New Survey: What Do Vets Think About Evidence-Based Medicine?

Posted on June 24, 2012 by skeptvet

A couple of years ago, I conducted a small pilot survey of veterinarians to investigate their attitudes and knowledge concerning evidence-based medicine (EBM). While not a representative sample of the profession, the survey identified some interesting issues worthy of further investigation. While respondents were generally very positive about the idea of evidence-based medicine, they generally had little knowledge or training in EBM methods. Many practitioners felt that research information was potentially useful in general practice but was overwhelming in quantity and difficult to access of interpret in an efficient, timely manner. A recent qualitative survey of decision-making processes used by veterinarians in Belgium also found that few were applying EBM methods to their clinical practice.

Vandeweerd JM, Vandeweerd S, Gustin C, Keesemaecker G, Cambier C, Clegg P, Saegerman C, Reda A, Perrenoud P, Gustin P. Understanding veterinary practitioners’ decision-making process: implications for veterinary medical education. J Vet Med Educ. 2012 Summer;39(2):142-51.

Over two-hundred veterinarians were interviewed by telephone, and a small number (31) were interviewed in person. The authors major conclusions were these:

First, veterinarians in this population were far from applying the principles of EBM…The results of this study showed that the EBM approach (asking questions, searching the literature, critically appraising the internal validity of the identified publications, assessing the external validity of the scientific information) was rarely used to inform decisions.

In this study, veterinarians preferred colleagues, the Internet, and textbooks to peer-reviewed journals and literature searches.

This study suggests that veterinarians also use two modalities of decision making: either by (1) recognizing the similarity to a past situation or (2) choosing the most likely solution among a list of possible options, sometimes excluding options in a hypothetico-deductive approach, sometimes proceeding by trial and error.

The study also identified several pragmatic factors that strongly influenced veterinarians’ decision-making. One was time. Veterinarians reported the perception that clinical decisions must generally be made quickly, and that the time needed to employ EBM methods might be incompatible with the demands of private practice.

Another factor was the perception that a methodical, rigorous scientific approach might not satisfy clients. As the authors reported, “[Respondents] perceived that owners want to see immediate action, which does not allow any delay in decision making; as one participant stated, ‘If I am called, it is to give an answer to the owner. It is not possible to say or do nothing, even if you are not sure. Owners request an action.”

Such concerns about the time required to make proper use of scientific research results in formulating decisions and the perceived antipathy of owners to delay or uncertainty are certainly real issues veterinarians must face. Unfortunately, they can easily lead away from a rational, thoughtful science-based approach to clinical decision making and favor a more reflexive, automatic, and opinion-based strategy, which is less likely to lead to the best results.

The study authors make a number of reasonable suggestions for improving the usefulness of EBM to veterinarians. The obvious first step is to improve the quantity and quality of scientific research information in the field. Then it is necessary to make this information available to ordinary practitioners in a clear and simple form that can be applied to the needs of specific patients with minimal time and effort. And veterinary students should be trained in the methods and benefits of epidemiology and an EBM approach and reminded of the weaknesses of informal and unstructured decision-making based primarily on experience and opinion.

The study authors conclude, quite reasonably:

Veterinarians make decisions in a complex environment, often quickly and rarely with an EBM approach. Obviously, this cannot mean that most practitioners make poorly

informed decisions…Two separate worlds seem to exist, academic research and the reality of practice, that need to join, probably by making the effort to include data from practice into research. Both worlds should also meet more in the field of education, where students should be trained in the complexity of contextualized decision making. More important, aside from those efforts to facilitate the development of evidence-based, accountable, and transparent veterinary medicine, there should be initiatives to scientifically demonstrate the benefits of an EBM approach for animals and owners, which would probably facilitate its adoption by veterinary practitioners.

Adequate information and EBM tools are needed to optimize the time spent in query and assessment of scientific information, and practitioners need to be trained in their use.

 

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 7 Comments

USDA Confronts Misleading Hype about Antioxidants in Foods

Posted on June 17, 2012 by skeptvet

I have commented a few times on the issue of antioxidant supplements. While the theory that some diseases are caused by, or at least involve in some way, oxidative damage is reasonable, and there are lots of in vitro studies showing both the negative effects of free radicals and the antioxidant effects of many chemicals found in foods, the clinical data that one can prevent or treat specific diseases with antioxidant supplements is virtually nonexistent. The hype about antioxidants far exceeds the evidence (c.f. this article also) of any real value, and some evidence has developed showing that they have significant potential risks, including increasing the likelihood of some diseases and interfering with some kinds of medical therapy. So while the potential uses of antioxidants deserve further study, the automatic assumption that they are a good idea is increasingly contradicted by the evidence.

