The Body of Evidence

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of healthcare-acquired infections? Plus: CBD is put on trial to see how well it does against the symptoms of advanced cancer, and the world’s elites reveal their most damning secret: they don’t think COVID is just a bad cold.   Block 1: (2:02) Nosocomial infections: what they are, difference from iatrogenic infections, what the US did to reduce them,...

Jonathan and Chris talk to Tom Thumb, the author of the book Science for Hippies. How do you have productive conversations with people who believe that we can never truly know anything and that everything happens for a reason? Tom shares his experience being a rational hippie trying to get his friends to think more scientifically, especially in the middle of a pandemic!   (1:41) Why a science book...

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of osteoporosis? Plus: we look at a genuinely breakthrough therapy for metastatic melanoma, and Chris lets you in on a troubling “secret” when it comes to travel health insurance! You will also learn what a “dowager’s hump” is and hear Chris sing, and for that we formally apologize.   Block 1: (2:01) Osteoporosis: what it is; bone cells and how they...

Chris and Jonathan welcome back Dr. Jonathan Howard to talk about the doctors who repeatedly said the pandemic was ending and who became anti-vaccine in the process. When doctors become brands, narcissism can easily lead them and their fans astray, as these media figures chase an ever elusive limelight. Dr. Howard has been tracking their claims and predictions and brings the receipts.   (2:38) Dr....

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of gun control? Plus: we address why more and more children are accidentally getting poisoned with cannabis, and we wonder if a vaccine against RSV might be around the corner! Warning: discussions of suicide in the first half. If you need help, please reach out: https://talksuicide.ca/ .   Block 1: (2:42) Gun control: gun deaths, where the data comes...

Chris was a guest on the Montreal Gazette’s Corner Booth podcast, alongside local reporter Aaron Derfel, to discuss the on-going pandemic, COVID-19 denialism, and government messaging. We are bringing you this episode with the Corner Booth’s permission. It was recorded in a restaurant and the first question the host asks is, “Why is Chris wearing a mask?”   - Why is Chris wearing a mask   - Why is...

What does history teach us about the controversy over cholesterol? Plus: we look at the zombie myth that soccer players are dying from the COVID-19 vaccine, and we dissect a new clinical trial of colonoscopies that reports disappointing results and compare it to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s enthusiasm for the procedure itself!   Block 1: (1:50) Cholesterol: conflicting animal studies at the...

Jonathan and Chris speak to Nick Tiller, PhD, a physiologist interested in exercising and the marketing hype that often surrounds the topic. They discuss the few supplements that can improve your workouts, as well as the gadgets that probably won’t. Bookending their conversation is the important question: what is the best exercise?   2:35 Common misunderstandings around exercising 4:43 Delayed ons...

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of cholesterol? Plus: we look at the claim that a multivitamin can preserve your cognitive functions as you age, and we cover that study that allegedly shows aluminum in vaccines causes asthma!   Block 1: (3:04) Cholesterol: what cholesterol is, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, how fat is digested, HDL cholesterol   Block 2: (10:44) Cholesterol: t...

Chris and Jonathan speak to Dr. Swapnil Hiremath, a hypertension specialist and staff nephrologist at the Ottawa Hospital. As they discuss high blood pressure and how to treat it, they make their way to a highly contentious clinical trial, the Hygia trial, which allegedly compared two times of day when to take blood pressure medication. Its results are a little too perfect to be believed.   3:35 W...

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of Botox injections? Plus: we address the confusion over bivalent COVID-19 booster shots, and we look at a trial of magic mushrooms for alcohol use disorder!   Block 1: (3:00) Botox: what it is and what botulism does to you   Block 2: (9:00) Botox: how Botox works on wrinkles, a comparison between formulations, what can go wrong, why repeated injecti...

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of vitamin supplements? We pilot a new format for the show and ask for your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, Patreon, or via email at thebodyofevidence@gmail.com   (6:34) The story of scurvy and how its cause, a vitamin deficiency, was harder to “science” than you may remember, with author Stephen R. Bown.     (22:48) The por...

The laying on of hands. The stethoscope. The “does it hurt when I press here.” We are all familiar with the physical exam a doctor does when investigating our symptoms. But in the 21st century, with access to ultrasound and MRI, are these old-fashioned techniques still relevant or just cool parlour tricks? Returning guest Niko joins Chris to discuss the evidence behind hands-on maneuvers taught to...

