Flu vaccine statistics don’t add up

 November 15, 2011

A study recently published in The Lancet (thelancet.com/journals) reveals that flu shots only prevent influenza in 1.5 out of every 100 adults. Tao those who are familiar with vaccine literature, this comes as no surprise. What is interesting, however, is that the  Centres for Disease Control​ and the corporate media are interpreting the study as proof that flu vaccines are 60 per cent effective. So let’s examine the study to see how this spin transpired.

This was a meta analysis, meaning that the researchers used data from 28 previously published random controlled trials between 1967 and 2011. The control group, n=13,095, consisted of non-vaccinated adults who were monitored to see if they got confirmed influenza. Over 97 per cent of them did not. Only 357 got flu which means that 2.73 per cent of these adults got the flu in the first place.

The treatment group comprised adults who were vaccinated with a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine. According to the study, 1.18 per cent got the flu.

The difference between these two groups (2.73 – 1.18) is 1.5 people out of 100. In other words, the flu vaccine did nothing for 98.5 per cent of adults in the studies.

So where did the media get 60 per cent effective? It’s called lying with statistics. First you take the 2.73 per cent in the control group who got flu and you divide that figure into the 1.18 per cent of the treatment group who got the flu. This gives you 0.43.

You then say that 0.43 is 43 per cent of 2.73 and claim that the vaccine results in a 57 per cent decrease in flu infections. This becomes the 60 per cent effectiveness claim.

Now even if you don’t understand statistics, common sense will tell you comparing 2.73 per cent non-vaccinated who got the flu with 1.8 per cent vaccinated who got the flu, shows very little difference.......

J.L. Craig, BSN, Ph.D

Compare this risk to an article published recently in the L.A. Times:

Drug deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities in U.S., data show

Propelled by an increase in prescription narcotic overdoses, drug deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities in the United States, a Times analysis of government data has found.

Drugs exceeded motor vehicle accidents as a cause of death in 2009, killing at least 37,485 people nationwide, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 Mark Hyman, MD

 

  

How Dietary Supplements Reduce Health Care Costs

Posted: 7/10/10 12:00 PM ET

The Lewin Group looked only at rigorous scientific studies that documented the benefits of nutritional supplements. They used the Congressional Budget Office's accounting methods to determine the economic impact of supplements. And they kept their analysis specifically to Medicare patients and women of childbearing age.

Today I will review the Lewin Group's research, explain the remarkable conclusions they came to, and outline the supplements I recommend you take every day if you want to optimize your health and possible reduce health care costs in the process.

Reviewing the Research: Supplements Have Dramatic Health Benefits

Although nutritional therapies can help a broad range of illnesses, the group only looked at four supplements and disease combinations because of the rigor and validity of the scientific evidence available for these nutrients and diseases.

While there are many other beneficial nutritional therapies that have been proven helpful in studies, the ones in this particular study are only those that are unquestionable, beyond scientific doubt, well-accepted, and proven to help. Yet they are also under-used and not generally recommended by healthcare providers. The study looked at:

1. Calcium and vitamin D and their effect on osteoporosis
2. Folic acid and its ability to prevent birth defects
3. Omega-3 fatty acids and their benefits for heart disease
4. Lutein and zeaxanthin and their benefit in preventing major age-related blindness, or macular degeneration

In this study, the researchers were extremely strict and only looked at nutrient interventions that met three criteria.

1. The supplement had to produce a measurable physiological effect.
2. This physiological effect had to create a change in health status.
3. The researchers only looked at health problems where a change in health status is associated with a decrease in healthcare expenditures.

Now, most of us hear the refrain from our physicians that nutritional supplements just produce expensive urine, that you do not know what you are getting, or that there is no scientific proof to support their claims. Based on this study and many others like it, my advice to these doctors is to do their scientific homework. Let's start by looking at the effects of calcium and vitamin D.

First, I want to point out the vitamin D research referred to in The Lewin Group study is older research. Newer research, as I discussed in my vitamin D blog, suggests that higher doses of vitamin D3, such as 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day, have even greater benefit.