So it makes sense that the US Department of Agriculture has withdrawn a public database it had maintained since 2010 showing one possible measure of the antioxidant capacity of certain foods. The Oxygen Radicals Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) consisted of a variety of in vitro chemical measures for the potential antioxidant effects of certain foods. While this might be useful information in planning research, it was not appropriate as support for health claims, and yet this is how the data was routinely being misused. The USDA notice makes the following important points:

[There is] mounting evidence that the values indicating antioxidant capacity have no relevance to the effects of specific bioactive compounds, including polyphenols on human health.

There is no evidence that the beneficial effects of polyphenol-rich foods can be attributed to the antioxidant properties of these foods.

The data for antioxidant capacity of foods generated by in vitro (test-tube) methods cannot be extrapolated to in vivo (human) effects and the clinical trials to test benefits of dietary antioxidants have produced mixed results.

We know now that antioxidant molecules in food have a wide range of functions, many of which are unrelated to the ability to absorb free radicals.

All of these points simply acknowledge that the evidence from epidemiological studies that consuming certain foods is associated with lower risk of certain diseases may have nothing at all to do with the antioxidant hypothesis of the antioxidant capacity of chemicals in these foods. In fact, the evidence is growing that whatever the health benefits may be of eating such foods, it probably has little to do with their antioxidant activity.

However, the most important reason for taking down the database was not simple scientific accuracy but the deliberate misuse of the information to support unproven health claims. As the USDA announcement put it,

ORAC values are routinely misused by food and dietary supplement manufacturing companies to promote their products and by consumers to guide their food and dietary supplement choices.

Because uncritical acceptance of the notion that antioxidants are good for you is widespread, despite limited supporting data and some data against this hypothesis, supplement manufacturers have been using the USDA ORAC data to add legitimacy to unfounded marketing claims about the health value of their products. Undoubtedly, of course, manufacturers of supplements with purported antioxidant activity will find other ways to promote this as having health benefits despite the lack of string evidence to back up such claims. But it is encouraging to see the government acknowledge that such marketing strategies are not consistent with good science and to make an effort not to accidentally support them.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | Leave a comment

Latest Review Finds Fish Oils Don’t Help Dementia

Posted on June 13, 2012 by skeptvet

Fish oils are the current wonder supplement, good for all that ails you. I have actually taken them when the evidence appeared to support a benefit in prevention of cardiovascular disease, but the evidence is not looking as strong these days even for that indication, which has been the most strongly supported of the many suggested uses in humans. Other uses include prevention or treatment of dementia, arthritis, inflammatory diseases, and many others.

I have reviewed in detail suggestions that fish oils might have a benefit for arthritis in dogs, and it is weak but not definitive either way. Others have reviewed the use of fish oils in dogs with allergic skin disease, and there is reasonable evidence of some mild benefits for that condition. There have been suggestions that fish oils, as supplements or added to dog food, can affect the development of canine cognitive dysfunction, but there is no robust research evidence to support this.

A recent Cochrane review looking at fish oil supplementation and dementia in humans did not find evidence to support a beneficial effect despite a number of quite large clinical studies.

Emma Sydenham. Alan D Dangour. Wee-Shiong Lim. Omega 3 fatty acid for the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia.

Three randomized clinical trials involving over 4000 people were reviewed. Some subjects were supplemented and followed for as long as 2 ½ years. Despite this, no evidence of benefit was found. Few adverse events were seen either, apart from gastrointestinal upset. The conclusion of the review was:

Direct evidence on the effect of omega-3 PUFA on incident dementia is lacking. The available trials showed no benefit of omega-3 PUFA supplementation on cognitive function in cognitively healthy older people. Omega-3 PUFA supplementation is generally well tolerated with the most commonly reported side-effect being mild gastrointestinal problems.

Certainly not the last word, but yet another fairly strong piece of evidence suggesting that even one of the most intensively studied and widely used supplement has yet to definitively demonstrate the benefits claimed for it. And while data of similar strength is unlikely to be developed for dogs with cognitive dysfunction, the tentative conclusion based on extrapolating from the human research has to be that fish oils could have benefits in this condition, but it is at least as likely that they do not.

 

 

 

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 7 Comments

Thank You Lewis Carrol

Posted on June 12, 2012 by skeptvet

Comments like the latest in the Double Helix Water thread always make me think of this:

“Alice laughed: “There’s no use trying,” she said; “one can’t believe impossible things.”

“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

Alice in Wonderland.

Posted in Humor | 1 Comment

Resveratrol–Still Promising and Unproven, and Now With its Own Scandal

Posted on June 11, 2012 by skeptvet

Quite some time ago, I wrote about the substance resveratrol as an ingredient in a nutraceutical intended to treat canine cognitive dysfunction. Here was my conclusion at the time:

Resveratrol is a chemical extracted from grapes that has been touted as a general anti-aging panacea. There are numerous in vitro and lab animal studies that suggest the compound may act as an antioxidant and have a variety of effects promoting and inhibiting the expression of a number of genes. There is mixed evidence in lab animals that it may prolong life and inhibit, or in some cases promote, cancer. Human clinical trials for a number of possible uses are ongoing, but no data is available to suggest safety or efficacy for any particular use.

