophylactic against and treatment for COVID-19, she told Motherboard. They mentioned Kory in the episode, she added, but we did not know much of his work at that point. Since then, he has flown to Portland (where we live), the three of us have spent time together, and he has been on the DarkHorse podcast with Bret as host."

Heying said that she and Weinstein arent following any particular experts, phrasing that Motherboard used to ask her who the couple views as reputable scientific sources. [W]e are not 'following' any particular experts; that isnt what scientists are supposed to do, she wrote. We have been and continue to read the scientific literature as it emerges. The one exception to this is with regard to the protocol for using ivermectin as a prophylactic against COVID-19, which is listed on the website for the FrontLine COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), an organization of doctors of which Dr. Kory is a leading figure.

After the episode where Weinstein took the drug live aired, Heying added in her email, their entire family soon began taking ivermectin as a preventative against COVID. All four of usBret and Heather, and our two sons, 17 and 15 years oldare taking ivermectin as prophylactic against COVID-19, using the protocol outlined on the FLCCCs site. None of us have had any noticeable side effects. (The FDA recommends against using ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID, and says overdose could cause serious health issues, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension, allergic reactions, dizziness, ataxia, seizures, coma, and death.) She also said that the couple have still not been vaccinated, adding, There is substantial emerging evidence that the COVID vaccines are not as safe as they have been publicized to be. (COVID-19 vaccines are believed to be overwhelmingly safe and effective, adverse events are being closely monitored, and COVID cases worldwide are plummeting in places where high percentages of the population are vaccinated.)

Weinstein and Heying now say that theyre being threatened with a YouTube ban for having discussed the drug.

They were able to further amplify those claims in an interview Weinstein did with longtime Rolling Stone journalist and current Substack personality Matt Taibbi, who decried YouTubes current policy on discussing ivermectin, which holds that videos can be removed for encouraging people to use the drug to treat COVID-19. (YouTube is making the FDAs current position a mandatory element of any public discussion, Taibbi wrote.) Taibbi also interviewed Pierre Kory, who told him that he thought YouTube was inappropriately moderating scientific discussions: You have these ideas about the need to censor hate speech, calls for violence, and falsity, Kory told Taibbi, and theyve put science on the same shelf. (Taibbi couldnt be reached for comment.)

Heying told Motherboard, YouTube has taken down several videos from both channels, but has only delivered one strike to each channel. Three strikes and youre outyou lose the channel permanently (although the strikes expire after 90 days, so the less pithy saying should really be: 3 strikes within 90 days and youre out).

Inevitably, Joe Rogan is also involved. He said in a conversation with the comedian Dave Smith in April that hed been listening to Weinstein and Heying. (In the same, widely-criticized episode, Smith and Rogan also agreed that COVID vaccines werent necessary for everyone and that encouragement to get them constituted mere virtue signaling. Rogan added, If youre like 21 years old and you say to me, Should I get vaccinated? Ill go, no. Rogan later walked back those comments, calling himself a fucking moron.) More recently, Rogan hosted both Weinstein and Kory on the first-ever "emergency" episode of his podcast, where Kory said that when ivermectin was tested on monkey kidney cells in a lab test, the virus was essentially eradicated. (Wired published an interesting article in 2020 about whether Vero cells, the monkey kidney cells often used by virologists in research, are the right choice; Vero cell results often cant be replicated, for instance, in human lung cells.)

The overall point of Rogans conversation with Kory and Weinstein was to make the case that a promising treatment is being suppressed by the pharmaceutical industry. You have a drug thats good enough to end the pandemic at any point you wanted, Weinstein said, at one point. Who decides to prioritize business interests ahead of that? I find it hard to imagine. He speculated that the pharmaceutical industry has corrupted the system of approving new drugs and that because theres no profit to be made from ivermectin for that industry, it is being ignored or smothered.

No one, Kory added is going to fund [pharmaceutical trials] around ivermectin. No one, he said, is championing ivermectin except for my little group of non-profit doctors and their allies around the world.

Finally, the cause has also been taken up by former New York Times opinion editor and current Substack personality Bari Weisswriter of the Times story that named and defined the IDWwho, as is her wont, responded with an even more thundering level of alarmist metaphor. How have we gotten to the point where having conversations about important scientific and medical subjects requires such a high level of personal risk? she wrote. How have we accepted a reality in which Big Tech can carry out the digital equivalent of book burnings? And why is it that so few people are speaking up against the status quo? (Its unclear what, in this strained metaphor, would constitute the book-burning in question.)