Yet even by focusing only on the older research, this study's authors determined that providing Medicare-age citizens with 1,200 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D would result in reduced bone loss and fewer hip fractures. The researchers estimated these supplements could prevent more than 776,000 hospitalizations for hip fractures over five years and save $16.1 billion.

Next let's look at omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent cardiac arrhythmias, improve cell membrane function, reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and have many other benefits.

The Lewin Group found that giving the Medicare population about 1,800 mg of omega-3 fats a day would prevent 374,000 hospitalizations from heart disease over five years. The Medicare savings from reduced hospital and physician expenses would be $3.2 billion.

This is pretty convincing data, but it doesn't stop there. The Lewin Group also analyzed the economic effects of lutein and zeaxanthin--carotenoids that are found in yellow and orange vegetables. I recommend taking them in combination with the hundreds of other carotenoids found in yellow and orange foods.

Taken as supplements, these have been shown to treat macular degeneration, which is the loss of central vision, a major reason people over age 65 require nursing home care. The study found that taking 6 to 10 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin daily would help 190,000 individuals avoid dependent care and would result in $3.6 billion in savings over five years.

Lastly the Lewin Group looked at the effects of taking folic acid. 44 million women of childbearing age are not taking folic acid. If only 11.3 million of them began taking just 400 mcg of folic acid on a daily basis before conception, we could prevent birth defects called neural tube defects in 600 babies and save $344,700,000 in lifetime healthcare costs for these children. Over 5 years, this would account for $1.4 billion in savings.

Taken together, these four simple interventions, which cost pennies a day, could produce a combined savings of $24 billion over five years. This does not even include benefits to people younger than 65 or any of the other benefits of nutritional supplementation, such as improved immunity, cognitive function, and mood.

The Lewin Group's study is intriguing. The economic impact of investing a few pennies a day in nutritional supplements is compelling. But what's downright frightening is that studies by the US Department of Health and Human Services prove that the typical American diet does not always provide a sufficient level of vitamins and minerals -- meaning we are at greater risk for conditions like those outlined above.

Because of our consumption of low-nutrient, high-calorie foods that are highly processed, hybridized, genetically modified, shipped long distances, and grown in nutrient-depleted soils, many of us are nutritionally depleted.

In fact, a whopping 92 percent of us are deficient in one or more nutrients at the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) level, which is the minimum amount necessary to prevent deficiency diseases like rickets or scurvy -- diseases that are the result of not getting enough vitamins and minerals. The RDA standards do not necessarily outline the amount needed for optimal health.

What's more, our government's nutrient guidelines ignore the fact that many Americans, because of genetic variations and unique needs, may need higher doses of vitamins and minerals than the RDA. Vitamin deficiency does not cause acute diseases such as scurvy or rickets, but they do cause what have been called "long-latency deficiency diseases." These include conditions like blindness, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, and more.

What all this adds up to is clear. Nutritional supplements do not just make expensive urine. Based on mounting evidence and confirmed by the Journal of the American Medical Association (ii) and The New England Journal of Medicine (iii), I strongly believe that we should all be taking certain basic supplements.

Supplements You Should Take Every Day

Here are the supplements I recommend for everyone:

1. A high-quality multivitamin and mineral. The multivitamin should contain mixed carotenoids, which include lutein and zeaxanthin as part of their mix, as well as at least 400 mcg of folate and a mixed B-complex vitamin.
2. Calcium-magnesium with at least 600 mg of calcium and 400 mg of magnesium. The calcium should be calcium citrate or chelated versions of minerals. Do not use calcium carbonate or magnesium oxide, which are cheap minerals that are poorly absorbed.
3. Vitamin D3, 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day (people who are deficient in vitamin D will need more).
4. Omega-3 fatty acids that contain the fats EPA and DHA, 1,000 to 2,000 mg a day.

The cost is low, the benefit is high, and the risk is non-existent for these nutritional supplements. Not only will you feel better, have better immune function, and improve your energy and brain function, but you will also prevent many problems down the road. So, eat a healthy diet -- and take your nutritional supplements every day. It is essential for lifelong vibrant health.

Now I'd like to hear from you...

What supplements do you take every day?

How does your doctor feel about nutritional supplements?

Which of these nutrients do you typically get from your diet?

Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

References

(i) The Lewin Group. (2006). An evidence-based study of the role of dietary supplements in helping seniors maintain their independence. Prepared for: The Dietary Supplement Education Alliance.

(ii) Fairfield K.M., and R.H. Fletcher. (2002). Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: Scientific review. Journal of the American Medical Association. 287:3116-3126.

(iii) Willett W.C., and M.J. Stampfer. (2002). What vitamins should I be taking doctor? New England Journal of Medicine. 345 (24):1914-1916.

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033133_psychoactive_drugs_Big_Pharma

Dr. Jeff Speaks:

Summer is coming to an end and fall schedules are lining up with work and school calendars.  Many have had an eventful summer full of fun activities, athletics’, and vacations.  

Now is a great time to get back into a routine with your health, exercise, and dietary programs. Keep our Super Thursday’s in mind to stock up on vitamins, medical foods, and dietary supplements.

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for referring your friends, family, and work colleagues to Living Well Chiropractic, P.C.  We had an amazing summer helping so many people with NUCCA upper cervical care.

It is always a pleasure serving you.  Take the time this fall to enjoy the colors. 

New Dynamic Health Drink: Three products that everyone needs including adults and children are now included in a healthy easy-to-mix drink.  Available in Chocolate and Strawberry flavors, this gluten-free drink contains antioxidant power of 10+servings of fruits and vegetables! Dynamic Health Drink satisfies your appetite while building muscle and encouraging fat loss and its only 116 calories. This new drink offered exclusively by Nutrition Dynamics contains Whey-Plus, Dynamic Greens, and Fiberdyn.  There is no wheat, caffeine, added sugar, MSG or preservatives. 

For our Get Fit in Fall promotion Living Well Chiropractic, P.C. will offer the promotional price listed below.

List Price: $67.00  Our Price: $55.00.   

RENEE' CORNER Healthy Grocery Shopping Tips

I would like to encourage many of you regarding the best way to consider shopping for groceries.  I know how hard it is to walk into the store and the aroma of fresh bread, cakes and pies are finding you. You know you were a match made in heaven and they look so amazing with the frosting and fruit oozing down the side.  Maybe your liking is the snack isle full of chips, popcorn, and candy. “Those extra calories won’t matter,” you tell yourself, “I’m hungry and I’ll start over tomorrow.” I’ve been there and done that.  I fight those urges also.

However, last fall my health took a serious down turn and I began a new way to shop for food.  Here are a few tips for you:  Make a decision.    “It’s a decision-it’s a mind-set.”

            (1)  Avoid the center isles whenever possible.  Only use the isles for household goods and products such as laundry soap, cleaners, etc.

            (2)  Avoid sugar and replace with Stevia or organic sugar in-the- raw.  Never purchase products with high fructose or corn syrup.  It’s like poison. 

            (3)  Look for “Organic” fresh fruit & vegetables. There is a difference between Natural and Organic; therefore, select Organic when possible.  Products are usually near the top shelf.  Keep looking up.

            (4)  The greener the vegetable the better it is for your health. Also yams are better than sweet potatoes and red skin potatoes better than yellow skin.

            (5)  Dairy is the hidden $Cash$ cow.  Avoid dairy, ice cream, and cheese. Keep it minimal. Replace with goat milk, almond milk, or soy.

            (6)  Support your local Farmer’s Market and local growers over “big box” grocery chains.

            (7)  Find a local farmer with Grass-Fed Beef and Free Grazing Chickens.

            (8)  Gluten-free products are becoming more prevalent.  There is usually a section in the store toward the back near the vegetable section that offers specialty items.  I do all my shopping there for canned goods, salsas, pretzels, beans, rice, and cereals.  Gluten may not be a problem for you; but gluten-free is healthier.

            (9)  Be prepared to pay up to 50% more.  I don’t look at cost.  I will pay the price for quality healthy food now rather than pay later with my health.

            (10)  Inform your family and friends of your decision to eat healthy.  Serve only healthy food to them and bring a healthy-dish-to-pass to outside potluck & events.

It is not always easy to eat healthy. It is swimming upstream rather than mainstream. You will be better off and so will your friends and family.  Oh! Don’t forget the exercise! I’m still working on that.