Likewise, there are apparently no veterinary clinical trials of resveratrol alone for cognitive and behavior dysfunction. As the newspaper article quoted above suggests, it is a promising but unproven compound which has been marketed well in advance of reliable evidence to its safety and efficacy. Resveratrol is an ingredient in Senilife, which has only weak supporting research evidence for clinical benefit in veterinary patients.

The latest reviews of the human literature suggest that the evidence hasn’t changed much; still promising but unproven.

Vang O, Ahmad N, Baile CA, Baur JA, Brown K, et al. (2011) What Is New for an Old Molecule? Systematic Review and Recommendations on the Use of Resveratrol. PLoS ONE 6(6): e19881. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019881

The overall conclusion is that the published evidence is not sufficiently strong to justify a recommendation for the administration of resveratrol to humans, beyond the dose which can be obtained from dietary sources. On the other hand, animal data are promising in prevention of various cancer types, coronary heart diseases and diabetes which strongly indicate the need for human clinical trials.

Quackwatch Summary

Epidemiologic studies can find associations between the consumption of foods or dietary supplements and various health outcomes. Animal experiments can demonstrate what can happen in the species tested. However, only human clinical trials can determine whether supplementation is useful for humans. Resveratrol has not been tested in clinical trials, and most clinical trials of other antioxidants have failed to demonstrate the benefits suggested by preliminary studies. Some substances—most notably beta-carotene—have even produced adverse effects. My advice is to ignore the hype surrounding resveratrol and eat a balanced diet that contains adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables.

There doesn’t appear to be any clinical trial literature on the subject in dogs or cats.

An interesting twist to this story involves one of the most visible researchers promoting resveratrol, Dipak Das from the University of Connecticut. In January, Dr. Das was charge by his university with multiple counts of fraud for falsifying and fabricating data. Since then, 12 of his published papers have been formally retracted. He has published 117 articles on the subject of resveratrol, many of which have been cited numerous times, so this could have some impact on the reliability of the evidence concerning resveratrol, though other researchers in the area contend Dr. Das’ work is not central to the field. In any case, it is a fine example of both the dangers of excessive and premature commitment to a hypothesis and promotion of products based on it as well as of the ultimately self-correcting nature of the scientific process.

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 2 Comments

SuperVets: Entertainment, Education, or Propaganda?

Posted on June 10, 2012 by skeptvet

It is a well-known, indisputable, and nearly universally ignored fact that anecdotes in medicine are unreliable when trying to decide which therapies work and which don’t. The experiences of individual patients don’t even reliably tell us what worked or didn’t work in that specific case, and they certainly can’t be trusted to guide our treatment decisions for other patients. Health and disease are complicated, with numerous factors operating simultaneously to affect the outcome of any one patient, and there are a nearly infinite number of ways we can be fooled into thinking something is helpful which does nothing or even makes the problem worse.

The classic example is bloodletting, which was acclaimed as a rational and effective therapy by the greatest minds in medicine for thousands of years despite being not only ineffective but dangerous, sometimes even fatal. But there are many other such examples, both ancient and modern, of how telling stories about single patients leads us into false beliefs. The success of modern medicine, and the dramatic improvement in the length and quality of our lives in the last couple hundred years, is due to the shift from reliance on experience, history, and anecdote and towards trust in rigorous scientific methods for making decisions about medical therapies.

Unfortunately, anecdotes are not only unreliable, they are deeply compelling psychologically. We are storytelling creatures for whom creating and sharing narratives is a powerful way of building and maintaining our beliefs. It is in our nature to trust the stories we hear, especially when those stories agree with beliefs we already hold. So the rational evidence that stories are untrustworthy usually loses out to the emotional impact such tales have.

The only thing more misleading in medicine than an anecdote is a stylishly produced anecdote on television. Yet this is precisely the intended format for a proposed new television program aimed at promoting alternative veterinary therapies. Humbly named “SuperVets,” this program sounds like the perfect storm for swamping reason and science in a flood of emotional storytelling.

According to an interview for the VIN News Service, the idea for the show came from a television producer who is a believer in so-called holistic veterinary medicine. After meeting a couple of veterinarians who offer some unconventional therapies, the producer decided to create a television show that highlights “specialty veterinary medical services that many pet owners don’t realize are available.” Given that the teaser for the program talks about acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, it seems likely that many of these therapies are going to be alternative approaches which have little scientific evidence to support them and so rely primarily on anecdotes for justification.