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of sexually transmitted infections? Plus: should you worry about monkeypox, and what is going on with mysterious cases of liver inflammation in children?   Block 1: (2:15) STIs: nomenclature, HIV, rising cases   Block 2: (8:57) STIs: why cases are increasing, who should be screened, treatment options, antibiotic resistance, confections, cold sore out...

The Body of Evidence is releasing an episode of HFMA’s Voices in Healthcare Finance podcast, which features an interview with Dr. Christopher Labos on the topic of weight bias in healthcare, including what health indicators to focus on instead of weight and how to help patients who are at risk improve their health outcomes without explicit or implicit fat shaming.   If you enjoy Voices in Healthca...

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of MSG? Plus: we dig into a new study that alleges that artificial sweeteners are associated with a higher risk of cancer (but But BUT!), and will we keep boosting people against COVID every four months?   Block 1: (2:05) MSG: what it is, where it comes from, and where it is used   Block 2: (8:41) MSG: what it tastes like, the story of how it was mal...

Chris and Jonathan welcome back to the show Paul Ingraham, the founder of PainScience.com . He charts his early days as a woo believer, his transformation into a skeptic, and the thing that got him in trouble with his massage therapy regulatory body: tone. Do healthcare regulators care for snark? Is it their role to tone-police their members? The Internet took many regulators by surprise and some...

Fingers on buzzers! It’s the first (and possibly last) episode of What’s in a Name: Medical Edition! Join host Jonathan and his three contestants in figuring out the origin of common words used in biology and medicine! It’s fun, we swear!   In the hot seat: social media manager Melissa, medical resident Niko, and cardiologist Chris!   Who will win? Who will lose? Will their egos recover? Do points...

Jonathan and Chris talk to Dr. Barbara Hofer and Dr. Gale Sinatra, the authors of the book Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It . It’s a course in skepticism 101 as they discuss decision-making, doing your own research, and the post-truth era.   1:46 Why write a book about science denial now? 4:50 Irrational decision-making 6:17 Politicizing science and manufacturing doubt 16:30...

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of asthma? Plus: how much time children spend in front of screens, and how to nudge people to go to the gym.   Block 1: (3:15) Asthma: wheezing, similar diseases, how asthma is diagnosed   Block 2: (10:53) Asthma: exercise-induced “asthma,” what is asthma, cold and thunderstorms as triggers, allergies, infections, treatments   Block 3: (29:31) Screen...

Chris and Jonathan welcome back to the show journalist Brooke Binkowski from Truth or Fiction to discuss the Joe Rogan/Spotify controversy and how we got here. The discussion includes what makes someone a journalist in 2022 and how reactionaries and extremists were early adopters of the Internet.   2:10 Addressing common accusations 3:44 The saga 5:26 The mainstreaming of falsehoods 8:21 Lack of r...

What does the body of evidence have to say on the topic of dementia or, to use a more recent term, major cognitive disorder? Plus: what (little) we know about long COVID, and we go over arguments for and against the no-vax tax that was recently debated in Quebec.   Block 1: (3:04) Dementia: types of memory   Block 2: (11:53) Dementia: Alzheimer’s, ApoE, vascular dementia, Lewy body disease, fronto...

Jonathan and Chris speak to Olivier Drouin, MD, MPH, a paediatrician and researcher in Montreal. The risk-benefit analyses regarding children, COVID-19, and the vaccines have received a lot of attention by journalists, parents, and peddlers of misinformation alike. “Myocarditis” is now a “boogeyword.” Olivier weighs in on how COVID affects children, the safety of the vaccines, and what to do about...

What does the body of evidence have to say on the topic of the immune system? Plus: the omicron variant and its accompanying public health measures, and we go over what happens when scientists try to fulfill one of the promises of science: replicating results.   Block 1: (2:46) Immunity: what it does, self versus non-self, antigens, HLA, innate versus adaptive, fever, skin   Block 2: (12:07) Immun...

When it comes to health and medicine, there are so many decisions to make and so much misinformation out there. Dr. Christopher Labos and Jonathan Jarry look at the body of evidence on these topics to tell you what’s solid, what’s iffy… and what’s crapola. The jingles, comedy, and bickering help the medicine go down.