What goes undiscussed here, of course, is that Big Tech isnt suppressing scienceas outlined above, ivermectin is being vigorously studied across the worldbut is, rather, moderating promotion of and advocacy for an as-yet unproven cure for a serious disease. The alternative herethat YouTube, if it doesn't bar advocacy for the use of potentially dangerous drugs in potentially dangerous ways, will become a haven for the promotion of unproven and at times outright dangerous quack cures, in the same way that it was previously a haven for Sandy Hook and Holocaust denialism and other rather pernicious forms of misinformation including bleach drinkinggoes undiscussed. Taibbi sees Weinstein and Heyings predicament as symbolic of the broader metamorphosis of the internet, which has, he writes, become "a giant unaccountable bureaucracy for suppressing dialogue, run by people with an authoritarian vision for information flow. He also speculates that ivermectin discussion is being suppressed because its reputation worldwide as a populist treatment, a medicine taken by people not waiting for official validation, has made it a target of censors and pundits alike.

Its true that even lacking solid evidence of its effectiveness, ivermectin has become a populist treatment, of sorts, in that its being used en masse in developing countries where people are desperate for any weapon in the fight against COVID-19. In Latin America, both hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin have come into widespread use; ivermectin has also been recommended in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and South Africa, where black-market tablets are selling for astronomical prices. But in many places, surging demand is matched by a terrifying lack of evidence. Some of these countries began recommending ivermectin based on the findings of a preprint from an Illinois-based company called Surgisphere. But Surgispheres data proved to be catastrophically unreliable, and two high-profile studies relying on information drawn from its patient database were retracted. (A now-removed preprint of one of the companys earlier studies, which linked the antiparasitic medicine ivermectin to better survival in COVID-19 patients, was used by national and regional governments in Latin America to help justify including the drug in clinical guidelines for disease treatment and prevention, The Scientist wrote in October 2020, decisions that have not been reversed since the paper disappeared.")

What seems to really be at work here, in the end, is a political battle, not a medical one. The laetrile wars of the 1970s also launched whats known as the health freedom movementa libertarian-tinged social tendency that holds Americans should have unrestricted access to alternative treatmentsinto the spotlight. (The National Health Federation was first founded in 1955, and the first thing its founder promoted were radionics, devices whose promoters claim to treat serious illnesses with electromagnetic waves. The NHF was also intensely involved in the battle over laetrile.) In the same way, the promoters of ivermectin have been embraced not just by the IDW, but by conservative lawmakers. In December of last year, Kory testified at the U.S. Senates Homeland Security Hearing on Covid-19 Treatments, at the invitation of Republican Senator Ron Johnson, who praised his bravery. Kory called ivermectin "miraculous"; he reportedly resigned from the University of Wisconsin not long after doing so, and subsequently resigned from the job he got after that at Aurora St. Luke's, saying "the hospital wanted to limit his freedom to speak."

It's a familiar set of claims, amounting to an assertion that being given the broadest possible platform is the same as being silenced, and that one's theories being tested is the same as them having been suppressed. While Big Tech continues to issue a confused, belated, and at times contradictory response to the problem of people using its platforms to promote health quackery, Weinstein, Heying, Taibbi, and Weiss have positioned themselves as the vanguards of intellectual freedom by, in their ways, buttressing these claims. In fact, and without, perhaps, even realizing it, theyve acted as foot soldiers for something entirely commonplace: a politicized and pseudoscientific response to a deadly disease.

For her part, Heying told Motherboard, My position is that science is being suppressed, and that authorities who claim the mantle of science are deciding what can and cannot be discussed and studied. This is in fact anti-scientific (I had a piece on this in Areo recently: What If Were Wrong?). Furthermore, 'fact-checkers' are shutting down actual scientistsstanding in for scientists when we need is free and open scientific inquiry (I have a piece on that coming out next Tuesday).

She is, she added, thrilled that Oxford has made this announcement to include ivermectin in a large clinical trial. Two months ago there was almost no movement on the issue. That was before Bret or I were talking about it. We have helped shine a light on it for sure. The FLCCC and, in England, the BIRD group, have been trying to do so since last year. Many other independent scientists and doctors have also been trying to do so. In some other countries, there seems to be less resistance to discussing ivermectin. I very much hope that we are seeing a sea-change in our own country now.

This article has been updated to further expand on and clarify the nature of the meta-analysis authored by BIRD Group-affiliated author Dr. Tess Lawrie.

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Why Is the Intellectual Dark Web Suddenly Hyping an Unproven COVID Treatment? - VICE