The format of the show is apparently to present heartwarming miraculous recoveries due to unconventional therapies, with no discussion of the scientific plausibility or research evidence concerning these treatments or any of the reasons why such anecdotes might not accurately represent reality. The teaser focuses on an adorable retriever, with an equally adorable and loving family. Supposedly condemned to death for some unspecified neurological disease by three different veterinarians, the dog is treated by one of the SuperVets with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and the trailer ends by parading the apparently completely recovered patient before a live audience.

The producer describes this format as a “genre-defying show…staged before a live audience as well as in the field [that] uses real cases to educate viewers.” My understanding of the difference between education and propaganda is that the former includes a reasonably thorough and accurate presentation of information and the limits of our knowledge whereas the latter presents oversimplified narratives with only one possible interpretation. Apparently, the folks behind the show and I use the word “educate” differently.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with using anecdotes to illustrate an idea. It would be foolish to ignore the impact personal stories have on an audience. The trouble is when one uses anecdotes to prove something or to make a case for an idea that scientific evidence suggests is false. Since the show hasn’t been made yet, I can’t be certain that there won’t be thoughtful and informative information about the pros and cons of veterinary therapies, both conventional and alternative. But the teaser doesn’t give any indication this will be the case. And in the words of one of the SuperVets, “through modern veterinary medicine and emerging alternative therapies such as acupuncture and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, there are enough amazing recovery cases to present on the show for an indefinite period.”

I would certainly applaud an effort to show, in an enjoyable and compelling way, that veterinary medicine can be a sophisticated and successful enterprise. However, simply showing a series of supposed miraculous cures brought about by alternative medicine when conventional methods have failed or not been tried is purely propaganda, not education in any honest sense.

It isn’t that an entertaining and compelling show couldn’t be made about scientific medicine, complete with acknowledgement of its failures and limitations as well as its enormous success. Carl Sagan’s Cosmos is the paragon of moving, poetic depictions of legitimate science. And folks like Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Richard Dawkins are keeping alive the tradition of simultaneously accurate and beautiful depictions of science. Unfortunately, this project looks does not look to be in that vein. It appears instead to be a case of true believers in unconventional therapies cherry-picking and crafting supporting anecdotes to show a very skewed picture of alternative veterinary medicine. I guess we’ll know for sure if the project eventually makes it to television.

Posted in General | 3 Comments

N-Acetylcarnosine Eyedrops for Cataracts in Dogs and Cats (Can-C, Bright Eyes NAC, etc)

Posted on May 23, 2012 by skeptvet

A client recently asked for my opinion about the value of some over-the-counter eye drops purported to treat cataracts in dogs and cats. Not having read much about this product, I did a little research.

What Is It?
There are a number of eye drops marketed for prevention or treatment of cataracts in humans and pets. Most commonly, they contain a chemical called n-acetylcarnosine, which is made up of a couple amino acids and an acetyl group. In vitro research suggests this chemical has anti-oxidant effects, so it has been hypothesized to prevent or reduce the gradual opacification of the lens of the eye through this mechansism. As I have pointed out before, the role of oxidative damage in disease, and the value of anti-oxidant therapies, is a developing area of research. Many of the exuberant and enthusiastic hopes in this area have proven false, so while it is an area deserving further investigation, claiming something is an anti-oxidant is not automatic validation of its safety or benefits (e.g. 1, 2, 3).

Does It Work?
There have been a number of studies of n-acetylcarnosine, both in vitro studies and clinical trials in humans. Interestingly, almost all of these appear to have been published by the same researcher and his team, Dr. Mark Babizhayev. A clinical trial was published in 2001 (and it appears the same data was published again in a different journal in 2002, which if true is quite a significant science no-no). The trial was randomized and controlled in a small number of patients, and it appeared to show significant changes in a number of objective measures of cataract severity.

I am not familiar with the specific techniques used to measure the disease or response to treatment, so I will presume they are standard and appropriate measures for this kind of study. One thing that is not clear from the published report is whether the individuals making these measurements were blinded to the treatment status. This obviously has a significant bearing on the reliability of the results, especially when they stem from only one researcher, as such debacles as the Benveniste affair show.

A number of subsequent papers have been published by Dr Babizhayev and his team, mostly in vitro or lab studies investigating properties of n-acetylcarnosine, not clinical trials. Dr. Babizhayev has also become the leader of a commercial firm marketing n-acetylcarnosine for cataract treatment, and many other uses (including skin care, wound care, respiratory disease, and neurologic disease).

This commercial effort, and the spreading of claims for n-acetylcarnosine to a wide range of apparently unrelated applications, does raise some questions about the reliability of Dr. Babizhayev as the sole source of scientific validation for this compound. Overall, the status of the evidence for use of n-acetycarnosine for cataracts in humans is best summarized by the Royal College of Opthalmology:

 

The evidence for the effectiveness of N-acetyl carnosine eye drops is based on experience on a small number of cases carried out by a Russian researcher team. To date, the research has not been corroborated and the results replicated by others. The long-term effect is unknown.

Unfortunately, the evidence to date does not support the ‘promising potential’ of this drug in cataract reversal. More robust data from well conducted clinical trials on adequate sample sizes will be required to support these claims of efficacy.

Furthermore, we do not feel the evidence base for the safety is in any way sufficient

Unusually, there is actually some clinical trial evidence in veterinary species as well. An uncontrolled, unblended pilot trial has been published on an n-acetylcarnosine product (not the one Dr. Babizhayev sells) in dogs with cataracts.

David L Williams, Patricia Munday. The effect of a topical antioxidant formulation including N-acetyl carnosine on canine cataract: a preliminary study. Vet Ophthalmol. 2006 Sep-Oct;9(5):311-6. The results showed marginal improvement in all groups, though it was only significant in patients with 2 out of 5 types of cataract treated. However, subjectively owners reported improvement in 80% of the subjects.

Dr. Williams  has apparently performed a blinded, placebo-controlled follow-up trial on this product which did not show any benefits (in fact improvements were greater in the placebo group than in the treatment group), showing once again the importance of proper controls for bias, confounding, and other sources of error in clinical trials. Unfortunately, it appears unlikely this trial will be published for reasons which are not completely clear, though one implied issue is that journals are often reluctant to accept papers that show negative results, which are less exciting for readers than positive studies. All of this is, of course, through word-of-mouth among veterinarians, so I cannot confirm it is true.  

Is It Safe?
I have not found any reports of adverse effects from ophthalmic application of N-acetylcarnosine itself, and given its chemical makeup it seems unlikely to be hazardous. As usual, products containing this agent are not regulated as licensed medicines are, and there is no way to ensure label accuracy, proper manufacturing quality standards, or the safety of other ingredients that may be included with the N-acetylcarnosine. 

Bottom Line
The theoretical arguments for why this drug might be useful I the treatment of canine cataracts are plausible but largely unproven. There is limited clinical trial evidence in humans suggesting a benefit, but this has not been replicated and is at high risk of bias. The limited clinical trial evidence available in dogs does not suggest a benefit. There are minimal safety concerns with products containing N-acetylcarnosine.

Posted in General | 176 Comments

Coffee Enemas for Pets: A Very Dangerous Idea!

Posted on May 13, 2012 by skeptvet

The therapies I write about range widely from the likely beneficial, to the plausible but mostly untested and over-marketed, to the implausible and even completely ridiculous. The subject of this post is in the last category, and it is a treatment I have not yet addressed because, thankfully, it is seldom recommended even by proponents of the more extreme varieties of alternative medicine. However, Dr. Carol Osborne, a prolific advocate for unproven and pseudoscientific therapies, has latched onto this one in a recent blog post, Could a Coffee Enema Save Your Dog’s Life? For those of you who don’t have time to slog through the rest of the post, I’ll give you the answer now: No. But it could take your dog’s life.

Dr. Carol begins, as proponents of such nonsense treatments so often do, with a meaningless heartwarming anecdote.

Dr. Carol Osborne has seen first-hand the effects a coffee enema can have a dog – and in one particular case, the effect was nothing short of miraculous. When a friend and clients dog suffered acute liver failure, other veterinarians recommended euthanasia. Unable to part with her pet without at least a second opinion, the pet’s owner contacted Dr. Carol as her last resort. In addition to the administration of intravenous fluids, Dr. Carol gave the small dog a coffee enema. Not only did the dog improve, he began to thrive.

Anyone who follows this blog is familiar with the unreliability of such stories, and all the reasons why bogus therapies may seem to work when they really don’t. Acute liver disease is a classic example of a problem which often, and sometimes unexpectedly, resolves on its own with only supportive care (such as IV fluids), due to the regenerative capacity of the liver. I always find it strange that proponents of alternative medicine frequently talk about the body’s innate healing abilities and yet always seem fine taking the credit when a patient gets better.

The arguments Dr. Osborne gives for why this therapy ought to be helpful are no more valid or convincing than the opening anecdote.

Coffee, when administered via enema, stimulates the production of glutathione by the liver. Glutathione is required by the liver to function properly. When the liver fails, glutathione production ceases. By stimulating production of this vital nutrient, the coffee enema helps the liver to once again perform.

Coffee enemas also work as a detox… 

The walls of the intestines, once thin and clean, will become thicker over time with the debris that sticks to the walls preventing the body from digesting and absorbing vital nutrients.

If something is not done to counteract the thickening of the intestinal walls due to residue and debris the pet or person will gradually begin to lose their energy and the ability to function normally…  

Interesting theory. Also complete nonsense.

Glutathione is, of course, present in the liver and important for normal liver functioning, along with thousands of other chemicals. The evidence does not support the assertion that coffee enemas increase glutathione levels in humans. (1) There is mixed evidence for changes in glutathione levels from oral coffee intake, with some human and rat studies finding and increase and others not. (2) There is no evidence that coffee can increase this enzyme in dogs. And there is no evidence that any increase in glutathione which might happen from some kind of intake of coffee has meaningful clinical benefits. So this claim is probably wrong and would be of questionable significance even if it were true.

The argument that coffee enemas are “detoxifying” is based on the vague and mythological understanding of “toxins” that underlying many quack therapies. This mythology is not a legitimate understanding of the cause of disease, and it is not a sound rationale for coffee enemas. (3, 4, 5) The colon is not a primary site of digestion and absorption of nutrients, though there are some nutrients that are absorbed there (notably B vitamins) as well as water. And it does not become caked with debris over time which impedes its functioning. The notion that we are fundamentally incapable of normal health without some periodically flushing out our large intestine is simply ridiculous.

So is there any evidence that coffee enemas have health benefits despite the lack of a plausible theory why they should? Nope! The subject has been debated in human medicine for some time, particularly due to claims that coffee enemas can be beneficial in cancer treatment. There is no credible evidence to support this claim and clear evidence against it. (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) And, of course, there is no clinical research of any kind in dogs or cats to test this therapy. And there shouldn’t be!

While not having shown any benefits, coffee enemas unquestionably can cause harm. There are numerous reports of serious harm done to human patients, including dehydration and electrolyte disturbances, tears of the colon and rectum, burns in the colon and rectum, infections transmitted by the procedure, and death. (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

The fact that caffeine, a prominent chemical in coffee, is a well-known and serious toxin in dogs makes the notion of coffee enemas in these species even more insane, if that is possible.

While it seems as if it shouldn’t even need to be said, clearly coffee enemas for pets are a bad idea. The theoretical reasons for using them range from unproven to completely crazy, there is no evidence in humans or veterinary patients of any benefits, and there is ample evidence of potentially serious harm, including death. Recommending this treatment for pets is irrational to the point of being indefensible.

References

  1. Teekachunhatean S, Tosri N, Sangdee C, Wongpoomchai R, Ruangyuttikarn W, Puaninta C, Srichairatanakool S. Antioxidant effects after coffee enema or oral coffee consumption in healthy Thai male volunteers. Hum Exp Toxicol. 2012 Jan 16. [Epub ahead of print]
  2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=coffee%20glutathione
  3. Chen TS, Chen PS. Intestinal autointoxication: A gastrointestinal leitmotive. Journal Clinical Gastroenterology 11:343-441, 1989.
  4. Green, S. A critique of the rationale for cancer treatment with coffee enemas and diet. JAMA. 1992,Dec 9; 269(13),1635-6.
  5. Ernst, E. M.D., Ph.d., F.R.C.P. (Edin). Colonic Irrigation and the Theory of Autointoxication: A Triumph of Ignorance over Science. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 24(4):196-198, June 1997. (Make sure to follow the references to the primary sources).
  6. Alison Reed, Nicholas James and Karol Sikora. Mexico: Juices, coffee enemas, and cancer. The Lancet. Volume 336, Issue 8716, 15 September 1990, Pages 677-678.
  7. M. E. Shils and M. G. HermannBull . Unproved dietary claims in the treatment of patients with cancer.N Y Acad Med. 1982 April; 58(3): 323–340.
     
  8. Brown BT. Treating cancer with coffee enemas and diet. JAMA. 1993;269:1635-1636.
  9. Cassileth, B. Gerson Regime. Oncology, Volume 24, Issue 2, 2010 Page 201.
  10. Atwood, K. “Gonzalez Regimen” for Cancer of the Pancreas: Even Worse than We Thought (Part I: Results). Science-Based Medicine Blog, Accessed May 13, 2012 at http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/gonzalez-regimen-for-cancer-of-the-pancreas-even-worse-than-we-thought-part-i-results/
  11. Keum, B. et al. Proctocolitis caused by coffee enemasAm J Gastroenterol. 2010 Jan;105(1):229-30.
  12. Lee, C.; Song, S.; Jeon, J.; Sung, M.; Cheung, D.; Kim, J.; Kim, J.; Lee, Y. (2008). Coffee enema induced acute colitis. [The Korean journal of gastroenterology] Taehan Sohwagi Hakhoe chi 52(4): 251–254
  13. Eisele, J.; Reay, D. (1980). Deaths related to coffee enemas. JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association 244(14): 1608–1609.
  14. Sashiyama, H.; Hamahata, Y.; Matsuo, K.; Akagi, K.; Tsutsumi, O.; Nakajima, Y.; Takaishi, Y.; Takase, Y. et al (2008). Rectal burn caused by hot-water coffee enema. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 68(5): 1008–1009
  15. Jones LE, Norris WE. Rectal burn induced by hot coffee enema. Endoscopy.2010;42 Suppl 2:E26.

 

Posted in General | 36 Comments

Bowen Technique for Animals

Posted on May 9, 2012 by skeptvet

A reader recently asked me to look into a manipulative technique marketed for both humans and veterinary patients, Bowen Technique. This turned out to be a bit easier than I expected as there are already a couple of excellent evidence-based reviews of the approach available. My own searches of PubMed, the Cochrane Reviews, and other literature resources did not turn up anything not already covered in these reviews, so I will primarily refer to their assessments.

The Second Sight Blog-
Bowen Therapy 1: Introduction
Bowen Therapy 2: Evidence

A Canna’ Change the Laws of Physics
Bowen Therapy and the ASA

What Is It
Apparently, Bowen therapy is the invention of yet another self-taught misunderstood genius, this time in Australia. Tom Bowen invented a technique whereby the therapist gently massages certain key points, which may or may not be associated with acupuncture points (which are themselves likely imaginary), meridians, chakras, and other such mystical energy medicine concepts. This supposedly alerts the brain to the presence of a problem which it somehow did not otherwise know about (despite the pain or other symptoms which brought the patient to the therapist), and the brain then repairs the damage on its own. Apparently, the brain is shy because it is supposedly necessary for the practitioner to leave the room periodically during treatment so the brain has the opportunity to respond to the messages they are sending it.

The review at Second Sight goes into more detail, evaluating the theoretical explanations on the Bowen web site, but the bottom line is that these explanations are vitalistic and pseudoscientific, along the lines of those for other similar energy therapies such as traditional acupuncture, Reiki, healing touch, and so on.

Does It Work?
From the point of view of plausibility, there is no reason to think this therapy is effective. The theoretical explanations for it are inconsistent with established science. And as usual, for the veterinary applications of Bowen Technique, I have not found a single published study of any kind. Unless one exists that I am unaware of, the use of this technique in animals is based solely on anecdotal experience, which is deeply unreliable.

There have been a handful of clinical trials in humans, which the blogs cited above review in detail. My own reading of them agrees with these reviews. Almost all are uncontrolled studies highly subject to bias. If you apply a treatment to a bunch of people and something changes about their health, you can’t simply assume the treatment is the reason. So most of these are useless for establishing safety or efficacy.

There is one controlled trial which evaluate the use of Bowen therapy on healthy volunteers by measuring their hamstring flexibility before and after treatment. The study does show that healthy people will stretch farther after they think they’ve received a treatment to enhance flexibility compared to people who haven’t been given any treatment. This doesn’t really say anything at all about whether Bowen technique has any physiological effects or any benefits in treating disease.

Is It Safe
There is no evidence concerning safety for this method. Some practitioners subscribe to the “healing crisis” notion also found in homeopathy, where patients are expected to get worse as a sign they are responding to treatment, so some negative symptoms have been reported anecdotally after treatment. However, without controls or systematic monitoring, there is no way to know if these experiences have anything to do with the treatment.  Of course, with Bowen therapy as with most unproven and implausible approaches, the risk that comes with applying an ineffective therapy and failing to seek real medical care in a timely fashion must be considered.

Bottom Line
There is no good reason to think this approach works based on the theoretical explanations offered for it, which are unproven and mostly pseudoscientific or vitalistic. There is no evidence for or against it in veterinary species, apart from unreliable anecdotes. There is no controlled clinical research in humans showing a benefit, though uncontrolled trials with high risk of bias appear to show some effects. And there is no evidence concerning the safety of the practice. A classic case of a therapy made up out of thin air by a lone “visionary,” the claims for which must be taken entirely on faith.

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CAM and Prostate Cancer: Study Findes no Effect on Outcome or Patient Satisfaction

Posted on May 7, 2012 by skeptvet

The subject I focus on most often when discussing the value of CAM therapies is whether or not they are safe and effective. That is, do they generate a measurable improvement in objective measures of illness with acceptable side effects? Of course, they may make the patient feel better without actually being any better physically (e.g. this asthma study), through placebo effects of various kinds. One could argue that is a meaningful benefit, however it also represents a risk. Mistakenly believing a therapy is effective when the ritual of giving the therapy is generating the appearance of a benefit without altering the disease in the patient’s body can lead to inappropriate use of potentially harmful therapies and avoidance of truly effective treatments.

An issue that I don’t often address is the question of whether or not patients (or in the veterinary context, clients) are satisfied with the care they receive. This is an important concern, particularly since poor patient satisfaction is probably one of the factors driving people to seek CAM therapies regardless of the evidence concerning their safety and efficacy. It might be that would be less likely to seek unproven or bogus therapies in addition to, or in lieu of, science-based medicine if conventional medicine could do a better job of helping people cope with their disease.

There are efforts to do this, under the label of “patient-centered care,” though there are also efforts to turn this movement into a Trojan horse for providing unproven therapies just because patients sometimes want them. However, the assumption is often made that CAM generally makes patients happier than conventional care, and I’ll admit I am often inclined to believe this is true. But this impression is not based on much evidence, so I’m always keeping an eye out for research that addresses the question of whether or not patients using CAM are more satisfied with their care than patients who are not.

I recently ran across an article that addresses both the issue of CAM efficacy and of patient satisfaction with CAM treatment.

Scott D. Ramsey, Steven B. Zeliadt, Catherine R. Fedorenko, Megan E. Fairweather, Cara L. McDermott, David F. Penson, Stephen K. Van Den Eeden, Ann S. Hamilton, Neeraj K. Arora. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use, Patient-reported Outcomes, and Treatment Satisfaction Among Men With Localized Prostate Cancer. Urology. 2012; 79(5):1034–1041.

The study recruited men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer in California and Washington state and surveyed them about CAM use and about their satisfaction with their treatment at diagnosis and 6 months later. The survey also evaluated patients’ functional outcome after treatment. These data were then analyzed to determine the variables that were associated with functional outcomes and patient satisfaction.

One problem that arises in surveys of CAM is defining what constitutes CAM. In other surveys (e.g. 1, 2), CAM use appears much higher when one counts practices that are not always properly understood as medical therapies, such as spiritual practices and some nutritional, exercise, or relaxation techniques. In this study, 52% of men reported CAM use when the following interventions were included.

Special diets, such as low fat or mostly vegetarian diet
Herbs or dietary supplements (such as saw palmetto, lycopene supplements, or selenium). High-dose vitamins or mega vitamins (such as vitamin E) (do NOT include 1-a-day multivitamins)
Homeopathy
Movement or physical therapies, such as yoga, tai chi, massage, chiropractic therapy Oriental therapies, such as acupuncture, acupressure, qigong, or shiatsu Mental health counseling or psychotherapy
Personal prayer
Faith healing, laying on of hands, or any other spiritual or religious group experience Mind/body therapies such as guided imagery/visualization, biofeedback, meditation, Relaxation techniques, hypnosis/hypnotherapy, energy healing, therapeutic touch, or music therapy

 

This list illustrates the questionable “big tent” approach to defining CAM. I am a vegetarian, I meditate, and I have occasionally had a massage, but I did not seek any of these as medical treatments, and I would not consider myself as using CAM as a result. Likewise, prayer and psychotherapy hardly seem like activities predominately aimed at treating disease. Though they may have some impact on health, and certainly one’s sense of wellbeing, it is a mistake to lump together nonsense like homeopathy, unproven but plausible therapies, and activities intended to be comforting as if they were all the same thing.

The authors did acknowledge this problem to a certain extent, and they conducted several of their analyses both including and excluding prayer. For example, when prayer was excluded from the definition, only 39% of subjects reported CAM use. I imagine the number would be even lower if psychotherapy, massage, and other such activities that have little to do with most forms of alternative medicine were excluded.

Unsurprisingly, CAM use was not associated with any difference in functional outcomes, such as urinary continence, sexual function, and bowel function. There were clear differences in these variables based on which, if any, conventional therapy was employed.

Perhaps more of a surprise is the finding that CAM use was not associated at all with patient satisfaction. Most men were satisfied with the care they received (78% reported completely or very satisfied), and the variables that seemed most strongly associated with this were measures of the quality of the communication between doctors and patients.

The authors also cite a number of previous studies of CAM use in patients with prostate cancer, which also suggest that the automatic association between CAM and patient satisfaction may not be justified.

For example, Eng et al asked patients with recently diagnosed prostate cancer who used CAM about their perceptions of its effectiveness. More than one half (60%) of the respondents believed they were better or a lot better on measures of energy level, stress, sense of control over disease, and PSA level. The remainder reported that their CAM therapies had no effect or worsened these measures. When asked whether their use of CAM therapies minimized the side effects of conventional treatments, one third of the CAM users (34%) reported improvement, 56% reported no effect, and 10% reported they believed the CAM treatments had made their side effects worse. Ponholzer et al found CAM users reported lower treatment satisfaction, quality of life, and health status than patients who did not use CAM.

Certainly, one study such as this is by no means definitive regarding either the effectiveness of CAM therapies or their impact on patients’ perceptions of their care. But it is one more piece of evidence to consider in evaluating these issues.

 

 

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